1976 Janus Report: WC National
 

Chicago American Giants

Cleveland Buckeyes

Cuban Stars East

Detroit Motown Stars

Indianapolis ABCs

EL 1976 Opening Day
 

Unparalleled anticipation to see what the EL has in store for us in the 1976 season. So many fascinating permutations with all of the various moves and perhaps the tightest race yet awaits us, if BNN is on point.

Here are the net WAR gains and losses from the offseason:



And those preseason prognostications, with all four races predicted to go down to the wire.



Barry has reclaimed the #1 position player ranking, with rookie Hulon Stamps a surprise at the top of the pitchers' list.



Prospect-wise, Al Smith projects the best, although he isn't expected to hit the EL for a while yet.



Finally, the franchise finances on OD:



A wee hiatus while I get those pesky Janus Reports done and then we'll be on our way!

NB I have picked up that erroneous spelling for Hulon and fixed it.

Stat Check: W
 

Stat Check: 3B
 

Big Bank Hank
 

We are off and running, with Hank Thompson giving us some early fireworks against poor old AC, who start 0-7 and currently sit at 3-10. Ozzie Guillen also has a 5-for-6 game for the BYs.



Which gives us an excuse to check out the career HR leaderboard.

Out of the Shadows: Jose Maria Fernandez
 

Another underwhelming start by the Kansas City Monarchs, who just don't seem able to get it together after looking set to dominate a few years back. Perhaps this fine game from catcher Jose Maria Fernandez will provide the necessary spark.


JMF, known as "Cuso" to his teammates, had one of the more extraordinary careers among the NeLers. It spanned nearly three decades, with Cuso still in the game professionally into his 50s! He almost exclusively played for various designations of the teams from his homeland of Cuba (he both was born and died in Guanabacoa), with the Cuban Stars East the team he is most closely linked to. Seamheads gives him a lifetime 275/315/340 slash, while EC has allotted him 14 MLE WAR points and Jim Riley makes distinct reference to his ability behind the plate. In a lot of ways he reminds me of Martin Maldonado.

Cuso entered the EL via the 1970 Draft, serendipitously taken with the 79th overall pick by that same club, the Cuban Stars East. Alas, he was traded a couple seasons later to the American Giants with two other players for Jose Quintana. He was let go by Chicago at the end of last year and signed with KC.

While he has struggled to have much impact with the bat (225 career BA with just 10 HR), his glove continues to sparkle, with him having already amassed nearly 20 ZR points and one Slick Award. He is currently the #1 catcher for the Mons, but is only on a 1-year deal with them at the time of writing.

Stat Check: BA
 

April 1976 Recap
 

A relatively low-key start, with the BGs fighting back after their dreadful first week and the Giants the biggest surprise of all in the early going.

• FC BATTER OF THE MONTH: David Ortiz (West) 349 / 9 HR / 23 RBI.
• FC PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Nate Moreland (West) 5-1 / 2.75 / 46 K / 52.1 IP.
• FC ROOKIE OF THE MONTH: Joel Pinero (Giants) 3-2 / 2.86 / 34 K / 44 IP.
• WC BATTER OF THE MONTH: Eric Chavez (American Giants) 410 / 8 HR / 23 RBI.
• WC PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Shohei Ohtani (Buckeyes) 4-1 / 1.02 / 42 K / 53 IP.
• WC ROOKIE OF THE MONTH: Bob Oliver (Lincoln Giants) 387 / 4 HR / 10 RBI.

Likewise in the TL, with the Indy Clowns off to a nice start.

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https://i.imgur.com/YXqSa0n.png
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https://i.imgur.com/0k8gzjg.pnghttps://i.imgur.com/15Ia5Ph.png

• CAC BATTER OF THE MONTH: Robert Hudspeth (Choo-Choos) 378 / 6 HR / 17 RBI.
• CAC PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Johnny Taylor (Choo-Choos) 4-0 / 3.61 / 21 K / 42.1 IP.
• FRC BATTER OF THE MONTH: Jerry White (Clowns) 424 / 6 HR / 18 RBI.
• FRC PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Alcibiades Palma (Clowns) 4-0 / 1.01 / 13 K / 26.2 IP.

