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joefromchicago · 04-24-2013, 08:04 AM

1989 FINAL

EMPIRE LEAGUE

Dublin entered the second half with a narrow edge over Newcastle and Nottingham in the EL North race. The Shamrocks boasted a solid offense, featuring batting champ Logan Gow (.322, 21 HR, 79 RBI) and third baseman Eddie Love (.292, 16 HR, 79 RBI). On the hill, Cillian O'Looney (19-9, 2.68 ERA) and Sean Armstrong (17-13, 2.84 ERA) led the rotation, but the staff lacked depth, and management tried nine different pitchers in a starting role over the season. Newcastle, only two-and-a-half games back of the leaders at the halfway point, fell off the pace in August despite the efforts of keystone man Joe Gates (.306, 4 HR, 69 RBI). Taking the Greys' place were defending champs Nottingham, who came alive in the second half after finishing the first half of the season only one game above .500. Although the Forester offense ranked seventh in the League with a .254 team average, they scored an EL-best 704 runs with the assistance of catcher Marc Anderson (.264, 16 HR, 87 RBI) and clean-up hitter Alexander Campbell (.297, 5 HR, 53 RBI), who returned to the team in mid-July after breaking a finger in June. On the mound, Finn "Trojan" MacCulloch (19-5, 2.19 ERA) led the starters, aided by Carolan Delmar (14-8, 3.57 ERA). Dublin and Nottingham battled through August, leaving the rest of the division behind. The Shamrocks led by a game going into the final month, but they lost six of their first seven contests and dropped out of the lead, and Nottingham held on down the stretch to repeat as divisional champions despite the loss of RBI-leader "Quiet" John Dobson (.233, 27 HR, 105 RBI) to a fractured ankle.

In contrast to previous EL South races, London faced some serious challengers as the second half started. The Bulldogs held a three-game edge over Plymouth at the halfway point, but an 18-8 surge in August put a good deal of daylight between London and the rest of the division. Neil "The Silver Fox" Storr (22-7, 1.94 ERA) and Graham Digges (20-12, 2.87 ERA) topped the rotation, while veteran reliever Robert "Sassafrass" MacCaw (2-4, 47 SV, 1.98 ERA), nabbed from Hull as a free agent in the off-season, led the League in saves. The offense compiled a .260 average, second-best in the loop, but a lack of punch left them with only the eighth-best run total. Keith Parrish (.306, 15 HR, 78 RBI) led the way, with shortstop Bill Maloney (.266, 10 HR, 72 RBI) contributing some timely hitting. Plymouth got good performances from Henry Hogarth (15-7, 2.75 ERA) and home run leader Michael Tyerman (.292, 44 HR, 101 RBI), but a twenty-loss August dragged the Voyagers down to fourth place. Birmingham closed out the first half four-and-a-half games behind the leaders, boosted by a pitching staff headed by starter Ciaran McPatrick (17-9, 2.68 ERA) and lefty closer Conor Moss (4-5, 42 SV, 3.20 ERA). The offense, however, hit a collective .245, with only Michael Kerridge (.311, 26 HR, 78 RBI) distinguishing himself. With three teams battling over second place, London breezed to their fifth-straight divisional flag by a dozen lengths, although they entered the post-season without first baseman Parrish, who was questionable for the first round after missing all of September with a strained hamstring.

DOMINION ASSOCIATION

Both divisions had tight contests at the break, but only one remained close at the end. In the Northern Division, Manchester held a slim lead over the competition as five teams were bunched at the top of the ladder. The Millers featured a solid hill corps led by southpaws Whip Cormack (16-8, 2.31 ERA) and Robbie Dougan (13-12, 3.14 ERA), while the lineup featured Association batting champ Bill Callaghan (.319, 18 HR, 95 RBI) and backstop Liach "Biff" Quaile (.286, 10 HR, 58 RBI). The Mancunians built up a four-game cushion at the top of the division standings by the start of September, but Sheffield suddenly caught fire in the final month, winning nineteen games behind a torrid attack led by rookie right fielder Jim Garvock (.284, 26 HR, 95 RBI) and center fielder Luhern MacGil (.300, 27 HR, 85 RBI). On the last day of the season, Manchester clung to a one-game lead over the surging Steelers. The Millers dropped a 10-7 decision to Glasgow at home, giving Sheffield a chance to force a playoff. But the Steelers lost a heart-breaker in Sunderland when the defending divisional champs pushed a run across in the tenth to win the finale 1-0. The Swifts dropped to fourth place after a rash of injuries knocked out some of the key players who took them to the post-season last year, including Steve Gray (.299, 7 HR, 56 RBI), who missed the second half of September with a broken finger, and Liam Dow (.298, 7 HR, 52 RBI), who spent five weeks on the sidelines with various ailments.

