OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post

Dukie98 · 09-02-2018, 03:56 AM

Frontier League: The Buffalo Fighting Elk cruised to their third straight postseason appearance, leading all of baseball with 105 wins behind a dominant pitching staff which surrendered just 491 runs on the season. Buffalo took command of the Northeast Division early on, with a 19-game winning streak in April, and ultimately won the division by 15 games. Jair Jurrjens went 18-9 with a 2.12 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP, and free agent signee Ray Collins matched Jurrjens with an 18-9 record, a 2.34 ERA, and a 1.02 WHIP. Brad Lidge led a league-best bullpen with 38 saves and a 1.77 ERA. The Baltimore Robins, left for dead at the All-Star Break after a middling first half, returned to the postseason after a two-year absence by winning 90 games. Left fielder John Hummel hit .299 with 27 homers, 97 RBI's, and 36 steals, while slugging first baseman Hank Thompson hit 29 homers in 110 games after being acquired from Kansas City in late May. Paul Dean anchored a solid pitching staff with a 16-8 record, a 2.69 ERA, and a stellar 0.97 WHIP. The under-the-radar Montreal Knights won 15 of their final 22 games, including their final four games of the season, to claim the final postseason spot by a single game with 87 wins. Although Montreal was second in the Frontier League in homers, led by free agent signee Dave Parker's 32 round-trippers and 83 RBI's, they were just 16th in runs due to an abysmal team batting average (.245). The Knights rode into the postseason on the strength of their pitching staff, as Joe Boehling went 16-13 with a 3.12 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP. Erv Kantlehner split his season between the rotation and the bullpen, going 12-4 with 13 saves and a strong 2.52 ERA and 1.24 WHIP. The Philadelphia Hawks, despite being in the playoff running for most of the season after a strong first half, faded down the stretch, losing 10 of their final 17 games to finish out of the playoff running with 85 wins. The Hawks were lead by star rightfielder Braggo Roth, who hit .326 with 17 homers, 76 RBI's, and 36 steals (despite missing 40 games with injuries), and crafty southpaw Tom Underwood, who went 19-7 with a 2.40 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP.

The always-solid London Werewolves won their fifth Great Lakes Division title in six years with a 95-win season. Second baseman Geronimo Pena had a brilliant all-around season, hitting .309 with 81 extra-base hits, including 31 homers, 115 RBI's, and 32 steals. Centerfielder Josh Devore hit .299 with a .391 on-base percentage, stole 84 bases, and scored 108 runs. Ace Cy Blanton anchored a solid pitching staff with an 18-8 record, a 2.44 ERA, a 1.09 WHIP, and 234 strikeouts. The Cincinnati Spiders, after flirting with .600 in the first half, stumbled into the postseason with 87 wins. The Spiders were led by a strong pitching staff, as Don Drysdale went 18-8 with a 2.47 ERA and a league-best 0.91 WHIP, and Jim Palmer went 17-14 with a 3.27 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP. Young first baseman Lou Gehrig showed signs of blossoming into a star, hitting .304 with a .510 slugging percentage, ripping 25 homers and driving in 84 runs, while veteran right fielder Leon Durham pounded 31 homers and drove in 99 runs of his own.

The defending champion Minneapolis Penguins overcame the midseason losses of ace Madison Bumgarner and starting pitcher Joel Piniero to return to the postseason by winning the Great Plains Division with 99 wins. Andy Van Slyke led a balanced offensive attack by hiting .327 with 19 homers, 74 RBI's, 103 runs scored, and 64 steals. Larry Jaster went 20-7 with a 2.51 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP, and Bob Friend chipped in by going 18-12 with a 2.99 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP. Their division rivals, the Kansas City Mad Hatters, missed the postseason for the first time in seven years by a single game, winning 86 games, as second baseman George Grantham hit .333 with 16 homers, 101 runs scored, and 79 steals, and ace Billy Pierce went 14-9 with a 2.87 ERA, a 1.06 WHIP, and 234 strikeouts.

