The DMB All Time League Sporting Life

Base Ball With A Dream

Welcome

Issue 1, Pre Season 2005

Prognostications Cy Kosis "Word" Smith Bleacher Bum

Visions of the Season Yet to Come! The first edition of the DLB All Time Sporting Life features the prognostications of three of the most erudite oracles in the All Time alternate dimension that hosts the league. Fearless forecasts of futility and fortune await you on the menu to the left. Do not dawdle. Do not doubt. Get your favorite beverage, put your feet up, take a gander over to the left and begin the season in style with our very own world class sports writers from the outer limits of the base ball universe.

Issue 2, Spring Training 2005

Spring Training Means Never Having To Say You're Sorry The second edition of the DLB All Time Sporting Life features a look at what happened in the first ever ATL Exhibition Season.  Spring Training never had so much riding on it than with this season. 46 games of the most intense scrutiny ever applied to any professional baseball league. Take a gander below and see what our erudite scribes have to say about the 2005 ATL Exhibition Season. "Word" Smith "Scoops" Mibble Cy Kosis SL Stat Page Keokuk Sports

Issue 3, Opening Day 2005

Opening Day! The long awaited day has come -- the DMB All Time League has played its first official regular season games! The echoes of "Play Ball!" reverberated throughoout many of the league's digital ballparks as Owners took advantage of netplay to manage their team directly from the virtual pine bench. Nothing is more exciting than managing these all-time greats yourself. For those that couldn't be there, here are the sports reports that were wired in to the League offices. And for the next series we encourage you to join in on all the fun: netplay and sportswriting! "Izzy" Queen "Shakey" McGuiness "Sayonara" Shuto "Word" Smith "Che" "Bleacher Bum"

Issue 4, The Race Is On

The Race Is On! The season is here, the fans are pouring into the stadium seats, the players are vying amongst themselves, and the Owners are making headlines! Long taters everywhere, football scores in some games, pitching duels in others, teams already starting to call for help, other teams printing post-season tickets already, surprises all around as baseball hits the ATL in style. Yet still the Owners make the big splash on the sports headlines. Charley O, Marge and George ain't got nutin' on us! Oul Saluop Cy Kosis "Word" Smith ATSL Sunday Stats

Issue 5, Out Of The Starting Gate

Out Of The Starting Gate! Some of the teams in the league took off like rockets to Saturn, others plummeted to earth like a flowerpot off a fourth floor windowsill. San Francisco won seven straight to start the season, and Cleveland lost eight straight in the same stretch. But the season is 154 games long, and what matters is where they end up at the finish line. So far Cincinnati has survived an Ownership change and an interim Field Manager to lead their division, and both leagues, at 9-2. Keokuk has put Iowa on the map with its 9-3 start, but the question remains, will Iowa still be on the map during post-season? "Che" "Bleacher Bum" "Word" Smith Seattle "Scoops" Mibble

Issue 6, Jockeying For Position!

Jockeying For Position! Lots of questions are being asked in this our fifth 4-game series. Is Orix for real at 10-5 and at the top of the Pacific Division? Are the Havana bats going to cool off before hurricane season? Is any team in the Atlantic Division going to give Newark some competition? What is wrong with New Jersey anyway? Has Cleveland turned the corner? What happened to Homestead? Is anyone paying attention to the White Sox? Is Keokuk going to be put back on the baseball map for all time? Is the Mob in control of Seattle? Which Mob? ATSL Sunday Stats "Sayonara" Shuto "Word" Smith

Issue 7, Changes, They Are A'Comin'

Changes, They Are A-Comin' Shakeups and head-shaking! Owners talking to the media, General Managers sequestered in back rooms making deals, Field Managers wearing out their pencil erasers making up lineup cards -- events are not going as everyone predicted! Players begging for a chance and their Agents knocking on doors trying to be heard. Free Agent Signings and Trades are the talk of the League. Check out the Free Agent Watch and the Trade Watch as well. "Shakey" McGuiness "D.D."  "Ace" Carter  "Word" Smith

Issue 8, Compiling Stats

Compiling Stats With the games played in the twenties, it's time to take a look around at the stat  boards. Sure, it is too soon to make any definitive statements, but it's never too early to throw numbers around. What if Joe DiMaggio and Willie Mays keep up this pace in Home Runs? What if Alejandro Oms keeps his batting average steady? What if Willie Mays can continue to knock in runs at this torrid rate? Can Juzo Sanada really set an ERA mark this low? Can Bert Blyleven keep winning games like this? Will the strike out crown continue to be a race between Randy Johnson, Nolan Ryan and Mike Mussina? How long can Yoshio Yoshido play shortstop without flubbing a grounder? But more importantly, how long can Mr. Shortstop keep his job while batting .113? ATSL Sunday Stats ATSL Batting Register ATSL Pitching Register "Che"

Issue 9, What Happened?

What Happened? At this point we are almost one-fifth of the way through the season. Not a lot of time to judge a team's season by, and still a lot of time for changes to turn things around. Yet for those not in first place, or close to it, the season has taken a sinister turn that must be put to rights immediately! Here's where insightful general managing combines with precision field managing to determine the measure of a ballclub. Here is where the challange is. "Cy" Kosis "J.P."

Issue 10, Assessing The Team

Assessing The Team We are at the stage of the season when Owners, General Managers, Field Managers and Fans begin to seriously assess their team's performance to date, and the chances for post-season competition. True, we are barely one-fifth of the way into the season, but trends are starting to emerge. We see trades being made, and players being brought up from the farm to replace others going the opposite direction. Sunday Stats Page "Scoops" Mibble

Issue 11, Who's Winning?

Who's Winning? Who's winning? Freelance reporter at-large, Cy Kosis, tells us in his report on the division leaders. A lot of statistics are bandied about, and important people get hooked on the numbers. But there is a single aspect that is more important than anything else -- who is in first place? And to get into first place you have to put W's up in any way you can. Get the lowdown on the hottest teams in the All Time League, and examine how they got into the catbird seat. "Cy" Kosis "Che"

Issue 12, Flying High!

Flying High! Newark, New Jersey. That's the answer to the question: "What is the home town of the best  team in the All Time League?" OK, so they only have the best record through 40 games, and have only won 12 in a row, and are only 15-1 in games decided by 4 or more runs, and have only come from behind to win 18 times, and have only hit more Doubles and Home Runs than any other team so far, and have more RBI and Runs Scored than any other team at this point, and . . . they are dominating in their division, already 12.5 games ahead of the closest competition. Sunday Stat Page "Shakey" McGuiness "Shakey" McGuiness 2 Past Issue Index

Issue 13, Triskaidekaphobia!

Triskaidekaphobia! This is Issue 13. Baseball players are the kings of superstition. Relief pitcher Turk Wendell brushes his teeth and eats licorice between innings. Sparky Anderson, as a manager, never stepped on the foul lines going to and from the dugout. There are stories of players putting on equipment in a specific order each day. I guess in a sport where succeeding three out of ten times gets you into the hall of fame, you need something to blame 70% failure on. The majority of professional players in both the USA and Japan reported using superstitious behaviors. American players were more likely than the Japanese players to believe their superstitions aided their individual performance, whereas Japanese players were more likely than Americans to believe their superstitions helped the team performance. If your team is not performing well, t's time to start trading for players with the right set of superstitions! "Word" Smith "Shakey" McGuiness "Scoops" Mibble

Issue 14, Changing Fortunes!

Changing Fortunes! The Cleveland Spiders started the season with an 8-game losing streak. Lately they have won 11 of 16, and have risen to second place in the Union League's Continental Division, 3 games behind the Chicago White Sox. On the other hand, Orix Blue Wave has lost their last 8 games, after capturing first place in the Legends League Pacific Division for much of of the first quarter-season. They are now in last place, 4 1/2 games behind the San Francisco Seals. Back over to the good hand, the New York Yankees, who have caused the Orix collapse by beating them in 7 of 8 in an extended series, have now won 8 in a row, and have risen to second place in the Atlantic Division. They still have a long way to go to catch the Newark Eagles though, as the Yankees are 10 1/2 games back. Back to that sinister hand, the Detroit Tigers have lost 13 of 18 and have dropped to last place in the Continental Division, 6 1/2 games back. Staying on that losing hand, the Havana leones have cooled off considerably, losing their last 7, and the last 9 of 11 to fall away from the still streaking Cincinnati Reds by 3 1/2 games. Sunday Stat Page "Sayonara" Shuto

Issue 15, Blockbuster Trade!

Blockbuster Trade! The San Francisco Seals, not content with being in first place, and the New York Mets, not content with not being in first place, had a meeting of the minds and came out together with a blockbuster of a trade. Mickey Mantle, currently hitting .291 with 5 HR and 34 RBI in 172 AB, was the main man going to San Francisco -- leaving The Bambino to join Joltin' Joe in the outfield. On the other side, Oscar Charleston, recovering from injury but only batting .226 with 3 homers and 20 RBIs in 124 AB will be going the other way to New York. The other players in the trade are Jelly Gardner (.211, 19 SB, 27 Runs) and Bobby Shantz (3-0, 3.76, 2 Sv, 2 Hld) heading to the Big Apple, while Ross Youngs (.206, 1 HR, 6 RBI) and Billy Pierce (1-2, 7.28, 1 Sv) will be going west to the City by the Bay. "Shakey" McGuiness

Issue 16, The Bats Are Heating Up!

The Bats Are Heating Up! We're heading into the first days of June and the bats are beginning to catch on fire. There are 33 batters with hitting streaks of at least 5 games, far more than at any other time this season so far.  31 batters with 100 or more At Bats are batting over .300. Two batters, Willie Mays and Joe DiMaggio, have reached 20 Home Runs. 24 batters have 35 or more RBI, which puts them on pace for 100 in our 154-game season. 6 batters have 70 or more Hits, putting them on pace for 200 hits. The overall ATL batting average is up to .247, with no teams under the Mendoza Line anymore. As well, the overall ATL ERA is up to 4.02 and climbing. Sunday Stat Page

Issue 17, Beat Reporters Needed!

