Past Seasons Recap
LEAGUE_STANDINGS FOR 1927 Continuing League East_ WON LOST PCT GB MAGIC# 1927 Worcester WOR 95 67 .586 ---- *WON* 1927 Boston BOS 89 73 .549 6.0 1927 Buffalo BUF 84 78 .519 11.0 1927 St. Petersburg STP 83 79 .512 12.0 1927 Orlando BPT 79 83 .488 16.0 1927 Mt. Washington MTW 66 96 .407 29.0 West_ WON LOST PCT GB MAGIC# 1927 Kansas City KCM 115 47 .710 ---- *WON* 1927 Baton Rouge BAT 88 74 .543 27.0 1927 Northbrook NOR 86 76 .531 29.0 1927 Las Vegas LVG 83 79 .512 32.0 1927 Columbus COL 73 89 .451 42.0 1927 Houston HOM 31 131 .191 84.0 The inaugural season of the Continuing League had many highlights. The Western Division was dominated from the beginning by the Kansas City Monarchs, who put together a starting rotation that might never be equaled: Lefty Grove (27-5, 2.49), Dazzy Vance (20-6, 3.48), Jakie May (21-7, 2.68), and Sheriff Blake (19-4, 3.05). These pitchers, assisted by the up-the-middle defense of Glenn Wright (.330, 10 hr) and Frank "the Fordham Flash" Frisch (.317, 57 sb), led the Monarchs to 115 wins. In the East, Worcester also relied upon its outstanding double-play combo of Tony Lazzeri (.331, 13 hr, 104 rbi) and Marty McManus (.311,23 hr, 95 rbi) coupled with fine pitching from Jesse Petty (20-10, 2.74) and Billy Sherdel (21-11, 3.54). The Ruby Legs of Worcester held off a run by Boston, which had acquired an aging Ty Cobb (.330, 11 triples, only 14 sb) and a young Guy Bush (14-10, 3.85) at midseason in a futile attempt to overtake Worcester. One lowlight of the season was the bankruptcy of the Bridgeport franchise after the huge signing bonuses paid to Babe Ruth (.383, 54 hr, 184 rbi) and Lou Gehrig (,391, 41 hr, 150 rbi); the franchise relocated to Orlando in mid-season leaving a host of unpaid bills in Bridgeport. A second lowlight was the Houston Homachine (31-131), whose owners had negotiated heavily with Ruth and Gehrig but, failing to sign ANY quality players, skipped town at midseason. But, a tight and suspenseful Series erased all memories of these problems. The Series was a 7-game classic, in which underdog Worcester surprised KC with Sherdel winning two games and compiling a 1.65 era while outpitching the better-known Monarch staff.
LEAGUE STANDINGS FOR 1930 Continuing League East WON LOST PCT GB MAGIC# 1930 Boston BOS 105 57 .648 ---- *WON* 1930 Mt. Washington MTW 102 60 .630 3.0 1930 Leningrad LEN 82 80 .506 23.0 1930 Orlando ORL 70 92 .432 35.0 1930 Buffalo BUF 56 106 .346 49.0 1930 Worcester WOR 52 110 .321 53.0 West WON LOST PCT GB MAGIC# 1930 Columbus COL 104 58 .642 ---- *WON* 1930 Baton Rouge BTR 95 67 .586 9.0 1930 Kansas City KCM 90 72 .556 14.0 1930 Las Vegas LVG 80 82 .494 24.0 1930 Allentown ALL 74 88 .457 30.0 1930 Northbrook NOR 62 100 .383 42.0 The 1930 season was highlighted by a season long battle in the Eastern Division between Boston and Mt. Washington. During the stretch run these two teams were involved in blockbuster deals, with Mt. Washington sending Mel Ott and Jim Bottomley to Kansas City in return for eventual Cy Young winner Dazzy Vance (22-9, 2.41) and Lefty Grove (25-12, 3.32), and Burleigh Grimes. Boston countered by purchasing Babe Ruth (.347,60 hr,160 rbi) from Orlando and obtaining Eddie Morgan (.364,30 hr,139 rbi) and George Uhle (20-8, 3.34) and others to keep pace. Two games back with 20 games to play, the Dead Sox overtook the Colonials with Ruth and Morgan both playing key roles. In the West, Columbus took the pennant going away with Al Simmons (.405,37 hr,174 rbi) and Bill Terry (.417,33 hr,155 rbi) leading the offense and George Earnshaw (23-12, 4.32) anchoring the pitching staff. Despite acquiring Hack Wilson (.326,48 hr,161 rbi) during the stretch run, the Buckeyes were defeated by Boston in the Series in six games as Ruth batted .583 with 3 hr and 15 rbi.
