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KCRoyals15 · 01-04-2025, 02:30 AM

1980

In four years in Tampa, Trey Skipper successfully breathed new life into an organization that struggled to find its footing at the major league level. After a Southern Conference championship in 1979, he stepped away to make a curious career move: going back to the American Baseball League.

"Denver is a baseball town and this is a market that has been sadly unsuccessful for most of its history. I think we can do some incredible things here," said the youngest Skipper. "My father won a little here and I look forward to winning a little more."

With that, Trey Skipper was the new boss of the Denver Bears, where indeed, his father Skipper Jr. piloted from 1952-55. Other than a surprise second-place divisional finish two years prior, there was little success to build off of, and the Bears had lost 104 games the previous year. Their last playoff berth (and only one since 1914), was Skipper Jr.'s 1954 squad.

The 80's got underway and the Northern Conference saw some shake-up. The Philadelphia Quakers won the New England League, while the Newark Eagles won 91 games in their second season back in the majors, taking second place and earning their first big-league playoff spot since 1948. To the surprise of no one, Milwaukee won the Midwest Association, their fifth-straight pennant behind 109 wins. Taking second, though, was Toronto, in the field for the first time in six years.

The postseason saw surprises on both sides, as Newark dealt Philadelphia a quick exit, bouncing the Quakers in five games. Toronto then followed up with a big upset of Milwaukee, knocking out the Black Hawks in six games. The Maple Leafs charged on, taking down the Eagles in five games for their first Conference Championship since 1967.

In the Southern Conference, two extremely strong teams went toe-to-toe in the Eastern League. The playoff race was effectively over in May as Tampa and Washington both finished 30 games above the pack, with the pair both finished 107-55; a franchise record for wins for both teams. The Western League saw Pittsburgh return to the top after a couple autumns at home, and Salt Lake City squeaked out a playoff berth by a single game for the second year in a row, this time freezing out Kansas City.

In the first round, Washington drew Pittsburgh and the Senators were pushed hard, but the men in the capital got it done with a seven-game series win. Salt Lake City then took on an old ABL rival in Tampa, and dealt the Tarpons a big upset with a five-game series win. The Bees then stung the Senators in six games, earning their first Conference Championship since the move to Utah nearly three decades prior.

The Pacific Coast League once again had a North Division that was much stronger than the South, but this time it was take to an extreme. Only three teams in the PCL had a winning record and all of them were in the North.

Seattle and San Francisco finished comfortably 1-2 in the North, while the PCL South suffered the dubious feat of becoming the first division in USBF history to have every team finish below .500. At 99-101, the San Diego Padres were division champions. At just 94-106, Los Angeles earned the second playoff bid, their first in eight years.

Scorned for their clear weaknesses during the season, the San Diego Padres put it all behind them and shocked San Francisco in the first round, sweeping the Seals. Seattle, meanwhile, took care of business, defeating Los Angeles in six games. The Rainiers wised up in the Finals, defeating the Padres in six games to earn back-to-back PCL titles.

The Texas League's best teams were in the North, where Fort Worth cruised to a league-high 98 wins and Dallas wasn't too far behind, with the two Metroplex rivals earning the playoff spots. For Dallas, it was their sixth-straight bid, while Fort Worth ended a five-year drought. The South saw 86-win Austin scrape past El Paso, edging the Texans by a game, though the West Texas team still earned their fourth-straight playoff bid.

In October, Fort Worth began things with a hard-fought seven-game series win over El Paso, while Austin downed Dallas in six games. The Wranglers then upset the favored Panthers, taking a bite out of the big cats with a five-game series win, lifting the Wranglers to their first Texas League championship.

Prior to the season, the Texas League was skewered in a scathing editorial by a major East Coast newspaper, harping primarily on their paltry two National Championships (last in 1966) and 11 of their last 13 champions not even making it to the championship series.

