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KCRoyals15 · 01-08-2025, 06:52 PM

1986

Trey Skipper had successfully re-invigorated a pair of longtime-downtrodden (one very longtime) American Baseball League franchises in Denver and Boston and after four years and two championships in Beantown, he stepped away, going 359-289 (.554) in his tenure and making the playoffs each season.

Speculation ran rampant that Trey was ready to return to the major leagues—and no shortage of big-league clubs across the country were lining up to hire him. However, he was known as a fixer-upper and he decided to stay in the ABL for his biggest fix yet.

"This is the worst team in the country and I get to manage it," Trey Skipper said at his introductory press conference. "The opportunity for the greatest turnaround in American baseball history exists here today and is not one to be taken lightly."

Where would that opportunity exist? The Cincinnati Buckeyes, losers of 117 games in 1985 and 122 the year prior. Their last winning season was 1957 and their only playoff berths were in the first years of the United States Baseball Federation (1900) and ABL (1954), which the team did not build off at all. Their attendance record was a paltry 768,000 and the club last turned a profit two decades ago (1965).

Trey Skipper (and his father and grandfather) had both taken over awful situations time and time again. But this was different. This was truly the worst starting situation you could come up with.

The Northern Conference was dominated by the Newark Eagles, who won 105 games and their fourth-straight New England League pennant. Taking second, 12 games back, were the Brooklyn Dodgers, who earned their first playoff bid in 14 years. Over in the Midwest Association, Detroit won their third pennant in a row, five games ahead of Buffalo, who nonetheless earned their first playoff spot in seven years.

In the postseason, Both first-round series ended in upsets, with Brooklyn downing Detroit in five games, and Buffalo besting Newark in a seven-game series. In the finals, the Bisons ducked the Dodgers' blows, emerging victorious in six games, winning their first Conference Championship in a quarter-century.

The Southern Conference saw a familiar juggernaut roll on, as Washington won the Eastern League by four games over Baltimore to earn their 14th-straight playoff berth, while New Orleans rolled to a (major league) franchise-record 111 wins to win the Western League by 20 games.

EDITOR'S NOTE: 1986 was the first year after I migrated the game from OOTP 22 up the chain to 25. Some stuff got messed up and for some reason, only in the Southern Conference, the playoffs were reverted to one round only, robbing Baltimore of their first playoff bid since 1976 and Salt Lake City's first since 1980. This got fixed in time for the 1988 season.

In the Conference Championship between two powerhouses, the perennial one got the upper hand, as the Washington Senators won their fifth conference title in 13 years to cap off a dynasty spanning nearly a decade and a half.

The Pacific Coast League continued to see the problem that persisted much of the decade: utter dominance by Seattle (won the North by 26 games) and San Diego (+34 games in the South). San Francisco and Oakland were the only other PCL teams over .500 and earned the other playoff berths.

EDITOR'S NOTE: PCL playoffs were also screwed up, resulting in two wild cards, regardless of division and the North getting a third playoff team This got fixed for 1988.

In the first round, Oakland pulled off a stunner of an upset, knocking off San Diego in a sweep to abruptly end the Padres' quest for a third-straight National Championship. Seattle then took down San Francisco in six games, then ruined the entire Bay Area's winter by defeating Oakland in five games to win their fourth PCL title in eight years.

Down in the Texas League, Fort Worth snuck one game past Tulsa to win the North, with both teams punching playoff tickets. For Tulsa, it was their first playoff berth since 1969. In the South, El Paso coasted to 98 wins and the division title to earn their tenth-straight playoff berth. Austin finished 15 games back in second, limping in for the third year in a row.

In the Division Finals, Fort Worth disposed of Tulsa in five games, while El Paso was tested by Austin, but ultimately took down the Wranglers in seven games. The Texans had a much easier time in the finals, putting down the Panthers in five for El Paso's first title in five seasons.

In the national tournament, Buffalo's first in a quarter-century, their trek would end quickly as the Washington Senators (SOU) defeat the Buffalo Bisons (NOR). On the other side, an upset was dealt, as the El Paso Texans (TL) defeat the Seattle Rainiers (PCL). With the cards on the table, the boys from Texas had the winning hand, as the El Paso Texans (TL) defeat the Washington Senators (SOU), 4-1 for the Texans' second National Championship.