Stoke enjoyed a tenuous game-and-a-half edge over Bristol at the break, but the Potters turned on the after-burners in the second half and blew away the competition in the DA South. Stoke boasted the DA's best team offense (.267) and pitching staff (2.87 ERA), which helped them to their second consecutive hundred-win season. The rotation was topped by left-hander Jimmy Burden (23-5, 2.13 ERA), the Association's only twenty-game winner, and talented youngster William Beattie (16-5, 2.31 ERA). The bullpen, a weak spot for last year's club, was reinforced by veteran Hallinan Quodling (4-2, 35 SV, 1.48 ERA), who took over the closer role after being acquired in the middle of 1988 from Leicester. The offensive duties were shared by first baseman Theo Fellick (.312, 22 HR, 111 RBI), who won the RBI crown, and left fielder Alex Wright (.308, 16 HR, 80 RBI). Against that onslaught, Bristol, despite a record that would have easily led the DA North, had no chance of keeping up. Marmaduke Spencer (.302, 23 HR, 77 RBI) and Auggie Gill (.283, 25 HR, 84 RBI) led the formidable Docker attack, which pounded out 134 home runs. Apart from incumbent outstanding pitcher Michael Cuber (17-10, 2.92 ERA) and closer Guaire Swanncott (6-6, 36 SV, 2.75 ERA), though, Bristol lacked depth on the mound, and the fourth-starter spot was a problem that the club never solved. After a spectacular July that saw the Dockers win twenty-three of their twenty-six contests, the team slumped in the second half, and Stoke turned a close race into a laugher by winning twenty-seven of their final thirty-eight games. Islington jumped to third place on the strength of their pitching staff, led by Anthony Rutley (16-9, 2.37 ERA) and Donall Peace (16-7, 2.86 ERA). The offense, on the other hand, managed only a collective .242 batting average, placing them tenth in the loop.

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EL CUP SEMIFINALS SERIES: NOTTINGHAM v. LONDON

These rivals met for the third-straight year in the EL championship series. Nottingham took the opener 8-7 in eleven innings after scoring five times in the top of the ninth to tie the game. London came back the next day to win 4-0 behind the pitching of Nicholas "Kitty" Hankin (13-9, 3.18 ERA), and London shut down Nottingham again in game three as Graham Digges and "Sassafrass" MacCaw combined for a 3-0 whitewash. The Bulldogs wrapped it up with a 4-2 game four victory, giving London their third pennant in four years.

DA CUP SEMIFINALS SERIES: MANCHESTER v. STOKE

Shortstop Leon Williams (.292, 7 HR, 87 RBI) gave heavily favored Stoke a 3-2 victory in the curtain-raiser with his tie-breaking homer in the sixth. Manchester came back the following day, prevailing 4-1 behind the pitching of Robbie Dougan (13-12, 3.14 ERA). Stoke, boosted by two Theo Fellick home runs, went back out ahead with an 8-6 win in game three, but the Greys stayed alive with an 11-4 clobbering of the Potters in game four. The series finale saw Stoke lead-off man Alex Wright hit a bases-loaded double in the second that plated all three runners, which was enough for starter Bob Getchell (14-7, 3.03 ERA), who scattered seven hits over seven innings to pick up the 4-2 victory that sent Stoke to the Cup Finals for the second consecutive year.

