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Circuit Clouts
Dec. 1, 1990 • Awards Edition
Dec. 1, 1990 • Awards Edition
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.]
Standings
Standings
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
League Leaders
League Leaders
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
Awards
Awards
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
Injuries
Injuries
CHI RP Jeff Montgomery (6 mo)
WAS 3B Wade Boggs (4 mo)
WAS SS Robin Yount (4 wk)
WAS LF Lonnie Smith (4 wk)
East Division
East Division
92-68 (-2)
3rd overall, 1st in runs, 10th in runs against
The Sailors of the Floe showed amazing consistency in 1990, scoring 5.4 and allowing 4.5 runs per game, exactly the same as a year ago. Toronto led the league in scoring for a third straight year, with a franchise best .286 team batting average. Roberto Alomar let the batting title slip away with an ill-timed slump (.233 in his last seven games), but still led the league with 239 hits, 47 doubles, 136 runs, 364 total bases, and 9.5 WAR, and should challenge Barry Bonds for Most Valuable Player. Rafael Palmeiro (.293-51-126) won HR and RBI titles, Wally Joyner had his third straight .300-30-100 season, Howard Johnson contributed 38 HR and 105 RBI, and Ellis Burks' .311-28-86 was almost an afterthought.
Dwight Gooden (21-3, 2.75) had his fifth straight 20-win season, though his homers and walks were up and his 6.5 WAR the lowest of his career. So explosive was the run support that all four other starters had 10+ wins, despite ERAs over 4.00. Charlie Lea, Scott Sanderson, and Brian Holman each pitched over 220 innings, Lea with 16 wins and 166 Ks. The bullpen was a major weakness when Michael Jackson wasn't on the mound—no other reliever posted an ERA under 4.75. But when MJ was on the hill, he dominated, with 23 saves and a 1.90 ERA.
The defense, never a strength, was marginally improved, with team ZR edging up from -48 to -22, though HoJo was a statue at third base (-10.4).
The Big Smoke went out in the Semis in '88 and lost the World Series last year. Bears fans will expect nothing short of a UL title this October.
3rd overall, 1st in runs, 10th in runs against
The Sailors of the Floe showed amazing consistency in 1990, scoring 5.4 and allowing 4.5 runs per game, exactly the same as a year ago. Toronto led the league in scoring for a third straight year, with a franchise best .286 team batting average. Roberto Alomar let the batting title slip away with an ill-timed slump (.233 in his last seven games), but still led the league with 239 hits, 47 doubles, 136 runs, 364 total bases, and 9.5 WAR, and should challenge Barry Bonds for Most Valuable Player. Rafael Palmeiro (.293-51-126) won HR and RBI titles, Wally Joyner had his third straight .300-30-100 season, Howard Johnson contributed 38 HR and 105 RBI, and Ellis Burks' .311-28-86 was almost an afterthought.
Dwight Gooden (21-3, 2.75) had his fifth straight 20-win season, though his homers and walks were up and his 6.5 WAR the lowest of his career. So explosive was the run support that all four other starters had 10+ wins, despite ERAs over 4.00. Charlie Lea, Scott Sanderson, and Brian Holman each pitched over 220 innings, Lea with 16 wins and 166 Ks. The bullpen was a major weakness when Michael Jackson wasn't on the mound—no other reliever posted an ERA under 4.75. But when MJ was on the hill, he dominated, with 23 saves and a 1.90 ERA.
The defense, never a strength, was marginally improved, with team ZR edging up from -48 to -22, though HoJo was a statue at third base (-10.4).
The Big Smoke went out in the Semis in '88 and lost the World Series last year. Bears fans will expect nothing short of a UL title this October.
91-69 (-4)
4th overall, 12th in runs, 4th in runs against
The Washington Monuments are the latter-day Los Angeles Outlaws. Before 1982 L.A. was known for a run of 2nd- and 3rd-place finishes—14 in 21 seasons. The Mons have placed or showed in six of the last seven years. This year, they finished just one game behind Toronto on the way to their fourth 90-win season in six years.
Washington's roster featured perhaps the biggest collection of future Hall of Famers in recent times. The regular eight were Gedman, Horner, Sandberg, Boggs, Yount, Raines, Moseby, and Winfield. Though they lacked the pure firepower of Toronto', 2-5 hitters Winfield, Sandberg, Gedman, and Horner provided reliable production, with each contributing an average of 25 HR and 87 RBI. Boggs backed into his third batting title—and first since 1984. The 31-year-old third baseman trailed Roberto Alomar in the batting race when Brooklyn's Jose Uribe shattered his ankle on a slide into second on Sept. 22. Alomar hit just .233 down the stretch, however, handing the batting title to Boggs.
Bret Saberhagen (15-11, 3.05) had an off-year by his standards, ending his run of three straight 19-win years and ballooning last year's league-best ERA by a full run. Still, Bert was 2nd in WHIP and 6th in ERA, and his 114 career wins is second only to Dwight Gooden among pitchers under 28. And while Teddy Higuera (14-10, 4.50) had the worst year of his six-year career, 35-year-old Larry McWilliams (14-9, 3.40, 3.8 WAR) more than compensated, providing the third star in the rotation.
If Washington's rotation was solid, then its bullpen was world-class. The pen's 3.23 ERA was best in the league, with four pitchers posting sub-2.80 ERAs. Closer Paul Assenmacher notched 26 saves with a 2.41 ERA, and the Mons had the best record in one-run (22-14) ane extra-inning (13-6) games.
Three losses in the final four games cost the Monuments the pennant— none hurt them more than the 2-6 loss to Toronto on Sep. 27, missing a chance to move into a first place tie.
4th overall, 12th in runs, 4th in runs against
The Washington Monuments are the latter-day Los Angeles Outlaws. Before 1982 L.A. was known for a run of 2nd- and 3rd-place finishes—14 in 21 seasons. The Mons have placed or showed in six of the last seven years. This year, they finished just one game behind Toronto on the way to their fourth 90-win season in six years.
