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KCRoyals15 · 12-20-2024, 01:10 PM

1963

After two Texas League titles and a National Championship in just two years in Houston, the Buffaloes were back on solid ground and ground for a new domed stadium was broken, set to open in 1965.

With his work done, Skipper Jr. headed north up I-45 to take over another Texas League squad, the Dallas Lone Stars, who like Houston before Junior's arrival, had been an underachieving big-market club, having not made the postseason in 11 years...

Entering the season, some rumblings began that the United States Baseball Federation would entertain adding a few American Baseball League franchises. In the meantime, as many major metropolitan areas were suffering downturns amidst demographic changes, putting stresses on several franchises.

Meanwhile in the Northern Conference, Manhattan finished four games ahead of the Philadelphia Quakers in the New England League, with those teams earning the two NEL playoff spots. Meanwhile, Toronto coasted to the Midwest Association title , with Milwaukee outlasting the two Chicago teams (two and three games back, respectively) to reach the postseason.

Toronto started off their postseason trek with a five-game triumph over Milwaukee, while Manhattan needed all seven games to defeat Philadelphia. The Yankees then disposed of the Leafs in six games to win the North.

In the Southern Conference, the one former American Baseball League franchise in the league, the Brooklyn Dodgers, were back in the playoffs for the third time in four years, finishing second behind 101-win Jacksonville in the Eastern League.

In the Western League, the Memphis Chicks startled the baseball world by going from last place to second, posting their first winning season in 11 years and earning the franchise's first playoff berth in their 64-year history, going back to their previous stint in Richmond. However, they finished a whopping 29 games back of St. Louis, who set an Eastern Baseball Federation record by winning 115 games.

Memphis' playoff stay was about as short as could be, as St. Louis swept the Chicks, while Brooklyn upset Jacksonville in a seven-game struggle. The Dodgers had another, much bigger upset in them, as they stunned the Browns in a six-game series to win the Southern Conference.

In the Pacific Coast League, San Diego and Seattle finished tied atop the PCL, with Seattle winning a one-game playoff for the top seed. Defending champion Portland finished third (the highest finish for a Portland team since 1925), while San Francisco slipped into the final playoff spot, one game ahead of both Los Angeles and Oakland. Of note, Hollywood crashed into last place, suffering their first losing season, and failing to make the playoffs for the first since 1943, snapping a 19-year streak.

The semifinals saw a big upset, as the .500 San Francisco Seals dealt a five-game defeat to Seattle, while San Diego slipped past Portland in seven games. The Padres then set down the Seals in five games to earn their first PCL title in six seasons.

In the Texas League, Skipper Jr.'s magic worked wonders right away, as Dallas won a franchise-record 97 games to win the North and make their first playoff appearance as a big-league team. El Paso finished second to make the playoffs for the ninth-straight season. In the South, Houston comfortably took the division, while Galveston and San Antonio tied for second, with the Hurricanes winning a one-game playoff for the final bid.

Galveston then pulled off an upset of Houston, winning the Division Series in five games. Meanwhile, Dallas fended off El Paso in a seven-game series, then did the same to the Hurricanes in winning the Texas League title in a seven-game tilt, their first TL title since 1945.

In the national tournament, Brooklyn was all out of upsets. They fell to their crosstown rivals as the Manhattan Yankees (NOR) defeat the Brooklyn Dodgers (SOU), while on the other side, the San Diego Padres (PCL) defeat the Dallas Lone Stars (TL). In the finals, the San Diego Padres (PCL) defeat the Manhattan Yankees (NOR), 4-1, as the Padres took home their first National Championship.

Seven years after winning his first MVP award, 37-year-old Aaron Vergara[/URL] was once more named best in the Northern Conference, slashing .328/.347/.547 with 189 hits, 93 runs, 33 doubles, 25 homers, and 110 RBI to take home MVP.