LEAGUE STANDINGS FOR 1934 Continuing League East WON LOST PCT GB MAGIC# 1934 Boston BOS 105 57 .648 ---- *WON* 1934 Worcester WOR 99 63 .611 6.0 1934 Orlando ORL 91 71 .562 14.0 1934 Leningrad LEN 78 84 .481 27.0 1934 Buffalo BUF 72 90 .444 33.0 1934 Mt. Washington MTW 71 91 .438 34.0 West WON LOST PCT GB MAGIC# 1934 Northbrook NOR 89 73 .549 ---- *WON* 1934 Baton Rouge BTR 78 84 .481 11.0 1934 Allentown ALL 77 85 .475 12.0 1934 Columbus COL 74 88 .457 15.0 1934 Kansas City KCM 70 92 .432 19.0 1934 Las Vegas LVG 68 94 .420 21.0 The 1934 season was highlighted by the worst-to-first performance of the Northbrook Wildcats in the West and the almost first-to-worst-to-first run of the Worcester Ruby Legs in the East. But, a late season series between Boston and Worcester was swept by the Dead Sox, who became the first Continuing League squad to garner back-to-back pennants. Boston's squad was led on offense by veteran second baseman Charlie Gehringer (.362, 15 hr, 126 rbi) and and rookie outfielder Bob Johnson (.320, 29 hr, 125 rbi) and on the mound by Cy Young winner Red Ruffing (27-6, 3.06) and Schoolboy Rowe (21-7, 3.13). In the West, Northbrook triumphed thanks to the outfield power of Hank Greenberg (.343, 29 hr, 138 rbi) and Chuck Klein (.330, 27 hr, 103 rbi), and were led on the mound by elder statesman Waite Hoyt (16-8, 3.15) who put together his finest season in the twilight of his career. However, several key Northbrook players were lost to injury at the end of the season, and the depleted Wildcats were no match for Boston in the Series. The Dead Sox swept Northbrook in four games, with Johnson and Gehringer each hitting above .400 for the Series.
LEAGUE STANDINGS FOR 1941 Continuing League East WON LOST PCT GB MAGIC# 1941 Boston BOS 92 70 .568 ---- *WON* 1941 Worcester WOR 91 71 .562 1.0 1941 Orlando ORL 84 78 .519 8.0 1941 Seattle SEA 80 82 .494 12.0 1941 Buffalo BUF 71 91 .438 21.0 1941 Ft. Worth FTW 62 100 .383 30.0 West WON LOST PCT GB MAGIC# 1941 Baton Rouge BTR 106 56 .654 ---- *WON* 1941 Kansas City KCM 101 61 .623 5.0 1941 Nashville NAS 97 65 .599 9.0 1941 Allentown ALL 84 78 .519 22.0 1941 Northbrook NOR 56 106 .346 50.0 1941 Las Vegas LVG 48 114 .296 58.0 The 1941 season saw the closest race in CL history as perennial rivals Boston and Worcester went down to the last day of the season to decide the pennant. Boston, which had been in last place at the AllStar break, closed the gap with a mid-season overhaul of the pitching staff, with Bob Klinger (13-4, 2.60) and Lefty Gomez (6-6, 4.34) acquired to fill the breach left by the collapse of veteran Red Ruffing (10-13, 5.34). The huge signing bonus paid to rookie Ted Williams (.395, 39 hr, 143 rbi) paid dividends, although first baseman Frank McCormick (.287, 29 hr, 134 rbi) and veteran Bob Johnson (.264, 31 hr, 153 rbi) also played key roles. In the West, perennial runner-up Baton Rouge finally took the pennant, outdistancing fine performances by Kansas City and Nashville (relocated from Columbus). The Red Sticks were led by one of the finest pitching performances in history by Whit Wyatt (32-6, 2.01), supported by Dutch Leonard (20-10, 3.46) and the bat of outfielder Pete Reiser (.372, 20 hr, 113 rbi). In the Series, Boston's quest for a third straight championship was crushed by Baton Rouge, as the injury-depleted and aging Dead Sox were no match for the younger Red Sticks. Baton Rouge won in 5 games with Reiser batting .409 and Wyatt having an 0.50 era in 2 starts.