Out of the Shadows: Sonny Harris
 

Not much illuminating to be done here, I'm afraid, with James "Sonny" Harris being one of the many NeL players all but lost to posterity.

We know he was born in 1914 in Kent, AL and died in Cincy 76 years later. We know that his career was a fleeting one, with just 5 games played in 1934 for the Philly Stars, 5 more played in '36 for the Cincinnati Tigers and another 36 the following year for the same club. Then, after four years of silence, we know he reappears for 5 more games in 1942 with the Buckeyes. Seamheads gives him a career line of 290/375/503 in a total of 184 PAs, with 2 HR and 30 RBI.

Of the numerous books I have, only Jim Riley mentions him and he does so in a one-paragraph entry that sheds next to no light on the matter. He has a BBRef page but it tells us nothing we don't already know, and he isn't included in Eric's MLEs. Bizarrely, he has a Wikipedia page - albeit a nearly empty one. Further digging unearths nothing.

By dint of a 421 BA in that 1936 season, however, he imports incandescently hot. And, with the EL being a dev-only save, that may well mean he gets a really nice career in this league. The Grays certainly hope so, as they gave him a 7-year / $3m contract when he entered the league as a FA at the end of last year.

They'll like what they have seen so far.



And especially what he did today against the Elite Giants.



As per usual, we'll revisit Sonny intermittently along the way.

Stat Check: TB
 

Let's Be Franco
 

One of those guys who goes from club to club on one-year rental deals, Maikel Franco still seems to contribute albeit moderately wherever he goes. He is doing it again this year after the BYs nab him in the offseason, and this is undoubtedly a career highlight for him.

A Nice Touch
 

TBH, I didn't even realise Junior had signed a minor-league deal with the BGs last season, putting father and son at the same club.

Then, at least as far as I can tell, today is the first time they have played together, with Jr going deep in a big win.

Love this sort of thing.

May 1976 Recap
 

No definitive breaks made as yet, although you'd already have to think the Lincoln Giants are on the outer. Might be saying the same thing about the A's were it not for their current 6-game win streak which has allowed them to reattach themselves to the peloton in the WC American.

I have the distinct feeling this is all going to get fairly ridiculous come stretch time. It's just got that look about it already.

• FC BATTER OF THE MONTH: Jose Ramirez (Monarchs) 298 / 8 HR / 23 RBI.
• FC PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Jair Jurrjens (Monarchs) 4-1 / 1.35 / 29 K / 40 IP.
• FC ROOKIE OF THE MONTH: Felix Hernandez (Bacharach Giants) 3-2 / 2.93 / 37 K / 46 IP.
• WC BATTER OF THE MONTH: Luis Medina (Liberty Stars) 348 / 6 HR / 21 RBI.
• WC PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Hulon Stamps (ABCs) 5-1 / 3.00 / 54 K / 48 IP.
• WC ROOKIE OF THE MONTH: Hulon Stamps.

Same goes with the TL.

• CAC BATTER OF THE MONTH: Dwayne Murphy (Choo-Choos) 351 / 9 HR / 34 RBI.
• CAC PITCHER OF THE MONTH: John Urrea (White Sox) 5-1 / 3.11 / 29 K / 46.1 IP.
• FRC BATTER OF THE MONTH: Ty Gainey (Cubans) 432 / 2 HR / 19 RBI.
• FRC PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Tyson Ross (Black Sox) 4-0 / 1.15 / 33 K / 39 IP.

Out of the Shadows: Wyman Smith
 

Another classic case of false advertising here with one of the NeL's true mystery men, Wyman Smith. I've slowly been amassing reference books on the NeL, with my "library" now standing at five, but it is only in Jim Riley's book that Wyman is mentioned in any more than passing, and even then his entry is a mere paragraph long with little information of note other than the fact (?) that he was one of three players named Smith on the 1922 Baltimore Black Sox roster.

