48 Team Random Debut League

[Dukie98]

After a few hiccups, I finally was able to get my 48-team random debut league off the ground (thanks again to David Watts and actionjackson for their help). The creatively-named Historic Random Debut League began its inaugural season in 2011 (but using 1975 parameters) with two 24-team leagues - the Frontier League and the Continental League, each of which consists of four six-team divisions. The inaugural draft lasted 27 rounds, which gave most teams a core of 2-3 very good players, a handful of solid role players, and plenty o' holes in the lineup. Because of the tight roster parameters, injuries were turned off for year one; I'm adding a 9-round draft for next year (which should more than offset retirements, and give most teams a semblance of a reserve roster), and will slowly ramp up injuries. After conducting the initial draft for the New Orleans Crawfish (picking 23rd out of 48), I stepped aside, handed over the reins to the AI, and have simply been an intrigued observer. Because of the lack of depth in the league, there were plenty of superlative performances on both sides of the ball, and the WAR stats were a little inflated, but presumably will stabilize once the talent level in the league increases.

And without further ado... the 2011 year in review:

Frontier League: The Buffalo Fighting Elk, led by slugging infielders Troy Tulowitzki and Jose Abreu, rode an early season hot streak (starting 33-11) to a playoff berth, winning the Northeast Division by 15 games. Although the Cincinnati Spiders (led by southpaw Hippo Vaughn and outfielder Jackie Bradley) led the Great Lakes division for most of the season, a late season fade allowed the Detroit Purple Gang, led by Craig Biggio and Hernan Perez, to steal the division title by a game on the last day of the year.

Southpaw Billy Pierce struck out 355 hitters, and young righthander Kyle Freeland went 23-8 with a 2.08 ERA, as the St. Louis Pilots won 97 games on their way to the Great Plains division title, as they edged out the Minneapolis Penguins, who were led by third baseman Andy Van Slyke and righhander Bill Bevens. The Vancouver Viceroys matched St. Louis with 97 wins, as first baseman Nate Colbert ripped 54 homers and Jakie May had a stellar 1.58 ERA. The Viceroys edged out the Calgary Cattle Rustlers, who were led by righthander Jake Weimer's 22-6 record and 1.98 ERA, and first baseman Frank Chance, who hit .354 with 87 steals. The Portland Skunks, led by David Cone's 21-5 record with a 1.38 ERA, took the final wild-card slot.

Continental League: Unlike the Frontier League, the Continental League lacked compelling pennant races, with only one division being decided by less than six games. The Hartford Huskies coasted to the Atlantic Division title, as Sandy Koufax went 22-7 with a 1.74 ERA, 358 strikeouts, and twelve shutouts, and Greg Vaughn bopped 40 homers. The Birmingham Steelers led the Southeast Division for nearly the entire season, as their league-best offense was led by slugging outfielders Jim Northrup (.359/ 46 homers/ 130 RBI's) and Rich Reese (.341/ 44 homers/ 136 RBI's). The Steelers held off a late rush by Joey Votto's Atlanta Ducks, who finished just three games out of first.

The 99-win Houston Pythons won the hard-fought Texas Division, which at one point had all six teams above .500, as shortstop Bill Hall hit .342 with 35 homers and 135 RBI's, while Paul Molitor hit .373 and scored 121 runs. The Austin Mustangs won 91 games behind 46 homers and 147 RBI's from Hank Thompson, while Jim Kaat won 23 games. The San Antonio Marksmen behind strong pitching performances from Phil Niekro (1.97 ERA) and Ted Blankenship (21 wins with a 2.26 ERA). In the Southwest Division, the San Diego Zookeepers won a league-best 102 games, led by Pete Rose, who hit .395 while scoring 139 runs, and slugging first baseman Ed Morgan, who hit 46 homers and drove in a HRDL-best 162 runs. The Los Angeles Kangaroos took the final wild card, as Torii Hunter hit .356 with 117 RBI's and Mike Krukow went 20-9 with a 2.11 ERA.