LEAGUE STANDINGS FOR 1950 Continuing League East WON LOST PCT GB MAGIC# 1950 Seattle SEA 113 49 .698 ---- *WON* 1950 Buffalo BUF 96 66 .593 17.0 1950 Boston BOS 86 76 .531 27.0 1950 Ft. Worth FTW 81 81 .500 32.0 1950 Worcester WOR 64 98 .395 49.0 1950 Orlando ORL 62 100 .383 51.0 West WON LOST PCT GB MAGIC# 1950 Kansas City KCM 97 65 .599 ---- *WON* 1950 Allentown ALL 86 76 .531 11.0 1950 Nashville NAS 83 79 .512 14.0 1950 Northbrook NOR 70 92 .432 27.0 1950 Phlorida GAT 67 95 .414 30.0 1950 Baton Rouge BTR 67 95 .414 30.0 The 1950 season began with pundits predicting a fourth consecutive pennant for the Boston Dead Sox, who had a successful draft and acquired big names such as Duke Snider, Roy Campanella, Ted Kluszewski, and Bob Lemon. However, at the All-Star break the Dead Sox were struggling to stay out of the cellar. In the meantime the Seattle Sounds were putting together an outstanding season and ended up leading the East wire to wire while nearly beating the single season record for wins set by the legendary 1927 Monarchs. The Sounds matched great offense from Hoot Evers (.334, 25 hr, 112 rbi), Andy Pafko (.315, 42 hr, 142 rbi), Hank Thompson (.296, 30 hr, 114 rbi) and Bobby Thomson (.285, 37 hr, 129 rbi); great up-the-middle defense from Rizzuto, Coleman, and Hegan; and great pitching from a rotation of Don Newcombe (22-8, 3.11), Mel Parnell (22-7, 3.45), Cliff Chambers (21-8, 2.97), and Howard Fox (15-4, 4.10). In the East, the Allentown Allnighters held the lead for much of the season, riding the bat of Yogi Berra (.296, 25 hr, 108 rbi) and the arm of Sal "the Barber" Maglie (17-9, 3.80). But, a tremendous second half surge by Kansas City gave the Monarchs their first CL pennant since 1927. Kansas City was led by the two-man staff of Warren Spahn (21-9, 3.66) and Early Wynn (21-11, 3.83) and the bats of CL rbi leader Joe Dimaggio (.305, 30 hr, 156 rbi), rookie Stan Musial (.339, 29 hr, 128 rbi), and Bob Elliott (.310, 27 hr, 117 rbi). In the Series, Seattle captured the first two games at home, but Kansas City, without an injured Early Wynn, rallied to take the next two in their ballpark. However, Game 4 resulted in a career-ending injury to Joe Dimaggio, and the Monarchs never recovered. An exhausted Warren Spahn started (and lost) both Games 5 and 6, and Seattle (led by two wins apiece by Parnell and Newcombe) had their first CL championship.
