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Nov. 1, 1995 • Hall of Fame BONUS Edition

VetCom Honors Four Old-Timers
Carl Erskine, Willie Jones, Harvey Kuenn, Stu Miller Enter Hall as First Veterans Committee Selections

BEACHVILLE, Ont. — The Hall of Fame Veterans Committee (VetCom) announced its selection of four old-timers to join the UL pantheon of luminaries. The committee, charged with identifying players from the 1951-65 era who had been overlooked in previous voting, worked diligently for a full year whittling down candidate list after candidate list in an iterative (some would say overwrought and needlessly laborious) process to a final ballot of six finalists, four of whom earned the requisite 75 percent of votes to earn enshrinement in Beachville, Ont.

The process began last winter, when the committee was formed and the list of eligible players generated. VetCom members included six GMs who were active during the league's early years: Tim Smith, Charlie Qualls, Lance Mueller, Glen Reed, Sean Holloway, and Peter Vays. Using minimum criteria of 2500 plate appearances or 750 innings pitched, the initial list included some 126 batters and 89 pitchers. Thirty players received at least one vote in the first round of balloting, which narrowed the field to 12 players. A second round of voting over the summer sliced that group in half to six. The final round of balloting, using the standard HOF procedure (0-10 votes with a minimum 75 percent required for election) netted four players, each of them a UL legend in their own right. Three of the four were members of the inaugural All-Decade Team and the other was a four-time Gold Glove and four-time All-Star.

SP Carl Erskine, Washington
Carl Erskine topped the poll with 87 percent of votes, with a career line of 184-80, 2.88, 68.9 WAR. "Oisk" was one of the most dominant pitchers from 1955 to 1960. He won 25 games four times and posted a 26-3 record and 2.11 ERA in his 1958 Cy Young season, establishing a record .897 winning percentage that survives to this day. He won three ERA titles, two win titles, three WHIP titles, a Cy Young and two UL titles with the Washington Monuments, the UL's first dynasty. Erskine had arguably one of the best seven-year stretches in UL history from 1955-61, going 157-61 with a 2.72 ERA and 58.6 WAR. Only Gene Conley, Lew Burdette, and Johnny Antonelli had similar stretches, but here we hit upon the explanation for Erskine's absence from the Hall. Conley, Burdette, and Antonelli all had long careers—Gene and Lew pitched into the 1970s— and were the first three hurlers to win 300 games. Meanwhile Oisk only pitched nine years and tallied a meagre 184 wins. So that's what held him back.

The righthander from Anderson, Ind. also had an incredible run of back luck and bad timing when it came to his Hall of Fame candidacy. In the first five years of Hall balloting, voters chose a single player each year leading up to the Hall's opening in 1970. When no player garnered a majority on the first ballot, there was a two-man runoff. Erskine was third to Ralph Kiner and Stan Musial in 1965, third to Musial and Roy Campanella in 1967, and a distant second to Antonelli in 1969. In '68, he won more votes than Campanella in the first round (40-38 percent) before losing the runoff 57-43. In his last five years of eligibility during the regular voting process, he finished just behind Whitey Ford in 1970, just behind Gene Conley and Granny Hamner in 1971, and behind Ernie Banks, Lew Burdette, Hank Aaron, Mickey Mantle, Johnny Podres, and Roger Maris in 1973-75. In short, though he was dominant, his career numbers suffered in comparison during a time when some of the league's biggest superstars were dominating the ballot.

SP Stu Miller, Washington
Erskine had a teammate in the Monuments' rotation named Stu Miller. Whereas Erskine's peak coincided with the tail-end of Washington's dynasty, Miller was the ace during their 1952-54 Threepeat and can rightfully claim to be the founder the Mons dynasty. He was Rookie of the Year in 1952, Cy Young winner in 1953, and was 24-8, 2.39 in 1954. Washington won the league by 12, 15, and seven games those years, and Miller was the WAR leader every year (his 21.1 WAR dwarfed Willie Mays' 10.8). Miller accumulated 26.3 WAR in his first three seasons, something not even Dwight Gooden could replicate. His '54 and '55 seasons were especially dominant, when he went 52-15 with a 2.31 ERA and 24 complete games.

Miller's HOF candidacy faced similar challenges to Erskine's, however, and though he had a slightly longer career (11 years vs. 9, all with Washington), his later years did him no favors. Miller's rapid declined paralleled that of the Monuments, whose run of seven straight 90-win seasons came crashing down in 1959, the same year Stu lost 20 games and had his first 4.00+ ERA. His 1961 was an even bigger setback, with 26 losses and a 5.54 ERA. His 172 career wins were fewer than Erskine's, his 140 losses were many more, and his 3.42 career ERA masked his early-career dominance. But ultimately, his early contributions to the league's first dynasty and a very high value in his peak years won over the Veterans Committee.

