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FuzzyRussianHat · 03-30-2024, 04:09 PM

1998 was an incredibly competitive season in the Australasia League as only seven games separated first place from seventh in the eight-team league. After taking third last year, 1996 Oceania Champion Adelaide was back atop the AL. Their 87-75 mark was enough to top reigning AL champ Perth by three games. The Aardvarks became eight-time pennant winners, tied with the Penguins for the most in the AL. Christchurch, Gold Coast, and Sydney were each 81-81 while both Brisbane and Auckland were 80-82.

Gold Coast shortstop Woody Bolling became a two-time Australasia League MVP, having also won it in 1995. It was an impressive comeback for the 29-year old righty, as he had missed almost all of the 1997 season to a torn PCL. Bolling led in WAR (11.1), and batting average (.312) while adding 175 wRC+ and 28 home runs. Pitcher of the Year was Brisbane’s Owen Killion. The 29-year old lefty led in strikeouts (379), quality starts (31), and WAR (8.0). Killion added a 16-16 record and 2.51 ERA over 305.1 innings.

Reigning Pacific League champ Guam was even better in 1998, going from 95 wins to a 107-55 mark. This gave the Golden Eagles their fifth PL pennant of the 1990s. Samoa was a strong second at 97-65, but still were ten games away. Honolulu was fourth at 81-81, which was their first time not posting a winning season since 1979. Guam now had ten PL pennants, behind only the Honu’s 13.

DH Quentin Basa made history with his second Pacific League MVP. The most notable part was that the 39-year old Filipino’s previous MVP was in his second season of 1981; 18 years earlier. Basa signed with Samoa for 1998 and posted league and career bests in runs (101), RBI (109), total bases (352), slugging (.644), OPS (.955), and wRC+ (187). He also had a career high 52 home runs and posted 7.5 WAR. Both winning a MVP at his age and the gap between MVPs was something never before seen in professional baseball. Age would catch up to Basa the next year, reduced to a part-time starter in 1999 and eventual bench piece in his final season of 2000.

Guam’s Timothy Manglona repeated as Pitcher of the Year with an all-time great season. The 24-year old from the Northern Marianas became the first OBA pitcher in a decade to earn the Triple Crown, posting the 12^th TC season for a pitcher. Manglona had a 29-5 record, 1.72 ERA, and 446 strikeouts over 334.2 innings. He also led in WHIP (0.72), innings (334.2), K/BB (17.8), complete games (18), shutouts (8), FIP- (47), and WAR (14.6). The wins mark was one short of the OBA record, while the WAR tally was the third-best to that point by a OBA pitcher behind Tarzan Rao’s 16.59 in 1984 and 15.51 in 1983. As of 2037, Manglona’s WAR mark is still the seventh best season in OBA pitching history.

Despite the relative success of both Guam and Adelaide, the 39^th Oceania Championship was their first time meeting in the final. The series was an all-timer and the first OBA final to go all seven games since 1992. The Aardvarks prevailed in the end for their second title in three years. In his OBA debut, Jimeno Hong won finals MVP. The 32-year old Brazilian had spent more than a decade in Beisbol Sudamerica before arriving in Australia. He was 3-0 in the finals with a 0.39 ERA over 23 innings and 22 strikeouts. Adelaide now has seven titles (1962, 64, 74, 76, 77, 96, 98), second only to Honolulu’s eight.

Other notes: Two bad all-time records were set in 1998 that still stand in 2037. Brisbane’s Ken Morphy was caught stealing 72 times, while New Caledonia’s Oni Blanco on the mound had 26 losses. 1998 didn’t have a single no-hitter for the first time since 1988. In addition to his MVP, Quentin Basa crossed 600 career home runs and 1500 RBI. At retirement, he was fourth all-time in home runs and third in RBI. Basa also won his tenth Silver Slugger, but his first as a DH with the others all in left field. Vavao Brighouse also crossed 1500 RBI in 1998, making it four batters to have reached the mark. SS Jay Lawrence won his eighth Gold Glove and 3B Errol Herne won his seventh. SS Woody Bolling won his seventh Silver Slugger.