His Seamheads page shows him having played 85 official games over five seasons, all with Baltimore, and credits him with a career 315/361/457 slash line along with 6 homers and 50 RBI. EC parses that out to near enough 7 WAR in his MLEs - all in all, a nice albeit abbreviated career.

As far as the EL is concerned, Wyman's selection 9th overall by Brooklyn in the 1972 Draft is turning out to be a very astute one indeed for the RGs.

Now in his third season at the top level after spending '73 at the TL Eagles, Wyman is slashing 273/327/470 and has nearly matched his MLE output already with 5.9 bWAR to his name. After winning the 1974 Fowler Medal, Wyman's 124 RBI led the Fleet Conference in 1975, with his 35 HR also among the league's best and he was named to that season's All-Star Game. He's looking sharp again so far this year and seems set for a much more substantial career than his IRL equivalent.

Stat Check: BA
 

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Rod Carew, Eric Chavez and Bob Oliver currently lead a pack that might give this a shake.

https://i.imgur.com/p9nVeXh.png

There's Always Next Year
 

Not a great season in progress for the Lincoln Giants, with an EL-worst 24-44 record and they'll have to find a way to somehow get back to competitiveness. Bob Oliver should definitely be a part of that future and he has a lovely game here against Cleveland. The Buckeyes are struggling as well this year, their cause not helped one jot by injuries to ShoTime and Juan Marichal. Still, at 33-34 and not far off the lead, they won't be counting themselves out yet.



Meanwhile, the A's and EGs give us one of the games of the season so far.

Pedro-ro-rowing the Boat
 

Yes, superstars are great and all but you also need your everyday guys, your heavy-lifters who go out there and, without setting the league alight, simply do their job. Guys like Pedro Alvarez, who has a rare moment in the spotlight here with a big game for his Dodgers against the MoStars, but still can't quite get them home.

Stat Check: RBI
 

June 1976 Recap
 

The MoStars and surprising Giants continue to set the pace, but once again this is looking like a rip-snorter of a second half to the season. The Grays lose ten on the trot en route to a 9-15 month, but remain in the hunt all the same. Meanwhile, after making a run for it early in the month a messy 1-9 dismount brings the Dodgers right back to the FCA pack.

• FC BATTER OF THE MONTH: Don Baylor (Black Barons) 290 / 5 HR / 25 RBI.
• FC PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Louis Dula (Royal Giants) 6-0 / 1.85 / 34 K / 48.2 IP.
• FC ROOKIE OF THE MONTH: Erasmo Ramirez (Royal Giants) 2-0 / 3.21 / 11 K / 14 IP.
• WC BATTER OF THE MONTH: Carlos Delgado (Athletics) 372 / 8 HR / 24 RBI.
• WC PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Edsall Walker (Liberty Stars) 4-1 / 1.25 / 25 K / 50.1 IP.
• WC ROOKIE OF THE MONTH: Lefty Moses (Athletics) 0-0 / 0.00 / 8 SV / 13 K / 15 IP.

Top 20s - overall



Top 20s - NeL



Still no decisive moves as yet in the TL, with all four races staying tight.

• CAC BATTER OF THE MONTH: Eric Thames (White Sox) 414 / 8 HR / 28 RBI.
• CAC PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Henry Rodriguez (Black Crackers) 3-1 / 2.13 / 5 SV / 11 K / 12.2 IP.
• FRC BATTER OF THE MONTH: Juan Santaella (Black Sox) 443 / 5 HR / 18 RBI.
• FRC PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Samuel Burris (Hornets) 2-0 / 2.87 / 8 SV / 15 K / 32 IP.

Out of the Shadows: Louis Dula
 

Another nice OotS segue courtesy of the recent Pitcher of the Month win by Louis Dula, who has been on my radar for one of these features for a while now.