3B Willie "Puddin Head" Jones, St. Louis
Placing second in the balloting (80 percent) was St. Louis' Willie "Puddin Head" Jones. An All-Decade Team selection at third base. Jones was the first player to win five Gold Gloves. While he was a consistent offensive contributor—averaging 17 HR and 82 RBI over 16 years, 10 with the Maroons—he lacked the power numbers and superstar moxie of eventual Hall of Famers Stan Musial and Roy Campanella, from whose shadow he never emerged—until now. The VetCom noticed that in addition to all the fielding awards, Puddin Head hit over .300 seven times, ended his career with a .293 average and .816 OPS. In addition to being overshadowed by Musial and Campy, Jones was penalized for playing third base, the most underrepresented position in Beachville. Of the Hall of Fame's 53 members, as of this year, a whopping three plied their trade at the hot corner. The first third baseman to enter the Hall was Eddie Mathews in 1979, and it took him eight ballots. As for Willie, his balloting peaked at 48 percent in 1970 and '71 and he was dropped from the ballot after 1973.

SS Harvey Kuenn, Cleveland
Cleveland shortstop Harvey Kuenn was a four-time Gold Glove who collected 2,842 career hits and a .288 batting average, whose biggest crime was having the gall to overlap his career with those of Granny Hamner and Ernie Banks. That's perhaps the most plausible explanation for his Beachville slight. It didn't help that he played 16 of his 19 years with the Beacons/Barons franchise and never won a ring. But stats don't lie and you can count the number of players with 2800+ hits and four Gold Gloves on Three Finger Brown's fingers: Orlando Cepeda, Alan Trammell, and the underrated shortstop from West Allis, Wisconsin.

A Rebalanced Hall
Erskine and Miller's induction addresses the Washington's underrepresentation. Despite four league titles and seven straight 90-win seasons, Washington's 1950s dynasty had just two guys in the Hall, compared to Brooklyn's six (Ford, Conley, Hamner, Burdette, Mantle, and McAuliffe). What's more, for a pitching-dominant dynasty, Willie Mays and Joe Adcock were the Mons' only representatives, and Adcock went in as a Chicago Colt. That wrong has been righted.

Similiarly, the Committee's election of Willie Jones and Harvey Kuenn addresses two other areas of underrepresentation, particularly for this early era: namely the shortstop and third base positions. Prior to the VetCom's work, Hamner and Banks were the only shortstops from the 15-year early era, and Eddie Mathews the sole third baseman.

(Not-So) Near Misses
The two finalists who failed to win election were were Detroit starting pitcher Don "Sphinx" Mossi (73 percent) and Brooklyn right fielder Gene Woodling (70). Mossi had a miserable candidacy from 1972-76 that saw him finish dead last in voting four times in five years, which in some ways is worse than not being on the ballot at all. At least this time the Sphinx can look down his nose at somebody. Woodling, though a key cog in the early years of the Brooklyn Superbas dynasty, was ultimately no match for the likes of Kiner, Musial, and Mays... or Aaron, Mantle, and Maris, to mention a half-dozen contemporary outfielders whose plaques now hang in an Ontario museum.

The six players cut in the semifinal stage were Larry Doby, Gil McDougald, Minnie Minoso, Bill "Moose" Skowron, Herm Wehmeier, and Gus Zernial. Wehmeier—who was perhaps best known for being an innings eater and Johnny Antonelli's #2—had the strongest candidacy of the bunch, peaking at 66 percent in his 10th and final year in 1992. Zernial was a two-time home run champion who hit more dingers than Ralph Kiner during the era but suffered from a low average, too many strikeouts, not enough walks, and a lack of speed and defense (i.e. he was a one-trick pony).

The Veterans Committee will reconvene sometime after 2000, perhaps in 2005, to consider players from the 1966-80 era.

HALL OF FAME VETERANS COMMITTEE VOTING
(75 percent needed for induction)

Player %
Carl Erskine 87%
Willie Jones 81
Harvey Kuenn 80
Stu Miller 75
Don Mossi 73
Gene Woodling 70

Landreaux Lands in Beachville
All-Decade Outfielder is Fifth Superba in Hall of Fame

BEACHVILLE, Ont. — Four-time Gold Glove. Brooklyn Superbas legend. Member of the 80s All-Decade Team. Ken Landreaux can now add "first-ballot Hall of Famer" to his already impressive resume.