The Vancouver Viceroys won a strong Northwest Division with 97 wins, despite losing star outfielder Jim Edmonds for the season in August. Third baseman Alfonso Soriano hit .290 with 27 homers and 108 RBIs. Cy Young Award favorite Reb Russell anchored the league's second-best pitching staff with a 23-7 record, a 2.41 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP. Mel Stottlemyre sported a 15-11 record to go along with a 2.69 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP. Once again, MVP candidate Mickey Mantle carried a 92-win Denver Spikes squad into the postseason, hitting .346 with a league-high 50 homers and 125 RBIs. Denver led the Frontier League with 800 runs scored, as third baseman Tommy Glaviano hit .284 with 26 homers and 98 RBI's, while first baseman Phil Clark had a strong sophomore campaign, hitting .306 with 22 homers and 95 RBIs.

Continental League: The Jacksonville Gulls used a dominant offense to win their first Atlantic Division title with 101 wins, as Bryce Harper hit .350 with 35 homers, a .593 slugging percentage, 126 runs scored, and 117 RBI's. Third baseman Wade Boggs led baseball with a .363 average and scored 121 runs of his own, while first baseman Keith Hernandez had a brilliant all-around season, hitting .355 and slugging .566, with 23 homers and 143 RBI's. Dizzy Trout anchored a better-than-expected pitching staff with a 20-6 record, a 2.02 ERA, and a 1.04 WHIP. The Charlotte Aviators won 95 games, but failed to win the division for the first time in 7 years. Right fielder Cliff Heathcote led a balanced offense by hitting .302 with a .506 slugging percentage, ripping 27 homers, scoring 103 runs, driving in 100 runs, and stealing 50 bases. Left fielder Henry Rodriguez hit 33 homers and drove in 103 runs. Steady Steve Hargan paced a deep pitching staff, going 18-10 with a 2.90 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP, while Elmer Stricklett went 15-3 with a 2.45 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP. The Washington Ambassadors, led by an elite outfield and one of the most potent offenses in the league, won 93 games. Left fielder Curt Walker hit .316 and slugged .515, including 22 homers and 103 RBI's. Center fielder George Altman hit a blistering .335 with an incredible 54 doubles, 33 homers, and 109 RBI's. Right fielder Jackie Jensen hit .290 with 30 homers, 99 RBI's, and 25 steals. Southpaw Rheal Cormier paced the pitching staff with a solid sophomore campaign, going 15-12 with a 2.96 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP. Although the Virginia Beach Admirals appeared poised to make their maiden postseason voyage after a strong first half, they faded in the second half, finishing with just 83 wins despite a stellar season from third baseman Bill Melton, who hit .335 with 42 homers and 113 RBI's, and a 20-9 season with a 2.67 ERA from rookie lefthander Joe Gibbon.

The Miami Flamingos won the Southeast Division with 93 wins, led by free agent signee Paul Molitor, who hit .337 with 42 doubles, 12 homers, 102 RBI's, and 42 steals. Third baseman Rube Oldring matched Molitor, hitting .327 with 43 doubles, 13 homers, and 92 steals while scoring a team-high 112 runs. Right fielder Craig Wilson hit .289 with 26 homers and 94 RBI's. Reliever Tim Conroy won 14 games, saved 38 more, and sported a 2.00 ERA despite a heavy workload (94 innings).