Louis is another player who rates nary a mention in any of my array of sources (recently expanded to include Neil Lanctot's Negro League Baseball: The Rise and Ruin of a Black Institution), leaving us only with his raw stats. They show him having played for six seasons in the 1930s, all with the Homestead Grays, during which he fashioned a 14-10 record with a tidy ERA+ of 140. EC's MLEs pad this out to 35-30 / 118 with 8.7 pWAR allocated. He was also a fair hitter, slashing 325/351/484 with a 119 OPS+ according to Seamheads and, while I did give him some OF rankings and have seen him used as a two-way elsewhere, he has to this point been deployed purely as a pitcher in this league.

To some effect, as well. After taking Louis 38th overall in the 1970 Rookie Draft, the Grays in their infinite wisdom let him walk despite four solid seasons' work in which he went 68-63 with an ERA + of 120, good enough for 26 pWAR and an ASG appearance in 1973. He spent last year with the EGs before being signed as a FA by the Royal Giants on a 7-year deal worth in excess of $3m, one of the biggest the EL has seen.

That investment is already paying dividends, with Louis currently sitting at 11-6 / 3.32 and projecting to a 7-WAR campaign, with Brooky holding a narrow lead in the super-competitive FC American. As always, we'll keep tabs on him for the remainder of his career.

J-Ram Jam
 

Another cracking game here, with Jose Ramirez - in the middle of a breakout season - leading the Mons past a valiant Giants in extras.



I just don't see St. Louis being able to hold on here and, if J-Ram keeps up with this sort of form then I regard the Monarchs as the main threat in the FCN.

Stat Check: OPS
 

Transit League All-Stars, 1976
 

Newark's Jorge Soler wins the HR Derby, while the Francis Conference gets another win, beating the Catto 6-0 with Washington's Roosevelt Brown named MVP.

SloTime
 

Ohtani-san is hurt again, this time he's set to miss a chunk of games.

EL Top 100 Prospects
 

An update to the PP is at hand, with some big names getting ready to unleash themselves on the EL. Al Smith is #1 overall, while the mighty "Smoky" Joe Williams is the highest-rated pitcher.

Another Belter
 

It doesn't get much better than this, with a bunch of the league's biggest names just going at it from first out to last for 9 innings in front of close on 30000 people. When the dust has settled, the BYs have themselves a miraculous walkoff win.



EDIT They get amongst it again the following night.

1976 EL All-Star / Prospects Squads and Games
 

The stars of today:



And tomorrow:


Hank Thompson is the King of Swing, beating Big Papi in the final, while teammate Barry Bonds is named MVP in yet another Fleet Conference ASG win.

Stat Check: pWAR
 

Take it Easler
 

Poor pitching (most runs conceded in the FC) means it looks like a wasted year for the BBs and with only Lazaro Salazar currently in the wings, they'll need to get creative if they want to fix this.

The offence, on the other hand, is purring.

Registering an Interest
 

His team might not be, but Atlantic City's Reggie Smith is enjoying a fine season, his second in the EL. After a passable if unspectacular 0.9 bWAR rookie campaign, Reggie has hit his straps and is on pace for at least 3 bWAR and around 25 homers. This game will help with both of those totals.

Records were Meant to Be Broken
 

A spate of wild scorelines to round off July for some reason, and the Mons get into the act with J-Ram becoming the first EL player to drive in 10 runs in a single game against the BBs. Two grand slams does almost all of the damage.

July 1976 Recap
 

Nothing even close to set in stone as yet and this 1976 Eclipse League season looks headed for a big, big finish.

The Giants have indeed given up their FC National lead, although it is the Red Sox and not the Monarchs who have supplanted them and now own the "biggest" lead of the four groupings.

