The National Pastime: The United States Baseball Federation rises

[KCRoyals15]

1951

The Southern Conference saw a pair of excellent races, with Baltimore winning the Eastern League, though Jacksonville had to hold off three more teams to take the second playoff spot. In the Western League, the Minneapolis Millers won their first pennant since 1930 and played in the postseason for just the third time, edging Kansas City out by a game. However, the Blues secured their spot by just one game, as three more teams were within four games.

The Northern Conference wasn't quite as close, though after Manhattan won New England, Albany needed a 161st game to break a tie over New York for the second bid. Chicago and Indianapolis had the two best records in the entire EBF and took the Midwest Association playoff spots.

On the flip side, the last of three-straight 100-loss seasons for Omaha saw the Golden Spikes bottom out at 118 losses, tied for second-most in EBF history.



The North saw no surprises, as Chicago downed Albany in five games and Indianapolis mastered Manhattan in six. In the South, Jacksonville defeated Minneapolis in five and Baltimore bested Kansas City in six. Indianapolis then cut down Chicago and Baltimore beat Jacksonville in a pair of six-game series.

In the Eastern Baseball Federation finals, the Indianapolis Hoosiers cruised to the EBF title with a four-game sweep over the Terrapins.



In the PCL, the Hollywood Stars dominated from start to finish, winning 125 games (their most since 1906) and besting the field by 17 games. Oddly, San Diego, San Francisco, and Seattle all tied for second at 108-92 to snag the other three playoff spots.

In the first round, the Stars cruised to a five-game victory over the Rainiers. Meanwhile, San Diego went the distance to best San Francisco in a seven-game series. Hollywood then swept the Padres to win the PCL for the third time in seven years.

In the National Championship, a pair of well-rested teams squared off, with the Indianapolis Hoosiers defeating the Hollywood Stars, 4-2 to lift the Hoosiers to their third National Championship and first in 14 seasons.



28-year-old Columbus rookie Bobby Metzger burst onto the scene, slashing .341/.451/.607 with 184 hits, 104 hits, 36 doubles, a conference-high 34 homers, and 113 RBI to earn Rookie of the Year and MVP, setting nearly all of his career highs in his very first season.

That paled in comparison to Nick Stephan of Cleveland, who as a 26-year-old rookie went 20-8 with a NC-leading 2.10 ERA (and seven shutouts) over 282.1 innings. Almost immediately, the injury bug bit Stephen hard. Despite a career ERA of 2.74, he only made 92 big-league starts and never pitched more than 94.0 innings after '51, throwing his final major league pitch at 33. 20 of his 39 career wins came this season.

Two years after earning Rookie of the Year, hard-hitting 31-year-old Memphis outfielder Luis Delgado earned Southern Conference MVP by slashing .319/.411/.572 with 181 hits, 29 doubles, a conference-best 37 home runs and 103 RBI.

For a second year in a row, Louisville lefty Sam Loewe led the South in wins, going 22-10 with a 3.04 ERA. The 24-year-old also led the conference in innings (298.2), strikeouts (190), and shutouts (5). Despite this promising start tohis career, Loewe lost 21 games the next season and never fully recovered as he threw his final big-league pitch at 31.

After hitting a PCL-leading 43 homers and winning Rookie of the Year in 1950, Sacramento shockingly moved Danny Quinones to Hollywood in a blockbuster trade. Almost immediately, the Solons regretted that deal as Sacramento's returning stars turned to pumpkins and Quinones slashed .325/.405/.600 with a league-leading 46 homers and 140 RBI in his first season with the Twinks to win MVP. Though he never won another MVP afterwards, Quinones remained a middle-of-the-order threat until his 40th birthday and retired with the second-most home runs in PCL history.

On the hill, Clint Albarracin won his second Pitcher of the Year six years after his first. The 33-year-old Hollywood righty went 30-4 with a 2.23 ERA, leading the PCL in wins and ERA and logging 335.0 innings.

Two of the greatest hurlers in EBF history both earned overwhelming Hall of Fame induction:

RHP Jim Alvarez (1926-45), 99.1%
RHP D.J. Schreck (1927-45), 97.9%

The PCL also inducted a pair of underrated offensive performers:

C David Zimmerman (1935-47), 89.1%
1B Doug Culver (1928-41), 80.4%

Minor League Champions
Southeastern League: Jackson Junebugs, 95-59, defeats Montgomery
Colonial League: Worcester Tornadoes, 84-56, defeats Binghamton (4th straight)
Texas League: San Antonio Missions, 99-57, defeats Galveston
River Valley League: Des Moines Demons, 81-59, defeats Evansville
Rocky Mountain League: Ft. Collins Grizzlies, 62-64, defeats Albuquerque Outlaws
Coastal League: Charleston (SC) Cannons, 91-63 defeat Macon (2nd straight)
Northern League: Fargo-Moorhead Indians, 83-57, defeats Cedar Rapids
Great Lakes League: Youngstown Steelers, 86-54, defeats Akron
Southwest League: Phoenix Firebirds, 93-61, defeats San Jose
Southern Association: Shreveport Captains, 78-62, defeats Fort Smith
Northwest League: Vancouver Mounties, 99-41, defeats Salem
Can-Am League: London Braves, 72-54, defeats Utica
Mid-Atlantic League: Asheville Tourists, 76-64, defeats Greensboro
Lone Star League: San Angelo Colts, 93-47, defeats Amarillo

[KCRoyals15]

1952

In part due to the disastrous Danny Quinones trade that preceded a seventh-place finish in 1951, Sacramento and Skipper Jr. elected to mutually separate after four seasons, with his 392-408 mark in the California capital being the first stop out of the seven in the Skipper family to result in a losing record or without a league championship.

Humbled for the first time in the family's managing history, Skipper Jr. moved across the mountains to the Denver Bears, trying to breathe life into a franchise in thin air and thin on success.

Two upstarts ruled the Southern Conference with their best seasons as big-league teams. Atlanta won the Eastern League with 100 wins, while Minneapolis took the Western League for the second year in a row, winning a franchise-record 95 games. While Baltimore took the second EL playoff spot with little drama, St. Louis had to hold off hard-charging Kansas City (one game back), and New Orleans (two games) for the second playoff bid.

Meanwhile, the Northern Conference saw an excellent three-team race in the New England League as Manhattan and the Philadelphia A's tied for the pennant, while longtime doormat Boston finished one game shy of their first playoff spot in nearly three decades. Fourth-place New York was even just four games out. The Midwest Association's big story was north of the border, where in just their fourth season in Canada, the Toronto Maple Leafs won the pennant, the franchise's first playoff spot in 23 years. Detroit snagged the second MWA berth.



The Maple Leafs' run did not last long, as they met a six-game demise at the hands of Manhattan, as did Philadelphia at the hands of Detroit. Meanwhile, Minneapolis was brushed aside by Baltimore in five games, while Atlanta needed seven games to squeeze by St. Louis.

In the Conference Championships, Manhattan downed Detroit in six games, sending the Yankees on to face the Terrapins, who crushed the Crackers' hopes with a seven-game triumph. Manhattan, though, was too dominant for Baltimore in four-game sweep for the Eastern Baseball Federation title.



For the second year in a row, Hollywood cruised to the Pacific Coast League pennant, setting a franchise record with 128 wins to easily outpace second-place Sacramento. San Francisco finished third(though with only a .500 record), while Portland squeezed into the playoffs in fourth. Spanning two iterations, it was the first time a Portland team had won or made the PCL playoffs since winning the very first PCL pennant in 1900.

The Beavers, though, would not stay too long, as the Stars shined brighter in a six-game semifinal win, while San Francisco pulled a five-game upset over Sacramento. The Twinks then tamed the Seals in the PCL Championship to earn a date for all the marbles.

In a matchup of two of the most successful teams of the past decade, the series lived up to the hype, going the distance. In the end, the Hollywood Stars defeat the Manhattan Yankees, 4-3 as the Stars staked claim to their second National Championship.



28-year-old Philadelphia A's rookie Larry Meyer was instrumental in getting his squad to the postseason, taking home Rookie of the Year and MVP with a strong debut season. Meyer slashed .328/.411/.568 with 175 hits, 102 runs, 23 doubles, 21 triples, 21 homers, 97 RBI, and 21 stolen bases in an excellent all-round season.

Detroit right-hander Steve Moskal had been mostly solid since being acquired from New York in 1949, but the 32-year-old—who would be out of the majors just a year later—saved his best for last, going 19-9 with a North-leading 2.38 ERA over 249.1 innings.

In the South, outfielder Matt Chagnon had a generally solid, if unspectacular 18-year run in Newark. However, he put it all together, slasging .320/.414/.589 with 197 hits, a Conference-leading 39 home runs and 105 RBI (all career bests), and 104 runs scored, taking home MVP honors.

It could be argued that Baltimore right-hander Jose Gonzales had a better season the year prior when he won 21 games as a rookie, but in his second year, the 26-year-old went 17-12 with a conference-leading 2.55 ERA, logging 289.1 innings and striking out 167 over a Pitcher of the Year-winning campaign.

Since his arrival in 1946, first baseman Kirby Minthorn had been a consistent cog in the Hollywood machine, but enjoyed some of his finest seasons in the early 50's. Minthorn slashed .341/.422/.480 with a league-leading 252 hits, 132 runs, 36 doubles, 20 homers, and 117 RBI and win what turned out to be the only MVP award of an outstanding 21-year career.

A tragic story reached its apex for Oakland lefty Ryan Gillespie, who in just his second full season as a 22-year-old, went 23-15 with a 2.51 ERA, leading the PCL in innings (344.2) and strikeouts (227), complete games (27), and shutouts (5) to earn Pitcher of the Year. The following June, all those innings caught up to him as his elbow gave out, abruptly ending his career at just 23 years old.

Minor League Champions
Southeastern League: Nashville Vols, 94-60, defeats Jackson
Colonial League: Worcester Tornadoes, 83-57, defeats Binghamton (5th straight)
Texas League: Phoenix Firebirds, 84-72, defeats San Antonio
River Valley League: Evansville Bees, 106-34, defeats St. Joseph
Rocky Mountain League: Cheyenne Bulls, 68-58, defeats Ft. Collins
Coastal League: Charleston (SC) Cannons, 92-62 defeat Macon (3rd straight)
Northern League: Sioux City Cornhuskers, 85-55, defeats Cedar Rapids
Great Lakes League: Youngstown Steelers, 81-59, defeats Akron (2nd straight)
Southwest League: San Jose Gulls, 88-66, defeats Santa Barbara
Southern Association: Biloxi Pilots, 90-50, defeats Springfield
Northwest League: Vancouver Mounties, 84-56, defeats Spokane (2nd straight)
Can-Am League: London Braves, 82-44, defeats Utica (2nd straight)
Mid-Atlantic League: Altoona Engineers, 80-60, defeats Asheville
Lone Star League: Laredo Vaqueros, 76-64, defeats Midland-Odessa

[KCRoyals15]

1953

The previous season had seen the Toronto Maple Leafs win their first pennant after moving north. Seeing that success, the Brooklyn Dodgers said goodbye to Flatbush after a 114-loss season (their fifth 100-loss campaign in six seasons) and the lowest attendance in the United States Baseball Federation.

With Canada's largest city taken, they went to the second-largest one, Montreal, where they would hope to channel the rabid passion of the French Canadian sports fans as the Montreal Royals took the field.

Montreal improved by 32 games, but still finished seventh as the Philadelphia Athletics edged out the Boston Pilgrims for the New England League title, though the Pilgrims did punch their postseason ticket for the first time in 29 years. In the Midwest Association, Montreal's northern neighbors in Toronto took their second straight pennant, with Indianapolis defeating Cleveland (by one game) and Detroit (two games) for the second playoff spot.

In the Southern Conference, the Birmingham Barons took the Eastern League, winning their first pennant and punching their playoff ticket for the first time as a big-league squad, while former Southeastern League rival Atlanta took second. In the Western League, St. Louis cruised to an EBF-most 99 wins, while Skipper Jr. got his mojo back, guiding Denver past Kansas City in a one-game playoff for the Bears' first postseason action since 1914.



In the North, Boston brushed off Philly in five games, while Toronto needed a full seven games to vanquish Indianapolis. Meanwhile, the South saw Atlanta beat down Birmingham in a five-game set, which was one better than St. Louis' four-game sweep of Denver.

In the semifinals, Toronto took their turn getting out the brooms in sweeping Boston, while St. Louis needed all seven to defeat Atlanta. In the Eastern Baseball Federation finals, the Maple Leafs won Canada's first meaningful title, taking the EBF in six games over St. Louis.



In the Pacific Coast League, the Hollywood dynasty rolled on with their third-straight pennant, while Oakland posted their first winning season since 1940 to take a surprise second-place finish, with Sacramento and San Diego tying for third.

In the postseason, both semifinals went five games, with Hollywood sinking Sacramento, and San Diego over Oakland. The Stars got all they could handle from the Padres in the PCL Championship, but Hollywood shined the brightest for their third-straight PCL title.

Looking to repeat as National Champions, the Stars and Maple Leafs matched up and once more, Hollywood got their best shot from their opponent. Once more, though, the tried-and-true champs came through, as the Hollywood Stars defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs, 4-3 for the Stars ' second-straight National Championship and third overall.



Following up his MVP rookie campaign from a season ago, Philadelphia A's outfielder Larry Meyer took it up a notch, slashing .347/.417/.638, leading the Northern Conference in slugging, hits (208), runs), and RBI (130), while ripping 31 doubles, 16 triples, and 37 home runs, making him an easy choice for back-to-back Northern Conference MVPs.

On the mound, Boston had the best pitching staff in the league and their top arm was soft-tossing righty Frisco Padilla, a 29-year-old who went 18-10 with a 2.84 ERA over 260.0 innings, which got him enough votes for Pitcher of the Year.

Rookie of the Year Tim Dubberke of Albany, acquired in a regrettable 1951 trade by Los Angeles, exploded onto the scene by batting .372, the highest average in the EBF between 1950 and 1980. Interestingly, despite embarking on a 20-year career that landed him in the Hall of Fame, Dubberke did not win another batting title.

In the Southern Conference, Second-year St. Louis centerfielder Justin Elliott did a little bit of everything, slashing .333/.373/.496 with 207 hits, 105 runs, 34 doubles, 17 homers, and 95 RBI, while also snagging the first of five Great Gloves. That earned MVP honors for the 26-year-old.

His workhorse teammate John Engelhart was hitting his prime on the mound, going 21-6 with a 2.73 ERA, leading the South in wins and innings (293.2), while striking out 177 batters in a Pitcher of Year-worthy (and winning) season.

40-year-old Louisville righty Chris Killian won Reliever of the Year for the fourth and final time in his fascinating career. Going pro at 18, Killian was one of the greatest Texas League pitchers ever for a decade, winning nearly 200 games, five Pitcher of the Year honors, and two MVP awards. Inexplicably, he shifted to the bullpen at 29 (after posting a 1.44 ERA as a starter the previous season) and after three dominant seasons (Reliever of the Year each season), he was finally purchased by Hollywood...then immediately flipped to Louisville. Debuting in the majors at 32, Killian still posted a 2.58 ERA over 629 games in 11 big-league campaigns. He finished his pro career with 280 wins and 259 saves—a combination no one has come close to matching—and pitched in nearly 1,200 games, eighth-most in professional baseball history.

Back to present day in the PCL, Oakland first baseman John DeNoia hit ten home runs as a rookie...then exploded in his second season. The 23-year-old set USBF history as the first 50-home run hitter in major-league history, leading the PCL with 52 homers and 156 RBI, alongside a .326/.414/.603 slash line, 222 hits, and 127 runs. Easy MVP choice here.

Further south, Hollywood rookie Steve Redner made a statement out of the gate, going 24-12 with a 3.40 ERA and leading the PCL in wins, innings (328.0) and strikeouts (217) to earn PCL Pitcher of the Year as a 23-year-old rookie.

Minor League Champions
Southeastern League: Jackson Junebugs, 96-59, defeats Mobile
Colonial League: Worcester Tornadoes, 88-52, defeats Scranton-Wilkes Barre (6th straight)
Texas League: Galveston Hurricanes, 89-67, defeats Phoenix
River Valley League: Evansville Bees, 87-53, defeats St. Joseph (2nd straight)
Rocky Mountain League: Ogden Railroaders, 61-65, defeats Butte
Coastal League: Charleston (SC) Cannons, 90-64 defeat Wilmington (4th straight)
Northern League: Sioux City Cornhuskers, 95-45, defeats Cedar Rapids (2nd straight)
Great Lakes League: Rochester Red Wings, 87-53, defeats Allentown
Southwest League: Tucson Cowboys, 99-55, defeats Fresno
Southern Association: Shreveport Captains, 79-61, defeats Texarkana
Northwest League: Vancouver Mounties, 109-31, defeats Victoria (3rd straight)
Can-Am League: Utica Blue Sox, 72-54, defeats London
Mid-Atlantic League: Raleigh-Durham Tar Heels, 79-62, defeats Asheville
Lone Star League: Waco Twisters, 81-59, defeats Rio Grande

[KCRoyals15]

1954

While post-war prosperity brought record attendance and revenue to the United States Baseball Federation, not all teams were fortunate enough to be caught up in the windfall and in fact, were strained from increased salaries. Indeed, three teams had relocated since 1947, and others were in less-than-ideal shape.

Some of these teams found an outlet in the form of a new start-up venture: an independent league aiming to be a higher level than minor league baseball, but not quite a big-league circuit—the American Baseball League.

The ABL drew teams from a variety of places. Most notably, four USBF teams elected to drop down: the Cincinnati Tigers (MWA), New Haven Weavers (NEL), Miami Gators (EL), and Salt Lake City Bees (WL). To accommodate this change, the EBF returned to four eight-team leagues, as Memphis moved from the Eastern to Western League and Montreal moved from the New England League to join their Canadian brethren (Toronto) in the Midwest Association.

The other eight teams also featured former big-league markets in Brooklyn and Providence, and six other minor league teams moving upwards:




With the the new league in place, both the ABL and re-tooled Eastern Baseball Federation elected to go with 162-game schedules.

In the first season of the now-present length schedule, the Southern Conference saw St. Louis dominate the Western League and Louisville comfortably taking second. Meanwhile, Baltimore took the Eastern League with relative ease. However, Jersey City, Jacksonville, and Washington all finished at 85-77 (and Newark at 84-78), necessitating a three-team playoff. Jersey City emerged with the second playoff spot; their first since 1942 and just their second in 36 years.

In the Northern Conference, Manhattan and the Philadelphia A's tied for first in the New England League, squeezing out Albany, who finished just one game back. The Midwest Association saw Toronto win their third straight pennant, with Detroit edging out Chicago by two games for second.



In the postseason, Philadelphia edged out Toronto in seven games, while Manhattan downed Detroit in six contests. The North first round was a snoozer, as St. Louis swept Jersey City and Baltimore did the same to Louisville.

In the Conference Championships, though, St. Louis needed all seven to topple the Terrapins, while the Yankees breezed through the Athletics in five. The Browns then won another seven-game set, knocking off Manhattan to win the EBF.



The Hollywood Stars continued their tear through the PCL, winning their fourth-straight pennant with a franchise-record 133-67 record. San Diego finished second, while Los Angeles and Sacramento were in distant third and fourth place. The Padres then took care of the Angels in five and the Stars slipped past the Solons in six. Hollywood then claimed their fourth consecutive postseason title with a seven-game series win over San Diego.

Looking for an unprecedented National Championship three-peat, the Stars and St. Louis Browns matched up. However, it was St. Louis winning a game seven for the third series in a row, as the St. Louis Browns defeat the Hollywood Stars, 4-3 for their third National Championship.



For a third year in a row, the top player in the Northern Conference was Larry Meyer of the Philadelphia A's. Though not quite as excellent as '53, Meyer slashed .328/.401/.569 with 201 hits, 116 runs, 23 doubles, 14 triples, 32 home runs, a conference-leading 110 RBI, and 23 stolen bases.

Detroit rookie John Harvey was excellent to begin his career, as the 27-year-old southpaw took Rookie of the Year and Pitcher of the Year by going 18-8 with an NC-best 2.47 ERA over 254.2 innings.

In the South, outfielder Geoff Watson had been up-and-down over four seasons in Indianapolis. After an offseason trade to Denver, he shined in his first year in the Mile High City, slashing .325/.389/.530 with a conference-high 205 hits, 106 runs, 29 doubles, 17 triples, 22 homers, and 101 RBI to take MVP honors.

For a second year in a row, St. Louis standout John Engelhart won Pitcher of the Year, going 19-14 with a 3.33 ERA, leading the conference in innings (303.0), complete games (29) and strikeouts (182).

Out in the Pacific Coast League, the one-year-old USBF home run record fell, as 25-year-old Hollywood slugger David Bruer shattered it with a historic season, slashing .332/.385/.645 with a record 62 homers, plus a league-leading 194 RBI, 43 doubles, and 158 runs, in addition to 244 hits. There was little doubt in this race.

