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Old 08-24-2019, 04:02 AM   #4
Dukie98
All Star Reserve
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 902
2041 Year in Review

Frontier League: The Buffalo Fighting Elk won their fifth straight division title, but that was more a reflection on their mediocre competition, as they won just 84 games, spending much of the season below .500. Shortstop Rico Petrocelli starred, hitting .323 and slugging .596 with 42 homers and 131 RBI's. Third baseman Eric Chavez popped 35 round-trippers and drove in 101 runs. Center fielder Tris Speaker missed 46 games, but hit .341 with 47 doubles and stole 31 bases. Southpaw Chuck Finley led the pitching staff, posting an 11-9 mark with a 3.34 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP. Although Hal Carlson went 9-8 with a 3.90 ERA, five-time Cy Young Award winner Don Wilson struggled mightily, going 8-15 with a career-worst 4.41 ERA.

The Detroit Purple Gang dominated the Great Lakes Division, winning a franchise-record 107 games to take the division by a mere 23 games over Toronto. Third baseman Nolan Arenado bid for his third MVP award, hitting .354 and slugging .680, with 90 extra-base hits, including 44 homers, 162 RBI's, and 140 runs scored. Ageless first baseman Julio Franco hit .332 with 24 homers and 126 RBI's. Right fielder Tony Gwynn hit .330 with 42 doubles, 16 homers, 121 RBI's, and 133 runs scored. Fireballer Nolan Ryan went 20-6 with a 2.69 ERA, a 1.09 WHIP,. and a league-best 288 strikeouts. Crafty southpaw Scott Olsen posted a 13-5 mark with a 3.18 ERA, while closer Greg Holland notched 30 saves and a 1.96 ERA, fanning 81 batters in 60 innings.

The Great Plains Division proved to be the deepest in baseball, with four clubs making the playoffs and a fifth challenging for a spot. The Minneapolis Penguins rode a red-hot September, going 19-7, including a season-ending 15-3 run, to win 99 games to take the division crown. Center fielder Mike Trout hit .311 with 36 doubles, 35 homers, 102 RBI's, 119 runs scored, and 26 steals. Star catcher Javy Lopez hit .317 and slugged .581, blasting 39 taters and driving in 86 runs while scoring 103. Shortstop Luis Salazar popped 28 homers, drove in 80 runs, scored 108 runs, and swiped 29 bags. The Penguins featured the league's second-stingiest pitching staff, as veteran Paul Derringer went 17-6 with a 3.02 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP. Jose Rijo posted a 15-12 mark despite a 2.86 ERA, a 1.06 WHIP, and 219 strikeouts. The Chicago Mules posted a 95-67 record, making the playoffs for the second straight season Second-year second sacker Carlos Baerga starred, hitting .358 with a league-leading 234 hits, including 43 doubles, 35 homers, and 130 RBI's. First baseman Jimmie Foxx hit .291 with a league-high 123 walks, along with 41 homers, 116 runs scored, and 125 RBI's. Left fielder Eddie Lukon popped 32 homers and drove in 95 runs. Southpaw Odalis Perez posted a 20-8 mark, a 3.00 ERA, a league-best 0.95 WHIP, and fanned 197 hitters while walking just 20. Tyler Duffey notched a 14-5 record with a 3.63 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP. The St. Louis Pilots returned to the postseason for the first time in eleven seasons, winning 92 games, largely thanks to the Frontier League's second-ranked offense. Third baseman Chipper Jones starred, hitting a franchise-record .351 with a .585 slugging percentage, ripping 42 doubles, 32 homers, 96 RBI's, swiping 32 bags, and scoring 131 runs. Veteran first baseman Joe Adcock hit .287 with 46 round-trippers, 141 RBI's, and 110 runs scored. Utilityman Marwin Gonzalez had a breakout season, hitting .326 with 42 doubles, 36 homers, 116 RBI's, 26 steals, and 125 runs scored. Catcher Jim Leyritz hit .295, popping 29 longballs and driving in 99 runs. Righthander Bob Welch posted a 16-7 record with a 3.28 ERA, a 1.04 WHIP, while fanning 199 hitters. Savvy veteran Tony McKnight went 17-8 with a 3.88 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP. The Omaha Falcons returned to the playoffs for the first time in six years, winning 89 games. First baseman Joe Pepitone starred, hitting .322 and slugging .576, pounding 40 homers and driving in a franchise-record 138 runs. Right fielder Jim Wynn, in his first full season, starred, posting a .337/ .436/ .594 slash line, with 57 doubles, 27 homers, 116 RBI's, 31 steals, and 133 runs scored. Left fielder Trey Mancini hit .284, slugging 30 round-trippers and driving in 98 runs. Journeyman righthander Weldon Henley posted a 16-10 record with a 3.76 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP. Southpaw Harvey Haddix went 16-9, yielding a 4.00 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP. The Kansas City Mad Hatters narrowly missed the playoffs for the first time in four seasons, notching 86 wins. Third baseman Manny Machado drilled 40 homers and plated 100 runs. Catcher Ramon Hernandez hit .323 and slugged .545, blasting 25 jacks and driving in 106 runs.

