HALL OF FAME
Bando In
All-Decade Third Baseman, Four-Time Champion Elected on First Ballot
Salvatore Leonard Bando, one of the most complete players in United League history, was elected to the UL Hall of Fame today, winning 84 percent of votes on his first ballot. Bando was a key cog on the 1971 Atlanta Hilltoppers, the most offensive team in league history, and was the third baseman on the Team of the Decade for 1971-80. He becomes just the second primary third baseman to enter Beachville after Eddie Mathews in 1979.
As of his election, Bando ranked in the top 10 in WAR, hits, RBIs, walks, and total bases, leading almost every category at his position. He won three consecutive All-UL Team nominations during his peak years (1972-74), and his 1972 WAR of 11.0 was the ninth best ever and the highest ever for a WAR runner-up (the MVP that year went to teammate Joe Torre). Bando is the fourth Atlanta Hilltopper in the Hall, joining Johnny Antonelli, Hank Aaron, and Steve Carlton.
Grieve Gets Closer
Two-time MVP and home run phenom Tom Grieve progressed on his third ballot, winning 74 percent of the tally, but falling just short. Tom Seaver also made a jump, overtaking Vada Pinson and Bill Freehan on his second ballot. Pinson is treading water, polling in the high 60s for the third straight year after notching 70 percent in 1986. Bill Freehan's candidacy appears stalled as well, dropping two points to
65 percent.
Further down the ballot, Herm Wehmeier, Dick Allen, and Don Sutton all languished around the 60 percent mark, and voters were unimpressed by new candidates Bobby Grich, Darrell Evans, and Curt Flood, who all scored at or below 55 percent.
Catcher Carl Taylor became the first player removed from the ballot in 12 years, scoring just 49 percent on his fifth ballot. [The Hall of Fame removes players from the ballot who score less than 50 percent after five years on the ballot.]
After Joe Torre in 1987 and Craig Robinson in 1988, next year's ballot will feature another all-time great: career win leader Larry Dierker. Five-time Gold Glove outfielder Amos Otis will also appear on the ballot.
Team of the Decade Looming
After the 1990 season, the league will announce its fourth Team of the Decade. Nomination to this prestigious team has meant almost certain induction into the Hall of Fame. The entire 1961-70 team is in Beachville, and Bando is the fifth from the 1971-80 team. The league will also announce Player of the Decade and Pitcher of the Decade. Past winners include Ralph Kiner, Mickey Mantle, and Joe Torre in the player category, and Billy Pierce, Johnny Podres, and Larry Dierker for pitchers.
HALL OF FAME VOTING
Sal Bando 84%
Tom Grieve 74%
Tom Seaver 69%
Vada Pinson 68%
Bill Freehan 65%
Herm Wehmeier 61%
Dick Allen 59%
Don Sutton 59%
Ernie McAnally 59%
Bobby Grich 55%
Jim Palmer 54%
Darrell Evans 52%
Curt Flood 51%
Carl Taylor 49%
AWARDS
Golden Generation
Bonds, Gooden Top of the Class
Barry Bonds won the 1989 Most Valuable Player Award and Dwight Gooden won the Cy Young Award, in one of the most anti-climactic voting seasons in recent memory. Bonds' 10.2 WAR was 2.2 ahead of anyone else, and the Boston slugger led the league in runs, walks, OBP, SLG, OPS, and WAR. At age 23, Bonds becomes the youngest player to win a second MVP award.
Not to be outdone, Toronto ace Dwight Gooden became just the fourth player to win four Cy Young Awards—and the youngest by far, doing it in his age-24 year.
Toronto's Ellis Burks and Washington's Wade Boggs finished second and third in MVP voting, while the Monuments duo of Bret Saberhagen and Teddy Higuera were runners-up in Cy Young voting.
Gooden now sets his sights on becoming the most successful pitcher in UL history. He is just one Cy Young away from tying all-time win leader Larry Dierker, who retired this year and will almost certainly be elected to the Hall of Fame next year.
Age of 2nd MVP: Age at 4th Cy Young:
23 - Barry Bonds 24 - Dwight Gooden
26 - Tom Grieve 32 - Gene Conley
28 - Craig Robinson 36 - Johnny Antonelli
28 - Joe Torre 36 - Larry Dierker
31 - Granny Hamner
32 - Mickey Mantle
32 - Ralph Kiner
34 - Ernie Banks
35 - Orlando Cepeda
Ryne Grabs Fifth Gold Glove
Manhattan 2B Ryne Sandberg joined elite company, becoming just the eighth player to win five Gold Glove Awards. He is now tied with Bobby Grich for the most by a second baseman. Denver 3B Gary Gaetti earned his fourth GG, putting him one behind Willie "Puddin Head" Jones and Mike Schmidt.
