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Dec. 1, 1992 • Hall of Fame Edition
Dec. 1, 1992 • Hall of Fame Edition
Seaver, Pinson Elected
"Terrific Tom" is 7th Superba in Hall
Pinson 3rd CF after Mays, Mantle
Hall voters selected Tom Seaver and Vada Pinson for the UL Hall of Fame in Beachville, Ontario. Seaver, a workhorse who started nearly 600 games over a two-decade career, was the ace of the Brooklyn Superbas in the late '70s and early '80s, but also pitched six seasons with the Manhattan Gray Sox, and helped them to their first UL title in his rookie season in 1968, though he missed the World Series due to injury.
When he retired, Seaver ranked in the top 10 in games started, innings pitched, strikeouts, and shutouts. But his lack of high-level awards or postseason hardware, and lackluster 3.93 career ERA kept him from the top of Hall ballots. He polled in the high 60s his first three ballots, then garnered 72 percent last year and broke through with 78 percent on his fifth ballot. Seaver is the seventh Brooklyn Superba to be induced and the first who featured after the storied club's '50s and '60s glory years, when they racked up 8 titles in 12 years.
Pinson and Seaver were never named to an All-UL Team, both candidacies rested mostly on counting stats and long playing careers, and both played for legendary franchises in the New York but in off-peak periods. Pinson patrolled center field at Yankee Stadium for the better part of a decade, starting in 1964, but left in 1973 just before the ManSox dynasty. Coincidentally, Pinson and Seaver were teammates on the 1968 Manhattan title team: Pinson at the midpoint of his career and Seaver as a rookie. Pinson won a Gold Glove Award in his second season in 1960, and though he was a great outfielder, he never won another Gold Glove. In 1989, he ranked in the top four in doubles, triples, and stolen bases and was in the top 15 in games, runs, and at-bats.
Pinson's election is a case of earning recognition long after his playing days. Pinson's career ended in 1975 but he was not put on the UL Hall of Fame ballot until 1984, and then he was passed over on his first eight tries. Vada finally won exactly 75 percent of the vote on his ninth ballot, a record 17 years after his career ended (the previous record was 13 years for Rocky Colavito).
Pinson is just the third primary centerfielder elected to Beachville, following a couple of founding legends Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle.
Freehan Just Misses
Wehmeier Also Dropped After 10th Ballot
Sitting in his living room in Gross Pointe, Michigan, Bill Freehan's phone rang. It was December 1, decision day for the UL Hall of Fame. After nine years on the ballot—and nine failed attempts—Freehan pretended not to care anymore. But this was his last year. His last chance. His heart raced as the excitement built as he reached for the phone. This had to be Beachville calling, with the news he had been waiting to hear. He raised the receiver, "Bill, this is Beachville calling, with some news..."
Catcher Bill Freehan just missed. The Boston and Atlanta backstopper won three Gold Gloves and banged out 247 hits, 2013 hits, and 61.8 WAR and in a 17-year career, but fell just short of induction with 72 percent of votes on his 10th and final ballot. It was a bitter end for a Hall of Fame campaign that began in 1983 with a promising 63 percent on his first ballot. Only one other catcher had been inducted to the Hall in its first 26 years. Surely there would be a place for a second catcher. And if not Freehan, who?
Freehan's last best hope is the new Hall of Fame Veterans Committee, a new body that will meet every five years starting in 1995. But the specifics of the VC have not been laid out, and its not clear Freehan will be eligible on the 1995 ballot. So for now, Freehan will have content himself with his #11 circle on the wall at Fenway Park, one of five retired numbers for the Boston Federals.
Wehmeier Also Dropped from Ballot
Less surprising were the voting results for Louisville Colonels legend Herm Wehmeier. One of the most consistent and durable pitchers in the league's first decade, his accomplishments have been overshadowed by a slew of modern-day pitchers, and his legacy diminished which each passing year. Wehmeier—who pitched mostly for Louisville during a 16-year career from 1951-1966—won 20 games four times and pitched over 300 innings five times, but poor Herm pitched in the gargantuan shadow of the league’s all time greatest hurler, Johnny Antonelli. Wehmeier may get a second look from the Veterans Committe, particularly if they are tasked with finding the best players from the UL's founding era.
Steve Rogers polled a very respectable 74 percent on his first ballot, almost guaranteeing induction in the next year or two. The other first-timer Terry Forster got 68 percent, a very high total for a relief pitcher.
Amos Otis, at 69 percent, was the only other candidate to crack the 65 percent mark. The former Chicago Colts outfielder has gone from 64 to 68 to 69 on his first three ballots and seems on track for eventual election.
Don Sutton got a personal high of 62 percent, but it comes on his eighth ballot, giving him just two more chances to bridge the 13-point chasm. Ernie McAnally's candidacy looks stalled, with a 61 percent score on his seventh ballot—four points lower than two years ago.
Jim Palmer, Curt Flood, Rennie Stennett have yet to crack the 60 percent line, along with Bobby Grich, Coggins, and Darrell Evans, who are in danger of falling below the 50 percent required to keep candidates on the ballot.
Next year's ballot will feature four new candidates, including some superstars of the game that could well earn first-ballot induction: Eddie Murray, Darrell Porter, Joe Sambito, and Dave Winfield.