After his POTY-winner rookie campaign, Stars ace David Redner somehow one-upped it in his second season. The righty went 25-3 with a 2.42 ERA and 200 strikeouts, pulling off a pitching Triple Crown as another easy decision netted him another Pitcher of the Year trophy.

The Eastern Baseball Federation elected one new Hall of Famer this year:

SS David Soto (1933-47), 80.4%

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The inaugural season of American Baseball League play unsurprisingly saw four of the five teams with winning records be the ones who directly dropped from the majors. However, the fifth team, Spokane, snagged the second West playoff spot and knocked off Cincinnati and Salt Lake City to win the inaugural ABL title.

Salt Lake City outfielder Alex Andalon was very mediocre as a major leaguer, but nearly won a Triple Crown, leadin the ABL in home runs (33) and RBI (108) and finished second in batting (.318) Second-year Miami pitcher Jacob Garrett kick-started an excellent career with a Pitcher of Year honor, leading the ABL in wins (22), innings (305.2), and strikeouts (298).

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While the four ABL teams who dropped down from the majors kept their minor league affiliates, the other eight new ABL squads responded by starting the Great Plains League to serve as their farm system:

Great Plains League
Lincoln Lions
Madison Black Wolves
Rockford Metros
Salina Blue Jays
St. Paul Saints
Thunder Bay Timberjacks
Waterloo Warriors
Winnipeg Goldeyes


Minor League Champions
Southeastern League: Chattanooga Lookouts, 97-57, defeats Mobile
Colonial League: Binghamton Smokers, 84-56, defeats Lowell
Texas League: Wichita Aeros, 87-69, defeats Tulsa
River Valley League: St. Joseph Snakes, 84-56, defeats Peoria
Rocky Mountain League: Great Falls Explorers, 65-61, defeats Ft. Collins
Coastal League: Charleston (SC) Cannons, 97-57 defeat Columbia (5th straight)
Northern League: Davenport Trappers, 90-50, defeats Cedar Rapids
Great Lakes League: Flint Vehicles, 90-50, defeats Youngstown
Southwest League: Long Beach Earthquakes, 91-63, defeats Tucson
Southern Association: Little Rock Travelers, 80-60, defeats Shreveport
Northwest League: Yakima Tomahawks, 78-62, defeats Stockton
Can-Am League: Manchester Monarchs, 73-53, defeats London
Mid-Atlantic League: Asheville Tourists, 83-57, defeats Altoona
Lone Star League: Lawton Miners, 75-65, defeats Laredo
Great Plains League: St. Paul Saints, 87-53, defeats Thunder Bay

The River Valley League finals did not feature the Evansville Bees after they had appeared in them each of the previous 12 seasons.

[KCRoyals15]

1955

The Texas League had existed on the edge of the baseball world for almost half a century until getting attention from the establishment by launching their own dedicated minor league in 1948. Since then, the league had seen an explosion in popularity, with attendance increasing threefold in less than a decade.

In the fall of 1954, the Texans believed they were ready for a crack at the big boys. That winter, ten owners trudged to Chicago for the United States Baseball Federation meetings to make their pitch to five league presidents, the USBF commissioner, and 40 big-league team operators.

As was the case nearly three decades prior when the Pacific Coast League was admitted to the major league ranks, there was pushback from the Eastern clubs, though the PCL was open to another league closer to their footprint. However, there was one selling point that ultimately got the deal over the finish line.

Executives from all three major television networks were there to help draft proposals for an expanded National Championship tournament. Added revenues from that were a nice selling point. One owner suggested a four-team tournament, made up of the Northern and Southern Conference champions, and the Pacific Coast and Texas League champions.

In the end, it was the prospect of the Eastern Baseball Federation sending both conference champions to the National Championship that got the deal over the finish line.

The paperwork was finalized and the deal was done. Major league baseball was going to be played deep in the heart of Texas in 1955.

Texas League



In the Northern Conference, Toronto won the Midwest Association for the fourth year in a row, while Manhattan took the New England League. Meanwhile, Chicago took the second MWA playoff berth, but the second NEL spot was snapped up by the Buffalo Bisons, making their first playoff appearance in 34 seasons. The Bisons had stiff competition, with five teams within four games of second place.

In October, the Bisons made a splash early on, taking down Toronto in five games in the first round, while Chicago upset Manhattan in a seven-game series. The Bisons then took home the conference title with a six-game victory over the Whales.



Down South, Kansas City posted the best record in the EBF, finishing six games ahead of St. Louis, who cruised to the second Western League playoff spot. In the Eastern League, Atlanta took the top spot, with Baltimore finished in second place.

In the postseason, St. Louis slipped past Atlanta in six games, while Kansas City breezed past Baltimore in five games. That set-up an all-Missouri series, where Kansas City brushed aside St. Louis in five games to win the Southern Conference.



In the Pacific Coast League, Hollywood won the regular-season title for the fifth year in a row, with San Diego, Sacramento, and Seattle filing in behind them for the four PCL spots.

Once more, the Stars shined in the postseason. Hollywood swept Seattle in the semifinals, while Sacramento needed a seven-game series to sneak past San Diego. The Stars, though, breezed past the Solons in five games to win the PCL postseason as well for the fifth year in a row.



In the Texas League's first big-league season, two teams in each division got the call to the playoffs, and there was little drama in either division. El Paso took the North with Oklahoma City taking second. Meanwhile, Galveston won the South with Wichita (the previous year's TL champion) taking second.

In the postseason, Oklahoma City was on all cylinders, sweeping Galveston, while Wichita also swept El Paso. The Indians stayed om the warpath in the Lone Star Series, walloping Wichita in five games for the first big-league TL title.

That set up the first four-team National Championship, with the format pitting the two Eastern champions against the Texas and Pacific Coast champions. In the semifinals, the Buffalo Bisons (NOR) defeat the Kansas City Blues (SOU) to continue their Cinderella run, while the Hollywood Stars (PCL) defeat the Oklahoma City Indians (TL). EDITOR'S NOTE: These series were played through a League Association nearly 50 league seasons ago, so I don't know the exact semifinal results besides who won and lost) In the Championship Series, the historic run culminated in an unlikely title as the Buffalo Bisons (NOR) defeat the Hollywood Stars (PCL), 4-2 to give the Bisons their first National Championship since 1921 and their third overall.



In the North, third-year Toronto outfielder Joe Yeary enjoyed a breakout year, slashing .301/.399/.561 with 169 hits, 98 runs, 38 home runs, and a conference-leading 125 RBI, while also winning a Great Glove. All of that was enough to earn him MVP honors.

For the second year in a row, Detroit lefty John Harvey went 18-8 with the Conference's top ERA (2.81), doing so over 259.1 innings. For the second straight year, that also earned him Pitcher of the Year. After two excellent seasons to start his career, Harvey faded fast, falling off noticeably beginning the next season and pitching only seven seasons total.

Cleveland outfielder Jeff Andrews enjoyed a fine career (seven-time All-Star) but his most notable accomplishment came on April 1, when the 34-year-old gave a preview to a career-high 33-homer season by blasting four home runs in an incredible 6-for-6, 9-RBI performance against Philadelphia, makin him the first USBF player with a four-homer game.

The Southern Conference saw a repeat winner as Denver's Geoff Watson posted his best season, slashing .316/.383/.548 with 193 hits, 104 runs, a career-best 36 homers, and 111 RBI to earn MVP accolades.

For a third year running, St. Louis ace John Engelhart took home Pitcher of the Year, going 20-14 with a 3.04 ERA, logging a league-leading 311.0 innings and 27 complete games while striking out 155 batters.

After his record-breaking 1954 season, it was fair to wonder what Hollywood's David Bruer could possibly do to follow it up. Well, he made a valiant effort, slashing .323/.388/.624 with 226 hits, 126 runs, 32 doubles, and a PCL-best 57 home runs, and 170 RBI. Back-to-back MVPs were his as a result.

A one-hit wonder emerged in Sacramento, where 22-year-old Josh Halberstam went 20-10 with a PCL-best 2.35 ERA in his first full season, logging 287.2 innings over 41 starts. As it turns out, Halberstam never pitched another full season, as he made just 109 career appearances and earned nearly half of his 45 career wins this season. Persistent elbow issues ended his career at just 27 years old.

In the Texas League, as the league moved to major-league status, a new superstar emerged as third year Houston Buffaloes third-baseman John Schellhammer led the TL in all three triple-slash categories, slashing .356/.431/.590, while adding 206 hits, 93 runs, 31 doubles, 32 home runs, and 127 RBI to earn MVP honors.

On the mound, Gabe Martinez languished for seven seasons in the developmental Lone Star League before Wichita finally gave him a shot at 27 years old. He rewarded the Aeros' faith by going 15-5 with a league-leading 2.65 ERA over 234.2 innings. In a surprising vote, Martinez (who did not win Rookie of the Year) earned Pitcher of the Year.

The EBF welcomed one Hall of Famer this year:

OF Mike Lewis (1928-44), 80.4%
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In the second season of American Baseball League play, Brooklyn dominated the regular-season with 110 wins, while inaugural champion Spokane also won 101 games. New Haven took the second playoff spot in the East while San Jose did the same in the West. Brooklyn, though, needed seven games to defeat San Jose, while New Haven ripped through Spokane in five games and Brooklyn in a stunning sweep to give the Weavers their first league title in 56 seasons of play.

Marco Lopez never played pro baseball before debuting with Providence the prior season at 28, but year two slashing .308/.408/.478 with 43 doubles, 18 homers and 77 RBI to win MVP honors. Brooklyn rookie righty Denny Burger won Pitcher of the Year after going 21-9 with a 2.54 ERA and 245 strikeouts in 311.2 innings. It was his only season with double-digit victories.

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Minor League Champions
Southeastern League: Chattanooga Lookouts, 89-65, defeats Charlotte (2nd straight)
Colonial League: Lowell Blue Sox, 83-57, defeats Binghamton
River Valley League: St. Joseph Snakes, 90-50, defeats Evansville (2nd straight)
Rocky Mountain League: Great Falls Explorers, 73-53, defeats Albuquerque (2nd straight)
Coastal League: Wilmington Blue Rocks, 87-67, defeats Macon
Northern League: Fargo-Moorhead Indians, 79-61, defeats South Bend
Great Lakes League: Rochester Red Wings, 83-57, defeats Flint
Southwest League: Bakersfield Conquistadors, 83-72, defeats Fresno
Southern Association: Texarkana Gunslingers, 80-60, defeats Shreveport
Northwest League: Yakima Tomahawks, 88-52, defeats Stockton (2nd straight)
Can-Am League: Utica Blue Sox, 70-56, defeats Portland
Mid-Atlantic League: Asheville Tourists, 91-49, defeats Altoona (2nd straight)
Lone Star League: Laredo Vaqueros, 78-62, defeats Rio Grande
Great Plains League: Thunder Bay Timberjacks, 85-55, defeats Waterloo

[KCRoyals15]

1956

After Skipper Jr. led Denver to the playoffs in 1953, considerable backsliding occurred, leading to a departure after the 1955 season following a 69-93 season, finishing 316-329 with the Bears. With sub-.500 records over his last two tenures and some questioning if he still had his touch, Junior headed to Omaha looking to turn around the Golden Spikes.

The inaugural season of the Texas League as a major league was deemed a success by the existing major leagues, leading to few questions about the TL's inclusion. However, some wondered if maybe some American Baseball League franchises were stronger than some of their big-league cousins...

Meanwhile, defending champion Buffalo had a much stronger season, improving by 20 games over '55, winning an EBF-best 106 games to cruise to the New England League title. The Philadelphia A's took the second NEL playoff spot with relative ease. The Midwest Association was much closer, with Detroit holding off Chicago, who snagged the second spot.



In the postseason, Detroit took down Philadelphia in seven games, while the Bisons cruised through the Northern Conference playoffs, knocking off Chicago in five games, then defeated Detroit in five as well to win the NC.

In the South, Jacksonville won 100 games for the first time as a big-league club, finishing three games ahead of Atlanta for the Eastern League. Meanwhile, St. Louis punched their fifth straight playoff ticket with 101 wins. Kansas City finished comfortably in second for the other Western League playoff bid.



Atlanta pulled off a first-round upset, knocking St. Louis out in the Southern Conference semifinals in six games. Jacksonville, though, took care of Kansas City in five games. The Tars then took down the Crackers in a seven-game bout to win the SC, their first Conference Championship.

In the Pacific Coast League, the San Diego Padres finished in first place in the PCL for the first time since the franchise (then in Portland) won the inaugural PCL pennant in 1900. Though Hollywood's five-year reign on top of the standings ended, the Stars were in second, with Oakland and Portland earning the final two playoff spots.



The Hollywood Stars had won the last five PCL titles, but that run ended suddenly, as Oakland pulled off a stunning four-game sweep. San Diego then breezed past Portland in five games, then dueled with the Oaks for seven games before the Padres earned their first PCL title in San Diego.

Down in Texas, a weak North Division saw Fort Worth win the division, with 80-82 El Paso earning the second playoff spot. Meanwhile in the south, Galveston dominated through a 108-win season, with Wichita winning 97 games to finish second.



While Wichita dispatched Fort Worth in six games, Galveston gutted El Paso in a five-game set. The Hurricanes then shot down the Aeros in a six-game series to earn the TL crown.

That set up the National Championship tournament, which saw the Jacksonville Tars (SOU) defeat the Buffalo Bisons (NOR) and the
Galveston Hurricanes (TL) defeat the San Diego Padres (PCL), as the Hurricanes became the first Texas League team to win a series in the championship tournament. They nearly won another series, but the Jacksonville Tars (SOU) defeat the Galveston Hurricanes (TL), 4-3 as Jacksonville earns their first National Championship.



After not winning anything in 1955, the Philadelphia Athletics' Larry Meyer claimed his fourth MVP in five years, slashing .330/.413/.589 with a Conference-leading 196 hits and 126 runs, while adding 20 doubles, 10 triples, 38 home runs, 94 RBI, and 28 steals.

Meyer's teammate Brian Jenkins surged onto the scene as a 28-year-old rookie, leading the NC with 24 wins, going 24-7 with a 3.31 ERA, 277.2 innings, and a conference-high 189 strikeouts, earning Pitcher of the Year.

Outfielder Jake Larsen spent 20 years toiling aware on mostly bad Birmingham squads, but earned recognition this year, slashing .347/.424/.587 with 163 hits, 28 doubles, 25 home runs, and 100 RBI to take MVP honors.

For a fourth year running, St. Louis righty John Engelhart logged heavy innings, but was effective enough to earn Pitcher of the Year. Though he was just 18-16, he posted a 2.57 ERA worked 300.2 innings and 162 strikeouts, leading the conference in innings for the fourth-year straight, complete games (27) for the third year running, and also led in shutouts (6). Engelhart's feat was punctuated on August 15, when he set down all 27 Newark Eagles he faced, striking out four and throwing 96 pitches in the first perfect game thrown at the big-league level since 1941.

For the second time in three years, Hollywood ace Steve Rednar won the Pacific Coast League pitching Triple Crown, going 22-9 with a 2.26 ERA, striking out 245 over 302.1 innings. He also led the PCL in complete games (20) and shutouts (8). For his efforts, Rednar won his third Pitcher of the Year award (in four years) and also took home MVP. Well on track for all-time legend status, Rednar was just 26 and would log two more strong seasons. However, he never fully recovered from an arm injury suffered in mid-1959 and was finished by 1961, throwing his last pitch at 31.

In the Texas League, Galveston outfielder Joel Zielinski signed with the Hurricanes in 1949, debuted in 1951, and seamlessly made the big-league transition. The 28-year-old logged a huge year, slashing .365/.418/.575 with 220 hits, 126 runs, 33 doubles, 29 homers, and 115 RBI, leading the TL in batting, hits, runs, and RBI to earn a well-deserved MVP.

Fellow Hurricane Larry Miske had a more circuitous route, posting a solid 1953 rookie season in Galveston, then going down to the Lone Star League for part of 1954, all of '55, then the first five starts in '56. Returning to Galveston, he went 19-5 with a TL-best 2.44 ERA, earning a surprising Pitcher of the Year award, along with exactly a third of his 57 big-league wins.

Galveston swept all three major awards as first baseman John Maynard took Rookie of the Year after batting .329 with 25 home runs and 70 RBI after being acquired early in the year from Boston, who barely used him in three-plus seasons. Maynard then made eight Texas League All-Star teams in a decade. Oops.

---



Once again, Brooklyn (111 wins) and Spokane (105 victories) dominated the American Baseball League, with Salt Lake City and Austin earning the other playoff spots, both out of a stronger West division. Brooklyn and Spokane took their first-round series to reach the ABL Finals, where the Indians downed the Dodgers in six games for their second title in three years.

Brooklyn shortstop Kevin Jenkins earned MVP, batting .325/.434/.454 with 187 hits, 108 runs, 37 doubles, 11 homers, and 62 RBI. Teammate Josh Harding led the ABL in ERA (2.04) for the second straight season, also winning a league-high 23 games and striking out 257 batters in 268.2 innings to earn Pitcher of the Year.

---

Minor League Champions
Southeastern League: Jackson Junebugs, 84-70, defeats Baton Rouge
Colonial League: Pittsfield Colonials, 82-58, defeats Worcester
River Valley League: Des Moines Demons, 95-45, defeats Evansville
Rocky Mountain League: Great Falls Explorers, 67-59, defeats Butte (3rd straight)
Coastal League: Columbia Roosters, 107-47, defeats Wilmington
Northern League: Sioux Falls Packers, 81-59, defeats Davenport
Great Lakes League: Rochester Red Wings, 91-49, defeats Akron (2nd straight)
Southwest League: Bakersfield Conquistadors, 94-60, defeats Long Beach (2nd straight)
Southern Association: Beaumont Exporters, 81-59, defeats Shreveport
Northwest League: Yakima Tomahawks, 81-59, defeats Tacoma (3rd straight)
Can-Am League: Portland Lobsters, 76-50, defeats Waterbury
Mid-Atlantic League: Altoona Engineers, 79-61, defeats Asheville
Lone Star League: Rio Grande White Wings, 96-44, defeats Laredo
Great Plains League: St. Paul Saints, 83-57, defeats Thunder Bay

[KCRoyals15]

1957

Changing times had already cost a few teams their big-league franchises during the 40's and early 50's. Another city lost their club as the Columbus Cyclones, home to just two playoff appearances all time and nearly a decade straight of financial losses, gave up on central Ohio and chose to give Chicago another shot at being a two-team town.

Nearly a decade after the Chicago Colts left town, the newly re-christened Chicago Cyclones took up residence in the previously-abandoned Comiskey Park, looking to fill a void that had existed on the city's South Side since 1949...

In their new (to them) home, the Chicago Cyclones crashed to 106 losses, but their new crosstown rivals, the Whales, won the Midwest Association with 99 wins. Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Black Hawks were widely rumored to be on their way out of town until brand-new County Stadium opened in 1953, boosting attendance and finances. The Black Hawks rewarded their fans by edging Cleveland (by a game) and Detroit (by two) for second place in the MWA, earning the first playoff bid since 1928 and just their third all-time.

The New England League, meanwhile, saw Buffalo win the league for the second year in a row, with Manhattan finishing five games ahead of Albany for the second playoff spot in the NEL.



Buffalo ended Milwaukee's memorable summer quickly with a five-game win in the conference semis. The Chicago Whales, meanwhile, outlasted Manhattan in seven games, then defeated the Bisons in five games to earn the Northern Conference crown.

The Southern Conference saw 103-win St. Louis cruise to the Western League title, with Kansas City taking the second playoff spot with relative ease. The Eastern League flag went to 101-win Atlanta, who finished four games ahead of Washington, the second EL playoff squad.



In the Southern semis, Washington pulled off a first-round upset, sinking St. Louis in six games. The Crackers, meanwhile, needed six games to KO Kansas City, then won a wild seven-game tilt with Washington to earn the Southern Conference crown.

Out West, the Pacific Coast League was won in the regular season by Seattle, who won a tight three-team race over San Diego and San Francisco, with Hollywood finishing fourth for their lowest finish since 1946, but still making the postseason.



The Stars were promptly dispatched by the Rainiers, who took their first series in six games. San Diego, though, won a seven-game struggle with San Francisco, then repeated the feat against Seattle, going the distance in a PCL Championship win over the Rainiers to earn the Padres their second straight PCL crown.

The Texas League had an odd year, as El Paso won 105 games, Galveston won 99, and Oklahoma City 86...but every other team was below .500, with the other seven clubs all between 72 and 80 wins. The 80-82 Wichita Aeros earned the fourth playoff bid alongside the three teams with winning marks.



Galveston took care of OKC in five games to open the TL playoffs, but Wichita pulled a first-round stunner, toppling the El Paso Texans (who won 25 more games) in a shocking five-game upset. The Aeros then pulled the feat again, defeating the Hurricanes in six games, becoming just the second big-league franchise (joining the San Francisco Seals who won the PCL at 99-101 in 1942) to win a league title after a losing season.

That sent the Aeros to the national tournament, where the Chicago Whales (NOR) defeated the Atlanta Crackers (SOU) in the first round, before the Aeros' luck finally ran out, which the San Diego Padres (PCL) defeating the Wichita Aeros (TL). In their first championhip final since 1905, Chi Town shined, as the Chicago Whales (NOR) defeat the San Diego Padres (PCL), 4-3, lifting the Whales to their first National Championship.



