The National Pastime: The United States Baseball Federation rises

[KCRoyals15]

1989

The 80's came to a close with a lot of drama around the majors, with several tight races, particularly in the Eastern Baseball Federation leagues, and overall no truly dominant teams (no one won over 96 games, except the PCL, whose top teams played equivalent to a 91-92 win pace over 162).

In the Northern Conference, the Philadelphia Athletics won the New England League for the first time in six years, while the crosstown Quakers and Manhattan tied for second at 87-75—just one game back. The Quakers took the one-game playoff for their third-straight playoff berth. The Midwest Association saw a tight race to the top and Detroit and Milwaukee ran alone at the top, with the Wolverines finishing one game ahead.



In the postseason, the Quakers took down their intra-city rivals emphatically, routing the Athletics in a four-game sweep. Detroit, meanwhile, downed Milwaukee in six. The Quakers had an upset brewing, though, and defeating the Wolverines in six games for their first conference title in 13 years.

In the Southern Conference, the Tampa Tarpons won their second-ever Eastern League title and made the playoffs for the first time in seven years. Jacksonville finished three games back to claim the other playoff spot. The Western League had another tight race to the top, with Pittsburgh emerging to snap an eight-year playoff drought with a WL title, finishing a game up on St. Louis.



The postseason began with a bang as both League Finals went seven games. Tampa won a Sunshine State showdown with Jacksonville, while Pittsburgh defeated St. Louis. The Ironmen proved their mettle in the Southern Championship, winning the conference in five games over the Tarpons, their first title in a dozen seasons.

In the Pacific Coast League, fortunes had improved for the Sacramento Solons ever since moving out of decrepit Edmonds Field into brand-new ARCO Field in 1986. It culminated this year in their first-ever North Division title and first time finishing in first place since 1933. The Solons finished six games ahead of Seattle, who finished three games up on San Francisco to end the Seals' bids for a PCL three-peat.

Down South, San Jose had missed the postseason in 10 of the last 11 years, but won the division for the first since 1977, unseating San Diego, whose record run of nine-straight division titles came to an end. The Padres did finish second, extending their postseason streak to 12 straight seasons.



The PCL postseason in the North saw Seattle deal an upset to Sacramento in seven games, while the South saw San Jose hold serve against San Diego, overpowering the Padres in six games. The Gulls then continued their trek to the summit, conquering the Rainiers in six games to win their first PCL title in 13 seasons and second all-time.

In the Texas League, the Wichita Aeros won the North for the first time in eight years, finishing two up on Fort Worth, whose three-year streak of division crowns ended, but they still finish the decade with eight playoff berths in ten years. Austin won the South for the third year in a row, making their sixth-straight playoff appearance. El Paso returned to the playoffs after a two-year absence with a second-place finish.



The Division Finals saw one excellent series, with Fort Worth downing Wichita in seven games. The other side wasn't much worse, with Austin defeating El Paso in six games. The Panthers rose to the occasion in the finals, repeating as TL champs in a six-game triumph. After two championships in a 77-year span, Fort Worth now had three in the last five seasons.

The national tournament saw a very intriguing and rare in-state matchup. It also featured another upset, as the Philadelphia Athletics (NOR) defeat the Pittsburgh Ironmen (SOU) to keep the A's magical run rolling. Fort Worth looked to become the fifth Texas League franchise to win a title this decade, but it was not meant to be, as the San Jose Gulls (PCL) defeat the Fort Worth Panthers (TL). Assured of a first-time National Champion for the second year in a row, the finals were anticlimactic at best, as the Gulls pilfered Philly like it was popcorn on the beach. The San Jose Gulls (PCL) defeat the Philadelphia Athletics (NOR), 4-0 to earn their first National Championship.



Milwaukee's postseason return wad fueled in part by 24-year-old rookie Austin Miller. In his debut campaign, he slashed .315/.402/.476 with 178 hits, 88 runs, 33 doubles, 18 homers, and 83 RBI, taking Northern Conference Rookie of the Year and MVP honors. (EDITOR'S NOTE: As of fall 2003, when I'm writing this, Miller is the first player in this series who is still active)

The mound was also dominated by a Black Hawk, as 24-year-old Elliot McDowell shined bright. After leading the conference in ERA the year prior, he went 24-5 with a 1.86 ERA, topping the North in both marks and striking out 150 over 247.1 innings to earn Pitcher of the Year. Unfortunately, McDowell declined pretty quick from there and was strictly a mediocre bullpen arm by his 29th birthday.

Baltimore's Mike Compton wasn't quite as good as his memorable rookie season in '88, but he was still plenty good, slashing .290/.403/.582 with 161 hits, 110 runs, 33 doubles, and a conference-high 39 homers, to go along with 101 RBI and 33 steals. That earned Compton his second-straight MVP to start his career.

The pitching side also saw a repeat winner as New Orleans' Arnold Noles also made it two trophies in two big-league seasons, winning Pitcher of the Year. He went 19-11 with a 2.84 ERA, leading the conference in wins, strikeouts (205), complete games (15), and shutouts (3), logging 275.2 innings in his Pitcher of the Year-winning campaign.

Right-hander Jose Lopez was a dependable, if mostly unremarkable, mid-rotation starter for Jacksonville for 14 years, but the 34-year-old put together the game of a lifetime on September 10 vs. Tampa. he retired all 27 Tarpoins, striking out 11 (the most in a perfect game to date) and throwing 92 pitches in the second USBF perfecto in just over a year.

The Pacific Coast League saw one of the greatest power-hitting runs in baseball history come to an end, culminating in a third MVP in four years for Seattle's Marco Adams. The hulking slugger led the league in home runs, RBI, and slugging for the third year in a row (and fourth time overall), slashing .322/.393/.636 with a league-high 238 hits, 124 runs, 55 doubles, 57 homers, and 172 RBI.

Oakland's Mike Guy was in his seventh season as a durable right arm for the Oaks, but took things to another level. Despite going just 16-16, Guy led the PCL with a 2.52 ERA, while also striking out 216 batters over 307.2 innings, earning a surprise Pitcher of the Year trophy.

In the Texas League, El Paso outfielder Brent Lewis enjoyed an excellent third big-league season. The 25-year-old slashed .307/.393/.518 in a lower-scoring environment, with 175 hits, 38 doubles, a league-high 11 triples, 20 homers, 104 RBI, and 23 steals to take home MVP honors.

Tulsa lefty Izzy Barragan had a strange route to stardom, pitching parts of eight seasons in the American Baseball League (and doing so mostly unremarkably) before being traded into the majors at 30 years old in 1986. Two years and two teams later, he wound up in Tulsa and in 1989, the 33-year-old had a year to remember out of nowhere. He went 19-7 with a 2.63 ERA, striking out 161 over 266.2 innings, leading the TL in wins and shutouts (5) to earn Pitcher of the Year.

In his 21st and final season, Dallas' Josh White hung on just long enough to make history, cracking his 3,000th hit on May 22 to become the third (and most recent) Texas Leaguer to reach that benchmark. He finished his career with 3,022 hits and retired in the top 10 in most TL offensive categories.

The EBF sent a pair to the Hall of Fame, a former MVP and a man who won 324 games and struck out nearly 3,000 batters while pitching on both coasts:

RHP Kevin Popp (1956-77), 84.3%
OF Steve Boots (1964-79), 76.6%

The PCL also inducted a two-time Triple Crown winner, three-time MVP, and a man who led the league in home runs and RBI each of his first five seasons:

OF Brad Duty (1974-85), 78.3%

And lastly, the Texas League sent a 17-time All-Star to the Hall:

SP Phil Easton (1963-83), 95.0%

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The American Baseball League featured maybe its greatest race ever in the East Division, where Boston won a five-team sprint, with Birmingham and Nashville close behind. Cincinnati and Syracuse tied for the fourht playoff spot, but the Buckeyes won the playoff, so despite finishing just 4½ games back, Syracuse wound in fifth place and stayed home. The West was much more clear-cut, with Indianapolis winning rather easily and Phoenix, Vancouver, and Chicago filing in with no drama at the cut line.

In the playoffs, Cincinnati dealt Boston a first-round upset while Birmingham beat Nashville, both in six games. The West saw Indianapolis dispatch Chicago in five games and Vancouver defeat Phoenix in six. In the semis, the Buckeyes swept the Barons in the East, and Vancouver upset Indy in six to win the West. Cincinnati then mastered the Mounties in five games to hoist the American Baseball Cup for the second time.

In the East, Boston's Chris Chavez slashed .310/.405/.523 (all best in the East), with 162 hits, 92 runs, a league-high 44 doubles, 19 homers, and 97 RBI to take MVP. On the mound, Travis Huber was already well-traveled (he pitched 24 pro seasons in total) before arriving in Cincinnati in 1987, but the 35-year-old was at his best as a Buckeye, going 16-9 with a 2.53 ERA and 139 strikeouts in 270.0 innings to take Pitcher of the Year.

In the West, Spokane's Jacob Trocki slashed .317/.387/.565 with 170 hits, 109 runs, 38 doubles and a West-high 34 homers and 97 RBI to take home MVP. Mike Caruso was a six-time All-Star in the majors who had been a reliever the entirety of his career. However, Vancouver turned him into a starter at 34 years old, and he went 20-11 with a 2.82 ERA with 170 strikeouts over 255.2 innings, earning Pitcher of the Year.

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Minor League Champions
Southeastern League: Jackson Junebugs, 88-66, defeats Memphis (2nd straight)
Colonial League: Lowell Blue Sox, 77-63, defeats Binghamton
River Valley League: Dayton Aviators, 87-53, defeats Akron
Rocky Mountain League: Great Falls Explorers, 73-53, defeats Colorado Springs
Coastal League: Winston-Salem Twins, 99-55, defeats Charlotte (4th straight)
Northern League: St. Paul Saints, 87-53, defeats Thunder Bay
Southwest League: Fresno Suns, 86-68, defeats Albuquerque
Southern Association: Joplin Jaspers, 78-62, defeats Little Rock
Northwest League: Reno High Rollers, 85-69, defeats Yakima
Can-Am League: London Braves, 77-49, defeats Quebec
Mid-Atlantic League: Atlantic City Aces, 77-63, defeats Worcester
Lone Star League: Lubbock Hubbers, 77-63, defeats Lawton (2nd straight)
Great Plains League: South Bend Silver Hawks, 93-47, defeats Lincoln
Florida Coast League: Columbus Catfish, 77-63, defeats Orlando
Big Sky League: Ogden Railroaders, 76-56, defeats Twin Falls
Heartland League: Cedar Rapids Reds, 80-60, defeats Madison
Atlantic Coast League: Wilmington (NC) Waves, 77-43, defeats Lynchburg

A pair of oddities surfaced, with the entire Canadian Division of the Big Sky League under .500, while the Atlantic Coast League saw their entire Maryland-Virginia Division finish over .500.

[KCRoyals15]

1990

The final decade of the 20th century got underway and once more, the USBF was treated to some fine races and a few surprises at the end of the road.

In the Northern Conference, the Philadelphia A's won a franchise-record 102 games to win the Eastern League by a 14-game margin over Manhattan, who held off upstate rival Albany by two games to finish second, their first playoff appearance since 1974. In their first season in brand-new Skydome, the Toronto Maple Leafs won the Midwest Association, albeit with just 87 wins. Amazingly, they were the only team over .500 in the MWA, and so Milwaukee, who at 80-82 finished two games up on Detroit and Montreal, became the first-ever Eastern Baseball Federation club to make the playoffs with a sub-.500 record.



The postseason was filled with little drama, though there was a big upset. Manhattan stunned Philadelphia in a four-game sweep to knock out the A's, while Toronto took care of Milwaukee in five games. The Yankees stayed hot, sweeping the Leafs as well, as Manhattan swept their way to their first Conference Championship in 16 seasons.

In the Southern Conference, Miami snapped a 19-year playoff drought by closing out venerable Miami Stadium with a 99-win season and Eastern League pennant. Jacksonville took second for the third year in a row, holding off Baltimore. In the Western League, New Orleans won 103 games, finishing ten games up on St. Louis, who went to the playoffs for the third-straight season.



In the postseason, the two Sunshine State squads battled for seven games, with the Gators coming out on top, while St. Louis upset New Orleans, also in a seven-game scrap. The Southern Championship also went the distance, and Miami came through for a second time, as they downed the Browns to win their first conference title since 1969.

The Pacific Coast League saw a major surprise in the North. After three straight losing seasons, Oakland roared to a league-best 126-74 record to win their first division crown in 15 years and post their best record since 1914. San Francisco finished a comfortable second. In the South, defending champion San Jose repeated atop the division, with San Diego finishing second, their 13th-straight playoff appearance.



With the only four winning teams in the postseason, Oakland and San Francisco played a classic in a Bay Bridge battle, with the Oaks coming out on top in seven games. San Jose, meanwhile, downed San Diego in six games. The Oaks denied the Gulls' quest to repeat, rolling to a five-game series victory to win their first PCL title since 1961.

Last but not least, the Texas League also had a surprise division winner as Oklahoma City rose from the doldrums of a 12-season playoff drought to win the North, while Dallas returned tot he postseason after a four-season absence with a second-place finish. The South featured the two strongest teams, with 93-win Austin outdueling 91-win Houston, with the Wranglers winning their fourth division title in a row and the Buffaloes reaching the postseason for the first time in 16 years.



In the Division Finals, Dallas dealt a shocker to OKC, upsetting the Indians in five games, while Austin gunned down the Buffs with a four-game sweep. The Lone Stars had another stunner in them, as the 82-80 squad upset Austin in six games to win the Texas League for the first time in five seasons.

That set up a national tournament with three teams who had not made the tournament in well over a decade. On the eastern side, the Manhattan Yankees (NOR) defeat the Miami Gators (SOU) in another upset, while the magical run in Texas came to an end, as the Oakland Oaks (PCL) defeat the Dallas Lone Stars (TL). That set up an unexpected championship matchup that went the distance, as the Manhattan Yankees (NOR) defeat the Oakland Oaks (PCL), 4-3 to lift the Yankees to their first National Championship since 1959 and their third overall.



The Philadelphia A's pennant was greatly aided by the work of second-year outfielder Alex Guillory. The 24-year-old slashed .357/.396/.526 to win the Northern Conference batting title, while also leading the conference with 214 hits and 43 doubles, adding 100 runs, 16 homers, 84 RBI, and 18 steals to take home MVP honors.

The A's also snagged Pitcher of the Year, as 22-year-old phenom Richard Garcia starred in his first full season. After being acquired from Austin as a 19-year-old in 1987, Garcia finally got his shot three years later and went 23-6 with a 3.25 ERA with 197 strikeouts, leading the conference in wins and punchouts, while also working 260.0 innings in his award-winning campaign. He was arguably better the following season (24-8 3.02 ERA, 235 Ks in 277.0 IP, 10 complete games), but finished runner-up. After another strong year in '92, his career abruptly ended by a rotator cuff injury that forced him into retirement at 25 years old.

In the Southern Conference, New Orleans was powered to their Western League title in large part by outfielder John Willis. The 27-year-old slashed .329/.400/.576 with a conference-high 207 hits and 120 runs, while ripping 29 doubles, 11 triples, 35 homers, drove in a South-best 113 runs, and stole 22 bases, earning his first MVP award.

The Eastern League pennant winner produced an award winner, as Miami's 23-year-old ace Charles Griggs took home Pitcher of the Year hardware. After logging a 2.80 ERA as a rookie, the second-year righty went 24-6 with a 2.27 ERA, leading the South in both marks, striking out 195 in 262.0 innings. Despite not missing any time, for some reason Griggs took a big step back the following year and never regained his early form over his final decade-plus, retiring with a 160-162 record.

Despite playing for mostly losing teams (including a sub-.500 side this season), Hawaii's Jose Reyna made a name for himself on the islands with some lofty home run totals. In his fifth season, the 31-year-old slashed .305/.406/.604 with 205 hits and led the PCL with 139 runs and 56 home runs, driving in 124 runs and winning his lone MVP award.

Oakland's Mike Guy may have surprised some by winning Pitcher of the Year with a .500 record the previous season, but there were no surprises this time around. Guy went 26-8 with a 2.09 ERA, leading the PCL in both marks and striking out 202 batters in 301.1 innings, earning a second-straight POTY trophy.

Seattle's Dean Janek enjoyed a solid run as a five-time All-Star for Seattle, but his most notable work was one game this season. The 31-year-old closed out a 24-homer campaign by blasting four homers on September 30 against Los Angeles, just the second four-homer game in PCL history.

The PCL had several milestones hit, including three players pick up their 3,000th hit. First, San Francisco's Jeremy Veneziano got his on April 4, then Hollywood's Grant Coyle, playing his final season, followed on June 15. Finally, Seattle's Aaron Saksa, who also finished the season (and his career) at 999 career stolen bases, picked up his milestone knock on August 27.

Finally, Portland's Angelo Camarillo, the greatest slugging catcher of all-time, blasted his 500th career homer on August 28—one day after stroking his 2,000th hit.

In the Texas League, there were very few clear-cut MVP candidates, so the race was rather ambiguous. In the end, Galveston's Mike Dolinsky got the nod, slashing .280/.374/.492 with 158 hits, 105 runs, 34 doubles, 7 triples, 24 homers, 93 RBI, and 50 steals, winning his lone MVP for the well-rounded effort.

Jorge Matias had two promising years in Sacramento to begin his career, but after a slow start to 1984, he was shipped off to Austin for little of consequence. The Solons regretted that deal, as Matias returned to form in the Texan capital. This season, he went 19-9 with a 3.37 ERA, leading the TL in wins, starts (36) and strikeouts (188) over 248.1 innings to earn the only Pitcher of the Year crown over his 17-year career.

The Eastern Baseball Federation sent a quartet to the Hall of Fame, including a three-time MVP, two 500-homer sluggers, and a defensive wizard and speed merchant:

1B George Turner (1968-84), 93.4%
OF Jared Wilson (1970-84), 85.3%
OF Jesse Flagg (1967-83), 76.6%
3B Mike Thompson (1963-80), 75.6%

The PCL was also busy, inducting a pair of pitchers, including a 250-game winner and the first-ever PCL reliever to reach the Hall:

SP Dave Heying (1970-85), 80.2%
RP Jay Latko (1969-86), 79.6%

Finally, the Texas League closed out a busy year with their first-ever three-man class, highlighted by their all-time strikeout leader, their first-ever reliever, and a former MVP third baseman

SP Carlos Pena (1965-84), 98.6%
RP Bill Zuniga (1965-80), 87.9%
3B Kyle Hill (1964-82), 80.0%

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The American Baseball League was dominated by two Eastern juggernauts, Cincinnati and Boston, who each won over 100 games, with the Buckeyes finishing first. Meanwhile, Birmingham and Syracuse finished a distant third and fourth to reach the postseason, the Chiefs for the first time in their 12 years in the ABL. In the West, Chicago punched their 13th-straight playoff ticket, but won their first division title in eight years, It was a legitimate four-team race, with Phoenix just one game back and Minneapolis and Vancouver tied just three games back. For the Millers, it was their first playoff berth in 26 years.

In the first round, Syracuse pulled off a huge stunner, sweeping Cincinnati, while Boston survived a seven-game test with Birmingham. Meanwhile, Chicago battled for seven games with Vancouver but came out on top, while Phoenix swept Minneapolis. The semifinals both went five games, with Syracuse upsetting the other top team, Boston, and Phoenix downing Chicago. The Chiefs then completed their miracle run, blitzing the Firebirds in five games for their first American Baseball Cup.

In the East, Boston's Chris Chavez repeated as MVP, slashing .284/.394/.516 with 151 hits, 94 runs, 35 doubles, 26 homers, 99 RBI, and 16 steals. Dumped onto Birmingham after half a big-league season in 1988, Chris Wolven thrived on the Barons, going 21-9 with a 3.02 ERA, leading the East in wins, starts (37), innings (304.0), and complete games (16) and striking out 186 batters to earn Pitcher of the Year. He also became the last professional pitcher outside the PCL to throw 300 innings in a season.

In the West, Indianapolis' Clayton Savino followed up a Rookie of the Year in '89 with an MVP, despite playing on a seventh-place team. The 23-year-old slashed .286/.382/.472 with 160 hits, 36 doubles, 22 homers, and 95 RBI to take the crown. Phoenix's Ritchie Fox also was great as a 23-year-old, going 24-7 with a 2.51 ERA, leading the ABL in both categories, while striking out 157 in 276.0 innings to earn Pitcher of the Year.

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Minor League Champions
Southeastern League: Memphis Chicks, 95-59, defeats Savannah
Colonial League: Hartford Whalers, 82-58, defeats Harrisburg
River Valley League: Dayton Aviators, 79-61, defeats Akron (2nd straight)
Rocky Mountain League: Butte Copper Kings, 74-52, defeats Colorado Springs
Coastal League: Winston-Salem Twins, 102-52, defeats Charleston (SC) (5th straight)
Northern League: Thunder Bay Timberjacks, 85-55, defeats Green Bay
Southwest League: Fresno Suns, 93-61, defeats Santa Barbara (2nd straight)
Southern Association: Beaumont Exporters, 84-56, defeats Little Rock
Northwest League: Yakima Tomahawks, 89-65, defeats Pocatello
Can-Am League: Springfield Spinners, 78-48, defeats Utica
Mid-Atlantic League: Altoona Engineers, 81-59, defeats Raleigh-Durham
Lone Star League: Rio Grande White Wings, 81-59, defeats Tyler
Great Plains League: South Bend Silver Hawks, 86-54, defeats Waterloo (2nd straight)
Florida Coast League: Huntsville Stars, 77-63, defeats Ft. Lauderdale
Big Sky League: Calgary Cannons, 71-61, defeats Ogden
Heartland League: Youngstown Steelers, 80-60, defeats Cedar Rapids
Atlantic Coast League: Wilmington (NC) Waves, 66-54, defeats Petersburg (2nd straight)

The Florida Coast League had a fantastic race for second (and the final playoff spot). Ft. Lauderdale won the nod at 74-66, with three other teams (Orlando, St. Petersburg, and West Palm Beach) all tied at 72-68. The Flamingoes could not get the job done, though, losing a seven-game final to Huntsville.

[KCRoyals15]

1991

Trey Skipper's impact on the American Baseball League in the 1980's was tremendous, but his biggest mark is what happened before the 1991 season.

The Eastern Baseball Federation was less-than-enthused about sending big-market Boston down to the ABL before the 1979 season, but the Pilgrims' putrid history and messy financials left little choice. After Trey breathed new life into that club, the powers that be felt they were ready for the majors once again.

Of course, that left another team needing a new home, and so in the midst of their stunning revival, Trey Skipper's current club, also located in a big-league city with a big-league ballpark, got the call. And so, joining the Northern Conference for the 1991 season would be Boston Pilgrims and Cincinnati Buckeyes.

Of note, a major gameplay change took place in the EBF as well. The EBF elected to enact the designated hitter in both the Northern and Southern Conferences. The Pacific Coast League and Texas League would continue to let their pitchers bat.

In the new-look North, the results were the same as the year before: the Philadelphia Athletics won 100 games and the New England League, while also becoming the first non-PCL team to draw 3 million fans, welcoming 3,005,116 paying customers, while Manhattan finished a distant second, ten games. In the Midwest Association, the Cleveland Spiders pulled a stunning 29-game turnaround, winning 102 games (their most since 1947) to win the MWA for the first time in eight years. Buffalo also came out of nowhere, improving by 20 games to finish second, their first playoff spot in six seasons.



In the NEL Finals, Philadelphia returned the favor from last year, sweeping Manhattan out of the postseason, while Cleveland swept Buffalo. The lack of drama continued in the Northern Championship, where the Spiders pulled off yet another sweep to win their first Conference Championship in 20 years.

In the Southern Conference, Norfolk won 100 games for the second time in four years, winning the Eastern League handily for their fifth pennant in eight years. For the fourth year in a row, Jacksonville finished second, 15 games back, edging out Washington by a couple games. In the Western League, New Orleans exploded for 114 wins, while drawing a conference-record 2,740,616 fans. Way back in second, Pittsburgh finished 23 games behind the Pelicans, but two games clear of St. Louis to reach the playoffs.



The first round was filled with upsets, as Jacksonville stunned Norfolk in six games. That paled in comparison, though, to Pittsburgh's five-game series win over New Orleans, as the Pelicans' historical season ended with a resounding dud. The Ironmen, now as the favorites, kept it up by putting the Suns down, as Pittsburgh won a six-game series for their second Conference Championship in three seasons.

In the Pacific Coast League, San Francisco returned to the top of the North after two years away, while defending league champion Oakland finished second. In the South, the division was competitive, but in the end, San Diego finished first for their 14th-straight playoff berth. Hawaii edged out San Jose by two games for their second playoff berth in four years.



In the Divisional round, San Francisco ended Oakland's title defense with a six-game triumph, while Hawaii had a mild upset up their sleeve, punting the Padres out of the playoffs in five games, their first playoff series win since 1978. In the finals, the Seals sealed the deal, as the clear top team in the PCL showed it in a five-game series, with San Francisco winning the league for the third time in five years.

That left the Texas League, where Dallas dominated to 99 wins, taking the North by 14 games. Wichita edged out Oklahoma City by a game for second place and a playoff spot. The South was won by Austin for the fifth year in a row, six games ahead of Galveston, who returned to the playoffs for the first time in three years.



In the first round, Dallas dispatched Wichita handily, winning a five-game series. The South, though, saw Galveston upset Austin in seven games. The Hurricanes had an even bigger upset up their sleeve, knocking off the Lone Stars in a four-game sweep to win the TL for the second time in five years.

That set up the national tournament, which began in unsurprising fashion, as the Cleveland Spiders (NOR) defeat the Pittsburgh Ironmen (SOU). Meanwhile, a surprise did unfold with one of the favorites going down, as the Galveston Hurricanes (TL) defeat the San Francisco Seals (PCL). Looking to become the worst team to win a national title, the Hurricanes came up just short, as the Cleveland Spiders (NOR) defeat the Galveston Hurricanes (TL), 4-3 for the National Championship, winning the Spiders' fifth title, but their first in 44 years.



Cleveland's Paul Dineen could clearly hit, evidenced by hitting .350 to win a batting title in 1988. Three years later, he won another one, slashing .347/.395/.528, leading the North in hits (225), doubles (42), and RBI (126), while adding 97 runs and 23 homers, winning MVP honors. Dineen only lasted 11 years due to a late start, but hit .320 for his career.

In his second full season, Manhattan's Freddy Perez announced himself as a legitimate ace. The 23-year-old went 17-10 with a 2.49 ERA, striking out 199 in 253.1 innings and spinning a conference-high four shutouts to win his first Pitcher of the Year.

One of the best of all time called it quits, as Milwaukee's Mark Oxford hung it up at 44 years old, following a record-breaking 23-year career. Oxford finished with a national-record nine MVPs, plus 3,748 hits, the second-most in major league history and the most outside the PCL.

Amidst their record-breaking season, New Orleans' John Willis won his second-straight Southern Conference MVP award. He slashed .332/.400/.595 with 201 hits, a conference-high 132 runs, 40 doubles, 7 triples, 35 homers, 123 RBI, and 30 steals to take his second trophy home.

