Out of the Shadows: The Eclipse League

[luckymann]

A spate of wild scorelines to round off July for some reason, and the Mons get into the act with J-Ram becoming the first EL player to drive in 10 runs in a single game against the BBs. Two grand slams does almost all of the damage.

[luckymann]

Nothing even close to set in stone as yet and this 1976 Eclipse League season looks headed for a big, big finish.

The Giants have indeed given up their FC National lead, although it is the Red Sox and not the Monarchs who have supplanted them and now own the "biggest" lead of the four groupings.

• FC BATTER OF THE MONTH: Wyman Smith (Royal Giants) 338 / 8 HR / 27 RBI.
• FC PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Martin Dihigo (Red Sox) 5-0 / 2.08 / 25 K / 39 IP.
• FC ROOKIE OF THE MONTH: Joel Pineiro (Giants) 3-1 / 4.14 / 30 K / 37 IP.
• WC BATTER OF THE MONTH: Eric Chavez (American Giants) 341 / 9 HR / 23 RBI.
• WC PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Fergie Jenkins (American Giants) 5-0 / 3.10 / 38 K / 49.1 IP.
• WC ROOKIE OF THE MONTH: Bob Oliver (Lincoln Giants) 347 / 2 HR / 18 RBI.

Thought I'd start putting the interesting items from the trade log in each month as well.

Along somewhat similar lines in the TL, although the Black Sox look relatively comfortable and the Clowns just seem to have their rivals covered. Still, plenty of games left for all that to change.

• CAC BATTER OF THE MONTH: Clarence Smith (Stars) 420 / 3 HR / 16 RBI.
• CAC PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Johnny Taylor (Choo-Choos) 6-0 / 1.72 / 39 K / 52.1 IP.
• FRC BATTER OF THE MONTH: Carl Everett (Bears) 398 / 6 HR / 20 RBI.
• FRC PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Johnny Johnson (Wolves) 3-0 / 2.25 / 8 SV / 14 K / 16 IP.

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Irvin Brooks first came to my attention because of some confusion regarding his import - from memory, I think he appears in the DB as "Chester", which is one of his nicknames. (FWIW, the one I have used here is ID brooks000che with 1917 as the import year.)

Whatever the case, the real Irvin "Chester" Brooks played his entire 15-season NeL career with the Brooklyn Royal Giants, which makes him an extreme rarity in the peripatetic nature of that organisation. He was a more than handy player, slashing 306/365/447 lifetime with a 130 OPS+, and EC sees him in equally lofty terms, allocating him nearly 30 WAR in his MLEs.

Jim Riley has a couple of paragraphs on him, but mistakenly calls him Chester and places his birth in the Bahamas vs Key West FL as per Seamheads. Still, JR is also a fan, calling Brooks one of the NeL's "most underpublicized stars".

He's certainly coming along quite nicely in the EL as well. Drafted 32nd overall by Baltimore in the 1970 Draft, he is still with the club but in his walk year. To this point, he has a 266/334/380 line with 54 HR and is approaching 7 bWAR. After a down year in 1975, he is en route to a career-best season in the one presently underway and was selected to the ASG for the first time. His EGs are embroiled in an epic struggle with the LibStars in the WC American, and will no doubt be looking for him to keep his performance at this high level to try and make it back to the playoffs after their maiden appearance last year.

[luckymann]

At 10GB, there seems little chance of post-season action for the Buckeyes this year, but they still manage to show what they are capable of on their day from time to time.

[luckymann]

The AGs are edging themselves toward a long-overdue WCN win but still have some work to do. Just 4 games separate the leaders from the pack in each of the other three races. Brooklyn's chances of running down the BYs have taken a double hit with Buck Leonard suffering a setback with his wrist injury that rules him out for the rest of the season and then, just a week later, backup Catcher Bruce Maxwell also gone for the year to properly test the depth chart.

• FC BATTER OF THE MONTH: Roberto Alomar (Royal Giants) 354 / 5 HR / 18 RBI.
• FC PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Javier Vazquez (Monarchs) 5-1 / 2.64 / 40 K / 47.2 IP.
• FC ROOKIE OF THE MONTH: Frank Wickware (Crawfords) 3-0 / 1.21 / 15 K / 29.2 IP.
• WC BATTER OF THE MONTH: Carlos Delgado (Athletics) 390 / 8 HR / 27 RBI.
• WC PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Frank Castillo (American Giants) 5-0 / 2.14 / 27 K / 50.1 IP.
• WC ROOKIE OF THE MONTH: Paco Rodriguez (Liberty Stars) 2-0 / 0.00 / 8 SV / 13 K / 13 IP.