Beat Reporters Needed! It is hard to imagine there is a scarcity of opinions on the state of baseball in the All Time League, but the sad fact is that while the grumblings and accolades are out there -- they aren't being shared with the rest of us in the ATL community. We are looking for a few beat reporters to cover the hot issues and cold facts of baseball in the ATL, from the top levels of ownership down through the ranks of regulars and bench players all the way to the antics of team mascots, batboys and player agents. We need articles about any part of the game that interests you, because if it interests you it interests somebody else as well. We don't need Pulitzer Prize material here, just your regular, everyday baseball vernacularities. We don't even need a lot! An article a month from each of us will fill these pages to overflowing, and keep the editor scrambling for pictures and formatting. So get out your pencil and notebook, and get on down to the field and get us that story! "Shakey" McGuiness "Scoops" Mibble

Issue 18, Say Hey, Joltin' Joe!

Say Hey, Joltin' Joe! The batting news in the Union League is lionizing two players, Willie Mays of Newark and Joe DiMaggio of San Francisco. The Say Hey Kid and Joltin' Joe are tied for the Union lead in Home Runs (20), while they are 1-2, Mays-DiMaggio, in RBI (64-57), Slugging Percentage (.711-.622), Isolated Power (.358-.350) and AB per HR (10.9-12.3). In addition Mays leads the league in eight other major batting categories, and appears in the top ten in nine others. DiMaggio appears in the top ten in eleven other major categories himself. To be sure, there are several other top names in the batting lists for the Union League besides these two, for example Home Run Johnson of Newark and Dick Allen of the White Sox combine for twenty-seven notations in the top ten leader lists themselves. But the headlines most of the season so far are for the Say Hey Kid and Joltin' Joe because they don't just appear in the top ten lists -- they control them. Sunday Stat Page

Issue 19, Reggie! Reggie!

Reggie! Reggie! Over in the Legends League the headlines are wrapped up in the home run contest between Reggie Jackson and ex-teammate Mark McGwire.  Both lead both leagues in homers, with 21 . . . and until recently both were on the Montreal Expos. Reggie is still in Montreal, but Big Mac has been traded cross-country to Toronto. Of late, the Expos have begun to climb up the standings, while the Blue Jays have started to fall. As of this writing they are two games apart and closing. Reggie has compiled a .273 batting average with 21 home rune, 44 RBI & 44 Runs, 11 doubles and has also stolen 6 of 9 bases. McGwire, though batting .304 for Toronto, has a combined .229 batting average, with 21 homers, 40 RBI, 35 Runs, 4 doubles and to nobody's surprise has exactly zero stolen bases in zero attempts. With The Bambino injured for nearly 3 weeks, Reggie has used the time well to position his star topmost in the Legends League. "Shakey" McGuiness

Issue 20, Can We Get Any Higher?

Can We Get Any Higher? Over in New Jersey, the Eagles of Newark have been dominating the Atlantic Division of the Union League all season long. They have soared so high as to reach the giddy heights of an .800+ Winning Percentage. But for the first time ever this season, the Eagles have glided to a sub-.700 Winning Percentage. Yes, at the 72 game mark the Newark Eagles have fallen to a mere .694. Still the best mark in both leagues, but does it herald the end of their run? They are 5-7 in their last 12 -- is that a glimmer of the future? Or a teaser to keep the other teams interested? Perhaps the second-place Philadelphia Athletics have heard the news, as they are 7-3 in their last 10. But speaking of hot streaks, over in the Pacific Division the Orix Blue Wave have won 7 in a row, and 9 of 10 to pull within 2 games of the leading San Francisco Seals. The Pittsburgh Pirates of the Legends League East Division have solidified their lead on first place by winning their last 9 of 10, while the Toronto Blue Jays of the North Division have fallen from first by losing 9 of 10. Sunday Stat Page

Issue 21, New Blood!

New Blood! Five new owners have joined the ATL ranks recently, 8 in all since the first of the year. Each has a fresh approach and new ideas for their teams. An influx of new owners also means an influx of new free agent signings, and a fresh assortment of trades. True to form this Game Period saw 5 hopeful free agents signed and the corresponding number of disapointed players dropped from their rosters. As well, the first trades in two weeks were finalized, sending twelve players to new teams! More excitment than ever in the ATL as we move to 100% Ownership -- 23 of 24 teams have a unique owner, and there are nibbles for that last team, the Havana Leones. Now if only we have a new beat reporter among our new colleagues, this ezine will be a hot meeting place once again. "Scoops" Mibble "Shakey" McGuiness

Issue 22, Larrupin' Lou!

Larrupin' Lou! Reggie Jackson still leads both leagues in home runs (23), and Tris Speaker has moved into the lead in batting average (.367), but the news this period is about Larrupin' Lou Gehrig. Playing in the wide-open spaces of Griffith Stadium, Lou Gehrig has quietly adjusted and has begun making his presence felt in all corners of the Legends League. Gehrig's .316 average is 7th in the Legends League, and his .615 Slugging Percentage is second only to Babe Ruth. His On Base Average of .416 is 4th, and hleads the league in Intentional Walks (7), 3rd overall in Total Walks (53). He is tied for the lead with Reggie in Total Extra-Base Hits (43), tied for 2nd in Home Runs (22) with Mike Schmidt , tied for 5th in Doubles (17) with Speaker, Tony Perez & Paul Molitor, and tied for 3rd in Hits (96) with Cristobal Torriente. Lou leads the Legends League in RBI (69) and is 2nd in Runs Scored (62). As can be expected from those stats, Lou also his front and center in a lot of secondary and analytical stat lists. But one thing that has eluded Gehrig so far is first place. His Homestead Grays are only 35-43, 16 1/2 games behind the Cincinnati Reds. At the halfway mark the question is: can Lou pull his team out of the doldrums? Can even the great Lou Gehrig carry the team far enough on his own? Or is it all over in the South Division already? Sunday Stat Page

Issue 23, Cincinnati Ascendant!

Cincinnati Ascendant! All season long the Eagles of Newark have flown above all other teams in the standings. All season long until now. Newark meet Cincinnati. Led by Mike Mussina (10-3, 2.63, 1 Shu), Robin Roberts (6-2, 2.74, 2 Shu) newly acquired Greg Maddux (4-0, 1.71, 1 Shu) from the pitcher's hill, and a powerful lineup led by the deadly triumvirate of Tris Speaker (.367, 62 Runs), Nomar Garciaparra (.275, 13 HR, 60 RBI) and Jimmy Foxx (.272, 17 HR, 56 RBI) the Reds have rocketed to the top of the Legends League heap with a .667 Winning Percentage -- to tie the Newark Eagles at the top of the Union League pile where they have the same Winning Percentage. But while the Eagles glide groundward, 11-13 in their last 24, the Reds are shooting skyward with a 16-6 mark in their last 22. Both clubs still have massive leads over the second place clubs in their respective divisions, the Reds being 14 1/2 over Havana in the South while the Eagles are 12 1/2 over Philadelphia in the Atlantic. As per the regulations for this inaugural season, the teams with the best record in their league at the All-Star Break will host the 7-game All Star Series. At this point it looks like Cincinnati & Newark. Their closest rivals for that honour at this point are Pittsburgh at .610 in the Legends League, and San Francisco at .580 in the Union League. "Shakey" McGuiness

Issue 24, Wheelin' And Dealin'!

Wheelin' And Dealin'! Bags were being packed all across ATL cities in the last few days as a Front Office Blitz hit the player locker rooms full force. A monster trade shocked the Legends League, sending Ted Williams, Ernie Banks, Ryne Sandberg, Edd Roush and ElRoy Face out of Chicago in return for former Metropolitans Oscar Charleston (his second trade), Bill Dahlen, Bingo DeMoss (his 5th club this season), Jelly Gardner (also his second trade) and Scott Rolen. But that wasn't the whole of it -- the Union League Yankees sent base thief Rickey Henderson and pitcher Sid Fernandez to the Legends League Astros for Japanese star Ichiro Suzuki and third baseman extraordinaire Brooks Robinson. Not to be outdone, East Division Pittsburgh sent two Negro League stars, Ben Taylor and Nip Winters, to their divisional rivals, the Mets, for Alonzo Perry and Bobby Shantz. The Mets, not quite done even though they had traded seven players away for seven others, decided to also drop centerfielder Bernie Williams and sign the free agent defensive star Paul Blair. Other sharks, I mean, scouts, were also busy in the free agent waters, Brooklyn signing slugger Joe Adcock in place of 19th century superstar Jake Beckley, the Cubs looking for pitching help in lefty Johnny Podres at the expense of third baseman Sal Bando, Orix doing the same in the form of righty Vern Law in place of power hitter Cecil Fielder, the Yankees dropping spare catcher Todd Hundley for a gamble on left fielder Luis Gonzalez, and Cincinnati dropping the free agent they picked up last period, Dave Parker, to roll the dice on the ever-popular (courted by three clubs this period) José Canseco. We Need Articles From You! Sunday Stat Page "Scoops" Mibble "Shakey" McGuiness Past Issue Index

Issue 25, All Star Ballots!

All Star Predictions! It is time to think about who the first All Stars for the ATL will be. Here at the 90-game mark we are only 10 games away from the All Star Break. The Break is a two-week stretch where 7 All Star games are played. At the end of The Break the trading season ends, and the free agent season ends. Now is the time for rosters to be finalized for the Pennant Race to come. The All Star Ballots are not out yet, but here are the fearless predictions from Cy Kosis (revised) on who will be chosen: Legends League                            Union League                  CA: Mike Piazza, Montreal             CA: Ed Bailey, Washington 1B: Lou Gehrig, Homestead             1B: Buck Leonard, Newark 2B: Martin Dihigo, Havana             2B: Joe Morgan, Boston 3B: Mike Schmidt, Montreal            3B: Dick Allen, Chicago WS SS: Pop Lloyd, Pittsburgh             SS: Dick Lundy, Chicago WS LF: Jesse Burkett, Pittsburgh         LF: Carl Yastrzemski, Philadelphia CF: Tris Speaker, Cincinnati          CF: Willie Mays, Newark RF: Reggie Jackson, Montreal          RF: Mel Ott, Philadelphia SP: Ferguson Jenkins, Montreal        SP: Juzo Sanada, Newark RP: Troy Percival, Pittsburgh         RP: Goose Gossage, Chicago WS We Need Articles From You!

Issue 26, Pennant Race in the North!

