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Oct. 23, 1993 • World Series Edition
Oct. 23, 1993 • World Series Edition
Bondage Ponies Get Blue Ribbon
Chicago Wins First Title in 20 Years
The 1993 World Series was shaping up to be a classic after a split of the first two games, a see-saw finish to Game 3, and an apparent pitchers' duel to start Game 4. But Bill Spiers' two-run double off Ramon Martinez put the visitors ahead, and Eric Davis' 3-run homer put the game—and the series—out of reach. The Bondage Ponies scored 20 runs in the final 14 innings on their way to their third UL title, and first since 1973. The Colts are the eight club to win at least titles, and are even with the Atlanta Hilltoppers and Los Angeles Outlaws.
Alan Trammell hit .381-0-10 in 10 games to earn Lew Burdette Playoff MVP honors. The 34-year-old shortstop will have to make room in a trophy case already stuffed with 11 Gold Gloves, 10 Ullies, 9 Willie Mays Awards, All-Decade Team, and Player of the Decade accolades. Honorable mention should go to Steve Cooke, who posted a 1.32 ERA and 12 strikeouts in his two playoff starts, both in critical Game 3s.
Despite the bitter ending, it was a great season for the Brooklyn Superbas, who had just their second 90-win season in 13 years, snapped a slump of six straight playoff series losses, and made it to the World Series for the first time in 17 years. Although a new slump has now reared its ugly head: Brooklyn has now lost three straight World Series going back to 1969.
With one of the UL's five youngest pitching staffs—ace Ramon Martinez is 24—Matt Williams and Geronimo Pena at 26, and MVP candidate Ken Griffey Jr. at 22, one gets the sense that this is just the beginning for no-longer-up-and-coming Superbas.
GAME 1 - CHI 6, BRO 3
Jeff M. Robinson stilled Brookyn's bats, and Benito Santiago was 3-for-4 with a homer and the Colts rolled to a 6-0 lead and held on for the Game 1 triumph. Santiago's solo shot got the scoring started in the bottom of the second and the Ponies tacked on five runs in three innings (4th to 6th), including an RBI triple by Randy Bush and Alan Trammell's two-run double. Kevin Brown was chased in the sixth and the Bas' bullpen was solid, but the damage was done. Ken Griffey Jr. and Matt Williams hit back-to-back jacks in the 8th, and Jody Reed added one in the ninth, but it was too little, too late.
GAME 2 - BRO 9, CHI 1
Tom Foley's two-run homer in the fifth put Brooklyn up 2-1 and opened the floodgates, as the Superbas tallied 14 hits and 9 runs in a Game 2 blowout. Jeff Reed was 4-for-4, and backup catcher Dave Engle contributed a three-run homer in the ninth. Erik Hanson gave up six runs in 7.1 innings, and Randy Bush was 4-for-5 at the plate, though with 0 RBIs and 0 runs.
GAME 3 - CHI 4, BRO 2
In the first World Series game at Frank Thomas Memorial Stadium in 17 years, Steve Cooke battled David Cone to 1-0 score after seven innings, setting up a see-saw finish. Chicago doubled its lead with Santiago's leadoff homer in the top of the eighth, but Brooklyn immediately tied it up on Dion James' RBI double and Matt Williams RBI single. With closer extraordinaire Blas Minor on the hill in the ninth, the Colts got an RBI single from Darren Lewis to put them ahead 3-2 an another RBI single from Eric Davis for an insurance run they would not need, as Todd Burns looked down the win after the blown save in the eighth.
GAME 4 - CHI 10, BRO 2
What looked like another pitchers' duel turned into a rout. Terry Mulholland and Ramon Martinez were both on, taking a 1-0 Brooklyn lead into the fifth inning, when the dam burst and the Colts offense became scoring in droves. A three-run fifth, three-run sixth, and four-run ninth followed, and the Superbas never mustered any counterattack of significance. Eric Davis' 3-run shot off Ramon in the sixth was the turning point, expending Chicago's lead to a 6-1. It was Davis' first homer after an eight-game homer slump going back into the regular season. Albert Belle's three-run clout in the ninth was also his first in the postseason. It was as if the Colts' hitters had removed their blinders and were now racing to the finish line. Ramon coughed up six runs in 5.0 innings, and Gene McMichael surrended four in just 0.1. The magical Brooklyn bullpen lost its magic at exactly the same moment that Chicago's sluggers regained theirs.
GAME 5 - CHI 10, BRO 5
Smelling victory, and not wanting the extended the series any longer than necessary, Chicago put up a five-spot off Kevin Brown in the second, prompting a funereal spirit to descend upon the capacity crowd of 42,000-plus at the Frank. Tom Foley's error opened the floodgates, putting two men on with no outs. Four of the five runs came with two outs: Trammell's two-run single, Randy Bush's RBI single, and Gary Sheffield's RBI single. The home crowd briefly came back to life when Brooklyn's Willie Upshaw halved the lead to 6-3 with a three-run blast, but Albert Belle's two-run double in the fourth reestablished the insurmountable lead, as the Brooklyn bullpen again faltered on the biggest stage. Tom Henke gave up three runs in 2.0 innings and Minor surreneded two more in the ninth. Kelly Downs struck out six on his way to his second playoff win.
Speaking of exorcising ghosts, Chicago's series win reversed over three decades of Colts' World Series futility against Brooklyn. The Superbas defeated the Colts four years in a row from 1961 to 1964, then added a fifth win in 1966 for good measure. The win caps Chicago's inexorable rise over the last few seasons, two Semi Series losses in 1990 and 1991, and a World Series loss to Detroit last year. GM Steve Haugh celebrates his 10th season in the UL with his first World Series title. Haugh is the 19th different GM to win the UL championship, the 11th among active managers, and the sixth first-timer since 1981.
First-time champions since 1980
1993 - Steve Haugh, Chicago
1990 - Eric Clemons, Toronto
1987 - Mark Waller, Washington
1983 - Sean Holloway, DET
1982 - Jo Lima, Montreal
1981 - Peter Vays, Los Angeles
The Agony of Defeat!
LA GM Disappointed in Early Exit;
DET GM Asks “Wait – We Were in the Playoffs?”
by Sean "Steady On" Holloway, UL Beat Reporter
After both Hex Series ended earlier than expected, it was clear that the losers of the series, LA and DET, were having a difficult time dealing with the outcome. Well, the latter were actually having a difficult time processing being in the playoffs, but we’ll get to that in a bit.
At the Outlaws’ post-Hex presser, GM Peter Vays elaborated on his regret at not being able to trade for players that may have been able to push Los Angeles past Chicago.
Commented Vays: “I was concerned that we may have issues in the playoffs. Jay Bell is an above average 2B in the field, but he didn’t have the best season offensively, and he had an even rougher Hex Series. We really wanted Dickie Thon (TOR), but in conversations with GM “Doctorin’ the Tardis” Clemons, it became clear that guys like Thon had been put on some untouchable list, and try as we did to remove Thon from that list, we just couldn’t get Dickie off.”
Vays then continued with his thoughts on how to increase the UL’s popularity, opining: “we have done much survey analysis on what fans want, and what they want is a series like LA and DET. In fact, one anonymous fan even opined on the upcoming CHI-BRO WS ‘Pulling for neither of you. Hope fans demand that LA and Detroit play instead.’ This sentiment shows that the Outlaws will only work harder over the offseason to ensure that teams the fans want to see are playing as often as possible. I’m even reaching out to my counterpart in Detroit to see if we can put together a 3rd place game," [Ed. note: presumably modeled on FIFA's wildly popular 3rd place game in the World Cup.]
Meanwhile, at Griffins GM Sean Holloway’s post-Hex presser, the press pressed (hah!) Holloway on what machinations may be in the works for a UL Hex Series 3rd place game. Holloway, though, was having none of it and also appeared to not be lucid. When asked about DET’s loss to BRO in the Hex Series, Holloway responded “Dude! We made the playoffs? Woo-hoo! I thought Spring Training had started!” before he turned to the Griffins’ Special Assistant for Party Affairs, Lance Mueller, and screamed “making the playoffs deserves to be celebrated; call Grieve and have him round up Destiny, Jade and Sky – it’s gonna be a wild night!”