03-30-2024, 04:09 PM	#1109
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,789	1998 in OBA 1998 was an incredibly competitive season in the Australasia League as only seven games separated first place from seventh in the eight-team league. After taking third last year, 1996 Oceania Champion Adelaide was back atop the AL. Their 87-75 mark was enough to top reigning AL champ Perth by three games. The Aardvarks became eight-time pennant winners, tied with the Penguins for the most in the AL. Christchurch, Gold Coast, and Sydney were each 81-81 while both Brisbane and Auckland were 80-82. Gold Coast shortstop Woody Bolling became a two-time Australasia League MVP, having also won it in 1995. It was an impressive comeback for the 29-year old righty, as he had missed almost all of the 1997 season to a torn PCL. Bolling led in WAR (11.1), and batting average (.312) while adding 175 wRC+ and 28 home runs. Pitcher of the Year was Brisbane’s Owen Killion. The 29-year old lefty led in strikeouts (379), quality starts (31), and WAR (8.0). Killion added a 16-16 record and 2.51 ERA over 305.1 innings. Reigning Pacific League champ Guam was even better in 1998, going from 95 wins to a 107-55 mark. This gave the Golden Eagles their fifth PL pennant of the 1990s. Samoa was a strong second at 97-65, but still were ten games away. Honolulu was fourth at 81-81, which was their first time not posting a winning season since 1979. Guam now had ten PL pennants, behind only the Honu’s 13. DH Quentin Basa made history with his second Pacific League MVP. The most notable part was that the 39-year old Filipino’s previous MVP was in his second season of 1981; 18 years earlier. Basa signed with Samoa for 1998 and posted league and career bests in runs (101), RBI (109), total bases (352), slugging (.644), OPS (.955), and wRC+ (187). He also had a career high 52 home runs and posted 7.5 WAR. Both winning a MVP at his age and the gap between MVPs was something never before seen in professional baseball. Age would catch up to Basa the next year, reduced to a part-time starter in 1999 and eventual bench piece in his final season of 2000. Guam’s Timothy Manglona repeated as Pitcher of the Year with an all-time great season. The 24-year old from the Northern Marianas became the first OBA pitcher in a decade to earn the Triple Crown, posting the 12^th TC season for a pitcher. Manglona had a 29-5 record, 1.72 ERA, and 446 strikeouts over 334.2 innings. He also led in WHIP (0.72), innings (334.2), K/BB (17.8), complete games (18), shutouts (8), FIP- (47), and WAR (14.6). The wins mark was one short of the OBA record, while the WAR tally was the third-best to that point by a OBA pitcher behind Tarzan Rao’s 16.59 in 1984 and 15.51 in 1983. As of 2037, Manglona’s WAR mark is still the seventh best season in OBA pitching history. Despite the relative success of both Guam and Adelaide, the 39^th Oceania Championship was their first time meeting in the final. The series was an all-timer and the first OBA final to go all seven games since 1992. The Aardvarks prevailed in the end for their second title in three years. In his OBA debut, Jimeno Hong won finals MVP. The 32-year old Brazilian had spent more than a decade in Beisbol Sudamerica before arriving in Australia. He was 3-0 in the finals with a 0.39 ERA over 23 innings and 22 strikeouts. Adelaide now has seven titles (1962, 64, 74, 76, 77, 96, 98), second only to Honolulu’s eight. Other notes: Two bad all-time records were set in 1998 that still stand in 2037. Brisbane’s Ken Morphy was caught stealing 72 times, while New Caledonia’s Oni Blanco on the mound had 26 losses. 1998 didn’t have a single no-hitter for the first time since 1988. In addition to his MVP, Quentin Basa crossed 600 career home runs and 1500 RBI. At retirement, he was fourth all-time in home runs and third in RBI. Basa also won his tenth Silver Slugger, but his first as a DH with the others all in left field. Vavao Brighouse also crossed 1500 RBI in 1998, making it four batters to have reached the mark. SS Jay Lawrence won his eighth Gold Glove and 3B Errol Herne won his seventh. SS Woody Bolling won his seventh Silver Slugger. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)