Playoff report: Frontier League: Vancouver swept Portland, behind the power-hitting bats of Luis Gonzalez and Nate Colbert, while St. Louis swept Cincinnati on the strength of their pitching staff. Minneapolis came from behind to beat Buffalo in 7 games, while Calgary coasted over Detroit in 6 games. In the Divisional Series, Vancouver prevailed over Minneapolis in five games, and St. Louis shut down Calgary in five games. Vancouver advanced to the World Series after dispatching the Pilots in five games.

Continental League: San Diego blew a 3-games-to-1 lead, allowing San Antonio to storm back, as Phil Niekro threw a one-hitter in Game Six. Joey Votto singlehandedly carried Atlanta to a seven-game series win over Birmingham. Los Angeles came from behind, winning Games 6 and 7 against Hartford, which rode Sandy Koufax's left arm as long as it could. Although Houston blew out Austin in the first two games, Austin stormed back and won the final four games of the Wild Card Round. Los Angeles shut down the overmatched San Antonio offense in five games in the Divisional Series, while Atlanta needed just six games to knock off Austin. Los Angeles then swept the overmatched Ducks in the League Championship Series.

World Series: In a back-and-forth series, the Los Angeles Kangaroos and Vancouver Viceroys traded victories, with the Kangaroos prevailing in the decisive game 7, 5-3, as Jimmy Anderson outdueled Omar Daal. Torii Hunter hit a crucial eighth-inning homer to extend the lead to two runs, while Mel Rojas nailed down the series-clinching save. Pitching dominated the series, as the powerful Viceroys scored just 18 runs in 7 games, never scoring more than four runs, and the Kangaroos scored more than five runs just once.

[actionjackson]

Wow. Lots of extreme seasons there. One of the things I love about random debut is seeing all kinds of players you grew up with thrown into a blender against guys you've maybe never heard of before. I don't think I could ever get bored with it because it's different every time.

[Dukie98]

Frontier League MVP- David Cone, RHP, POR: 21-5, 1.37 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 280 IP, 345 K, 64 BB, 15 CG, 5 shutouts, 276 ERA+, 14.5 WAR
2nd place- Kent Hrbek, 1B, DEN: .364/ .431/ .676, 227 hits, 27 doubles, 54 HR, 146 RBI, 121 runs, 200 OPS+, 10.7 WAR
3rd place- Jack Chesbro, RHP, CLE: 21-7, 1.57 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 281 IP, 316 K, 40 BB, 16 CG, 10 shutouts, 243 ERA+, 15.2 WAR
4th place- Bill Bevens, RHP, MIN: 23-6, 1.47 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 281 IP, 239 K, 56 BB, 14 CG, 4 shutouts, 259 ERA+, 11.1 WAR
5th place- David Ortiz, 1B, TOR: .370/ .449/ .640, 223 hits, 20 doubles, 4 triples, 45 HR, 121 RBI, 126 runs, 88 BB, 200 OPS+, 8.8 WAR

Frontier League Cy Young- David Cone, POR: 21-5, 1.37 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 280 IP, 345 K, 64 BB, 15 CG, 5 shutouts, 276 ERA+, 14.5 WAR
2nd place- Jack Chesbro, CLE: 21-7, 1.57 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 281 IP, 316 K, 40 BB, 16 CG, 10 shutouts, 243 ERA+, 15.2 WAR
3rd place- Bill Bevens, MIN: 23-6, 1.47 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 281 IP, 239 K, 56 BB, 14 CG, 4 shutouts, 259 ERA+, 11.1 WAR
4th place- Jakie May, VAN: 20-9, 1.58 ERA, 0.74 WHIP, 273 IP, 326 K, 50 BB, 13 CG, 7 shutouts, 241 ERA+, 14.2 WAR
5th place- Hippo Vaughn, CIN: 21-6, 1.99 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 290 IP, 279 K, 58 BB, 12 CG, 4 shutouts, 192 ERA+, 11.8 WAR

