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Oct. 11, 1996 • Playoff Edition

Toppers, Feds Advance to Semis

Atlanta Crushes Colts
Toppers Scored 8.6 Runs Per Game in Decisive Win

The Atlanta Hilltoppers rolled past the Chicago Colts, four games to one, winning three games in routs, including a 14-2 drubbing at Wrigley Field in the clinching game. Tony Gwynn, fresh of his fifth batting title, won Series MVP with a .542 average and 5 RBI, and Pedro Martinez was 2-0 with a 1.12 ERA.

GAME 1 - ATL 8, CHI 1
Pedro Martinez held the Colts to five hits, striking out 10, and Howard Johnson homered and drove in three runs as Atlanta rolled to an 8-1 home win. John Olerud was 4-for-4 for Chicago, but the rest of the Colts combined for just two hits.

GAME 2 - ATL 6, CHI 5
Chicago blew a 5-1 lead, as the hosts rallied for five runs in the last two innings off an outmatched Chicago bullpen. Jermaine Allensworth was 3-for-4, including an RBI double in the seventh that gave the Colts a four-run lead. But Mark Brandenburg and Cory Bailey squandered the lead in the eighth, as John Valentin's three-run homer tied the game at 5-5, and Manny Ramirez delivered the game-winning RBI single in the ninth.

GAME 3 - ATL 9, CHI 2
Darryl Kile turned in a pitching gem, allowing just two runs in 7+ innings, and the Toppers offense exploded for 15 hits and nine runs, led by Wade Boggs' 4-for-5 and Greg Colbrunn's 3-for-4. Manny Ramirez' 3-run homer off Steve Cooke set the tone in the 1st and Colbrunn's two-run homer made it 6-1 in the third. Cooke was touched for five hits and six runs and was chased after three innings.

GAME 4 - CHI 7, ATL 6
Chicago led 7-0 and did their best to fritter it away, but came away with a 7-6 win. With the score 1-0 in the fifth, the hosts erupted for four runs on Gary Sheffield's bases loaded single, Junior Felix' bases-loaded walk, and Alan Trammell's two-run single. Craig McMurtry authored 3.2 shutout innings and Jeff Montgomery and Mark Brandenburg added 3.1 shutout innings in relief. But the Chicago bullpen faltered in the final two innings, as Jose Valentin hit a 3-run homer and Al Martin hit a two-run shot off Cory Bailey, who then fanned Bret Boone and Rondell White to lock down the win.

GAME 5 - ATL 14, CHI 2
John Mitchell had another rough start, coughing up six runs in 1.1 innings as the Toppers rolled to a 14-2 rout to clinch a spot in the Semi Series. Tony Gwynn was 4-for-5 with 4 RBIs and Charles Johnson drove in four, including a three-run homer in the sixth.

Atlanta scored 43 runs in five games, good for 8.6 runs per game, and books a date with the Cleveland Barons for the West title.

Boston Squeaks By Sox
Tavarez, Piazza Lead Feds to Semis

The Boston Federals defeated the Manhattan Gray Sox, four games to two, to advance to the East Semi Series. After three slugfests, the series settled into a pitching contest, with Boston winning the final two games by one run. Boston catcher Mike Piazza (.407-3-8) was named Series MVP, a dubious choice since starter Julian Tavarez was 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA with 10 Ks in 14.1 innings of work.

GAME 1 - MAN 13, BOS 6
Boston ace Erik Hanson showed playoff jitters, walking the bases loaded in the first in front of a raucous Hudson Yards crowd, leading to three early runs. Boston halved the lead in the fourth on an Ellis Burks sac fly, but Manhattan pulled ahead 6-3 on Jerry Browne's two-run homer. Boston took a 7-6 lead in the seventh, scoring four off reliever Darren Holmes, highlighted by Chuck Knoblauch's two-run single. But Troy Percival was unable to hold the lead, as Manhattan scored twice in the bottom of the seventh to regain the lead, 8-7, then added a six-spot in the eighth, exploiting a Boston bullpen meltdown, to put the game out of reach. All told, Manhattan collected 16 hits, including four by Eddie Taubensee, who added three RBIs. Cecil Fielder and F.P. Santangelo also drove in three.

