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Old 01-20-2025, 01:31 AM   #109
KCRoyals15
Minors (Double A)
 
Join Date: Oct 2020
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Admirable Admirals

1997

In just two years in Atlanta, Trey Skipper had led the Peaches to the playoffs twice, broken club attendance records, and had the franchise back on solid ground as they were set to move into brand-new Turner Field for the 1997 season.

Deeming his work done, he stayed within the Southern Conference's Eastern League, taking over a struggling Louisville Colonels club that had not made the playoffs (or had a winning season) in 20 years and had lost 100 games or more in four of the last five years.


Over the previous four decades, the American Baseball League had regularly seen it's best teams in its best markets make the move up to (oftentimes returning) to the major leagues. The trend started with Brooklyn in 1957 and continued with Miami, Tampa (both 1964), Austin (1968), Honolulu, San Jose (both 1973), Pittsburgh (1975), Newark, Salt Lake City (both 1979), and finally Boston and Cincinnati (both 1991) getting calls or re-called to the big leagues.

This happened once again with two franchises in big markets earning a return trip to the major leagues. The Chicago Cyclones dropped down to the ABL in 1975 and Denver Bears had been an ABL member since 1964, but both had been very successful over the entirety of the 80's and 90's. Both also boasted new ballparks, with U.S. Cellular Field opening on the South Side of Chicago in 1991, while Denver opened picturesque Coors Field in 1995.

And so, the Chicago Cyclones and Denver Bears were welcomed into the Southern Conference, moving that grouping back to 16 teams for the first time since 1963 and matching the Northern Conference's total. Both were added to the Western League, while Pittsburgh, long a bit of an awkward fit in the WL, moved to the much more geographically-friendly Eastern League.

The Northern Conference looked no different than in recent years and that also included the standings, as Manhattan and the Philadelphia Athletics ruled the New England League. The Yankees had made seven of the last eight playoff fields, while Philly had made eight of the last nine. The Midwest Association also had familiar faces, with Toronto winning the league, their fourth playoff berth in five years. However, Detroit made the first playoff field since 1989, finishing second, one game ahead of both Cincinnati and Milwaukee in a tight four-team race.



In the League Finals, Manhattan and Philadelphia tangled for seven games, with the Yankees winning game seven on their home turf. Toronto held off Detroit in six games to win their set. Manhattan then won game seven at Yankee Stadium once again, defeating the Maple Leafs for the Northern Conference Championship, Manhattan's second in three years.

In the Southern Conference, the Eastern League featured a four-team race, with Atlanta winning for the second year in a row. Norfolk finished second, one game back, outlasting Jacksonville and Pittsburgh, who each were three games out of the playoffs. The Western League was stronger with the three top teams in the South. Kansas City won 101 games, while St. Louis won 99, leaving 94-win New Orleans at home.



In the postseason, both top seeds went down, as Atlanta succumbed to Norfolk in a six-game set, while St. Louis battered the Blues, defeating Kansas City in five games. The biggest upset, though, was in the Southern Championship, with the Admirals downing the Browns in a seven-game thriller to earn their second Conference Championship in three years.

For the second year in the Pacific Coast League, Oakland won the North Division, edging out San Francisco, who finished two games back in second for the other playoff spot. In the South, San Diego ran away with the division and the league's best record, emphatically securing their record 20th-straight playoff berth. Meanwhile, the Phoenix Firebirds made their first playoff appearance in their four years in the desert, finishing second.



In the postseason, Oakland made quick worth of their Bay Bridge rivals, sweeping San Francisco in four games. Meanwhile, the Firebirds were on fire, upsetting San Diego in a five-game series to reach the PCL Finals. In the final set, Phoenix kept the run alive. After four years of sweating it out in Phoenix Municipal Stadium, this was to be their final season outdoors, but the heatwave broke for game seven, and on a beautiful night, the Firebirds won the deciding game over the Oaks, giving Phoenix their first PCL title since the move.

The Texas League saw the Tulsa Oilers win their fifth-straight North Division title, squeezing one game ahead of Dallas, who drew a Texas League-record 2,705,653 fans and made their first playoff appearance since moving to the Ballpark in Arlington in 1994. Austin won the South for the third year in a row, winning a league-best 98 games. San Antonio finished a distant second for the second year in a row.