A major player in Milwaukee snapping their nearly-three-decade playoff drought was mainstay third baseman Aaron Vergara. In his ninth season in Milwaukee, the 31-year-old nearly won the Triple Crown, winning the Northern Conference batting title at .343, driving in a conference-most 121 runs and blasting the second-most homers (42), while also leading the conference with 222 hits and scoring 113 times, earning a well-deserved MVP award.

Fifth-year Buffalo hurler John Bohlen needed a few years to settle in after debuting at just 20 years old in 1953, but hit his stride, going 18-8 with a 2.82 ERA, striking out 163 batters in 239.0 innings as he took North Pitcher of the Year honors.

The previous year, Albany reliever Josh Prevot set a still-standing Eastern Baseball Federation record by appearing in 97 games (also logging a record 168.1 relief innings). This year, he made 90 appearances (his second of five straight years leading the NC in games pitched), going 20-14 entirely in relief as he became the first reliever to ever lead the Conference in wins. He earned Reliever of the Year for his efforts.

In the Southern Conference, Atlanta third baseman William Goodman slashing .318/.413/.573 with 169 hits, 110 runs, 34 homers, and a conference-high 124 RBI. Moving to Atlanta as a 20-year-old after an ill-fated trade by Columbus, Goodman hit 299 homers in 14 years with the Crackers, with his crowning moment being this season's MVP winner.

A remarkable run came to an end on the mound, as St. Louis rubber-armed wizard John Engelhart won his fifth and final Pitcher of the Year in a row. Going 20-10 with a 2.65, Engelhart led the South in innings (302.0) for the fifth year running, as well as complete games (24) for the fourth straight season and shutouts (8) for the second year in a row.

In the PCL, third-year Seattle centerfielder Jarrett Messing established himself as a superstar at the age of 25. Messing won the PCL batting crown at .338, while leading the league with 226 hits, adding 134 runs, 37 doubles, 31 home runs, and 111 RBI to earn his first MVP crown.

Second-year San Francisco hurler Andre Bonapart did not conquer much of Europe, but he did conquer PCL hitters, leading the league in wins (26), innings (357.1), complete games (28), and shutouts (3), while logging a 2.95 ERA and striking out 253 batters to earn PCL Pitcher of the Year.

Seattle first baseman Griffin Searle led the PCL with 48 home runs and 149 RBI and finished second in the PCL MVP voting. Amidst his third home run crown (and second in a row), on April 13 he became the first PCL slugger to top 300 career home runs.

Down in Texas, shortstop Jaiden Williams hit just .226 over barely two seasons in Atlanta before the Crackers dealt him to El Paso midway through 1956. Out in the West Texas town of El Paso, Williams immediately cracked the lineup, and in his first full season with the Texans he hit .275 with 168 hits, 110 runs, 25 doubles, 7 triples, 38 homers, and 100 RBI, earning the first of six-straight All-Star selections and taking home TL MVP honors.

Just 23 days after Williams was sent to El Paso, the New Orleans Pelicans sent right-hander Leo Dufour to Galveston at the 1956 trade deadline. Already solid in the Big Easy, Dufour was even better on Galveston Island, going 25-8 with a 2.76 ERA in his first full year with the Hurricanes, leading the TL in wins, starts (36), and innings (280.0) while striking out 173 in a Pitcher of Year-winning campaign.

---



The American Baseball League saw Brooklyn edge out New Haven for the Dodgers third-straight East Division title, with the Weavers earning the second playoff spot in the division. Out west, Spokane again won the division, with Salt Lake City in second. The Bees brought down Brooklyn in the first round in seven games, while the Weavers needed seven to topple Spokane. New Haven then took down Salt Lake City in six games to earn their second ABL title in three years.

Fourth-year Spokane first baseman Ivan Velasquez slashed .315/.429/.502 with 187 hits, a league-high 127 runs, 35 doubles, 22 homers, 94 RBI, and 29 steals to earn MVP honors. For the third year in a row, Brooklyn's Josh Harding led the ABL in ERA (2.00), going 17-7 over 269.2 innings and striking out 260 to earn ABL Pitcher of the Year for the second year running.

---

With the widespread use of air conditioning leading to habitation in the hot and humid South becoming much more hospitable, a new loop set up shop down south, with six of the eight franchises in the new Florida Coast League calling the Sunshine State home:

Florida Coast League
Columbus Catfish
Daytona Beach Islanders
Fort Lauderdale Flamingos
Huntsville Stars
Orlando Rays
Pensacola Privateers
St. Petersburg Saints
West Palm Beach Tropics


Minor League Champions
Southeastern League: Jackson Junebugs, 87-67, defeats Montgomery (2nd straight)
Colonial League: Syracuse Chiefs, 82-58, defeats Worcester
River Valley League: Evansville Bees, 83-57, defeats St. Joseph
Rocky Mountain League: Great Falls Explorers, 73-53, defeats Ogden (4th straight)
Coastal League: Charleston (SC) Cannons, 107-47, defeats Columbia
Northern League: Cedar Rapids Reds, 79-61, defeats Davenport
Great Lakes League: Allentown Brewers, 82-59 defeats Akron
Southwest League: Bakersfield Conquistadors, 91-63, defeats Long Beach (3rd straight)
Southern Association: Shreveport Captains, 74-68, defeats Texarkana
Northwest League: Yakima Tomahawks, 94-46, defeats Stockton (4th straight)
Can-Am League: Waterbury Pipers, 83-43, defeats Manchester
Mid-Atlantic League: Asheville Tourists, 90-50, defeats Roanoke
Lone Star League: Tyler Roughnecks, 75-65, defeats Rio Grande
Great Plains League: St. Paul Saints, 78-63, defeats Salina (2nd straight)
Florida Coast League: West Palm Beach Tropics, 83-57, defeats Ft. Lauderdale

The Southern Association had one of the most well-balanced leagues ever, with all eight teams between 74-66 and 64-76. Six teams finished within five games of first place and three teams tied at 72-68 for the second and final playoff spot, necessitating a three-team tiebreaker, which Shreveport won, before also winning the Southern Series.

[KCRoyals15]

1958

With their success over the previous four years in the American Baseball League, there was considerable interest in the ranks of the Eastern Baseball Federation to bring the Brooklyn Dodgers back in the fold. While interest was more tepid in the New England League (home to two New York teams already), a willing partner was found in the Eastern League.

The Jersey City Giants had already been struggling amidst mismanagement, a declining market, and a failure to cash in on a playoff appearance from four years prior. With few good options, the Giants closed up shop, folding after 58 years of operation. The Brooklyn Dodgers would return to the big leagues in their place, moving their entire ABL operation intact to the majors.

In the Northern Conference, the New England League saw Manhattan edge Albany by a game, with both squads in the playoffs. In the Midwest Association, Milwaukee won the league, but Cleveland, Toronto, and the Chicago Whales all tied for second at 96-66. In the three-team tiebreaker, Cleveland emerged in front for the second playoff spot.



Albany swept aside Milwaukee in the first round, while Cleveland needed seven games to battle past Manhattan. The Spiders then pulled off another seven-game series, defeating the Adirondacks in the Northern Conference Finals.

In the Southern Conference, Washington won an EBF-best 101 games, while Atlanta finished second, one game ahead of Jacksonville. In the Western League, Kansas City won 100 games to cruise to the WL crown, while St. Louis finished second, edging out New Orleans by two games and Omaha by three.



Kansas City then edged Atlanta in a seven-game series to begin the playoffs. Washington, meanwhile, brushed aside St. Louis in five games. The Senators then brushed off the Blues in six games to the the South crown.

The Pacific Coast League saw the Hollywood Stars return to the top of the league, with San Diego and San Francisco taking second and third. Meanwhile, Oakland finished fourth at just 95-105, becoming the worst playoff team in big-league history to this point.



The Oaks did not have an upset in them as they fell in six games to Hollywood. San Diego slipped past San Francisco in seven games, to pit them against the Stars, who defeated the Padres in five games to win their sixth PCL title in eight years.

After the oddities in the Texas League the previous season, normalcy returned as El Paso and Oklahoma City each won 90 games to tie for the North title, while Wichita won 97 games and San Antonio 92 to earn the South playoff spots.



San Antonio started off their playoff run with a six-game series win over El Paso, while Wichita also needed six games to overtake Oklahoma City. The Aeros then knocked off the Missions in five games, earning their second straight TL title.

In the national tournament, the Washington Senators (SOU) beat the Cleveland Spiders (NOR) in the first round, while the Hollywood Stars (PCL) beat the Wichita Aeros (TL) to set up the championship series. In the final, the Washington Senators (SOU) beat the Hollywood Stars (PCL), 4-1, giving the Senators their first National Championship.



In the North, Albany leftfielder Chris Arnold needed a few years to find his stroke, but after finally cracking the starting lineup in 1957, he cracked a league-leading 45 homers. He one-upped that the following year, becoming the first EBF slugger to crank 50 homers by batting .302 with 51 homers and a conference-high 137 RBI, earning MVP honors.

Fourth-year Manhattan starter Steve Chermak had improved each season, culminating in a 24-8 season in which he posted a 2.85 ERA, led the North in wins, starts (38), and strikeouts (210) over 268.1 innings, earning Pitcher of the Year honors.

32-year-old outfielder Isaac Crum was a key cog in Washington's championship team, slashing .266/.351/.523 with 108 runs, 38 homers, and 106 RBI, earning MVP honors in the Southern Conference.

Second-year St. Louis hurler Allen Staub burst onto the scene with an excellent year, going 19-11 with a conference-best 2.62 ERA, working 291.2 innings as he earned his first Pitcher of the Year award.

Los Angeles third baseman Marcus Hale established his power the year prior with 39 homers in his first full season, then topped it in a big way. The 25-year-old slashed .319/.385/.630, with a PCL-best 230 hits, 127 runs, 27 doubles, a league-high 15 triples, and a PCL-leading 56 homers, along with 141 RBI, earning the MVP trophy in an easy vote.

Hollywood righty Matt Hepler made a strong first impression on the mound. The 26-year-old rookie with 21-15 with a 2.68 ERA, leading the PCL in wins and ERA, while striking out 173 in 312.2 innings to earn the Pitcher of the Year nod.

Down in Texas, Fort Worth outfielder Bill Wiley had hit over 30 homers in each of his first two seasons, but he set a Texas League record with 51 homers, while also leading the TL in runs (116) and RBI (126), while slashing .290/.390/.624 to take home the MVP.

El Paso right-hander Josh Miller only pitched six big-league seasons, but posted a year to remember, going 20-14 with a 2.95 ERA, leading the Texas League in wins and ERA, while striking out 167 over 283.1 innings as he took home Pitcher of the Year.

In the Eastern Baseball Federation, one strong right arm earned Hall of Fame induction:

RHP Rudolph Bishop (1939-52), 80.8%

---



The American Baseball League needed a new franchise after Brooklyn moved up to the big leagues. Just two years after the Cyclones moved to Chicago, the brand-new Columbus Jets were founded to take their place.

Tampa and New Haven both won over 100 games to earn the East playoff spots, while Salt Lake City outlasted Spokane as the two earned the West nods. Salt Lake slipped past New Haven in seven games, while Spokane upset Tampa in six games. The Indians then defeated the Bees in seven games to earn Spokane their third ABL title in five years.

For the second year in a row, Spokane first baseman Ivan Velasquez took home MVP honors, slashing .286/.385/.450 with 173 hits, a league-leading 97 runs, 27 doubles, 20 homers, 77 RBI, and 16 steals. Salt Lake City righty Paul Peelman logged a huge rookie year, going 22-9 with a 2.31 ERA, leading the ABL in wins, ERA, and starts (38), while striking out 236 in 288.1 innings.

---

Minor League Champions
Southeastern League: Jackson Junebugs, 91-63, defeats Chattanooga (3rd straight)
Colonial League: Pittsfield Colonials, 84-56, defeats Syracuse
River Valley League: Evansville Bees, 82-58, defeats St. Joseph (2nd straight)
Rocky Mountain League: Pueblo Miners, 72-54, defeats Ft. Collins
Coastal League: Macon Peaches, 90-64, defeats Charleston
Northern League: Fargo-Moorhead Indians, 85-55, defeats Sioux City
Great Lakes League: Youngstown Steelers, 89-51 defeats Allentown
Southwest League: Bakersfield Conquistadors, 92-62, defeats Fresno (4th straight)
Southern Association: Biloxi Pilots, 75-67, defeats Beaumont
Northwest League: Yakima Tomahawks, 87-53, defeats Victoria (5th straight)
Can-Am League: Waterbury Pipers, 72-54, defeats Manchester (2nd straight)
Mid-Atlantic League: Altoona Engineers, 77-63, defeats Greensboro
Lone Star League: San Angelo Colts, 74-66, defeats Midland-Odessa
Great Plains League: St. Paul Saints, 95-45, defeats Thunder Bay (3rd straight)
Florida Coast League: St. Petersburg Saints, 78-62, defeats Huntsville

One year after the Southern Association saw the entire league finish within ten games of each other, four teams all tied for first at a modest 73-67, which ended up with Biloxi and Beaumont earning the playoff spots.

[KCRoyals15]

1959

The end of the 50's marked the end of 60 years of USBF play and for a second decade in a row, significant change was seen in the American baseball landscape. Most notable was of course the elevation of the Texas League to big-league status, while at the same, the pseudo-major American Baseball League emerged as a middle ground between the majors and minors—and had already sent one of their teams to the majors.

In the Northern Conference, Albany and Manhattan tied for first in the New England League at 99-63 to take the two playoff spots there. Meanwhile, Milwaukee and Toronto jockeyed for the top in the Midwest Association, with the Black Hawks coming out one game ahead.



In the postseason, Albany brushed aside Milwaukee in a four-game sweep, while Manhattan also pulled off a sweep, wiping out the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Yankees then took out their up-state rivals, defeating the Adirondacks in six games for the NC title.

The Southern Conference saw an excellent four-team race in the Eastern League, with Washington winning the league at 94-68, Atlanta and Jacksonville tied at 93-69, and Newark at 92-70. The Crackers, though, defeated the Tars in a one-game playoff for the second playoff spot. The Western League, meanwhile, saw St. Louis explode for 114 wins, tying for the EBF record. Omaha, meanwhile, won a franchise-record 100 games to earn their first playoff spot since 1946.



In the postseason, Omaha took care of Washington in a five-game series. Meanwhile, St. Louis defeated Atlanta in a six-game series. The Browns then glided past the Golden Spikes in another six-game set to take the South championship.

Out in California, the Hollywood Stars were atop the Pacific Coast League, with San Diego, San Francisco, and Oakland filling out the other three playoff spots.



In the first round, Oakland pulled an upset, knocking off top-seed Hollywood, while San Francisco completed their own upset of San Diego in a seven-game thriller. The Seals then took out their Bay Bridge rivals in six games, defeating the Oaks to win their first PCL title in a decade.

For the second time in three years, the ten-team Texas League had just three teams over .500. 103-win and 91-win Wichita earned the two playoff spots in the South, while the North saw El Paso win 99 games, while 77-win Tulsa backed into the second spot, missing the dubious title of worst playoff team in USBF history by percentage points.



Galveston did not overlook Tulsa in the first round, as the Hurricanes put down the Oilers in five games, while El Paso won a seven-game tussle with Wichita to end the Aeros' two-year reign atop the TL. Galveston then defeated El Paso in six games to win their second Texas League title in four years.

That set up the field for the National Championship tournament, which began with a huge upset, as the record-setting Browns were bounced as the Manhattan Yankees (NOR) defeated the St. Louis Browns (SOU). San Francisco matched two teams who both won 103 games in the regular season—but the Seals played 38 more games. However, the San Francisco Seals (PCL) defeat the Galveston Hurricanes (TL) to reach the championship series. In the final, the Manhattan Yankees (NOR) defeat the San Francisco Seals (PCL), 4-1 to earn the Yankees' second National Championship and their first since 1940.

For the Seals, it was a sour note to close out their chapter at venerable Seals Stadium, which the Seals would depart the next year for a new stadium at Candlestick Point.



After winning Rookie of the Year the year prior, Philadelphia Quakers outfielder Tom Clark took it one step further in 1959, as the 23-year-old slashed .300/.346/.594 with 188 hits, 104 hits, 31 doubles, and led the Northern Conference with 47 homers and 156 RBI, logging the most RBIs by an EBF hitter since 1936 as he took home MVP honors. Though it would be Clark's only MVP, he would still star for two more decades.

Third-year New York hurler Kevin Cronin put everything together as he logged the first pitching Triple Crown in the Eastern Baseball Federation in a quarter-century, going 24-10 with a 2.34 ERA and 254 strikeouts, while also leading the North in innings (315.2), complete games (27) and shutouts (8). Notably, the 254 punchouts were a new Eastern Baseball Federation record. Though he enjoyed a decent career, Cronin never remotely approached any of those figures again.

Toronto starter Steve Slape was truly a mediocre pitcher, going 17-19 with a 4.70 ERA over four big-league seasons. However, in the midst of his final major-league campaign, the 29-year-old had the game of a lifetime, setting down all 27 Indianapolis Hoosiers, striking out seven and throwing 98 pitches in the first perfect game in the Northern Conference since 1941.

In the Southern Conference, 24-year-old Jacksonville second baseman Steve Bishop debuted and burst onto the scene in a huge way. Earning Rookie of the Year and MVP, Bishop slashed .316/.383/.587 with 194 hits, 40 doubles, and a conference-leading 114 runs, 40 homers, and 127 RBI, while adding 19 steals. It was just the start of one of the greatest careers in USBF history.

For the second year in a row, St. Louis right-hander Allen Staub earned Pitcher of the Year honors, putting together his finest season. Staub narrowly missed the first 30-win season by an EBF pitcher since 1917, going 29-6 with a 1.76 ERA, leading the South in wins, ERA, starts (37), innings (322.1), complete games (28) and shutouts (7), and striking out 179 batters to earn an unquestioned POTY trophy.

In the PCL, San Diego Will McAfee had been very good over his first five sesons, but the 28-year-old was just a little bit better this year, slashing .329/.414/.497 with a PCL-best 242 hits, 150 runs, and 43 doubles, while adding 22 homers, 114 RBI, and 40 stolen bases, earning MVP honors.

Amidst their surprise run to the PCL title, San Francisco righty Danny Elizondo earned his second 20-win season in as many big-league seasons, going 20-13 with a 3.34 ERA, while leading the PCL in innings (331.0) and strikeouts (216), earning Pitcher of the Year.

Seattle first baseman Griffin Searle hit 29 homers and 99 RBI, the fist season in his ten-year career in which he had failed to reach 30 homers and 100 RBI. However, on September 14, he made history as the first player in USBF history to reach 400 home runs.

In a year where the Texas League had few MVP candidates among their hitters, it was a pitcher who took both MVP and Pitcher of the Year honors. Kyle Clark came up with New Orleans but just into his third season there, the Pelicans gave up on his and dealt him to El Paso, where he immediately became a front-line starter for the Texans. Clark took the Texas League pitching Triple Crown, going 22-7 with a 2.40 ERA, striking out 203 in 262.2 innings.

---



In the American Baseball League, New Haven and Spokane dominated once more, winning over 100 games each. Tampa edged Miami by two games for the second East playoff spot, while Salt Lake City cruised to the second West spot. In the playoffs, Spokane defeated Tampa and New Haven took down Salt Lake City in a pair of six-game series, while New Haven won another six-game series over Spokane for the American Cup. The Weavers and Indians have now won all six ABL titles, with the Weavers winning the odd-numbered years and Indians the even-numbered years.

Spokane shortstop Teruhiko Takagi earned MVP honors, slashing .322/.377/.428 with 196 hits, 86 runs, 33 doubles, a league-leading 14 triples, 1 homer, 81 RBI, and 35 steals. Miami lefty Jacob Garrett won his second ABL Pitcher of the Year title, going 21-11 with a 2.31 ERA, and leading the ABL in starts (38), innings (323.1), and strikeouts (328).

---

Minor League Champions
Southeastern League: Chattanooga Lookouts, 96-58, defeats Baton Rouge
Colonial League: Pittsfield Colonials, 97-43, defeats Worcester (2nd straight)
River Valley League: Evansville Bees, 81-59, defeats Toledo (3rd straight)
Rocky Mountain League: Albuquerque Outlaws, 69-57, defeats Pueblo
Coastal League: Charleston Cannons, 104-50, defeats Augusta
Northern League: Fargo-Moorhead Indians, 100-40, defeats Sioux City
Great Lakes League: Youngstown Steelers, 84-56 defeats Allentown (2nd straight)
Southwest League: Bakersfield Conquistadors, 87-67, defeats Las Vegas (5th straight)
Southern Association: Beaumont Exporters, 81-59, defeats Joplin
Northwest League: Yakima Tomahawks, 87-53, defeats Stockton (6th straight)
Can-Am League: Waterbury Pipers, 76-50, defeats Springfield (3rd straight)
Mid-Atlantic League: Roanoke Red Hawks, 89-51, defeats Greensboro
Lone Star League: San Angelo Colts, 77-63, defeats Waco (2nd straight)
Great Plains League: Thunder Bay Timberjacks, 87-53, defeats St. Paul
Florida Coast League: Columbus Catfish, 78-62, defeats St. Petersburg

Fargo-Moorhead became the first Northern League team to win 100 games

[KCRoyals15]

1960

The 60's dawned in a similar way that the 50's ended: with Manhattan on top of the Eastern League with a 99-63 record. Notably, the New York Gothams finished second, earning their first playoff berth after a 13-year drought. On the other side of the Northern Conference, the Toronto Maple Leafs cruised to the Midwest Association title, ten games ahead of Cleveland, who outlasted Milwaukee by a pair of games to make it back to the postseason for the second time in three years.