Four players won their first Gold Gloves this year: Denver pitcher Rick Reuschel and three Los Angeles Outlaws: C Mike Scioscia, LF Andy Van Slyke, and RF Tom Brunansky. Denver CF Stan Javier got his second Gold Glove as well as the Willie Mays Award for best overall fielder.
Are the Ullies Rigged?
Fernando Misses Out Again
ATL GM Chaney Claims “Shenanigans Afoot!”,
Vows to Take Action
TOR GM Clemons States “All Seems Good Here!”
by Sean Holloway, Circuit Clouts Beat Reporter
As the 1989 Ullies Awards ceremony ended, ATL GM Andy Chaney was beside himself, seething even, while he conducted a presser at UL HQ in Denver. With his ace and star pitcher, Fernando Valenzuela overlooked once again at the Ullies, Chaney did not hold back on how he feels: “The Ullies were once again a travesty of a mockery of a sham of a mockery of two mockeries of a sham! I’m convinced there is something not quite on the up-and-up, and as UL Special Arbiter of All That Is Good and Holy, I intend to get to the bottom of this!”
As the crowd watching Chaney’s presser dissipated, this reporter overhead a conversation between the GMs of CHI, TOR and WAS, and it just may blow the lid off this Ullies investigation. But instead of explaining in copious detail, let’s rejoice in song as to how Fernando first came to the States to play ball, as to what may have happened at the awards show which saw three Colts, three Polar Bears and three Mons pick up Ullies, and dive into a juicy rumor going around the League as to how Fernando may be moving to colder climes way up north to a city that hasn’t seen a Stanley Cup since 1967.
Fernando
You didn’t pay them off, my boy Andrew?
I remember long ago another awards night like this
No spotlight for your guy, Fernando
You were cursing to yourself and softly wringing your hands
You could hear the distant toasts
And sounds of clinking glass were coming from afar
The show’s over now, my Andrew
Every hour, every minute, seemed to last eternally
They skipped your boy named Fernando
He was young and full of life and you signed him until he’d die
And don’t be ashamed to say
The roar of crowds and his screwball almost made you cry
There was money in the air that night
The price was right, my Andrew
The awards were there for Mark and me
For Chicago Steve, my Andrew
Though we always knew we could not lose
There's no regret
If we had to do the same again
We would, my friend, my Andrew
If we had to go and tithe again
We would, my friend, my Andrew
Now he’s old and grey, Fernando
Since many years, I haven't seen an award in his hand
You still can trade him, my Andrew!
Do you still recall the fateful night he crossed the Rio Grande?
I can see it in your eyes
How you want to see this guy prosper in a far-off northern land
MINOR LEAGUES
Oakland Welcomes AAA
Superbas Farm System Moves to West Coast
The Bright Side of the Bay got a promotion. The City of Oakland will host Triple-A baseball in 1990 after the Brooklyn Superbas' affiliate in South Florida was displaced by the expansion Florida Flamingos. The Oakland Oaks, fresh off their Double-A American Association title, will play in the Triple-A International League next season.
The IL will also return a franchise to Baltimore after a decade's absence. The Baltimore Terrapins, a longtime farm team of the Washington Monuments, moved to St. Paul in 1980 shortly after Minnesota native Mark Waller took over the Monuments and the Baltimore stadium suspiciously burned to the ground. Baltimore partnered with Philadelphia in its expansion bid, and will rejoin the IL's East Division as the Baltimore Claws, paying homage to an ABA basketball franchise that played three games.
With Philly awarded their long-awaited expansion team, the Boston Federals had to find a new home for their farm club, settling on Houston, Texas—which was on the short list for expansion. The move ends Boston's long partnership with Philadelphia, which hosted the Feds' farm since 1962.
Houston had a Triple-A team from 1962 to 1981—first under the Dallas Texans, then the Atlanta Hilltoppers—and was demoted to Double-A from 1982 to 1987 before the Gamblers moved to Utah and became the Salt Lake Bees. The new incarnation of AAA Houston will be the Aeros, in honor of the region's aerospace industry and the early-70s WHA hockey team. Jo Lima's Florida Flamingos have placed their Triple-A affiliate in Mexico City, and will play as the Diablos in the IL's West Division.