On the hill, Toronto right-hander Randy Hamilton had steadily improved over his first five big-league seasons, culminating in an 18-11 season with a 2.56 ERA over 274.0 innings, striking out 201 batters to win Pitcher of the Year. Hamilton was an odd case, in a pitcher who was very dependable for a decade, then fell off without warning and retired at 32 years old despite no injury history.

For third time in five years, Jacksonville's Steve Bishop took home MVP hardware. In a career full of huge seasons, this may have been his finest. At 28 years old, Bishop slashing .330/.407/.651 (all career bests) with 201 hits, a conference-high 143 runs, 27 doubles, 11 triples, and leading the South with 49 home runs and 148 RBI, while adding 48 steals as he posted the second 40-40 season and narrowly missed the first 50-50 season in USBF history.

Another familiar face in Allen Staub took home Pitcher of the Year hardware for the fifth and final time. The St. Louis ace went 18-7 with a 2.61 ERA over 241.0 innings, spinning 15 complete games and a conference-high seven shutouts.

The Pacific Coast League also saw another multi-time winner as Los Angeles' Marcus Hale won his fourth and final MVP award. In a year that included a cycle and his 300th career homer, the 30-year-old slashed .307/.378/.566 with 225 hits and led the PCL with 128 runs, 47 homers, and 147 RBI, while adding 25 doubles, 12 triples, and 23 steals. Amazingly, in all four of Hale's MVP campaigns, the Angels failed to make the playoffs (almost like there's a real life parallel to this...).

San Diego's Dusty Richardson faced an impossible standard to match after a season for the ages the year prior, but still had a strong season, gong 22-9 with a 2.56 ERA, leading the PCL in wins and starts (44) while logging 326.2 innings, 239 strikeouts, 11 complete games, and a league-high four shutouts. All told, he took home his third straight Pitcher of the Year at just 25 years old.

A couple of PCL mainstays reached a pair of big milestones. First, Hollywood outfielder David Bruer crushed his 400th home run on September 17. Nine days later, his 43-year-old teammate Kirby Minthorn stroked his 3,000th hit, becoming the sixth PCL player (third entirely in the big-league era) to reach that benchmark.

The Texas League was the only major league with a first-time MVP winner, courtesy of a shrewd evaluation. Shortly after taking the Dallas job, Skipper Jr. traded a back-up first baseman and a minor league pitcher to Newark for first baseman Chris Johnson, who never had more than 300 at-bats in a season. Finally an everyday player at 30 years old in his ninth big-league season, Johnson slashed .312/.371/.552 with 197 hits, 89 runs, 27 doubles, and a Texas League-leading 40 homers and 128 RBI. He never remotely approached those numbers again, but took home an MVP award for his surprising year.

Baseball was barely known in Australia, but in 1959, Oklahoma City signed a 19-year-old native of Melbourne. Two years later, Roy Hendricks was in the majors, and in 1963, the 23-year-old righty went 18-12 with a 2.76 ERA, led the TL in wins, starts (36), innings (287.0), complete games (15), and shutouts (5), and struck out 214 batters to earn Pitcher of the Year honors. It would not be his last by a long shot.

The Eastern Baseball Federation elected one to the Hall of Fame, a player who is the only 200+ home-run hitter in big-league history with more longballs (231) than strikeouts (200):

2B Etan Ben-Gilad (1933-51), 77.5%

---

The tenth season of American Baseball League saw a drastic split: 7 of the 12 teams won at least 90 games, while he other five lost at least 90, including four 100-game losers and Vancouver bottoming out at a ghastly 38-124 record, still the worst in ABL history.

Miami won 111 games, ten games ahead of 101-win New Haven in the East, while the West saw Austin and Salt Lake City tie for the lead with 98 wins in a division with four 90-win teams. The Bees defeated the Weavers in five games, while the Gators took down the Wranglers in seven. The American Cup series saw Salt Lake City take down Miami in a seven-game thrilled for their first title in any league.