1989 BA CUP FINALS SERIES: LONDON v. STOKE

In the first meeting between these two clubs, London sent ace Neil Storr to the mound to face Stoke's Willem Esmonde (17-9, 3.11 ERA). Stoke took an early lead with a run in the bottom of the second, but Storr proved not only masterful on the mound but potent at the plate. In the fourth, the "Silver Fox" came up with the bases jammed and hit the second of two doubles on the day, driving in two runs. That proved to be the game-winner, as "Sassafrass" MacCaw came on in the ninth to pick up the save in London's 4-2 win. A two-run homer by Theo Fellick in the fourth inning of game two put Stoke ahead 2-1, and the Potters padded their lead on catcher Andrew Vivian's (.255, 8 HR, 55 RBI) run-scoring double in the fifth. Southpaw hurler Jimmy Burden, meanwhile, held the Bulldogs to five hits over eight innings before handing the ball over to Hallinan Quodling, who gave up a solo homer to Pat Dumble (.257, 9 HR, 58 RBI) but still saved the 3-2 win for the Potters. In London's City Stadium for game three, the Stoke lineup jumped all over Bulldog starter Graham Digges, who gave up four runs in the first three innings and then fell apart completely in the fourth, yielding six runs, including a grand slam to Fellick. Reliever Monro Meads (0-0, 5.21 ERA), consigned to the bullpen this season after eighteen years as a starter with London, came on to staunch the bloodbath, but it was far too late for the Dogs, who fell by a final score of 15-2. Fellick ended the day with four hits and four RBI, while Vivian, Alex Wright, and third baseman Dean Hastings (.221, 10 HR, 67 RBI) collected three hits apiece for the victors. It was a scoreless tie in the fourth inning of game four when London erupted for six runs on six singles and two walks against Esmonde. The Bulldogs added four more runs, while Stoke could only manage a single tally against Storr, who yielded four hits over seven innings for his second win of the series in London's 10-1 victory. Canadian lead-off man Sebastien Guillot (.281, 6 HR, 41 RBI) had three hits for the home squad. Burden returned to the mound for the visitors in game five, but it was London starter Michael "Comet" Lymer (5-6, 2.49 ERA), a twenty-three-year-old spot starter taking the place of "Howling" Jamie Collins (8-7, 3.87 ERA) in the post-season rotation, who stole the spotlight with a four-hit performance over seven innings, as London took the lead in the series with a 5-1 triumph. Shortstop Bill Maloney (.266, 10 HR, 72 RBI) had three of London's eleven hits, while William Smith (.232, 4 HR, 39 RBI) hit safely three times for Stoke. The Potters, facing elimination, got unexpected help from fourth starter Isaac Brembridge (10-7, 4.92 ERA), who handcuffed the London lineup in game six. Brembridge limited the Bulldogs to five hits before leaving the game after the eighth inning. By then, Stoke had built up a 5-0 lead, which is how the final score stood after Quodling hurled a scoreless ninth. Center fielder George Lyre (.297, 9 HR, 54 RBI) picked up three hits and drove in a pair of runs for the winners. For the third time in four years, London faced a decisive game seven in the Cup Finals, and the Bulldogs called on Storr to start for the third time in the series. Maloney put the visitors on the board in the second with a solo homer off Stoke starter Getchell, and they added another tally in the fourth to lead 2-0. Hastings finally broke the shutout in the seventh with a home run, and, in the eighth, Leon Williams hit a clutch two-out single off Storr that sent Wright home with the tying run. That sent the game into extra frames. In the top of the eleventh, with Quodling on the mound for Stoke, pinch hitter Bob Evans (.174, 2 HR, 7 RBI), a journeyman infielder who had been claimed off waivers from Southampton in August, drew a one-out walk, moved to second on a passed ball, and, on a recklessly daring play, broke for third base. Catcher Andrew Vivian, caught completely unawares, threw wildly in an attempt to catch Evans, who scampered home when the ball sailed into left field. "Leaping" Nathan Annable (5-4, 2 SV, 2.10 ERA) came on in the bottom of the eleventh and induced second baseman Bert Jeffcoate (.266, 11 HR, 47 RBI) to fly out to left with the tying run on base to end the game, giving London their second Cup in three seasons. Neil Storr, who started three games for the Bulldogs and who finished the series with a 2-0 record and a 1.21 ERA, was the unanimous pick for the MVP honors.

THE MINORS

The Huddersfield Bens, Leicester's top farm team, last appeared in the Second Tier finals in 1921 before capturing the Southern Conference crown this year. They then capped off their improbable success story by defeating the Dudley Tigers, Manchester's club, in a seven-game set for the triple-A championship.