Oakland becomes the sixth home for Brooklyn's farm team. The Bas farm team played in Buffalo from 1961-67, then Twin Cities (1968-73), Monterrey, Mexico (1974-76), Quebec (1977-79), and finally Miami (1980-89). The Double-A Oaks played just two seasons in Oakland after moving from Nashville, which set up a regional rivalry with the San Diego Admirals. They won the AA crown this season with a championship series win over Buffalo.
The addition of two UL and two IL teams will impact the Double-A American Association. The bottom tier of the UL system will shrink from 10 to 8 teams in 1990 after the Omaha Comets and Louisville Colonels were folded. The AA is stocked with free agent players who are assigned to clubs geographically. The circuit will have clubs in Buffalo, Grand Rapids, Birmingham, Fort Worth, Monterrey, Salt Lake, Sacramento, and San Diego in 1990.
Four By Four
Assessing the UL's Four-Division Era (Again)
With the United League's sixth expansion less than a month away and the imminent return of the two-division alignment, the editors of Circuit Clouts thought this an opportune moment to look back at the six years of the league's four-division format. (While others asked, why don't you wait until the playoffs are done, boneheads? Well, this time, we did...)
The league moved to four divisions in 1984, when the addition of Toronto and Havana brought the league to a deliciously arithmatic 16 teams. In fit of exponential ecstasy, the powers that be could not resist carving the 16 teams into four divisions of four.
The format called for the division winners to be joined by two wildcard teams, with the top two division winners earning byes into the Semi Semis. While popular from the outset, the format has led to some wacky playoff seedings—none wackier than this year when 96-win Washington got the fifth seed with the second best record, while Manhattan got the fourth seed tied for the seventh best record. Nevertheless, the format has provided consistently thrilling playoff races at overall, divisional, and wildcard levels—often at the same time. And in five seasons so far, five different teams have lifted the UL Championship Trophy. So what more do you want?
Here's a ranking each of the four divisions based on how their teams have fared over the last six years. [This article will be updated with a final tally after the 1989 playoffs.]
4. Atlantic Division
1 titles (MAN 1986)
Playoff Record: 19-29
The Manhattan Gray Sox have the distinction of being the only team to win their division every year. The ManSox' consistency has been exemplary, even if this mini-dynasty is a far cry from the capital-D Dynasty of the C-Rob '70s. Critics may credit some of the Sox' success to playing in the weakest of the four divisions. Indeed, half of the division flags came despite winning less than 90 games, and the Sox have struggled in the postseason, going 17-25 with a single World Series win (1986). Still, six straight division wins is no small feat in any era.
Brooklyn is the only other Atlantic team to make the playoffs. That came in 1984 and required a one-game playoff win against Toronto, after which the Bas crashed out 2-4 in the Hex Series to Los Angeles. More recently, the division has been weak, with no winning teams below Manhattan in 1988 and 1989.
3. Lakes Division
1 title (DET 1984)
Playoff Record: 21-32
Detroit was king of the Lakes, with the division created at the midpoint of the Griffins' peak years, 1982-85, when they averaged 99.5 wins per year, captured three President's Trophies, and won back-to-back titles in 1983 and 1984. Though Detroit declined, they still won four straight Lakes crowns before finishing second and falling to a wildcard in 1988. In the last two years, Toronto has dominated, with back-to-back 95-win seasons and first round byes.
Detroit's playoff record during the four-division era was 13-19, including a 2-12 stretch from 1985-87 when they were bounced by Gulf foes St. Louis and Atlanta (twice). Toronto was a disappointing 1-4 in its playoff debut last year, was swept in its first World Series appearance this year, and Chicago was 3-4 in its lone Hex Series appearance in 1985.
2. Pacific Division
1 titles (LA 1985)
Playoff Record: 59-63
Once the weakest division by far (with 68-94 earning second place in 1984), the Pacific ends the era as arguably the strongest, or at least most competitive of the dour divisions. Much like Detroit in the Lakes, Los Angeles dominated in the early years, winning by 29 games in 1984, 18 in 1986, and 20 in 1987. But in 1988, a resurgent Seattle took the division by one game and in 1989, all four teams were in contention going into the final week. The Pacific has sent two teams to the playoffs in three of the last four seasons.