When Landreaux retired in 1993, he ranked 2nd in career WAR in Brooklyn Superbas history. This is no latter-day expansion team; we are talking about the most storied and successful club in United League history. Put another way, he racked up more WAR as a Screaming Bat than Hall of Famers Granny Hamner, Dick McAuliffe, and club legends Minnie Minoso and Sandy Amoros. Despite never making an All-UL Team, he was named to the All-Decade Team for 1981-90 as the fourth outfielder. Though he was overshadowed for much of his career by the likes of Dave Winfield and Tony Gwynn, Kenny ended his career with a .306 average and .373 OBP, nearly 2200 hits, and a 65 WAR that surpasses that of 11 current Hall of Famers, including Tom Grieve, Hamner, and Joe Adcock.

Landreaux set a new bar for the lowest draft pick to ever land in Beachville. Ken was selected 41st pick in 1977, after such luminaries as Dennis Lamp, Lary Sorensen, and John Urrea. He join Craig "C-Rob" Robinson (32nd pick, 1972) as the only 3rd-rounders to win election to the Hall. Landreaux is the eighth Brooklyn player in the Hall of Fame, breaking a tie with the Los Angeles Outlaws, but only the second Superba outfielder, after Mickey Mantle.

Elsewhere on the ballot, Manhattan starter Steve Rogers again polled over 70 percent, for the third time in four years, while falling shy of 75 percent; Chicago CF Amos Otis hit 70 percent for the first time on his sixth try; and Cleveland C Lance Parrish inched up two points to 69 percent on his second ballot. Terry Forster jumped nine points to 67 on his fourth, and fellow closer Joe Sambito repeated his 64 percent showing on his third try.

After four years with 15 candidates, the Hall of Fame ballot featured 14 this year, and is likely to be thinned out in the next few years. Starting pitcher Ernie "McA" McAnally will be dropped from the ballot after failing to win election 10 times. His purge follows the elimination of Don Sutton and Jim Palmer from the ballot last year. The next to face the axe are Rich Coggins and Rennie Stennett, who have two years of eligibility left, followed by Darrell Evans, Curt Flood, and Bobby Grich, with three years. Of that bunch, Flood probably has the best chance at winning induction, though he would require a surge of support. Flood surpassed 60 percent for the first time, after six years of polling in the 50s, while Rich Coggins (5th ballot), Bobby Grich (7th), Rennie Stennett (5th), Darrell Evans (7th), and Garry Templeton (2nd) all remained mired under the 60 percent mark.

On the other hand, Beachville revealed a list of nearly two dozen active players over age 36 who will likely end up on the ballot. The list includes a few nearly-certain first-ballot inductees, including Alan Trammell, Robin Yount, Rich Gedman, Bob Horner, and Wade Boggs.

The 1996 ballot will again have 14 entries, as Seattle and Manhattan legend Ellis "Two Time" Valentine and Gray Sox starter Mike Paxton enter the ballot.

HALL OF FAME VOTING
(75 percent needed for induction)

Player %
Ken Landreaux 81%
Steve Rogers 71%
Amos Otis 70%
Lance Parrish 69%
Terry Forster 67%
Ernie McAnally 64%
Joe Sambito 64%
Curt Flood 61%
Rich Coggins 56%
Bobby Grich 56%
Rennie Stennett 56%
Darrell Evans 55%
Garry Templeton 54%

Foxes, Fridley and Tomfoolery
The Devil in the Details between MPS and the City of Fridley’s Relocation Deal!
by Sean Holloway, UL Beat Reporter

At an MPS press conference held in Conference Room T at UL HQ, Foxes GM, Steve “Red Fur Looks Good on Me” Haugh, attempted to give an overview of his plans for the Foxes for 1996. Haugh, a turn-around specialist, was hired precisely to pull the Spiders, errrr, Foxes, out of a vast pit of mediocrity. And while reporters and fans were quietly listening and respectful of Haugh due to his success at Chicago, that feeling did not encompass everyone in the room.

In the midst of a monologue on how Jason Isringhausen will be the ace of the Foxes’ staff, Haugh was rudely interrupted by UL Beat Reporter Sean Holloway, who refused to be shut down and began shouting questions about the relocation deal that brought the San Francisco Spiders to the town of Fridley, Minnesota.

Shouted Holloway. “Are you concerned at all about the city of Fridley’s capability to provide the tax breaks and cash promised to the Foxes organization? I mean, Fridley has only about 30K in population. Is it logical to expect a town that small to provide the massive amount of funds that were promised the Spiders/Foxes organization if they moved to Fridley?”

Haugh remained quiet behind the podium, but laser beams were shooting out of his eyes. Hearing nothing, Holloway continued.