After the deciding game, Salt Lake skipper Bobby Ricketts told reporters, "we beat a Major League-quality team today. I think that tells you what I think about our team too."

Awards-wise, Miami ace Jacob Garrett was the ABL's top hurler in the loop's inaugural season in 1954 and the 32-year-old still was nearly a decade later, winning his fourth Pitcher of the Year award by going 26-6 with a 1.62 ERA and striking out 363 batters over 305.0 innings, winning the ABL Triple Crown and adding 26 complete games and nine shutouts. In addition to POTY hardware, Garrett was also named ABL MVP, the third straight pitcher to win both awards and second straight Gator. He also earned his 200th ABL win and 3000th ABL strikeout during the season.

---

Minor League Champions
Southeastern League: Chattanooga Lookouts, 95-59, defeats Montgomery (2nd straight)
Colonial League: Worcester Tornadoes, 87-53, defeats Syracuse
River Valley League: Evansville Bees, 80-60, defeats Toledo
Rocky Mountain League: Colorado Springs Sky Sox, 75-51, defeats Pueblo
Coastal League: Augusta Rebels, 97-57, defeats Macon (4th straight)
Northern League: Fargo-Moorhead Indians, 89-51, defeats South Bend (3rd straight)
Great Lakes League: Youngstown Steelers, 90-50, defeats Allentown
Southwest League: Bakersfield Conquistadors, 97-57, defeats Long Beach
Southern Association: Beaumont Exporters, 76-65, defeats Shreveport
Northwest League: Stockton Condors, 80-61, defeats Reno (2nd straight)
Can-Am League: London Braves, 65-61, defeats Waterbury
Mid-Atlantic League: Charleston (WV) Coal Sox, 82-58, defeats Trenton
Lone Star League: Amarillo Gold Sox, 88-52, defeats San Angelo (2nd straight)
Great Plains League: St. Paul Saints, 83-58, defeats Waterloo
Florida Coast League: Huntsville Stars, 85-55, defeats St. Petersburg