The TL has tightened right up again and looks destined for a huge finish. Chattanooga's "Steel Arm" Johnny Taylor is giving the CC pitching triple crown a good run.

• CAC BATTER OF THE MONTH: Eric Thames (White Sox) 362 / 11 HR / 38 RBI.
• CAC PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Johnny Taylor (Choo-Choos) 4-2 / 2.90 / 36 K / 49.2 IP.
• FRC BATTER OF THE MONTH: Carl Everett (Bears) 356 / 8 HR / 24 RBI.
• FRC PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Ariel Prieto (Wolves) 5-0 / 3.09 / 27 K / 46.2 IP.

[luckymann]

Everything closes out rather cleanly with no late drama to be had.

So the Wolves continue their run and are now looking for an unbelievable fourth straight title. Of the four playoff combatants, they are the only club to have won it all - both the Black Sox and Eagles are having their fourth tilt, while this is the first post-season appearance for the Choo-Choos.

[luckymann]

We will indeed have a first-time winner in the Transit League this year as Baltimore knocks Detroit out and Chattanooga sneaks home against poor old Brooky in five.

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Only pride left to play for in this year's Cuban Stars H2H, with the East already eliminated and the West soon to befall the same fate.

Still, the East will be disappointed with how easy they were to be disposed of yet again, being swept - at home, no less - and outscored by an ugly 26 to 4. This, the second successive sweep for the West, extends their running lead to 6-3.

[luckymann]

Chattanooga is too strong, defeating Baltimore in six for their maiden Transit League title.

[luckymann]

Sadly, this final OotS feature for 1976 concerns another player on whom there is not much available light to spot.

According to Seamheads, Herman Dunlap played just three NeL seasons, almost entirely for the American Giants, in the second half of the 1930s. He rates just one unenlightening paragraph in Jim Riley's book, and none in any of my other sources. Squat. Zip. Bupkis. He doesn't even feature in EC's MLE group. Which means that, apart from those raw stats, all I can tell you is that he also replaced Bullet Rogan in the OF for the West in the 1936 East-West game and went 1-for-2 with a run scored, and died aged 70 in 1978.

His EL avatar is proving harder to keep in the dark. He was drafted 15th overall by the Dodgers in 1971 and in the nearly five seasons since he has been most productive indeed, with 15 bWAR to his name already, along with a 1972 Championship ring and an MVP award from that year's Fleet Conference Series. His career slash currently sits at a not-too-shabby 261/331/402 with 76 HR and 358 RBI, and he led the league with 44 doubles last year.

He is currently in his walk year and remains unsigned, which means it is very likely he'll be up for grabs in the offseason and headed to a new club. We'll keep tabs on him whatever the case.

Here's a career update for all of the players featured to this point.

Hitters




Pitchers

EDIT: In the final week of the regular season, Herman has the best game of his career belting 3 solo HR against the BYs. Nice timing for an impending FA.

[luckymann]

A quite bizarre finish to the 1976 EL season, one without any true late drama per se, and yet it so easily could have. The Red Sox @ West series to end the season that had been looming so large ends up being a dead rubber as Memphis does just enough to salute the judge the day before it begins. Meanwhile, despite clinching early, three of the four Conference champs fairly limp into the playoffs with some ordinary form indeed - only Philly manages a winning (7-3) record over the closing 10. The BYs have a decision to make, with ace CC Sabathia struggling with elbow soreness - will they rest him for the Conference Championship or run the risk?

The final standings look like this:

That's a new EL record of 105 losses set by the LGs, in fact the first time any WC club has lost 100. They go a combined 13-39 for August and September.

Batting crowns to Rod Carew (333, 3rd) and Bob Oliver (339, 1st). Hank Thompson's 42 HR lead either league, as do Carlos Delgado's 129 RBI. Carlos also finishes top 3 across the TC cats and sets a new SLG season mark with 641, while new highs are also set by Juan Samuel with 54 doubles and Sonny Harris with 24 triples. Samuel is pipped by one in the SB department, which Alfredo Griffin leads with 64.