“And in reviewing your GM contract with the Spiders/Foxes (all GM contracts are filed with the League and public knowledge), I discovered a strange clause that vests a full ownership stake in the Foxes and also Pronto Pup Park, contingent on you successfully collecting these tax breaks and cash from the town of Fridley. Did this clause have any impact on the decision to bypass other cities that also wanted the Spiders, and for that matter, does it explain the reason to move the team in the first place?

Upon hearing this, Haugh pulled out a police baton, ran from behind the podium, shouted “Leeroy Jenkins!” and launched himself off the stage in an effort to aerially attack Holloway. Unfortunately for Haugh, Holloway had planned ahead, and Haugh’s attack was about as effective as poor Leeroy’s.

As Haugh was at the apex of his flight trajectory, two very large men wearing shirts with a LFG badge plucked Haugh out of midair, threw him to the ground, and begin to pummel him. Holloway simply smiled and said to nobody in particular “not gonna fall for that again." To end what had become a surreal night, MON GM Bryan Gryka and owner of LFG (the UL's private security service), suddenly ran up to the podium and screamed “Let’s fucking go!” before jumping off the stage and joining his two employees in Haugh’s beat down.

Whew. This situation now raises a number of questions. First, can the town of Fridley actually meet its contractual obligations RE tax breaks and cash? Second, if the town cannot, what other options or paths are available, and just how far will the town go to meet its obligations? Might we see even crazier doings? And third, did anyone realize that the security business would begin booming with the addition of Haugh to the League?

Stay tuned for more. I firmly believe there is a lot still to happen.

League Leaders

Batting Average
Will Clark MPS .350
Wil Cordero KEY .341
Tony Gwynn ATL .336
Carlos Baerga KEY .334
Eric Davis LA .329
Ivan Calderon CLE .327
Barry Bonds STL .327
Julio Franco MAN .327
Mark Grace DEN .326
Jim Edmonds CLE .321

RBIs
Barry Bonds STL 146
Ken Griffey Jr BRO 146
Matt Williams BRO 144
Wil Cordero KEY 140
Jeff Bagwell KEY 139
Ryan Klesko DET 138
Jim Edmonds CLE 127
Tim Salmon KEY 119
Gary Sheffield CHI 117
Albert Belle CHI 116

Infield Zone Rating
Rey Sanchez STL 24.7
Bret Barberie MON 23.0
Robin Yount CLE 20.2
Benji Gil SEA 19.4
Alan Trammell CHI 18.6

Home Runs
Barry Bonds STL 47
Eric Karros TOR 45
Jeff Bagwell KEY 43
Ryan Klesko DET 42
Raul Mondesi TOR 42
Matt Williams BRO 40
Albert Belle CHI 39
Wil Cordero KEY 39
Raffy Palmeiro HAV 39 Tim Salmon KEY 39

bWAR
Ken Griffey Jr BRO 8.3
Albert Belle CHI 8.3
Barry Bonds STL 8.2
Eric Davis LA 8.1
Jim Edmonds CLE 7.3
Raffy Palmeiro HAV 7.2
Wil Cordero KEY 7.0
Jeff Cirillo LA 6.7
Jeff Bagwell KEY 6.7
Tim Salmon KEY 6.5

Outfield Zone Rating
Ken Griffey Jr BRO 23.1
Stan Javier LA 21.8
Danny Bautista SEA 17.0
Rondell White ATL 16.6
Mike Devereaux FLO 16.0

Earned Run Average
Floyd Youmans LA 2.65
Pedro Martinez ATL 2.67
Mike Mussina FLO 3.13
Shane Reynolds HAV 3.18
Greg Swindell LA 3.23
Randy Tomlin CLE 3.29
Tom Glavine WAS 3.38
Angel Miranda STL 3.38
Ismael Valdez CLE 3.60
Mike Mason CLE 3.65

Strikeouts
Pedro Martinez ATL 242
Floyd Youmans LA 197
Mike Mussina FLO 192
Steve Cooke CHI 191
Dwight Gooden ATL 189
Hideo Nomo DEN 185
Fern Valenzuela ATL 184
Greg Swindell LA 180
Erik Hanson CHI 176
Jon Lieber BOS 175

Wins
Mike Mussina FLO 20
Floyd Youmans LA 18
Bruce Hurst LA 17
Donovan Osborne STL 17
Alex Fernandez DET 16
Rheal Cormier LA 15
Erik Hanson MAN 15
Terry Mulholland CLE 15
Don Robinson LA 15
Kirk Rueter KEY 15

pWAR
Dwight Gooden ATL 6.4
Greg Swindell LA 6.3
Pedro Martinez ATL 6.2
Mike Mussina FLO 6.1
Floyd Youmans LA 5.4
Bruce Ruffin SEA 5.1
Fern Valenzuela ATL 4.9
Bret Saberhagen BOS 4.8
Kelly Downs HAV 4.8
Andy Pettitte MAN 4.8