In the Northern Conference, Newark's veteran outfielder Jeff Hutchins found his power stroke. The 33-year-old slashed .287/.367/.557 with 177 hits, 123 runs, 23 doubles, 47 homers, and 123 RBI, setting career highs in just about everything on his way to his only MVP award.

On the hill, Brooklyn's resurgence was aided in part due to the work of third-year righty Ben Keeton. The 24-year-old went 18-9 with a 3.04 ERA, striking out 167 in 248.2 innings to earn Pitcher of the Year. For whatever reason, though, despite no injuries, Keeton fell off quickly and was out of the majors at 30 years old.

Detroit third baseman Dave Crimmins was one of the top players in the 70's, but was stone-walled in MVP voting by Mark Oxford's historic run of nine-straight trophies. However, Crimmins had a similarly great career and on August 30, the 39-year-old stroked his 3,000th career hit.

In the Southern Conference, a big driver behind New Orleans' record year was first baseman Mario Zuniga. The 25-year-old bopper slashed .319/.426/.653 with a conference-high 52 homers and 141 RBI, while adding 181 hits and 30 doubles, as well as leading the South with 131 runs scored, earning him his first MVP.

Seven years after Washington lefty Mark Overton earned his first Pitcher of the Year, he earned his second and last one. The 31-year-old southpaw went 17-9 with a 2.46 ERA over 248.2 innings to earn the trophy.

Baltimore slugger Eric Davis crushed 52 homers to tie Zuniga for the conference lead and took home Rookie of the Year. Most notable, he blasted four longballs against Miami on August 15, the sixth four-homer game in major league history, though just over two years after the most recent.

Overton's longtime teammate, lefty Alan Church, called it quits after 15 big-league season at just 36 years old despite being healthy and generally effective all season, bringing and end to the career of the five-time Pitcher of the Year.

In the Pacific Coast League, Seattle centerfielder Justin Arnold had an insane 1985 (.326, 49 homers, 175 RBI), but finished runner-up to an even better season. This year, though, he was back on top with his second MVP trophy, slashing .326/.443/.627 and leading the PCL with 49 homers, 146 RBI, and 153 runs, while added 220 hits, 38 doubles, 9 triples, and a career-high 78 stolen bases.

San Francisco righty Noah Long had a great rookie year in 1982, then basically missed all of '83 due to a pair of serious injuries. However, he fully recovered and in his fifth season he went 23-13 with a PCL-leading 2.17 ERA, while also leading the league in starts (44), innings (345.0), complete games (16), and shutouts (6), while striking out a career-high 269 batters. That was more than enough to earn him his only Pitcher of the Year trophy.

Sacramento shortstop Kyle Page toiled mostly in obscurity, but he toiled very well, and in his 17th season, the 41-year-old stroked his 3,000th career hit on May 25.

Maybe the greatest defensive corner outfielder in the game's history (14 Great Gloves in right field), Galveston's John Fleshman didn't usually hit a whole lot. This year, though, everything clicked at the plate, and he slashed .306/.405/.576 with 177 hits, a league-high 124 runs, 36 doubles, 38 homers, and 113 RBI, setting career highs in nearly every single category and earning Texas League MVP, the only one of his career.

Prior to 1980, El Paso swung a trade to acquire right-hander J.J. Alexander from Jacksonville, where he had three strong years. The Texans got the better end of that deal, as Alexander posted seven strong seasons. The last season in that run was a 19-10 campaign in which the 34-year-old led the TL in wins and strikeouts (167) and posted a 3.73 ERA over 231.2 innings, earning Pitcher of the Year honors.

The Eastern Baseball Federation sent a pair of former Pitchers of the Year to the Hall of Fame, including a three-time winner:

SP Bill Lively (1964-80), 98.0%
SP Trevor Bedford (1962, '64-80), 75.6%

Meanwhile, the undisputed king of Texas League pitching got the call, as the record ten-time Pitcher of the Year came just one vote shy of jsut the second unanimous selection to any USBF Hall of Fame:

SP Roy Hendricks (1961-80), 99.7%

---

In the American Baseball League, the circuit elected to scrap the four-division set-up and go to two divisions, with the top four in each division making the playoffs, while all series returned to best-of-seven. The ABL also chose to name separate award winners for each division.

