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Oct. 21, 1995 • Playoff Edition

East W L GB 2ndH R RA
Keystone 89 73 - 40-38 1 17
Brooklyn 86 76 3 45-33 4 8
Toronto 84 78 5 45-33 5 11
Manhattan 82 80 7 39-39 14 12
Florida 79 83 10 49-29 17 6
Boston 78 84 11 32-46 8 14
Havana 77 85 12 36-42 6 7
Washington 66 96 23 29-49 16 15
Montreal 65 97 24 29-49 15 13

West W L GB L10 R RA
Los Angeles 101 61 - 47-31 6 1
Cleveland 97 65 4 46-32 9 2 Detroit 94 68 7 45-33 2 8
Chicago 92 70 9 47-31 3 3
St. Louis 87 75 14 43-35 12 4
Atlanta 82 80 19 36-42 13 5
Minneapolis 73 89 28 35-43 10 18
Denver 69 93 32 30-48 11 16
Seattle 57 105 44 29-49 18 10

INJURIES
(Playoff teams only, min 4 wk; bold=this sim)

CLE CF Darren Lewis (2 wk)
KEY CF Kirby Puckett (8 mo)

MILESTONES
(top 25 all-time)

May 10 - DET Howard Johnson
400 home runs (#20 all-time)
May 25 - DEN Tim Raines
800 stolen bases (#3)

June 2 - LA Don Robinson
2500 strikeouts (#24)
June 18 - CHI Alan Trammell
3000 hits (#5)
July 4 - BOS Kal Daniels
500 stolen bases (#22)
Aug 12 - CHI Roger Clemens
2500 strikeouts (#25)
Aug 20 - STL Barry Bonds
400 home runs (#22)
Sep 1 - ATL Fernie Valenzuela
3000 strikeouts (#15)
Sep 28 - CLE Robin Yount
1500 RBIs (#10)

SEMI SERIES
Dreams Dashed
Barons, Starlings Fall Short In Bids for First World Series Appearance

After taking 2-0 series leads, both the Cleveland Barons and Keystone Starlings seemed poised for their first World Series appearance. The fake baseball gods are fickle, however, if not outright cruel. So instead of a matchup of first-timers, we ended up with a pairing of two of the three UL clubs with the most World Series appearances: the Brooklyn Superbas and Los Angeles Outlaws.

The Barons took two on the road in L.A., including a Game 2 win over presumptive Cy Young winner Floyd Youmans, but then fell flat, going 0-3 at home before losing the decisive Game 6 to the same Youmans. Keystone also faltered at home, losing Games 6 and 7 at New Shibe Park after taking a 3-2 series lead. Both clubs are full of young stars and figure to contend for many years. But the sting of coming this close and failing to advance will not fade quickly.

GAME 1 - CLE 5, LA 3
Cleveland built and squandered a 3-0 lead, then won the game in the 9th on a single by Luis Polonia. Barons started Mike Mason was masterful, tossing 5.2 shutout innings and driving in two runs, but the Cleveland bullpen was leaky, letting in three including a pair in the 7th on a Ray Durham homer. The decisive rally in the 9th came off former St. Louis Maroon Dave Schmidt, who let in an insurance run on a wild pitch.

GAME 2 - CLE 3, LA 1
Twenty-two year old Ismael Valdez outdueled Cy Young favorite Floyd Youmans, anchoring a combined three-hitter to give Cleveland a stunning 2-0 lead after a pair of road wins. Izzy balked with the bases loaded in the first, plating Tony Phillips, but the home team would not score again and would only get one hit in the next eight innings. Youmans, meanwhile, was shaky, coughing up two runs on two hits and a walk in the second, with Polonia's two-run single putting the Barons up for good. Valdez added an insurance run on a sac fly in the 4th, and Dan Plesac and Doug Henry combined for 2.2 no-hit innings to nail down the win.

GAME 3 - LA 13, CLE 3
Johnny Podres Field was rocking, but the festive atmosphere faded in the middle innings when Los Angeles scored 10 runs to take an 11-0 lead. Randy Tomlin gave up five runs, former Outlaw Gary Lucas gave up four more, and the rout was on. Frank Thomas had 4 of L.A.'s 18 hits, Eric Davis doubled twice, and pitcher Rheal Cormier led the attack with 4 RBIs and hit the Outlaws' only homer. Jim Edmonds and Carlos Delgado homered for Cleveland, to a smattering of applause from the shell-shocked home crowd.