Manchester's double-A franchise, the Derby Lancers, had better luck in the Third Tier finals, where they prevailed over Birmingham's youngsters, the York Whitecoats, in five games to claim the title.

ALLIANCE LEADERS

Empire League
Hitting
BA: .322 Logan Gow, Dublin
HR: 44 Michael Tyerman, Plymouth
RBI: 105 "Quiet" John Dobson, Nottingham
R: 107 Daniel Robertson, Westminster; Michael Tyerman, Plymouth
SB: 55 Ted Oddie, Edinburgh
Pitching
W: 22 Neil "The Silver Fox" Storr, London
L: 18 Nicholas Bubb, Edinburgh/Dublin
K: 226 Brad Tobias, Aberdeen
ERA: 1.94 Neil "The Silver Fox" Storr, London
SV: 47 Robert "Sassafrass" MacCaw

Storr, with 183 strikeouts, missed out on the pitching triple crown. Twenty-five-year-old first baseman Tyerman claimed the home run title in only his second full season in the majors.

Dominion Association
Hitting
BA: .319 Bill Callaghan, Manchester
HR: 41 Lester Angwin, Leicester
RBI: 111 Theo Fellick, Stoke
R: 101 Brendan "Shufflefoot" Quennell, Bristol
SB: 49 Derek Rushworth, Sunderland
Pitching
W: 23 Jimmy Burden, Stoke
L: 19 Wes "Dots" Potter, Lambeth; Nick Hobhouse, Southampton
K: 211 Alex Scroggs, Lambeth
ERA: 1.92 Gareth Bignold, Southampton
SV: 45 Harry "Tap" Barge, Sheffield

Angwin, who has clouted 124 home runs over the past three seasons, was the only player in the DA to hit forty homers. He was also the only player to hit thirty homers. Two hitters finished second with twenty-seven return-trippers. Bignold, a nineteen-game winner last year for the Spitfires, started the year in the bullpen for Southampton before moving back into the rotation permanently in early July.