Perhaps the best story of the 2019 season was the rise of the overachieving Oklahoma City Otters, who won the Texas Division in a one-game playoff over the San Antonio Marksmen to earn the franchise's inaugural playoff bid. Oklahoma City was led by rookie slugger and MVP candidate Khris Davis who hit .314 and slugged .591 and led the Continental League with 43 homers -- nearly three times as many as his next-highest teammate -- and 148 RBI's -- including four in the decisive playoff game. Davis hit .430 in September with a league-high 10 homers and 30 RBI's. Second baseman Bernie Friberg hit .306 with 14 homers, 74 RBI's, and 115 runs scored. Righthander Esteban Loiaiza went 16-11 with a 3.57 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP. San Antonio's traditionally dominant pitching struggled, as their 89-win squad was led by their offense. Rookie third baseman Jack Howell hit 27 homers and drove in 118 runs, while star centerfielder J.D. Drew hit .281 with 24 homers, 82 RBI's, and scored 110 runs. First baseman Ed Morgan, hit .316 with 35 doubles, 16 homers and 98 RBI's. Southpaw Russ Van Atta led the Marksmen's pitching staff with a 20-12 record, a 3.70 ERA, a 1.19 WHIP, and 256 strikeouts.

The always-brilliant Los Angeles Kangaroos won "just" 102 games -- their sixth-straight hundred-win season, although their offense showed signs of rust, as they dipped to eighth in the league in runs scored. Right fielder Gary Sheffield hit 41 homers with a .524 slugging percentage, stole 32 bases, and drove in 119 runs. Defending MVP Trevor Story took a (small) step back, hitting .293 and slugging .499, while blasting 28 homers and driving in 114 runs. Southpaw Brett Anderson flirted with yet another Cy Young Award, going 23-6 with a 2.28 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP. Felix Hernandez went 19-13 with a 2.53 ERA, a 1.08 WHIP, and 255 strikeouts. The Las Vegas Aces once again remained in the Kangaroos' shadow, winning 95 games yet never genuinely contending for the division title. Jason Thompson and Dolph Camilli each popped 23 homers, while Chris Van Cuyk led the league's second-best pitching staff with a 15-8 record, a 2.50 ERA, and a 0.93 WHIP. Jonny Venters led the Continental League's deepest bullpen with 35 saves and a 1.94 ERA.

