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Frontier League: In one of the largest upsets in league history, the 89-win Omaha Falcons ousted the 107-win Vancouver Viceroys in five games, as Omaha won four low-scoring one-run games and held Vancouver to just 15 runs in five games. Omaha second baseman Marty Barrett won MVP honors after hitting .333 with a series-high 7 hits, including a homer and four RBI's. Center fielder Jim Wynn hit .300 with a homer and 3 RBI's. Righthander Tom Brewer went 1-0 with a 2.02 ERA in 13.1 innings, allowing just 3 hits in 7 innings in Game 5, and also blasted a homer in Game 1. Catcher Joe Torre led Vancouver, hitting .263 with 2 homer and BI's. The Chicago Mules dispatched the Buffalo Fighting Elk in five games. In a controversial decision, right fielder Eddie Lukon was named MVP after hitting .421 with a homer and 6 RBI's. Crafty righthander Lary Sorensen went 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA in 14 innings. Third baseman Pie Traynor hit .348 with a pair of homers and 3 RBI's, while second sacker Carlos Baerga also ripped 2 homers and drove in 6 runs. Shortstop Rico Petrocelli led Buffalo in defeat, hitting .450 with 3 homers and 5 RBI's. The San Francisco Longshoremen, returning to the playoffs after an 11-year absence, ousted the 99-win Minneapolis Penguins in six games. Catcher Fran Healy took home the hardware after hitting .435 with 3 homers and 10 RBI's. Second baseman Chip Hale raked at a .417 clip with a homer, 5 RBI's, and 4 runs scored. Righthander Fred Beebe went 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA and 16 whiffs in 12 innings. Right fielder Darryl Strawberry led the Penguins, hitting .360 with 4 homers, 5 RBI's, and 6 runs scored in defeat. The St. Louis Pilots hung close with the 107-win Detroit Purple Gang, but ultimately, Detroit prevailed in seven games, winning Game 7 2-1 -- making Detroit the lone division champion to advance in the Frontier League. Third baseman Nolan Arenado won MVP honors after leading all hitters with 10 hits, as he batted .370 with 2 RBI's and 3 runs scored. Tony Gwynn hit .320 with a homer and 5 RBI's, and Shane Mack popped two pinch-hit homers. Lew Burdette split two decisions, but won Game 7, and he posted a 1.50 ERA in 12 innings, and Nolan Ryan went 2-0 with a 1.98 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 13.2 innings. First baseman Joe Adcock led St. Louis in defeat, hitting .357 with 2 homers and 5 RBI's, and utilityman Marwin Gonzalez smacked 3 solo homers.

In the Division Series, the Chicago Mules erased 2-0 and 3-2 deficits in eliminating the Omaha Falcons in 7 games. Chicago catcher Ted Simmons was tabbed MVP after hitting .463 with four extra-base hits, a homer, 3 RBI's, and 8 runs scored. Third baseman Pie Traynor hit 2 homers and drove in 6 runs, including a bases-loaded triple to break open Game 7. Chicago's bullpen was stellar, yielding just 6 runs and 16 hits in 25 innings. Right fielder Jim Wynn led Omaha, hitting .400 with 3 homers and 6 RBI's, while Joe Pepitone smacked two round-trippers and drove in a series-high 9 runs. San Francisco nearly blew a 3-1 lead to Detroit, but upended the Purple Gang, as Longshoremen hurler Fred Beebe threw seven shutout innings of one-run ball in a 2-1 Game 7 victory. San Francisco right fielder Vladimir Guerrero hit .464 with a series-high 13 hits, including a homer and 5 RBI's. Catcher Fran Healy hit .321 and drove in a pair of runs. Beebe was brilliant, going 2-0 with a 0.64 ERA, with 16 strikeouts in 14 innings. Nolan Ryan led Detroit, going 2-0 with 19 strikeouts in 12 shutout innings, allowing just 5 hits, while also ripping a two-run double. In a back-and-forth League Championship Series, the Chicago Mules outlasted the San Francisco Longshoremen in 7 games, with Chicago first baseman Jimmie Foxx hitting .423 and slugging .731, with 2 homers in Game 7 and 8 RBI's. Chicago right fielder Eddie Lukon popped 3 homers and drove in 9 runs. Southpaw Odalis Perez posted a 1-0 record with a 2.70 ERA in 13.1 innings. First baseman Ron Blomberg led San Francisco, hitting .333 with 3 homers and 8 RBI's, while left fielder Franklin Gutierrez hit .323 with a homer, 2 RBI's and 5 runs scored.