In the East, Boston won the division by one game over Birmingham, with the Barons, Nashville, and Columbus filling out the playoff spots there, with the Clippers slipping in one game ahead of Richmond. In the West, Denver won the division, with Chicago and Spokane next in line. Indianapolis and Vancouver tied for fourth at a mediocre 75-87, and Indy won the tiebreaker, slipping into the field.

In the postseason, Columbus upset Boston in a sweep, while Nashville also swept Birmingham. The top two seeds moved on in the West with Denver beating Indy in six and Chicago surviving seven games with Spokane. The Vols then took the down the Clippers in six to win the East and Denver did the same vs. Chicago in the West. Nashville then beat the Bears in six for their third American Baseball Cup.

In the East, Boston first baseman Dane Kruse had a rookie year to remember, becoming the first (and still only) ABL hitter to win a Triple Crown, slashing .350/.420/.604 (all league bests) with 35 homers and 141 RBIs, along with 198 hits and 95 runs. The 22-year-old won MVP and Rookie of the Year. Nashville righty Luis Acosta won his fourth Pitcher of the Year in a row, winning the pitching Triple Crown by going 20-6 with a 2.45 ERA, and 274 strikeouts, leading the league in all those categories over his 257.1 innings.

Out West, Denver's Blake Gross slashed .332/.399/.488, winning the West batting crown and leading the division in hits (204) and runs (105), along with 26 doubles, 14 triples, 14 homers, 55 RBI, and 28 steals to win MVP. Chicago lefty Steve Richards went 17-8 with a 2.31 ERA over 253.1 innings, striking out 205 to earn Pitcher of the Year.

---

A new minor league entered the baseball world, as the Atlantic Coast formed, overlapping with much of the Mid-Atlantic League on the Eastern seaboard:

Atlantic Coast League

Minor League Champions
Southeastern League: Memphis Chicks, 107-47, defeats Baton Rouge
Colonial League: Reading Keystones, 82-59, defeats Lowell
River Valley League: Erie Sailors, 92-48, defeats Grand Rapids
Rocky Mountain League: Great Falls Explorers, 68-58, defeats Ft. Collins
Coastal League: Winston-Salem Twins, 88-67, defeats Greenville
Northern League: La Crosse Loggers, defeats Appleton
Southwest League: Santa Barbara Foresters, 97-57, defeats Long Beach
Southern Association: Corpus Christi Gunslingers, 85-55, defeats Springfield (2nd straight)
Northwest League: Yakima Tomahawks, 83-71, defeats Salem (2nd straight)
Can-Am League: Utica Blue Sox, 78-48, defeats London
Mid-Atlantic League: Altoona Engineers, 83-57, defeats Asheville; 7 teams within 7 games of 2nd place
Lone Star League: Amarillo Gold Sox, 77-63, defeats Rio Grande
Great Plains League: Lincoln Lions, 91-49, defeats Des Moines
Florida Coast League: St. Petersburg Saints, 77-64, defeats Daytona
Big Sky League: Regina Giants, 73-59, defeats Ogden (3rd straight)
Heartland League: Quad Cities Trappers, 93-47, defeats Sioux Falls
Atlantic Coast League: Wilmington (NC) Waves, 60-61, defeats Potomac; entire Carolina Division below .500

The ACL had an interesting debut season, as the entire Carolina Division was below .500, with Wilmington and Spartanburg tied for first at 59-61. Wilmington won the playoff, then upset 77-43 Potomac for the title.

Two other leagues were very bunched together, as the entire eight-team Rocky Mountain League was separated by only 11 games, with no one better than 69-57, nor worse than 58-68. The Mid-Atlantic League had Altoona win the league by 11 games, but the other seven teams were bunched just seven games apart between 72-68 and 65-75.