GAME 2 - BOS 12, MAN 0
Julian Tavarez was untouchable, allowing just five hits and two walks in 8.1 shutout innings, and Mike Piazza homered twice, driving in five of Boston's eight runs. Sammy Sosa added a three-run shot, as Manhattan starter Terry Mulholland was touched for seven runs in 5.2 innings.

GAME 3 - BOS 8, MAN 7
Tino Martinez delivered a clutch grand slam to break open a 4-4 game in the seventh, and Boston held on for an 8-7 win to take a 2-1 series lead. The see-saw contest at Fenway Park saw Boston blow a 3-0 lead, Manhattan blow a 4-3 lead, and Boston nearly blow an 8-4 lead before securing the win. Joe Nunnally was 3-for-4 with a homer for the Gray Sox and Piazza got his third home run of the series, but Tino's blast determined the game. After Pat Hentgen walked Piazza to lead off the seventh, reliever Mark Guthrie took the mound and promptly beaned Jim Thome and walked Burks to load the bases with no outs. Martinez then took a 1-0 pitch 356 feet down the left field line over the Green Monster.

GAME 4 - MAN 3, BOS 1
Bobby Munoz outduelled Kenny Rogers in the series' first pitchers' duel. The 28-year-old righthander and two relievers handcuffed the home team, holding them to eight hits and one run. Boston took a 1-0 lead on Thome's solo poke in the sixth, and Rogers appeared to be cruising for a victory until running out of gas in the eighth. Mark Whiten hit a two-run shot and Robin Yount added a solo homer for a 3-1 Sox lead, which Heathcliff Slocumb and Gregg Olson locked down. Yount, age 40, is making his 11th postseason for his 6th team.

GAME 5 - BOS 4, MAN 3 (10 inn)
In the decisive fifth game, Boston rallied from a 3-2 deficit, tying the game with an Ellis Burks solo homer in the seventh and winning it on Sammy Sosa's RBI single in the 10th. Both starters—Greg W. Harris and Erik Hanson—were solid, if not spectacular, allowing three runs. Yount was 3-for-5 with a homer and two RBIs, and Troy Percival earned the win for Boston.

GAME 6 - BOS 2, MAN 1
Back in Manhattan, Julian Taverez took control again, blanking the hosts and quieting Hudson Yards with six three-hit, shutout innings. The Feds struck first with Joe Carter's solo homer in the fifth and added a second with Sosa's leadoff homer in the sixth. Roger Clemens had a solid start, allowing just two runs, but took the hard-luck loss. Billy Taylor got the save, despite serving up a one-out homer to Mark Whiten in the ninth. After walking Jerry Browne and Jon Nunnally, Taylor induced groundouts by Mickey Morandini and Darrin Fletcher to secure the game and the series.

Boston faces Brooklyn next and will try to make it back to the Fall Classic for the first time since 1980.

Time to Crown a New King?
Three of Four Remaining GMs Seeking First Title

Heading into the final four of the 1996 UL playoffs, three of the remaining GMs have never won a UL title. The three longest-tenured GMs in league history all have a shot at their first championship. Atlanta GM Andy Chaney is in his 17th season, Brooklyn GM Tim Widholm in his 20th, and Cleveland GM Charlie Qualls in his 46th. Only Boston GM Mark Waller has one the title before—in 1987 with the Washington Monuments.

The West will crown a new king in 1996, after Los Angeles, St. Louis, and Chicago logged a combined 13 World Series appearances in the last 13 years. Since their last title in 1974, Atlanta has lost three straight Semi Series appearances, in 1986, 1987, and 1994, the last being the biggest disappointment after a 110-win regular season.

Cleveland, coming off of its second President's Trophy and third division pennant, makes its sixth playoff appearance in league history and is still seeking its first playoff series win. After World Series losses in 1965 (Chicago), 1967 (Atlanta) and 1973 (Chicago), the Barons lost Semi Series in 1974 (again by Atlanta) and 1995 (Los Angeles).

Atlanta and Cleveland have faced off twice in the postseason, a 4-0 Toppers sweep in the 1967 World Series and a 4-2 Toppers win in the 1974 Semi Series.