Washington's roster featured perhaps the biggest collection of future Hall of Famers in recent times. The regular eight were Gedman, Horner, Sandberg, Boggs, Yount, Raines, Moseby, and Winfield. Though they lacked the pure firepower of Toronto', 2-5 hitters Winfield, Sandberg, Gedman, and Horner provided reliable production, with each contributing an average of 25 HR and 87 RBI. Boggs backed into his third batting title—and first since 1984. The 31-year-old third baseman trailed Roberto Alomar in the batting race when Brooklyn's Jose Uribe shattered his ankle on a slide into second on Sept. 22. Alomar hit just .233 down the stretch, however, handing the batting title to Boggs.
Bret Saberhagen (15-11, 3.05) had an off-year by his standards, ending his run of three straight 19-win years and ballooning last year's league-best ERA by a full run. Still, Bert was 2nd in WHIP and 6th in ERA, and his 114 career wins is second only to Dwight Gooden among pitchers under 28. And while Teddy Higuera (14-10, 4.50) had the worst year of his six-year career, 35-year-old Larry McWilliams (14-9, 3.40, 3.8 WAR) more than compensated, providing the third star in the rotation.
If Washington's rotation was solid, then its bullpen was world-class. The pen's 3.23 ERA was best in the league, with four pitchers posting sub-2.80 ERAs. Closer Paul Assenmacher notched 26 saves with a 2.41 ERA, and the Mons had the best record in one-run (22-14) ane extra-inning (13-6) games.
Three losses in the final four games cost the Monuments the pennant— none hurt them more than the 2-6 loss to Toronto on Sep. 27, missing a chance to move into a first place tie.
90-70 (+12)
5th overall, 4th in runs, 7th in runs against
Boston had the franchise's best offensive year since 1954's Jackie Robinson-Vic Wertz-Larry Doby New York Gothams. The attack again was led by MVP favorite Barry Bonds (.329-40-126), who won his first RBI title and led the league in slugging and OPS for the third year running. Catcher Darren Daulton (.299-24-101, .907) put up career power numbers while falling one hit shy of .300. RF Kirby Puckett had career highs with a .352 average, 93 RBI, and .903 OPS. And sophomore Edgar "Allan" Martinez (.295-12-97, .814) was the tell-tale heart of the lineup, emerging as an elite third baseman. Rookie 2B Mickey Morandini had a solid maidan voyage (.288), providing a needed upgrade at a key position.
The defense committed just 54 errors, fewest in club history. The glove stars included Cal Ripken Jr (+10.3 ZR), CF Milt Thompson (+7.9), and RF Kirby Puckett (+6.2).
The pitching staff was among the most-improved in the league, finishing in the top half for just the second time since 1980. Roger Clemens won a career-high 18 and led the league in K/9 and the staff with 5.2 WAR. Dennis Rasmussen matched Clemens 18-6 mark, with a career-high 4.0 WAR, and lead the team with a 3.13 ERA. And Tom Candiotti's career-best 1.17 WHIP helped him to 15 wins, including a no-hitter on Aug. 21. The bullpen ranked 11th in ERA, perhaps the biggest weakness heading into the playoffs.
5th overall, 4th in runs, 7th in runs against
Boston had the franchise's best offensive year since 1954's Jackie Robinson-Vic Wertz-Larry Doby New York Gothams. The attack again was led by MVP favorite Barry Bonds (.329-40-126), who won his first RBI title and led the league in slugging and OPS for the third year running. Catcher Darren Daulton (.299-24-101, .907) put up career power numbers while falling one hit shy of .300. RF Kirby Puckett had career highs with a .352 average, 93 RBI, and .903 OPS. And sophomore Edgar "Allan" Martinez (.295-12-97, .814) was the tell-tale heart of the lineup, emerging as an elite third baseman. Rookie 2B Mickey Morandini had a solid maidan voyage (.288), providing a needed upgrade at a key position.
The defense committed just 54 errors, fewest in club history. The glove stars included Cal Ripken Jr (+10.3 ZR), CF Milt Thompson (+7.9), and RF Kirby Puckett (+6.2).
The pitching staff was among the most-improved in the league, finishing in the top half for just the second time since 1980. Roger Clemens won a career-high 18 and led the league in K/9 and the staff with 5.2 WAR. Dennis Rasmussen matched Clemens 18-6 mark, with a career-high 4.0 WAR, and lead the team with a 3.13 ERA. And Tom Candiotti's career-best 1.17 WHIP helped him to 15 wins, including a no-hitter on Aug. 21. The bullpen ranked 11th in ERA, perhaps the biggest weakness heading into the playoffs.
88-72 (+19)
7th overall, 5th in runs, 5th in runs against
Detroit has all the pieces to make a deep playoff run, with one major caveat: they didn't make the playoffs. Despite that minor detail, GM Sean Holloway must be pleased with the resurgence of his club following a dismal 95-loss campaign in '89. Detroit's vaunted offense proved that last year's power outage was an aberration, returning to the top-5 for the eighth time in 10 years after a dip to 13th.
Corner infielders Kevin "World" Mitchell and Fred "Crime Dog" McGriff were the best 3-4 hitters this side of Toronto. Combined they hit .315-67-234, 10.9 WAR. McGriff even provided his own Fourth of July fireworks with a homer hat trick. LF Chris James led the club with 201 hits and a .334 average. The attack also benefitted from a pair of rookies: CF Steve Finley swiped 30 bases and had a .355 OBP, and 2B Craig Grebeck hit 25 doubles and drove in 59 runs while ranking third among all infielders in defense.
Speaking of rookies, the real story of the 1990 Detroit Griffins was the rookie tandem of Randy Tomlin and Chris Nabholz, the first and fifth overall picks. Other teams have trotted out two rookies in their rotation from day one, but none have done it successfully until these Griffins. Tomlin was the early season darling, starting 5-1, 1.71 and earning Rookie of the Month in May. But Nabholz dominated down the stretch, going 8-2, 1.08 in his last 12 starts to earn the ERA title. The 23-year-old from Harrisburg, PA is joins Stu Miller (1952) and Dwight Gooden (1984) as the only rookies to win the ERA title.
Ultimately, two things held the team back: the bullpen and an August slump. The pen ranked just 9th. Closer Mikey Stanton had just 23 saves with 7 blown saves, and Mark Guthrie led the league with 22 Meltdowns, my new favorite statistic. Detroit was 8-15 from Aug. 4-28, a span that included a five-game losing streak and eight games scoring two runs or less. A strong 16-8 finish lifted the team back into contention, but they fell two games short.
