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KCRoyals15 · 01-01-2025, 01:02 PM

1976

In just two seasons in Baltimore, Trey Skipper had taken the Terrapins from the brink of insolvency to a conference champion breaking attendance records.

With the Mr. Fix It reputation held by his father firmly in place for him as well, Trey went off to clean up another mess. This time, he would be tasked with turning around a team with no winning seasons in 12 years at the major league level: the Tampa Tarpons.

In the summer of '76, the entire country was swept up in Bicentennial fever, and the entire Northern Conference was being swept up by the Milwaukee Black Hawks, who threatened their Eastern Baseball Federation record of 119 wins from three seasons ago, but settled for a still-impressive 115-47 to win the Midwest Association for the seventh time in eight seasons.

The other MWA playoff squad was Buffalo, who finished a very distant second, 31 games back. The New England League once more featured both Philadelphia teams. In a reverse of the previous season, the Quakers finished first, with the Athletics one game back. Manhattan pushed hard, but finished two games out of the postseason.

The home of Independence Hall, Philadelphia would not be the backdrop of a championship parade, as both Philly teams were bounced in the first round, both in excruciating fashion. The Quakers were upset by Buffalo in seven games, while the A's pushed Milwaukee to the brink, but also lost in seven games. The Black Hawks then took care of Buffalo in six games to win the conference.

The Southern Conference also featured a dominant squad, as the Baltimore Terrapins won a franchise-record 108 games to win the Eastern League pennant for the first time since 1954. Washington finished four games in front of Miami to take the second playoff spot. The Western League was won by Louisville for the first time in five seasons, as the Colonels held off Pittsburgh, who finished a game back to take second.

In the postseason, Washington started off with a mild upset over Louisville, winning a seven-game series. Baltimore then bested Pittsburgh in a six-game set. In a Battle of the Beltway, the Terrapins claimed their second-straight Conference Championship, sinking the Senators in seven games.

The Pacific Coast League saw the standings return to a much more normal state this season, led by Seattle dominating en route to a comfortable North Division win, the perfect way to christen their new home, the domed King County Stadium, better known as the Kingdome, to which they attracted a PCL-record 2,460,703 fans.

The second North Division playoff team was San Francisco, who easily snagged the second spot for their first playoff berth in four seasons. In the South, once again the division was dominated by Hawaii and San Jose, who in their fourth big-league seasons both made the playoffs for the fourth year in a row, tying for the division lead at 114-86.

In the first round, San Jose swept aside San Francisco, while Seattle and Hawaii waged a seven-game battle that went the way of the Rainiers. The Gulls and Rainiers then squared off, and San Jose took the seven-game battle, giving the Gulls their first PCL title.

That left the Texas League, where Oklahoma City won the North, three games ahead of Dallas, who outlasted Wichita for the second playoff spot. The South was taken by Austin, who exploded for 97 wins and their first playoff berth in nine seasons as a big-league club. San Antonio finished a comfortable second to reach the playoffs for the first time in five years.

In the first round, Dallas dealt Austin an upset in a six-game series. Oklahoma City then took down San Antonio in five games. In the Lone Star Series, the Indians turned out the lights on the Lone Stars, winning a five-game series for OKC's first title since 1955—the Texas League's first big-league season.

In the National Tournament, the Eastern Baseball Federation finalists were a pair of heavyweights, and the heavier one came out in front, as the Milwaukee Black Hawks (NOR) defeat the Baltimore Terrapins (SOU). The other side saw an upset as the Oklahoma City Indians (TL) defeat the San Jose Gulls (PCL). OKC was looking for the Texas League's first National Championship in a decade, but it was not to be, as the Milwaukee Black Hawks (NOR) defeat the Oklahoma City Indians (TL), 4-1, as Milwaukee did what their historic 1973 team couldn't do: win their third National Championship, all in the last eight seasons.

The two biggest awards in the Northern Conference were unsurprisingly swept by Milwaukee. For the record-breaking sixth year in a row, Black Hawks shortstop Mark Oxford took MVP honors, as the 29-year-old slashed .329/.375/.445 with 208 hits, 104 runs, 21 doubles, 13 triples, 9 homers, and 81 RBI, while swiping 62 bases and winning a Great Glove.