The Texas League playoffs had few surprises, as Tulsa won their series with Dallas in five games (maybe the most surprising results), while Austin also breezed through a five-game set over San Antonio. In the Texas League's 43 big-league seasons, no team had won three-straight league titles, but the Wranglers became the first, winning the Lone Star Series in five games over the Oilers.

The main storylines at the national tournament were a rematch from two years prior, a first-time participant, and a shot at history. As they did in 1995, Norfolk and Manhattan matched up in the national semifinals, and as they did two years ago, the Norfolk Admirals (SOU) defeat the Manhattan Yankees (NOR). Meanwhile, a first-time participant's inaugural tournament was quickly ended, as the Austin Wranglers (TL) defeat the Phoenix Firebirds (PCL).

Austin was now looking to do something that had never been done: win three-straight National Championships. Three times, a two-time repeat champion had made their way back to the National Championship series, but never had anyone done so since the Texas League joined the party in 1955. The Wranglers would need to beat the same team they vanquished in 1995: Norfolk. The Admirals, though, avenged their loss from two years prior, winning game seven in Austin as the Norfolk Admirals (SOU) defeat the Austin Wranglers (TL), 4-3. Austin coming up one game short is the closest any team has come to a three-peat. Norfolk, meanwhile, had their first National Championship.



The Northern Conference featured an interesting development. Even in the midst of a historically-high offensive decade, Nate Krause of the Chicago Whales dominated the league, going 24-7 with a 2.39 ERA, leading the conference in both marks. He struck out 183 in 271.2 innings and led the North with 12 complete games, earning not just Pitcher of the Year, but also becoming the first pitcher since 1943 to win Northern Conference MVP.

The Southern Conference was once more home to a Kelly Wood clinic in St. Louis. He slashed .349/.484/.517 with 199 hits, 140 runs, 57 doubles, 15 triples, 3 homers, and 85 RBI, along with 154 walks and 91 stolen bases. He won the batting title, led the league in OBP, runs, doubles, triples, walks, and steals, winning his second-straight MVP.

Lefty Jim Puricelli 176 and three American Baseball League Pitcher of the Year awards for Denver in 10½ seasons with the Bears before being traded midseason to St. Louis in 1996. That timing was unfortunately (being Denver's final ABL season before moving to the majors), but Puricelli didn't miss a bear. In his first full big-league season at 32 years old, he went 17-9 with a 3.31 ERA, led the South in starts (36), and struck out 203 batters over 255.2 innings, becoming the second player (after Jacob Garrett) to win a Pitcher of the Year in both the ABL and the majors.

In the Pacific Coast League, a new star emerged in Portland, where 23-year-old shortstop Eric Chernoff enjoyed his best year yet as a 23-year-old. He slashed .346/.423/.633, winning the PCL batting title, ripping 230 hits, scoring 133 runs, leading the PCL with 69 doubles, and collecting 8 triples, 35 homers, and 136 RBI, earning his first MVP.

San Diego's Jody Hintz continued his outstanding run with maybe his best season yet, winning the PCL Triple Crown. The 31-year-old went 26-8 with a 2.85 ERA and 248 strikeouts, all league bests, while working 306.0 innings to earn his fourth Pitcher of the Year crown.

San Diego's Scott West was never the best pitcher in the PCL, but he was very, very good for a long time. True to that, on June 22, the 39-year-old earned his 300th win of his outstanding career.

In the Texas League, Josh Palmer enjoyed his first full-season in Texas after coming to Austin from Manhattan at the 1996 trade deadline. A solid performer in the Big Apple, Palmer took things to another gear, slashing .324/.389/.632 with a league-high 191 hits, 116 runs, 37 doubles, 46 homers, and a TL-record 154 RBI, winning MVP honors.

In Dallas, second-year lefty Josh Weiler enjoyed an excellent sophomore season, going 20-7 with a 2.78 ERA and 188 strikeouts over 262.0 innings, leading the TL in all of those marks to earn the TL Triple Crown, as well as his first Pitcher of the Year.

The Eastern Baseball Federation Hall of Fame class was headlines by a nine-time MVP and one of the very greatest players in USBF history, along with a shortstop nicknamed "Garbage," but was in fact treasure, not trash over a 17-year career:

SS Mark Oxford (1969-91), 99.3%
SS Tom Auchterlonie (1975-91), 78.5%

The Texas League also inducted a true inner-circle Hall of Famer, with the league's all-time home run leader (423) going in all by himself:

OF Daniel Alcaraz (1975-91), 97.7%

---



The American Baseball League was again hit by the two major-league defections, forcing significant shakeup. The ABL, as they did in 1991, elected to keep their 16-team league, adding a pair of teams from the Tar Heel State: the Charlotte Knights and Raleigh-Durham Tar Heels. With two West Division teams leaving and two decidedly Eastern teams replacing them, the two Tennessee teams, Memphis and Nashville, slid over to the West.