• FC BATTER OF THE MONTH: Wyman Smith (Royal Giants) 338 / 8 HR / 27 RBI.
• FC PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Martin Dihigo (Red Sox) 5-0 / 2.08 / 25 K / 39 IP.
• FC ROOKIE OF THE MONTH: Joel Pineiro (Giants) 3-1 / 4.14 / 30 K / 37 IP.
• WC BATTER OF THE MONTH: Eric Chavez (American Giants) 341 / 9 HR / 23 RBI.
• WC PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Fergie Jenkins (American Giants) 5-0 / 3.10 / 38 K / 49.1 IP.
• WC ROOKIE OF THE MONTH: Bob Oliver (Lincoln Giants) 347 / 2 HR / 18 RBI.

Thought I'd start putting the interesting items from the trade log in each month as well.




Along somewhat similar lines in the TL, although the Black Sox look relatively comfortable and the Clowns just seem to have their rivals covered. Still, plenty of games left for all that to change.

• CAC BATTER OF THE MONTH: Clarence Smith (Stars) 420 / 3 HR / 16 RBI.
• CAC PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Johnny Taylor (Choo-Choos) 6-0 / 1.72 / 39 K / 52.1 IP.
• FRC BATTER OF THE MONTH: Carl Everett (Bears) 398 / 6 HR / 20 RBI.
• FRC PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Johnny Johnson (Wolves) 3-0 / 2.25 / 8 SV / 14 K / 16 IP.

Stat Check: FIP
 

Out of the Shadows: Irvin Brooks
 

Irvin Brooks first came to my attention because of some confusion regarding his import - from memory, I think he appears in the DB as "Chester", which is one of his nicknames. (FWIW, the one I have used here is ID brooks000che with 1917 as the import year.)

Whatever the case, the real Irvin "Chester" Brooks played his entire 15-season NeL career with the Brooklyn Royal Giants, which makes him an extreme rarity in the peripatetic nature of that organisation. He was a more than handy player, slashing 306/365/447 lifetime with a 130 OPS+, and EC sees him in equally lofty terms, allocating him nearly 30 WAR in his MLEs.

Jim Riley has a couple of paragraphs on him, but mistakenly calls him Chester and places his birth in the Bahamas vs Key West FL as per Seamheads. Still, JR is also a fan, calling Brooks one of the NeL's "most underpublicized stars".

He's certainly coming along quite nicely in the EL as well. Drafted 32nd overall by Baltimore in the 1970 Draft, he is still with the club but in his walk year. To this point, he has a 266/334/380 line with 54 HR and is approaching 7 bWAR. After a down year in 1975, he is en route to a career-best season in the one presently underway and was selected to the ASG for the first time. His EGs are embroiled in an epic struggle with the LibStars in the WC American, and will no doubt be looking for him to keep his performance at this high level to try and make it back to the playoffs after their maiden appearance last year.

Down by Law
 

At 10GB, there seems little chance of post-season action for the Buckeyes this year, but they still manage to show what they are capable of on their day from time to time.

August 1976 Recap
 

The AGs are edging themselves toward a long-overdue WCN win but still have some work to do. Just 4 games separate the leaders from the pack in each of the other three races. Brooklyn's chances of running down the BYs have taken a double hit with Buck Leonard suffering a setback with his wrist injury that rules him out for the rest of the season and then, just a week later, backup Catcher Bruce Maxwell also gone for the year to properly test the depth chart.

• FC BATTER OF THE MONTH: Roberto Alomar (Royal Giants) 354 / 5 HR / 18 RBI.
• FC PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Javier Vazquez (Monarchs) 5-1 / 2.64 / 40 K / 47.2 IP.
• FC ROOKIE OF THE MONTH: Frank Wickware (Crawfords) 3-0 / 1.21 / 15 K / 29.2 IP.
• WC BATTER OF THE MONTH: Carlos Delgado (Athletics) 390 / 8 HR / 27 RBI.
• WC PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Frank Castillo (American Giants) 5-0 / 2.14 / 27 K / 50.1 IP.
• WC ROOKIE OF THE MONTH: Paco Rodriguez (Liberty Stars) 2-0 / 0.00 / 8 SV / 13 K / 13 IP.

