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KCRoyals15 · 01-19-2025, 02:36 AM

1996

The 1996 season may best be known for a lot of very close playoff races throughout all the major leagues, plus many deep playoff series. Four playoff spots would be decided by one game, with a fifth decided by two games, as close races dominated most leagues.

In the Northern Conference, one league where things were pretty cut-and-dry was the New England League, where the Philadelphia A's were far and away the best team in the conference with 100 wins, while Albany finished a comfortable second t earn their first playoff spot in 13 years.

The Midwest Association was a different story. In one of the closest races in major league history, five teams finished within five games of first, with Buffalo scraping ahead of Milwaukee, who finished second, one game up on Detroit, who was back in the playoffs for the first time in seven years.

In the League Finals, Philadelphia and Albany went the distance, but the A's won a game seven at Veterans Stadium, while Buffalo squeezed past Milwaukee, also in a seven-game set. The Northern Championship also went the distance, and the Bisons upset the Athletics in a classic to win their first conference crown in a decade.

In the Southern Conference, Trey Skipper's second year in Atlanta saw him lead the Peaches to an Eastern League title, their first playoff spot in 19 years. Baltimore finished second, one game ahead of Norfolk. In the Western League, St. Louis dominated, winning 106 games, while Kansas City finished second, nine games back.

In the postseason, both leagues had first-round series go the distance, beginning with Atlanta winning a seven-game set over Baltimore. Kansas City, meanwhile, upset their I-70 rivals, downing St. Louis. The Blues then blew away Atlanta, ending the Peaches' run with a four-game sweep to win their first Conference Championship in 12 years.

In the Pacific Coast League, the Oakland Oaks unseated San Francisco by winning the North Division, with the Seals taking second to earn their seventh-straight playoff berth. Portland opened brand-new Nike Field, and christened by coming oh-so-close to snapping a 25-year playoff drought, but they finished one game back of San Francisco.

The South did have a surprise playoff participant, as the Los Angeles Angels stunned with their best season (119-81) since 1947 and their first-ever division title. San Diego did finish second, earning their 19th straight playoff spot, extending their own national record.

In the playoffs, the PCL was treated to three excellent playoff series. In the North, San Francisco slipped past Oakland, while San Diego defeated Los Angeles, both of them in seven games. With the traditional powers (but second-place teams) moving on, the Padres kept it rolling, winning their third-straight PCL title with a seven-game triumph over the Seals.

The Texas League was dominated by two teams in particular, with 99-win Tulsa running away with the North, and 101-win Austin winning the South with ease. However, Oklahoma City edged out Dallas by one game in the North to reach the playoffs for the first time in four years. San Antonio slipped two games past Houston for the second playoff spot in the South.

In the postseason, there were no surprises in the first round, as Tulsa knocked off their in-state rivals in OKC, and Austin downed local rival San Antonio, both in six-game series. Looking for a repeat, the Wranglers continued their winning ways, defeating the Oilers in six games for the TL title.

In the national tournament, the east side of the bracket had their surprise team continue their run, as the Buffalo Bisons (NOR) defeat the Kansas City Blues (SOU). Meanwhile, the defending champions moved on, as the Austin Wranglers (TL) defeat the San Diego Padres (PCL). Looking for a repeat, the Wranglers got it done, becoming the first repeat National Champion from the Texas League, as the Austin Wranglers (TL) defeat the Buffalo Bisons (NOR), 4-0, also giving the Wranglers their third National Championship, the first TL club to do so.

In the Northern Conference, second-year Albany outfielder Blake Koontz was a major sparkplug behind the Adirondacks' rise, slashing .314/.386/.620 with 192 hits, 116 runs, 30 doubles, 8 triples, 47 homers, 132 RBI, and 16 steals, winning MVP honors.

On the mound, Brooklyn right-hander Tristan Fedor had been a reliable but mostly unspectacular pitcher for a decade, though he went 16-13 with a conference-leading 2.85 ERA, struck out 189 batters in 249.2 innings to win Pitcher of the Year.

