OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post - The National Pastime: The United States Baseball Federation rises

KCRoyals15 · 01-12-2025, 04:33 PM

1990

The final decade of the 20th century got underway and once more, the USBF was treated to some fine races and a few surprises at the end of the road.

In the Northern Conference, the Philadelphia A's won a franchise-record 102 games to win the Eastern League by a 14-game margin over Manhattan, who held off upstate rival Albany by two games to finish second, their first playoff appearance since 1974. In their first season in brand-new Skydome, the Toronto Maple Leafs won the Midwest Association, albeit with just 87 wins. Amazingly, they were the only team over .500 in the MWA, and so Milwaukee, who at 80-82 finished two games up on Detroit and Montreal, became the first-ever Eastern Baseball Federation club to make the playoffs with a sub-.500 record.

The postseason was filled with little drama, though there was a big upset. Manhattan stunned Philadelphia in a four-game sweep to knock out the A's, while Toronto took care of Milwaukee in five games. The Yankees stayed hot, sweeping the Leafs as well, as Manhattan swept their way to their first Conference Championship in 16 seasons.

In the Southern Conference, Miami snapped a 19-year playoff drought by closing out venerable Miami Stadium with a 99-win season and Eastern League pennant. Jacksonville took second for the third year in a row, holding off Baltimore. In the Western League, New Orleans won 103 games, finishing ten games up on St. Louis, who went to the playoffs for the third-straight season.

In the postseason, the two Sunshine State squads battled for seven games, with the Gators coming out on top, while St. Louis upset New Orleans, also in a seven-game scrap. The Southern Championship also went the distance, and Miami came through for a second time, as they downed the Browns to win their first conference title since 1969.

The Pacific Coast League saw a major surprise in the North. After three straight losing seasons, Oakland roared to a league-best 126-74 record to win their first division crown in 15 years and post their best record since 1914. San Francisco finished a comfortable second. In the South, defending champion San Jose repeated atop the division, with San Diego finishing second, their 13th-straight playoff appearance.

With the only four winning teams in the postseason, Oakland and San Francisco played a classic in a Bay Bridge battle, with the Oaks coming out on top in seven games. San Jose, meanwhile, downed San Diego in six games. The Oaks denied the Gulls' quest to repeat, rolling to a five-game series victory to win their first PCL title since 1961.

Last but not least, the Texas League also had a surprise division winner as Oklahoma City rose from the doldrums of a 12-season playoff drought to win the North, while Dallas returned tot he postseason after a four-season absence with a second-place finish. The South featured the two strongest teams, with 93-win Austin outdueling 91-win Houston, with the Wranglers winning their fourth division title in a row and the Buffaloes reaching the postseason for the first time in 16 years.

In the Division Finals, Dallas dealt a shocker to OKC, upsetting the Indians in five games, while Austin gunned down the Buffs with a four-game sweep. The Lone Stars had another stunner in them, as the 82-80 squad upset Austin in six games to win the Texas League for the first time in five seasons.

That set up a national tournament with three teams who had not made the tournament in well over a decade. On the eastern side, the Manhattan Yankees (NOR) defeat the Miami Gators (SOU) in another upset, while the magical run in Texas came to an end, as the Oakland Oaks (PCL) defeat the Dallas Lone Stars (TL). That set up an unexpected championship matchup that went the distance, as the Manhattan Yankees (NOR) defeat the Oakland Oaks (PCL), 4-3 to lift the Yankees to their first National Championship since 1959 and their third overall.

The Philadelphia A's pennant was greatly aided by the work of second-year outfielder Alex Guillory. The 24-year-old slashed .357/.396/.526 to win the Northern Conference batting title, while also leading the conference with 214 hits and 43 doubles, adding 100 runs, 16 homers, 84 RBI, and 18 steals to take home MVP honors.

