National Baseball League

[ericnease84]

Best Record: 82-80 (1986)
Worst Record: 62-100 (1988)
Playoff Appearances: 0
Championships: 0

The Montreal Dragonflies were added to the NBC for the 1982 season alongside the Washington Eagles. They have not had much success in their eight years of existence so far, but for the most part they have not been terrible either. Their attendance has been dwindling as of late, so there are rumors that they may have trouble remaining in Montreal long term. For now, they have a stadium lease that runs for twelve more years as they continue to work toward trying to build a competitive team.

Outlook for 1990:
They are looking to improve after jumping from 100 losses to only 84 in 1989. Don't expect them to contend for the playoffs, but they should at least be good enough to keep things interesting, at least for a while.

Current Manager:
Lee Anderson has been the Dragonflies' manager for two years now. He was a shortstop for the Toronto Giants and New York Knights from 1958 through 1967, when he retired as a player in order to become a coach. He was the Apollos' first base coach in 1968, and then was the Lakers' bench coach for 1969 and 1970. For the 1971 season, he was hired as the Cincinnati Silverbacks' manager and is considered to be the best manager the team has ever had. He guided them to the playoffs for nine straight seasons and led them to the 1977 World Championship. However, the Silverbacks finished under .500 in 1980, and Anderson was promptly fired. The Dragons immediately hired him as their manager, where he remained until the 1986 season, when they fired him. He took 1987 off, and then was hired by Montreal. He is under contract for two more years.

Hall of Famers:
None

[ericnease84]

Best Record: 103-59 (1985 & 1986)
Worst Record: 50-112 (1963)
Playoff Appearances: 5
Championships: 0

The New Jersey Stallions came into the league for the 1962 season along with the Bears, Sea Monsters and Stars. Things did not start out well for New Jersey, as they lost 104, 112 and 105 games in their first three seasons. They began to improve after that, and made the playoffs for the first time in 1970. They faced the Minnesota Lakers, who promptly swept them. They returned to the playoffs in 1971, but this time the San Francisco Seals knocked them out in five games. They won their first pennant in 1975, going to the World Series but losing to the Indiana Fireflies. They made the playoffs again in 1977, but lost in the first round again, this time to Cleveland. They won 103 games in 1985, but thanks to the fact that there were no longer any wild card teams, they missed the playoffs due to finishing second in the division as the Hornets had won 105 games. To add insult to injury, the 3-year old Washington Eagles went 79-83 but won a very weak NBC South (the Montreal Dragonflies also went 79-83, but finished last in the NBC East that year). Owner Matt Blair was so outraged over the playoff format and the fact that his 103-win team missed the playoffs while a 79-win team made the playoffs (and made it all the way to the World Series, at that!) that he made a formal appeal to have the league re-aligned back into 3 divisions and to bring back the wild card. When he lost his appeal, he immediately sold the team.
A local business owner named Josiah Mack purchased the team, quickly putting to bed rumors that the team would be moved out of town. The Stallions came back and won 103 games again in 1986, this time finishing in first place and making the playoffs. Their playoff opponent was none other than the Washington Eagles, who at least had won 95 games this time around. The Eagles defeated the Stallions in the Division Series en route to winning the World Series. The Stallions have not been back to the playoffs since but have been contenders the entire time.

Outlook for 1990:
The Stallions have a good team on their hands, and look to be a factor in the playoff race in 1990.

Current Manager:
Pat Williams has been the Stallions' manager since 1982. He had been the manager for New Jersey's AAA farm team the Portland Kodiaks, but toward the end of August they fired manager George Knox and brought Williams up as interim manager for the rest of the season. The team finished at 62-100, but Williams was hired as the permanent manager and has had the job ever since. Williams was born and raised in Hawaii, and he played in the low minors from 1952 through 1954.

Hall of Famers:
None

[ericnease84]

Best Record: 100-62 (1962)
Worst Record: 29-96 (1933)
Playoff Appearances: 1
Championships: 0

When the NBL first expanded in 1929, they force moved two of their existing teams into markets that had just been vacated by relocating teams, and replaced both with expansion teams. They also put two expansion teams in two new markets, one of which was the Birmingham Bobcats. St. Louis tried hard to get an expansion team, but the league wanted another team in the south due to the Colonels and Seals having just moved down that way. The Bobcats have had a rough go of it, as they have spent most of their time toward the bottom of the division. They have only made the playoffs one time, in 1962 when they were promptly swept by the Blackbirds. They have yet to return to the playoffs as of today, meaning that they still have never won a playoff game. They had a couple more good seasons before sinking back toward the bottom, where they continued to struggle for years. Their attendance was down compared to most teams and never improved, so the team finally looked for a new home. Prior to the 1980 season, they relocated south to New Orleans, Louisiana. Then in 1984, they switched conferences with the Minnesota Lakers, moving over to the NBC to help balance out their divisions geographically. So far, the move has made no difference, as the team has continued to struggle.

Outlook for 1990:
This is not a good team, and chances are they will be a non-factor in the playoff race for the foreseeable future.

Current Manager:
Vince McGrain has been the Bobcats' manager for the past two seasons. He previously had been the Sea Monsters' bench coach. As a player, McGrain pitched for the Boston Rebels from 1964 through 1975. He played for the Knights in 1976 and the Captains in 1977 before retiring.

Hall of Famers:
Sandy Silba, P, 1957-1975
Sandy Silba came up with the Washinton Generals in 1957 and immediately established himself as a starter in right field. Prior to the 1960 season, about a month after the Generals' move to Minnesota was announced, he was traded to the Birmingham Bobcats for three players, only one of whom ever made the Majors, and he did not contribute much beyond a good presence off the bench who could start some of the time. Silba, meanwhile, became one of the best players in Bobcats history. Despite his stellar play, he only got one opportunity to play in the postseason, but he missed the series due to injury after he broke his finger in mid-September. Silba played until 1975, retiring at the age of 42 after putting up stats well below his career averages for two straight seasons. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1981.

[ericnease84]

Best Record: 102-23 (1922)
Worst Record: 63-99 (1971)
Playoff Appearances: 38
Championships: 16 (1897, 1899, 1920, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1930, 1931, 1936, 1942, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1984, 1987)

The New York Knights are the most iconic franchise in the National Baseball League, with only the Los Angeles Captains even coming close to matching them. They won two World Series early on, but did not really become an iconic franchise until the 1920s. They acquired a heavy hitting outfielder named George Herman and a star pitcher named Jack Hamilton from the Boston Rebels prior to the 1920 season, and got star pitcher Paul Gottlieb from Pittsburgh in a separate trade that same offseason, and they helped lead the Knights into being the dominant force in the ABC. From 1920 through 1938. they only failed to make the playoffs three times, and those three non-playoff seasons were still winning seasons. They played in 16 World Series during that stretch, winning 8 of them and losing 8 of them. The Knights released Herman following the 1938 season, and he signed with Boston for one year before retiring. They won another World Series in 1942, and then won three in a row from 1947 through 1949. They then proceeded to lose three of them in a row, from 1951 through 1953. Little did they know that their championship in 1950 would be their last until 1984. After making a couple playoff appearances in the late 1950s, they did not make it back to the playoffs until 1977. They finally made it to the World Series again in 1984, their first appearance since 1950. They faced the Roadrunners in that series and defeated them. They made it back to the World Series in 1987 and won that one too, beating the Captains this time.