7th overall, 5th in runs, 5th in runs against
Detroit has all the pieces to make a deep playoff run, with one major caveat: they didn't make the playoffs. Despite that minor detail, GM Sean Holloway must be pleased with the resurgence of his club following a dismal 95-loss campaign in '89. Detroit's vaunted offense proved that last year's power outage was an aberration, returning to the top-5 for the eighth time in 10 years after a dip to 13th.
Corner infielders Kevin "World" Mitchell and Fred "Crime Dog" McGriff were the best 3-4 hitters this side of Toronto. Combined they hit .315-67-234, 10.9 WAR. McGriff even provided his own Fourth of July fireworks with a homer hat trick. LF Chris James led the club with 201 hits and a .334 average. The attack also benefitted from a pair of rookies: CF Steve Finley swiped 30 bases and had a .355 OBP, and 2B Craig Grebeck hit 25 doubles and drove in 59 runs while ranking third among all infielders in defense.
Speaking of rookies, the real story of the 1990 Detroit Griffins was the rookie tandem of Randy Tomlin and Chris Nabholz, the first and fifth overall picks. Other teams have trotted out two rookies in their rotation from day one, but none have done it successfully until these Griffins. Tomlin was the early season darling, starting 5-1, 1.71 and earning Rookie of the Month in May. But Nabholz dominated down the stretch, going 8-2, 1.08 in his last 12 starts to earn the ERA title. The 23-year-old from Harrisburg, PA is joins Stu Miller (1952) and Dwight Gooden (1984) as the only rookies to win the ERA title.
Ultimately, two things held the team back: the bullpen and an August slump. The pen ranked just 9th. Closer Mikey Stanton had just 23 saves with 7 blown saves, and Mark Guthrie led the league with 22 Meltdowns, my new favorite statistic. Detroit was 8-15 from Aug. 4-28, a span that included a five-game losing streak and eight games scoring two runs or less. A strong 16-8 finish lifted the team back into contention, but they fell two games short.
81-79 (+20)
9th overall, 5th in runs, 9th in runs against
The Superbas ended a run of four losing years—including three straight 100-loss seasons—and were the most improved team in the league, jumping 20 wins to 81. Both their hitting and pitching leapt forward, thanks mostly to breakout years by second-year players.
On offense, Matt Williams (.325-40-124, .950) finished 3rd in RBIs, 4th in HR, and 6th in WAR on his way to the best batting season by a Superba since 1982. Last year's Rookie of the Year Ken Griffey Jr. improved his average by 15 points and his OPS by 55 to .342 and .979 respectively, and hit for the cycle on June 23. David Cone flipped a 2-12 record to 17-7, Kevin Brown had 13 wins and 162 Ks, and closer John Wetteland notched 26 saves with a 3.27 ERA.
But it wasn't just sophomores contributing; some rookies got in on the act as well. Sixth overall pick Steve Avery was 8-3, 2.85 in 13 starts, 2B Luis Alicea hit .317 with a .373 OBP and LF Jerry Browne hit .337 with an .849 OPS.
Of Brooklyn's 13 players with 1.0+ WAR, nine are under 26 and six are under 23. So the East Division should be on notice: these Bas are for real and are headed toward the top of the pack.
9th overall, 5th in runs, 9th in runs against
The Superbas ended a run of four losing years—including three straight 100-loss seasons—and were the most improved team in the league, jumping 20 wins to 81. Both their hitting and pitching leapt forward, thanks mostly to breakout years by second-year players.
On offense, Matt Williams (.325-40-124, .950) finished 3rd in RBIs, 4th in HR, and 6th in WAR on his way to the best batting season by a Superba since 1982. Last year's Rookie of the Year Ken Griffey Jr. improved his average by 15 points and his OPS by 55 to .342 and .979 respectively, and hit for the cycle on June 23. David Cone flipped a 2-12 record to 17-7, Kevin Brown had 13 wins and 162 Ks, and closer John Wetteland notched 26 saves with a 3.27 ERA.
But it wasn't just sophomores contributing; some rookies got in on the act as well. Sixth overall pick Steve Avery was 8-3, 2.85 in 13 starts, 2B Luis Alicea hit .317 with a .373 OBP and LF Jerry Browne hit .337 with an .849 OPS.
Of Brooklyn's 13 players with 1.0+ WAR, nine are under 26 and six are under 23. So the East Division should be on notice: these Bas are for real and are headed toward the top of the pack.
80-80 (+5)
10-T overall, 15th in runs, 3rd in runs against
It was an up-and-down year for the Barons, who started the year 17-11, only to slump through a 10-19 May. A midsummer surge (26-13), including a 10-game winning streak in early August lifted them into the playoff zone—rarified air for a club that hasn't tasted playoff baseball since the Nixon Administration. On Aug. 15, the B's were 67-56, but they stumbled down the stretch (13-24), only avoiding a sixth-straight losing season with a win on the last day.
Despite the roller-coaster nature of the season, it was their most successful year since 1984. The Barons had a top-3 pitching staff, as the youthful tandem of Joe Magrane and John Smoltz started to gel. Magrane regressed a bit, though with a still-impressive 3.06 ERA, while Smoltz posted a 3.29 ERA and led the team with 182 Ks. The midseason trade of Tom Glavine was a painful move, but yielded a first round pick from Havana. Closer Dan Plesac emerged as a top-shelf closer, leading the league with 37 saves to accompany a 2.42 ERA.
The offense had its moments, but ultimately suffered from a lack of consistency. Kevin McReynolds hit .381 in April but ended at .285, leading the team with 94 RBI. Warren Cromartie hit .344 in April, June, and July, but just .279 the other three months. Rookie Hal Morris was a bright spot, batting .385 in September to finish .296-10-65, and 2B Mark McLemore was efficient at the top of the order, with a .362 OBP and 37 stolen bases.
10-T overall, 15th in runs, 3rd in runs against
It was an up-and-down year for the Barons, who started the year 17-11, only to slump through a 10-19 May. A midsummer surge (26-13), including a 10-game winning streak in early August lifted them into the playoff zone—rarified air for a club that hasn't tasted playoff baseball since the Nixon Administration. On Aug. 15, the B's were 67-56, but they stumbled down the stretch (13-24), only avoiding a sixth-straight losing season with a win on the last day.