The A's also snagged Pitcher of the Year, as 22-year-old phenom Richard Garcia starred in his first full season. After being acquired from Austin as a 19-year-old in 1987, Garcia finally got his shot three years later and went 23-6 with a 3.25 ERA with 197 strikeouts, leading the conference in wins and punchouts, while also working 260.0 innings in his award-winning campaign. He was arguably better the following season (24-8 3.02 ERA, 235 Ks in 277.0 IP, 10 complete games), but finished runner-up. After another strong year in '92, his career abruptly ended by a rotator cuff injury that forced him into retirement at 25 years old.

In the Southern Conference, New Orleans was powered to their Western League title in large part by outfielder John Willis. The 27-year-old slashed .329/.400/.576 with a conference-high 207 hits and 120 runs, while ripping 29 doubles, 11 triples, 35 homers, drove in a South-best 113 runs, and stole 22 bases, earning his first MVP award.

The Eastern League pennant winner produced an award winner, as Miami's 23-year-old ace Charles Griggs took home Pitcher of the Year hardware. After logging a 2.80 ERA as a rookie, the second-year righty went 24-6 with a 2.27 ERA, leading the South in both marks, striking out 195 in 262.0 innings. Despite not missing any time, for some reason Griggs took a big step back the following year and never regained his early form over his final decade-plus, retiring with a 160-162 record.

Despite playing for mostly losing teams (including a sub-.500 side this season), Hawaii's Jose Reyna made a name for himself on the islands with some lofty home run totals. In his fifth season, the 31-year-old slashed .305/.406/.604 with 205 hits and led the PCL with 139 runs and 56 home runs, driving in 124 runs and winning his lone MVP award.

Oakland's Mike Guy may have surprised some by winning Pitcher of the Year with a .500 record the previous season, but there were no surprises this time around. Guy went 26-8 with a 2.09 ERA, leading the PCL in both marks and striking out 202 batters in 301.1 innings, earning a second-straight POTY trophy.

Seattle's Dean Janek enjoyed a solid run as a five-time All-Star for Seattle, but his most notable work was one game this season. The 31-year-old closed out a 24-homer campaign by blasting four homers on September 30 against Los Angeles, just the second four-homer game in PCL history.

The PCL had several milestones hit, including three players pick up their 3,000th hit. First, San Francisco's Jeremy Veneziano got his on April 4, then Hollywood's Grant Coyle, playing his final season, followed on June 15. Finally, Seattle's Aaron Saksa, who also finished the season (and his career) at 999 career stolen bases, picked up his milestone knock on August 27.

Finally, Portland's Angelo Camarillo, the greatest slugging catcher of all-time, blasted his 500th career homer on August 28—one day after stroking his 2,000th hit.

In the Texas League, there were very few clear-cut MVP candidates, so the race was rather ambiguous. In the end, Galveston's Mike Dolinsky got the nod, slashing .280/.374/.492 with 158 hits, 105 runs, 34 doubles, 7 triples, 24 homers, 93 RBI, and 50 steals, winning his lone MVP for the well-rounded effort.

Jorge Matias had two promising years in Sacramento to begin his career, but after a slow start to 1984, he was shipped off to Austin for little of consequence. The Solons regretted that deal, as Matias returned to form in the Texan capital. This season, he went 19-9 with a 3.37 ERA, leading the TL in wins, starts (36) and strikeouts (188) over 248.1 innings to earn the only Pitcher of the Year crown over his 17-year career.

The Eastern Baseball Federation sent a quartet to the Hall of Fame, including a three-time MVP, two 500-homer sluggers, and a defensive wizard and speed merchant:

1B George Turner (1968-84), 93.4%
OF Jared Wilson (1970-84), 85.3%
OF Jesse Flagg (1967-83), 76.6%
3B Mike Thompson (1963-80), 75.6%

The PCL was also busy, inducting a pair of pitchers, including a 250-game winner and the first-ever PCL reliever to reach the Hall:

SP Dave Heying (1970-85), 80.2%
RP Jay Latko (1969-86), 79.6%

Finally, the Texas League closed out a busy year with their first-ever three-man class, highlighted by their all-time strikeout leader, their first-ever reliever, and a former MVP third baseman