Awards

Batter of the Month
APR Matt Williams BRO
MAY Barry Bonds STL
JUN Eric Davis LA
JUL John Olerud CHI
AUG Jim Thome BOS
SEP Ryan Klesko DET

Pitcher of the Month
APR Hideo Nomo DEN
MAY Erik Hanson CHI
JUN Randy Tomlin CLE
JUL Mike Mussina FLO
AUG Kirk Rueter KEY
SEP Mike Mussina FLO

Rookie of the Month
APR Hideo Nomo DEN
MAY Roger Salkeld STL
JUN Troy Percival BOS
JUL Danny Bautista SEA
AUG Andy Pettitte MAN
SEP Alex Rodriguez CLE

Player of the Week
4/10 Matt Williams BRO
4/17 Ryan Klesko DET
4/24 Wil Cordero KEY
5/1 Jerry Browne MAN
5/8 Frank Thomas LA
5/15 Raffy Palmeiro HAV
5/22 Reg Jefferson STL
5/29 John Shelby KEY
6/5 Hal Morris DEN
6/12 Carlos Baerga KEY
6/19 Wil Cordero KEY
6/26 Albert Belle CHI
7/3 Bill Spiers DEN
7/10 Albert Belle CHI
7/17 Ryne Sandberg WAS
7/24 Larry Walker DET
7/31 John Olerud CHI
8/7 Jeff Blauser MON
8/14 Chili Davis CHI
8/21 Alex Rodriguez CLE
8/28 Juan Gonzalez TOR
9/4 Bernie Williams MPS
9/11 Ellis Burks TOR
9/18 Barry Bonds STL
9/25 Eric Davis LA

West Division

East Division

Just as Cleveland's playoff drought was ended at 21 years and St. Louis's playoff run was ended at 12, the Los Angeles Outlaws extended their league record to 15 straight playoff appearances. A club that was on an appearance downslope—with 95 wins in 1993 and 88 last year—won 101 games this year, tied for the second most in franchise history. L.A. captured their first pennant and first President's Trophy since 1991, which, incidentally, was also their last title year. So how did they do it? Duh. Pitching.

The Outlaws have been a top-3 pitching team in 14 of their 15 playoff seasons, and this year they again ranked 1st , for the 10th time in that stretch. Two pitchers stood head and shoulders above the rest of the staff. Ace Floyd Youmans (18-10, 2.65) won the ERA title and led the circuit with 12 CG, 6 SHO, and 6.8 hits per nine. Since joining Los Angeles from Montreal in mid-1990, the righthanded Floridian has compiled a 89-52 record with a 2.89 ERA. Greg Swindell (13-10, 3.23) was second in WAR, 5th in ERA, and led the league with 253.2 innings pitched.

But wait, forget the "head and shoulders" thing. Let's consider the whole rotation. Rheal Cormier was 15-5, 3.69. Don Robinson was 15-8, 4.04. And fifth man Bruce Hurst was 17-7, 3.78. These five starters accounted for 100 percent of LA's starts, compiling an astounding 78-40 record.

Speaking of astounding, L.A. was 62-19 at home (and just 39-42 on the road), setting UL records for best home record and biggest home field advantage (+23). None of which bodes well for the Outlaws' playoff opponents as they pursue their fourth UL title.

It took 40 years for the City of Brotherly love to land a UL franchise. It took just six for that franchise to book its first trip to the UL playoffs. After a meteoric 23-game rise last year landed the Murmuring just two games out of the Hex, this year's club won the East Division, albeit with a lackluster 89 wins. Not to take anything away from GM Doug Aiton's accomplishment, but the Starlings' win total was the lowest for a division-winner since Denver's 85 in 1980. (Wait, Denver made the playoffs?!) Keystone is also the worst pitching team to ever win a pennant, ranking 17th out of 18. Only two regular starters had ERAs under 5.38 and only one reliever had an ERA under 5.00. So let's talk about that offense... which ranked #1.

6.0 runs per game makes 1995 Keystone the best offense in league history. Their 977 runs makes them the best offense in league history. Their .846 OPS makes them the best offense in league history. Seven regulars hit at least 20 HR (led by Jeff Bagwell's 43 and Wil Cordero and Tim Salmon's 39). Bagwell and Cordero both slugged over .600 and had OPSs over 1.000. Cordero and Carlos Baerga both had over 200 hits and hit over .330 (they were 2nd and 4th in the batting race, respectively).