Another Pelican, righty Arnold Noles, took home some hardware, earning his third Pitcher of the Year in four seasons. Noles went 23-3 with a 3.03 ERA, leading the South in wins, complete games (11), and shutouts (3), and striking out 193 over 279.2 innings. He won 20 games and led the conference in innings and strikeouts the following year, but his career sank quickly after the end of those five magical seasons.

In the Pacific Coast League, San Diego's Never Tokhiyan took the league by storm. After leading the PCL in hits, doubles, and batting average as a rookie, his sophomore year saw him win another batting title, slashing .374/.424/.614 with 229 hits, 115 runs, 43 doubles, 7 triples, 30 homers, and 135 RBI to win MVP.

On the mound, Oakland's Mike Guy was again was The Guy in the PCL. The 33-year-old went 22-13 and led the PCL in ERA for the third year in a row with a 2.83 mark. He also struck out 178 in 292.2 innings to win his third-straight Pitcher of the Year. It was his last POTY trophy, but he remained productive into his late 30's and retired with 275 wins.

In the Texas League, Fort Worth first baseman Jon Gonzalez did it all, winning the batting title, slashing .315/.419/.524, and leading the TL in hits (180) and runs (116) with 30 doubles, 7 triples, 25 homers, and 97 RBI, while also leading the league with 48 steals to take home his first MVP.

Wichita righty Kyle Whitman was one of the TL's best pitchers as a rookie in 1990, but in his sophomore year, the 21-year-old was even better. He went 15-7 with a league-high 2.05 ERA, while also leading the TL in starts (36), innings (271.2), strikeouts (224), complete games (9), and shutouts (4). One of those shutouts was a historic performance on September 16, when he struck out ten and retired all 27 Austin Wranglers, spinning just the third perfect game in Texas League and the first since 1919, making it the first major-league perfecto in TL history.

The Texas League said goodbye to perhaps its best slugger ever, as El Paso outfielder Daniel Alcaraz hung it up after 17 seasons. The 42-year-old slugged one homer in his final campaign, ending his career with 423 homers, most in Texas League history.

In the Hall of Fame voting, the Eastern Baseball Federation inducted a man with over 300 wins and 3000 strikeouts at the big-league level, plus another ace with over 250 wins to his credit and speedy center fielder:

RHP Kevin Corbett
(1964-85), 82.0%
OF Devon Youngblood (1968-84), 82.0%
RHP Kyle Mollette (1969-85), 81.7%

Meanwhile, the Texas League inducted an eagle-eyed outfielder who was an 11-time All-Star:

OF Pete Wyman (1967-83), 75.9%

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The American Baseball League looked different without its two best Eastern teams. To stay at 16 teams, the ABL expanded by two teams, giving western Tennessee another try with the Memphis Kings and new rival for Phoenix in the Tucson Toros.

In a wide-open East, Syracuse won a franchise-record 97 games to take first, while Birmingham and Richmond won 92 games each to tie for second. It dropped off quickly after that, and Nashville took fourth at 78-84 In the West, Minneapolis won a franchise-record 99 games and their first-ever division title. Chicago finished second, but Denver (80-82) and Phoenix (79-83) finished third and fourth despite being below .500, as only five teams in the 16-team circuit posted winning records, though no one lost more than 91 games.

In the playoffs, Syracuse swept Nashville and Richmond edged Birmingham in seven games out East. In the West, Minneapolis swept Phoenix and Chicago took out Denver in five. In the semis, Syracuse edged Richmond and Minneapolis defeated Chicago, both in the full seven games. In a five-game set, the Millers won their first-ever championship in their 92-year history, defeating the Cyclones for the American Baseball Cup.

In the East, Syracuse's Justin Haile took MVP, slashing .267/.347/.446 with 152 hits, 89 runs, 42 doubles, 18 homers, and an East-leading 95 RBI, along with 22 steals. Birmingham's Jason O'Mahoney was an improbable Pitcher of the Year, going 15-7 with an East-leading 2.36 ERA and 155 strikeouts in 217.0 innings as the 35-year-old career minor leaguer won the trophy in his penultimate pro season.

In the West, Minneapolis' 22-year-old Dave Koch was undoubtedly the top player in the ABL, slashing .352/.416/.525 to win the batting title, leading the ABL in hits (214), runs (113), and steals (55), adding 44 doubles, 8 triples, 15 homers, and 94 RBI to win his first MVP. Another young Miller, 23-year-old Nate David went 20-10 with a 2.71 ERA, leading the ABL in wins and shutouts (five), and striking out 185 in 272.0 innings to win Pitcher of the Year.

---

Minor League Champions
Southeastern League: Baton Rouge Cajuns, 94-60, defeats Montgomery
Colonial League: Scranton-Wilkes Barre Steamers, 89-52, defeats Pawtucket
River Valley League: Erie Sailors, 87-63, defeats Toledo
Rocky Mountain League: Ft. Collins Grizzlies, 76-50, defeats Butte
Coastal League: Greenville (SC) Peanuts, 86-68, defeats Charleston (SC)
Northern League: Appleton Foxes, 91-49, defeats Duluth-Superior
Southwest League: Bakersfield Conquistadors, 88-66, defeats Modesto
Southern Association: Little Rock Travelers, 75-65, defeats Beaumont
Northwest League: Yakima Tomahawks, 83-71, defeats Tacoma (2nd straight)
Can-Am League: Springfield Spinners, 72-54, defeats London (2nd straight)
Mid-Atlantic League: Worcester Tornadoes, 78-62, defeats Altoona
Lone Star League: San Angelo Colts, 79-61, defeats Midland-Odessa
Great Plains League: Peoria Distillers, 94-46, defeats Salina
Florida Coast League: Huntsville Stars, 85-55, defeats St. Petersburg (2nd straight)
Big Sky League: Saskatoon Rivermen, 79-53, defeats Missoula
Heartland League: Sioux Falls Packers, 77-64, defeats Youngstown
Atlantic Coast League: Lynchburg Ferrymen, 65-55, defeats Wilmington (NC)

The River Valley League was home to an outstanding playoff race. The top six teams in the eight-team loop were separated by just six games, with Erie winning a one-game playoff over Toledo after the two tied for first, then also won the league championship over the Mud Hens in the postseason.

[KCRoyals15]

1992

"New-Look Ballparks Beginning to Dot Landscape" read the headline in the May 1992 edition of Sports Illustrated .

"For three decades the standard in stadium construction is a concrete monstrosity that, when applicable, is also built to accommodate professional football, leaving a layout that leaves much to be desired for the baseball tenants who habitually play in front of tens of thousands of unsold seats every night."

"Over the last few years the trend has begun to swing back towards stadia that meet the needs of the modern consumer, but also harken back to the ballparks of yore: incorporating brick and exposed steel into their design. More importantly, new stadiums going up will be doing so solely to host baseball, leading to better sightlines, cozier confines, and in many cases, smaller, more-intimate venues."

"Buffalo's Pilot Field was the blueprint when it opened in 1988 and Baltimore's Camden Yards which opened last month has taken that concept to a new level with large crowds and rave reviews."

"Plenty of other teams are taking notice. Norfolk is playing their final season at Metropolitan Memorial Stadium this season before the waterfront Ballpark at Harbor Yard opens next season. Salt Lake City is in the midst of a tricky project in which the shell of a new stadium is going up around Derks Field as they continue to play there. After the season, Derks will meet the wrecking ball and a new stadium is expected to be close to, if not entirely complete by next opening day."

"Likewise, Cleveland, Dallas, and San Jose are expected to open new stadiums in 1994. The woefully dated Dodger Dome in Brooklyn will meet the wrecking ball, as construction on a new ballpark harkening back to their days at Ebbets Field began last fall, with an anticipated opening in 1995. Portland is expected to break ground on a badly-needed new facility next month, with a scheduled 1996 opening."

"Even the American Baseball League has already seen a new (though more spartan) stadium open in 1990 for the Chicago Cyclones and a new park in Denver going up to open in 1995, with more projects planned around the league."

"What does this mean? Well, for John Q. Taxpayer, it means a little lighter wallet, as taxes are going up in many cities to pay for these majority—if not entirely—taxpayer funded facilities. Some of have protested this development, and reasonably so. But municipalities are recognizing that keeping their franchises will take modern facilities with nine-figure price tags."

"As for the new tenants, Baltimore and Buffalo have seen strong attendance gains in their new facilities and the teams expecting new homes are anticipating significantly more fans in the stands, leading to higher revenues—and higher player salaries. Not only that, but many of these venues are being built closer to city centers, with the goal of revitalizing blighted areas left to rot for three decades."

"Where will this arms race end? That remains to be seen, but distressed downtown areas, the teams playing in these venues, and the fans attending games there are seeing their benefits. The race is on, but don't expect it to stop anytime soon."

The 1992 season saw a resurgence of more dominant teams, with five 100-win teams outside the PCL (and a sixth at 99). Three of them resided in the Northern Conference, including two in New England League. Manhattan and the Philadelphia A's both finished 100-62 to take the two playoff spots there. The Midwest Association, though, had 102-60 Milwaukee, while in their second season back in the majors, Cincinnati improved by 19½ games, winning a one-game playoff with Buffalo to finish second, earning their first major league playoff spot since 1900.



In the postseason, Manhattan disposed of Philadelphia in five games. Meanwhile, Cincinnati started off the playoffs with a four-game sweep to upset Milwaukee. The Buckeyes were not done, upsetting the Yankees as well to earn their first-ever Conference Championship.

In the Southern Conference, two more tight races transpired. Jacksonville finally broke their string of second-place finishes with 100 wins and an Eastern League pennant. 11 games back, Norfolk and Baltimore tied for second, with the Admirals winning that showdown. In the Western League, three teams finished within two games, with New Orleans winning their fourth-straight pennant (albeit 22 games worse than their 114-win juggernaut from 1991), one game ahead of St. Louis, who also slipped in, and Pittsburgh the odd man out, one game back of the Browns and two behind the Pelicans.



In the League Finals, Jacksonville dumped Norfolk in five years, while New Orleans atoned for their postseason failures of last year, defeating St. Louis in seven games. The Pelicans then pummeled the Admirals in five games to win their second Conference Championship in five years.

The Pacific Coast League saw San Francisco post a league-best 123-77 record, winning the North by a dozen games over Seattle, who returned to the postseason after a two-year absence. The South was won by San Diego, their record 15th-straight playoff appearance, but Los Angeles notably finished second, recording their first playoff appearance in nine years, their first winning season (108-92) since 1965 and best record since 1950.



The two Division Series were both excellent. Favored San Francisco was pushed hard by Seattle, but the Seals came out in front in seven games. The South also went the full seven games, with San Diego edging Los Angeles. The finals were anticlimactic, as the Seals swept the Padres to repeat as PCL champions, their fourth in six years.

In the Texas League, Oklahoma City won their second division title in three years with 101 wins, finishing as the only winning team in the North. Wichita finished second at 79-83, edging out Dallas by a game for the second playoff spot. The South also saw a dominant team in 99-win Austin, who won their sixth-straight division crown. Houston nudged out Galveston by three games for second place and a playoff spot.



Despite being overwhelming favorites, OKC got all they could handle from Wichita, but in the end, the Indians emerged victorious in seven games. In the South, another seven-game set ensued, but in this one, Houston pulled the upset, as the Buffaloes downed the Wranglers. Houston finished the job as well, upsetting Oklahoma City in the Lone Star Series in five games, their first TL title in 19 seasons.

The national tournament saw one first-time participant, whose run came to an end as the New Orleans Pelicans (SOU) defeat the Cincinnati Buckeyes (NOR). Meanwhile, the San Francisco Seals (PCL) defeat the Houston Buffaloes (TL). The Pelicans were playing for a title for the first time, but they wouldn't get it, as the San Francisco Seals (PCL) defeat the New Orleans Pelicans (SOU), 4-2 to win their seventh National Championship, at long last matching Kansas City (who last won in 1947) for most all time.



Cincinnati's surprise run to a Northern Conference title was led in large part by 25-year-old shortstop Bob Ortiz. In his fourth season as a Buckeye, Ortiz slashed .312/.370/.457 with 185 hits, 89 runs, 29 doubles, 19 homers, and 108 RBI, earning MVP honors.

For the second year in a row, Manhattan righty Freddy Perez took home Pitcher of the Year in the North, going 18-15 with a 2.86 ERA, leading the North with 207 strikeouts over 258.0 innings to earn the hardware.

One of the most feared sluggers of the second half of the 80's, New Orleans' Mario Zuniga was still slugging throughout the 90's, slashing .303/.421/.617 with 163 hits, 101 runs, 34 doubles, and leading the South with 45 homers and 144 RBI, earning Southern Conference MVP honors for the third time.

Pittsburgh's Ismael Villavicencio had a very strange career. After debuting and posting three very good years as a closer, he moved to the rotation in 1989, where he was one of the best in the league, culminating in a 23-7 record and 2.15 ERA in 1992, leading the South in both marks, while striking out 201 in 267.1 innings and earning Pitcher of the Year. Then for reasons known only to god, Villavicencio immediately moved back to the bullpen and did not start a single game over the final ten years of his career...after winning Pitcher of the Year in his final season as a starter. Somebody had to get fired for that, right?

San Franciso's 26-year-old rookie Josh Jones took the Pacific Coast League by storm in his debut season, slashing .340/.481/.498, winning the PCL batting title, leading the league in OBP, slashed 218 hits, scored a league-high 144 runs, stroked 55 doubles, 13 triples, 7 homers, and drove in 106 runs, while stealing 47 bases, earning MVP and Rookie of the Year honors. Jones had two more excellent full seasons before injuries began wrecking his career, including a stunning six-straight seasons where he failed to appear in even 90 games solely due to ailments.

Los Angeles' best season in decades was also led by a rookie phenom. 23-year-old Jamie Davis went 19-8 with a PCL-best 2.25 ERA, also leading the league in starts (43) and striking out 206 over 316.0 innings to earn Pitcher of the Year, though like Jones, injuries would also begin racking up quickly and he was effectively done as an effective big-leaguer at 28.

Despite turning just 36 mid-season and logging a 3.55 ERA in 187.2 innings, Seattle's Jamie Evans elected to retire, pitching just 12 years, but winning five Pitcher of the Year trophies and winning nearly 250 games in his stellar career.

After two seasons in Newark, Oklahoma City flipped a back-end starter to the Eagles for All-Star second baseman Donovan Sabo. A deal that seemed lopsided right away indeed was, as Sabo slashed .301/.382/.525 in his first year in OKC, with 175 hits, a Texas League-high 110 runs, 43 doubles, 6 triples, 25 homers, and 104 RBI, earning TL MVP honors.

After spending his first two big-league seasons in the bullpen, 23-year-old Derek Markle moved into the rotation and excelled right away. He went 22-6 with a 2.47 ERA, leading the TL in both marks while logging 237.0 innings, earning Pitcher of the Year honors.

Ft. Worth's Ramon Lugo slugged his 400th home run on September 26, the penultimate day of the season and of his career. Lugo hung it up after 18 years, with the 37-year-old finishing up with exactly 400 roundtrippers, third-most in Texas League history.

Across town, Dallas' Oscar Mondragon posted a 3.29 ERA and made the North Division All-Star team, but lost his rotation spot midseason, and the 42-year-old elected to call it quits after the season, finishing a 17-year career in which he won four Texas League Pitcher of the Year awards and won 280 games.

The Eastern Baseball Federation elected a five-time Pitcher of the Year, plus a former MVP, another three-time Pitcher of the Year, and a smooth centerfielder to the Hall of Fame:

SP Alan Church (1972-86), 97.4%
OF Joe Moore (1965-82), 86.9%
SP Omar Marrero (1971-86), 83.9%
OF Colin Thomas (1964-78), 79.8%

The Texas League also inducted a speedy nine-time All-Star shortstop to the Hall:

SS Dustin Brown (1970-86), 76.7%

---



In the American Baseball League, New Haven surprised everyone by improving by 25 games, winning 99 games and the East, making their first playoff field in a decade. Syracuse, Birmingham, and Nashville took the other three spots, with the Vols making it in at 78-84. In the West, Chicago edged out Phoenix by two games for the top spot, with Minneapolis and Denver taking the last two bids.

The first round had zero drama. New Haven, Chicago, and Minneapolis won their series in four-game sweeps. Syracuse needed five games to win their set. The later rounds were better, as New Haven downed Syracuse and Minneapolis beat Chicago, both in six games. In the finals, the Knights downed the Millers in six games, denying Minneapolis a repeat and giving New Haven their first American Baseball Cup since 1968 and their fifth overall.

For the second-straight year, Syracuse's Justin Haile was East MVP, slashng .267/.368/.426 with 151 hits, an East-high 114 runs, 32 doubles, 14 homers, 79 RBI, and 27 steals. New Haven's Bill Padilla led the Knights turnaround on the mound, going 21-7 with a 2.63 ERA, leading the East in wins and logging 263.2 innings, earning Pitcher of the Year. Though just 24, his career went into steep decline quickly, bottoming out in a league-worst 24 losses just four years later.

The West also saw a repeat MVP, with Minneapolis' Dave Koch slashing .325/.403/.518, all best in the West, also leading the ABL with 197 hits, 118 runs, 49 doubles, and 59 steals, and adding 10 triples, 16 homers, and 83 RBI. On the mound, Phoenix's Jeremy Dacey went 21-11 with a league-best 2.18 ERA, also leading the ABL with 208 strikeouts, 289.0 innings, and five shutouts among his 16 complete games, earning Pitcher of the Year for the first time.

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Minor League Champions
Southeastern League: Lexington Thoroughbreds, 90-64, defeats Jackson
Colonial League: Pittsfield Colonials, 82-58, defeats Lowell
River Valley League: Dayton Aviators, 80-60, defeats Erie
Rocky Mountain League: Billings Mustangs, 75-51, defeats Butte
Coastal League: Wilmington (DE) Blue Rocks, 88-66, defeats Greenville (SC)
Northern League: Duluth-Superior Dukes, 85-55, defeats La Crosse
Southwest League: Bakersfield Conquistadors, 100-54, defeats Long Beach (2nd straight)
Southern Association: Shreveport Captains, 76-64, defeats Joplin
Northwest League: Reno High Rollers, 89-65, defeats Tacoma
Can-Am League: Portland Lobsters, 68-60, defeats Waterbury
Mid-Atlantic League: Worcester Tornadoes, 78-62, defeats Asheville (2nd straight)
Lone Star League: Laredo Vaqueros, 73-67, defeats San Angelo
Great Plains League: Des Moines Demons, 89-51, defeats Peoria
Florida Coast League: St. Petersburg Saints, 88-52, defeats Huntsville
Big Sky League: Saskatoon Rivermen, 69-63, defeats Edmonton (2nd straight)
Heartland League: Quad Cities Trappers, 81-59, defeats Cedar Rapids
Atlantic Coast League: Wilmington (NC) Waves, 76-44, defeats Petersburg

The Can-Am League had quite a race as five teams finished within three games of first. Waterbury finished first at 68-58, but Portland, London, and Quebec all finished tied for second at 66-60, necessitating a three-team playoff. Portland won games against both of the other two teams, taking second, then beat Waterbury for the league title.

[KCRoyals15]

1993

Following the 1992 season, Trey Skipper departed the Cincinnati Buckeyes after a staggering turnaround that saw the franchise break every team record imaginable, increase attendance more than six-fold, and more importantly, bring the Buckeyes back to the major leaguers after nearly four decades away.

In seven years in Cincinnati (Trey's longest stint), his record was a rather modest 600-536 (.528), but that included a 104-loss season to begin his tenure and 88 losses in Cincy's first season back in the majors. However, his other five seasons all included playoff appearances, including two American Baseball League titles and the 1992 Northern Conference Championship.

With the greatest turnaround in major league baseball history complete, Trey headed to Oklahoma to take on his next challenge. Nearly three decades after his father led the team to a Texas League title in his lone season at the helm., Trey would now try to revive the struggling Tulsa Oilers.

The 1993 season in the Northern Conference was marked by the dominance of two teams. First was Manhattan, who won 105 games and finished alone at the top of the New England League for the first time since 1965 and posted their best record since 1950. Eight games back, the Philadelphia A's had their streak of four-straight pennants snapped, but they finished a comfortable second to make the playoffs once again.

The Midwest Association saw a surprise juggernaut emerge. Toronto had finished fourth in consecutive years, but exploded for 110 wins, romping to their first pennant in three years by 21 games over Milwaukee, who held off Buffalo by three games to return to the playoffs.



Despite the presence of two teams winning well over 100 games, neither one escaped the League Finals. Philadelphia dealt Manhattan a six-game upset to end the Yankees' season. Toronto was then vanquished in just five games by Milwaukee. In an unexpected Northern Championship, the Athletics defeated the Black Hawks, giving Philadelphia their second conference title in five years.

Down South, two more 100-win teams dominated the Eastern League, as Jacksonville won 103 games and Baltimore won 100, giving the Suns their second pennant in a row and their sixth-straight playoff berth. After numerous near misses in the last decade (including a game 163 loss last year), Baltimore finally snapped a 16-year playoff drought.

In the Western League, New Orleans won their fourth-straight pennant, while St. Louis and Omaha tied for second at 88-74. Having not even had a winning season in a decade, the Golden Spikes blew a three-game lead with three games to play, then lost a 163rd game, coming heartbreakingly close to their first playoff berth since 1974. Instead, the Browns punched their ticket.



In the postseason, Jacksonville held off Baltimore once more, toppling the Terrapins in six games. In the WL, though, St. Louis dealt an upset, knocking off New Orleans in seven games. The Suns shined bright, though, beating down the Browns in five games to give Jacksonville their first Southern Conference Championship since 1967.

In the Pacific Coast League, San Francisco had won the previous two PCL titles, but topped that this year. The Seals went an unfathomable 148-52, setting a United States Baseball Federation record for wins and winning percentage. The Seals posted the best season by a PCL club since 1920, posted a run differential of +455, and finished 34 games ahead of second-place Oakland. They also set a new USBF record by drawing 3,423,988 fans. It was truly one of the greatest seasons in major league history.

While Oakland claimed the second North playoff spot, San Diego won the South for the third year in a row and extended their record streak of 16-straight playoff appearances. In a weak division, San Jose finished 100-100, 28 games back, but finished second to back into the playoffs.



While the regular season had absolutely zero drama, the playoffs were a different story. San Diego got all they could handle from San Jose, but the Padres prevailed in seven games. Meanwhile, Oakland pulled off one of the greatest upsets in PCL history, slaying the dragon that is San Francisco in seven games. The best team in big-league history would not even play for a title. Oakland would, though, and they would get it, as the Oaks downed the Padres in six games, giving Oakland their second PCL title in four years.

In the Texas League, Trey Skipper dragged Tulsa from the doldrums of three-straight last-place finishes in his first season, going worst-to-first as they tied Wichita for the North Division title. In the South, Austin won their Tl-record seventh-straight division title, edging out Galveston by two games, though the Hurricanes took a playoff spot.



In the Division Finals, Tulsa defeated Wichita in six games, while Austin made very short work of Galveston, sweeping the Hurricanes. The Oilers, though, had the upper hand, taking down the Wranglers in six games to win the Texas League for the first time since 1967.

In a national tournament filled with unexpected champions and longtime non-participants, the Eastern side saw the Philadelphia Athletics (NOR) defeat the Jacksonville Suns (SOU). Meanwhile, out west the Tulsa Oilers (TL) defeat the Oakland Oaks (PCL). With a first-time champion assured, the Tulsa Oilers (TL) defeat the Philadelphia Athletics (NOR), 4-1 to bring their first National Championship back to the Sooner State.



In the Northern Conference, Buffalo catcher Nick Barnhart enjoyed a breakout season. The 23-year-old slashed .278/.374/.618 and in just 125 games ripped 26 doubles and a conference-leading 45 homers and 120 RBI, becoming the first catcher in major league history to win MVP.

For the third year in a row, Manhattan's Freddy Perez was king of the hill, going 17-7 with a 3.33 ERA and leading the North with 188 strikeouts in 240.2 innings, taking home Pitcher of the Year once again.

St. Louis' playoff run was fueled in large part by outfielder Vinny Munoz. The 26-year-old won the Southern Conference batting title, slashing .30/.400/.538 with 189 hits, 100 runs, a conference-high 51 doubles, 7 triples, 18 homers, 98 RBI, and earning his only Great Glove. That was enough to give Munoz the MVP, the only one he's won, but he's posted an excellent career since then.

On the mound, New Orleans' Pat Girdler won 23 games as a rookie in 1991, then two years later nearly repeated the feat. He went 21-8 with a conference-low 2.40 ERA, striking out 151 in 232.2 innings and earning Pitcher of the Year honors, the only one of his 12 big-league seasons.

The first catcher to win a major-league MVP was this season and so was the second. San Francisco catcher Victor Bracho was named best in the Pacific Coast League. The 25-year-old slashed .324/.412/.573 with 202 hits, 134 runs, 37 doubles, 36 homers, and 148 RBI to take home the hardware, a breakout season in what so far has been a stellar career.

A San Diego lefty also had a breakout season this year. Padres lefty Jody Hintz debuted as a 27-year-old rookie and wasted no time, going 22-10 with a 2.70 ERA, leading the PCL with 240 strikeouts, 316.2 innings, and eight complete games, earning Pitcher of the Year in his debut season.

League champion Tulsa swept the Texas League awards, starting off with Jon Gonzalez, who Trey Skipper pried from Ft. Worth in an offseason trade. The 1991 TL MVP, Gonzalez became the first Texas Leaguer to win MVPs for multiple teams, slashing .330/.411/.518 with 174 hits, 108 runs, 32 doubles, 19 homers, 99 RBI, and 38 steals to take home his second trophy.

On the mound, Nate Ayan was also an offseason addition, having been acquired from Sacramento following a couple down seasons. Ayan rebound, though, going 17-8 with a 3.13 ERA with 161 strikeouts in 241.1 innings to win Pitcher of the Year.

The Eastern Baseball Federation inducted an ace with nearly 300 wins, a third-baseman with over 3,100 hits, and a durable long-lasting shortstop into the Hall of Fame:

SP Danny Cisneros (1969-87), 99.3%
3B Dave Crimmins (1969-87), 98.5%
SS Elias Saenz (1961-80), 80.8%

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The American Baseball League saw one of the closest—and mediocre—races in baseball history. The East Division was won by Birmingham at 81-81. Last place Indianapolis was 74-88. In between, all eight teams were bunched together, with Syracuse (80-82), Memphis (79-83), and Richmond (78-84) all earning playoff spots with losing records. For the Memphis Kings, it was their first berth in their third year of play. The West was much more cut and dry, with Chicago winning 102 games and Minneapolis, Vancouver, and Denver all earning playoff spots behind them, all with at least 87 wins.

In the postseason, Richmond and Syracuse won first-round series in the East, while Chicago took care of Denver and Minneapolis disposed of Vancouver, both in six games. Both semifinals went seven games, with Richmond taking down Syracuse and Minneapolis upsetting Chicago. The Millers then took care of business, downing the Giants in five games to win their second American Baseball Cup in three years.

In the East, Birmingham rookie Eddie Morgan had an outstanding debut season, slashing .315/.404/.432, winning the East batting title, stroking 181 hits, scoring an East-leading 113 runs, with 22 doubles, 13 homers, and 60 RBI, and setting a new ABL record with 99 stolen bases to win MVP and Rookie of the Year. After being released by five teams before his 22nd brithday, Israel Aleman was signed by Birmingham, and in his first year with the Barons he went 20-10 with a 2.74 ERA, leading the East in wins and striking out 148 in 238.0 innings, a true outlier season that earned him Pitcher of the Year, as he never came close to repeating that season.

