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Dukie98 · 08-02-2018, 12:30 AM

Frontier League: Pitching dominated in 2017, as leaguewide offense declined by over a quarter-run per game from the prior year. The Buffalo Fighting Elk unexpectedly coasted to a surprisingly easy division title, winning 93 games and taking the Northeast Division by ten games. The Fighting Elk overcame a subpar offense with an elite pitching staff, ranking second best in the Frontier League with just 512 runs allowed, as Jair Jurrjens went 18-10 with a microscopic 1.83 ERA, and Bill Bevens went 17-8 with a 2.43 ERA. Mark Wohlers was brilliant out of the pen with 44 saves and a 1.88 ERA. Their rival Baltimore Robins were in the playoff hunt until the season's final week, and they missed the playoffs for the first time in six seasons. Left fielder John Hummel led Baltimore, hitting .320 with 26 homers, 100 RBI's, and 33 steals.

The Great Lakes Division was just two years removed from being the laughingstock of baseball, but it quickly rebounded to be the most competitive division in baseball. The London Werewolves won their fourth straight division title with 100 wins, led by a league-best pitching staff anchored by Cy Blanton, who went 24-7 with a stellar 1.38 ERA and 0.95 WHIP. Joakim Soria led a deep bullpen with 40 saves and 1.95 ERA. Third baseman Matt Chapman led a balanced offense with 18 homers and 95 RBI's, and center fielder Josh Devore stole 88 bases and scored 97 runs. The Cleveland Rocks tied a franchise high with 93 wins, led by a league-best offense sparked by shortstop Jose Reyes, who hit .317 with 64 extra-base hits, 36 steals, and 101 runs scored. Infielders Nate Colbert and Brian Dozier combined for 47 homers and 193 RBI's. However, staff mainstay Jack Chesbro, who went 15-8 with a 3.06 ERA, was sidelined with bone chips during the final week of the season. The Cincinnati Spiders, three years removed from an embarrassing 119-loss season, were one of the feel-good stories, as they returned to the postseason with 89 wins, despite injuries which sidelined ace Don Drysdale for half the season. Carl Yastrzemski starred offensively, hitting .314 with 19 homers and 60 RBI's, despite missing a quarter of the season, and right fielder Jackie Bradley, Jr. combined 21 homers and 83 RBI's with stellar defense. The under-the-radar Ottawa Parliamentarians won 85 games, flirting with the postseason until being eliminated on the final day of the season as righthander Fred Newman went 20-8 with a 2.28 ERA and right fielder Ken Singleton hit .328 with a .446 on base percentage, with 17 homers and 74 RBI's.

The Minneapolis Penguins nearly led the Great Plains division wire-to-wire, winning 93 games. Southpaw Madison Bumgarner was brilliant, going 21-5 with a 1.73 ERA, a stellar 0.84 WHIP, and 251 strikeouts, while Adam Conley went 15-7 with a 3.03 ERA. Andy Van Slyke led a solid if unspectacular offense, hitting .291 with 19 homers, 79 RBI's, and 65 steals. The Kansas City Mad Hatters made the postseason for the fifth straight year with 87 wins. They were led by a deep and balanced pitching staff, as their top four starters sported ERA's of 3.26 or better, led by Billy Pierce's 2.69 ERA and 1.06 WHIP, despite a pedestrian 15-13 record. Second baseman George Grantham hit .341 with a .430 on-base percentage and led baseball with 91 steals. The 87-win Chicago Mules overcame a dreadful start to win the wild card on the final day of the season after winning 12 of their final 14 games. Chicago's twin aces Roger Clemens and Rube Marquard were virtual carbon copies of one another, as Clemens finished 15-9 with a 2.38 ERA and Marquard went 15-10 with a 2.10 ERA, and each finished with 241 strikeouts.

The Seattle Whales made their maiden postseason appearance, winning 95 games and taking the Northwest Division by 11 games. First baseman Ryan Howard avoided the sophomore slump, ripping 33 homers and driving in 93 runs, while left fielder Mike Marshall hit .302 with 27 homers, 80 RBI's, and scored 95 runs. Larry Benton anchored a deep pitching staff, going 20-9 with a 2.66 ERA and 1.03 WHIP, while Pat Combs won 16 games and sported a 2.90 ERA. The Vancouver Viceroys, led by 17-game winners Reb Russell and Ivy Andrews, and the Calgary Cattle Rustlers, led by Steve Garvey who hit .333 with 100 RBI's, remained in wild card contention until the final days of the year. The Denver Spikes, led by Triple Crown winner Mickey Mantle, who hit .366 with 40 homers and 118 RBIs, collapsed down the stretch, losing 13 straight games at the end of the year to fade from postseason contention and finished with just 80 wins.