Despite the roller-coaster nature of the season, it was their most successful year since 1984. The Barons had a top-3 pitching staff, as the youthful tandem of Joe Magrane and John Smoltz started to gel. Magrane regressed a bit, though with a still-impressive 3.06 ERA, while Smoltz posted a 3.29 ERA and led the team with 182 Ks. The midseason trade of Tom Glavine was a painful move, but yielded a first round pick from Havana. Closer Dan Plesac emerged as a top-shelf closer, leading the league with 37 saves to accompany a 2.42 ERA.
The offense had its moments, but ultimately suffered from a lack of consistency. Kevin McReynolds hit .381 in April but ended at .285, leading the team with 94 RBI. Warren Cromartie hit .344 in April, June, and July, but just .279 the other three months. Rookie Hal Morris was a bright spot, batting .385 in September to finish .296-10-65, and 2B Mark McLemore was efficient at the top of the order, with a .362 OBP and 37 stolen bases.
79-81 (-4)
12th overall, 9th in runs, 8th in runs against
Manhattan was not planning on 1990 being a rebuilding year, but a slow start followed by a June swoon sent GM Eric Holthaus into selling mode in a quest for draft picks. Dave Stieb went to Toronto, Julio Franco went to St. Louis, but the biggest move came on July 1 when Mr. Sandberg went to Washington. The second overall pick in 1981, Ryno put up close to 50 WAR in 7½ years with the Dingy Hose, making him a candidate for Player of the Decade.
After a pitching-dominant 1988 (3rd in RA, 13th in R) and a batting-dominant 1989 (2nd in R, 13th RA), the Gray Sox were more balanced in 1990. The pitching improved significantly, with newcomers Doug Drabek (6-4, 2.93) and Matt Young (3.42 in 32 starts) having an immediate impact. Kelly Downs (4.63) had his worst year, however, and longtime relief man Jim Acker (5.39 in 31 starts) struggled in a starting role.
Last year's HR and RBI champ, Jose Canseco, suffered a massive deflation, with his home runs cut in half to 25 and his OPS dipping 160 points to .806. But the rest of the outfield picked up the slack: RF Joe Carter (.299-23-75, .856), at age 30, finally drove in more than 30 runs, and second-year CF Roberto Kelly (.353-28-87, .966) had a breakout year, leading the Sox in average, home runs, and WAR. More worrying: Danny Tartabull and Scott Fletcher had their lowest batting production in years.
12th overall, 9th in runs, 8th in runs against
Manhattan was not planning on 1990 being a rebuilding year, but a slow start followed by a June swoon sent GM Eric Holthaus into selling mode in a quest for draft picks. Dave Stieb went to Toronto, Julio Franco went to St. Louis, but the biggest move came on July 1 when Mr. Sandberg went to Washington. The second overall pick in 1981, Ryno put up close to 50 WAR in 7½ years with the Dingy Hose, making him a candidate for Player of the Decade.
After a pitching-dominant 1988 (3rd in RA, 13th in R) and a batting-dominant 1989 (2nd in R, 13th RA), the Gray Sox were more balanced in 1990. The pitching improved significantly, with newcomers Doug Drabek (6-4, 2.93) and Matt Young (3.42 in 32 starts) having an immediate impact. Kelly Downs (4.63) had his worst year, however, and longtime relief man Jim Acker (5.39 in 31 starts) struggled in a starting role.
Last year's HR and RBI champ, Jose Canseco, suffered a massive deflation, with his home runs cut in half to 25 and his OPS dipping 160 points to .806. But the rest of the outfield picked up the slack: RF Joe Carter (.299-23-75, .856), at age 30, finally drove in more than 30 runs, and second-year CF Roberto Kelly (.353-28-87, .966) had a breakout year, leading the Sox in average, home runs, and WAR. More worrying: Danny Tartabull and Scott Fletcher had their lowest batting production in years.
63-97 (--)
16th overall, 14th in runs, 18th in runs against
The Starlings won the battle of expansion teams, with 12 more wins than Florida, a bigger gate, and more revenue—though their 63 wins fell well behind Toronto's 84 and Havana's 77 in the last round of expansion in 1984. Keystone's pitching ranked dead last, but there were some stars on offense. Jerome Walton proved to be an inspired choice as the first pick in the expansion draft. The 24-year-old led the team with 3.6 WAR, while batting .322 with an .806 OPS. Former Maroon Juan Samuel hit 21 homers while provide plus defense in the outfield corners. B.J. Surhoff led the club with 89 RBIs. And unheralded rookies C Brent Mayne and RF Jeff Stone defied expectations by batting over .300.
The only pitching performances of note were Don August (11-9, 3.94) and John Dopson (2.82, 19 SV). Both the starting rotation and the bullpen ranked dead last in ERA, and pitching will likely be a key focus for GM Doug Aiton during the franchise's first offseason.
16th overall, 14th in runs, 18th in runs against
The Starlings won the battle of expansion teams, with 12 more wins than Florida, a bigger gate, and more revenue—though their 63 wins fell well behind Toronto's 84 and Havana's 77 in the last round of expansion in 1984. Keystone's pitching ranked dead last, but there were some stars on offense. Jerome Walton proved to be an inspired choice as the first pick in the expansion draft. The 24-year-old led the team with 3.6 WAR, while batting .322 with an .806 OPS. Former Maroon Juan Samuel hit 21 homers while provide plus defense in the outfield corners. B.J. Surhoff led the club with 89 RBIs. And unheralded rookies C Brent Mayne and RF Jeff Stone defied expectations by batting over .300.
The only pitching performances of note were Don August (11-9, 3.94) and John Dopson (2.82, 19 SV). Both the starting rotation and the bullpen ranked dead last in ERA, and pitching will likely be a key focus for GM Doug Aiton during the franchise's first offseason.
54-106 (-7)
17th overall, 17th in runs, 16th in runs against
Under first-year GM Bryan Gryka, the V's made a headlong race to the bottom in the Jeff Bagwell sweepstakes (or will it be Ivan Rodriguez?). Coming off a 100-loss campaign in Jo Lima's final year, the Canoeists went into full rebuild mode, trading LF Lonnie Smith, SP Floyd Youmans for top prospect Larry Walker and a raft of draft picks. Montreal ended the year with the smallest non-expansion payroll and the third-best farm system, setting themselves up for future success.