Outlook for 1990:
They had a rough 1989, but are expecting to bounce back in 1990 to prove that 1989 was just a fluke. Still, jumping from 90 losses to division winner can prove to be tough. We will see how they do.

Current Manager:
Evan McBride is the Knights' manager, his first season in that role. He was the bench coach since 1984, and was promoted to manager after the team fired their previous manager Steve George mid-season in 1989. Their AAA manager, Chris Lamont, was interim manager for the rest of 1989, but the team opted to promote McBride to the role instead, and sent Lamont back to his old role in AAA. McBride previously managed the Silverbacks from 1981 through 1983. As a player, he was an outfielder for the Chicago Cardinals from 1961 through 1976. His son, Adam McBride, currently plays in the California Stars' minor league system as a first baseman.

Shamel Watkins, P, 1918-1936
Shamel Watkins first signed with the Chicago Cardinals in 1918 as a 20-year old. He lost 20 games his rookie year, but he stuck with it and gradually improved over the next several years. He led the league in wins in 1922, 1923 and 1924 while helping the Cardinals win the World Series in 1923. Two years later, he was traded to the New York Knights, the team he had helped beat in the World Series, in exchange for two players who spent years on the Cardinals but never came close to Watkins' value. He continued to pitch well for the Knights as they won six World Series while he was on the team. He retired after the 1936 season, one of the seasons in which the Knights won the World Series. He was among the first players inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1943. He became the pitching coach of the Orlando Seals in 1948 and spent three years with them before he resigned. In 1953, he was hired as the pitching coach for the Louisville Captains. He moved with the team to Los Angeles and spent the rest of his life as their pitching coach until he died of a heart attack during Spring Training in 1969. Watkins has two grandsons currently playing in the NBL: Damion Watkins is an outfielder for the Baltimore Blackbirds, and Samuel Watkins is a third baseman for the Dallas Coyotes, the sons of Watkins' oldest son. His youngest son also has a son who will be eligible for the draft this summer: pitcher Colt Watkins.

Jack Hamilton, P, 1915-1931
Jack Hamilton won 21 games in 1915 as a rookie for the Boston Rebels. After spending five years with the Rebels and winning 98 games, he was dealt in a shocking trade to the New York Knights, along with star outfielder George Herman and talented but oft-injured pitcher Paul Langston. They sent second baseman Seth Pond and outfielder Jeff Metzger (as well as $200,000, likely the real motivation for the trade) back to Boston. Pond spent a decade with the Rebels and never hit well; Metzger hit better but was not there as long. Langston never was able to stay healthy on the mound. But Herman and Hamilton swung this deal completely in favor of the Knights. Hamilton was part of seven World Series championship teams in New York and went on to win 295 games in his career. He retired after the 1931 season, and after staying home for the 1932 season he was hired as the manager of the Cincinnati Silverbacks. Hamilton managed Cincinnati from 1933 until 1938, when he was fired. He became the Baltimore Browns' bench coach in 1941 and remained in that position until he suddenly passed away less than a month after the end of the 1948 season. In 1943, he was among the first five players to be elected to the Hall of Fame. His son, Harry Hamilton, pitched for the Silverbacks from 1954 to 1960, was the Baltimore Blackbirds' manager from 1982 to 1986 and was just hired as the Knights' pitching coach for 1990.

Bushrod Lewis, 1B, 1913-1936
Bushrod Lewis began his career with the Knights in 1913 as an 18-year old. He hit .319 as a rookie and immediately established himself iin the starting lineup as he won the Rookie of the Year award. He won many batting awards over his career, and helped the Knights win three World Series. However, following the 1926 season the Knights decided to move on from him, wanting to insert a younger first baseman, Louis Henry, into the lineup. They traded Bushrod Lewis to the Trenton Tigers along with veteran outfielder Joe Green, bringing future Hall of Fame third baseman Joe Nicholson back to New York. Bushrod continued to play well in Trenton, winning batting awards but unfortunately not able to lead them to the playoffs. He retired after the 1936 season with 3,118 career hits, which at the time was the all-time record. He did not make the original Hall of Fame class of 1943, but was elected in his second try in 1944. Lewis never coached professionally, but turned down a couple opportunities to do so over the years. He died in 1970.

George Herman, OF, 1917-1939
George Herman broke into the league with the Boston Rebels in 1917. He spent three years in Boston before he was traded to the New York Knights, along with star pitcher Jack Hamilton and pitcher Paul Langston, in exchange for two players and $200,000. Langston and the two players Boston got did not do much for their teams, but Herman and Hamilton helped turn New York into a powerhouse. Herman became the most feared hitter in the league with the large amount of home runs he was hitting, in an era where the home run was not as common. Including his years in Boston, he led the league in home runs every season of his career between 1917 and 1937 except for one year: 1928, which he missed a chunk of due to injury. The Knights won 8 World Series while Herman was on the team, and Herman took home 12 MVP awards during his time in New York. He had previously won one in Boston right before his trade to New York. After the 1938 season, the Knights released Herman with his skills beginning to decline. He returned to Boston for 1939, but after a poor season he retired. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1945, his first year eligible. In 1945, Herman also began working as the pitching coach for the Washington Generals, which he did for four years. Then in 1951 he was named the bench coach for the Pittsburgh Ironmen. He did that for six years until he resigned after being diagnosed with cancer. He died in 1958.

Curtis Cunningham, P, 1921-1940
Curtis Cunningham, the son-in-law of former NBL pitcher and current (at the time) Cleveland Blue Sox manager Greenberry Stanton (who was fired after that season and chose to retire), broke into the league with the Philadelphia Hornets in 1921. Just prior to Spring Training in 1927, he was dealt to the New York Knights in exchange for four players, none of whom made any notable contribution to the Hornets and only one of whom remained on their roster past 1929 (and he did not play much). Cunningham, on the other hand, continued to excel on the mound for New York as he helped lead them to five championships during his time with the team. When he retired in 1940, his 365 wins ranked third all time. Two players have passed him since then, one of whom was his son Calvin, and he currently sists in 5th place all time in wins. Curtis Cunningham was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1946, his first year on the ballot. That same year, he began working as a minor league manager. He managed in the minor league through the 1965 season before choosing to retire. He only recently passed away, in 1988. His son Calvin pitched in the NBL from 1953 through 1977 and later joined his father in the Hall of Fame. His grandson, Charles, is currently a pitcher in the San Francisco Seals' system but has not had the success of his father or grandfather, at least not yet.

Lucian Alphir, OF, 1921-1941
Lucian Alphir debuted in 1921 with the Chicago Cardinals and almost immediately became one of the most feared hitters in their lineup. He spent six years in Chicago and helped them win a World Series. Then prior to the 1927 season, he was traded to the New York Knights in a very lopsided trade that the Cardinals quickly came to regret. The Cardinals did beat the Knights in the 1929 World Series, but that trade had nothing to do with it. Alphir continued to produce for the Knights and helped lead them to 5 more championships before both he and George Herman were cut following the 1938 season. Alphir signed with the Charlotte Roadrunners and played the final three years of his career with them, retiring in 1941. Alphir was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1947, his first year on the ballot. After his baseball career he worked for years as a truck driver. He died in 1974.