In the East, the Brooklyn Superbas make their 18th playoff appearance, tying them with Los Angeles, and will try to advance to their third World Series in four years, having lost the 1993 and 1995 Fall Classics to Chicago and Los Angeles, respectively. GM Tim Widholm lost his first five playoff series from 1979-91, before defeating Toronto and Detroit en route to his first World Series appearance in 1993. Last year, Brooklyn beat Toronto and Keystone on route to another World Series appearance.

The Boston Federals were the last of the original eight franchises to make the postseason, ending a 26-year drought in 1977. The Feds made four straight playoff appearances from 1977-1980, culminating with the club's first (and so far only) championship. This year marks the team's third playoff appearance in the '90s, following a Semi Series exit in 1990 and a Hex Series loss in 1994.

GM Mark Waller posted an impressive 9-6 playoff series record during his 13-year tenure in D.C., which included a World Series win in 1987 and World Series loss in 1984. Waller moved to Beantown in 1993 and improved the team by 32 games to 99-61 the following season, when they were knocked out in the Hex Series by Detroit.

Boston beat Brooklyn in their only previous playoff meeting—a 4-1 Semi Series win en route to their 1980 title.

SEMI SERIES PREVIEW

BOSTON 1-0 vs BROOKLYN
1980 Semi BOS 4-1
This season: BRO 6-5

WALLER 1-0 vs WIDHOLM
1991 Hex WAS 4-3 BRO

ATLANTA 2-0 vs CLEVELAND
1967 WS ATL 4-0 CLE
1974 Semi ATL 4-2 CLE
This season: ATL 7-4

QUALLS 0-0 vs CHANEY
first meeting

East W L GB 2ndH R RA

Brooklyn 89 71 - 47-29 4 7

Manhattan 89 71 - 39-37 9 5

Boston 86 74 3 42-34 6 12

Toronto 85 75 4 38-38 2 11

Havana 84 76 5 46-32 8 6
Keystone 77 83 12 33-44 7 14
Montreal 74 86 15 41-35 14 16

Washington 70 90 19 39-47 16 13

Florida 65 95 24 35-42 18 8

West W L GB 2ndH R RA

Cleveland 95 65 - 45-31 5 9

Atlanta 94 66 1 45-31 3 1

Chicago 93 67 2 42-34 1 10

St. Louis 89 71 6 43-33 13 3

Denver 83 77 12 39-37 10 4
Los Angeles 82 78 13 36-40 11 2

Minneapolis 63 97 32 28-48 12 18
Detroit 62 98 33 28-48 15 17

Seattle 60 100 35 30-46 17 15

MILESTONES
(top 25 all-time)

May 18 - STL Vince Coleman
500 stolen bases (#22)
May 23 - ATL Tony Gwynn
3000 hits (#6)
May 31 - ATL Dwight Gooden
200 wins (#21)
Jun 15 - ATL Fernie Valenzuela
200 wins (#22)
Aug 8 - STL Barry Bonds
500 stolen bases (#23)
Aug 14 - SEA Otis Nixon
600 stolen bases (#11)
Aug 26 - LA Andy Van Slyke
2500 hits (#21)
Sep 8 - ATL Dwight Gooden
3000 strikeouts (#16)
Aug 14 - WAS Ryne Sandberg
700 stolen bases (#6)
Sep 29 - CHI Alan Trammell
1500 RBI (#11)

INJURIES
(playoff teams only)

BRO RP Mike Greenwell (3 wk)
BRO SP John Smiley (3 wk)
CHI RP Chris Holt (season)
MAN SS Tony Graffanino (1 wk)

West Division

East Division

After ending a 21-year playoff drought last year, the Barons ended a 23-year pennant drought. Cleveland's offense finished in the top five for the first time since 1965, as RF Carlos Delgado (.338-37-111) had a breakout year, leading the league in SLG and OPS, and CF Jim Edmonds (.312-31-89) was red-hot down the stretch. Cleveland's pitching dipped from 2nd to 9th, but Ismael Valdez was 15-9, 4.17 and former Seattle Rainier Doug Henry was 10-3, 2.46 with 18 saves.

