OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post

FuzzyRussianHat · 03-30-2024, 04:05 AM

Xi’an finished first in the Northern League at 96-66, giving the Attack their fourth playoff berth in five years. 1996 league runner-up Harbin was second at 89-73, bouncing back from a 76-win effort the prior year. The third and final playoff spot went to Shenyang at 86-76, the first-ever playoff berth for the Swans. Entering the year, they were the only team in all of Chinese League Baseball without a single playoff berth. They edged Zhengzhou by one and Tianjin by four for the final spot. Nanjing, who had been a semifinalist in the prior two seasons, dropped to 79-83.

Shenyang CF Xirong Wang won Northern League MVP. The 25-year old third-year player led in WAR ((10.0), slugging (.479), and RBI (89). He added 32 home runs and a 13.1 zone rating in center. Xi’an’s Momota Oichi earned a fourth consecutive Pitcher of the Year, leading in wins (23-10), strikeouts (383), WHIP (0.73), and quality starts (31). Oichi added a 1.82 ERA and 7.7 WAR over 272 innings. He became CLB’s first-ever pitcher to win the top award four times.

Chengdu claimed first in the Southern League at 96-66, ending a two-year playoff drought. Chnogqing was second at 92-70 for their first playoff berth since 1985. Third place Dongguan at 88-74 also ended a lengthy drought dating to 1986. Kunming finished once game shy at 87-75. Changsha and Hong Kong, last year’s CLB champ and runner-up respectively, both tied for fifth at 86-76. Foshan, a semifinalist in 1997, dropped to seventh at 79-83.

Dongguan 2B Chenglin Huang won Southern League MVP. The 29-year old led in runs (76), slugging (.576), OPS (.937), wRC+ (233), and WAR (9.3). Kunming’s Luning Li was Pitcher of the Year as the ERA leader (1.21) with 22 complete games. Li added a 17-12 record over 261 innings with 299 strikeouts and 7.1 WAR. He was a surprising winner to some considering Hong Kong’s Yinjie Fu posted 12.3 WAR and 390 strikeouts. That was the fifth most strikeouts in a season by a CLB pitcher and only the 11^th time a CLB pitcher had posted 12+ WAR.

In the first round of the playoffs, both Northern League teams won over their Southern League counterparts with Shenyang beating Chongqing 2-0 and Harbin downing Dongguan 2-1. Both stunned their first place finishing foes in the semifinal. Shenyang shocked Xi’an 4-1, while Harbin toppled Chengdu 4-1. This sent the Hellcats to their second China Series in three years and fifth in franchise. The Swans had never been to the playoffs before and now found themselves finals bound.

The 29^th China Series wasn’t the first to have two Northern League teams in the final, but it was the first time since the playoff format changed that it was two wild cards from the same league. The series was a seven game classic that came down to the final inning of the final game. Harbin took game seven 5-4 on a walkoff to earn their second CLB ring (1981). RF Xin Dai was finals MVP as the 25-year old had 21 hits, 8 runs, 5 home runs, and 8 RBI in 15 playoff games.

Other notes: Chengdu’s Fei Huang threw CLB’s 27^th perfect game, striking out eight against Dongguan on July 3. Jinlong Han had a 21 strikeout game. The Foshan ace did it in a 12 inning marathon session against Hong Kong.

03-30-2024, 04:05 AM	#1107
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,649	1998 in CLB Xi’an finished first in the Northern League at 96-66, giving the Attack their fourth playoff berth in five years. 1996 league runner-up Harbin was second at 89-73, bouncing back from a 76-win effort the prior year. The third and final playoff spot went to Shenyang at 86-76, the first-ever playoff berth for the Swans. Entering the year, they were the only team in all of Chinese League Baseball without a single playoff berth. They edged Zhengzhou by one and Tianjin by four for the final spot. Nanjing, who had been a semifinalist in the prior two seasons, dropped to 79-83. Shenyang CF Xirong Wang won Northern League MVP. The 25-year old third-year player led in WAR ((10.0), slugging (.479), and RBI (89). He added 32 home runs and a 13.1 zone rating in center. Xi’an’s Momota Oichi earned a fourth consecutive Pitcher of the Year, leading in wins (23-10), strikeouts (383), WHIP (0.73), and quality starts (31). Oichi added a 1.82 ERA and 7.7 WAR over 272 innings. He became CLB’s first-ever pitcher to win the top award four times. Chengdu claimed first in the Southern League at 96-66, ending a two-year playoff drought. Chnogqing was second at 92-70 for their first playoff berth since 1985. Third place Dongguan at 88-74 also ended a lengthy drought dating to 1986. Kunming finished once game shy at 87-75. Changsha and Hong Kong, last year’s CLB champ and runner-up respectively, both tied for fifth at 86-76. Foshan, a semifinalist in 1997, dropped to seventh at 79-83. Dongguan 2B Chenglin Huang won Southern League MVP. The 29-year old led in runs (76), slugging (.576), OPS (.937), wRC+ (233), and WAR (9.3). Kunming’s Luning Li was Pitcher of the Year as the ERA leader (1.21) with 22 complete games. Li added a 17-12 record over 261 innings with 299 strikeouts and 7.1 WAR. He was a surprising winner to some considering Hong Kong’s Yinjie Fu posted 12.3 WAR and 390 strikeouts. That was the fifth most strikeouts in a season by a CLB pitcher and only the 11^th time a CLB pitcher had posted 12+ WAR. In the first round of the playoffs, both Northern League teams won over their Southern League counterparts with Shenyang beating Chongqing 2-0 and Harbin downing Dongguan 2-1. Both stunned their first place finishing foes in the semifinal. Shenyang shocked Xi’an 4-1, while Harbin toppled Chengdu 4-1. This sent the Hellcats to their second China Series in three years and fifth in franchise. The Swans had never been to the playoffs before and now found themselves finals bound. The 29^th China Series wasn’t the first to have two Northern League teams in the final, but it was the first time since the playoff format changed that it was two wild cards from the same league. The series was a seven game classic that came down to the final inning of the final game. Harbin took game seven 5-4 on a walkoff to earn their second CLB ring (1981). RF Xin Dai was finals MVP as the 25-year old had 21 hits, 8 runs, 5 home runs, and 8 RBI in 15 playoff games. Other notes: Chengdu’s Fei Huang threw CLB’s 27^th perfect game, striking out eight against Dongguan on July 3. Jinlong Han had a 21 strikeout game. The Foshan ace did it in a 12 inning marathon session against Hong Kong. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)