The National Pastime: The United States Baseball Federation rises

[KCRoyals15]

1920

As the Roaring Twenties began, a fundamental change in how the game was played began. A new livelier ball was introduced and the league batting average soared by 15 points from the year prior...with scoring and home runs ticking up as well.

In the standings, Kansas City cruised to a league-leading 104 wins, taking their fourth-straight Western League crown. Baltimore won the Eastern League for the second straight year at 100 wins.

Over in the Midwest Association, the St. Louis Browns snapped an eight-year drought, winning the MWA for the third time. Lastly, in the best pennant race of the season, Newark earned their first New England League pennant in 11 years (second overall), edging out both Boston clubs by one game.



The Semifinals were a snoozer on both sides as KC and St. Louis both romped to first-round sweeps—just the second time that's happened in USBF history. The championship series was much better, as the so-called Victory Highway Series saw Kansas City defeat St. Louis in a seven-game clash.



While offense did perk up, it was a disciple of the old way who cleaned up the hardware. Baltimore outfielder Dave Finney did crack 10 home runs, but he also stole 76 bases, while swatting a USBF-best 235 hits for a .357/.402/.485 line. That earned him both MVP and Rookie of the Year honors. Finney never reached those heights again, though he turned in six solid seasons before moving down to the minors and playing a dozen years in the Great Lakes League until he was 44 years old.

Milwaukee ace Justin Rodrigues had taken home Pitcher of the Year three times in four years from 1910-13, but while he hadn't won anything more, he continued to be dominant throughout the decade. The 36-year-old, though, turned in one more award-winning campaign, going 24-10 and led the Federation with a 1.91 ERA, striking out 165 batters in 329.0 innings in his last truly great season of a 16-year career that saw him win 311 games.

1920 saw two pitchers win their 300th game, as Andy Epperson reached that milestone on June 1 and David Devlin followed on August 28.

Minor League Champions
Pacific Coast League: Sacramento Solons, 130-70, defeats Los Angeles (2nd straight)
Southeastern League: Atlanta Crackers, 95-45, defeats New Orleans (2nd straight)
Colonial League: Reading Keystones, 79-47, defeats Albany
Texas League: Oklahoma City Indians, 80-46, defeats Galveston
River Valley League: Dayton Inventors, 90-50, defeats Toledo
Rocky Mountain League: Salt Lake City, 73-53 defeats Ft. Collins
Coastal League: Jacksonville Tars, 88-52, defeats Mobile
Northern League: Sioux City Cornhuskers, 74-52, defeats Duluth
Great Lakes League: Grand Rapids Griffins, 80-60, defeats Youngstown (2nd straight)

[KCRoyals15]

1921

As offense continued to shoot upwards (a record 4.9 runs per game and a league average of .293), the standings saw a shakeup from some of the usual suspects. Kansas City did win the Western League for the fifth-straight year, but they were the only repeat winner in the United States Baseball Federation.

In the New England League, the Buffalo Bisons won their first pennant since 1908 and their third all-time. After a couple of years away, the Cleveland Buckeyes won their fifth Midwest Association crown in nine seasons. Lastly, the Providence Patriots won their first Eastern League crown, edging out Washington by a game, with the Philadelphia Quakers and Baltimore close behind as well.

,

Providence proved to be up for the task, as they upended #1 seed Kansas City in a surprisingly easy five-game series. Buffalo, meanwhile, needed seven games to scrape by Cleveland. In the championship, though, the Bisons took down the Patriots in six games, securing Buffalo's second National Championship.



One of the top contact hitters of his time, Divino Edmison had essentially cut the strikeout out of his game. Striking out just seven times in 672 plate appearances, the Kansas City second baseman set USBF record by hitting .395, stroking 230 hits, 35 doubles, 12 homers, and 114 RBI in a season to remember.

Buffalo righty Jason Day was unconcerned with the improved offense. After not posting an ERA higher than 2.57 in his first four seasons, year #5 saw him go 23-6 with a USBF-best 2.23 ERA over 290.1 innings, spinning a league-high five shutouts. Unfortunately, Day would battle injuries for the next three years before Buffalo gave up on him and he finished his career with parts of three seasons in the PCL.

Rookie of the Year Hoshihiko Tokuda was one of the first Japanese natives to play in the USBF, but he made his mark right away. The 22-year-old burst on to the scene with a huge season: .344/.412/.620 slash line, 207 hits, 41 doubles, 22 triples, and setting USBF records with 27 homers and 122 RBI, becoming the first 20-home run hitter in Federation history. On top of that, Tokuda stole 58 bases. He easily could've been MVP, though he settled for ROY and MVP runner-up.

Cleveland ace Nicky Croucher was also unbothered by the increased offense, winning 24 games with a 2.71 ERA. On July 10, he picked up his 300th career victory.

While Croucher still was going strong (and would win 383 games lifetime), 39-year-old Indianapolis hurler Joe Kreisher was barely hanging on. In his penultimate season, though, he earned his 300th win on September 11.

---

Out west, another minor league would pop up, as the Pacific Coast League would gain their first West Coast competition with the Southwest League beginning play. With The Skipper in place in Los Angeles and breaking attendance records, Wrigley Field was constructed across town for the Angels. Interestingly enough, the SWL moved in right away to the Angels' old digs at Washington Park.

Southwest League
Fresno Raisin Eaters
Los Angeles Conquistadors
Phoenix Firebirds
Reno Railroaders
San Bernardino Highlanders
San Diego Gulls
Santa Barbara Foresters
Tucson Javelinas


Minor League Champions
Pacific Coast League: San Francisco Seals, 129-71, defeats Los Angeles
Southeastern League: Atlanta Crackers, 100-40, defeats Chattanooga (3rd straight)
Colonial League: Reading Keystones, 85-41, defeats Lowell (2nd straight)
Texas League: El Paso Texans, 71-56, defeats Galveston
River Valley League: Dayton Inventors, 106-34, defeats Toledo (2nd straight)
Rocky Mountain League: Ogden, 91-35, defeats Salt Lake City
Coastal League: Tampa Tarpons, 88-52, defeats Mobile
Northern League: Cedar Rapids, 75-51, defeats Duluth
Great Lakes League: Akron Rubbermen, 99-41, defeats Youngstown
Southwest League: Los Angeles Conquistadors, 86-68, defeats Tucson

[KCRoyals15]

1922

Offense continues to be the name of the game as scoring leads to 5.4 runs per game and the USBF hits .306 as a whole (still a record). Hitting records go by the wayside as three teams score over 1,000 runs amidst some very impressive performances.

Team-wise, the Boston Beaneaters beat out their cross-town rivals, the Pilgrims, for their second New England League pennant. In the Eastern League, Providence wins a franchise-record 105 games in route to winning their second straight EL pennant, this time by a margin of 21 games.

Further west, St. Louis wins the Midwest Association for the second time in three years, while Kansas City wins the Western League for the sixth straight year. The Blues won 107 games, hitting .333 as a team and pounding out 1,907 hits (over 12 per game)—both still Federation records (St. Louis hit .332).

On the flip side, Milwaukee set a new USBF mark for futility with a 45-111 mark, allowing 1,122 runs (almost 7 per game) and a staggering 1,990 hits (opponent's average: .341 ), both of which remain USBF worsts.



Boston gave Kansas City's high-octane offense all they could handle, but the Blues powered through a seven-game victory in game one. Providence set a new USBF record with 143 home runs, but the longball did them no good in October, as the Browns beat the Patriots (insert NFL joke here). For the second time in three years, the two Missouri teams would duke it out for a National Championship, and this time, the Browns beat their cross-state rivals for their first title.