Joe Nicholson, 3B, 1921-1942
Joe Nicholson broke into the league in 1921 with the Trenton Tigers. He spent six years in Trenton and was a productive hitter, but did not look like a star. Then after the 1926 season, he was traded to the New York Knights in exchange for Bushrod Lewis, who the Knights were moving on from in order to get younger first baseman Louis Henry into the everyday lineup. That trade turned out to be great for Nicholson, who became the Knights' everyday third baseman and helped them win multiple World Series titles, including taking home World Series MVP honors in 1930. The last few years of his career did not go so well, and Nicholson chose to retire after the 1942 season. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1948, and he died in 1959 of a heart attack. His older brother, Coleman Nicholson, pitched for the Washington Generals in 1912-1914, and was the manager of the Norfolk Destroyers from 1942 to 1948, winning two World Series with them. Joe's grandson, Danny Nicholson, is currently an outfielder for the Charlotte Roadrunners.

Louis Henry, 1B, 1923-1939
Louis Henry signed with the Knights in 1923 and played in a backup role to first baseman Bushrod Lewis for four years. New York saw something in Henry, and eventually decided that it was time to pass the starting first base job on to him. Prior to the 1927 season, the Knights traded Lewis to the Trenton Tigers and handed Henry the starting first base job. Henry rewarded them with many award-winning years at first base as the Knights won five more World Series with him on the team, in addition to the two they had previously won with him in a backup role. Henry abruptly retired at the end of the 1939 season after being diagnosed with a terminal illness. He died in the summer of 1942, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1949, his fith year on the ballot. To date, he is only one of two Hall of Famers to be inducted posthumously, the other being former Rebels pitcher Mike Harding.

Elias Grant, 2B, 1939-1952
Elias Grant had a rather unimpressive rookie season with the Louisville Captains in 1939, and after the season he was traded to the New York Knights along with backup outfielder Al Cardona, in exchange for veteran pitcher Brian Shreve. Shreve won 20 games for the Captains in 1940 but retired after the 1941 season. Cardona spent six years in New York in a backup role. That would have made for about an even trade, but the Knights also got Elias Grant. Grant became a star second baseman right away, swinging this trade easily in the Knights' favor. Despite a couple seasons hampered by injuries, he was a consistent producer through the 1952 season. Despite only being 36 years old, Grant decided to retire at that point. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1958, his first year on the ballot.

Joe Williams, OF, 1935-1956
Joe Williams began his career with the Knights in 1935 and immediately became a star. He spent 22 years in the NBL, all with the Knights. He won 12 MVP awards, 5 World Series titles, the 1935 Rookie of the Year and 3 fielding awards in his career, getting a total of 2,745 hits and 341 home runs. He retired in 1956, and was elected to the Hall of Fame on his first try in 1962. He spent four years as the Knights' bench coach from 1979 through 1982.

Brian Poste, P, 1940-1956
Brian Poste spent his entire career with the New York Knights. He won five pitching awards, four World Series and two World Series MVPs in his career, along with earning 249 wins with a 2.16 ERA. He debuted in 1940 and retired in 1956, having six 20-win seasons along the way. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1962.

Dan Beaton, P, 1943-1954
Dan Beaton spent 12 years in the league, all with the New York Knights. He made his debut in 1943 and was part of three World Series winning teams while he played for the Knights. He retired in 1954 after an injury plagued season. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1964, his 5th year on the ballot.

Dave Jensen, P, 1941-1960 Dave Jensen began his career in 1941 with the Dover Green Sox. He quickly became a solid starter for them and was part of the only World Series championship that the franchise won while in Dover. After seven years in Dover, the Knights traded for him, sending five players to the Green Sox in exchange. Only two of the five players that the Green Sox acquired did anything meaningful for them, while Jensen continued to dominate on the mound in New York, winning the 1946 World Series MVP honors in his first year on the team. He was a significant contributor to the next two champions as well in 1949 and 1950. He retired in 1960, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1966, his first year on the ballot.

[ericnease84]

Best Record: 97-65 (1976 & 1988)
Worst Record: 22-103 (1933)
Playoff Appearances: 3
Championships: 1 (1958)

When the NBL was born in 1895, there were two teams in Philadelphia, one of whom was the Philadelphia Yellow Jackets. Neither one of Philadelphia's teams was very good, but the Yellow Jackets were clearly the weaker of the two teams. They never finished with a winning record until 1950, at which time they were in their third home. They were the first team in the NBL to relocate, as owner Thomas Erickson moved them to Indianapolis, Indiana in the 1926-27 offseason. The Yellow Jackets were given a new name: the Indianapolis Blues. The team continued to lose in Indianapolis, and attendance and money kept going down as well. After Thomas Erickson died, his son Bryan took over the team and almost immediately began searching for a new home. Erickson moved the team after the 1941 season, taking them to Memphis, Tennessee. They played as the Memphis Blues for four years until Erickson renamed them the Memphis Panthers for the 1946 season. In 1950, the Panthers finally finished with a winning record after 55 consecutive losing seasons.
When the Captains and Seals of the NBC moved to California, the ABC wanted to put teams out west as well. The original intention was to place two expansion teams in California, but Erickson approached the league about moving again. He was approved to move the Panthers to Oakland for the 1956 season, and they began their time out west along with their counterpart the expansion San Diego Sharks (the other expansion team ended up being placed in Toronto). Bryan Erickson died during the 1968 season, and his son Tom took over the team and is still the owner of the franchise today. Two years after arriving in Oakland, the Panthers made the playoffs for the first time in their history, moving on to the World Series and defeating the Roadrunners for their first--and to date only--championship. They have only made the playoffs two other times in their history: 1981 and this past year in 1989, losing in the first round both times. They are currently trying to get a new stadium, and there are rumors that Tom Erickson is looking to move the team again, just as his father and grandfather have done before him.

Outlook for 1990:
They've had three winning seasons in a row and look to be a strong contender going into 1990.

Current Manager:
Frank McKinney has been the Panthers' manager since 1986. McKinney previously managed the Seattle Sea Monsters in 1973 through 1976. In his playing career, McKinney was a pitcher in the minor leagues for three years, from 1946 through 1948. His son, Bryan McKinney, has been pitching since 1973, mostly in the minors but occasionally getting a call-up to the big leagues. He last appeared in the Majors with the Philadelphia Hornets in 1988 and is still in their minor league system.

Hall of Famers:
None

[ericnease84]

Best Record: 107-55 (1987)
Worst Record: 35-119 (1934)
Playoff Appearances: 21
Championships: 4 (1960, 1964, 1968, 1983)

The Philadelphia Hornets did not have a good start to their history, but they did better than their counterparts, the Philadelphia Yellow Jackets. The Hornets made the playoffs in1915 for the first time, losing in the World Series to the Baltimore Browns. However, that would be their last playoff appearance until 1956. Since then, they have had much more success. After going 60 years with only a single playoff appearance, the Hornets have not gone more than five seasons in a row without making the playoffs (and they only went that long one time). They have had only two losing seasons (1970 and 1975) since 1956, and they have won four World Series titles: they defeated the Ironmen in 1960, the Blackbirds in 1964 and the Fireflies in 1968, and most recently they took down the Sharks in the 1983 World Series.

