CELESTIAL PRO BASEBALL ASSOCIATION
SEASON #9 YEAR-END
WRAP-UP
Well, the 9th season of the CPBA was an historic one in many respects. For the first time in CPBA history, the champion was an expansion team, i.e. one of the non-Original Six teams which played the first four 100-game seasons. Lou Gehrig (Philadelphia Stories) produced perhaps the finest all-around offensive season (36 doubles, 21 triples, 52 homers, 110 walks, 140 ribbies, and a .333 average while playing, naturally, in all 162 games) in league history. The Birmingham Barons did NOT finish last in their division (Landis). The free-agency pickup of Whit Wyatt by the Louisville Sluggers (from the Pittsburgh Stealers) swung the balance of power in that division (Spalding) as Wyatt went 21-9 and the Sluggers finished ahead of the Stealers by a scant 4 games. And two pitchers off the scrap heap of CPBA history led the Milwaukee Frosties to a division title in the Rickey Division: Bob Lemon, who had been injured the previous year and who had never shown any promise, won 23 games while Jack Taylor, who had gone 2-14 in the inaugural CPBA season (way back in 1980-81), returned to the show to go 10-6 with a relatively impressive 4.06 ERA.
In the Foster Division, the Boston Pilgrims outlasted not only the Philadelphia Stories (91-71) but the upstart Brooklyn Bums (89-73) in a tight race. The Pilgrims featured batting champ Ty Cobb (.382, second highest in league history), four 100-RBI men (Al Simmons, Willie Mays, Sammy Sosa, and Johnny Bench), two 20-game winners in Sandy Koufax and Eddie Cicotte, and an airtight defense which only made 93 errors on the season. On the downside, their long-time bullpen ace, Hoyt Wilhelm, recorded only 24 saves while being lit up for a 5.19 ERA. Nevertheless, the Pilgrims won 93 games and the division title, their fourth in 5 years of division races. The Bums, by the way, made a ferocious second-half run at the flag. At the trading deadline, they picked up Turkey Stearnes from Detroit for a handful of pitching prospects and, the very next day, as if inspired by Stearnes (or management’s commitment to winning), the Bums’ Pedro Martinez fired the season’s only no-hitter.
The Louisville Sluggers thought they had pounded the Pittsburgh Stealers into submission, building a 10-game lead by June 25th. They managed to let the Stealers back into the Spalding race, however, by playing only 5 games above .500 for the final 3 months. Nevertheless, paced by five .300 hitters (Babe Herman, Eddie Collins, Carl Furillo, Ted Kluszewski, and Josh Gibson), four 100-ribby men (Ernie Banks, Babe H., Klu and Gibby), Whit Wyatt’s near CyYoung award year and a solid bullpen (21 saves for Willie Hernandez along with the 11-1 record of Danny Graves), the Sluggers shaded Pittsburgh by 4 games. The Cleveland Grovers redeemed themselves; after several years of terrible performances they were merely sub-par, going 79-83 thanks in no small part to great years from Ralph Kiner (52 HRs, 125 RBI), Willie Stargell (a league-leading 55 HRs to go with 133 RBIs) and Dennis Eckersley (a record-tying 36 saves).
The Milwaukee Frosties took the Rickey division but not before giving their fans a scare. After scooting out to a sizable lead in July, they cooled off. In August, they went brain-dead, winning only 6 of the final 26 games. They finished 81-81 and that was enough to take this weak division. Cy Young award-winner Bob Lemon was, more often than not (23-11, 3.68 ERA), able to make a relatively anemic offense output hold up. Free agent pickup Mickey Cochrane (.304, 15 HRs, 76 RBIs) was able to supplement returning stars like Mel Ott (.291, 22, 81) and Rip Collins (.277, 31, 112) to create just enough of an offensive threat to take the division. The second place Chicago Teamsters could only muster 136 HRs total (paced by Hank Aaron’s 38 followed by Ted Simmons with 14!), one of the lowest totals in league history. By mid-year, they were so frustrated that they traded one of the CPBA’s all-time top relief pitchers (Don Mossi) for SS Derek Jeter, despite the fact that Lou Boudreau had played short for Chicago for as long as anyone could recall. Jeter played well (.283, 10 HRs, 43 RBIs in 79 games) and, when Boudreau became a free-agent at the end of the year, young Mr. Jeter was promoted to starter.
In the Landis Division, perennial powerhouse St. Louis BlueSox came into the final 9 games of the year with a chance to overtake the Cincinnati Kids. Here’s what happened:
9/4 Christy Mathewson
is slapped around while going for his 20th win
against Cincy; Kids win 17-9 to go up by 3
games with
9 remaining.
9/5 Tug Mcgraw
K's 5 in mid-relief and
holds Kids down while BlueSox rally to win. Down 2 with 8 to go.
9/6 Greg Maddux
throws two WPs in 5 run
6th as Pittsburgh tops St. Louis. Kids win
to go up 3 with 7 to go . . .
chances are slim.
9/7 Sox win in
dramatic comeback 14-12, as Earle Combs hits 9th inning HR. Matty blasted out
of box in search of 20th again. Kids
win, too, remain 3 up with 6 to play
9/8 Sox reliever Dave Righetti gives up 3 hits and 2 runs in 9th to
give game
away to Pittsburgh. Kids win in 9th as
well to go 4 up with 5 to play.