What does this mean? For the Outlaws, get ready for a busy offseason, with deals galore as GM Vays’ war room crew reviews other teams’ untouchable lists and tries to get as many guys off as possible. For Detroit, unfortunately, it seems it’s back to business as usual circa 1979-80, with a GM who’s clearly not all there. This also should guarantee an exciting offseason, just not in the ways one would expect. Speaking from experience, though, this reporter can say that the offseason in Detroit is off the chain, so stop on by the strip club if you’re in the Motor City.
Wither Each UL Team?
Is It Too Early to Prognosticate on Offseason Activity?
by Sean "Steady On" Holloway, UL Beat Reporter
With a newly crowned UL champion, let’s keep moving forward to see what the offseason and next season may hold for each UL team. Oh, and I received confirmation from Dickie Thon that it’s OK to prognosticate any time you want as long as you don’t do it in public…..
Atlanta
Well, starting pitching does not appear to be a problem other than having Daryl Kile as the #4. I mean who would stand for a 21 at #4; it’s 23 or above – sheesh. The Hilltoppers are solid in the field as well. Their one pain point is offense. Gwynn is still Gwynning along, and additions of Rondell White and Manny are certain to help. The question is if GM Chaney can find more offense fast enough to take advantage of their #1 pitching staff. Prediction: Chaney finds enough offense in the draft to challenge for a playoff spot.
Boston
The Feds are almost in the opposite situation from Atlanta, one where pitching is a bit suspect but the offense is solid. Knoblauch, Daniels, Sosa, Piazza, Thome – oh, my! This team should not have trouble scoring runs, so the question is if Waller can get his arms to perform. Prediction: the Feds fall just short of the playoffs despite improving, while Waller looks to add players this winter.
Brooklyn
The WS runner-ups are coming off a fantastic year, and the Bas have oodles of money to spend in FA, so watch the fuck out! Offensively, the team should crush again just as they did last year. The question marks for them will be two. First, will Upshaw, Greenwell, Reed and Foley produce as they did in 1993? All four are above 30, with Upshaw and Foley 34+. Second, will the starting rotation repeat its performance? Brooklyn was able to mash many teams into submission, but some have commented that the rotation—from a ratings perspective—is on shaky ground, and that the crew may have trouble repeating its performance of this past season. Prediction: TurboTimBRO adds enough in FA to make the playoffs.
Chicago
Whew. With some UL observers waiting for a fake naked horse – or something like that – photo from GM Haugh, others are being wowed by the fact that it seems as if Haugh has pretty much his entire team coming back. The starters are solid from 1 – 5, and the pen is brutal. Throw in Sheffield, Belle, and Davis, and this team should have no trouble winning games. The only potential wrench in the plan is how bad does ARB hit the team, and what is the resulting fiscal mess? Prediction: The Colts win the West again.
Cleveland
The Barons are quietly biding their time, waiting for the perfect moment to pounce! Just when that exactly will be is unknown. With a new stadium in the works, and two lottery picks in 1994, Cleveland could try to make a run for it now. However, it seems the more sensible play may be to let guys like Hammonds, Edmonds and Floyd cook longer, along with anyone they pick up in FA and from the 1994 draft. Prediction: Cleveland decides to simmer for another year and collects players in the offseason.
Denver
The 14ers pitching was solid, but unfortunately the team had difficulty scoring runs. With only two picks in 1994, the Commish will be forced to be creative and add players either in FA or via trade, or both. GM Smith always pulls a team together, and while he will certainly field a team that is respectable, it’s not certain that Denver will make the playoffs. Prediction: Denver misses the playoffs after valiantly competing throughout the regular season, despite the Commish’s numerous offseason deals.
Detroit
With a fall to their starting pitching, the Griffins crashed out of the playoffs hard against BRO. Knowing that, watch for GM Holloway to do what he can to shore up his starting rotation. The loss of Ivan “I’m a greedy bastard” Calderon, who left two years early on his contract and despite the fact the team won the World Series, Detroit is also still attempting to replace some offensive production. If Detroit can find another arm and pump up its offense a bit, the team should be solid, so look for GM Holloway to be on the prowl. Prediction: the team challenges for the playoffs.
Florida
A vastly improved team had a vastly improved season. What, pray tell, may put the Pink Birds over the top and into the playoffs? First and foremost, a replacement at 1B for the Flammies, seeing how Big Mac has decided to test FA. Replacing his offense is likely high on GM Lima’s list. If Lima can find his 1B and find a diamond in the draft, the team should compete for the playoffs. Prediction: the Birds battle HAV, STL and ATL for the last playoff spot.
Havana
Save for a bum ankle for Shane Mack, the Leones very well may have made the playoffs this past season. GM Mueller has done a fantastic job getting every ounce of fight out of his team, and this die-trying attitude will only continue into next season. With a healthy Mack, some smart picks, and likely some trades and/or activity in FA, look for the Leones to again compete for that last playoff spot in the West against STL, ATL and FLO.
Keystone
GM Aiton has some issues at both ends, with his starters not starting and his offense not really that offensive. With plenty of money to spare, look for Aiton to shore up both in FA, and it would not shock me to see more deals made as well. Prediction: the ‘Stones fail to make the playoffs.
Los Angeles
After crashing out of the 1993 playoffs, look for GM Vays to ensure that the offseason is a busy one for the Outlaws. First and foremost, the team must continue to get trade targets off……..of no-trade lists that other teams have compiled. If successful, the team should have no issues whatsoever competing, especially with two 1994 1st round picks. Prediction: LA makes the playoffs and, depending on the many offseason moves, challenges CHI for the West.
Manhattan
The Gray Sox experienced a collapse at the end of the season that still perplexes me. To ensure it doesn’t happen again, GM Holthaus has freed up considerable salary cap space, so look for the Sox to be an active player in FA. It will be interesting to see which direction Holthaus decides to go, as many starters in the Sox lineup are long in the tooth or getting there, and unfortunately the team has no 1994 picks. Despite that, the team likely has it in them for another run. Prediction: the Sox challenge for the playoffs after Holthaus finds some FAs.
Montreal
The Voyageurs have no problem scoring runs; they need to shore up the starting rotation and bullpen. With potentially a lot of money to spend in FA, look for GM Gryka to splash some cash in an effort to help his staff. Between Pudge, Bret Boone, Luis Gonzalez and Bip “I’ll bunt my way to .400” Roberts, this team will be able to mash and now needs to work on preventing runs. Prediction: Montreal challenges for a playoff spot in the East.
San Francisco
Are you going to San Francisco? Be sure to take all the players that you can. Yep, SF needs help on both sides of the ball. With a pitcher’s park, shoring up that facet of the game should be easier than the offense, as the loss of 1B Mark Grace really hurts. SF has all its picks, but there may not be enough there unless the team really goes wild in FA. Prediction: SF falls short of the playoffs.
Seattle
GM Tucker’s immediate need seems to be starting pitching, so don’t be surprised if he goes with an SP in the draft. With cap space, the Rainiers certainly could be a player in FA, but at this point, Tucker may want to consider a rebuild instead. Prediction: SEA has a tough year and does not make the playoffs.
St. Louis
With Bonds, Palmeiro, Dykstra and Tony Phillips, the Maroons can score runs, but their pitching staff has seen better days. With no picks, though, GM Reed will have to rely on his pure baseball acumen and trade ability to supplement the Maroons roster before the rotation really hits some potholes. Knowing Reed, however, this should not be an issue. Prediction: Reed trades the Maroons into a position where they can compete for a playoff spot against ATL, HAV and FLO.
Toronto
GM Clemons fell a player or two short of advancing the PBs. This should be an active, but likely not blockbuster, type of offseason for the team. Most notably, the PBs will be paying attention to their bullpen and then looking to improve the team wherever possible. The starters are solid, and this team can hit with the best of them, so be on the lookout for a GM with a laser focus on 2-3 deals that puts his team over the top. Prediction: TOR challenges for the playoffs.
Washington
With the trading away of Bert, it appears that GM Gudim is in the midst of rebuilding the Monuments. With a multitude of players that could be traded, WAS could have tons of cap space and multiple draft picks. If Gudim is active over the offseason, he could kick-start the rebuild off. Prediction: the Monuments rebuild and don’t make the playoffs in 1994.-
Oct. 15, 1993 • Playoff Edition
Oct. 15, 1993 • Playoff Edition
Brooklyn-Chicago, Part VI
Superbas-Colts Renew League's Oldest Rivalry
The Brooklyn Superbas and Chicago Colts will meet in the UL World Series for the sixth time this October, renewing a rivalry dating back to the early '60s, when the club met five times in the span of six years—and Brooklyn taking all five series.