New York pulled an upset over Manhattan in five games, while Toronto defeated Cleveland, also in five games. The Maple Leafs and Gothams then tussled for seven games, but Toronto emerged victorious.

In the Southern Conference, Atlanta took the Eastern League, one game ahead of the Brooklyn Dodgers, who christened the revolutionary Dodger Dome with a 23-game improvement and a playoff berth, their first since joining the big-league ranks two years earlier and the first for a Brooklyn squad since 1919.

Meanwhile, the Western League had an outstanding four-team race that ended with Kansas City and Omaha in a dead-heat at 98-64 for the two playoff spots. One year after winning 114 games, St. Louis was out of the playoffs at 96-66, and New Orleans was only one game behind them



In the West, the Blues hammered the Golden Spikes into the ground, as Kansas City swept Omaha in four games. Atlanta, meanwhile, also swept Brooklyn. The Crackers then dispatched Kansas City in six games to win the South.

The Pacific Coast League saw the same four playoff teams as the prior season, though in a slightly different order as San Diego edged Hollywood by a game for first, while San Francisco and Oakland took the final two playoff spots.



For the second year in a row, Oakland knocked off the regular-season PCL champion in the first round, sinking San Diego in seven games, while San Francisco silenced the Stars in a six-game series win over Hollywood. The two Bay Area teams matched up for a second year in a row in the PCL Finals, but once more, the Seals wound up on top, chopping down the Oaks in five games to take their second straight PCL crown.

Down in the Texas League, once more Galveston dominated, winning 106 games, while Wichita finished second in the South with 94 wins. El Paso again dominated an otherwise weak North, winning 97 games while Oklahoma City earned a playoff bid at 81-81.



OKC gave El Paso all they could handle, but the Texas took care of the Indians in a seven-game series, while Galveston defeated Wichita in six games. The Hurricanes then defeated El Paso in another six-game tilt to earn their second-straight Texas League crown.

In the national tournament, the Toronto Maple Leafs (NOR) defeated Atlanta Crackers (SOU), while at the same time, the Galveston Hurricanes (TL) defeat the San Francisco Seals (PCL), becoming just the second Texas League club to reach the National Championship series. However, the Hurricanes would have to settle for just U.S. champions and not United States Baseball Federation champions, as the Toronto Maple Leafs (NOR) defeat the Galveston Hurricanes (TL), 4-0, earning their first National Championship and becoming the first Canadian champion of the USBF.



In the Northern Conference, 23-year-old Manhattan outfielder Cory Gilmore exploded onto the scene, as the rookie (and Rookie of the Year) won the Conference batting crown (.339) and led the NC in hits (211), runs (126), and RBI (135), adding 32 doubles, 10 triples, and 33 homers as he earned MVP honors as well.

A pair of sluggers reached the 300-homer barrier, as Milwaukee slugger Aaron Vergara reached that benchmark on May 21, while Detroit third baseman Felipe Meneses hit his milestone blast on July 14.

New York righty Didier Le Guen had been solid for several seasons for the Gothams but finally earned more wide-spread recognition, as he went 19-11 with a 2.71 ERA, led the conference in starts (36) and innings (276.0) and struck out a career-high 185 batters.

St. Louis outfielder Eli Harrington made 13 straight All-Star teams from 1957-69, but reached his apex this season, as the 28-year-old slashed .327/.397/.644 with 190 hits, 105 runs, 27 doubles, and a Southern Conference-leading 51 homers and 139 RBI to take home MVP honors.

For a third year in a row, Allen Staub took home Pitcher of the Year as St. Louis swept both major awards despite missing the playoffs. Staub took a step back from his incredible 1959 season, but went 23-10 with a 2.92 ERA, leading the South in wins, innings (311.0), and complete games (23), while striking out a career-high 181 batters.

In the Pacific Coast League, Seattle centerfielder Jarrett Messing took home MVP for the second time in four years. As he did three years earlier, Messing led the PCL in hits (242) and won the batting title (.338), while adding 103 runs, 36 doubles, 14 triples, 27 homers, and 122 RBI.

San Diego right-hander Lyle Graham didn't make the majors until he was 30, but in his debut season, he went 20-9 with a PCL-best 2.77 ERA, logging 301.2 innings as he earned a surprise PCL Pitcher of the Year honor. Graham won 20 games again the following year, but quickly fell off the map and won just 65 big-league games in his career.

Two PCL boppers also reached 300 homers, as Hollywood's David Bruer connected for his on April 12, early in a 41-homer, 147-RBI campaign. Oakland's John DeNoia then capped off a PCL-leading 43-homer season with his 300th on September 28.

Down in Texas, Galveston superstar Joel Zielinski won his second MVP award four years after his first, slashing .342/.391/.558 with a league-leading 212 hits, 93 runs, 28 doubles, 32 homers, and a TL-best 113 RBI. The 32-year-old had one more truly elite season in him (123 RBI the following season) before beginning his decline, but he remained an All-Star-caliber player for another decade.

Another Hurricane earned a second major honor, as 1957 Pitcher of the Year Leo Dufour earned a POTY nod for the second time. The Canadian native had embraced the final days of the so-called Free State of Galveston (not without scrutiny from the USBF) to earn the endearing, if questionable, nickname of "Gigolo". Dufour went 18-4 with a 2.96 ERA, leading the TL in wins and innings (255.1) to take the crown.

The Northern Conference elected a four-time MVP and the USBF's all-time leader in walks (2,223) and on-base percentage (.446) to the Hall of Fame:

OF James Najera (1943-58), 96.7%

---



In year #7, the American Baseball League finally crowned a third different champion. Miami edged New Haven for the East title, while Austin and Salt Lake City took the West playoff spots as Spokane missed the playoffs for the first time. New Haven took down Austin in five games, while Miami defeated Salt Lake City in six games. The Gators then took a bite out of the Weavers in seven games, earning their first ABL crown. The league membership also looked different as Corpus Christi, the most surprising charter city, was gone after just six seasons, moving to Albuquerque to become the Albuquerque Dukes.

Second-year Salt Lake City outfielder Willie Ruiz took MVP honors, as the 28-year-old slashed .318/.396/.568, swatting 188 hits, scoring 95 times, and leading the ABL with 43 doubles, 35 homers, and 108 RBI. For the second year straight (and third time overall), Miami ace Jacob Garrett earned Pitcher of the Year, going 25-9 with a 2.44 ERA and 380 strikeouts, leading the ABL in wins, starts (39), innings (331.2), and complete games (21).

Amazingly, Garrett did not lead the ABL in strikeouts, as New Haven rookie right-hander Kyle Gallagher struck out 384 batters, while also going 17-10 with a 2.23 ERA. For reasons unknown to anyone, despite pitching 15 more seasons (including in all four Major Leagues), Gallagher started exactly ONE more game after 1960.

---

Minor League Champions
Southeastern League: Montgomery Generals, 91-63, defeats Baton Rouge
Colonial League: Lowell Blue Sox, 85-55, defeats Pittsfield
River Valley League: Evansville Bees, 93-47, defeats Toledo (4th straight)
Rocky Mountain League: Cheyenne Bulls, 67-59, defeats Pueblo
Coastal League: Augusta Rebels, 90-64, defeats Charleston
Northern League: Cedar Rapids, 79-61, defeats Fargo-Moorhead
Great Lakes League: Akron Rubbermen, 92-48, defeats Youngstown
Southwest League: Santa Barbara Foresters, 102-52, defeats Bakersfield
Southern Association: Little Rock Travelers, 79-62, defeats Shreveport
Northwest League: Stockton Condors, 82-58, defeats Victoria
Can-Am League: Waterbury Pipers, 79-47, defeats Portland (4th straight)
Mid-Atlantic League: Greensboro Patriots, 80-60, defeats Atlantic City
Lone Star League: Waco Twisters, 81-60, defeats San Angelo
Great Plains League: St. Paul Saints, 80-60, defeats Thunder Bay
Florida Coast League: Pensacola Privateers, 82-58, defeats Huntsville

[KCRoyals15]

1961

After five successful seasons that saw the Omaha Golden Spikes being lifted from also-ran to back-to-back playoff team, Skipper Jr. decided to move on from Omaha and try his hand in Texas for the first time.

His next stop? An underachieving team in a city exploding in size, whose biggest rival was 50 miles away and dominating the Texas League. Skipper Jr. would be the new boss of the Houston Buffaloes.

In the Northern Conference, the Philadelphia Quakers won the New England League, while the Buffalo Bisons were back in the playoffs for the first time in four seasons after taking second in their first season after moving across town to venerable (and larger) War Memorial Stadium.

The Midwest Association featured a fantastic four-team sprint for the second playoff spot, behind the Chicago Whales. In the end, four teams finished with 89-91 wins, and the Montreal Royals and Chicago Cyclones dueled in a one-game playoff. The Cyclones came out on top, as both Chicago teams made the postseason for the first time, while the Cyclones were in the field for the first time in their five seasons in Chicago.



The Windy City was blown right out of the postseason, as the Whales lose a six-game set to Buffalo, while the Cyclones were knocked off by Philadelphia in five games. The Bisons then swept the Quakers to earn their third conference title in six years.

In the Southern Conference, the Washington Senators posted the Eastern Baseball Federation's best record with a 104-win campaign, while Brooklyn finished second, one game ahead of Atlanta. The Western League saw a tussle between St. Louis and New Orleans, with the Browns coming out one game ahead, with both teams earning postseason spots.



The Senators took care of business, sweeping the Dodgers in the first round, while St. Louis needed all seven games to defeat New Orleans. The Browns were sharper in the finals, though, pulling off a seven-game upset to take down Washington and win the South.

In the Pacific Coast League, Hollywood cruised to a ten-game cushion atop the league, with San Diego, Oakland, and Sacramento filing in behind them, with the Solons edging out Seattle by a game to reach the postseason for the first time in six years.



In the playoffs, Sacramento upset Hollywood in a five-game semifinal, while Oakland took down San Diego in seven games. The Oaks then pulled through in another seven-game tilt, edging the Solons to win their first PCL Championship in 23 years.

Deep in the heart of Texas, El Paso won the North, while Fort Worth won a competitive three-team race for the second playoff spot. The South saw Galveston won their sixth division title in seven years. Meanwhile, Skipper Jr. guided the Houston Buffaloes two games ahead of San Antonio to take second, earning their first playoff bid in a decade.



In October, El Paso edged out Fort Worth in a seven-game set, while Houston upset Galveston in six games to end the Hurricanes' two-year reign atop the Texas League. The Buffaloes then continued their run, taking down El Paso in six games to earn Houston's first Texas League title since 1928—nearly three decades before the TL became a major league.

In the national tournament, the St. Louis Browns (SOU) defeated the Buffalo Bisons (NOR) to kick things off, while the Houston Buffaloes (TL) defeated the Oakland Oaks (PCL) to become the second straight Texas League club to reach the National Championship series. In the end, though, the St. Louis Browns (SOU) defeat the Houston Buffaloes (TL), 4-1 to win their fourth National Championship and their first since 1954.



In the Northern Conference, Indianapolis rookie outfielder Dean Leveck saved his best for first, slashing .332/.413/.565 with 188 hits, 108 runs, 26 doubles, 11 triples, 28 home runs, and 113 RBI to earn Rookie of the Year and MVP honors. Other than being a prolific triples merchant throughout the decade, Leveck set career highs in just about everything else as a rookie.

On the mound, for the second time in five years, Buffalo righty John Bohlen took home Pitcher of the Year. Going 21-12 with a 2.43 ERA, Bohlen led the Northern Conference in wins, starts (36), innings (289.1), complete games (17), and shutouts (7). Just two years later, Bohlen would lose 23 games (his third 20+ loss season) and despite his two POTY trophies, he finished his big-league career with a 158-179 record.

For the second time in three years, the Southern Conference MVP went to Jacksonville second baseman Steve Bishop, who slashed .286/.343/.549 with 177 hits, 112 runs, 23 doubles, 44 homers, 125 RBI, and 32 steals.

St. Louis ace Allen Staub kept his firm grip on the Pitcher of the Year trophy for the fourth year running. Leading the league in wins for the third-year in a row, Staub went 22-9 with a conference-best 2.56 ERA, and also led the most starts (36), innings (284.2), and complete games (19).

For the second time in four years, Los Angeles third baseman Marcus Hale was crowned Pacific Coast League MVP, slashing .304/,356/.579 with 226 hits, 125 runs, 29 doubles, 10 triples, and leading the PCL with 52 homers and 146 RBI.

San Diego right-hander Dusty Richardson started his career off in style, as the 23-year-old rookie went 17-12 with a league-leading 2.65 ERA and 212 strikeouts in 309.1 innings, earning Rookie of the Year and Pitcher of the Year.

Hollywood outfielder Danny Quinones cracked his 400th career home runs on September 12, becoming just the second player in USBF history to reach that milestone. Still productive at 38, Quinones his 28 homers, though his streak of 11-straight 100-RBI seasons came to an end.

In Texas, one of Skipper Jr.'s first moves in Houston was trading for late-blooming first baseman Kevin Knotts from El Paso. In his first season as a Buffalo, Knotts slashed .318/.408/.641 with 187 hits, a league-leading 123 runs, 30 doubles, 11 triples, 46 homers, and 124 RBI. Knotts was similarly productive in 1962, but missed half of the season due to two IL trips, then fell off drastically, only playing 100 games twice at the big-league level.

Galveston right-hander Taylor Lloyd enjoyed his second big-league season, as the 24-year-old went 17-7 with a 3.10 ERA, striking out 165 over 258.1 innings to earn Pitcher of the Year honors.

In the Northern Conference, a pair of former Manhattan aces earned their call to the Hall of Fame:

RHP Aaron Cutrone (1939-55), 91.9%
RHP Jeremy Keene (1939-50), 77.6%

---



The American Baseball League saw three 100-win seasons, as Tampa and New Haven each won 104 games to dominate the East, while Austin won 101 in the West and Salt Lake City took the second West playoff spot. New Haven beat Austin in six in the first round, then Tampa won seven game series over Salt Lake City and New Haven to win their first ABL crown.

Tampa lefty Ramon Lezama posted a truly dominant season, going 25-6 with a 1.60 ERA, leading the ABL in both categories, and starts (38). He struck out 321 batters in 287.1 innings, earning both Pitcher of the Year and MVP honors.

---

Minor League Champions
Southeastern League: Montgomery Generals, 91-63, defeats Jackson (2nd straight)
Colonial League: Pittsfield Colonials, 89-51, defeats Worcester
River Valley League: Toledo Mud Hens, 81-59, defeats St. Joseph
Rocky Mountain League: Pueblo Miners, 65-61, defeats Butte
Coastal League: Augusta Rebels, 99-55, defeats Richmond (2nd straight)
Northern League: Fargo-Moorhead Indians, 86-54, defeats Cedar Rapids
Great Lakes League: Youngstown Steelers, 95-45, defeats Allentown
Southwest League: Long Beach Earthquakes, 90-64, defeats Modesto
Southern Association: Little Rock Travelers, 80-60, defeats Joplin (2nd straight)
Northwest League: Tacoma Mountaineers, 91-49, defeats Stockton
Can-Am League: Waterbury Pipers, 76-50, defeats Portland (5th straight)
Mid-Atlantic League: Greensboro Patriots, 82-58, defeats Roanoke (2nd straight)
Lone Star League: San Angelo Colts, 78-62, defeats Waco
Great Plains League: Thunder Bay Timberjacks, 94-46, defeats Salina
Florida Coast League: Huntsville Stars, 83-57, defeats Daytona

The River Valley League finals between Toledo and St. Joseph were an unusual sight: it was the only RVL final between 1935 and 1974 that did not feature either the Evansville Bees or Peoria Distillers. Evansville did not finish in the top two after doing so in 18 of the last 19 seasons.

[KCRoyals15]

1962

Without much of a preamble, season number 63 of United States Baseball Federation play got underway and a common theme was the number of very strong teams across leagues, with all four Eastern Baseball Federation leagues seeing a 100-win club.

The Northern Conference had New York and Milwaukee each winning exactly 100 contests to earn their respective league pennants. Manhattan finished a somewhat distant second to earn the second New England League playoff spot without much drama. Likewise, Cleveland finished two games behind the Black Hawks to earn the second Midwest Association bid.



Milwaukee took care of business in the first round, dispatching Manhattan in six games. Meanwhile, New York also needed six games, but took down Cleveland, matching up the North's two strongest teams in the Conference Championship. Indeed, the series went the distance, but New York emerged victorious.

Down in the Southern Conference, the Western League saw St. Louis win 100 games, easily outpacing second-place New Orleans, who took the second playoff spot. The Eastern League boasted four clubs with at least 94 wins, led by 104-58 Atlanta, with Washington finishing second, three games ahead of both Brooklyn and Jacksonville.



The South playoffs churned out three exceptional series as St. Louis defeated Washington in seven games, while Atlanta fended off their pesky long-time rival New Orleans in another seven-game tilt. Fittingly, the Conference Championship also went seven games, with the Browns downing the Crackers in a mild upset.

The Pacific Coast League was not nearly as interesting, at least in the regular season. San Diego cruised to the PCL pennant, with Hollywood, Oakland, and Portland filling out the playoff field. The Beavers went 105-95, good for the club's first playoff spot in six years, but their first winning record since moving to Portland in 1947 and the best season by a Portland PCL club since 1925.



In the postseason, things got interesting quickly, as Portland stunned top-seeded San Diego in a four-game sweep in the semifinals. Oakland, meanwhile, pulled a mild upset in a six-game series win over Hollywood. The Beavers then chopped down the Oaks in six games to win the first Pacific Coast League title for the Rose City since the very first PCL crown in 1900.

In Texas, El Paso once more cruised to a North Division title, their sixth in a row, while Fort Worth edged Oklahoma City by one game and Dallas by three for the final North playoff spot. In the South, Houston and Wichita took the top two spots, knocking Galveston off the top of the division after a three-year run.



In the first round, Wichita upset El Paso in six games, while Houston brushed aside Fort Worth in five games. The Buffs and Aeros then wrangled for seven games, with Houston coming away with their second straight Texas League title.

That set the stage for the National Championship tournament, which began with the St. Louis Browns (SOU) defeating the New York Gothams (NOR), while Portland's magical run came to an end as the Houston Buffaloes (TL) defeat the Portland Beavers (PCL). For just the second time ever (also San Francisco vs. Kansas City in 1932-33), the National Championship would be a rematch from the year prior. This time. Unlike the Blues in '33, Houston successfully avenged the previous year's defeat, as the Houston Buffaloes (TL) defeat the St. Louis Browns (SOU), 4-3 to earn their first National Championship and the first national title in eight tries for the Texas League.



Manhattan outfielder Cory Gilmore put up a very similar season to his MVP-winning season from 1960, and not surprising he took MVP honors once more. He led the Northern Conference with 218 hits, 121 runs, and 41 doubles, while slashing .339/.384/.593 with 37 homers, 130 RBI, and 16 steals.

Across town, 27-year-old rookie lefty-hander Tony Vasquez was instrumental in New York's march to a pennant, going 20-5 with a 2.41, leading the North in both categories while striking out 195 batters in 254.0 innings to earn Pitcher of the Year honors.

In the Southern Conference, Washington second baseman Alex Gonzalez won Rookie of the Year in 1956 and remained consistent for the better part of a decade afterwards. In this season, the 33-year-old slashed .322/.427/.543, collecting 177 hits, 100 runs, 33 doubles, 24 homers, and 107 RBI, setting several career highs as he earned the South MVP.

His teammate Jose Estrada had an up-and-down first two big-league seasons, but the 25-year-old figured it all out in his third season, going 22-6 with a conference-best 2.75 ERA over 252.0 innings to earn Pitcher of the Year.

Out west, the Pacific Coast League MVP went to Los Angeles third baseman Marcus Hale for the second year in a row and the third time in five years. The man nicknamed "Dinnerplate" cleaned up all, blasting 60 homers, second-most in USBF history, and became the first player in big-league history with three 50-homer seasons. He also drove in 147 runs, led the PCL with 140 runs, stroked 230 hits, 30 doubles, 9 triples, and slashed .313/.388/.624.