For the third year in a row, Minneapolis' Dave Koch won West MVP, slashing .339/.410/.501 (all best in the ABL) to win his third-straight batting title, also leading in hits (201), runs (102), and stolen bases (64), while ripping 34 doubles, 10 triples, 14 homers, and driving in 95 runs. Five years after his first one, Denver's Jim Puricelli won his second Pitcher of the Year award and second ABL Triple Crown, going 21-11 with a 2.68 ERA and 187 strikeouts, all best in the league, over 279.0 innings, also a league-high, logging 15 complete games.

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Minor League Champions
Southeastern League: Lexington Thoroughbreds, 96-58, defeats Baton Rouge (2nd straight)
Colonial League: Reading Keystones, 83-58, defeats Scranton-Wilkes Barre
River Valley League: Erie Sailors, 87-53, defeats Charleston (WV)
Rocky Mountain League: Ft. Collins Grizzlies, 69-57, defeats Butte
Coastal League: Wilmington (DE) Blue Rocks, 93-61, defeats Charlotte (2nd straight)
Northern League: St. Paul Saints, 92-48, defeats La Crosse
Southwest League: Bakersfield Conquistadors, 90-64, defeats Santa Barbara (3rd straight)
Southern Association: Joplin Jaspers, 78-62, defeats Little Rock
Northwest League: Eugene Gems, 80-74, defeats Reno
Can-Am League: Waterbury Pipers, 70-57, defeats Portland
Mid-Atlantic League: Altoona Engineers, 80-60, defeats Asheville
Lone Star League: Tyler Roughnecks, 77-64, defeats San Angelo
Great Plains League: St. Joseph Snakes, 84-56, defeats Salina
Florida Coast League: Huntsville Stars, 84-56, defeats Columbus
Big Sky League: Idaho Falls Fireballs, 77-55, defeats Calgary
Heartland League: Cedar Rapids Reds, 76-64, defeats Madison
Atlantic Coast League: Petersburg Generals, 70-50, defeats Wilmington (NC)

The Rocky Mountain League featured an insanely-close five-team race. Ft. Collins finished first at 69-57, while Butte and Billings finished at 68-58 and Colorado Springs and Great Falls were 67-59, leaving five teams within two games. Butte beat Billings in a one-game playoff for the second playoff spot, though Ft. Collins won the playoff series. Fittingly for such a close league, the series went the full seven games.

[KCRoyals15]

1994

During the 1940's and 50's, one of the greatest success stories in the United States Baseball Federation was the emergence of the Hollywood Stars from a shoehorned second team in Los Angeles to one of the forefront teams in the entire country. The club won eight PCL titles (five in a row at one point) and three National Championships, had built a first-class venue in Gilmore Stadium, then replaced it with another fine venue in Santa Monica.

However, in the late 60's, the success dried up and attendance fell accordingly. Only twice in the previous 25 seasons had the Stars reached the playoffs and they'd endured 14-straight losing seasons. Santa Monica Stadium had also not aged well. With no good prospects in sight, the Stars were sold to Mike Wilt, the owner of the American Baseball League's Phoenix Firebirds, who agreed to move the team to the Valley of the Sun. The Stars had burned out, replaced in the PCL by the Phoenix Firebirds. For the first time since the Firebirds left the Texas League in 1967, Phoenix would be home to big-league ball. It would also be the first major league franchise relocation since 1957.

The ABL Birds would be sold and relocated to Las Vegas to make room at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. In an unusual arrangement, as part of the agreement, the ABL club would leave their two best pitchers behind for the new Firebirds.

They would need those arms, as league-wide ERAs, which had largely stayed below 4.00 for most of the previous three decades, had shot up the last couple years, thanks to more major league teams, smaller parks, and hitters who are noticeably...bigger.

Across the major leagues, teams averaged nearly five runs per game, making this the second-highest scoring season in big-league history, behind 1930. This was most evident in the Northern Conference, where Toronto scored 1,041 runs and Buffalo and Brooklyn both scored 990, the first time any team has topped 1,000 (or come that close to doing so) since that infamous rabbit-ball season.

In the North, Manhattan won 100 games and the New England League pennant for the third year in a row, reaching the playoffs for the fifth-straight season. Brooklyn rode their high-powered offense to 96 wins, their most since 1970, and their playoff berth in six years. The Midwest Association saw Buffalo slug their way to 100 wins and their first MWA pennant since 1957. Toronto's league-best offense led them to 97 wins and a second-place finish.



In the postseason, a crosstown series was a classic, ending with Manhattan besting Brooklyn in seven games, while another local rivalry series saw Toronto beat Buffalo in six games. It was all Toronto in the Northern Championship, as the Leafs laid it on against the Yankees in a five-game series, winning their first conference title in a dozen years.

In the South, both leagues saw dominant winners, but second-place races go right down to the wire. Baltimore won the Eastern League by 13 games, winning their first pennant since 1977, while Norfolk went just 82-80, but edged out Jacksonville by a game for second, slipping into the postseason and ending the Suns' six-year playoff streak.

In the Western League, Salt Lake City christened their fully-completed Smith's Ballpark with their best season as a big-league team, winning 99 games and their first WL pennant since 1938 (and first playoff bid in 14 years). After a heartbreaking choke the previous year, Omaha snapped a two-decade playoff drought by slipping one game past New Orleans and two ahead of Pittsburgh for the final playoff spot.



Both League Finals had clear-cut favorites and one of them was pushed hard, as Baltimore needed all seven games to fend off Norfolk. Meanwhile, Salt Lake City made short work of Omaha, hammering the Golden Spikes in five games. The Bees then completed their storybook season with a six-game triumph over the Terrapins, winning their first Conference Championship since 1980.

The Pacific Coast League moved into Arizona for the first time with Phoenix now in the fray. In their first season, the Firebirds contended, posting the franchise's first winning season in 15 years. However, San Diego won the South, 15 games ahead of San Jose, who finished second. The North was taken by San Francisco, who regressed significantly from 1993's 148-win juggernaut, but still went 120-80, finishing six games ahead of Oakland, who took the second playoff spot.



The PCL had the same four playoff teams in the same order as the year before, but the results were different. San Francisco avenged their shocking first-round loss from last year with a six-game series win over Oakland, while San Diego swept San Jose. The Padres kept up the momentum, sinking the Seals in six games for the PCL title, their first in nine years.

Down in Texas, for the second year in a row it was Tulsa and Wichita out of the North, with the Oilers finishing three games clear of the Aeros. The South was dominated by San Antonio, who pulled off a stunning turnaround. The Missions lost 103, then 97 games the previous two years and had no winning seasons or playoff berths since 1978. However, they roared to 97 wins, clearing Houston by 12 games for their first division title since 1971, as well as their best big-league season ever. Houston finished two games ahead of Galveston to take the last playoff spot.



In the postseason, both Division Finals went the full seven games and featured an upset, as Wichita edged Tulsa in the North. The South, meanwhile, went the way up the upstart Missions, as San Antionio moved on. The Missions stayed on their mission, grounding the Aeros in five games for their first Texas League title since 1970.

That set up a national tournament with a few infrequent participants. That was particularly true in the East, where the storybook run in Utah continued, as the Salt Lake City Bees (SOU) defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs (NOR). Meanwhile, the one established power in the field ended the party for San Antonio, as the San Diego Padres (PCL) defeat the San Antonio Missions (TL). The Padres kept rolling roughshod in the finals, as the San Diego Padres (PCL) defeat the Salt Lake City Bees (SOU), 4-0 for their sixth National Championship (third-most all-time) and their first since 1985.



It is extremely rare for an MVP to begin the season in the minor, but that happened in the Northern Conference, where Buffalo's J.R. Beal started the year in Triple-A, was promoted eight games into the season, then slashed .336/.406/.584 with 204 hits, 119 runs, 32 doubles, 37 homers, and a conference-high 141 RBI, along with 15 steals. That earned the 23-year-old Rookie of the Year and MVP honors. Unfortunately, an endless string of knee and ankle injuries prevented Beal from playing more than 90 games in each of the next six seasons and robbing him of much of his power, leaving him as a "what could've been" case.

On the mound, Chicago right Nate Krause only went 15-14, but the 25-year-old posted a strong 3.07 ERA in the hitter-friendly league, striking out 153 over 255.0 innings to earn his first Pitcher of the Year award.

Buffalo's Zach Hoag hit .257 with 16 homers over 138 games in what ended up being his last full season of his big-league career. However, the 29-year-old hit a quarter of those in the final weekend of the season, connecting for a quartet of roundtrippers on September 30 vs. Toronto, the eighth four-homer game in major league history.

In the South, a new star infielder was emerging in Jacksonville. T.J. Matern had already posted two excellent seasons, but took it to another level this season, slashing .318/.357/.575 with 201 hits, 104 runs, a conference-high 49 doubles, 9 triples, 32 homers, and 96 RBI. Impressively, after winning back-to-back Great Gloves at first base, Matern slid over to second and won another one. All that earned the 25-year-old the Southern Conference MVP award.

Salt Lake City righty Oscar Carillo as given up on by three organizations before his big-league debut before arriving in Salt Lake City. With the Bees, he had 3½ excellent seasons to begin his major league career, capped off by a 17-10 campaign with a 3.22 ERA, striking out 13 in 231.2 innings, earning Pitcher of the Year. However, everything went wrong from there, as his ERA ballooned by two runs the following year and never really came down, finishing his career 97-105 with a 4.56 ERA.

In the Pacific Coast League, Portland outfielder Jon Babylon posted a rookie season to remember. The 24-year-old slashed .332/.397/.556 with 245 hits, a league-high 153 runs, 45 doubles, 12 triples, 32 homers, and a league-leading 166 RBI, to go along with 55 steals. That earned him Rookie of the Year and his first MVP award.

For a second-year in a row, San Diego's Jody Hintz took Pitcher of the Year, going 20-9 with a league-best 2.93 ERA, also leading the PCL with 251 strikeouts in 298.0 innings and spinning a league-best four shutouts.

Like the PCL, the Texas League was taken by storm by a 24-year-old rookie. Tulsa's Tyrone Simmons won the TL batting title, slashing .368/.454/.555 to post the highest batting average by a TL player in it's 40 big-league seasons. He also stroked 158 hits, scored 100 runs, ripped 28 doubles and 16 homers, and posted 59 RBI despite playing just 108 games due to a mid-season concussion. Despite that, he took home Rookie of the Year and MVP, playing the fewest games by a position-player MVP winner in big-league history.

For a second year in a row, Wichita's Kyle Whitman dominated the TL, going 15-7 with a league-best 2.05 ERA, also leading the league in strikeouts (224), innings (271.2), starts (36), complete games (9), and shutouts (4), earning Pitcher of the Year once again.

The Eastern Baseball Federation had a rather quiet Hall of Fame weekend, inducting just a speedy infielder:

2B Bill Stoddard (1976-91), 96.8%

Meanwhile, the Pacific Coast League also elected two of the greatest speed merchants in league history to the Hall:

OF Aaron Saksa (1975-90), 94.8%
1B Josh Allison (1979-90), 85.2%

The Texas League inducted a trio into the Hall for just the second time in league history, including one of it's best starters and relievers of all-time, in addition to a former MVP:

SP Manuel Barrientos (1966-88), 99.0%
OF Danny Meza (1974-86), 86.6%
RP Jalen Alston (1967-88), 75.3%

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With the move of the Hollywood Stars to Phoenix taking yet another ABL market to the major leagues, the old Firebirds moved nearby to Las Vegas, taking the same name of the Southwest League team it displaced: the Las Vegas Gamblers.

The ABL had tight races for the top three spots in both divisions. The East had Syracuse at the top with Richmond just one game back and Birmingham three back. New Haven slipped in at .500 to earn the final playoff spot. The West was won by Spokane with Anaheim and Denver two and three games back, with the trio posting the three-best records in the ABL. Chicago finished fourth for the final playoff berth.

The playoffs saw both East first round series going seven games, with New Haven upsetting Syracuse and Richmond upsetting Birmingham. The West had a pair of six-game sets, with Chicago upsetting Spokane and Denver defeating Anaheim. The semifinals saw two more upsets, with New Haven knocking out Richmond in six and Chicago sweeping Denver. With both #4 seeds in the finals, it was the Cyclones coming up with a title, knocking off the Knights. In Chicago's 17th-straight playoff trip, they finally raised the American Baseball Cup for the first time.

Birmingham's Jamie Arcand had been one of the ABL's best players the previous five years, but finally won his first MVP, slashing .307/.410/.498 with 178 hits, 105 runs, 33 doubles, 24 homers, 81 RBI, and 23 steals. New Haven's 35-year-old journeyman Adam Jordan was a surprise Pitcher of the Year, going 14-8 with an East-leading 3.14 ERA, striking out 125 in 223.1 innings.

In the West, Anaheim catcher Pat Trumbull put it all together, slashing .350/.411/.516 with 177 hits, 42 doubles, 12 homers, and 90 RBI, shattering career highs in basically everything to become the first ABL catcher to win an MVP. Chicago righty Joe Jackson made a successful transition from the bullpen to go 18-10 with a league-leading 3.11 ERA, striking out 137 in 260.2 innings to win Pitcher of the Year.

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Minor League Champions
Southeastern League: Lexington Thoroughbreds, 100-54, defeats Jackson (3rd straight)
Colonial League: Scranton-Wilkes Barre Steamers, 93-47, defeats Hartford
River Valley League: Erie Sailors, 80-60, defeats Akron (2nd straight)
Rocky Mountain League: Colorado Springs Sky Sox, 72-54
Coastal League: Winston-Salem Twins, 92-62, defeats Wilmington (DE)
Northern League: Green Bay Giants, 75-65, defeats St. Paul
Southwest League: Long Beach Earthquakes, 94-60, defeats Santa Barbara
Southern Association: Little Rock Travelers, 86-55, defeats Joplin
Northwest League: Yakima Tomahawks, 85-69, defeats Pocatello
Can-Am League: Portland Lobsters, 73-53, defeats Utica
Mid-Atlantic League: Raleigh-Durham Tar Heels, 77-63, defeats Altoona
Lone Star League: Lawton Miners, 84-56, defeats Waco
Great Plains League: Salina Blue Jays, 83-57, defeats Peoria
Florida Coast League: Huntsville Stars, 91-49, defeats Daytona (2nd straight)
Big Sky League: Twin Falls Timbers, 87-45, defeats Calgary
Heartland League: Cedar Rapids Reds, 88-52 defeats Youngstown (2nd straight)
Atlantic Coast League: Spartanburg Spartans, 70-50, defeats Petersburg

The Rocky Mountain League featured an insanely close race for second, with Billings (67-59) barely outlasted Butte, Ft. Collins (both 66-60) and Rapid City (65-61) for the second and final playoff spot.

Meanwhile, the Big Sky League had an odd season, as the entire American Division finished above .500, led by Twin Falls' league-record 87-45 mark, while the entire Canadian Division finished below .500, including Regina's record-worst 47-85 campaign. Not surprising, Twin Falls won the playoffs as well.

The RML and BSL would be in the thick of realignment drama the following offseason, resulting in major shakeups to the two largely-overlapping leagues.

[KCRoyals15]

1995

At the turn of the 20th century, naming a baseball team in Atlanta after the whip-cracking cattle ranchers who first settled Georgia known as "Georgia crackers" made sense. (EDITOR'S NOTE: the real-life Atlanta minor league team was known as the Crackers from 1902 until being displaced by the Braves in 1965)

However, a century later, the connotation had turned much more negative and Atlantans were ready for a new team name. Given that the Atlanta team had an active 17-year playoff drought (with no winning seasons) and four seasons with 111 or more losses in the past decade, the negative association with losing was all the more reason to change the name. And so, in an equally fitting name for Georgia, the Atlanta Peaches they would now be.

Additionally, the newly-christened Peaches would welcome in a new manager. Trey Skipper had gone 178-146 in two years in Tulsa with a pair of playoff berths and the 1993 National Championship. Looking for a new challenge, he looked to bring a new culture of winning to join the new identity.

The 1995 season saw a titan stand tall over the Northern Conference, as the Manhattan Yankees roared to a 108-54 record, their fourth-straight 100-win season and most wins since 1939. They romped to a 19-game victory in the New England League over the second-place Philadelphia A's, who edged out Brooklyn for second, ruining the Dodgers' first season at brand-new Citi Field.

In the Midwest Association, the Cleveland Spiders had also moved into a new stadium the previous year, christening Jacobs Field. Their second year in their digs saw them win the MWA pennant, finishing three games clear of Toronto, who took second.



In the postseason, Toronto dealt Cleveland a minor upset in the first round, defeating the Spiders in five games. Meanwhile, Manhattan made quick work of Philadelphia, winning in five games. The Yankees then took the Maple Leafs to the woodshed, earning their first conference title in five years in a five-game series victory.

In the Southern Conference, Baltimore won their second-straight Eastern League pennant, finishing five games of Norfolk, who finished second for the second year in a row. The Western League was won by Pittsburgh, who won a competitive league with 99 wins, their most in two decades. Finishing second was Kansas City, just two games back, earning their first playoff bid in eight years.



In the League Finals, both leagues saw upsets. In the EL, Norfolk took down Baltimore, avenging a playoff defeat from the year before with a six-game series win. Kansas City, meanwhile, dispatched Pittsburgh in five games to win the WL. The Blues were a clear favorite, but Norfolk was up to the task, and the Admirals took a seven-game series, winning their first Conference Championship since 1987.

Once more, the Pacific Coast League was led by the San Francisco Seals, who won their fifth-straight North Division title with the league's best record. Oakland finished second for a third year in a row and earned a playoff spot, though Portland's first winning season in 15 years applied some pressure. San Diego won the South, also for the fifth-straight year (18th-straight playoff berth overall), with San Jose cruising to a second-place finish.



The Division Series had few surprises as both champions, San Francisco and San Diego, won in six game series. In the PCL Finals, the Padres were searching for a repeat and they came up with it, defeating the Seals in a tight seven-game set.

The Texas League saw Tulsa post the best season in franchise history winning 95 games and their third-straight North Division title. For the fifth-consecutive season, Wichita finished second, and with it, earned a playoff spot. Austin rebounded from a fourth-place finish last season to win the South, clearing Houston by seven games, as the Buffs finished second for the second year in a row.



In the Division Finals, Tulsa made short work of Wichita, downing the Aeros in five games. Austin made even shorter work of Houston, bludgeoning the Buffaloes in a four-game sweep. The Wranglers faced a stiffer test in the Oilers, but came through with a seven-game victory to earn their second Texas League title and first since 1980.

The national tournament had a pair of clear favorites entering the tournament, but they both went down early, as the Norfolk Admirals (SOU) defeat the Manhattan Yankees (NOR) in one upset, and in another, the Austin Wranglers (TL) defeat the San Diego Padres (PCL). In their only previous tournament appearance, the Wranglers took the National Championship, and this time they made it 2-for-2, as the Austin Wranglers (TL) defeat the Norfolk Admirals (SOU), 4-1 for their second national title.



Manhattan's dominant regular season was led by sparkplug outfielder Jeremy Barry. In his fourth season, Berry was limited to 120 games, but he slashed .347/.437/.580 with 161 hits, 117 runs, 33 doubles, 9 triples, 19 homers, 77 RBI, and a conference-high 72 steals to earn Northern Conference MVP. Though just 28 at the end of the season, Barry's numbers cratered across the board the following season and he never came particular close to matching the production of his first four seasons.

On the mound, Philadelphia Athletics lefty Ben Vallee had been excellent in his first five big-league seasons, including two 20-win seasons. He fell just short, going 19-9, but posted a conference-leading 3.31 ERA and also led the North in innings (269.1), strikeouts (229), and complete games (9), winning Pitcher of the Year.

For the second year in a row, Jacksonville infielder T.J. Matern was king of the Southern Conference, slashing .325/.375/.585 with 201 hits, 118 runs, 39 doubles, 13 triples, 32 homers, and a conference-leading 142 RBI to take the MVP trophy once more.

On the mound, Norfolk's Charles Hawkins enjoyed a breakout rookie year, going 18-8 with a 3.55 ERA, striking out 157 over 220.2 innings to earn Pitcher of the Year and held his squad to national runner-up status. Despite this, Hawkins wouldn't even finish the following year with the Admirals, being dealt to San Francisco midseason, where he remains over half a decade later.

Kansas City's Ben Dotson was out of has and would end his 19-year career after the season. However, on April 22, he would record his 3,000th career strikeouts, the final exclamation point on a career in which he won 280 games and struck out 3,050 batters.

In the Pacific Coast League, Portland's Jon Babylon repeated as MVP with a stellar follow-up to his excellent rookie campaign. The 25-year-old outfielder slashed .324/.402/.558 with 244 hits, 128 runs, 53 doubles, 11 triples, 34 homers, and 130 RBI, while stealing 60 bases to claim another piece of hardware. Babylon would post a ridiculous 47 homers, 157 RBI, and 52 steals the following year, but his power mysteriously vanished after that, putting a damper on his overall production.

The mound also had a repeat winner, as San Diego's Jody Hintz notched his third-straight Pitcher of the Year award. The 29-year-old went 19-14 with a 3.25 ERA, leading the PCL in strikeouts (237), innings (296.1) and complete games (7) in his award-winning campaign.

In the Texas League, Austin's National Championship was powered in part by rookie outfielder Jose Jimenez. The 23-year-old slashed .298/.416/.563 with 168 hits, a league-high 115 runs, 32 doubles, and a league-leading 37 homers and 113 RBI, earning Rookie of the Year and MVP honors.

Wichita right-hander Kyle Whitman capped off a stellar six-year run by going 20-10 with a league-leading 2.86 ERA and 185 strikeouts in 251.2 innings, as well as a league-high 6 complete games and 3 shutouts. It earned him the 25-year-old his third Pitcher of the Year award, though he would begin a noticeable decline with following year.

The Eastern Baseball Federation had a rather quiet Hall of Fame weekend, with a ten-time All-Star catcher being the only one making an induction speech:

C Sebastien Clark (1964-84), 79.5%

Meanwhile, the Pacific Coast League inducted a five-time batting champion and two-time MVP:

2B Javon Beavers (1976-91), 98.2%

Finally, the Texas League inducted a member of the 3,000-hit club and the league's first-ever catcher to earn induction:

OF Josh White (1969-89), 97.5%
C Alan Rutledge (1973-89), 94.0%

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In the American Baseball League, the East finally saw some stronger teams after a couple lean years, with Columbus winning a club-record 95 games and their first-ever division title. Syracuse, Indianapolis, and Memphis filed in behind them, with the Hoosiers and Kings both barely boxing Richmond out of the playoffs. The West was won by Anaheim, one game ahead of Minneapolis, with Denver and Tucson just three and five games back, snagging the other playoff spots.

In the playoffs, Columbus and Syracuse won their first-round series in the East, while Anaheim and Minneapolis did the same out West. Syracuse, though, pulled a six-game upset of Columbus in the semis, while Anaheim survived a seven-game tussle with Minneapolis. The Chiefs then ruled over the ABL with a four-game sweep of the Millers to win their second American Baseball Cup.

In the East, Columbus' rise was aided by catcher Jamie Carter, who slashed .300/.367/.513 with 22 doubles, 22 homers, and 94 RBI to win MVP, a true outlier in a a career that fell off extremely fast. Syracuse's Andres Lopez went 18-11 with a 3.81 ERA, striking out 182 in 255.1 innings in his fifth-straight excellent season, though he finally earned his first Pitcher of the Year.

In the West, Tucson's Paul Gravel had an excellent rookie year, slashing .324/.425/.547 with 191 hits, 123 runs, 45 doubles, 7 triples, 24 homers, 117 RBI, and 28 steals, winning Rookie of the Year and MVP. Longtime Denver ace Jim Puricelli won his third Pitcher of the Year, going 14-11 with a 3.95 ERA, striking out 138 in 214.1 innings.

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Over the past few seasons, discontent had been bubbling up between the American and Canadian clubs in the Big Sky League, primarily over the Canadian clubs (who were in bigger markets) wishing to aim higher. This culminated in the four northern teams splitting away from the BSL, taking a fifth club, the Ogden Railroaders, with them. They then raided the Rocky Mountain League for Billings, Colorado Springs, and Ft. Collins, then snagging Albuquerque from the Southwest League. In a surprising move, longtime affiliated club Amarillo elected to go the independent route, forfeiting their spot in the Lone Star League to Wichita Falls and becoming the tenth club in the brand-new North American League, which aimed to be the pre-eminent minor league in the west:

North American League



This chain reaction led to two remaining BSL teams joining the Rocky Mountain League, a third (Idaho Falls) becoming home to a Northwest League affiliated club and the Big Sky League going out of business after 30 years of play, with two ten-team leagues, the RML and the new NAL remaining in the region.

All told, 10 teams changed leagues, 7 relocated (3 of which were immediately replaced), and 2 brand-new clubs were founded.


Minor League Champions
Southeastern League: Savannah Cardinals, 92-62, defeats Baton Rouge
Colonial League: Binghamton Smokers, 85-55, defeats Scranton-Wilkes Barre
River Valley League: Grand Rapids Griffins, 87-53, defeats Erie
Rocky Mountain League: Twin Falls Timbers, 75-45, defeats Missoula (2nd straight, 1st in RML)
Coastal League: Charlotte Hornets, 96-58, defeats Macon
Northern League: St. Paul Saints, 89-51, defeats Duluth-Superior
Southwest League: Santa Barbara Foresters, 82-58, defeats Bakersfield
Southern Association: Joplin Jaspers, 81-59, defeats Springfield
Northwest League: Pocatello Gatekeepers, 93-61, defeats Boise
Can-Am League: Ottawa Capitals, 73-53, defeats London
Mid-Atlantic League: Worcester Tornadoes, 82-58, defeats Raleigh-Durham
Lone Star League: San Angelo Colts, 81-59, defeats Northwest Arkansas
Great Plains League: South Bend Silver Sox, 98-42, defeats Salina
Florida Coast League: Huntsville Stars, 93-47, defeats St. Petersburg (3rd straight)
Heartland League: Youngstown Steelers, 77-64 defeats Cedar Rapids
Atlantic Coast League: Petersburg Generals, 69-51, defeats Fayetteville
North American League: Saskatoon Rivermen, 74-66, defeats Colorado Springs

The Rocky Mountain League wound up with a strange twist, as both finalists, Twin Falls and Missoula, were in the Big Sky League the previous year. The final BSL champions, Twin Falls, won the RML, joining the rare club of repeat champions in different leagues.

[KCRoyals15]

1996

The 1996 season may best be known for a lot of very close playoff races throughout all the major leagues, plus many deep playoff series. Four playoff spots would be decided by one game, with a fifth decided by two games, as close races dominated most leagues.

In the Northern Conference, one league where things were pretty cut-and-dry was the New England League, where the Philadelphia A's were far and away the best team in the conference with 100 wins, while Albany finished a comfortable second t earn their first playoff spot in 13 years.

The Midwest Association was a different story. In one of the closest races in major league history, five teams finished within five games of first, with Buffalo scraping ahead of Milwaukee, who finished second, one game up on Detroit, who was back in the playoffs for the first time in seven years.