On the field, however, the highlights were scant. Leadoff man Bip Roberts (.364) finished fourth in the batting race, 3B Bobby Bonilla hit .287 with 86 RBI, and rookie southpaw Kenny Rogers led the staff with a 3.88 ERA. Several of the organization's top players—Jim Abbott, Curt Schilling, and Ruben Sierra—were exiled to Quebec in an effort to pad the loss column, which could have detrimental effects on their development. But with Schilling, Walker, Abbott, Gregg Olson, Luis Gonzalez, Jeff Blauser, Sierra, and Junior Felix all 23 or younger, the future looks bright in La Metropole.
17th overall, 17th in runs, 16th in runs against
Under first-year GM Bryan Gryka, the V's made a headlong race to the bottom in the Jeff Bagwell sweepstakes (or will it be Ivan Rodriguez?). Coming off a 100-loss campaign in Jo Lima's final year, the Canoeists went into full rebuild mode, trading LF Lonnie Smith, SP Floyd Youmans for top prospect Larry Walker and a raft of draft picks. Montreal ended the year with the smallest non-expansion payroll and the third-best farm system, setting themselves up for future success.
On the field, however, the highlights were scant. Leadoff man Bip Roberts (.364) finished fourth in the batting race, 3B Bobby Bonilla hit .287 with 86 RBI, and rookie southpaw Kenny Rogers led the staff with a 3.88 ERA. Several of the organization's top players—Jim Abbott, Curt Schilling, and Ruben Sierra—were exiled to Quebec in an effort to pad the loss column, which could have detrimental effects on their development. But with Schilling, Walker, Abbott, Gregg Olson, Luis Gonzalez, Jeff Blauser, Sierra, and Junior Felix all 23 or younger, the future looks bright in La Metropole.
West Division
West Division
98-62 (+9)
1st overall, 10th in runs, 1st in runs against
Another year, another pennant. 1990 makes eight division titles in the last nine years—this one the more impressive in a crowded nine-team field. Also for the eighth time in nine years, they were the top pitching team, with a newfound power element resulting in their second-most strikeouts of the decade. Fun fact: the '90 Outlaws are just the ninth team in UL history with 20 shutout wins. But their offense also improved by 0.4 runs to 4.5 per game, resulting in a 98-win campaign that captured their second President's Trophy.
L.A.'s pitching story was epitomized by two recent imports from the East. Last year, GM Peter Vays prised Dave Beard from Boston; this year, he added Floyd Youmans from Montreal. Beard was 18-13 and lead the league with a 1.00 WHIP. Youmans was an unstoppable 11-1, 2.41 in 15 starts.
The lineup featured several stars. Andy Van Slyke led the team with 175 hits, 100 runs and an .840 OPS. Ken Caminiti's 90 RBIs and Cory Snyder's 32 HR set the pace. And Mike Scioscia led the club with a .313 average and 5.0 WAR. Jesse Barfield was shipped to Denver and Glenn Hubbard to Atlanta, but their replacements stepped easily into their shoes. Chili Davis hit .310-16-64 with 50 SB and a 4.9 WAR, and Robby Thompson (.313-11-59, 4.3 WAR) is a Rookie of the Year candidate. Veteran 1B Eddie Murray returned after a year in Cleveland and collected his 2500th hit on June 7.
For all their regular season dominance, the season will feel incomplete without a World Series ring. Los Angeles has 11 division pennants, but has only won the big one twice, in 1981 and 1985, and their recent resume lists three straight exits in the Semi Series. So these Outlaws will feel some pressure to convert regular season dominance into hardware.
1st overall, 10th in runs, 1st in runs against
Another year, another pennant. 1990 makes eight division titles in the last nine years—this one the more impressive in a crowded nine-team field. Also for the eighth time in nine years, they were the top pitching team, with a newfound power element resulting in their second-most strikeouts of the decade. Fun fact: the '90 Outlaws are just the ninth team in UL history with 20 shutout wins. But their offense also improved by 0.4 runs to 4.5 per game, resulting in a 98-win campaign that captured their second President's Trophy.
L.A.'s pitching story was epitomized by two recent imports from the East. Last year, GM Peter Vays prised Dave Beard from Boston; this year, he added Floyd Youmans from Montreal. Beard was 18-13 and lead the league with a 1.00 WHIP. Youmans was an unstoppable 11-1, 2.41 in 15 starts.
The lineup featured several stars. Andy Van Slyke led the team with 175 hits, 100 runs and an .840 OPS. Ken Caminiti's 90 RBIs and Cory Snyder's 32 HR set the pace. And Mike Scioscia led the club with a .313 average and 5.0 WAR. Jesse Barfield was shipped to Denver and Glenn Hubbard to Atlanta, but their replacements stepped easily into their shoes. Chili Davis hit .310-16-64 with 50 SB and a 4.9 WAR, and Robby Thompson (.313-11-59, 4.3 WAR) is a Rookie of the Year candidate. Veteran 1B Eddie Murray returned after a year in Cleveland and collected his 2500th hit on June 7.
For all their regular season dominance, the season will feel incomplete without a World Series ring. Los Angeles has 11 division pennants, but has only won the big one twice, in 1981 and 1985, and their recent resume lists three straight exits in the Semi Series. So these Outlaws will feel some pressure to convert regular season dominance into hardware.
96-64 (+10)
2nd overall, 13th in runs, 2nd in runs against
Two years ago the Colts lost 100 games and finished second from bottom. In 1990, they won 96 and finished second from the top. GM Steve Haugh accomplished this dramatic turnaround by revamping the pitching staff. Only Terry Mulholland and Jamie Moyer carried over from that '88 rotation, and they combined for a 30-17 record and 3.27 ERA. The remainder of the rotation consisted of two sophomores and a rookie. Erik Hanson, 25, posted a 15-6, 3.18 second campaign; Jeff M. Robinson, a 46th overall pick, went 11-6, 3.59; and rookie Melido Perez (14-14, 4.21) was a serviceable inning-eater. The bullpen also ranked second; Jose Nunez (1.83) and Jeff Montgomery (2.04) were nearly unhittable, and Rob Dibble managed 36 saves despite a 3.48 ERA.