Frontier League Rookie of the Year- Jack Chesbro, RHP, CLE: 21-7, 1.57 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 281 IP, 316 K, 40 BB, 16 CG, 10 shutouts, 243 ERA+, 15.2 WAR
2nd place- Craig Kusick, 1B, PHI: .336/ .443/ .661, 196 hits, 23 doubles, 4 triples, 53 HR, 143 RBI, 118 runs, 116 BB, 204 OPS+, 10.8 WAR
3rd place- Andy Van Slyke, 3B, MIN: .371/ .470/ .594, 212 hits, 32 doubles, 10 triples, 25 HR, 120 RBI, 114 runs, 112 BB, 39 SB, 195 OPS+, 10.9 WAR

Continental League MVP- Dave Parker, RF, DAL: .422/ .463/ .782, 254 hits, 35 doubles, 7 triples, 56 HR, 156 RBI, 119 runs, 48 BB, 19 SB, 242 OPS+, 12.7 WAR
2nd place- Bryce Harper, LF, JAX: .398/ .505/ .718, 223 hits, 27 doubles, 4 triples, 48 HR, 145 RBI, 121 runs, 124 BB, 230 OPS+, 12.8 WAR
3rd place- Jim Northrup, CF, BIR: .359/ .423/ .655, 226 hits, 34 doubles, 7 triples, 46 HR, 130 HR, 133 runs, 72 BB, 191 OPS+, 11.4 WAR
4th place- Sandy Koufax, LHP, HAR: 22-7, 1.74 ERA, 0.78 WAR, 290 IP, 358 K, 47 BB, 15 CG, 12 shutouts, 240 OPS+, 15.0 WAR
5th place- Ed Morgan, 1B, SD: .373/ .448/ .646, 225 hits, 17 doubles, 5 triples, 46 HR, 162 RBI, 114 runs, 87 BB, 202 OPS+, 9.1 WAR

Continental League Cy Young- Sandy Koufax, LHP, HAR: 22-7, 1.74 ERA, 0.78 WAR, 290 IP, 358 K, 47 BB, 15 CG, 12 shutouts, 240 OPS+, 15.0 WAR
2nd place- Reggie Cleveland, HOU: 27-7, 2.01 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 300 IP, 196 K, 47 BB, 18 CG, 6 shutouts, 206 ERA+, 9.0 WAR
3rd place- Ray Collins, WAS: 21-11, 2.27 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 278 IP, 201 K, 42 BB, 18 CG, 7 shutouts, 185 ERA+, 11.5 WAR
4th place- Mike Krukow, LA: 20-9, 2.11 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 286 IP, 282 K, 81 BB, 10 CG, 4 shutouts, 199 ERA+, 9.5 WAR
5th place- Phil Niekro, SA: 18-13, 1.97 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 301 IP, 217 K, 82 BB, 22 CG, 6 shutouts, 202 ERA+, 8.6 WAR

Continental League Rookie of the Year- Bryce Harper, LF, JAX: .398/ .505/ .718, 223 hits, 27 doubles, 4 triples, 48 HR, 145 RBI, 121 runs, 124 BB, 230 OPS+, 12.8 WAR
2nd place- Hank Thompson, 1B, AUS: .337/ .437/ .613, 208 hits, 27 doubles, 3 triples, 46 HR, 147 RBI, 133 runs, 116 BB, 10 SB, 188 OPS+, 9.7 WAR
3rd place- Buster Brown, RHP, CHA: 21-9, 2.23 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 282 IP, 236 K, 101 BB, 14 CG, 6 shutouts, 193 ERA+, 8.0 WAR

Top draft picks: 1. Harmon Killebrew, 3B, Nashville Blues
2. Jim Palmer, RHP, Denver Spikes
3. Brian Giles, LF, Albuquerque Conquistadors
4. Bucky Walters, 3B/RHP, Memphis River Pirates
5. Wes Ferrell, RHP, Baltimore Robins

[italyprof]

Great fun !

I know what you mean about hiccups - I decided that the 28-team league concept I posted a ton of material about just the other day was not really what I wanted.

I have gone to a 24-team league starting in 1901, with the playoff format of 1969, four divisions, only winners in the postseason, and with 1974 as the historical year.

As ActionJackson says, every time is different. And that is a great part of what is so much fun.