Lefty Trevor Bedford spent most of his career flying under the radar with Toronto, but was traded to Milwaukee at 33-years-old late in 1973. Now with a juggernaut, Bedford shined, winning a league-high 21 games in '75, then going 22-6 with a 2.08 ERA as a 36-year-old this season, leading the North in both categories, while striking out 154 in 259.2 innings. This turned out to be the final full season for Bedford, putting a perfect cap on an 18-year career that would soon end with a Hall of Fame plaque.

First baseman Bill Krolikowski spent the first three seasons of his career as an uninspiring backup for bad New Orleans teams. He then was dealt to Miami, where he immediately blossomed in his first year there, winning the Southern Conference batting title, slashing .352/.413/.590 with 218 hits, 98 runs, 46 doubles, 33 homers, and 115 RBI to win MVP. Usually trading away MVPs comes back to bite teams, but Krolikowski faded pretty quickly after that, while New Orleans ended up with outfielder Ryan Castillo, who would become a seven-time All-Star later on.

Speaking of bad trades, Washington ace Danny Cisneros had done nothing but made San Diego regret trading him in 1970, as he went 25-7 with a 2.31 ERA, leading the South in wins, ERA, starts (36), and innings (288.2), earning his second Pitcher of the Year award in a landslide. It would be his last POTY award, but Cisneros still had another decade of quality innings left for the Senators, retiring just three wins shy of 300 for his big-league career.

In his penultimate season, 41-year-old Jacksonville second baseman Steve Bishop was unquestionably out of gas, hitting just .243 with 7 homers in 58 games. These were the final homers of his career, though he crushed his 600th career round-tripper on April 5, becoming the third player in USBF history, and the first outside the PCL, to reach that benchmark.

In the PCL, San Francisco signed top amateur prospect Javon Beavers, and the 23-year-old went nuts in his first pro season, slashing .349/.450/.470, winning the batting title, racking up 236 hits, 122 runs, a league-leading 42 doubles, 17 triples, 2 homers, 79 RBI, and 54 steals, earning PCL Rookie of the Year and MVP honors.

Four years after his first Pitcher of the Year trophy, Seattle's Sam Puntenney took his second, going 24-8 with a 2.33 ERA in the first of three-straight seasons leading the PCL in wins. Puntenney also logged 304.2 innings and 17 complete games.

In his sophomore season, Austin first baseman Chris Rosenberg became the Texas League's second-straight Triple Crown winner, slashing .355/.468/.569 (leading the league in all three marks, with 27 homers and 112 RBI. He added 195 hits, 37 doubles, and a league-leading 116 runs to take home MVP honors.

Dallas righty Bryan Belk came over from Oakland before the 1973 season in a lopsided trade, which really bore fruit for the Lone Stars this season, when he went 21-10 with a 2.35 ERA, leading the TL in both marks. He added 140 strikeouts over 272.1 innings to win his first Pitcher of the Year.

Southpaw Carlos Pena had a long and great career for El Paso and Dallas and was still going strong at 34 years old. Amidst a league-leading 262 strikeouts (his tenth TL strikeout title), Pena picked up his 3,000th strikeout on July 29.

The Eastern Baseball Federation sent a three-time MVP winner to the Hall of Fame this year:

OF Larry Meyer (1952-63), 77.4%

The PCL, meanwhile, inducted a pair of very decorated multi-time MVP winners:

3B Marcus Hale (1955-72), 98.2%
OF Jarrett Messing, 97.5%

---

The American Baseball League shook things up this season, as after just one season in the league, Memphis gave up and dropped down to the Triple-A Southeastern League. In their place, the Richmond Giants were promoted from the Coastal League.

In the aftermath of this, I have NO clue what happened. Somehow, the ABL generated a schedule missing the Newark Eagles and by the time I noticed it, the season had already started. So somehow the Eagles did not play this season. I don't even know how to write that into the storyline. As a result, everyone else ended up with 147-150 games instead of 162. Very, very strange.