The Colts also produced their most prolific offense since 1967 ("Just" Adcock and "Feed" Demeter), with 4.4 runs per game. Ivan Calderon (.304-23-102) had his first 100-RBI year, John Kruk (.327-13-57) led the team in hits and average, and Alan Trammell (.312-17-67) led the team in WAR and captured his record eighth Willie Mays Award—first since 1987. Benito Santiago had a career-high 80 RBIs and rookie Albert Belle hit the ground running with a .305 average and 74 RBI. And let's not forget Bill Spiers (.308, 58 RBI, 22 SB), a 23-year-old who ranked 5th in WAR among second basemen in his rookie year.
While Chicago's ascent has been rapid, the club appears to have staying power, with the third youngest roster in the league. Trammell is the only regular over 28 and the rotation's average age is 25. So Comiskey patrons can look forward to more playoff baseball in the '90s.
2nd overall, 13th in runs, 2nd in runs against
Two years ago the Colts lost 100 games and finished second from bottom. In 1990, they won 96 and finished second from the top. GM Steve Haugh accomplished this dramatic turnaround by revamping the pitching staff. Only Terry Mulholland and Jamie Moyer carried over from that '88 rotation, and they combined for a 30-17 record and 3.27 ERA. The remainder of the rotation consisted of two sophomores and a rookie. Erik Hanson, 25, posted a 15-6, 3.18 second campaign; Jeff M. Robinson, a 46th overall pick, went 11-6, 3.59; and rookie Melido Perez (14-14, 4.21) was a serviceable inning-eater. The bullpen also ranked second; Jose Nunez (1.83) and Jeff Montgomery (2.04) were nearly unhittable, and Rob Dibble managed 36 saves despite a 3.48 ERA.
The Colts also produced their most prolific offense since 1967 ("Just" Adcock and "Feed" Demeter), with 4.4 runs per game. Ivan Calderon (.304-23-102) had his first 100-RBI year, John Kruk (.327-13-57) led the team in hits and average, and Alan Trammell (.312-17-67) led the team in WAR and captured his record eighth Willie Mays Award—first since 1987. Benito Santiago had a career-high 80 RBIs and rookie Albert Belle hit the ground running with a .305 average and 74 RBI. And let's not forget Bill Spiers (.308, 58 RBI, 22 SB), a 23-year-old who ranked 5th in WAR among second basemen in his rookie year.
While Chicago's ascent has been rapid, the club appears to have staying power, with the third youngest roster in the league. Trammell is the only regular over 28 and the rotation's average age is 25. So Comiskey patrons can look forward to more playoff baseball in the '90s.
89-71 (-8)
6th overall, 3rd in runs, 6th in runs against
St. Louis made the playoffs for the eighth straight year, but their win total and league placement were the lowest since the playoff run began in 1983. What is behind the Maroons' decline? In a word: age.
After being a top-3 pitching team for six years, and capturing the best pitching title last year, St. Louis dropped to sixth with a 0.8 jump to 4.2 runs allowed per game. The main issue was the starting rotation, which ranked 10th in ERA, and more specifically Ed Whitson and Dave Schmidt, the balwarks of the staff for nearly a decade. Whitson, coming off a 19-win campaign a year ago, turned 34 and saw his ERA balloon by 130 points to 3.97, his worst in six years. Schmidt turned 32 the day after Opening Day and posted career highs in ERA (4.14) and WHIP (1.28). The 29-year-old Steven Ontiveros also hit a career nadir, with an ERA that jumped from 2.86 to 4.10. The trio was 32-27 in 1990 after going 55-19 last year. So the story essentially ends there.
Dig deeper and you'll find that the Dark Reds dropped from 5th to 14th in defense (as measured by ZR), their worst since 1984, with negative defense at every position except middle infield and catcher.
The offense managed to produce its second-highest run total in two decades (5.1), good for third in the league. Not a single hitter made the top-10 charts of the four major batting category, which speaks to a diverse and varied attack. Eight batters drove in at least 64 runs and seven had at least 10 homers. Alvin Davis (.310-26-97) led in HR and RBI, Dan Pasqua (.310-25-93) led in OPS, and the 37-year-old Darrell Porter (.287-18-67) led in WAR.
6th overall, 3rd in runs, 6th in runs against
St. Louis made the playoffs for the eighth straight year, but their win total and league placement were the lowest since the playoff run began in 1983. What is behind the Maroons' decline? In a word: age.
After being a top-3 pitching team for six years, and capturing the best pitching title last year, St. Louis dropped to sixth with a 0.8 jump to 4.2 runs allowed per game. The main issue was the starting rotation, which ranked 10th in ERA, and more specifically Ed Whitson and Dave Schmidt, the balwarks of the staff for nearly a decade. Whitson, coming off a 19-win campaign a year ago, turned 34 and saw his ERA balloon by 130 points to 3.97, his worst in six years. Schmidt turned 32 the day after Opening Day and posted career highs in ERA (4.14) and WHIP (1.28). The 29-year-old Steven Ontiveros also hit a career nadir, with an ERA that jumped from 2.86 to 4.10. The trio was 32-27 in 1990 after going 55-19 last year. So the story essentially ends there.
Dig deeper and you'll find that the Dark Reds dropped from 5th to 14th in defense (as measured by ZR), their worst since 1984, with negative defense at every position except middle infield and catcher.
The offense managed to produce its second-highest run total in two decades (5.1), good for third in the league. Not a single hitter made the top-10 charts of the four major batting category, which speaks to a diverse and varied attack. Eight batters drove in at least 64 runs and seven had at least 10 homers. Alvin Davis (.310-26-97) led in HR and RBI, Dan Pasqua (.310-25-93) led in OPS, and the 37-year-old Darrell Porter (.287-18-67) led in WAR.
87-73 (+16)
8th overall, 8th in runs, 11th in runs against
Nobody outside of Cuba saw Havana's scorching final third coming. The Leones were 39-14 from Aug. 1, having gone 48-59 through July, fifth worst. The entire roster turned things around in a big way, but a few merit special call-outs.
On June 28, Mark Langston was 5-11, 4.28. His record since 1987 was 30-53 and his ERA over that span hovered around 4.50. Heading into the second half, Langston appeared to be a washed-up former top prospect. Then on July 8 he pitched a four-hit shutout. Six days later, he pitched a perfect game. Success begat more success, and Langston was 13-3 with a 2.65 ERA in his last 18 starts and reestablished himself as a pitcher to be reckoned with.
