[Dukie98]

Frontier League: In a dramatic pennant race, the Philadelphia Hawks came from behind to edge out the defending champion Buffalo Fighting Elk in Game 163 after both teams won 91 games. MVP candidate Cody Bellinger led the Frontier League with 42 homers and 130 RBI's, while right fielder Braggo Roth hit .338 with 64 extra-base hits, 105 RBI's, and 35 steals Rookie righthander Bob Tewksbury went 20-7 with a strong 3.17 ERA and 1.07 WHIP. Star catcher Dave Nilsson led Buffalo, hitting .302 with 25 homers, 81 RBI's, and 21 steals, while Bill Bevens led their league-best pitching staff with a 17-13 record, a 2.60 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP, while Marcus Stroman went 13-9 with a stellar 2.19 ERA and 1.05 WHIP. The Hawks forced a one-game playoff after winning 8 straight games in mid-September, and Mark Hendrickson threw a five-hit shutout in the one-game playoff.

The overachieving Toronto Predators overcame the offseason loss of ace Felix Hernandez in free agency and a devastating career-ending labrum injury to Lefty Gomez to win the Great Lakes Division comfortably with 92 wins. Todd Helton flirted with the batting title, hitting .345 with 37 homers, 127 RBI's and led the league with 365 total bases, while right fielder George "High Pockets" Kelly hit .335 with 30 homers and 92 RBI's. They held off the Cleveland Rocks in the final week of the season, as Cleveland missed the playoffs with 87 wins, despite 41 homers from Aaron Judge and a 15-win, 2.54 ERA season from ace Jack Chesbro.

The Kansas City Mad Hatters made their sixth straight playoff appearance, winning 103 games. Second baseman George Grantham hit .323 with a .424 on-base percentage and stole 83 bases. Kansas City's traditionally-deep pitching staff was led by Jose Rosado, who went 18-9 with a 2.88 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP, and by Billy Pierce, who went 16-10 with a 2.79 ERA, a 1.02 WHIP, and 246 strikeouts. The 101-win Minneapolis Penguins matched the Mad Hatters every step of the way, as Andy Van Slyke led a balanced offense, hitting .296 with 26 homers, 102 RBI's, and 58 steals, and right fielder Roy Foster hit .280 with 25 homers and 95 RBI's. The Penguins featured the best starting pitching in the league, as Madison Bumgarner went 13-7 with a stellar 2.31 ERA, 0.92 ERA, and 234 strikeouts -- his fourth straight season with a sub-2.50 ERA and a WHIP below 1 -- and Larry Jaster went 20-13 with a 2.53 ERA and 1.00 WHIP.

The Northwest Division was top-to-bottom the strongest division in baseball. The Denver Spikes got off to a red-hot start, starting 46-16 on their way to a 106-win season. Denver dominated the league offensively, scoring more than 100 runs more than the second-best offense. Despite a quiet start, Mickey Mantle posted MVP-caliber statistics, leading the league's most prolific offense by hitting .358 with 35 homers and 110 RBI's. Third baseman Tommy Glaviano bounced back from two off seasons by ripping 29 homers and driving in 89 runs. Rookie first baseman Phil Clark got off to an explosive start, flirting with the league lead in homers and RBI's until he tore his achilles tendon at the end of May; Clark returned at the end of the year, hitting .310 and slugging .601, with 21 homers and 63 RBI's in just 68 games. Righthander Bruce Berenyi led an underrated pitching staff, going 14-6 with a 2.68 ERA and 202 strikeouts, while Rube Bressler had a team-best 17-5 record, a 3.33 ERA , and a 1.17 WHIP. The Seattle Whales earned their second straight postseason bid after winning 95 games, as first baseman Ryan Howard paced the squad by hitting .317 with 36 homers and 102 RBI's, while slugging left fielder Mike Marshall hit .306 with 31 homers and drove in 97 runs. Righthander Jake Arrieta had a league-high 22 wins with a 2.85 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP. The San Francisco Longshoremen continued their trend of making the playoffs in even-numbered years, winning 92 games behind the balanced play of shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, who hit .297 with 29 homers and 104 RBI's, while catcher Bill Freehan hit .290 and bopped 25 homers. Righthander Yu Darvish led a deep pitching staff wit a 19-9 record, a 2.80 ERA, and a league-best 297 strikeouts. The Vancouver Viceroys remained in postseason contention until the final week of the season, led by a terrific all-around season by left fielder Jim Edmonds, who hit .319 with 41 homers and drove in 119 runs, while southpaw Reb Russell went 17-12 with a strong 2.41 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP.