Outlook for 1990:
They are a solid team and have been for some time. They have been one of the most successful teams overall in the past thirty years, and they should be a strong candidate to win it all in 1990.

Current Manager:
Rory Fennel just finished his second season as the Hornets' manager. He previously managed the Oakland Panthers in 1984 and 1985. He was a minor league outfielder from 1959 through 1961 but never reached the Majors.

Hall of Famers:
Nick Meuer, OF, 1946-1963
Nick Meuer joined the U.S. Army at age 18 and fought in World War II, and he signed with the Philadelphia Hornets when he came home. He made his debut for the 1946 season and soon established himself in the middle of their lineup. He won the MVP award in 1949, and helped the Hornets win their first championship in 1960. His production fell off after that season, and he retired following the 1963 season. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1973, his fifth year on the ballot.

Aaron Knight, P, 1949-1967
Aaron Knight debuted with the Brimingham Bobcats in 1949 and quickly became a mainstay in their starting rotation. However, due to facing racial prejudice from fans in that era, Knight requested a trade to a team in the north during the 1956 season. In that offseason, he was dealt to the Philadelphia Hornets for five players. Of those five players, only two of them (pitcher Brian Houston and outfielder Jimmy Smith) ever made the Majors, and both disappeared in the 1961 expansion draft (Houston had yet to make the Majors at the time; Smith had, but his production for the Bobcats was very limited). Knight, meanwhile, continued to excel on the mound for Philadelphia. He was part of two World Series champion teams in 1960 and 1964, and was the NBC Championship Series MVP in 1964. He retired after the 1967 season, just missing out on a third Philadelphia championship. He was elected to the Hall of Fame on his first try in 1973.

Willie Solis, OF, 1959-1974
Willie Solis spent the first two years of his career with the St. Louis Tigers, and then after a 1961 trade he spent the rest of his career with the Philadelphia Hornets. He won back to back MVP awards in 1964 and 1965, and was part of two World Series champions in 1964 and 1968. Solis got 2,558 hits over his 16-year career. He retired in 1974, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1981, his second year on the ballot. Solis has spent the last three seasons as the bench coach for the Indiana Fireflies and aspires to be a manager someday.

Bobby Selvage, P, 1958-1976
Bobby Selvage began his career in 1958 with the Pittsburgh Ironmen. He spent seven years in Pittsburgh and was a consistent presence on the mound, making at least 30 starts each season except for his rookie year in which he spent part of the year coming out of the bullpen. Then after the 1964 season, the Ironmen swapped him to Philadelphia for five players. Pittsburgh got decent production out of 3 of the 5 players, but Selvage got better and better during his time in Philadelphia. He won two pitching awards and helped them win the World Series in 1968. He retired after the 1976 season, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year on the ballot in 1982. Selvage was just hired as the Hornets' new pitching coach for 1990.

[ericnease84]

Best Record: 107-18 (1911)
Worst Record: 49-105 (1942)
Playoff Appearances: 10
Championships: 5 (1911, 1912, 1917, 1918, 1919)

The Pittsburgh Ironmen have had some good players and successful teams in their history, but most of that success came early on. They won back to back World Series in 1911 and 1912, both over the Virginia Beach Captains. Then in their return to the World Series in 1916, the Captains got their revenge by defeating them. The Ironmen then returned to--and won--the next three World Series, defeating the New York Dragons, the Hartford Lions and finally the Captains again. That victory in 1919 was, to date, their last championship as it has now been 71 years since they have won it all. They got one more run at glory with this core in 1924, but they once again met up with and were defeated by the Captains. With the Knights dominating the ABC during the 1920s and 1930s, the Ironmen were consistently competitive but just could not finish first and get back to the playoffs. From 1923 through 1929, they had three of their five Hall of Famers on their team at the same time (Eric Blueberry, Tyrese Sims and Julian Wolf). Their other two (Joshua Inglis and Paul Gottlieb) were still active during those years as well, but they had left the team after 1918 and 1919 respectively, and were now playing with the Ironmen's two biggest rivals in the Virginia Beach Captains and the New York Knights.
Wolf, Inglis and Gottlieb fueled the Ironmen as they won their championships, except that Inglis was traded to Virginia Beach following the 1918 season. When Gottlieb was traded to New York following the 1919 season, Sims was one of the players that the Ironmen got back in exchange. Blueberry came up in the 1920s and teamed up with Wolf and Sims, along with future Hall of Famer Perry Kozel who was acquired in a separate trade, to make up the core that kept the team competitive, but they just could not win another championship. Long after those three were gone, the Ironmen finally made it to another World Series in 1960, but lost it to their in-state rivals the Philadelphia Hornets. The Ironmen have not been back to the World Series since then. Their only subsequent playoff appearances were in 1980 and 1983, but they failed to make it to the World Series either time.

Outlook for 1990:
They just had back-to-back 90-loss seasons and do not look like they will be much better in 1990.

Current Manager:
Eric Dowds is the new manager for the Ironmen. They fired Calvin Cunningham mid-season in 1989 when they were sitting with an 18-36 record. Interim manager Bill Shelton came up from AAA (where he had been the pitching coach) and guided them to a respectable 52-56 finish, but it was not enough to get him the job, as Pittsburgh went with Dowds instead. Dowds previously has managed the Chicago Cardinals from 1982 through 1984. He was a pitcher for the Ironmen in 1960, appearing on the mound in the Ironmen's last World Series appearance to date, and was traded to the Knights following that season where he spent the rest of his career, retiring in 1975.

Hall of Famers:
Julian Wolf, 3B, 1913-1937
Julian Wolf has a long 24-year career in the NBL and spent it all with the Ironmen. He has been teammates with every other Hall of Famer credited to Pittsburgh, but is the only one of the five who spent his entire career in Pittsburgh. He retired in 1937, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1944, his second year on the ballot. Wolf died in the summer of 1960, just missing out on seeing the Ironmen return to the World Series. The Ironmen wore patches on their sleeves with his initials for the remainder of the 1960 season and dedicated their playoff run to his memory.

Tyrese Sims, P, 1919-1934
Tyrese Sims broke into the league with the New York Knights in 1919. After his rookie year, he was one of five players who the Knights sent to Pittsburgh to acquire star pitcher Paul Gottlieb. While he never was able to lead the team to a World Series championship, Sims single-handedly saved that trade as three of the other four players (C Corey Wilson, SS Jonah Walker and 2B Adam Wall) only served in backup roles, and the fourth (OF Jose Rivera) never played a game for Pittsburgh. Sims, however, put together a stellar career where he went 239-90 with a 2.20 ERA through the 1934 season. He and Gottlieb pretty much offset each other's stats, and the other four players were largely irrelevant. Sims retired following the 1934 season, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in his second year on the ballot in 1944. He died in 1972.