In the new-look ABL, Indianapolis celebrated the opening of brand-new Victory Field with 98 victories and an East Division title, while Columbus, Birmingham, and Richmond filed in behind them. The West was dominated by Las Vegas, who won 100 games. Memphis, Tucson, and Minneapolis were the next three in line, reaching the postseason.

In the East, Indianapolis took care of business, defeating Richmond in six, while Birmingham beat Columbus in five. The two West series went five games each, with Las Vegas downing Minneapolis and Tucson dispatching Memphis. Upsets took over the semis, though, as Birmingham bounced Indy in six games, while Tucson shocked Las Vegas with a four-game sweep. The Toros then beat the Barons in a seven-game series to win their first American Baseball Cup.

In the East, Indianapolis' Sam Orange slashed .300/.368/.521 with 175 hits, 37 doubles, 28 homers, and 142 RBI, leading the East in hits, RBIs, and winning the batting title, as well as MVP. Columbus' Jose Antonio had a stellar season as the 25-year-old went 18-7 with an East-leading 2.70 ERA, striking out 185 in 246.2 innings, winning Pitcher of the Year.

The West was home to a historic season by Mike Sanderson of Las Vegas. The 28-year-old slugger slashed .327/.406/.631 with a league-high 193 hits, 136 runs, 42 doubles, a league-high 42 homers, and an ABL-record 143 RBI, winning MVP. His teammate, righty J.J. Webb walked the most batters in the ABL for the fifth year in a row (and had more walks than K's on the mound), but went 19-6 with a 3.85 ERA, striking out 141 in 198.1 innings, leading the ABL in wins and earning Pitcher of the Year.

---

The minor leagues saw the end of an era this season. As in 1991, the addition of two new American Baseball League teams necessitated two more minor league affiliates for them. However, once again, the Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham elected to join up with existing Southeastern League clubs in Savannah and Jackson, respectively.

The SEL, which had four independent clubs as recently as 1990, now had none, therefore bringing an end to the era of independent clubs operating in otherwise affiliated leagues. From now on, eight leagues (Colonial, Coastal, Great Plains, Lone Star, Northern, Northwest, River Valley, and Southeastern) would serve solely as affiliated leagues and nine leagues (Atlantic Coast, Can-Am, Florida Coast, Heartland, Mid-Atlantic, North American, Rocky Mountain, Southern Association, and Southwest) would be solely independent. The decades-long slow parting of independent and affiliated clubs was now complete.

Minor League Champions
Southeastern League: Baton Rouge Cajus, 92-62, defeats Mobile
Colonial League: Scranton-Wilkes Barre Steamers, 93-47, defeats Lowell (2nd straight)
River Valley League: Erie Sailors, 89-51, defeats Akron (2nd straight)
Rocky Mountain League: Helena Capitals, 68-52, defeats Cheyenne (2nd straight)
Coastal League: Augusta Rebels, defeats Greenville (SC)
Northern League: Green Bay Giants, 88-52, defeats St. Paul
Southwest League: Bakersfield Conquistadors, defeats Modesto
Southern Association: Springfield Ozarks, 84-56, defeats Columbus
Northwest League: Yakima Tomahawks, 85-69, defeats Tacoma
Can-Am League: Ottawa Capitals, 75-51, defeats Waterbury
Mid-Atlantic League: Worcester Tornadoes, 81-60, defeats Greensboro
Lone Star League: Tyler Roughnecks, 87-53, defeats Abilene
Great Plains League: Peoria Distillers, 85-55, defeats South Bend
Florida Coast League: St. Petersburg Saints, 78-62, defeats Orlando
Heartland League: Evansville Bees, 77-63, defeats Youngstown (2nd straight)
Atlantic Coast League: Annapolis Destroyers, 72-48, defeats Fayetteville
North American League: Calgary Cannons, 79-61, defeats Ogden

Last edited by KCRoyals15; 01-20-2025 at 01:36 AM.
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