GAME 4 - LA 7, CLE 4
Carlos Delgado's three-run homer in the fourth put Cleveland up 3-2, but they could not hold the lead, as the visitors scored five to coast to a 7-4 win. Andy Van Slyke was 3-for-4 with a homer and Jeff Cirillo hit a 3-run shot off Toby Borland in the seventh for the decisive blow. L.A. got decent starting pitching from Don Robinson and great relief pitching from Bruce Hurst. Delgado homered twice, driving in four, in the losing effort.

GAME 5 - LA 9, CLE 2
Trying to reverse a huge momentum shift and get back in the series, Cleveland instead gave up three early runs to a bases-loaded walk and Ray Durham's two-run single. Edmonds' two-run shot off Greg Swindell in the bottom of first trimmed the lead to one run, but a five-run fifth put the game out of reach. Those five runs were the results of five hits and an error, and included an Eric Davis solo shot and Stan Javier two-run single. The eruption chased Mike Mason, who allowed eight runs (four earned) in 4.1 innings. Swindell, meanwhile, lasted 6.2 innings, allowing seven hits and two runs. Durham and Javier each had three RBIs in the game, the Outlaws headed back to Tinseltown with an unlikely 3-2 series lead.

GAME 6 - LA 2, CLE 1
Facing elimination, Cleveland got off to a superb start, scoring a run in the second on an Alex Rodriguez homer while Ismael Valdez took a no-hitter into the fourth. But the game turned on a dime, as the no-hitter turned into a 1-2 deficit within moments. Tony Phillips led off the inning with a homer, then Eric Davis and Javier doubled. Youmans then settled in, allowing just two runs in eight inning. Cleveland put two men aboard with no outs in the ninth, but Bruce Hurst retired Edmonds, A-Rod, and Jose Canseco on a flyout, groundout, and strikeout, smashing Cleveland's dreams and sending Los Angeles to its 10th World Series.

Eric Davis took Series MVP honors, with a .417 average and 1.148 OPS. Youmans posted a 2.40 ERA in 15 innings and Hurst notched a pair of saves.

SEMI SERIES
Bas Power Past Keystone
Matt Williams Stars, While Bullpen Shines

Brooklyn fought back from a 0-2 deficit, including a pair of road wins in elimination games, to book their second World Series trip in three years—and 13th overall.

GAME 1 - KEY 6, BRO 2
In front of a packed house at the first-ever postseason game at New Shibe Park, the Keystone Starlings did not disappoint. The hosts put up two runs in each of the first two innings and coasted to a 6-2 win. Wil Cordero got the festivities started with a two-run dinger in the first, and Carlos Baerga added a two-run double in the second. Sophomore northpaw William Van Landingham (WVL) scattered six hits over 7.1 innings, allowing just two runs. Brooklyn managed just one extra-base hit on the day, as relievers Rick White and Steve Olin put the finishing touches on a comprehensive Game 1 victory.

GAME 2 - KEY 5, BRO 2
Brooklyn lefty John Smiley looked untouchable and was cruising toward victory with a 2-0 lead until it all came crashing down in the eighth, when the Starlings' bats came to life. The Superbas went to the pen early, pulling Smiley after 7.0 innings and just 86 pitches after a leadoff walk to start the eighth inning, a decision they would quickly regret. Mike Stanley's two-run homer off Greg McMichael capped a five-run outburst, turning victory into defeat faster than you can say "eighth inning meltdown." Stanley had four hits in the game and Brooklyn's Matt Williams homered and drove in two.

GAME 3 - BRO 5, KEY 1
Back in the friendly confines of Frank Thomas Memorial Stadium (in its 40th anniversary year), Brooklyn's pitching took over, as Ramon Martinez and three relief men combined for a 4-hitter and 5-1 win. Glenn Hoffman was 3-for-4 with a homer and Mark McGwire was 2-for-4 with a homer as the Bas piled up five runs on Kirk Rueter.

GAME 4 - BRO 6, KEY 3
Keystone's pitching inexperience again showed in Game 4, as the home side touched third-year Butch Henry for three early runs. Leadoff man Geronimo Pena was 2-for-4 with a homer, walk, and two runs, and Matt Williams added his third homer of the series. Brooklyn's bullpen was outstanding, surrendering just three hits and one run in six innings. Tim Salmon and Mike Stanley homered for the Murmuring.