In the League Finals, Philadelphia and Albany went the distance, but the A's won a game seven at Veterans Stadium, while Buffalo squeezed past Milwaukee, also in a seven-game set. The Northern Championship also went the distance, and the Bisons upset the Athletics in a classic to win their first conference crown in a decade.

In the Southern Conference, Trey Skipper's second year in Atlanta saw him lead the Peaches to an Eastern League title, their first playoff spot in 19 years. Baltimore finished second, one game ahead of Norfolk. In the Western League, St. Louis dominated, winning 106 games, while Kansas City finished second, nine games back.



In the postseason, both leagues had first-round series go the distance, beginning with Atlanta winning a seven-game set over Baltimore. Kansas City, meanwhile, upset their I-70 rivals, downing St. Louis. The Blues then blew away Atlanta, ending the Peaches' run with a four-game sweep to win their first Conference Championship in 12 years.

In the Pacific Coast League, the Oakland Oaks unseated San Francisco by winning the North Division, with the Seals taking second to earn their seventh-straight playoff berth. Portland opened brand-new Nike Field, and christened by coming oh-so-close to snapping a 25-year playoff drought, but they finished one game back of San Francisco.

The South did have a surprise playoff participant, as the Los Angeles Angels stunned with their best season (119-81) since 1947 and their first-ever division title. San Diego did finish second, earning their 19th straight playoff spot, extending their own national record.



In the playoffs, the PCL was treated to three excellent playoff series. In the North, San Francisco slipped past Oakland, while San Diego defeated Los Angeles, both of them in seven games. With the traditional powers (but second-place teams) moving on, the Padres kept it rolling, winning their third-straight PCL title with a seven-game triumph over the Seals.

The Texas League was dominated by two teams in particular, with 99-win Tulsa running away with the North, and 101-win Austin winning the South with ease. However, Oklahoma City edged out Dallas by one game in the North to reach the playoffs for the first time in four years. San Antonio slipped two games past Houston for the second playoff spot in the South.



In the postseason, there were no surprises in the first round, as Tulsa knocked off their in-state rivals in OKC, and Austin downed local rival San Antonio, both in six-game series. Looking for a repeat, the Wranglers continued their winning ways, defeating the Oilers in six games for the TL title.

In the national tournament, the east side of the bracket had their surprise team continue their run, as the Buffalo Bisons (NOR) defeat the Kansas City Blues (SOU). Meanwhile, the defending champions moved on, as the Austin Wranglers (TL) defeat the San Diego Padres (PCL). Looking for a repeat, the Wranglers got it done, becoming the first repeat National Champion from the Texas League, as the Austin Wranglers (TL) defeat the Buffalo Bisons (NOR), 4-0, also giving the Wranglers their third National Championship, the first TL club to do so.



In the Northern Conference, second-year Albany outfielder Blake Koontz was a major sparkplug behind the Adirondacks' rise, slashing .314/.386/.620 with 192 hits, 116 runs, 30 doubles, 8 triples, 47 homers, 132 RBI, and 16 steals, winning MVP honors.

On the mound, Brooklyn right-hander Tristan Fedor had been a reliable but mostly unspectacular pitcher for a decade, though he went 16-13 with a conference-leading 2.85 ERA, struck out 189 batters in 249.2 innings to win Pitcher of the Year.

In St. Louis, one of the greatest base-stealers in generations made his debut and ran all over the Southern Conference. Rookie first baseman Kelly Wood slashed .340/.482/.499 with 195 hits and a stunning 171 runs, the second-most in a non-PCL league all-time. He added 54 doubles, 17 triples, 1 homer, and 61 RBI, while swiping 98 bases. Wood won the batting title, led the conference in on-base percentage, runs, doubles, triples, steals, and walks (160), winning Rookie of the Year and MVP handily.

Atlanta's rise was carried on the mound by 25-year-old James Jackman, already in his seventh big-league season. He went 19-6 with a 3.20 ERA, striking out 206 in 239.0 innings and leading the conference in wins and strikeouts, earning Pitcher of the Year.

In the Pacific Coast League, a stud rookie stood out there as well. San Diego's Steve Crim, slashed .354/.434/.637 with 244 hits, 145 runs, 42 doubles, 49 homers, and 151 RBI. Amazingly, none of that (besides slugging and OPS) led the league, but it was enough to earn him Rookie of the Year and MVP.

On the hill, Oakland's Chad Grauerholz was a reliable workhorse veteran who enjoyed his best season. The 31-year-old in his ninth season went 21-11 with a league-best 3.12 ERA, a PCL-high 312.0 innings and 198 strikeouts, earning Pitcher of the Year for the first time.

In yet another league, a hotshot rookie commanded attention, as the Texas League was dominated by Dallas' 22-year-old phenom Santos Medina. In his debut campaign, he slashed .293/.400/.637 with 165 hits, a league-leading 125 runs, 30 doubles, 6 triples, to go along with 51 homers and 140 RBI, the former tied for the TL record and the latter the second-highest in league history. Rookie of the Year and MVP were both his.

Austin acquired lefty Mike Dixon midway through 1994 and he immediately became a force. In 1996, he wen 16-9 with a TL-best 2.68 ERA, working a league-most 275.0 innings, striking out 183 and spinning six complete games, earning Pitcher of the Year.

In the Hall of Fame voting, the Eastern Baseball Federation elected a smooth-swinging 13-time All-Star catcher and a nine-time Great Glove-winning second baseman

C Dave Giller (1975-90), 86.0%
2B Tony Cortez (1973-90), 75.6%

The Pacific Coast League inducted the greatest slugging catcher in major league history, a five-time Pitcher of the Year, and a smooth-fielding shortstop with over 3,000 hits:

C Angelo Caramillo (1976-92), 95.9%
SP Jamie Evans (1981-92), 94.4%
SS Kyle Page (1970-88), 90.0%

Finally, the Texas League inducted a 13-time Great Glove-winning catcher and a speedy, steady outfielder:

C Jaiden Manigat, 82.0%
OF Sean Barras (1974-89), 76.1%

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In the American Baseball League, the East was bunched close together at the top. While there was no drama as to which four teams would make the playoffs, what order was up in the air till the end, with Syracuse finishing first, one game up on Memphis, with Birmingham and Indianapolis nipping on their heels. The West was won handily by Chicago, though five teams were within five games of each other behind them. Three of them reached the postseason, led by Las Vegas making their first appearance since moving to Nevada, while Denver and Anaheim snapped up the last two spots.

The first round saw Syracuse survive Indy in seven games, though Memphis, Anaheim, and Las Vegas won their series handily. In a series of royalty, the Chiefs downed the Kings in six, while Anaheim went all in on the Gamblers, beating Vegas in five. The Chiefs then took down the Amigos in six games, as the Chiefs repeated as ABL champions.

Birmingham's Tim Lachut had some up-and-down moments over his first six seasons with the Barons, but the durable righty had a huge season, as the 26-year-old went 22-11 with a 2.66 ERA, leading the ABL in wins, ERA, starts (36), innings (301.2), complete games (21), and shutouts (4), while striking out 185. That earned him not just Pitcher of the Year honors in the East, but also MVP.

In the West, Anaheim's Chris Scribner slashed .294/.376/.537 with 176 hits, 113 runs, 31 doubles, 6 triples, and a West-leading 34 homers and 122 RBI, earning the 24-year-old MVP. On the mound, Tucson's Rich Cannon frequently bounced back-and-forth from Triple-A, but this season he didn't, going 20-9 with a 3.95 ERA, striking out 172 in 275.2 innings to earn Pitcher of the Year.

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Minor League Champions
Southeastern League: Savannah Cardinals, 97-57, defeats Montgomery (2nd straight)
Colonial League: Scranton-Wilkes Barre Steamers, 85-55, defeats Lowell
River Valley League: Erie Sailors, 82-58, defeats Charleston (WV)
Rocky Mountain League: Helena Capitals, 67-53, defeats Twin Falls
Coastal League: Macon Peaches, 87-67, defeats Greenville (SC)
Northern League: Duluth-Superior Dukes, 91-49, defeats Green Bay
Southwest League: Modesto Growers, 84-56, defeats Bakersfield
Southern Association: Corpus Christi Gunslingers, 85-55, defeats Springfield
Northwest League: Reno High Rollers, 88-66, defeats Pocatello
Can-Am League: Quebec Carnavals, 70-56, defeats Ottawa
Mid-Atlantic League: Raleigh-Durham Tar Heels, 76-64, defeats Roanoke
Lone Star League: Northwest Arkansas Razorbacks, 75-65, defeats Laredo
Great Plains League: South Bend Silver Sox, 87-53, defeats Peoria (2nd straight)
Florida Coast League: Huntsville Stars, 92-48, defeats St. Petersburg (4th straight)
Heartland League: Evansville Bees, 88-52, defeats Sioux Falls
Atlantic Coast League: Petersburg Generals, 67-53, defeats Wilmington (NC) (2nd straight)
North American League: Ft. Collins Grizzlies, 78-62, defeats Calgary

Two leagues had extremely close playoff races, starting with the Coastal League, where four teams were within four games of second place, including Greenville and Columbia tying for second. Greenville wound up taking the one-game playoff, but could not overcome Macon in the finals.

The Mid-Atlantic League, meanwhile, had the entire league separated by just ten games, bunched between 76-64 and 66-74. Naturally, six teams were within five games of second, though despite the parity, regular-season champion Raleigh-Durham prevailed in the playoffs as well.

[KCRoyals15]

1997

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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



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

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



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

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



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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

OF Daniel Alcaraz (1975-91), 97.7%

---



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

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

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

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

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

---

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

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

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

[KCRoyals15]

1998

The end of the 20th century was beginning to come into focus and with it, the United States Baseball Federation would be celebrating the 100th anniversary of it's founding, with season #99 dawning.

The perfect round number didn't apply to everyone: only the Eastern Baseball Federation's Northern and Southern Conference were big-league loops in the inaugural 1900 season, and even then, only 25 of the 32 current EBF teams were charter members (and only 19 were still in their original city of charter). The Pacific Coast League also began in 1900, but was not a major league until 1926, while the Texas League (date of birth: 1903) was not a major loop until 1955.

Despite that and the leagues maintaining separate operations, records, and even Halls of Fame, there was a genuine desire among all parties to properly commemorate the centennial of major league baseball. The only question left was how to go about it.

Ultimately, a committee comprised of each league's historians, plus a few team executives, marketing, and public relations professionals was formed, with the task of properly commemorating the centennial.

In the meantime, year 99 was on deck as baseball continued to thrive amidst the wave of new ballparks and four new major league teams since the 1990's began.

In the Northern Conference, a franchise that had been downtrodden for nearly three decades roared back to life. The New York Gothams had missed the playoffs in 26 consecutive seasons and had six-straight losing seasons. But the Gothams roared to 104 wins, their most since 1938, and won their first New England League pennant since 1971, finishing eight games ahead of their crosstown rivals in Manhattan, who made their seventh playoff appearance in eight years, setting a new EBF attendance record with 3,441,776 fans.

Over in the Midwest Association, Buffalo won their third MWA pennant in five years, while Milwaukee posted an 87-75 record for the third year in a row. The Blackhawks slipped on game past Cincinnati to return to the postseason.



In the postseason, the Subway Series was an epic one, as upstart New York rose to the occasion and defeated Manhattan in a seven-game thriller. On the other side, Milwaukee upset Buffalo in a six-game series. In the Northern Championship, the Black Hawks had a bigger upset in mind and came through, downing the Gothams in six games for Milwaukee's first conference title since 1977.

In the Southern Conference, both leagues were treated to good races with very strong teams. The Eastern League saw Jacksonville and Norfolk tie for the top at 96-66, with Atlanta five games back with 91 wins. Notably, the Suns drew 3,157,438 fans to the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville, a new conference record.

In the Western League, St. Louis won 103 games and the WL pennant, while Louisville exploded for 100 wins, their first playoff berth in 21 years and best season in 27 years. It wasn't easy, though, as the Colonels had to hold off New Orleans, who christened the brand-new Shrine on Airline with a 99-win season...that was only good for third.



In the playoffs, defending National Champion Norfolk began their title defense in emphatic fashion, jumping Jacksonville in four straight games. Meanwhile, Louisville tussled with St. Louis for seven games, but the Colonels came out on top. Louisville was up to the task against the Admirals, and the Colonels once more prevailed in seven games, winning their first Conference Championship since 1971.

In the Pacific Coast League, San Francisco won the North, making their ninth-straight playoff appearance and setting a new national attendance record with 3,597,806 fans at Candlestick Park. Two games back of the Seals were the Sacramento Solons, who made their first playoff appearance in nine years. In the South, San Diego posted the league's best record and made their 21st-straight playoff field. In an otherwise-weak division, Phoenix went 103-97 in their first season at Bank One Ballpark, which was good enough for second.



In the first round, the top seeds took care of business, as San Francisco defeated Sacramento in six games, while San Diego sent the Firebirds up in smoke, sweeping Phoenix in four games. The Padres, though, were no match for the Seals, as San Francisco won their first PCL title in six years in five games.

In the Texas League, Wichita won their first outright division title in nine years, while Dallas finished a comfortable second. In the South, Austin continued their run of dominance, winning their fourth division title in a row, while El Paso bounced back from 97 losses a year ago to win 92 games (a 27-game bump) and earn their first playoff berth in nine years.



In the Division Finals, Dallas upset Wichita in the North, dispatching the Aeros in five games. In the South, El Paso pushed Austin hard, but the Wranglers came through in seven games. In search of the first four-peat in Texas League history, Austin and Dallas squared off, but the Lone Stars pulled off another upset, ending Austin's reign with their first Texas League title in eight years.

In the national tournament, the first two rounds didn't see much surprise, as the Louisville Colonels (SOU) defeat the Milwaukee Black Hawks (NOR) and the San Francisco Seals (PCL) defeat the Dallas Lone Stars (TL). In a series of established power and upstart, it was the established club in San Francisco winning a classic, as the San Francisco Seals (PCL) defeat the Louisville Colonels (SOU), 4-3 giving the Seals their record eighth National Championship. By surpassing Kansas City's seven national titles, this marked the first time since 1919 that the Blues did not have at least a share of the all-time lead. It also gave the Seals a National Championship in 1998 after also claiming one in 1988 and 1978.



The Northern Conference was led by a historic season from New York rookie Chase Herbst. The 23-year-old became the first hitter in the 99-year history of the Eastern Baseball Federation to win the Triple Crown, slashing .361/.439/.717 with 216 hits, 164 runs, 42 doubles, 18 triples, 45 homers, 157 RBI, and 31 steals, leading the North in batting, slugging, OPS, hits, runs, triples, homers, and RBI, while scoring the most runs of any EBF player since 1931. All-in-all, it was an easy choice bestowing Rookie of the Year and MVP on Herbst.

Buffalo veteran Kevin Rhudy had generally been a mid-rotation arm but the 30-year-old found another gear, going 20-6 with a 2.88 ERA, striking out 169 in 243.1 innings, winning Pitcher of the Year.

History was made by Detroit infielder Jason Brady, who hit 15 homers in just 58 games this season. On April 28, he lodged a 4-homer, 9-RBI game against the Chicago Whales, posting the ninth four-homer game in Major League history.

Another rookie set the Southern Conferene on fire, as 24-year-old Senators freshman Enrique Rivas slashed .348/.457/.612 with 201 hits, 116 runs, 43 doubles, 36 homers, and 108 RBI, winning Rookie of the Year and MVP in his debut season.

The Pitcher of the Year award took an interesting turn, as a good pitcher hurt by a bad team got his due. Tampa's Devin Roberts (pitching for a 101-loss team) went just 12-15, but led the South with a 2.90 ERA and 248.1 innings while striking out 208. He became the first pitcher in EBF history (and just the second all-time in major league history) to be voted Pitcher of the Year with a losing record.

In the PCL for the second year in a row, Portland shortstop Eric Chernoff took home MVP honors. The 24-year-old slashed .340/.448/.612 (all league bests) with 193 hits, 129 runs, 54 doubles, 8 triples, 28 homers, and 114 RBI despite missing most of June with a knee injury, taking home the hardware.

For the second time in three years, Oakland's Chad Grauerholz was ruler of the rubber, going 21-5 with a PCL-best 2.48 ERA, and 154 strikeouts in 235.2 innings, putting up these numbers despite nearly two months on the shelf due to an elbow issue. He also earned his 200th win and 2000th strikeout of his career during the season, both on June 27. Despite less time on the mound, he earned his second Pitcher of the Year award.

Third-year second baseman Jeff Woodward was best in Texas as the 26-year-old from El Paso slashed .319/.425/.585 with 181 runs, a league-best 124 runs, 43 doubles, and a Texas League-leading 36 homers and 140 RBI, winning MVP honors.

On the mound, Dallas lefty Josh Weiler dominated the league once again, winning his second-straight Triple Crown. The 25-year-old went 20-5 with a 2.19 ERA and 211 strikeouts, while also leading the TL in innings (279.2), complete games (12), and shutouts (5), winning his second Pitcher of the Year in a row.

The Eastern Baseball Federation had a quiet Hall of Fame weekend, though they did induct a four-time MVP into the Hall of Fame:

3B Peter Fredette (1979-92), 98.6%

The Pacific Coast League, meanwhile, voted in a former MVP with over 400 homers and a pure hitter with over 3,200 hits:

OF Ricardo Palmer (1971-87), 88.4%
OF Jeremy Veneziano (1976-94), 82.9%

Finally, the Texas League elected one of their top home run hitters of all-time and a five-time Pitcher of the Year:

OF Ramon Lugo (1975-92), 99.3%
SP Oscar Mondragon (1976-92), 88.4%

---



The American Baseball League had strong teams at the top of the East, with Indianapolis winning 101 games and the division, with Columbus winning 100 games right behind them. Syracuse won 97 games to finish third, while Richmond pulled up in fourth. Out West, Anaheim won a division-high 99 games, while Las Vegas, Tucson, and Vancouver rounded out the playoff field.

In the playoffs, there were no early surprises in the East, where Indianapolis beat Richmond in five and Columbus swept Syracuse. The West saw Anaheim beat Vancouver in six games and a Tucson sweep over Vegas. Columbus turned around and swept Indy in the semis, while Tucson upset Anaheim. The Clippers then completed a dominant 12-1 romp through the postseason with a five-game series win over Tucson for their second American Baseball Cup.

In the East, Richmond's Javy Chavez slashed .296/.403/.567 with 165 hits, 113 runs, 41 doubles, 34 homers, 106 RBI, and 23 steals, earning East MVP honors for the first time. Second-year Indianapolis ace John Bersani won his first Pitcher of the Year, going 22-8 with a 2.77 ERA, leading the ABL in wins and ERA, while striking out 129 over 247.0 innings.

In the West, Tucson's Paul Gravel slashed .307/.420/.584 with 169 hits, 108 runs, 44 doubles, and led the West with 33 homers while driving in an ABL-record 151 runs, adding 23 stolen bases as he took home his second MVP. On the mound, Tim Lachut spent just one year with Anaheim, but in that season, he went 22-10 with a 3.99 ERA, led the ABL in wins, strikeouts (211), and complete games (15), while logging 271.0 innings to win his second Pitcher of the Year award.

---

Minor League Champions
Southeastern League: Mobile Marines, 113-41, defeats Baton Rouge
Colonial League: Pawtucket Patriots, 91-49, defeat Binghamton
River Valley League: Fort Wayne Westerns, 80-60, defeats Akron
Rocky Mountain League: Great Falls Explorers, 69-51, defeats Pueblo
Coastal League: Greenville (SC) Swamp Dragons, 87-67, defeats Columbia
Northern League: Green Bay Giants, 94-46, defeats Thunder Bay
Southwest League: Modesto Growers, 87-53, defeats Bakersfield
Southern Association: Huntsville Stars, 74-66, defeats Little Rock
Northwest League: Reno High Rollers, 109-45, defeats Yakima
Can-Am League: Portland Lobsters, 79-47, defeats Ottawa
Mid-Atlantic League: Roanoke Red Hawks, 89-51, defeats Altoona
Lone Star League: Rio Grande White Wings, 82-58, defeats Tyler
Great Plains League: South Bend Silver Sox, 83-57, defeats Peoria
Florida Coast League: Fort Lauderdale Flamingos, 80-60, defeats St. Petersburg
Heartland League: Youngstown Steelers, 80-61, defeats Evansville
Atlantic Coast League: Petersburg Generals, 66-54, defeats Wilmington (NC)
North American League: Saskatoon Rivermen, 79-61, defeats Colorado Springs

A couple notable things happened in the minors, starting in the River Valley League, where the Ft. Wayne Westerns snapped a record 79-year title drought with their first RVL title since 1919.

In the Lone Star League, the top four teams in the five-team North Division were separated by just 2 ½ games, with Tyler and Lubbock tying for the top at 76-64 and Abilene and Northwest Arkansas at 74-66. The Roughnecks and Hubbers played a one-game playoff for the division title, with Tyler winning that and going on to a runner-up finish in the playoffs.

[KCRoyals15]

1999

In just two seasons in Louisville, Trey Skipper had led the Louisville Colonels to heights not seen in three decades, broken franchise attendance records, and set a stable foundation for a franchise that was due to move into a new ballpark in 2000.

Now, Trey set his sights on the North Side of Chicago, where the Whales had sputtered to 20 straight seasons devoid of postseason baseball, with just one winning season in that span.

"For a city the size of Chicago, it is often underperformed when it comes to big league baseball. We're going to change that," Skipper said at his introductory press conference.

The Chicago Whales, losers of 97 games the previous season, were now Trey Skipper's next project.

The historic centennial season of the United States Baseball Federation embarked as the historical committee formed the previous year made the determination to commemorate that feat with the election of an All-Century Team.

Throughout the summer, fans throughout the country would vote from a list of 100 stars spanning the entire 20th century, with the final 30-man roster to be unveiled during the National Championship series in November.

In addition, both fans and writers would vote for a Player and Pitcher of the Century, and the committee would name the Top 10 Teams of the Century (single-season), plus the Franchise of the Century.

In the meantime, the final season of the 20th century still needed to be played. In the Northern Conference, the New England League was won by New York, who won over 100 games for the second year in a row. The Philadelphia A's finished four games back, taking second place. The Midwest Association was won by Buffalo, who like New York, won 101 games, their most since 1956. In their first season under Trey Skipper, the Chicago Whales scraped out 88 wins, one more than Cleveland to take second place, and their first playoff berth since 1978.



In the postseason, Philadelphia knocked off New York in six games in a mild upset. The other side was a much bigger upset, as Chicago brought down Buffalo in a seven-game series. The A's, though were too much for the Whales, as Philly won the Northern Championship in five games, their first conference title in six years.

In the Southern Conference, Jacksonville cruised to an Eastern League title, their second in a row, finishing seven games on Atlanta, who held off Washington by two games and Pittsburgh by three. In the Western League, history was made as Louisville won 114 games and Kansas City 110, the first time outside the PCL that two teams in the same league/division had won 110 games or more, also relegating KC to the dubious honor of the best second-place team of all-time.

The Colonels made a late push for the Top 10 Teams of All-Time list, leading the South in runs (by over 100) and also boasting the stingiest pitching staff, outscoring opponents 971-575, posting the best non-PCL run differential (+396) of all time.



In the playoffs, Atlanta pulled off an upset in the first round, taking down Jacksonville in six games. Meanwhile, Louisville surprised many by waxing Kansas City in four-straight games. That wasn't nearly as surprising as the Southern Championship Series, though, as the Peaches, 26 games worse than the Colonels in the regular season, absolutely stunned Louisville in a convincing five-game series, giving Atlanta their first Conference Championship since 1960.

In the Pacific Coast League, the North Division was even and competitive as ever with four teams finishing above .500 and within six games of first. Sacramento won their first division title in a decade at just 109-91, while Oakland finished three games, outboxing Portland and San Francisco by three games each for the final playoff spot, snapping the Seals' nine-year playoff streak.

The South was home to the only true dominant team, 123-win San Diego, who won their third-straight division title and drew 3,877,366 fans to Qualcomm Stadium, a new USBF record. Phoenix won just 106 games, but as the only other winning team in the division, took second, earning their third-straight playoff berth.



In the Division Series, Oakland took down Sacramento, a defeat of a division winner that didn't surprise too many observers. However, Phoenix subdued San Diego in six games, dealing a more notable upset. In the PCL Finals, the Firebirds stayed hot, though not without a fight, chopping down the Oaks in game seven to win their second PCL title in three years.

In the Texas League, Fort Worth won the North Division, making their first playoff appearance in a decade. Defending champion Dallas finished in second place for the third year in a row. San Antonio had their best season in over half a century, winning 99 games (their most as a big-league team) and scoring a Texas League-record 998 runs, powering their way to the South Division crown. Austin, knocked off the top perch after a four-year reign, finished second.



In the postseason, Dallas downed their cross-town rivals in seven games, while San Antonio aced their test with Austin, winning in five games. The Lone Stars, though, pulled off an underdog run for the second year in a row, winning a second-straight TL title with a seven-game victory.

That set up a national tournament where no teams were division/league champions in the regular season. The biggest surprise participant kept up their impressive run with another upset, as the Atlanta Peaches (SOU) defeat the Philadelphia Athletics (NOR). Meanwhile, the Phoenix Firebirds (PCL) defeat the Dallas Lone Stars (TL).

The final series of the 20th century, the 100th National Championship, was filled with more fanfare than normal, highlighted by the reveal of the All-Century Team before game one in Atlanta and the appearance of every living member of the squad. Once the pageantry died down, the games went on, with one city guaranteed to take home their first national title. That city happened to be in the Valley of the Sun, as the Phoenix Firebirds (PCL) defeat the Atlanta Peaches (SOU), 4-2 for their first National Championship since moving to Arizona and their fourth dating back to the franchise's time in Hollywood.



In the Northern Conference, no hitter in the first 98 years of the Eastern Baseball Federation won a Triple Crown before Chase Herbst did so last season. The following year, his teammate, fellow outfielder Allen Peterson pulled off the feat, slashing .359/.419/.663 with 229 hits, 134 runs (also both conference bests) with 31 doubles, 51 homers, 134 RBI, and 46 steals. Once again, the MVP choice was an easy one.

In 1996, Jason Wahl posted a lousy 5.71 ERA for El Paso in his rookie season, being dumped late in the season to the Philadelphia A's. As it turns out, the Texans gave up on him too early, as he settled into the rotation the following year. Two years after that, the 25-year-old went 21-9 with a 3.33 ERA, leading the North in wins, strike outs (203) and starts (36), working 248.1 innings and winning Pitcher of the Year.

In the Southern Conference, second-year Jacksonville Sun Jesus Botello shined bright, slashing /290/.375/.503 with 171 hits, 115 runs, 30 doubles, 32 homers, 96 RBI, and 33 steals, earning the 25-year-old a somewhat surprising MVP trophy.

Louisville's postseason push in 1998 was aided by an excellent trade deadline add in Italian righty Vespasiano Ambrogiani. In his first full season in the River City, the 31-year-old went 23-5 with a 2.52 ERA, leading the South in wins and innings (253.2), while striking out 227, making him a rather easy Pitcher of the Year selection.