In the games that were played, Nashville reached the postseason or the first time with an East Division title, while Salt Lake City and Phoenix claimed division crowns. Spokane took the wild card. Phoenix took down Spokane in the first round, while Nashville defeated Salt Lake City, both series in six games. The Firebirds then vanquished the Vols in six to win their first American Baseball Cup.

It was an unimpressive offensive season in the ABL, and the MVP being Spokane's Ian Pryor reflected that. Pryor slashed /267/.411/.487 with a league-leading 96 runs, 27 homers, 81 RBI, and a league-high 115 walks. Pitcher of the Year Brad Bryson of Nashville went 14-8 with a 2.80 ERA over 231.2 innings.

Of note, the American Baseball League became the first league to adopt a designated hitter, doing so this season. It did not help right away.

---

Minor League Champions
Southeastern League: Chattanooga Lookouts, 94-60, defeat Greenville
Colonial League: Worcester Tornadoes, 85-55, defeat Binghamton
River Valley League: Toledo Mud Hens, 80-61, defeats St. Joseph (2nd straight)
Rocky Mountain League: Butte Copper Kings, 75-51, defeats Pueblo (2nd straight)
Coastal League: Savannah Cardinals, 92-62, defeats Winston-Salem
Northern League: Fargo-Moorhead Indians, 90-50, defeats Cedar Rapids (2nd straight)
Great Lakes League: Rochester Red Wings, 84-56, defeats Flint
Southwest League: Santa Barbara Foresters, 99-55, defeat Bakersfield
Southern Association: Biloxi Pilots, 85-55, defeats Shreveport (3rd straight)
Northwest League: Tacoma Mountaineers, 94-60, defeats Stockton
Can-Am League: Springfield Spinners, 70-56, defeats Quebec (2nd straight)
Mid-Atlantic League: Atlantic City Aces, 83-67, defeats Trenton
Lone Star League: San Angelo Colts, 81-59, defeats Lubbock
Great Plains League: Madison Black Wolves, 85-55, defeats St. Paul
Florida Coast League: St. Petersburg Saints, 82-58, defeats Columbus
Big Sky League: Calgary Cannons, 77-56, defeats Ogden