The Vancouver Viceroys won the Northwest Division with a franchise-record 107 wins. Left fielder Bernard Gilkey hit .318 and slugged .548, smacking 44 doubles and 29 homers with 28 steals, 114 RBI's, and 118 runs scored. Second sacker Juan Uribe hit .302 with 34 doubles, a league-high 12 triples, 21 homers, and 100 RBI's. Veteran catcher Joe Torre had a career season, hitting .322 with 26 longballs and 93 RBI's. Shortstop Chris Speier hit .291 with 20 homers, 88 RBI's, and 106 runs scored. Southpaw CJ Wilson led the league's third-ranked pitching staff, going 15-3 with a league-best 2.10 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP. Veteran Jim Shaw went 17-6 with a 2.94 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP. Closer Guy Cantrell notched 33 saves with a 1.44 ERA and a 0.85 WHIP, fanning 86 hitters in just 56 innings. The San Francisco Longshoremen posted their first winning record since their last playoff appearance eleven years ago, winning 93 games. First baseman Ron Blomberg led them offensively, hitting .323 with 39 doubles, 34 longballs, and 113 RBI's. Right fielder Vladimir Guerrero hit .318 with 30 homers, 96 RBI's, and scored 121 runs. Despite losing Allan Sothoron, a 19-game winner last year as a rookie, early in the year to a torn labrum, San Francisco sported the best pitching staff in baseball, yielding just 564 runs. Southpaw Scott Kazmir notched a 17-8 mark, with a 3.22 ERA, a 1.05 WHIP, and 237 strikeouts. Righthander Fred Beebe went 15-7 with a 3.04 ERA , a 1.20 WHIP, and 216 strikeouts. Hard-luck George Mullin went just 13-15 despite a sterling 2.89 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP.

Continental League: The New York Emperors made their third straight postseason appearance, winning the Atlantic Division with 103 victories. Steady third baseman David Wright hit .307 and slugged .522, ripping 32 homers with 21 steals, 108 RBI's, and 111 runs scored. Right fielder Cliff Floyd matched Wright, hitting .306 with 35 homers, 23 steals, 103 RBI's, and 117 runs scored. First baseman Don Mattingly hit .334 with 43 doubles, 13 homers, and 108 RBI's. The Emperors ranked second in the Continental League in runs allowed, led by southpaw Rich Nye, who went 18-7 with a 3.12 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP. Corey Kluber sported a 17-7 mark with a 3.42 ERA, a 1.05 WHIP, and 226 strikeouts. Closer Taijuan Walker notched 8 wins and 34 steals, while lodging a 2.61 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP. The Charlotte Aviators won 100 games, led by 39-year old DH Sherry Magee, who hit .323 and slugged .651 with 99 extra-base hits, including 49 homers, 125 RBI's, and 133 runs scored. First baseman Mark Teixeira hit .295 and slugged 35 round-trippers while driving in 104 runs and scoring 111. Catcher Tony Pena hit .328 and slugged .511, popping 21 homers and driving in 87 runs. Lefty Bob Ojeda went 15-4 with a 3.14 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP. Ray Caldwell notched a 15-11 mark with a 3.93 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP. The Virginia Beach Admirals won 92 games, making the playoffs for the first time in thirteen seasons. Third baseman Mike Schmidt rallied from a slow start to hit .299 with 45 homers, while plating 123 runs and scoring 125. First baseman Carmelo Martinez exploded, hitting .293 with 40 homers and 120 RBI's. Right fielder Reggie Jackson hit .311 with 30 longballs, 96 RBI's, and 94 runs scored despite missing 40 games. Southpaws Joe Magrane and James Paxton sported matching 14-9 marks, with Magrane sporting a 3.71 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP, and Paxton yielding a 3.63 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP.