Continental League: The Charlotte Aviators proved to be the model of consistency, winning their 6th straight division title with 94 wins, although they stumbled into the postseason with a dreadful September, as first baseman Joey Votto missed nearly the entire second half. Right fielder Cliff Heathcote blossomed into a star, hitting .308 with 81 extra base hits, including 32 homers, drove in 120 runs, stole 43 bases, and led the league with a .568 slugging percentage. Left fielder Bill Howerton hit .300, slugged .511, and drove in 102 runs. Crafty southpaw Ray Fontenot went 19-10 with a 2.89 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP. The Aviators needed to take two of three from the explosive Jacksonville Gulls, including a come-from-behind 4-3 victory in the final game of the year, to clinch the division. Right fielder Bryce Harper hit .336 with a league-best .450 on-base percentage, ripping 34 homers and driving in 112 runs. Kent Hrbek slammed 35 homers and drove in 120 runs, while Keith Hernandez hit .295 with 26 homers and 117 RBI's. Free agent acquisition Wade Boggs flirted with the batting title, hitting .340 and scoring 105 runs. The New York Emperors made their maiden postseason appearance, winning 90 games. Right fielder Stephen Piscotty led a balanced offense, hitting .323 with 23 homers and 119 RBI's, while three more Emperors topped 80 RBI's, as the Emperors overcame a subpar pitching staff.

The Miami Flamingos took the Southeast Division with 94 wins behind a deep offense, as six players drove in between 73 and 87 runs. Brady Anderson hit 25 homers, stole 24 bases, and drove in 87 runs, while leadoff hitter Rick Peters set the table with a .336 average, a .431 on-base percentage, and stole 34 bases in addition to providing his customary Gold Glove defense in left field. Brett Tomko went 22-8 with a 2.47 ERA and 1.08 WHIP, while Bill Steen posted nearly identical stats while winning "just" 17 games. The overachieving Atlanta Ducks won 90 games, but nearly fell out of the playoffs after losing five straight games near the end of the season. Atlanta was led by catcher John Wockenfuss, who hit 25 homers, slugged .477, and drove in 78 runs, while Brandon Belt blasted 22 homers with 91 RBIs. Atlanta held off the Nashville Blues by a single game for the final playoff spot; Nashville was led by left fielder Gary Matthews, who hit .314 with 31 homers and 94 RBI's, while right fielder Brian Jordan hit 33 homers and drove in 106 runs.

The San Antonio Marksmen made the playoffs for the fifth straight year, although they showed some signs of slippage, dropping to just 89 wins. Star centerfielder J.D. Drew hit .292 with 21 homers, 38 steals, and drove in 102 runs. Starters Ray Collins, Matt Harvey, and Russ Van Atta won 15 games apiece, while closer Freddy Schmidt had 29 saves with a 1.75 ERA, as the Marksmen sported the league's third-best pitching staff.

The incredible run of the Los Angeles Kangaroos passed into the realm of the ridiculous: After signing All-Star pitchers Wes Ferrell and Felix Hernandez to bolster their pitching staff, the Kangaroos won an incredible 125 games. They finished first in the league in nearly every offensive stat except for walks, and first in every significant team pitching stat except for strikeouts (where they finished second). After July 1, they went 69-15. Shortstop Trevor Story had a brilliant all-around season, hitting .329 and slugging .561, blasting 34 homers with 128 RBI's -- with 36 steals to boot. First baseman Glenn Davis led the league with 40 homers and 130 RBI's. Left fielder Mike Davis hit .308 with 31 homers, 97 RBI's, and 80 steals. On the mound, Brett Anderson went 23-3 with a 2.37 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP, while Ferrell went 20-2 with a league-best 2.04 ERA and 0.99 WHIP. As a result of the Kangaroos' dominance, the Las Vegas Aces managed to be completely under the radar while winning 103 games. DH Dolph Camilli pounded 25 homers and drove in 103 runs. Las Vegas featured the Continental League's second-best pitching staff, as Lefty Williams went 20-7 with a 2.96 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP, and Clay Buchholz went 17-3 with a sparkling 2.30 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP. Closer Joey Jay had 29 saves with a 1.44 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP.