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KCRoyals15 · 12-20-2024, 12:59 AM

1962

Without much of a preamble, season number 63 of United States Baseball Federation play got underway and a common theme was the number of very strong teams across leagues, with all four Eastern Baseball Federation leagues seeing a 100-win club.

The Northern Conference had New York and Milwaukee each winning exactly 100 contests to earn their respective league pennants. Manhattan finished a somewhat distant second to earn the second New England League playoff spot without much drama. Likewise, Cleveland finished two games behind the Black Hawks to earn the second Midwest Association bid.

Milwaukee took care of business in the first round, dispatching Manhattan in six games. Meanwhile, New York also needed six games, but took down Cleveland, matching up the North's two strongest teams in the Conference Championship. Indeed, the series went the distance, but New York emerged victorious.

Down in the Southern Conference, the Western League saw St. Louis win 100 games, easily outpacing second-place New Orleans, who took the second playoff spot. The Eastern League boasted four clubs with at least 94 wins, led by 104-58 Atlanta, with Washington finishing second, three games ahead of both Brooklyn and Jacksonville.

The South playoffs churned out three exceptional series as St. Louis defeated Washington in seven games, while Atlanta fended off their pesky long-time rival New Orleans in another seven-game tilt. Fittingly, the Conference Championship also went seven games, with the Browns downing the Crackers in a mild upset.

The Pacific Coast League was not nearly as interesting, at least in the regular season. San Diego cruised to the PCL pennant, with Hollywood, Oakland, and Portland filling out the playoff field. The Beavers went 105-95, good for the club's first playoff spot in six years, but their first winning record since moving to Portland in 1947 and the best season by a Portland PCL club since 1925.

In the postseason, things got interesting quickly, as Portland stunned top-seeded San Diego in a four-game sweep in the semifinals. Oakland, meanwhile, pulled a mild upset in a six-game series win over Hollywood. The Beavers then chopped down the Oaks in six games to win the first Pacific Coast League title for the Rose City since the very first PCL crown in 1900.

In Texas, El Paso once more cruised to a North Division title, their sixth in a row, while Fort Worth edged Oklahoma City by one game and Dallas by three for the final North playoff spot. In the South, Houston and Wichita took the top two spots, knocking Galveston off the top of the division after a three-year run.

In the first round, Wichita upset El Paso in six games, while Houston brushed aside Fort Worth in five games. The Buffs and Aeros then wrangled for seven games, with Houston coming away with their second straight Texas League title.

That set the stage for the National Championship tournament, which began with the St. Louis Browns (SOU) defeating the New York Gothams (NOR), while Portland's magical run came to an end as the Houston Buffaloes (TL) defeat the Portland Beavers (PCL). For just the second time ever (also San Francisco vs. Kansas City in 1932-33), the National Championship would be a rematch from the year prior. This time. Unlike the Blues in '33, Houston successfully avenged the previous year's defeat, as the Houston Buffaloes (TL) defeat the St. Louis Browns (SOU), 4-3 to earn their first National Championship and the first national title in eight tries for the Texas League.

Manhattan outfielder Cory Gilmore put up a very similar season to his MVP-winning season from 1960, and not surprising he took MVP honors once more. He led the Northern Conference with 218 hits, 121 runs, and 41 doubles, while slashing .339/.384/.593 with 37 homers, 130 RBI, and 16 steals.

Across town, 27-year-old rookie lefty-hander Tony Vasquez was instrumental in New York's march to a pennant, going 20-5 with a 2.41, leading the North in both categories while striking out 195 batters in 254.0 innings to earn Pitcher of the Year honors.

In the Southern Conference, Washington second baseman Alex Gonzalez won Rookie of the Year in 1956 and remained consistent for the better part of a decade afterwards. In this season, the 33-year-old slashed .322/.427/.543, collecting 177 hits, 100 runs, 33 doubles, 24 homers, and 107 RBI, setting several career highs as he earned the South MVP.

His teammate Jose Estrada had an up-and-down first two big-league seasons, but the 25-year-old figured it all out in his third season, going 22-6 with a conference-best 2.75 ERA over 252.0 innings to earn Pitcher of the Year.