Continental League: Despite losing stalwart catcher Bill Freehan to San Francisco in free agency, the 97-win Charlotte Aviators coasted to their fifth straight division title, winning the division by 19 games. Left fielder Bill Howerton hit .285 and slugged .518, with 75 extra base hits, including 28 homers and a league-high 119 RBI's. Right fielder Nomar Mazara hit 24 homers and drove in 98 runs, and first baseman Joey Votto hit 16 homers, drove in 83 runs, and sported a .439 on-base percentage.

Like the Aviators, the New Orleans Crawfish lost a franchise icon to free agency in the offseason, as Rickey Henderson decamped to Vancouver, but they didn't miss a beat, winning the Southeast Division with 94 wins. Catcher Joe Mauer hit .299 with 11 homers and 74 RBIs, and first baseman Craig Kusick blasted 21 homers, drove in 86 runs, and scored 94, while ace Gary Nolan went 20-9 with a 3.15 ERA, while closer Chris Devenski had 39 saves and a 1.75 ERA. The Miami Flamingos flirted with the postseason, but ultimately fell one game shy with 85 wins. Center fielder and defending MVP Brady Anderson hit 19 homers, drove in 92 runs, scored 90 runs, and stole 32 bases, while DH/ third baseman Bobby Thomson hit .284 with 18 homers and 98 RBI's.

The Houston Pythons repeated as Texas Division champions with 100 wins, led by a league-best offense. Second baseman Paul Molitor hit .318 with a .407 on-base percentage, including 12 homers, 77 RBI's, 105 runs scored, and 35 steals. Left fielder Eric Thames hit .285 and ripped 29 homers and 110 RBI's. Center fielder Kirby Puckett hit .299 with 60 extra-base hits, including 15 homers, 89 RBI's, 98 runs scored, and provided brilliant defense once again. The San Antonio Marksmen won 96 games, as perennial MVP candidate J.D. Drew hit .334 and slugged .514, with 20 homers, 110 RBI's, and 52 steals. The Marksmen featured an elite pitching staff, with four starters with sub-3.00 ERA's, including Lefty Williams, who went 19-10 with a 2.79 ERA and Matt Harvey, who went 18-11 with a 2.61 ERA. The El Paso Armadillos appeared dead in the water in June, scuffling their way to a 25-32 start, but they rallied to clinch the final wild card spot with 86 wins. The Armadillos were led by first baseman Frank Chance, who hit .293 with a .407 on-base percentage, and scored 102 runs, and by right fielder Pete Rose, who hit .293 with 36 doubles and 90 RBIs. Hank Wyse led a deep pitching staff, going 18-12 with a 2.52 ERA.

The Los Angeles Kangaroos continued to dominate, taking the Southwest Division easily with 111 wins -- highlighted by a near-perfect month of May, when they won their first 25 games, losing only on the final day of the month by a single run. Surrendering just 484 runs on the season, their pitching and defense dominated. Jimmy Anderson went 23-7 with a league-best 1.69 ERA and 1.04 WHIP. Mike Krukow finished 21-9 with a 2.75 ERA, while Brett Anderson went 18-9 with a sparkling 2.29 ERA and 1.05 WHIP. Closer Dick Radatz continued to dominate out of the bullpen with his usual 39-save, 1.93 ERA season. The Kangaroos were led offensively by first baseman Glenn Davis, who hit .301 with 32 homers and 117 RBIs. Right fielder Gary Sheffield hit .297 with 22 homers, 90 RBIs, scored 99 runs, and stole 38 bases, and shortstop Trevor Story hit .284 with 25 homers, 25 steals, and 84 RBIs. The high-scoring Las Vegas Aces won 90 games, led by slugging DH Dolph Camilli, who hit .327 with 31 homers and 108 RBI's, while lefty Chris Van Cuyk had a brilliant season, going 20-7 with a 2.29 ERA and league-best 0.88 WHIP. The 87-win San Diego Zookeepers returned to the postseason for the first time since the league's inaugural 2011 season, led by southpaw Dave Righetti, who went 21-5 with a sparkling 1.86 ERA. Right fielder Paul Waner led the Zookeepers offensively, hitting .341 and slugging .517, including 13 homers and 87 RBI's.