After World Series appearances in 1993 and 1995, the Bas won their first division pennant since 1976 with a win over Manhattan on Sep. 29. Ken Griffey Jr. posted his lowest WAR in six years but still managed .303-32-101, .969; Matt Williams (.270-38-123) led the club in HR and RBI; and second-year RF Marty Cordova had a breakout year with .288-26-102, 5.6 WAR. The staff was led by Kevin Brown (16-7, 3.02), who was 2nd in ERA, and the 2nd-ranked bullpen was led by closer Greg McMichael (28 SV, 3.11).

For the third time in four years, Atlanta had the best pitching staff, led Pedro Martinez (16-3, 2.60), who led the league in ERA, strikeouts, WHIP, and WAR and is the clear favorite to earn his second Cy Young Award. The likely runner-up is #2 starter Fernie Valenzuela, who went 22-6 for the second time in three years and posted a 7.0+ WAR for the sixth time in his career. Tony Gwynn (.380) won his 5th batting title and Manny Ramirez surpassed 30/100 for the first time.

The surprise team of the year, the Gray Sox led the East most of the season and tied for first after being predicted to to land mid-table. The pitching staff finished in the top 5 for the first time in eight years, with six pitchers with 10 wins and sub-4.60 ERAs (the league ERA was 4.70 and Manhattan plays in a hitters' park). Ace Pat Hentgen (13-10, 4.31) led in most categories. At the plate Ed Sprague (.255-29-104) and sophomore RF Jon Nunnally (.291-22-89) had breakout years.

With a new GM and a new ballpark, the Colts made a playoff return after a two-year absence. The second-winningest team since 1991, the Colts have won at least 90 games in six of the last seven years. Chicago led the league with 5.6 runs per game, with four 100-RBI men, led by Gary Sheffield (.324-40-120) and Albert Belle (.323-37-102)

The Feds improved by eight wins to earn an second postseason in three years. 3-4-5 hitters Mike Piazza, Jim Thome, and Ellis Burks all hit over .290-30-100, and the fourth-year 1B Thome hit career high .300 and .947 OPS. Jon Lieber (15-9, 4.02) and Billy Taylor (39 SV, 3.60) both recovered from a sophomore slumps, and Kenny Rogers won a career-high 18 while leading the league with 0.5 HR/9.

GM Glen Reed ended his 16-year tenure in St. Louis as he started it: with two non-playoff years. The Maroons ranked 3rd in pitching, led by surprising 36-year-old starter Jim Gott (20-8, 3.29), but the offense sank to new lows, ranking just 13th in runs, despite another MVP-caliber season for Barry Bonds (.309-48-124), who won his fourth home run and WAR titles.

The P-Bears were in the thick of the race all year long, but fell one game short of their fourth straight playoff appearance. The offense bounced back to #2 with a league-leading 251 homers, led by Juan Gonzalez (45) and Eric Karros (43). But the 5th best bullpen and 10th best rotation was hampered by the league's worst defense (-57 ZR). Only 21 players had ZRs below -10, and four of them were P-Bears, including CF Raul Mondesi (-19) and 2B Jose Oquendo (-14).

Denver was the most improved club in the league, going 83-77 for just its sixth winning record in 23 seasons, first since 1989, and second best in franchise history. The story was the pitching—which ranked fourth, led by Charles Nagy's 3.68 ERA and the 3rd best bullpen—and defense, which was a net-positive in ZR for the first time in seven years. At the plate, veteran 1B Mark Grace (.337-17-100) had a career year and rookie CF Darin Erstad (.309-11-93) was a leading Rookie of the Year candidate.

Havana missed the playoffs by two games, marking the fourth time since 1990 they have missed by four games or less. Their 84 wins ties for the 2nd most in club history, and they posted their best run differential. Shane Reynolds won a career high 17, Sean Bergman was 15-8, 3.69, and Tim Scott led the league with 42 saves. Raffy Palmeiro posted his 8th 100-RBI season with .315-28-122 and newcomer Bip Roberts had a .365 OBP with 35 steals.

Under new GM Bear Jackson, Los Angeles' long playoff run came to an end. An aging lineup finally caught up with the Outlaws, who finished 11th in offense behind the declining bats of Eric Davis (34) and Tony Phillips (36), who had the worst years of their careers. The pitching managed to finish 2nd in runs allowed, despite two-time Cy Young winner Floyd Youmans' worst season in a decade. Greg Swindell (17-7, 3.34) led the staff and tossed in a no-hitter as a bonus.