04-24-2013, 08:04 AM	#447
joefromchicago Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 3,703	1989 FINAL EMPIRE LEAGUE Dublin entered the second half with a narrow edge over Newcastle and Nottingham in the EL North race. The Shamrocks boasted a solid offense, featuring batting champ Logan Gow (.322, 21 HR, 79 RBI) and third baseman Eddie Love (.292, 16 HR, 79 RBI). On the hill, Cillian O'Looney (19-9, 2.68 ERA) and Sean Armstrong (17-13, 2.84 ERA) led the rotation, but the staff lacked depth, and management tried nine different pitchers in a starting role over the season. Newcastle, only two-and-a-half games back of the leaders at the halfway point, fell off the pace in August despite the efforts of keystone man Joe Gates (.306, 4 HR, 69 RBI). Taking the Greys' place were defending champs Nottingham, who came alive in the second half after finishing the first half of the season only one game above .500. Although the Forester offense ranked seventh in the League with a .254 team average, they scored an EL-best 704 runs with the assistance of catcher Marc Anderson (.264, 16 HR, 87 RBI) and clean-up hitter Alexander Campbell (.297, 5 HR, 53 RBI), who returned to the team in mid-July after breaking a finger in June. On the mound, Finn "Trojan" MacCulloch (19-5, 2.19 ERA) led the starters, aided by Carolan Delmar (14-8, 3.57 ERA). Dublin and Nottingham battled through August, leaving the rest of the division behind. The Shamrocks led by a game going into the final month, but they lost six of their first seven contests and dropped out of the lead, and Nottingham held on down the stretch to repeat as divisional champions despite the loss of RBI-leader "Quiet" John Dobson (.233, 27 HR, 105 RBI) to a fractured ankle. In contrast to previous EL South races, London faced some serious challengers as the second half started. The Bulldogs held a three-game edge over Plymouth at the halfway point, but an 18-8 surge in August put a good deal of daylight between London and the rest of the division. Neil "The Silver Fox" Storr (22-7, 1.94 ERA) and Graham Digges (20-12, 2.87 ERA) topped the rotation, while veteran reliever Robert "Sassafrass" MacCaw (2-4, 47 SV, 1.98 ERA), nabbed from Hull as a free agent in the off-season, led the League in saves. The offense compiled a .260 average, second-best in the loop, but a lack of punch left them with only the eighth-best run total. Keith Parrish (.306, 15 HR, 78 RBI) led the way, with shortstop Bill Maloney (.266, 10 HR, 72 RBI) contributing some timely hitting. Plymouth got good performances from Henry Hogarth (15-7, 2.75 ERA) and home run leader Michael Tyerman (.292, 44 HR, 101 RBI), but a twenty-loss August dragged the Voyagers down to fourth place. Birmingham closed out the first half four-and-a-half games behind the leaders, boosted by a pitching staff headed by starter Ciaran McPatrick (17-9, 2.68 ERA) and lefty closer Conor Moss (4-5, 42 SV, 3.20 ERA). The offense, however, hit a collective .245, with only Michael Kerridge (.311, 26 HR, 78 RBI) distinguishing himself. With three teams battling over second place, London breezed to their fifth-straight divisional flag by a dozen lengths, although they entered the post-season without first baseman Parrish, who was questionable for the first round after missing all of September with a strained hamstring. DOMINION ASSOCIATION Both divisions had tight contests at the break, but only one remained close at the end. In the Northern Division, Manchester held a slim lead over the competition as five teams were bunched at the top of the ladder. The Millers featured a solid hill corps led by southpaws Whip Cormack (16-8, 2.31 ERA) and Robbie Dougan (13-12, 3.14 ERA), while the lineup featured Association batting champ Bill Callaghan (.319, 18 HR, 95 RBI) and backstop Liach "Biff" Quaile (.286, 10 HR, 58 RBI). The Mancunians built up a four-game cushion at the top of the division standings by the start of September, but Sheffield suddenly caught fire in the final month, winning nineteen games behind a torrid attack led by rookie right fielder Jim Garvock (.284, 26 HR, 95 RBI) and center fielder Luhern MacGil (.300, 27 HR, 85 RBI). On the last day of the season, Manchester clung to a one-game lead over the surging Steelers. The Millers dropped a 10-7 decision to Glasgow at home, giving Sheffield a chance to force a playoff. But the Steelers lost a heart-breaker in Sunderland when the defending divisional champs pushed a run across in the tenth to win the finale 1-0. The Swifts dropped to fourth place after a rash of injuries knocked out some of the key players who took them to the post-season last year, including Steve Gray (.299, 7 HR, 56 RBI), who missed the second half of September with a broken finger, and Liam Dow (.298, 7 HR, 52 RBI), who spent five weeks on the sidelines with various ailments. Stoke enjoyed a tenuous game-and-a-half edge over Bristol at the break, but the