[Dukie98]

Frontier League: The Detroit Purple Gang waited nine years to return to the postseason, but it was worth the wait, as they dispatched the Toronto Predators in six games. Ace Justin Verlander was named series MVP after going 2-0 with a 0.54 ERA, including a two-hit shutout in Game 1. Detroit third baseman Charlie Neal hit just .222, but smacked three homers. In one of the most dramatic series of the postseason, the heavily-favored Buffalo Fighting Elk edged out the upstart Chicago Mules in 7 games -- 4 of which were decided by a single run, and two more by a 2-run margin. Buffalo scored just 13 runs in 7 games, but won Game 6 3-1 after first baseman Rick Renick hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the eighth inning off Brad Lidge, and they won Game 7 by a 1-0 tally, with Ray Collins and Dick Radatz combining for the shutout, and center fielder Darin Erstad plating catcher Dave Nilsson with the lone run of the game. Nilsson took home the hardware in a controversial decisions after hitting .367 with a homer, while righthander Jair Jurrjens went 1-0 with a 0.54 ERA, allowing just 5 hits in 16 innings. In perhaps the best pitching duel in HRDL history, Jurrjens threw 9 innings of one-hit shutout ball in Game 2, while Chicago's Jason Isringhausen matched him, allowing just 1 hit in 8.1 innings, while Chicago ultimately won 1-0 after a Del Ennis walk-off homer in the 13th inning. The Denver Spikes nearly blew a 3-1 series lead against the defending champion Seattle Whales before winning Game 7 in a 11-3 romp. Star rightfielder Mickey Mantle was named series MVP after hitting .407 with two homers -- both in Game 7 -- and 5 RBIs. Denver's Bruce Berenyi won his lone decision while sporting a 1.23 ERA, while Seattle southpaw Dontrelle Willis went 1-0 with a 1.26 ERA of his own. The Boston Minutemen easily handled the Calgary Cattle Rustlers in five games, winning the final four after getting stampeded by Calgary in the opener. Center fielder AJ Pollock was named MVP after hitting .381 and slugging .619 with a homer, while Mel Stottlemyre hurled 8.1 innings of 4-hit ball without yielding an earned run in a Game 4 victory.

Both Division Series matchups in the Frontier League were highly anticlimactic. Buffalo swept Detroit, outscoring the Purple Gang 19-6. Buffalo right fielder Leon Durham was named MVP after hitting .438 with 2 homers and 7 RBIs, while shortstop Ivan DeJesus had a series-high 8 hits, and stole 4 bases in a Game 1 ten-inning win. On the other side of the bracket, Boston swept Denver, with AJ Pollock taking MVP honors yet again after hitting .444 with a homer and 4 RBI's, and Boston's starting pitchers allowed only five earned runs in the series. Denver's Mickey Mantle and Phil Clark ripped 2 homers apiece, and drove in 8 of the Spikes's 11 runs in the series. Boston edged their division rival Buffalo in the League Championship Series, winning in six games, as Pollock earned his third consecutive series MVP award, hitting .391 with six extra-base hits, including a homer and 4 RBI's. Boston righthander Hideo Nomo made a strong case as well, after going 2-0 with a 1.13 ERA with 16 strikeouts in 16 innings -- plus three hits of his own.

Continental League: The Charlotte Aviators had the best offense in baseball, but their pitching proved to be the difference as they swept the New Orleans Crawfish, as Charlotte's starters allowed just one earned run. Left fielder Jim Edmonds was named MVP with a series-best 7 hits, hitting .417 with a homer and 4 RBI's. Third baseman Tommy Glaviano hit .385 with a homer and 5 RBI's of his own. The Jacksonville Gulls dominated the El Paso Armadillos, missing by one run from doubling El Paso's total in each game of the 4-game series. Bryce Harper took home the hardware after hitting .385 and blasting 2 homers and driving in 5 runs in the series-clinching Game 4. Star infielders Wade Boggs and Keith Hernandez each hit .389 with a homer and 3 RBI's apiece. The Nashville Blues won their final three games to eliminate the red-hot Los Angeles Kangaroos in 6 games despite scoring just 19 runs in the series. Left fielder Gary Matthews, Sr. was awarded MVP after hitting 2 homers and driving in 6 runs. Lefthander Bob Shirley threw 8 shutout innings of four-hit ball in Game Six. In a seesaw series, the Atlanta Ducks outlasted the Virginia Beach Admirals in 7 games, as catcher Tim Laudner hit .320 while ripping 2 homers with 8 RBI's. Virginia Beach third baseman Bill Melton and catcher John Peters each ripped 3 homers, with Melton taking the MVP in a losing cause after hitting .429, slugging .750, and driving in 8 runs.

In a Division Series matchup featuring the top two offenses in baseball, the Jacksonville Gulls outlasted the Charlotte Aviators in six games. Star first baseman Keith Hernandez was named MVP after hitting .480 with 5 RBI's. Bryce Harper hit .450 with an incredible .593 on-base percentage, including a homer and 6 RBI's, while Andy Sonnanstine went 2-0 in 15 shutout innings, allowing just 11 baserunners. Nashville came from behind in dramatic fashion, surviving a 3-games-to-1 deficit, as they won the final three games by one run apiece to take the series in 7 games. Ben Paschal was named MVP after hitting .393 with a .500 on-base percentage, while a Matthews homer provided the only run in a Game 7 1-0 victory. Nashville advanced to the World Series, taking the League Championship Series over Jacksonville in yet another 7-game victory. Right fielder Brian Jordan hit .423 with a series-high 11 hits, including a homer, while second baseman Lew Fonseca hit .300 with a series-best 7 RBI's. Jacksonville shortstop Everett Scott hit two homers and drove in 6 runs in a losing effort

World Series: Although the Boston Minutemen and Nashville Blues featured two of the top pitching staffs in baseball, Game 1 was an unexpected slugfest, with Nashville prevailing 11-7 as catcher Ray Schalk ripped 3 hits and Brian Jordan drove in 3 runs, while Boston's Hideo Nomo yielded 9 runs in just 4 innings. Nashville took control of the series in Game 2, winning 7-3, with Patrick Corbin outdueling Jack Chesbro. Matthews gave Nashville the lead for good with a tie-breaking seventh-inning homer. Boston refused to roll over, however, taking Game 3 by a 3-1 score, as Larry Cheney allowed just three hits in 7 innings, and right fielder Gabe Kapler drove in all three runs with a homer and a 2-run double. Boston tied the series by taking Game 4 by a similar 3-1 tally, notching two runs off Blues closer Don Bessent in the 8th inning, sparked by a leadoff triple by Steve Garvey. Mel Stottlemyre pitched seven innings without allowing an earned run for Boston. Nashville pulled out Game 5 by a 5-3 score, scoring all 5 runs in the 4th inning, while Dave Ferriss yielded just 3 hits in 8.2 innings. Nashville clinched the title in a Game 6 blowout, 9-1, with Corbin going the distance and Ben Paschal popping a three-run homer. Matthews was named Series MVP after hitting .348 and slugging .609, including a homer, 5 RBI's, and 5 runs scored. Corbin also drew strong support after going 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA and a 0.63 WHIP.