Since their five World Series triumphs over Chicago, Brooklyn has only made two World Series appearances: losing to St. Louis in 1969 and to Manhattan in 1976's Subway Series. Chicago ended a 19-year World Series drought last year, but lost to Detroit. They will now seek their first title in exactly 20 years while Brooklyn looks for its first in 27 years.
Both clubs make quick work of the Semi Series foes, winning in five games. Brooklyn lost the opener at Kiner Field, then rallied for an epic comeback win, 11-10 in 11 innings, in Game 2, then held Detroit to just five runs in the final three games while riding the bat of Matt Williams (.450-3-9) who picked up where Ken Griffey Jr. left off in the Hex Series.
Chicago won its first three games against Los Angeles, before the Outlaws avoided a sweep in a Game 4 win. The Colts pitching staff allowed just 1.8 runs per game, including 11.2 shutout innings from the bullpen. Albert Belle hit .353 with 4 RBIs to claim Series MVP honors.
Superbas GM Tim Widholm makes his first World Series appearance in his 17th year at the helm, making Atlanta's Andy Chaney (14 years) now the longest-tenured GM without making the World Series. Meanwhile, Chicago GM Steve Haugh appears to be continuing his inexorable climb: after two Semi Series losses, he lost the World Series last year, and now in his 10th season has his first World Series title within his grasp.
Whichever GM wins will become the 19th different GM to win the UL championship, and the 11th among active managers.
First-time champions since 1980
1993 - ???
1990 - Eric Clemons, Toronto
1987 - Mark Waller, Washington
1983 - Sean Holloway, DET
1982 - Jo Lima, Montreal
1981 - Peter Vays, Los Angeles
Screaming Bats Bludgeon Flyin' Lions
Brooklyn Rolls Past Detroit for First World Series in 17 Years
The Brooklyn Superbas retired the Screaming Bat two decades ago, but the vintage logo would have been a perfect fit for the 1993 Semi Series victory over the defending champion Detroit Griffins. Brooklyn averaged 7.2 runs per game in their Semi Series drubbing of the Flyin' Lions. The 3-4 combo of Ken Griffey Jr. and Matt Williams—who combined for 65 HR and 198 RBI in the regular season—went into overdrive in the playoffs. Griffey hit .395-7-15, 1.463 and homered in five straight games, while Williams batted .375-5-14, 1.297 and had 9 RBIs in a four-game span. The two accounted for 29 of Brooklyn's 54 RBIs in nine games.
But the pitching was also exemplary, particularly in the last three games, when Brooklyn allowed just five runs. Steve Avery and David Cone are 4-0 in their four starts, with a combined 2.60 ERA. Blas Minor has three saves, and Greg McMichael added two more to go with his 6.2 shutout innings.
GAME 1 - DET 4, BRO 3
Ramon Martinez took a two-hit shutout in the fifth, when Detroit erupted for four runs on Ozzie Guillen's solo homer, Dwight Smith's RBI double, and Tony Fernandez' two-run homer. That was all the runs the hosts needed, as Andy Benes got the win and Dave Beard locked down the save. Smith hit 3-for-4 and Griffey's solo poke in 6th extended his homer streak to four games.
GAME 2 - BRO 11, DET 10, 11 inn.
The game looked over after six innings, with Detroit leading 9-3. But Brooklyn rallied for seven unanswered runs to take a 10-9 lead into the bottom of the ninth, when Chris James doubled home Fernandez to tie the game and send it into extra frames. In the top of the 11th, Tom Foley's sac fly plated Griffey for the winning run. Matt Williams and Ken Griffey Jr each homered twice, and Geronimo Pena added a fifth dinger. Griffey's homers came in the 8th and 9th innings and he has 7 HR in his last 5 playoff games. Detroit scored 10 runs on 12 hits and still took the loss. Fernandez had 4 RBIs and Ryan Klesko added 3. Mikey Stanton and Dave Beard gave up a combined seven runs in 2.1 innings of work.
GAME 3 - BRO 5, DET 1
At home in the Frank, Brooklyn jumped on Chris Nabholz for three runs in the first and never looked back. Steve Avery held the Flyin' Lions to seven hits and one run in 5.1 innings, and Mike Timlin and Greg McMichael were untouchable. Dion James and Matt Williams each had two RBIs.
GAME 4 - BRO 13, DET 3
A big lead turned into resounding lead and then a rout, as Brooklyn built an 8-0 lead after six then extended it to 13-0 after eight. Matt Williams hit for the cycle and drove in four runs, Willie Upshaw homered and drove in four, and Pena hit 3-for-5. Meanwhile, David Cone turned in the series' only complete game, allowing seven hits and three runs while striking out six. Detroit's pitchers just had no answers all day long. Scott Sanders gave up three runs in 0.1 innings and Bill Wegman was touched for 7 hits and 5 runs in 1.2 innings.
GAME 5 - BRO 4, DET 1
Aces Andy Benes and Ramon Martinez locked horns for five scoreless innings before the Bas grabbed the lead in the sixth with a Mike Greenwell double and Jeff Reed single. The same two players tacked on insurance runs in the eighth, this time with a Greenwell triple and Reed double, and the party was underway in Red Hook. Fred McGriff's solo homer in the ninth was almost a cruel joke. It was the Crime Dog's only homer in the series and just hit fourth hit in 20 at-bats, raising his average to .200.
Colts Book World Series Return
Chicago Barely Breaks a Sweat in 4-1 Win over L.A.
Chicago's bullpen was the star, shutting down Los Angeles with 11.2 shutout innings. Discounting Game 4, every time the Colts took the lead, the kept it, and every time they fell behind, they rallied and kept the lead. The games look close on paper—three one-run game out of five—but Chicago was in control of the series essentially from the fifth inning of Game 1.
GAME 1 - CHI 4, LA 1
Bill Spiers' two-run double off Greg Swindell in the fifth inning was the key hit, reversing an early 1-0 Los Angeles lead and sending the Colts on their way to a 4-1 Game 1 win. Jeff M. Robinson allowed four hits and one run in 4.2 innings and the bullpen was perfect through 4.1, allowing a single hit, no runs, and striking out five; and setting the tone for what would be a bullpen-dominated series for the Colts.
GAME 2 - CHI 5, LA 2
Albert Belle's two-run single paced a three-run first and Erik Hanson held the Outlaws to four hits and run runs in seven innings, as Chicago took a commanding 2-0 series lead. Alan Trammell hit a two-run double in the seventh to break open a narrow 3-2 Chicago lead. No Outlaw had more than one hit, and L.A. had to rely on starting pitcher Joe Magrane for half of its two RBIs.
GAME 3 - CHI 2, LA 1
At Arroyo Seco for Game 3, Steve Cooke battled Rheal Cormier for five shutout innings before the hosts took the lead in the sixth on Otis Nixon's solo homer. Known for his speed and defense, Nixon has just 9 career home runs in 4630 plate appearances. Chicago then tied it in the seventh on Albert Belle's RBI single and took the lead in the eighth on Darren Lewis' solo homer. Known for his speed and defense, Lewis has just 4 career home runs in 759 plate appearnaces.
GAME 4 - LA 3, CHI 2
Facing elimination on their home turf, Los Angeles jumped to an early 3-1 lead and relied on Floyd Youmans and Todd Frohwirth to maintain the advantage. Ron Karkovice homered off Terry Mulholland in the second and Cory Snyder was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Youmans fanned 10 and gave up only two runs in 8.1 innings.
GAME 5 - CHI 3, LA 2
The fifth starting pitcher in as many games, Kelly Downs was arguably the most effectively, giving up just three hits and two runs across 7.1 innings. An efficient Colts offense strung together four straight hits off Swindell in the fourth, netting three runs. Belle, Eric Davis, and Benito Santiago got the RBIs. Pat Tabler made it 3-2 with a bases-loaded walk in the eighth, and the Outlaws had the bags juiced with one out but failed to push the tying run across the plate, as Todd Burns struck out Frank Thomas, then induced a Cory Snyder flyout to center.