Joshua Inglis, OF, 1907-1929
Joshua Inglis was the most popular position player the Pittsburgh Ironmen had until Eric Blueberry came along. Inglis won four World Series with the team, although most of his 1918 season was lost due to injury. Believing his career to be winding down, the Ironmen released him in one of the worst moves in franchise history. The trade of Gottlieb a year later at least brought back Tyrese Sims, but the Ironmen very likely would have made it to--and probably won--a couple more World Series had they hung on to Inglis. As it stands, they got absolutely nothing for Inglis. He signed with the Virginia Beach Captains, who lost to Pittsburgh in the 1919 World Series. But then Inglis helped the Captains win three championships of their own in 1921, 1922 and 1924. Then he was traded to the New York Knights in 1927, reuniting with his old buddy Paul Gottlieb and winning two more World Series, before both of them retired after the 1929 season. Inglis was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 1944, his second year on the ballot. He became a Baptist minister after playing days were over and did that until he died in 1970. Inglis' granddaughter is married to Edgar Phillips, a mid-level executive for the Baltimore Blackbirds and son of Roy Lee Phillips, who pitched for the Blackbirds and Cardinals in the 1960s.

Paul Gottlieb, P, 1907-1929
Paul Gottlieb is the most popular pitcher in Ironmen history, and is one of the greatest of all time. He won 437 games over his career, a record that still stands today (although current Toronto Giants pitcher Will Newman is within reach of the record if he can make it a couple more seasons). Gottlieb is the only one of the five Pittsburgh Hall of Famers to have been present for every one of their World Series championships. After the 1919 season, the Ironmen made a shocking trade, sending Gottlieb to the New York Knights for five players: pitcher Tyrese Sims, catcher Corey Wilson, infielders Jonah Walker and Adam Wall and outfielder Jose Rivera. RIvera never played a game for the Ironmen, and Wilson, Walker and Wall all served in backup roles during the 1920s. However, Sims blossomed into a star pitcher and Hall of Famer in his own right, saving this trade from being a disaster. Gottlieb starred on a New York team that played in every World Series in the 1920s except one, winning five of them. Gottlieb retired in 1929 as a ten-time World Series champion and the all-time wins leader. He somehow was not elected to the Hall of Fame with its initial class of 1943, but he was elected in 1944. He died in 1963.

Eric Blueberry, OF, 1923-1944
Eric Blueberry joined the Ironmen in 1923 and to this day is the most popular position player in Ironmen history, aside from possibly Inglis. Blueberry was the main star at the plate in the 1920s and 1930s as Pittsburgh tried and tried to get to the World Series, but only succeeded once and promptly lost the series. Following the 1940 season, Blueberry was traded to the Knights in exchange for infielder Nate New, who gave Pittsburgh some good production through the 1940s. Blueberry joined the Knights and finally got to win a World Series, playing on the Knights' championship team in 1942. He spent two more seasons in New York before retiring following the 1944 season. He first appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot in 1950, and was elected nearly unanimously. He was a hitting coach in the minor leagues by then, which he did until 1963 when he retired. Blueberry is still alive today at age 86 and still lives in the Pittsburgh area.

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Best Record: 103-59 (1988)
Worst Record: 58-104 (1971)
Playoff Appearances: 11
Championships: 2 (1985, 1988)

The San Diego Sharks entered the league in 1957 as an expansion team, giving the ABC a presence out west after the Captains and Seals of the NBC had relocated to California. The Sharks struggled early on before finding their footing, and after almost 20 years of mediocrity they emerged as a consistent winner. Their first playoff appearance came in 1977, and they have only missed the playoffs twice since then. They have not finished with a losing record since 1976. They made three World Series in a row from 1979 through 1981 but lost all three of them to the Cleveland Lions. They made it back to the World Series in 1983 but lost again, this time to the Hornets. After missing the playoffs in 1984, they made it back to the World Series in 1985. This time they captured their first championship, defeating the surprising Eagles. They got a rematch with the Hornets in the 1988 World Series and prevailed this time. They missed the playoffs in 1989 but barely. Finishing two games behind the Panthers in the ABC West, the lack of a wild card kept them out of the postseason despite the Blackbirds and Gators both wining their divisions with 81-81 records. Not long after the season ended, manager Sean Kendall was arrested for numerous off-the-field crimes which shall not be discussed here. Kendall vehemently denied any wrongdoing, but owner Adam Harman fired him anyway.

Outlook for 1990:
They barely missed out on the playoffs in 1989 and have been a consistent winner for over a decade now. They are going to be in the race in 1990, and have to be considered as a legitimate World Series contender, as long as their managerial change does not drag the team down.

Current Manager:
The Sharks just hired Kerry Lackey as their manager, after previous manager Sean Kendall, despite his on-field success, was fired for some very questionable off-the-field behavior. Lackey was the Sea Monsters' manager in 1986 before somehow being fired after only 24 games. Lackey was a pitcher from 1969 to 1979 for the Tigers, Silverbacks, Seals, Hornets and Lakers.

Hall of Famers:
Jeremy Leonhardt, P, 1964-1977:Jeremy Leonhardt was originally drafted in 1960 by the Chicago Cardinals, but they released him less than a year later. Over the next three years, he was traded once and released by many clubs. He kept trying to get a decent chance with someone, but each and every time he kept getting released. Finally, he pitched well enough to earn a call-up to the Sharks in 1964, and he pitched well enough to stick with the team, finally. He made 34 starts that year and won the Rookie of the Year award. He pitched for the Sharks through the 1970 season and continued to excel. Then after the 1970 season, he was traded to the San Francisco Seals for five players. Only one of the five players, pitcher Jason Hillyer, ever made it to the Majors. Leonhardt went 20-5 with a 1.90 ERA in 1971 and helped the Seals win the World Series. He pitched for five more years in San Francisco and became a free agent after the 1976 season. He signed a 5-year deal with the Cincinnati Silverbacks, but after helping them win the 1977 World Series he decided to call it a career. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1983, his first year on the ballot. Leonhardt is currently the bench coach for the Charlotte Roadrunners.

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Best Record: 101-53 (1946)
Worst Record: 33-92 (1904)
Playoff Appearances: 13
Championships: 3 (1946, 1971, 1982)

The Kentucky Kings were originally based in Lexington, Kentucky. They had a few decent teams but never really contended for anything during their time in Kentucky. Their popularity declined in the 1920s with the emergence of the Knights, Captains and Ironmen, and in 1927 the Kings packed up and moved south to Orlando, Florida. Originally they were going to be named the Florida Kings, but they ended up being renamed the Orlando Seals. Kentucky lucked out, as the league replaced the Kings by forcing the popular and successful Virginia Beach Captains to move to Louisville to keep that market. The Seals, meanwhile, spent most of the next twenty years losing, until they finally became more competitive in the mid 1940s. They made it to their first ever World Series in 1946 and won it, defeating the Knights.
Not long after winning the World Series, owner Eric Enoch got his eye on getting into a brand new market: California. When he expressed a desire to move the team to either Los Angeles or San Francisco, the league informed him that he needed to convince another NBC team to move out west with them, for logistical purposes. Enoch first approached the owner of the broke, losing and unpopular Washington Generals, Jerry LaPlante. LaPlante expressed a desire to make the move, but his team was in such poor shape financially that they just could not get the deal done. Enoch then met with the owners of several other NBC teams, including the Louisville Captains, Detroit Dragons, Philadelphia Hornets and Cleveland Lions. Dragons owner Jason Partin Jr. ultimately declined as the Dragons were in the midst of a 3-year championship dynasty run, and Partin had already moved the team once and did not want to do so again. Hornets owner Steve Densmore was interested as well, but the deal fell through when both Enoch and Densmore were insistent that they wanted San Francisco. Finally, Enoch convinced Captains owner Adam Rios to make the move to Los Angeles, and the Seals were approved to move to San Francisco. The move was announced midway through the 1954 season, and Orlando fans were not happy. Despite the fans' backlash, the Seals kept winning and made it to the World Series, although they lost to the Browns. After their World Series run, Enoch packed up the team anyway and moved them out west, becoming persona non grata in Orlando for the rest of his life.
The Seals kept their nickname, becoming the San Francisco Seals. They had a bit more success in their new home, winning another World Series in 1971. They did not make the playoffs again in the 1970s, but their championship run in 1982 ended the Cleveland Lions' four-year dynasty. They won an extremely weak NBC West division in 1988 with a 77-85 record, the worst record ever for a playoff team. Not surprisingly, they lost in the first round. They won the division again in 1989, this time with a winning record, but again lost in the first round.