SP Carlos Pena (1965-84), 98.6%
RP Bill Zuniga (1965-80), 87.9%
3B Kyle Hill (1964-82), 80.0%

---

The American Baseball League was dominated by two Eastern juggernauts, Cincinnati and Boston, who each won over 100 games, with the Buckeyes finishing first. Meanwhile, Birmingham and Syracuse finished a distant third and fourth to reach the postseason, the Chiefs for the first time in their 12 years in the ABL. In the West, Chicago punched their 13th-straight playoff ticket, but won their first division title in eight years, It was a legitimate four-team race, with Phoenix just one game back and Minneapolis and Vancouver tied just three games back. For the Millers, it was their first playoff berth in 26 years.

In the first round, Syracuse pulled off a huge stunner, sweeping Cincinnati, while Boston survived a seven-game test with Birmingham. Meanwhile, Chicago battled for seven games with Vancouver but came out on top, while Phoenix swept Minneapolis. The semifinals both went five games, with Syracuse upsetting the other top team, Boston, and Phoenix downing Chicago. The Chiefs then completed their miracle run, blitzing the Firebirds in five games for their first American Baseball Cup.

In the East, Boston's Chris Chavez repeated as MVP, slashing .284/.394/.516 with 151 hits, 94 runs, 35 doubles, 26 homers, 99 RBI, and 16 steals. Dumped onto Birmingham after half a big-league season in 1988, Chris Wolven thrived on the Barons, going 21-9 with a 3.02 ERA, leading the East in wins, starts (37), innings (304.0), and complete games (16) and striking out 186 batters to earn Pitcher of the Year. He also became the last professional pitcher outside the PCL to throw 300 innings in a season.

In the West, Indianapolis' Clayton Savino followed up a Rookie of the Year in '89 with an MVP, despite playing on a seventh-place team. The 23-year-old slashed .286/.382/.472 with 160 hits, 36 doubles, 22 homers, and 95 RBI to take the crown. Phoenix's Ritchie Fox also was great as a 23-year-old, going 24-7 with a 2.51 ERA, leading the ABL in both categories, while striking out 157 in 276.0 innings to earn Pitcher of the Year.

---

Minor League Champions
Southeastern League: Memphis Chicks, 95-59, defeats Savannah
Colonial League: Hartford Whalers, 82-58, defeats Harrisburg
River Valley League: Dayton Aviators, 79-61, defeats Akron (2nd straight)
Rocky Mountain League: Butte Copper Kings, 74-52, defeats Colorado Springs
Coastal League: Winston-Salem Twins, 102-52, defeats Charleston (SC) (5th straight)
Northern League: Thunder Bay Timberjacks, 85-55, defeats Green Bay
Southwest League: Fresno Suns, 93-61, defeats Santa Barbara (2nd straight)
Southern Association: Beaumont Exporters, 84-56, defeats Little Rock
Northwest League: Yakima Tomahawks, 89-65, defeats Pocatello
Can-Am League: Springfield Spinners, 78-48, defeats Utica
Mid-Atlantic League: Altoona Engineers, 81-59, defeats Raleigh-Durham
Lone Star League: Rio Grande White Wings, 81-59, defeats Tyler
Great Plains League: South Bend Silver Hawks, 86-54, defeats Waterloo (2nd straight)
Florida Coast League: Huntsville Stars, 77-63, defeats Ft. Lauderdale
Big Sky League: Calgary Cannons, 71-61, defeats Ogden
Heartland League: Youngstown Steelers, 80-60, defeats Cedar Rapids
Atlantic Coast League: Wilmington (NC) Waves, 66-54, defeats Petersburg (2nd straight)

The Florida Coast League had a fantastic race for second (and the final playoff spot). Ft. Lauderdale won the nod at 74-66, with three other teams (Orlando, St. Petersburg, and West Palm Beach) all tied at 72-68. The Flamingoes could not get the job done, though, losing a seven-game final to Huntsville.

