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Melbourne made more history in 2012, becoming the only team in any pro league ever to win ten consecutive subleague pennants. The Mets remained atop the Australasia League and posted a seventh straight 100+ win season. Yet again, the Mets also led the AL in both runs scored (814) and fewest allowed (610).

At 102-60, Melbourne was five games ahead of Canberra and 11 better than Brisbane. The 97-65 mark was a new franchise best for the 2006 expansion Centurions. They used impressive power to get there with 263 home runs, a new AL team record. As of 2037, that remains the Australasia League’s top mark.

Canberra’s Merlin Megson won his third Australasia League MVP in four years. The 26-year old English lefty led in runs (122), hits (210), RBI (137), total bases (451), triple slash (.363/.400/.779), OPS (1.179), wRC+ (217), and WAR (9.7). He broke the OBA single-season records for slugging, OPS, and total bases. Megson’s 57 home runs were second to teammate Aidan Gang’s 61. The Centurions had already locked up Megson long-term, but wouldn’t pull it off with Gang, who left for MLB in 2015.

Perth struggled to seventh place at 76-86, but they had the Pitcher of the Year in Raj Marple. He missed most of his second season to shoulder inflammation, but bounced back in 2012 with an ERA title (2.59) and WARlord status (10.0). Marple added 357 strikeouts over 291.2 innings with a 19-12 record and 151 ERA+. The Penguins gave the 25-year old Australian lefty a six-year, $25,840,000 extension in July.



Following a second place in 2011, Guadalcanal earned their second Pacific League title in three years. The Green Jackets were 103-59 and set PL records for home runs (279) and doubles (262). The homers mark was the OBA record as well and wouldn’t be passed until 2034. The doubles mark held as the PL best until 2026.

With 826 runs, Guadalcanal scored 107 more than the next best PL team. Honolulu was second in the standings at 96-66, while defending Oceania Champion Tahiti was third at 93-69. The Tropics have been so strong that 93 wins was actually their lowest output in a decade. They had won 98 or more each year since 2003.

Pacific League MVP was Guadalcanal CF Aston Abavu. The 25-year old Solomon Islander led in hits (193), doubles (36), triples (31), total bases (402), slugging (.690), OPS (1.065), wRC+ (209), and WAR (9.4). Abavu also had 37 home runs, 112 RBI, and a .331 average. It was his sixth straight year leading the PL in triples. The Green Jackets would lock him up in June 2014 to an eight-year, $106,900,000 extension.

Fiji’s Akira Brady won a third straight Pitcher of the Year, leading in strikeouts (464), quality starts (29), and WAR (13.7). The 25-year old New Zealander had a 2.42 ERA over 316.1 innings, 19-12 record, and 147 ERA+. The Freedom gave their ace a seven-year, $52,500,000 extension in July.



In the 53^rd Oceania Championship, Guadalcanal seemed primed for a sweep by taking the first three games. Melbourne rallied back to win games four, five, and six. The Green Jackets avoided the collapse, taking game seven for their fourth title. It had been 44 years since Guadalcanal had last won it all, as their three prior titles were 1968, 1966, and 1961. The 1968 win had come against the Mets as well.

League MVP Aston Abavu was finals MVP going 16-31 with 5 runs, 4 doubles, 1 triple, 3 home runs, and 10 RBI. His 16 hits set an OBA postseason record which still holds as of 2037. The 10 RBI fell one short of Ian Griff’s 11 from 2002.



2012 also marked the end of the historic Melbourne dynasty, as they wouldn’t win the Australasia League title again in the following 24 years. It still stands as the only time in any pro league that a team played in 10 consecutive championships. The Mets went 6-4 in that stretch with wins in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, and 2010.

There is an interesting argument as to if Melbourne or Honolulu had OBA’s all-time greatest dynasty. The Honu had eight finals berths from 1981-90, but had the Mets beat by winning seven titles in that stretch. If you extended it out to 1996, Honolulu had 11 finals appearances and went 8-3. Either way, Melbourne’s run was an all-timer.

Other notes: Timothy Manglona became OBA’s all-time strikeout king, passing Tarzan Rao’s top mark of 5650. Manglona had suffered a torn UCL in late 2010 and battled back to reach the mark, although his 2012 ended with another UCL tear. Manglona would only pitch 9.1 innings in 2013 and add 4 strikeouts and 1 win to his tally.

At 5771, he remained the strikeout king until passed in the 2020s by Akira Brady. Manglona also fell just short of being the third to 300 wins, retiring with 299. As of 2037, Manglona does sit as OBA’s all-time leader in BB/9 among any pitcher with 1000+ innings with 0.88. His 599 starts are also the most and his 147.3 WAR ranks third. He fell short of Rao’s 154.9 WAR and both would later be passed by Brady.

Junia Lava, Elliot McFall, and Arjita Gabeja each reached 600 home runs in 2012, making a seven-player club. Lava and McFall both also reached 1500 RBI; a six-player group. Those two also both reached 2500 hits, a mark now met by nine players total. Gabeja won his ninth Silver Slugger (his seventh in LF).

Ryder Murray and Mikey Alao both won their 200^th game, making 17 pitchers to do so. For back-to-back seasons, OBA didn’t have a single no-hitter. CF Ashton Hughes won his tenth straight Gold Glove. His AL CF counterpart Tory Clayton won his ninth.