1999 ABL PLAYOFFS
The 1999 playoffs feature the Warriors as the team with the most playoff experience, as they take part for the fourth time. The Titans, Bayhawks, and Cyclones all made October for the third time. Except for the Bayhawks, all of the times have a previous championship.
The 99-63 Warriors enter the playoffs having clinched home field advantage throughout October. They relied on their strong starting rotation with Arnold McCray (19-9, 3.04 ERA) and Pat Cherry (19-10, 3.56 ERA) carrying them a fair way through the year. Neil Stewart also won 16 games but posted a 4.18 ERA. Their offense was all too relying on the long ball however, with two 25 HR batters in CF John Hensley and C Ruben Melendez, who drove in 112 and 118 runs, respectively. They drew a lot of walks to compensate for a second-worst .265 team batting average. Another thing they have going for them is a .700 record since September 1. They will be without infielders Hjalmar Flygt and Dave Heffer in the FLCS, though, and that could hurt them.
The 88-74 Cyclones come in with the worst record and only clinced their spot on the penultimate day of the season. While they can boast with a strong offense with high average, high OBP, and tie the Warriors with 112 homers, their pitching was in trouble constantly. While their corps struck out an FL-leading 1,140 batters, they also gave up 111 home runs and allowed the third-most hits, the latter partially attributable to a defense in shambles, with the teams big guys like 1B/2B Dennis Berman (.250, 23 HR, 84 RBI) and LF/RF Dan Morris (.299, 32 HR, 94 RBI) not necessarily contributing much on defense. They can count on a strong back end of the bullpen, however, but in turn have lost their primary catcher Julio Silva (.286, 2 HR, 66 RBI) for the length of the playoffs.
The Warriors seem to have the cards in their hands, and should be able to overcome the Cyclones in five games.
In the CL, the Titans late collapse helped the 98-64 Bayhawks to clinch home field advantage rather easy. The Bayhawks were able to crumble most enemy teams with a tough-as-nuts starting rotation, that was even able to overcome a troubled bullpen, in which f.e. closer Ryosei Kato lost 12 games and posted a 4.08 ERA and 1.55 WHIP. In the rotation, 22-9 Tony Hamlyn, 11-11 Jorge Chapa, and 15-9 Ricardo Sanchez all posted ERAs under 2.50, and Henry Selph (16-5, 3.08 ERA) and Miguel Diaz (14-8, 3.78 ERA) were no slouches either. Offensively they would struggle at times and lacked a key punch player. Only two players posted OPS marks over .800: 1B Dave Carroll (.295, 15 HR, 101 RBI) and OF Will Jackson (.250, 20 HR, 75 RBI). While the team has four players on the DL, only 22-year old Paco Javier (.228, 14 HR, 60 RBI) is a key loss.
The Titans plunged to 94-68 late in the season, playing .333 in September and October. Their great offense, which mostly ranked top 3 in the league, came to a screeching halt late in the year, and nobody knows whether they will be able to restart it in time for the playoffs. INF Daniel Silva (.283, 10 HR, 84 RBI), 1B Glenn Douglas (.310, 19 HR, 92 RBI), and 3B Haruki Nakayama (.300, 6 HR, 61 RBI) are key players on the team. The pitching was largely so-so, but Jason OHalloran (21-9, 2.86 ERA) stood out once more. Young Jesus Bautista won 18 games, and Bill Corkum saved 45 on a 1.91 ERA. They also are hampered by injuries. Outfielder Dave Reid came off the DL just in time for the playoffs, but had no time to properly prepare, and C Luis Lopez (.256, 11 HR, 60 RBI) is laboring on a mild hamstring strain and might be unavailable for the first two games of the CLCS.
With the Titans frozen solid and the Bayhawks pitching, this should be a quick CLCS. Everybodys expecting a walkover.
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Cyclones @ Warriors
2-12
(Warriors lead 1-0)
SFW Ruben Melendez 3-5, HR, 2 2B, 3 RBI;
Titans @ Bayhawks
3-5
(Bayhawks lead 1-0)
BOS Gonzalo Munoz 2-4, HR, 3 RBI;
Cyclones @ Warriors
0-7
(Warriors lead 2-0)
SFW Arnold McCray 8.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K, W; SFW Roland Moore 2-4, 2B, 3 RBI;
Titans @ Bayhawks
2-3
(Bayhawks lead 2-0)
Warriors @ Cyclones
5-6
(Warriors lead 2-1)
CIN Douglas Dickerson 3-3, BB, 2 2B, 4 RBI;
Bayhawks @ Titans
3-2
(Bayhawks lead 3-0)
Warriors @ Cyclones
0-5
(series tied 2-2)
Bayhawks @ Titans
5-4
(Bayhawks win 4-0)
BOS Glenn Douglas 3-3, HR, 3 RBI; BOS Mike Powys 3-4, HR, RBI;
Warriors @ Cyclones
7-6 (10)
(Warriors lead 3-2)
Cincy blows a 4-run lead after four innings; CIN Dan Morris 4-5, 2 2B, HR, 3 RBI; CIN Alfonso Rojas 2-2, BB, 2 2B, 2 RBI; SFW Roland Moore (PH) 1-1, HR, RBI;
Cyclones @ Warriors
1-8
(Warriors win 4-2)
SFW Neil Stewart 9.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 5 K, W;
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1999 World Series
The teams with the best records in the regular season happen to meet in the World Series this year. The Bayhawks swept ailing Titans in the CLCS, incluing three 1-run wins their gritty pitching staff held on to. The Warriors had more troubles with the Cyclones, but three of their wins were convincing and clear. The Warriors should be better now, though, with Dave Heffer and Hjalmar Flygt back on the roster for the occasion. The Bayhawks will rely on their pitching staff and that their offense can scratch out two or three runs each time.
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Bayhawks @ Warriors
7-2 (15)
(Bayhawks lead 1-0)
SFB Tony Hamlyn 8.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K; Bayhawks blow up Lawrence Bentley in the 15th, Gabriel Ortνz drives home the winning run
Bayhawks @ Warriors
3-1
(Bayhawks lead 2-0)
SFB Jorge Chapa 8.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, W; SFW Ruben Melendez 3-4, 2B, RBI; Chapa sinks Cherry thanks to three runs in the seventh
Warriors @ Bayhawks
2-4
(Bayhawks lead 3-0)
SFB Ricardo Sanchez 7.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, W; SFB Tom Walls 4-5, 3B, 2B, 2 RBI; SFW Bob Petipas 2-2, 2 BB, 2 RBI;
Warriors @ Bayhawks
4-14
(Bayhawks win 4-0)
SFB Tony Hamlyn 6.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 5 K, W; SFB Alfredo Marquez 2-3, 2 BB, 2B, 4 RBI; SFW Sidney Aycock 3-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI;
In the end, it was a no contest. The Bayhawks go undefeated in the playoffs, the first ABL team to do so!
1999 World Series Champions
SAN FRANCISCO BAYHAWKS
(1st title)