GAME 5 - KEY 8, BRO 4
In a pivotal Game 5, Keystone reversed its two-game skid to take a 3-2 lead back home to Philly. The Starlings turned back an early 2-0 Brooklyn lead, as Scott Bankhead settled down and the offense broke a 3-3 tie with a three-run sixth inning. Carlos Baerga had four hits and Kevin Mitchell added three, including two doubles. Dion James had four hits for the hosts.

GAME 6 - BRO 10, KEY 2
Facing elimination on the road, Brooklyn piled on a jittery Keystone pitching staff, scoring seven off WVL and three more off Aaron Sele. Ken Griffey Jr's two-run homer in the game's third at-bat set the tone and the outcome was never in doubt. Matt Williams got his third homer of the series, driving in three, while James and Tom Foley each collected three hits. Smiley got the win, and the Brooklyn bullpen was again flawless, with four shutout innings.

GAME 7 - BRO 3, KEY 2
Only the third Semi Series Game 7 since 1989 was a nailbiter from start to finish. Williams' RBI double off Jose DeLeon put Brooklyn ahead 1-0 in the first, but Keystone went ahead in the fourth on back-to-back homers by Cordero and Jeff Bagwell. With a 2-1 lead and 40,000+ screaming fans cheering them on, the Starling then led the game slip away. Geronimo's RBI single in the 7th tied it up 2-2 and Terry Puhl's RBI single scored Griffey Jr with the go-ahead run in the 8th. Brooklyn's bullpen duo of Mike Timlin and McMichael then shut the door with three more shutout innings.

Brooklyn's bullpen provided seven shutout innings in the final two games and Matt Williams (.333-3-8) was the series MVP.

The Brooklyn Superbas now prepare for their UL-record 13th World Series—and their second in three years under GM Tim Widholm.

WORLD SERIES PREVIEW
NY-LA Series
Familiar Faces in Fall Classic

New York and Los Angeles will face off in the UL's Fall Classic for just the second time. The 1968 World Series was the first appearance for the Manhattan Gray Sox and Los Angeles Outlaws, both of which would go on to be dynasties.

The '95 Classic will see Los Angeles face the Brooklyn Superbas, who between them have 11 UL titles and 21 combined World Series appearances.

Though Brooklyn is the all-time winningest UL franchise, with eight titles, the Superbas have not won since 1966 and are winless in their last three World Series appearances in 1969, 1976, and 1993. That '93 series was a 1-4 defeat at the hands of Steve Haugh's "Bondage Pony" Chicago Colts.

Other than Brooklyn, only Chicago (11) has made more World Series appearances than Los Angeles (10). All 10 of the Outlaws appearances have come after Brooklyn's last title. This will be L.A.'s eighth World Series in 15 years since the current mega-dynasty began back in 1981. Vay's team is 3-4 in previous appearances, winning the title in 1981, 1984, and 1991.

L.A. was 5-3 against Brooklyn in the regular season, and has a 111-86 edge in regular season games since 1976. In their only previous playoff appearance, Los Angeles beat Brooklyn 4-2 in the 1984 Hex Series.

Barons Blitz Bedevils Basilisks!
All the little chicks with the crimson lips go “Cleveland Rocks!”
by Sean Holloway, UL Beat Reporter

With the Barons finally into the playoffs, many UL observers are now pulling for the crew from Cleveland, especially after the Barons completely befuddled the Griffins with a 4-1 Hex Series win.

The champagne flowed in Cleveland for a bit until Qualls burst into the locker room after his postgame presser and quickly tore his team a new one for premature celebration and shouted, “We will not celebrate anything until we have accomplished something!” Stated a nearly hoarse Qualls. “One series does not win you the trophy, and there is a long way to go. We may not even make it out of the West seeing how we are up against the Outlaws.”

The mood in the DET locker room was one of absolute befuddlement. GM Holloway was sitting at a table for a postgame presser, and reporters were slinging questions left and right, but all Holloway did was keep muttering “He missed!” like Diane Keaton’s character of Sonya in Love and Death. No one is quite sure what this means, but it’s clear the Griffins got steamrolled.