Tonole Quits Spiders
Veteran GM Led San Francisco for Three Decades
Jeff Tonole, who joined the front office of the San Francisco Spiders in 1963, stepped down after an even three decades at the helm at Seals Stadium. Tonole's 30-year tenure was the seventh longest, trailing only the founding trio (Smith, Mueller, Qualls), Glen Reed, Sean Holloway, and Peter Vays.
Tonole inherited a weak franchise from GM John Nellis. An expansion team in 1955, the Arachnids posted a .435 winning percentage under Nellis, but made a surprise run to the 1959 title with a stunning upset of the Brooklyn Superbas. It proved to be their only winning season in their first 11 years. The year before Tonole arrived, San Francisco lost 101 games, lining Tonole up for the 1st overall pick in 1963.
Never an active trader, Tonole preferred building his teams from the draft, with varying results. The new GM used his first-ever pick on Pete Rose, the first of many draft pick duds that would plague the cursed franchise. Rose hit .263, collected 1700 hits, and retired in 1977 with a 26.7 WAR. In '64, Tonole used the #3 pick on some pitcher named Fred Newman, who nobody can remember, but who won 20 games in 1966 but was out of baseball after just three seasons.
Later first round flops included: Rudy May (#2 in 1965) who won 15 games—in his career; Roger "Spider" Nelson (#6 in 1969), who racked up 8.3 WAR in a dozen UL season; Don Mattingly (#4 in 1982), who had 187 major league hits and has a .269 career average—in Triple-A; Jose Rijo (#5 in 1984), who pitched a perfect game in 1987 but averaged just over six wins in his first 11 seasons with an ERA over 4.00.
But Tonole struck gold in the draft as well, never moreso with Fergie Jenkins and Bob Moose (1966 and '68, respectively), who would combined for 394 wins in the Orange-and-Black and led the team through its period of greatest success.
From 1974 to 1980, the Arachnids had six winning seasons in seven years, four playoff appearances, and won their second UL championship (and Tonole's first) in 1974. Those were perennially top pitching teams, but also had potent lineups featuring George Foster, Darrell Evans, Richie Zisk, and Thurmon Munson. Tonole's—and San Francisco's—finest season was arguably 1976. Thought they were bounced in the Semi Series, that year's Spiders won a franchise-best 95 games, capturing their only President's Trophy and finishing first in pitching for the only time in club history. That '76 club featured a rotation of near-peak Fergie Jenkins (15-9, 2.43, 7.6 WAR), Bob Moose, and Mike Hedlund, and two 30/90 batters in George Foster and Lee May. The top-seeded Spiders fell to Manhattan 4-3 in the Semi Series, on route to the first of their four straight UL titles.
San Francisco had a knack for making the playoffs every even year from 1974-80 while missing the playoffs in odd years. In 1980 they squeaked into the playoffs by two games over archrival Los Angeles, then became the first team to rally from an 0-3 deficit by sweeping four straight from the Denver 14ers in their first—and thus far only—postseason appearance, only to lose the World Series 4-1 to Glen Reed's Boston, the Feds' first—and thus far only—UL title.
In recent years, the Spiders have had a bit of a resurgence. They made the playoffs in 1986 with the second-best pitching in the league, led by Jose DeLeon, Rijo, and Rick Honeycutt. They averaged around 75 wins in the late '80s, as their draft picks started to land more consistently: Lenny Dykstra in '85 (traded to STL), Barry Larkin in '86, Mark Grace in '88, Greg Hibbard in '89. Hibbard won 18 games in his rookie campaign, helping SF to 84 wins in 1989.
League Standings
League Standings
West W L GB 2ndH R RA
St. Louis 101 59 - 44-32 2 4
Chicago 93 67 8 42-34 7 5
Los Angeles 90 70 11 49-27 12 1
Havana 81 79 20 37-39 9 8
Seattle 80 80 21 40-36 11 15
Denver 78 82 23 35-41 15 7
San Francisco 67 93 34 28-48 13 16
Atlanta 61 99 40 35-41 18 6
Florida 56 104 40 12-15 17 9
East W L GB 2ndH R RA
Detroit 103 57 - 49-27 6 3
Washington 91 69 12 44-32 8 2
Manhattan 89 71 14 44-42 3 13
Toronto 83 77 20 32-44 1 18
Boston 80 80 23 40-36 5 14
Brooklyn 79 81 24 38-38 4 10
Montreal 75 85 28 35-41 10 12
Keystone 67 93 36 32-44 14 17
Cleveland 66 94 37 31-45 16 10
League Leaders
League Leaders
Batting Average
Bip Roberts MON .355
Tony Gwynn ATL .354
Willie McGee SEA .352
Kirby Puckett WAS .342
Chris Brown SEA .340
Fred McGriff DET .338
Ivan Calderon DET .332
Kal Daniels HAV .327