In St. Louis, one of the greatest base-stealers in generations made his debut and ran all over the Southern Conference. Rookie first baseman Kelly Wood slashed .340/.482/.499 with 195 hits and a stunning 171 runs, the second-most in a non-PCL league all-time. He added 54 doubles, 17 triples, 1 homer, and 61 RBI, while swiping 98 bases. Wood won the batting title, led the conference in on-base percentage, runs, doubles, triples, steals, and walks (160), winning Rookie of the Year and MVP handily.

Atlanta's rise was carried on the mound by 25-year-old James Jackman, already in his seventh big-league season. He went 19-6 with a 3.20 ERA, striking out 206 in 239.0 innings and leading the conference in wins and strikeouts, earning Pitcher of the Year.

In the Pacific Coast League, a stud rookie stood out there as well. San Diego's Steve Crim, slashed .354/.434/.637 with 244 hits, 145 runs, 42 doubles, 49 homers, and 151 RBI. Amazingly, none of that (besides slugging and OPS) led the league, but it was enough to earn him Rookie of the Year and MVP.

On the hill, Oakland's Chad Grauerholz was a reliable workhorse veteran who enjoyed his best season. The 31-year-old in his ninth season went 21-11 with a league-best 3.12 ERA, a PCL-high 312.0 innings and 198 strikeouts, earning Pitcher of the Year for the first time.

In yet another league, a hotshot rookie commanded attention, as the Texas League was dominated by Dallas' 22-year-old phenom Santos Medina. In his debut campaign, he slashed .293/.400/.637 with 165 hits, a league-leading 125 runs, 30 doubles, 6 triples, to go along with 51 homers and 140 RBI, the former tied for the TL record and the latter the second-highest in league history. Rookie of the Year and MVP were both his.

Austin acquired lefty Mike Dixon midway through 1994 and he immediately became a force. In 1996, he wen 16-9 with a TL-best 2.68 ERA, working a league-most 275.0 innings, striking out 183 and spinning six complete games, earning Pitcher of the Year.

In the Hall of Fame voting, the Eastern Baseball Federation elected a smooth-swinging 13-time All-Star catcher and a nine-time Great Glove-winning second baseman

C Dave Giller (1975-90), 86.0%
2B Tony Cortez (1973-90), 75.6%

The Pacific Coast League inducted the greatest slugging catcher in major league history, a five-time Pitcher of the Year, and a smooth-fielding shortstop with over 3,000 hits:

C Angelo Caramillo (1976-92), 95.9%
SP Jamie Evans (1981-92), 94.4%
SS Kyle Page (1970-88), 90.0%

Finally, the Texas League inducted a 13-time Great Glove-winning catcher and a speedy, steady outfielder:

C Jaiden Manigat, 82.0%
OF Sean Barras (1974-89), 76.1%

---

In the American Baseball League, the East was bunched close together at the top. While there was no drama as to which four teams would make the playoffs, what order was up in the air till the end, with Syracuse finishing first, one game up on Memphis, with Birmingham and Indianapolis nipping on their heels. The West was won handily by Chicago, though five teams were within five games of each other behind them. Three of them reached the postseason, led by Las Vegas making their first appearance since moving to Nevada, while Denver and Anaheim snapped up the last two spots.

The first round saw Syracuse survive Indy in seven games, though Memphis, Anaheim, and Las Vegas won their series handily. In a series of royalty, the Chiefs downed the Kings in six, while Anaheim went all in on the Gamblers, beating Vegas in five. The Chiefs then took down the Amigos in six games, as the Chiefs repeated as ABL champions.

Birmingham's Tim Lachut had some up-and-down moments over his first six seasons with the Barons, but the durable righty had a huge season, as the 26-year-old went 22-11 with a 2.66 ERA, leading the ABL in wins, ERA, starts (36), innings (301.2), complete games (21), and shutouts (4), while striking out 185. That earned him not just Pitcher of the Year honors in the East, but also MVP.

In the West, Anaheim's Chris Scribner slashed .294/.376/.537 with 176 hits, 113 runs, 31 doubles, 6 triples, and a West-leading 34 homers and 122 RBI, earning the 24-year-old MVP. On the mound, Tucson's Rich Cannon frequently bounced back-and-forth from Triple-A, but this season he didn't, going 20-9 with a 3.95 ERA, striking out 172 in 275.2 innings to earn Pitcher of the Year.