01-08-2025, 06:52 PM	#96
KCRoyals15 Minors (Double A) Join Date: Oct 2020 Location: A lot of them Posts: 123	Texans On My Mind 1986 Trey Skipper had successfully re-invigorated a pair of longtime-downtrodden (one very longtime) American Baseball League franchises in Denver and Boston and after four years and two championships in Beantown, he stepped away, going 359-289 (.554) in his tenure and making the playoffs each season. Speculation ran rampant that Trey was ready to return to the major leagues—and no shortage of big-league clubs across the country were lining up to hire him. However, he was known as a fixer-upper and he decided to stay in the ABL for his biggest fix yet. "This is the worst team in the country and I get to manage it," Trey Skipper said at his introductory press conference. "The opportunity for the greatest turnaround in American baseball history exists here today and is not one to be taken lightly." Where would that opportunity exist? The Cincinnati Buckeyes, losers of 117 games in 1985 and 122 the year prior. Their last winning season was 1957 and their only playoff berths were in the first years of the United States Baseball Federation (1900) and ABL (1954), which the team did not build off at all. Their attendance record was a paltry 768,000 and the club last turned a profit two decades ago (1965). Trey Skipper (and his father and grandfather) had both taken over awful situations time and time again. But this was different. This was truly the worst starting situation you could come up with. The Northern Conference was dominated by the Newark Eagles, who won 105 games and their fourth-straight New England League pennant. Taking second, 12 games back, were the Brooklyn Dodgers, who earned their first playoff bid in 14 years. Over in the Midwest Association, Detroit won their third pennant in a row, five games ahead of Buffalo, who nonetheless earned their first playoff spot in seven years. In the postseason, Both first-round series ended in upsets, with Brooklyn downing Detroit in five games, and Buffalo besting Newark in a seven-game series. In the finals, the Bisons ducked the Dodgers' blows, emerging victorious in six games, winning their first Conference Championship in a quarter-century. The Southern Conference saw a familiar juggernaut roll on, as Washington won the Eastern League by four games over Baltimore to earn their 14th-straight playoff berth, while New Orleans rolled to a (major league) franchise-record 111 wins to win the Western League by 20 games. EDITOR'S NOTE: 1986 was the first year after I migrated the game from OOTP 22 up the chain to 25. Some stuff got messed up and for some reason, only in the Southern Conference, the playoffs were reverted to one round only, robbing Baltimore of their first playoff bid since 1976 and Salt Lake City's first since 1980. This got fixed in time for the 1988 season. In the Conference Championship between two powerhouses, the perennial one got the upper hand, as the Washington Senators won their fifth conference title in 13 years to cap off a dynasty spanning nearly a decade and a half. The Pacific Coast League continued to see the problem that persisted much of the decade: utter dominance by Seattle (won the North by 26 games) and San Diego (+34 games in the South). San Francisco and Oakland were the only other PCL teams over .500 and earned the other playoff berths. EDITOR'S NOTE: PCL playoffs were also screwed up, resulting in two wild cards, regardless of division and the North getting a third playoff team This got fixed for 1988. In the first round, Oakland pulled off a stunner of an upset, knocking off San Diego in a sweep to abruptly end the Padres' quest for a third-straight National Championship. Seattle then took down San Francisco in six games, then ruined the entire Bay Area's winter by defeating Oakland in five games to win their fourth PCL title in eight years. Down in the Texas League, Fort Worth snuck one game past Tulsa to win the North, with both teams punching playoff tickets. For Tulsa, it was their first playoff berth since 1969. In the South, El Paso coasted to 98 wins and the division title to earn their tenth-straight playoff berth. Austin finished 15 games back in second, limping in for the third year in a row. In the Division Finals, Fort Worth disposed of Tulsa in five games, while El Paso was tested by