[actionjackson]

As you said in the opening post, your talent distribution is probably causing these cartoon character seasons. Hopefully it rights itself because if you're anything like me, talent balance (not necessarily between teams, but across the league) is very important to you. Mine has been very good so far. In my first two seasons, I've only had one player get 10+ WAR in a season. Mike Donlin had 10.9 WAR in the inaugural season of 1901. It is only two seasons (Very, very small sample size), but I think that demonstrates pretty good league balance. I'm using 1984 for stats output and strategy settings.

Almost looks like you've got 10 stiffs (or more) for every very good to great player. All you can do is keep slogging and hope it comes around, unless you don't care if it does. In that case, carry on!

[JaBurns]

How big were your rosters in your first year?

[Dukie98]

25 man rosters / 27 players in the organizations for the inaugural season - simply a function of importing 44 players per team from the original 30 team structure. Injuries were turned off due to the lack of viable replacements.

For the next few years, I'm having a somewhat larger draft pool to increase the overall talent level in the league. Only about 10 or so players retired - only one of whom was a regular, so hopefully depth should improve. The leaguewide stats on a team-by-team level looked pretty normal, so hopefully as rosters fill out, and sub-replacement level players return to the bench, I expect that the individual stats/ WAR totals should stabilize.

[JaBurns]

Would this idea work?
I am thinking of holding an inaugural draft for a 1901 sixteen team league with 704 players. Initially teams get 27 players then hold a free agent draft on 3 Jan 01 to get the rosters to 40 players which is my top with a 15 man reserve roster. That should leave 64 players as free agents. Then on 15 Jan 01 hold my first 5 round rookie draft but with enough players for 40 rounds.

Then I will add a 16 team unaffiliated AAA league before 1 Feb 01 and hold a free agent draft. This will leave me with 32 teams to start the 1901 season. The only problem I see is average age will be very low with no or few retirements for first decade. I could curtail the rookie draft for a few years to start the aging of the league.

Thought or suggestions?

[actionjackson]

Originally Posted by JaBurns

Would this idea work?
I am thinking of holding an inaugural draft for a 1901 sixteen team league with 704 players. Initially teams get 27 players then hold a free agent draft on 3 Jan 01 to get the rosters to 40 players which is my top with a 15 man reserve roster. That should leave 64 players as free agents. Then on 15 Jan 01 hold my first 5 round rookie draft but with enough players for 40 rounds.

Then I will add a 16 team unaffiliated AAA league before 1 Feb 01 and hold a free agent draft. This will leave me with 32 teams to start the 1901 season. The only problem I see is average age will be very low with no or few retirements for first decade. I could curtail the rookie draft for a few years to start the aging of the league.

Thought or suggestions?

I have just one question, and it's one out of admitted ignorance. Have you tested to make sure you can have a draft on Jan 15? If you have, disregard the question, but if you haven't I would test it out beforehand on a league you don't care too much about.

[JaBurns]

I am going to try it, going to set up my big boy league if it doesn’t work nothing lost just start again with a new weird idea....
I think I can set a draft for 15 Jan 01 and then probably not have one in Nov/Dec 01.

Let you know if it works, a little worried about having a real young league early but I will go off into another dimension to figure out a way around it .....maybe

[Edster007]

Originally Posted by JaBurns

I am going to try it, going to set up my big boy league if it doesn’t work nothing lost just start again with a new weird idea....
I think I can set a draft for 15 Jan 01 and then probably not have one in Nov/Dec 01.

Let you know if it works, a little worried about having a real young league early but I will go off into another dimension to figure out a way around it .....maybe

I tried it before, I believe you cant have a draft prior to March 1

[JaBurns]

I think I can make my idea work with a 1 March 01 draft.

[David Watts]

Originally Posted by actionjackson

I have just one question, and it's one out of admitted ignorance. Have you tested to make sure you can have a draft on Jan 15? If you have, disregard the question, but if you haven't I would test it out beforehand on a league you don't care too much about.

Yeah, it would take no time at all to create a test scenario to see if it's even doable.