After winning Pitcher of the Year in his debut campaign, San Diego's Dusty Richardson one-upped it by going 30-6 with a 1.78 ERA, leading the PCL in wins, ERA, starts (43), innings (343.2), complete games (20), and shutouts (7). Like the MVP voting, this was an easy repeat for the righty.

Los Angeles rookie right-hander Steve Mintz went 11-18 with a 5.04 ERA, but on May 8 he spun a perfect game against Sacramento, striking out four and throwing 100 pitches in his masterpiece. Mintz wound up making two All-Star games later in the decade after being traded to New York, but would be remembered more for his historic evening against the Solons.

Meanwhile, one man who was no stranger to superstardom accomplished a feat never done before. Seattle slugger Griffin Searle posted the worst season of his career, but the 35-year-old became the first player in USBF history to reach 500 career homers with his blast on July 29.

Unlike the PCL, the Texas League lacked standout offensive performances, and Steve Oake of Wichita wound up at the top of the pack. The 29-year-old enjoyed a career year while many weren't, slashing .326/.386/.519 with 183 hits, 95 runs, 23 doubles, 23 homers, and 94 RBI to earn the MVP award.

Houston southpaw Jeff Esposito led the TL in wins and strikeouts as a rookie the previous year, then added the ERA title as a sophomore, going 18-8 with a 2.40 ERA, and 208 strikeouts to win the Texas League pitching Triple Crown, while adding a league-high 269.2 innings. The imposing 6-6 fireballer was a genuinely ace and an All-Star six years in a row, but his career suddenly ended in August, 1967 due to an elbow injury. His final pitch came at just 31 years old.

For the first time since 1931 and just the third time ever, the EBF elected three men to the Hall of Fame in one class:

3B Chris Tonks (1933-50), 87.7%
OF Aaron Dawson (1932-48), 77.1%
RF Jeff Healy (1936-52), 75.0%

---



While the EBF featured four 100-win teams, the American Baseball League featured three of them, including a league-record 109 wins from Spokane, who outlasted 100-win Salt Lake City in the West, while Miami won 106 games in the East, and Tampa settled for second with 98 victories. Spokane then took down Tampa in six, and Miami defeated Salt Lake City in a seven-game thriller. In a matchup of two powerhouses, the Gators swept the Indians to take their second ABL title.

For the second year in a row, the MVP and Pitcher of the Year awards were both swept a pitcher. This time, it was Miami righty Terry Schroeder, who went 25-8 with a 1.67 ERA, leading the ABL in both marks, while striking out 379 batters over 280.0 innings. Incredibly, he did not lead the league in punchouts, as Salt Lake City's Gustavo Elias struck out a league-record 388.

---

Minor League Champions
Southeastern League: Chattanooga Lookouts, 94-60, defeats Jackson
Colonial League: Binghamton Smokers, 85-55, defeats Pittsfield
River Valley League: St. Joseph Snakes, 80-60, defeats Evansville
Rocky Mountain League: Butte Copper Kings, 77-49, defeats Pueblo
Coastal League: Augusta Rebels, 101-53, defeats Richmond (3rd straight)
Northern League: Fargo-Moorhead Indians, 91-49, defeats Davenport (2nd straight)
Great Lakes League: Allentown Brewers, 90-50, defeats Youngstown
Southwest League: Long Beach Earthquakes, 88-66, defeats Bakersfield (2nd straight)
Southern Association: Springfield Ozarks, 82-58, defeats Beaumont
Northwest League: Stockton Condors, 82-58, defeats Reno
Can-Am League: Quebec Carnavals, 68-59, defeats Waterbury
Mid-Atlantic League: Raleigh-Durham Tar Heels, 75-65, defeats Roanoke (2nd straight)
Lone Star League: Amarillo Gold Sox, 75-65, defeats Midland-Odessa
Great Plains League: Salina Blue Jays, 75-65, defeats Thunder Bay
Florida Coast League: Columbus Catfish, 80-60, defeats St. Petersburg

[KCRoyals15]

1963

After two Texas League titles and a National Championship in just two years in Houston, the Buffaloes were back on solid ground and ground for a new domed stadium was broken, set to open in 1965.

With his work done, Skipper Jr. headed north up I-45 to take over another Texas League squad, the Dallas Lone Stars, who like Houston before Junior's arrival, had been an underachieving big-market club, having not made the postseason in 11 years...

Entering the season, some rumblings began that the United States Baseball Federation would entertain adding a few American Baseball League franchises. In the meantime, as many major metropolitan areas were suffering downturns amidst demographic changes, putting stresses on several franchises.

Meanwhile in the Northern Conference, Manhattan finished four games ahead of the Philadelphia Quakers in the New England League, with those teams earning the two NEL playoff spots. Meanwhile, Toronto coasted to the Midwest Association title , with Milwaukee outlasting the two Chicago teams (two and three games back, respectively) to reach the postseason.



Toronto started off their postseason trek with a five-game triumph over Milwaukee, while Manhattan needed all seven games to defeat Philadelphia. The Yankees then disposed of the Leafs in six games to win the North.

In the Southern Conference, the one former American Baseball League franchise in the league, the Brooklyn Dodgers, were back in the playoffs for the third time in four years, finishing second behind 101-win Jacksonville in the Eastern League.

In the Western League, the Memphis Chicks startled the baseball world by going from last place to second, posting their first winning season in 11 years and earning the franchise's first playoff berth in their 64-year history, going back to their previous stint in Richmond. However, they finished a whopping 29 games back of St. Louis, who set an Eastern Baseball Federation record by winning 115 games.



Memphis' playoff stay was about as short as could be, as St. Louis swept the Chicks, while Brooklyn upset Jacksonville in a seven-game struggle. The Dodgers had another, much bigger upset in them, as they stunned the Browns in a six-game series to win the Southern Conference.

In the Pacific Coast League, San Diego and Seattle finished tied atop the PCL, with Seattle winning a one-game playoff for the top seed. Defending champion Portland finished third (the highest finish for a Portland team since 1925), while San Francisco slipped into the final playoff spot, one game ahead of both Los Angeles and Oakland. Of note, Hollywood crashed into last place, suffering their first losing season, and failing to make the playoffs for the first since 1943, snapping a 19-year streak.



The semifinals saw a big upset, as the .500 San Francisco Seals dealt a five-game defeat to Seattle, while San Diego slipped past Portland in seven games. The Padres then set down the Seals in five games to earn their first PCL title in six seasons.

In the Texas League, Skipper Jr.'s magic worked wonders right away, as Dallas won a franchise-record 97 games to win the North and make their first playoff appearance as a big-league team. El Paso finished second to make the playoffs for the ninth-straight season. In the South, Houston comfortably took the division, while Galveston and San Antonio tied for second, with the Hurricanes winning a one-game playoff for the final bid.



Galveston then pulled off an upset of Houston, winning the Division Series in five games. Meanwhile, Dallas fended off El Paso in a seven-game series, then did the same to the Hurricanes in winning the Texas League title in a seven-game tilt, their first TL title since 1945.

In the national tournament, Brooklyn was all out of upsets. They fell to their crosstown rivals as the Manhattan Yankees (NOR) defeat the Brooklyn Dodgers (SOU), while on the other side, the San Diego Padres (PCL) defeat the Dallas Lone Stars (TL). In the finals, the San Diego Padres (PCL) defeat the Manhattan Yankees (NOR), 4-1, as the Padres took home their first National Championship.



Seven years after winning his first MVP award, 37-year-old Aaron Vergara[/URL] was once more named best in the Northern Conference, slashing .328/.347/.547 with 189 hits, 93 runs, 33 doubles, 25 homers, and 110 RBI to take home MVP.

On the hill, Toronto right-hander Randy Hamilton had steadily improved over his first five big-league seasons, culminating in an 18-11 season with a 2.56 ERA over 274.0 innings, striking out 201 batters to win Pitcher of the Year. Hamilton was an odd case, in a pitcher who was very dependable for a decade, then fell off without warning and retired at 32 years old despite no injury history.

For third time in five years, Jacksonville's Steve Bishop took home MVP hardware. In a career full of huge seasons, this may have been his finest. At 28 years old, Bishop slashing .330/.407/.651 (all career bests) with 201 hits, a conference-high 143 runs, 27 doubles, 11 triples, and leading the South with 49 home runs and 148 RBI, while adding 48 steals as he posted the second 40-40 season and narrowly missed the first 50-50 season in USBF history.

Another familiar face in Allen Staub took home Pitcher of the Year hardware for the fifth and final time. The St. Louis ace went 18-7 with a 2.61 ERA over 241.0 innings, spinning 15 complete games and a conference-high seven shutouts.

The Pacific Coast League also saw another multi-time winner as Los Angeles' Marcus Hale won his fourth and final MVP award. In a year that included a cycle and his 300th career homer, the 30-year-old slashed .307/.378/.566 with 225 hits and led the PCL with 128 runs, 47 homers, and 147 RBI, while adding 25 doubles, 12 triples, and 23 steals. Amazingly, in all four of Hale's MVP campaigns, the Angels failed to make the playoffs (almost like there's a real life parallel to this...).

San Diego's Dusty Richardson faced an impossible standard to match after a season for the ages the year prior, but still had a strong season, gong 22-9 with a 2.56 ERA, leading the PCL in wins and starts (44) while logging 326.2 innings, 239 strikeouts, 11 complete games, and a league-high four shutouts. All told, he took home his third straight Pitcher of the Year at just 25 years old.

A couple of PCL mainstays reached a pair of big milestones. First, Hollywood outfielder David Bruer crushed his 400th home run on September 17. Nine days later, his 43-year-old teammate Kirby Minthorn stroked his 3,000th hit, becoming the sixth PCL player (third entirely in the big-league era) to reach that benchmark.

The Texas League was the only major league with a first-time MVP winner, courtesy of a shrewd evaluation. Shortly after taking the Dallas job, Skipper Jr. traded a back-up first baseman and a minor league pitcher to Newark for first baseman Chris Johnson, who never had more than 300 at-bats in a season. Finally an everyday player at 30 years old in his ninth big-league season, Johnson slashed .312/.371/.552 with 197 hits, 89 runs, 27 doubles, and a Texas League-leading 40 homers and 128 RBI. He never remotely approached those numbers again, but took home an MVP award for his surprising year.

Baseball was barely known in Australia, but in 1959, Oklahoma City signed a 19-year-old native of Melbourne. Two years later, Roy Hendricks was in the majors, and in 1963, the 23-year-old righty went 18-12 with a 2.76 ERA, led the TL in wins, starts (36), innings (287.0), complete games (15), and shutouts (5), and struck out 214 batters to earn Pitcher of the Year honors. It would not be his last by a long shot.

The Eastern Baseball Federation elected one to the Hall of Fame, a player who is the only 200+ home-run hitter in big-league history with more longballs (231) than strikeouts (200):

2B Etan Ben-Gilad (1933-51), 77.5%

---



The tenth season of American Baseball League saw a drastic split: 7 of the 12 teams won at least 90 games, while he other five lost at least 90, including four 100-game losers and Vancouver bottoming out at a ghastly 38-124 record, still the worst in ABL history.

Miami won 111 games, ten games ahead of 101-win New Haven in the East, while the West saw Austin and Salt Lake City tie for the lead with 98 wins in a division with four 90-win teams. The Bees defeated the Weavers in five games, while the Gators took down the Wranglers in seven. The American Cup series saw Salt Lake City take down Miami in a seven-game thrilled for their first title in any league.

After the deciding game, Salt Lake skipper Bobby Ricketts told reporters, "we beat a Major League-quality team today. I think that tells you what I think about our team too."

Awards-wise, Miami ace Jacob Garrett was the ABL's top hurler in the loop's inaugural season in 1954 and the 32-year-old still was nearly a decade later, winning his fourth Pitcher of the Year award by going 26-6 with a 1.62 ERA and striking out 363 batters over 305.0 innings, winning the ABL Triple Crown and adding 26 complete games and nine shutouts. In addition to POTY hardware, Garrett was also named ABL MVP, the third straight pitcher to win both awards and second straight Gator. He also earned his 200th ABL win and 3000th ABL strikeout during the season.

---

Minor League Champions
Southeastern League: Chattanooga Lookouts, 95-59, defeats Montgomery (2nd straight)
Colonial League: Worcester Tornadoes, 87-53, defeats Syracuse
River Valley League: Evansville Bees, 80-60, defeats Toledo
Rocky Mountain League: Colorado Springs Sky Sox, 75-51, defeats Pueblo
Coastal League: Augusta Rebels, 97-57, defeats Macon (4th straight)
Northern League: Fargo-Moorhead Indians, 89-51, defeats South Bend (3rd straight)
Great Lakes League: Youngstown Steelers, 90-50, defeats Allentown
Southwest League: Bakersfield Conquistadors, 97-57, defeats Long Beach
Southern Association: Beaumont Exporters, 76-65, defeats Shreveport
Northwest League: Stockton Condors, 80-61, defeats Reno (2nd straight)
Can-Am League: London Braves, 65-61, defeats Waterbury
Mid-Atlantic League: Charleston (WV) Coal Sox, 82-58, defeats Trenton
Lone Star League: Amarillo Gold Sox, 88-52, defeats San Angelo (2nd straight)
Great Plains League: St. Paul Saints, 83-58, defeats Waterloo
Florida Coast League: Huntsville Stars, 85-55, defeats St. Petersburg

[KCRoyals15]

1964

After one year, a Texas League title, and the highest-attended season in TL history, Skipper Jr. has seen enough of the Dallas Lone Stars. For the second winter in a row, he is on the move, as he crosses the Red River to go livin' on Tulsa Time (nevermind the song of that name was still 15 years away) as the new manager of the Tulsa Oilers.

After being demoted to the American Baseball League upon its founding in 1954, the Miami Gators spent the rest of the 50's where they spent most of their big-league lifespan: the basement. But the last five seasons had seen them build a truly major-league caliber organization from the roster to the financial side.

The Southern Conference was interested in welcoming back the Gators to the big leagues, and support to re-admit them to the Eastern League was strong. The previous season, the Salt Lake City manager proclaimed he had "beat a big-league club" in the ABL finals, and he was indeed proven right.

It was believed that the Bees would be the logical second team to join the major-league ranks, also getting a second chance after being demoted in 1954. However, an organization perceived to be weaker both on and off the field got the call instead: Miami's in-state rival, the Tampa Tarpons would be the second team joining the Miami Gators in the Eastern League.

On the other hand, more Eastern Baseball Federation clubs were struggling, and so not just two clubs moved to the ABL to make room for the Florida expansion, four teams got the boot. The Denver Bears and Minneapolis Millers had both struggled for decades in the South, so their demotions were not surprising. The Pittsburgh Ironmen had not made the playoffs since 1900, so they were an easy target to depart the North. Lastly, the Newark Eagles, somewhat surprisingly, went downwards from the South, despite a longer and more recent track record of success.

With three Southern clubs moving down and just one out of the Northern Conference, the decision was made to move the Brooklyn Dodgers from the Eastern League in the South to the New England League in the North, a move that the organization unilaterally approved to place them with their two inner-city rivals.

The end result was notable in that it left the Northern Conference with 16 teams and the Southern Conference with 14 squads, the first time the EBF has had conferences of different sizes. While the two South leagues were both seven teams each, schedules already interlocked between the two leagues, making those issues easy to work around.

As such, the new EBF looked like this:

Northern Conference


Southern Conference


Likewise, the new ABL, now at it's largest size ever with 14 teams, shaped up as such:

American Baseball League


After a slight re-tooling, the new-look New England was taken by storm by the Brooklyn Dodgers, who crashed the party by winning the pennant in their first year back in the NEL. In addition to their new league and division title, the season was also notable as the Dodgers finally said goodbye to dilapidated Ebbets Field, moving into the ultra-modern Dodger Dome, the first full-sized indoor stadium in the world.

Manhattan outlasted Buffalo and New York to win to earn the second playoff spot, spoiling the first season for New York in brand-new Shea Stadium, where they decamped for after finally departing the decrepit Polo Grounds. Meanwhile, the Midwest Association was taken by Milwaukee, while the Chicago Whales edged out Toronto by a game for the second playoff spot.



In the playoffs, Brooklyn faced an in-city rival for the first time in postseason play and made the most of it, knocking off Manhattan in six games. Chicago, meanwhile, took down Milwaukee in seven games, then downed the Dodgers in six games to win the Northern Conference for the second time.

In the slimmed-down South, Miami's triumphant return to the majors saw them win the Eastern League, taking the flag by four games over Atlanta, who earned the second playoff bid. The Western League was once more dominated by St. Louis, who won an EBF-best 105 games. Kansas City improved by 30 games and cruised into second with 98 wins to earn their first playoff bid in four years.



Kansas City's return to October started off with a bang, as they sank St. Louis in seven games, while Miami took down Atlanta in five. The Gators then continued their return tour with a resounding five-game series win over the Blues to take their first Conference Championship.

Out in the PCL, an exciting three-team race took place, seeing San Diego and Seattle finish in a dead heat at 113-87, with Hollywood just one game back. Meanwhile, Oakland held off San Francisco by just one game for the final playoff spot. San Diego won a one-game tiebreaker for the regular-season crown.



With the one-game playoff effectively deciding the first round opponent and little more, San Diego was trounced in six games by Oakland, while the Rainiers made short work of Hollywood in a five-game set. Seattle then cruised past Oakland in five gamed to earn their first PCL title in 14 seasons.

In the Texas League, Dallas took the North Division for the second year in a row, while Skipper Jr. guided Tulsa to just 83 wins, but secured the second North playoff spot in his first season. The South saw Houston win their third straight division crown, with Galveston filing in behind them comfortably.



In the postseason, Galveston knocked off Houston in a surprising five-game set, but that paled in comparison to Tulsa's stunner, as the Oilers swept Dallas, then followed it up by defeating the Hurricanes in six games to earn their first-ever Texas League crown since joining the league in 1946.

In the National Championship tournament, the Oilers' surprising run came to a halt in the semifinals as the Seattle Rainiers (PCL) defeat Tulsa Oilers (TL). Meanwhile the magical run in Miami marched on, as the Miami Gators (SOU) defeat the Chicago Whales (NOR). The Gators, who were not good enough to win the American Baseball League the prior season, finished off their stunning season in style, as the Miami Gators (SOU) defeat the Seattle Rainiers (PCL), 4-1 to give Miami their first National Championship in their first season back in the majors.



Manhattan outfielder Cory Gilmore had won the Northern Conference MVP in '60 and '62. '64 was no exception, as he slashed .318/.361/.554 with 197 hits, 108 runs, 31 doubles, 33 homers, and 100 RBI to take his third MVP trophy.

His teammate Glenn Clark made a sparkling first impression, as the 26-year-old rookie went 20-10 with a 2.56 ERA, leading the North in wins and starts (36), while striking out 232 batters in 263.2 innings.

A pair of notable accomplishments occurred in the North, as Milwaukee's Aaron Vergara became the first Eastern Baseball Federation hitter to reach 400 homers, doing so early on with a blast on April 7. Almost exactly four months later, Albany right-hander Todd Nielson, near the end of a 15-year career, had his day in the sun, Despite striking out just one batter, the journeyman set down all 27 Manhattan Yankees on August 6, throwing 94 pitches in his masterpiece, the first EBF perfecto in five seasons.

Jacksonville second baseman Steve Bishop was no stranger to the Southern Conference MVP trophy, but for the first time, he took home back-to-back awards, and his fourth MVP overall. Still just 29, Bishop slashed .309/.389/.586 with 179 hits, a conference-best 107 runs, 28 doubles, 11 triples, 37 homers, 116 RBI, and 24 steals.

On the mound, Miami lefty Jacob Garrett debuted in the majors with a mediocre 1953 season as a 22-year-old. After a decade of dominance in the ABL, he was a big leaguer once more and the 33-year-old proved he could dominate the very best, going 23-4 with a South-leading 1.96 ERA, while striking out 219 over 271.1 innings. It was Garrett's sixth and final Pitcher of the Year trophy—but his first and only as a major leaguer.

In the PCL, a new force was emerging at the plate in the form of free-swinging Seattle shortstop Joseph Miller. After a pair of 40-homer seasons his first two years, the 27-year-old Georgia native blasted a PCL-best 54 homers and 148 RBI, scoring 115 times and rapping 179 hits. Despite batting just .247 and striking out 230 times (the most in the Live Ball era by a PCL batter), voters were undeterred in selecting Miller for MVP.

A familiar face was again selected by Pitcher of the Year voters, as Dusty Richardson made it four POTY trophies in four big-league seasons, going 25-13 with a 2.07 ERA, leading the league in wins, ERA, starts (43), and shutouts (5), while striking out 262 over 343.2 innings.

Down in Texas, the first big-league MVP in Texas League history made a return to the top of the ballot nearly a decade later. Nine years after his first trophy, Houston first baseman John Schellhammer won his second, winning the TL batting crown at .334 with 192 hits, 23 doubles, 20 homers, and 94 RBI. Not only that, but he moved full-time to first base and won the first (and only) Great Glove of his career as well, adding another award for the man who would ultimately suit up for 19 years in Houston.