Austin, but ultimately took down the Wranglers in seven games. The Texans had a much easier time in the finals, putting down the Panthers in five for El Paso's first title in five seasons. In the national tournament, Buffalo's first in a quarter-century, their trek would end quickly as the Washington Senators (SOU) defeat the Buffalo Bisons (NOR). On the other side, an upset was dealt, as the El Paso Texans (TL) defeat the Seattle Rainiers (PCL). With the cards on the table, the boys from Texas had the winning hand, as the *El Paso Texans (TL) defeat the Washington Senators (SOU), 4-1* for the Texans' second National Championship. In the Northern Conference, Newark's veteran outfielder Jeff Hutchins found his power stroke. The 33-year-old slashed .287/.367/.557 with 177 hits, 123 runs, 23 doubles, 47 homers, and 123 RBI, setting career highs in just about everything on his way to his only MVP award. On the hill, Brooklyn's resurgence was aided in part due to the work of third-year righty Ben Keeton. The 24-year-old went 18-9 with a 3.04 ERA, striking out 167 in 248.2 innings to earn Pitcher of the Year. For whatever reason, though, despite no injuries, Keeton fell off quickly and was out of the majors at 30 years old. Detroit third baseman Dave Crimmins was one of the top players in the 70's, but was stone-walled in MVP voting by Mark Oxford's historic run of nine-straight trophies. However, Crimmins had a similarly great career and on August 30, the 39-year-old stroked his 3,000th career hit. In the Southern Conference, a big driver behind New Orleans' record year was first baseman Mario Zuniga. The 25-year-old bopper slashed .319/.426/.653 with a conference-high 52 homers and 141 RBI, while adding 181 hits and 30 doubles, as well as leading the South with 131 runs scored, earning him his first MVP. Seven years after Washington lefty Mark Overton earned his first Pitcher of the Year, he earned his second and last one. The 31-year-old southpaw went 17-9 with a 2.46 ERA over 248.2 innings to earn the trophy. Baltimore slugger Eric Davis crushed 52 homers to tie Zuniga for the conference lead and took home Rookie of the Year. Most notable, he blasted four longballs against Miami on August 15, the sixth four-homer game in major league history, though just over two years after the most recent. Overton's longtime teammate, lefty Alan Church, called it quits after 15 big-league season at just 36 years old despite being healthy and generally effective all season, bringing and end to the career of the five-time Pitcher of the Year. In the Pacific Coast League, Seattle centerfielder Justin Arnold had an insane 1985 (.326, 49 homers, 175 RBI), but finished runner-up to an even better season. This year, though, he was back on top with his second MVP trophy, slashing .326/.443/.627 and leading the PCL with 49 homers, 146 RBI, and 153 runs, while added 220 hits, 38 doubles, 9 triples, and a career-high 78 stolen bases. San Francisco righty Noah Long had a great rookie year in 1982, then basically missed all of '83 due to a pair of serious injuries. However, he fully recovered and in his fifth season he went 23-13 with a PCL-leading 2.17 ERA, while also leading the league in starts (44), innings (345.0), complete games (16), and shutouts (6), while striking out a career-high 269 batters. That was more than enough to earn him his only Pitcher of the Year trophy. Sacramento shortstop Kyle Page toiled mostly in obscurity, but he toiled very well, and in his 17th season, the 41-year-old stroked his 3,000th career hit on May 25. Maybe the greatest defensive corner outfielder in the game's history (14 Great Gloves in right field), Galveston's John Fleshman didn't usually hit a whole lot. This year, though, everything clicked at the plate, and he slashed .306/.405/.576 with 177 hits, a league-high 124 runs, 36 doubles, 38 homers, and 113 RBI, setting career highs in nearly every single category and earning Texas League MVP, the only one of his career. Prior to 1980, El Paso swung a trade to acquire right-hander J.J. Alexander from Jacksonville, where he had three strong years. The Texans got the better end of that deal, as Alexander posted seven strong seasons. The last season in that run was a 19-10 campaign in which the 34-year-old led the TL in wins and strikeouts (167) and posted a 3.73 ERA over 231.2 innings, earning Pitcher of