Los Angeles made the playoffs all six years, including a three-year run as a top-2 seed from 1985-87. They won the title in '85, but lost to Manhattan in six in the '86 Fall Classic, and were bounced 1-4 by Washington in '87. In '84, '86, and '87, they were eliminated by the eventual league champions.
The Outlaws playoff record is 44-47. San Francisco was 3-4 in 1986, losing a Hex Series Game 7 to St. Louis, while Seattle's was 12-12 with a deep run to the World Series in 1988.
1. Gulf Division
3 titles (WAS 1987, STL 1988, 1989)
Playoff Record: 86-64
From the day the divisions were created, the Gulf was lauded by pundits as the group of death. And while St. Louis has won the flag five of six times—missing by a single game in 1985—the Gulf Division was consistently the most competitive of the four divisions. The division has sent two teams to the playoffs every year but one, and sent three teams in 1987, with 92-win Atlanta finishing third. Washington averaged just under 90 wins throughout the era, won the division in 1985, and wildcards three other years, including the 1987 championship season.
St. Louis, a four-time #1 seed, ends the four-division era as the only two-time champion, with a 41-35 playoff record, two World Series wins, two World Series losses, and two Semi Series exits. Washington was 34-24, including deep runs to the World Series as a wildcard team in 1984 and 1987. Atlanta qualified in 1986 and 1987, with an exemplary 11-9 record, advancing to the Semi Series both times.
A Look Ahead
Next year's reconsituted West Division will feature all four teams from the highly competitive Pacific Division, plus juggernaught St. Louis, contenders Chicago, Atlanta, Havana, and expansion Florida. St. Louis, Los Angeles, and Seattle figure to be favorites for the three playoff spots.
The 1990 East Division will have the four Atlantic teams, plus Toronto, Washington, Cleveland, Detroit, and Keystone. Washington, Toronto, and Manhattan figure to be the top three.
Atlantic W L GB 2ndH R RA
Manhattan 84 78 - 39-43 2 13
Boston 79 83 5 36-47 5 14
Montreal 62 100 22 29-53 12 12
Brooklyn 62 100 22 32-50 15 16
Gulf W L GB 2ndH R RA
St. Louis 98 64 - 55-27 4 1
Washinton 96 66 2 55-28 9 2
Havana 72 90 26 36-47 7 15
Atlanta 71 91 27 35-47 10 11
Lakes W L GB Last R RA
Toronto 95 67 - 47-35 1 9
Chicago 87 75 8 47-36 16 3
Cleveland 76 86 19 40-43 14 6
Detroit 67 95 28 31-51 13 10
Pacific W L GB Last R RA
Los Angeles 91 72 - 46-36 11 4
Seattle 90 73 1 51-31 3 8
San Francisco 84 78 6½ 40-42 8 5
Denver 83 79 7½ 40-43 6 7
Overall W L GB
1 STL 98 64 +2
2 TOR 95 67 +8
3 LA 91 72 +1
4 MAN 84 78 +5
5 WAS 96 66 +5½
6 SEA 90 73 -
7 CHI 87 75 2½
8 SF 84 78 5½
9 DEN 83 79 6½
10 BOS 79 83 10½
11 CLE 76 86 13½
12 HAV 72 90 17½
13 ATL 71 91 18½
12 DET 67 95 22½
15 MON 62 100 27½
16 BRO 62 100 27½
Top seed - 1st round bye
Division winner
Wildcard
+GB refers to divisional lead
Batting Average
Tony Gwynn ATL .377
Wade Boggs WAS .367
Chris Brown SEA .350
Mark Grace SF .348
Willie McGee SEA .340
Willie Upshaw SEA .337