Why had no professional team noticed Taylor Leroy until now?! Well, Providence did, and the 31-year-old Texan with zero professional experience burst onto the scene in a big way, slashing .352/.451/.679 with a USBF-record 38 home runs and 129 RBI, scoring 127 runs as he claimed MVP and Rookie of the Year. Leroy started 1921 on a tear, but missed nearly 100 games and never burned that bright again, but turned in two more solid seasons. All told, his 759 career games ended up being one of the lowest amounts for a former MVP.

Boston Beaneaters hurler Jason Holland was in the PCL at 18 and the majors at 19 years old and predictably had some struggles for a few years. But after lurking under the radar, he went 26-7 with a 2.78 ERA over 314.1 innings, leading the Federation in wins and winning Pitcher of the Year.

Other records to fall included the Boston Beaneaters' Bobby Seminario driving in 156 runs, while St. Louis' Charles Blakeney hit .421 (still second-best all-time) and a dizzying 291 hits. All told, of the 13 .400 seasons all-time, seven (!!!!) of them came in 1922.

On the pitching side, Providence reliever David Davis, the Reliever of the Year, pitched in 76 games, all in relief, and posted a 20-win season.

A great career came to an end as Justin Emlet ended his 23-year run with the Boston Pilgrims. He retired as the career leader in hits (2,954), runs (1,345), doubles (478), and triples (420) as he was also the final player from the USBF's inaugural 1900 season to appear in the majors.

---

For the second year in a row (and third time in four years), a new minor league popped up. The Southern Association will set up shop across the western part of the South, away from the bulk of the Coastal and Southeastern League footprints.

Southern Association
Baton Rouge Cajuns
Beaumont Exporters
Fort Smith Pioneers
Jackson Junebugs
Joplin Jaspers
Little Rock Travelers
Shreveport Captains
Tulsa Oilers


Minor League Champions
Pacific Coast League: Mission Reds, 114-86, defeats Los Angeles Angels
Southeastern League: Atlanta Crackers, 107-33, defeats Nashville (4th straight)
Colonial League: Worcester Tornadoes, 86-40, defeats Reading
Texas League: Dallas Lone Stars, 73-53, defeats San Antonio
River Valley League: Dayton Inventors, 85-55 defeats Des Moines (3rd straight)
Rocky Mountain League: Salt Lake City, 84-42, defeats Ogden
Coastal League: Norfolk Admirals, 81-59, defeats Jacksonville
Northern League: Cedar Rapids, 83-43, defeats Davenport (2nd straight)
Great Lakes League: Akron Rubbermen, 89-51, defeats Youngstown (2nd straight)
Southwest League: Tucson Javelinas, 97-57, defeats Los Angeles Conquistadors
Southern Association: Baton Rouge Cajuns, 70-56, defeats Little Rock

[jksander]

This is pretty cool! Would you ever think about creating a quickstart with this league so others could play around in the sandbox?

[KCRoyals15]

1923

After the offensive explosion of 1922, scoring settled down to the levels seen in 1921. The standings, meanwhile, looked a lot like '22 as the Boston Beaneaters, Kansas City Blues (their record seventh-straight), and St. Louis Browns all repeated at the top of their respective league, while Providence couldn't win a third straight Eastern League pennant, finishing second to Baltimore.

Kansas City and Boston both won 110 games, as their have now been five USBF teams to win exactly 110 games (KC has done it twice), yet no one has reached 111...

Also of note, both KC and Baltimore became the first professional teams to top 1 million fans. Baltimore ended up at 1,013,458, while KC was less than a thousand fans behind them (1,012,797) in their first season at brand-new Muehlebach Field.



The semifinal round saw KC and St. Louis reprise their championship bout from the prior season. The Blues exacted revenge, though, knocking out the Browns in six games. Out east, Baltimore stuns Boston, boiling the Beaneaters in four straight. The Terrapins kept up the pace, knocking off the other 110-win team with ease, defeating Kansas City in five games to earn Baltimore's third National Championship.



A year after hitting over .400, Kansas City's Justin Slone nearly did it again, slashing .392/.486/.594, cracking 26 homers and driving in 126 runs. It was the peak of a career where Sloan batted .354 lifetime, but only played eight full seasons, costing him a shot at the Hall of Fame.

Before the 1923 season, Milwaukee and the Boston Beaneaters swapped a pair of starting pitchers. Corey Clauson went to Milwaukee and flourished, winning 20 games four times and earning 237 wins in 15 seasons...yet Milwaukee very clearly lost the trade. Why? Well, Boston got back Eric Miranda, who immediately began the greatest pitching run seen in USBF history to this point, starting with this year, when he went 23-11 with a sparkling 2.04 ERA, leading the Federation in ERA and shutouts (6) over 290.2 innings. He earned Pitcher of the Year and while we won't spoil everything, it was not his last by any shot...

Also on the mound, Cleveland starter Nicky Croucher saw a record streak of 11 straight 20-win seasons come to an end, but in his final start of the season, he became the first USBF pitcher to reach 350 wins, doing so on September 28.

Minor League Champions
Pacific Coast League: Los Angeles Angels, 145-55, defeats San Francisco
Southeastern League: Atlanta Crackers, 79-61, defeats Montgomery (5th straight)
Colonial League: Reading Keystones, 77-49, defeats Albany
Texas League: Houston Buffaloes, 71-55, defeats San Antonio
River Valley League: Des Moines Demons, 84-56, defeats Fort Wayne
Rocky Mountain League: Salt Lake City, 79-47, defeats Butte
Coastal League: Mobile Marines, 88-52, defeats Jacksonville
Northern League: Sioux City Cornhuskers, 73-53, defeats Davenport
Great Lakes League: Akron Rubbermen, 80-60, defeats Harrisburg (3rd straight)
Southwest League: Tucson Javelinas, 100-54, defeats Reno (2nd straight)
Southern Association: Tulsa Oilers, 70-56, defeats Jackson

[jksander]

Keeping my eye on the Indianapolis Hoosiers, we need another championship!

[KCRoyals15]

Don't worry, you'll get there! It'll just be a minute...

As for the quick start: Now that's an idea. Though I'm over 100 seasons in and it's...messy. The file would be MASSIVE lol.

With that said, I do have saves on my old computer from decades back that might be a little more tenable. I'll dive into that sometime in December.

[KCRoyals15]

1924

A quarter-century is in the books for the United States Baseball Federation and appropriately, the most dominant team of that first 25 years dominates again. Kansas City wins their eighth-straight Western League pennant, winning a USBF-best 103 games.

After being first in war, first in peace, and last in the Eastern League (well, a few times), the Washington Senators outlast archrival Baltimore to win their first EL pennant. Indianapolis snaps an eight-year drought as they return to the top of the Midwest Association.

Finally, baseball peaks in Beantown. The Boston Beaneaters are in search of their third-straight New England League pennant, but are stopped in their quest by their crosstown rivals, the Pilgrims. Improbably, both Boston teams finish 100-56, but the Beaneaters win the one-game playoff to claim their first NEL title.

On a down note, the Omaha Golden Spikes set a new low for a USBF squad, going 43-113, finishing a record 60 games back of Kansas City.



In the postseason, Washington's first trip to the USBF postseason isn't a terribly long one as they fall in six to Kansas City. Boston, though, knocks off Indianapolis in a seven-game thriller. In the National Championship, the Blues make it rather easy, brushing off the Pilgrims in a five-game set as Kansas City takes their record fifth National Championship.