Pennant Race in the North! It has been a tough year for second place clubs, and a correspondingly easy one for first place clubs. Sure, the Pacific Division of the Union League has seen every team in first place, with the standing being shuffled several times . . . but the San Francisco Seals have opened up a 5 game lead over the Orix ballclub, while the Seattle 'Gamblers' have dropped to 17 games out, and the Tokyo 'Hall of Famers' have been playing .500 ball for a while now and are 8 out. That's the tightest division except for the dogfight over in the Legends League North. Not too long ago the Chicago Cubs were in first place in the North. Now they are in last, 6 games out. In the meanwhile, the Montreal Royales, who started the season 9-21 and mired in last, are currently riding a wave of optimism, an ATL high of 166 Team Home Runs, and a current 20-9 streak which has combined to put them squarely in first place. Led by Reggie Jackson (.275, 20 DO, 5 TR, 28 HR, 67 RBI, 65 Runs, 7 SB), Mike Piazza (.278, 27 HR, 66 RBI) and Mike Schmidt (27 HR, 59 RBI, 60 Runs), the Royales have brought their stellar slugging on tour across the Legends League. But they are not a one-dimensional ballclub -- Ferguson Jenkins (10-4, 2.06, 8 CG, 5 Shu) is the odds-on favourite for All Star starter, and Alex Rodriguez leads all Legends league shortstops in fielding percentage (.970). Their Canadian compatriots, the Toronto Blue Jays, have been in and out of first place all year and don't intend to give way now. Led by May's ATL Pitcher of the Month, Larry Jansen (9-4, 1 Sv, 3.25, 3 CG, 1 Shu), and Montreal castoff Mark McGwire (.312, 9 HR in 77 AB for Toronto), the Blue Jays plan on making the last third of the season a raucous time for all. Then there's Keokuk, the early favourite for divisional winner. They can't be counted out now that Honus Wagner (.278, 28 DO) has finally taken the measure of the palatial expanses of Perry Park and has come roaring alive, batting .351 since June 1st. The Westerns are only 4 and a half back and may turn the corner at the All Star Break. We Need Articles From You! Sunday Stat Page

Issue 27, Will Apathy Leave All-Star Seats Empty?

Will Apathy Leave All-Star Seats Empty? Apathy. ATL definition: 24 Owners, 6 votes for Player of the Month Awards. How many will vote for the All Stars? 4? Shall we just let the predictions by Cy Kosis stand? Is the league doomed to the scrap heap of failed leagues? Ah, well . . . why even make an issue out of it, a special All Star issue, if nobody cares. We Need Articles From You! "Tex" Walker Past Issue Index

Issue 28, All-Star Break Arrives!

All Star Break Arrives! After a small tempest in a teapot about league-wide interaction, the ATL is alive, well and roaring into the All Star Break. I am told the All Star voting was much heavier than expected, though still falling far short of the ideal 100% participation. Regardless, there is no apathy among the players! In this last period the bats heated up and devastated several pitching staffs. For example: Cincinnati 17/Homestead 3, Havana 11/ Houston 1, Homestead 11/Cincinnati 6, NY Giants 12/Toronto 11 and NY Giants 15/Toronto 10. But not all was offensive glory! Some pitchers took exception -- Bob Gibson hurled a 10K, 1-Hit masterpiece, Greg Maddux tossed a 2-Hit Shutout, and Dizzy Dean twirled a 3-Hit Shutout. Yes, on the way into the 2-Week All Star Break the players sent a message that they weren't done playing -- there is still one-third of the season left, and even though many of the Owners seem to have settled out of the pennant race . . . the players still remember The Miracle Braves and know that legends are made, not given. So let's take a look at 1st place teams: Cincinnati has a 17-game lead over Havana, Newark has a 13.5-game lead over Philadelphia, Pittsburgh has a 5-game lead over the Mets, San Francisco is 3 games up on Orix, the White Sox have 2 games over Washington, and Toronto is but a half-game ahead of Montreal. Seems to me there are still some tight races. Cincinnati (66-35) and Newark (66-37) will host the All Star Series by virtue of the best records in each league. We Need Articles From You! Sunday Stat Page

Issue 28, All-Star Issue!

All Star Issue! The Inaugural 7-Game All Star Series has been played, and all the stats are here for your perusal. There is a special All Star section of the ATL website where boxscores and pictures are posted. Check out the links at the ATL Central Office for more. Legend League Starters:            Union League Starters:       CA - Josh Gibson, Cincinnati       CA - Ed Bailey, Washington              1B - Lou Gehrig, Homestead         1B - Dick Allen, Chicago White Sox      2B - Martin Dihigo, Havana         2B - Home Run Johnson, Newark           3B - Mike Schmidt, Montreal        3B - John McGraw, Washington            SS - Perucho Cepeda, Havana        SS - Joe Cronin, Newark                 LF - Jesse Burkett, Pittsburgh     LF - Mickey Mantle, San Francisco       CF - Tris Speaker, Cincinnati      CF - WILLIE MAYS, NEWARK                RF - Babe Ruth, NY Mets            RF - Mel Ott, Philadelphia              SP - Ferguson Jenkins, Montreal    SP - Juzo Sanada, Newark                RP - Troy Percival, Pittsburgh     RP - Mariano Rivera, Newark                                                                                           LL Reserves:                       UL Reserves:     CA - Bill Dickey, NY Giants        CA - Chief Meyers, Philadelphia         CA - Mike Piazza, Montreal         CA - Roy Campanella, Chicago White Sox 1B - Rod Carew, Havana             1B - Buck Leonard, Newark               2B - Rogers Hornsby, Pittsburgh    2B - Nap Lajoie, Cleveland              3B - John Beckwith, Homestead      2B - Joe Morgan, Boston                 SS - Pop Lloyd, Pittsburgh         3B - Wade Boggs, Philadelphia           LF - Stan Musial, NY Giants        SS - Dick Lundy, Chicago White Sox      CF - Henry Kimbro, Pittsburgh      LF - Frank Robinson, Detroit            RF - Reggie Jackson, Montreal      CF - Joe DiMaggio, San Francisco        CF - Cool Papa Bell, Homestead     RF - Kaoru Betto, Tokyo                                                                                            PI - Mike Mussina, Cincinnati      PI - Roger Clemens, Detroit             PI - Greg Maddux, Cincinnati       PI - Jiro Noguchi, Tokyo                PI - Bob Feller, Pittsburgh        PI - Mutsuo Minagawa, Washington        PI - Pete Alexander, Keokuk        PI - Juan Marichal, Boston              PI - Ed Walsh, Pittsburgh          PI - Stan Coveleski, San Francisco      PI - Robin Roberts, Cincinnati     PI - Christy Mathewson, San Francisco   PI - Camilo Pascual, Havana        PI - Hideo Fujimoto, Orix               PI - John Wetteland, Chicago Cubs  PI - Goose Gossage, Chicago White Sox   All Star Break Regular Season Stat Page Legends League All Star Stat Page Union League All Star Stat Page

Issue 29, The Stretch Run!

The Stretch Run! The 2-week All Star Break is over, more than 115 players switched teams in the frenzied days before the end of the Trade & Free Agent Season, and the ATL is renewed with the pennant races of the stretch run! The opening days of August saw the San Francisco Seals increased their lead by taking 3 of 4 from their division rivals in Tokyo, while Orix & Seattle split 4. The White Sox dropped 4 against Newark, meaning the Pale Hose dropped to a tie with Washington -- who split 4 with the Yankees. The aforementioned Newark Eagles kept the heat on by winning 4, but they did not put any ground between them and Philadelphia because the Athletics swept 4 from Cleveland. On the other hand, Cincinnati, Havana, Homestead & houston kept pace with each other by all splitting their 4-game series with each other. Toronto opened up a bigger lead by dividing 4 with the Pirates, while their Canadian competition in Montreal got swept by the New York Giants, and their US competitors, the Cubs and Westerns, dropped 3 of 4 each.  The Pirates lost ground to everyone while splitting with the Blue Jays because the 2nd-place Mets wons 3 of 4 vs the Westerns, the 3rd-place Giants swept 4, and the 4th-place Bridegrooms won 3 of 4 against the Cubs. A short list of ATL Leaders: Tris Speaker .372 BA, Willie Stargell 97 RBI, Tris Speaker 33 Doubles, Pop Lloyd 16 Triples, Dick Allen 32 HR, Cool Papa Bell 54 SB, Roger Clemens 2.28 ERA, Randy Johnson 153 K, Mike Mussina & Bob Feller 13 Wins, Troy Percival 25 Saves and Norm Charlton 10 Holds. We Need Articles From You!

Issue 30, The Stars!

The Stars! Let's take some time out from this Marathon to see whose stars are shining bright. Mike Mussina (13-4) of Cincinnati and Bob Feller (13-7) of Pittsburgh lead the ATL in racking up the Wins, while Mutsuo Minagawa (2.39) of Washington is out in front on ERA. Randy Johnson (156) of Pittsburgh may have trouble staying around until the 5th inning, but he does it enough to lead the ATL in Strike Outs. Curt Schilling (182.1) of Toronto leads everyone in innings. Minagawa and Pete Alexander (9) of Keokuk set the pace in Complete Games, while Fergie Jenkins of Montreal and Greg Maddux (5) of Cincinnati are in front in Shutouts. Under new management Hoyt Wilhelm (30) has come out of nowhere to lead the ATL in Save Opportunities but Troy Percival  (25) of Pittsburgh still holds the Save leadership. The Hold race (10) is paced by a three-way tie of Houston's Norm Charlton, Pittsburgh's John Franco and New York Giant Kid Nichols. Over on the other side, Newark's Home Run Johnson (.363) has sprinted out to the lead in Batting Average, while Babe Ruth (.439, .664) of the Mets leads in On Base Percentage and Slugging Percentage. Ty Cobb (146) of Detroit has the most Hits, Honus Wagner (34) of Keokuk the most Doubles, Pop Lloyd (16) of Pittsburgh the most Triples, and in Home Runs there is a tie (33) between Dick Allen of the White Sox and the New York Giant Willie Stargell. All that said, Joe DiMaggio (62) of San Francisco has the most Extra-Base Hits. Homestead's Cool Papa Bell (59) has Stolen the most bases, while John McGraw (90) of Washington has gotten the most Free Passes. We Need Articles From You!

Issue 31, The Marathon!