01-01-2025, 01:02 PM	#86
KCRoyals15 Minors (Double A) Join Date: Oct 2020 Location: A lot of them Posts: 123	Spirit of '76 1976 In just two seasons in Baltimore, Trey Skipper had taken the Terrapins from the brink of insolvency to a conference champion breaking attendance records. With the Mr. Fix It reputation held by his father firmly in place for him as well, Trey went off to clean up another mess. This time, he would be tasked with turning around a team with no winning seasons in 12 years at the major league level: the Tampa Tarpons. In the summer of '76, the entire country was swept up in Bicentennial fever, and the entire Northern Conference was being swept up by the Milwaukee Black Hawks, who threatened their Eastern Baseball Federation record of 119 wins from three seasons ago, but settled for a still-impressive 115-47 to win the Midwest Association for the seventh time in eight seasons. The other MWA playoff squad was Buffalo, who finished a very distant second, 31 games back. The New England League once more featured both Philadelphia teams. In a reverse of the previous season, the Quakers finished first, with the Athletics one game back. Manhattan pushed hard, but finished two games out of the postseason. The home of Independence Hall, Philadelphia would not be the backdrop of a championship parade, as both Philly teams were bounced in the first round, both in excruciating fashion. The Quakers were upset by Buffalo in seven games, while the A's pushed Milwaukee to the brink, but also lost in seven games. The Black Hawks then took care of Buffalo in six games to win the conference. The Southern Conference also featured a dominant squad, as the Baltimore Terrapins won a franchise-record 108 games to win the Eastern League pennant for the first time since 1954. Washington finished four games in front of Miami to take the second playoff spot. The Western League was won by Louisville for the first time in five seasons, as the Colonels held off Pittsburgh, who finished a game back to take second. In the postseason, Washington started off with a mild upset over Louisville, winning a seven-game series. Baltimore then bested Pittsburgh in a six-game set. In a Battle of the Beltway, the Terrapins claimed their second-straight Conference Championship, sinking the Senators in seven games. The Pacific Coast League saw the standings return to a much more normal state this season, led by Seattle dominating en route to a comfortable North Division win, the perfect way to christen their new home, the domed King County Stadium, better known as the Kingdome, to which they attracted a PCL-record 2,460,703 fans. The second North Division playoff team was San Francisco, who easily snagged the second spot for their first playoff berth in four seasons. In the South, once again the division was dominated by Hawaii and San Jose, who in their fourth big-league seasons both made the playoffs for the fourth year in a row, tying for the division lead at 114-86. In the first round, San Jose swept aside San Francisco, while Seattle and Hawaii waged a seven-game battle that went the way of the Rainiers. The Gulls and Rainiers then squared off, and San Jose took the seven-game battle, giving the Gulls their first PCL title. That left the Texas League, where Oklahoma City won the North, three games ahead of Dallas, who outlasted Wichita for the second playoff spot. The South was taken by Austin, who exploded for 97 wins and their first playoff berth in nine seasons as a big-league club. San Antonio finished a comfortable second to reach the playoffs for the first time in five years. In the first round, Dallas dealt Austin an upset in a six-game series. Oklahoma City then took down San Antonio in five games. In the Lone Star Series, the Indians turned out the lights on the Lone Stars, winning a five-game series for OKC's first title since 1955—the Texas League's first big-league season. In the National Tournament, the Eastern Baseball Federation finalists were a pair of heavyweights, and the heavier one came out in front, as the Milwaukee Black Hawks (NOR) defeat the Baltimore Terrapins (SOU). The other side saw an upset as the Oklahoma City Indians (TL) defeat the San Jose Gulls (PCL). OKC was looking for the Texas League's first National Championship in a decade, but it was not to be, as the *Milwaukee Black Hawks (NOR) defeat the Oklahoma City Indians (TL), 4-1, as Milwaukee did what their historic 1973 team couldn't do: win their third National Championship, all in the last eight seasons. The two biggest awards in the Northern Conference were unsurprisingly swept by Milwaukee. For the record-breaking sixth year in a row, Black Hawks shortstop Mark Oxford* took MVP honors, as the 29-year-old slashed .329/.375/.445 with 208 hits, 104 runs, 21 doubles, 13 triples, 9 homers, and 81 RBI, while swiping 62 bases and winning a Great Glove. Lefty Trevor Bedford spent most of his career flying under the radar with Toronto, but was traded to Milwaukee at 33-years-old late in 1973. Now with a juggernaut, Bedford shined, winning a league-high 21 games in '75, then going 22-6 with a 2.08 ERA as a 36-year-old this season, leading the North in both categories, while striking out 154 in 259.2 innings. This turned out to be the final full season for Bedford, putting a perfect cap on an 18-year career that would soon end with a Hall of Fame plaque. First baseman Bill Krolikowski spent the first three seasons of his career as an uninspiring backup for bad New