Lenny Dykstra STL .327
Wade Boggs WAS .324
Earned Run Average
Pedro Martinez ATL 2.13
Floyd Youmans LA 2.59
Greg Swindell LA 2.75
Pat Hentgen BOS 2.83
Anthony Young CHI 2.84
Bret Saberhagen WAS 2.87
Teddy Higuera WAS 2.96
Andy Benes DET 2.97
Erik Hanson CHI 3.07
Fern Valenzuela ATL 3.32
Infield Zone Rating
Alan Trammell CHI 16.3
Rey Sanchez LA 16.1
Ozzie Guillen DET 13.7
Bill Spiers CHI 10.1
Dickie Thon FLO 9.2
Home Runs
Fred McGriff DET 55
Jose Canseco MAN 49
Ken Griffey Jr BRO 49
Ellis Burks TOR 48
Cory Snyder LA 46
Rafael Palmeiro TOR 45
Mick Tettleton TOR 45
Mike Stanley HAV 43
Ron Gant TOR 41
Tim Salmon KEY 40
Wins
Andy Benes DET 20
Jeff M Robinson CHI 18
Greg Swindell LA 18
Teddy Higuera WAS 17
Charlie Lea TOR 16
Frank Pastore MAN 16
Kevin Ritz HAV 16
Mike Scott MON 16
Floyd Youmans LA 16
Outfield Zone Rating
Stan Javier WAS 18.8
Ken Griffey Jr BRO 17.3
Sammy Sosa BOS 9.3
Tim Salmon KEY 7.8
Chili Davis WAS 7.7
RBIs
Fred McGriff DET 145
Rich Gedman WAS 124
Mike Piazza BOS 124
Ricky Jordan SEA 123
Barry Bonds BOS 122
Rafael Palmeiro TOR 119
Junior Felix MON 118
Cory Snyder LA 117
Albert Belle CHI 116
Mike Stanley HAV 116
Strikeouts
Floyd Youmans LA 316
Pat Hentgen BOS 261
Roger Clemens BOS 257
Teddy Higuera WAS 256
Mike Mussina FLO 244
Fern Valenzuela ATL 241 Mark Langston HAV 238
Curt Schilling MON 230
Pedro Martinez ATL 212
Mike Scott MON 208
bWAR
Ken Griffey Jr BRO 10.1
Shane Mack HAV 8.3
Alan Trammell CHI 8.3
Fred McGriff DET 8.2
Gary Sheffield CHI 8.2
Ryne Sandberg WAS 7.9
Kal Daniels HAV 7.2
Ivan Calderon DET 7.1
Barry Bonds BOS 6.9
Bip Roberts MON 6.8
pWAR
Floyd Youmans LA 6.9
Teddy Higuera WAS 5.8
Bret Saberhagen WAS 5.6
Andy Benes DET 5.5
Pedro Martinez ATL 5.4
Fern Valenzuela ATL 5.2
Pat Hentgen BOS 5.2
Dave Schmidt STL 5.0
Greg Swindell LA 4.4
Kevin Brown BRO 4.4
Awards
Awards
Batter of the Month
APR Eric Davis MAN
MAY Howard Johnson TOR
JUN Rafael Palmeiro TOR
JUL Jose Canseco MAN
AUG Fred McGriff DET
SEP Fred McGriff DET
Pitcher of the Month
APR Ron Darling DEN
MAY Curt Schilling MON
JUN Pat Hentgen BOS
JUL Frank Pastore MAN
AUG Floyd Youmans LA
SEP Doug Henry SEA
Rookie of the Month
APR Tim Salmon KEY
MAY Pedro Martinez ATL
JUN Mike Piazza BOS
JUL Tim Salmon KEY
AUG Steve Cooke CHI
SEP Frank Castillo SF
Player of the Week
4/6 Phil Bradley CLE
4/13 Wade Boggs WAS
4/20 Mike Devereaux FLO
4/27 Mike Piazza BOS
5/4 Alan Trammell CHI
5/11 Junior Felix MON
5/18 Howard Johnson TOR
5/25 Fred McGriff DET
6/1 Kal Daniels HAV
6/8 Will Clark DEN
6/15 Benito Santiago CHI
6/22 Rafael Palmeiro TOR
6/29 Mike Stanley HAV
7/6 Glenallen Hill WAS
7/13 Frank Thomas LA
7/20 Rich Gedman WAS
7/27 Matt Williams BRO
8/3 Tim Salmon KEY
8/10 Mike Piazza BOS
8/17 Fred McGriff DET
8/24 Willie McGee SEA
8/31 Glenallen Hill WAS
9/7 Tony Phillips STL
9/14 Andy Van Slyke LA
9/21 Chris Brown SEA
9/28 Andy Van Slyke LA
Milestones
Milestones
July 25 - STL Rickey Henderson 2,000 hits (#46 all-time)
Aug 3 - DEN Tim Raines 700 stolen bases (#4 all-time)
Aug 3 - LA Andy Van Slyke 1,000 runs (#46 all-time)
Aug 19 - BRO Willie Upshaw 1,000 runs (#48 all-time)
Aug 25 - BRO Willie Upshaw 1,000 RBIs (#44 all-time)
Sep 1 - SEA Brian Harper 2,000 hits (#46 all-time)
Sep 3 - DEN Tim Raines 1,000 runs (#48 all-time)
Sep 11 - BRO Willie Upshaw 2,000 hits (#47 all-time)
Sep 11 - HAV Kal Daniels 400 stolen bases (#28 all-time)
Sep 13 - SF Jose Oquendo 400 stolen bases (#30 all-time)
Sep 27 - HAV Mark Langston 2,000 strikeouts (#37 all-time)
Injuries
(playoff teams)
Injuries
(playoff teams)
MAN RF Phil Bradley (2 mo)
STL 1B Pat Tabler (3 wk)
East Division
East Division
103-57 (+23)
1st overall
6th in runs • 3rd in runs against
After putting up C-Rob-like power numbers, Fred McGriff is a frontrunner to win Detroit's first MVP since Bob Horner in 1983. His 394 total bases were the third most since 1978 and ninth all-time. But the Crime Dog's exploits have overshadowed the real story: the emergence of a top-3 pitching staff in Motown. Detroit boasted the third lowest runs against and the third best bullpen. Ace Andy Benes (age 24) was 17-1 in early August and finished as the league's only 20-game winner (20-4, 2.97). Lefty Pete Schourek (23) adjusted well to a starting role in his second year, trimming his ERA to 3.39 and notching 11 wins. And 11th overall pick Pedro Astacio (22) had 157 strikeouts and a 1.14 WHIP in his freshman campaign. Closer Mark Wohlers (22) set the single-season save record with 49, along with a 2.02 ERA and 1.20 WHIP.