All of these numbers were undoubtedly helped by playing in one of the most righty-friendly ballparks and in one of the most offensive seasons in league history. But nonetheless, Keystone's star-packed lineup is very young and poised for a long run atop the East Division.

Cleveland has always been a pitching-first team, going back to the early 60s after their move from Boston, but never moreso than a six-year stretch from 1971-76, when the Barons were a top-two pitching team every year, producing three winning seasons and two playoff appearances. The '95 Barons are the first since then to finish in the top two.

The staff featured three hurlers in the top 10 in ERA: Randy Tomlin (3.29), Ismael Valdez (3.60), and Mike Mason (3.65). Valdez, age 21 and in his second season, led the staff with 13 wins, 145 strikeouts, and 4.0 WAR, while Tomlin (12-9, 3.29) set career marks in wins, ERA, and WAR.

But the offense's 5.1 runs per game was a massive 1.7 improvement and the franchise's most productive offense since 1955, when they were plying their trade at Fenway Park. Their 165 home runs was 80 percent more than their 10-year average of 92 and their .765 OPS was 107 points above their 10-year average. 3-4 hitters Jim Edmonds (.321-30-127) and Alex Rodriguez (.281-34-104) led the attack. A-Rod led all rookies in HR, RBI, total bases, and WAR. Newcomer Ivan Calderon OPSed .895 in 75 games and former Spiders 1B Carlos Delgado drove in 80 with a .887 OPS. Oh yes, and the $16 million men, Rich Gedman and Robin Yount, had WARs of 5.1 and 4.8.

The 1970s San Francisco Spiders were notorious for making the playoffs in only even years (1974, '76, '78, '80, and '86). The modern-day Brooklyn Superbas are becoming their odd-year counterparts. The Bas have made the playoffs in every odd year going back to 1991. This year's team was actually five games worse than last year's 91-win team. But that them was a distance fifth it a hotly contested division, while this year's team coasted to a second place finish in a diminished race.

Compared to last year, the hitting improved and the pitching declined. Ken Griffey Jr (.294-36-146) led the league in WAR with 8.3, the lowest total for a WAR leader since Dave Winfield's 7.4 in 1981. Matt Williams (.295-40-144) joined him in the elusive 140-RBI club, making them the first teammates in UL history to achieve 140 ribbies. Switch-hitting 2B Geronimo Pena (.308-22-84, 6.2 WAR) was one of the most potent middle infielders.

The starting rotation was a lackluster 14th (Kevin Brown and Ramon Martinez both regressed), but the bullpen ranked 2nd, led by closer Greg McMichael (2.49, 22 saves) and Mike Timlin (8-1, 2.57).

Years ago, Lance Mueller's Chicago Colts were the perennial overperformers, when it came to exceeding preseason expectations (at least by Glen Reed's ratings count). In the '90s, the title of perennial overperformer belongs to Sean Holloway's Detroit Griffins. For the third year running, the Griffins were predicted to finish midtable, and for the third year running they won 94-95 games and earned a playoff berth. This year, the Flyin' Lions returned to the formula that brought them back-to-back UL titles in 1983-84, namely a mashing offense that beats its opponents into submission.

Detroit finished in the top two in offense for the first time since 1985, with a crushing lineup that featured five regulars with an OPS over .800. Leading the bunch was RF/1B Ryan Klesko (.312-42-138), who led the league with .630 SLG and 1.057 OPS and is a leading MVP candidate. Next comes Aussie C Dave Nilsson (.300-28-107) who had his third straight .300 season and second straight 100-RBI season. CF Orlando Merced and 2B Jeff Treadway each contributed 90+ RBIs.

The pitching was led by Alex Fernandez (16-7, 3.25) and the bullpen duo of Hector Carrasco (2.92, 31 SV) and Dave Beard (2.90, 12 SV).

Last year, Toronto went 56-20 in the second half to climb from fifth to first on their way to their second UL title. This year, the P-Bears repeated the trick, with a variation, going 45-33 after July 1 to climb from sixth to third. The surge clinched the club's seventh playoff appearance in the last eight years, albeit with their lowest win total: 84.

The 17-game decline from last year was mostly caused by a weakened offense. Toronto ranked just 5th in runs, their lowest placement in eight years, though they still led the league with 258 home runs. The replacement of two Mickeys (Tettleton and Morandini) by Benito Santiago and Jose Oquendo hurt the offense. And Eric Karros' production dipped a bit, though the 27-year-old 1B still finished 2nd with 45 home runs.

The shocking trade of Dwight Gooden on July 1 hurt the pitching staff, which dropped three spots to 11th. Scott Sanderson took over the mantle of staff ace, leading the team with 14 wins, 135 Ks, and 203 innings pitched. Rene Arocha pitched an incredible 153 innings in 82 relief appearance, which must be some kind of record.