Spearheading the Boston Pilgrims' landing on the baseball map was first baseman Tom Henderson. Henderson slashed .393/.473/.574, leading the USBF in OBP and OPS, while also swatting a Federation-most 24 homers and driving in 130. Improbably, Henderson did not win a batting title this year or at any point during his ten-year career, despite a gaudy .360 career average, fifth-best in USBF history.

The Pitcher of the Year also resided in Boston, but it was the Beaneaters' Eric Miranda, who won his second straight POTY behind the first Triple Crown season in USBF history. Miranda went a ridiculous 27-4, with a 1.97 ERA, and 155 strikeouts, all USBF bests. He also logs 315.1 innings and leads the Federation with seven shutouts.

Kansas City's Cesar Hernandez wins his second-straight batting title as he hits .404, also leading the USBF with 257 hits and 150 runs scored, the latter the first time that mark has been hit. After hitting .395 in 1923, Hernandez hit exactly .400 during a two-year span.

On the mound, three pitchers earn their 300th win, with Providence's Danny Corliss (April 11), Kansas City's Jesus Robles (May 31), and Milwaukee's Justin Rodrigues (July 5). Amazingly, two other Blues pitchers, Phil Norris (250 wins) and Ryan Cooper (200 wins) hit milestone wins during the season as well.

---

Out west, the eight-year run for The Skipper in Los Angeles has completely revitalized a formerly moribund franchise. Not only that, but the hiring of the man who previously built the Kansas City Blues powerhouse legitimized the Pacific Coast League considerably in the eyes of national observers. Attendance and salaries are up and the shocking disparity between teams prevalent during the teens has diminished greatly.

"Could PCL Make Big League Play?" pondered The Sporting News in an October piece, highlighting that Los Angeles outdrew 27 of the 32 USBF squads, while multiple PCL teams outdrew some Federation teams. While it acknowledged that ticket sales and salaries were still noticeably behind Federation teams, it acknowledged that a push for PCL teams to play for the National Championship is likely not far away...

Minor League Champions
Pacific Coast League: San Francisco, 116-84, defeats Los Angeles
Southeastern League: Chattanooga Lookouts, 77-64, defeats Atlanta
Colonial League: Scranton-Wilkes Barre Steamers, 76-50, defeats Reading
Texas League: San Antonio Missions, 69-57, defeats Galveston
River Valley League: Des Moines Demons, 88-52, defeats Fort Wayne (2nd straight)
Rocky Mountain League: Ogden Railroaders, 91-35, defeats Ft. Collins
Coastal League: Jacksonville Tars, 82-59, defeats Charleston
Northern League: La Crosse Loggers, 77-49, defeats Davenport
Great Lakes League: Grand Rapids Griffins, 84-56, defeats Flint
Southwest League: Tucson Javelinas, 101-53, defeats Phoenix (3rd straight)
Southern Association: Little Rock Travelers, 72-55, defeats Jackson

[KCRoyals15]

1925

With the Roaring Twenties a roarin', so does the Kansas City dynasty, as the Blues win their ninth-straight Western League pennant, though they had to fight off the Columbus Cyclones (one game back) to do so.

Meanwhile, the Providence Patriots return to the top of the Eastern League for the third time in five years and the Boston teams once again finish 1-2 in New England. This time, though, the Beaneaters storm to an 18-game victory in the NEL, their third pennant in four years. Lastly, the Detroit Wolverines, long a doormat (20 straight losing seasons to start the century), win their first pennant in emphatic fashion, winning 102 games to take the Midwest Association flag.



Detroit apparently likes this brand-new winning thing, and the Wolverines brush aside Kansas City in five games. Meanwhile, the Beaneaters down Providence in six games, ensuring someone will win their first national title. That someone would be Boston, as they down Detroit to take the National Championship trophy back to Beantown.



Not much success has taken place in the Twin Cities, so it's easy to forget about the teams up there, but the national writers took notice this year. Minneapolis shortstop Kevin Penhorwood turned in a monster season, slashing .387/.446/.618 with 236 hits, 124 runs, 50 doubles, 20 triples, 17 homers, and 144 RBI. Amazingly, none of that led the USBF, but the body of work (plus a Great Glove at SS) was more than enough to tip the scales in his favor.

On the hill, the incredible Eric Miranda did it again. The Boston Beaneaters ace went 27-5 with a 2.62 ERA, leading the Federation in wins and striking out 153 batters over 316.1 innings as he took home his third-straight Pitcher of the Year award.

Another 300-game winner was added, as longtime St. Louis stalwart Leon Estrada earned the historic win on May 14. It was another twist of the knife for Milwaukee and Louisville fans, as both teams gave him up in 1908-09 for virtually nothing (he didn't even get into a game for Milwaukee). With St. Louis, Estrada won 322 games over 18 seasons as the Browns won five pennants and a National Championship.

Chicago's Andy Epperson went out with a bang. Not only did he earn his 350th win on June 22 (the second pitcher to do so), he went 20-9 at 43 years old. Unfortunately, his career abruptly ended as his elbow gave out during spring training the following season, ending a stellar run with 359 wins, still the third-most in USBF history.

Minor League Champions
Pacific Coast League: Los Angeles Angels, 124-76, defeats San Francisco
Southeastern League: Nashville Vols, 88-52, defeats Atlanta
Colonial League: Albany Adirondacks, 75-51, defeats Hartford
Texas League: Galveston Hurricanes, 76-50, defeats San Antonio
River Valley League: Wichita Larks, 83-57, defeats Evansville
Rocky Mountain League: Salt Lake City, 72-54, defeats Colorado Springs
Coastal League: Macon Peaches, 80-60, defeats Mobile
Northern League: La Crosse Loggers, 76-50, defeats Cedar Rapids (2nd straight)
Great Lakes League: Grand Rapids Griffins, 78-62, defeats Flint (2nd straight)
Southwest League: Phoenix Firebirds, 86-68, defeats San Bernardino
Southern Association: Jackson Junebugs, 79-47, defeats Little Rock

In the PCL, the LA Angels drew 1,054,704 fans, not only a minor league record, but the most ever drawn by a baseball team to that point, regardless of league. The Angels pulled off the unfathomable feat of a minor league team (albeit in name only, perhaps) leading the entire country in attendance.

[KCRoyals15]

1926

In November 1925, Pacific Coast League execs and representatives of the 32 USBF clubs all made the trek to Chicago as the 40 team reps, presidents of each of the five leagues, and USBF commissioner E. Norman Werner converged on the Drake Hotel for four days of meetings.

At first, the majority of eastern clubs had no interest in welcoming the PCL clubs into the USBF and incorporating them into the National Championship picture. "They're just simply too far away," said one East Coast club officer. "It would take four days to reach California".

However, the man whose success perhaps is most responsible for these meetings, turned the tide on the second day. The Skipper, manager of the Los Angeles Angels and formerly of the Kansas City Blues carried tremendous respect in the baseball world—and he came very well prepared.

On the table, he laid down sketched-out timetables, letters, and notes from telephone conversations with key figures at several major railroads: The Pennsylvania, New York Central, Santa Fe, Union Pacific, and more. The idea? Run a special train at record speeds coast-to-coast to ferry the teams across the country. In return, the participating railroads (which would vary year-to-year based on which teams are playing) would receive presenting sponsorship rights on the growing nationwide broadcasts of National Championship games over radio. Railroad executives had told The Skipper that with careful planning, they could shave over a day off the transcontinental schedule.

Over the final two days, tense negotiations took place. Finally, the PCL came to a table with an offer: they would pay all travel expenses to the West Coast. With that, on the final day of the meetings, the vote occurred. The final tally: 29 clubs yes, 11 clubs no, and all five league presidents plus the USBF commissioner voted yes.