Orleans teams. He then was dealt to Miami, where he immediately blossomed in his first year there, winning the Southern Conference batting title, slashing .352/.413/.590 with 218 hits, 98 runs, 46 doubles, 33 homers, and 115 RBI to win MVP. Usually trading away MVPs comes back to bite teams, but Krolikowski faded pretty quickly after that, while New Orleans ended up with outfielder Ryan Castillo, who would become a seven-time All-Star later on. Speaking of bad trades, Washington ace Danny Cisneros had done nothing but made San Diego regret trading him in 1970, as he went 25-7 with a 2.31 ERA, leading the South in wins, ERA, starts (36), and innings (288.2), earning his second Pitcher of the Year award in a landslide. It would be his last POTY award, but Cisneros still had another decade of quality innings left for the Senators, retiring just three wins shy of 300 for his big-league career. In his penultimate season, 41-year-old Jacksonville second baseman Steve Bishop was unquestionably out of gas, hitting just .243 with 7 homers in 58 games. These were the final homers of his career, though he crushed his 600th career round-tripper on April 5, becoming the third player in USBF history, and the first outside the PCL, to reach that benchmark. In the PCL, San Francisco signed top amateur prospect Javon Beavers, and the 23-year-old went nuts in his first pro season, slashing .349/.450/.470, winning the batting title, racking up 236 hits, 122 runs, a league-leading 42 doubles, 17 triples, 2 homers, 79 RBI, and 54 steals, earning PCL Rookie of the Year and MVP honors. Four years after his first Pitcher of the Year trophy, Seattle's Sam Puntenney took his second, going 24-8 with a 2.33 ERA in the first of three-straight seasons leading the PCL in wins. Puntenney also logged 304.2 innings and 17 complete games. In his sophomore season, Austin first baseman Chris Rosenberg became the Texas League's second-straight Triple Crown winner, slashing .355/.468/.569 (leading the league in all three marks, with 27 homers and 112 RBI. He added 195 hits, 37 doubles, and a league-leading 116 runs to take home MVP honors. Dallas righty Bryan Belk came over from Oakland before the 1973 season in a lopsided trade, which really bore fruit for the Lone Stars this season, when he went 21-10 with a 2.35 ERA, leading the TL in both marks. He added 140 strikeouts over 272.1 innings to win his first Pitcher of the Year. Southpaw Carlos Pena had a long and great career for El Paso and Dallas and was still going strong at 34 years old. Amidst a league-leading 262 strikeouts (his tenth TL strikeout title), Pena picked up his 3,000th strikeout on July 29. The Eastern Baseball Federation sent a three-time MVP winner to the Hall of Fame this year: OF Larry Meyer (1952-63), 77.4% The PCL, meanwhile, inducted a pair of very decorated multi-time MVP winners: 3B Marcus Hale (1955-72), 98.2% OF Jarrett Messing, 97.5% --- The American Baseball League shook things up this season, as after just one season in the league, Memphis gave up and dropped down to the Triple-A Southeastern League. In their place, the *Richmond Giants* were promoted from the Coastal League. In the aftermath of this, I have NO clue what happened. Somehow, the ABL generated a schedule missing the Newark Eagles and by the time I noticed it, the season had already started. So somehow the Eagles did not play this season. I don't even know how to write that into the storyline. As a result, everyone else ended up with 147-150 games instead of 162. Very, very strange. In the games that were played, Nashville reached the postseason or the first time with an East Division title, while Salt Lake City and Phoenix claimed division crowns. Spokane took the wild card. Phoenix took down Spokane in the first round, while Nashville defeated Salt Lake City, both series in six games. The Firebirds then vanquished the Vols in six to win their first American Baseball Cup. It was an unimpressive offensive season in the ABL, and the MVP being Spokane's Ian Pryor reflected that. Pryor slashed /267/.411/.487 with a league-leading 96 runs, 27 homers, 81 RBI, and a league-high 115 walks. Pitcher of the Year Brad Bryson of Nashville went 14-8 with a 2.80 ERA over 231.2 innings. Of note, the American Baseball League became the first league to adopt a designated hitter, doing so this season. It did not help right away. --- Minor League Champions Southeastern League: Chattanooga Lookouts, 94-60, defeat Greenville Colonial League: Worcester Tornadoes, 85-55, defeat Binghamton River Valley League: Toledo Mud Hens, 80-61, defeats St. Joseph (2nd straight) Rocky Mountain League: Butte Copper Kings, 75-51, defeats Pueblo (2nd straight) Coastal League: Savannah Cardinals, 92-62, defeats Winston-Salem Northern League: Fargo-Moorhead Indians, 90-50, defeats Cedar Rapids (2nd straight) Great Lakes League: Rochester Red Wings, 84-56, defeats Flint Southwest League: Santa Barbara Foresters, 99-55, defeat Bakersfield Southern Association: Biloxi Pilots, 85-55, defeats Shreveport (3rd straight) Northwest League: Tacoma Mountaineers, 94-60, defeats Stockton Can-Am League: Springfield Spinners, 70-56, defeats Quebec (2nd straight) Mid-Atlantic League: Atlantic City Aces, 83-67, defeats Trenton Lone Star League: San Angelo Colts, 81-59, defeats Lubbock Great Plains League: Madison Black Wolves, 85-55, defeats St. Paul Florida Coast League: St. Petersburg Saints, 82-58, defeats Columbus Big Sky League: Calgary Cannons, 77-56, defeats Ogden