Terry Pendleton had 33 RBIs in the first half, 66 in the second half. Shane Mack hit .400 with 27 RBIs in August, on his way to a career-best .330-22-98, .894. Kevin Ritz started the year 0-4, and finished 13-4. Kal Daniels hit .303-11-49 in his first 89 games, then hit .396-9-38 in his last 49. The list goes on and on...
Havana won nine straight heading into the last four days of the season, slowly yet inexorably closing the gap with St. Louis. On Sept. 29 they swept a double-header with the Maroons at home, slicing the deficit from three games to one in the span of a few hours. But the season finale was a letdown: a 5-0 blanking in Chicago at the hands of Terry Mulholland. It was a bitter end to a magical run. But Havana smashed the club win record by 10 and ended with the first winning record in franchise history.
8th overall, 8th in runs, 11th in runs against
Nobody outside of Cuba saw Havana's scorching final third coming. The Leones were 39-14 from Aug. 1, having gone 48-59 through July, fifth worst. The entire roster turned things around in a big way, but a few merit special call-outs.
On June 28, Mark Langston was 5-11, 4.28. His record since 1987 was 30-53 and his ERA over that span hovered around 4.50. Heading into the second half, Langston appeared to be a washed-up former top prospect. Then on July 8 he pitched a four-hit shutout. Six days later, he pitched a perfect game. Success begat more success, and Langston was 13-3 with a 2.65 ERA in his last 18 starts and reestablished himself as a pitcher to be reckoned with.
Terry Pendleton had 33 RBIs in the first half, 66 in the second half. Shane Mack hit .400 with 27 RBIs in August, on his way to a career-best .330-22-98, .894. Kevin Ritz started the year 0-4, and finished 13-4. Kal Daniels hit .303-11-49 in his first 89 games, then hit .396-9-38 in his last 49. The list goes on and on...
Havana won nine straight heading into the last four days of the season, slowly yet inexorably closing the gap with St. Louis. On Sept. 29 they swept a double-header with the Maroons at home, slicing the deficit from three games to one in the span of a few hours. But the season finale was a letdown: a 5-0 blanking in Chicago at the hands of Terry Mulholland. It was a bitter end to a magical run. But Havana smashed the club win record by 10 and ended with the first winning record in franchise history.
80-80 (-11)
10-T overall, 6th in runs, 13th in runs against
After two playoff seasons, the Rainiers slipped back to .500 in 1990, as their pitching regressed to the bottom quarter. Ace Don Robinson's ERA bloated 50 points to 4.57, Allan Anderson was downgraded and relegated to the bullpen, and elite closer Luis DeLeon (1.91 ERA and 42 saves last year) was traded to L.A. Granted, newcomer Bruce Ruffin became the de facto ace with a 11-5, 3.19 campaign and Mike Mason was solid (3.16, 1.16 WHIP in 10 starts). But the other new acquisition Tommy Boggs (2-9, 6.36) was abysmal and rookie Tim Birtsas (6.14 in 15 starts) looked overmatched much of the year.
The offense also slipped a bit, from 6th to 3rd in runs scored. 3B Chris Brown fell back to earth after a career year. John Shelby's power dropped off, though he still managed 108 RBIs, and catcher Brian Harper posted his lowest OPS in five years. The two Willies were continued bright spots: Upshaw smacking 27 HR for 97 RBIs and McGee batting .331 with a 4.7 WAR. And Henry Cotto was a difference-maker in center field, finishing fourth in outfield ZR while driving in 88 runs, and hitting for the cycle on Aug. 19.
10-T overall, 6th in runs, 13th in runs against
After two playoff seasons, the Rainiers slipped back to .500 in 1990, as their pitching regressed to the bottom quarter. Ace Don Robinson's ERA bloated 50 points to 4.57, Allan Anderson was downgraded and relegated to the bullpen, and elite closer Luis DeLeon (1.91 ERA and 42 saves last year) was traded to L.A. Granted, newcomer Bruce Ruffin became the de facto ace with a 11-5, 3.19 campaign and Mike Mason was solid (3.16, 1.16 WHIP in 10 starts). But the other new acquisition Tommy Boggs (2-9, 6.36) was abysmal and rookie Tim Birtsas (6.14 in 15 starts) looked overmatched much of the year.
The offense also slipped a bit, from 6th to 3rd in runs scored. 3B Chris Brown fell back to earth after a career year. John Shelby's power dropped off, though he still managed 108 RBIs, and catcher Brian Harper posted his lowest OPS in five years. The two Willies were continued bright spots: Upshaw smacking 27 HR for 97 RBIs and McGee batting .331 with a 4.7 WAR. And Henry Cotto was a difference-maker in center field, finishing fourth in outfield ZR while driving in 88 runs, and hitting for the cycle on Aug. 19.
77-83 (+7)
13th overall, 7th in runs, 14th in runs against
A reinvigorated offense was held back by the second worst picthing performance of the last nine years. Atlanta made up roughly half the ground they lost last year, when they plummeted from 3rd to 10th in offense. But the pitching ranked 14th, with only Fernando Valenzuela (3.36) and Dave Freisleben (3.55) posting ERAs under 5.00—and the latter was shipped off to Seattle for cash at the trade deadline.
The offense featured four big stars. Tony Gwynn fell short of his fifth batting title, but still notched his sixth season over .350 and his fifth with 220+ hits. Eric Davis (.297-38-119, .923) finished 5th in HR and RBI. In his second year as a full-time starter, 1B Mark McGwire drove in 122 and finished 2nd in HR and 4th in RBIs. And SS Luis Aguayo (.296-24-88, .819) took well to the Launching Pad and re-burnished his credentials as an elite power-poking middle infielder.
Yet, after two Semi Series appearances in 1986 and 1987, the last three years smack of disappointment and underachievement; not least for GM Andy Chaney.
13th overall, 7th in runs, 14th in runs against
A reinvigorated offense was held back by the second worst picthing performance of the last nine years. Atlanta made up roughly half the ground they lost last year, when they plummeted from 3rd to 10th in offense. But the pitching ranked 14th, with only Fernando Valenzuela (3.36) and Dave Freisleben (3.55) posting ERAs under 5.00—and the latter was shipped off to Seattle for cash at the trade deadline.