The New Orleans Crawfish coasted to their fourth straight division title and seventh straight playoff appearance, winning 99 games to take the Southeast Division by 15 games. DH Eddie Murray hit .302 and slugged .555, ripping 44 homers and driving in 135 runs. Center fielder Austin Kearns hit .273 with 23 homers, 72 RBI's, and 105 runs scored. Veteran second baseman Jose Altuve hit .350 and slugged .500 with 13 homers, 69 RBI's, and 76 runs scored despite missing sixty games. Lefthander Wilbur Cooper posted an 18-7 mark with a 3.18 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP. Rookie righthander Rosy Ryan ripped off a 16-6 record, a 3.31 ERA, a 1.26 WHIP, and 190 strikeouts. Veteran reliever Roy Parmelee headed one of the league's deepest bullpens, notching 7 wins and 35 saves with a 2.42 ERA and 120 strikeouts in 78 innings.

The El Paso Armadillos turned their season around after a 2-9 start, winning the Texas Division by ten games with a 95-67 mark. DH Rafael Palmeiro hit .293 and slugged .500, drilling 36 jacks with 109 RBI's and 101 runs scored. Center fielder Joe DiMaggio, another free agency acquisition, hit .294 with 23 homers and 89 RBI's. El Paso's pitching ranked third in the league, led by Randy Johnson, who went 13-8 with a 3.74 ERA, a 1.23 WHIP, and 193 strikeouts, and Jesse Foppert, who posted an 11-6 mark with a 2.83 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP. Closer Hal Kleine notched 34 saves with a 2.64 ERA. The Oklahoma City Otters returned to the playoffs for the first time in four years, taking the final wild card spot with 85 wins. Shortstop Hanley Ramirez won the Continental League batting title, hitting a franchise-record .371 and slugging .568, with 20 homers, 94 RBI's, 91 runs, and 23 steals despite missing the last six weeks of the season with a broken rib. First baseman George Sisler hit. 362 and slugged .608 with 80 extra-base hits, including 21 homers, to go with 104 RBI's, 114 runs scored, and stealing 56-of-63 bases. Journeyman third baseman Jeff Hamilton hit .288 with 51 doubles, 21 homers, and 120 RBI's. Southpaw Tom Glavine had a breakout season, tying for the league lead in wins as he went 18-5 with a 3.64 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP. Righthander Tommy Hughes went 14-10 with a 4.15 ERA. The 83-win San Antonio Marksmen narrowly missed the postseason, despite the top pitching staff in the Continental League, as Greg Maddux went 18-8 with a 1.80 ERA, an 0.83 WHIP, and 213 strikeouts. Catcher Mike Sweeney led San Antonio's next-to-last ranked offense, hitting .320 with 27 longballs and 78 RBI's.

The Anaheim Antelopes won the Southwest Division with 92 wins, making the playoffs for the sixth straight season, as they led the Continental League with 971 runs scored. Center fielder Dale Murphy had another MVP-caliber season, hitting .323 and slugging .633, leading the league with 51 homers and 168 RBI's (also a franchise record) while scoring 127 runs. DH Rougned Odor blasted 42 homers and drove in 146 runs. Third baseman Logan Forsythe hit .296 with 35 jacks, 108 RBI's and 121 runs scored. Left fielder Bob Bescher set the table, hitting .322 with a franchise-record .456 on-base percentage, leading the league with 139 walks and 60 doubles, while swiping 32 bags and scoring 133 runs. Free agent signee Chappie McFarland earned his keep, tying for the league lead in wins as he went 18-9 with a 3.86 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP. Southpaw Frank Tanana went 11-5 with a 3.75 ERA and 192 strikeouts. The defending champion Phoenix Lizards rallied after a 9-20 start to win 88 games, ranking third in the Continental League in runs scored. Right fielder Billy Conigliaro led four players with at least 33 homers, as he hit .288 with 41 homers and 129 RBI's. Third baseman Butch Hobson hit .287 with 38 longballs and 128 RBI's, while first baseman Richie Sexson and DH Roger Maris combined for 69 homers. Second sacker Jim Viox hit .323, rapping 48 doubles, 12 homers, and driving in 99 runs. Southpaw Cliff Lee went 18-7 with a 3.60 ERA, a 1.17 WHIP, and 222 strikeouts, while Zane Smith went 13-9 with a 4.22 ERA before undergoing season-ending elbow surgery.
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