the Year honors. The Eastern Baseball Federation sent a pair of former Pitchers of the Year to the Hall of Fame, including a three-time winner: SP Bill Lively (1964-80), 98.0% SP Trevor Bedford (1962, '64-80), 75.6% Meanwhile, the undisputed king of Texas League pitching got the call, as the record ten-time Pitcher of the Year came just one vote shy of jsut the second unanimous selection to any USBF Hall of Fame: SP Roy Hendricks (1961-80), 99.7% --- In the American Baseball League, the circuit elected to scrap the four-division set-up and go to two divisions, with the top four in each division making the playoffs, while all series returned to best-of-seven. The ABL also chose to name separate award winners for each division. In the East, Boston won the division by one game over Birmingham, with the Barons, Nashville, and Columbus filling out the playoff spots there, with the Clippers slipping in one game ahead of Richmond. In the West, Denver won the division, with Chicago and Spokane next in line. Indianapolis and Vancouver tied for fourth at a mediocre 75-87, and Indy won the tiebreaker, slipping into the field. In the postseason, Columbus upset Boston in a sweep, while Nashville also swept Birmingham. The top two seeds moved on in the West with Denver beating Indy in six and Chicago surviving seven games with Spokane. The Vols then took the down the Clippers in six to win the East and Denver did the same vs. Chicago in the West. Nashville then beat the Bears in six for their third American Baseball Cup. In the East, Boston first baseman Dane Kruse had a rookie year to remember, becoming the first (and still only) ABL hitter to win a Triple Crown, slashing .350/.420/.604 (all league bests) with 35 homers and 141 RBIs, along with 198 hits and 95 runs. The 22-year-old won MVP and Rookie of the Year. Nashville righty Luis Acosta won his fourth Pitcher of the Year in a row, winning the pitching Triple Crown by going 20-6 with a 2.45 ERA, and 274 strikeouts, leading the league in all those categories over his 257.1 innings. Out West, Denver's Blake Gross slashed .332/.399/.488, winning the West batting crown and leading the division in hits (204) and runs (105), along with 26 doubles, 14 triples, 14 homers, 55 RBI, and 28 steals to win MVP. Chicago lefty Steve Richards went 17-8 with a 2.31 ERA over 253.1 innings, striking out 205 to earn Pitcher of the Year. --- A new minor league entered the baseball world, as the Atlantic Coast formed, overlapping with much of the Mid-Atlantic League on the Eastern seaboard: Atlantic Coast League Minor League Champions Southeastern League: Memphis Chicks, 107-47, defeats Baton Rouge Colonial League: Reading Keystones, 82-59, defeats Lowell River Valley League: Erie Sailors, 92-48, defeats Grand Rapids Rocky Mountain League: Great Falls Explorers, 68-58, defeats Ft. Collins Coastal League: Winston-Salem Twins, 88-67, defeats Greenville Northern League: La Crosse Loggers, defeats Appleton Southwest League: Santa Barbara Foresters, 97-57, defeats Long Beach Southern Association: Corpus Christi Gunslingers, 85-55, defeats Springfield (2nd straight) Northwest League: Yakima Tomahawks, 83-71, defeats Salem (2nd straight) Can-Am League: Utica Blue Sox, 78-48, defeats London Mid-Atlantic League: Altoona Engineers, 83-57, defeats Asheville; 7 teams within 7 games of 2nd place Lone Star League: Amarillo Gold Sox, 77-63, defeats Rio Grande Great Plains League: Lincoln Lions, 91-49, defeats Des Moines Florida Coast League: St. Petersburg Saints, 77-64, defeats Daytona Big Sky League: Regina Giants, 73-59, defeats Ogden (3rd straight) Heartland League: Quad Cities Trappers, 93-47, defeats Sioux Falls Atlantic Coast League: Wilmington (NC) Waves, 60-61, defeats Potomac; entire Carolina Division below .500 The ACL had an interesting debut season, as the entire Carolina Division was below .500, with Wilmington and Spartanburg tied for first at 59-61. Wilmington won the playoff, then upset 77-43 Potomac for the title. Two other leagues were very bunched together, as the entire eight-team Rocky Mountain League was separated by only 11 games, with no one better than 69-57, nor worse than 58-68. The Mid-Atlantic League had Altoona win the league by 11 games, but the other seven teams were bunched just seven games apart between 72-68 and 65-75. Last edited by KCRoyals15; 01-09-2025 at 12:51 PM.