Potters turned on the after-burners in the second half and blew away the competition in the DA South. Stoke boasted the DA's best team offense (.267) and pitching staff (2.87 ERA), which helped them to their second consecutive hundred-win season. The rotation was topped by left-hander Jimmy Burden (23-5, 2.13 ERA), the Association's only twenty-game winner, and talented youngster William Beattie (16-5, 2.31 ERA). The bullpen, a weak spot for last year's club, was reinforced by veteran Hallinan Quodling (4-2, 35 SV, 1.48 ERA), who took over the closer role after being acquired in the middle of 1988 from Leicester. The offensive duties were shared by first baseman Theo Fellick (.312, 22 HR, 111 RBI), who won the RBI crown, and left fielder Alex Wright (.308, 16 HR, 80 RBI). Against that onslaught, Bristol, despite a record that would have easily led the DA North, had no chance of keeping up. Marmaduke Spencer (.302, 23 HR, 77 RBI) and Auggie Gill (.283, 25 HR, 84 RBI) led the formidable Docker attack, which pounded out 134 home runs. Apart from incumbent outstanding pitcher Michael Cuber (17-10, 2.92 ERA) and closer Guaire Swanncott (6-6, 36 SV, 2.75 ERA), though, Bristol lacked depth on the mound, and the fourth-starter spot was a problem that the club never solved. After a spectacular July that saw the Dockers win twenty-three of their twenty-six contests, the team slumped in the second half, and Stoke turned a close race into a laugher by winning twenty-seven of their final thirty-eight games. Islington jumped to third place on the strength of their pitching staff, led by Anthony Rutley (16-9, 2.37 ERA) and Donall Peace (16-7, 2.86 ERA). The offense, on the other hand, managed only a collective .242 batting average, placing them tenth in the loop. EL CUP SEMIFINALS SERIES: NOTTINGHAM v. LONDON These rivals met for the third-straight year in the EL championship series. Nottingham took the opener 8-7 in eleven innings after scoring five times in the top of the ninth to tie the game. London came back the next day to win 4-0 behind the pitching of Nicholas "Kitty" Hankin (13-9, 3.18 ERA), and London shut down Nottingham again in game three as Graham Digges and "Sassafrass" MacCaw combined for a 3-0 whitewash. The Bulldogs wrapped it up with a 4-2 game four victory, giving London their third pennant in four years. DA CUP SEMIFINALS SERIES: MANCHESTER v. STOKE Shortstop Leon Williams (.292, 7 HR, 87 RBI) gave heavily favored Stoke a 3-2 victory in the curtain-raiser with his tie-breaking homer in the sixth. Manchester came back the following day, prevailing 4-1 behind the pitching of Robbie Dougan (13-12, 3.14 ERA). Stoke, boosted by two Theo Fellick home runs, went back out ahead with an 8-6 win in game three, but the Greys stayed alive with an 11-4 clobbering of the Potters in game four. The series finale saw Stoke lead-off man Alex Wright hit a bases-loaded double in the second that plated all three runners, which was enough for starter Bob Getchell (14-7, 3.03 ERA), who scattered seven hits over seven innings to pick up the 4-2 victory that sent Stoke to the Cup Finals for the second consecutive year. 1989 BA CUP FINALS SERIES: LONDON v. STOKE In the first meeting between these two clubs, London sent ace Neil Storr to the mound to face Stoke's Willem Esmonde (17-9, 3.11 ERA). Stoke took an early lead with a run in the bottom of the second, but Storr proved not only masterful on the mound but potent at the plate. In the fourth, the "Silver Fox" came up with the bases jammed and hit the second of two doubles on the day, driving in two runs. That proved to be the game-winner, as "Sassafrass" MacCaw came on in the ninth to pick up the save in London's 4-2 win. A two-run homer by Theo Fellick in the fourth inning of game two put Stoke ahead 2-1, and the Potters padded their lead on catcher Andrew Vivian's (.255, 8 HR, 55 RBI) run-scoring double in the fifth. Southpaw hurler Jimmy Burden, meanwhile, held the Bulldogs to five hits over eight innings before handing the ball over to Hallinan Quodling, who gave up a solo homer to Pat Dumble (.257, 9 HR, 58 RBI) but still saved the 3-2 win for the Potters. In London's City Stadium for game three, the Stoke lineup jumped all over Bulldog starter Graham Digges, who gave up four runs in the first three innings and then fell apart completely in the fourth, yielding six runs, including a grand slam to Fellick. Reliever Monro Meads (0-0, 5.21 ERA), consigned to the bullpen this season after eighteen years as a starter with London, came on to staunch the bloodbath, but it was far too late for the Dogs, who fell by a final score of 15-2. Fellick ended the day with four hits and four RBI, while Vivian, Alex Wright, and third baseman Dean Hastings (.221, 10 HR, 67 RBI) collected three hits apiece for the victors. It was a scoreless tie in the fourth inning of game four when London erupted for six runs on six singles and two