Beachville Welcomes King of Hurlers
All-Time Win Leader Joins League Pantheon
The UL's all-time win leader and the man widely regarded as the greatest pitcher in UL history was elected to the United League Hall of Fame today. Larry Dierker won 383 games over a 25-year career, spent mostly with the Los Angeles Outlaws. A five-time Cy Young winner, Dierker was selected as Pitcher of the Decade (1971-80) and is the all-time leader in shutouts, games started, and innings pitcher; and ranks second in WAR, strikeouts, and complete games. Describe various as an "iron man", a "workhorse", an "iron horse", and a "work man", Dierker started 30 games 21 times, notched 15 wins 17 times, and pitched 250 innings 11 times. He helped Los Angeles to its first UL title in 1981 and also was a key figure in Denver's first playoff run in 1980 and Seattle's first World Series appearance in 1988.
Dierker garnered 99.2 of possible votes on his first ballot, falling one vote shy of joining Joe Torre and Craig Robinson as the third unanimous selection. He is the fifth Los Angeles Outlaw enshrined in Beachville, joining his longtime co-ace Fritz Peterson, as well as Frank Robinson, Ray Narleski, and Felix Mantilla.
1990 HALL OF FAME VOTING
Larry Dierker 99
Tom Grieve 73
Vada Pinson 73
Bill Freehan 70
Dick Allen 65
Amos Otis 64
Tom Seaver 66
Ernie McAnally 65
Herm Wehmeier 59
Jim Palmer 57
Curt Flood 57
Darrell Evans 55
Bobby Grich 54
Don Sutton 54
Tom Grieve and Vada Pinson came in a distant second in the balloting, finishing below the cut for induction with 73 percent of votes. It was Grieve's fourth time on the ballot and Pinson's seventh. The latter made a significant jump from 68 to 73 percent this year, setting himself up for potential success in 1991. Bill Freehan also jumped five points, from 65 to 70, on his eighth try; he will have two more ballots before being dropped. Tom Seaver, Don Sutton, and Herm Wehmeier all dropped a few points, perhaps suffering from comparison with the all-time great. Amos Otis polled a respectable 64 percent on his first ballot, while Dick Allen's candidacy will be dropped after he failed to win election on his tenth try.
Next year's ballot will include three new faces: pitcher Rick Reuschel, center fielder Rich Coggins, and second baseman Rennie Stennett.
Toronto Sweeps MVP and Cy
Champions Keep on Winning
Toronto's trophy case is rapidly filling up. Just weeks after winning their first UL title, setting new World Series scoring records in the process, the Polar Bears swept the league's two major postseason awards, claiming both the Most Valuable Player and Cy Young awards for Roberto Alomar and Dwight Gooden. Gooden's Cy was the fifth of his young career, while Alomar led the league in hits, runs, doubles, and WAR. His .373 was just shy of the batting title, which slipped away in the last days of the season. The 21-year-old Puerto Rican becomes the first second baseman to win the MVP since Craig Robinson.
Toronto also co-led the league with Washington with three All-UL nominations (Gooden, Alomar, and Rafael Palmeiro).
Rookie of the Year honors went to Frank E. Thomas of the Florida Flamingos. Thomas, who was the lone bright spot in a rough inaugural campaign for the Pink Birds, led the league with 100 walks, drove in 83 runs, and slugged .496.
Dr. C's Happy Ending
Toronto Boss 11th Active GM to Win League
Ends 24-Year Wait
Toronto's GM Eric Clemons was all smiles during the snaking victory parade through Old Toronto. The eighth-longest tenured GM in the league, Clemons waited 24 years for his first taste of playoff glory. But it was worth the wait.
Clemons took charge of the Dallas Texans in 1966 and suffered through 12 losing seasons in his first 15 years. A relocation to the Pacific Northwest in 1976 led to a winning season, but the Rainiers revert to their losing ways the next four years. Then in 1981, with the addition of veterans Joe Torre and Steve Carlton, Seattle and Clemons finally made their playoff debut, winning the West Division but losing to the eventual champions Los Angeles in the Semi Series. The R's returned to the playoffs in 1983, losing in the Semis again in Clemons' last year in the Emerald City.
In 1984, it was off to Toronto to become the first GM of the expansion Polar Bears. For Clemons, it was a return to the motherland (literally, Clemons' mother was born in the prairie hamlet of Benito, Manitoba). The P-Bears made Dwight Gooden their first draft selection, and won 84 in their first campaign. The current side gelled in 1988, improving 22 games to 95 wins with the league's leading offense. They would lead the league in runs three straight years and progress deeper into the playoffs each year. In '88, Clemons went out in the Semis to his former club Seattle. In '89, they were swept by St. Louis in the World Series. But this year, the Polar Bears would not be denied, cutting like a knife through the postseason to claim their first title in just their seventh year, tying a record.
