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FuzzyRussianHat · 05-31-2024, 05:50 PM

Major League Baseball had seen the smallest active roster size of any pro league when they lowered it to 23 players starting in 1974. The players finally succeeded in fighting back against that and MLB grew it back to 24 players starting in 2004.

The National Association saw two new faces at the top of the 2004 standings. Winnipeg and Wichita were both part of the 1982 expansion and previously had a combined three playoff appearances between them. The Wolves had the top seed at 106-56, winning the Upper Midwest Division for only the second time (1992).

Meanwhile, the Wasps won the Lower Midwest at 100-62 for their first-ever division title and second-ever playoff berth (1994). Wichita also made history, setting MLB single-season records for team ERA (2.37) and earned runs allowed (397). The ERA mark is still #1 as of 2037, while the earned runs total would get passed once. It was an impressive turnaround since they hadn’t won more than 75 games in a season since 1995. Also impressive was Wichita did this with the lowest payroll in all of MLB at just under $87 million.

Boston ended a six-year playoff drought by winning the Northeast Division at 97-65. Philadelphia repeated as East Division champs at 96-66. The Phillies were ultimately the only team from the prior year’s playoff field in the National Association to make it back in 2004. Milwaukee took the first wild card at 92-70 for a third playoff berth in four years.

Brooklyn and Cincinnati tied for the second spot at 91-71 with the Dodgers taking the tiebreaker game to advance. That was Brooklyn’s first playoff appearance since 1988. Just falling short in the wild card race was Louisville (89-73), defending NA champ Ottawa (87-75), Cleveland (86-76), and Kansas City (86-76). Pittsburgh and St. Louis, both playoff teams last year, each fell to 79-83.

National Association MVP honors went to Boston 1B Joran Mallery. In only his second season, the 22-year old lefty led in runs (112), hits (217), total bases (341), and WAR (9.0). Mallery added 35 doubles, 27 home runs, 98 RBI, a .340 average, and 191 wRC+. He also posted a 31-game hit streak in the early summer. The Red Sox had drafted Mallery with the 70^th overall pick in the 2002 MLB Draft.

Louisville had picked right-handed pitcher Joshua Williams with the #2 overall pick in the 2003 MLB Draft. He lived up to the billing, winning both Pitcher of the Year and Rookie of the Year. He joined Jerry Addison (1963) as the only MLB players to win both in the same year. The Raleigh, North Carolina native led in strikeouts (272) and quality starts (31). Williams added 7.8 WAR, a 1.96 ERA, and 21-9 record over 293.1 innings. Also of note, Milwaukee closer Hunter Cuthbert became a three-time Reliever of the Year winner.

Round one of the playoffs had Philadelphia swept Milwaukee 2-0 and Boston beating Brooklyn 2-1. The Red Sox upset Wichita 3-1 in round two, while Winnipeg held off the Phillies 3-1. Boston earned its first National Association Championship Series appearance since 1996, while the Wolves’ only prior NACS was 1990. Winnipeg would win its first-ever pennant, besting Boston 4-2. |

The Wolves were the third of the eight 1982 expansion teams to earn a World Series trip, joining Edmonton and Virginia Beach. They became the 24^th of the 28 National Association teams with at least one pennant. The four teams still without a pennant are expansion squads Wichita and Quebec City, as well as original squads Omaha and Buffalo. In 104 years, the Hawks have only four NACS berths and the Blue Sox have just two.

Defending World Series champion Phoenix earned the American Association’s top seed, winning a third consecutive Southwest Division title at 103-59. The Firebirds’ playoff streak grew to five seasons, which would end 2004 as the longest active streak in MLB. The battle for the #2 seed was tight as two games separated the other three divisional winners.

For the first time in franchise history, expansion Salt Lake City won the Northwest Division at 96-66, beating out Seattle by six games. The Loons were the #2 seed and did earn a third playoff berth in five years. Nashville made it three division titles in four years, taking the Southeast Division at 94-68. Houston took a third straight South Central Division at 94-68, edging Austin by two games.

The Amigos and Albuquerque were both 92-70, picking up the wild card spots. That ended a two-year drought for Austin, while the Isotopes earned a fourth consecutive berth. Seattle’s six-year streak ended with the Grizzlies two out of the wild card at 90-72. Seattle fell off after four straight 100+ win seasons, including a franchise record 113 in 2003. Las Vegas was also in the mix at 89-73.