Louis Dula and Nate Moreland's 22 wins are the EL's most, same goes with the 35 saves by Tom Cox and Paco Rodriguez. Gene Collins fans an amazing 327 hitters, in the process setting a new record with his 10.36 K/9. Edsall Walker's 2.40 ERA is this season's lowest, and even more impressive when you consider that, among qualified pitchers, only he, ShoTime (2.78) and Connie Rector (2.84) finished the season under 3. Their ERA+ numbers for the year are 173, 151 and 149, respectively.

Award-winners for September:

• FC BATTER OF THE MONTH: Barry Bonds (Black Yankees) 337 / 11 HR / 25 RBI.
• FC PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Don Newcombe (West) 4-2 / 2.51 / 46 K / 46.2 IP.
• FC ROOKIE OF THE MONTH: Mike Easler (Black Barons) 396 / 7 HR / 19 RBI.
• WC BATTER OF THE MONTH: Carlos Delgado (Athletics) 365 / 6 HR / 26 RBI.
• WC PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Claude Grier (Buckeyes) 4-1 / 0.60 / 5 SV / 12 K / 15 IP.
• WC ROOKIE OF THE MONTH: Lefty Moses (Athletics) 3-1 / 1.35 / 6 SV / 18 K / 13.1 IP.

Final Top 20s

Hitters - Overall

Hitters - NeLers

Pitchers - Overall

Pitchers - NeLers

News and final leaders

[luckymann]

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER

PITCHER OF THE YEAR

RELIEVER OF THE YEAR

[luckymann]

Fleet Conference

New York Black Yankees (91-71) v Memphis Red Sox (89-73)

Best of seven, Black Yankees with home-field advantage.

• The BYs opt to go without their injured Talisman CC Sabathia.
• The Red Sox always look comfortable here and, if not for a couple bullpen implosions, would have swept the series.
• Instead, they take it out in six with Rod Carew named MVP.

Weldy Conference

Chicago American Giants (93-69) v Philadelphia Liberty Stars (91-71)

Best of seven, American Giants with home-field advantage.

• Despite them only finishing two games apart in the standings, this always looks like a tough get for the LibStars, and so it proves as the AGs' class shines through and they dispose of Philly in five.
• Chicago catcher Alex Avila wins the series MVP award.

[luckymann]

Chicago American Giants v Memphis Red Sox

Best of seven, American Giants with home-field advantage.

• It is almost impossible to believe that, in the EL's 9th season, this is the first time the AGs have made the final stage.
• They have gone relatively quietly about their business all year and have that winning look about them. Still, that means little once "Play Ball!" has been called, and the Red Sox have shown that they'll be no pushover here.
• All the same, I just think it is Chicago's time and that they'll handle the Memphis mob in five or six.

Once again my prognostication skills are shown to be completely off base as the Red Sox triumph in six exceptionally well-played and generally competitive games for their second EL Championship.

Alejandro Oms is a most deserving MVP, pacing the Memphis offence with an outstanding 13-for-25 / 5 RBI performance.

Game 1





Game 2





Game 3





Game 4





Game 5





Game 6

[luckymann]

GRANT MEDAL (MOST VALUABLE PLAYER)

STOVEY MEDAL (PITCHER OF THE YEAR)

WHITE PLATE (RELIEVER OF THE YEAR)




FOWLER MEDAL (ROOKIE OF THE YEAR)




GARRETT BUTTON (MANAGER OF THE YEAR)

FC: Mark Ballard, Red Sox
WC: Ryan Reed, American Giants


KINDLING AWARD (SILVER SLUGGER)
FC / WC




SLICK AWARD (GOLD GLOVE)
FC / WC

[luckymann]

Another influx of quality players coming into the EL via the Draft and Free-Agency. Cat A NeLers this year are Agustin Bejerano and Nip Winters, with the mighty Cristobal Torriente the FA, while big names among the inbound MLBers include Joe Carter, Jose Valentin and Felipe Alou. There is already a buzz going around for next year's class, as the league goes from strength to strength.

It is the LGs with the first overall selection this year, and they use it on shortstop Jose Valentin.

Here's Round 1 in its totality:

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Atlantic City Bacharach Giants

Brooklyn Royal Giants

Newark Dodgers

New York Black Yankees

Pittsburgh Crawfords

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Birmingham Black Barons

Cuban Stars West

Kansas City Monarchs

Memphis Red Sox

St. Louis Giants