[Dukie98]

Frontier League: The defending champion Buffalo Fighting Elk coasted to another Northeast Division title, winning 109 games despite sputtering to an 11-10 start, led by a dominant pitching staff. Center fielder Tris Speaker rebounded from a slow start to hit .325 with 201 hits, 52 doubles, 10 triples, 26 homers, 117 RBI's, 124 runs scored, and 44 steals. First baseman Don Hurst hit .277 with 35 homers and drove in 146 runs, leading the league in RBI's for the second straight year. Third baseman Eric Chavez popped 36 homers and drove in 104 runs. On the mound, Don Wilson rode a hot second half to challenge for his sixth straight Cy Young Award, leading the league in wins, strikeouts, and WHIP, as he went 20-8 with a 2.77 ERA, a 0.92 WHIP, and 260 strikeouts. Jordan Zimmerman posted a 10-10 record despite a strong 3.21 ERA before being sidelined with a season-ending elbow injury. Hal Carlson and Chad Kuhl posted matching 13-7 marks, with Carlson sporting a stellar 2.53 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP. Closer Michael Feliz was brilliant, posting 38 saves, a 1.51 ERA, and 111 strikeouts in 71 innings. The Pittsburgh Golden Gorillas were in the playoff hunt for nearly the entire season before being eliminated on the final day of the season, as they went 7-15 in September and dropped 6 of their final 7 games. Third baseman Bill Madlock starred, hitting .327 with 43 doubles, 21 homers, 119 RBI's, and 24 steals. Right fielder Chet Laabs hit .313 and slugged .548, pounding 32 longballs and driving in 96 runs. Righthander Don Aase led the Frontier League's fifth-ranked pitching staff, going 16-9 with a 3.23 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP. The Philadelphia Hawks were also in the playoff picture for most of the year, threatening to earn their first playoff spot since 2033 before a 9-14 September swoon. First baseman Chick Gandil won the batting title, hitting .363 with 249 hits, including 56 doubles, 12 homers, 44 steals, and scored 134 runs. Center fielder Pedro Guerrero hit .313 and slugged .581, blasting 35 homers and driving in 96 runs in just 124 games. Closer Larry Christenson provided one of the few bright spots for a subpar staff, notching a league-leading 43 saves.

The Toronto Predators won their first division title in 14 years, and they earned their first playoff spot in 10 years, winning the Great Lakes Division with an 86-76 record. Right fielder Chuck Klein hit .310 and slugged .557, drilling 36 homers and 130 RBI's. Left fielder Danny Moeller hit .319 with a .408 on-base percentage, knocking 49 doubles, 25 round-trippers, driving in 87 runs, scoring 118 runs, and stealing 65 bases. Catcher Bill Sarni hit .316 with 22 homers and 79 RBI's. Rookie righthander Tim Belcher was brilliant, going 16-8 with a 2.27 ERA, a 1.00 WHIP, and 225 strikeouts. Scott Bankhead posted a 17-8 mark with a 3.63 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP. Toronto edged out the Cleveland Rocks, who seized the division lead in late August, but stumbled down the stretch with a 7-11 mark. Cleveland was led by right fielder Red Murray, who hit .313 with 26 homers, 106 RBI's, and 26 steals. Center fielder Pete Reiser hit .346 with a .437 on-base percentage, and scored 86 runs in 121 games. Rookie righthander Jose DeLeon went 16-11 with a 2.99 ERA, a 1.15 WHIP, and 248 strikeouts.

The Minneapolis Penguins won their first Great Plains Division title in 20 years, posting a 104-58 record. Center fielder Mike Trout led the league's second-ranked offense, hitting .325 with a .603 slugging percentage, with 82 extra-base hits including 42 homers, 122 RBI's, 67 steals, and a league-high 141 runs scored. Darryl Strawberry narrowly missed becoming a charter member of the 50-50 club: he blasted 49 homers and stole 49 of 56 bases, while driving in 123 runs and scoring 132. Catcher Javy Lopez hit .330 with 33 homers and a career-high 125 RBI's. Veteran first baseman Lee May hit .275 with 28 round-trippers and 106 RBI's. Jose Rijo went 14-6 with a 2.76 ERA, a 1.08 WHIP, and 192 strikeouts, while Wade Miller had a breakout season, going 15-7 with a 2.74 ERA, a 1.15 WHIP, and 195 strikeouts. The Milwaukee Raccoons won 98 games for the second consecutive season. Right fielder Larry Walker had another MVP-caliber season, as he hit .359 and led the league with a .463 on-base percentage and a .701 slugging percentage, including 205 hits 48 homers, 118 RBI's, 131 runs scored, and 22 steals. Left fielder Don Baylor hit .301, blasting 45 doubles, 44 longballs, drove in 109 runs and scored 128. Third baseman Jeff Hamilton hit .288 and slugged .500, ripping 25 homers and driving in 102 runs. Lefty junkballer Dave Fleming went 16-9 with a 2.92 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP. Fellow lefty Howie Pollet went 15-7 with a 3.39 ERA, while closer Francisco Rodriguez notched 27 saves with a 1.50 ERA, fanning 76 hitters in just 54 innings. The Kansas City Mad Hatters won 88 games, making the playoffs for the second straight season, led by the league's third ranked offense. Third baseman Manny Machado hit .291 with 34 homers and 126 RBI's. Right fielder Bernie Carbo hit .310 with a .419 on-base percentage and .555 slugging percentage, drilling 33 round-trippers, scoring 127 runs, and driving in 108 runs. Left fielder Kal Daniels hit .305 with a .438 on-base percentage, ripping 32 homers, swiping 34 bags in 38 chances, and scoring 126 runs. Kirk Gibson and Paul Goldschmidt combined for 49 homers and 179 RBI's. All that firepower was necessary to overcome the league's fourth-worst pitching staff. Jim Shaw was the best of a bad lot, going 9-6 with a 4.30 ERA and a hefty 1.49 WHIP.