Albert Belle's .353 average and 4 RBIs was enough to merit series MVP honors, but only because the award could not go to a collective. Chicago's bullpen combined for 11.2 shutout innings—including 4.1 for Mark Guthrie and 3.2 for Todd Burns—allowing just five hits. Each had two Shutdowns and Burns saved three and Guthrie one.
Chicago is now 8-1 in the last two Semi Series and have wrested dominance of the West Division away from Los Angeles and St. Louis, who appeared in seven striaght World Series from 1985-91. The Colts will now seek their third UL title, first since 1973, and first for GM Steve Haugh.
Oct. 9, 1993 • Playoff Edition
Oct. 9, 1993 • Playoff Edition
Superbas Freeze Out Polar Bears
Brooklyn Snaps 6-Series, 17-Year Playoff Slump
One playoff streak was ended and another extended in the first round of UL playoff action. GM Tim Widholm's Brooklyn Superbas snapped a six-series losing streak dating back to the 1976 World Series, while GM Glen Reed's St. Louis Maroons extended their playoff series losing streak to four—though the did manage to win a game, thus snapping a UL-record 12-game playoff losing streak.
Toronto won the Hex Series opener at the Frank, but the Bas then went on rampage, winning four straight to secure their first playoff series win in 17 years.
GAME 1 - TOR 8, BRO 2
Eric Karros, Dickie Thon, and Juan Gonzalez each homered—with the latter going 3-for-5 with 3 RBIS—and Greg Mathews fanned eight as Toronto rolled to an 8-2 win at a rollicking Wrench.
GAME 2 - BRO 3, TOR 1
A raucus Frank Thomas Memorial Stadium crowd propelled Brooklyn to a 3-1 win in Game 2. Rookie starter Paul Leftwich and second-year reliever Blas Minor combined for a five-hitter, and Matt Williams homered and drove in two of the Bas' three runs. Scott Sanderson pitched well in the hard-luck loss, and homered for the P-Bears only run.
GAME 3 - BRO 4, TOR 3
The bats of Ken Griffey Jr. and Matt Williams gave the visitors a 4-1 lead, and the arms of Kenny Rogers and Blas Minor kept it from slipping away. Griffey delivered a two-run homer off Dwight Gooden in the first, and Williams added a two-run single in the fifth. Ron Gant's solo homer in the ninth spoiled what would have been 4.1 no-hit innings for the bullpen pair, but Minor fanned Raul Mondesi in the next plate appearance to secure the win and a 2-1 series lead.
GAME 4 - BRO 5, TOR 3
After four scoreless inning, Brooklyn erupted for four runs off Toronto starter Brian Holman, including another two-run homer by Griffey and Steve Avery and a trio of Brooklyn relievers held on for the 5-3 win. Gant got his second homer in as many days and Chris Sabo homered and drove in a pair for the losing Polar Bears.
GAME 5 - BRO 5, TOR 4
Ken Griffey Jr. single-handedly sent Toronto starter Greg Mathews packing early, clobbering two-run and three-run homers in the first and third innings to give the Superbas an early 5-2 advantage that they would not relinquish. Toronto's bullpen was stellar, with four relievers combining for seven shutout innings, but the damage was done. Dale Berra was 3-for-3 for Brooklyn and John Shelby was 3-for-5 for Toronto.
Griffey easily took series MVP honors with 4 HR and 9 RBI—all in the last three games—and a .368 series average. The series win sets up a Semi Series date with the Detroit Griffins, just their second playoff meeting. The first came in 1982, when the Griffins handled the Superbas in five games, before getting shut down by the Montreal Voyageurs in the lowest scoring World Series in UL history.
St. Louis, Misery
Maroons Postseason Slump Continues
Los Angeles rolled past St. Louis in five games to book their 12th Semi Series appearance in 13 years, after missing last year's final four with a seven-game Hex Series loss to Chicago. It was St. Louis' fourth straight playoff series loss since winning the 1989 UL World Series, but the Dark Reds ended a 12-game playoff losing streak, giving them a thin shred of progress as they head into the offseason.
GAME 1 - LA 3, STL 2, 11 inn.
It looked like the long-suffering St. Louis Maroons were finally on the brink of breaking the curse. After losing nine straight playoff games—all to the Chicago Colts—over the past three seasons, the Dark Reds took a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the ninth at Arroyo Seco Stadium and thus were three outs away from defeating their other, and longer-standing West Divisionrival: the Los Angeles Outlaws. The inning started well enough for 33-year-old relief man Alejandro Pena, as Rey Sanchez and Alan Wiggins grounded out feebly, bringing up pinch-hitter Ron Kittle as the sacrificial final out.
Only Kittle was having none of it. The 34-year-old reserve outfielder was coming off a career year, his first in the City of Angeles after a nine-year stint in the Montreal organization, mostly at the Triple-A Quebec. Kittle hit 11 homers this year, near doubling his career total of 6 coming into the year. After falling behind 0-2 in the count, Kittle sent the third Pena offering 435 feet to left-center, tying the game at 2-2. From that moment, it seemed the Maroons' fate was sealed. Not only would they rally to regain Game 1, it felt as if the series and the season had slipped away with that one Ron Kittle swing. Two innings later, CF Stan Javier, the league's best defensive player, also sent a solo homer into the Arroyo Seco darkness, sending the Outlaws faithful into rapturous celebration.
GAME 2 - LA 6, STL 1
Pat Tabler was 4-for-5 against his former club and Rey Sanchez was 3-for-4, as Greg Swindell went the distance for a complete game five-hitter. Rafael Palmeiro had three of St. Louis' five hits and drove in its only run.
GAME 3 - LA 8, STL 4
After building an early 4-2 lead at home, Charlie Lea saw it slip away almost instantly, as Cory Snyder's three-run shot in the third put Los Angeles ahead for good, 5-4. Sanchez had three more hits and Joe Magrane allowed just five hits and three earned runs in 7.2 innings. Lenny Dykstra had a 2-for-3 day with 3 RBIs, as the no-luck Maroons suffered their 12th consecutive loss in postseason play.
GAME 4 - STL 4, LA 1
In retrospect, of course it had to be Jeff Johnson. After 12 straight losses, the Maroons put a 27-year-old with zero playoff starts on the mound for Game 4, and it worked. The 80th overall pick in 1990, Jeff Johnson joined the Maroons from Seattle in the middle of last season and settled into a back-of-the-rotation/emergency starter role. He started in seven of his 51 appearances this year, posting a 4.03 ERA and 1.34 WHIP—solidly average. But in Game 4, under the Sportsman's Park lights, Jeff Johnson pitched the game of his life: 6.0 innings, 6 hits, 1 run, 5 strikeouts. Tony Phillips was 2-for-4 and Palmeiro homered and drove in a pair in an easy 4-1 St. Louis win. Even the 43,000-plus Maroons faithful who witnessed it knew the game carried little significant beyond marking the end of the longest losing streak on UL postseason history. But that was enough.
GAME 5 - LA 5, STL 1
St. Louis ace Dave Schmidt kept it close, allowing two runs, one earned, over 4.2 innings, but his successor Scott Garrelts initiated an run to the exits in the seventh, as Los Angeles built a 5-0 lead, heralding the inevitable. Pat Tabler and Cory Snyder each drove in a pair and Floyd Youmans brought his A-game, tossing a five-hit CG with 8 strikeouts.
SS Rey Sanchez was named series MVP, batting 10-for-20 for a .500 average, including hits in all five games and three runs scored.
Los Angeles next faces the Chicago Colts for the fourth straight year, having beaten them in the Semi Series in 1990 and 1991 and lost to them in the Hex Series in 1992. Chicago finished two games ahead of L.A. for the division pennant, but the Outlaws were 7-4 in their regular season meetings.
1993 Governor's Cup
Twist and Shout
By Charlie Qualls
As the Cleveland Barons fell to the bottom of the United League, their minor league affiliate Texas Twisters rose to the top of the International League. Fans of baseball in Texas saw their freshly transplanted Twisters win the Governor’s Cup in their first year of existence. Texas grabbed the division on the last day of the season versus their division rival Memphis Chicks, earning home field advantage against those same Chicks in the Hex Series. The result was a 3-1 series win, all three wins being shutouts. The first game seemed to set the tone with a combined shutout by Salomon Torres and Hipolito Pichardo. Jim Edmonds received series MVP honors, leading both teams with 2 home runs and 4 batted in, hitting at a .400 clip.