Salt Lake City CF Morgan Short won the American Association MVP. In his third season, the lefty from Denver led in runs (125), hits (217), doubles (41), stolen bases (58), average (.370), OBP (.438), OPS (1.048), and WAR (11.9). Short added a 178 wRC+, 24 home runs, and 108 RBI. The WAR total was the fourth best single season by a position player in MLB history.

Pitcher of the Year went to Albuquerque’s Jaxson Hardy. The 26-year old lefty led with 320 strikeouts, 8 shutouts, and 10.5 WAR. Hardy also had a 19-10 record over 280.1 innings with a 2.31 ERA. He also tossed the season’s lone no-hitter, striking out 14 with one walk against Oakland on August 10. The Isotopes were quite happy, having signed Hardy to a seven-year, $59,720,000 extension prior to the 2004 season.

Houston edged divisional foe 2-1 in the first round, while Nashville ousted Albuquerque 2-1. Both top seeds prevailed in round two with Phoenix outlasting the Hornets 3-2 and Salt Lake City dropping the Knights 3-1. The Loons had never been to the American Association Championship Series in their 23-year history. The reigning MLB champ Firebirds denied SLC its first pennant, taking the series 4-1.

Phoenix was the first repeat AA champ since Calgary in 1992-93. That also ended a stretch of seven different champs in seven years. It was the Firebirds’ 11^th title, which leads all American Association franchises.

The 104^th World Series was highly anticipated with the two #1 seeds facing off. It was ultimately anticlimactic as Phoenix swept Winnipeg. The Firebirds are the sixth franchise to repeat as champs, joining Houston (1910-12), Philadelphia (1917-18, 1941-44), Los Angeles (1945-46, 73-74), San Diego (1955-56), and most recently Calgary (1986-87). It was Phoenix’s sixth title, joining 1907, 1953, 1960, 1985, and 2003. LF Ezra Anstett was finals MVP as the 27-year old played eight playoff games with six starts, getting 11 hits, 5 runs, 4 extra base hits, and 5 RBI.

Other notes: Oklahoma City scored only 519 runs in 2004, which was the second-lowest in American Association history. Only New Orleans the prior year at 517 had done worse. Portland’s Khalil Cobbs struck out 20 in a game against Cincinnati, becoming the eighth in MLB history with a 20K game.

