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ericnease84 · 05-29-2024, 06:09 AM

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Best Record: 123-39 (1976)
Worst Record: 35-90 (1915)
Playoff Appearances: 18
Championships: 5 (1903, 1905, 1957, 1959, 1977)

The Cincinnati Silverbacks are one of the original teams. They had a rough first season, but quickly rose to the ranks of one of the better teams in the league. They reached the World Series for the first time in 1902, losing to the Virginia Beach Captains who were claiming their third straight championship. Those two teams met again in the 1903 World Series, and this time Cincinnati won their first title while ending the Captains' bid for four in a row. In 1905, the Silverbacks and Captains faced off again in the World Series, and Cincinnati won that one as well. Unfortunately for the Silverbacks, that was the last bit of success they would have for a while. They remained competitive for a few more years but soon slipped into a decades-long run of irrelevancy. They would not reach the playoffs again for nearly 50 years, before they finally made it back in 1954, losing to Baltimore in the ABC Championship Series. From 1955 through 1959, they appeared in the World Series every year except 1958. They lost to the Dragons in 1955 and the Captains in 1956 before defeating the Captains in a 1957 re-match. Those two teams met again in 1959, and again Cincinnati defeated the Captains, having now won all four of their championships against the Captains franchise.
The Silverbacks did not do much in the 1960s, aside from one single playoff appearance in 1964 that ended in a sweep at the hands of the Baltimore Blackbirds. Toward the end of the 1960s, the Silverbacks had built one of the best lineups in baseball. However, their lack of pitching was holding them back. Jeremy Burns had retired, and aside from left-hander Eli Childers, they did not have much depth. After the 1970 season, they acquired star second baseman Joe Leonard and center fielder Cesar Zorillo in a huge trade with the Houston Apollos to add to their already potent lineup, along with frontline starter Mike Ziegler. They picked up pitchers Kerry Lackey and Jeff Moyer in separate trades with the Seals and Tigers, respectively to fill out their starting rotation. They also hired Minnesota Lakers bench coach Lee Anderson as their manager that offseason. The result would be a super team that would win 100+ games for the next 8 years straight, and would capture 9 straight division titles through 1979. However, they would only win one championship during that stretch. They lost in the ABC Championship Series to the Rebels in 1971, and then got swept by the Indiana Fireflies in 1972. They finally made it to the World Series in 1973, but were defeated in six games by the Wisconsin Bears. 1974 resulted in another Championship Series loss to the Fireflies, and they were met with the same result in 1975. They won 123 games in 1976, the highest win total ever by a team in a single season. They met their in-state rivals the Cleveland Lions in the World Series, but were met again with disappointment as the Lions swept them. Those two teams would face off again in the 1977 World Series, and this time the Silverbacks finally were able to win that elusive championship. In 1978, they lost in the Division Series to an 88-win wild card Toronto Giants team. In 1979, they won "only" 99 games but again won their division, but the playoffs ended in disappointment again as they lost in the first round to the Seattle Sea Monsters. By this time, their core from the 1970s was breaking apart and most of their star players had moved on. The team slipped to a 77-85 record in 1980, which resulted in Anderson being fired. They improved for a while in the early 1980s but could not make it back to the playoffs, and at this point they have finished under .500 in the past four seasons.

Outlook for 1990:
They have not made the playoffs since 1979, and they do not look to be strong enough to end that streak in 1990. They are not terrible, but they are not good enough to make the playoffs either.

Current Manager:
Steve George is taking over as manager for 1990, following the retirement of previous manager Bryan Norman. George was a pitcher for the Cleveland Lions from 1968 until 1971, when injuries cut short his playing career at age 29. He immediately turned to coaching and spent most of the 1970s as the Houston Apollos' 3rd base coach. George got his first Major League managerial position in 1979 with the Boston Rebels. That stint did not go so well, as George was fired during the 1980 season. In 1983, he was hired as the manager of the New York Knights, and that went much better for him. He led them to a World Series title in 1984 and again in 1987, making the playoffs every year that he managed the team until this past season. With the Knights struggling for the first time in quite a while, they were quick to make a change, firing George midway through the 1989 season. He will now get a chance to lead Cincinnati back to the playoffs.