Continental League: In the Continental League, the Wild Card Round was shockingly uncompetitive, as for the first time in league history, three of the four series ended in sweeps. The Oklahoma City Otters, despite the absence of injured batting champion Hanley Ramirez, swept the heavily-favored 103-win New York Emperors. First baseman George Sisler led all hitters with 10 hits, batting .588 with a pair of homers, 9 runs scored, 3 doubles, and 6 steals. Shortstop Larvell Blanks, filling in for Ramirez, hit .471 with 8 hits and 2 RBI's. Left fielder Tom Poquette hit .375 with a series-high 6 RBI's. Tom Glavine hurled seven shutout innings, yielding just four hits in a Game 2 victory. Right fielder Darryl Motley led New York, hitting .500 with 3 doubles and 2 RBI's. The Charlotte Aviators ousted the Anaheim Antelopes in six games; Charlotte jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead before dropping the next two games, before winning Game Six 6-3 on a tiebreaking Tony Pena ninth inning homer. Pena was named MVP after hitting .542 with 4 homers and an incredible 13 RBI's. First baseman Mark Teixeira pounded 3 homers and drove in 6 runs. Chad Kuhl hurled 7 shutout innings, allowing just 3 shutout innings in Game 6. Anaheim shortstop Luis Aparicio hit .391 and drove in 3 runs, while star centerfielder Dale Murphy ripped a homer and drove in 7 runs. The El Paso Armadillos overwhelmed the Virginia Beach Admirals, scoring 40 runs in a four-game sweep. Third baseman Leo Gomez was named MVP after hitting .400 and slugging .867, popping 2 longballs and driving in 4 runs. Center fielder Joe DiMaggio hit .389 with a homer and 4 RBI's, while catcher Cam Carreon and DH Rafael Palmeiro each drove in 7 runs. Randy Johnson hurled 5.1 shutout innings in Game 1, the only low-scoring affair in the series. Right fielder Reggie Jackson led the Admirals by hitting 2 homers and driving in 6 runs while hitting .333. The New Orleans Crawfish's explosive offense dominated the Phoenix Lizards, scoring 45 runs in sweeping the defending champions. DH Eddie Murray was an easy MVP choice, hitting .500 with 5 homers and an incredible 15 RBI's in four games -- setting an all-time postseason record with 8 RBI's in Game 3 and driving in 5 more in a 23-8 Game 4 rout, while also blasting an extra-inning walk-off homer in Game 1. Right fielder Chuck Klein hit .625 and scored 9 runs -- including a record seven runs in Game 4. Catcher Charles Johnson hit .444 with 2 homers and 7 RBI's. Righthander Nick Neugebauer hurled 8.1 innings, allowing just 4 hits and 2 runs. Center fielder Jackie Brandt led Phoenix, hitting .385 with 3 homers and 4 RBI's.

Oklahoma City's good fortune ran out in the Division Series, as Charlotte scored 39 runs in eliminating the Otters in 5 games. Charlotte catcher Tony Pena earned MVP honors once again, hitting .444 with 2 homers and 8 RBI's. Right fielder Joe Wallis hit .364 with 2 homers, 3 RBI's, and 5 runs scored. DH Sherry Magee had just four hits, but blasted two longballs and drove in 9 runs. Righthander Ray Caldwell yielded just two hits in 7.1 shutout innings, but the bullpen squandered what would have been a victory for him. Oklahoma City center fielder Curt Flood hit .429 with a homer and two doubles. In a back-and-forth series, the New Orleans Crawfish eliminated the El Paso Armadillos in seven games to advance to the League Championship Series. Crawfish catcher Charles Johnson took home the hardware after hitting .481 and slugging .815, with 3 homers and 9 RBI's, including a Game 7 longball. Right fielder Chuck Klein hit .370 with 2 homers and 5 RBI's, while first baseman Dave Hollins hit .292 with a jack and 5 RBI's. Ed Hobaugh earned the win in Game 7, posting a 1.54 ERA in 11.2 innings for the series, while closer Roy Parmelee notched 2 saves, allowing just 1 hit and fanning 10 in 6.1 innings. El Paso was led by Joe DiMaggio, who hit .370 with 3 longballs and 6 RBI's in defeat. New Orleans required seven games once again to outlast Charlotte in the League Championship Series, erasing a 2-0 deficit, as Chad Ogea outdueled Chad Ogea in a 3-1 Game 7 victory. Center fielder Austin Kearns earned MVP honors after hitting .448 with 3 homers (including one in Game 7) and 6 RBI's. Third baseman Omar Infante hit .344 with a homer, 2 RBI's, and 5 runs scored. Second sacker Jose Altuve smacked a pair of longballs and drove in 7 runs. Ogea pitched 14 innings, yielding a 1.93 ERA. DH Sherry Magee had a monster series for Charlotte, hitting .467 with 5 homers and 13 RBI's, while Mark Teixeira popped 3 homers and drove in 10 runs.

