Out of the Shadows: The Eclipse League

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Carsten Charles has slowed a bit in recent years, allowing Carlos to zoom past him and claim this honour.

CC should still join him before too long, with El Inmortal and the Dandy outside shots at doing likewise.

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All four races remain close to the end, with the FRC National not decided until the final innings of the final day as the Wolves rally late to beat the Black Sox 8-6 and deny the Habaneros a tiebreaker.

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There being nothing to play for standings-wise - along with a rainout delaying the third game for a fortnight - only seems to intensify the rivalry as the East gets a rare triumph in one of the best of these series to date.

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CS wins to the Wolves in four and the Browns in a tense five-gamer.

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The subject of our final OotS profile for 1984 is another for whom it could be argued he heeds no introduction to a wider audience, being already well-enough known. But if he is known it is more for glove than bat, which usually means his light doesn't burn quite as bright in the minds of the casual fan as a slugger or pitching ace.

Elwood "Bingo" DeMoss was born 1889 in Topeka KS and is generally regarded as one of the top deadball era 2B in any form of the game.

Jim Riley has him pegged as more of a hitting demon than the stats subsequently unearthed would have us believe, with SH giving him a career 239/328/291 line and weak 82 OPS+ over the 21 seasons it has records for him. Jim throws around various unsubstantiated epithets such as "at his best in the clutch", "spraying hits to all fields" and able both to " place the ball where he wanted" and "drop a bunt on a dime".

Rube Foster - for whose American Giants Bingo spent numerous seasons playing - loved him, which given his fastidiousness about players knowing how to do the small things properly makes it likely that at least some of Jim assertions have an element of truth to them. But in the modern context, it cannot be denied that he was a relatively weak hitter. EC has him pegged for just under 20 career WAR with his MLEs.

On the other hand, there's no doubt about his defensive prowess, with his DP combo at the AGs with Bobby Williams one of the more legendary and the spine of what is looked upon by many as the greatest NeL team of this era.

His personality and baseball mind are also beyond reproach, with him first captain and then manager of a number of clubs including the ABCs and Detroit Stars in the late 1920s as his playing career wound down.

Unlike many of his peers, Bingo lived to a good age, dying in 1965 at 75 years old.

In the EL, sim sort of imitated life with the AGs drafting him 39th overall in 1971. However his tenure at the club in this timeline was a short one, with him traded to the Grays in 1973, where he won the first of his three Championship rings in 1977. Since then he has played for the Giants (1979), Dodgers (1979), Motown Stars (1980-82 with titles in the first two of those seasons), Athletics (1983) and his current club the Cuban Stars West.

As IRL, his glove has been his strength with just a 220/335/228 career line along with 16 HR and 316 RBI but a colossal 102 ZR that makes him the current all-time leader in this stat cat in any position.

Presently in his age-34 season, Bingo looks to have a few years left in him and as always we'll keep track of him along the rest of the way.

On the subject of which, here is the traditional update for all active OotS subjects at the time of posting. We'll be back with more of these features next season. (NB Apologies, this one shows stats for all levels)

Jerry from Brooklyn, this one's for you!

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Newark parlays a TL-best 89-55 regular season into the club's maiden title with a fairly comprehensive win over 3-time champs Detroit in six.

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Looks like any late drama is to be circumvented and not long until the full recap.

Here are the September award-winners for the EL.

• FC BATTER OF THE MONTH: Leon Durham (Crawfords) 302 / 8 HR / 24 RBI.
• FC PITCHER OF THE MONTH: William Nash (Crawfords) 3-2 / 0.57 / 6 SV / 11 K / 15.2 IP.
• FC ROOKIE OF THE MONTH: Charlie Wilson (Crawfords) 3-1 / 3.27 / 28 K / 41.1 IP.
• WC BATTER OF THE MONTH: Harry Williams (East) 337 / 8 HR / 22 RBI.
• WC PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Hulon Stamps (Liberty Stars) 6-0 / 1.80 / 39 K / 50 IP.
• WC ROOKIE OF THE MONTH: Julio Valera (Elite Giants) 3-1 / 3.12 / 18 K / 26 IP.