The Portland Skunks returned to the postseason after three straight sub-.500 seasons, winning 92 games and clinching the division title on the last day of the season. Six Skunks hit at least 20 homers, as the team's 219 blasts ranked third in the Frontier League. Left fielder Mike Easler hit .325 and slugged .590, pounding 40 doubles, 30 homers and 98 RBI's in just 128 games. Rookie first baseman Hank Blalock hit .288 with 44 doubles, 30 homers, and plated 99 runs. Third baseman Edgardo Alfonzo hit .299 with 25 homers, 105 RBI's, and scored 91 runs. Southpaw Steve Avery went 19-10 with a 2.91 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP. Roger Wolff posted a 19-9 mark with a 4.03 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP. Portland held off the 91-win Vancouver Viceroys, who returned to the postseason for the first time since 2035 thanks to the league's leading offense. Right fielder Hal McRae hit .327 with 50 doubles, 17 homers, 107 RBI's, and 104 runs scored. First baseman Aledmys Diaz hit .328 and slugged .513, drilling 41 doubles, 22 homers, and driving in 98 runs. Left fielder Bernard Gilkey hit .314 and slugged .548, ripping 36 doubles, 21 homers, and driving in 99 runs before suffering a season-ending broken elbow. Southpaw Steve Barber polished his Hall of Fame resume, going 15-9, topping the 250-win milestone, with a 2.83 ERA, a 1.09 WHIP, and 206 strikeouts. The Seattle Whales used a strong second half to win 88 games and clinch their ninth straight postseason appearance. Center fielder Lee Mazzilli hit .326 with a .417 on-base percentage, with 37 doubles, 23 homers, 98 RBI's, and 103 runs scored. Right fielder George Hendrick hit .296 and slugged .542 with 38 homers and 130 RBI's. Third baseman Leo Gomez pounded 29 round-trippers and drove in 99 runs. Righthander Jack Coombs led an otherwise middling pitching staff with a 17-10 mark, a 3.61 ERA, and 210 strikeouts. But southpaw Mickey Mahler was the only other Seattle hurler to pitch enough to qualify for the ERA title, and he posted an 11-12 record with a hefty 5.34 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP.

Continental League: The Charlotte Aviators took the Atlantic Division title for the first time in nine seasons, with 94 wins. Six different Aviators hit at least 20 homers, led by right fielder Jay Buhner, who hit .309 and slugged .570 with 36 longballs and 88 RBI's. Left fielder Dick Wakefield hit .310 with 41 doubles, 33 homers, 104 RBI's, and 118 runs scored. Veteran shortstop Corey Seager hit .317 with a .411 on-base percentage, with 52 doubles, 24 homers, 109 RBI's, and 102 runs scored. Catcher Michael Barrett hit .284 with 20 homers and 74 RBI's. Righthander Ben Tincup posted an 18-7 record with a 3.37 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP. Southpaw Bob Ojeda went 17-10, despite a middling 4.55 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP. Closer BJ Ryan saved 33 games while yielding a 2.09 ERA. The New York Emperors tied a franchise record with 90 wins, making the playoffs for just the third time in league history. Third baseman David Wright and first baseman Don Mattingly each set a team record with 37 homers; Wright hit .332 with 45 doubles, 27 steals, and a league-high 145 RBI's, while Mattingly hit .326 with 206 hits, 41 doubles, and 130 RBI's. Centerfielder Johnny Mostil hit .335 and slugged .584, with 17 homers, 84 RBI's, and 87 runs scored in just 100 games before being sidelined with a hip injury. Lefty Paul Splittorff led the league in victories, going 21-6 with a 2.75 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP. Fellow southpaw Rich Nye posted a 15-6 mark with a 3.73 ERA. The Jacksonville Gulls made the playoffs for the second straight year, combining a dominant offense with an execrable pitching staff. The Gulls scored 1119 runs, led baseball with a .306 team batting average, and hit 300 homers -- second all-time. Seven players hit at least 22 homers, and five topped 30 homers. First baseman Jim Thome took the next step into stardom, hitting a league-high .351 with a .461 on-base percentage, a .644 slugging percentage, 42 homers and 137 RBI's. Left fielder Beals Becker hit .328 with 40 longballs and 121 RBI's. Center fielder Edd Roush hit .347 with 217 hits, 44 doubles, 28 homers, 95 RBI's, 138 runs scored, and 38 steals. Shortstop Robin Young hit .316 and slugged .537, ripping 47 doubles, 31 homers, 127 RBI's, and scoring 136 runs. But the Gulls surrendered 972 runs -- next-to-last in baseball. Rich Gale was the lone bright spot, going 14-7 with an uninspiring 4.19 ERA and 1.42 WHIP.