LEAGUE STANDINGS FOR 1954 Continuing League Eastern WON LOST PCT GB MAGIC# 1954 Orlando ORL 104 58 .642 ---- *WON* 1954 Boston BOS 98 64 .605 6.0 1954 Worcester WOR 73 89 .451 31.0 1954 Austin AUS 63 99 .389 41.0 1954 Phlorida GAT 45 117 .278 59.0 Central WON LOST PCT GB MAGIC# 1954 Nashville NAS 96 66 .593 ---- *WON* 1954 Allentown ALL 94 68 .580 2.0 1954 Ft. Worth FTW 78 84 .481 18.0 1954 Kansas City KCM 75 87 .463 21.0 1954 Philadelphia PHI 71 91 .438 25.0 Western WON LOST PCT GB MAGIC# 1954 Baton Rouge BTR 109 53 .673 ---- *WON* 1954 Buffalo BUF 95 67 .586 14.0 1954 Northbrook NOR 74 88 .457 35.0 1954 Seattle SEA 71 91 .438 38.0 1954 Death Valley DVA 69 93 .426 40.0 The first year of expansion saw two new members of the pantheon of pennant winners. The Nashville Kingfish locked up their first CL pennant by surviving a season-ending series with the pursuing Allentown Allnighters. The Kingfish were consistently the top hitting team in the CL, led by Don Mueller (.344, 91 rbi), Gus Bell (.322, 22 hr), Mickey Mantle (.321, 30 hr) and Gus Zernial (.311, 37 hr), along with remarkable performances from part-time players like Ferris Fain (.348) and Jack Shepard (.346). The ace of the pitching staff was Johnny Schmitz (19-5, 3.29) assisted by a combined 34 saves from Narleski and Mossi. Allentown, who had made a flurry of last minute trades to cover key injury losses, got fine production from acquisitions like Yost (.348) and Schell (.344) but the late season injury loss of top run-producers Dusty Rhodes (.322, 36 hr) and Bill Skowron (.301, 24 hr) proved to be too much to overcome and Allentown had to settle for their second consecutive runner-up finish. The CL East pennant was clinched by the Orlando OUCHers, who set a franchise record for wins thanks to an outstanding pitching staff. Although Cy Young winner Joe Coleman (23-8, 2.10) was lost to a season-ending rotator cuff tear, veterans like Carl Erskine (19-15, 3.60) and Steve Gromek (19-11, 3.48) stepped up to cover. The Boston Dead Sox failed to catch the OUCH squad although their 98 wins was good enough in a tight three team wild card race. The Dead Sox got big performances from MVP Duke Snider (.324, 49 hr, 152 rbi) and MVP candidate big Ted Kluszewski (.330, 51 hr, 172 rbi), as well as the one-two pitching punch of the two Bobs Lemon (22-15, 3.93) and Porterfield (20-9, 3.48). The best record in the CL was assembled by the Baton Rouge Red Sticks, who succeeded in going from first ('41) to worst ('50) to first ('54) once again. The '54 Red Sticks eclipsed the franchise win mark of the series winning '41 squad with the leagues most underrated pitching staff, led by Virgil Trucks (25-8, 3.36), Bob Rush (21-7, 2.85) and closer Dave Jolly (3.30, 27 saves). The biggest Red Stick was swung by rookie third baseman Eddie Mathews (.307, 44 hr), with Hank Sauer (.271, 35 hr) also contributing to the power supply. Runner up Buffalo fell just short of the wildcard slot, but Gil Hodges (.316, 52 hr) had a year to remember as the Buffaloes put together their second consecutive second-place 90-win season. In the playoffs, Baton Rouge disposed of Boston in five games thanks to Pee Wee Reese's .565 average and 3 homers, and additional power supplied by Jensen and Sauer. Nashville upset Orlando in six, with tremendous pitching, including two wins by Bob Chakales and a near no-hitter by Don Mossi that he eventually lost 1-0 to Steve Gromek. In the World Series, Nashville continued its amazing run with a sweep of the favored Red Sticks, who lost Eddie Mathews to injury in Game 2. Mossi, Chakales and Ray Narleski paced a staff that compiled a 1.75 ERA and Nashville had its first CL championship.