Meanwhile, there was no surprise on the Pitcher of the Year ballot. For the second year in a row, it was Oklahoma City right-hander Roy Hendricks, who went 20-10 with a 2.42 ERA, leading the TL in wins for the third year in a row, as well as ERA, starts (35), innings (278.2), and shutouts (5), while striking out 205 batters.

---



The American Baseball League had lost two of it's stronger teams, but it's two winningest ones remained, and indeed New Haven and Spokane took the division titles. Minneapolis took the second East playoff spot, their first playoff spot since 1952, while San Jose stepped into the void in the West, earning their second-ever playoff spot, and first since 1955.

Spokane took care of Minneapolis in the first round, while San Jose pulled off an upset over New Haven. The Gulls were not done, as they took down the other major power, sweeping the Spokane Indians in the finals for their first American Baseball Cup.

After three straight MVPs won by pitchers, Spokane outfielder Chris Juliano ended that run by slashing .299/.389/.584 with 27 doubles, and leading the league with 37 homers and driving in 102 runs, despite missing roughly the final month of the season. Pittsburgh righty Cody Dickson was a middling big-league arm, but the step down in competition helped him tremendously. After going 28-55 his previous five seasons, the 27-year-old went 22-9 with a 2.35 ERA, leading the ABL in starts (38), innings (317.2) and strikeouts (330) to earn Pitcher of the Year.

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Minor League Champions
Southeastern League: Chattanooga Lookouts, 101-53, defeats Jackson (3rd straight)
Colonial League: Worcester Tornadoes, 93-47, defeats Pittsfield (2nd straight)
River Valley League: Evansville Bees, 87-53, defeats Peoria
Rocky Mountain League: Great Falls Explorers, 71-56, defeats Ogden
Coastal League: Augusta Rebels, 98-56, defeats Macon (5th straight)
Northern League: Fargo-Moorhead Indians, 94-46, defeats Sioux Falls (4th straight)
Great Lakes League: Akron Rubbermen, 95-45, defeats Allentown
Southwest League: Fresno Suns, 90-64, defeats Bakersfield
Southern Association: Biloxi Pilots, 81-59, defeats Joplin
Northwest League: Victoria Trappers, 73-67, defeats Tacoma
Can-Am League: Waterbury Pipers, 74-52, defeats Quebec
Mid-Atlantic League: Charleston (WV) Coal Sox, 75-65, defeats Trenton (2nd straight)
Lone Star League: Midland-Odessa Panthers, 79-61, defeats Laredo
Great Plains League: St. Paul Saints, 94-46, defeats Salina (2nd straight)
Florida Coast League: Columbus Catfish, 80-60, defeats St. Petersburg

[KCRoyals15]

1965

Skipper Jr. continued his speed run through the Texas League, going one-and-done after his surprise Texas League title in Tulsa in 1964. He departed the Oilers to go back across the Red River. Following his revival of the Dallas Lone Stars in ’63, it was time to go to the other side of the Metroplex to breathe new life into the Fort Worth Panthers.

The Northern Conference saw the defending champion Manhattan Yankees hold off the Philadelphia Quakers, as those two earned the New England League playoff spots. In the Midwest Association, the Chicago Whales won a franchise-record 106 games, easily clearing Detroit, who took second place and with it, a playoff spot.



In the postseason, Philadelphia scored a major upset of the Whales in a seven-game thriller in the semifinals. Meanwhile, Manhattan took down Detroit in five games. The Quakers then turned the tables on the Yankees, setting down Manhattan in a five-game series to win the North.

In the Southern Conference, the Eastern League saw an extremely competitive race in Florida, as Jacksonville won 105 games, edging out Miami by two games, though both teams comfortably earned playoff spots. In the Western League, St. Louis won 111 games, earning their fifth straight pennant and their fourth straight 100-win season. New Orleans finished a distant second, 26 games back, and took the second playoff spot.



In the first round, St. Louis dispatched Miami (EDITOR’S NOTE: the screenshot says a 5-2 series. Given every other series being best-of-seven, I have NO clue what happened there. I’m guessing a weird glitch and the actual result was 4-2 or 4-3), while Jacksonville got all they could handle from New Orleans, but got past the Pelicans in a seven-game tilt. The Tars were no match, though, as St. Louis comfortably took a five-game Conference Finals.

The Pacific Coast League saw defending champion Seattle take the pennant in comfortable fashion, finishing 15 games above second-place Sacramento. Hollywood took third, then Los Angeles slipped into fourth, reaching the playoffs for the first time in 11 seasons. San Diego just missed out on the postseason, spending October at home for the first time since 1952 after 12 straight trips to the playoffs.



In the first round, Sacramento dueled Hollywood for seven games, but they turned out the lights on the Stars, while Seattle slid past Los Angeles in a six-game series. The Rainiers then took down the Solons in another six-game series, clinching the second straight PCL title for Seattle.

Once again, a Texas League team saw an immediate improvement after bringing Skipper Jr. aboard, and the Fort Worth Panthers were the beneficiary, winning the North for their first division title in nine years. Dallas rankled some in the Metroplex by opening new Turnpike Stadium in the suburb of Arlington—located between Dallas and Fort Worth, which they christened by edging Tulsa by a game for the second playoff spot in the North.

The South saw the Galveston Hurricanes returned to the top of the division for the first time in four years, as they were the only Texas League team with even 90 victories, winning 102 games. San Antonio then edged out Houston by two games for the last playoff spot.

Like Dallas, Houston also opened a new facility, the Harris County Domed Stadium—quickly coined the “Buffalodome” by the press and fans—becoming the second team (after Brooklyn) to play under a roof. Brooklyn had attempted to soldier on with natural grass, but was running into issues. Seeing this, Houston contracted with Monsanto to revolutionize indoor sports with a new plastic-base playing artificial playing surface. This too would gain a Houston-themed nickname: BuffaloGrass.



Dallas pulled an upset against their cross-town rivals, knocking off Fort Worth in five games. Meanwhile, San Antonio pulled off a bigger one, knocking out Galveston in six games. In the Lone Star Series, the Missions continued their march, defeating Dallas in six games for the Texas League title. The Missions won ten Texas League titles (more than anyone else) during the TL’s minor league era, but this championship was their first since 1951 and their first as a big-league club.

In the national tournament, the overwhelming favorites did not disappoint early on, as the St. Louis Browns (SOU) defeat the Philadelphia Quakers (NOR), while the Seattle Rainiers (PCL) defeat the San Antonio Missions (TL). In a matchup of probably the two strongest teams in the entire USBF, Seattle was a little stronger, as the Seattle Rainiers (PCL) defeat the St. Louis Browns (SOU), 4-1 to win their third National Championship and their first since 1950.



For the fourth time in six years and the second in a row, Manhattan outfielder Cory Gilmore continued his dominant run in Northern Conference MVP voting. The 28-year-old slashed .309/.358/.528 with 181 hits, 84 runs, 25 doubles, 29 home runs, and 104 RBI, while stealing 14 bases.

His teammate, righty Glenn Clark, also repeated as Pitcher of the Year. The 27-year-old went 18-12 with a conference-best 2.09 ERA, while also leading the conference in starts (36) and strikeouts (258) over 271.1 innings to take the hardware home once more.

A pair of legends reached notable milestones as Philadelphia’s Felipe Meneses crushed his 400th home run on April 22, becoming the second EBF player to reach that mark. On June 3, Milwaukee’s Aaron Vergara one-upped him with his 3,000th hit, becoming the first EBF player since 1943 to hit that benchmark.

The Southern Conference was once more ruled by Jacksonville’s Steve Bishop, who won his third straight MVP and fifth overall. Bishop slashed .303/.378/.575 with 179 hits, a conference-high 117 runs, 24 doubles, 42 home runs, 130 RBI, and 39 steals, adding a Great Glove to his award shelf as well.

The St. Louis Browns continued to churn out pitching, and the latest was 26-year-old rookie lefty John Richards, who went 17-9 with a 2.14 ERA, striking out 195 batters in 261.0 innings. He earned Pitcher of the Year and Rookie of the Year awards. He posted a similar season in 1966, then missed 30 months (nearly three entire seasons) due to a major arm injury, the start of several major arm injuries that loomed over the last decade of his career.

In the Pacific Coast League, hard-hitting Seattle shortstop Joseph Miller slashed .263/.340/.541 with 192 hits, and a league-leading 123 runs. For the second year in a row, though, he led the PCL in homers and RBI, blasting 54 homers and 148 RBI to win his second MVP in a row. Miller also set history on March 16 vs. Sacramento, becoming the first player in PCL history and just the second in major league history to hit four home runs in a game.

For the first time in five years, the PCL crowned a new Pitcher of the Year, as second-year Hollywood righty Kevin Corbett went 19-11 with a league-leading 2.59 ERA, also leading the PCL with 43 starts and striking out 203 batters in 316.2 innings.

A couple of home run milestones were reached as well in the PCL, as Oakland’s John DeNoia became the fourth PCL hitter to reach 400 home runs, doing so on April 28. On May 11, Los Angeles’ Marcus Hale also reached that milestone.

In the Texas League, Phoenix right fielder Dave Langone won his first home run title the prior season, then one-upped it by also leading the TL in all three triple-slash categories, slashing .366/.463/.670, also topping the loop in hits (204), scoring 110 times, hitting 21 doubles, and leading the league with 10 triples and 43 home runs, while driving in 106, taking home a well-deserved MVP award.

For a third year in a row, Oklahoma City righty Roy Hendricks dominated the league, going 17-12 with a league-best 2.26 ERA, and leading the league with 37 starts and eight shutouts, while adding 282.2 innings, 198 strikeouts, and 16 complete games.

For the first time in 14 years, the Pacific Coast League elected a player to the Hall of Fame:

CF Victor Loza (1946-58), 77.4%

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The American Baseball League featured a pair of competitive races, as the West saw Austin and Spokane each won 99 games to earn the two playoff spots in that division. Meanwhile, the East saw New Haven win the division, while Pittsburgh, Minneapolis, and Newark all tied for second. Pittsburgh came away with the tiebreaker, reaching the postseason for the first time since winning the first Midwest Association pennant in 1900. Their run ended quickly, though, as Spokane knocked them out in the first round in five games. New Haven, meanwhile, took down Austin in seven games, before Spokane turned the scales, edging New Haven in seven games to earn their fourth ABL title.

For the second year in a row, Spokane outfielder Chris Juliano earned MVP honors, slashing .295/.402/.554 with 168 hits, 104 runs, a league-high 46 doubles, 33 homers, and 120 RBI. Austin right-hander Chris Wallace won the ABL pitching Triple Crown, as the 30-year-old went 23-6 with a 1.71 ERA and 368 strikeouts, also leading the league with 37 starts and logging 278.2 innings.

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The Minor League landscape also grew as the Mountain West and Canada gained more representation with the establishment of the Big Sky League:

Big Sky League


Minor League Champions
Southeastern League: Jackson Junebugs, 99-55, defeats Chattanooga
Colonial League: Syracuse Chiefs, 78-63, defeats Pittsfield
River Valley League: Peoria Distillers, 82-58, defeats Des Moines Demons
Rocky Mountain League: Colorado Springs Sky Sox, 76-50, defeats Ft. Collins
Coastal League: Macon Peaches, 87-67, defeats Winston-Salem
Northern League: Quad Cities Trappers, 80-60, defeats Fargo-Moorhead
Great Lakes League: Akron Rubbermen, 85-55, defeats Youngstown (2nd straight)
Southwest League: Santa Barbara Foresters, 82-72, defeats Long Beach
Southern Association: Shreveport Captains, 82-58, defeats Joplin
Northwest League: Reno High Rollers, 92-48, defeats Yakima
Can-Am League: Manchester Monarchs, 69-57, defeats Waterbury
Mid-Atlantic League: Asheville Tourists, 80-61, defeats Roanoke
Lone Star League: Abilene Prairie Dogs, 89-51, defeats San Angelo
Great Plains League: St. Paul Saints, 91-49, defeats Salina (3rd straight)
Florida Coast League: St. Petersburg Saints, 84-56, defeats Columbus
Big Sky League: Idaho Falls Fireballs, 72-60, defeats Ogden

[KCRoyals15]

1966

1966 saw many familiar suspects at the top of the standings, starting in the Northern Conference, where the New York Gothams won 100 games. Manhattan finished second, edging out the resurgent Philadelphia Athletics for the last playoff spot. The Midwest Association saw Milwaukee back on top, though they had to hold off Toronto, who finished one game back to take the other playoff spot.



Manhattan took down their cross-town rivals in New York, winning a six-game series. Milwaukee, meanwhile, swept Toronto, then defeated Manhattan in seven games, lifting the Black Hawks to their first Conference Championship.

The Southern Conference had Jacksonville on top of the Eastern League for the second year in a row, with Washington returning to the playoffs after a three-year absence after finishing second. The Western League was once more dominated by St. Louis, who won over 100 games for the fifth year in a row and their sixth-straight WL crown. New Orleans took second for a second year in a row.



In the playoffs, both favorites moved on, as Jacksonville took care of Washington in six games. Meanwhile, St. Louis encountered a stiff challenge from New Orleans, but the Browns outlasted the Pelicans in seven games, then took down the Tars in a clash of a titans, winning the South for the second year in a row.

The Pacific Coast League regular season was won by defending National Champion Seattle, with San Diego celebrating the opening of brand-new San Diego Stadium by returning to the playoffs after a one-year hiatus. San Francisco snapped a two-year drought with a third-place finish and Hollywood took fourth.



Seattle took care of the Hollywood Stars in five games in their semifinal matchup. Meanwhile, San Diego also disposed of San Francisco in five games. The Padres then ended the Rainiers’ two-year reign atop the PCL with a seven-game triumph to win their fourth PCL title in the last ten years.

The Texas League saw a flip of 1965 in the North Division, where Dallas finished two games ahead of Fort Worth, with the two Metroplex teams taking those playoff spots. The South, meanwhile, bizarrely saw Galveston finish 102-60 for a second year in a row—while once again no other TL team reached even 90 wins. Houston comfortably took second in an otherwise weak division to earn the second playoff spot.



Fort Worth turned the tables on Dallas, avenging the previous year’s playoff defeat by downing Dallas in seven games, while Houston and Galveston also wrangled for seven games. That series ended with Houston pulling an upset over their archrivals, then followed it up with a six-game triumph over Fort Worth for the league title.

The national tournament saw a first-time participant in Milwaukee and the Black Hawks made themselves at home by pulling off an upset, as the Milwaukee Black Hawks (NOR) defeat the St. Louis Browns (SOU). Another upset occurred in the other semifinal as the Houston Buffaloes (TL) defeat the San Diego Padres (PCL). The Buffs then took down another heavyweight, as the Houston Buffaloes (TL) defeat the Milwaukee Black Hawks (NOR), 4-3 to give Houston (and the Texas League as a whole) their second National Championship and first in four years.



For a third year in a row, Manhattan’s Cory Gilmore took home Northern Conference MVP, as he claimed his fifth MVP in seven seasons. Gilmore slashed /304/.355/.513 with 186 hits, 91 runs, 26 doubles, 12 triple, 26 homers, and 92 RBI, while adding 18 steals.

Buffalo right-hander Bill Lively had an outstanding second season in 1965, then took it to another level in his third season. The 28-year-old went 16-9 with a miniscule 1.68, leading the North in starts (36) and striking out 204 batters to win Pitcher of the Year. A heavy groundballer, he allowed just two home runs in 274.0 innings.

Jacksonville second baseman Steve Bishop one-upped Gilmore by winning his sixth MVP award and his fourth in a row. While Gilmore could be argued to have competition, Bishop truly didn’t, slashing .308/.397/.637 with 177 hits, and leading the conference with 135 runs, 53 home runs, and 153 RBI, while adding 41 steals to notch his second 40-40 campaign. His 53 homers set a Conference record and were the second-most in a season in Eastern Baseball Federation history, plus he blasted his 300th career homer on May 20, less than 7 ½ seasons into his career.

At the 1962 trade deadline, Sacramento dealt solid-but-unspectacular right-hander Chris Tuck to St. Louis. With the Browns, he blossomed into an ace, culminating in a 24-4 season in which he logged a 2.71 ERA, led the conference in wins and inning (272.2), struck out 258 batters, and tossed a no-hitter to lead the conference for the third of four years in a row. In doing so, he became the 10th Brown in 12 years to take home Pitcher of the Year honors.

The Pacific Coast League also saw their usual suspect atop the MVP voting, as Seattle’s Joseph Miller won his third in a row. Miller became the second PCL player with three 50+ home-run seasons, slashing .271/.345/.550 with 193 hits, 121 runs, and a league-high 55 homers and 155 RBI, as he won his fourth straight home run crown and third RBI title in a row.

For a second year in a row, Hollywood right-hander Kevin Corbett won a rather surprising Pitcher of the Year award, his second in a row. Corbett was just 14-14, but did lead the PCL with a 2.25 ERA over 307.2 innings with 178 strikeouts.

After five years riding the pine, Oklahoma City first baseman Jimmy Casas finally got a shot at 27 years old in 1964 and hit 32 homers and led the Texas League in RBI. Two years later, he slashed .273/.357/.545 with 156 hits and led the TL in runs (99), home runs (42), and RBI (112) to take home MVP honors.

For the fourth year in a row, right-hander Roy Hendricks was atop the Pitcher of the Year ballot, going 20-12 with a 1.92 ERA, leading the league in ERA, innings (281.1), and shutouts (8), while striking out 193 and throwing 17 complete games.

Dallas outfielder Guy Werner was known for hitting a decent amount of homers, but not much else over his 12-year career. However, on June 4, he slugged four longballs against Fort Worth, becoming the first Texas Leaguer to do so.

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The American Baseball League saw a rather straightforward playoff race, with New Haven winning the East and Pittsburgh comfortably in second. In the West, Austin won 109 games, well outpacing Spokane, who at 97 victories took second without much problem. In the playoffs, New Haven swept Pitsburgh and Austin downed Spokane in six games, then the Wranglers wrestled down the Weavers in six more games to win Austin’s first ABL title.

It was nearly impossible for Austin’s Chris Wallace to top his Triple-Crown season from the year before, but the Wrangler’s ace spearheaded his team’s first title run by going a whopping 28-3 with a 1.69 ERA, striking out 383 batters in 276.1 innings. He did not lead the league in ERA, amazingly enough, but paced the field in punchouts and set a still-standing league record for wins, taking home both Pitcher of the Year and MVP in the pitching-heavy circuit (Austin posted a 2.43 ERA as a team).

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Minor League Champions
Southeastern League: Mobile Marines, 91-63, defeats Jackson
Colonial League: Binghamton Smokers, 87-54, defeats Pittsfield
River Valley League: Evansville Bees, 86-54, defeats Peoria
Rocky Mountain League: Pueblo Miners, 73-53, defeats Cheyenne
Coastal League: Augusta Rebels, 92-62, defeats Columbia
Northern League: Fargo-Moorhead Indians, 86-54, defeats Sioux City
Great Lakes League: Youngstown Steelers, 82-58, defeats Harrisburg
Southwest League: Long Beach Earthquakes, 93-61, defeats Santa Barbara
Southern Association: Beaumont Exporters, 80-60, defeats Little Rock
Northwest League: Tacoma Mountaineers, 97-43, defeats Reno
Can-Am League: Waterbury Pipers, 73-53, defeats Springfield
Mid-Atlantic League: Charleston (WV) Coal Sox, 76-64, defeats Atlantic City
Lone Star League: Laredo Vaqueros, 76-64, defeats Abilene
Great Plains League: St. Paul Saints, 86-54, defeats Salina (4th straight)
Florida Coast League: Daytona Islanders, 79-61, defeats St. Petersburg
Big Sky League: Edmonton Elks, 68-64, defeats Saskatoon

[KCRoyals15]

1967

After two years and two playoff appearances in Fort Worth, Skipper Jr. said goodbye to the Texas League, departing the Panthers after the 1966 campaign, following six years with four different TL teams, albeit with playoff appearances each season, four league titles (all consecutively), and a National Championship.

Skipper Jr. would then return to the Eastern Baseball Federation, where he would take the reins of a Louisville Colonels squad coming off a 102-loss season and 12 straight postseason-less seasons.

The Northern Conference saw an unusually strong New England League in which five teams all won at least 90 games. However, there was not much drama down to the wire, as two of them, Manhattan and New York, took the two playoff spots by each going 96-66. The Midwest Association saw Toronto cruise to a pennant, but Milwaukee had to hold off Detroit by one game to secure their postseason bid.



In the postseason, New York took down Milwaukee in a six-game series, while Toronto defeated Manhattan, also in a six-game series. The Maple Leafs continued their trek, grappling with the Gothams for seven games before emerging victorious with their third Conference Championship.
The Southern Conference was dominated by the Miami Gators, who ran roughshod over the Eastern League for a club-record 111 wins.

Jacksonville finished a distant second, 21 games back, edging Washington by two games for the second playoff spot. St. Louis won the Western League for the seventh year in a row, but the Browns had to hold off Kansas City by a game, though the Blues took the other playoff spot.

On the other end, after a generally strong quarter-century at the big-league level, New Orleans crashed from 91 wins and the playoffs in 1966 to 100 losses the very next year, beginning a decade-long malaise that nearly drove the team out of the Big Easy.