What a difference a year makes. Twelve months ago, the Starlings were the league's Cinderella sweethearts, stealing a surprise pennant. They were widely expected to repeat that success this year, but instead flopped below .500 as their high-octane offense misfired. 1995 MVP Wil Cordero hit 45 fewer RBIs, Jeff Bagwell was -27, and Tim Salmon had a career low .824 OPS. Meanwhile, ace William Van Landingham's ERA ballooned a point and a half, and Bill Swift (8-14, 5.82) had one of his worst years.

In their second year in Fridley, the Foxes again finished 7th in the West and again had the league's worst pitching staff. Northpaw Jason Isringhausen (8-10, 3.91, 3.3 WAR) had a solid sophomore year, CF Garret Anderson (.328-18-85) emerged as a star and rookie RF Bobby Abreu (.338, .962 OPS) was a Rookie of the Year candidate.

The V's improved by nine wins for the second straight year and climbed two spots to 7th, led by a pair of rookies. The offense was led by Rookie of the Year favorite (and MVP candidate) Vladi Guerrero. The second overall pick batted .334-38-109 for a 7.6 WAR. The pitching staff was led by 8th overall pick Livan Hernandez (13-10, 4.76), who was 2nd among rookies in wins and strikeouts. Oddly, the Canoeists were 9-1 in extra innings, the 2nd best record in league history (1975 BRO).

After four straight playoff appearances, the Flyin' Lions suffered their worst collapse in club history (32 games) suffering just their second losing season in 18 years. The pitching fell from 8th the 17th and the offense nose-dived from 2nd to 15th. Oddly, the team had minimal roster changes and almost no injuries. Alex Fernandez went from 16-7, 3.85 to 4-17, 6.64; Ryan Klesko, Dave Nilsson, and Larry Walker, and Dwight Smith's OPS dropped 100 points. Despite his decline, Klesko still put up monster numbers (.289-33-90, .953)

In the fourth year of the Jason Gudim regime, the Mons took another baby-step forward, winning 70 games for the first time with an aging roster. Ace Tom Glavine (8-14, 4.14) had the worst season of his career. LF Gregg Jefferies led the club in batting (.313) and RBI (93), but the star attraction was rookie CF Andruw Jones (.236-22-71), who was 4th in bWAR (4.2).

Seattle lost 3/4th of its rotation to injury: Ace Joey Hamilton (5 mo), Wilson Alvarez (career), and Jaime Navarro (3 mo). Only Jack Armstrong avoid the injury bug, and he finished 6-19, 6.20, leading the league in losses. On the bright side, emergency callup Dave Telgheder was 14-14, 4.75, including a 6-0, 2.82 September that earned Pitcher and Rookie of the Month. A pair of rookies flashed glimpses of Seattle's future: SS Nomar Garciaparra (.288-23-93) and closer Mariano Rivera (18 SV, 3.44 ERA).

After three top-5 finishes, the Pink Birds took a step back this season, winning 14 fewer games, the third biggest decline. Ace Mike Mussina had a forgettable season (8-13, 4.64), slicing his WAR by two-thirds, but rookie Francisco Cordova (10-12, 3.41) picked up the slack and Florida still ranked 8th in pitching. At the plate, LF Glenallen Hill had a breakout year (.310-25-88, 5.4 WAR).

League Leaders

Batting Average
Tony Gwynn ATL .380
Juan Gonzalez TOR .347
Carlos Delgado CLE .338
Mark Grace DEN .337
Vladi Guerrero MON .334
Dion James CLE .329
Garret Anderson MPS .328
John Olerud CHI .328
Gary Sheffield CHI .324
Albert Belle CHI .323

RBIs
Eric Karros TOR 133
Barry Bonds STL 124
Frank E Thomas LA 123
Matt Williams BRO 123
Rafael Palmeiro HAV 122
Ellis Burks BOS 121
Juan Gonzalez TOR 121
Tim Salmon KEY 120
Gary Sheffield CHI 120
Jim Thome BOS 115

Infield Zone Rating
Tony Batista STL 26.5
Rey Sanchez STL 26.1
Benji Gil SEA 25.3
Rey Ordonez BOS 25.2
Craig Grebeck CLE 17.2