It was official: on November 12, 1925, the Pacific Coast League would become a Major League for the 1926 season and their champion would face the champion of the Eastern clubs. Notably as well, the PCL would retain their 200-game schedule.

In a new landscape, a new leadership structure emerged. The four Eastern circuits would re-brand as the Eastern Baseball Federation, while the United States Baseball Federation would oversee all major league clubs and administer the National Championship.

After some periodic shuffling through their first quarter-century, the PCL now consisted of the following eight clubs:

Pacific Coast League
Los Angeles Angels
Mission Reds
Oakland Oaks
Portland Beavers
Sacramento Solons
Salt Lake City Mavericks
San Francisco Seals
Seattle Indians

In the East, Kansas City completed a decade straight atop the Western League, while the Boston Beaneaters won their fourth New England League pennant in five years. Indianapolis claimed their second Midwest Association title in three years. Washington then claimed their second Eastern League crown.



Both Eastern Semifinals saw thrilling series unfold as Indianapolis outlasted Boston in a seven-game set, while Washington and Kansas City also went the distance, with the Senators coming out on top. In the Eastern Championship, though, Indianapolis took care of business in a five-game series



In their first season as a big-league club, The Skipper led the Los Angeles Angels to the PCL crown, winning the Angels' fourth PCL title and finishing first for the seventh-straight season. They then took down second-place Oakland in the PCL Championship to set up a date with Indianapolis in the National Championship.

Alas, all of that led to the United State Baseball Federation National Championship. With cooperation from the Santa Fe, the Burlington Route, and New York Central railroads, the Angels and Hoosiers were successfully shuffled 1,800 miles to California (and back) in record time.

In between, the Los Angeles Angels defeat the Indianapolis Hoosiers, 4-3 as the PCL's quest to big-league status is immediately validated. Indy had been one of the dissenting votes in the previous fall's meetings. In defeat, though, club president Morris Young presented a more dignified stance to reporters. "We were plainly outplayed," he said. "One may be tempted to blame the travel, but the Los Angeles ballclub was on that same train as us."



A key cog in the Boston Beaneaters' machine, centerfielder Trevor Collins made an impact from the start. The 1923 Rookie of the Year, his fourth season saw him shine further. Slashing .354/.416/.588 with 32 doubles, 17 triples, 25 homers, and an EBF-best 137 RBIs, Collins took home MVP honors.

Collins' teammate Eric Miranda kept the run going, racking up his fourth-straight Pitcher of the Year award. His numbers tapered off a bit from he last two years, but were still spectacular: 21-9, 2.70 ERA in 299.2 innings. He became the second pitcher to win POTY four times.



The rest of the country was introduced to several PCL stars and the brightest one was Los Angeles' Jared Krieger. The Skipper had boldly traded two-time PCL MVP Paul Langel to Triple-A Des Moines in 1924, acquiring Krieger after he logged an insane .464 season. After spending 1925 on the bench, Krieger moved into the starting lineup and slashed .354/.450/.513, slashing 23 triples, 15 home runs, and driving in 136 runs, while also racking up 264 hits, scoring 163 times, and stealing 38 bases as he claimed his first MVP.

On the mound, another Angel, Tony Rodriguez was found toiling away in the Rocky Mountain League before being acquired in 1921. In each of his first five seasons in the PCL, the workhorse lefty won 30 or more games, including Pitcher of the Year honors in each of the PCL's final three minor league season. He dominated once again, going 31-15 with a 3.56 ERA, leading the league in wins for the fourth-straight year and strikeouts (215) for the fifth-straight campaign, logging 424.2 innings over 51 starts.

Minor League Champions
Southeastern League: Nashville Vols, 80-60, defeats Atlanta (2nd straight)
Colonial League: Scranton-Wilkes Barre Steamers, 85-41, defeats Albany
Texas League: El Paso Texans, 79-47, defeats Houston
River Valley League: Evansville Bees, 89-51 defeats Wichita
Rocky Mountain League: Ogden Railroaders, 84-42 defeated Boise
Coastal League: Charleston Cannons, 88-52, defeats Macon
Northern League: Superior Shippers, 85-41, defeats Lincoln
Great Lakes League: Akron Rubbermen, 84-57, defeats Grand Rapids
Southwest League: Tucson Javelinas, 84-70, defeats Phoenix
Southern Association: Jackson Junebugs, 72-54, defeats Beaumont (2nd straight)

[KCRoyals15]

1927

Following the success of the first coast-to-coast National Championship, the Eastern clubs voted once more to continue the arrangement, with the number of dissenting votes declining. Last year's Eastern champion and loser of the National Championship, Indianapolis, most notably flipped their vote to yes.

Also notable with the first generation of stars retired or barely hanging on, the EBF voted to establish a Hall of Fame, which would induct their inaugural class this summer...

The EBF saw it's closest pennant races in several years as no race was decided by more than four games. The big headline was in the Western League, where Kansas City's ten-year reign at the top ended, as Columbus earned their first WL crown, at the same time the Philadelphia Quakers took their first Eastern League title. The Chicago Whales won the Midwest Association for the first time in 22 years as well. Against all those new faces, the Boston Beaneaters won their fifth New England League title in six years.



Columbus and Chicago dueled for seven games, but the Cyclones blew the Whales back to the Windy City. Boston, meanwhile, took down the Quakers in six games. With a power and an upstart matching up, it was the new blood coming out on top, as Columbus dispatched Boston in five games for the EBF title.



Out in the PCL, Los Angeles' seven-year run at the top ended as Seattle took the pole position, while San Francisco edged out the Angels by a game for the other playoff spot. In a seven-game tussle, the Indians downed the Seals to earn their first PCL title and set up a date with Columbus.

In an improbable series of two first-time postseason participants, the Columbus Cyclones defeat the Seattle Indians, 4-2 to avenge Indianapolis' defeat from last year on behalf of the EBF.



The Chicago Whales' resurgence had been led by Matt Swanson, who had been a star since debuting in 1922. In his sixth season, the 31-year-old slashed .348/.436/.577, slashing 213 hits, scoring an EBF-best 137 runs and ripping 50 doubles, 21 triples, 16 homers, and 123 RBI, while adding 22 steals in his MVP campaign.

History was made in Beantown as Kevin Miranda became the first USBF pitcher to earn five Pitcher of the Year honors—all consecutively. He went 27-5 with a 2.62 ERA, leading the Federation in wins. It would be the final gasp for the 34-year-old, who's ERA would never be below 4.00 over the remaining five years of his career, perhaps spelling the end of his team's run of dominance as well...

Two hurlers reached the 300-win plateau, starting with Philadelphia Quakers right-hander Jon Pruitt. In his penultimate start of the season, Pruitt earned #300 on September 25. Just four days later, Kansas City's Phil Norris pulled off the feat in his final start of the season, putting a bow on a 17-year career that would end the following season.

Of note, longtime Cleveland ace Nicky Croucher, who finished his career with a couple seasons in the PCL, hung up his spikes after 20 years with a record 383 wins under his belt, all but ten of which came in a Buckeyes uniform.

The first EBF Hall of Fame class was voted on, and three inductees were chosen:

RHP Jim Greene (1900-15), 91.3%
RHP/1B Eric Maginn (1906-21), 82.7%
RHP John Mobley (1902-11), 78.2%



For the second year in a row, Jared Krieger dominated, leading the PCL with 26 homers and 166 RBI while also hitting .360 with 279 hits and 161 runs as he again won MVP.