05-31-2024, 05:50 PM	#1295
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,893	2004 in MLB Major League Baseball had seen the smallest active roster size of any pro league when they lowered it to 23 players starting in 1974. The players finally succeeded in fighting back against that and MLB grew it back to 24 players starting in 2004. The National Association saw two new faces at the top of the 2004 standings. Winnipeg and Wichita were both part of the 1982 expansion and previously had a combined three playoff appearances between them. The Wolves had the top seed at 106-56, winning the Upper Midwest Division for only the second time (1992). Meanwhile, the Wasps won the Lower Midwest at 100-62 for their first-ever division title and second-ever playoff berth (1994). Wichita also made history, setting MLB single-season records for team ERA (2.37) and earned runs allowed (397). The ERA mark is still #1 as of 2037, while the earned runs total would get passed once. It was an impressive turnaround since they hadn’t won more than 75 games in a season since 1995. Also impressive was Wichita did this with the lowest payroll in all of MLB at just under $87 million. Boston ended a six-year playoff drought by winning the Northeast Division at 97-65. Philadelphia repeated as East Division champs at 96-66. The Phillies were ultimately the only team from the prior year’s playoff field in the National Association to make it back in 2004. Milwaukee took the first wild card at 92-70 for a third playoff berth in four years. Brooklyn and Cincinnati tied for the second spot at 91-71 with the Dodgers taking the tiebreaker game to advance. That was Brooklyn’s first playoff appearance since 1988. Just falling short in the wild card race was Louisville (89-73), defending NA champ Ottawa (87-75), Cleveland (86-76), and Kansas City (86-76). Pittsburgh and St. Louis, both playoff teams last year, each fell to 79-83. National Association MVP honors went to Boston 1B Joran Mallery. In only his second season, the 22-year old lefty led in runs (112), hits (217), total bases (341), and WAR (9.0). Mallery added 35 doubles, 27 home runs, 98 RBI, a .340 average, and 191 wRC+. He also posted a 31-game hit streak in the early summer. The Red Sox had drafted Mallery with the 70^th overall pick in the 2002 MLB Draft. Louisville had picked right-handed pitcher Joshua Williams with the #2 overall pick in the 2003 MLB Draft. He lived up to the billing, winning both Pitcher of the Year and Rookie of the Year. He joined Jerry Addison (1963) as the only MLB players to win both in the same year. The Raleigh, North Carolina native led in strikeouts (272) and quality starts (31). Williams added 7.8 WAR, a 1.96 ERA, and 21-9 record over 293.1 innings. Also of note, Milwaukee closer Hunter Cuthbert became a three-time Reliever of the Year winner. Round one of the playoffs had Philadelphia swept Milwaukee 2-0 and Boston beating Brooklyn 2-1. The Red Sox upset Wichita 3-1 in round two, while Winnipeg held off the Phillies 3-1. Boston earned its first National Association Championship Series appearance since 1996, while the Wolves’ only prior NACS was 1990. Winnipeg would win its first-ever pennant, besting Boston 4-2. \| The Wolves were the third of the eight 1982 expansion teams to earn a World Series trip, joining Edmonton and Virginia Beach. They became the 24^th of the 28 National Association teams with at least one pennant. The four teams still without a pennant are expansion squads Wichita and Quebec City, as well as original squads Omaha and Buffalo. In 104 years, the Hawks have only four NACS berths and the Blue Sox have just two. Defending World Series champion Phoenix earned the American Association’s top seed, winning a third consecutive Southwest Division title at 103-59. The Firebirds’ playoff streak grew to five seasons, which would end 2004 as the longest active streak in MLB. The battle for the #2 seed was tight as two games separated the other three divisional winners. For the first time in franchise history, expansion Salt Lake City won the Northwest Division at 96-66, beating out Seattle by six games. The Loons were the #2 seed and did earn a third playoff berth in five years. Nashville made it three division titles in four years, taking the Southeast Division at 94-68. Houston took a third straight South Central Division at 94-68, edging Austin by two games. The Amigos and Albuquerque were both 92-70, picking up the wild card spots. That ended a two-year drought for Austin, while the Isotopes earned a fourth consecutive berth. Seattle’s six-year streak ended with the Grizzlies two out of the wild card at 90-72. Seattle fell off after four straight 100+ win seasons, including a franchise record 113 in 2003. Las Vegas was also in the mix at 89-73. Salt Lake City CF Morgan Short won the American Association MVP. In his third season, the lefty from Denver led in runs (125), hits (217), doubles (41), stolen bases (58), average (.370), OBP (.438), OPS (1.048), and WAR (11.9). Short added a 178 wRC+, 24 home runs, and 108 RBI. The WAR total was the fourth best single season by a position player in MLB history. Pitcher of the Year went to Albuquerque’s Jaxson Hardy. The 26-year old lefty led with 320 strikeouts, 8 shutouts, and 10.5 WAR. Hardy also had a 19-10 record over 280.1 innings with a 2.31 ERA. He also tossed the season’s lone no-hitter, striking out 14 with one walk against Oakland on August 10. The Isotopes were quite happy, having signed Hardy to a seven-year, $59,720,000 extension prior to the 2004 season. Houston edged divisional foe 2-1 in the first round, while Nashville ousted Albuquerque 2-1. Both top seeds prevailed in round two with Phoenix outlasting the Hornets 3-2 and Salt Lake City dropping the Knights 3-1. The Loons had never been to the American Association Championship Series in their 23-year history. The reigning MLB champ Firebirds denied SLC its first pennant, taking the series 4-1. Phoenix was the first repeat AA champ since Calgary in 1992-93. That also ended a stretch of seven different champs in seven years. It was the Firebirds’ 11^th title, which leads all American Association franchises. The 104^th World Series was highly anticipated with the two #1 seeds facing off. It was ultimately anticlimactic as Phoenix swept Winnipeg. The Firebirds are the sixth franchise to repeat as champs, joining Houston (1910-12), Philadelphia (1917-18, 1941-44), Los Angeles (1945-46, 73-74), San Diego (1955-56), and most recently Calgary (1986-87). It was Phoenix’s sixth title, joining 1907, 1953, 1960, 1985, and 2003. LF Ezra Anstett was finals MVP as the 27-year old played eight playoff games with six starts, getting 11 hits, 5 runs, 4 extra base hits, and 5 RBI. Other notes: Oklahoma City scored only 519 runs in 2004, which was the second-lowest in American Association history. Only New Orleans the prior year at 517 had done worse. Portland’s Khalil Cobbs struck out 20 in a game against Cincinnati, becoming the eighth in MLB history with a 20K game. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)