---

Minor League Champions
Southeastern League: Savannah Cardinals, 97-57, defeats Montgomery (2nd straight)
Colonial League: Scranton-Wilkes Barre Steamers, 85-55, defeats Lowell
River Valley League: Erie Sailors, 82-58, defeats Charleston (WV)
Rocky Mountain League: Helena Capitals, 67-53, defeats Twin Falls
Coastal League: Macon Peaches, 87-67, defeats Greenville (SC)
Northern League: Duluth-Superior Dukes, 91-49, defeats Green Bay
Southwest League: Modesto Growers, 84-56, defeats Bakersfield
Southern Association: Corpus Christi Gunslingers, 85-55, defeats Springfield
Northwest League: Reno High Rollers, 88-66, defeats Pocatello
Can-Am League: Quebec Carnavals, 70-56, defeats Ottawa
Mid-Atlantic League: Raleigh-Durham Tar Heels, 76-64, defeats Roanoke
Lone Star League: Northwest Arkansas Razorbacks, 75-65, defeats Laredo
Great Plains League: South Bend Silver Sox, 87-53, defeats Peoria (2nd straight)
Florida Coast League: Huntsville Stars, 92-48, defeats St. Petersburg (4th straight)
Heartland League: Evansville Bees, 88-52, defeats Sioux Falls
Atlantic Coast League: Petersburg Generals, 67-53, defeats Wilmington (NC) (2nd straight)
North American League: Ft. Collins Grizzlies, 78-62, defeats Calgary

Two leagues had extremely close playoff races, starting with the Coastal League, where four teams were within four games of second place, including Greenville and Columbia tying for second. Greenville wound up taking the one-game playoff, but could not overcome Macon in the finals.

The Mid-Atlantic League, meanwhile, had the entire league separated by just ten games, bunched between 76-64 and 66-74. Naturally, six teams were within five games of second, though despite the parity, regular-season champion Raleigh-Durham prevailed in the playoffs as well.