Tony Rodriguez once more carried the load on the hill, going 29-19 with a 3.22 ERA. The workhorse led the PCL in wins, starts (52), innings (447.2) and strikeouts (207) as he took PCL Pitcher of the Year for the fifth straight year.

Minor League Champions
Southeastern League: New Orleans Pelicans, 81-60, defeats Atlanta
Colonial League: Worcester Tornadoes, 87-39, defeats Reading
Texas League: El Paso Texans, 76-50, defeats San Antonio (2nd straight)
River Valley League: Wichita Larks, 77-63, defeats Des Moines
Rocky Mountain League: Boise Broncos, 74-52 defeats Ogden
Coastal League: Miami Gators, 75-66, defeats Savannah
Northern League: Superior Shippers, 93-33, defeats Sioux City (2nd straight)
Great Lakes League: Flint Vehicles, 92-48, defeats Allentown
Southwest League: San Diego Gulls, 89-65, defeats Santa Barbara
Southern Association: Shreveport Captains, 69-57, defeats Jackson

[jksander]

Originally Posted by KCRoyals15

With that said, I do have saves on my old computer from decades back that might be a little more tenable. I'll dive into that sometime in December.

I'd definitely be game to do one of my hyper-detailed coach-every-game dynasties using any portion of this as a backdrop.

[KCRoyals15]

1928

The previous season saw three franchises ascend to the top of the standings for the first time and another did so here in 1928. The New Haven Weavers win the New England League for the first time, edging out the Boston Pilgrims and New York by one and two games, respectively. That wasn't the only close race, as Kansas City won the Western League by two games over Minneapolis.

The Midwest Association saw the Milwaukee Black Hawks win just their second pennant (first since 1919), while Washington won their third Eastern League crown in five years, winning a EBF-best 105 games.



The first round was all you could ask it to be. Washington got all they could handle from Kansas City, but the Senators take down the Blues in seven games. It was a similar story between Milwaukee and New Haven, where the Weavers extended their first postseason stay by winning a series that went the distance. Their luck ran out against Washington, though, and the Senators rolled to a four-game sweep to move on to the National Championship.



In the PCL, Los Angeles returned to the top of the standings after missing the postseason a year ago. Back for a second straight season was defending PCL champion Seattle, but the Angels outlasted the Indians for a seven-game series victory.

That set up a matchup of two teams located over 2,300 miles apart, setting up an interesting predicament. With the Senators wrapping up their series with New Haven quickly, Washington was sent on a westward train straight out of nearby New York Penn Station that same night. They arrived in San Francisco the day of game seven in the PCL, ready to go north to Seattle, or south to LA. After an Angles win, it was off to the City of Angels, as the first three games were played there before the series finished in Washington. Exhausting as the travel was, the Los Angeles Angels defeat Washington Senators, 4-2, making for a happy trip home after their second National Championship.



Washington outfielder Mike Nisim had his moments, winning Rookie of the Year in 1925, then leading the EBF in hits two years later. This season, he didn't lead the league in anything, but batting .358 with 35 doubles, 31 triples, 222 hits, 129 runs scored, and just FIVE strikeouts in 693 plate appearances was enough to earn him MVP honors.

For the first time since 1922, Eric Miranda was not the EBF Pitcher of the Year. His teammate Jason Holland won in '22...and won again this season. Holland led the EBF with 25 wins, 38 starts, 29 complete games, 336.1 innings, and 156 strikeouts, while also sporting a 2.08 ERA. It was the seventh straight POTY won by a Beaneater, but like usual, it was hard to argue otherwise.

Three players hit major milestones this summer, starting with St. Louis outfielder Mike George, who on April 2 became the first EBF player to reach 3,000 hits, kicking off his 18th and final season with a bang.

Two hurlers earned win #300. Columbus right-hander Rich Grebe was truly staggering to the finish line, but his penultimate win on June 10 was #300. Meanwhile, Cody Balser may have been more of a background character on some great Boston Beaneaters staffs, but it was him finishing up with 330 wins, all for Boston, earning his historic win on August 29.

The EBF welcomed their second Hall of Fame class this summer, welcoming in a pair of legends:

RHP Matt Evener (1909-22), 77.4%
2B Justin Emlet (1900-22), 76.4%



The Jared Krieger show continued in Los Angeles, as the Angels centerfielder posted another gaudy stat line: .356 average, 277 hits, 188 runs (a new PCL record), 33 doubles, 25 triple, 31 home runs (also a new league record), and 153 RBI. It was another easy choice, as Krieger won for the third year running.

Also for the third year running, it was Krieger's teammate Tony Rodriguez earning his flowers on the mound. Rodriguez went 25-17 with a 3.50 ERA, his worst season to date, but he still logged 393 innings and led the PCL with 203 strikeouts. It was the sixth consecutive Pitcher of the Year award for Rodriguez—and his last.

Minor League Champions
Southeastern League: Mobile Marines, 80-62, defeats Nashville
Colonial League: Reading Keystones, 78-48, defeats Worcester
Texas League: Houston Buffaloes, 76-50, defeats Dallas
River Valley League: Des Moines Demons, 89-52, defeats Wichita
Rocky Mountain League: Ogden Railroaders, 80-46, defeats Great Falls
Coastal League: Miami Gators, 89-51, defeats Savannah (2nd straight)
Northern League: Superior Shippers, 77-49, defeats Sioux City (3rd straight)
Great Lakes League: Allentown Brewers, 91-49, defeats Akron
Southwest League: Santa Barbara Foresters, 90-64, defeats Reno
Southern Association: Fort Smith Pioneers, 73-53, defeats Beaumont

[jksander]

A very solid season from New Haven ... I think they'll be back

[KCRoyals15]

1929

Three years of competition have resulted in National Championships including big-league teams from coast to coast. Renewed on a yearly basis, this year the EBF and PCL came to an agreement to play the annual championship in perpetuity, ending the "will-they, won't they" game of the past few winters.

In the EBF, three of the four pennant winners repeated, with Washington, New Haven, and Kansas City winning their respective leagues for a second-straight season. The Midwest Association, meanwhile, nearly saw Milwaukee repeat, but the Chicago Colts snapped a quarter-century drought with their first MWA flag since 1904, slipping past Milwaukee and St. Louis, who each finished just one game back.

On the flip side, the Cincinnati Tigers' struggles continued, finishing with a record total of 118 losses that would set an EBF standard of sucktitude for over a decade.



In search of their second-straight EBF title, Washington defeated Kansas City in six games, while Chicago battled New Haven for seven games, with the Colts coming out on top. Chicago then handled Washington, sinking the Senators in five games to take the EBF Championship.



For the third year in a row, Seattle made it's way into the PCL Championship, where they would face regular-season winner San Francisco. The Indians came through, though, as the Seals suffered a five-game defeat.

Seattle then met Chicago in the National Championship, but it was not a series. From the jump it was all Indians, as the Seattle Indians defeat the Chicago Colts, 4-0, giving Seattle their first National Championship. The PCL has now taken three of the first four National Championships they've been allowed to compete for.



In the EBF, Boston Beaneaters centerfielder Trevor Collins earned MVP honors for the second time. The 1925 winner put up arguably his best season, slashing .379/.438/.610 with 42 doubles, 27 home runs, an EBF-best 141 RBI, in addition to 240 hits and a Federation-best 155 runs. Collins seemed on-track to become an all-time great at just 28 years old and indeed put up two more MVP-caliber seasons, only to fall off the face of the earth and be out of the majors at 32...