12-20-2024, 01:10 PM	#73
KCRoyals15 Minors (Double A) Join Date: Oct 2020 Location: A lot of them Posts: 123	Dods and Pads 1963 After two Texas League titles and a National Championship in just two years in Houston, the Buffaloes were back on solid ground and ground for a new domed stadium was broken, set to open in 1965. With his work done, Skipper Jr. headed north up I-45 to take over another Texas League squad, the Dallas Lone Stars, who like Houston before Junior's arrival, had been an underachieving big-market club, having not made the postseason in 11 years... Entering the season, some rumblings began that the United States Baseball Federation would entertain adding a few American Baseball League franchises. In the meantime, as many major metropolitan areas were suffering downturns amidst demographic changes, putting stresses on several franchises. Meanwhile in the Northern Conference, Manhattan finished four games ahead of the Philadelphia Quakers in the New England League, with those teams earning the two NEL playoff spots. Meanwhile, Toronto coasted to the Midwest Association title , with Milwaukee outlasting the two Chicago teams (two and three games back, respectively) to reach the postseason. Toronto started off their postseason trek with a five-game triumph over Milwaukee, while Manhattan needed all seven games to defeat Philadelphia. The Yankees then disposed of the Leafs in six games to win the North. In the Southern Conference, the one former American Baseball League franchise in the league, the Brooklyn Dodgers, were back in the playoffs for the third time in four years, finishing second behind 101-win Jacksonville in the Eastern League. In the Western League, the Memphis Chicks startled the baseball world by going from last place to second, posting their first winning season in 11 years and earning the franchise's first playoff berth in their 64-year history, going back to their previous stint in Richmond. However, they finished a whopping 29 games back of St. Louis, who set an Eastern Baseball Federation record by winning 115 games. Memphis' playoff stay was about as short as could be, as St. Louis swept the Chicks, while Brooklyn upset Jacksonville in a seven-game struggle. The Dodgers had another, much bigger upset in them, as they stunned the Browns in a six-game series to win the Southern Conference. In the Pacific Coast League, San Diego and Seattle finished tied atop the PCL, with Seattle winning a one-game playoff for the top seed. Defending champion Portland finished third (the highest finish for a Portland team since 1925), while San Francisco slipped into the final playoff spot, one game ahead of both Los Angeles and Oakland. Of note, Hollywood crashed into last place, suffering their first losing season, and failing to make the playoffs for the first since 1943, snapping a 19-year streak. The semifinals saw a big upset, as the .500 San Francisco Seals dealt a five-game defeat to Seattle, while San Diego slipped past Portland in seven games. The Padres then set down the Seals in five games to earn their first PCL title in six seasons. In the Texas League, Skipper Jr.'s magic worked wonders right away, as Dallas won a franchise-record 97 games to win the North and make their first playoff appearance as a big-league team. El Paso finished second to make the playoffs for the ninth-straight season. In the South, Houston comfortably took the division, while Galveston and San Antonio tied for second, with the Hurricanes winning a one-game playoff for the final bid. Galveston then pulled off an upset of Houston, winning the Division Series in five games. Meanwhile, Dallas fended off El Paso in a seven-game series, then did the same to the Hurricanes in winning the Texas League title in a seven-game tilt, their first TL title since 1945. In the national tournament, Brooklyn was all out of upsets. They fell to their crosstown rivals as the Manhattan Yankees (NOR) defeat the Brooklyn Dodgers (SOU), while on the other side, the San Diego Padres (PCL) defeat the Dallas Lone Stars (TL). In the finals, the *San Diego Padres (PCL) defeat the Manhattan Yankees (NOR), 4-1, as the Padres took home their first National Championship. Seven years after winning his first MVP award, 37-year-old Aaron Vergara[/URL]* was once more named best in the Northern Conference, slashing .328/.347/.547 with 189 hits, 93 runs, 33 doubles, 25 homers, and 110 RBI to take home MVP. On the hill, Toronto right-hander Randy Hamilton had steadily improved over his first five big-league seasons, culminating in an 18-11 season with a 2.56 ERA over 274.0 innings, striking out 201 batters to win Pitcher of the Year. Hamilton was an odd case, in a pitcher who was very dependable for a decade, then fell off without warning and retired at 32 years old despite no injury history. For third time in five years, Jacksonville's Steve Bishop took home MVP hardware. In a career full of huge seasons, this may have been his finest. At 28 years old, Bishop slashing .330/.407/.651 (all career bests) with 201 hits, a conference-high 143 runs, 27 doubles, 11 triples, and leading the South with 49 home runs and 148 RBI, while adding 48 steals as he posted the second 40-40 season and