Offensively, the Flyin' Lions had the best team batting average, led by Ivan Calderon (.332), Kevin Mitchell (.310), and Chris James (.300). Calderon, the former Chicago Colt, drove in 87 and OPSed .945, compiling 7.1 WAR, 8th in the league. And shortstop Ozzie Guillen hit .292 with 57 RBIs while finishing third among infielders in zone rating.
The common denominator on the roster is youth. The entire rotation is 25 or under, and Calderon and Mitchell are the only regulars over 30. This team is built for the long haul and should contender for championships for many years to come.
91-69 (+3)
4th overall
8th in runs • 2nd in runs against
The Monuments made the playoffs for the seventh time in nine years with their usual recipe of elite pitching, solid defense, and league-average offense. The rotation ranked #1 with a 3.41 ERA, led as usual by Bert and Teddy, who both finished in the top 3 in WAR. Saberhagen's 2.87 ERA and 1.01 WHIP were just under his career averages, while Higuera turned in a WHIP under 1.00 for the fourth time in five years. At the bottom of the rotation, 30-year-old righthander Bob Tewksbury set career marks with 14 wins and a 3.68 ERA and Kevin Tapani found his groove (11-7, 3.62) after three years as a #5 starter in Atlanta and Cleveland.
The defense featured three of the best gloves in the league. CF Stan Javier won the Willie Mays Award, 2B Ryne Sandberg had a 8.0 ZR and RF Kirby Puckett 5.7.
The offense ranked just 8th in total runs, but featured some big-name contributors. Sandberg's 7.9 WAR was his best in five seasons, and he drove in over 100 runs for the second year in a row and swiped 32 bases. Wade Boggs had his 8th 200-hit season. Rich Gedman led with 124 RBI. Glenallen Hill led in slugging (.549) and OPS (.899). And 1B Mark McGwire led with 29 HR after coming over from Atlanta in mid-April.
89-71 (+19)
6th overall
3rd in runs • 13th in runs against
Manhattan was the second-most improved team (after Detroit) and also along with Detroit, one of the biggest surprise teams of 1992. The bulk of the credit goes to the offense, which produced the Gray Sox greatest run total since the Dynasty, despite (or perhaps because of) trading away future Hall of Famer Eric Davis on May 1.
The ManSox were 2nd in homers and 3rd in runs, led by LF Jose Canseco (.305-49-109), who had the highest OPS of his career (.991) and his second best overall season after his HR/RBI title in 1989. Rookie infielder John Valentin was the second most productive bat. The #5 overall pick batted .257-30-96, .816, Rookie of the Year numbers in any other season without a Salmon and a Piazza. 1B Ed N. Sprague had a breakout year (28 HR, 81 RBI), and the trades for veteran 3B Gary Gaetti (28/80) and CF Mike Devereaux (24/67) paid immediate dividends.
Meanwhile, the pitching was much improved from last year's last place finish. Sox hurlers allowed 0.7 fewer runs and moved up five spots to 13th in runs against. Of a trio of newcomers in the rotation, only Melido Perez pitched well (4.20 ERA, 1.35 WHIP), but 34-year-old Frank Pastore was a steady presence and an innings-eater and led the staff with 16 wins and 155 Ks. After a year with no legit closers, 25-year-old Heathcliff Slocumb, picked up in the Eric Davis trade on May 1, was thrust into the role and performed admirably with 20 saves and a 2.61 ERA.
83-77 (-17)
7th overall
1st in runs • 18th in runs against
It started with Jose Mesa on March 19, then Dwight Gooden April 21, Scott Sanderson on June 20, Ellis Burks on July 18, Chris Sabo on Aug. 30, Tom Candiotti Sept. 21. Call it the Curse of the Cusp. On nearly every month this season, right around the 20th, a key Toronto player went down to injury. Sum it all up, and the three-time defending division champions lost just under $10 million to the IL, more than a third of the league total. The Gooden injury three weeks into the season was the most damning. But it was also early enough that GM Eric Clemons could make some adjustments. But Gooden and Sanderson combined for 11 WAR last year, so it was always going to be a rough pitching year, but nobody expected the complete collapse to 18th in the league in runs allowed. Sanderson (3.60) and Charlie Lea (3.87) were the only starters with ERAs under 5.00, but Sanderson missed the second half and Lea was traded to Havana in a deal that included Greg Mathews, who tossed a 6.06 in 16 starts. Michael Jackson (31 saves, 3.52) performed well in the closer role, but the rest of the pen was only marginally better than the rotation.