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Barney is now responsible for the two most recent EL no-hitters, following up his one from last season with another one here.

He joins Fergie Jenkins, Bill Lindsay and Santiago Guzman as those with two to their name.

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While each stays close enough to maintain the interest until the end, all four divisions are eventually settled in uncomplicated fashion within a handful of days of each other.

Detroit's Gene Collins grabs the EL's first ever pitching Triple Crown. His 25 Wins, 2.25 ERA and 305 K are the best in the whole EL.

Teammate Cristobal Torriente - owner of the only other TC in the league's history - just edges out Hilldale's Joe Scott for the WC batting crown, with Matty Alou of Birmingham taking it out in the FC.

Harry Williams' 42 homers lead the league, as do Leon Durham's 134 RBI and Royal Giant Rodney Scott's 60 SB.

A shout out to Hulon Stamps of the Liberty Stars, who finishes podium across the three stat cats as well.

MoStar Leonardo Medina leads all relievers with 42 Saves.

Juan Soto gets what may well be his final go-around, signing for the final little bit of the season with the last-placed Cuban Stars East.

Jose Rijo gets his 200th career Win, as does Jair Jurrjens a week or so later.

They are already out of contention by the time it happens but the Crawfords lose star Roberto Alomar for the final couple weeks to a hamstring strain. Same goes for the Dodgers with Andy Cooper suffering a season-ending shoulder injury with just a game or two to play.

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Fleet Conference

Memphis Red Sox (88-74) v New York Black Yankees (87-75)

Best of seven, Red Sox with home-field advantage.


It has been some time in the wilderness for these two clubs who dominated the first half of last decade with a pair of titles each but then ran aground, with just the MeSox' 1980 playoff appearance between them over the past four seasons.

And it looks a fairly even match-up although I'm just giving the edge to Memphis in five hard-fought games.

The Red Sox get a tight 6-5 Game 1 win behind Barney Morris but the BYs bounce back the next day, levelling the series with a 9-4 win that is closer than the score indicates and.

Game 3 is a ripper, with the visiting Red Sox scoring singles in the top 7th, 8th, 9th and then 10th to eke out a famous 6-5 win, only for Game 4 to be its equal in drama and opposite in result with the Black Yankees coming all the way back from 0-6 to 8-6.

Louis Dula gets the BYs' noses in front again with a fine 3-hit shutout but back in Memphis the Red Sox force a decider with a 4-2 win behind Nip Winters and then take the series with a most anticlimactic 9-0 blowout.

Red Sox catcher Anderson Pryor wins the MVP.





Weldy Conference

Detroit Motown Stars (94-68) v Hilldale Athletics (90-72)

Best of seven, Motown Stars with home-field advantage.

No idea what happened last season, but the MoStars have quickly rebounded to post their third 94-68 season around the anomaly of 1983. They were challenged this season but fought hard and prevailed and they'll need all that grit here against a really dangerous Hilldale outfit looking for the club's first title in 15 years.

A dream matchup to get this series underway with Triple Crown-winner Gene Collins going head-to-head with legend-in-the-making Satchel Paige. Collins pitches five no-hit innings and his MoStars eventually prevail 7-2 but the Athletics square it up 5-4 in Game 2 with Dick Redding the winner and Cristobal Torriente's 4-for-5 / 3 RBI effort just not enough.

A comeback 7-4 win in the first game in Hilldale sees the home side edge ahead and they double their advantage with another win the following day but can't close it out at home with Detroit keeping the series alive by dint of a tough 5-3 win.

They win again to send us to a winner-takes-all Game 7 with Gene Collins in the W column for a second time and in the end just have a little too much polish, advancing to the WS with a 3-1 win.

Cristobal Torriente takes home his 4th playoff MVP award.

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Detroit Motown Stars v Memphis Red Sox

Best of seven, Motown Stars with home-field advantage.


Not sure what it is I like about them but I give this Memphis group a great chance of knocking off their more-fancied opponents.

They really don't have a glaring weakness and can beat you any number of ways, even with excellent OF Harry Simpson unable to partake in the series.

Of course, the MoStars are an out and out beast with inarguably the best player (Cristobal Torriente) and arguably the best pitcher (Gene Collins, no argument this season in particular) in the league at the moment, along with a host of other superstars.