Alex Rosales was a Manhattan Yankees prospect who in 1993 was traded to Sacramento (along with fellow prospect Steve Roy) for star infielder (and unfortunately-named) Matt Buttram. Buttram was a six-time All-Star in Manhattan for several playoff teams, but the deal worked out much better for the Solons, where Roy has made five All-Star games and Rosales turned out even better. Rosales' leap came to it's culmination in 1999, where the 26-year-old slashed .370/.418/.684, winning the batting title (which he'd do the following year as well), scored 157 runs, ripped 275 hits and 63 doubles (both league bests), crushed 56 homers, and drove in an eye-watering 197 RBI, the second-most in USBF history. A truly historic season earned him a well-deserved MVP trophy.

San Diego lefty Jody Hintz suffered a torn labrum at the end of May 1998 that brough his season to an early close, leading many to (reasonably) fear if his career was never going to be the same. Those fears were unfounded as Hintz was healthy to start '99 and went 23-13 with a 3.33 and a 260 strikeouts in 302.1 innings, leading the league in wins and strikeouts and winning his fifth Pitcher of the Year.

A couple big milestones were hit in the PCL. First was longtime Padre Scott West who already was north of 300 wins, but added his 3,000th strikeout on April 6.

The other was West's teammate for a decade, former Padre and current San Francisco Seal Justin Arnold who was near the end, but stole his 700th base and hit his 500th homer, the latter blast coming on July 12 and making him the first player in USBF history with 500 homers and 500 steals.

In the Texas League, Dallas' Israel Casias won a close MVP vote, slashing .345/.416/.561 with a league-leading 209 hits and 123 runs, while adding 43 doubles, 28 homers, 119 RBI, and 51 stolen bases, giving the 25-year-old MVP in his second season.

Across the Metroplex, Ft. Worth righty Marco Torres led the TL in wins for the second year in a row, going 20-9 and also leading the league in ERA (2.93) and striking out 186 in 251.2 innings, earning Pitcher of the Year.

23-year-old Galveston rookie Ossie Duran had an outstanding rookie season, winning the Texas League batting crown, batting .356 with 26 homers in just 120 games. However, his most notable accomplishment this year was on April 28, when he blasted four homers against San Antonio, posting the tenth four-homer game in major league history.

In the Hall of Fame balloting, the Eastern Baseball Federation inducted a former MVP outfielder, plus a pair of former Pitchers of the Year:

SP Jose Lopez (1978-93), 93.1%
OF Scott Hewett (1974-89), 77.9%
SP Ben Watkins (1971-89), 77.1%

The PCL, meanwhile, elected two-time MVP centerfielder:

OF Aaron Navarro (1978-95), 86.7%

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The American Baseball League, in a rare twist recently, had an East Division that was noticeably better than the West, at least at the top. Syracuse won a league and franchise-best 103 games, with Indianapolis and Richmond also over 90 wins. However, it fell off quick, and Charlotte, at 79-83, edged out Birmingham by one game for fourth, earning their first playoff berth in just their third season. The West was more balanced, with Vancouver at 91 wins, edging out Anaheim by a game for first. Las Vegas and Spokane took the last two playoff spots, with the latter nudging out Tucson by one game.

In the playoffs, Charlotte pulled off a huge seven-game upset of Syracuse in their first-ever playoff series, while Indianapolis beat Richmond in five. Vancouver and Anaheim won their series in six games each out West. In the semis, Indianapolis ended Charlotte's run in six games, while Anaheim knocked out Vancouver in seven. The Amigos then ran roughshod over the Hoosiers in five games, giving Anaheim their first American Baseball Cup.

In the East, for the second year in a row, Richmond's Javy Chavez won MVP for the second year in a row, as the 25-year-old slashed .319/.429/.617 with 179 hits, an East-high 127 runs, 41 doubles, 9 triples, 36 homers, and a league-leading 121 RBI, along with 28 steals. Indy's John Bersani also repeated as Pitcher of the Year, going 20-9 with a 3.02 ERA, leading the East in both marks and striking out 165 in 262.0 innings.

In the West, Tucson's Rico Sanchez had an excellent rookie season, as the 22-year-old slashed .359/.427/.680 (all league highs) with a league-leading 210 hits, 124 runs, league-high 51 doubles and 10 triples, 39 homers, and an ABL-best 132 RBI, winning Rookie of the Year and MVP emphatically. In a rarity, the Pitcher of the Year went to a reliever, as Anaheim's Jesse Fullen went 7-6 with a 2.93 ERA in 82 games, earning a league-high 37 saves, working 110.2 innings and striking out 85.

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Minor League Champions
Southeastern League: Mobile Marines, 111-43, defeats Baton Rouge (2nd straight)
Colonial League: Pawtucket Patriots, 87-53, defeat Scranton-Wilkes Barre (2nd straight)
River Valley League: Fort Wayne Westerns, 95-45, defeats Akron (2nd straight)
Rocky Mountain League: Missoula Grizzlies, 67-53, defeats Cheyenne
Coastal League: Macon Peaches, 91-63, defeats Columbia
Northern League: Thunder Bay Timberjacks, 92-48, defeats Green Bay
Southwest League: Bakersfield Conquistadors, 91-49, defeats Santa Barbara
Southern Association: Joplin Jaspers, 81-59, defeats Biloxi
Northwest League: Victoria Trappers, 78-76, defeats Pocatello
Can-Am League: Quebec Carnavals, 72-54, defeats Ottawa
Mid-Atlantic League: Greensboro Patriots, 81-59, defeats Atlantic City
Lone Star League: Abilene Prairie Dogs, 78-62, defeats Laredo
Great Plains League: South Bend Silver Sox, 81-59, defeats Salina (2nd straight)
Florida Coast League: St. Petersburg Saints, 90-50, defeats Fort Lauderdale
Heartland League: Youngstown Steelers, 82-58, defeats Madison (2nd straight)
Atlantic Coast League: Annapolis Destroyers, 67-54, defeats Myrtle Beach
North American League: Ft. Collins Grizzlies, 80-60, defeats Billings

While the higher minors had some wild disparity, lower down saw some very good races. First was the Northwest League, where three teams were within two games of second, with 78-76 Victoria finishing second and upsetting a 102-win division champion (Yakima) on the way to a league title.

The Can-Am League, meanwhile, had five teams within five games of second, while the Atlantic Coast League had three teams within three games of first in the South, while the North was even closer, with three clubs within 1 ½ games.

Also, the Southeastern League was the one minor league celebrating their 100th season this year. Fittingly, the only charter member still in the league, Mobile, won the league championship in its centennial season.

[KCRoyals15]

A Century of Excellence

One of the principle tasks of the centennial committee commissioned by the United States Baseball Federation in 1998 to commemorate the organization's 100th anniversary was to name an All-Century Team.

The task featured voting by fans and media members and in the end, 30 players were selected: 15 batters, 15 pitchers, plus a manager. The team was unveiled before Game 1 of the 1999 National Championship.

Among those 30 men, one hitter and one pitcher were named the Player of the Century and the Pitcher of the Century:



Jason Flores
Seattle Rainiers 1955-77

A tireless backstop, Flores caught for Seattle for an impressive 23 seasons, racking up 3,281 hits (sixth all-time), 1,346 runs, 620 doubles, 231 home runs, and 1,609 RBI, playing the most games, and collecting the most hits and RBI by any catcher in USBF history. Flores won five Platinum Stick awards for his position and was instrumental in winning three Pacific Coast League championships, plus the 1965 National Championship. After catching for the Rainiers until he was 45 years old, Flores was elected to the PCL Hall of Fame in 1983.



Brent Murphy
New Orleans Pelicans 1948-70

Another 23-year veteran, Murphy hit .295 for his career with 3,024 hits, 596 doubles, 212 home runs, and 1,352 RBI, establishing himself as one of the top offensive catchers of all-time. He was named a Southern Conference All-Star a record 19 times and won the Platinum Stick on seven occasions. He was elected to the Eastern Baseball Federation Hall of Fame in 1981.



David Zimmerman
Los Angeles Angels 1935-40
Oakland Oaks 1941-47

Though his career was one of the shortest on the team, Zimmerman made it count, batting .326 lifetime, the highest of any catcher in USBF history. He won three batting titles, also a record for catchers, and ended his career with 2,568 hits, 1,115 hits, 419 doubles, 148 home runs, and 1,244 RBI. He won seven Platinum Sticks, three Great Gloves, and was a key cog on three Pacific Coast League championship squads. Zimmerman was elected to the PCL Hall of Fame in 1951.



Marco Adams
Seattle Rainiers 1985-93
San Francisco Seals 1993-98
Pittsburgh Ironmen 1999

One of two active players on the team, Adams has more than earned his spot due to his record-breaking slugging. A two-time Triple Crown winner, Adams holds the USBF single-season home run record (63 in 1987), and ranks fourth all-time with 593 home runs and third with 1,911 RBI, in addition to a lifetime .314 batting average and 2,710 hits. Adams is a four-time Pacific Coast League MVP, a 10-time All-Star, a six-time Platinum Stick winner, once won a Great Glove, and has won two PCL championships, plus the 1998 National Championship.



Bryan Kunkel
San Francisco Seals 1929-46

If there was one thing Kunkel could do, it was flat-out hit. To this day, he is the only player in USBF history to top 4,000 hits, finishing his career with a USBF-record 4,082 hits, while also setting a national record with 816 doubles and scoring 2,020 runs, third-most all-time. He also added 245 home runs and 1,950 RBI, ranking second all-time. A lifetime .336 hitter, Kunkel was the 1934 Pacific Coast League MVP, won four Platinum Sticks, three Great Gloves, and played for seven PCL title teams, including National Championship teams in 1932-33, and '36. Kunkel was elected into the PCL Hall of Fame in 1950 with 99.4% of the vote, still the highest in league history.



Steve Bishop
Jacksonville Tars/Suns 1959-77

Arguably the best player in Southern Conference history, Bishop manned second base for 19 seasons in Jacksonville and was conference MVP in nearly half of them—nine in total, tying a national record. A .296 hitter, he swatted 2,680 hits, scored 1,705 runs, added 378 doubles, hit 606 homers (third all-time), and drove in 1,866 runs, while also stealing 434 bases. Bishop was named to 16 All-Star Games, won nine Platinum Sticks, and two Great Gloves, while driving the Tars to a 1967 Southern Conference title and National Runner-Up finish. He was elected to the EBF Hall of Fame in 1983.



Joseph Miller
Seattle Rainiers 1962-78

The USBF's all-time leader in home runs, Miller clubbed a record 677 homers during his 17-year career, adding 2,506 hits, 1,690 runs, and driving in 1,870 runs (fourth-most all-time). Miller led the Pacific Coast League in home runs on nine occasions, while winning a PCL-record eight MVP awards, plus 11 Platinum Sticks. He slugged Seattle to three PCL championships and the 1965 National Championship. Miller was elected to the PCL Hall of Fame in 1982.



Player of the Century Mark Oxford
Milwaukee Black Hawks 1969-91

Named the USBF Player of the Century, Oxford could just about do it all in his career, becoming the most decorated player in history. Over his 23 years in Milwaukee, Oxford racked up 3,748 hits, 2,066 runs, 528 doubles, 301 home runs, 1,416 RBI, 891 stolen bases, and hit .306 lifetime. He ranks first all-time in runs, second in hits, and seventh in steals. Oxford won a record nine-straight Northern Conference MVPs from 1971-79 and also was an 18-time All-Star, a 13-time Great Glove winner, and 13-time Platinum Stick recipient. He led the Black Hawks to four Conference Championships and National Championships in 1969, '72, and '76. He was inducted into the Eastern Baseball Federation Hall of Fame in 1997.



Sam Melendez
Indianapolis Hoosiers 1927-47

Melendez ended his 21-year career with 3,483 hits, 1,851 runs, and 1,709 RBI, all of which led the Eastern Baseball Federation at the time (he still ranks third nationally in career hits). In addition, Melendez hit .323 lifetime and added 684 doubles (third all-time), 192 triples, and 233 home runs, while earning five Platinum Sticks and leading the Indianapolis Hoosiers to a National Championship in 1937. He was elected to the EBF Hall of Fame in 1953.



Aaron Vergara
Milwaukee Black Hawks 1949-67

A key cog in the rise of the Milwaukee Black Hawks in the 50's, Vergara hit .309 with 3,331 hits (fourth all-time), 1,579 runs, 526 doubles, 479 home runs, and 1,827 RBI. Vergara was named Northern Conference MVP in 1957 and 1963 while earning 12 All-Star selections and 10 Platinum Sticks. Even in the twilight of his 19-year career, he was an integral piece in Milwaukee's 1966 Conference Championship and National Runner-Up finish, their best-ever season to that point. Vergara was inducted into the Eastern Baseball Federation Hall of Fame in 1973.



Tom Clark
Philadelphia Quakers 1958-79

One of the best defensive outfielders of all-time, Clark also was a stellar hitter, finishing his career with 3,042 hits, 1,710 runs, 576 doubles, 516 home runs, and 1,816 RBI. He is still the only player in USBF history to reach 3,000 hits and 500 homers. In addition, he earned Northern Conference MVP in 1959, was named to 11 All-Star teams, won 10 Great Gloves, and a pair of Platinum Sticks over his 21-year career in Philadelphia, which also included three Conference Championships and the 1973 National Championship. He was elected to the Eastern Baseball Federation Hall of Fame in 1985.



Cory Gilmore
Manhattan Yankees 1960-76

Gilmore made an impression from the start, winning Northern Conference MVP as a rookie in 1960, part of a run of six MVPs in his first eight seasons, including four straight from 1964-67. The Manhattan outfielder finished his 17-year career with a .304 lifetime average, 2,839 hits, 1,473 runs, 473 doubles, 414 homers, 1,602 RBI, and 235 stolen bases. He earned 12 All-Star nods, eight Platinum Sticks, and was a key part of Conference Championship squads in 1963 and '74. Gilmore was inducted into the Eastern Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982 as the Hall's only unanimous selection.



Jared Krieger
Los Angeles Angels 1926-38

The first superstar of the Pacific Coast League's major-league era, Krieger played the fewest games of anyone on the team (1,991) and only played ten full seasons, but in that time he destroyed PCL pitching to the tune of a .356 lifetime batting average, 2,655 hits, 391 doubles, 211 triples, 220 homers, and 1,442 RBI, while stealing 240 bases. He won a then-record six MVPs, including three-straight from 1926-28 and eight Platinum Sticks and serving as the heartbeat for the Los Angeles Angels in three National Championship runs: 1926, '28, and '31. He was the first player to earn PCL Hall of Fame induction on the merits of his big-league career, getting the call in 1947.



Jarrett Messing
Seattle Rainiers 1955-72

The third member of the 60's-era Seattle Rainiers on the team, Messing was the most well-rounded of the bunch, batting .309 with 3,094 hits, 1,671 runs, 494 doubles, 395 home runs, 1,558 RBI, and 236 stolen bases. A winner of four batting titles, Messing won Pacific Coast League MVPs in 1957, '60, and '68, while adding 11 Platinum Sticks. He won three PCL championships and the 1965 National Championship with Seattle before being inducted into the PCL Hall of Fame in 1976.



Randy Shaddon
San Francisco Seals 1943-51
Toronto Maple Leafs 1952-56
Jacksonville Tars 1957-61
Oklahoma City Indians 1962

The final position player on the team was the most controversial selection, but ultimately the most-decorated defender of all-time got the call. Shaddon also hit enough, racking up 3,128 hits, 1,853 runs, 506 doubles, 173 triples, 235 homers, and 1,300 RBI, along with 372 stolen bases. He won Pacific Coast League MVPs in 1946 and '48, along with a record 15 Great Gloves—all consecutively, despite appearing in the PCL and both Northern and Southern Conferences during that run. He also made three All-Star teams and won a pair of Platinum Sticks during his 20-year career, which included four league championships (three PCL, one EBF) and the 1948 National Championship with San Francisco.



Jim Alvarez
Omaha Golden Spikes 1926-33
New York Gothams 1934-44
St. Paul Saints 1945
Detroit Wolverines 1945

Alvarez kept going and going, pitching at an ace level for nearly all of his 20-year career, finishing fourth all-time with 357 wins, posting a 3.04 ERA and striking out 2,268 over 5,294.2 innings. He won Eastern Baseball Federation Pitcher of the Year awards in 1934 and '42, winning a Triple Crown in the former year. He also logged 329 complete games and 53 shutouts in his career and won two EBF titles, plus the 1935 National Championship, with New York. He was inducted into the EBF Hall of Fame in 1951.



Jason Confer
Kansas City Blues 1918-38

Confer began his career at the tail-end of the Dead Ball Era, but adjusted seamlessly to the lively ball, winning 20 or more games seven times and a total of 371 over his 21-year career, second-most in USBF history. Confer logged a 3.27 ERA and struck out 2,526 over 5,349.2 innings and threw 328 complete games. He won the 1935 Eastern Baseball Federation Pitcher of the Year Award, it's oldest winner ever (42), and led Kansas City to four EBF titles and National Championships in 1920 and '24. he was elected to the EBF Hall of Fame in 1944.



Kevin Corbett
Hollywood Stars 1964-69
Albany Adirondacks 1970-85

Corbett began his career as a hotshot who won three Pitcher of the Year awards in the Pacific Coast League, then 16 steady seasons on the other side of the country, ending his career with 331 wins, a 2.98 ERA, 5,998.0 innings, 3,134 strikeouts, and 210 complete games, including 54 shutouts. The ironman logged the second-most innings all-time and his 812 starts are the most in USBF history as he never missed a start or logged time on the injured list during his entire 23-year career. In addition to his three POTY trophies, Corbett was a 13-time All-Star and won two Conference Championships with Albany. He was inducted into the EBF Hall of Fame in 1991.



Nicky Croucher
Cleveland Buckeyes 1908-25
Oakland Oaks 1926-27

A winner of 20 games 13 times in 14 years (and 19 games in the 14th), no one won more than Croucher, whose 383 wins is most in USBF history. Not only that, he logged a 2.47 career ERA, led by a miniscule 1.20 mark during his Pitcher of the Year campaign in 1917. Croucher worked 5,565.0 innings and struck out 2,523 batters, completing 426 games and spinning 67 shutouts, also an all-time record. He led Cleveland to National Championships in 1913 and '16 and earning induction into the Eastern Baseball Federation Hall of Fame in 1931.



Andy Epperson
Brooklyn Dodgers 1906-23
Chicago Whales 1924-25

The owner of the third-most wins in USBF history, Epperson won 359 games over 20 seasons, posting a 2.53 ERA over 5,364.0 innings with 2,736 strikeouts. Epperson won 20 or more games 11 times and was the 1914 Eastern Baseball Federation Pitcher of the Year. He also was the ace of the Brooklyn teams that won National Championships in 1917 and '19. Epperson was inducted into the EBF Hall of Fame in 1931.



Jim Greene
Rochester Stars 1900-15

The only member of the team who played in the inaugural USBF season in 1900, Greene plied away in tiny Rochester, winning the very first Eastern Baseball Federation Pitcher of the Year award. Greene won 32 games that season on his way to 330 wins in 16 seasons, which made him the first-ever 300-game winner and the all-time leader at his retirement. In his addition to his 330-224 record, Greene logged a 2.32 ERA over 5182.1 innings and 2,903 strikeouts, which remained a record for a quarter-century. Greene headlined the first-ever EBF Hall of Fame class in 1927.



Pitcher of the Century Roy Hendricks
Oklahoma City Indians 1961-80

The Pitcher of the Century earned his title on large part of being the most decorated hurler in major league history. Over his 20-year career, Hendricks was Pitcher of the Year exactly half the time, winning a 10 POTY trophies, including four in a row from 1963-66. He added the 1972 Texas League MVP, with his 11 major awards the most in big league history. He went 273-199 with a 2.69 ERA, striking out 3,128 batters in 4,489.1 innings and adding 193 complete games and 63 shutouts, second-most in USBF history. A 16-time All-Star, he led Oklahoma City to the Texas League title and National Runner-Up status in 1976. Hendricks was inducted into the Texas League Hall of Fame in 1986, coming one vote away from unanimous induction.



Carlos Pena
El Paso Texans 1965-74
Dallas Lone Stars 1974-84

The strikeout king of the nation, Pena obliterated all previous strikeout records, punching out a record 4,182 batters over his 20 seasons, over than 750 strikeouts more than the second-place hurler, despite having just 4,003.1 innings, over 500 less than any other starter on the team. He logged 234 wins and posted a 3.16 ERA in his career. Despite never winning a Pitcher of the Year, he led the league in strikeouts ten times, was a 13-time All-Star and was a two-time Texas League champion. He was inducted into the TL Hall of Fame in 1990.



Kevin Popp
San Diego Padres 1956-61
Chicago Cyclones 1962-65
Jacksonville Tars/Suns1965-77

Popp won 22 games in his first season and 20 in his 20th season, winning 324 games when it was all said and done. Over three teams, Popp worked 5,642.1 innings over 774 starts in 22 seasons, logging the second-most starts and fourth-most innings. He also posted a 3.31 ERA and struck out 2,972 batters, eighth-most all-time. Popp was a 10-time All-Star who did not miss a start over his final 20 seasons and won two PCL titles in San Diego, plus a Conference Championship in Jacksonville. He was inducted into the Eastern Baseball Federation Hall of Fame in 1989.



Justin Rodrigues
Milwaukee Black Hawks 1910-25

One of the first individual dynasties, Rodrigues won three Pitchers of the Year in his first four years, plus another one in 1920. In 16 years, he won 311 games, boasted a 2.30 ERA and struck out 2,399 batters in 4,952.1 innings. He also led the Eastern Baseball Federation in ERA four times, posting a total of nine seasons with a sub-2.00 ERA. He was elected to the EBF Hall of Fame in 1931.



D.J. Schreck
New York Gothams 1927-44
Birmingham Barons 1945

Schreck only won a single Pitcher of the Year award (in 1931), but he posted an incredible 337-143 record, his .702 winning percentage far and away the best of all-time for anyone with at least 200 decisions. He also posted a 2.82 ERA and struck out 1,949 batters in 4,531 innings. Schreck won 20 or more games ten times (and 29 games twice), added four Great Gloves, and was integral to four Eastern Baseball Federation titles for New York, plus the 1930 and '35 National Championships.



Scott West
San Diego Padres (1980-Present)

The second and final active player on the team, West has continued to be excellent despite pitching the back half of his career through the brunt of the highest-scoring era in baseball history. West has won 333 games and posted a 3.56 ERA over 4,828.1 innings, striking out 3,086 batters along the way. While he has never won Pitcher of the Year, West has the fifth-most strikeouts of all-time and is a 13-time All-Star who has been instrumental in seven Pacific Coast League titles and National Championships in 1984-85, and '94 for San Diego.



Seth Boring
San Francisco Seals 1968-72
Indianapolis Hoosiers 1972
Oklahoma City Indians 1972-75
Tampa Tarpons 1976-87

Boring's career was anything but, as the rubber-armed reliever appeared in a record 1,461 games over 20 seasons, winning 181 games and saving 446 more. He logged a 2.77 ERA over 2,418.2 innings, all of them in relief, while striking out 1,729 batters. Boring leads all relievers in wins, saves, games, and innings. He made 12 All-Star Games, earned Reliever of the Year twice in the Texas League and once in the Southern Conference, while also winning two PCL titles and a Conference Championship.



Jay Latko
Seattle Rainiers 1969-82
Oakland Oaks 1983
Cleveland Spiders 1984-86

Latko pitched 18 seasons and logged 1,177 games, all but two in relief. He won 145 games and saved 438 more, second-most all-time. He also posted a 2.83 ERA over 1,589.1 innings, striking out 1,387. Latko was a nine-time All-Star and the 1970 Pacific Coast League Reliever of the Year. He closed out games for three PCL championship teams, including the 1979 National Champion Seattle Rainiers. He was elected to the PCL Hall of Fame in 1990, the first reliever to be enshrined.



Ricky Velasquez
Milwaukee Black Hawks 1964-74
Portland Beavers 1974

The shortest career on the team also was the most dominant, as Velasquez was a fearsome reliever way ahead of his time. In 787 games, the lefty won 115 games, saved 278, and had an ERA of just 2.30 ERA. However, he struck out 1,958 batters, far and away the most of any reliever, and did so in just 1,212.0 innings, with his 14.5 K/9 rate more than 40% higher than anyone in major league history with at least 1,000 innings. A three-time Northern Conference Reliever of the Year, he struck out 200 batters in relief four times (no one else has done it even once) and five times he finished in the top five in the conference in punchouts. He won three Conference Championships in Milwaukee, including National Championships in 1969 and '72.



The Skipper
Kansas City Blues 1900-16
Los Angeles Angels 1926-29 (minor league 1917-25)
New York Gothams 1930-34

The leader of the hypothetical team is The Skipper, who built dynasties in Kansas City, Los Angeles, and New York, winning National Championships in all three cities. He went 2,561-1,639 (.610) as a big-league manager and won nearly 1,200 additional games over nine minor league seasons with the Angels. All told, in 26 big-league seasons, Skipper reached the postseason 16 times, won 7 league championships, and 6 National Championships, a record that still stands.

[KCRoyals15]

Top Ten Teams of the Century

In addition to the All-Century team, the centennial committee also was tasked with naming the top ten teams in United States Baseball Federation history, plus an overall franchise of the century:

10. 1991 New Orleans Pelicans (114-48)
Western League champions (+23.0 games)
Lost Southern Conference Finals vs. Pittsburgh, 4-1

915 runs scored, 608 runs allowed (+307 differential)

The Pelicans obliterated their franchise record for wins in a 114-victory campaign, which saw them lead the Southern Conference in both runs scored and runs allowed. New Orleans boasted both MVP John Willis (.335, 35 HR, 123 RBI, 30 SB) and Pitcher of the Year Arnold Noles (23-3, 3.03 ERA, 279.2 IP, 193 K) and also set a then-conference record of 2,740,616 fans. The Pelicans then suffered a first-round playoff loss, but bounced back to win the conference and finish as National Runner-Ups in 1992.

9. 1963 St. Louis Browns (115-47)
Western League Champions (+29.0 games)
Won Southern Conference Division Finals vs. Memphis, 4-0
Lost Southern Conference Finals vs. Brooklyn, 4-2

821 runs scored, 541 runs allowed (+280 run differential)

St. Louis had a tremendous run through the entirety of the 50's and 60's, making the playoffs 16 times in 17 years and winning 100 or more games ten times. The dynasty peaked in the early 60's with this 115-win season, an Eastern Baseball Federation record at the time. The Browns' calling card was pitching and they allowed 147 fewer runs than anyone in the Southern Conference (almost a run per game less), led by ace Allen Staub (18-7, 2.61 ERA, 241.0 IP, 141 K), who won Pitcher of the Year. As was the case with many St. Louis squads of this era, they stalled out in the postseason, coming up short in the Conference Finals.

8. 1999 Louisville Colonels (114-48)
Western League Champions (+4.0 games)
Won Western League Finals vs. Kansas City, 4-0
Lost Southern Conference Championship vs. Atlanta, 4-1

971 runs scored, 575 runs allowed (+396 run differential)

Slipping in just under the wire, it would be tempting to call recency bias on Louisville, but the Colonels posted the best run differential (outside the Pacific Coast League) in USBF history, scoring 113 more runs than any other team and also allowing the fewest in the league. The offense was balanced, but the pitching staff boasted two 20-game winners, led by Southern Conference Pitcher of the Year Vespasiano Ambrogiani (23-5, 2.52 ERA, 253.2 innings, 227 K). The Colonels were pushed all summer by 110-win Kansas City before sweeping them in the postseason, though they suffered an upset in the Conference Championship at the hands of an 88-win Atlanta team.