The Marathon! A baseball season is often compared to a marathon race. Stamina is more important than a streak, clutch hitting is more important than batting average, timely runs are more important than the sheer number of runs. Before this last 4-game set Orix was once again poised to overtake the lead spot -- being a single game out from the Seals. But the Blue Wave sprint to the top petered out with a 1-3 series and they find themselves 5 games out. Marathon. The Mets raced up to a single game behind the Pirates, but they fell into the same 1-3 hole the Blue Wave did, and find themselves back to 4 games out. Marathon. The Athletics have impressed with a 13-3 record of late, but find they are still 11.5 games away from the leader in their division, the seemingly ever-soaring Newark Eagles. Marathon. Homestead has an 18-9 mark for the last 27, but a .667 percentage for 27 can become lost in their overall .496 mark in 113 games. Marathon. There are about 40 games left in the season. A couple teams are close to mathematical elimination; Houston at 33 games out, and Boston at 27 back can truely be said to be waiting for the other shoe to drop. But the nature of the baseball season is such that a team needs to battle all season long to capture the title -- no assurances are given out before the competition is mathematically eliminated. The New York Giants have been quietly making a move since the middle of May to erase their early season deficit, and are now within striking distance of first place in the East Division. Washington and the Chicago White Sox stand toe-to-toe and will seek to topple each other from the pinnacle of the Continental Division. Toronto and Montreal have continuously been buffeted by the winds of chance, and will continue their first-place two-step in the North Division down to the season's end. We Need Articles From You!

Issue 32, The Continental Division!

The Continental Division! The hottest race in the ATL is taking place in the Union League's Continental Division. Not only are the Chicago White Sox and Washington Nationals battling fiercely, seperated by a single game in the standings, but the Detroit Tigers have slowly crept upward in the W column until they are now only 5.5 games out. Even the last place Cleveland Spiders are still a long shot hope at 13.5 games behind, especially if the in-fighting gets hot enough to keep all three above them from putting a winning streak together. The Continental Division brightest star has to be Detroit's Ty Cobb, currently 1st in the Union League in Hits (155), Runs (93) & Triples (14), 2nd in Batting Average (.325) & Total Bases (263), 3rd in Stolen Bases (35) & Plate Appearances (534), 4th in OBA (.389) & Extra-Base Hits (54) and 10th in RBIs (70). The Georgia Peach is doing his all-out best to push his Tigers to the top, and woe to anyone who gets in his way. Dick Allen of the Chicago White Sox, not exactly one to be pushed around, is most likely to take exception to the intent and purpose of Ty Cobb and the Tigers. Allen is in many ways the opposite of Cobb, but in sheer tenacity and ferocity the two are running a dead heat. Richie leads the Union League in Home Runs (36), Total Bases (269) & Strike Outs (125), is 2nd in Slugging (.590) & Extra-Base Hits (58), 3rd in RBI (tied-92) and 8th in Plate Appearances (tied-513). Washington has a different kind of game from either of those two, but Muggsy McGraw won't take any guff from either Cobb or Allen. John McGraw leads the Union League in Walks (95) & Plate Appearances (555), is 2nd in OBA (.415), Hit By Pitches (9) & Stolen Bases (36), 4th in Runs (84) & 10th in Hits (124). While the shine on McGraw's star doesn't seem as bright, one has to remember Griffith Stadium is a harsh mistress, and a team plays a specific kind of old baseball there dictated by the stadium itself. Where the Nationals lack in hitting they make up for it in pitching. The Japanese submarine-style moundsman, Mutsuo Minagawa, leads the Union League in ERA (2.64), Complete Games (9) & Shutouts (tied-3), is 2nd in Quality Starts (tied-17),  3rd in Wins (tied-11), is 5th in BA-Against (tied-.214), OBA-Against (tied-.278) & Slugging Average Against (.336), and is 6th in Hits/9 (7.2) & Runners/9 (tied-10.2). To counter Mutts Minagawa, the Tigers have fastballer Rocket Roger Clemens who is 1st in the Union League in Strike Outs (154) & Quality Starts (18), 2nd in Wins (tied-12) & Slugging Average Against (.306), 3rd in ERA (.281), BA-Against (.208) & Hits/9 (6.9), 5th in Innings Pitched (179.1) & Starts (tied-25), 7th in Winning Percentage (tied-.667), and 9th in OBA-Against (.285). Against both of them the White Sox put up their premier knuckle-baller, Phil Niekro. The Master of the Wobbly Pitch, Niekro leads the Union League in Least HR/9 (0.4), 2nd in Wins (tied-12), Starts (29) & Innings Pitched (188), 4th in Quality Starts (tied-16), 8th in Slugging Average Against (.345) and 9th in ERA (tied 3.11). From Ty Cobb to Dick Allen to John McGraw, from Mutsuo Minagawa to Roger Clemens to Phil Niekro -- at the plate and on the mound these three teams showcase three different styles of play. They exhibit the diversity capable in the game, and show that there is more than one way to win games. So who has the unenviable task of leading the Cleveland Spiders up from the bottom against these three teams? Who has the herculean task of leaping a distance of a 13.5 game deficit in 28? Who is attempting this miracle? Well, they have a team effort led by Wee Willie Keeler, 4th in Batting Average (.310) and 6th in Stolen Bases (28), Nap Lajoie, 4th in Doubles (tied-25), and Smokey Joe Wood, 1st in Shutouts (tied-3), 6th in Strike Outs (108) & Quality Starts (tied-15). It will be a miracle if they can erase that deficit given the level of competition ahead of them -- but the schedule gives them a ray of hope, sending them on extended series against the Pilots and the Beaneaters while not sending them against the Newark Eagles. We Need Articles From You!

Issue 33, The Pacific Division!

The Pacific Division! The most contested race all year in the ATL has been taking place in the Union League's Pacific Division. All four teams have had their moment of glory atop the heap, and though the odds are getting long for a couple of them the winner will be the one that displays the most tenacity over the long haul. Workman-like is the key word for the Pacific Divisions where team results shine brighter than individual performances. The San Francisco Seals have been out in front for a while now, and many casual observers might mark them the easy odds-on favourites to win the division. The Orix Blue Wave have defied the predictions and are still quite alive in this race at 4 games out. The Tokyo Giants, on the other hand, seem to have run their course and have fallen to a 7-13 swoon since the All Star Break -- putting them 9 games distant. Then the betmakers themselves, the Seattle Pilots. The Pilots have sparked a bit since the break, fashioning a 10-10 mark. Either they have plateaued, or they are ready to start a resurgence. Anyone care to lay a bet? The shining star of the Pacific Division has to be Joe DiMaggio of the Seals. Joltin' Joe leads the Union League in Extra-Base Hits (64), is 2nd in Home Runs (33), 3rd in Slugging (.560), Total Bases (261) & Runs Scored (tied-85), 4th in Triples (tied-10), and 5th in RBI (91). On the other hand, Orix is led by one of Japan's greatest pitchers of all time: Hideo Fujimoto. The Blue Wave hurler leads the Union League in Complete Games (tied-9), Innings Pitched (198.1), Ground Ball DPs (19), Hits/9 (6.1), Batting Average-Against (.191) & Slugging Average-Against (.294), is 4th in Wins (tied-12), ERA (.2.86), Runners/9 (9.5), Shutouts (tied-2), Games Started (tied-26) & OBA-Against (.268), and 6th in Strike Outs (113). The Giants of Tokyo epitomize a team effort, but if one has to single someone out as the star of the team it seems they also depend on a hardluck (6-9-1) star pitcher. But Bozo Wakabayashi is pitching tough, evident in that his rainbow pitches have brought him league marks of 4th in BA-Against (.211) & Hits/9 (7.0), 5th in ERA (2.87), OBA-Against (.278) & Runners/9 (10.0), and 9th in Slugging-Against (.350). The fourth leg of the equation brings us back to hitting, where Barry Bonds is clearly the star of the Seattle Pilots. Bad Barry has attained league marks of 1st in Intentional Walks (12), 2nd in Total Average (1.021), 3rd in Walks (73), 4th in Home Runs (28), 5th in Steal Percentage (.800), 6th in Slugging (.533) & OBA (.376), 9th in Extra-Base Hits (47), and 10th in Runs Scored (79). The other top stars of the Pacific Division are Valentin Drake of Orix with his marks of 1st in Steal Percentage (tied-.875), 8th in Stolen Bases (21), 9th in Batting Average (.299) & Triples (tied-8) and 10th in Total Average (.840), Tetsuhara Kawakami of Tokyo who leads the league in Doubles (29) and is 6th in Hits (130), Dizzy Dean of Seattle at 4th in Complete Games (tied-8), 7th in Wins (tied-11) and 10th in Innings Pitched (171), and Kevin Brown of the Seals who comes in at 2nd in HR/9 (tied-0.6), 3rd in Walks/9 (2.0), 6th in Quality Start Pct. (.684), 9th in ERA (3.07), and 10th in Slugging-Against (.362). We Need Articles From You!

Issue 34, The East Division!