A newcomer to the national tournament, the Salt Lake City Bees (SOU) defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs (NOR) in the first round. With something to prove, the Austin Wranglers (TL) defeat the Seattle Rainiers (PCL) in a huge upset over the defending champions. With a guarantee of a first-time champion, the upstarts from Texas finished the job, as the Austin Wranglers (TL) defeat the Salt Lake City Bees (SOU), 4-2 to vindicate the Texas League and win Austin's first national title.

For the first time since 1970, the Northern Conference had a new MVP, as Scott Hewitt of the Philadelphia Quakers earned the nod. Hewitt was normally a .250 hitter (his career mark), but this year out of nowhere, he slashed .307/.412/.603 with 173 hits, 110 runs, and led the North with 38 homers and 123 RBI, adding 23 stolen bases as well.

History was made in Newark as Antonio Nevarez earned Pitcher of the Year honors. The reason why? Nevarez became the first reliever in USBF history to earn a POTY nod. Moved to the bullpen the year prior, Nevarez went on to earn four Reliever of the Year nods, though he earned the big one this season, going 6-5 with a 1.07 ERA, leading the North in games (73) and saves (39). He struck out 65 over 92.2 innings to take the award.

The Southern Conference was ruled by Washington shortstop John Crow, who narrowly missed an MVP in 1976, but got the job done four years later. The 29-year-old slashed .299/.397/.458 with 180 hits, 115 runs, 27 doubles, 6 triples, 19 homers, 91 RBI, and 23 steals to take home his lone MVP award of an excellent 16-year run in the nation's capital.

His teammate, meanwhile, won plenty of hardware, as Senators ace Alan Church took his fourth Pitcher of the Year award. Leading the South in wins for the fourth year in a row, Church went 25-6 with a 2.72 ERA, leading the conference in innings (288.0) and complete games (16), though his 235 strikeouts did not lead the lead after doing so the last five seasons. Nonetheless, the choice was easy.

In the Pacific Coast League, the Los Angeles Angels may have been mocked for being 12 games below .500 and still backing into the playoffs, but the play of their third-year shortstop Mario Alaniz was no joking matter. The 25-year-old slashed .338/.394/.478 with 242 hits, 36 doubles, 7 triples, 17 homers, 84 RBI, 21 steals, and the first of his five Great Glove Awards at short, earning MVP honors.

Meanwhile, a front-runner's ace earned hardware, as Seattle's Wayne Floreani had a memorable third big-league season. The 25-year-old native of Maine went 28-9 with a 2.84 ERA, leading the PCL in wins, innings (330.0) and shutouts (5), while logging 13 complete games and 228 strikeouts to earn his only Pitcher of the Year trophy.

In the Texas League, Fort Worth's Josh Paver was a late bloomer who didn't reach the majors until he was 28 years old. However, in his first full season, the Panthers' second baseman slashed .295/.359/.512 with 182 hits, 101 runs, 37 doubles 29 homers, 92 RBI, and 24 steals, good enough to earn MVP honors.

Another Panther, lefty Oscar Rodriguez took several years to stick, but finally did this season. The soft-tosser only struck out 105 in 257.0 innings, going 15-10 with a 2.77 ERA to earn Pitcher of the Year.

In the Eastern Baseball Federation, a criminally-underrated lefty got his deserved due:

LHP Ryan Guevara (1959-74), 76.7%

Meanwhile, the Texas League's all-time hits leader (3,206) got the call to the Hall:

3B Jared Robinson (1953-74), 92.5%

---

With a more-balanced 16-team alignment, the American Baseball League changed from three divisions to four divisions of four teams each, the first league in the country to make such a change (and still the only one to try it). The playoff format also expanded from four teams to eight, with the top two finishers in each division guaranteed a spot. With an extra playoff round, the first two playoff series were shortened to best-of-five with the Finals remaining best-of-seven.

Richmond, Spokane, and Chicago took division titles handily, though imbalance saw the Central have Nashville and Columbus tie for first at 81-81, with both getting in to the field. Meanwhile, New Haven and Denver earned wild cards fair-and-square (the latter squeezing out 89-win Indianapolis by a game), while 76-win Phoenix edged Anaheim by a game to earn the second bid in the West.