narrowly missed the first 50-50 season in USBF history. Another familiar face in Allen Staub took home Pitcher of the Year hardware for the fifth and final time. The St. Louis ace went 18-7 with a 2.61 ERA over 241.0 innings, spinning 15 complete games and a conference-high seven shutouts. The Pacific Coast League also saw another multi-time winner as Los Angeles' Marcus Hale won his fourth and final MVP award. In a year that included a cycle and his 300th career homer, the 30-year-old slashed .307/.378/.566 with 225 hits and led the PCL with 128 runs, 47 homers, and 147 RBI, while adding 25 doubles, 12 triples, and 23 steals. Amazingly, in all four of Hale's MVP campaigns, the Angels failed to make the playoffs (almost like there's a real life parallel to this...). San Diego's Dusty Richardson faced an impossible standard to match after a season for the ages the year prior, but still had a strong season, gong 22-9 with a 2.56 ERA, leading the PCL in wins and starts (44) while logging 326.2 innings, 239 strikeouts, 11 complete games, and a league-high four shutouts. All told, he took home his third straight Pitcher of the Year at just 25 years old. A couple of PCL mainstays reached a pair of big milestones. First, Hollywood outfielder David Bruer crushed his 400th home run on September 17. Nine days later, his 43-year-old teammate Kirby Minthorn stroked his 3,000th hit, becoming the sixth PCL player (third entirely in the big-league era) to reach that benchmark. The Texas League was the only major league with a first-time MVP winner, courtesy of a shrewd evaluation. Shortly after taking the Dallas job, Skipper Jr. traded a back-up first baseman and a minor league pitcher to Newark for first baseman Chris Johnson, who never had more than 300 at-bats in a season. Finally an everyday player at 30 years old in his ninth big-league season, Johnson slashed .312/.371/.552 with 197 hits, 89 runs, 27 doubles, and a Texas League-leading 40 homers and 128 RBI. He never remotely approached those numbers again, but took home an MVP award for his surprising year. Baseball was barely known in Australia, but in 1959, Oklahoma City signed a 19-year-old native of Melbourne. Two years later, Roy Hendricks was in the majors, and in 1963, the 23-year-old righty went 18-12 with a 2.76 ERA, led the TL in wins, starts (36), innings (287.0), complete games (15), and shutouts (5), and struck out 214 batters to earn Pitcher of the Year honors. It would not be his last by a long shot. The Eastern Baseball Federation elected one to the Hall of Fame, a player who is the only 200+ home-run hitter in big-league history with more longballs (231) than strikeouts (200): 2B Etan Ben-Gilad (1933-51), 77.5% --- The tenth season of American Baseball League saw a drastic split: 7 of the 12 teams won at least 90 games, while he other five lost at least 90, including four 100-game losers and Vancouver bottoming out at a ghastly 38-124 record, still the worst in ABL history. Miami won 111 games, ten games ahead of 101-win New Haven in the East, while the West saw Austin and Salt Lake City tie for the lead with 98 wins in a division with four 90-win teams. The Bees defeated the Weavers in five games, while the Gators took down the Wranglers in seven. The American Cup series saw Salt Lake City take down Miami in a seven-game thrilled for their first title in any league. After the deciding game, Salt Lake skipper Bobby Ricketts told reporters, "we beat a Major League-quality team today. I think that tells you what I think about our team too." Awards-wise, Miami ace Jacob Garrett was the ABL's top hurler in the loop's inaugural season in 1954 and the 32-year-old still was nearly a decade later, winning his fourth Pitcher of the Year award by going 26-6 with a 1.62 ERA and striking out 363 batters over 305.0 innings, winning the ABL Triple Crown and adding 26 complete games and nine shutouts. In addition to POTY hardware, Garrett was also named ABL MVP, the third straight pitcher to win both awards and second straight Gator. He also earned his 200th ABL win and 3000th ABL strikeout during the season. --- Minor League Champions Southeastern League: Chattanooga Lookouts, 95-59, defeats Montgomery (2nd straight) Colonial League: Worcester Tornadoes, 87-53, defeats Syracuse River Valley League: Evansville Bees, 80-60, defeats Toledo Rocky Mountain League: Colorado Springs Sky Sox, 75-51, defeats Pueblo Coastal League: Augusta Rebels, 97-57, defeats Macon (4th straight) Northern League: Fargo-Moorhead Indians, 89-51, defeats South Bend (3rd straight) Great Lakes League: Youngstown Steelers, 90-50, defeats Allentown Southwest League: Bakersfield Conquistadors, 97-57, defeats Long Beach Southern Association: Beaumont Exporters, 76-65, defeats Shreveport Northwest League: Stockton Condors, 80-61, defeats Reno (2nd straight) Can-Am League: London Braves, 65-61, defeats Waterbury Mid-Atlantic League: Charleston (WV) Coal Sox, 82-58, defeats Trenton Lone Star League: Amarillo Gold Sox, 88-52, defeats San Angelo (2nd straight) Great Plains League: St. Paul Saints, 83-58, defeats Waterloo Florida Coast League: Huntsville Stars, 85-55, defeats St. Petersburg Last edited by KCRoyals15; 12-21-2024 at 01:30 AM.