[JaBurns]

Got it to work had another free agent draft pool of about 600 players established on 1 March 01 then created a 16 team unaffiliated AAA league on 2 Mar 01 and held a FA draft.

Moved the draft back to 15 Nov 01 with 5 rounds and enough players for 5 rounds.

About 200 guys now in free agent pool.

Let you how it works out......

[actionjackson]

Originally Posted by JaBurns

Got it to work had another free agent draft pool of about 600 players established on 1 March 01 then created a 16 team unaffiliated AAA league on 2 Mar 01 and held a FA draft.

Moved the draft back to 15 Nov 01 with 5 rounds and enough players for 5 rounds.

About 200 guys now in free agent pool.

Let you how it works out......

I've gotten Nov. 1st to work, so I can't see why Nov. 15th wouldn't work.

[Dukie98]

Frontier League: The worst-to-first Baltimore Robins won 94 games, winning a tough Northeast Division where all six teams finished at or above .500, as center fielder Rick Monday hit .342 with a team-high 20 homers and 95 RBIs, and Clay Buchholz and Patrick Corbin led a stingy pitching staff which finished second in the league in runs allowed. The Robins edged out the Buffalo Fighting Elk, as Jose Abreu hit .320 with 20 homers, 86 RBIs, and 104 runs scored, and rookie catcher Dave Nilsson sparkled with a .304 average and slugged .467. The Detroit Purple Gang returned to the postseason after winning the Great Lakes Division with 96 wins. Rookie first baseman Travis Lee hit .339 with 23 homers and scored 127 runs, and four other regulars, including Craig Biggio and Ryan Braun, topped .300. The Cleveland Rocks, led by MVP candidate Jose Reyes, who hit .362 with 109 runs scored, 67 steals, and 94 RBI's, nearly matched the Purple Gang before fading in the final week to finish with 92 wins. Ace Jack Chesbro nearly matched his stellar season from the prior year, going 22-8 with a 2.27 ERA and 268 strikeouts. The London Werewolves rode a hot start (43-16) to seize another wild card with 91 wins, as third baseman Bill Sudakis hit .313 with 35 homers and a league-leading 123 RBI's, while George Earnshaw anchored the pitching staff, going 17-8 with a 2.36 ERA and a league-best 302 strikeouts.

The St. Louis Pilots, after scuffling below .500 for the first four months, returned to the postseason, riding the left arm of Billy Pierce, who went 23-9 with a 1.92 ERA and 299 strikeouts, and the legs of Deion Sanders, who ripped 17 triples, 17 homers, and stole 63 bases. The Vancouver Viceroys won a league-best 99 games, allowing a league best 506 runs, as Jakie May went 17-9 with a 2.04 ERA, and Omar Daal won his first 13 decisions on his way to a 21-6 season with a 2.54 ERA. The Calgary Cattle Rustlers took the final wild card slot, as Jake Weimer went 24-6 with a league-best 1.66 ERA, and Frank Chance hit .362 and drove in 86 runs.

Continental League: The Washington Ambassadors took the Atlantic Division title with 93 wins, led by southpaws Ray Collins and Hippo Vaughn, who won a combined 45 games, with Collins sporting a 2.02 ERA and Vaughn finishing at 2.37. The Charlotte Aviators finished a close second, with a deep pitching staff and an offense led by sluggers Bill Freehan and Richard Hidalgo, but they were eliminated from the playoffs on the last day of the year after falling to the flailing Jacksonville Gulls. The Atlanta Ducks won 105 games and ran away with the Southeast Division title by 28 games, building up an improbable 20 game lead at the All-Star break. The Ducks led the HRDL in runs scored, as Troy Tulowitzki hit .332 with 35 homers and 113 RBIs, and Joey Votto hit .346 with a .468 on-base percentage and 29 homers of his own, allowing Daniel Cabrera to win 24 games despite a middling 3.68 ERA.