LEAGUE STANDINGS FOR 1956 Continuing League Eastern WON LOST PCT GB MAGIC# 1956 Boston BOS 101 61 .623 ---- *WON* 1956 Orlando ORL 95 67 .586 6.0 1956 Worcester WOR 72 90 .444 29.0 1956 Austin AUS 71 91 .438 30.0 1956 Phlorida GAT 70 92 .432 31.0 Central WON LOST PCT GB MAGIC# 1956 Nashville NAS 96 66 .593 ---- *WON* 1956 Allentown ALL 86 76 .531 10.0 1956 Ft. Worth FTW 81 81 .500 15.0 1956 Philadelphia PHI 61 101 .377 35.0 1956 Kansas City KCM 47 115 .290 49.0 Western WON LOST PCT GB MAGIC# 1956 Buffalo BUF 108 54 .667 ---- *WON* 1956 Death Valley DVA 98 64 .605 10.0 1956 Baton Rouge BTR 92 70 .568 16.0 1956 Seattle SEA 89 73 .549 19.0 1956 Northbrook NOR 48 114 .296 60.0 The 1956 season saw two teams (Nashville and Death Valley) spending big bucks as the Kansas City Monarchs were dismantled bit by bit. Warren Spahn was sold to Nashville, while Stan Musial and Early Wynn were among several players purchased by the expansion Death Valley team, who used every available penny seeking to fill holes left after the draft. And for the second consecutive season, Nashville outlasted an injury-riddled Allentown roster to take the CL Central pennant, as Mickey Mantle passed Babe Ruth's 1930 record to hit 62 home runs and came within a few RBIs of capturing the first Triple Crown in CL history. Mantle, a runaway selection for MVP, was the cornerstone of the Nashville offense, but rookie Ken Boyer (.323, 32 hr, 105 rbi) also had a fine year in Mantle's big shadow. On the mound, the sturdy arm of Warren Spahn (23-15, 3.60) once again gave Nashville the ace they needed to take the pennant. In Allentown, the loss of key players such as Berra and Skowron led to a collapse during the stretch run as the squad fell ten games back during the last month of the season. The honors for the top record in the CL went to Western Division Buffalo, who took their first pennant in grand style with a 108-54 record after two near misses in the preceding two seasons. The Buffalo story was one of pitching and defense, with the rotation anchored by Cy Young award winner Murray Dickson (26-3, 2.93), Jack Harshman (20-8, 3.07), and Ray Moore (18-6, 3.29). On offense, Al Kaline (.325, 27 hr, 134 rbi) paced the squad, with Larry Doby (.271, 33 hr, 111 bb) and Gil Hodges (.256, 30 hr) adding what little offense was needed by the staff. The Buffaloes finished 10 games up on wildcard winner Death Valley, who won 98 games to take a tight wildcard race over Orlando and Baton Rouge. The Gila Monsters were the first expansion team to reach the playoffs; Early Wynn (25-11, 2.93), Bob Friend (20-15, 4.01), and Cliff Johnson (16-6, 3.23) led the rotation, while Ed Bailey, Willie Jones, Musial, and Walt Moryn all contributed 25+ homer seasons. In the CL East, the Boston Dead Sox captured their first pennant since 1941, with the homer-happy veterans finally getting the pitching they needed for the pennant from rookie Frank Lary (21-14, 3.43), Billy Pierce (20-9, 2.95), and aging veteran Bob Lemon (18-13, 3.46). The cornerstone of the powerful Boston offense was Duke Snider (.297, 55 hr, 143 rbi), but longtime Dead Sox outfielder Ted Williams (.348, 29 hr) proved there was still life left in his bat as well. In the first live playoffs held in CL history, the underdogs took both series as the teams with the two best records in the CL ended their seasons early. Nashville continued its amazing string of post-season good fortune to take the playoffs with CL best Buffalo in seven games (being shut out in all three of their losses), while Death Valley, wildcard runner-up to Buffalo in the West, needed only 6 games to dispose of Boston as both Lary and Lemon were destroyed by Death Valley DH Bob Nieman. The Death Valley Gila Monsters then became the first expansion team in league history to capture the CL championship, downing the defending champions from Nashville in five games. The luck of the Kingfish, who had won three straight postseason series against teams with superior records, finally ran out as the Monsters combined workhorse pitching with unexpected heroics on offense to take the Series. Monster secondbaseman and Series co-MVP Frank Bolling hit .435 and drove in 12 runs in 5 games, Vic "we have the" Power blasted three homers and hit .391 to pace the scoring attack, while Early Wynn won two games on the mound. Don Mossi, pitching hero of the '54 Series for the Kingfish, didn't have it in '56, going 0-2 with a 6.00 era, while Warren Spahn also lost two games and posted an era of 6.35. Regular season MVP Mickey Mantle, who had teed off on Buffalo pitching during the playoffs, went cold with a .167 average, although rightfielder Gus Bell captured co-MVP honors with 4 homers and a .306 average.