7. 1914 Jersey City Giants (110-46)
Eastern League Champions (+32.0 games)
Won National Semifinals vs. Indianapolis, 4-2
Won National Championship vs. Denver, 4-2

725 runs scored, 462 runs allowed (+263 run differential)

The earliest team on the list, Jersey City was a powerhouse around the World War I era, tying an EBF record at the time with their 110 wins. In a low-scoring era, the Giants posted the highest run differential of the Dead Ball Era, scoring the most runs and allowing the second-fewest. Though the Giants won no major awards, they board three 20-game winners, a 19-game winner, the Reliever of the Year, and two Platinum Sticks in a well-balanced team with no clear holes. The Giants won both of their playoff series in six games to claim their second National Championship. They followed it up with 107 wins and another title the following year, and yet another National Championship in 1918.

6. 1973 Milwaukee Black Hawks (119-43)
Midwest Association Champions (+23.0 games)
Lost Northern Conference Semifinals vs. Toronto, 4-3

803 runs scored, 520 runs allowed (+283 run differential)

Already defending National Champions, Milwaukee made the previous season's 106-win juggernaut look ordinary by comparison. The Black Hawks set a still-standing Eastern Baseball Federation (and non-PCL) record by going 119-43. They boasted all-time legend Mark Oxford (.336, 15 HR, 70 RBI, 42 steals), who won his fourth-straight MVP amidst a very balanced offense that scored the second-most runs, while an airtight pitching staff allowed 88 fewer runs than any other Northern Conference team and had zero pitchers post an ERA higher than 3.75. Despite all that, the Black Hawks still bowed in the first first round of the postseason.

5. 1932 New York Gothams (114-42)
New England League Champions (+20.0 games)
Lost Eastern Semifinals vs. Kansas City, 4-1

906 runs scored, 548 runs allowed (+348 run differential)

Winners of back-to-back Eastern Baseball Federation championships entering the season, the Gothams looked primed to take another one with a then-record-tying 114 win-season. New York scored the third-most runs, but allowed half a run per game less than any other team, posting a then-EBF record +348 run differential. The Giants were led by Tyreek Norman's all-time great season (.354/.417/.725, 223 H, 158 R, 42 2B, 33 3B, 42 HR, 136 RBI, 42 SB) drove the offense and led him to his second MVP, while three pitchers won 25 or more games. Despite all this, the Gothams fell short of a three-peat, dropping a first-round series.

4. 1976 Milwaukee Black Hawks (115-47)
Midwest Association Champions (+31.0 games)
Won Northern Conference Semifinals vs. Philadelphia A's, 4-3
Won Northern Conference Finals vs. Buffalo, 4-2
Won National Semifinals vs. Baltimore
Won National Championship vs. Oklahoma City Indians, 4-1

761 runs scored, 491 runs allowed (+270 run differential)

While not quite as dominant as the juggernaut from three years prior, the Black Hawks got the job done this year. Once again, Mark Oxford led the second-highest-scoring offense with his seventh-straight MVP award (.329, 9 HR, 81 RBI, 62 SB), while the league's stingiest pitching staff boasted three 20-game winners, led by Pitcher of the Year Trevor Bedford (22-6, 2.08 ERA, 259.2 IP, 154 K). The Black Hawks got the better of the only career matchup between Player of the Century Mark Oxford and Pitcher of the Century Roy Hendricks of Oklahoma City, winning their third National Championship in eight years.

3. 1941 Los Angeles Angels (135-65)
Pacific Coast League Champions (+17.0 games)
Won PCL Championship vs. Mission, 4-1
Won National Championship vs. Newark Eagles, 4-3

1,159 runs scored, 759 runs allowed (+400 run differential)

The Angels had many exceptional teams throughout the 20's, 30's and 40's and this may have been the best of the bunch. The top offense in the league scored nearly 100 runs more than anyone else, paired with the stingiest pitching staff as well. A well-balanced offense had ten sluggers with double-digit homers (but no one over 22) and four hitters over .330. The pitching staff had three 20-game winners, led by Pitcher of the Year Jimmy Gourley (32-8, 2.04 ERA, 357.0 IP, 189 K), who won the Triple Crown. The Angels got it done in the postseason, defeating Mission and Newark to win their fourth National Championship.

2. 1993 San Francisco Seals (148-52)
Pacific Coast League North Champions (+34.0 games)
Lost PCL Division Series vs. Oakland, 4-3

1,206 runs scored, 751 runs allowed (+455 run differential)

The Seals set national records for wins, winning percentage (.740) and run differential during a staggering 148-win campaign. The Seals scored more than 200 more runs than any other PCL team (over a run per game more), allowed the second-fewest runs (by two runs), and set a then-national record by drawing 3,423,988 fans. The offense boasted six .300 hitters (seven including trade-acquisition Marco Adams), while the pitching staff had a pair of 20-game winners. The historic campaign, though, ended on a sour note, losing a first-round playoff series to their Bay Bridge rivals, Oakland, costing them the top spot in the rankings.

1. 1985 San Diego Padres (141-59)
Pacific Coast League South Champions (+53.0 games)
Won Division Finals vs. Hollywood, 4-2
Won PCL Championship vs. Sacramento, 4-2
Won National Semifinals vs. Dallas
Won National Championship vs. Newark, 4-2

1,185 runs scored, 733 runs allowed (+452 run differential)

Already the defending National Champions, San Diego set national records for wins and run differential (both broken by the '93 Seals) and set a still-standing record by winning their division by a whopping 53 games. In a league with 136-win Seattle, the Padres allowed more runs than Seattle, but scored 165 more runs than anyone else. The Padres hit .299 as a team, had seven regulars hit over .300, four hitters drive in 100 runs, and three men steal over 50 bases each (Josh Allison stole 96 bases). Amazingly, Seattle swept all the awards, though Justin Arnold had perhaps the greatest non-MVP season of all-time (.329, 229 H, 153 R, 41 2B, 13 3B, 49 HR, 175 RBI, 58 SB). Two pitchers won over 20 games while Abel Cox (22-12, 3.05) set a PCL major-league record with 323 strikeouts. The Padres repeated as National Champions, defeating Hollywood, Sacramento, Dallas, and Newark on their run to a fifth national title, which cemented their status as the greatest team in USBF history.

Franchise of the Century

There were a few logical contenders for franchise of the century, which took into account factors such as sustained excellence, League/Conference Championships, National Championships, and limited down periods in making their choice.

Ultimately, the committee selected the San Francisco Seals as the 20th century's greatest franchise, selecting them over the runner-up, the Kansas City Blues, who were dinged for an active National Championship drought dating to 1947, while the Seals have done much of their damage in an era where the path to a National Championship is more difficult.

The Seals, who joined the major leagues in 1926 along with the rest of the Pacific Coast League, went 8,079-6,724 (.546) in their first 75 big-league campaigns, finishing in first place 18 times, making 47 playoff appearances, winning 20 PCL championships, and a record eight National Championships, despite the eastern half of the decade having a quarter-century head start.

Most National Championships (1900-99)
San Francisco Seals — 8
Kansas City Blues — 7
San Diego Padres — 6
Cleveland Buckeyes/Spiders — 5
Jersey City Giants (defunct) — 4
Hollywood Stars/Phoenix Firebirds — 4
Los Angeles Angels — 4
New York Gothams — 4
Seattle Indians/Rainiers — 4
St. Louis Browns — 4

Most National Championship Series Appearances (1900-99)
San Francisco Seals — 17
Kansas City Blues — 15
Hollywood Stars/Phoenix Firebirds — 9
New York Gothams — 8
Seattle Indians/Rainiers — 8
St. Louis Browns — 8
San Diego Padres — 7
Los Angeles Angels — 7
Manhattan Yankees — 7

Most Playoff Appearances (1900-99)
Kansas City Blues — 56
San Francisco Seals — 47
St. Louis Browns — 45
San Diego Padres — 43
Seattle Rainiers — 42
Rochester Stars/Manhattan Yankees — 37
Washington Senators — 30
Milwaukee Black Hawks — 29
Hollywood Stars/Phoenix Firebirds — 28
New York Gothams — 28

[KCRoyals15]

2000

The world survived Y2K and the United States Baseball Federation began its second century of operation, as the festivities from last year's historic commemorations died down. With the focus fully back on the play on the field, fans were entertained as scoring approached record highs, with ERAs in all major leagues hovering just under 5.00.

the Northern Conference was led by New York, who won 102 games, their third-straight season with over 100 wins and a New England League pennant. The Philadelphia A's finished second, a dozen games back, outlasting Brooklyn and Manhattan, who both finished two games behind them, for the final playoff spot.

The Midwest Association was home to an exciting three-team race, as Milwaukee pulled away to win their first pennant since 1981. The Chicago Whales and Cleveland, meanwhile, tied for second, four games back. The Whales won the one-game playoff, though, and with it, their second-straight playoff berth.



In the postseason, New York avenged their upset loss to Philadelphia from the year before, winning game seven at Shea Stadium. Meanwhile, Chicago pulled an upset, knocking off Milwaukee in five games. The Whales went back under in the Northern Championship, though, as the Gothams emerged victorious in six games, winning their first Conference Championship in 38 years.

In the Southern Conference, Atlanta built off their surprise conference title from a year ago with 102 wins and an Eastern League pennant, their best season since 1962. Washington finished five games back, cruising to second place and their first playoff berth in 14 years.

The Western League featured an epic heavyweight battle for the second year in a row, though this time three teams involved. St. Louis won 110 games, their most since 1965, and with it, the WL pennant. Incredibly, after winning 110 games but finishing second the previous year, Kansas City won 108 games...and against finished second. The real loser, though, was Louisville, who won 100 games but ended up in third place, out of the playoff picture.



The postseason saw a mild shocker in the EL, as Washington downed Atlanta in six games in their division final. On the Western side, one of the most anticipated I-70 series of all time lived up to the hype, as Kansas City slipped past St. Louis by winning game seven in hostile territory at Busch Stadium. Fresh off that monumental task, the Blues came through in the clutch again, winning in seven games once again, defeating the Senators to win their second Conference Championship in five years.

The PCL celebrated their 75th season as a major-league circuit, and appropriately, their two most successful teams, San Francisco and San Diego, won the division titles. Sacramento edged Oakland by two games to take the second playoff spot in the North, while Phoenix cruised to a second-place finish in the South. The Firebirds notably set an all-time major league record with 332 home runs, as they boasted three 40-homer bats and a whopping dozen players who hit at least 13 round-trippers.

A once-proud franchise that dominated the 60's, 70's, and 80's, the Seattle Rainiers had fallen on hard times, as their eighth-straight losing season was their worst. Seattle posted a ghastly 63-137 record that was an unfortunate way for the Rainiers to open brand-new Safeco Field.



In the postseason, San Francisco took care of business, dispatching Sacramento in six games. Meanwhile, defending PCL champion Phoenix was keen on defending their title, and they upset San Diego in seven games. The Firebirds kept the heat on, knocking off the Seals to repeat as PCL champions, their third title in four years.

In the Texas League, two-time defending champion Dallas won 95 games and the North Division title, their best season and first division crown in nine years. they also became the first TL club to draw 3 million fans, with 3,217,064 clicking through the turnstiles. Tulsa, meanwhile, outlasted Wichita by four games to finish second, returning to the postseason after a two-year absence. In the South, San Antonio repeated as division champion with a league-best 97 wins, nudging out Houston, who opened brand-new Enron Field with a 95-win season (and over 3 million fans of their own), and their first playoff berth in five years.



The South Division Finals were a classic, as San Antonio battled Houston to the very end, with the Missions emerging on top in seven games. Dallas, meanwhile, was a wrecking crew in the TL playoffs, sweeping Tulsa, then following that up with another sweep of San Antonio, as the Lone Stars emphatically and decisively claimed their third-straight Lone Star Series crown, following up Austin's 1995-97 three-peat with one of their own.

In the national tournament, a big storyline was the first tournament in nearly four decades for New York, while Kansas City was looking to settle some business from the year before. The Blues indeed started off their grudge match in strong form, as the Kansas City Blues (SOU) defeat the New York Gothams (NOR). A Texas terror continued wiping out the postseason competition, as the Dallas Lone Stars (TL) defeat the Phoenix Firebirds (PCL). The finals were an all-time classic that went to the bitter end, but in the end, the Kansas City Blues (SOU) defeat the Dallas Lone Stars (TL), 4-3, as the Blues finally claimed their elusive eighth National Championship, re-tying them for the top spot all-time and winning their first title since 1947.

That last point was a big reason why San Francisco, not Kansas City, was named Franchise of the Century the previous year. That fact was not lost on the victorious Blues. "San Francisco may have been the team of last century, but we're getting started on being the team of this century," said Blues manager Tom Pruitt postgame.



In the Northern Conference, history was made as Buffalo's Matt Thoms broke an all-time record. In just his second season, the 24-year-old blasted 64 home runs, setting a USBF record and becoming the first player outside the Pacific Coast League since the 1930's to hold the USBF home run record. In addition to that mark, Thoms slashed .335/.453/.752 with 177 hits, 133 runs, 26 doubles, and a conference-leading 153 RBI. He even added 18 steals and won a Great Glove at shortstop, making it an easy call for his first MVP award.

Manhattan right-hander Jesse Heir had spent 12 seasons in Wichita and won the Texas League Pitcher of the Year in 1992. Following a couple down seasons, he signed with Manhattan as a free agent in 1999 and quickly returned to form. The 36-year-old went 18-11 with a conference-best 2.96 ERA, striking out 188 over 234.0 innings to earn Pitcher of the Year for a second time.

Two years after his memorable rookie campaign that earned him a Southern Conference MVP trophy, Enrique Rivas of Washington earned his second trophy. The 26-year-old slashed .365/.482/.653 (all conference bests) in winning his second-straight batting title, with a South-leading 209 hits, 146 runs, 42 doubles, 41 home runs, and 123 RBI to earn the hardware.

Right-hander Tyler Cherry churned through three organizations before being flipped to Kansas City at the 1994 trade deadline. After making his big-league debut in 1997, he struggled to stick for three years on a loaded roster. In 2000, though, he finally established himself in a big way, going 21-4 with a 2.92 ERA, leading the South in both marks, and striking out 159 in 243.1 innings, earning a surprising Pitcher of the Year award for the 24-year-old.

Phoenix shortstop Jason Horstkamp enjoyed a strong half-season as a rookie in 1999, then followed it up by slashing .317/.393/.576 with 234 hits, 147 runs, 50 doubles, 9 triples, 41 homers, 126 RBI, and 17 steals, earning Pacific Coast League MVP in his first full season.

On the mound, 34-year-old San Diego ace Jody Hintz was still at the top of his game, narrowly missing his second Triple Crown. Still, he went 23-6 and led the PCL with a 2.96 ERA and 277 strikeouts. He also logged 298.0 innings and eight complete games as the final feathers in his cap for his sixth Pitcher of the Year award.

After earning Texas League Rookie of the Year the previous season, San Antonio outfielder Matt Pickens posted an outstanding campaign, slashing .329/.480/.603 (all TL bests) with 178 hits, a league-leading 143 runs, 31 doubles, 9 triples, 33 homers, and 106 RBI, while also leading the league with 63 steals and 152 walks. That was enough to earn the 25-year-old his first MVP trophy.

Another Mission, righty Josh Faulhaber, had established a reputation as a workhorse and already in his fifth season, the 24-year-old took another step forward, going 22-7 with a 2.52 ERA and 271 strikeouts, leading the TL in all three marks to win the Triple Crown. He also led the league in starts (36), innings (274.2) and complete games (7), easily earning his first Pitcher of the Year crown.

In Hall of Fame voting, the Eastern Baseball Federation had a busy year, electing a three-time MVP, an 11-time All-Star, a former Pitcher of the Year, and a two-time batting champion with a lifetime .335 average:

2B Jaylen Williams (1978-94), 98.0%
OF Adrian Norton (1972-90), 88.5%
SP Miguel Lopez (1973-92), 77.7%
1B Johnny Calixto (1972-85)

Likewise, the Pacific Coast League sent a former Pitcher of the Year and a catcher with nine Great Gloves to the Hall:

SP Noah Long (1982-95), 79.0%
C Brad Harris (1974-91), 75.7%

Finally, the Texas League elected a former Pitcher of the Year who also made ten All-Star appearances:

SP Matt Detrick (1975-94), 86.4%

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The American Baseball League saw a pair of dominant teams, one leading each division. Richmond won 100 games and the East, with Syracuse, Indianapolis, and Charlotte filing in behind them. In the West, Las Vegas won a franchise-record 102 games, while Anaheim and Tucson tied for second with 94 wins, and Vancouver took the fourth and final playoff spot.

In the postseason, 81-81 Charlotte upset Richmond in seven games, while Syracuse beat Indianapolis, also in seven. In the West, Las Vegas beat Vancouver in six, while Anaheim rolled to a four-game sweep of Tucson. In the semis, Syracuse slipped past Charlotte in seven, while Las Vegas downed Anaheim in six. The Gamblers let it ride and came up aces, defeating the Chiefs in six games for their first American Baseball Cup.

In the East, New Haven catcher Mike Bannister slashed .275/.392/.573 with 100 runs, a league-high 40 homers, and 103 RBI, earning MVP honors. On the mound, Indianapolis righty Costanzo DeGiusti went 14-13 with a 3.64 ERA, striking out 197 and logging 257.1 innings and earning Pitcher of the Year.

In the West, Las Vegas rookie Travis Rathburn had a breakout year, slashing .328/.417/.547, leading the ABL with 193 hits, scoring 133 times, setting a league record with 59 doubles, also leading the league with 17 triples, and 12 homers, 89 RBI, and 68 stolen bases, earning Rookie of the Year and MVP. On the mound, Minneapolis' Dan Chatwin was just 10-10, but the 34-year-old journeyman led the hitter-friendly West with a 3.66 ERA and struck out 158 over 226.0 innings, earning Pitcher of the Year.

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Minor League Champions
Southeastern League: Mobile Marines, 121-33, defeats Montgomery (3rd straight)
Colonial League: Binghamton Big Cats, 87-53, defeats Lowell
River Valley League: Toledo Mud Hens, 87-53, defeats Akron
Rocky Mountain League: Missoula Grizzlies, 69-51, defeats Twin Falls (2nd straight)
Coastal League: Macon Peaches, 93-61, defeats Johnson City (2nd straight)
Northern League: Thunder Bay Timberjacks, 90-50, defeats Green Bay (2nd straight)
Southwest League: Bakersfield Conquistadors, 99-41, defeats Modesto (2nd straight)
Southern Association: Biloxi Pilots, 83-57, defeats Joplin
Northwest League: Yakima Tomahawks, 100-54, defeats Reno
Can-Am League: Quebec Carnavals, 72-54, defeats Utica (2nd straight)
Mid-Atlantic League: Altoona Engineers, 82-59, defeats Worcester
Lone Star League: Rio Grande White Wings, 93-47, defeats Lubbock
Great Plains League: South Bend Silver Sox, 96-44, defeats Des Moines (3rd straight)
Florida Coast League: Fort Lauderdale Flamingos, 88-52, defeats Tallahassee
Heartland League: Quad Cities Trappers, 78-62, defeats Rockford
Atlantic Coast League: Fayetteville Federals, 66-54, defeats Petersburg
North American League: Saskatoon Rivermen, 78-62, defeats Colorado Springs

The most notable story of the minor league season was the Mobile Marines (minor league affiliate of the Buffalo Bisons) who went a staggering 121-33, setting an all-time non-PCL record for wins by a professional team, surpassing New Haven (American Baseball League), who won 120 games in 1968.

The Marines, who had won 113 and 111 games the previous two seasons, won the Southeastern League by 37 games and posted a +454 run differential (962 runs scored, 508 runs allowed). They scored over a run per game more than any other team and allowed over a run less. Most importantly, they got it done, winning the Southeastern Series in six games over Montgomery, solidifying their status as probably the greatest affiliated minor league team of all time.

[KCRoyals15]

2001

In the Eastern Baseball Federation, franchise shifts were rather uncommon as struggling teams almost exclusively dropped to the American Baseball League and were replaced with a stronger ABL club. As such, no EBF team had moved to another city since 1957, when the Columbus Cyclones moved to Chicago.

However, that changed as the Tampa Tarpons, fed up with bad attendance in a worse stadium (the Florida Suncoast Dome), called it quits after 47 years on Florida's Gulf Coast, the final 37 as a big league club. They didn't have to go far, though, as the one major city in Florida who did not have major league baseball made a play to steal a club from their nearby neighbor. Moving 90 minutes down I-4, the Orlando Wizards were born, playing in brand-new Sony Field, which was barely finished before Opening Day.

Once the season got underway, New York once again was the class of the New England League, winning the league by five games over Brooklyn, who strolled into the playoffs for the first time in seven years. The Midwest Association saw Milwaukee win 102 games, cruising to their second-straight MWA pennant. Meanwhile, Buffalo and Cincinnati tied for second at 93-69. The Bisons, though, came away with the 163rd game, punching their ticket.



In the Northern Conference postseason, the boys in Brooklyn beat the ones from Queens, as the Dodgers downed the Gothams in seven games. Milwaukee, meanwhile, held serve, bouncing Buffalo in six games. The Northern Championship was nothing to write home about, as the Black Hawks breezed past the Bisons in a four-game sweep, their second Conference Championship in four years.

In the Southern Conference, the Eastern League saw the same results as the year before, with Atlanta winning the league and Washington finishing second. The Western League once again was loaded, with St. Louis roaring to 111 wins and Louisville winning 104 games.

The Browns were especially notable as they scored 1,148 runs, the most ever by a non-PCL team, with their 7.09 runs per game ranking just behind the 1930 New York Gothams (7.10) for most in major league history. The Browns hit .304 as a team, though Salt Lake City hit .310 as a team (the highest post-World War II mark in baseball), blasted an EBF-record 318 home runs, and scored 1,138 runs...but finished a distance fifth thanks to allowing 1,011 runs. The South as a whole posted a 5.14 ERA, the highest league/conference ERA in big league history.



After a high-scoring summer, the two stingiest pitching staffs met in the East, and Washington started off the postseason by axing Atlanta in five games. St. Louis, meanwhile, locked down Louisville enough to beat the Colonels in six games. In the Southern Championship, though, the Senators grounded the Browns' high-powered attack and bested the Brownies with a four-game sweep, earning Washington's first Conference Championship since 1986.

In the Pacific Coast League, there was a notable development as the Hawaii Islanders finalized funding for a new stadium to replace Aloha Stadium, which was never very satisfactory for its primary tenant. However, at the insistence from the city of Honolulu, a new color scheme was implemented and the franchise's "place" name was tweaked, so the Honolulu Islanders the team became. It did not, as they went 68-132.

Back on the mainland, the PCL North saw San Francisco cruise to a division title, their second straight, while Sacramento finished a distant second for a second year in a row. In the South, the two top teams resided, but resurgent San Jose was atop the pile, winning a club-record 127 games and reaching the playoffs the first time since 1995. Five games back, Phoenix finished second (and in the postseason) for the fourth year running, while San Diego finished a distant third, ending the Padres' all-time record of 23-straight playoff appearances. San Diego would spend October on the couch for the first time since 1977.



In the postseason, San Francisco got all they could handle from Sacramento, but the Seals ultimately fought off the Solons in a seven-game victory. In the South, Phoenix pulled off a mild upset, beating San Jose in six games. The two-time defending champions, the Firebirds looked for a three-peat and in thrilling fashion they got it, winning game seven at Bank One Ballpark for their fourth PCL title in five years.

That left the Texas League, where three-time defending champion Dallas claimed the North Division title, punching their fifth-straight playoff ticket. Tulsa finished second for a second year in a row, three games back. In the South, Houston won their first division title since 1974, while San Antonio finished three games back in second, earning their third-straight playoff spot.



In October, Tulsa brought an end to Dallas' reign at the top, dimming the Lone Stars in six games. Likewise, the second-place team in the South came through, as San Antonio emphatically bounced Houston in a four-game sweep. The Oilers and Missions scrapped for seven games, but in the end, Tulsa won game seven on the road at Bexar County Municipal Stadium, earning their first TL title in eight years.

The national tournament featured a pair of regular customers and a couple crashing the party for the first time in a while. One regular took care of business, as the Milwaukee Black Hawks (NOR) defeat the Washington Senators (SOU). The other one did as well, as the Phoenix Firebirds (PCL) defeat the Tulsa Oilers (TL). One squad was looking for their first title in a quarter-century, while the other was seeking their second in three seasons. In the end, the Phoenix Firebirds (PCL) defeat the Milwaukee Black Hawks (NOR), 4-1 as the Firebirds won their second National Championship in three years.



For the second time in three seasons, New York's Allen Peterson was the king of New York and the Northern Conference. Though not as dominant as his Triple Crown season in 1999, Peterson slashed .337/.402/.584 with conference-best 206 hits and 142 runs, while adding 39 doubles, 8 triples, 32 homers, 120 RBI, and 52 stolen bases, winning his second MVP.

In his ninth major league season, Brooklyn righty Jesus Jimenez had steadily carved out his role on the staff. The 30-year-old led the Dodgers to the postseason by going 16-10 with a 3.29 ERA and 206 strikeouts over a conference-high 251.2 innings, earning Pitcher of the Year.

In the high-powered Southern Conference, the MVP came not from St. Louis' record-breaking offense, but from the Washington team that beat them. Senators first baseman Enrique Rivas won his third-straight batting title, slashing an incredible .383/.494/.697 with 197 hits, 126 runs, 38 doubles, 40 homers, and 140 RBI, winning his third MVP in four years.

It was a bad year to be a pitcher in the South, but not for Alberto Zalokar of Atlanta. The 35-year-old went 19-9 with a conference-best 2.55 ERA, striking out 184 in 247.0 innings, also earning his 200th career win and 2,000th strikeout during the season.

While Enrique Rivas was a worthy MVP, the vote generated considerable controversy. Salt Lake City's Joel Boyd, a 24-year-old rookie, finished second after slashing .304/.396/.721 with a major league-record 72 home runs and 168 RBI, the most outside the PCL in over half a century. The previous home run record of 64, set by Buffalo's Matt Thoms, lasted only one season.

Inside the PCL, San Jose swept the major awards, with a true surprise MVP leading the way. Luis Michel had shown power potential in his first two big league seasons, but didn't hit much. But in his third year, the 22-year-old did in a big way, slashing .302/.382/.673 with 196 hits, 137 runs, 49 doubles, and leading the PCL with 13 triples and 55 homers, driving in 138 runs and stealing 24 bases. The breakout third baseman took home the MVP trophy.

His teammate Abe Dickson was already established as a front-line pitcher, but the fourth-year lefty went 24-6 with a 3.07 ERA, leading the PCL in wins and striking out 177 over 302.0 innings. He also led the league in complete games (9) and shutouts (4) in line to earning Pitcher of the Year.

