OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post - Federal Baseball League: Historical/Fictional Hybrid

ericnease84 · 02-28-2023, 12:18 PM

1967: More. There are two more teams in the ABC, which means one more division in each conference. The schedule was also expanded to include more games: 162, to exact.

There also were more compelling divisional races, as not one division had a runaway favorite, at least not in the beginning part of the season. The biggest division lead at the All-Star break was a 7-game lead enjoyed by the Kansas City Cyclones in the ABC West.

Hank Aaron won the Home Run Derby in 1967, defeating Harmon Killebrew in the final round.

Going into September, the Cyclones and the Philadelphia Yellow Jackets enjoyed 10 and 12 game leads in their respective divisions. The other four division races were very close, with a total of 12 teams within 7 games or less of the top spot. The ABC East had a 3-team race, with the Boston Patriots in first and the New York Knights and Baltimore Blackbirds a game behind them.

The Philadelphia Yellow Jackets won the ABC East, the first team to clinch a playoff spot. Then before any of the other divisions were clinched, both the Milwaukee Browns and Atlanta Colonels clinched playoff spots; one would win the NBC Central and the other would take the NBC Wild Card spot.
The Kansas City Cyclones were next to clinch, winning the ABC West and punching their ticket to the playoffs for the first time in their history. Then the Baltimore Blackbirds ripped off a 10-game winning streak en route to clinching the ABC East and going to the playoffs for the first time since 1915: ending a 52-year drought.
The Cincinnati Silverbacks clinched the ABC Central, with the Indiana Fireflies and Pittsburgh Penguins battling it out for the ABC Wild Card spot. The Fireflies clinch the spot on the final day of the season.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lions and San Francisco Tigers were fighting for the NBC West title, despite both teams being well under .500. On the final day of the season, the Lions defeated the Tigers to clinch the NBC West...with a 73-89 record!

The wild card teams would typically play the division winner with the best record, but both of these scenarios would create a matchup of division rivals in the first round, and the rules did not allow for that. So, the playoff matchups were as follows:
Kansas City Cyclones vs. Cincinnati Siverbacks
Indiana Fireflies vs. Baltimore Blackbirds
Los Angeles Lions vs. Atlanta Colonels
Milwaukee Browns vs. Philadelphia Yellow Jackets

The Los Angeles Lions (73-89) were considered no match for the Atlanta Colonels (103-59) in the first round. However, reminiscent of what the then-Cleveland Blue Sox did to the New York Knights in 1921 (the first year of divisional play), the Lions won the series in four, eliminating the Colonels and advancing to the NBC Championship Series. Meanwhile, the Yellow Jackets swept the Browns in three straight to advance.
In the ABC, the Cyclones took down the Silverbacks in four games to win their first playoff series. The Blackbirds went the distance and defeated the Fireflies in five games, advancing and remaining undefeated all-time in the playoffs (albeit in only their second appearance, with a 52-year gap since their first).
In the ABC Championship Series, the Kansas City Cyclones rose to the occasion and took down the Blackbirds in six games, advancing to the World Series in their first ever playoff appearance. And in the NBC, the Yellow Jackets ended the Lions' unprecedented run by taking them down in six games.
The 1967 World Series featured the Kansas City Cyclones vs. the Philadelphia Yellow Jackets. The series began in Kansas City, where the Cyclones won Game 1 in front of their home crowd. They lost Game 2, and the series headed to Philadelphia tied at 1-1. At home, the Yellow Jackets defeated the Cyclones in Game 3, and then won again in Game 4. The Yellow Jackets then won Game 5, winning the World Series in front of their home fans and continuing their odd-year trend. They've won the World Series in 1963, 1965 and now 1967.

02-28-2023, 12:18 PM	#89
ericnease84 Minors (Double A) Join Date: Jul 2019 Posts: 144	1967: More teams, more games, more playoffs 1967: More. There are two more teams in the ABC, which means one more division in each conference. The schedule was also expanded to include more games: 162, to exact. There also were more compelling divisional races, as not one division had a runaway favorite, at least not in the beginning part of the season. The biggest division lead at the All-Star break was a 7-game lead enjoyed by the Kansas City Cyclones in the ABC West. Hank Aaron won the Home Run Derby in 1967, defeating Harmon Killebrew in the final round. Going into September, the Cyclones and the Philadelphia Yellow Jackets enjoyed 10 and 12 game leads in their respective divisions. The other four division races were very close, with a total of 12 teams within 7 games or less of the top spot. The ABC East had a 3-team race, with the Boston Patriots in first and the New York Knights and Baltimore Blackbirds a game behind them. The Philadelphia Yellow Jackets won the ABC East, the first team to clinch a playoff spot. Then before any of the other divisions were clinched, both the Milwaukee Browns and Atlanta Colonels clinched playoff spots; one would win the NBC Central and the other would take the NBC Wild Card spot. The Kansas City Cyclones were next to clinch, winning the ABC West and punching their ticket to the playoffs for the first time in their history. Then the Baltimore Blackbirds ripped off a 10-game winning streak en route to clinching the ABC East and going to the playoffs for the first time since 1915: ending a 52-year drought. The Cincinnati Silverbacks clinched the ABC Central, with the Indiana Fireflies and Pittsburgh Penguins battling it out for the ABC Wild Card spot. The Fireflies clinch the spot on the final day of the season. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lions and San Francisco Tigers were fighting for the NBC West title, despite both teams being well under .500. On the final day of the season, the Lions defeated the Tigers to clinch the NBC West...with a 73-89 record! The wild card teams would typically play the division winner with the best record, but both of these scenarios would create a matchup of division rivals in the first round, and the rules did not allow for that. So, the playoff matchups were as follows: Kansas City Cyclones vs. Cincinnati Siverbacks Indiana Fireflies vs. Baltimore Blackbirds Los Angeles Lions vs. Atlanta Colonels Milwaukee Browns vs. Philadelphia Yellow Jackets The Los Angeles Lions (73-89) were considered no match for the Atlanta Colonels (103-59) in the first round. However, reminiscent of what the then-Cleveland Blue Sox did to the New York Knights in 1921 (the first year of divisional play), the Lions won the series in four, eliminating the Colonels and advancing to the NBC Championship Series. Meanwhile, the Yellow Jackets swept the Browns in three straight to advance. In the ABC, the Cyclones took down the Silverbacks in four games to win their first playoff series. The Blackbirds went the distance and defeated the Fireflies in five games, advancing and remaining undefeated all-time in the playoffs (albeit in only their second appearance, with a 52-year gap since their first). In the ABC Championship Series, the Kansas City Cyclones rose to the occasion and took down the Blackbirds in six games, advancing to the World Series in their first ever playoff appearance. And in the NBC, the Yellow Jackets ended the Lions' unprecedented run by taking them down in six games. The 1967 World Series featured the Kansas City Cyclones vs. the Philadelphia Yellow Jackets. The series began in Kansas City, where the Cyclones won Game 1 in front of their home crowd. They lost Game 2, and the series headed to Philadelphia tied at 1-1. At home, the Yellow Jackets defeated the Cyclones in Game 3, and then won again in Game 4. The Yellow Jackets then won Game 5, winning the World Series in front of their home fans and continuing their odd-year trend. They've won the World Series in 1963, 1965 and now 1967.