The New Orleans Crawfish won the Southeast Division with 100 wins, riding an offense which would have dominated the league, apart from Jacksonville. New Orleans finished second in baseball, scoring 987 runs, posting a team .302 average, and drilling 293 longballs, as six players cleared 30 homers. First baseman Eddie Murray, a free agent signee, had the best all-around season of his career, hitting .330 with 214 hits, including 42 homers and 129 RBI's. Rookie center fielder Austin Kearns hit .324 with a .419 on-base percentage, drilling 44 homers, driving in 129 runs, and scoring a league-high 150 runs. DH Hank Lieber hit .322 and slugged .569, popping 40 homers and driving in 134 runs. Lefty Wilbur Cooper went 16-4 with a 3.56 ERA, allowing just 4 homers in 162 innings. Rube Vickers notched a 12-3 mark, with a 3.53 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP. Chad Ogea sported an 11-3 record, yielding a 3.38 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP. The Nashville Blues rode a dominant starting rotation into playoff contention, but they faded in the second half, narrowly missing their first playoff spot since 2030 after winning 86 games. Rookie first baseman Ted Kluszewski was one of the only bright spots offensively, as the Blues finished last in the league with a .245 team batting average and third-from-last in runs scored, as Big Klu hit .292 with 44 homers and 128 RBI's. Left fielder Jim Greengrass hit .264 with 39 jacks and 120 RBI's. Mark Prior had another dominant season, going 20-9 with a 2.84 ERA, a 0.98 WHIP, and a league-best 297 strikeouts. Southpaw Herb Score went 17-10 with a 2.81 ERA, a 1.06 WHIP, and 290 strikeouts. Ron Guidry saved 34 games while yielding a 2.41 ERA.

The El Paso Armadillos returned to the postseason for the first time in five seasons, winning the Texas Division by 5 games with 88 wins. Second-year left fielder Kevin McReynolds led the Armadillos' middle-of-the-pack offense, hitting 35 homers and driving in 118 runs. Center fielder Adolfo Phillips blasted 30 round-trippers and drove in 92 runs, while scoring 101 runs and swiping 33 bags. El Paso's pitching staff ranked second in the Continental League, led by Al Grabowski, who went 11-7 with a 3.11 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP, and righthander LaMarr Hoyt and lefty Fred Link, who sported matching 15-7 records with ERA's of 3.39 and 3.20, respectively.

The overachieving Phoenix Lizards came from out of nowhere to take the Southwest Division with 93 wins, marking their first division title in 26 years and their first playoff appearance in 8 seasons. Phoenix overachieved their Pythagorean projection by 9 games -- and won the division by a scant two games over Anaheim. The Lizards finished fifth in the Continental League in runs scored, led by rookie right fielder Billy Conigliaro, who hit .319 and slugged .589, ripping 88 extra-base hits, including 36 homers, and drove in 143 runs. Second sacker Jim Viox hit .323 with a .402 on-base percentage, with 40 doubles, 23 homers, 99 RBI's, 125 runs scored, and 32 steals. Speedy leftfielder Clyde Milan hit .307 with 200 hits, including 20 homers, 83 RBI's, 128 runs scored, and 65 steals. Shortstop Carlos Guillen hit .298 with a .507 slugging percentage with 74 extra-base hits, including 21 homers, 88 RBI's, and 109 runs scored. Lefty Pete Wilson led a subpar rotation, going 12-12 with a 4.89 ERA. Journeyman Dick Bokelmann led a deep bullpen with 35 saves and a 2.70 ERA. The Anaheim Antelopes clinched their fourth straight playoff spot with 92 wins. Defending MVP Dale Murphy had another banner campaign, hitting .335 with 46 doubles, 32 round-trippers, 125 RBI's, 124 runs scored, and 24 steals. Veteran third baseman Ray Boone hit .294 with 40 homers and 116 RBI's. Second baseman Rougned Odor ripped 21 homers and drove in 49 runs in just 69 games in an injury-riddled campaign, but hit just .236. Lefty Frank Tanana had a strong rebound season, going 17-10 with a 3.35 ERA with a 1.12 WHIP and 262 strikeouts. Junkballer Lou Fette went 16-12 with a 4.51 ERA. Setup man Clay Bryant rebounded brilliantly after missing 2038 with an elbow injury, winning 9 games and posting a 1.72 ERA, a 1.07 WHIP, and 103 strikeouts in 78 innings.