[Dukie98]

Frontier League: The Boston Minutemen easily handled the Pittsburgh Golden Gorillas, eliminating Pittsburgh in five games. Surprisingly, although Boston's pitching staff struggled throughout the season, they dominated Pittsburgh, holding the Golden Gorillas to just 13 runs in 5 games. Boston left fielder Roy White was named MVP after hitting .368 with a .538 on-base percentage and a series-high 6 RBI's. First baseman Ernie Banks hit just .222, but he popped both of Boston's homers and drove in 3 runs. Southpaw Zach Duke starred, going 1-0 with a 1.20 ERA, allowing just 8 hits in 15 innings. Rookie second baseman Bill Madlock led Pittsburgh, hitting .368 with 2 RBI's. The Baltimore Robins ousted the Detroit Purple Gang in six games, holding Detroit to just four runs in the Robins' four victories. In a controversial decision, third baseman Edgardo Alfonzo was named MVP after hitting .423 with a homer and 5 RBI's. Southpaw Randy Johnson dominated, allowing just 4 hits in 16 shutout innings while striking out 22- including a 12-strikeout no-hitter in Game 5, the third in HRDL postseason history. Detroit shortstop Francisco Lindor drilled 3 longballs and drove in 7 runs. In the only series of the Wild Card round to go the distance, the Omaha Falcons outlasted the defending champion Portland Skunks in seven games. Omaha catcher Gabby Hartnett took home the hardware, hitting .417 and slugging .833, blasting 2 homers and driving in 6 runs. Righthander Ed Reulbach went 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA, allowing just 6 hits in 14 innings. Portland left fielder Mike Easler continued to build on last year's brilliant postseason, as he hit .296 with 3 homers and 7 RBI's, while second baseman John Knight hit .379 with a homer and 8 RBI's out of the leadoff slot. In a Northwest Division showdown, the Seattle Whales dominated the Denver Spikes, outscoring Denver 29-11 in a four-game sweep. First baseman Lee May starred, hitting .471 with 3 homers and 9 RBI's. Third baseman Milt Stock hit .533 with 4 RBI's. Denver was lead by slick-fielding first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz, who hit .538 and drove in a pair of runs.

In a Northeast Division matchup in the Divisional Round, the balanced Baltimore Robins upended the 104-win Boston Minutemen in six games. Baltimore left fielder Duffy Lewis took home MVP honors after hitting .458 with a homer and 6 RBI's. Third baseman Edgardo Alfonzo hit .320 with 3 homers and 6 RBI's, while catcher Gary Sanchez popped 3 longballs of his own, driving in 5 runs. Boston second baseman Sal Bando led the way, hitting .375 with 2 homers and 7 RBI's. The Seattle Whales pulled their second straight sweep of the postseason, outscoring the Omaha Falcons 26-9. Rookie third baseman Milt Stock hit .412 with a homer and 8 RBI's to take home MVP honors. Center fielder Lee Mazzilli hit .419 with a .579 on-base percentage, scoring 7 runs and driving in 4 with a homer. Seattle's bullpen dominated, allowing just two hits in 11 shutout innings. First baseman Lou Gehrig led an overmatched Omaha offense, hitting .357 with 3 RBI's. Seattle continued to dominate in the League Championship Series, eliminating the Robins in a surprising four-game sweep, while outscoring Baltimore 20-6. First baseman Lee May earned another trophy, hitting .400 with 3 homers and 4 RBI's. Left fielder Sherry Magee hit .333 with a pair of homers, 4 RBI's, and 2 steals. Righthander Al Benton threw a 6-hit shutout in Game One, while Bob Osborn and Tom Griffin each hurled 7 shutout innings. Leftfielder Duffy Lewis valiantly led Baltimore, hitting .455 with a .625 on-base percentage.

Continental League: The Albuquerque Conquistadors outlasted the New Orleans Crawfish in six games. Despite the booming bats of the Conquistadors, scrappy shortstop Elvis Andrus earned MVP honors after hitting .500 with 12 hits, 6 runs scored, a homer, and 4 steals. First baseman George Brett and catcher Tex Erwin each popped three homers. Righthander Bob Gibson won both his starts, posting a 2.84 ERA with 16 strikeouts in 13 innings. Left fielder Tommie Davis led the Crawfish, hitting .480 with 2 homers and driving in 5 runs; Jean Segura and Chet Lemon each popped a pair of homers and drove in six runs apiece. The Los Angeles Kangaroos hopped over the Washington Ambassadors in six games. Slap-hitting second baseman Jerry Priddy led the way, hitting .600 with a homer, 4 RBI's, and 6 runs scored. Rookie rightfielder Danny Litwhiler hit .480 with a homer and 5 RBI's, while third baseman Josh Harrison drove in a series-high 11 runs. Southpaw Nap Rucker made a strong push for MVP honors, going 2-0 without allowing an earned run in 16 innings, including a three-hit shutout in Game Two. Slugging left fielder Gus Zernial led Washington, hitting .467 with 2 homers and 7 RBI's. In a Texas Division showdown, the powerful Houston Pythons destroyed the El Paso Armadillos in a four-game sweep. Rookie first baseman Adam Laroche earned MVP honors after hitting .462 with 2 homers and plated 4 runs. Right fielder Derrick May hit .429 with 4 runs scored. Southpaw Bill Sherdel earned the win in a 1-0 series finale, hurling 7 shutout innings of 3-hit ball. El Paso first baseman Gil Hodges popped 2 homers and drove in 3 of their 9 runs in the series. The Atlanta Ducks made a resounding return to the playoffs after an 11-year drought, knocking off the San Antonio Marksmen in 5 games. Atlanta slugger Jim Greengrass raked, hitting .429 with a homer and 3 RBI's. Duck righthander Al Santorini won both his starts and posted a 2.57 ERA in 14 innings. Catcher Wilin Rosario led the Marksmen, hitting .278 with 2 round-trippers and 5 RBI's.