Out west, the Pacific Coast League MVP went to Los Angeles third baseman Marcus Hale for the second year in a row and the third time in five years. The man nicknamed "Dinnerplate" cleaned up all, blasting 60 homers, second-most in USBF history, and became the first player in big-league history with three 50-homer seasons. He also drove in 147 runs, led the PCL with 140 runs, stroked 230 hits, 30 doubles, 9 triples, and slashed .313/.388/.624.

After winning Pitcher of the Year in his debut campaign, San Diego's Dusty Richardson one-upped it by going 30-6 with a 1.78 ERA, leading the PCL in wins, ERA, starts (43), innings (343.2), complete games (20), and shutouts (7). Like the MVP voting, this was an easy repeat for the righty.

Los Angeles rookie right-hander Steve Mintz went 11-18 with a 5.04 ERA, but on May 8 he spun a perfect game against Sacramento, striking out four and throwing 100 pitches in his masterpiece. Mintz wound up making two All-Star games later in the decade after being traded to New York, but would be remembered more for his historic evening against the Solons.

Meanwhile, one man who was no stranger to superstardom accomplished a feat never done before. Seattle slugger Griffin Searle posted the worst season of his career, but the 35-year-old became the first player in USBF history to reach 500 career homers with his blast on July 29.

Unlike the PCL, the Texas League lacked standout offensive performances, and Steve Oake of Wichita wound up at the top of the pack. The 29-year-old enjoyed a career year while many weren't, slashing .326/.386/.519 with 183 hits, 95 runs, 23 doubles, 23 homers, and 94 RBI to earn the MVP award.

Houston southpaw Jeff Esposito led the TL in wins and strikeouts as a rookie the previous year, then added the ERA title as a sophomore, going 18-8 with a 2.40 ERA, and 208 strikeouts to win the Texas League pitching Triple Crown, while adding a league-high 269.2 innings. The imposing 6-6 fireballer was a genuinely ace and an All-Star six years in a row, but his career suddenly ended in August, 1967 due to an elbow injury. His final pitch came at just 31 years old.

For the first time since 1931 and just the third time ever, the EBF elected three men to the Hall of Fame in one class:

3B Chris Tonks (1933-50), 87.7%
OF Aaron Dawson (1932-48), 77.1%
RF Jeff Healy (1936-52), 75.0%

---

While the EBF featured four 100-win teams, the American Baseball League featured three of them, including a league-record 109 wins from Spokane, who outlasted 100-win Salt Lake City in the West, while Miami won 106 games in the East, and Tampa settled for second with 98 victories. Spokane then took down Tampa in six, and Miami defeated Salt Lake City in a seven-game thriller. In a matchup of two powerhouses, the Gators swept the Indians to take their second ABL title.

For the second year in a row, the MVP and Pitcher of the Year awards were both swept a pitcher. This time, it was Miami righty Terry Schroeder, who went 25-8 with a 1.67 ERA, leading the ABL in both marks, while striking out 379 batters over 280.0 innings. Incredibly, he did not lead the league in punchouts, as Salt Lake City's Gustavo Elias struck out a league-record 388.

---

Minor League Champions
Southeastern League: Chattanooga Lookouts, 94-60, defeats Jackson
Colonial League: Binghamton Smokers, 85-55, defeats Pittsfield
River Valley League: St. Joseph Snakes, 80-60, defeats Evansville
Rocky Mountain League: Butte Copper Kings, 77-49, defeats Pueblo
Coastal League: Augusta Rebels, 101-53, defeats Richmond (3rd straight)
Northern League: Fargo-Moorhead Indians, 91-49, defeats Davenport (2nd straight)
Great Lakes League: Allentown Brewers, 90-50, defeats Youngstown
Southwest League: Long Beach Earthquakes, 88-66, defeats Bakersfield (2nd straight)
Southern Association: Springfield Ozarks, 82-58, defeats Beaumont
Northwest League: Stockton Condors, 82-58, defeats Reno
Can-Am League: Quebec Carnavals, 68-59, defeats Waterbury
Mid-Atlantic League: Raleigh-Durham Tar Heels, 75-65, defeats Roanoke (2nd straight)
Lone Star League: Amarillo Gold Sox, 75-65, defeats Midland-Odessa
Great Plains League: Salina Blue Jays, 75-65, defeats Thunder Bay
Florida Coast League: Columbus Catfish, 80-60, defeats St. Petersburg