Momentum was carried into the Semi Series with the overall win-leading Vancouver Orcas. Texas swept the series despite the first two games being hard-fought, low scoring affairs. Ken Hill and Salomon Torres again lent their arms to the cause. Game 3 saw a one-man laser show from late season callup 1B Carmelo Martinez, belting two home runs and driving in five. However, the series MVP nod went to 20-year-old Cliff Floyd.
The Governor’s Cup Series vs Eastern Division Champion Quebec Carnavals proved to be a greater challenge. Game 1 set the tone of the series with an 11-inning affair. Jim Edmonds provided all the Twisters offense until the 11th, when unlikely hero Mike Benjamin hit the go-ahead home run, despite clobbering only one jack all season. But the gauntlet was thrown: this was not going to be an easy climb for the Twisters. The Carnivals cruised in Game 2 on the backs of minor league veterans Marty Barrett, Sean Berry and Glenn Wilson, with a shutdown performance by team ace and Human/Vulcan hybrid, Roger Pavlik.
Games 3 and 4 saw Twisters co-Aces Ken Hill and Salomon Torres continue their dominant ways, holding the Carnavals to one earned run each. Closer Hipolito Pichardo notched the win in Game 3 and a save in Game 4. The offense again was being carried by a now blazing hot Jim Edmonds. Facing elimination, Quebec stepped up their game(s). Game 5 saw once highly regarded hopeful Curt Schilling pitch just well enough to get the win, and even socked some bloody offense in the 5-3 win. Bad luck hit the Twisters as fuego nuevo Jim Edmonds sprained his elbow and would be sidelined for the last two games. The Carnavals handed the ball to Roger Pavlik in Game 6, and he did not disappoint, nailing down his fourth post season victory in four starts and leading his team to the arena of Game 7. Despite the series being tied, Texas felt comfortable with co-Ace Ken Hill taking the mound, while an exhausted Quebec staff had to rely on reliever Jack Armstrong to open the game. Neither was effective and the runs piled up in a hurry. Quebec took an 8-5 lead into the 8th, thanks to a monstrous offensive explosion by outfielder Pedro Munoz, smacking two home runs and driving in a whopping SEVEN runs (an IL postseason record).
The Twisters had come too far to go quietly. In the 8th, they resorted to small ball, three singles one walk and one error led to four runs and a one run lead heading into the 9th. An overworked Pichardo was unavailable for the shutdown, so Kyle "Hey" Abbott was called in to deliver the punchline. The first two outs came quickly, then Abbott walked Tony Bernazard to bring up the Carnavals' post season hero (well who else would it be?), Pedro Munoz… one pitch later, Munoz hit into a fielder’s choice and pandemonium hit the Twisters dugout and the Champale painted the walls of the visitor’s locker room.
UL Now Has Two Dickies!
LA GM Threatens to “Pull it out” if Outlaws Run into Trouble
by Sean "Steady On" Holloway, UL Beat Reporter
LOS ANGELES (Oct. 1)—UL observers who attended the LA Outlaws press conference given by GM Peter Vays after the Outlaws season finale were stunned by what Vays had to say. Vays first opined that LA should not be considered the odds-on favorite to survive the West due to the injury AVS suffered, which resulted in two-third's of LA’s outfield being manned by Otis “Wait till Otis sees us!” Nixon and Mookie “old as dirt” Wilson.
As Vays waxed poetic about what could have been had AVS been healthy, the sound system in the conference room appeared to be on the fritz, hence it was fairly difficult to be certain what Vays said. With that caveat, let’s go over what could truly be earth-shaking news for the UL as the 1993 playoffs begin.
As some observers have noted, the end to this year was crazy. BOS GM Mark Waller commented that “The parity era has begun in the UL”. STL GM Glen Reed, rumored to be under extreme duress from having to manage STL while simultaneously scouting for USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino, set his sights on not being swept this year while hoping that at the very least he submitted a playoff-compliant roster. ATL GM Andy Chaney warned everyone that parity may be here but that parity also has a target on its back, as “Pedro’s coming yo”; obviously this means that Chaney will be seeking to bust a cap in someone’s ass next year. And CLE GM Charlie Qualls commented that “Parity’s nuts!”
But the most shocking comments were from Vays. The Outlaws GM, seeking to bring LA to the promised land once again, made it clear that he won’t be messing around this playoff season, and that he’d do whatever it took to win a championship. At his presser, Vays lamented that he was unable to bring additional players to LA before the trade deadline.
“We wanted anyone that could help the team improve, and we were upset that we couldn’t get guys like Dickie Thon, who go about doing their job quietly and cheaply, but unfortunately, we couldn’t pull Dickie off.”
It was at this point that Vays’ microphone crapped out, but it appears he’s willing to do anything to win, as he stated that he’s even considering “pulling it out this year if it will help”. This would be quite the drastic move for anyone save for those named “Dickie”.
But what, pray tell, does this mean for the rest of the league? It appears that there is another Dickie in town! Can the UL survive two Dickies? Time will tell. All we can do now is wait for the 1993 playoffs to start.
League Standings
League Standings
West W L GB 2ndH R RA
Chicago 97 63 - 47-29 5 3
Los Angeles 95 65 2 42-34 8 2
St. Louis 87 73 10 39-37 7 8
Havana 84 76 13 41-35 9 10
Florida 82 78 15 36-40 11 7
Atlanta 77 83 20 39-37 17 1
San Francisco 75 85 22 32-44 13 14
Denver 73 87 24 38-38 14 6
Seattle 64 96 33 30-46 12 18
East W L GB 2ndH R RA
Detroit 95 65 - 42-34 6 9
Brooklyn 90 70 5 41-35 1 4
Toronto 90 70 5 42-34 2 12
Manhattan 88 72 7 49-32 4 11
Montreal 83 77 12 46-30 3 15
Keystone 69 91 26 35-41 15 17
Washington 68 92 27 32-44 16 5
Boston 67 93 28 31-45 10 16
Cleveland 56 104 39 22-54 18 13
League Leaders
League Leaders
Batting Average
Dion James BRO .342
Tony Gwynn ATL .329
Ivan Calderon FLO .322
Shane Mack HAV .321
Ken Griffey Jr BRO .319
Larry Walker MON .317
Bip Roberts MON .311
Dave Nilsson DET .307
Willie Upshaw BRO .307
Roberto Alomar DEN .306
RBIs
Barry Bonds STL 124
Eric Karros TOR 115
Mike Stanley HAV 114
Fred McGriff DET 112
Cory Snyder LA 112
Matt Williams BRO 110
Luis Gonzalez MON 108
Albert Belle CHI 104
Kal Daniels BOS 104
Frank Thomas LA 103
Home Runs
Barry Bonds STL 49
Sammy Sosa BOS 44
Eric Karros TOR 41
Mickey Tettleton TOR 39
Cory Snyder LA 38
Ellis Burks TOR 37
Kal Daniels BOS 37
Raffy Palmeiro STL 37
John Shelby TOR 37
bWAR
Barry Bonds STL 9.4
Gary Sheffield CHI 8.2
Ken Griffey Jr BRO 8.0
Kal Daniels BOS 7.7
Geronimo Pena BRO 6.9
Ivan Calderon FLO 6.8
Rich Gedman WAS 6.8
Barry Larkin SF 6.7
Albert Belle CHI 6.5
Shane Mack HAV 6.2
Infield Zone Rating
Cal Ripken Jr MAN 16.1
Rey Sanchez LA 14.8
Alan Trammell CHI 12.9
Ryne Sandberg WAS 10.2
Jose Valentin ATL 8.8
Earned Run Average
F. Valenzuela ATL 2.278
Pedro Martinez ATL 2.281
Steve Cooke CHI 2.38
Mark Langston HAV 2.80
Mike Mussina FLO 2.85