In the playoffs, wild cards New Haven, Denver, Columbus, and Phoenix all earned first-round wins over their divisional winners, with each series besides Columbus' sweep lasting the full five games. The Semifinals saw Denver down New Haven and Phoenix upset Columbus, both in four games. The Bears, though, ended the Firebirds' magical run with a seven-game triumph for the American Baseball Cup, their first championship of any kind, as Trey Skipper's magic worked immediate wonders in his first season in the Mile High City.

Though Phoenix had a lackluster regular season, third baseman Paul Coleman slashed .286/.383/.529 in his second season, racking up 169 hits, 96 runs, 33 doubles, a league-leading 36 homers, and 88 RBI, earning a somewhat surprising MVP trophy. In 1978, Chicago traded for longtime Miami ace CJ Noll on a buy-low deal with immediate payoff. Rebounding to form, the 32-year-old went 21-9 in 1980, with a 2.81 ERA, leading the league in wins, innings (282.1), strikeouts (217), complete games (21), and shutouts (4) to take home Pitcher of the Year.

---

The minor leagues saw major upheaval, as a combination of club discontent, and a desire for big-league clubs to better concentrate minor league affiliates caused significant league alignment shifts. Several teams switched leagues for geographic or political reasons, while some independent teams in otherwise affiliated leagues departed.

In the end, the Great Lakes League (largely affiliated) saw enough defections that is had little choice but to close its doors after 61 years of operation, while a new, fully independent league popped up in the Midwest. When the dust settled, seven existing leagues were affected, with a total of 22 teams changing leagues, plus two more, the Trenton Tartans and Flint Vehicles, folding. An eighth circuit, the Heartland League would emerge, made up entirely of existing independent teams finding refuge from other circuits:

Heartland League
Cedar Rapids (from Northern )
Evansville Bees (from River Valley)
Madison Black Wolves (from Great Plains)
Quad Cities Trappers (from Northern)
Rockford Metros (from Great Plains)
Sioux City Cornhuskers (from Northern)
Sioux Falls Packers (from Northern)
Youngstown Steelers (from Great Lakes)

Minor League Champions
Southeastern League: Mobile Marines, 89-65, defeats Baton Rouge (2nd straight)
Colonial League: Binghamton Smokers, 78-62, defeats Scranton-Wilkes Barre (2nd straight)
River Valley League: Rochester Red Wings, 83-57, defeats Charleston (WV) (3rd straight, 1st in RVL)
Rocky Mountain League: Great Falls Explorers, 67-59, defeats Pueblo
Coastal League: Winston-Salem Twins, 102-52, defeats Charleston (SC)
Northern League: Thunder Bay Timberjacks, 93-47, defeats St. Paul
Southwest League: Santa Barbara Foresters, 87-67, defeats Las Vegas
Southern Association: Beaumont Exporters, 77-63, defeats Corpus Christi (2nd straight)
Northwest League: Stockton Condors, 82-62, defeats Tacoma
Can-Am League: Utica Blue Sox, 71-55, defeats Springfield (2nd straight)
Mid-Atlantic League: Asheville Tourists, 79-61, defeats Worcester
Lone Star League: Rio Grande White Wings, 79-61, defeats Waco
Great Plains League: Lincoln Lions, 77-63, defeats St. Joseph
Florida Coast League: Columbus Catfish, 72-68, defeats Daytona
Big Sky League: Regina Giants, 69-63, defeats Missoula
Heartland League: Rockford Metros, 82-59, defeats Sioux City (2nd straight, 1st in HL)

Due to significant team movement, two teams, Rochester and Rockford, won league titles in consecutive years in different leagues, something that had never happened in minor league baseball before this season.

Additionally, a great dynasty came to an end in the new-look Northern League. The Fargo-Moorhead Indians saw a streak of ten-straight finals appearances and 20 in the 21 years come to an end, a stretch that netted them 14 Northern League titles.