09-02-2018, 03:56 AM	#71
Dukie98 All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2016 Posts: 902	2019 Year in Review Frontier League: The Buffalo Fighting Elk cruised to their third straight postseason appearance, leading all of baseball with 105 wins behind a dominant pitching staff which surrendered just 491 runs on the season. Buffalo took command of the Northeast Division early on, with a 19-game winning streak in April, and ultimately won the division by 15 games. Jair Jurrjens went 18-9 with a 2.12 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP, and free agent signee Ray Collins matched Jurrjens with an 18-9 record, a 2.34 ERA, and a 1.02 WHIP. Brad Lidge led a league-best bullpen with 38 saves and a 1.77 ERA. The Baltimore Robins, left for dead at the All-Star Break after a middling first half, returned to the postseason after a two-year absence by winning 90 games. Left fielder John Hummel hit .299 with 27 homers, 97 RBI's, and 36 steals, while slugging first baseman Hank Thompson hit 29 homers in 110 games after being acquired from Kansas City in late May. Paul Dean anchored a solid pitching staff with a 16-8 record, a 2.69 ERA, and a stellar 0.97 WHIP. The under-the-radar Montreal Knights won 15 of their final 22 games, including their final four games of the season, to claim the final postseason spot by a single game with 87 wins. Although Montreal was second in the Frontier League in homers, led by free agent signee Dave Parker's 32 round-trippers and 83 RBI's, they were just 16th in runs due to an abysmal team batting average (.245). The Knights rode into the postseason on the strength of their pitching staff, as Joe Boehling went 16-13 with a 3.12 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP. Erv Kantlehner split his season between the rotation and the bullpen, going 12-4 with 13 saves and a strong 2.52 ERA and 1.24 WHIP. The Philadelphia Hawks, despite being in the playoff running for most of the season after a strong first half, faded down the stretch, losing 10 of their final 17 games to finish out of the playoff running with 85 wins. The Hawks were lead by star rightfielder Braggo Roth, who hit .326 with 17 homers, 76 RBI's, and 36 steals (despite missing 40 games with injuries), and crafty southpaw Tom Underwood, who went 19-7 with a 2.40 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP. The always-solid London Werewolves won their fifth Great Lakes Division title in six years with a 95-win season. Second baseman Geronimo Pena had a brilliant all-around season, hitting .309 with 81 extra-base hits, including 31 homers, 115 RBI's, and 32 steals. Centerfielder Josh Devore hit .299 with a .391 on-base percentage, stole 84 bases, and scored 108 runs. Ace Cy Blanton anchored a solid pitching staff with an 18-8 record, a 2.44 ERA, a 1.09 WHIP, and 234 strikeouts. The Cincinnati Spiders, after flirting with .600 in the first half, stumbled into the postseason with 87 wins. The Spiders were led by a strong pitching staff, as Don Drysdale went 18-8 with a 2.47 ERA and a league-best 0.91 WHIP, and Jim Palmer went 17-14 with a 3.27 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP. Young first baseman Lou Gehrig showed signs of blossoming into a star, hitting .304 with a .510 slugging percentage, ripping 25 homers and driving in 84 runs, while veteran right fielder Leon Durham pounded 31 homers and drove in 99 runs of his own. The defending champion Minneapolis Penguins overcame the midseason losses of ace Madison Bumgarner and starting pitcher Joel Piniero to return to the postseason by winning the Great Plains Division with 99 wins. Andy Van Slyke led a balanced offensive attack by hiting .327 with 19 homers, 74 RBI's, 103 runs scored, and 64 steals. Larry Jaster went 20-7 with a 2.51 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP, and Bob Friend chipped in by going 18-12 with a 2.99 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP. Their division rivals, the Kansas City Mad Hatters, missed the postseason for the first time in seven years by a single game, winning 86 games, as second baseman George Grantham hit .333 with 16 homers, 101 runs scored, and 79 steals, and ace Billy Pierce went 14-9 with a 2.87 ERA, a 1.06 WHIP, and 234 strikeouts. The Vancouver Viceroys won a strong Northwest Division with 97 wins, despite losing star outfielder Jim Edmonds for the season in August. Third baseman Alfonso Soriano hit .290 with 27 homers and 108 RBIs. Cy Young Award favorite Reb Russell anchored the league's second-best pitching staff with a 23-7 record, a 2.41 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP. Mel Stottlemyre sported a 15-11 record to go along with a 2.69 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP. Once again, MVP candidate Mickey Mantle carried a 92-win Denver Spikes squad into the postseason, hitting .346 with a league-high 50 homers and 125 RBIs. Denver led the Frontier League with 800 runs scored, as third baseman Tommy