Toronto set a new team home run record with 295 homers. A record four Polar Bears (the Beavertail Brothers) hit at least 40: Ellis Burks, Mickey Tettleton, Rafael Palmeiro, and Ron Gant. Howard Johnson would have made it five; HoJo had 26 HR in the first half but was traded to Havana on July 1 in the Lea/Mathews deal.
Toronto was the highest scoring team since Atlanta in 1971 but also just the second #1 offense in two decades to miss the playoffs (1980 Manhattan) and the first team ever to finish first in runs and last in runs against. Apart from the Beavertails, Roberto Alomar had another fine season (.319-18-83, .831 OPS).
Toronto's 17-game drop was the biggest decline in the league and the slew of pitching injuries illustrates that even a historically good offense can only carry you so far: in this case to 83-77 and their first playoff miss since 1987.
80-80 (+13)
9-T overall
5th in runs • 14th in runs against
Boston produced 4.9 runs per game, the most since 1954's Jackie Robinson, Larry Doby, Lou Boudreau New York Gothams, and they hit .500 or better for the fourth time in six years, but the 14th-ranked pitching staff kept the club from contending.
First, let's talk about that offense. Boston hitters walked over 500 times for the first time in a decade, which contributed to the 2nd-best team OBP of .340. The 3-4-5 trio of Barry Bonds, Mike Piazza, and Sammy Sosa all had 30/100 seasons. Bonds rebounded from last year's slump, but at .290/.949 OPS still hit below his career averages. Piazza, the #2 overall pick, had a stunning debut campaign (.305-36-124, .914, 4.6 WAR) that may still fall short of Rookie of the Year (see Keystone, below). And Sosa, in his second full year as a regular, had a breakout season, driving in 35 more runs and lifting his average 30 points to .287 and his OPS a stunning 170 points to .981. Another sophomore, 2B Chuck Knoblauch, led the team with a .322 average and 1B Edgar Martinez bat over .300 and OPSed over .800 for the second straight year.
Pat Hentgen was the only star on an otherwise lackluster pitching staff. Hentgen were exactly 15-9 for the second year in a row, while slicing his ERA 110 points to 2.83. Hentgen had two 15-strikeout games 15 days apart, the only pitcher to do the feat since Don Wilson had three 15s in 1978. Ace Roger Clemens, fresh off a $12 million contract extension, had his worst ERA (4.47), WHIP (1.33) and WAR (3.2) in a non-injury season since 1985. Rookies Scott Kamieniecki and Tim Wakefield were overmatched, with a combined ERA around 5.00, and the 16th-ranked bullpen was a sieve, with closer Bobby Witt posting a 5.82 ERA. One bright spot in the pen was lefty Chuck Finley, who had a 2.77 ERA in 40 appearances.
79-81 (-14)
11th overall
4th in runs • 10th in runs against
Widely predicted to be a playoff team, the Superbas were perhaps the season's biggest disappointment, other than Toronto, regressing by 14 games to a their first losing record since 1989. The main problem was that last year's top-5 pitching staff could not sustain their excellence. Kevin Brown's ERA shot up 70 points to 4.55, Ramon Martinez' 90 points to 4.50, and Britt Burns' 75 point to 4.22. The rotation ranked 12th in ERA and the bullpen wasn't much better, as Mike Timlin and John Wetteland both had ERAs over 4.00.
It was a different story at the plate, where Brooklyn ranked 2nd in OPS and WAR, 3rd in batting and OBP, and 4th in runs scored. Three regulars slugged over .500 and drove in over 100 runs, led by MVP frontrunner Ken Griffey Jr (.300-49-113, .983) who finished in the top 4 in OPS for the third straight year and led the leageu with 10.1 WAR. 3B Matt Williams had his third straight 100-RBI year, while compiling a career-best .955 OPS. And 34-year-old 1B Willie Upshaw had his best season in five years, batting .308-22-110 for a 4.4 WAR. Last, but not least, 2B Geronimo Pena, a year out from being ranked the #4 league prospect, turned in an All-Star performance with a .299 average and 87 RBIs.
75-85 (-11)
13th overall
10th in runs • 12th in runs against
After last year's 32-game improvement, the Canoeists regressed a bit to 75-85 and 7th place in the East. The pitching staff gave back half of last year's 1.0-run improvement, as Chris Bosio and Kenny Rogers had higher ERAs and newcomers Mike Scott and Larry McWilliams performed at or below league average. Former #1 league prospect Curt Schilling trimmed his ERA 20 points to 3.88 and was the staff workhorse with 252 innings, but suffered control problems, issuing a league-high 107 walks, or 3.8 per nine. At age 33, closer Lee Smith's ERA and WHIP number ticked slightly above his career averages, but he still managed 28 saves with a 3.09 ERA.