The East Division! The story of the East Division of the Legends league has to revolve around Babe Ruth and the New York Mets. First, the Mets virtually stole The Bambino from Boston, who had (no surprise) drafted him first in the Inuagural Draft. Trading Ken Singleton (.235-11-35) and Joe Morgan (.254-25-58) for The Babe (.298-30-76) and Larry Doyle (.242-4-31, now on Washington), the Mets seemed to pull off the coup de grace that would win them the season. But The Sultan of Swat continued to make headlines himself this season, and the kind the Mets management did not want to see. On April 30th of this season, with the Mets struggling to get to the top of the division, Ruth tried to win a game against Toronto all by himself and attempted to run through Ivan Rodriguez who was blocking home plate. That cost Ruth and the Mets 17 games recovering from the injury. Now, with the Pennant Race heating up, on August 20, in another hotly contested game against the Blue Jays who themselves are still battling for first place over in the North Division, reliever Curt Simmons ran a fastball way too far inside and put Ruth down for the long count -- and for 29 more days after that. That injury effectively puts Ruth out of The Race for the Mets, not returning until there will be only 3 games left in the season. Subs Spot Poles (.299-0-11 with the Mets, .307-1-22 overall) and Johnny Callison (17 AB, .118-0-1) are expected to try to fill the gap in the Mets outfield with Ruth out . . . as if anyone can replace The One and Only. It is fair to say that Babe Ruth decided the pennant race in the East Division, but not in the way that statement is usually meant. The Mets are 7 games behind the frontrunning Pirates. Ruth has missed 21 games due to injury, and will miss another 25 before he comes back. The New York Giants have lifted themselves up from the bottom and are now poised to overtake the Mets. The Giants are 9 games out, but the telling fact is that they are 54-35 after starting out 12-24. Brooklyn, on the other hand, is 23 games out, on a 9-game losing streak where the average score has been 8-3. The bottom has fallen out for the Bridegrooms. The stars of the East Division of the Legends League include Pop Lloyd, who leads the Legends League in Hits (166), Triples (20) & Plate Appearances (583), is 5th in BA (.331), OBA (.411) & Doubles (28), 6th in Walks (tied-69), 7th in Total Bases (252), 8th in Runs (85) & Intentional Walks (tied-6) and 10th in Extra-Base Hits (54). However, the Iron City Boys also have Jesse Burkett and Henry Kimbro making lots of noise. Burkett is leading the league in Batting Average (.356),  3rd in OBA (.421), and 8th in Hits (tied-141) & Total Average (.966), while Kimbro leads the league in Runs (107), is 2nd in Triples (tied-15) & Stolen Bases (48), 7th in Hits (142) & Slugging (.738), 8th in Total Bases (242) and 9th in Total Average (tied-.921). Stan Musial trumpets the charge call of the New York Giants. Stan the Man ranks 1st in Extra-Base Hits (67) & Total Bases (tied-274), 3rd in Doubles (31), 5th in RBI (95), 6th in Hits (145) & Slugging (.550), 7th in Runs (86) & PA (560), 8th in Triples (tied-10), and 9th in Total Average (tied-.921). Musial is backed up by Willie Stargell. Pops leads the Legends League in Home Runs (37) & RBI (116), is 2nd in Sacrifice Flys (8), 3rd in Extra-Base Hits (62), 6th in Total Bases (258), and 9th in Slugging (.534). The Bridegrooms have Ted Williams. The Splendid Splinter leads the league in Walks (102) & Intentional Walks (13), is 2nd in OBA (.424) & Total Average (1.109), 4th in Slugging (.561), Doubles (30) & Extra-Base Hits (59), 6th in RBI (94) and 10th in Total Bases (239). If they had Teddie Ballgame all year . . . well, no. I guess they haven't done well since he's come from Chicago, dropping 17 of 25 games. Now we come back to the Mets and Babe Ruth. The Bambino in his injury shortened season still manages to rank 1st in OBA (.447), Slugging (.643) & Total Average (1.288), 2nd in Walks (99), 3rd in Runs (95) & Intentional Walks (10), 6th in Extra-Base Hits (67), and 8th in Home Runs (30). The Mets will have to depend on the Cuban superstar whose name on that baseball island is as revered as Ruth's is on the continent: El Maestro, Martin Dihigo. The Minister of Sports, playing most of the season with Havana, is 4th in Triples (14), 5th in Hits (146) & PA (563), and 9th in Total Bases (240). Lest I give the impression that the East Division lacks in the pitching department, let me say that there is definitely some hurling going on there as well. But aside from Pittsburgh's Troy Percival who leads in Saves (29) & Save Percentage (.906) and the Giants' Hoyt Wilhelm who is 2nd in Saves (27), and Pittsburgh's Jeff Nelson who leads in Holds (12) . . . I think the pitching laurels in the Legends League belongs to the other divisions. We Need Articles From You!

Issue 35, The Atlantic Division!

The Atlantic Division! Stepping out of the ring of Pennant Races and into the ring of Wild Card Races, our first stop is the World of Willie Mays. The Atlantic Division has been dominated by the Newark Eagles and the Say Hey Kid all season long. Notching their 81st victory with 24 games to play they are 11 games up on second place Philadelphia. The outcome has been certain for quite some time. However, in the race for the Union League Wild Card Philadelphia is a scant half-game back of the battling Orix Blue Wave of the Pacific Division, and 4 and a half games ahead of the lively Washington club of the Continental Division. Washington is only 4 games behind their division leader, the White Sox, so their focus is still on their divisional pennant. But Philadelphia has Orix in its sights, and the Atlantic Division is deciding whether two of their clubs will make it to the post-season. Two others, the New York Yankees and the Boston Beaneaters, have only their own rivalry to sustain them as they are 23 & 26 games out respectively. The primo star of the Atlantic Division has to be the All Star MVP and 2-time Player of the Month, Newark's centerfielder --Willie Mays. Number 24 is currently leading the Union League in RBI (111), Slugging (.607), Total Average (1.028) & Sacrifice Flys (11), 3rd in Home Runs (32) & Runs (tied-88), 4th in OBA (tied-.380), 5th in Batting Average (tied-.309), Triples (tied-10) & Total Bases (261), 6th in Extra-Base Hits (54), and 10th in Hits (133). Newark has a solid team through and through, but Willie Mays has proven all season long that he deserves the accolades of the fans. He also has the Longest Hit Streak this season in the Union League, at 19 games (George Scales has the ATL Longest at 21). Over in Philadelphia the fan attention turns to the Marvelous One, Mel Ott. Placing in the league lead in Runs Created (106.3), Mel also shows his mettle as he is 2nd in Extra-Base Hits (tied-60), 3rd in Hits (148),  4th in OBA (tied-.380) & Total Bases (270), 5th in Slugging (.537) & Total Average (.962), 6th in Plate Appearances (577), 7th in Home Runs (tied-27) & Walks (67), 8th in RBI (81) & Doubles (tied-25), and 9th in Runs (85). Over in Yankee-land it is Louisiana Lightning making the brightest shine on a lackluster season. On the strength of his left arm Ron Guidry has lifted himself to 3rd in the Union in K's (135), 4th in K/9 (6.4), 5th in Quality Start Percentage (tied-.667), 7th in Innings (189.2), and 8th in Quality Starts (tied-16). The Yankees have not had a good season, but at least they can say it has been better than Boston's. The Beaneater fans have had very little to root for since Babe Ruth was traded away in the pre-season, but they do have The Dominican Dandy, Juan Marichal. Manito has been a consistent bright spot in the otherwise dull Boston summer, leading the league in Wins (tied-13), 5th in Decisions (tied-5th), 9th in Innings (183.2) & Complete Games (tied-7), and 10th in Starts (26), K's (108) & Walks/9 (2.6). Others of note from the Atlantic Division are Newark's Home Run Johnson (1st in BA:.338, 2nd in OBA:.410, 3rd in Runs: tied-88, 6th in Hits: tied-144, and 7th in Total Average:.924), Philadelphia's Bill Terry (2nd in Hits:151, 3rd in Batting Average:.313, 4th in Doubles: tied-27, 5th in Triples: tied-10 and 8th in Total Bases:237), New York's Warren Spahn (1st in Starts:39, 3rd in Decisions: tied-22, 4th in Innings:199.2, 5th in Wins: tied-12, and 8th in Quality Starts: tied-16), and Boston's Duke Snider (4th in Home Runs:31 & Intentional Walks: tied-7, 6th in Total Bases:241, 7th in RBI:91, 8th in Slugging:.504 & Walks:60, and 9th in Extra-Base Hits:51). We Need Articles From You!

Issue 36, The South Division!

The South Division! The Cincinnati Reds have dominated the South Division of the Legends League almost as much as the Newark Eagtles have dominated the Union's Atlantic Division. The only difference has been that Cincinnati was challenged for the division lead early on by the hot hitting Havana club, while Newark never had a challenge. However, Havana has wilted in the furnace of the Cuban summer and has dropped to third place 20 games out. Homestead, now in second by default at 18 games behind, has never quite lived up to its potential, and Houston . . . well, something went terribly wrong in Texas and rumour has it that the franchise shall evacuate to milder climes at its earliest opportunity. Cincinnati has the run of the South: they hosted the All Star Series for the Legends League, and may just host the World Series as well. The triumphant stars of the South Division include Cincinnati's Tris Speaker, Jimmy Foxx and a triumvirate of pitchers: Greg Maddux, Robin Roberts and Mike Mussina. Yes, that is how much Cincinnati dominates the South. The Grey Eagle is 2nd the Legends League in Batting Average (.353), OBA (.431), Slugging (.596), Total Average (1.105), Runs (107) and Doubles (37), 5th in Hits (154) & Extra-Base Hits (63), and 7th in Total Bases (260). Double-XX is 2nd in Home Runs (39) & Total Bases (289), 3rd in Slugging (.593) & RBI (113), 4th in Total Average (1.025), 6th in Extra-Base Hits (tied-60) & Intentional Walks (tied-9) and 7th in Runs (tied-87). On the mound the Reds feature Greg Maddux who leads the entire ATL in Wins (15), Shutouts (tied-5) and Walks/9 (1.3), leads the Legends League in Opponent OBA (.266), Runners/9 (9.4) & HR/9 (tied-0.6), is 2nd in the Legends in Complete Games (tied-9), Quality Starts (tied-18) & Decisions (tied-23), 3rd in ERA (2.91) & Innings (201), 4th in Opponent Slugging (.256) & Quality Start Percentage (.667), and 9th in Winning Percentage (.652). Robin Roberts comes in at 2nd in Wins (tied-14) Runners/9 (9.8), Opponent OBA (.270), Winning Percentage (.824) & Quality Start Percentage (.696), 5th in ERA (3.12), and 6th in Opponent BA (tied-.225) & Quality Starts (tied-16). Rounding out the top three in the Reds rotation is Mike Mussina who comes in leading the Legends in Quality Starts (19), 2nd in Wins (tied-14), 3rd in Opponent OBA (.277), Quality Start Percentage (.679), Shutouts (tied-3) & Opponent Slugging (.348), 4th in ERA (3.00) & Runners/9 (tied-10.2), 5th in Winning Percentage (.737), Hits/9 (tied-7.6) & Opponent BA (tied-.225), and 6th in Walks/9 (tied-2.4). & Starts (tied-28). South Division stars from other teams include Homestead's Cool Papa Bell who leads the ATL in Stolen Bases (75), leads the Legends in Hits (tied-171), is 3rd in the Legends in Runs (98), 4th in Batting Average (.329), 7th in Doubles (29), 8th in OBA (tied-.381) and 10th in Total Average (.901). From furthest south, in Havana, there is Perucho Cepeda, 1st in Steal Percentage (.846), 3rd in Batting Average (.335), 5th in Slugging (.545), 6th in Total Average (.985), and 8th in OBA (tied-.381) Then comes Houston's star, Tony Gwynn, who comes in 7th in Batting Average (tied-.315) in the Legends League. Shakey McGuiness

Issue 37, The North Division!