Hall of Famers:
Jeremy Burns, P, 1949-1966
Jeremy Burns signed initially with the Trenton Tigers, and made his debut in 1949, the team's first year in St. Louis. He won 17 games in his rookie year and quickly established himself as one of the more reliable pitchers in the game. After six years in St. Louis, he was traded to Cincinnati during the 1954-55 offseason for 4 players, only one of whom made any meaningful contribution to the Tigers. Burns continued to pitch at a high level in Cincinnati, contributing to two World Series victories for Cincinnati in 1957 and 1959. He retired after the 1966 season, winner of 238 games in his career. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1972, his first year on the ballot. His son, Jonathan Burns, currently is a pitcher for the Cleveland Lions.

Elijah Johnson, OF, 1954-1971
Elijah Johnson came up with the Silverbacks in 1954 and quickly established himself as a mainstay in their outfield. He spent the rest of the 1950s and 1960s in Cincinnati, through the 1970 season. That offseason, he was dealt to the San Francisco Seals for young outfielder Art Foster. Johnson only played with the Seals for a couple months before being released in June. Johnson opted to retire at that point. In 1977, he was elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year on the ballot.

Peter Edwards, 3B, 1963-1983
Born and raised in Cincinnati, Peter Edwards originally signed with the Detroit Dragons in 1959, but was traded to Cincinnati before he made it to the Majors. The Silverbacks called him up in 1963 and he quickly became a mainstay in the Silverbacks' lineup. He led the way for many years as they built a potent offense and then tried to acquire enough pitching to push them over the top. Edwards played for the Silverbacks through 1979, and then signed with the Philadelphia Hornets as a free agent. He spent two seasons in Philadelphia, and then played for the California Stars in 1982. He signed back with the Silverbacks in 1983, but they released him in May. Edwards' playing career was now over, but the very next season he returned to Cincinnati as the Silverbacks' manager. He managed Cincinnati for five years before he was fired after the 1988 season. After taking the 1989 season off (and being elected to the Hall of Fame), he was hired to manage the Washington Eagles for the 1990 season. His son, Peter Edwards Jr, was drafted by the Eagles in 1989 and is currently playing in their minor league system. His cousin, Homer Edwards, starred on the New York Knights for years and is now playing for the Minnesota Lakers.