The offense featured four big stars. Tony Gwynn fell short of his fifth batting title, but still notched his sixth season over .350 and his fifth with 220+ hits. Eric Davis (.297-38-119, .923) finished 5th in HR and RBI. In his second year as a full-time starter, 1B Mark McGwire drove in 122 and finished 2nd in HR and 4th in RBIs. And SS Luis Aguayo (.296-24-88, .819) took well to the Launching Pad and re-burnished his credentials as an elite power-poking middle infielder.
Yet, after two Semi Series appearances in 1986 and 1987, the last three years smack of disappointment and underachievement; not least for GM Andy Chaney.
72-88 (-10)
14-T overall, 2nd in runs, 17th in runs against
With the most inflated hopes in club history coming into the season, the 14ers' balloon at first merely deflated, with a 10-19 May, then crashed to the ground with a wretched summer that saw the club drop out of contention for anything, including a .500 season and simple respectability. The problem was one of the most underperforming pitching staffs in the league. Bill Swift, the once-promising young starter, posted a 5.78 ERA. Rick Reuschel was 5.01. Sid Fernandez was 6.79 in 11 starts. Add it all up, and Denver had the second-worst rotation, third-worst bullpen, and the second-most runs allowed.
A midseason shakeup sent CF Stan Javier, 3B Gary Gaetti, RF Sixto Lezcano, and C Mickey Tettleton packing. Their replacements were mostly outstanding. LF Tim Raines hit .343 with a .418 OBP and CF Jesse Barfield slugged .562 for a .897 OPS.
Still, despite the addition of some new talent, the midseason moves felt like a shuffling of the deck chairs, and the long-term prognosis looks dim. This ship has sailed.
14-T overall, 2nd in runs, 17th in runs against
With the most inflated hopes in club history coming into the season, the 14ers' balloon at first merely deflated, with a 10-19 May, then crashed to the ground with a wretched summer that saw the club drop out of contention for anything, including a .500 season and simple respectability. The problem was one of the most underperforming pitching staffs in the league. Bill Swift, the once-promising young starter, posted a 5.78 ERA. Rick Reuschel was 5.01. Sid Fernandez was 6.79 in 11 starts. Add it all up, and Denver had the second-worst rotation, third-worst bullpen, and the second-most runs allowed.
A midseason shakeup sent CF Stan Javier, 3B Gary Gaetti, RF Sixto Lezcano, and C Mickey Tettleton packing. Their replacements were mostly outstanding. LF Tim Raines hit .343 with a .418 OBP and CF Jesse Barfield slugged .562 for a .897 OPS.
Still, despite the addition of some new talent, the midseason moves felt like a shuffling of the deck chairs, and the long-term prognosis looks dim. This ship has sailed.
72-88 (-11)
14-T overall, 16th in runs, 9th in runs against
After an 84-win season a year ago, finishing within sniffing distance of the playoffs, the Itsy-Bitsy Spiders washed back down the water spout to familiar territory in 1990, with their eighth losing season of the decade. The uncharacteristically mid-table offense of a year ago plummeted to 16th. If we must pin the blame for the decline on one man, let's pick on Mark Grace. The 1988 Rookie of the Year avoided a sophomore slump last year, batting (.348 with 6.1 WAR). But this season was disgraceful, dropping to .275 and 2.1. But he wasn't alone; Terry Steinbach and Jose Oquendo slumped as well. Barry Larkin (.296-21-66, .805) was as reliable as ever, and Rob Deer trimmed his strikeouts by 50 and improved his OPS by 35 points. To his credit, Grace did cobble together the year's longest hitting streak: 27 games.
On the pitching side, former ace Jose Rijo was abysmal, going 4-16 with a 5.56 ERA, but new ace Jose DeLeon had a career year, going 14-10, 2.68 and finishing second in the ERA race. Walt Terrell pitched the Spiders' sixth no-hitter on July 25.
14-T overall, 16th in runs, 9th in runs against
After an 84-win season a year ago, finishing within sniffing distance of the playoffs, the Itsy-Bitsy Spiders washed back down the water spout to familiar territory in 1990, with their eighth losing season of the decade. The uncharacteristically mid-table offense of a year ago plummeted to 16th. If we must pin the blame for the decline on one man, let's pick on Mark Grace. The 1988 Rookie of the Year avoided a sophomore slump last year, batting (.348 with 6.1 WAR). But this season was disgraceful, dropping to .275 and 2.1. But he wasn't alone; Terry Steinbach and Jose Oquendo slumped as well. Barry Larkin (.296-21-66, .805) was as reliable as ever, and Rob Deer trimmed his strikeouts by 50 and improved his OPS by 35 points. To his credit, Grace did cobble together the year's longest hitting streak: 27 games.
On the pitching side, former ace Jose Rijo was abysmal, going 4-16 with a 5.56 ERA, but new ace Jose DeLeon had a career year, going 14-10, 2.68 and finishing second in the ERA race. Walt Terrell pitched the Spiders' sixth no-hitter on July 25.
51-109 (--)
18th overall, 18th in runs, 15th in runs against
Only five teams in UL history have put together a roster with a smaller payroll than the 1990 Florida Flamingos—and it showed. The Pink Birds lost more than twice as many as they won, and put up the worst month of baseball in league history in September, going 1-23 for a .041 winning percentage. First overall pick Frank Thomas was one of the few bright spots. The slugging first baseman hit .274-30-83, .881 and is a strong candidate for Rookie of the Year. RF Tracy Jones led the team with a .275 average and drove in 50 runs. And Kevin Gross led the pitching staff with 10 wins and a 3.99 ERA.
18th overall, 18th in runs, 15th in runs against
Only five teams in UL history have put together a roster with a smaller payroll than the 1990 Florida Flamingos—and it showed. The Pink Birds lost more than twice as many as they won, and put up the worst month of baseball in league history in September, going 1-23 for a .041 winning percentage. First overall pick Frank Thomas was one of the few bright spots. The slugging first baseman hit .274-30-83, .881 and is a strong candidate for Rookie of the Year. RF Tracy Jones led the team with a .275 average and drove in 50 runs. And Kevin Gross led the pitching staff with 10 wins and a 3.99 ERA.
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