In his first year at the helm, new GM Anthony Sexton righted the ship, improving the Colts by nine games while adding youth and future draft picks. Despite the trade of Eric Davis, the offense still ranked 3rd, and despite the trade of Donovan Osborne and Terry Mulholland, the pitching still ranked 3rd. Chicago was the only team in the league in the top 3 in both runs and runs against, yet still finished fourth in the division.

Four regulars hit over .300, and two more hit over .290, adding up to a .284 team batting average. Gary Sheffield and Albert Belle drove in 117 and 116 runs, Belle hit 39 homers, and 34-year-old newcomer Chili Davis swiped 32 bases.

Steve Cooke (14-10, 3.82, 191) led the staff in most categories. The 25-year-old lefty is 60-28, 3.15, 11.6 WAR for his career, and he ranks #2 in wins and strikeouts and #3 in WAR among U-25 pitchers. Veteran newcomer Mike Morgan (8-6, 3.96, 1.5 WAR) had his best season since the '80s, and Jesse Orosco (age 37) notched 21 saves, the most in 11 years.

The Dingy Hose clawed back most of the 26 games they declined last year, finishing above .500 (barely) for the third time in four years. An 8-8 finish kept them out of the top three and they landed two games out of the playoff zone.

The 20-win improvement can be credited almost exclusively to the much-improved pitching staff, which jumped from last to 12th in runs against. Rookie lefty Andy Pettitte, the 4th overall pick, led the club with a 3.78 ERA and 4.8 WAR, and Bobby Munoz got 13 wins in his second year in the rotation. But Pat Hentgen struggled to a 5.07 ERA.

C Darrin Fletcher (.313-19-82, 3.6 WAR) put up career highs and CF Jerry Browne was one of the most improved hitters in the league, surging 76 points to .316, just missing the top 10 in batting. Ron Gant's power returned (26 HR), as did Barry Larkin's (.444 SLG, up from .361 last year), but other than home runs and stolen bases, the offense was below average.

The jig is up. After 12 straight playoff appearances, the mighty St. Louis Maroons have failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 1982. After winning back-to-back titles in 1988-89, the Maroons continued to win in the regular season but forgot how to win in October, going 5-20 in the playoffs, including three straight sweeps in 1991-93.

While the pitching was still solid this year (4th in RA), the offense finished 12th in runs, their first lower-half finish since 1982.

Barry Bonds (.327-47-146) won his 3rd HR and 4th RBI titles and should be a contender for his 5th MVP trophy. But the offense was top-heavy. To wit, Bonds had 26 more HR than David Justice and 49 more RBI than Reggie Jefferson, and those two dudes were #2 in those respective categories. Newcomers CF Michael Tucker and 3B Chipper Jones had below average OPS numbers, and the addition of SS Rey Sanchez did wonders for the defense but diminished the offensive output.

There were some highlights, though. The aforementioned Jefferson's 97 RBI is quite remarkable, it you remove it from the shadow of Bonds' swollen head. SP Angel Miranda had a solid sophomore campaign (12-9, 3.38) and relative unknown SP Roger Salkeld put up stellar rookie numbers (7-2, 2.90).

The Pink Birds finished within five games of the playoffs for the third year running, but this year it had more to do with their placement in the weak East Divison than with their own performance, which declined by seven games.

The offense tanked this year, dropping from a franchise-best #10 rank a year ago to next-to-last. 2B Roberto Alomar missed half the year to injury, and the loss of Ivan Calderon and Mark McGwire was felt acutely, as their replacements—Mike Devereaux and Edgar Martinez—failed to compensate for their lost production. Kevin Elster's improved defense helped compensate for his diminished offensive production, resulting in an identical 3.4 WAR from last year. LF Ruben Sierra surpassed 100 RBI for the first time since 1989 and also led the club with a .290 average.

Ace Mike Mussina (20-10, 3.13) again led with league in wins, despite an ERA that bloated by 90 points, and newcomer Bill Swift (8-4, 2.90) had a career best ERA and WHIP.

After a record 110 wins in'94, the Toppers finished just two games over .500 and missed the playoffs by 12 games. Yes, the pitching declined from 1st to 5th, but a batting slump hurt the club most. The Red Blobs dropped from 3rd to 13th in runs scored.

Manny Ramirez hit 29 homers for the second year in a row, going homerless in his final eight games in his quest for 30. 1B Greg Colbrunn broke out (.309-26-104), and CF Rondell White (.285-24-75) led the club with 6.0 WAR.