01-12-2025, 04:33 PM	#102
KCRoyals15 Minors (Double A) Join Date: Oct 2020 Location: A lot of them Posts: 123	Stronger Than Oaks 1990 The final decade of the 20th century got underway and once more, the USBF was treated to some fine races and a few surprises at the end of the road. In the Northern Conference, the Philadelphia A's won a franchise-record 102 games to win the Eastern League by a 14-game margin over Manhattan, who held off upstate rival Albany by two games to finish second, their first playoff appearance since 1974. In their first season in brand-new Skydome, the Toronto Maple Leafs won the Midwest Association, albeit with just 87 wins. Amazingly, they were the only team over .500 in the MWA, and so Milwaukee, who at 80-82 finished two games up on Detroit and Montreal, became the first-ever Eastern Baseball Federation club to make the playoffs with a sub-.500 record. The postseason was filled with little drama, though there was a big upset. Manhattan stunned Philadelphia in a four-game sweep to knock out the A's, while Toronto took care of Milwaukee in five games. The Yankees stayed hot, sweeping the Leafs as well, as Manhattan swept their way to their first Conference Championship in 16 seasons. In the Southern Conference, Miami snapped a 19-year playoff drought by closing out venerable Miami Stadium with a 99-win season and Eastern League pennant. Jacksonville took second for the third year in a row, holding off Baltimore. In the Western League, New Orleans won 103 games, finishing ten games up on St. Louis, who went to the playoffs for the third-straight season. In the postseason, the two Sunshine State squads battled for seven games, with the Gators coming out on top, while St. Louis upset New Orleans, also in a seven-game scrap. The Southern Championship also went the distance, and Miami came through for a second time, as they downed the Browns to win their first conference title since 1969. The Pacific Coast League saw a major surprise in the North. After three straight losing seasons, Oakland roared to a league-best 126-74 record to win their first division crown in 15 years and post their best record since 1914. San Francisco finished a comfortable second. In the South, defending champion San Jose repeated atop the division, with San Diego finishing second, their 13th-straight playoff appearance. With the only four winning teams in the postseason, Oakland and San Francisco played a classic in a Bay Bridge battle, with the Oaks coming out on top in seven games. San Jose, meanwhile, downed San Diego in six games. The Oaks denied the Gulls' quest to repeat, rolling to a five-game series victory to win their first PCL title since 1961. Last but not least, the Texas League also had a surprise division winner as Oklahoma City rose from the doldrums of a 12-season playoff drought to win the North, while Dallas returned tot he postseason after a four-season absence with a second-place finish. The South featured the two strongest teams, with 93-win Austin outdueling 91-win Houston, with the Wranglers winning their fourth division title in a row and the Buffaloes reaching the postseason for the first time in 16 years. In the Division Finals, Dallas dealt a shocker to OKC, upsetting the Indians in five games, while Austin gunned down the Buffs with a four-game sweep. The Lone Stars had another stunner in them, as the 82-80 squad upset Austin in six games to win the Texas League for the first time in five seasons. That set up a national tournament with three teams who had not made the tournament in well over a decade. On the eastern side, the Manhattan Yankees (NOR) defeat the Miami Gators (SOU) in another upset, while the magical run in Texas came to an end, as the Oakland Oaks (PCL) defeat the Dallas Lone Stars (TL). That set up an unexpected championship matchup that went the distance, as the Manhattan Yankees (NOR) defeat the Oakland Oaks (PCL), 4-3 to lift the Yankees to their first National Championship since 1959 and their third overall. The Philadelphia A's pennant was greatly aided by the work of second-year outfielder Alex Guillory. The 