Then, despite the fact that the Kids go on to lose their final 5 games of the year (while giving up 12 or more runs 4 times in that stretch!), St. Louis loses 3 of 5 to hand over the Landis crown to Cincinnati.
So, in three of the four divisions, an expansion team was the winner (though it need be said that every expansion team in the league was a least 3 years old). The playoffs matched up the following teams:
EASTERN CONFERENCE:
Boston Pilgrims (93-69) vs. Louisville Sluggers (93-69)
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Milwaukee Frosties (81-81) vs. Cincinnati Kids (85-77)
AWARD WINNERS
OFFICALLY PROCLAIMED BY COMMISIONER TIM BRENNAN
MVP: Lou Gehrig, Philadelphia
Just nipping Willie Mays (.337, 31, 118), Gehrig produced perhaps the finest season in CPBA history with 109 extra base hits, a .435 OBP, and a phenomenal .733 slugging percentage. Though his team finished second to Mays’s, it was not due to any lack of production on Lou’s part.
CY YOUNG: Bob Lemon, Milwaukee
Lemon, injured the previous season and unheralded before that, came on to win 23 games (against 11 losses) and posted a 3.68 ERA in the process. In 291 innings, he surrendered only 17 homeruns while limiting batters to a .237 batting average. Odd season for him though: If the season had ended one month early, he’d have been a unanimous pick, one month later and he’d have been surpassed by either Sandy Koufax or Lefty Grove (who, despite two stints on the DL managed to win 20 games for the KC Stengels).
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR (BATTERS): Vlad Guerrero, Washington
A controversial pick over Mark McGwire (.244, 43, 86 in 102 games), Guerrero got the nod because of his all-around play. Vlad (.288, 23, 87 in 118 games) played a terrific right field and was steady on the bases. He won a spot as a regular for then Washington Lobbyists, kept the spot, and produced all year long. Oh yeah, he hit .362 in the clutch to McGwire’s .108.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR (PITCHERS): Trevor Hoffman, Detroit
Two relievers broke through this year, Hoffman and Cincinnati’s Phil Regan. And though they posted nearly identical records (Hoffman was 1-3, 1.79 ERA, 31 saves while Regan was 5-0 with same ERA and saves), only Hoffman was technically a rookie (though Regan, to complete the thought, had just barely pitched too many innings the year before to qualify).
FIREMAN OF THE YEAR: Dennis Eckersley, Cleveland
The Eck. For the second year in a row, he racked up a CPBA single-season record 36 saves (shared with Dan Quisenberry), while posting a 2.73 ERA.
COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Jack Taylor, Milwaukee
Redefined “comeback.” How? Try this: out of the league after a disastrous 2-14 record in the inaugural CPBA season, he gets picked up by Milwaukee in an open draft, then goes 10-6 with a decent 4.06 ERA, helping them win their division.
GOLD GLOVE AWARDS
P: Christy Mathewson, St. Louis
61 errorless chances
C: Andy Seminick, Pittsburgh
110 games started, 120 games total, just 2 errors, 3 PBs, and 43% caught stealing
1B: Don Mattingly, Detroit
Led league with 189 assists, 64 more than runner-up Bill Terry. Also fielded .996.
2B: Charlie Gehringer, Kansas City
In 155 games, the G-man made just 10 errors and recorded 497 assists.
3B: Ken Boyer, Louisville
Perennial choice, he finished 2nd in putouts and assists, 3rd in DPs.
SS: Vern Stephens, Toledo
Vern turned 137 DPs and recorded 490 assists.
LF: Tim Raines, Birmingham
Despite the bad rep for his arm, Raines impressed with 282 putouts in about 140 games. That’s CF range from a left-fielder.
CF: Willie Mays, Boston
Mays recorded 395 putouts, killed 22 baserunners, and made 0 errors. Plus, HE’S WILLIE MAYS!
RF: Paul Waner, Philadelphia
Waner made only 1 error in the field, held runners in check with his rifle arm, and recorded 309 putouts
ALL-STAR TEAMS
FIRST TEAM SECOND TEAM
C: Josh Gibson, Louisville Yogi Berra, Toledo
1B: Lou Gehrig, Philadelphia Jason Giambi, Birmingham
2B: Rogers Hornsby, Pittsburgh Eddie Collins, Louisville
SS: John Henry Lloyd, Cincinnati Ernie Banks, Louisville
3B: Fred Lindstrom, Kansas City Jud Wilson, Philadelphia
LF: Al Simmons, Boston Babe Ruth, St. Louis
CF: Willie Mays, Boston Duke Snider, Was./Bir.
RF: Ty Cobb, Boston Mickey Mantle, Cincinnati
DH: Mule Suttles, Brooklyn Chuck Klein, St. Louis
SP: Bob Lemon, Milwaukee Sandy Koufax, Boston
Lefty Grove, Kansas City Dizzy Dean, Philadelphia
Whit Wyatt, Louisville Mike Garcia, Chicago
RP: Dennis Eckersley, Cleveland Trevor Hoffman, Detroit
Phil Regan, Cincinnati Robb Nen, Birmingham
Note: Boston becomes the first team to sweep the
three OF
positions in CPBA history.
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