In a classic Division Series showdown, the 100-win Los Angeles Kangaroos upended the 107-win Albuquerque Conquistadors in seven games; Albuquerque won games 5 and 6 before falling a run short in Game Seven. Kangaroo catcher Elston Howard hit .400 with a homer and 6 RBI's, while second baseman Jerry Priddy continued to swing a hot bat, ripping the ball to a .414 clip with a homer and 3 RBI's. Veteran slugger Gary Matthews led the Kangaroos with 3 homers and 7 RBI's. Albuquerque star third baseman Frank Baker took home MVP honors in defeat, hitting .458 with 4 homers and 10 RBI's. The Atlanta Ducks won the final three games to knock off the Houston Pythons in six games. Left fielder Jim Greengrass won his second straight trophy, hitting .542 with 5 extra-base hits and driving in 7 runs. Second baseman Roberto Alomar hit .538 with 5 runs scored and 5 steals. Al Santorini continued to pitch well, going 2-0 with a 2.77 ERA. Houston southpaw Jerry Reuss dominated, going 1-0 with a 0.50 ERA in 18 innings, including a six-hit shutout in Game One. In the League Championship Series, the Ducks outlasted the Kangaroos in seven games in a mild upset. Atlanta DH Adam Jones took home the hardware after hitting .308 with 3 homers and 11 RBI's. Atlanta outfielders Jim Greengrass, Gary Roenicke, and catcher Darrin Fletcher each drilled a pair of homers, while Tyson Ross earned a pair of wins in relief. Los Angeles catcher Elston Howard put forth a valiant effort in defeat, hitting.385 with 3 homers and 8 RBI's.

World Series: The World Series featured a matchup of two teams with deep, balanced offenses and middle-of-the-pack pitching staffs - the 96-win Seattle Whales and the 95-win Atlanta Ducks. Seattle's three prior World Series appearances resulted in a parade, while Atlanta had never won a championship and only made one prior World Series appearance. Seattle entered the Series with a 12-game winning streak, having swept each of their first three rounds. Atlanta snapped the Whales' winning streak, taking the first two games of the series -- but Seattle stormed back to take the series in six games.

Atlanta dominated Game One 8-1, as right fielder Gary Roenicke popped two homers, including a ninth-inning blast to break the game open, and journeyman John Lamb outdueled Seattle's Bob Osborn, allowing just two hits in seven innings. Atlanta took Game Two 5-4 in ten innings, with star left fielder Jim Greengrass blasting the game winning homer with two outs in the top of the tenth inning off Darren Dreifort. Seattle nearly blew a 7-run lead in the seventh inning of Game Three, but the Whales held on for a 7-6 victory. Seattle second baseman Clint Barmes ripped four hits and drove in four runs, while catcher Gene Oliver rapped two doubles. Roenicke and DH Adam Jones homered for Atlanta.

Seattle won a pitchers' duel, 3-1, in Game Four, as Lou Knerr hurled 7 shutout innings of two-hit ball. Star left fielder Sherry Magee homered off Al Santorini in the first innning, while May homered in the eighth inning to break the game open. Seattle dominated all phases of the game in Game 5, winning 6-2, as catcher Gene Oliver homered, righthander Bob Osborn threw six solid innings, and Lee Mazzilli and Magee combined for five steals. Seattle clinched the series in a romp in Game Six, winning 10-2 as shortstop Dick Bartell popped three hits and drove in three runs, including a three-run homer off Scott Elarton to open the scoring. Al Benton won his fourth game of the postseason with seven solid innings.

Seattle catcher Gene Oliver, a controversial free agent signing, was named MVP of the World Series, as he hit .348 with 2 homers and 4 RBI's. Center fielder Lee Mazzilli hit .417 with 5 steals and 3 runs scored. Atlanta was led by Gary Roenicke, who hit .350 with 3 longballs and drove in 8 runs.