All Star Reserve
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 902
|
2013 Year in Review
Frontier League: While the Northeast Division shaped up to be a tight five-team race for the first half of the season, the Buffalo Fighting Elk roared through the league in the second half, to finish with a HRDL-best 104 wins. The Fighting Elk went an incredible 44-12 in August and September -- including a ridiculous 24-2 run in September with both losses by a single run, highlighted by a 12-game winning streak where they outscored their opponents 82-9, including six shutouts in seven games. The Fighting Elk were led by catcher Dave Nilsson, who hit .310 with 33 homers and 95 RBI's and a balanced pitching staff where all five starters won either 16 or 17 games. The Baltimore Robins returned to the postseason after winning 90 games, as all three outfielders (John Hummel, Rick Monday, and Leon Durham) topped 30 homers and 20 steals apiece, and Clay Buchholz went 16-11 with a 2.28 ERA. The Pittsburgh Golden Grizzlies snuck into the postseason on the final day of the season, winning 89 games after leading the league in homers, as third baseman Willie Greene and left fielder Del Ennis combined for 80 homers and 212 RBI's.
In the Great Lakes Division, the Detroit Purple Gang led the division for most of the first four months of the season, but the Cleveland Rocks pulled away at the end of the season to win the division with 93 games. Cleveland right fielder Aaron Judge had a breakout season, hitting .347 with 43 homers and 143 RBI's, and shortstop Jose Reyes hit .322 with 95 steals. The Minneapolis Penguins coasted to the postseason behind an elite pitching staff, led by rookie Madison Bumgarner, who went 16-11 with a 2.60 ERA and closer Rafael Betancourt, who had a league-high 42 saves with a 1.72 ERA. The Kansas City Mad Hatters seized a wild card spot with 89 wins, as they were led by left fielder Lonnie Smith, who hit .342, stole 82 bases, and scored 116 runs, and center fielder Reggie Sanders, who had 33 homers, 33 steals, and drove in 134 runs.
The Vancouver Viceroys won their third straight Northwest Division title, winning 100 games, as first baseman Nate Colbert led their league-best offense, hitting 48 homers and driving in 140 runs, and southpaw Jakie May sported a league-best 1.70 ERA, an 0.85 WHIP, and 317 strikeouts. The Denver Spikes had a shocking improvement from 56 wins to 98 wins, led by rookie outfielder Mickey Mantle, who hit .363 with 53 homers, leading the league in both categories, and first baseman Kent Hrbek, who hit 39 homers with 126 RBIs.
Continental League: The slugging Charlotte Aviators held off the defending champion Washington Ambassadors to win the Atlantic Division with 93 wins, as right fielder Richard Hidalgo hit .355 with 52 homers and 141 RBI's, and catcher Bill Freehan hit .344 with 36 homers and 116 RBI's. The Ambassadors won a one-game playoff against the Houston Pythons to seize the final wild card spot, as Hippo Vaughn and Mike Timlin combined for a three-hitter. Southpaw Ray Collins led the Ambassadors with a 19-8 record and a 2.73 ERA, and rookie third baseman Rafael Devers hit .308 with 28 homers and scored 96 runs. The New Orleans Crawfish made their maiden appearance in the playoffs, winning a mediocre Southeast Division comfortably with 92 wins. Gary Nolan led the HRDL with 25 wins and a 2.41 ERA, and Rickey Henderson scored 137 runs, hitting .332 with a league-high 79 steals, and rookie catcher Joe Mauer hit .356 with 94 RBI's.
After a slow start, the Dallas Wildcatters won the Texas Division with 99 wins, going 38-16 in August and September. Third baseman Carney Lansford dominated, ripping 46 homers and a league-high 157 RBI's, while two-time MVP Dave Parker slipped to "just" 39 homers, 119 RBI's, and a .596 slugging percentage, while Michael Pineda went 23-6 with a 3.51 ERA. The El Paso Armadillos led the division for most of the season before a late-season swoon, led by their league-best pitching staff, as Sheriff Blake went 17-8 with a solid 2.82 ERA and Hong-Chih Kuo had 38 saves with a 2.12 ERA.
The Phoenix Lizards got off to a blazing-hot start, winning their first 10 games of the season and 25 of their first 28, on their way to a 99-win season. Third baseman Wade Boggs led a powerful offense, hitting .394 with a .481 on-base percentage, and right fielder Shawn Green hit .319 with 36 homers and a team-high 130 RBI's. The 94-win Los Angeles Kangaroos made their third straight postseason, led by free agent signee Gary Sheffield, who hit .333 with 38 homers, 129 RBI's, and 37 steals, while David Ortiz hit 30 homers and drove in 106 runs. Southpaw Brett Anderson had a breakout season, going 16-8 with a 2.66 ERA and 1.05 WHIP. The Anaheim Antelopes rode a strong pitching staff into the postseason, as Kerry Wood had a stellar 2.60 ERA and a league-high 314 strikeouts, despite a middling 14-14 record, and rookie closer Bill Campbell had 38 saves and a microscopic 1.08 ERA in 75 innings.
|