In honor of that steamrolling, but even more in honor of GM Qualls’ efforts that got the Barons to the playoffs, we must regale the Barons GM in song! Let us see how the Barons victory played from the Detroit perspective, and how GM Holloway is amazed at the scale of the drubbing, how he believes CLE could sneak past LA with CLE playing the way they are, how he kicks himself for a blunderful signing of HoJo when he should have spent FA money elsewhere like Qualls did, and then how he finally resigns himself to not moving on since there’s no way his team could beat LA. To sing along at home, here’s a link to Folsom Prison Blues.

I hear the Barons comin', They’re rolling ‘round the bend
And I ain't had my head stomped since I don't know when
I'm stuck in a long offseason, minutes seem like days
But these Barons keep a rollin' on toward Peter Vays

When I was just a newbie, Glen Reed told me, "Balls!
Always draft a shortstop and don't ever mess with Qualls!"
But I challenged Qualls in Detroit, and I flat out died
When I heard that twenty-one – eight score, I hung my head and cried

I bet there's Barons prepping for Youmans and Swindell
They're probably thinking “Damn it! We ain’t done well!”
Well I know Thome’s streaking; still won’t be easy
But those Barons keep on winnin'; no surprise it would be

Well if they freed me from his contract; if that Ismael guy was mine
I bet I'd have moved on a little farther down the line
Far from Detroit City; that's where I want to stay
But I’d probably get my ass kicked by one Peter Vays

HEX SERIES
Barons Rout Griffins
Qualls Wins First Ever Playoff Series

The Cleveland Barons overcame a Game 1 loss to rout their Rustbelt rivals with four straight wins, including a signature 21-8 soul-crushing demolition in Game 3 that set all kinds of playoff records. Cleveland scored 41 runs, for an average of 8.2 runs per game. Jim Edmonds (.435-2-12, 1.306) was named series MVP. The 25-year-old center fielder was one of three Cleveland regulars with an OPS over 1.000. The others were 39-year old SS Robin Yount (.400-2-6, 1.128) and 20-year old 3B Alex Rodriguez (.429-1-5, 1.050). Rich Gedman, the 35-year-old catcher, also had a solid series, batting .316 with .802 OPS.

The triumph gives the Cleveland franchise and its founding GM Charlie Qualls their first playoff series victory in their 45-year history. The Barons lost all four prior playoff series: the 1965, 1967, and 1973 World Series, and a Semi Series exit in 1974. Cleveland next faces the Los Angeles Outlaws, the President's Trophy winners in their 15th consecutive postseason.

GAME 1 - DET 7, CLE 4
The home side took an early 3-0 lead but squandered it, as Detroit scored in four straight innings off the two Valdezes (Ismael and Sergio) for a 7-4 road win. Andy Benes held the Barons to four hits and three earned runs over six innings, and Orlando Merced was 3-for-4.

GAME 2 - CLE 5, DET 4
In a flip of Game 1, it was Detroit who took and wasted an early lead, plating three off Cleveland starter Mike Mason in the first and taking a 4-1 lead into the bottom of the eighth. That's when the hosts exploded for four runs off David Beard, including Jim Edmonds' two-run single. The Barons took the lead on a Dave Nilsson passed ball, and Doug Henry nailed down the win with a perfect ninth.

GAME 3 - CLE 21, DET 8
In a rout for the ages, Cleveland batters racked up 26 hits, including three doubles and three home runs, for 21 runs. They scored in seven innings, including a pair of seven-run innings. Robin Yount led the assault, with five hits, including two homers, and A-Rod and Rich Gedman each added four hits, Jim Edmonds drove in five runs, and Wally Joyner drove in four. The score was 10-0 before Detroit came to bat in the third, as the Kiner Field crowd watched in stunned silence. Starter Alex Fernandez was touched for 10 hits and 8 runs in 2.2 innings, and Mikey Stanton had the worst playoff appearance in UL history, allowing 6 hits and 7 runs while retiring a single batter.

GAME 4 - CLE 6, DET 1
Hoping to book the Game 3 debacle behind them, Detroit instead immediately gave up two runs on Jim Edmonds' homer off Doug Drabek as the nightmare continued. Randy Tomlin and three relievers held the hosts to just one run. Edmonds was 4-for-5 and Carlos Delgado was 2-for-4 with 3 RBIs, including a homer.