In his first year in San Francisco, longtime St Louis closer J.R. McCormick made a major bit of history. The firemen saved a PCL-best 56 games and he needed every last one of them, as his final save of the year was the 500th of his career, making him the first pitcher in major league history to reach that mark.

In the Texas League, 23-year-old Austin rookie Ken Recklinger took a liking to the Dell Diamond, which opened this year. In his debut campaign, the Wrangler rookie slashed .309/.385/.573 with 180 hits, 116 runs, 42 doubles, 36 homers, and 125 RBI, taking home Rookie of the Year and MVP honors.

For a second year in a row, San Antonio ace Josh Faulhaber was king of the hill (I tell you hwat), going 21-8 with a 3.27 ERA, leading the TL in wins, strikeouts (259), and innings (266.2). It was his fourth-straight year pacing the circuit in innings and fifth year in a row with the most strikeouts. For that, he earned his second Pitcher of the Year in a row.

The only Hall of Famers this year came from the Eastern Baseball Federation, who sent a rubber arm with over 3,000 strikeouts and a man named Tank who hit 462 of them:

SP Ben Dotson (1977-95), 96.4%
OF Aaron Tank (1978-93), 85.4%

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In the American Baseball League, a notable development took place as, like the major leagues, they saw a franchise shift. The New Haven Knights, once a charter member of the United States Baseball Federation in 1900 and also a charter member of the ABL in 1954, said goodbye to Connecticut after 101 years. With declining attendance in a depressed industrial city and 75-year-old Yale Field being too small and too outdated with no replacement in sight, the Knights moved across the border, setting up shop in the Canadian capital as, well, the Ottawa Capitals.

The East Division saw Charlotte win with some comfort, while Richmond, Syracuse, and Birmingham took the rest of the playoff spots. Out West, Anaheim won a franchise-record 114 games, with Las Vegas a distant second and Tucson and Nashville well behind them.

In the first round, Charlotte took care of Birmingham in six games, while Richmond swept Syracuse. In the West, though, 80-82 Nashville stunned Anaheim in six games, while Las Vegas swept Tucson. Richmond then upset Charlotte in the semis while Las Vegas took advantage of the clear path by dispatching Nashville, with both series going five games. In the Finals, the Gamblers kept rolling, routing Richmond in five games for their second-straight American Baseball Cup.

In the East, Richmond's Zach Engelke slashed .316/.440/.547 with 188 hits, 113 runs, 27 doubles, 36 home runs, and 108 RBI, taking home MVP. His teammate, right-hander Matt Renshaw, went 21-10 with a 3.43 ERA and striking out 171 over 285.2 innings. He led the East in wins, ERA, innings, and shutouts (4), while logging 14 complete games.

The West was unsurprisingly swept by Anaheim, with outfielder Lamar Faulk winning MVP. The 26-year-old slashed .33/.425/.587 with 178 hits, 112 runs, 49 doubles, 27 homers, and 120 RBI. His teammate, 24-year-old righty Angelo Pena, went 19-9 with a 3.40 ERA and 176 strikeouts, leading the ABL in ERA, innings (280.2), and complete games (19) to win Pitcher of the Year.

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Minor League Champions
Southeastern League: Savannah Cardinals, 97-57, defeats Mobile
Colonial League: Scranton-Wilkes Barre Red Barons, 90-50, defeats Binghamton
River Valley League: Akron Arrows, 84-56, defeats Toledo
Rocky Mountain League: Helena Capitals, 73-47, defeats Twin Falls
Coastal League: Macon Peaches, 114-40, defeats Johnson City (3rd straight)
Northern League: Green Bay Giants, 107-33, defeats Thunder Bay
Southwest League: Modesto Growers, 80-60, defeats Bakersfield
Southern Association: Columbus Catfish, 86-54, defeats Joplin
Northwest League: Reno High Rollers, 106-48, defeats Pocatello
Can-Am League: Quebec Carnavals, 75-51, defeats Utica (3rd straight)
Mid-Atlantic League: Altoona Engineers, 79-61, defeats Roanoke (2nd straight)
Lone Star League: Laredo Vaqueros, 87-53, defeats Abilene
Great Plains League: South Bend Silver Sox, 90-50, defeats Des Moines (4th straight)
Florida Coast League: Fort Lauderdale Flamingos, 88-52, defeats St. Petersburg (2nd straight)
Heartland League: Evansville Bees, 80-60, defeats Rockford
Atlantic Coast League: Annapolis Destroyers, 72-48, defeats Wilmington (NC)
North American League: Saskatoon Rivermen, 79-61, defeats Ft. Collins (2nd straight)

In a minor league landscape with many repeat champions, two of them stood out: the Macon Peaches, who set a Southeastern League record with 114 wins, and the Green Bay Giants, who broke the Northern League mark for victories with 107—albeit with 14 fewer games than Macon played.

[KCRoyals15]

2002

One notable trend that emerged early on in the 2002 season was the presence of a lot of quality teams. True to form, just one playoff team had less than 90 wins and five teams with over 90 wins failed to make the playoffs. This also led to a few good races.

In the Northern Conference, Manhattan won the New England League for the first time in five years. Winning 98 games and drawing a record 3,804,104 fans. New York finished five games back to take the other playoff spot. In the Midwest Association were the two strongest Eastern Baseball Federation teams. Buffalo tied a franchise record by winning 106 games, but had to fend off a challenge from the Chicago Whales, who won 104 contests, taking the other playoff spot.



In the postseason, both second-place teams pulled first-round upsets in convincing fashion. New York took down Manhattan in five games, while Chicago bludgeoned Buffalo in a four-game sweep. The Whales continued their hot streak, grinding up the Gothams in another sweep to win their first Conference Championship since 1964.

The Southern Conference saw the Pittsburgh Ironmen win the Eastern League, their first pennant and playoff berth in seven years. Washington punched their third playoff ticket in a row, finishing six games back. The Western League had four teams win at least 93 wins, with Louisville finishing first at 98-64 and Kansas City one game back. Salt Lake City won 94 wins and New Orleans 93, but both missed the playoffs.



Just like in the North, Southern second-place teams shined in the postseason. Washington pummeled Pittsburgh in five games, while Kansas City leapt over Louisville in six games. The Blues then sunk the Senators in six games, earning KC their second conference title in three years and third in seven years.

In the Pacific Coast League, the North had a tight race for the top, which ended with San Francisco finishing first, two games ahead of Sacramento, who comfortably earned the second playoff spot, their fifth playoff trip in a row. After last year's breakthrough, San Jose posted their best big-league season, going 131-69 to post the best record in the major leagues. Phoenix finished second to earn their sixth playoff berth in a row.



Amazingly, the Pacific Coast League also was dominated by runner-ups in the postseason. Sacramento started things off by dispatching San Francisco in five games. Phoenix then waged a tough battle with San Jose, but vanquished the Gulls in seven games. Phoenix was looking for their fourth-straight PCL title, but the Solons shot down the Firebirds in five games, earning Sacramento their first PCL title since 1973.

The Texas League North was the weakest division/league in the USBF, with Fort Worth (90 wins) and Tulsa (84 wins) being the two playoff teams with the lowest win totals in the entire country. Tulsa earned their third playoff berth in a row by nudging out Dallas by one game. The South was much stronger with Houston winning 102 games and their second-straight division title. Austin won 93 games and finished second, one game ahead of San Antonio for the final playoff spot.



In the postseason, Fort Worth took care of business, becoming the only first-place team to win a playoff series this season, and doing so emphatically with a sweep of Tulsa. Austin, meanwhile, upset division champion Houston in seven games. The well-rested Panthers took advantage of the time off, wrapping it up against the Wranglers in six games, earning Fort Worth their first Texas League title since 1989.

The national tournament featured three teams that were not regulars on the biggest stage, but Chicago was more than up to the task, as the Chicago Whales (NOR) defeat the Kansas City Blues (SOU). Meanwhile, two teams snapping long tournament droughts squared off, as the Fort Worth Panthers (TL) defeat the Sacramento Solons (PCL). The Whales only had one title, back in 1957, while the Panthers had never won one. In the end, the Chicago Whales (NOR) defeat the Fort Worth Panthers (TL), 4-2, giving Chicago their first National Championship in 45 years and their second all-time.



After setting the single-season USBF home run record in 2000, Buffalo's Matt Thoms missed a large chunk of 2001. He was back to health this year and slashed .310/.415/.629 with 174 hits, 121 runs, 33 doubles, a conference-high 48 homers, and 135 RBI, giving Thoms his second Northern Conference MVP award.

Chicago lefty Adrian Wright enjoyed a huge debut season. The 21-year-old rookie went 19-5 with a 2.98 ERA, worked 259.1 innings, spun a conference-high six complete games, and set a Northern Conference record with 278 strikeouts, earning Rookie of the Year and Pitcher of the Year.

Salt Lake City's Joel Boyd was incredibly screwed out of an MVP the previous season despite his record-breaking 72-homer season. This year he blasted "only" 66 homers and drove in 159 runs (both EBF bests) and slashed .326/.403/.736 with 183 hits a South-best 143 runs, earning MVP honors this time.

After winning three Northern Conference Pitcher of the Year awards from 1991-93 for Manhattan, Freddy Perez was still effective, but battled injuries over the ensuing years. After a mid-2001 trade to Kansas City, he stayed healthy and in his first full season with the Blues, went 19-10 with a 3.05 ERA, leading the South in starts (36) and strikeouts (213) and working 239.0 innings, winning his fourth Pitcher of the Year, but his first one in the South and first in nine seasons.

In the PCL, Phoenix's Jason Horstkamp was king of the West for the second time in three seasons. The 26-year-old slashed .338/.409/.564, winning the PCL batting title and also leading the league with 243 hits and 155 runs. He added 52 doubles, 9 triples, 31 homers, 129 RBI, 23 stolen bases, and a Great Glove, taking the hardware home.

On the hill, San Francisco's John Yunker took a few years to settle in, but broke out into a legit ace in 1999, despite the highest walk numbers in the country. This year, he led the PCL in walks for the fourth year in a row, but went 23-12 and also led the PCL in ERA (2.70) and strikeouts (226) while still logging 270.0 innings, taking Pitcher of the Year.

For the second time in three years, the same two San Antonio Missions swept the major Texas League awards. On the offensive side, Matt Pickens slashed .311/.461/.527 with 167 hits, a TL-leading 124 runs, 38 doubles, 9 triples, 20 homers, 86 RBI, and league-leading totals in walks (151) and steals (47), earning his second MVP.

On the mound, teammate Josh Faulhaber won his third-straight Pitcher of the Year award, going 22-6 with a 2.37 ERA, leading the TL in both marks and innings (250.2). It was his fourth year in a row leading in wins and fifth-straight season with the most innings. He struck out 220 batters, but his streak of five seasons leading in that came to an end, costing him a second Triple Crown.

The Eastern Baseball Federation elected a pair of fleet-footed former stars; one of them a ten-time All-Star and the other a former MVP:

3B Ken Heavner (1981-96), 87.6%
OF Austin Wohlgemuth (1979-92), 77.0%

The Pacific Coast League elected a member of the All-Century Team, plus a three-time Pitcher of the Year:

1B Marco Adams (1985-00), 97.7%
SP Mike Guy (1983-98), 83.6%

Finally, the Texas League elected a 12-time All-Star behind the plate:

C Sam Bonetti (1970-87), 77.5%

---



In the American Baseball League, Syracuse dominated to a franchise-record 103 wins, far outpacing Richmond, Charlotte, and Indianapolis, who took the other three playoff spots in the East. The West had two-time defending champion Las Vegas on top, three games clear of Anaheim, with Memphis and Nashville rounding out the playoff field.

In the first round, Syracuse took care of Indianapolis, while Charlotte swept Richmond. Las Vegas took care of Nashville, but Memphis upset Anaheim, both in six games. Syracuse survived a seven-game push from Charlotte in the semis, while Las Vegas breezed past Memphis in five. Looking for the first three-peat in ABL history, the Gamblers took down the Chiefs in six games for their third-straight American Baseball Cup.

In the East, Syracuse's Frank Rivas slashed .340/.402/.605, winning the batting title and also leading the East with 200 hits and 129 RBI, while adding 112 runs, 49 doubles, and 33 homers, winning MVP honors. Charlotte's Mark Hartl went 20-11 with a 3.52 ERA, leading the ABL in wins, innings (288.2), strikeouts (240) and shutouts (4) and logging 17 complete games, earning Pitcher of the Year.

Out West, Las Vegas' Tim Yock took Rookie of the Year, slashing .306/.440/.585 with 174 hits, 137 runs, and a league-high 39 homers and 133 RBI, also taking home MVP for his work. Vancouver's Orlando Barba was surprise Pitcher of the Year with his 13-14 record, but with a strong 3.55 ERA and a West-best 235 strikeouts in 243.1 innings.

---

With the popularity of professional baseball steadily growing in the late 90's/early 00's, it was only a matter of time before another new league popped up. This one popped up in an area virtually untouched by pro sports: very northern New England and Atlantic Canada. Appropriately, the North Atlantic League it would be called:

North Atlantic League



The league featured seven new teams, with the Portland Lobsters, a natural geographic fit, moving over from the more far-flung Can-Am League. The Trois-Rivieres Industriels would replace Portland in the Can-Am.

Minor League Champions
Southeastern League: Savannah Cardinals, 113-41, defeats Lexington (2nd straight)
Colonial League: Scranton-Wilkes Barre Red Barons, 84-56, defeats Reading (2nd straight)
River Valley League: Toledo Mud Hens, 94-46, defeats Rochester
Rocky Mountain League: Cheyenne Bulls, 67-53, defeats Missoula
Coastal League: Macon Peaches, 95-59, defeats Johnson City (4th straight)
Northern League: Green Bay Giants, 112-28, defeats Appleton (2nd straight)
Southwest League: Modesto Growers, 78-62, defeats Ventura (2nd straight)
Southern Association: Columbus Catfish, 77-63, defeats Springfield (2nd straight)
Northwest League: Pocatello Gatekeepers, 111-43, defeats Reno
Can-Am League: London Werewolves, 72-55, defeats Hamilton
Mid-Atlantic League: Roanoke Red Hawks, 84-56, defeats Greensboro
Lone Star League: Rio Grande White Wings, 123-17, defeats San Angelo
Great Plains League: Des Moines Demons, 91-49, defeats South Bend
Florida Coast League: St. Petersburg Saints, 80-60, defeats Fort Lauderdale
Heartland League: Quad Cities Trappers, 77-63, defeats Cedar Rapids
Atlantic Coast League: Wilmington (NC) Waves, 66-54, defeats Annapolis
North American League: Colorado Springs Sky Sox, 81-59, defeats Saskatoon
North Atlantic League: Halifax Anglers, 61-51, defeats Nashua

The big stories on the field in the minors involved two close races and two historically dominant teams. In the Southwest League, the entire five-team division finished at or above .500 and within eight games of first. Four teams were within four games, with Ventura (78-62) edging out San Bernardino (77-63), Long Beach (76-64), and Lancaster (74-66) for the division crown. The Heartland League had five teams within five games of first, though it was a little more clear-cut. Cedar Rapids (79-61) and Quad Cities (77-63) got the playoff spots, while Evansville Sioux City, and Youngstown all finished 74-66.

Meanwhile, one year after winning a Northern League-record 107 games, Green Bay won 112 games. That paled in comparison to Rio Grande Valley in the Lone Star League, though. The affiliate of the Las Vegas Gamblers, the White Wings went a truly unfathomable 123-17, setting the all-time minor league record for wins (non-PCL) and all-time professional baseball record with an .879 winning percentage. They won both of their playoff series in five games (out of a best-of-seven).

They won the LSL South by 45 games (80 games above last-place Midland-Odessa) and outscored opponents 906-388, a run differential of +518 (an all-time record), slashing .308/.410/.444 as a team with 6.5 runs per game, while posting a 2.39 team ERA. They had all the major award winners and many league leaders, including the top four pitchers in ERA and wins. To call the season anything less than stunning would be underselling their accomplishments greatly.

[KCRoyals15]

2003

EDITOR'S NOTE: With the 2003 season, we have finally caught up to where I was back in the week before Thanksgiving when I decided I wanted to go back and chronicle this adventure.

Of course, as a result of this, updates (which had already tapered off due to real-world reasons) will likely be more sporadic, as I will stick to recapping an entire season at a time.

In four tremendously successful seasons in the Windy City, Trey Skipper had rebuilt the Chicago Whales into a force, culminating in a National Championship the previous season. As was usually the case, it was time to move on, as his four-year tenure came to a close with a 372-277 (.573) record, with three playoff berths and the 2002 titles.

And so, Trey turned his attention north of the border for the first time. He would now be at the helm of the team with far and away the longest postseason drought in baseball history. The Montreal Royals had not made the playoffs in any of their first 50 seasons in Canada. On top of that, they did not make the postseason in their final 33 seasons in their previous stop: the first incarnation of the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Trey Skipper's new franchise had not played a single inning of postseason baseball since 1919, giving him a new challenge: bring pennant fever to the Quebecois faithful who knew nothing but losing baseball.

In three of the four major leagues/conferences, the season was marked by several very dominant teams, fueled in part by rising salaries and a loosened arbitration system making it easier for deeper-pocketed clubs to accumulate high-end talent.

Sure enough, in the Northern Conference, the ultra-rich New York Gothams led the way, going 113-49 behind the second highest-scoring offense in Northern Conference history, which also set a conference record with 266 home runs. Not only that, but the Gothams also drew 4,060,407 fans to Shea Stadium, becoming the first club in baseball history to reach that staggering total.

Outside of the Big Apple, the Philadelphia Quakers celebrated their final season at Veterans Stadium with a 98-win season and second-place finish in the New England League, earning the first playoff berth in 14 years. The Midwest Association, meanwhile, had defending the National Champion Chicago Whales win a club-record 108 games, finishing 22 games up on Milwaukee who took a distant second, four game ahead of the two Ohio teams.

Since returning to the major leagues, the Boston Pilgrims returned to their losing ways. Fresh off three-straight 100-loss seasons and with 12-straight losing seasons, the Pilgrims said goodbye to the venerable Fenway Park, which was shuttered after 91 seasons of play.

The Minutemen would relocate across town to a familiar site to the very old-timers: the very same plot of land that was once home of the Boston Beaneaters before they folded in 1941. With that, a new name was unveiled for the club: the Boston Minutemen. With a new stadium, Nickerson Field, and a new name, the fans responded well, raising attendance by over a million fans. The club also posted their best record (72-90) in six years.



In the League Finals, the two pennant winners took care of business, though in different manners. New York brushed aside Philly in five games, while Chicago needed a full seven games to squeeze past Milwaukee. The Whales, though, stepped it up, knocking off New York in six games for a second-straight Conference Championship.

In the Southern Conference, Atlanta matched their major league high with 102 wins, taking their third pennant in four years, while Washington's 99 wins allowed them to cruise to their fourth-straight playoff berth. The Western League once more featured multiple 100-win teams, with Louisville winning a conference-most 107 games and New Orleans five games behind with 102 victories.



In the Southern playoffs, Atlanta got all they could handle from Washington, but the Peaches got past the Senators in seven games. Louisville, meanwhile, pulverized the Pelicans in five games. The Colonels then took care of business, peeling the Peaches in six games to give Louisville their second conference title in six seasons.

In the Pacific Coast League, a small change took place on the islands. Three years ago, the Islanders changed their location designation from Hawaii to Honolulu at the insistence of the Honolulu city government with a new stadium coming on their day. Two years after the opening of Les Murakami Stadium, with the new name and color scheme unpopular and a new mayor in office, the club was given the blessing to return to their roots, and so the club would once more be named the Hawaii Islanders, with the familiar gold and red color scheme returning with an updated logo.

On the field, the Islanders were stuck in the tougher division, as the North was exceptionally weak. San Francisco won the North with just a 103-97 record, and 93-107 Sacramento edged Oakland by a game for second, backing into the playoffs. In the South, three teams won at least 110 games, but only two could make the playoffs. Those two were Phoenix, won won a club-record 134 games and drew a PCL-record 3,998,089 fans, and San Jose, who took second with 121 wins, leaving San Diego out of luck and out of the playoffs.



However, surprises abounded in the postseason. In the first round, Sacramento swept San Francisco in a surprising results. Meanwhile, San Jose toppled Phoenix. Defending champion Sacramento was an overwhelming underdog, but the Solons upset the Gulls in the PCL Finals, earning another league championship as the worst league champion in USBF history.

The Texas League, like usual, had tamer results, as Dallas won the North with 95 wins, while Tulsa and Fort Worth tied for second at 88-74. Tulsa took the tiebreaker with a game 163 win, earning their fourth-straight second-place finish. Austin returned to the top of the South, winning a league-high 97 games, while San Antonio took a comfortable second.



In the Division Finals, Tulsa upset Dallas in the first round, winning a seven-game decision. Austin, meanwhile, also needed seven games to squeeze past San Antonio. The Wranglers were much more decisive in the Lone Star Series, though, sweeping the Oilers to win their first TL title in six years.

That set up a national tournament where one of these was definitely not like the other. A matchup of two heavyweights lived up to its billing as the Louisville Colonels (SOU) defeat the Chicago Whales (NOR), 4-3. However, the weakest team in the field came up with the most decisive victory, as the Sacramento Solons (PCL) defeat the Austin Wranglers (TL), 4-1. The Solons continued their miracle run by winning three of the first four games, putting them on the cusp of being the first National Champion with a losing record. The Colonels, though, played up to their talent level, winning the last three games as the Louisville Colonels (SOU) defeat the Sacramento Solons (PCL), 4-3 as Louisville lifted their third National Championship trophy and first since 1971.



In the Northern Conference, not surprisingly, the top player came from the top team. New York's Allen Peterson slashed .338/.405/.675 with 189 hits, 124 runs, 38 doubles, 14 triples, a conference-leading 41 homers, 120 RBI, and 28 steals to take his third MVP trophy.

On the mound, for the second year in a row, it was Chicago's Adrian Wright winning the hardware. The 22-year-old went 20-9 with a 2.71 and 275 strikeouts, leading the North in strikeouts and ERA, while also logging 252.0 innings.

In the Southern Conference, history was made by Washington's Enrique Rivas. The 29-year-old went 3-for-5 on the last day of the season to boost his batting average from .399 to .401. With that feat, Rivas became just the 11th major league player to hit .400 and the first since 1930. He added 186 hits, 107 runs, 39 doubles, 29 homers, and 102 RBI to his .401/.508/.677 (all conference bests) slash line, earning his fourth MVP award.

Atlanta's 34-year-old Bob Hoffman was having a career year when an elbow injury abruptly ended it on September 1. Still, he was able to go 15-5 with a conference-leading 2.42 ERA, striking out 154 over 204.2 innings, giving him enough work to claim the veteran's first Pitcher of the Year trophy.

Not surprisingly, the Pacific Coast League saw all major awards swept by Phoenix. For the second year in a row and third time overall, Firebirds shortstop Jason Horstkamp earned MVP, slashing .326/.387/.578 with 203 hits, 127 runs, 39 doubles, 36 homers, 117 RBI, and 18 steals.

Phoenix's 28-year-old righty Carlos Cruz had been up and down over an eight-year career, but he put it all together, going 27-6 with a 2.49 ERA, leading the league in both marks. He struck out 191 over his 293.1 innings, earning Pitcher of the Year for the first time.

In the Texas League, two offensive records fell emphaticallyat the hands of San Antonio's power-hitting first baseman Kyohei Kawakami. The 29-year-old already owned four 30-homer seasons, but he escalated his production immensely, shattering league records with 59 homers and 178 RBI, while slashing .317/.400/.692 with 193 hits, and also leading the TL with 133 runs and 41 doubles. His first MVP was a shoe-in.

Kawakami's teammate Josh Faulhaber showed no intention of losing his perch as the TL's top twirler. The 28-year-old won his second Triple Crown, going 20-5 with a 2.68 ERA and 251 strikeouts. It was Faulhaber's fifth-straight season leading the TL in wins (with 20 or more each time), his third ERA title in four years, his sixth strikeout title in seven seasons, and on top of that, his 268.2 innings led the league for the sixth year in a row. His fourth Pitcher of the Year was little surprise as well.

In the EBF Hall of Fame voting, a top-flight base stealer with over 2,800 hits, an MVP, and 13 All-Star bids had the weekend to himself:

OF John Schob (1980-97), 97.8%

In the Pacific Coast League, it was also a single inductee going in, with a two-time Pitcher of the Year earning his call:

SP Todd Coley (1987-99), 77.7%

---



The American Baseball League saw notable change in its ranks. After 24 years in the Ohio capital in which they never quite found their footing, the Columbus Clippers departed aging Cooper Stadium and moved southward, filling the void of the recently departed (last season: 2000) Tampa Tarpons, but choosing a more exotic identity: the Tampa Bay Parrots were born. In an interesting twist, the Parrots chose to forgo indoor baseball at the Florida Suncoast Dome and instead would play outdoors at the smaller, but more centrally-located Steinbrenner Field.

On the field, the Parrots were never a factor in a tight East Division that saw six teams finish within nine games of each other. Syracuse edged out Charlotte by a game for the division crown. Ottawa and Raleigh-Durham finished tied for third (both one game ahead of Indianapolis), meaning both of those markets would see their first taste of playoff baseball. The West was dominated by Anaheim (108 wins) and Las Vegas (101), but no one else was over .500. 80-82 Nashville finished third while 76-win Spokane backed into the fourth spot.

In the first round, Raleigh-Durham's first playoff trip was a quick one, as they got swept by Syracuse. Charlotte ended Ottawa's first October in six games, while top-seeded Anaheim took care of Spokane in six in the West. However, Nashville upset Las Vegas in five games, ending the three-year reign of the Gamblers. The semis had zero drama as Syracuse and Anaheim won in sweeps, putting the top two seeds in the finals. It was the lesser of the two, though, on top, as the Chiefs upset the Amigos in seven games, giving Syracuse their fourth American Baseball Cup.

In the East, Frank Rivas wasn't as dominant as the previous year, but still slashed .318/.377/.525 for Syracuse, leading the ABL with 190 hits and adding 105 runs, 46 doubles, 22 homers, 101 RBI, and 31 steals to earn his second-straight MVP. Charlotte ace Mark Hartl also was a repeat Pitcher of the Year, going 21-8 with a 3.93 ERA, leading the East in wins, innings (295.2), starts (36), and strikeouts (254), while logging 14 complete games.

Out West, Spokane's Alejandro Zavala had a breakout second season, slashing .338/.422/.619 (all best in the West) with a West-best 187 hits, to go along with 111 runs, 38 doubles, 36 homers, and 106 RBI, earning MVP. On the mound, Spokane rookie Keith Harrell broke out, going 22-10 with a 3.47 ERA, leading the ABL in wins and ERA, while pacing the West with 282.1 innings and striking out 197 batters, earning Pitcher of the Year.

