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Set in 1996 on California's Central Coast, the Mission League was formed when the MLB strike dragged on and on to a point in mid-'95 when it became clear the show was over. Santa Maria business interests convinced native son Robin Ventura that he could be the centerpiece of a 12-team circuit. Then Robin's MLB friends wanted *somewhere* to play, so they joined him.
And that's how we got ML MVP Ellis Burks of the Lompoc Flowers (although the award should've gone to teammate Greg Maddux).
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