The Dallas Wildcatters won a strong Texas division with 106 wins, as Dave Parker effectively won the MVP by the All-Star Break. Parker won Player of the Month for April, May and June, winning the triple crown with a ridiculous .415 average, with 54 homers and 173 RBI's- 48 more than any other player in baseball. He also stole 35 of 41 bases. Remarkably, at the end of June, Parker was hitting .433 with 35 homers, 106 RBIs, and 19 steals. Three divisision-mates qualified for the wild card, as the Austin Mustangs won 91 games, and the Houston Pythons and El Paso Armadillos both won on the final day of the year to clinch spots in the postseason. The Mustangs were led by sluggers Hank Thompson, who hit 41 homers with 120 RBI's, and Rocky Colavito, who ripped 27 homers and drove in 97 runs of his own. Houston was led by rookie centerfielder Kirby Puckett, who hit .332, scored 103 runs and provided elite defense (+42.5 zone rating), and slugging shortstop Bill Hall, who hit .340 with 23 homers and 98 RBI's. El Paso rode the best defense and pitching staff in baseball to the postseason, allowing just 465 runs, although their offense was the worst in the Continental League; Sheriff Blake sported a 1.87 ERA and 0.95 WHIP, despite just a 13-11 record, and Don Newcombe went 16-8 with a strong 2.57 ERA and league-best 0.91 WHIP.

The defending champion Los Angeles Kangaroos returned to the postseason after winning 100 games, as they were led by free agent signee David Ortiz, who hit .342 with 33 homers and 107 RBIs, and rookie slugger John Flynn, who hit 37 homers with 123 RBI's. Joe Panik slugged .488 and provided Gold Glove-caliber defense. The 96-win Phoenix Lizards took the final wild-card spot, as rookie Wade Boggs hit .375 with a .474 on-base percentage, and Shawn Green hit .302 with 19 homers and a team-high 109 RBI's

[Dukie98]

As suspected and hoped, the larger-than-usual draft reduced the number of extreme performances, Dave Parker notwithstanding. Other than Parker, only two players topped 40 homers (using 1975 as a baseline), with no one else topping 125 RBI's. Nomar Garciaparra had the second-best batting average, at .383, with Boggs and Dick Allen being the only others over .370.

By my count, in 2011, there were 15 position players with 10+ WAR, and 13 more between 9 and 9.9. In 2012, there were 8 position players with 10+ WAR and 7 more between 9 and 9.9. For pitchers, in 2011, there were 11 pitchers with 10+ WAR and 7 more in the 9- 9.9 range In 2012, there were just 3 pitchers over 10 WAR (Koufax, Billy Pierce, and Jakie May [who I've seen win a pitching triple crown in my historic league]), with 6 more in the 9- 9.9 range.

On the other side of the scale, in 2011, there were 46 position players with WAR of negative 2.0 or worse. In 2012, that number dropped to 20
Similarly, there were 16 pitchers in 2011 with WAR at negative 2.0 or worse, while that number dropped to 8 in 2012. The worst of the worst are also getting less terrible.

[actionjackson]

Originally Posted by Dukie98

By my count, in 2011, there were 15 position players with 10+ WAR, and 13 more between 9 and 9.9. In 2012, there were 8 position players with 10+ WAR and 7 more between 9 and 9.9. For pitchers, in 2011, there were 11 pitchers with 10+ WAR and 7 more in the 9- 9.9 range In 2012, there were just 3 pitchers over 10 WAR (Koufax, Billy Pierce, and Jakie May [who I've seen win a pitching triple crown in my historic league]), with 6 more in the 9- 9.9 range.

WHOA! So far in my league, 8 position players have managed 9.0 or higher WAR in 1901 and 1902 combined. This is with 1984 stats output for all seasons. Only one guy (Mike Donlin in 1901) has been at or above 10.0 WAR, and he came in at 10.9. I've only had three pitchers at 9.0 WAR or above. One of those (Toad Ramsey in 1902) was at or above 10.0 WAR, and he came in at 10.7. It looks like your league is stabilizing though, given the fact that the number of extreme WAR seasons for both hitters and pitchers went down between 2011 and 2012. Hopefully that trend continues for you. It's nice when incredible WAR seasons are rare. That's what makes them unique and special.