Dwight Gooden won the pWAR title with the lowest total for a pWAR champion in league history (6.0). But it was also the closest gap between the top 5 pitchers, just 1.0 points. Meanwhile, Fernie and Darryl Kile bouth doubled their ERAs to 4.40 and 5.30, respectively.

What explains Boston's 21-game skid, a year after a 99-win campaign? One theory is last year's 32-game improvement was a matter of the stars aligning and all the gears clicking at the same time. That certainly was not the case in '95.

Kal Daniels' OPS dropped 100 points, Sammy Sosa's by 54, Mike Piazza's by 43, Jim Thome's by 40. On the mound, ace Jon Lieber's ERA went from 3.12 to 4.77 and newcomer Greg Mathews' posted a career-worst 4.99 ERA.

Finally, the bullpen ranked dead last in ERA, despite the presence of Troy Percival and Billy Taylor, who personified the sophomore slump (4.34 ERA after 1.47 and 47 saves last year).

The move from the City by the Bay to Pronto Pup Stadium improved the club by 15 wins, but the club finished in 7th for the fourth year running.

1B Will Clark improved his average by a stunning 106 points to win the batting title with .350. Sixth-year 3B Travis Fryman had a breakout season (.282-27-102, 3.2 WAR) and second year LF Garret Anderson had 180 hits and drove in 100 runs.

The starting rotation ranked dead last in ERA, "led" by Omar Daal (6.98) and Kevin Foster (6.35), but the bullpen was fifth best, thanks to Puerto Rican northpaw Julio Valera's 33 saves and 3.58 ERA.

After four straight winning seasons and fourth place finishes, the Leones have had two straight losing seasons. Havana was 77-85 this year, eight games under .500, despite ranking 6th in runs and 7th in runs allowed.

Their 8 games below their expected W-L ranks as the third biggest "underperformance" of the 90s, and it not easily explained. The Leones were 20-20 in one-run games and 7-7 in extra innings.

One clue lies in batting performance in high-leverage situations, where nearly every batter choked when it mattered: Lenny Dykstra (.217 vs .287 overall, -70), Kevin Seitzer (.255 vs .285, -30), Shane Mack (.265 vs .291, -26), Todd Hundley (.247 vs .272, -25)

Former Flamingo Shane Reynolds adapted well to his new home, finishing 4th in ERA (3.18).

Denver suffered through its third straight 8th place finish and sixth straight losing season, though it improved by 12 games.

The offense jumped six spots to 11th, and was 6th in OBP and 4th in stolen bases. Key to those numbers was veteran LF Tim Raines, who OBPed .378, swiped 29 bases, and became the 3rd player to reach 800 career stolen bases in May. Former Spider Mark Grace (.326-15-86, 5.1 WAR) had his best season in six years, and C Rick Wilkins led the team with 19 home runs.

Rookie SP Hideo Nomo was 8-2, 2.67 in mid-June, but finished 10-9, 4.46, but rookie southpaw David West took to the ace role, with a 13-11 record, 3.81 ERA, and 154 strikeouts.

The Monuments were picked to finished last in the East and exceeded expectations. The offense was again 16th and the pitching slipped two spots to 15th.

1B Jason Giambi had a solid rookie year (.288-25-78), SP Tom Glavine (13-9, 3.38, 166 K) led the staff in almost every category, and sophomore Phil Leftwich successfully transitioned to the closer role, with an impressive 35 saves (especially for a 66-win team).

Another year, another 105-loss season in the PNW. Seattle did improve its pitching from 15th to 10th, but still finished 11 games behind 8th place Denver.

Rookie #2 starter Joey Hamilton was outmatched all year, finishing 3-24, 6.02 after an 0-14 start. Venezuelan lefty Wilson Alvarez ballooned his ERA to 6.48 after a 3.90 season last year.

Despite their apparent statis, the first faint rays of a new dawn appeared on the horizon. LF Danny Bautista led all rookies with162 hits (one more than A-Rod) and led the club with 28 HR and 86 RBI, while rookie CF Johnny Damon hit .317 and stole 24 bases, and rookie SS Benji Gil ranked fourth in infield Zone Rating. Veteran 1B Alvin Davis, age 35, had his seventh .300 season.

The Canoeists again took up residence in the East cellar, despite nine extra wins. The pitching improved four spots to 13th, led by the fourth-best bullpen in the league. Rookie northpaw Cory Bailey notched 26 saves and rookie southpaw Jason Christensen posted a 2.57 ERA in 62 appearances.

At the plate, Pudge Rodriguez led in batting (.316) and WAR (4.9), and Carl Everett in home runs (19) and RBIs (95). On the down side, Bip Roberts hit a career-low .289.

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