Joe Magrane LA 2.89
Ramon Martinez BRO 2.92
Brian Holman TOR 2.92
Dono Osborne DEN 2.93
Ken Howell MAN 2.94
Strikeouts
Pedro Martinez ATL 271
F. Valenzuela ATL 263
Roger Clemens DEN 259
Mike Mussina FLO 253
Mark Langston HAV 237
Dwight Gooden TOR 234
Floyd Youmans LA 233
Pat Hentgen BOS 230
Darren Oliver MON 226
Jose DeLeon SF 225
Outfield Zone Rating
Stan Javier LA 18.7
Ken Griffey Jr BRO 15.4
Mitch Webster WAS 7.7
Sammy Sosa BOS 7.6
Joe Orsulak HAV 7.5
Wins
Dwight Gooden TOR 20
Scott Bankhead KEY 18
Steve Cooke CHI 18
Alex Fernandez DET 18
Ramon Martinez BRO 18
Erik Hanson CHI 17
Pete Schourek DET 17
Matt Young MAN 17
5 tied with 16
pWAR
Dwight Gooden TOR 6.9
Mike Mussina FLO 6.3
Fern Valenzuela ATL 6.1
Pedro Martinez ATL 6.1
Jose DeLeon SF 5.3
Joe Magrane LA 5.2
Matt Young MAN 4.7
Pat Hentgen BOS 4.6
Ramon Martinez BRO 4.5
Brian Holman TOR 4.4
Awards
Awards
Batter of the Month
APR Frank E. Thomas LA
MAY Barry Bonds STL
JUN Ellis Burks TOR
JUL Rafael Palmeiro STL
AUG Joe Carter MAN
SEP Ivan Calderon FLO
Pitcher of the Month
APR Kevin Brown BRO
MAY Steve Trachsel SF
JUN Ramon Martinez BRO
JUL Tim Scott HAV
AUG Fern Valenzuela ATL
SEP Dwight Gooden TOR
Rookie of the Month
APR Steve Trachsel SF
MAY Steve Trachsel SF
JUN Kirk Rueter KEY
JUL John Doherty SF
AUG Ryan Klesko DET
SEP Butch Henry KEY
Player of the Week
4/12 Kevin Mitchell HAV
4/19 Mike Piazza BOS
4/26 Barry Bonds STL
5/3 Sammy Sosa BOS
5/10 Ivan Calderon FLO
5/17 George Bell KEY
5/24 Tim Salmon KEY
5/31 Rafael Palmeiro STL
6/7 Bip Roberts MON
6/14 Frank Thomas LA
6/21 Joe Carter MAN
6/28 Alvin Davis SEA
7/5 Jack Howell DEN
7/12 Barry Bonds STL
7/19 Henry Cotto SEA
7/26 Larry Walker MON
8/2 Eric Karros TOR
8/9 Ken Griffey Jr BRO
8/16 Joe Carter MAN
8/23 Barry Larkin SF
8/30 Joe Carter MAN
9/6 Ken Griffey Jr BRO
9/13 Manny Ramirez ATL
9/20 Ivan Calderon FLO
9/27 Jeff Bagwell KEY
Milestones
Milestones
Aug 14 - ATL Fernie Valenzuela 2,500 strikeouts (#21 all-time)
Aug 25 - ATL Steve Howe 400 saves (#1 all-time)
Aug 28 - WAS Ryne Sandberg 600 stolen bases (#9 all-time)
Sep 1 - MAN Phil Bradley 300 stolen bases (#48 all-time)
Sep 2 - SEA Delino DeShields 300 stolen bases (#49 all-time)
Sep 4 - TOR John Shelby 1,000 RBI (#45 all-time)
Sep 4 - HAV Lou Whitaker 1,000 runs (#53 all-time)
Sep 13 - WAS Ryne Sandberg 1,000 runs (#54 all-time)
Sep 18 - MON Lee Smith 400 saves (#2 all-time)
Sep 19 - HAV Howard Johnson 1,000 RBI (#46 all-time)
Sep 24 - STL Barry Bonds 400 stolen bases (#31 all-time)
Sep 26 - TOR John Shelby 1,000 runs (#55 all-time)
Sep 29 - ATL Tony Gwynn 2,500 hits (#18 all-time)
Injuries
(playoff teams)
Injuries
(playoff teams)
BRO SP John Smiley 8 mo
CHI 1B John Olerud 5 wk
LA CF Andy Van Slyke 3 wk
TOR 2B Mickey Morandini 3 mo
Year-on-Year Changes
Year-on-Year Changes
Most Improved
FLO +26
ATL +16
BRO +11
MON +8
SF +8
TOR +7
LA +5
CHI +4
HAV +3
KEY +2
Most Worsened
WAS -23
SEA -16
STL -14
BOS -13
CLE -10
DET -8
DEN -5
MAN -1
East Division
East Division
Coming into to 1993, most observers agreed that the Flyin' Lions 1992 title run was a case of lightning in a bottle—a flash in the pan—once in a blue moon—a rara avis—even an objet trouvé, as it were. Instead, Detroit again rolled the East Division, finishing 95-65, five games ahead of the pack, and clinching a second straight division crown. Detroit once again finished sixth in offense, while their pitching dropped from 3rd to 9th.
The offense was led by 1B Fred McGriff, who, as expected, did not repeat his .338-55-145, 8.2 WAR career year, but was still among the league's most productive cleanup hitters with .300-36-112, 5.6 WAR. Alongside the Crime Dog but Rookie of the Year favorite Ryan Klesko (.252-33-86). Throw in 94 RBIs from the Dave "The Wonder from Down Under" Nilsson, 88 from leadoff man Dwight Smith, and 76 from 2B Jeff Treadway, and you are looking at an elite offense.
On the pitching side, as expected Andy Benes did not repeat his 20-win season and Mark Wohlers did not repeat his single-season save record. But... Benes was 15-12, 3.75 and led the staff with 206 innings, and his relative dropoff was compensated by Chris Nabholz—who returned to form with a 3.07 ERA in 31 starts—and sophomore Alex Fernandez (18-6, 3.38). Wohlers notched just 29 saves, but trimmed his ERA to 1.70 and his WHIP to 1.14, while veteran Dave Beard got 12 wins and 17 saves with a 2.92 ERA in 67 relief appearances.
Brooklyn's league-best offense was led by batting champion Dion James (.342), the Screaming Bats' first batting champion since 1964—omen alert!—a Brooklyn title year. Brooklyn also got 35 HR and 110 RBI out of 3B Matt Williams and a third straight 8.0+ WAR season from 22-year-old CF Ken Griffey Jr., whose torrid finish (1.024 OPS in August, .343 batting in September) helped lift Brooklyn past Toronto and Manhattan for 2nd place. 2B Geronimo Pena continued his evolution into an elite middle infielder. Pena hit .300-16-83, .828, posted a 6.9 WAR and led the league with 120 runs and 753 PA.
And Brooklyn's pitching finished in the top 4 for the first time in 11 years, led by ace Ramon Martinez (18-5, 2.92), who briefly co-led the league in ERA with brother Pedro. Kevin Brown was 15-5 with a career-best 3.35 ERA; fourth-year lefty Steve Avery set career marks with 15 wins, 209 IP, and 156 K; and 32nd overall pick Blas Minor came out of nowhere to record 30 saves with a 2.80 ERA. Minor was a key component of the Bas' stretch drive, with 7 SV and a 0.50 ERA in September.
Another key late contributor was veteran slugger Bob Horner, who was left for dead after OPSing .732 last year, including a .171 average in 49 games with L.A. Horner wasn't much better for most of the year, batting .252 with 7 HR through August, but then reclaimed the sweet swing that won his six HR titles, batting .352-7-17, 1.123 in his last 19 games. The late spurt pushed Horner's career HR tally to 622—#3 all-time and just 65 behind all-time home run champion Orlando Cepeda.
Toronto makes a playoff return after a one-year absence. The P-Bears took the biggest hit from the injury bug, with a league high 495 IL days and $3.6 million salary on the IL, but benefitted from a full year of a healthy Dwight Gooden, who had just five starts in 1992. The four-time Cy Young winner set himself for a likely fifth award with a 20-10, 3.05 campaign with 234 Ks. The 28-year-old ace was 14-10 on Aug, then rattled off six straight wins, getting #20 on the last day of the season. It was his fifth 20-win season and the fourth time he led the league in WAR. A decade into his career, Gooden is 170-71 with a 2.75 ERA, 2424 strikeouts, and a 79.2 WAR. Brian Holman turned in his third straight 15-win season while slicing his ERA over two points to 2.92
Toronto's offense was still the motor behind their success, though they fell from the top spot in run production after a five-year run. Their 246 home runs was 65 more than any other team and nearly 100 more than the league average. Four batters hit at least 37 dingers, led by 1B Eric Karros (.264-41-115), who doubled his career highs for homers and RBIs on his way to a 4.1 WAR season. Mickey Tettleton (39/89), John Shelby (37/93), and Ellis Burks (37/92) completed the Murderer's Row.