The TL has tightened right up again and looks destined for a huge finish. Chattanooga's "Steel Arm" Johnny Taylor is giving the CC pitching triple crown a good run.

• CAC BATTER OF THE MONTH: Eric Thames (White Sox) 362 / 11 HR / 38 RBI.
• CAC PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Johnny Taylor (Choo-Choos) 4-2 / 2.90 / 36 K / 49.2 IP.
• FRC BATTER OF THE MONTH: Carl Everett (Bears) 356 / 8 HR / 24 RBI.
• FRC PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Ariel Prieto (Wolves) 5-0 / 3.09 / 27 K / 46.2 IP.

Notes from the Transit Lounge: end of 1976 regular season
 

Everything closes out rather cleanly with no late drama to be had.




So the Wolves continue their run and are now looking for an unbelievable fourth straight title. Of the four playoff combatants, they are the only club to have won it all - both the Black Sox and Eagles are having their fourth tilt, while this is the first post-season appearance for the Choo-Choos.

Notes from the Transit Lounge - 1976 Conference Championship Series
 

We will indeed have a first-time winner in the Transit League this year as Baltimore knocks Detroit out and Chattanooga sneaks home against poor old Brooky in five.

Stat Check: 2B
 

El Clásico, 1976
 

Only pride left to play for in this year's Cuban Stars H2H, with the East already eliminated and the West soon to befall the same fate.

Still, the East will be disappointed with how easy they were to be disposed of yet again, being swept - at home, no less - and outscored by an ugly 26 to 4. This, the second successive sweep for the West, extends their running lead to 6-3.

Notes from the Transit Lounge: A Choo-Choo Breakthrough
 

Chattanooga is too strong, defeating Baltimore in six for their maiden Transit League title.

Out of the Shadows: Herman Dunlap
 

Sadly, this final OotS feature for 1976 concerns another player on whom there is not much available light to spot.

According to Seamheads, Herman Dunlap played just three NeL seasons, almost entirely for the American Giants, in the second half of the 1930s. He rates just one unenlightening paragraph in Jim Riley's book, and none in any of my other sources. Squat. Zip. Bupkis. He doesn't even feature in EC's MLE group. Which means that, apart from those raw stats, all I can tell you is that he also replaced Bullet Rogan in the OF for the West in the 1936 East-West game and went 1-for-2 with a run scored, and died aged 70 in 1978.

His EL avatar is proving harder to keep in the dark. He was drafted 15th overall by the Dodgers in 1971 and in the nearly five seasons since he has been most productive indeed, with 15 bWAR to his name already, along with a 1972 Championship ring and an MVP award from that year's Fleet Conference Series. His career slash currently sits at a not-too-shabby 261/331/402 with 76 HR and 358 RBI, and he led the league with 44 doubles last year.

He is currently in his walk year and remains unsigned, which means it is very likely he'll be up for grabs in the offseason and headed to a new club. We'll keep tabs on him whatever the case.



Here's a career update for all of the players featured to this point.



EDIT: In the final week of the regular season, Herman has the best game of his career belting 3 solo HR against the BYs. Nice timing for an impending FA.

1976 EL Regular Season Summary
 

A quite bizarre finish to the 1976 EL season, one without any true late drama per se, and yet it so easily could have. The Red Sox @ West series to end the season that had been looming so large ends up being a dead rubber as Memphis does just enough to salute the judge the day before it begins. Meanwhile, despite clinching early, three of the four Conference champs fairly limp into the playoffs with some ordinary form indeed - only Philly manages a winning (7-3) record over the closing 10. The BYs have a decision to make, with ace CC Sabathia struggling with elbow soreness - will they rest him for the Conference Championship or run the risk?

The final standings look like this:



That's a new EL record of 105 losses set by the LGs, in fact the first time any WC club has lost 100. They go a combined 13-39 for August and September.

