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2047 Regular Season
Western League Review
The Midwest division was a season long struggle between three teams, Denver, Minneapolis and a healthy and rejuvenated OKC, with all three teams in with a chance of winning the division entering the final week of play. Both Minneapolis and Denver relied on offense to outscore their opponents while OKC limited their opponents chances (boasting the second best pitching in the WL). Despite disappointing seasons from their big-ticket free agents (2B Hector Torres and RF Gustavo Reyes) Denver entered their final day of the season with a one-game advantage over OKC at the top of the standings but a humbling loss at the hands of Kansas City coupled with OKC’s victory over Minneapolis left the pair tied at the top and facing a win-or-go-home play-in game to decide the destination of the division crown. Minneapolis (80-82) finished three games back after slumping to five defeats in their last six games ending Gabriel Cortez’s first year in charge on a low, Kansas City finished 75-87, five games behind their pace from 2046 and not showing much in the way of improvement for new manager Nathan Campbell. Bringing up the rear were Omaha (69-93) who struggled offensively all season, batting a combined .231 and scoring an NABL low 595 runs.
In the Southwest division, riding the WL #1 pitching led by Juan Brito (14-9, 3.13 ERA in 24 games) Austin (91-71) finally broke through to win the division crown for the first time in 23-years and the third time in their history. Phoenix (86-76) finished five games back from Austin after a slide in performance triggered by September injuries to pitcher George Buchanan (13-10, 3.65) and C Jose Gonzalez (.314, 25 HR, 93 RBI) while Las Vegas were a further game back finishing 85-77, the Gamblers owned the western league’s third best pitching staff headlined by off-season acquisition Les Scott (15-5, 3.32 ERA) and Uwe Hale (15-9, 3.32 ERA) but with an offense that struggled to score runs on a nightly basis the Gamblers were always up against it. Houston (80-82) stumbled through the season finishing below .500 for the eighth year in a row but strong campaigns from RF Gannon Pope (32 HR) and pitcher Chris McAndrew 17-10, 3.92 ERA) gave their fans some hope for the future. Dallas ended their campaign with a losing record for the twelfth consecutive year, finishing with a WL worst 67-95 record, their only bright spots in an otherwise bleak season was the play of pitcher Ray Phillips (22-11, 2.73 ERA) and mid-season trade pickup 2B Oliver Black (.332, 10 HR, 66 RBI).
In the Pacific division Seattle ended the six-year run of Sanfrancisco, taking the division crown with a 95-67 record, with an explosive offense led by star catcher Felix Beltran (.303, 39 HR, 149 RBI), an excellent rotation headed by Jorge Romero (17-5, 3.34 ERA) and a bullpen led by Eli Reynolds (11-4, 1.82 ERA) and Randy McHutcheon (36 saves) the Pioneers were hotly tipped to be the next World Champions. San Jose needed final day victory sparked by a pair of homeruns from LF Mike Carson (.286, 31 HR, 96 RBI) to finish the season on 87-wins and edge out Phoenix and LA for the wildcard spot. Los Angeles finished the season tied with Phoenix with 86-wins but despite boasting the WL’s most powerful offense featuring five players who hit at least 20 homeruns (C Al Wilson 30, RF Stu Leach 27, 3B Cesar Flores 23, LF Manuel Velasquez 23 and 2B Norberto Perez 21), their hit or miss pitching cost them in the end. Three-time defending WL champs Sanfrancisco dropped back from 99 to 85 wins, after their off-season spending spree the Gold’s pitching was a mixed bag, ace Bryan Marburg (15-10, 2.84 ERA) and newcomer Nate Maddox (15-10, 3.45 ERA) were solid but Brent Brown (5-8, 5.11 ERA) struggled and Jose Vazquez was lost for the season in early April having pitched just seven innings for Sanfrancisco. Once again in the division basement were San Diego (70-92), but the Mariners were not as bad as their record suggested, they boasted relatively strong pitching (4th best ERA in the WL) led by 25-year-old Felix Mendez (12-14, 3.93 ERA) and an offensive star in the making in 2B Norris Lindsey (.279, 32 HR, 113 RBI) the Mariners first round draft pick from 2041.
On October 1st OKC and Denver duked it out for the Midwest division crown, OKC emerged triumphant after a hard-fought game, hero of the day was little used outfielder Leo Crocker who hit an eighth inning go-ahead 2-run homer in OKC’s 3-1 victory.
Final Standings
Midwest Division
Oklahoma City 84-79 * (+)
Denver 83-80 (+)
Minneapolis 80-82
Kansas City 75-87
Omaha 69-93
Southwest Division
Austin 91-71 *
Phoenix 86-76
Las Vegas 85-77
Houston 80-82
Dallas 67-95
Pacific Division
Seattle 95-67 *
San Jose 87-75 *
Los Angeles 86-76
Sanfrancisco 85-77
San Diego 70-92
+ Oklahoma City defeat Denver to win Midwest division.
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