01-19-2025, 02:36 AM	#108
KCRoyals15 Minors (Double A) Join Date: Oct 2020 Location: A lot of them Posts: 123	Not Their First Rodeo 1996 The 1996 season may best be known for a lot of very close playoff races throughout all the major leagues, plus many deep playoff series. Four playoff spots would be decided by one game, with a fifth decided by two games, as close races dominated most leagues. In the Northern Conference, one league where things were pretty cut-and-dry was the New England League, where the Philadelphia A's were far and away the best team in the conference with 100 wins, while Albany finished a comfortable second t earn their first playoff spot in 13 years. The Midwest Association was a different story. In one of the closest races in major league history, five teams finished within five games of first, with Buffalo scraping ahead of Milwaukee, who finished second, one game up on Detroit, who was back in the playoffs for the first time in seven years. In the League Finals, Philadelphia and Albany went the distance, but the A's won a game seven at Veterans Stadium, while Buffalo squeezed past Milwaukee, also in a seven-game set. The Northern Championship also went the distance, and the Bisons upset the Athletics in a classic to win their first conference crown in a decade. In the Southern Conference, Trey Skipper's second year in Atlanta saw him lead the Peaches to an Eastern League title, their first playoff spot in 19 years. Baltimore finished second, one game ahead of Norfolk. In the Western League, St. Louis dominated, winning 106 games, while Kansas City finished second, nine games back. In the postseason, both leagues had first-round series go the distance, beginning with Atlanta winning a seven-game set over Baltimore. Kansas City, meanwhile, upset their I-70 rivals, downing St. Louis. The Blues then blew away Atlanta, ending the Peaches' run with a four-game sweep to win their first Conference Championship in 12 years. In the Pacific Coast League, the Oakland Oaks unseated San Francisco by winning the North Division, with the Seals taking second to earn their seventh-straight playoff berth. Portland opened brand-new Nike Field, and christened by coming oh-so-close to snapping a 25-year playoff drought, but they finished one game back of San Francisco. The South did have a surprise playoff participant, as the Los Angeles Angels stunned with their best season (119-81) since 1947 and their first-ever division title. San Diego did finish second, earning their 19th straight playoff spot, extending their own national record. In the playoffs, the PCL was treated to three excellent playoff series. In the North, San Francisco slipped past Oakland, while San Diego defeated Los Angeles, both of them in seven games. With the traditional powers (but second-place teams) moving on, the Padres kept it rolling, winning their third-straight PCL title with a seven-game triumph over the Seals. The Texas League was dominated by two teams in particular, with 99-win Tulsa running away with the North, and 101-win Austin winning the South with ease. However, Oklahoma City edged out Dallas by one game in the North to reach the playoffs for the first time in four years. San Antonio slipped two games past Houston for the second playoff spot in the South. In the postseason, there were no surprises in the first round, as Tulsa knocked off their in-state rivals in OKC, and Austin downed local rival San Antonio, both in six-game series. Looking for a repeat, the Wranglers continued their winning ways, defeating the Oilers in six games for the TL title. In the national tournament, the east side of the bracket had their surprise team continue their run, as the Buffalo Bisons (NOR) defeat the Kansas City Blues (SOU). Meanwhile, the defending champions moved on, as the Austin Wranglers (TL) defeat the San Diego Padres (PCL). Looking for a repeat, the Wranglers got it done, becoming the first repeat National Champion from the Texas League, as the *Austin Wranglers (TL) defeat the Buffalo Bisons (NOR), 4-0, also giving the Wranglers their third National Championship, the first TL club to do so. In the Northern Conference, second-year Albany outfielder Blake Koontz* was a major sparkplug behind the Adirondacks' rise, slashing .314/.386/.620 with 192 hits, 116 runs, 30 doubles, 8 triples, 47 homers, 132 RBI, and 16 steals, winning MVP honors. On the mound, Brooklyn right-hander Tristan Fedor had been a reliable but mostly unspectacular pitcher for a decade, though he went 16-13 with a conference-leading 2.85 ERA, struck out 189 batters in 249.2 innings to win Pitcher of the Year. In St. Louis, one of the greatest base-stealers in generations made his debut and ran all over the Southern Conference. Rookie first baseman Kelly Wood slashed .340/.482/.499 with 195 hits and a stunning 171 runs, the second-most in a non-PCL league all-time. He added 54 doubles, 17 triples, 1 homer, and 61 RBI, while swiping 98 bases. Wood won the batting title, led the conference in on-base percentage, runs, doubles, triples, steals, and walks (160), winning Rookie of the Year and MVP handily. Atlanta's rise was carried on the mound by 25-year-old James Jackman, already in his seventh big-league season. He went 19-6 with a 3.20 ERA, striking out 206 in 239.0 innings and leading the conference in wins and strikeouts, earning Pitcher of the Year. In the Pacific