08-02-2018, 12:30 AM	#63
Dukie98 All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2016 Posts: 902	2017 Year in Review Frontier League: Pitching dominated in 2017, as leaguewide offense declined by over a quarter-run per game from the prior year. The Buffalo Fighting Elk unexpectedly coasted to a surprisingly easy division title, winning 93 games and taking the Northeast Division by ten games. The Fighting Elk overcame a subpar offense with an elite pitching staff, ranking second best in the Frontier League with just 512 runs allowed, as Jair Jurrjens went 18-10 with a microscopic 1.83 ERA, and Bill Bevens went 17-8 with a 2.43 ERA. Mark Wohlers was brilliant out of the pen with 44 saves and a 1.88 ERA. Their rival Baltimore Robins were in the playoff hunt until the season's final week, and they missed the playoffs for the first time in six seasons. Left fielder John Hummel led Baltimore, hitting .320 with 26 homers, 100 RBI's, and 33 steals. The Great Lakes Division was just two years removed from being the laughingstock of baseball, but it quickly rebounded to be the most competitive division in baseball. The London Werewolves won their fourth straight division title with 100 wins, led by a league-best pitching staff anchored by Cy Blanton, who went 24-7 with a stellar 1.38 ERA and 0.95 WHIP. Joakim Soria led a deep bullpen with 40 saves and 1.95 ERA. Third baseman Matt Chapman led a balanced offense with 18 homers and 95 RBI's, and center fielder Josh Devore stole 88 bases and scored 97 runs. The Cleveland Rocks tied a franchise high with 93 wins, led by a league-best offense sparked by shortstop Jose Reyes, who hit .317 with 64 extra-base hits, 36 steals, and 101 runs scored. Infielders Nate Colbert and Brian Dozier combined for 47 homers and 193 RBI's. However, staff mainstay Jack Chesbro, who went 15-8 with a 3.06 ERA, was sidelined with bone chips during the final week of the season. The Cincinnati Spiders, three years removed from an embarrassing 119-loss season, were one of the feel-good stories, as they returned to the postseason with 89 wins, despite injuries which sidelined ace Don Drysdale for half the season. Carl Yastrzemski starred offensively, hitting .314 with 19 homers and 60 RBI's, despite missing a quarter of the season, and right fielder Jackie Bradley, Jr. combined 21 homers and 83 RBI's with stellar defense. The under-the-radar Ottawa Parliamentarians won 85 games, flirting with the postseason until being eliminated on the final day of the season as righthander Fred Newman went 20-8 with a 2.28 ERA and right fielder Ken Singleton hit .328 with a .446 on base percentage, with 17 homers and 74 RBI's. The Minneapolis Penguins nearly led the Great Plains division wire-to-wire, winning 93 games. Southpaw Madison Bumgarner was brilliant, going 21-5 with a 1.73 ERA, a stellar 0.84 WHIP, and 251 strikeouts, while Adam Conley went 15-7 with a 3.03 ERA. Andy Van Slyke led a solid if unspectacular offense, hitting .291 with 19 homers, 79 RBI's, and 65 steals. The Kansas City Mad Hatters made the postseason for the fifth straight year with 87 wins. They were led by a deep and balanced pitching staff, as their top four starters sported ERA's of 3.26 or better, led by Billy Pierce's 2.69 ERA and 1.06 WHIP, despite a pedestrian 15-13 record. Second baseman George Grantham hit .341 with a .430 on-base percentage and led baseball with 91 steals. The 87-win Chicago Mules overcame a dreadful start to win the wild card on the final day of the season after winning 12 of their final 14 games. Chicago's twin aces Roger Clemens and Rube Marquard were virtual carbon copies of one another, as Clemens finished 15-9 with a 2.38 ERA and Marquard went 15-10 with a 2.10 ERA, and each finished with 241 strikeouts. The Seattle Whales made their maiden postseason appearance, winning 95 games and taking the Northwest Division by 11 games. First baseman Ryan Howard avoided the sophomore slump, ripping 33 homers and driving in 93 runs, while left fielder Mike Marshall hit .302 with 27 homers, 80 RBI's, and scored 95 runs. Larry Benton anchored a deep pitching staff, going 20-9 with a 2.66 ERA and 1.03 WHIP, while Pat Combs won 16 games and sported a 2.90 ERA. The Vancouver Viceroys, led by 17-game winners Reb Russell and Ivy