walks against Esmonde. The Bulldogs added four more runs, while Stoke could only manage a single tally against Storr, who yielded four hits over seven innings for his second win of the series in London's 10-1 victory. Canadian lead-off man Sebastien Guillot (.281, 6 HR, 41 RBI) had three hits for the home squad. Burden returned to the mound for the visitors in game five, but it was London starter Michael "Comet" Lymer (5-6, 2.49 ERA), a twenty-three-year-old spot starter taking the place of "Howling" Jamie Collins (8-7, 3.87 ERA) in the post-season rotation, who stole the spotlight with a four-hit performance over seven innings, as London took the lead in the series with a 5-1 triumph. Shortstop Bill Maloney (.266, 10 HR, 72 RBI) had three of London's eleven hits, while William Smith (.232, 4 HR, 39 RBI) hit safely three times for Stoke. The Potters, facing elimination, got unexpected help from fourth starter Isaac Brembridge (10-7, 4.92 ERA), who handcuffed the London lineup in game six. Brembridge limited the Bulldogs to five hits before leaving the game after the eighth inning. By then, Stoke had built up a 5-0 lead, which is how the final score stood after Quodling hurled a scoreless ninth. Center fielder George Lyre (.297, 9 HR, 54 RBI) picked up three hits and drove in a pair of runs for the winners. For the third time in four years, London faced a decisive game seven in the Cup Finals, and the Bulldogs called on Storr to start for the third time in the series. Maloney put the visitors on the board in the second with a solo homer off Stoke starter Getchell, and they added another tally in the fourth to lead 2-0. Hastings finally broke the shutout in the seventh with a home run, and, in the eighth, Leon Williams hit a clutch two-out single off Storr that sent Wright home with the tying run. That sent the game into extra frames. In the top of the eleventh, with Quodling on the mound for Stoke, pinch hitter Bob Evans (.174, 2 HR, 7 RBI), a journeyman infielder who had been claimed off waivers from Southampton in August, drew a one-out walk, moved to second on a passed ball, and, on a recklessly daring play, broke for third base. Catcher Andrew Vivian, caught completely unawares, threw wildly in an attempt to catch Evans, who scampered home when the ball sailed into left field. "Leaping" Nathan Annable (5-4, 2 SV, 2.10 ERA) came on in the bottom of the eleventh and induced second baseman Bert Jeffcoate (.266, 11 HR, 47 RBI) to fly out to left with the tying run on base to end the game, giving London their second Cup in three seasons. Neil Storr, who started three games for the Bulldogs and who finished the series with a 2-0 record and a 1.21 ERA, was the unanimous pick for the MVP honors. THE MINORS The Huddersfield Bens, Leicester's top farm team, last appeared in the Second Tier finals in 1921 before capturing the Southern Conference crown this year. They then capped off their improbable success story by defeating the Dudley Tigers, Manchester's club, in a seven-game set for the triple-A championship. Manchester's double-A franchise, the Derby Lancers, had better luck in the Third Tier finals, where they prevailed over Birmingham's youngsters, the York Whitecoats, in five games to claim the title. ALLIANCE LEADERS Empire League Hitting BA: .322 Logan Gow, Dublin HR: 44 Michael Tyerman, Plymouth RBI: 105 "Quiet" John Dobson, Nottingham R: 107 Daniel Robertson, Westminster; Michael Tyerman, Plymouth SB: 55 Ted Oddie, Edinburgh Pitching W: 22 Neil "The Silver Fox" Storr, London L: 18 Nicholas Bubb, Edinburgh/Dublin K: 226 Brad Tobias, Aberdeen ERA: 1.94 Neil "The Silver Fox" Storr, London SV: 47 Robert "Sassafrass" MacCaw Storr, with 183 strikeouts, missed out on the pitching triple crown. Twenty-five-year-old first baseman Tyerman claimed the home run title in only his second full season in the majors. Dominion Association Hitting BA: .319 Bill Callaghan, Manchester HR: 41 Lester Angwin, Leicester RBI: 111 Theo Fellick, Stoke R: 101 Brendan "Shufflefoot" Quennell, Bristol SB: 49 Derek Rushworth, Sunderland Pitching W: 23 Jimmy Burden, Stoke L: 19 Wes "Dots" Potter, Lambeth; Nick Hobhouse, Southampton K: 211 Alex Scroggs, Lambeth ERA: 1.92 Gareth Bignold, Southampton SV: 45 Harry "Tap" Barge, Sheffield Angwin, who has clouted 124 home runs over the past three seasons, was the only player in the DA to hit forty homers. He was also the only player to hit thirty homers. Two hitters finished second with twenty-seven return-trippers. Bignold, a nineteen-game winner last year for the Spitfires, started the year in the bullpen for Southampton before moving back into the rotation permanently in early July. __________________ American-Ethnic (and Canadian) Namesets Historical Minor League Schedules 1870s City/Team Nickname Randomizers "It's Usually Sunny in Philadelphia" weather mod Negro League Schedules Last edited by joefromchicago; 05-09-2013 at 03:57 PM.