Coast League, a stud rookie stood out there as well. San Diego's Steve Crim, slashed .354/.434/.637 with 244 hits, 145 runs, 42 doubles, 49 homers, and 151 RBI. Amazingly, none of that (besides slugging and OPS) led the league, but it was enough to earn him Rookie of the Year and MVP. On the hill, Oakland's Chad Grauerholz was a reliable workhorse veteran who enjoyed his best season. The 31-year-old in his ninth season went 21-11 with a league-best 3.12 ERA, a PCL-high 312.0 innings and 198 strikeouts, earning Pitcher of the Year for the first time. In yet another league, a hotshot rookie commanded attention, as the Texas League was dominated by Dallas' 22-year-old phenom Santos Medina. In his debut campaign, he slashed .293/.400/.637 with 165 hits, a league-leading 125 runs, 30 doubles, 6 triples, to go along with 51 homers and 140 RBI, the former tied for the TL record and the latter the second-highest in league history. Rookie of the Year and MVP were both his. Austin acquired lefty Mike Dixon midway through 1994 and he immediately became a force. In 1996, he wen 16-9 with a TL-best 2.68 ERA, working a league-most 275.0 innings, striking out 183 and spinning six complete games, earning Pitcher of the Year. In the Hall of Fame voting, the Eastern Baseball Federation elected a smooth-swinging 13-time All-Star catcher and a nine-time Great Glove-winning second baseman C Dave Giller (1975-90), 86.0% 2B Tony Cortez (1973-90), 75.6% The Pacific Coast League inducted the greatest slugging catcher in major league history, a five-time Pitcher of the Year, and a smooth-fielding shortstop with over 3,000 hits: C Angelo Caramillo (1976-92), 95.9% SP Jamie Evans (1981-92), 94.4% SS Kyle Page (1970-88), 90.0% Finally, the Texas League inducted a 13-time Great Glove-winning catcher and a speedy, steady outfielder: C Jaiden Manigat, 82.0% OF Sean Barras (1974-89), 76.1% --- In the American Baseball League, the East was bunched close together at the top. While there was no drama as to which four teams would make the playoffs, what order was up in the air till the end, with Syracuse finishing first, one game up on Memphis, with Birmingham and Indianapolis nipping on their heels. The West was won handily by Chicago, though five teams were within five games of each other behind them. Three of them reached the postseason, led by Las Vegas making their first appearance since moving to Nevada, while Denver and Anaheim snapped up the last two spots. The first round saw Syracuse survive Indy in seven games, though Memphis, Anaheim, and Las Vegas won their series handily. In a series of royalty, the Chiefs downed the Kings in six, while Anaheim went all in on the Gamblers, beating Vegas in five. The Chiefs then took down the Amigos in six games, as the Chiefs repeated as ABL champions. Birmingham's Tim Lachut had some up-and-down moments over his first six seasons with the Barons, but the durable righty had a huge season, as the 26-year-old went 22-11 with a 2.66 ERA, leading the ABL in wins, ERA, starts (36), innings (301.2), complete games (21), and shutouts (4), while striking out 185. That earned him not just Pitcher of the Year honors in the East, but also MVP. In the West, Anaheim's Chris Scribner slashed .294/.376/.537 with 176 hits, 113 runs, 31 doubles, 6 triples, and a West-leading 34 homers and 122 RBI, earning the 24-year-old MVP. On the mound, Tucson's Rich Cannon frequently bounced back-and-forth from Triple-A, but this season he didn't, going 20-9 with a 3.95 ERA, striking out 172 in 275.2 innings to earn Pitcher of the Year. --- Minor League Champions Southeastern League: Savannah Cardinals, 97-57, defeats Montgomery (2nd straight) Colonial League: Scranton-Wilkes Barre Steamers, 85-55, defeats Lowell River Valley League: Erie Sailors, 82-58, defeats Charleston (WV) Rocky Mountain League: Helena Capitals, 67-53, defeats Twin Falls Coastal League: Macon Peaches, 87-67, defeats Greenville (SC) Northern League: Duluth-Superior Dukes, 91-49, defeats Green Bay Southwest League: Modesto Growers, 84-56, defeats Bakersfield Southern Association: Corpus Christi Gunslingers, 85-55, defeats Springfield Northwest League: Reno High Rollers, 88-66, defeats Pocatello Can-Am League: Quebec Carnavals, 70-56, defeats Ottawa Mid-Atlantic League: Raleigh-Durham Tar Heels, 76-64, defeats Roanoke Lone Star League: Northwest Arkansas Razorbacks, 75-65, defeats Laredo Great Plains League: South Bend Silver Sox, 87-53, defeats Peoria (2nd straight) Florida Coast League: Huntsville Stars, 92-48, defeats St. Petersburg (4th straight) Heartland League: Evansville Bees, 88-52, defeats Sioux Falls Atlantic Coast League: Petersburg Generals, 67-53, defeats Wilmington (NC) (2nd straight) North American League: Ft. Collins Grizzlies, 78-62, defeats Calgary Two leagues had extremely close playoff races, starting with the Coastal League, where four teams were within four games of second place, including Greenville and Columbia tying for second. Greenville wound up taking the one-game playoff, but could not overcome Macon in the finals. The Mid-Atlantic League, meanwhile, had the entire league separated by just ten games, bunched between 76-64 and 66-74. Naturally, six teams were within five games of second, though despite the parity, regular-season champion Raleigh-Durham prevailed in the playoffs as well. Last edited by KCRoyals15; 01-19-2025 at 11:17 PM.