The offense scored at the same clip as a year ago (4.5 per game), but dropped four positions to 10th amid the leaguewide increase in scoring. Bip Roberts had 11 multi-hit games in his last 12 games, batting .475 (28-59) to raise his average 11 points and surge to the batting title, his second straight, with a career-high 236 hits, tied for 8th most all-time. In his second year as a full-time regular, RF Junior Felix was a production machine, hitting 35 homers and driving in 110 runs. LF Larry Walker, age 24, lifted his average 30 points and his OPS 85 to .314 and .811, respectively. And second-year catcher Ivan Rodriguez batted .304-10-84, .761. So the young hitters are coming into their stride.
67-93 (+3)
14-T overall
14th in runs • 17th in runs against
Keystone added a pair of #3 draft picks to their lineup and the move had an immediate impact, as the Starlings scored 75 more runs and climbed three spots to 14th in offense. 1B Jeff Bagwell had 21 HR and a .769 OPS in his rookie campaign, while Tim Salmon produced a rare 100-RBI/.900+ OPS rookie season. CF Reggie Sanders batted just .219 in his rookie outing, but still managed to drive in 89 runs and 1991 Rookie of the Year, 2B Carlos Baerga, hit .307 with an .818 OPS and fell one shy of his second straight 200-hit season.
Workhorse Kirk McCaskill led the staff with 239 innings and a 4.51 ERA while former Griffin Scott Bankhead led with 182 strikeouts and a 3.2 WAR. The bullpen was the league's second worst. Rod Beck and Roberto Hernandez failed to build on strong rookie seasons. Beck's ERA nearly tripled from 2.53 to 6.79 while RoHern exploded from 1.56 to 7.04. Former Cleveland Baron John Dopson was much better in the closer role, notching 29 saves with a 3.90 ERA.
66-94 (-8)
16th overall
16th in runs • 10th in runs against
After briefly touching .500 two years ago, the Barons have returned to the second division, suffering their seventh losing season in eight years and extending the league's longest playoff drought to 18 years. The biggest issue in 1992 was the pitching, which allowed 4.58 runs per game, the most since the club's first year in Cleveland in 1959. While the starters were league-average, the bullpen ranked dead last with a 4.83 ERA as Steve Olin's ERA almost doubled and John Costello struggled in the closer role. Joe Magrane was the best starter, but had an off year by his standards and could muster just 10 wins and a 3.40 ERA.
Tony Fernandez (.296, .739 OPS) rebounded from an off year and the Barons stole plenty of bases when they could get on base, which wasn't often, with a .313 team OBP. Midseason trades of their only longball threats Phil Bradley and Bob Horner left 26-year-old 1B Hal Morris as the top hitter, with .296-15-74, .791.
On the plus side, the Barons shelled out their smallest payroll in three decades and turned a profit for the first time in seven years.
West Division
West Division
101-59 (+14)
2nd overall
2nd in runs • 4th in runs against
St. Louis did something this year that only one other team has done—qualify for the postseason 10 years in a row—and won 100 games for the league-most fourth time since 1977. Thepitching rebounded from last year's 11th to place 4th, while the offense returned to the top 2 for the first time since 1988.
The Dark Reds were 1st in OBP and bWAR and the leader in both categories was 2B Tony Phillips, who turned in career highs with 186 and .313 batting to go with a .395 OBP and 6.8 WAR. While leadoff man Rickey Henderson slumped to a career-low .362 OBP, other leadoff man Lenny Dykstra contributed a career best .881 OPS and near career-best .394 OBP. Julio Franco also had a .395 OBP. With that table service, it is no surprised the Maroons scored a second-most 798 runs; those top 3 in the lineup scored over 300 of them.
But the hidden secret behind St. Louis' offensive success this year was the acquistition of a 36-year-old shortstop. Robin Yount, in his 19th season in the UL, hit .314-19-90, .863 with career best .365 OBP, his second best batting average and his highest WAR in four years. Yount was particularly hot in the last third of the season, batting .381 after Aug. 1.
Another oldster who turned back the hands of time was 34-year-old starter Dave Schmidt, who's 1.26 WHIP and 5.0 WAR were his best in three years, and 32-year-old Craig McMurtry, whose 2.85 ERA was his best in eight years and led the staff.
Tom Glavine led the staff with 15 wins and 162 strikeouts, despite a lackluster 4.43 ERA, while closer Steve Howe topped 30 saves for the seventh time and moved to #2 on the all-time save list with 379, just 15 behind Joe Sambito. St. Louis was 12-3 in extra innings, best in the league. The Maroons had their highest payroll in 20 years and suffered their biggest loss since 1983.
93-67 (+2)
3rd overall
7th in runs • 5th in runs against
Despite falling short of a division pennant with a fourth straight 2nd place finish, Chicago won 90 games and made the playoffs for the third year in a row for the first time under GM Steve Haugh and the first time since the 1961-66 dynasty. While the offense slipped a bit, from back-to-back years as #2 to just #5 this year, the offense more than compensated with the best offensive production in 25 years despite the loss of their best hitter Ivan Calderon.
