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FuzzyRussianHat · 01-04-2024, 06:20 AM

Berlin had the best record in the EBF Northern Conference at 104-58, winning the North Central Division for the third straight season. Two-time defending conference champ Amsterdam won the Northwest Division at 100-62 and earned a seventh straight playoff berth. They switched spots in the division with Rotterdam, but the 88-74 Ravens still got the wild card for a fourth straight playoff appearance. Another division foe Brussels was 85-77, their closest foil for the wild card. After falling below .500 last year, Birmingham won the British Isles Division for the fifth time in sixth years, finishing 85-79. Last year’s winner Glasgow dropped from 95 wins to 72.

Northern Conference MVP went to Amsterdam 2B Cherif Berrada. It was the first full season for the 24-year old Parisian, who posted 7.7 WAR with a .326/.350/.569 slash, 203 hits, 105 runs, 61 stolen bases, and 29 home runs. Pitcher of the Year went to Brussels lefty Khaled Jabri. The 25-year old Dutch ace led in WAR (7.5) and ERA (2.59), adding an 18-7 record over 267.2 innings with 276 strikeouts.

Berlin battered Birmingham with a first round sweep, while Amsterdam ousted divisional foe Rotterdam 3-1. For the fourth time in five years, this set up Anacondas versus Barons in the Northern Conference Championship. For the fourth time, it was Amsterdam on top, besting Berlin 4-1. The Anacondas became the first Northern Conference team to three-peat and won their fifth pennant in six years; the only team in either conference to take five in six. It also was Amsterdam’s seventh overall.

Zurich’s historic streak of South Central Division titles continued and extended to 16 seasons in 1988. At 106-56, the Mountaineers also boasted the best record in the European Baseball Federation. Marseille cruised to the Southwest Division at 99-63 for their fourth straight playoff berth and eighth in nine years. Munich’s run atop the Southeast Division extended to six seasons with a 95-67 mark. Meanwhile in the wild card race, Milan and Belgrade tied for the spot at 87-75. The Maulers won the tiebreaker game and became the first wild card out of the South Central Division since 1965. It was also Milan’s first playoff berth since 1972. Defending European Champion Madrid finished 85-77, two games short of the wild card spot.

Marseille’s Jacob “Rowdy” Ronnberg became a four-time Southern Conference MVP winner. The 32-year old Swede was ten points short of a Triple Crown with 58 home runs, 156 RBI, and a .369 average. Ronnberg also led in OBP (.416), slugging (.841), OPS (1.257), wRC+ (222), and WAR (12.4) while also winning his 11^th Gold Glove in right field. This was a EBF record for Gold Gloves at any position to date. Still, Zurich’s Franco Gilbert had a case for the award despite not having the home run power. Gilbert had 254 hits, flattening Ronnberg’s single-season record of 242 from 1985. The 254 hits remains the EBF all-time mark as of 2037 and was the world record in any league when it happened, although that would be beaten the next year in South America. Gilbert also scored 140 runs, four off of Sean Houston’s 1984 record.

Pitcher of the Year went to Zurich’s Angelo Silvestri. Nicknamed “Dog,” the 28-year old Swiss righty was the WARlord (11.5) and ERA leader (2.28) with a 19.9 K/BB. He struck out 278 with only 14 walks over 265 for a 19-3 record. Also of note, Rome’s Benjamin Rogiers won his third straight Reliever of the Year with 41 saves and 3.8 WAR over 82 innings. He’d leave for MLB and Brooklyn the following season.

Zurich swept their divisional foe Milan in the first round of the playoffs while Munich outlasted Marseille in a five game battle. It was the 11^th Southern Conference Championship appearance for the Mountaineers in their historic streak. Despite being on a six-year division title streak, the Mavericks had gone one-and-done in the prior five seasons, making their first SCC appearance since 1971. Zurich would be the runner-up for the third time in five years as Munich won the pennant 4-1. It is the fourth title for the Mavericks, who also won the Southern Conference crown in 1951, 52, and 71.

The 39^th European Championship was a rematch of the second one, which Amsterdam had taken back in 1951. For the third straight season, the Anacondas were defeated in the finale as Munich won 4-2, winning only its second-ever EBF title (1952). 1B Alfred Pietsch was the playoff hero, winning both finals MVP and conference finals MVP. In 16 playoff starts, he had 22 hits, 11 runs, 3 home runs, and 14 RBI. It is the third-ever European Championship by a German team with the most recent being Berlin’s 1958 win.

Other notes: For the third straight season, EBF didn’t have a single no-hitter thrown. Prior to this, 1951 was the only season with this oddity. Jack Kennedy became the sixth to 1500 career RBI. He, Ronnberg, and Sean Houston would all be chasing the top mark in the coming years, set by Christophoros Zarkadis. He retired in 1989 the RBI king with 1903. Zarkadis would pick up his 11^th and final Silver Slugger at shortstop in 1988, while Ronnberg won his 10^th in right field. Jacky Muro, Uwe Deckers, and Martin Borer each reached 3500 strikeouts, bringing it to 13 pitchers to have done so.