---

Minor League Champions
Southeastern League: Savannah Cardinals, 115-39, defeats Lexington (3rd straight)
Colonial League: Lowell Blue Sox, 85-55, defeats Reading
River Valley League: Rochester Red Wings, 84-57, defeats Toledo
Rocky Mountain League: Missoula Grizzlies, 70-50, defeats Twin Falls
Coastal League: Johnson City Smokies, 90-64, defeats Macon
Northern League: Green Bay Giants, 103-37, defeats La Crosse (3rd straight)
Southwest League: Fresno Bulldogs, 73-67, defeats Ventura (2nd straight)
Southern Association: Biloxi Pilots, 78-62, defeats Joplin
Northwest League: Pocatello Gatekeepers, 95-59, defeats Victoria (2nd straight)
Can-Am League: Trois-Rivieres Industriels, 76-50, defeats Quebec
Mid-Atlantic League: Roanoke Red Hawks, 84-56, defeats Altoona (2nd straight)
Lone Star League: Northwest Arkansas Razorbacks, 100-40, defeats Rio Grande
Great Plains League: Des Moines Demons, 91-49, defeats South Bend (2nd straight)
Florida Coast League: West Palm Beach Tropics, 84-56, defeats St. Petersburg
Heartland League: Rockford Metros, 84-56, defeats Sioux Falls
Atlantic Coast League: Petersburg Generals, 61-59, defeats Wilmington (NC)
North American League: Colorado Springs Sky Sox, 74-66, defeats Saskatoon (2nd straight)
North Atlantic League: Burlington Lakers, 68-44, defeats Nashua

[KCRoyals15]

2004

Prior to the 2004 season, one number was pointed out: 9,972. What was the significance of it? The Skipper family dynasty, spanning back 104 seasons, had accrued that many managerial wins.

That meant it was only a matter of time before huge milestone number was hit, and it came on May 23, 2004, when a Montreal Royals win over Milwaukee gave Trey Skipper his family's 10,000th win.

At the end of the season, that left the family's record at 10,059-7,573 (.570) lifetime, split up as so:

The Skipper (1900-34): 3,758-2,242 (.626)
Skipper Jr. (1935-69): 3,198-2,722 (.540)
Trey Skipper (1970-Present): 3,103-2,609 (.543)

Once again, quite a few very strong teams dotted the landscape, starting in the Northern Conference. In the New England League, the Philadelphia Quakers won 104 games, their most since 1969, and took their first pennant since 1980, besting New York by eight games, though the Gothams earned their seventh playoff berth in a row. The Midwest Association was once again dominated by Chicago, who went a franchise-record 110-52 to win their third-straight pennant. Milwaukee won 99 games, finishing second for the second year in a row.



The postseason saw one mild surprise, as Philadelphia was upset by New York, in six games, while Chicago defeated Milwaukee in six. The Whales were on the hunt for a Northern Conference threepeat and they would earn it, taking down the Gothams in six games for the conference crown. In the process, Chicago became the first team in Eastern Baseball Federation history to win their conference three consecutive seasons.

In the Southern Conference, the Eastern League saw a good three-team race. Norfolk and Atlanta were at the top all season before Washington mounted a late charge, but ultimately finished two games back in third. For the Admirals, this was their first playoff berth in seven years. The Western League was once again led by two superpowers, with defending National Champion Louisville winning 113 games and Kansas City 106 to take the playoff spots. The frustration continued for New Orleans, who won 97 games but missed the playoffs. The Pelicans had won at least 92 games in seven of the last eight seasons, but had just one playoff berth to show for it.

On the other side, the Chicago Cyclones went 55-107, their third year in a row with at least 107 losses. Omaha lost over 100 games for the fourth year in a row, going a ghastly 47-115, the worst season in franchise history.



In the postseason, Atlanta downed Norfolk in six games, while Kansas City overran Louisville in a five-game upset. The Blues were a clear favorite in the Southern Championship, but the Peaches punched above their weight, knocking out the Blues in six games to win Atlanta's second conference title in six seasons.

In the Pacific Coast League, two-time defending champion Sacramento missed the playoffs, finishing in third place behind San Francisco and Oakland, with the Seals winning their fifth-straight division title. In the South, Phoenix earned their eighth playoff berth in a row, winning the division with San Jose finishing second, their fourth-straight playoff spot.



Both division winners took care of business in the first round. San Francisco got a test from Oakland, but chopped down the Oaks in game seven, while Phoenix breezed past San Jose in five games. The Firebirds had an even easier time in the PCL Finals, sweeping the Seals to win their fifth title in eight seasons.

That left the Texas League, where there was no drama in either division. Tulsa won the North for the first time since 1997, finishing eight games over Dallas, who also breezed into the field. Austin, meanwhile, had their best team ever, going 107-55 and scoring a TL-record 1,031 runs to win the South, while Houston won 98 games to finish second.



The Division Series saw Tulsa edge Dallas in seven games, while Austin beat Houston in six games, which was a series many saw as the true Texas League title tilt. Indeed, the actual Lone Star Series was a snoozer, as the Wranglers downed the Oilers in five games to repeat as Texas League champions.

While the Wranglers had maybe the best team in Texas League history, the once-proud El Paso Texans crashed to a 43-119 record, the worst record in Texas League history and the squad's fourth-straight 100-loss season. Wichita also lost 105 games, one game above their low-water mark.



In the national tournament, Chicago was a huge favorite in the first round, though Atlanta was undaunted in their role as giant killers. However, the killer Whales won in seven games. The best of the West saw a short series, with Austin grinding up Phoenix in five games, setting a matchup of two true heavyweights for the national title. The home teams won each of the first six games, but the Wranglers lost game seven at Dell Diamond, giving the Chicago Whales their third National Championship and their second in three seasons.



In the Northern Conference, second-year Milwaukee first baseman Jeremy Clinesmith took the league by storm The 25-year-old slashed .341/.436/.608 with 203 hits, 130 runs, 49 doubles, 36 homers, and 113 RBI, earning him MVP honors.

For the third time in his three big-league seasons, Chicago's Adrian Wright was best in the North. The 23-year-old lefty won the Triple Crown, going 24-2 with a 2.93 ERA and an EBF-record 291 strikeouts. He also led the lead with 264.0 innings and seven complete games, earning Pitcher of the Year in unanimous fashion.

Rookie of the Year Bert Escajeda of the Philadelphia Quakers had n eye-popping debut season. He led the country with a .361 batting average and slugged .542 with 107 RBI despite just 6 home runs. Why? He ripped a national-record 77 doubles, a big reason why he finished runner-up in MVP voting.

In the Southern Conference, Louisville's Toby Matthews had been near the top of the league for a few seasons, but finally broke through on the ballot. The 29-year-old slashed .338/.393/.585 with a conference-high 201 hits, 114 runs, 43 doubles, 7 triples, 30 homers, 103 RBI, 32 steals, and a Great Glove to earn his first MVP.

His teammate Jay Powel had been a longtime star out of the bullpen, making over 600 appearances and earning seven All-Star bids as a reliever over the first decade of his career. Inexplicitly, though, Louisville moved him to the rotation and the 35-year-old went 23-5 with a 2.19 ERA, both best in the South, and struck out 189 batters in 226.1 innings, earning Pitcher of the Year.

In the Pacific Coast League, San Francisco's Jordan Brewer made an MVP bid as a rookie, but was successful as a sophomore. The 25-year-old slashed .318/.420/.583 with 223 hits, 143 runs, 48 doubles, 9 triples, 40 homers, 143 RBI, and 67 stolen bases.

On the mound, San Jose's Abe Dickson logged his fourth-straight 20-win season, going 24-9 with a 2.95 ERA (both PCL bests), struck out 191 batters, and also led the league with 305.1 innings, 7 complete games, and 4 shutouts, earning the 30-year-old his second Pitcher of the Year trophy.

Los Angeles' Robby Gfeller had been a mostly forgotten star in largely listless Los Angeles lineups, but the 37-year-old earned commendation after stroking his 3,000th career hit on July 22.

While his team missed the postseason, San Antonio's Matt Pickens didn't miss a beat. The 29-year-old slashed .313/.446/.585 with 173 hits, a league-leading 137 runs, 41 doubles, 8 triples, 31 homers, and 103 RBI. He also stole a league-high 71 bases. In his six-season career, Pickens has led the Texas League in walks and on-base percentage each year, wile leading in stolen bases five times. With this year's trophy, he's also won three MVPs.

With Josh Faulhaber leaving the Texas League in free agency, his four-year run as Pitcher of the Year ended, leaving Tulsa's James Kessler to full the void. The 31-year-old had been mostly mediocre over his first nine major league seasons, but he went 19-10 with a 3.64 ERA, striking out 171 over 225.0 innings to earn Pitcher of the Year accolades.

On Hall of Fame weekend, the Eastern Baseball Federation elected a 16-time All-Star behind the plate and the first reliever to ever win a Pitcher of the Year award, who also added four Reliever of the Year trophies to his mantle:

C Rick Larry (1978-94), 83.6%
RP Antonio Nevarez (1979-92), 78.6%

The Pacific Coast League, meanwhile, welcomed in a three-time MVP who is the only 500-500 player in major league history:

OF Justin Arnold (1984-00), 98.2%

Lastly, the Texas League inducted a two-time MVP was also an exceptional postseason hitter:

1B Jon Gonzalez (1987-01), 84.3%

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The American Baseball League had three 100-win teams clearly above the rest, with Charlotte dominating the East and Ottawa, Raleigh-Durham, and Richmond a clear tier below. Defending ABL champion Syracuse missed the playoff derby by two games. In the West, Las Vegas won 105 games and Anaheim 102, while Memphis and Nashville each won 87 games to earn the last two spots.

In the postseason, Charlotte survived a scare from Richmond in seven, while Raleigh-Durham beat Ottawa in the East and Las Vegas (over Memphis) and Anaheim (over Nashville) both cruised in the West. The first-ever postseason matchup of the two Carolina teams went Charlotte's way in six games, while Anaheim swept Las Vegas. With all the cards on the table, Charlotte downed Anaheim in six games, giving the Knights their first American Baseball Cup.

In the East, Raleigh-Durham's Ben Grinestaff had a huge second season, slashing .294/.426/.542, with 177 hits, an East-high 133 runs, 38 doubles, 33 homers, an East-best 132 RBI, and 31 steals, earning MVP honors. Across the state, Charlotte's Japanese righty Masaaki Higashio took a huge leap in his third season, going 20-13 with a 3.19 ERA, striking out 203 and leading the East in wins, innings (285.1), and complete games (23).

Out West, Ramon Rodriguez was a four-time All-Star in the majors, but dropped to the ABL in 2003. In his second season in the league, he slashed /308/.413/.555 for Anaheim, with 175 hits, 119 runs, 46 doubles, 10 triples, 25 homers, 115 RBI, and an ABL-best 72 steals to win MVP. His teammate, another successful former big-leaguer in Travis Miller, went 19-8 with a West-leading 3.19 ERA and a league-high 223 strikeouts over 282.1 innings to earn Pitcher of the Year.

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Minor League Champions
Southeastern League: Savannah Cardinals, 122-32, defeats Knoxville (4th straight)
Colonial League: Reading Keystones, 91-49, defeats Lowell
River Valley League: Toledo Mud Hens, 83-57, defeats Charleston (WV)
Rocky Mountain League: Cheyenne Bulls, 76-44, defeats Helena
Coastal League: Charleston (SC) Cannons, 93-61, defeats Macon
Northern League: Green Bay Giants, 105-35, defeats St. Paul (4th straight)
Southwest League: Long Beach Earthquakes, 78-62, defeats Salinas
Southern Association: Biloxi Pilots, 80-60, defeats Joplin (2nd straight)
Northwest League: Reno High Rollers, 92-62, defeats Eugene
Can-Am League: Springfield Spinners, 70-56, defeats Quebec
Mid-Atlantic League: Altoona Engineers, 88-52, defeats Roanoke
Lone Star League: Abilene Prairie Dogs, 83-57, defeats Rio Grande
Great Plains League: Des Moines Demons, 98-42, defeats Salina (3rd straight)
Florida Coast League: St. Petersburg Saints, 81-59, defeats West Palm Beach
Heartland League: Sioux Falls Canaries, 83-57, defeats Youngstown
Atlantic Coast League: Greenville (NC) Goblins, 66-54, defeats Wilmington (NC)
North American League: Colorado Springs Sky Sox, 71-69, defeats Calgary (3rd straight)
North Atlantic League: Burlington Lakers, 66-46, defeats Bangor (2nd straight)

The Savannah Cardinals set a new Southeastern League record for wins with their staggering 122-win campaign, and finished just one win shy of the all-time non-PCL record.

Things were less dominant in the Heartland League, which saw the top four teams in the East Division finish with records between 71-69 and 68-72, plus a one-game margin for the final playoff spot in the West.

The Can-Am League, meanwhile, had 70-56 Springfield in first and 67-59 Quebec in second. Four additional teams were squeezed in within three games of Quebec, making for a legitimate six-team race.

[KCRoyals15]

How We Got Here

At the end of the 2004 season, 105 seasons had been played under the United States Baseball Federation banner. Over that time, many different changes have taken place: teams being added and folded, others moving up and down, considerable realignment, and the addition of two other major leagues, plus numerous minor leagues.

In this installment, we'll take a look at how all 226 teams playing in 2005 came to be. Currently the breakdown looks like this:

- 52 major league teams (16 EBF Northern Conference, 16 EBF Southern Conference, 10 Pacific Coast League, 10 Texas League)
- 16 American Baseball League teams (quasi-major league; classified independent)
- 68 affiliated minor league teams (in 8 leagues: Coastal, Colonial, Great Plains, Lone Star, Northern, Northwest, River Valley, Southeastern)
- 90 independent teams (in 10 leagues: Atlantic Coast, Can-Am, Florida Coast, Heartland, Mid-Atlantic, North American, North Atlantic, Rocky Mountain, Southern Association, Southwest)

Additionally, this is when all leagues were added to the game:

1900 — EBF Northern Conference (originally entire USBF)
1900 — Pacific Coast League (minor league from 1900-25)
1900 — Southeastern League
1902 — Colonial League
1903 — River Valley League
1903 — Texas League (minor league from 1903-54)
1907 — Rocky Mountain League
1911 — Coastal League
1914 — Northern League
1919 — Great Lakes League (defunct, operated 1919-79)
1921 — Southwest League
1922 — Southern Association
1934 — Northwest League
1947 — Can-Am League
1947 — Mid-Atlantic League
1948 — Lone Star League
1954 — American Baseball League
1954 — Great Plains League
1955 — EBF Southern Conference (formal split from EBF North)
1957 — Florida Coast League
1965 — Big Sky League (defunct, operated 1965-94)
1980 — Heartland League
1986 — Atlantic Coast League
1995 — North American League
2002 — North Atlantic League

Eastern Baseball Federation Northern Conference (1900)



Eastern Baseball Federation Southern Conference (1955)



Pacific Coast League (1900; became major league 1926)



Texas League (1903, became major league 1955)



Former major league teams


American Baseball League (1954)



AFFILIATED MINOR LEAGUES

Coastal League (1911)



Colonial League (1902)



Great Plains League (1954)



Lone Star League (1948)



Northern League (1914)



Northwest League (1934)



River Valley League (1903)



Southeastern League (1900)



INDEPENDENT MINOR LEAGUES

Atlantic Coast League (1986)



Can-Am League (1947)


Florida Coast League (1957)



Heartland League (1980),



Mid-Atlantic League (1947)



North American League (1995)



North Atlantic League (2002)



Rocky Mountain League(1907)



Southern Association (1922)



Southwest League (1921)

[KCRoyals15]

2005

"Now or Never for Nos Amours" read the headline in the Sports Illustrated baseball season preview.

"Trey Skipper has made a living as a Mr. Fix It in a family of Mr. Fix Its. From Hawaii to Tampa to Denver and other stops along the way, he has made his living as his father famously did: stop in for a year or three, turn around a bad situation, then move on down the road."

"The 69-year-old is entering his 36th season as a professional manager and Montreal is his eleventh stop. He hasn't said it publicly, but it almost certainly will be his last. Each of his first ten teams have reached the postseason under his watch and he hopes to make it 11-for-11."

"Usually, the Skipper family formula is simple: arrive at a losing team swimming in red ink, trim payroll, hit the trading block in search of offset salaries or straight-up cash coming back with players, then if there's money left over sign a key amateur free agent, but that's not too normal on Skipper-ran teams."

"This year, though, maybe the age in Trey Skipper's eyes or the desperation of a Montreal fanbase has changed the calculus somewhat. The trades have still come, netting All-Star pitcher John Bersani (from Austin) and infielders Jeff Woodward (New York) and Michael Shelton (Cleveland), notably. However, the Royals also broke the bank for coveted amateur hurlers Danny Leffler and Isaiah Pressley. Most notably, they out-bid several other squads for three-time Texas League MVP Matt Pickens."

"On paper, this is a team that should challenge Chicago and Milwaukee atop the Midwest Association. It needs to. Not just because of the 52 seasons in Quebec with no playoff bids to show for it, but the financial ramifications of that."

"Despite the two highest season attendance figures in Royals history the last two seasons (over 2.3 million in 2004), it took the lowest ticket prices in the majors to get there. Despite that, the team still lost money each of the last two seasons. If this team falls flat with a higher payroll, how long will the patience of a very patient fan base last?"

"The pressure is on up north. Now it's up to see how Nos Amours handle it."

The Northern Conference was a top-heavy conference with quite a bit of separation at the top. In the New England League, New York won 105 games to punch their eighth playoff ticket in a row. The Philadelphia Quakers made it to October for the third year in a row, winning 101 times.

In the Midwest Association, Montreal's high-priced bet paid off, as the Royals won 101 games the MWA pennant. It ended the longest postseason drought in professional baseball history. The Royals had never been to the playoffs in their first 52 years in Quebec, with a Game 163 loss in 1961 being about the only close call. Going back to their previous stint in Brooklyn, the franchise had last reached October in 1919, an unfathomable 86-year weight to make the postseason again. Joining Montreal in the postseason would be Chicago, who reached the playoffs for the fourth year in a row.



In the postseason, New York made quick work of Philadelphia in a four-game sweep, while Montreal's first-ever playoff series ended with a win, as the Royals won Game 7 at Olympic Stadium to down Chicago. The Gothams were in no mood for feel-good stories, though, routing the Royals in five games to earn their second Northern Conference title in six years.

The Southern Conference was characterized by pretty much all teams being pretty good or pretty bad. This was especially true in the Eastern League, where four teams won at least 93 games...and four lost at least 93 games. Norfolk was at the top, going 104-58, while Atlanta edged out Jacksonville by one game and Washington by three for the other playoff spot. The Western League also had a playoff-caliber team left at home as New Orleans' frustrating annual ritual continued: win 90 games, but finish behind Louisville (109-53) and Kansas City (96-66), who grabbed the two playoff spots.



In the League Finals, Norfolk pounded the Peaches in five games, taking down Atlanta. Kansas City, meanwhile, upset Louisville in six games. The Blues did not have another upset in them in the Southern Championship, though it wasn't for lack of trying. Norfolk squeaked out a seven-game series win to win their first conference title since 1997.

The Pacific Coast League was notable for two dominant teams rising above the pack...and one very bad division below one of them. San Francisco roared to a 136-64 record, but no one else was above .500. The Portland Beavers were just 91-109—45 games back—but they were in second, out-pacing Oakland by a game and Sacramento by three games to earn their first playoff bid since 1971, snapping a 44-year drought.

The South was better, but Phoenix was still well ahead of the park at 132-68. Hawaii posted their first winning season in 14 years, but tailed off late to finish five games back of San Jose, who earned their fifth-straight playoff berth.



The Division Series did not feature any surprises, but they very nearly saw a huge one. Portland gave San Francisco all they had, but the Seals won Game 7 at Pac Bell Park to stave off the upset. Phoenix took care of business much easier, vanquishing San Jose in five games. The Firebirds then roasted the Seals in six games, making Phoenix back-to-back PCL champions and earning their sixth title in nine seasons.

The Texas League is not known for dominant teams, but each division winner won 102 games. Tulsa's mark in the North set a franchise record, as did their sixth-straight playoff berth. Dallas finished six games back, taking the second spot. In the South, Houston also won 102 times, finishing 13 games clear of Austin, who slipped in as a wild card after back-to-back TL titles the previous two seasons.



The divisional round featured no drama as both division winners took care of business in five game series. That set up the clear top-two teams in the league. Indeed, with two very evenly-matched teams, the series went the distance, with Houston topping Tulsa in Game 7, earning their first Texas League title in 13 years.



In the national tournament, Houston pulled off a upset, sending tournament-regular Phoenix home in a six-game series. Meanwhile, two Eastern heavyweights squared off, with Norfolk out-muscling New York in another six-game set. Each team was making their fourth finals appearance all-time and at the end of it all, each squad would have a pair of titles. Norfolk downed Houston in Game 7, giving the Admirals their second National Championship, eight years after their first one.



In the Northern Conference, a breakout star from a couple years prior reached the pinnacle, as New York's Greg Batchelor took MVP honors for the first time. The 25-year-old slashed .339/.436/.581 with 191 hits, 120 runs, 44 doubles, 30 homers, 111 RBI, and a Great Glove in center field to take the honor.

Two years after departing Texas to take on New York, fellow Gotham Josh Faulhaber went 20-6 with a 2.72 ERA, leading the North in wins and innings (244.2) while striking out 196, tossing 6 complete games and 3 shutouts to earn his fifth Pitcher of the Year crown.

In the Southern Conference, Pittsburgh's David Solorio was already a dependable slugger, but spiked as a 28-year-old, slashing .352/.452/.645 with a conference-best 207 hits, 124 runs, 42 doubles, 42 homers, and 128 RBI, winning MVP honors. Unfortunately, his time in the Steel City would end barely halfway into the next season.

Save for a 20-win season in 2001, Norfolk's Jonathan Sill had been an average pitcher throughout his five-year career, but in his sixth season, the 28-year-old went 19-6 with a South-best 2.61 ERA and also led the conference with 252.0 innings and 7 complete games, striking out 175 batters on his way to his first Pitcher of the Year award, as well as the National Championship.

In the Pacific Coast League, San Francisco phenom Jordan Brewer claimed his second-straight MVP award. The 26-year-old slashed .328/.428/.610 with 222 hits, 144 runs, 57 doubles, 7 triples, 40 homers, 115 RBI, and 38 steals to take home the hardware once again.

Brewer's teammate, Tim Gassner had a rookie season to remember. At just 18 years old (he turned 19 in October), the rookie became the youngest award winner in major league history, going 23-6 with a PCL leading 2.38 ERA to take Pitcher of the Year (and Rookie of the Year). He also led the league with 232 strikeouts over 264.1 innings in his debut campaign.

Though he came award with no hardware for his effort, hard-hitting Hawaii shortstop Brad Akin had a record-setting season. The 24-year-old crushed 64 homers, the most in PCL history, which gave him his second-straight home run crown and put him at over 200 home runs in less than four full seasons.

In the Texas League, a man with a very unique skillset stood out. 21-year-old Tulsa rookie Jim Prigge slashed .354/.475/.515 (winning the TL batting title) with 191 hits, 112 runs, 38 doubles, and just 7 homers to go with 76 RBI. He did lead the league with 14 triples and 129 walks as well. In the end, it was enough to earn him Rookie of the Year and MVP.

After nearly a decade as an overshadowed near-ace on many excellent San Diego teams, Danny Vasquez stood out in his first year in Dallas. The 34-year-old went 18-9 with a 3.24 ERA, leading the TL in wins and striking out 164 over 236.0 innings, earning his first Pitcher of the Year honor.

On Hall of Fame, a steady second baseman with over 2,400 hits got the call from the Eastern Baseball Federation, as did a longtime stalwart with over 250 wins:

2B Jacob Crouch (1983-98), 84.5%
SP Mike Reynolds (1980-96), 78.1%

Meanwhile, the Pacific Coast League's induction weekend belonged solely to an All-Century Team member with over 350 wins and 3,300 strikeouts:

SP Scott West (1980-01), 99.3%

Finally, the Texas League welcomed a two-time MVP with the fourth-most homers in league history, plus a 14-time Great Glove winner in the outfield:

OF Lance Corle (1983-99), 86.1%
OF John Fleshman (1983-99), 75.3%

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The American Baseball League saw two wildly different divisions in terms of competitiveness. The eight teams in the East were separated by just 21 games, with the four playoff teams just six games apart. Syracuse took the top spot with Charlotte, Richmond, and Ottawa all squeezed in, all three separated by just a game. The West was much different with Anaheim (110 wins) and Las Vegas (104 wins) well ahead of the pack, plus two 100-loss teams at the bottom. Memphis (96 wins) took third, but Minneapolis and Nashville both tied for fourth at 78-84. The Millers took the tiebreaker, earning their first playoff spot in eight years.

The East first round started with Ottawa upsetting Syracuse in the first round, and Charlotte defeating Richmond. In the West, Anaheim took care of Minneapolis, while Memphis dealt an upset to Las Vegas. In the semis, Memphis was flattened by Anaheim in four games, while Ottawa's run continued with a six-game win over Charlotte. The Amigos, though, were the top team in the ABL, and they showed it with a five-game series win, earning their second American Baseball Cup.

In the East, Richmond catcher Chris Hanson slashed .320/.458/.562 with 149 hits, 101 runs, 34 doubles, 25 homers, and 86 RBI, taking home MVP honors. On the mound Pierre-Emmanuel Barajas of Ottawa as just 13-12, but the 27-year-old led the ABL in ERA (3.42) and starts), while striking out 208 batters over 274.0 innings and throwing 9 complete games.

Out West, Las Vegas shortstop Cesar Granja led the way, slashing .302/.393/.556 with 174 hits, 123 runs, 46 doubles, 5 triples, 30 homers, 107 RBI, and a Great Glove on defense to win MVP. Four years after his first Pitcher of the Year, Anaheim ace Angelo Pena won his second one. The 28-year-old workhorse went 23-10 with a 2.75 ERA (both league bests) and led the ABL with 288.1 innings, 24 complete games, and 4 shutouts, while striking out 156.

---

Minor League Champions
Southeastern League: Knoxville Bears, 107-47, defeats Savannah
Colonial League: Binghamton Big Cats, 83-57, defeats Reading
River Valley League: Charleston (WV) Coal Sox, 90-50, defeats Dayton
Rocky Mountain League: Missoula Grizzlies, 68-52, defeats Lethbridge
Coastal League: Greenville (SC) Swamp Dragons, 105-49, defeats Charleston (SC)
Northern League: Green Bay Giants, 104-36, defeats La Crosse (5th straight)
Southwest League: Modesto Growers, 81-59, defeats Long Beach
Southern Association: Biloxi Pilots, 89-51, defeats Joplin (3rd straight)
Northwest League: Idaho Falls Chukars, 86-68, defeats Reno
Can-Am League: Hamilton Steelcats, 88-38, defeats Utica
Mid-Atlantic League: Frederick Keys, 81-59, defeats Altoona
Lone Star League: Rio Grande White Wings, 97-43, defeats Abilene
Great Plains League: Des Moines Demons, 93-47, defeats Peoria (4th straight)
Florida Coast League: St. Petersburg Saints, 82-58, defeats West Palm Beach (2nd straight)
Heartland League: Rockford Metros, 75-65, defeats Madison
Atlantic Coast League: Wilmington (NC) Waves, 83-57, defeats Annapolis
North American League: Ogden Railroaders, 78-62, defeats Saskatoon
North Atlantic League: Burlington Lakers, 69-43, defeats Fredericton (3rd straight)

While there were many excellent teams, the one breaking records was the Hamilton Steelcats of the Can-Am League. Their 88-38 record was the best in the 59-year history of the loop and for good measure, they took home their first league title in their five years since moving to Hamilton.