The attack was led by 3-4 hitters Gary Sheffield (.324-28-93) and Albert Belle (.316-30-116), and was augmented by Benny Santiago, John Olerud, and Alan Trammell, who all contributed 80+ RBIs. Eric Davis was disappointing after a blockbuster trade with Manhattan on May 1, but still hit 26 HR and an .816 OPS in 127 games. Trammell led all infielders with a 16.3 zone rating and finished in the top 3 in WAR for the sixth time and the first time in six years.
Steve Cooke (13-5, 3.43) was second only to Pedro Martinez in WAR among rookie hurlers, while Jeff M. Robinson was 2nd in wins (18) and second-year righthander Anthony Young was 5th in ERA (2.84) and 1st in HR/9 (0.5). The bullpen was 3rd in the league and the rotation 4th. Closer Todd Burns (34 SV, 2.63) had a career best ERA and WHIP.
90-70 (-11)
5th overall
12th in runs • 1st in runs against
The defending champs were in 7th on June 1 and 5th at the midway point, but overtook Denver during their successful Founder's Cup campaign and took sole position of third by July 16. Their 49-27 second half tied with Detroit for the best in the league, and secured the Outlaws' 12th straight playoff appearance, despite its worst record and lowest finish during that span.
L.A. led the league in pitching for the ninth time in 11 years, led by Cy Young candidate Floyd Youmans, whose 316 strikeouts were the most since Whitey Ford in 1966, and who 2nd in ERA (2.59) and 1st in WAR (6.9). Greg Swindell followed up last year's solid year with a spectacular 1992 (18-7, 2.75) the 26-year old was third in ERA and tied for 2nd in wins. Former Griffin and 14er Todd Frohwirth seized the closer role by the horns (37 saves, 2.03 ERA).
L.A. ranked 12 in offense, their lowest finish since 1979, but that is misleading since Frank Thomas did not join the roster until June and several players suffered extended slumps in the first half. Indeed, L.A. ranked 15th in runs on July 1, then scored at least five in six of seven games during their 6-1 Founder's Cup run. Cory Snyder had his second straight 40 HR/100 RBI/.900 OPS season, and Andy Van Slyke had a torrid September (.398, 1.176 OPS) to finish with his highest WAR since 1985 and and his seventh 5+ WAR season.
If there are any weaknesses, they would be at the bottom of the rotation and lineup. Dave Beard's 4.74 ERA was a career worst, and Ron Karkovice and Rey Sanchez are close to automatic outs. Having said that, if Youmans and Swindell are on, they will carry this club to their first back-to-back titles in franchise history.
81-79 (-2)
8th overall
9th in runs • 8th in runs against
The Leones were in the playoff zone for much of the summer, then won six straight in late August to pull within one of L.A. on August 28, only to go 9-18 down the stretch to fade out of contention. Still, Havana's third straight winning season put their first six losing seasons further in the rearview mirror.
The Cats hit 198 homers, third in the league and smashing the former club record by 40. The 2-6 hitters (Kal Daniels, Shane Mack, Mike Stanley, Howard Johnson, and Kevin Mitchell) were the most fearsome Murderer's Row this side of the Beavertail Brothers, averaging 34 HR and 98 RBIs. Catcher Mike Stanley, in his second year with the Green-and-Gold, led the pack with 43 HR and 116 RBIs, while Shane Mack led with .975 OPS and Kal Daniels swiped 45 bases to go with his .956 OPS. Mack, Stanley, and Daniels were all in the top 7 in OPS, but so stark was the dropoff after those three that the club ranked just 8th in team OPS.
Veteran righthander Charlie Lea led the staff with a 3.36 ERA in 16 starts after coming over from Toronto midseason. Kevin Ritz trimmed his ERA 70 points to 3.59 and led the club with 16 wins. And Mark Langston had a third straight campaign with 200+ IP, 200+ strikeouts, and an ERA under 3.50. Havana was the worst team in the league in extra innings (3-13), partly attributable to closer Gene Nelson, who suffered 10 blown saves with a pedestrian 4.02 ERA.
80-80 (-2)
9-T overall
11th in runs • 15th in runs against
First year GM Brandon Tucker led the Rainiers to their third straight .500-ish season despite an offensive slump that saw Seattle plate its lowest run tally in eight seasons. Former MVP John Shelby fell short of 100 RBI in a full season for the first time in eight years, and the middle infield duo of Harold Reynolds and Delino DeShields slumped to below league average. On the other hand, 3B Chris Brown approached career highs with a .340 average and .906 OPS, and Willie McGee nearly won the batting title.
McGee had a 21-game hitting streak in September that lifted his batting average to .354 and put him in the thick of the batting race, only to have the streak end at the worst possible moment. McGee went hitless on Sept. 29, and 2-for-8 in his last two games, while Montreal's Bip Roberts went 5-for-10 to nab his second straight batting title.
On the pitching side, closer Doug Henry's 44 saves tied for the third most in league history, but was only second most this year behind record-setter Mark Wohlers. Mike Mason (13-7, 3.59) led the staff in ERA, wins, and innings pitched, while southpaw David West struggled (4.23) in his first full year in the rotation.
The Rainiers struggled again at the gate, ranking 17th in attendance, but improved the farm system, particularly with C Javy Lopez, the #2 rated prospect in the league.