The North Division! The North Division has been the scene of intense rivalry all season, if seemingly at long distance ranges. Currently 9.5 games seperates the top from the bottom, and that's been the way of it all year no matter who is in first. For most of the campaign Toronto and Montreal have battled it out, but the Cubs and the Westerns have had chances to dictate the pace as well. Toronto has fallen into a comfortable lead at this point, but there is still time for Montreal to upset the Canadian applecart. The stars of the North have a definite French flavour, as Montreal boasts 4 players in the top 7 in Home Runs for the Legends League: Mike Schmidt & Reggie Jackson at 3rd with 36, Mike Piazza at 5th with 34, and Alex Rodriguez 7th with 33. Reggie is the brightest of the bunch, as besides being tied for 3rd in the league in Home Runs, he also ranks 1st in Extra-Base Hits (71), 2nd in Total Bases (tied-289), 5th in Plate Appearances (613), and 7th in Slugging (.531). Toronto's stars come from the hill, with May's Pitcher of the Month Larry Jansen leading the way. Jansen comes in leading the Legends League in Quality Start Percentage (.706), 5th in Winning Percentage (tied-.667), 7th in Opponent Slugging (.364) & Walks/9 (tied-2.5), 8th in Wins (tied-12) & Opponent OBA (tied-.289), and 10th in ERA (3.39) & Opponent BA (.234). The Cubs had a mid-season shake-up that sent many of their stars to other clubs, but they still boast Jelly Gardner among their own. Gardner is 3rd in the Legends in Stolen Bases (48) & SB Percentage (.787), and 10th in Triples (9). For Keokuk, in the emerald expanses of spacious Perry Park, "Old Peat" Alexander shines eternal. Alexander ranks 1st in the ATL Complete Games (12), 3rd in the Legends League Shutouts (tied-3) & innings Pitched (208.0), 4th in Walks/9 (tied-2.3), 6th in ERA (tied-3.25) & Quality Starts (tied-16), 8th in Strikeouts (tied-146), Runners/9 (10.6) & Opponent OBA (tied-.289) and 10th in Opponent Slugging (.379). The Canadian rivalry is sure to keep this race hot well into September, and perhaps will make it the division to watch all the way to the end. We Need Your Articles

Issue 38, Projected Record Breakers!

Projected Record Breakers! Thirteen games or so remain in the season, and only the Cincinnati Reds and Newark Eagles have mathematically clinched their divisions. But realistically, the only races whose outcomes are in doubt are three: the Continental Division where the Chicago White Sox have a 3-game lead over the Washington Nationals, the Pacific Division where the San Francisco Seals have a 4-game lead on the Orix Blue Wave, and the North Division where the Toronto Blue Jays have a 4.5-game lead on the Montreal Royales. In every race it looks good for the leader, but there is hope for the second-placers if their field manager can determine who is hot -- and get them into the lineup and rotation at this critical time. But for the rest of the league, aside from the Wild Card Race, where the Mets and Athletics have slim leads and the New York variety Giants and the Blue Wave are in second, for the rest of the league it is about player records. Comparing our inaugural season against the all-time records of Major League history, we find the following. In Batting the ATL has Tris Speaker & Jesse Burkett at .348 BA, Babe Ruth at .447 OBA, and Sadaharu Oh at .663 SLG. The Major League marks are Hugh Duffy with .440 BA, Barry Bonds with .609 OBA (or if you prefer, Ted Williams with a non-steroidal .553), and Barry Bonds with .863 SLG (or Babe Ruth with a non-steroidal .847). The ATL has projected 209 Hits for Ty Cobb, 127 Runs for Ty Cobb, and 133 RBI for Willie Stargell as season leaders. The MLB marks were set by Ichiro Suzuki with 262 Hits, Billy Hamilton with 192 Runs (or Babe Ruth's post-1900 177 Runs), and Hack Wilson with 191 RBI. Then the ATL has a projected 45 Doubles for Honus Wagner, 22 Triples for Pop Lloyd and 46 Home Runs for Jimmy Foxx and Willie Stargell. Of course, the MLB marks are much higher at Earl Webb's 67 Doubles, Chief Wilson's 36 Triples and Barry Bond's 73 (or Roger Maris and his non-steroidal 61). In other offensive categories we have Cool Papa Bell projected for 87 Stolen Bases, Ted Williams with 123 Walks, and Reggie Jackson with 164 Strike Outs. The Major League set the bar at Hugh Nicol's 138 Stolen Bases (or Rickey Henderson's 130 SB post-1900), Barry Bonds' 232 Walks (or if you prefer, Babe Ruth's non-steroidal 170 Walks) and Adam Dunn's 195 Strike Outs. From the Pitchers Mound we have projections of Stan Coveleski's 2.55 ERA, Randy Johnson's 229 K's, and Phil Niekro's 110 Free Passes. The actual MLB records are Tim Keefe's 0.86 ERA (or Dutch Leonard's 0.96 ERA post-1900), Matt Kilroy's 513 K's (or Nolan Ryan's 383 K post-1900), and Amos Rusie's 289 Walks Allowed (or Bob Feller's 208 post-1900). Then we have a projected ATL high of 16 Wins for Robin Roberts and Greg Maddux, a total of 5 Shutouts for Fergie Jenkins and Greg Maddux, and a grand total of 13 Complete Games for Pete Alexander. In MLB history those same records are set way out of reach at 54 Wins for Al Spalding (or 41 for Jack Chesbro post-1900), 16 Shutouts for Pete Alexander and 75 Complete Games for Doc White (or 48 for Jack Chesbro post-1900). The ATL projects the following season highs in Saves: 34 for Troy Percival and Hoyt Wilhelm, Games: 90 for Genji Kaku, and Losses: Joe Wood with 21. MLB marks stand at Bobby Thigpen's 57 Saves, Mike Marshall's 106 Games, and John Coleman's 48 Losses (or Vic Willis 29 Losses post-1900). So all in all it doesn't look like the ATL will break any MLB season records in its inaugural season -- and well it shouldn't. Personally I would question the veracity of the league if it set record-breaking marks with impunity. All time records should come once in a while, not be the norm. I think all of our season-high marks for our inaugural year show that we can all shoot for realistic marks from our players, and over the seasons build up an impressive resumé of records that have a firm foundation in a solid simulation. Yes, we have no projected indivisual record breakers! Next issue we'll look at team records. We Need Your Articles

Issue 39, Projected Team Records!

Projected Team Records! Let's start with the latest Pennant Race News: The Chicago White Sox and the Washington Nationals are tied for first place in the  Union League's Continental Division. With identical 76-70 records and  8 games left to play, the  proverbial  heat is on! The White Sox have been suffering without the presence of their Big Stick, Dick Allen. Even though timely trades brought in such players as Tony Perez and Roberto Clemente, the Sox have struggled mightily without Allen's leadership. The Nationals, on the other hand, have maintained their season long pace -- going 23-21 since the Break even though they made a lot of trades themselves. Muggsy MGraw still leads the Nationals in his own inimical way, and if Walter Johnson can finally find the groove the Nationals may yet win the division. The last 8 games will see 3 where these two teams face off against each other, then the last 4 see Washington host the Pilots from Seattle while the White Sox host the Giants from Tokyo. In the Union's Pacific Division the Orix Blue Wave stands 2 games out. But they face an extremely tough last 9 with 1 against the ChiSox, 3 against the high-flying Eagles of Newark, 1 against the tough Athletics of Philadelphia and 4 against Detroit. On the other hand, the Seals of San Francisco get a break playing three second-division teams: the sleepy Tigers from Detroit for 1, the lackluster Beaneaters from Boston for 3, the sputtering Yankees of New York for 1, and the last place Spiders from Cleveland for 4. It will be a tough go for the tenacious Blue Wave. Looking at team records and the possibilities for breaking the MLB mark in the inaugural ATL season . . . let's start right at the top. Most Home Runs: Seattle holds the MLB mark with 264. The Montreal Royales of the ATL will come close with a projected 254. That is tremendous considering the level of talent around the ATL. Parc Jarry deserves some credit, but Reggie Jackson, Mike Schmidt, Mike Piazza & Alex Rodriguez deserve a round of credit as well. Looking at another angle of the game, Stolen Bases, we see the MLB mark was set by the New York Giants with 347. In the ATL the top team is only projected to reach 194, but that is still an accomplishment for our Homestead Grays. The Caught Stealing mark is 149 by the MLB Chicago Cubs, while our Washington Nationals are projected for 114. In Batting Average the MLB mark is .349 by the Philadelphia Phillies. In our inaugural season the highest BA has been consistently held by the Havana Leones and currently stands at .288. On the other hand, the lowest MLB BA mark was set by the Washington Nationals at .207. Though our own Keokuk Westerns made a run at that mark thanks to the spacious Perry Park they play in, they currently stand a cut above that dreadful record at .223. In Doubles the MLB mark is 373 set by the Saint Louis Cardinals and tied by the Boston Red Sox. Our projections say the ATL mark powered by the Havana Leones will reach 257. The fewest ever by a MLB team was 110 by Brooklyn, while our low will probably be 172 by the Yankees and Beaneaters -- no danger there. The Triples mark in the MLB was set by the old National League Baltimore club at 153, with the post-1900 mark for comparison being 112 by both the Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles. The ATL projections indicate a top mark of 98 by the Pittsburgh Pirates, close to the modern record, but no cigar. In Slugging Average the MLB record was set by the Boston Red Sox at .491, while the lowest mark was set by the Chicago White Sox with .261. In the ATL the highest is held by the Cincinnati Reds at .467, while their opposite number is the Keokuk Westerns at .354. Strikeouts by batters on a team tops out in the Majors with the Milwaukee Brewers 1,399 K's. Our Montreal Royales are projected at 1,061. The fewest in MLB history was 308 by the Cincinnati Reds, while our ATL fewest is projected to be 656 by Tokyo Free Passes garnered by batters hits a high MLB mark of 835 by the Boston Red Sox, while our ATL most this season appears to be destined to be 734 by the Washington Nationals. The fewest in MLB history is 282 by the Saint Louis Cardinals, while our fewest might be 423 by the Cleveland Spiders. The Most Wins in a MLB season is a record made by the Chicago Cubs and then tied by the Seattle Mariners at 116. Our projected Win Master will be the Newark Eagles with 97. The flip side has the MLB mark for Losses at 134 by the Spiders of Cleveland, while our ATL low tide mark will probably be 96 by the Houston Astros. All in all we see that our ATL teams will probably not set any team records as compared to MLB marks, but we see also that our worst teams are much better than the historical worst the MLB fielded. We Need Your Articles

Issue 40, The Home Stretch!