24-year-old slashed .357/.396/.526 to win the Northern Conference batting title, while also leading the conference with 214 hits and 43 doubles, adding 100 runs, 16 homers, 84 RBI, and 18 steals to take home MVP honors. The A's also snagged Pitcher of the Year, as 22-year-old phenom Richard Garcia starred in his first full season. After being acquired from Austin as a 19-year-old in 1987, Garcia finally got his shot three years later and went 23-6 with a 3.25 ERA with 197 strikeouts, leading the conference in wins and punchouts, while also working 260.0 innings in his award-winning campaign. He was arguably better the following season (24-8 3.02 ERA, 235 Ks in 277.0 IP, 10 complete games), but finished runner-up. After another strong year in '92, his career abruptly ended by a rotator cuff injury that forced him into retirement at 25 years old. In the Southern Conference, New Orleans was powered to their Western League title in large part by outfielder John Willis. The 27-year-old slashed .329/.400/.576 with a conference-high 207 hits and 120 runs, while ripping 29 doubles, 11 triples, 35 homers, drove in a South-best 113 runs, and stole 22 bases, earning his first MVP award. The Eastern League pennant winner produced an award winner, as Miami's 23-year-old ace Charles Griggs took home Pitcher of the Year hardware. After logging a 2.80 ERA as a rookie, the second-year righty went 24-6 with a 2.27 ERA, leading the South in both marks, striking out 195 in 262.0 innings. Despite not missing any time, for some reason Griggs took a big step back the following year and never regained his early form over his final decade-plus, retiring with a 160-162 record. Despite playing for mostly losing teams (including a sub-.500 side this season), Hawaii's Jose Reyna made a name for himself on the islands with some lofty home run totals. In his fifth season, the 31-year-old slashed .305/.406/.604 with 205 hits and led the PCL with 139 runs and 56 home runs, driving in 124 runs and winning his lone MVP award. Oakland's Mike Guy may have surprised some by winning Pitcher of the Year with a .500 record the previous season, but there were no surprises this time around. Guy went 26-8 with a 2.09 ERA, leading the PCL in both marks and striking out 202 batters in 301.1 innings, earning a second-straight POTY trophy. Seattle's Dean Janek enjoyed a solid run as a five-time All-Star for Seattle, but his most notable work was one game this season. The 31-year-old closed out a 24-homer campaign by blasting four homers on September 30 against Los Angeles, just the second four-homer game in PCL history. The PCL had several milestones hit, including three players pick up their 3,000th hit. First, San Francisco's Jeremy Veneziano got his on April 4, then Hollywood's Grant Coyle, playing his final season, followed on June 15. Finally, Seattle's Aaron Saksa, who also finished the season (and his career) at 999 career stolen bases, picked up his milestone knock on August 27. Finally, Portland's Angelo Camarillo, the greatest slugging catcher of all-time, blasted his 500th career homer on August 28—one day after stroking his 2,000th hit. In the Texas League, there were very few clear-cut MVP candidates, so the race was rather ambiguous. In the end, Galveston's Mike Dolinsky got the nod, slashing .280/.374/.492 with 158 hits, 105 runs, 34 doubles, 7 triples, 24 homers, 93 RBI, and 50 steals, winning his lone MVP for the well-rounded effort. Jorge Matias had two promising years in Sacramento to begin his career, but after a slow start to 1984, he was shipped off to Austin for little of consequence. The Solons regretted that deal, as Matias returned to form in the Texan capital. This season, he went 19-9 with a 3.37 ERA, leading the TL in wins, starts (36) and strikeouts (188) over 248.1 innings to earn the only Pitcher of the Year crown over his 17-year career. The Eastern Baseball Federation sent a quartet to the Hall of Fame, including a three-time MVP, two 500-homer sluggers, and a defensive wizard and speed merchant: 1B George Turner (1968-84), 93.4% OF Jared Wilson (1970-84), 85.3% OF Jesse Flagg (1967-83), 76.6% 3B Mike Thompson (1963-80), 75.6% The PCL was also busy, inducting a pair of pitchers, including a 250-game winner and the first-ever PCL reliever to reach the Hall: SP Dave Heying (1970-85), 80.2% RP Jay Latko (1969-86), 79.6% Finally, the Texas League closed out a busy year with their first-ever three-man class, highlighted by their all-time strikeout leader, their first-ever reliever, and a former MVP third baseman SP Carlos Pena (1965-84), 98.6% RP Bill Zuniga (1965-80), 87.9% 3B Kyle Hill (1964-82), 80.0% --- The American Baseball League was dominated by two Eastern juggernauts, Cincinnati and Boston, who each won over 100 games, with the Buckeyes finishing first. Meanwhile, Birmingham and Syracuse finished a distant third and fourth to reach the postseason, the Chiefs for the first time in their 12 years in the ABL. In the West, Chicago punched their 13th-straight playoff ticket, but won their first division title in eight years, It was a legitimate four-team race, with Phoenix just one game back and Minneapolis and Vancouver tied just three games back. For the Millers, it was their first playoff berth in 26 years. In the first round, Syracuse pulled off a huge stunner, sweeping Cincinnati, while Boston survived a seven-game test with Birmingham. Meanwhile, Chicago battled for seven games with Vancouver but came out on top, while Phoenix swept Minneapolis. The semifinals both went five games, with Syracuse upsetting the other top team, Boston, and Phoenix downing Chicago. The Chiefs then completed their miracle run, blitzing the Firebirds in five games for their first American Baseball Cup. In the East, Boston's Chris Chavez repeated as MVP, slashing .284/.394/.516 with 151 hits, 94 runs, 35 doubles, 26 homers, 99 RBI, and 16 steals. Dumped onto Birmingham after half a big-league season in 1988, Chris Wolven thrived on the Barons, going 21-9 with a 3.02 ERA, leading the East in wins, starts (37), innings (304.0), and complete games (16) and striking out 186 batters to earn Pitcher of the Year. He also became the last professional pitcher outside the PCL to throw 300 innings in a season. In the West, Indianapolis' Clayton Savino followed up a Rookie of the Year in '89 with an MVP, despite playing on a seventh-place team. The 23-year-old slashed .286/.382/.472 with 160 hits, 36 doubles, 22 homers, and 95 RBI to take the crown. Phoenix's Ritchie Fox also was great as a 23-year-old, going 24-7 with a 2.51 ERA, leading the ABL in both categories, while striking out 157 in 276.0 innings to earn Pitcher of the Year. --- Minor League Champions Southeastern League: Memphis Chicks, 95-59, defeats Savannah Colonial League: Hartford Whalers, 82-58, defeats Harrisburg River Valley League: Dayton Aviators, 79-61, defeats Akron (2nd straight) Rocky Mountain League: Butte Copper Kings, 74-52, defeats Colorado Springs Coastal League: Winston-Salem Twins, 102-52, defeats Charleston (SC) (5th straight) Northern League: Thunder Bay Timberjacks, 85-55, defeats Green Bay Southwest League: Fresno Suns, 93-61, defeats Santa Barbara (2nd straight) Southern Association: Beaumont Exporters, 84-56, defeats Little Rock Northwest League: Yakima Tomahawks, 89-65, defeats Pocatello Can-Am League: Springfield Spinners, 78-48, defeats Utica Mid-Atlantic League: Altoona Engineers, 81-59, defeats Raleigh-Durham Lone Star League: Rio Grande White Wings, 81-59, defeats Tyler Great Plains League: South Bend Silver Hawks, 86-54, defeats Waterloo (2nd straight) Florida Coast League: Huntsville Stars, 77-63, defeats Ft. Lauderdale Big Sky League: Calgary Cannons, 71-61, defeats Ogden Heartland League: Youngstown Steelers, 80-60, defeats Cedar Rapids Atlantic Coast League: Wilmington (NC) Waves, 66-54, defeats Petersburg (2nd straight) The Florida Coast League had a fantastic race for second (and the final playoff spot). Ft. Lauderdale won the nod at 74-66, with three other teams (Orlando, St. Petersburg, and West Palm Beach) all tied at 72-68. The Flamingoes could not get the job done, though, losing a seven-game final to Huntsville. Last edited by KCRoyals15; 01-12-2025 at 04:37 PM.