12-20-2024, 12:59 AM	#72
KCRoyals15 Minors (Double A) Join Date: Oct 2020 Location: A lot of them Posts: 123	Houston Solution 1962 Without much of a preamble, season number 63 of United States Baseball Federation play got underway and a common theme was the number of very strong teams across leagues, with all four Eastern Baseball Federation leagues seeing a 100-win club. The Northern Conference had New York and Milwaukee each winning exactly 100 contests to earn their respective league pennants. Manhattan finished a somewhat distant second to earn the second New England League playoff spot without much drama. Likewise, Cleveland finished two games behind the Black Hawks to earn the second Midwest Association bid. Milwaukee took care of business in the first round, dispatching Manhattan in six games. Meanwhile, New York also needed six games, but took down Cleveland, matching up the North's two strongest teams in the Conference Championship. Indeed, the series went the distance, but New York emerged victorious. Down in the Southern Conference, the Western League saw St. Louis win 100 games, easily outpacing second-place New Orleans, who took the second playoff spot. The Eastern League boasted four clubs with at least 94 wins, led by 104-58 Atlanta, with Washington finishing second, three games ahead of both Brooklyn and Jacksonville. The South playoffs churned out three exceptional series as St. Louis defeated Washington in seven games, while Atlanta fended off their pesky long-time rival New Orleans in another seven-game tilt. Fittingly, the Conference Championship also went seven games, with the Browns downing the Crackers in a mild upset. The Pacific Coast League was not nearly as interesting, at least in the regular season. San Diego cruised to the PCL pennant, with Hollywood, Oakland, and Portland filling out the playoff field. The Beavers went 105-95, good for the club's first playoff spot in six years, but their first winning record since moving to Portland in 1947 and the best season by a Portland PCL club since 1925. In the postseason, things got interesting quickly, as Portland stunned top-seeded San Diego in a four-game sweep in the semifinals. Oakland, meanwhile, pulled a mild upset in a six-game series win over Hollywood. The Beavers then chopped down the Oaks in six games to win the first Pacific Coast League title for the Rose City since the very first PCL crown in 1900. In Texas, El Paso once more cruised to a North Division title, their sixth in a row, while Fort Worth edged Oklahoma City by one game and Dallas by three for the final North playoff spot. In the South, Houston and Wichita took the top two spots, knocking Galveston off the top of the division after a three-year run. In the first round, Wichita upset El Paso in six games, while Houston brushed aside Fort Worth in five games. The Buffs and Aeros then wrangled for seven games, with Houston coming away with their second straight Texas League title. That set the stage for the National Championship tournament, which began with the St. Louis Browns (SOU) defeating the New York Gothams (NOR), while Portland's magical run came to an end as the Houston Buffaloes (TL) defeat the Portland Beavers (PCL). For just the second time ever (also San Francisco vs. Kansas City in 1932-33), the National Championship would be a rematch from the year prior. This time. Unlike the Blues in '33, Houston successfully avenged the previous year's defeat, as the *Houston Buffaloes (TL) defeat the St. Louis Browns (SOU), 4-3* to earn their first National Championship and the first national title in eight tries for the Texas League. Manhattan outfielder Cory Gilmore put up a very similar season to his MVP-winning season from 1960, and not surprising he took MVP honors once more. He led the Northern Conference with 218 hits, 121 runs, and 41 doubles, while slashing .339/.384/.593 with 37 homers, 130 RBI, and 16 steals. Across town, 27-year-old rookie lefty-hander Tony Vasquez was instrumental in New York's march to a pennant, going 20-5 with a 2.41, leading the North in both categories while striking out 195 batters in 254.0 innings to earn Pitcher of the Year honors. In the Southern Conference, Washington second baseman Alex Gonzalez won Rookie of the Year in 1956 and remained consistent for the better part of a decade afterwards. In this season, the 33-year-old slashed .322/.427/.543, collecting 177 hits, 100 runs, 33 doubles, 24 homers, and 107 RBI, setting several career highs as he earned the South MVP. His