01-04-2025, 02:30 AM	#90
KCRoyals15 Minors (Double A) Join Date: Oct 2020 Location: A lot of them Posts: 123	Bee Wrangling 1980 In four years in Tampa, Trey Skipper successfully breathed new life into an organization that struggled to find its footing at the major league level. After a Southern Conference championship in 1979, he stepped away to make a curious career move: going back to the American Baseball League. "Denver is a baseball town and this is a market that has been sadly unsuccessful for most of its history. I think we can do some incredible things here," said the youngest Skipper. "My father won a little here and I look forward to winning a little more." With that, Trey Skipper was the new boss of the Denver Bears, where indeed, his father Skipper Jr. piloted from 1952-55. Other than a surprise second-place divisional finish two years prior, there was little success to build off of, and the Bears had lost 104 games the previous year. Their last playoff berth (and only one since 1914), was Skipper Jr.'s 1954 squad. The 80's got underway and the Northern Conference saw some shake-up. The Philadelphia Quakers won the New England League, while the Newark Eagles won 91 games in their second season back in the majors, taking second place and earning their first big-league playoff spot since 1948. To the surprise of no one, Milwaukee won the Midwest Association, their fifth-straight pennant behind 109 wins. Taking second, though, was Toronto, in the field for the first time in six years. The postseason saw surprises on both sides, as Newark dealt Philadelphia a quick exit, bouncing the Quakers in five games. Toronto then followed up with a big upset of Milwaukee, knocking out the Black Hawks in six games. The Maple Leafs charged on, taking down the Eagles in five games for their first Conference Championship since 1967. In the Southern Conference, two extremely strong teams went toe-to-toe in the Eastern League. The playoff race was effectively over in May as Tampa and Washington both finished 30 games above the pack, with the pair both finished 107-55; a franchise record for wins for both teams. The Western League saw Pittsburgh return to the top after a couple autumns at home, and Salt Lake City squeaked out a playoff berth by a single game for the second year in a row, this time freezing out Kansas City. In the first round, Washington drew Pittsburgh and the Senators were pushed hard, but the men in the capital got it done with a seven-game series win. Salt Lake City then took on an old ABL rival in Tampa, and dealt the Tarpons a big upset with a five-game series win. The Bees then stung the Senators in six games, earning their first Conference Championship since the move to Utah nearly three decades prior. The Pacific Coast League once again had a North Division that was much stronger than the South, but this time it was take to an extreme. Only three teams in the PCL had a winning record and all of them were in the North. Seattle and San Francisco finished comfortably 1-2 in the North, while the PCL South suffered the dubious feat of becoming the first division in USBF history to have every team finish below .500. At 99-101, the San Diego Padres were division champions. At just 94-106, Los Angeles earned the second playoff bid, their first in eight years. Scorned for their clear weaknesses during the season, the San Diego Padres put it all behind them and shocked San Francisco in the first round, sweeping the Seals. Seattle, meanwhile, took care of business, defeating Los Angeles in six games. The Rainiers wised up in the Finals, defeating the Padres in six games to earn back-to-back PCL titles. The Texas League's best teams were in the North, where Fort Worth cruised to a league-high 98 wins and Dallas wasn't too far behind, with the two Metroplex rivals earning the playoff spots. For Dallas, it was their sixth-straight bid, while Fort Worth ended a five-year drought. The South saw 86-win Austin scrape past El Paso, edging the Texans by a game, though the West Texas team still earned their fourth-straight playoff bid. In October, Fort Worth began things with a hard-fought seven-game series win over El Paso, while Austin downed Dallas in six games. The Wranglers then upset the favored Panthers, taking a bite out of the big cats with a five-game