For the first time in eight seasons, a Boston pitcher did not take home Pitcher of the Year. This time, Milwaukee righty Felix Cepeda took the honors. After being rushed to the majors at 20 and enduring three rough seasons, Cepeda blossomed in the back half of the decade and hit his peak at 27 years old, going 23-10 with a 2.46 ERA, leading the EBF in ERA and strikeouts, with 190. The latter mark was the second of a record nine strikeout titles for the righty.

The third class for the EBF Hall of Fame was a small one as just one inductee went in this season:

RHP Ray Simpson (1901-18), 80.0%



One of the great enigmas in baseball history burned bright out West as Los Angeles' Tyler Hecklinger earned MVP honors. He didn't debut until 29 years old for Pittsburgh, then was traded after his rookie season to LA. In his first season with the Angels, he slashed .366/.470/.595, leading the PCL in on-base, slugging, OPS, as well as homers (41) and RBIs (175), becoming the first player in the country to slam 40 home runs. Amazingly, Hecklinger only had two more seasons as an everyday player left, giving him one of the shortest careers of any MVP winner.

San Francisco right-hander Tommy Kingery spent five years with the Philadelphia Quakers, mostly in relief and often ineffective before being released in March, 1925. Signing with San Francisco, the Quakers would come to immediately regret that move. Kingery quickly came a top arm, culminating in a 34-14 campaign this season, leading the PCL in wins, innings (405.2), strikeouts (201) and complete games (37).

While MVP Tommy Hecklinger burned brightly for a short term, a similar description can fit Seattle outfielder John Fahey, who hit .396 to win his third batting title in four seasons. However, he would never play a full season again as injuries quickly took him off the field and sapped his production. He wound up hitting .363 during his PCL career.

Minor League Champions
Southeastern League: Mobile Marines, 92-48, defeats Atlanta (2nd straight)
Colonial League: Worcester Tornadoes, 79-47, defeats Reading
Texas League: San Antonio Missions, 86-40, defeats El Paso
River Valley League: Wichita Larks, 101-39, defeats Des Moines
Rocky Mountain League: Ogden Railroaders, 87-39, defeats Boise (2nd straight)
Coastal League: Tampa Tarpons, 77-63, defeats Miami
Northern League: Duluth Dukes, 70-56, defeats La Crosse
Great Lakes League: Allentown Brewers, 86-54, defeats Youngstown
Southwest League: Phoenix Firebirds, 84-70, defeats San Diego
Southern Association: Beaumont Exporters, 74-52, defeats Little Rock

[KCRoyals15]

1930

In 1929, the Los Angeles Angels finished in fourth place, their lowest finish since 1917, their first season under The Skipper. As it so happened, '29 would be his final season, as he resigned the day after the final game of the regular season, finishing with a final record of 1672-928 (.643), winning five PCL titles, two National Championships, and not only revived a flagging franchise—he was considered the driving force in the Pacific Coast League's elevation to a major league.

A few weeks later, he announced his next project: the New York Gothams, who were coming off a fifth-place finish and had not won the New England League in 17 seasons.

With The Skipper in charge, a huge market, and a big budget, the rebuild took virtually no time as the Gothams leaped 29 wins to a 105-51 finish, romping to a NEL title. Three leagues were won by ten games, though by some surprising subjects.

In the Eastern League, the Philadelphia Quakers won their second pennant, while the Minneapolis Millers took their first-ever Western League crown. In the Midwest Association, the St. Louis Browns took the MWA for the first time in seven season, finishing three games of the Chicago Colts.

Offense reached record heights, as the EBF hit .303 and scored a record 5.7 runs per game, with a 4.95 league ERA that remains a record. New York set a still-standing record by scoring 1,107 runs, slashing .329/.387/.503 as a team.



As the top seed, New York took down St. Louis in a six-game set to open the playoffs, while Minneapolis' run continued with a five-game victory over Philadelphia. However, the Millers were no match for the Gothams, as New York took the Eastern crown with a five-game series win.



The PCL, meanwhile, also saw the bats go berserk (5.8 runs per game, .300 league average, 5.02 league ERA). The Los Angeles Angels set a still-standing PCL record by slugging .490 as a team, while scoring 1,375 runs—a mark that three-quarters of a century later is still unmatched in the USBF.

All that offense was just enough to push the Angels one game ahead of the Seattle Indians for the second PCL playoff spot, though they finished five games behind San Francisco for the PCL pennant.

San Francisco followed up their regular-season crown with a postseason one, dispatching Los Angeles in five games to set up a matchup with New York. The Seals, though, were no match for the Gothams, as the New York Gothams defeat the San Francisco Seals, 4-0 to earn New York's third National Championship.



Outfielder Tyreek Norman hit .363 and led the Southeastern League with 27 home runs for Birmingham in 1929. He began 1930 back in the Iron City, but on May 23, The Skipper forked over $100,000 and a player (backup infielder Brad Brothers) for Norman. Oh, what a move that would be. In just 115 games in his debut season, the 23-year-old torched the EBF, slashing .405/460/.828 with 200 hits, 142 runs, 29 doubles, 39 triples, 34 homers, and 127 RBI. The slugging percentage mark and his 1.288 OPS remain an EBF record. Needless to say, it was an easy choice for Rookie of the Year and MVP.

While everyone else was hitting, established ace Mike Chapman moved across town from the Philadelphia A's to the Quakers in a trade before the 1930 season and began a strong five-season run by posting a career-best 3.05 ERA, going 21-10 and leading the EBF with 206 strikeouts in 306.2 innings as he won Pitcher of the Year.

Boston Beaneaters mainstay Jason Holland posted a great season of his own (24-8, 3.58 ERA), but the real story of his season was his 300th win, which came on September 1. Longtime St. Louis Browns righty Myles Nichols earned his own 300th win on June 28.

New York first baseman Tony Colunga set an all-time EBF record by scoring 175 runs.

Of note, three EBF players hit over .400, with Louisville's John Huffman earning the first of three batting titles by hitting.426 and the Chicago Colts' outfielder Jake Carroll hit .421—the top two marks in EBF history. That aptly summed up the career of Carroll, who owns the EBF career record by hitting .380 (Huffman is second at .369) over ten seasons...and won exactly ONE batting title (.386 in 1928) and no MVPs and isn't in the Hall of Fame.

Speaking of which, the Hall of Fame inductions saw one inductee:

RHP David Devlin (1904-21, '24), 92.6%



After a one-year sabbatical, Los Angeles' Jared Krieger won his fourth MVP in five years with another stellar season: .377/.449/.631 slash, 293 hits, 192 runs, 63 doubles, 21 triples, 31 home runs, 170 RBI. Amazingly, none of those counting numbers led the league, though he did rack up a dizzying 491 total bases, a record that would stand for over half a century.

Pitching in the 1930 PCL was a thankless task, but San Francisco's Mike Overall did it better than anyone, going 28-8 with a 3.68, leading the league in both categories, while logging 325 innings.

Seattle's Jose Rosario had the extreme misfortune of playing at the same time as Krieger's prime, so he never won an MVP, but he hit .361 lifetime and won three batting titles, including a .388 mark this season. That culminated in a PCL-record 314 hits and 194 runs scored, while recording 104 extra-base hits despite just three homers (thanks to 60 doubles and 41 triples—just two behind his own record from 1928).