01-04-2024, 06:20 AM	#848
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,925	1988 in EBF Berlin had the best record in the EBF Northern Conference at 104-58, winning the North Central Division for the third straight season. Two-time defending conference champ Amsterdam won the Northwest Division at 100-62 and earned a seventh straight playoff berth. They switched spots in the division with Rotterdam, but the 88-74 Ravens still got the wild card for a fourth straight playoff appearance. Another division foe Brussels was 85-77, their closest foil for the wild card. After falling below .500 last year, Birmingham won the British Isles Division for the fifth time in sixth years, finishing 85-79. Last year’s winner Glasgow dropped from 95 wins to 72. Northern Conference MVP went to Amsterdam 2B Cherif Berrada. It was the first full season for the 24-year old Parisian, who posted 7.7 WAR with a .326/.350/.569 slash, 203 hits, 105 runs, 61 stolen bases, and 29 home runs. Pitcher of the Year went to Brussels lefty Khaled Jabri. The 25-year old Dutch ace led in WAR (7.5) and ERA (2.59), adding an 18-7 record over 267.2 innings with 276 strikeouts. Berlin battered Birmingham with a first round sweep, while Amsterdam ousted divisional foe Rotterdam 3-1. For the fourth time in five years, this set up Anacondas versus Barons in the Northern Conference Championship. For the fourth time, it was Amsterdam on top, besting Berlin 4-1. The Anacondas became the first Northern Conference team to three-peat and won their fifth pennant in six years; the only team in either conference to take five in six. It also was Amsterdam’s seventh overall. Zurich’s historic streak of South Central Division titles continued and extended to 16 seasons in 1988. At 106-56, the Mountaineers also boasted the best record in the European Baseball Federation. Marseille cruised to the Southwest Division at 99-63 for their fourth straight playoff berth and eighth in nine years. Munich’s run atop the Southeast Division extended to six seasons with a 95-67 mark. Meanwhile in the wild card race, Milan and Belgrade tied for the spot at 87-75. The Maulers won the tiebreaker game and became the first wild card out of the South Central Division since 1965. It was also Milan’s first playoff berth since 1972. Defending European Champion Madrid finished 85-77, two games short of the wild card spot. Marseille’s Jacob “Rowdy” Ronnberg became a four-time Southern Conference MVP winner. The 32-year old Swede was ten points short of a Triple Crown with 58 home runs, 156 RBI, and a .369 average. Ronnberg also led in OBP (.416), slugging (.841), OPS (1.257), wRC+ (222), and WAR (12.4) while also winning his 11^th Gold Glove in right field. This was a EBF record for Gold Gloves at any position to date. Still, Zurich’s Franco Gilbert had a case for the award despite not having the home run power. Gilbert had 254 hits, flattening Ronnberg’s single-season record of 242 from 1985. The 254 hits remains the EBF all-time mark as of 2037 and was the world record in any league when it happened, although that would be beaten the next year in South America. Gilbert also scored 140 runs, four off of Sean Houston’s 1984 record. Pitcher of the Year went to Zurich’s Angelo Silvestri. Nicknamed “Dog,” the 28-year old Swiss righty was the WARlord (11.5) and ERA leader (2.28) with a 19.9 K/BB. He struck out 278 with only 14 walks over 265 for a 19-3 record. Also of note, Rome’s Benjamin Rogiers won his third straight Reliever of the Year with 41 saves and 3.8 WAR over 82 innings. He’d leave for MLB and Brooklyn the following season. Zurich swept their divisional foe Milan in the first round of the playoffs while Munich outlasted Marseille in a five game battle. It was the 11^th Southern Conference Championship appearance for the Mountaineers in their historic streak. Despite being on a six-year division title streak, the Mavericks had gone one-and-done in the prior five seasons, making their first SCC appearance since 1971. Zurich would be the runner-up for the third time in five years as Munich won the pennant 4-1. It is the fourth title for the Mavericks, who also won the Southern Conference crown in 1951, 52, and 71. The 39^th European Championship was a rematch of the second one, which Amsterdam had taken back in 1951. For the third straight season, the Anacondas were defeated in the finale as Munich won 4-2, winning only its second-ever EBF title (1952). 1B Alfred Pietsch was the playoff hero, winning both finals MVP and conference finals MVP. In 16 playoff starts, he had 22 hits, 11 runs, 3 home runs, and 14 RBI. It is the third-ever European Championship by a German team with the most recent being Berlin’s 1958 win. Other notes: For the third straight season, EBF didn’t have a single no-hitter thrown. Prior to this, 1951 was the only season with this oddity. Jack Kennedy became the sixth to 1500 career RBI. He, Ronnberg, and Sean Houston would all be chasing the top mark in the coming years, set by Christophoros Zarkadis. He retired in 1989 the RBI king with 1903. Zarkadis would pick up his 11^th and final Silver Slugger at shortstop in 1988, while Ronnberg won his 10^th in right field. Jacky Muro, Uwe Deckers, and Martin Borer each reached 3500 strikeouts, bringing it to 13 pitchers to have done so. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)