series win, lifting the Wranglers to their first Texas League championship. Prior to the season, the Texas League was skewered in a scathing editorial by a major East Coast newspaper, harping primarily on their paltry two National Championships (last in 1966) and 11 of their last 13 champions not even making it to the championship series. A newcomer to the national tournament, the Salt Lake City Bees (SOU) defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs (NOR) in the first round. With something to prove, the Austin Wranglers (TL) defeat the Seattle Rainiers (PCL) in a huge upset over the defending champions. With a guarantee of a first-time champion, the upstarts from Texas finished the job, as the *Austin Wranglers (TL) defeat the Salt Lake City Bees (SOU), 4-2* to vindicate the Texas League and win Austin's first national title. For the first time since 1970, the Northern Conference had a new MVP, as Scott Hewitt of the Philadelphia Quakers earned the nod. Hewitt was normally a .250 hitter (his career mark), but this year out of nowhere, he slashed .307/.412/.603 with 173 hits, 110 runs, and led the North with 38 homers and 123 RBI, adding 23 stolen bases as well. History was made in Newark as Antonio Nevarez earned Pitcher of the Year honors. The reason why? Nevarez became the first reliever in USBF history to earn a POTY nod. Moved to the bullpen the year prior, Nevarez went on to earn four Reliever of the Year nods, though he earned the big one this season, going 6-5 with a 1.07 ERA, leading the North in games (73) and saves (39). He struck out 65 over 92.2 innings to take the award. The Southern Conference was ruled by Washington shortstop John Crow, who narrowly missed an MVP in 1976, but got the job done four years later. The 29-year-old slashed .299/.397/.458 with 180 hits, 115 runs, 27 doubles, 6 triples, 19 homers, 91 RBI, and 23 steals to take home his lone MVP award of an excellent 16-year run in the nation's capital. His teammate, meanwhile, won plenty of hardware, as Senators ace Alan Church took his fourth Pitcher of the Year award. Leading the South in wins for the fourth year in a row, Church went 25-6 with a 2.72 ERA, leading the conference in innings (288.0) and complete games (16), though his 235 strikeouts did not lead the lead after doing so the last five seasons. Nonetheless, the choice was easy. In the Pacific Coast League, the Los Angeles Angels may have been mocked for being 12 games below .500 and still backing into the playoffs, but the play of their third-year shortstop Mario Alaniz was no joking matter. The 25-year-old slashed .338/.394/.478 with 242 hits, 36 doubles, 7 triples, 17 homers, 84 RBI, 21 steals, and the first of his five Great Glove Awards at short, earning MVP honors. Meanwhile, a front-runner's ace earned hardware, as Seattle's Wayne Floreani had a memorable third big-league season. The 25-year-old native of Maine went 28-9 with a 2.84 ERA, leading the PCL in wins, innings (330.0) and shutouts (5), while logging 13 complete games and 228 strikeouts to earn his only Pitcher of the Year trophy. In the Texas League, Fort Worth's Josh Paver was a late bloomer who didn't reach the majors until he was 28 years old. However, in his first full season, the Panthers' second baseman slashed .295/.359/.512 with 182 hits, 101 runs, 37 doubles 29 homers, 92 RBI, and 24 steals, good enough to earn MVP honors. Another Panther, lefty Oscar Rodriguez took several years to stick, but finally did this season. The soft-tosser only struck out 105 in 257.0 innings, going 15-10 with a 2.77 ERA to earn Pitcher of the Year. In the Eastern Baseball Federation, a criminally-underrated lefty got his deserved due: LHP Ryan Guevara (1959-74), 76.7% Meanwhile, the Texas League's all-time hits leader (3,206) got the call to the Hall: 3B Jared Robinson (1953-74), 92.5% --- With a more-balanced 16-team alignment, the American Baseball League changed from three divisions to four divisions of four teams each, the first league in the country to make such a change (and still the only one to try it). The playoff format also expanded from four teams to eight, with the top two finishers in each division guaranteed a spot. With an extra playoff round, the first two playoff series were shortened to best-of-five with the Finals remaining