Kirby Puckett BOS .334
Barry Bonds BOS .334
Brian Harper SEA .332
Tim Raines WAS .329
Home Runs
Jose Canseco MAN 50
Rafael Palmeiro TOR 49
Ellis Burks TOR 44
Barry Bonds BOS 42
Sixto Lezcano DEN 42
Mark McGwire ATL 42
John Shelby SEA 42
Howard Johnson TOR 41
Eric Davis ATL 37
Rob Deer SF 36
Eddie Murray CLE 36
RBIs
Jose Canseco MAN 142
Rafael Palmeiro TOR 137
Eddie Murray CLE 131
Ellis Burks TOR 122
Barry Bonds BOS 121
Sixto Lezcano DEN 118
Wally Joyner TOR 116
Ruben Sierra MON 111
Chris Brown SEA 109
John Shelby SEA 109
bWAR
Barry Bonds BOS 10.2
Wade Boggs WAS 8.0
Ivan Calderon CHI 7.4
Ellis Burks TOR 6.9
Eric Davis ATL 6.7
Lenny Dykstra STL 6.5
Alan Trammell CHI 6.5
Chris Brown SEA 6.4
Kal Daniels HAV 6.3
Roberto Alomar TOR 6.3
Earned Run Average
Bret Saberhagen WAS 2.04
Joe Magrane CLE 2.41
Dwight Gooden TOR 2.46
Dave Schmidt STL 2.51
Ed Whitson STL 2.65
Stvn Ontiveros STL 2.86
Teddy Higuera WAS 3.02
Floyd Bannister WAS 3.07
Dave Beard LA 3.25
Fern Valenzuela ATL 3.33
Wins
Dwight Gooden TOR 20
Bret Saberhagen WAS 19
Ed Whitson STL 19
Greg Hibbard SF 18
Steven Ontiveros STL 18
Dave Schmidt STL 18
Tommy Boggs MAN 17
Don Robinson SEA 17
Mario Soto TOR 17
Floyd Bannister WAS 16
Rick Reuschel DEN 16
Strikeouts
Dwight Gooden TOR 271
Fern Valenzuela ATL 252
Dave Beard LA 235
Floyd Youmans MON 228
Teddy Higuera WAS 227
Jose Rijo SF 225
Rick Reuschel DEN 193
Jose DeLeon SF 191
Don Robinson SEA 191
Bret Saberhagen WAS 186
pWAR
Dwight Gooden TOR 11.3
Fern Valenzuela ATL 8.0
Bret Saberhagen WAS 7.6
Dave Beard LA 6.5
Bob Shirley ATL 5.4
Ed Whitson STL 5.3
Stvn Ontiveros STL 5.2
Tommy Boggs MAN 5.1
Dave Schmidt STL 5.0
Teddy Higuera WAS 5.0
Infield Zone Rating
Ozzie Smith DEN 15.2
Cal Ripken Jr. BOS 12.8
Ozzie Guillen SEA 8.8
Robin Yount WAS 8.8
Gary Gaetti DEN 8.5
Outfield Zone Rating
Stan Javier DEN 15.5
Tom Brunansky LA 14.9
Lloyd Moseby WAS 12.8
Andy Van Slyke LA 10.7
Ellis Valentine MAN 10.2
Batter of the Month
APR Barry Bonds BOS
MAY Rafael Palmeiro TOR
JUN Dave Winfield WAS
JUL John Shelby SEA
AUG Jose Canseco MAN
SEP Wally Joyner TOR
Pitcher of the Month
APR Dave Schmidt STL
MAY Ed Whitson STL
JUN Allan Anderson SEA
JUL Terry Mulholland CHI
AUG Dave Schmidt STL
SEP Steven Ontiveros STL
Rookie of the Month
APR Jeff M. Robinson CHI
MAY Steve Olin CLE
JUN Dwight Smith DET
JUL Ken Griffey Jr. BRO
AUG Greg Hibbard SF
SEP Scott Scudder HAV
Player of the Week
4/10 Lonnie Smith MON
4/17 Wally Joyner TOR
4/24 Brian Harper SEA
5/1 Barry Bonds BOS
5/8 Jose Canseco MAN
5/15 Jesse Barfield LA
5/22 Shane Mack HAV
5/29 Rafael Palmeiro TOR
6/5 Chris Brown SEA
6/12 Dave Winfield WAS
6/19 Terry Pendleton HAV
6/26 Ozzie Guillen SEA
7/3 Rafael Palmeiro TOR
7/10 Danny Tartabull MAN
7/17 Ivan Calderon CHI
7/24 Barry Bonds BOS
7/31 Barry Bonds BOS
8/7 Wade Boggs WAS
8/14 Tony Gwynn ATL
8/21 Jose Canseco MAN
8/28 Mark Grace SF
9/4 Mark McGwire ATL
9/11 Tony Gwynn ATL
9/18 Mike Stanley ATL
9/25 Barry Bonds BOS
LA SP Rick Camp (7 mo)
SEA SP Scott Garrelts (5 wk)
TOR SP Allen Ripley (10 mo)
TOR RP Michael Jackson (3 mo)