Outlook for 1990:
They have a decent team on their hands and should be a contender in 1990.

Current Manager:
Former Lakers hitting coach John Rutherford took over as Seals manager in 1988, and he led them to the playoffs despite a losing record. He is now going into his third season as manager, and is signed for two more years. In his playing days, Rutherford was a minor league pitcher from 1970 to 1977, never making the Majors.

Hall of Famers
Geoff Goldin, P, 1963-1978
Geoff Goldin came up with the Chicago Cardinals in 1963 and immediately became their closer. As the closer role had not been very popular before Goldin's time, he currently holds the all-time record with 322 saves, although Sharks closer Bryan McGowen has a shot at breaking it. Following the 1967 season, the Cardinals traded him to the Seals in exchange for four players, none of whom ever played a single game in a Cardinals uniform. Reliever Jeff Koch, the only player of the four to even make the Majors, was released by Chicago long before he made his debut. Goldin, meanwhile, stepped into the closer role for the Seals immediately. He was a dominant ninth inning presence for the Seals, and was on the mound when they won the 1971 World Series. He signed with the Silverbacks as a free agent for the 1977 season and won a second World Series with them. He spent two years in Cincinnati, but the Silverbacks cut him at the start of the 1979 season. He signed with the Destroyers but never made it onto their Major League roster, and he retired following the 1979 season. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in his third year on the ballot in 1986. He is currently the bench coach for the San Diego Sharks.

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Best Record: 99-63 (1982)
Worst Record: 40-122 (1964)
Playoff Appearances: 3
Championships: 0

The Seattle Sea Monsters were born in the 1961 expansion along with the California Stars, Wisconsin Bears and New Jersey Stallions. The Sea Monsters had a pretty rough start, as they lost 115, 114, 122 and 105 games in their first four seasons. The 1964 team's 122 losses set a record that still stands today for most losses in a season. The Sea Monsters began to improve in the late 1960s, as they finally posted a winning record for the first time in 1972. They made the playoffs for the first time as a wild card in 1979, and they defeated the heavily favored Silverbacks in the ABC Division Series before losing to the San Diego Sharks in the ABC Championship Series. They won 99 games (best record for them) in 1982 and returned to the playoffs after winning their division for the first time. They beat the Sharks in the Division Series before losing in the Championship Series again, this time to the Colonels. Two years later they won their division again, but this time lost to the Colonels in the Division Series.
In 1987, they swung a deal with the Dallas Coyotes to acquire the #1 pick in the NBL Draft. They got Coyotes star third baseman Bo Duke and the #1 pick, in exchange for six players and three draft picks. They then used that #1 pick on outfielder Ken George Jr, the son of New York Knights star outfielder Ken George, a probable future Hall of Famer who also starred on some very good 1970s Silverbacks teams. Even though he was just 18 years old, the Sea Monsters promoted George to the Majors at the start of the 1988 season. He turned in a good, but not sensational, season. He did better in 1989, and still is looking like a star. And to top things off, they acquired Ken George Sr. this past offseason in a trade with the Knights, making them the first father/son teammates in NBL history, assuming both play in 1990 (no reason why they shouldn't).

Outlook for 1990:
They had a down year in 1989, but are hoping to bounce back and compete in 1990. They will be fun to watch with the first father/son teammates in history on the team.

Current Manager:
Stephon Souvenir has been the Sea Monsters' manager for four years now. He was hired in 1986, having previously been the Bobcats' hitting coach. Souvenir began playing minor league baseball in 1960, and bounced between the Majors and Minors between 1964 and 1979, playing for the Dragons, Roadrunners and Hornets along the way.

Hall of Famers:
None

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Best Record: 111-43 (1942)
Worst Record: 56-106 (1968)
Playoff Appearances: 8
Championships: 0

The Trenton Tigers did not have a lot of early success, and being located pretty close to the heavy hitting Knights did not help matters much when it came to their attendance. While their 1910s and 1920s teams were not very competitive, they did at that time employ one of the greatest pitchers in NBL history in Perry Kozel until an unwise trade that sent him to the Ironmen in the middle of the 1921 season, bringing back two infielders who contributed very little to the team. They never finished in first place one time until 1940, when they suddenly went to three World Series in a row. Unfortunately, they lost all three of them, the first two to the Norfolk Destroyers and the third to the New York Knights. Even though they remained fairly competitive after that run ended, they could not get the funding they needed for a new stadium, so they packed up and moved to St. Louis for the 1949 season.
The Tigers still had trouble winning in St. Louis, not making it back to the playoffs until 1974, when they made it to the World Series but lost to the Fireflies in seven games. Their next trip to the playoffs resulted in another World Series loss, this time to the Silverbacks in 1977. In three playoff appearances in the 1980s, they were unable to advance past the division round. They have been mediocre the past few years but look to be on the rise.

Outlook for 1990:
They have some good young talent and should be able to compete for the playoffs this season.

Current Manager:
Brian Hogan is the new manager of the Tigers for the 1990 season. Hogan had been the Knights' pitching coach, and before that he managed the Sea Monsters from 1979 through 1981, leading Seattle to its first playoff appearance in the process. Hogan pitched for the Norfolk Destroyers and Washington Generals from 1945 through 1951. His son, Brian Hogan Jr, has been pitching in the NBL since 1977 and is currently on the Atlanta Colonels.

Hall of Famers:
Perry Kozel, P, 1910-1929
Perry Kozel is the best pitch to have ever put on a Tigers uniform. He signed with Trenton for the 1910 season and was dominant all decade long. He won 10 pitching awards, won 20 games 4 times, and finished with an ERA under 1.00 twice. His 0.78 ERA in 1911 still stands as a single-season record, and his career ERA of 1.55 also remains a record to this day. He held opposing batters to a .190 average over his career, which still stands as a record as well. Only one other pitcher in history has held batters to a batting average under .200 in his career, and that was Lions Hall of Famer Randy Bender, whose career average is .1998 and technically rounds up to an even .200. The Tigers made a very unwise trade in the middle of the 1921 season, sending Kozel to the Pittsburgh Ironmen for two infielders who contributed next to nothing to the Tigers. Kozel was not as dominant with Pittsburgh, but he teamed up with Tyrese Sims to give the Ironmen a formidable 1-2 punch that kept them in contention. He retired after the 1929 season and made the Hall of Fame in 1944, his second year on the ballot. He died in 1958.