The Home Stretch! With this series of games done we are but 5 games away from the end of the inaugural ATL season. At this point 3 of the 6 divisions have been clinched. In the Legends League Pittsburgh (90-59) has clinched the East, while Cincinnati (91-58) has clinched the South. Over in the Union League only Newark (94-55) in the Atlantic Division has clinched. Of the races still on, one is almost over: San Francisco (84-65) feasted on second-division clubs to sweep the last series and move to 1 game away from clinching the Union's Pacific Division. Orix (79-70) put up a stout fight all season long, doing much better than all the sports pundits thought they would do. But the Pacific Division pennant seems out of their grasp now. The Seals play the Spiders (62-87) for the last 4, while the Blue Wave has to face the Tigers (70-79). The fate of the Blue Wave is resting on the spoilers in Cleveland and Detroit. However, all is not rosy for the Seals. On September 4th Mickey Mantle (.317-30-69) collided at home with Seattle's Johnny Roseboro (.218-8-31). On a picture perfect throw from Darryl Strawberry (.231-25-55) in right on a double down the line by Boog Powell (.250-6-25), The Mick was not only out at home, but he was out for the season. Mantle's fragile knees may have a lot to do with what happens in the post-season for the Seals. Over in the Legends League North Division Toronto (74-75) and Montreal (71-78) seem to be backing their way through the Pennant Race -- Toronto is on top by 3 games with 5 to go, but they have lost 3 in a row, 8 of 10, and 12 of their last 15. That might possibly be a recipe for disaster. However, Montreal needs to tune up as well. The Royals have only won 4 of their last 10, but as 3 of those wins have come in the last 4 games they might have come out of their funk. If that is the case, Toronto better watch out. The Royales play the last-place Cubs (68-81) for 1, and then the overall ATL worst team for the last 4, the Houston Astros (57-92). The winner of this division might very end up under .500. In the Union League's Continental Division the earth shook during the last few series, and the Washington Nationals (79-70) climbed into the division lead over the reeling Chicago White Sox (77-72). On August 27th against the Yankees (67-82), Dick Allen (.293-38-100) of the Pale Hose was hit by a Don Sutton (11-7-1, 3.39) pitch and had to be carried off the field. Allen has missed every game since then, and will miss the last 4 games of the season as well. During the period of Allen's injury the White Sox have gone 7-15, while the Nationals took every advantage with a 14-7 mark over the same period, including winning the last 5 to sprint into first. Dick Allen may or may not win the league's MVP award, but he certainly has laid claim to being the MVP of the Chicago White Sox. The Wild Card race in the Legends League has the New York Mets (82-67) and the New York Giants (78-71), both of the East Division, still alive for the final playoff spot. However it is all but assured that the Mets will now coast in as the Magic Number for the Giants in these last 5 games is 10. That's a mighty difficult handicap to overcome. However, since 4 of these last 5 games are between these two teams, there is still hope for the Giants. If the Havana Leones (76-73) can beat the Mets while the Giants beat the Homestead Grays (74-75) . . . then it comes down to the last 4 games of the season with the New York Giants and New York Mets at Shea Stadium. That ought to rock the house! If the Giants pull it off, the two teams will have yet one more game together -- a Playoff Game to determine the winner of the East Division! The Union League Wild Card still has 6 teams competing for the flag, three of them still fighting for the divisional pennant as well! The Athletics of Philadelphia (80-69) are in the nominal lead, but Orix (79-70) is1 game off the Wild Card mark. Then come the White Sox (77-72) and the Giants of Tokyo (76-73). If Orix manages to capture their divisional flag, then the 6th team, the Seals (84-65), will likely default as the Union Wild Card. Philadelphia would probably have to win all of their last games to force a playoff-game situation. In more normal circumstances it appears that with the Athletics playing the Yankees (67-82) for 4, the Blue Wave squaring off against the Tigers (70-79), and the White Sox facing the Tokyo Giants so they knock each other out . . . the faintest of nods has to go to Philadelphia. But "it ain't over 'til it's over" and anything can happen in the Union's Wild Card Race. Be there or be square! We Need Your Articles

Issue 41, The Finish Line!

The Finish Line! Only two games were Netplayed this past period, and none Autoplayed, but there were consequences nontheless. Let's take a look at each game. In Tokyo the Giants hosted the Beaneaters from Boston. The season has been a quagmire for the Beaneaters ever since their largely absent Owner traded away The Bambino (.298-30-76) in the pre-season. All season long their hitters could not get untracked, and while there are some decent power numbers displayed in the lineup, the overall batting average and on-base averages earned them a lot of heckling from the hometown fans . . . and not much else. Tokyo on the other hand started out terrible but inched their way back to respectibility in a lot of aspects. But this night would be all Boston, and Tokyo's aspirations for post-season play would end ignominiously with a 5-0 whitewashing at the hands of Andy Pettitte (2-3, 4.14). Tokyo (76-74) still has 4 games where they can play the role of spoiler against the still struggling, but Wild Card hopeful, Chicago White Sox (77-72). The Beaneaters (65-85) close out their disapointing season on the road against the team with the best record in the ATL: the Newark Eagles (94-55). Over in the US heartland, in Cincinnati, the Pittsburgh Pirates came to town. Pittsburgh and Cincinnati have both clinched their divisions, but they are playing for status and home team privileges in the post-season. It was a game of subs but the competition was high. The Reds ran up an early 6-run lead against Wilbur Wood (0-1, 6.17 with Pittsburgh), who was starting his 11th game of the year but only his first for the Pirates. Home runs by Rusty Staub (.325-2-5) and Biz Mackey (.237-3-31) highlighted the Reds outburst. But then to open the 6th inning against Wilbur Cooper (1-0, 7.31), Thurman Munson (.222-0-5) walked and that opened the floodgates. A triple, double, wild pitch and 3 singles later the inning ended but the Reds lead was cut to a single run -- which was erased promptly the next inning on a couple of singles and a bunt sacrifice. In the 8th the Pirates scored 4 more. A Hornsby (.300-19-107) double, and then free passes to Willard Brown (.199-5-30), Judy Johnson (.178-4-11) and Thurman Munson again plated 1, but then Billy Francis (.256-4-51) cleared the bases with a double to left-center on an 0-2 count. With that, the scoring for the game was over and the Pittsburgh Pirates tied the Cincinnati Reds in overall won-loss record for the season at 91-59. Thus tied for the best record in the Union League the Pirates host Brooklyn (62-87) for 4 to end the season, while the Reds travel to Chicago's Wrigley Field to end the season against the Cubs (68-81). We Need Your Articles

Issue 42, The Pennant Flags Wave!

The Pennant Flags Wave! The Inaugural DMB ATL regular season has come to a close . . . almost. The pennant races continued to the last games, and the jockeying for the prestigious batting and pitching crowns also went down to the wire. The Wild Card race in the Legends League will go beyond the regular season as the New York Giants made a spectacular comeback, winning their last 5 games and sweeping the Mets -- who they ended up tied with for the Wild Card spot! The Giants beat the Homestead Grays 1-0, and then swept the Mets 8-6, 5-4, 5-4 and 6-2 to force the playoff game. The Race for the Wild Card went down to the 9th inning tied 2-2 before the Giants broke out for 4 runs and came away with it. The New York Giants and New York Mets will give their fans yet one more thrill for the season by having a playoff game at the Polo Grounds to decide the Wild Card Team. Another close race was the Home Field Advantage for the Playoffs where the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates vyed for the title of most wins in the Legends League. It came down to the last game of the season where the Boston Beaneaters played spoiler and beat the Pirates 9-1 while the Reds played extra-innings to defeat the Chicago Cubs 3-2. Tie breakers will decide the home field team here as there is no question of playoff eligibility, only of berth. The Reds won 6 of 11 games during the season from the Pirates, so the Reds get the Home Field Advantage for the Legends League. Congratulations goes out to the Newark Eagles (96-58) -- winner of the most games this season by any ball club. Now we see if they can bring their regular season dominance into the playoffs and come out the other side of the World Series as the first ATL Championship Team. Congratulations are in order for all the Division Pennant Winners, let me trot them out quickly: Newark Eagles, Atlantic Division, Union League, 96-58 San Francisco Seals, Pacific Division, Union League, 87-67 Washington Nationals, Continental Division, Union League, 84-70 Cincinnati Reds, South Division, Legends League, 93-61 Pittsburgh Pirates, East Division, Legends League, 93-61 Toronto Blue Jays, North Division, Legends League, 78-76 As well, the Wild Card Teams of each League are as follows: Philadelphia Athletics, Atlantic Division, Union League, 83-71 New York Giants vs New York Mets, East Division, Legends League, 83-71 After the Legends League Wild Card Playoff Game, the initial round of the playoffs will see Newark vs Philadelphia, San Francisco vs Washington, Cincinnati vs New York (Giants or Mets) and Pittsburgh vs Toronto. Newark & Cincinnati will have Home Team status throughout the playoffs, while San Francisco & Pittsburgh will be home for the first round. In a blend of olde and new the playoffs will be 5-game series in the first round, 7-game series in the second round, and the World Series will be a 9-game series. Plenty of action for everyone! Before we move on to the statistical awards, let's take a look at how our pre-season prognosticators did in predicting the final finish. Cy Kosis picked all 3 of the Legends League pennant winners, as well as picking Pittsburgh and the Mets to make it . . . but Cy had it backwards with the Pirates as the Wild Card and the Mets winning the division. Word Smith also picked the 3 Legends League pennant winners, and since he didn't pick the wild card or the Union League . . . he scored 100% on his winners. Bleacher Bum only got Washington and San Francisco correct, though he did pick the Wild Card Athletics to win the division, and the winning Eagles as the Wild Card. All in all not bad at all for our baseball seers. I'll let you dig up the old articles and compare the predicted standings to the final standings -- it is interesting in its own right. The major batting and pitching crowns went to the following worthy players, subject to change when the stats come in for the Wild Card Playoff Game -- where all stats will count toward regular season total. The Batting Average Crown was another close race, where Jesse Burkett of the Mets & Pirates won by less than .0003: .34907 to the Reds Tris Speaker's .34884 Batting Average Crown Jesse Burkett, Pittsburgh, Legends League, .349 Home Run Johnson, Newark, Union League, .335 Home Run Crown Joe DiMaggio, San Francisco, Union League, 47 Willie Stargell, NY Giants, Legends League, 44 RBI Crown Joe DiMaggio, San Francisco, Union League, 138 Lou Gehrig, Homestead, Legends League, 128 Hits Crown Ty Cobb, Detroit, Union League, 207 Cool Papa Bell, Homestead, Legends League, 204 Wins Crown Greg Maddux, Cincinnati, Legends League, 16 J.Sanada NEW, SJ.Williams SFS, J.Marichal BOB, H.Fujimoto OBW, Union League, 15   ERA Crown Stan Coveleski, San Francisco-Tokyo-Pittsburgh, ATL-Combined, 2.55 Bozo Wakabayashi, Tokyo, Union League, 2.56 Ferguson Jenkins, Montreal, Legends League, 2.59 Strikeout Crown Randy Johnson, Pittsburgh, Union League, 228 Roger Clemens, Detroit, Legends League, 201 Saves Crown Troy Percival, Pittsburgh, Legends League, 36 Goose Gossage, C. White Sox, Union League, 32 Note the ERA Crown leaders: Stan Coveleski played in both leagues, and when his stats are combined he ends up with the best ERA in the entire ATL! The web-based stats have Leaders in every category, so check them out. Right now ballots for the voting awards will be heading out through email, and we'll take a week to vote and tally the votes before starting the playoffs. Head on over to the Group Email Forum to get the latest news on the playoffs. ATL MVP Vote Tally The Divisional Playoffs Cy Kosis & The Playoff Game Scoops Mibble & The Injury Factor JB & Washington vs San Francisco - The Entire Series Shakey McGuiness & Toronto vs Pittsburgh - The Entire Series Pinky Hose & New York vs Cincinnati - The Entire Series Cy Kosis & Philadelphia vs Newark - The Entire Series

Issue 43, The Pennant Flags Wave, Part 2!