Batting crowns to Rod Carew (333, 3rd) and Bob Oliver (339, 1st). Hank Thompson's 42 HR lead either league, as do Carlos Delgado's 129 RBI. Carlos also finishes top 3 across the TC cats and sets a new SLG season mark with 641, while new highs are also set by Juan Samuel with 54 doubles and Sonny Harris with 24 triples. Samuel is pipped by one in the SB department, which Alfredo Griffin leads with 64.

Louis Dula and Nate Moreland's 22 wins are the EL's most, same goes with the 35 saves by Tom Cox and Paco Rodriguez. Gene Collins fans an amazing 327 hitters, in the process setting a new record with his 10.36 K/9. Edsall Walker's 2.40 ERA is this season's lowest, and even more impressive when you consider that, among qualified pitchers, only he, ShoTime (2.78) and Connie Rector (2.84) finished the season under 3. Their ERA+ numbers for the year are 173, 151 and 149, respectively.

Award-winners for September:

• FC BATTER OF THE MONTH: Barry Bonds (Black Yankees) 337 / 11 HR / 25 RBI.
• FC PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Don Newcombe (West) 4-2 / 2.51 / 46 K / 46.2 IP.
• FC ROOKIE OF THE MONTH: Mike Easler (Black Barons) 396 / 7 HR / 19 RBI.
• WC BATTER OF THE MONTH: Carlos Delgado (Athletics) 365 / 6 HR / 26 RBI.
• WC PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Claude Grier (Buckeyes) 4-1 / 0.60 / 5 SV / 12 K / 15 IP.
• WC ROOKIE OF THE MONTH: Lefty Moses (Athletics) 3-1 / 1.35 / 6 SV / 18 K / 13.1 IP.

Final Top 20s

Hitters - Overall



Hitters - NeLers



Pitchers - Overall



Pitchers - NeLers



News and final leaders

1976 Transit League Major Awards
 

1976 EL Conference Championship Series
 

• The BYs opt to go without their injured Talisman CC Sabathia.
• The Red Sox always look comfortable here and, if not for a couple bullpen implosions, would have swept the series.
• Instead, they take it out in six with Rod Carew named MVP.

• Despite them only finishing two games apart in the standings, this always looks like a tough get for the LibStars, and so it proves as the AGs' class shines through and they dispose of Philly in five.
• Chicago catcher Alex Avila wins the series MVP award.

1976 Eclipse League World Series
 

• It is almost impossible to believe that, in the EL's 9th season, this is the first time the AGs have made the final stage.
• They have gone relatively quietly about their business all year and have that winning look about them. Still, that means little once "Play Ball!" has been called, and the Red Sox have shown that they'll be no pushover here.
• All the same, I just think it is Chicago's time and that they'll handle the Memphis mob in five or six.

Once again my prognostication skills are shown to be completely off base as the Red Sox triumph in six exceptionally well-played and generally competitive games for their second EL Championship.

Alejandro Oms is a most deserving MVP, pacing the Memphis offence with an outstanding 13-for-25 / 5 RBI performance.

1976 Awards
 

1976 EL Free-Agent Class / Rookie Draft
 

Another influx of quality players coming into the EL via the Draft and Free-Agency. Cat A NeLers this year are Agustin Bejerano and Nip Winters, with the mighty Cristobal Torriente the FA, while big names among the inbound MLBers include Joe Carter, Jose Valentin and Felipe Alou. There is already a buzz going around for next year's class, as the league goes from strength to strength.

It is the LGs with the first overall selection this year, and they use it on shortstop Jose Valentin.

Here's Round 1 in its totality:

1977 Janus Report: FC American
 

Atlantic City Bacharach Giants

Brooklyn Royal Giants

Newark Dodgers

New York Black Yankees

Pittsburgh Crawfords

1977 Janus Report: FC National
 

Birmingham Black Barons

Cuban Stars West

Kansas City Monarchs

Memphis Red Sox

St. Louis Giants