Glaviano hit .284 with 26 homers and 98 RBI's, while first baseman Phil Clark had a strong sophomore campaign, hitting .306 with 22 homers and 95 RBIs. Continental League: The Jacksonville Gulls used a dominant offense to win their first Atlantic Division title with 101 wins, as Bryce Harper hit .350 with 35 homers, a .593 slugging percentage, 126 runs scored, and 117 RBI's. Third baseman Wade Boggs led baseball with a .363 average and scored 121 runs of his own, while first baseman Keith Hernandez had a brilliant all-around season, hitting .355 and slugging .566, with 23 homers and 143 RBI's. Dizzy Trout anchored a better-than-expected pitching staff with a 20-6 record, a 2.02 ERA, and a 1.04 WHIP. The Charlotte Aviators won 95 games, but failed to win the division for the first time in 7 years. Right fielder Cliff Heathcote led a balanced offense by hitting .302 with a .506 slugging percentage, ripping 27 homers, scoring 103 runs, driving in 100 runs, and stealing 50 bases. Left fielder Henry Rodriguez hit 33 homers and drove in 103 runs. Steady Steve Hargan paced a deep pitching staff, going 18-10 with a 2.90 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP, while Elmer Stricklett went 15-3 with a 2.45 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP. The Washington Ambassadors, led by an elite outfield and one of the most potent offenses in the league, won 93 games. Left fielder Curt Walker hit .316 and slugged .515, including 22 homers and 103 RBI's. Center fielder George Altman hit a blistering .335 with an incredible 54 doubles, 33 homers, and 109 RBI's. Right fielder Jackie Jensen hit .290 with 30 homers, 99 RBI's, and 25 steals. Southpaw Rheal Cormier paced the pitching staff with a solid sophomore campaign, going 15-12 with a 2.96 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP. Although the Virginia Beach Admirals appeared poised to make their maiden postseason voyage after a strong first half, they faded in the second half, finishing with just 83 wins despite a stellar season from third baseman Bill Melton, who hit .335 with 42 homers and 113 RBI's, and a 20-9 season with a 2.67 ERA from rookie lefthander Joe Gibbon. The Miami Flamingos won the Southeast Division with 93 wins, led by free agent signee Paul Molitor, who hit .337 with 42 doubles, 12 homers, 102 RBI's, and 42 steals. Third baseman Rube Oldring matched Molitor, hitting .327 with 43 doubles, 13 homers, and 92 steals while scoring a team-high 112 runs. Right fielder Craig Wilson hit .289 with 26 homers and 94 RBI's. Reliever Tim Conroy won 14 games, saved 38 more, and sported a 2.00 ERA despite a heavy workload (94 innings). Perhaps the best story of the 2019 season was the rise of the overachieving Oklahoma City Otters, who won the Texas Division in a one-game playoff over the San Antonio Marksmen to earn the franchise's inaugural playoff bid. Oklahoma City was led by rookie slugger and MVP candidate Khris Davis who hit .314 and slugged .591 and led the Continental League with 43 homers -- nearly three times as many as his next-highest teammate -- and 148 RBI's -- including four in the decisive playoff game. Davis hit .430 in September with a league-high 10 homers and 30 RBI's. Second baseman Bernie Friberg hit .306 with 14 homers, 74 RBI's, and 115 runs scored. Righthander Esteban Loiaiza went 16-11 with a 3.57 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP. San Antonio's traditionally dominant pitching struggled, as their 89-win squad was led by their offense. Rookie third baseman Jack Howell hit 27 homers and drove in 118 runs, while star centerfielder J.D. Drew hit .281 with 24 homers, 82 RBI's, and scored 110 runs. First baseman Ed Morgan, hit .316 with 35 doubles, 16 homers and 98 RBI's. Southpaw Russ Van Atta led the Marksmen's pitching staff with a 20-12 record, a 3.70 ERA, a 1.19 WHIP, and 256 strikeouts. The always-brilliant Los Angeles Kangaroos won "just" 102 games -- their sixth-straight hundred-win season, although their offense showed signs of rust, as they dipped to eighth in the league in runs scored. Right fielder Gary Sheffield hit 41 homers with a .524 slugging percentage, stole 32 bases, and drove in 119 runs. Defending MVP Trevor Story took a (small) step back, hitting .293 and slugging .499, while blasting 28 homers and driving in 114 runs. Southpaw Brett Anderson flirted with yet another Cy Young Award, going 23-6 with a 2.28 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP. Felix Hernandez went 19-13 with a 2.53 ERA, a 1.08 WHIP, and 255 strikeouts. The Las Vegas Aces once again remained in the Kangaroos' shadow, winning 95 games yet never genuinely contending for the division title. Jason Thompson and Dolph Camilli each popped 23 homers, while Chris Van Cuyk led the league's second-best pitching staff with a 15-8 record, a 2.50 ERA, and a 0.93 WHIP. Jonny Venters led the Continental League's deepest bullpen with 35 saves and a 1.94 ERA. Last edited by Dukie98; 09-10-2018 at 08:59 AM.