Manhattan's playoff odds were essentially zero at the midway point. The Gray Sox were 49-51 and eight games out of the playoff zone on July 20, but were 37-11 over the next two months, making them by far the hottest team in the league. A 2-1 win over Keystone on Sept. 15 found Manhattan in sole possession of 1st place—an unimaginable situation just weeks before.
However, as the baseball gods giveth, the baseball gods taketh away. Just when it looked like there was no stopping them, the Dingy Hose fell into one of the worst-timed slumps in club history. dropping 10 of their last 12 games to crash out of the four-way pennant race, ending up seven games back and two game out of the playoffs.
Manhattan's formula was the same as in recent years: a top-3 offense paired with mediocre pitching (both heavily affected by the most hitter-friendly park in the league). The 33-year-old Joe Carter had a late-career resurgence, batting .303-35-94, .908—all career highs—while leading the league with a .587 SLG. Unsung 1B Ed Sprague OPSed over .915 for a second straight year, while pushing his WAR to 4.1, and CF Tom Brunansky drove in 84 runs.
The staff ERA improved dramatically, by 75 points to 3.85. Matt Young, age 35, posted career-best 17 wins, 3.15 ERA, and 207 Ks; while 32-year-old Ken Howell pitching out his mind (15-8, 2.94 after a career 4.48 ERA in his first nine seasons. Closer Heathcliff Slocumb got 8 wins and 26 saves with a 2.75 ERA in 82 appearances.
The Sox final collapse came down to pitching meltdowns and failing in the clutch. Manhattan allowed 10 runs on three occasions in the last two weeks and was 0-4 against the other three East Division contenders in the final 12 days.
The see-saw Voyageurs bounced back over .500 this year, but never really challenged for the playoff spots. Their pitching regressed three spots to 15th, but the offense more than compensated, finishing in the top 3 in runs for the first time since 1975.
The young outfield trio of Junior Felix (.302-24-96), Luis Gonzalez (.251-25-108), and Larry Walker (.317-20-85) led the attack, while rookie 1B Bret Boone contributed 25 HR and 77 RBI, both figures second among rookies.
The rotation ERA ranked second from bottom, though Mike Scott (15-13, 3.81) turned in one of his finest campaigns at the age of 37 and closer Lee Smith overtook Steve Howe for the career save record with 15 saves in the last two months.
First, the good news: the expansion Starlings have improved every year. The bad news is their win totals have creeped upwards at a snail's pace, from 63 to 64 to 67 to 69. At this rate, Keystone should be in playoff contention by 2003. The Murmuring again ranked 17th in pitching for a third straight year, and the offense was in the bottom quarter. There were some bright spots, however.
Keystone ranked 7th in home runs, led by Tim Salmon (.254-36-86, .855), whose production regressed a bit from Rookie of the Year campaign. Jeff Bagwell, in his second full year, smashed 31 homers with an .841 OPS. Veteran righthander Scott Bankhead showed tremendous resilience, recovering from a disastrous 1992 (5-20, 4.48) with a career year (18-10, 3.33), while rookies Kirk Rueter (3.93 ERA and 2.3 WAR in 231 IP) and Butch Henry (3.27 ERA, 1.4 WAR in 10 starts) both had solid debuts.
With a bevy of young stars already in starting roles and the league's top-rated farm system, look for the Starlings to take flight sooner rather than later.
Through no fault of first-year GM Jason Gudim, the Monuments rate as the season's biggest disappointment. Rated 5th in BNN and 9th in Reed's rating count, the Mons finished 15th overall, regressing by 23 games to their worst record in 11 years. To find the reason, one need look no further than the offense. After ranking 8th with 4.6 runs per game last year, Washington put up only 3.5 runs, a full 1.1 run decline, good for 16th in the league.
Check out these year-on-year OPS numbers: Wade Boggs -73, Rich Gedman -80, Ryne Sandberg -152, Kirby Puckett -175. Those four players added up to 19.8 WAR this year, down more than 5.0 from last year. Sandberg's .713 OPS represents a career low, though he still managed 5.3 WAR because of his glove. Puckett's collapse was one of the most precipitous in recent UL history. The 33-year-old right fielder's average and OBP dropped 71 points, and his SLG 104 points. His 18 doubles and 13 homers were career lows since he became a regular in 1987, and his 107 strikeouts shattered his previous high. On the bright side, SS Mariano Duncan improved after a down year last season, and 36-year-old Hubie Brooks hit .301 in 82 games.
The pitching side saw lefty Teddy Higuera (8-18, 3.45) have one of his worst seasons, just two years removed from win, ERA, and WHIP titles. Bret Saberhagen's replacement Tom Glavine had a great start to his Washington career, with a 7-4 record and 2.86 ERA in 13 starts. And 29-year-old Randy Johnson, with his third club in five years, pitched a career high 225 innings and 178 strikeouts, posting a respectable 3.71 ERA and 2.7 WAR.
The loss of Barry Bonds and to a lesser extent, Edgar Martinez, had an immediate effect, as Boston's office dropped from 5th to 10th. Making matters worse, the pitching also declined, at least relatively, from 14th to 16th, though runs per game were down from 4.8 to 4.4. The net result was a 13 game decline to 67 wins, good for 8th in the East and 16th overall.
In Bonds' absence, Sammy Sosa ably took over the role of primary run producer, hitting 44 HR and 99 RBI despite a .247 average. Sophomore catcher Mike Piazza hit .286-30-89, and newcomer Kal Daniels blending in well, batting .297-21-57 in 65 games.
Pat Hentgen was again the top starter, and while his 9-8 record was a far cry from last year's 15-9, his 3.08 ERA narrowly missed the top 10. Rookie rightie Ryan Bowen (3.77 ERA and 203 K in 29 starts) was second among rookies with a 2.2 WAR, and new closer Paul Assenmacher's impressive 34 saves by his 16 meltdowns (2nd most) and 13 losses (most for a reliever).
Barons fans suffered through a ninth straight non-winning season, but this was the second worst team in club history, racking up 104 losses thanks to the 2nd worst offense in UL history. Cleveland averaged 3.06 runs per game, .07 more than the 1981 Washington Monuments. That Washington team was in the playoffs within three years and won a UL title within six. That's clearly the path that GM Charlie Qualls is charting. With a suprise title by the Triple-A Texas Twisters, led by Jim Edmonds and Ken Hill; five high picks next year, including the 1st and 4th chances in the draft lottery; as well as a new ballpark on the horizon, the rebirth of the Barons is coming into full view.
A few (moderately) bright spots: 1B Will Clark led the club with a .281 average and collected a career-high 167 hits. LF Jose Canseco mashed 31 HR, the most since Eddie Murray in 1989. SP Bill Wegman earned a 2.80 ERA and managed a 6-5 record, which earned him a trade to Detroit for cash at the trade deadline.
West Division
West Division
The Colts were neck-and-neck with L.A. all season and with St. Louis for most of the season, but did not clinch the pennant until the final game. Chicago and Brooklyn were the only teams in the top 5 in both batting and pitching.
Sophomore lefty Steve Cooke was sensational, going 18-4, 2.38 including 20 consecutive shutout innings over his last three starts—the last two wins over Los Angeles. One could fairly say that Cooke single-handedly stole the pennant from the Outlaws. Erik Hanson was again fantastic, with a fourth straight year with an ERA under 3.20, over 200 innings and at least 3.8 WAR. Finally, closer Todd Burns had a 2.48 ERA and league-leading 44 saves.
At the plate, Gary Sheffield posted his second straight 8.2 WAR season, solidifying his claim as one of—if not THE—top young sluggers. Sheff hit .299-34-81, .868. Albert Belle, two years Sheffield's senior at the age of 25, batted .301-33-104, and veteran Eric Davis, in his first full season with the Ponies, contributed .269-32-93
Excluding Mickey Morandini, who was traded to Toronto three weeks after fracturing his knee, the Colts largely avoided the injury bug. But their luck ran out on the penultimate day of the season, while 1B John Olerud tore his quad running extra hard during a 15-1 rout at Florida. The injury will rule him out of the playoffs.