Andrews, and the Calgary Cattle Rustlers, led by Steve Garvey who hit .333 with 100 RBI's, remained in wild card contention until the final days of the year. The Denver Spikes, led by Triple Crown winner Mickey Mantle, who hit .366 with 40 homers and 118 RBIs, collapsed down the stretch, losing 13 straight games at the end of the year to fade from postseason contention and finished with just 80 wins. Continental League: Despite losing stalwart catcher Bill Freehan to San Francisco in free agency, the 97-win Charlotte Aviators coasted to their fifth straight division title, winning the division by 19 games. Left fielder Bill Howerton hit .285 and slugged .518, with 75 extra base hits, including 28 homers and a league-high 119 RBI's. Right fielder Nomar Mazara hit 24 homers and drove in 98 runs, and first baseman Joey Votto hit 16 homers, drove in 83 runs, and sported a .439 on-base percentage. Like the Aviators, the New Orleans Crawfish lost a franchise icon to free agency in the offseason, as Rickey Henderson decamped to Vancouver, but they didn't miss a beat, winning the Southeast Division with 94 wins. Catcher Joe Mauer hit .299 with 11 homers and 74 RBIs, and first baseman Craig Kusick blasted 21 homers, drove in 86 runs, and scored 94, while ace Gary Nolan went 20-9 with a 3.15 ERA, while closer Chris Devenski had 39 saves and a 1.75 ERA. The Miami Flamingos flirted with the postseason, but ultimately fell one game shy with 85 wins. Center fielder and defending MVP Brady Anderson hit 19 homers, drove in 92 runs, scored 90 runs, and stole 32 bases, while DH/ third baseman Bobby Thomson hit .284 with 18 homers and 98 RBI's. The Houston Pythons repeated as Texas Division champions with 100 wins, led by a league-best offense. Second baseman Paul Molitor hit .318 with a .407 on-base percentage, including 12 homers, 77 RBI's, 105 runs scored, and 35 steals. Left fielder Eric Thames hit .285 and ripped 29 homers and 110 RBI's. Center fielder Kirby Puckett hit .299 with 60 extra-base hits, including 15 homers, 89 RBI's, 98 runs scored, and provided brilliant defense once again. The San Antonio Marksmen won 96 games, as perennial MVP candidate J.D. Drew hit .334 and slugged .514, with 20 homers, 110 RBI's, and 52 steals. The Marksmen featured an elite pitching staff, with four starters with sub-3.00 ERA's, including Lefty Williams, who went 19-10 with a 2.79 ERA and Matt Harvey, who went 18-11 with a 2.61 ERA. The El Paso Armadillos appeared dead in the water in June, scuffling their way to a 25-32 start, but they rallied to clinch the final wild card spot with 86 wins. The Armadillos were led by first baseman Frank Chance, who hit .293 with a .407 on-base percentage, and scored 102 runs, and by right fielder Pete Rose, who hit .293 with 36 doubles and 90 RBIs. Hank Wyse led a deep pitching staff, going 18-12 with a 2.52 ERA. The Los Angeles Kangaroos continued to dominate, taking the Southwest Division easily with 111 wins -- highlighted by a near-perfect month of May, when they won their first 25 games, losing only on the final day of the month by a single run. Surrendering just 484 runs on the season, their pitching and defense dominated. Jimmy Anderson went 23-7 with a league-best 1.69 ERA and 1.04 WHIP. Mike Krukow finished 21-9 with a 2.75 ERA, while Brett Anderson went 18-9 with a sparkling 2.29 ERA and 1.05 WHIP. Closer Dick Radatz continued to dominate out of the bullpen with his usual 39-save, 1.93 ERA season. The Kangaroos were led offensively by first baseman Glenn Davis, who hit .301 with 32 homers and 117 RBIs. Right fielder Gary Sheffield hit .297 with 22 homers, 90 RBIs, scored 99 runs, and stole 38 bases, and shortstop Trevor Story hit .284 with 25 homers, 25 steals, and 84 RBIs. The high-scoring Las Vegas Aces won 90 games, led by slugging DH Dolph Camilli, who hit .327 with 31 homers and 108 RBI's, while lefty Chris Van Cuyk had a brilliant season, going 20-7 with a 2.29 ERA and league-best 0.88 WHIP. The 87-win San Diego Zookeepers returned to the postseason for the first time since the league's inaugural 2011 season, led by southpaw Dave Righetti, who went 21-5 with a sparkling 1.86 ERA. Right fielder Paul Waner led the Zookeepers offensively, hitting .341 and slugging .517, including 13 homers and 87 RBI's.