World Series: The 99-win New Orleans Crawfish were narrow favorites over the Chicago Mules, but the Crawfish had to do without the services of rookie 16-game winner Rosy Ryan, who was injured against Charlotte. The Crawfish ultimately prevailed in six games, winning their second championship in three years -- but no game was decided by more than two runs.

New Orleans took Game 1 by a 3-1 tally, as Wilbur Cooper surrendered just 4 hits and 1 run in 7 innings, outdueling 20-game winner Odalis Perez. Third baseman Omar Infante and center fielder Austin Kearns homered for New Orleans, while Chicago relied on a solo shot by left fielder Greg Goossen. New Orleans opened up a two-game lead by taking Game Two 5-4 in ten innings, as Eddie Murray hit a walk-off single off Julio Machado. Nick Neugebauer fanned 10 in 5.2 innings for New Orleans, while Lary Sorenson gave Chicago seven solid innings, allowing just 4 hits and 3 runs. Catcher Charles Johnson and first baseman Dave Hollins homered for the Crawfish, while right fielder Eddie Lukon blasted a three-run homer for the Mules. Chicago second baseman Carlos Baerga chipped in with four hits, including a double. Chicago fought back in Game 3, scoring six runs in the first two frames off Chad Ogea on their way to a 7-5 victory. Johnny Vander Meer earned the victory, yielding 3 runs in 6 workmanlike innings. Chicago third baseman Pie Traynor homered twice and walked twice, and Lukon homered again. First baseman Jimmie Foxx tripled, singled, and drove in two runs. New Orleans shortstop Glenn Wright popped a solo shot, while Dave Hollins drove in two runs with a single and a double.

Chicago evened the series in Game 4, with Carlos Baerga driving in the winning run off Andrew Miller in a 4-3 walk-off victory in eleven innings. Starters Tyler Duffey for Chicago and Ed Walsh for New Orleans each yielded 3 runs in 6 innings. Chicago right fielder Augie Bergamo had 4 hits and scored two runs, while shortstop Bucky Dent homered and doubled. Kearns and Charles Johnson each homered for the Crawfish, and Jose Altuve rapped 4 hits. New Orleans regained control with a 4-2 victory in Game 5 to take a 3-2 series lead, as Wilbur Cooper again outdueled Odalis Perez. Cooper yielded 5 hits and 2 runs in 7.1 innings. Eddie Murray broke the game open with a 3-run homer, while Altuve ripped 3 more hits. Bergamo had two hits, including a double, and drove in a run for the Mules. New Orleans clinched its second World Series title with a 5-4 comeback victory in Game 6, with backup outfielder Ken Williams scoring the tiebreaking run on a wild pitch by Lary Sorensen in the seventh inning. Omar Infante pounded four hits, including a homer, and drove in two runs, and Glenn Wright also hit a solo smash. Baerga led Chicago with three hits, including a double, in defeat.

Infante, a 20-year-old third baseman in his first full season in the majors, was a surprise MVP pick. He hit .467 with 7 hits, including 2 homers and 3 RBI's. Hollins hit .348 with 2 homers and 4 RBI's, and Kearns, Wright, and Johnson drilled a pair of homers apiece. Sophomore Wilbur Cooper was brilliant, going 2-0 with a 1.84 ERA, surrendering just 9 hits in 14.2 innings. Parmelee notched two saves, hurling 6.1 shutout innings. Baerga and Bergamo led Chicago with 12 hits apiece, each hitting .444 with 2 RBI's. Lukon and Traynor each smacked a pair of homers for the Mules, with Lukon driving in five runs.