05-29-2024, 06:09 AM	#10
ericnease84 Minors (Double A) Join Date: Jul 2019 Posts: 144	Cincinnati Silverbacks Best Record: 123-39 (1976) Worst Record: 35-90 (1915) Playoff Appearances: 18 Championships: 5 (1903, 1905, 1957, 1959, 1977) The Cincinnati Silverbacks are one of the original teams. They had a rough first season, but quickly rose to the ranks of one of the better teams in the league. They reached the World Series for the first time in 1902, losing to the Virginia Beach Captains who were claiming their third straight championship. Those two teams met again in the 1903 World Series, and this time Cincinnati won their first title while ending the Captains' bid for four in a row. In 1905, the Silverbacks and Captains faced off again in the World Series, and Cincinnati won that one as well. Unfortunately for the Silverbacks, that was the last bit of success they would have for a while. They remained competitive for a few more years but soon slipped into a decades-long run of irrelevancy. They would not reach the playoffs again for nearly 50 years, before they finally made it back in 1954, losing to Baltimore in the ABC Championship Series. From 1955 through 1959, they appeared in the World Series every year except 1958. They lost to the Dragons in 1955 and the Captains in 1956 before defeating the Captains in a 1957 re-match. Those two teams met again in 1959, and again Cincinnati defeated the Captains, having now won all four of their championships against the Captains franchise. The Silverbacks did not do much in the 1960s, aside from one single playoff appearance in 1964 that ended in a sweep at the hands of the Baltimore Blackbirds. Toward the end of the 1960s, the Silverbacks had built one of the best lineups in baseball. However, their lack of pitching was holding them back. Jeremy Burns had retired, and aside from left-hander Eli Childers, they did not have much depth. After the 1970 season, they acquired star second baseman Joe Leonard and center fielder Cesar Zorillo in a huge trade with the Houston Apollos to add to their already potent lineup, along with frontline starter Mike Ziegler. They picked up pitchers Kerry Lackey and Jeff Moyer in separate trades with the Seals and Tigers, respectively to fill out their starting rotation. They also hired Minnesota Lakers bench coach Lee Anderson as their manager that offseason. The result would be a super team that would win 100+ games for the next 8 years straight, and would capture 9 straight division titles through 1979. However, they would only win one championship during that stretch. They lost in the ABC Championship Series to the Rebels in 1971, and then got swept by the Indiana Fireflies in 1972. They finally made it to the World Series in 1973, but were defeated in six games by the Wisconsin Bears. 1974 resulted in another Championship Series loss to the Fireflies, and they were met with the same result in 1975. They won 123 games in 1976, the highest win total ever by a team in a single season. They met their in-state rivals the Cleveland Lions in the World Series, but were met again with disappointment as the Lions swept them. Those two teams would face off again in the 1977 World Series, and this time the Silverbacks finally were able to win that elusive championship. In 1978, they lost in the Division Series to an 88-win wild card Toronto Giants team. In 1979, they won "only" 99 games but again won their division, but the playoffs ended in disappointment again as they lost in the first round to the Seattle Sea Monsters. By this time, their core from the 1970s was breaking apart and most of their star players had moved on. The team slipped to a 77-85 record in 1980, which resulted in Anderson being fired. They improved for a while in the early 1980s but could not make it back to the playoffs, and at this point they have finished under .500 in the past four seasons. Outlook for 1990: They have not made the playoffs since 1979, and they do not look to be strong enough to end that streak in 1990. They are not terrible, but they are not good enough to make the playoffs either. Current Manager: Steve George is taking over as manager for 1990, following the retirement of previous manager Bryan Norman. George was a pitcher for the Cleveland Lions from 1968 until 1971, when injuries cut short his playing career at age 29. He immediately turned to coaching and spent most of the 1970s as the Houston Apollos' 3rd base coach. George got his first Major League managerial position in 1979 with the Boston Rebels. That stint did not go so well, as George was fired during the 1980 season. In 1983, he was hired as the manager of the New York Knights, and that went much better for him. He led them to a World Series title in 1984 and again in 1987, making the playoffs every year that he managed the team until this past season. With the Knights struggling for the first time in quite a while, they were quick to make a change, firing George midway through the 1989 season. He will now get a chance to lead Cincinnati back to the playoffs. Hall of Famers: Jeremy Burns, P, 1949-1966 Jeremy Burns signed initially with the Trenton Tigers, and made his debut in 1949, the team's first year in St. Louis. He won 17 games in his rookie year and quickly established himself as one of the more reliable pitchers in the game. After six years in St. Louis, he was traded to Cincinnati during the 1954-55 offseason for 4 players, only one of whom made any meaningful contribution to the Tigers. Burns continued to pitch at a high level in Cincinnati, contributing to two World Series victories for Cincinnati in 1957 and 1959. He retired after the 1966 season, winner of 238 games in his career. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1972, his first year on the ballot. His son, Jonathan Burns, currently is a pitcher for the Cleveland Lions. Elijah Johnson, OF, 1954-1971 Elijah Johnson came up with the Silverbacks in 1954 and quickly established himself as a mainstay in their outfield. He spent the rest of the 1950s and 1960s in Cincinnati, through the 1970 season. That offseason, he was dealt to the San Francisco Seals for young outfielder Art Foster. Johnson only played with the Seals for a couple months before being released in June. Johnson opted to retire at that point. In 1977, he was elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year on the ballot. Peter Edwards, 3B, 1963-1983 Born and raised in Cincinnati, Peter Edwards originally signed with the Detroit Dragons in 1959, but was traded to Cincinnati before he made it to the Majors. The Silverbacks called him up in 1963 and he quickly became a mainstay in the Silverbacks' lineup. He led the way for many years as they built a potent offense and then tried to acquire enough pitching to push them over the top. Edwards played for the Silverbacks through 1979, and then signed with the Philadelphia Hornets as a free agent. He spent two seasons in Philadelphia, and then played for the California Stars in 1982. He signed back with the Silverbacks in 1983, but they released him in May. Edwards' playing career was now over, but the very next season he returned to Cincinnati as the Silverbacks' manager. He managed Cincinnati for five years before he was fired after the 1988 season. After taking the 1989 season off (and being elected to the Hall of Fame), he was hired to manage the Washington Eagles for the 1990 season. His son, Peter Edwards Jr, was drafted by the Eagles in 1989 and is currently playing in their minor league system. His cousin, Homer Edwards, starred on the New York Knights for years and is now playing for the Minnesota Lakers.