Gabriel Finney, P, 1925-1941
Gabriel Finney began his career with the Tigers in 1925. He did not play much his first three years, but by the early 1930s he was considered the best pitcher the team had had since Perry Kozel. He was able to play in the World Series at the end of his career, throwing his last pitch in the 1941 World Series, after which he retired. He was a first-ballot Hall of Famer in 1947, and worked as a minor league pitching coach from 1950 through 1964. He died in 1982.

Marc Bernardy, OF, 1930-1944
Marc Bernardy began his career with the Baltimore Browns in 1930. After three years in Baltimore, the Browns traded him along with future Hall of Fame pitcher Mark Lynch to the Trenton Tigers in exchange for outfielder John Aldridge and infielder Josh McIntosh. The Browns at least got pretty good value out of those two, but they also gave up a future Hall of Famer in the process (two, really, but Lynch was approaching the end of his career and had just missed a season due to injury). Bernardy had some injury troubles but was solid when he was on the field, playing with the Tigers until he retired in 1944. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1952, his third year on the ballot. He died in 1981 following complications from surgery.

Kevin Milam, 3B, 1938-1953
Kevin Milam began his career with the Tigers in 1938, and he remained on the team for his entire career. He is the only Tigers Hall of Famer to have played on the team during any of its St. Louis days, as he was on the team when it moved for the 1949 season. He got 2,600 hits in his career and got to play in three World Series, although he never got to experience winning one. He retired after the 1953 season. Milam was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1959, his first year on the ballot. In 1961, he was hired as the Connecticut Coyotes' first base coach. He did that for four years, and then spent three years as the Boston Rebels' bench coach. After taking a c ouple of years off, he was hired as the Charlotte Roadrunners' third base coach for the 1970 season. He died about a month after the end of the 1975 season, still employed by the Roadrunners at the time.

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Best Record: 100-62 (1976)
Worst Record: 56-106 (1971)
Playoff Appearances: 13
Championships: 0

The Toronto Giants entered the league in 1957 as an expansion team, the first NBL team to play in Canada. They lost 99 games in each of their first two seasons, but finished with an even .500 record in 1959, and by 1960 they were a consistent winner. They made the playoffs for the first time in 1961, which set a record for the youngest expansion team to ever make the playoffs with 5 years, a record that has since been broken. They lost in the Championship Series that year but returned to the playoffs two years later. This time, they made it to the World Series, but lost to the Lions in seven games. The Giants then suffered through eight straight losing seasons from 1968 through 1974, but they have been consistent contenders ever since that streak ended. In fact, they have only had 11 losing seasons in their history: their first two, those eight and the 1984 season in which they went 79-83.
The Giants finally made it back to the World Series in 1978 but were swept by the Lions in the first year of their dynasty. They lost three straight Division Series from 1980 through 1982, missed the playoffs for the next three years but have now made the playoffs in each of the past four seasons. They have not made it back to the World Series, and despite their vast regular season success, they are one team that has yet to win a championship.

Outlook for 1990:
With how much winning this team has done, it should be only a matter of time before they finally win a World Series. Expect them to be in the mix in 1990.

Current Manager:
David Sarver has been the Giants' manager since 1980, currently the longest tenured manager in the league. Before managing the Giants, he was the Blackbirds' manager from 1972 to 1977. Sarver played second base in the minor leagues from 1963 through 1966 but never made the Majors.

Hall of Famers:
None

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Best Record: 95-67 (1986)
Worst Record: 58-104 (1982)
Playoff Appearances: 2
Championships: 1 (1986)

The Washington Eagles have only been in the league for eight years and have already enjoyed more success than the team that previously resided in DC, the Washington Generals/Minnesota Lakers. The Lakers franchise is 95 years old and still searching for its first ever championship, while the Eagles won a championship in their fifth season of existence. They made the playoffs as a 4-year-old franchise, the current record. Their first playoff appearance in 1985 came when they won their division despite finishing with a 79-83 record. At the time, it was the worst record ever for a playoff team (the Seals broke that record three years later, winning the NBC West in 1988 with a 77-85 record). Not only did the Eagles make the playoffs with a losing record (while the 103-win Stallions missed the playoffs due to the league no longer using wild cards), but they defeated both the Philadelphia Hornets and the Los Angeles Captains to reach the World Series. Their Cinderella run ended there, as they were quickly swept by the San Diego Sharks. Then the very next year, they won their division again (with 95 wins this time) and returned to the World Series. This time, they took down the Colonels in 7 games to claim their first ever World Series championship. They have yet to make another trip to the playoffs.

Outlook for 1990:
The Eagles have been trending in the wrong direction over the past couple years, and more than likely are not serious contenders in 1990.

Current Manager:
The Eagles just hired Peter Edwards as their manager. Edwards played for the Silverbacks, Stars and Hornets from 1963 through 1983, and was quickly hired by the Silverbacks to be their manager in 1984, less than a year after he retired as a player. He managed Cincinnati through the 1988 season before being fired. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1989 and is now about to begin his tenure as Washington's manager.

Hall of Famers:
None

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Best Record: 98-64 (1973)
Worst Record: 45-117 (1963)
Playoff Appearances: 2
Championships: 1 (1973)

The Wisconsin Bears entered the league in 1962 and, just like the Seattle Sea Monsters who were born alongside them, lost over 100 games in their first four seasons. They lost at least 90 games every season until 1972, when they out of nowhere improved by 20 games to finish with an 89-73 record. Then in 1973, they unexpectedly won their division with a 98-win season, where they went to the World Series and defeated the Silverbacks for their first--and so far only--championship. They returned to the playoffs in 1974, but were defeated by the Tigers in the NBC Championship Series. To date, that is their last playoff appearance. They were competitive for a couple more seasons before spending a decade in the basement until they have begun to finally show improvement in the past couple seasons.

Outlook for 1990:
They finished a very distant second place in 1989. Going into 1990, they have to be considered a contender, but they are probably not a serious threat to win it all.

Current Manager:
Andy Jones is the Bears' manager, having just finished his second season. He was the Silverbacks' bench coach before then. As a player, he was an infielder in the Pittsburgh organization from 1953 through 1957. He never made it out of Single-A ball.

Hall of Famers:
None

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As of the All-Star Break, here are the league standings and a quick analysis of each division race:

The defending champion Blackbirds have a strong hold on the ABC East, and should win this division again with way more than 81 wins this time. The Rebels and Knights have been mediocre, and the Ironmen have just been bad, as they have been no-hit twice this year already.
The ABC North appears to be competitive, although nobody expected the Toronto Giants to be this bad. This division had four teams that all looked like playoff contenders. Now it's down to three, although Buffalo is trending in the wrong direction after a hot start.
The ABC South looks like the Atlanta Colonels' division to lose. The Silverbacks do not look up to the challenge, and neither do the recent expansion teams the Wolves or Gators. The Gators have at least been trying to be competitive; the jury is still out on the Wolves.
The Sea Monsters have cemented themselves as the favorites in the ABC West. The Panthers and Sharks look to challenge them, although the Sharks' manager drama may be a factor after all for them. They also have been no-hit twice this season, but at least they are way better than the Ironmen. The Stars are a non-factor and their manager is reportedly on the hot seat.
The NBC East is a two-horse race (no pun intended) between the Stallions and the Hornets. The Dragons and Dragonflies will not be a factor.
The NBC North is also a very competitive division with three teams in contention: the Lions and Tigers and Bears (oh, my!). The Cardinals do not stand a chance here.
The NBC South looks like a foregone conclusion: the Charlotte Roadrunners will win this division again. The other three teams in the division have given no indication of being real contenders.
The NBC West has a very familiar story: the California teams are competing for the playoffs, and the Texas teams are not. Since this division was formed in 1984, the only Texas team to finish in the top two was the Apollos in 1986 (with a 71-91 record, and only one game ahead of the Seals).