Home Runs
Barry Bonds STL 48 Juan Gonzalez TOR 45
Eric Karros TOR 43
Gary Sheffield CHI 40
Vladi Guerrero MON 38
Matt Williams BRO 38
Albert Belle CHI 37
Carlos Delgado CLE 37
Cory Snyder TOR 37
Frank E Thomas LA 37

bWAR
Barry Bonds STL 8.0
Vladi Guerrero MON 7.6
Ken Griffey Jr BRO 7.6
Gary Sheffield CHI 7.2
Juan Gonzalez TOR 6.7
Jim Thome BOS 6.3
Jeff Cirillo LA 6.1
Mike Piazza BOS 6.1
John Olerud CHI 6.0
Tony Gwynn ATL 5.7

Outfield Zone Rating
F.P. Santangelo MAN 26.1
Darin Erstad DEN 25.2
Stan Javier LA 23.7
Andruw Jones WAS 23.3
Ken Griffey Jr BRO 17.3

Earned Run Average
Pedro Martinez ATL 2.60
Kevin Brown BRO 3.02
F. Valenzuela ATL 3.26
Jim Gott STL 3.29
Greg Swindell LA 3.34
Franc. Cordova FLO 3.41
Mike Grace TOR 3.66
Charles Nagy DEN 3.68
Sean Bergman HAV 3.69
Floyd Youmans LA 3.72

Strikeouts
Pedro Martinez ATL 265

Steve Cooke CHI 231

Fern Valenzuela ATL 213
Mike Mussina FLO 191

Floyd Youmans LA 175
Jon Lieber BOS 173
Sean Bergman HAV 171
Darryl Kile ATL 171
Roger Clemens MAN 169
Greg Swindell LA 169

Wins
Fern Valenzuela ATL 22
Steve Cooke CHI 21
Jim Gott STL 20
Kenny Rogers BOS 18
Shane Reynolds HAV 17
Greg Swindell LA 17
Kevin Brown BRO 16
Britt Burns STL 16
Pedro Martinez ATL 16
John Mitchell CHI 16
Floyd Youmans LA 16

pWAR
Pedro Martinez ATL 8.0
Fern Valenzuela ATL 7.0
Sean Bergman HAV 5.7
Steve Cooke CHI 5.6
Greg Swindell LA 5.3
Shane Reynolds HAV 4.8
Jon Lieber BOS 4.8
Erik Hanson BOS 4.8
Jim Gott STL 4.7
Britt Burns STL 4.5

Awards

Batter of the Month
APR Carlos Delgado CLE

MAY Juan Gonzalez TOR

JUN Barry Bonds STL

JUL Bernie Williams FLO

AUG Glenallen Hill FLO
SEP Ken Griffey Jr BRO

Pitcher of the Month
APR Pedro Martinez ATL

MAY JM Robinson CHI

JUN Shane Reynolds HAV

JUL Sean Bergman HAV

AUG Steve Cooke CHI
SEP Dave Telgheder SEA

Rookie of the Month
APR N. Garciaparra ATL

MAY J. Allensworth CHI

JUN Brant Brown TOR

JUL Bobby Abreu MPS

AUG Vladi Guerrero MON
SEP Dave Telgheder SEA

Player of the Week
4/8 Carlos Delgado CLE

4/15 Frank Thomas LA

4/22 Jon Nunnally MAN

4/29 Mike Piazza BOS

5/6 Junior Felix CHI

5/13 Tim Raines DEN

5/20 Eric Karros TOR

5/27 Ryan Klesko DET

6/3 Barry Bonds STL

6/10 Jim Thome BOS

6/17 Carlos Baerga KEY

6/24 Mark Grace DEN

7/1 Marty Cordova BRO

7/8 Tim Salmon KEY

7/15 Albert Belle CHI

7/22 John Olerud CHI

7/29 Gary Sheffield CHI

8/5 Vladi Guerrero MON

8/12 Tony Gwynn ATL

8/19 Mike Piazza BOS

8/26 Carlos Delgado CLE

9/2 Juan Gonzalez TOR

9/9 Barry Bonds STL

9/16 Juan Gonzalez TOR
9/23 Shane Mack HAV
9/30 Rick Wilkins DEN

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