WPK Team Records, pt. 2 (SJL, 6-10, winning %)
San Antonio Keys:
The San Antonio Keys are another team that has never finished in either first or last place in the SJL, but in their case the highest they have ever finished is third place. Their best season was a 89-win season two years ago and that was only good for 4th place. Their nadir was 1971 when they finished in 9th place with a 66-96 record. They have mostly had pretty average attendance numbers and player budgets. They have produced some great position players and few pitchers. And this year they are once again mediocre.
Milwaukee Cadets:
The small market, small budget Cadets have finished in last place three times in their history but usually manage to at least be respectable, if never actually contenders. They finished in 3rd place once- in 1970 when their veteran shortstop (now retired) Alvin Delgado had his finest season and third year starting pitcher Mike Stagner led the league with 19 wins- but they are both long gone and this year the Cadets once again are just trying to stay somewhere around .500.
Seattle Alligators:
Palaaemon's favorite WPK team (sarcasm: he hates the name and has lobbied for a change, arguing that it is ridiculous for a team in Seattle to be called the Alligators. He's not wrong, but I kind of like the incongruity and have always tried to explain it with some story about a beloved alligator at the zoo and the kids of Seattle overwhelming the naming committee with petitions demanding the team be named after Allie the Alligator, or some such nonsense.) Almost everything I said above about Milwaukee could be said about Seattle, expect that they have never finished in last place but also have never finished higher than 4th place. They got off to a great start in 1978 but have fallen somewhat since and while they remain in contention few expect them to still be there when the season ends.
Pittsburgh Roadrunners:
The Roadrunners have finished in 10th place 4 of the past 6 seasons and only the addition of a pair of expansion clubs in 1975 kept that from being more than 2 last place finishes. But after many years of mostly futility, the Roadrunners took a big step forward last season- led by their power hitting young right fielder Bill Winchester and even younger superstar in the making center fielder Matt Van der Heyden. Having finished in 3rd place with 91 wins in 1977 Pittsburgh fans had high hopes for the team in 1978. So far not so good. It probably doesn't help that their penny-pinching owner is only interested in profit and is fine with a .500 finish. How long that will satisfy the fan base, which has shown a strong disinclination to attend games as it is, is a good question.
El Paso Dawgs:
I don't think it is any secret here that I have fondness for the Dawgs, who spent most of their history as the doormat of the SJL, having finished in last place every season between 1967 and 1971, losing over 100 games in 4 of those 5 seasons, including a WPK record 117 loss season in 1967. The past few seasons the Dawgs have finally risen from the depths of the league and they are strong contenders for the SJL pennant this season. They are a relatively small market club with a modest budget with little room for error particularly given that some of their best players are injury prone. Still, there is finally hope in El Paso and I say, Go Dawgs!