St. Louis made quick work of their in-state rival, downing Kansas City in five games to begin the postseason. Jacksonville, meanwhile, also faced an in-state rival, and came through with a huge upset, downing Miami in six games. The Tars backed it up in the Conference Finals, sweeping the Browns for their second Conference Championship.

The Pacific Coast League saw defending champion San Diego take the regular-season crown, finishing five games up on Seattle. Meanwhile, Sacramento returned to the playoffs with their most wins (111) in a dozen seasons, while San Francisco, with a sub-.500 record, crashed the postseason party in fourth place.



Seattle quickly escorted the Sacramento Solons out of the postseason with a five-game series win, while San Diego took care of the lower-seeded San Francisco Seals in six games. The Padres then sunk Seattle in the PCL Finals, winning their second-straight Pacific Coast League crown.

Finally in Texas, with Skipper Jr. out of the league, Fort Worth was on top of the North, while Tulsa finished second just a couple games ahead of their in-state rivals in Oklahoma City. Galveston won 100 games (and the South) for the third year in a row, while El Paso returned to the postseason after a three-year absence. The South notably had four teams above .500, with the lone outlier being Phoenix, who bottomed out at 57-105, with serious questions arising about how long their big-league days would last.



As they did with an 83-win team three years prior, 82-win Tulsa pulled off a first-round upset, knocking off Fort Worth in six games. Galveston also went six games, defeating the Texans. The Oilers then finished off a stunner, blowing away the Hurricanes in a four-game sweep to earn their second improbable Texas League crown in four seasons.

In the tournament, the Jacksonville Tars (SOU) defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs (NOR), while the San Diego Padres (PCL) defeated the Tulsa Oilers (TL) to end Tulsa’s shocking run. Facing another team on a surprising playoff run, the Padres put an end to that too, as the San Diego Padres (PCL) defeat the Jacksonville Tars (SOU), 4-0 to take their second National Championship in five seasons.



By this point, it was becoming tradition. Manhattan outfielder Cory Gilmore was once more atop the Northern Conference MVP ballot. It was the fourth MVP in a row and the sixth in eight years for Gilmore, who slashed .318/.367/.535 with 197 hits, 95 runs, 35 doubles, 29 homers, and 105 RBI.

Likewise, his teammate Glenn Clark was well acquainted with the Pitcher of the Year trophy, taking it for the third time in four years. Clark went 21-8 with a 2.32 ERA, leading the conference in wins and starts (36). Two years after setting the Eastern Baseball Federation record for strikeouts with 258, Clark re-upped it to 271, setting a mark that no Northern Conference hurler topped for well over three decades.

One of the best to do it in the EBF stepped away as Milwaukee third baseman Aaron Vergara—who hit .298 with 29 homers the year prior at 40 years old—finally ran out of gas. Vergara retired as the EBF’s all-time leader in home runs (479) and RBI (1,827), while ranking second in hits (3,331) over 19 stellar seasons.

The Southern Conference finally welcomed a new MVP winner, as Kansas City first baseman Glen Pinkowski took the crown. The 6-5 slugger bided his time (five years in the minors) before blasting 41 homers as a rookie in 1962 and never stopped slugging from there. The 29-year-old had his best year in just about every way this season, slashing .343/.401/.634 with 211 hits, 103 runs, 33 doubles, 48 homers, and 131 RBI. Very unluckily, Pinkowski finished second in all three Triple Crown categories, but it didn’t matter.

Pinkowski’s teammate, 25-year-old righty Tommy McDonnell, also enjoyed a career year. The third-year hurler went 21-4 with a 2.81 ERA, leading the South in wins and starts (36), with 245 strikeouts in 269.1 innings, good enough for Pitcher of the Year honors.

Though he finished runner-up in MVP voting, Washington third baseman Mike Thompson enjoyed a banner campaign, setting a Eastern Baseball Federation record with 55 home runs, while also leading the conference with 144 RBI. His home run total remained the most by a non-PCL player well into the 1990's.

Guess who? For the fourth year running, the Pacific Coast League MVP was Joseph Miller. The Seattle slugger didn’t lead the PCL in homers after doing so the last four years (he was second), but he did slash .281/.371/.524 with 196 hits, 106 runs, 45 homers, and 136 RBI.

San Diego ace Dusty Richardson could’ve won his fifth Pitcher of the Year award after a 26-win 1966, but instead he did so in ’67 after going 25-7 with a 2.78 ERA, leading the PCL in wins and starts (43) for the fifth time in six years, while striking out 223 in 320.1 innings. Despite being just 29, Richardson would turn out to only have one more top-flight season left before becoming a journeyman in his 30’s before retiring at 35.

Tulsa third baseman Bryce Asbell was never known as a flashy player, but he put together a career year, winning the Texas League batting title at .342 and also leading the pitching-heavy league with188 hits and 96 runs. He added 27 doubles, 14 homers, 59 RBI, and 20 steals, earning a surprise MVP.

The pitching side also saw a surprise winner, as Chris Rouzer, owner of just 72 big-league wins never pitched in a full-season after 1967, but made the most of it, going 18-9 and leading the TL with a 2.18 ERA and 268.1 innings, adding 168 strikeouts.

After signing a minor league deal with Washington and failing to reach the majors at any point during the season, longtime Miami ace Jacob Garrett retired at the age of 36. Despite calling it quits relatively early, Garrett retired as the professional baseball all-time strikeout leader with 4,110 punchouts for his career, more than 3,000 of which came during his decade of dominance in the American Baseball League, with 617 coming in the major leagues.

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The American Baseball League was dominated by two teams. New Haven set a new league record with 113 wins, blowing second-place Pittsburgh out of the water by 23 games, with the Ironmen claiming a playoff spot for the third year in a row. Meanwhile, Austin won 106 games, while San Jose and Spokane tied for second at 95-67, necessitating a one-game playoff that San Jose won to punch their third-ever playoff ticket. In the postseason, San Jose upset New Haven in a startling five-game series, while Austin won an unstartling five-game set over Pittsburgh. The Wranglers then repeated as ABL champions, hoisting the American Baseball Cup after a seven-game series win over San Jose.
With a powerhouse team, strong attendance, and plans for a new stadium progressing, even as the American Cup Series progressed, most believed they would be the final games for the Austin Wranglers in the ABL, especially with a Texas League franchise teetering on the brink. The offseason would be the time to see if that would indeed be the case…

New Haven outfielder Rich York hit just .258, but the slugger crushed 38 home runs, drove in 118, and swiped 27 bases, as the 26-yer-old took home the ABL MVP in his fifth pro season. On the mound, San Jose lefty Ryan Whitehead broke out with a bang, going 26-8 with a 2.02 ERA, leading the ABL in wins and innings (326.0) while striking out 233 to earn the ABL Pitcher and Rookie of the Year trophies. After that season, Whitehead was inexplicably released by San Jose, beginning a vagabond career as a lefty reliever for hire that took home to 18(!!!) more franchises in total, including 9 big-league squads and two more brief stints in the ABL—all packed into just 12 years…with only 23 more career starts.

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Minor League Champions
Southeastern League: Chattanooga Lookouts, 88-66, defeats Mobile
Colonial League: Worcester Tornadoes, 80-60, defeats Pittsfield
River Valley League: Peoria Distillers, 90-50, defeats Evansville
Rocky Mountain League: Pueblo Miners, 77-49, defeats Billings (2nd straight)
Coastal League: Richmond Giants, 100-54, defeats Columbia
Northern League: Quad Cities Trappers, 79-61, defeats Fargo-Moorhead
Great Lakes League: Harrisburg Senators, 84-56, defeats Youngstown
Southwest League: Bakersfield Conquistadors, 97-57, defeats Santa Barbara
Southern Association: Springfield Ozarks, 78-62, defeats Beaumont
Northwest League: Salem Senators, 78-62, defeats Tacoma
Can-Am League: Quebec Carnavals, 70-57, defeats Ottawa
Mid-Atlantic League: Trenton, 76-64, defeats Charleston (WV); 4 teams within 2 games
Lone Star League: Abilene Prairie Dogs, 80-60, defeats San Angelo
Great Plains League: Salina Blue Jays, 90-50, defeats St. Paul
Florida Coast League: West Palm Beach Tropics, 83-57, defeats Fort Lauderdale
Big Sky League: Idaho Falls Fireballs, 87-54, defeats Calgary

A couple leagues saw some insanely close playoff races. In the Southern Association, 7 of the 8 teams finished between 65-75 and 73-67. Meanwhile, the Can-Am League needed a 3-team playoff for last playoff spot (taken by Ottawa), while 4 teams finished within 1.5 games.

[KCRoyals15]

1968

The year is 1968. War is raging in Vietnam. The Summer of Love was followed by a year of turmoil and rioting in cities across the country. On the baseball field, hitters are up in arms as pitching has dominated the game like never before, with ERAs for entire leagues barely eclipsing 3.00 and scoring at its lowest point in nearly half a century.

In the Texas League, change comes, as the long-speculated move becomes official during the winter: after failing to reach the postseason and only twice posting a winning record in their 13 years as a big-league club, the Phoenix Firebirds bumped down to the American Baseball League. In their place, a powerful club deep in the heart of Texas boosted the Lone Star State’s capital to that of a big-league town: the Austin Wranglers were now a part of the Texas League.

In the Northern Conference, the Philadelphia Quakers got over the hump to win the New England League, while Albany finished second to secure their first playoff spot in nine years. The Midwest Association saw Detroit need just 89 wins to earn their first pennant in a dozen years, while Toronto finishes second to punch their third-straight playoff ticket.



In the postseason, Toronto scores a minor upset in defeating Detroit in a five-game set. Meanwhile, Albany takes down Philadelphia in a seven-game series. The Adirondacks then chewed through the Maple Leafs in six games to earn their first-ever Conference Championship in their 27th big-league season.

In the Southern Conference, the state of Florida is well-represented in the Eastern League, with Jacksonville winning a conference-best 103 games to take the pennant, though Miami was just two games behind them. St. Louis, meanwhile, won the Western League handily for the eighth-straight season. However, in his second season at the helm, Skipper Jr. led the Louisville Colonels to the second playoff spot, their first playoff bid in 14 seasons.



The playoffs saw the Colonels give St. Louis all they could handle in the first round, but the Browns came through with a seven-game triumph to avoid the upset. Miami then blitzed their in-state rivals with a five-game victory over Jacksonville. The Gators then beat down the Browns in five games to win their second Conference Championship in five seasons.

In the Pacific Coast League, two-time defending champion San Diego was pushed hard by Seattle, but the Padres pulled out the pennant by a game. Seattle took second, while Hollywood and Sacramento earned the final two playoff spots. For the Stars, it was their final playoff bid in an incredible run of 23 playoff berths in 25 years, including eight PCL titles and three National Championships.



The semifinals featured a pair of very tight series, as Seattle edged Hollywood in a seven-game series. In a low-scoring series between the two top pitching staffs (2.65 ERA for Sacramento, 2.71 for San Diego), the Padres better offense won out as San Diego took down the Solons in seven games. The Padres then summitted the Rainiers in six games to earn their third straight PCL crown.

In the new-look Texas League, the divisions re-shuffled with Austin’s arrival, seeing a long-overdue move to the North for Wichita, while El Paso flipped to the South and Austin slid into Phoenix’s southern spot. The North was firmly a two-horse race, with Dallas clipping Fort Worth by two games, though both teams were playoff-bound. In the South, all five teams finished within 11 games of each other and 78-84 Houston was the only sub-.500 club in a very competitive division. In the end, Galveston claimed their fourth-straight division title, with El Paso finishing second.



In the postseason, El Paso continued Galveston’s run of October frustration, sweeping the Hurricanes in the Division Finals. At the same time, Dallas and Fort Worth went the distance, with the Lone Stars taking down their cross-town rivals in seven. In the Lone Star Series, Dallas defeated El Paso to give the Lone Stars their second TL title in six seasons.

That set up the national tournament, where first-time participant Albany crashed the party in a big way, as the Albany Adirondacks (NOR) defeat the Jacksonville Tars (SOU). Meanwhile, the defending National Champions move on as the San Diego Padres (PCL) defeat the Dallas Lone Stars (TL). In the final, the San Diego Padres (PCL) defeat the Albany Adirondacks (NOR), 4-2, giving the Padres their third National Championship and making them the first repeat winner since Hollywood in 1952-53, and just the sixth ever.



Despite this season being the so-called Year of the Pitcher, it did not affect Philadelphia Quakers first baseman Matt Schomberg, as the 35-year-old batted a career-high .326, slashed .326/.374/.488 and led the Northern Conference with 207 hits, with 35 doubles, 22 homers, and 89 RBI. That was enough to earn the ten-year veteran his first and only MVP award of a stellar 16-year career.

Meanwhile, Buffalo ace Bill Lively already had a Pitcher of the Year award to his name, and two years later he added a second, posting an 18-6 record. Incredibly, he also posted his third straight sub-2.00 ERA, logging a 1.77 mark, though he did not lead the conference as he did the two previous years. He did lead in starts (36) and shutouts (7), while striking 223 and allowing just three home runs in 280.0 innings.

The decrease in offense did little to deter Jacksonville second baseman Steve Bishop, who slashed .296/.357/.621 with 98 runs, 39 homers, and 109 RBI. He would’ve lead the league in runs and RBI and maybe in home runs as well had his season not ended on August 25 due to a concussion, limited him to 123 games. Nonetheless, Bishop still claimed his record seventh Southern Conference MVP of his ten-year career.

For the 11th time in 14 years, a St. Louis pitcher was named the best in the Southern Conference, as second-year hurler Josh Donovan posted the season of a lifetime, going 24-3 with a 1.91 ERA, leading the conference in wins and ERA, while striking out 200 over 259.1 innings. It would be Donovan’s only POTY, as he was traded in the offseason to Norfolk and despite pitching for 15 more seasons was 39 games below .500 over the rest of his career.

Matt Moshier was a generally solid, if second-tier pitcher who notably won 20 games and led the South in ERA in 1967. However, his biggest legacy was his performance on August 23, when the Miami hurler spun a perfect game against Louisville, striking out four in a 97-pitch gem.

Eight years after his second trophy and 11 years after his first, Seattle centerfielder Jarrett Messing dipped into the fountain of youth to win his third Pacific Coast League MVP. The 37-year-old slashed .316/.390/.497, winning his third batting title, leading the league in hits (224) and RBI (111), while adding 25 doubles, 29 homers, and 24 stolen bases.

Likewise, Hollywood ace Kevin Corbett also earned his third Pitcher of the Year trophy, going 21-12 with a 2.42 ERA, leading the PCL in starts (43) and innings pitched (342.0), while striking out a career-high 225 batters. Corbett had one more good season in Hollywood before being dealt to Albany in a terrible trade before the 1970 season, where he won 231 games over 16 seasons as the Stars slipped into an extended malaise.

If you blinked, you missed Chris Nowling’s big league career. A long list of injuries ultimately limited him to 22 games (ten starts) over four seasons for five teams. He was only 4-2 lifetime, with three of those wins coming in 1968 for Sacramento, where he made six starts. As it turned out, his start on July 18 saw him stymie San Diego, striking out five and throwing 95 pitches in an extremely unlikely perfect game, just the third in the PCL’s major-league history.

Amidst the pitching heroics, two PCL sluggers made history. First of all, Los Angeles’ Marcus Hale became the second player in United States Baseball Federation history to reach 500 home runs, doing so on July 1. The other man to do, Griffin Searle, went one further by crushing his 600th roundtripper on April 10, becoming the first player to reach that benchmark.

In 1966, Dallas outfielder Guy Werner made news as the first Texas Leage player with a four-homer game. In 1968, the 35-year-old earn MVP honors, batting .287 with 164 hits, 81 runs, 26 doubles, 24 home runs, and 82 RBI to take home the trophy. While his numbers were rather pedestrian, no TL batter eclipsed 29 homers or 86(!!!) RBI.

Mark Lucas didn’t debut until he was 29 years old, but the righty starred for Houston and Fort Worth throughout his 30’s. In the waning hours of his career (he earned just one win and made only five starts after 1968), the 38-year-old went 19-10 with a 2.23 ERA, leading the Texas League in wins, ERA, starts (36), innings (278.2), complete games (15), and shutouts (4) to earn Pitcher of the Year.

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The biggest story in the American Baseball League was losing another stalwart (Austin) to the major leagues. However, another notable storyline was the departure of their only Canadian franchise, the Vancouver Mounties, who posted some of the worst seasons (and the very worst) in league history. After 14 putrid seasons (11 with over 100 losses), the Mounties traded in cold Canada for sunny Honolulu. A losing club and a crumbling wooden stadium nicknamed “The Termite Palace” didn’t scare off the franchise, or their new fans, who came out in droves to support the Hawaii Islanders in their first season.

Amidst this new landscape, the New Haven Weavers ran amok, going 120-42—the most wins of a non-PCL team in professional baseball history. The Weavers outscored their opponents by 340 runs, posted a league-best 2.67 ERA, and averaged 5.0 runs per game, which was three-quarters of a run higher than anyone else. That earned New Haven a comfortable East Division title, their fifth in a row. Pittsburgh finished a distant second with their 101 wins, earning their fourth consecutive playoff bid. In the West, San Jose won 100 games to claim their first division title, while Spokane took the second playoff spot. In the postseason, both division winners moved on with ease, as San Jose beat Pittsburgh and New Haven handled Spokane, both in five-game sets. The Weavers were pushed to the edge by the Gulls, but planted their flag as the greatest team in ABL history with a seven-game triumph over San Jose, New Haven’s fourth ABL title and first since 1959.

Unsurprisingly, a Weaver took home MVP as 32-year-old first baseman Garrett Callis enjoyed an incredible year, slashing .327/.418/.458 with a league-high 201 hits and 140 runs, as well as 35 doubles, 13 homers, and 72 RBI…and stealing a league-record 97 bases. That mark would stand for a quarter-century, while Callis’ career total of 950 still stands as the ABL standard and is the sixth-most in professional baseball history. For the second year in a row, though, it was a San Jose hurler winning Pitcher of the Year, as 22-year-old Casey Hund went 20-9 with a league-leading 2.00 ERA as a rookie, striking out 274 over 266.0 innings to take the trophy.

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Minor League Champions
Southeastern League: Montgomery Generals, 94-60, defeats Jackson
Colonial League: Scranton-Wilkes Barre Steamers, 85-55, defeats Pittsfield
River Valley League: Peoria Distillers, 85-55, defeats Evansville (2nd straight)
Rocky Mountain League: Billings Mustangs, 74-52, defeats Cheyenne
Coastal League: Richmond Giants, 92-62, defeats Savannah (2nd straight)
Northern League: Fargo-Moorhead Indians, 85-55, defeats Sioux City
Great Lakes League: Youngstown Steelers, 83-57, defeats Harrisburg
Southwest League: Fresno Suns, 91-63, defeats Bakersfield
Southern Association: Shreveport Captains, 76-64, defeats Little Rock; 5 teams within 5 games
Northwest League: Salem Senators, 98-42, defeats Yakima (2nd straight)
Can-Am League: Manchester Monarchs, 83-43, defeats Waterbury
Mid-Atlantic League: Charleston (WV) Coal Sox, 77-63, defeats Altoona
Lone Star League: Laredo Vaqueros, 90-50, defeats Midland-Odessa
Great Plains League: Lincoln Lions, 92-48, defeats St. Paul
Florida Coast League: Daytona Islanders, 77-63, defeats Huntsville
Big Sky League: Ogden Railroaders, 72-60, defeats Missoula

[KCRoyals15]

1969

After a successful turnaround in Louisville that saw the Colonels return to the playoffs after a sizable drought, Skipper Jr. decided two years in the Derby City was enough, and so he was on the move once more. This stop was at the mouth of Chesapeake Bay, where the once-proud Norfolk Admirals bottomed out at 107 losses in 1968. They had not made the playoffs since 1946 and a sizable rebuild was necessary.

Bryan Adams got his first six-string, bought it at the five-and-dine, and played it till his fingers bled, while the summer of ’69 saw the United States Baseball Federation play their 70th season. After a historic pitcher-friendly season in 1968, most of the major leagues saw offense start to creep back upwards after mound dimensions and the strike zone were tweaked.

The Northern Conference saw the Philadelphia Quakers dominate once more on their way to a second straight New England League pennant, winning an Eastern Baseball Federation-best 108 games. Buffalo finished a distant second, outpacing Brooklyn and New York to reach the postseason for the first time in eight seasons. The Midwest Association saw Milwaukee win 103 games to take their third pennant in five seasons. Detroit took the second playoff berth in comfortable fashion.



In the semifinals, Buffalo pulled a stunner, sweeping the heavily-favored Quakers. Milwaukee, in a less-stunning development, also swept their first opponent, sending Detroit home with a quick exit. In the Conference Finals, the Black Hawks got the better of the Bisons, dispatching Buffalo in six games to win their second Conference Championship in four seasons.