Some noteworthy events of the first half of the season:

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Final season standings for 1990:
Only three of the eight teams that held first place at the All-Star break went on to make the playoffs: the Seattle Sea Monsters, Baltimore Blackbirds and Charlotte Roadrunners.
The Minnesota Lakers lost a close battle for the ABC North with the Indiana Fireflies. The Buffalo Destroyers continued their downward slide and faded all the way to last place, costing their manager his job.
The Atlanta Colonels also blew their division lead, losing a one-game playoff at home to finish choking away the ABC South title to the Cincinnati Silverbacks. Their manager also lost his job as a result of the collapse.
The New Jersey Stallions battled the Philadelphia Hornets all year long, but in the end the two-time defending NBC Champion Hornets won out. The Stallions missed the playoffs with a 93-win season, while watching an 82-win team make it. They filed a formal complaint after the season, demanding the return of the wild card.
The St. Louis Bears choked away a slim division lead and wound up finishing in a distant third. The Lions defeated the Bears at home in a one-game playoff to decide the NBC North title.
The Los Angeles Captains faded down the stretch, almost falling into third place in the process. The San Francisco Seals won the division with a mere 82 wins.



After two "Game 163s," the playoffs finally began.
The defending champion Baltimore Blackbirds swept the Indiana Fireflies, while it took the top-seeded Seattle Sea Monsters a full five games to knock off the upstart Cincinnati Silverbacks. Seattle won the first two games at home, but Cincinnati won both of their home games, forcing a Game 5.
The Philadelphia Hornets had their hands full with the 82-win Seals, who many expected to simply get swept. The Seals actually had a lead in extra innings in Game 5, but they could not hold it and Philadelphia walked it off to win the game and the series, by the skin of their teeth.
The Lions won their first two games, before losing Games 3 and 4 and bringing back memories of the "reverse sweep" they suffered a few years earlier at the hands of the Washington Eagles. However, they held on for a close Game 5 win.

In the NBC Championship Series, the Hornets blew out the Lions in the first two games, and then beat them in a close Game 3 to take a commanding lead. Cleveland won Game 4, but then got blown out again in Game 5 to send them home. This was the Hornets' third World Series appearance in a row; they made the 1988 and 1989 World Series as well, but lost both of them.
The ABC Championship Series was a lot closer, and while the Sea Monsters ended up winning it in five games as well, all the games were relatively close. This was Seattle's first World Series.

In the World Series, the Sea Monsters won the first two games at home, and then lost Games 3 and 4 in Philadelphia. They won Game 5, but then lost Game 6 back at home. In Game 7, they took a late lead and won the game and the series for their first ever championship. The Hornets have now lost three World Series in a row.

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**Note: only two pitchers had ever earned 40 saves in a season prior to 1990, and they both did it in 1968. In 1990, seven pitchers earned 40 saves. Marc Burkhart broke the previous record (42)
first, and T.J. Sims tied him late in the season as they now share the record, with 47.
Okie broke his own record for singles in a season; he hit 175 in 1987.

Other single-game, postseason and team accomplishments:
-Seattle's Sawyer Weber struck out 5 times in a game on September 4, tying a record held by many other players (who would rather not).
-Philadelphia's Daniel Luna hit 4 doubles in a game on June 23, tying a record held by many other players. Luna also hit 10 doubles in the postseason, tying the record.
-Seattle's Ken George Jr. walked 17 times in the postseason, breaking the previous record of 12.
-Philadelphia pitcher Curtis Bever tied a record (set in 1907!) of 44 hits allowed during a single postseason.

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Three teams made uniform adjustments for 1991, in addition to several teams adding alternates. The Philadelphia Hornets only changed the color scheme for their home and away uniforms, switching from a black hat to an orange hat for home uniforms, and changing their hats and undershirts from orange to black on their away uniforms. Two teams completely re-designed their uniforms with new colors: the Indiana Fireflies and Wisconsin Bears. New uniforms are shown below:

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Below are the standings as of the All-Star Break for 1991, with a short synopsis of each division race so far, as well as some notable events:

ABC East: With the Blackbirds uncharacteristically struggling, the Rebels and Knights are battling it out with them to steal it. Pittsburgh, while in striking distance, has no realistic shot at it.

ABC North: The Lakers are leading the division but have two things working against them. One, they have a losing record. And two, one of their top hitters just abruptly retired a couple of weeks ago. They have what it takes to hold off Indiana and Toronto (but how realistic of a contender are they, 10 games under .500?), but they probably should try to trade for a bat. And the Fireflies also have all eyes on veteran pitcher Will Newman, who needs only six wins to tie the all-time record of 437.

ABC South: The Silverbacks are looking to repeat as division champs, but the Gators are not about to just let them walk away with it. Atlanta also has a realistic shot to get revenge for last year and come back and steal the division. The Wolves look like a lock for last place.

ABC West: With the best record in all of baseball, the defending champion Seattle Sea Monsters have a comfortable lead in the division as they look to try to repeat as champions. The third place Sharks, 14 games out of first, would be in first place in the ABC East, ABC North or NBC South. The last place California Stars would be tied for first place in the ABC North. Looks like we know which division is the strongest.

NBC East: The Dragons got off to a hot start, but have cooled off considerably lately. This once again looks like a race between Philly and Jersey. The Stallions are lobbying hard for the return of the wild card, as they could once again win 90+ games, finish in second place and miss the playoffs while a team with a win total in the low 80s gets in by winning a weak division. It's possible more than one could pull that off.

NBC North: The Cardinals have improved, while the Lions and Tigers have taken a huge step back. The Bears appear to have this one in the bag.

NBC South: The Roadrunners do not look like their usual playoff contending selves. That being said, the Eagles currently lead this weak division while barely over .500, and the Bobcats have a realistic shot at it. Good for them, as they have not made the playoffs in 28 years (and that most recent playoff appearance is their only one to date).

NBC West: The Seals are once again in control of this division, but the Coyotes may be finally putting something together after years of futility. Dallas has only finished over .500 twice since 1970.

Will Newman is approaching the all-time wins record. Two hitters reached 3,000 hits this year already: Toronto's Mike Murdock and Philadelphia's Tristin Holbrook. Seattle's Ken George is closing in on 3,500 hits and 450 home runs. Roadrunners pitcher Keaton Scagnelli is 4 wins away from 200 for his career. Sharks closer Bryan McGowen is 11 saves away from 300 for his career, and is on pace to break Geoff Goldin's all time record of 322 next year sometime. We've only seen one no-hitter so far this year: Charlotte's Tom McLain.