[Dukie98]

Playoff Report: Frontier League: The Vancouver Viceroys dispatched the Calgary Cattle Rustlers in six games in the wild card round, as Luis Gonzalez hit three homers, and Dave Engle and Clint Hurdle pounded two homers apiece. The St. Louis Pilots upset the Buffalo Fighting Elk in six games behind a stellar teamwide pitching performance, surrendering just 16 runs in six games, while shortstop Eddie Miller took the series MVP award after hitting .346 with 4 RBIs- two of which came on walk-off home run in Game Two. The Baltimore Robins coasted to a five-game victory over the Cleveland Rocks, led by Leon Durham, who slugged .579, and Clay Buchholz, who went 2-0 with a 2.02 ERA. Although the London Werewolves were swept 6-0 in the regular season by the Detroit Purple Gang, they advanced in five games, with all of their wins coming by two runs or less, as George Earnshaw won both his starts with a 1.29 ERA, and Bullet Joe Bush threw a four-hit shutout. In the Divisional Series, Vancouver erased a three-games-to-one deficit against St. Louis, winning in seven games as Nate Colbert hit two homers and drove in 15 runs. Once again, London outplayed a team that dominated it during the regular season, as the Werewolves ripped the Baltimore Robins, four games to two, as Joe Engel went 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA and Bill Sudakis hit .375 with a team-high two homers and 5 RBIs. In the League Championship Series, Vancouver squandered a three-games-to-one series lead, as the Werewolves advanced to the World Series, with Joakim Soria saving all four London victories. In the decisive game seven, London shortstop Bill Spiers broke a 1--1 tie with an eighth inning homer.

Continental League: Although the El Paso Armadillos won the first game against the 106-win Dallas Wildcatters, it was all downhill from there, as Dallas held the offensively-challenged Armadillos to three runs or less in every game. The Washington Ambassadors advanced to the Division Series by easily defeating the Phoenix Lizards in five games, as catcher Butch Wynegar hit .444 with two homers and Hippo Vaughn posted a stellar 1.08 ERA with 15 strikeouts in two starts. The defending-champion Los Angeles Kangaroos erased a three-zero deficit, storming back to win the final four games and scoring at least eight runs in each of them. Shortstop Simon Nicholls hit .526 , ripping an incredible 20 hits over the series, while outfielder Larry Bigbie hit two homers and drove in eleven runs. The Atlanta Ducks edged out the Houston Pythons in a back-and-forth seven game series, as Joey Votto hit .400 with two homers, and Troy Tulowitzki ripped three homers and drove in six runs of his own. In the Division Series, the under-the-radar Washington Ambassadors upset Dallas in seven games, as outfielder Todd Dunwoody hit three homers and drove in ten runs, and Colby Rasmus took MVP honors after hitting .433 for the series with a homer. The Kangaroos outlasted the Ducks in seven games in a back-and-forth series, led by the bats of David Ortiz and Larrry Bigbie, who combined for five homers and who each topped .400 for the series. Washington upset the 100-win Kangaroos in the League Championship Series in yet another seven-game series (five of the seven Continental League series went the distance), as scrappy second baseman Edgar Diaz won MVP honors after hitting .400.

Although the World Series matchup beteween London and Washington lacked star power, the first three games provided a matchup for the ages. The road Werewolves took Game One 5-3 in 11 innings, with Jolbert Cabrera ripping a two-run single off Mike Timlin to provide the winning margin. Washington returned the favor in Game Two, winning 6-5 in ten innings, with the Ambassasdors scoring three runs in the bottom of the tenth to nullify a two-run Werewolves advantage. Washington opened up a lead in the series after wining Game Three 6-4 in 14 innings, with Tyler Thornburg providing 4 1/3 innings of near-perfect relief. Only Game Four was a snoozer, as the Ambassadors won 8-3, scoring all three runs in the first inning, with a bases-loaded double by right fielder George Case breaking the game open. The Ambassadors clinched the series with a 4-2 win in Game 5, behind five hits from Case, who was named the series MVP after hitting .417 with 4 RBIs.