teammate Jose Estrada had an up-and-down first two big-league seasons, but the 25-year-old figured it all out in his third season, going 22-6 with a conference-best 2.75 ERA over 252.0 innings to earn Pitcher of the Year. Out west, the Pacific Coast League MVP went to Los Angeles third baseman Marcus Hale for the second year in a row and the third time in five years. The man nicknamed "Dinnerplate" cleaned up all, blasting 60 homers, second-most in USBF history, and became the first player in big-league history with three 50-homer seasons. He also drove in 147 runs, led the PCL with 140 runs, stroked 230 hits, 30 doubles, 9 triples, and slashed .313/.388/.624. After winning Pitcher of the Year in his debut campaign, San Diego's Dusty Richardson one-upped it by going 30-6 with a 1.78 ERA, leading the PCL in wins, ERA, starts (43), innings (343.2), complete games (20), and shutouts (7). Like the MVP voting, this was an easy repeat for the righty. Los Angeles rookie right-hander Steve Mintz went 11-18 with a 5.04 ERA, but on May 8 he spun a perfect game against Sacramento, striking out four and throwing 100 pitches in his masterpiece. Mintz wound up making two All-Star games later in the decade after being traded to New York, but would be remembered more for his historic evening against the Solons. Meanwhile, one man who was no stranger to superstardom accomplished a feat never done before. Seattle slugger Griffin Searle posted the worst season of his career, but the 35-year-old became the first player in USBF history to reach 500 career homers with his blast on July 29. Unlike the PCL, the Texas League lacked standout offensive performances, and Steve Oake of Wichita wound up at the top of the pack. The 29-year-old enjoyed a career year while many weren't, slashing .326/.386/.519 with 183 hits, 95 runs, 23 doubles, 23 homers, and 94 RBI to earn the MVP award. Houston southpaw Jeff Esposito led the TL in wins and strikeouts as a rookie the previous year, then added the ERA title as a sophomore, going 18-8 with a 2.40 ERA, and 208 strikeouts to win the Texas League pitching Triple Crown, while adding a league-high 269.2 innings. The imposing 6-6 fireballer was a genuinely ace and an All-Star six years in a row, but his career suddenly ended in August, 1967 due to an elbow injury. His final pitch came at just 31 years old. For the first time since 1931 and just the third time ever, the EBF elected three men to the Hall of Fame in one class: 3B Chris Tonks (1933-50), 87.7% OF Aaron Dawson (1932-48), 77.1% RF Jeff Healy (1936-52), 75.0% --- While the EBF featured four 100-win teams, the American Baseball League featured three of them, including a league-record 109 wins from Spokane, who outlasted 100-win Salt Lake City in the West, while Miami won 106 games in the East, and Tampa settled for second with 98 victories. Spokane then took down Tampa in six, and Miami defeated Salt Lake City in a seven-game thriller. In a matchup of two powerhouses, the Gators swept the Indians to take their second ABL title. For the second year in a row, the MVP and Pitcher of the Year awards were both swept a pitcher. This time, it was Miami righty Terry Schroeder, who went 25-8 with a 1.67 ERA, leading the ABL in both marks, while striking out 379 batters over 280.0 innings. Incredibly, he did not lead the league in punchouts, as Salt Lake City's Gustavo Elias struck out a league-record 388. --- Minor League Champions Southeastern League: Chattanooga Lookouts, 94-60, defeats Jackson Colonial League: Binghamton Smokers, 85-55, defeats Pittsfield River Valley League: St. Joseph Snakes, 80-60, defeats Evansville Rocky Mountain League: Butte Copper Kings, 77-49, defeats Pueblo Coastal League: Augusta Rebels, 101-53, defeats Richmond (3rd straight) Northern League: Fargo-Moorhead Indians, 91-49, defeats Davenport (2nd straight) Great Lakes League: Allentown Brewers, 90-50, defeats Youngstown Southwest League: Long Beach Earthquakes, 88-66, defeats Bakersfield (2nd straight) Southern Association: Springfield Ozarks, 82-58, defeats Beaumont Northwest League: Stockton Condors, 82-58, defeats Reno Can-Am League: Quebec Carnavals, 68-59, defeats Waterbury Mid-Atlantic League: Raleigh-Durham Tar Heels, 75-65, defeats Roanoke (2nd straight) Lone Star League: Amarillo Gold Sox, 75-65, defeats Midland-Odessa Great Plains League: Salina Blue Jays, 75-65, defeats Thunder Bay Florida Coast League: Columbus Catfish, 80-60, defeats St. Petersburg Last edited by KCRoyals15; 12-20-2024 at 01:11 PM.