best-of-seven. Richmond, Spokane, and Chicago took division titles handily, though imbalance saw the Central have Nashville and Columbus tie for first at 81-81, with both getting in to the field. Meanwhile, New Haven and Denver earned wild cards fair-and-square (the latter squeezing out 89-win Indianapolis by a game), while 76-win Phoenix edged Anaheim by a game to earn the second bid in the West. In the playoffs, wild cards New Haven, Denver, Columbus, and Phoenix all earned first-round wins over their divisional winners, with each series besides Columbus' sweep lasting the full five games. The Semifinals saw Denver down New Haven and Phoenix upset Columbus, both in four games. The Bears, though, ended the Firebirds' magical run with a seven-game triumph for the American Baseball Cup, their first championship of any kind, as Trey Skipper's magic worked immediate wonders in his first season in the Mile High City. Though Phoenix had a lackluster regular season, third baseman Paul Coleman slashed .286/.383/.529 in his second season, racking up 169 hits, 96 runs, 33 doubles, a league-leading 36 homers, and 88 RBI, earning a somewhat surprising MVP trophy. In 1978, Chicago traded for longtime Miami ace CJ Noll on a buy-low deal with immediate payoff. Rebounding to form, the 32-year-old went 21-9 in 1980, with a 2.81 ERA, leading the league in wins, innings (282.1), strikeouts (217), complete games (21), and shutouts (4) to take home Pitcher of the Year. --- The minor leagues saw major upheaval, as a combination of club discontent, and a desire for big-league clubs to better concentrate minor league affiliates caused significant league alignment shifts. Several teams switched leagues for geographic or political reasons, while some independent teams in otherwise affiliated leagues departed. In the end, the Great Lakes League (largely affiliated) saw enough defections that is had little choice but to close its doors after 61 years of operation, while a new, fully independent league popped up in the Midwest. When the dust settled, seven existing leagues were affected, with a total of 22 teams changing leagues, plus two more, the Trenton Tartans and Flint Vehicles, folding. An eighth circuit, the *Heartland League* would emerge, made up entirely of existing independent teams finding refuge from other circuits: Heartland League Cedar Rapids (from Northern ) Evansville Bees (from River Valley) Madison Black Wolves (from Great Plains) Quad Cities Trappers (from Northern) Rockford Metros (from Great Plains) Sioux City Cornhuskers (from Northern) Sioux Falls Packers (from Northern) Youngstown Steelers (from Great Lakes) Minor League Champions Southeastern League: Mobile Marines, 89-65, defeats Baton Rouge (2nd straight) Colonial League: Binghamton Smokers, 78-62, defeats Scranton-Wilkes Barre (2nd straight) River Valley League: Rochester Red Wings, 83-57, defeats Charleston (WV) (3rd straight, 1st in RVL) Rocky Mountain League: Great Falls Explorers, 67-59, defeats Pueblo Coastal League: Winston-Salem Twins, 102-52, defeats Charleston (SC) Northern League: Thunder Bay Timberjacks, 93-47, defeats St. Paul Southwest League: Santa Barbara Foresters, 87-67, defeats Las Vegas Southern Association: Beaumont Exporters, 77-63, defeats Corpus Christi (2nd straight) Northwest League: Stockton Condors, 82-62, defeats Tacoma Can-Am League: Utica Blue Sox, 71-55, defeats Springfield (2nd straight) Mid-Atlantic League: Asheville Tourists, 79-61, defeats Worcester Lone Star League: Rio Grande White Wings, 79-61, defeats Waco Great Plains League: Lincoln Lions, 77-63, defeats St. Joseph Florida Coast League: Columbus Catfish, 72-68, defeats Daytona Big Sky League: Regina Giants, 69-63, defeats Missoula Heartland League: Rockford Metros, 82-59, defeats Sioux City (2nd straight, 1st in HL) Due to significant team movement, two teams, Rochester and Rockford, won league titles in consecutive years in different leagues, something that had never happened in minor league baseball before this season. Additionally, a great dynasty came to an end in the new-look Northern League. The Fargo-Moorhead Indians saw a streak of ten-straight finals appearances and 20 in the 21 years come to an end, a stretch that netted them 14 Northern League titles. Last edited by KCRoyals15; 01-04-2025 at 02:31 AM.