GAME 5 - CLE 5, DET 2
Staving off elimination, Detroit scored two runs in the second, but could not score again, and Cleveland rallied for five runs in the final two innings to book their spot in the Semi Series. Jim Edmonds' two-run single in the eighth tied the game, A-Rod added a go-ahead RBI single. Edmonds and A-Rod each added insurance RBIs in the ninth as Kiner Field emptied quickly.

HEX SERIES
Brooklyn Tops Toronto
Superbas Silence Bear Bats, Stymie Comeback

The Brooklyn Superbas will make their third appearance in the Semi Series in the last five years, after taking down the defending champion Toronto Polar Bears four games to two, but not before the Sailors of the Floe nearly rallied from 0-3 behind with a pair of 5-4 home wins.

Canadian Terry Puhl batted .524 (11-21) with 5 RBIs to capture series MVP honors. The 38-year-old right fielder, who announced his retirement at the end of the season, hit safely in all six games, including a 4-for-5 day in the Game 5 loss. Ace David Cone also starred in the series, posting a 1.59 ERA in two starts. And in a lineup that includes Matt Williams (40 HR), Ken Griffey Jr. (36), and Mark McGwire (24), it was C Mike Scioscia (with 6 regular season HR) who led the club with two homers.

Brooklyn had lost six straight playoff series—from 1976-91—before winning the Hex Series over Toronto in 1993 on their way to an eventual World Series appearance. The Tim Widholm-led Superbas will now seek to make their second World Series in three years when they face the Cinderella team of the East: GM Doug Aiton's Keystone Starlings.

GAME 1 - BRO 2, TOR 1
Ramon Martinez and Greg McMichael combined to hold Toronto to two hits, while Dion James delivered the game-winning hit off All-UL reliever Rene Arocha in the bottom of the seventh, as the hosting Superbas eeked out a 2-1 win. Ellis Burks homered off Ramon in the first, but Toronto never scored again. John Smoltz allowed just five hits and one run in a no-decision.

GAME 2 - BRO 4, TOR 0
David Cone and two relievers continued Brookyn's pitching dominance, blanking the P-Bears on five hits. Mike Scioscia homered off Scott Sanderson in the third to open the scoring and Tom Foley added two RBIs. Toronto batted .125 (7-56) in the first two games.

GAME 3 - BRO 8, TOR 4
Back home at the Wrench, Toronto's bats finally came, to a point. The Polar Bears built a 4-1 lead after five innings before the runs dried up, allowing Brooklyn to rally for seven runs in the sixth and seventh innings and coast to an 8-4 win. Dion James hit a pair of doubles for two RBIs and Matt Williams' three-run homer in the seventh put the game out of reach. Toronto 3B Leo Gomez was 3-for-3 with a homer and Jose Oquendo drove in a pair, but Brooklyn's bullpen combined to allow just two hits and no runs in four innings, as the Bas took a commanding 3-0 series lead.

GAME 4 - TOR 5, BRO 4
In a nailbiter elimination game, Toronto broke open a 2-2 game with a three-run eighth, only to nearly throw it away in the ninth. With two outs in the bottom of the eighth, Benito Santiago delivered a three-run dinger, chasing Brooklyn starter Mike Timlin. But close Jose Mesa immediately let the Superbas back in the game with a two-run homer by Scioscia before Toronto escaped the two-error ninth with a 5-4 win.

GAME 5 - TOR 5, BRO 4
Again facing elimination in front of a ravenous packed house, Toronto again won 5-4, and again pull it out late. After ties of 2-2, 3-3, and 4-4, Raul Mondesi slapped a seeing-eye single off McMichael to score Eric Karros, who had double, from second. Terry Puhl was 4-for-5 and Geronimo Pena homered for Brooklyn, while Mondesi, Cory Snyder, and Leo Gomez each hit solo shots for the hosts. Jose Mesa got the win after loading the bases in the top of the ninth with two singles and a walk.

GAME 6 - BRO 5, TOR 4, 10 inn.
Facing a third elimination game, Toronto rallied in the eighth, tying it up at 4-4 after trailing by two since the fifth. But the Polar Bear magic ran out on this night, as Brooklyn took the game, and the series, on Marty Cordova's RBI single off Michael Jackson in the bottom of the tenth. David Cone was solid again, allowing two runs in 5.1 innings to run his series ERA to 1.59. Tom Foley drove in a pair, and Matt Williams was 2-for-5 with three runs.

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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