78-82 (+11)
12th overall
15th in runs • 7th in runs against
The ultimate teasers, Denver again overperformed early on, occupying a top-3 spot as late as June 28, but the loss of top slugger Jesse Barfield and a second-half offense slump consigned the 14ers to a familiar under-.500 territory. The club did start to feel the effects of its new pitcher-friendly ballpark; in their second year in Ralph Carr Field, Denver allowed just 4.2 runs per game, the second-best pitching performance in club history.
Bill Swift finally exorcised the demons of his recent seasons and posted a 3.54 ERA and 1.22 ERA, his best season since 1987. Ron Darling led the club with 14 wins, 163 Ks, and 3.3 WAR, despite ballooning his ERA by 65 pts to 3.70. Rookie Donovan Osbourne, the 18th overall pick, was unhittable early on, going 6-0, 2.55 in his first six starts before slumping to a 3-10, 6.10 finish. Fellow rookie Mike Trombley was surprisingly efficient in a short-starter role, posting a 3.74 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in 22 mostly-five-inning starts.
The offense was again in the bottom quartile in most categories outside of stolen bases. Tim Raines led the club with a .324 average and league-best .411 OBP, while swiping his 700th career stolen base. Will Clark led the club with 21 HR and 94 RBI while replicating last year's .299 batting and .371 OBP clips. And Mark McLemore continued to develop into an elite middle infielder with his second 4.0+ WAR season and first .800-OPS campaign.
67-93 (-5)
14-T overall
13th in runs • 16th in runs against
Jeff Tonole celebrated his 30th year as GM of the Spiders—the third longest continuous tenure with one team after Charlie Qualls and Peter Vays—if celebrate is the right word for a club that has endured 10 losing seasons in the last 12 years. The Spiders have averaged 88 losses since their last playoff appearance in 1986, but the 1992 team was an uncharacteristically bad pitching team, ranking 16th in runs allowed and giving up the most runs since 1965.
Following the complete meltdown of former frontman Jose Rijo, all eyes were on Jose DeLeon to take over the ace mantel. DeLeon responded with his worst ERA (3.94) and WHIP (1.27) of his career, contributing to a 9-14 record. Lefty Greg Hibbard also regressed to 5.06 after a 3.72 ERA last year. On the plus side, Frank Castillo, the #22 overall pick in 1991, led all rookies with 15 wins and posted a solid 3.43 ERA in 31 starts.
Mark Grace had his first 200-hit, .300 average season since 1989, Rob Deer smashed 30 homers while raising his OPS 80 points to .754, and Barry Larkin (.315, .829 OPS) had his best year at the plate since becoming a regular in 1987.
61-99 (-5)
17th overall
18th in runs • 6th in runs against
In their first year in Aaron-Antonelli Field, the Toppers felt the effect of their new pitcher-friendly confines. Atlanta finished dead-last in offense for the first time ever and had a top-third pitching staff for first time since Woodstock.
The story of the year of course, was rookie phenom Pedro Martinez (10-9, 2.13), who won the ERA title handily and led all rookies with 212 strikeouts and a 5.4 WAR. Pedro started and ended the year on high notes, with 0.92 and 0.54 ERAs in April and September. Fernie Valenzuela showed his amazing consistency, with his fourth straight year with an ERA between 3.32-3.36 in 32-34 starts. Dan Plesac was solid in the closer role, with 19 saves and a 2.29 ERA after a June 16 trade with Cleveland.
Offensively, the team struggled, ranking dead-last in most offensive categories. Tony Gwynn was his usual elite self, compiling his seventh season with at least 200 hits and a .350+ average, though he lost the batting title on the last day to Bip Roberts. 2B Jose Valentin, the 13th overall pick, had a promising first year, batting .267 with a .771 OPS and net-positive defensive.
Most importantly for GM Andy Chaney, attendance skyrocketed 47 percent and the club turned a profit for the first time in six years, thanks in part to its lowest payroll in 11 years.
56-104 (-13)
18th overall
17th in runs • 9th in runs against
The Pink Birds produced exactly the same runs (3.4) and runs allowed (4.5) per game as last year, yet somehow managed to win 13 fewer games, the third biggest drop in the league. What accounts for this strange and sudden shift? The '91 Flamingos were Pythagorean outperformers by 10 wins, the third greatest "outperformance" in UL history. That means they won 10 more games than they should have giving their runs and runs allowed. This year they were five-game underperformers with a -5 differential. Last year's birds were 31-21 in one-run games, this year they were 22-33, an 11.5-game swing.
As for Florida's young stars, Mike Mussina showed little progress, with roughly the same ERA (4.32) and WHIP (1.22) as his rookie season, while leading the league with 36 HR allowed. SS Omar Vizquel (.281, .675 OPS) took a big step forward in his third season, raising his batting by 30 points and his OPS by 75. And of course, the face of the franchise, Frank Thomas, was traded to Los Angeles on June 1, in a deal netting LF Ruben Sierra and four draft picks. Sierra's bat turned ice-cold in the South Florida sun.
Terry Puhl, age 35, was the club's best hitter with a .304 average and 2.0 WAR, while SP Shane Reynolds had a good rookie campaign, leading the team with a 4.13 ERA in 26 starts.
The #18 finish gives Florida the biggest shot at Chipper Jones or Manny Ramirez in next year's draft.
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