For Clemons, the win was a long time coming, finally tasting UL glory after nearly a quarter-century. Clemons is the 18th GM to win the UL title and the 11th among active GMs. With the trophy, Clemons joins the latecomers club: Peter Vays' first title came in his 22nd year, and Sean Holloway's came in his 23rd.
Here is a list of all current GMs who have won the UL and their first title:
1951 - Tim Smith - St. Louis Maroons
1955 - Glen Reed - Brooklyn Superbas
1965 - Lance Mueller - Chicago Colts
1970 - Doug Aiton - Washington Monuments
1974 - Jeff Tonole - San Francisco Spiders
1977 - Eric Holthaus - Manhattan Gray Sox
1981 - Peter Vays - Los Angeles Outlaws
1982 - Jo Lima - Montreal Voyageurs
1983 - Sean Holloway - Detroit Griffins
1987 - Mark Waller - Washington Monuments
1990 - Eric Clemons - Toronto Polar Bears
Los Angeles Outlaws: Team of the Decade
10 Playoffs, Five World Series, Two Titles for Men in Black
The UL ‘80s featured more parity than the first three decades, with three teams jostling for dominance. Indeed, it wasn't until the decade's final year that the crown would be decided, according to the Franchise Power Index, which awards points for regular season and playoff performance.
Los Angeles and Detroit were the early giants, with two World Series titles and four World Series appearances between 1981 and 1986. But in the decade's final third, the St. Louis Maroons equaled those numbers, setting up a decisive final year in 1990 to determine the Team of the Decade.
The league added four new teams in the decade, Havana and Toronto in 1984 and Keystone and Florida in 1990. Toronto made the playoffs in 1988, the World Series in 1989, and won the title this year, and their strong finish landed them in a respectable fifth place for Team of the Decade. Fourth place went to the Washington Monuments, who made the playoffs five times, the World Series twice, and won the league in 1987.
St. Louis landed in third. After a slow start to the decade, the Maroons made the playoffs seven years in a row, with gradual but inexorable improvement, from Semi Series exits in ‘83, ‘84, and ‘86 to World Series losses in ‘85 and ‘87 and finally a pair of World Series wins in ‘88 and ‘89.
Detroit won seven straight division pennants to start the decade, and was the early leader for Team of the Decade after winning back-to-back titles in 1983 and 1984. But they never returned to the Fall Classic, crashing out in the Semis in 1985, the Hex Series the next three years, and missing the playoffs altogether in 1989 and 1990.
Los Angeles started the decade with a second place finish but their first UL title, then rattled off eight division pennants in nine years, missing only the 1988 Pacific pennant by a single game to Seattle. The Outlaws won another World Series in 1985 and President's Trophies in 1986 and 1990, and lost three other Fall Classics (1983, 1986, and 1990).
TEAMS OF THE DECADE, 1981-1990
1 - Los Angeles Outlaws - 23.5
2 - Detroit Griffins - 19.1
3 - St. Louis Maroons - 18.4
4 - Washington Monuments - 9.0
5 - Toronto Polar Bears - 7.6
6 - Manhattan Gray Sox - 7.2
7 - Seattle Rainiers - 5.2
8 - Montreal Voyageurs - 4.5
9 - Chicago Colts - 1.9
10 - Atlanta Hilltoppers - 1.8
11 - Boston Federals - 0.9
12 - Brooklyn Supberas - 0.7
13 - San Francisco Spiders - 0.2
14t - Cleveland, Denver, Havana - 0.0
[Waffle House: Cleveland Barons. Though the Denver 14ers also had zero index points, the Barons take the waffle with just two winning seasons, and seven finishes at 110h or below. Denver is runner-up, saved by winning seasons in 1988 and 1989. Fun fact: the bottom three clubs are led by founding GMs. Not fun for Qualls, Mueller, and Smith.]