Another still-standing PCL record was set by 26-year-old rookie first baseman Jarrod Ruppert of Seattle, who was both responsible for and a beneficiary of Rosario's records. Ruppert drove in 211 runs, becoming still the only USBF player to eclipse 200 RBIs in a campaign. Unsurprisingly, he won Rookie of the Year.
.
Minor League Champions
Southeastern League: Norfolk Admirals, 92-48, defeats Mobile
Colonial League: Reading Keystones, 71-55, defeats Worcester
Texas League: El Paso Texans, 75-51, defeat Dallas
River Valley League: Des Moines Demons, 96-44, defeats Wichita
Rocky Mountain League: Boise Broncos, 84-42, defeats Ogden
Coastal League: Miami Gators, 85-55, defeats Charlotte
Northern League: Lincoln Lions, 71-55, defeats Duluth
Great Lakes League: Youngstown Steelers, 106-34, defeats Akron
Southwest League: Fresno Raisin Eaters, 111-43, defeats Santa Barbara
Southern Association: Little Rock Travelers, 82-44, defeats Beaumont

Fresno set a Southwest League record that still stands with their 111 wins.

[KCRoyals15]

1931

After the inflated offensive levels of the previous years, the USBF stepped in and introduced slightly deader baseballs to try and balance the scales between hitting and pitching and it works: scoring dropped by .7 runs per game and batting averages fell by 20 points.

New York and St. Louis repeated, winning the New England League and Midwest Association, respectively. Meanwhile, the Washington Senators won a franchise-record 108 games, winning the Eastern League for the fifth time in eight years. Kansas City, meanwhile, won just 88 games, but edged out Memphis by a game and Minneapolis by two to win the Western League for the 24th time in 32 years.



Despite a 20-win disparity between the two teams, Kansas City pulled off a huge upset in the Eastern Semifinals, defeating Washington in a seven-game series, while New York also pulled off a six-game upset over a St. Louis squad that won ten more games during the season. In the Eastern Championship, it was New York coming away with a victory, earning their fourth National Championship and second in a row with a five-game victory.



The PCL saw the Los Angeles Angels return to the top spot, while San Francisco and Seattle tied for second at 117-83, requiring a one-game playoff which the Seals won for the right to face the Angels. In a seven-game tussle, Los Angeles took the Pacific Coast League title.

For the second straight season, it was a true transcontinental series as New York and Los Angeles squared off, though the Gothams’ quest to repeat was dashed as the Los Angeles Angels defeat New York Gothams, 4-2 to win their third National Championship—all in a six-year stretch.



For the second time, we see a star two-way player earn an MVP award, as Detroit’s Robert Stinson earned the honors. He turned in his only 20-win season, going 20-15 with a career-best 3.23 ERA. On top of that, the soft-tossing lefty appeared in 134 games at the plate, and slashed /350/.393/.463 with 19 doubles, 10 triples, 6 homers, and 59 RBI, stealing 34 bases along the way.

On the hill, New York ace D.J. Schreck reached his peak, going 29-8 with a 2.50 ERA, leading the EBF in wins, starts (40), and innings (339) in a rather easy vote. Amazingly, despite a long and distinguished career, this would be Schreck’s only POTY award.

Minneapolis shortstop Kevin Penhorwood previously won an MVP in 1925 and has had a strong decade-long run that was capped off by setting an EBF record by swatting 72 doubles this season, while hitting .347 and driving in 134 runs. For mystifying reasons, though, Penhorwood showed up in 1932 a shell of himself and was out of baseball a year later. He only recorded 45 hits after swatting 218 of them in 1931.

Two arms earned their 300th win, as Washington RHP Mike Sasser picked up his milestone win on July 1, amidst a resurgent 24-4 season at the age of 39. Meanwhile, just two days later, Kansas City’s Tony Stewart also earned number 300. Like Sasser, he also won 20 games (20-13 record) this season at 39 years old.

In the Hall of Fame elections, three titans on the mound earned their due:

RHP Justin Rodrigues (1910-25), 99.1%
RHP Nicky Croucher (1908-25), 96.1%
RHP Andy Epperson (1906-25), 87.7%



Another year, another Jared Krieger MVP award, his fifth in six seasons. This was arguably the worst of those five campaigns—and he still slashed .339/.410/.525 and 265 hits, a league-leading 168 runs, 51 doubles, 20 triples, 18 homers, and 135 RBI. All-in-all, it added up to some more hardware.

More hardware went to San Francisco righty Mike Overall. The 36-year-old went 25-11 with a career-best 2.69 ERA, leading the PCL with 44 starts and logging a career-most 344.2 innings on his way to a second-straight Pitcher of the Year vote.

Minor League Champions
Southeastern League: Mobile Marines, 87-53, defeats Atlanta
Colonial League: Binghamton Smokers, 80-46, defeats Worcester
Texas League: San Antonio Missions, 77-50, defeats Houston
River Valley League: Wichita Larks, 93-47, defeats Dayton
Rocky Mountain League: Boise Broncos, 79-48, defeats Ogden (2nd straight)
Coastal League: Charlotte Hornets, 82-58, defeats Jacksonville
Northern League: Sioux City Cornhuskers, 72-54, defeats Lincoln
Great Lakes League: Akron Rubbermen, 84-56, defeats Allentown
Southwest League: Fresno Raisin Eaters, 97-57, defeats San Diego (2nd straight)
Southern Association: Shreveport Captains, 67-59, defeats Beaumont

[jksander]

Really enjoying following this world

[KCRoyals15]

1932

By 1932, it was evident that a new hierarchy was emerging in the Eastern Baseball Federation. For the third year in a row, the New York Gothams ran roughshod over the New England League, this time in a manner never seen before. New York romped to a record 114 wins, a mark that would stand for over four decades.

Meanwhile, repeats occurred in the Midwest Association and Western League, as St. Louis and Kansas City took those leagues once more. In the Eastern League, the Philadelphia Quakers won 103 games to fend off Washington to fill out the EBF field.

Of note, after a lean decade, the Rochester Stars changed their name to the Red Wings. The move did not pay off right away as the Red Wings finished 60 games back.



“Stunning,” said Kansas City Blues manager Jerome Moss. “Of course I believed in my boys, but I never thought it would’ve been this easy.” The ‘it’ he was referring to was a stunning first-round upset, as the 85-win Blues defeated a New York team that won 29 more games…and needed just five games to do it. Philadelphia took down St. Louis in six games to earn a date with Kansas City. As it turned out, KC had another upset in them, as the Blues took down the Quakers in seven games for one of the more improbable EBF title runs to date.



Out west, the San Francisco Seals turned in the best season seen in the Pacific Coast League since the PCL attained major-league status, cruising to 135 victories and a 24-game margin of victory in the league standings. The Seals took care of business in the PCL Championship, knocking off Los Angeles in six games to earn a date with the Kansas City Blues.

After slaying two goliaths, the Blues looked to do it again, but this time the Seals showed they were the better team, as the San Francisco Seals defeat the Kansas City Blues, 4-1 to lift San Francisco to their first National Championship.



Since bursting onto the scene two years prior, New York’s Tyreek Norman has remained one of the top players in the country. In his third season, he claimed his second MVP, slashing .354/.417/.725 with 42 doubles, 33 triples, 42 home runs, and 136 RBI. Norman led the EBF in home runs and RBI, as well as 158 runs scored. On top of that, he set a still-standing EBF record with 457 total bases and stole 42 bases, giving him the first 40-40 season in USBF history.

Just like Norman, Philadelphia Quakers righty Mike Chapman earned his second Pitcher of the Year award in three seasons. Chapman posted an EBF-best 2.32 ERA, going 24-8 over 302.2 innings, striking out 169 batters.

Two more pitchers earned election to the Hall of Fame this season. Through six years of voting, only one position player has been elected.