[actionjackson]

Originally Posted by Dukie98

Playoff Report: Frontier League: The Vancouver Viceroys dispatched the Calgary Cattle Rustlers in six games in the wild card round, as Luis Gonzalez hit three homers, and Dave Engle and Clint Hurdle pounded two homers apiece. The St. Louis Pilots upset the Buffalo Fighting Elk in six games behind a stellar teamwide pitching performance, surrendering just 16 runs in six games, while shortstop Eddie Miller took the series MVP award after hitting .346 with 4 RBIs- two of which came on walk-off home run in Game Two. The Baltimore Robins coasted to a five-game victory over the Cleveland Rocks, led by Leon Durham, who slugged .579, and Clay Buchholz, who went 2-0 with a 2.02 ERA. Although the London Werewolves were swept 6-0 in the regular season by the Detroit Purple Gang, they advanced in five games, with all of their wins coming by two runs or less, as George Earnshaw won both his starts with a 1.29 ERA, and Bullet Joe Bush threw a four-hit shutout. In the Divisional Series, Vancouver erased a three-games-to-one deficit against St. Louis, winning in seven games as Nate Colbert hit two homers and drove in 15 runs. Once again, London outplayed a team that dominated it during the regular season, as the Werewolves ripped the Baltimore Robins, four games to two, as Joe Engel went 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA and Bill Sudakis hit .375 with a team-high two homers and 5 RBIs. In the League Championship Series, Vancouver squandered a three-games-to-one series lead, as the Werewolves advanced to the World Series, with Joakim Soria saving all four London victories. In the decisive game seven, London shortstop Bill Spiers broke a 1--1 tie with an eighth inning homer.

Continental League: Although the El Paso Armadillos won the first game against the 106-win Dallas Wildcatters, it was all downhill from there, as Dallas held the offensively-challenged Armadillos to three runs or less in every game. The Washington Ambassadors advanced to the Division Series by easily defeating the Phoenix Lizards in five games, as catcher Butch Wynegar hit .444 with two homers and Hippo Vaughn posted a stellar 1.08 ERA with 15 strikeouts in two starts. The defending-champion Los Angeles Kangaroos erased a three-zero deficit, storming back to win the final four games and scoring at least eight runs in each of them. Shortstop Simon Nicholls hit .526 , ripping an incredible 20 hits over the series, while outfielder Larry Bigbie hit two homers and drove in eleven runs. The Atlanta Ducks edged out the Houston Pythons in a back-and-forth seven game series, as Joey Votto hit .400 with two homers, and Troy Tulowitzki ripped three homers and drove in six runs of his own. In the Division Series, the under-the-radar Washington Ambassadors upset Dallas in seven games, as outfielder Todd Dunwoody hit three homers and drove in ten runs, and Colby Rasmus took MVP honors after hitting .433 for the series with a homer. The Kangaroos outlasted the Ducks in seven games in a back-and-forth series, led by the bats of David Ortiz and Larrry Bigbie, who combined for five homers and who each topped .400 for the series. Washington upset the 100-win Kangaroos in the League Championship Series in yet another seven-game series (five of the seven Continental League series went the distance), as scrappy second baseman Edgar Diaz won MVP honors after hitting .400.

Although the World Series matchup beteween London and Washington lacked star power, the first three games provided a matchup for the ages. The road Werewolves took Game One 5-3 in 11 innings, with Jolbert Cabrera ripping a two-run single off Mike Timlin to provide the winning margin. Washington returned the favor in Game Two, winning 6-5 in ten innings, with the Ambassasdors scoring three runs in the bottom of the tenth to nullify a two-run Werewolves advantage. Washington opened up a lead in the series after wining Game Three 6-4 in 14 innings, with Tyler Thornburg provided 4 1/3 innings of near-perfect relief. Game Four was comparatively dull- the Ambassadors won 4-3, as Colby Rasmus ripped three hits, including a homer, and scored three runs. Only Game Five was a snoozer, as the Werewolves won 12-2 behind five hits from Edgar Diaz, who won the MVP after hitting .417 with a .500 on-base percentage

Whoa! That World Series sounds like a doozy, at least over the first three games. Extra innings and thrilling walkoffs. Gotta love it.