But they've never really got going these past couple seasons and I think they are as vulnerable as they've ever been here.

The longer the series goes, the better I think it'll be for Memphis and I'm tipping them to win a classic encounter in the full seven.





The series kicks off in fine style with Smokey Joe Williams running a no-hitter into the late innings before having to settle for a 2-hit 8-0 win, popping a 3-run homer to boot. Another tight game the next day ends 3-2 for the home side to send them to Memphis just where they wanted to be.

Precisely how daunting a task it is beating this Detroit mob becomes evident when they send Triple Crown winner Gene Collins to the hill for Game 3 but not even he can defend zero runs as Nip Winters outduels him and the Sox get on the board with a 1-0 win.

Game 4 is an entirely different affair as the lead swings back and forth until the Red Sox emerge with a 7-6 win, walking it off on an error by pitcher Leonardo Medina.

Memphis pushes them all the way again in Game 5 but the MoStars prevail 6-4 with Huck Rile mashing two solo taters.

He backs up a couple days later on the mound with the chance to clinch it for Detroit but, while he does well Barney Morris does better, allowing just a run on 2 hits over 7 as the Red Sox force a decisive Game 7 with a 4-1 final.

Winters v Collins II lives up to its billing as the Red Sox get within 12 outs of winning it all but just can't hold on as the MoStars score twice late and nick it from them 2-1 in one of the truly great EL World Series, the club's third title.

Felipe Alou is named MVP.

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Managerial Culls

Dan Morrison (CSW) is the only actual firing this year among EL skippers, although I see a raft of ex-player Hitting and Pitching Coaches got the chop including Donn Clendenon, Patricio Scantlebury, Alejandro Oms and Wilson Redus.


Roster News

Key Extensions: P Dick Redding (Athletics) 4/4790; OF Jim Wynn (Crawfords) 4/4706; OF Bill White (Liberty Stars) 5/3810; P Camilo Pascual (Bacharach Giants) 5/9200; OF Pedro Guerrero (Elite Giants) 8/16620;
P Juanelo Mirabal (Athletics) 4/4800; 2B Tony Phillips (Royal Giants) 3/4010; P Bob Griffith (Motown Stars) 3/3122.

Opt-Outs: P Steel Arm Tyler (Elite Giants); 2B Art Pennington (West).

Voided Contracts: 1B Shohei Ohtani, P Bill Peace (Grays); P Bill Byrd (Black Barons); OF Aaron Judge (Red Sox); P Andy Porter (Monarchs); 2B Cesar Hernandez (Crawfords).

Motown Stars ace Gene Collins, who injured his elbow in the World Series, will miss a good portion of the 1985 season recuperating.


Prospect Pipeline

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Still so early in the evolution of Walker House it is nearly impossible to get a bead on voter trends yet.

Gary Pettis is actually the current all-time career WAR leader but much of that is glove-related and I just don't see his stats being special enough to get him a plaque.

Three rings, 200+ wins, 2000+ strikeouts means Dolf Luque should get some consideration. Dave Brown, who as you'd expect shone bright early but kind of fizzled out quickly, probably not so much.

Little hope among the rest, one would think.

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Another top-notch group incoming for the EL and, with just a handful of full pools to go the talent we'll be seeing over the next 7-8 years is absolutely mind-blowing.

For the 1984 Rookie Draft, the NeL Category A players are led by the mighty George "Tubby" Scales and Sam Streeter with the MLB class including names such as Dick Allen, Larry Hisle, Byron Buxton, Pudge Rodriguez and Alfonso Soriano.

Square Moore is a very interesting type whom I am sure will be the subject of an OotS profile before his career is done.

New FA include Bombin Pedroso and "Double Duty" Radcliffe among the NeL ranks and Vic Power from the MLB.


The Cuban Stars West are in possession of the first overall pick this year and they spend it on 2B Hal McRae, with Tubby going second to Baltimore. Square Moore heads to the Grays.

Here are Rounds 1 and 2 in full:

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Slowly picking up in activity, with six players on this year's ballot. Pops Stargell is lead vote-getter with just under 40%, while Hilton Smith drops off.

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