RHP Leon Estrada (1909-26), 81.6%
RHP Jesus Robles (1908-26), 78.9%



The Mission Reds have long been the second team in San Francisco, meaning their players had largely toiled in mediocrity. However, a perennial solid player in Rich Newsome put it all together, hitting .334 with a league-leading 32 home runs, adding 44 doubles, 15 triples, and 225 hits as he set career highs in most offensive categories.

On the hill, San Francisco’s Tommy Kingery was already a well-known commodity, having earned Pitcher of the Year three years prior. He turned in a 25-12 campaign with a 3.27 ERA, leading the PCL in wins for the third and final time. Kingery also logged a league-leading 361 innings and struck out 157 batters.

Minor League Champions
Southeastern League: Nashville Vols, 93-62, defeats Atlanta
Colonial League: Syracuse Mohawks, 73-53, defeats Worcester
Texas League: El Paso Texans, 80-60, defeats Galveston
River Valley League: Peoria Distillers, 83-57, defeats Evansville
Rocky Mountain League: Ft. Collins Grizzlies, 70-56, defeats Colorado Springs
Coastal League: Jacksonville Tars, 100-54, defeats Charlotte
Northern League: Duluth Dukes, 86-40, defeats Sioux City
Great Lakes League: Youngstown Steelers, 94-46, defeats Akron
Southwest League: Fresno Raisin Eaters, 99-55, defeats Santa Barbara (3rd straight)
Southern Association: Shreveport Captains, 81-59, defeats Little Rock (2nd straight)

The last several seasons had seen the Southwest League rack up record levels of offense. 1931 was notable for Aaron Dawson of the Los Angeles Conquistadors (and a future Hall of Famer for Detroit) set all-time professional baseball records by hitting .512 and stroking 328 hits (in just 147 games). That culminated in 1932, when the SWL posted a league-wide 6.56 ERA and hit .358 collectively. Cullie Kiss of Fresno set more all-time records, scoring 198 runs and driving in 225, both of which have yet to be equaled in any league.

The stronger, more established leagues also extended their schedules, as the Southeastern and Coastal Leagues stretch their seasons to 154 games, while the Texas League and Southern Associations moved to 140-game slates.

[KCRoyals15]

1933

In the first 33 years of the United States/Eastern Baseball Federation, one constant has always held: all 32 teams remaining in their respective cities year after year. That trend was broken with the departure of the Providence Patriots after the 1932 season. Even in their best years times were tough in the smallest market in the Federation, but declining results and the worst attendance in the USBF were too much, and so the Patriots were on the move, setting up shop in Norfolk, Virginia. The port city would now be a big-league town, as the Norfolk Admirals were ready to play.

On the field, three of the four pennant winners repeated once more, with the Philadelphia Quakers heads and shoulders above the pack with 108 wins. The Indianapolis Hoosiers won their first Midwest Association crown since 1925 by outpacing three teams in a tight race. New York regressed by 21 games, but still won the New England League for the fourth year running, while Kansas City won their third-straight Western League belt.



For the second year in a row, the Kansas City Blues came into the postseason as the bottom seed, only to issue a striking blow to the Federation’s top team. The Blues quieted the Quakers in six games to set up a duel with Indianapolis, who also needed six games to dispatch New York. KC and Indy dueled for seven games, but for the second year in a row, a Blues squad with less than 90 wins the EBF.



Since their last championship in 1920, the Sacramento Solons were consistently above .500 and finishing third or fourth, but could not take that next step until overcoming San Francisco for the PCL’s best record. However, defending champion San Francisco cruised to a second-place finish, then proceeded to rip through Sacramento with a four-game sweep to earn their second-straight PCL crown and 13th league title overall.

For the second year in a row, San Francisco and Kansas City traded blows in the National Championship, the first time the previous year’s matchup would be repeated. This year’s series was closer that last, but in the end, the San Francisco Seals defeat the Kansas City Blues, 4-3, as the Seals earn their second consecutive title.

The PCL, like the EBF, saw a franchise on the move. After troubles in the timberland, the Portland Beavers moved down the coast to become the Pacific Coast League’s second San Diego franchise, this time as the Padres.



After the 1930 season, the Memphis Chicks sent backup first baseman James Parrish to the Chicago Whales. In return, they received an outfielder just coming off an unimpressive rookie season by the name of George Wrazen. It was a trade that worked out better than expected for both. Parrish hit .323 over the next 13 years, including an eight-year stretch with just two games missed. Wrazen, meanwhile, became a legitimate star for the next few seasons, culminating in his 1933 campaign, in which he slashed .356/.452/.584, leading the EBF in on-base, slugging, and OPS, while also leading the Federation with 141 runs scored, in addition to 212 hits, 41 doubles, 25 triples, 15 home runs, and 97 RBIs. Add in an insane 105-to-14 walk-to-strikeout ratio and almost dragging Memphis to the pennant was more than enough to earn Wrazen his due.

It was easy to wonder if Philadelphia Quakers ace Mike Chapman had an encore left after two Pitcher of the Year awards in three seasons. Turns out, yes he did. Chapman won a career-high 26 games, leading the EBF in that and with a 2.48 ERA over 301.2 innings.

Right-hander Cory Vestal spent his entire 13-year career with Louisville, save for two years smack in the middle of it with New York. Maybe the best pitcher of the 30’s to not win a Pitcher of the Year, Vestal had one of his worst years in 1933, going 15-13 with a 3.67 ERA, but produced the biggest highlight of his career. On August 8, Vestal went 27-up, 27-down against Buffalo, striking out four in just an 87-pitch performance, twirling the fifth perfect game in EBF history.

In the Hall of Fame voting, no one earned induction, with the top voter earning 72.8%--just shy of induction.



Even though the Los Angeles Angels were never a factor in the playoff race, a familiar face showed up atop the MVP ballots. Yep, it was Jared Krieger, bringing home his unprecedented sixth MVP award. Amidst all his heroics, he had never won a batting title, though he did that finally, slashing .373/.449/.566, leading the PCL in all three marks. In addition, he swatted 247 hits, 41 doubles, 21 triples, 15 homers, drove in 124 runs and scored 151 times. It was the final MVP for a legend who essentially played only ten seasons, but firmly established himself as the face of the Pacific Coast League’s first decade as a big-league loop.

Sacramento right-hander BJ Pena was as durable as it gets and put up some big numbers for well over a decade because of it. This season, Pena won a career-best 27 games, posting a 2.63 ERA as he fronted Sacramento’s pennant-winning rotation. It was the crowning achievement after an arduous decade in the California capital.

That wasn’t all, though, as Pena also pulled off a feat of history. On March 21, Pena needed just 78 pitches to retire all 27 LA Angels in the fifth perfect game in PCL history. Not only that, though, it was the first no-hitter thrown in the PCL in nearly a decade and just the second of the live ball era. Certain a historic evening.

Minor League Champions
Southeastern League: Atlanta Crackers, 89-65, defeats New Orleans
Colonial League: Worcester Tornadoes, 79-61, defeats Binghamton
Texas League: Oklahoma City Indians, 78-62, defeats El Paso
River Valley League: Dayton Inventors, 89-51, defeats Des Moines
Rocky Mountain League: Butte Copper Kings, 64-62, defeats Ft. Collins
Coastal League: Savannah Cardinals, 93-61, defeats Jacksonville
Northern League: Duluth Dukes, 83-43, defeats Sioux City (2nd straight)
Great Lakes League: Youngstown Steelers, 87-53, defeats Harrisburg (2nd straight)
Southwest League: San Jose Gulls, 89-66, defeats Fresno
Southern Association: Shreveport Captains, 78-63, defeats Beaumont (3rd straight)

The Colonial League matched several other loops in playing longer seasons, with the northeastern circuit moving to a 140-game slate.