The Pennant Flags Wave, Part 2! The Division Championship Series was a great set of hard-fought games. Half the teams have been sent home for the off-season, and half have been sent on to the League Championship Series to determine who will represent the Union and Legends Leagues in the first-ever ATL Worlkd Series! Congratulations are in order for all the Division Series Winners, let me trot them out quickly: Newark Eagles, Atlantic Division, Union League, 96-58, 3-2 San Francisco Seals, Pacific Division, Union League, 87-67, 3-0 Cincinnati Reds, South Division, Legends League, 93-61, 3-1 Pittsburgh Pirates, East Division, Legends League, 93-61, 3-1 The League Championships will be a best-of-seven series, while the World Series will be best-of-nine. I'll leave the Awards Listings here for our enjoyment, and as we get write-ups on the championships I will post them below. MVP Award Tris Speaker, Cincinnati, Legends League Willie Mays, Newark, Union League Cy Young Award Robin Roberts, Cincinnati, Legends League Roger Clemens, Detroit, Union League Batting Average Crown Jesse Burkett, Pittsburgh, Legends League, .349 Home Run Johnson, Newark, Union League, .335 Home Run Crown Joe DiMaggio, San Francisco, Union League, 47 Willie Stargell, NY Giants, Legends League, 44 RBI Crown Joe DiMaggio, San Francisco, Union League, 138 Lou Gehrig, Homestead, Legends League, 128 Hits Crown Ty Cobb, Detroit, Union League, 207 Cool Papa Bell, Homestead, Legends League, 204 Wins Crown Greg Maddux, Cincinnati, Legends League, 16 J.Sanada NEW, SJ.Williams SFS, J.Marichal BOB, H.Fujimoto OBW, Union League, 15   ERA Crown Stan Coveleski, San Francisco-Tokyo-Pittsburgh, ATL-Combined, 2.55 Bozo Wakabayashi, Tokyo, Union League, 2.56 Ferguson Jenkins, Montreal, Legends League, 2.59 Strikeout Crown Randy Johnson, Pittsburgh, Union League, 228 Roger Clemens, Detroit, Legends League, 201 Saves Crown Troy Percival, Pittsburgh, Legends League, 36 Goose Gossage, C. White Sox, Union League, 32 The web-based stats have Leaders in every category, so check them out. Right now ballots for the voting awards will be heading out through email, and we'll take a week to vote and tally the votes before starting the playoffs. Head on over to the Group Email Forum to get the latest news on the playoffs. ATL Cy Young Award Vote Tally The League Playoffs Shakey McGuiness & Cincinnati vs Pittsburgh - The Entire Series Pinky Hose & Pittsburgh vs Cincinnati - Games 1-4 Cy Kosis & San Francisco vs Newark - The Entire Series

Issue 44, The 2005 ATL World Series!

The World Series! The League Championships were a fantastic set of games in both leagues. The Legends League saw the Pittsburgh Pirates battle back from a 3-1 series deficit to to the Cincinnati Reds, and win the final 3 games to advance to the World Series. In doing so they became the second ATL team to win 100 games: 93 regular season, and 7 post-season. In the Union League the San Francisco Seals fought off a determined opponent in the Newark Eagles and ended Newark's dominance in the League with a 4-2 series record. The Seals get an extra day off before the World Series starts because they finished up earlier than the Pirates, and that may be a major factor. Stay tuned and find out! Congratulations are in order for the League Champions, let me trot them out quickly: San Francisco Seals, Pacific Division, Union League, 87-67, 3-0, 4-2 Pittsburgh Pirates, East Division, Legends League, 93-61, 3-1, 4-3 The World Series will be best-of-nine series. Pittsburgh is the Home Team, San Francisco is the Visiting Team. I'll leave the Awards Listings here for our enjoyment, and as we get write-ups on the world series games I will post them below. MVP Award Tris Speaker, Cincinnati, Legends League Willie Mays, Newark, Union League Cy Young Award Robin Roberts, Cincinnati, Legends League Roger Clemens, Detroit, Union League Fireman of the Year Award Troy Percival, Pittsburgh, Legends League Mariano Rivera, Newark, Union League Batting Average Crown Jesse Burkett, Pittsburgh, Legends League, .349 Home Run Johnson, Newark, Union League, .335 Home Run Crown Joe DiMaggio, San Francisco, Union League, 47 Willie Stargell, NY Giants, Legends League, 44 RBI Crown Joe DiMaggio, San Francisco, Union League, 138 Lou Gehrig, Homestead, Legends League, 128 Hits Crown Ty Cobb, Detroit, Union League, 207 Cool Papa Bell, Homestead, Legends League, 204 Wins Crown Greg Maddux, Cincinnati, Legends League, 16 J.Sanada NEW, SJ.Williams SFS, J.Marichal BOB, H.Fujimoto OBW, Union League, 15   ERA Crown Stan Coveleski, San Francisco-Tokyo-Pittsburgh, ATL-Combined, 2.55 Bozo Wakabayashi, Tokyo, Union League, 2.56 Ferguson Jenkins, Montreal, Legends League, 2.59 Strikeout Crown Randy Johnson, Pittsburgh, Union League, 228 Roger Clemens, Detroit, Legends League, 201 Saves Crown Troy Percival, Pittsburgh, Legends League, 36 Goose Gossage, C. White Sox, Union League, 32 The web-based stats have Leaders in every category, so check them out. The Awards Voting will be ongoing through the World Series and afterwards as well. ATL MVP Vote Tally ATL Cy Young Award Vote Tally ATL Fireman of the Year Award Vote Tally The World Series Shakey McGuiness & San Francisco vs Pittsburgh - The Entire Series The League Playoffs Shakey McGuiness & Cincinnati vs Pittsburgh - The Entire Series Pinky Hose & Pittsburgh vs Cincinnati - Games 1-4 & 7 Cy Kosis & San Francisco vs Newark - The Entire Series The Divisional Playoffs Cy Kosis & The Playoff Game Scoops Mibble & The Injury Factor Jack London & Washington vs San Francisco - The Entire Series Shakey McGuiness & Toronto vs Pittsburgh - The Entire Series Pinky Hose & New York vs Cincinnati - The Entire Series Cy Kosis & Philadelphia vs Newark - The Entire Series

Issue 45, The 2005 Season Recap!

The Season Recap! The World Series was everything a climactic struggle between two League powers could be! A very exciting set of games that were expertly reported on for everyone's enjoyment right here in the league ezine. It is my sincere hope that everyone had a good season, win or lose. Let us all acknowledge the first World Champions of the ATL, the Pittsburgh Pirates of the Legends League. Led by Henry Kimbro, Pop Lloyd, Gabby Hartnett and Troy Percival, the Boys from the Iron City captured the highest honor in the league in grand style. They and their opponents from The Bay gave all of us a healthy dose of good, old-fashioned, no-nonsense baseball. Congratulations are in order for both League Champions, let me trot them out one last time: Pittsburgh Pirates, East Division, Legends League, 93-61, 3-1, 4-3, 5-2 San Francisco Seals, Pacific Division, Union League, 87-67, 3-0, 4-2, 2-5 The Season Awards will be announced here as they are issued, and the Team Reviews and Season Recaps shall have their links posted here as well. MVP Award Tris Speaker, Cincinnati, Legends League Willie Mays, Newark, Union League Cy Young Award Robin Roberts, Cincinnati, Legends League Roger Clemens, Detroit, Union League Fireman of the Year Award Troy Percival, Pittsburgh, Legends League Mariano Rivera, Newark, Union League Batting Average Crown Jesse Burkett, Pittsburgh, Legends League, .349 Home Run Johnson, Newark, Union League, .335 Home Run Crown Joe DiMaggio, San Francisco, Union League, 47 Willie Stargell, NY Giants, Legends League, 44 RBI Crown Joe DiMaggio, San Francisco, Union League, 138 Lou Gehrig, Homestead, Legends League, 128 Hits Crown Ty Cobb, Detroit, Union League, 207 Cool Papa Bell, Homestead, Legends League, 204 Wins Crown Greg Maddux, Cincinnati, Legends League, 16 J.Sanada NEW, SJ.Williams SFS, J.Marichal BOB, H.Fujimoto OBW, Union League, 15   ERA Crown Stan Coveleski, San Francisco-Tokyo-Pittsburgh, ATL-Combined, 2.55 Bozo Wakabayashi, Tokyo, Union League, 2.56 Ferguson Jenkins, Montreal, Legends League, 2.59 Strikeout Crown Randy Johnson, Pittsburgh, Union League, 228 Roger Clemens, Detroit, Legends League, 201 Saves Crown Troy Percival, Pittsburgh, Legends League, 36 Goose Gossage, C. White Sox, Union League, 32 Manager of the Year John Mortimer, Pittsburgh, Legends League Other Season Awards, Gold Gloves& etc., can be found at the Awards & Achievements page. Team Reviews & Season Recaps (please note that player pictures will be added to each team review as time permits. Sorry for the delay) Chicago Cubs Chicago White Sox Houston Astros New York Giants New York Mets