East W L GB 2ndH R RA
Toronto 92 68 - 44-32 1 10
Washington 91 69 1 46-30 12 4
Boston 90 70 2 42-34 4 7
Detroit 88 72 4 46-31 5 5
Brooklyn 81 79 11 38-38 11 12 Cleveland 80 80 12 39-37 15 3
Manhattan 79 81 13 39-37 9 8
Keystone 63 97 29 32-44 14 18
Montreal 54 106 38 19-57 17 16
West W L GB Last R RA
Los Angeles 98 62 - 51-25 10 1
Chicago 96 64 2 49-27 13 2
St. Louis 89 71 9 42-34 3 6
Havana 87 73 11 52-25 8 11
Seattle 80 80 18 33-43 6 13
Atlanta 77 83 21 35-41 7 14
Denver 72 88 26 32-44 2 17
San Francisco 72 88 26 29-47 16 9
Florida 51 109 47 17-59 18 15
Batting Average
Wade Boggs WAS .377
Roberto Alomar TOR .373
Tony Gwynn ATL .371
Bip Roberts MON .364
Roberto Kelly MAN .353
Kirby Puckett BOS .352
Ken Griffey Jr BRO .342
Kal Daniels HAV .339
Chris James DET .334
Tony Fernandez DEN .333
Home Runs
Rafael Palmeiro TOR 51
Mark McGwire ATL 41
Barry Bonds BOS 40
Matt Williams BRO 40
Eric Davis ATL 38
Howard Johnson TOR 38
Fred McGriff DET 38
Mickey Tettleton TOR 36
Rob Deer SF 32
Cory Snyder LA 32
RBIs
Barry Bonds BOS 126
Rafael Palmeiro TOR 126
Matt Williams BRO 124
Mark McGwire ATL 122
Eric Davis ATL 119
Kevin Mitchell DET 118
Fred McGriff DET 116
Wally Joyner TOR 109
John Shelby SEA 108
Rich Gedman WAS 106
bWAR
Roberto Alomar TOR 9.5
Tony Gwynn ATL 7.5
Barry Bonds BOS 7.4
Wade Boggs WAS 7.4
Rich Gedman WAS 7.2
Matt Williams BRO 7.0
Shane Mack HAV 6.5
Ken Griffey Jr BRO 6.5
Ryne Sandberg MAN 6.5
Kevin Mitchell DET 6.4
Earned Run Average
Chris Nabholz DET 2.58
Jose DeLeon SF 2.68
Dwight Gooden TOR 2.75
Bruce Hurst LA 3.03
Dave Beard LA 3.04
Bret Saberhagen WAS 3.05
Den Rasmussen BOS 3.13
Jamie Moyer CHI 3.16
Erik Hanson CHI 3.18
Bruce Ruffin SEA 3.19
Wins
Dwight Gooden TOR 21
Fern Valenzuela ATL 20
Dave Beard LA 18
Roger Clemens BOS 18
Mark Langston HAV 18
Den Rasmussen BOS 18
David Cone BRO 17
Kevin Ritz HAV 17
Bruce Hurst LA 16
Charlie Lea TOR 16
Terry Mulholland CHI 16
Strikeouts
Floyd Youmans LA 261
Fern Valenzuela ATL 253
Mark Langston HAV 248
Roger Clemens BOS 247
Dwight Gooden TOR 233
Dave Beard LA 220
Jose DeLeon SF 207
Bobby Witt BOS 204
Teddy Higuera WAS 196
Doug Drabek MAN 192
pWAR
Fern Valenzuela ATL 7.0
Dwight Gooden TOR 6.5
Roger Clemens BOS 5.2
Dave Beard LA 5.2
Floyd Youmans LA 5.1
Mark Langston HAV 5.1
Jose DeLeon SF 5.0
Matt Young MAN 4.8
Brt Saberhagen WAS 4.7
Britt Burns BRO 4.6
Infield Zone Rating
Alan Trammell CHI 12.7
Rene Gonzalez CLE 12.2
Craig Grebeck DET 11.0
Cal Ripken Jr BOS 10.3
Ozzie Smith DEN 10.0
Outfield Zone Rating
Lloyd Moseby MON 10.6
Devon White SF 10.2
Stan Javier WAS 10.0
Henry Cotto SEA 9.3
John Shelby SEA 8.8
Batter of the Month
APR Roberto Alomar TOR
MAY Darren Daulton BOS
JUN Roberto Alomar TOR
JUL Rafael Palmeiro TOR
AUG Ken Griffey Jr BRO
SEP Eric Davis ATL
Pitcher of the Month
APR Mike Scott BOS
MAY Roger Clemens BOS
JUN Jose DeLeon SF
JUL Mark Langston HAV
AUG Dave Beard LA
SEP Lee Smith LA
Rookie of the Month
APR Melido Perez CHI
MAY Randy Tomlin DET
JUN Albert Belle CHI
JUL Frank E. Thomas FLO
AUG Frank E. Thomas FLO
SEP Chris Nabholz DET
Player of the Week
4/9 Roberto Alomar TOR
4/16 Hal Morris CLE
4/23 Rob Deer SF
4/30 Tony Fernandez DEN
5/7 Wally Backman KEY
5/14 Tony Bernazard BRO
5/21 Darren Daulton BOS
5/28 Matt Williams BRO
6/4 Roberto Kelly MAN
6/11 Andy Van Slyke LA
6/18 Lonnie Smith MON
6/25 Ken Griffey Jr BRO
7/2 Benito Santiago CHI
7/9 Roberto Alomar TOR
7/16 Phil Bradley DEN
7/23 B.J. Surhoff KEY
7/30 Rafael Palmeiro TOR
8/6 Chris Sabo MAN
8/13 John Kruk CHI
8/20 Shane Mack HAV
8/27 Roberto Alomar TOR
9/3 Willie Upshaw SEA
9/10 Juan Samuel KEY
9/17 Luis Aguayo ATL
9/24 Brian Harper SEA
CHI RP Jeff Montgomery (6 mo)
WAS 3B Wade Boggs (4 mo)
WAS SS Robin Yount (4 wk)
WAS LF Lonnie Smith (4 wk)