L.A. ran its record streak to 13 straight playoff appearances, and missed their 13th division pennant by two games. It was the usual Outlaws formula of elite pitching matched with adequate, but consistent batting.
Newcomer Joe Magrane, acquired in the trade that sent Dave Beard to Cleveland, was the top hurler, going 13-10, 2.89 with a league-best 0.4 HR/9. Floyd Youmans (3.86) had his worst ERA in three years, but still managed a 16-7 record and 233 Ks. Bruce Hurst won 15 and Todd Frohwirth saved 39.
#4-5 hitters Frank Thomas and Cory Snyder both had 40/100 seasons, Pat Tabler hit .337, and Stan Javier won his third Willie Mays Award (each with a different team).
The Maroons were within three games of first as late as Aug. 24, but a late-season swoon first wiped out any pennant pretensions, then threatened a playoff berth. St. Louis was 13-18 down the stretch and would have dropped to fourth if not for Havana's parallel slump.
St. Louis was 7th in runs and 8th in runs allowed, marking the first time since 1982 they did not rank in the top 6 in one category or the other. The rotation ranked 14th but was saved by the bullpen, which ranked 3rd. Closer Rob Dibble had 37 saves and a 1.57 ERA, while Alejandro Pena had 5 saves and 2.04.
As expected, Barry Bonds and Rafael Palmeiro created the lion's share of offense. What was not expected the Maroons dropping five spots to 7th in offense. Bonds hit .292-49-124, and led the league with .960 OPS, 9.4 WAR, and a more obscure, but telling category: share of team RBIs (17.9%). Palmeiro hit .298-37-100, .893, producing his lowest RBIs and SLG in five years, but that is probably accounted for in park effects along since he moved from Toronto. As for the rest of the offense, Tony Phillips' production was way down (-24 RBI, -124 OPS), Robin Yount's production was way down (-43 RBI, -104 OPS), and Lenny Dykstra's production was way down (-50 average, -128 OPS).
The Maroons' 87 wins equaled their 1991 total, their lowest since 1983. So while the record books will show a three-team stranglehold on the West's playoff spots for these last years, the reality is that St. Louis continues to flirt with the floor of the playoff zone.
A fourth fourth-place finish in four years, by 2, 4, 9, and 2 games. Such is GM Lance Mueller's fate. The only thing that could possibly be more frustrating would be losing the World Series to the same team four years in a row. Oh wait? That did happen. And it was the same damn guy? So let's call this ERA the Reed-blocks-Mueller Era, Part II.
Despite all that recent (and ancient) history, this Leones team feels like it is on the brink of breaking through. Their 84 wins were the second most in club history, their 180 home runs ranked 3rd in the league, and the starting rotation ranked 7th.
Mark Langston, age 33, at long last had an ERA under 3.00 (2.80), Tim Scott had 33 saves and a 2.00 ERA in his first year as a closer, and C Mike Stanley ran up his two-year RBI total to 230.
A 15-12 August combined with St. Louis' slump got Havana into the playoff race, but a 7-7 finish was not enough to close the gap, leaving the Leones to hope (again) that next year is the breakthrough year.
The Flamingos were the most improved team, winning 26 more games, transforming from a 104-loss, dead-last team to a club that was briefly in playoff contention in early September. What was being the Pink Birds rapid ascent? The offense improved by 0.4 runs per game and the pitching by 0.6, a nearly 1.0 change in run differential. To put this improvement in context, only five other teams since 1970 have improved by more than 26 games.
The offense was fueled by two newcomers: Former Polar Bear Ivan Calderon (.322-28-101) was 3rd in batting and 6th in WAR, while former Hilltopper Mark McGwire (.254-30-92) had his fifth straight 30-homer season. Calderon also surpassed 200 hits for the second year in a row.
On the pitching side, third-year SP Mike Mussina had a breakout year (13-9, 2.85, 6.3 WAR), second-year SP Shane Reynolds trimmed his ERA by 50 points to 3.68, and former Federal Bob Sebra established career marks with 12 wins, 3.54 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, and 2.7 WAR.
The Flamingos core is very young, and there are several more pieces in the pipeline, so expect this team to be in the mix for the next several years.
The Toppers pitching staff was the best in eight years and the 11th best of all time. The Red Blogs allowed just 3.30 runs per game, the lowest clip since the 1985 Los Angeles Outlaws. How good was Atlanta's pitching? They ranked #1 in runs against, starters ERA, bullpen ERA, FIP, pitching WAR, and strikeouts—essentially every major pitching category. Four starters had ERAs under 3.25 and closer Steve Howe's 1.56 was the league-best for relievers with at least 50 innings. Valenzuela's ERA title was his second (1988) and his 6.1 WAR was his sixth straight 5+ WAR season.
On the offensive side, there wasn't much to see. The Red Blobs were next-to-last in runs, Tony Gwynn (.329) was the only regular to bat better than .272, and Manny Ramirez' 18 HR in a half-season was enough to lead the team. On the milestone front, Gwynn got his 2500th hit on the penultimate game of the season, becoming the 18th hitter to reach that plateau, and beating his arch-nemesis Wade Boggs, who finished the season at 2489.
Another year of turmoil in the City by the Bay. Just when it seemed the Spiders had found a new GM to take over the trouble franchise, he stopped showing up to the office and answering calls, leaving interim GM Darrell Evans to take the reins for the full season. The result was predictable—an 11th losing season in 13 years—though their 75 wins was the fourth-best during that stretch.
Three Spiders stood out for their 1993 performances. SS Barry Larkin (.278-21-84, .780) was 8th in WAR, with his improved defense compensating for his lowest batting average and OPS in four years. SP Jose DeLeon (11-8, 3.02) was fifth in WAR and 10th in strikeouts and set career marks with 235 innings, 225 Ks, and 5.3 WAR. And SP Steve Trachsel, the 23rd overall pick this year, won Rookie of the Month twice and led all rookies with 13 wins and a 3.24 ERA.
Entering the year as the fifth-ranked team in the West according the Reed's Read, expectations were high that the 14ers would finally make a playoff push. However, after a 4-5 start, the Teeners lost nine in a row, and never came close to sniffing .500 thereafter.
Denver's pitching was the best in franchise history at 3.9 runs against, but that is largely a relic of the new Frank Carr Field, which opened last year. Still, the team ranked 6th in runs against and pitchers WAR for just the second time in club history. The top hurler was sophomore southpaw Donovan Osborne (11-10, 2.93, 1.10 WHIP, 4.2 WAR), but newcomer Roger Clemens (3.67 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 259 K, 3.9 WAR) also had a solid season.
Offensively, the $10 million man, Roberto Alomar, batted .306-13-69, .799 for a 5.7 WAR, while designated masher Dan Pasqua overcame a slow start and hit 18 of his 28 homers in the second half. Besides Alomar and Pasqua, no other batter had more than 50 RBIs, and Mark McLemore's .273 was the second best batting average, as the offense hit is lowest point in seven years.
Seattle regressed by 16 games this year, thanks to the league's worst pitching staff combined with a below-average offense, and its 96 losses are a new club record. The only above-league average pitchers were SP David West (3.96 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 1.1 WAR) and rookie reliever Trevor Hoffman (2.40 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in 65 appearances).
A traditionally strong hitting team, the Rainiers could manage just 11th in batting average, which used to be their strong suit, 14th in OPS, and dead last in home runs. Newcomers Alvin Davis and Rickey Henderson put up 4.0+ WAR seasons and Delino DeShields led the league in stolen bases for a third straight year, but beyond that, almost every regular had an off-year. CF Willie McGee, a career .330 hitter, hit .294; Chris Brown's OPS plummeted from .906 to .688; and 2B Harold Reynolds' .248 average and .634 OPS were 40 and 90 points below his career averages.
If there is a bright side, it is that most of the club seems to have slumped simultaneously, and therefore should bounce back in 1994, and the club landed in the #2 spot in the draft lottery, giving them a shot at the likes of A-Rod, Garrett Anderson, or Chan Ho Park.
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