In the Southern Conference, the Jacksonville Tars kept their well-oiled machine running, winning their second straight Eastern League pennant and reaching the playoffs for the fifth year in a row. For the third year in a row, their first-round opponent would be the Miami Gators, who squeaked past Atlanta by a game for the second playoff spot. The Western League saw the Louisville Colonels post their best season in 21 years, winning their first pennant since 1948. Kansas City slipped past Omaha by one game to earn the second playoff spot in the WL. This year saw the eight-year run of pennants by the St. Louis Browns come to an end as St. Louis finished fourth, their lowest finish in over two decades after 16 playoff berths in 17 years.

The season was also notable, as while offense bottomed out the year prior nearly everywhere else, the South’s pitching staffs hit their zenith a year prior. The entire conference posted a 2.97 ERA and hit just .231, averaging only 3.4 runs per game. The Omaha Golden Spikes set a still-standing conference record with a 2.37 team ERA—and missed the playoffs. Only four players hit over .300 and no hitter had more than 96 runs scored or 103 RBI. Birmingham scored just 476 runs (2.9 per game), the fewest scored by a big-league team since 1917 and still the fewest in Southern Conference history.



In the playoffs, defending Conference Champion Miami ended Jacksonville’s season in the first round for the second year in a row with a six-game defeat. Kansas City dispatched Louisville at the same time, also in six games. The Gators then repeated, beating the Blues in six to win their second conference title in a row and third in six seasons.

The Pacific Coast League saw the Seattle Rainiers return to the top of the league to punch their seventh straight postseason ticket, while San Diego sent their streak to four straight with a second place finish. Sacramento and San Francisco snagged the last two berths, as the Solons were in the field in back-to-back seasons for the first time since the mid-50’s.



In the first round, San Diego took care of Sacramento in a ho-hum five-game series, while Seattle was downed by San Francisco in a six-game upset. The Padres were in search of their fourth consecutive PCL title, but the Seals had another upset in them, toppling the San Diego dynasty in seven games to end the decade the same way they started it: with a PCL championship.

Down in the Texas League, the North Division saw a quiet October in the Metroplex, as both Dallas and Fort Worth missed the playoffs for the first time since 1960. That was the last time before this season that Oklahoma City was in the playoffs, and the Indians won their first outright division title (they tied in 1958) in 16 years. Tulsa was just 82-80, but they finished one game clear of both DFW teams to claim the second North bid. The South was much more clear-cut with Galveston and Houston tying for the division lead at a TL-best 97-65, with the Hurricanes winning their fifth-straight division title.



With a pair of rivalries on the docket, the battle of the Will Rogers Turnpike ended swiftly and decisively, as Oklahoma City swept Tulsa. Meanwhile, the Gulf Freeway series went the way of Galveston, who also swept their archrival for an anticlimactic outcome. The Lone Star Series was a different story, as the Hurricanes finally put a decade filled with postseason disappointment behind them, defeating the Indians in seven games for their first TL title in nine years.

With the final four teams in place, Galveston was gutted at the hands, as an underdog run continued with the San Francisco Seals (PCL) defeating the Galveston Hurricanes (TL). On the other side the Milwaukee Black Hawks (NOR) defeat the Miami Gators (SOU) to set up the finals. With all the marbles on the line, the Milwaukee Black Hawks (NOR) defeat the San Francisco Seals (PCL), 4-1 as the Black Hawks claim their first National Championship.



Though his club was never remotely a factor in the playoff race, Cleveland’s Joe Moore shined bright amidst the pack. The 28-yer-old enjoyed a career season, slashing .331/.389/.614 with 200 hits, 99 runs, 30 doubles, and a Northern Conference-best 45 homers and 132 RBI, setting career highs in nearly everything as he took home the MVP trophy.

For a second straight season, Buffalo’s Bill Lively was a force for the Bisons, going 18-11 with a 2.34 ERA. Striking out 182 in 277.0 innings, Lively also spun 14 complete games and a conference-high seven shutouts to take home his second Pitcher of the Year trophy and third overall.

This time, the offensive downturn in the South did effect the otherwise indomitable Steve Bishop. Nonetheless, the undisputed player of the 60’s ended the decade with yet another MVP trophy, his eighth in total and second in a row. Bishop did hit a respectable .293 and despite playing just 129 games, his 31 home runs, while a career low, still led the conference, and he drove in 95 runs along with 22 stolen bases.

In a year with many quality choices for Pitcher of the Year, in the end it was Kansas City righty Matt Peterson, who went 18-11 with a 2.18 ERA. The rubber arm led the conference in starts (36) and struck out a career-high 235 batters over 272.0 innings to take home the hardware.

Despite the dearth of runs in the South, one slugger reached a notable milestone. Zack Harrington of Atlanta cracked his 400th career big-league homers. As he played his first season when his club were technically a part of another major league (just for organizational purposes), the exact dates he reached that milestones are unknown.

Sometimes it seemed like Seattle shortstop Joseph Miller did his best to stretch the limits of how little he could actually hit and still garner MVP votes. In this season, Miller posted a batting average of just .231, but he still was on base enough to score 128 times and topped 50 homers for a record-breaking fourth time, leading the Pacific Coast League with 55 homers and driving in 114 runs, which was enough to earn him his fifth MVP as he rounded out his dominant decade.

A new ace hit San Diego in the form of second-year righty Chris Gose. The 27-year-old went 26-12 with a 2.82 ERA, leading the PCL in ERA and striking out 176 over 331.2 innings. The strong season was enough to earn him Pitcher of the Year honors.

The Texas League had a surprising MVP winner, as Galveston third baseman Kyle Hill topped the ballot. Though a perfectly good, if unspectacular, player for a long time, Hill’s numbers were rather pedestrian. The 30-year-old slashed .299/.377/.443 with 162 hits, 82 runs, 30 doubles, 16 homers, and 80 RBI.

After a couple years without an award, Oklahoma City ace Roy Hendricks earned his fifth Pitcher of the Year award. Though he was just 12-10, positing the fewest wins by a POTY winner, Hendricks did log a 2.26 ERA over 235.1 innings with 197 strikeouts to take the trophy.

Just three years after the first one, the Texas League saw their second four home-run game, from a very unlikely source. Austin first baseman Jason Harvey flashed some power during the club’s American Baseball League days, but hit just nine home runs in 98 games this year, his age-36 season. However, four of them came on April 25 against El Paso.

Two longtime stalwarts in the EBF heard their names called on Hall of Fame induction day:

1B Frankie Buchin (1946-63), 80.1%
2B Josh Burkhardt (1941-56), 76.7%

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In the American Baseball League, the Pittsburgh Ironmen showed their mettle with their first division title and fifth straight playoff appearance. Meanwhile, after their historic 120-win season in ’68, New Haven fell by 21 games, but still finished a comfortable second to earn their seventh straight playoff berth, though their string of five straight division titles came to an end. San Jose, meanwhile, dominated with a franchise-record 110 wins to take the West, while Spokane took second. In the playoffs, Pittsburgh bounced Spokane in seven games, with San Jose waxed the Weavers in six games. The Gulls then melted the Ironmen in six games to win their second ABL title. On the flip side, Albuquerque plunged to 121 losses, finishing 69 games back of San Jose with the second-worst season in ABL history, lending serious questions to their financial health.

The ABL was a very pitching-heavy league (league-wide .234 batting average and 3.7 runs per game), and Spokane slugger Chris Scandariato was a curiosity of a player who won three home run titles, but batted .185 lifetime and led the ABL in strikeouts four times in a nine-year career. This year, he hiked his average to .222, but broke his own ABL home run record (of 49) by blasting 53 homers (still a league record 35 years later) and a league-best 128 RBI, which was enough to earn him MVP honors. San Jose rookie righty John Feld went 17-9 with a 1.98 ERA with 249 strikeouts in 272.1 innings to take home Pitcher of the Year.

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Minor League Champions
Southeastern League: Mobile Marines, 87-67, defeats Baton Rouge
Colonial League: Binghamton Smokers, 84-56, defeats Scranton-Wilkes Barre
River Valley League: Toledo Mud Hens, 80-60, defeats Peoria
Rocky Mountain League: Casper Black Bears, 68-58, defeats Cheyenne
Coastal League: Richmond Giants, 103-51, defeats Charleston (SC) (3rd straight)
Northern League: La Crosse Loggers, 84-56, defeats Cedar Rapids
Great Lakes League: Allentown Brewers, 82-58, defeats Harrisburg
Southwest League: Bakersfield Conquistadors, 88-66, defeats Fresno
Southern Association: Little Rock Travelers, 78-62, defeats Springfield
Northwest League: Yakima Tomahawks, 91-49, defeats Salem
Can-Am League: Portland Lobsters, 71-55, defeats Ottawa
Mid-Atlantic League: Roanoke Red Hawks, 81-59, defeats Asheville
Lone Star League: Laredo Vaqueros, 78-62, defeats San Angelo (2nd straight)
Great Plains League: Lincoln Lions, 93-47, defeats St. Paul (2nd straight)
Florida Coast League: Columbus Catfish, 77-63, defeats St. Petersburg
Big Sky League: Twin Falls Timbers, 70-62, defeats Calgary

[KCRoyals15]

1970

After a sub-.500 season in Norfolk in 1969, Skipper Jr. surprised many by walking away after just one season on the job. Not that leaving quickly was surprising given the previous decade, but the fact that he did so after a sub-par season was particularly noteworthy. Not only that, but he was walking away entirely.

“This past season was a hard one. Not just because of the losses, but it was hard to come to grips that it was time to step away,” Junior said. “The last 35 years have been a helluva run, but it’s time for the rocking chair.”
Skipper Jr. finished his 35-year-run (with a whopping 12 teams) going 3,198-2,722 (.540), reaching the postseason 22 times, winning 9 league/conference championships, and 3 National Championships
.
As was the case with his father, Skipper Jr. mentored his son, Trey Skipper in the dugout over the past several seasons. It was time for Trey to take over his own club and various clubs expressed their interest. In the end, one offer blew Trey away, and so his first managerial job would see him tasked with attempting to turn around the Hawaii Islanders.

The 70’s dawned with several very strong teams dotting the landscape, beginning in the Northern Conference. The Brooklyn Dodgers won the New England handily, winning 103 games, their most as a big-league club, and setting a new USBF attendance record by drawing 2.23 million fans to the Dodger Dome. New York took the second playoff berth in the NEL. The Midwest Association was dominated by Milwaukee, who won a franchise-record 105 games to finish 14 games ahead of Toronto, who edged the Chicago Whales for second place.

On the other end of the spectrum, the Indianapolis Hoosiers crashed to a 48-114 finish, their worst in franchise history. A playoff drought nearly two decades long coupled with a precipitous attendance decline combined to fuel speculation that a demotion to the American Baseball League could be in the cards.



In the postseason, New York began the festivities by upsetting Milwaukee in five games. Brooklyn, meanwhile, was pushed hard by Toronto, but vanquished the Leafs in seven games. The Dodgers then took down their cross-town rivals, downing the Gothams in six games to earn their second Conference Championship, but their first since moving to the North six seasons earlier.

In the Southern Conference, the Jacksonville Tars continued their dominances, winning their third-straight Eastern League pennant and their fifth in six years. Miami finished second, edging Atlanta for second as the Gators finished second for the third year in a row. In the Western League, Louisville won a franchise-record 104 games, winning their first WL pennant since 1948 and reaching the postseason for the third year in a row. After their long playoff string was snapped the previous season, St. Louis won 97 games to comfortably take second and punch their October ticket.



In October, St. Louis began the postseason with a mild upset over Jacksonville, trapping the Tars in a six-game series. Louisville, meanwhile, took a bite out of the Gators, taking down Miami in six games as well. The Colonels then tangled with St. Louis for seven games, but ultimately beat the Browns in a thriller to earn their first Conference Championship in 27 years.

The Pacific Coast League continued to be dominated by Seattle in the regular season. Despite their home stadium (Sicks’ Stadium) falling apart, the on-field product didn’t, as the Rainiers won their second-straight pennant and punched their eighth-straight pennant. Sacramento finished second for the first time in five years, while San Diego finished third for their fifth-straight playoff appearance. Meanwhile, Los Angeles squeaked past San Francisco and Oakland for the final playoff spot, reaching the playoff field for the first time in five seasons.



The postseason saw San Diego take down Sacramento in six games. Meanwhile, Seattle took care of business, downing Los Angeles in six games. The Rainiers made quick work of the Padres in the PCL Finals, sweeping San Diego to give the Rainiers to earn their first PCL title in five years.

The Texas League had a season of remarkable parity, as no team won more than 90 games, nor lost more than 89. In the North, Oklahoma City had a league-best 90-72 record, with Fort Worth finishing second one game back to earn the second playoff spot. However, four of the TL’s five winning clubs were in the North, meaning that 88-win Galveston comfortably won the South, while 78-84 San Antonio wound up with the final playoff spot, though that meant the entire South Division was in the playoff race until the final week.



Defending champion Galveston began the playoffs with a seven-game triumph over Fort Worth, while San Antonio immediately answered snickers over their poor record by emphatically bouncing Oklahoma City in a five-game upset. The Missions weren’t done, though, as they stunned Galveston in six games to win their second Texas League crown in six years, and at 78-84 set a new record for worst league champion in United States Baseball Federation history.

That magical run for the Missions, though, ended in the national tournament, as the Seattle Rainiers (PCL) defeat the San Antonio Missions (PCL). In the east, the Brooklyn Dodgers (NOR) defeat the Louisville Colonels (SOU), setting up a National Championship tussle. The series was a good one, and in the end, the Brooklyn Dodgers (NOR) defeat the Seattle Rainiers (PCL), 4-3 to earn the reconstituted Dodgers their first National Championship, and the third title overall for Flatbush and the first since 1919.



On a club that never could quite get over the hump, the Chicago Cyclones’ Steve Boots established himself as one of the top player in the Northern Conference, and this year he took the honor as the very best with the MVP trophy. Boots slashed .330/.383/.632 with 207 hits, 115 runs, and a conference-high 49 homers and 134 RBI, winning his third home run crown and hitting the second-most homers in Northern Conference history.

The Pitcher of the Year voting was much more controversial as Steve Moreno of the Philadelphia Quakers earned the trophy. Though he led the conference with a 2.40 ERA, he was just 18-14 with very unimpressive strikeout numbers. Many observers argued that Brooklyn’s Chris Ogden, who went 23-4 with a 3.40 ERA and fanned 252 batters in 266.0 innings, would’ve been a better choice. Nonetheless, Moreno had the first and only POTY of his career.

In the Southern Conference, offense picked back up after the very low-scoring 1969 season, and the offensive numbers looked much better. As was the case the previous year, though, Jacksonville’s Steve Bishop took home MVP, his third in a row and his record ninth overall. The 35-year-old, who had battled injuries the last few years, stayed on the field for 145 games and slashed .299/.382/.586 with 170 hits, 102 runs, and led the South with 41 homers and 119 RBI. It was the fifth and final home run title for Bishop, who only played more than 113 games once more. As a result, this season also was his final MVP season, though he still had plenty left in the tank.

Birmingham’s Nick Clark was overlooked on Barons teams that rarely approached contention, but on a third-place team, Clark was noticed. He went just 15-13 but posted a 2.59 ERA, led the South with 36 starts, worked 274.2 innings, and set a conference record (tying the EBF mark) by striking out 271 batters. That was enough to earn him Pitcher of the Year.

Early in the season (April 13), Seattle’s Joseph Miller crushed his 400th home run. He added plenty more, as the Pacific Coast League’s top slugger put together a career year. Despite missing 29 games (his 171 games were a career-low through nine seasons), Miller hit .253 and still crushed a career-best 59 homers and drove in 132 runs, and added 131 runs scored, plus leading the league with 136 walks, the only time he led the PCL in that department. For his work, he earned his second-straight MVP and his sixth overall.

San Francisco’s Kasey Diamond earned Rookie of the Year in 1969 with 21 wins, and while he didn’t quite hit that figure, he posted a strong sophomore season in ’70, going 19-10 with a 2.95 ERA, striking out 149 batters in 308.0 innings to take Pitcher of the Year accolades. Ironically, his next two seasons were arguably better, but this would be his only POTY in a 12-year big-league career.

After winning Texas League MVP in 1966, Oklahoma City’s Jimmy Casas slumped but bounced back in a big way, culminating in a 1970 season in which he slashed .289/.369/.567 with 174 hits, a league-leading 115 runs, and a career-high 45 homers and 132 RBI, leading the Texas League in those two categories for the fourth time in five years. All told, that was plenty enough to earn the 34-year-old his second MVP.

Casas’ teammate, 30-year-old righty Roy Hendricks, continued his remarkable success with his second-straight Pitcher of the Year award and sixth overall. Hendricks won a career-high 23 games to lead the TL, while also leading the loop in ERA (2.26), starts (36), and innings (271.1), while striking out 218 batters, one off his career best.

In his penultimate season, 42-year-old Galveston outfielder Joel Zielinski made two bits of history on May 2. One swing produced his 3,000th hit, which also was his 400th home run, making him the first player in Texas League history to accomplish either feat. About 3 ½ seasons of his final totals came when the TL was still a minor league, but he still racked up 2,650 hits and 368 homers as a big leaguer before he finally ran out of gas the next season.

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One of the more intriguing developments in American Baseball League play had been the developments of teams banished from the big-league ranks. Miami was demoted and had already been re-elevated. Pittsburgh and New Haven had both found considerable success and Salt Lake City was doing fine, while Denver and Minneapolis mostly sputtered and Cincinnati flat-out crashed to the ground.

Come 1970, Phoenix and Newark were two castoffs finding their way again, while it was established superpowers taking the reins. In their first season at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh won 111 games to take the East, while San Jose topped that with 114 in the West. Spokane won 102 contests to earn the second West playoff spot, freezing out 99-win Phoenix. Meanwhile, in their sixth year in the league, Newark broke through to make their playoff appearance in the ABL and their first overall since 1948.

On the other side, just two seasons after 120 wins, New Haven finished just 80-82, their first losing season in 17 years in the ABL and an abrupt end to a seven-year playoff streak. Cincinnati, meanwhile, moved into shiny new Riverfront Stadium…and nose-dived to 116 losses (one more than the year before) with the worst offense in league history (.195 average and just 400 runs, or 2.47 per game, as a team).

The postseason saw some major upsets as Spokane bounced Pittsburgh in a five-game series in the semifinals. Meanwhile, Newark shocked San Jose in six games. The Eagles soared once more, edging Spokane in seven games for the American Baseball Cup, their first ABL title and first of any kind in 29 seasons.

Spokane’s 25-year-old rookie shortstop Dusty Frailey roared onto the scene with a .330/.370/.469 slash line, adding 211 hits, 99 runs, 35 doubles, 9 triples, 12 homers, 77 RBI, and a perfect 21-for-21 mark on the basepaths. All that earned him MVP honors. After following the Austin Wranglers into the Texas League, Chris Wallace was a big leaguer for a couple years before being traded back into the ABL in 1969, going to Phoenix. Prior to 1970, though, the Firebirds practically gave him to Hawaii (receiving only a pitcher who never made it out of Triple-A) and sorely regretted it. The 35-year-old went 22-6 with a miniscule league-leading 1.52 ERA, striking out a league-high 345 batters in 249.0 innings to earn an easy Pitcher of the Year Award, his third. He also collected his 3,000th ABL strikeout on June 30.

With the ABL playing it’s 17th season this year, the final active player from it’s inaugural 1954 season called it quits. John Schroeder played 24 professional seasons, mostly with Salt Lake City, debuting when the Bees were still a big-league club in 1950 and playing in the ABL from its 1954 launch through 1969. After a season in the minors with Salina, he called it a career, retiring with 3,088 professional hits, including 2,042 in the ABL.

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Minor League Champions
Southeastern League: Mobile Marines, 92-62, defeats Jackson (2nd straight)
Colonial League: Worcester Tornadoes, 86-54, defeats Pittsfield
River Valley League: Evansville Bees, 93-48, defeats St. Joseph
Rocky Mountain League: Cheyenne Bulls, 75-52, defeats Pueblo
Coastal League: Macon Peaches, 84-71, defeats Richmond
Northern League: Fargo-Moorhead Indians, 91-49, defeats La Crosse
Great Lakes League: Flint Vehicles, 86-54, defeats Harrisburg
Southwest League: Bakersfield Conquistadors, 88-66, defeats Long Beach (2nd straight)
Southern Association: Beaumont Exporters, 80-60, defeats Little Rock
Northwest League: Reno High Rollers, 81-59, defeats Tacoma
Can-Am League: Utica Blue Sox, 71-55, defeats Portland
Mid-Atlantic League: Asheville Tourists, 72-69, defeats Greensboro
Lone Star League: San Angelo Colts, 95-45, defeats Midland-Odessa
Great Plains League: St. Paul Saints, 93-48, defeats Lincoln
Florida Coast League: Columbus Catfish, 77-64, defeats Huntsville (2nd straight)
Big Sky League: Idaho Falls Fireballs, 72-60, defeats Regina

The Mid-Atlantic League was treated to a tense race as while Greensboro won the pennant comfortably, five teams finished the regular season within two games of second place, with two of them (Asheville and Trenton) tied for second at 71-69. Asheville won the playoff and then the championship.