LEAGUE STANDINGS FOR 1959 Continuing League East WON LOST PCT GB MAGIC# 1959 Anchorage ANC 107 55 .660 ---- *WON* 1959 Boston BOS 97 65 .599 10.0 1959 Worcester WOR 80 82 .494 27.0 1959 Phlorida GAT 59 103 .364 48.0 1959 Austin AUS 49 113 .302 58.0 Central WON LOST PCT GB MAGIC# 1959 Nashville NAS 97 65 .599 ---- *WON* 1959 Allentown ALL 85 77 .525 12.0 1959 Fort Worth FTW 81 81 .500 16.0 1959 Philadelphia PHI 66 96 .407 31.0 1959 Kansas City KCM 56 106 .346 41.0 West WON LOST PCT GB MAGIC# 1959 Baton Rouge BTR 99 63 .611 ---- *WON* 1959 Buffalo BUF 95 67 .586 4.0 1959 Seattle SEA 83 79 .512 16.0 1959 Northbrook NOR 81 81 .500 18.0 1959 Death Valley DVA 80 82 .494 19.0 The big news of spring for 1959 was the relocation of Eastern power Orlando to Anchorage, and by means of celebration the inaugural season of the Anchorage Attack was marked by the league's best record. The Attack pitching staff, with a rotation of Vern Law (21-11, 3.31), Harvey Haddix (19-9, 2.88), Jack Sanford (19-9, 3.00), and Milt Pappas (16-9, 2.88) topped off by the ace reliever Roy Face (1.54, 35 saves), dominated the opposition, while Harvey Kuenn (.368, 51 doubles, 94 rbi) took the batting title. The Boston Dead Sox, led by Henry Aaron (.342, 43 hr, 139 rbi) were dethroned as Eastern pennant winners, but the wildcard berth by beating up on injury-wracked Austin for the final 10 games of the season to edge the Buffaloes by 2 games. The CL Central went to Nashville for the third straight season, tying the CL mark for consecutive pennants (3) and franchise pennants (4). Nashville relied heavily on Warren Spahn (23-15, 4.39) and Don Mossi (18-10, 3.67) to keep it close enough while a powerful offense of Mantle (.333, 45 hr), Boyer (.350, 39 hr), Long (.333, 35 hr) and Pinson (.329, 33 hr) wreaked havoc in Coors Field. Allentown limped to their fourth consecutive second place finish despite the efforts of Johnny Antonelli (23-11, 3.38). The CL West pennant was clinched by the Baton Rouge Red Sticks, continuing their run of alternating-season pennants begun in 1941. The Red Sticks were paced by the 233 hits of Pete Runnels and the power of Eddie Mathews (.333, 56 hr, 160 rbi), who came off a terrible sophomore slump in 1956 to reestablish himself as one of the league's premier run generators. On the mound, Baton Rouge relied heavily on staff ace Jim Bunning (20-10, 3.68) to anchor a shallow staff. Second place went to the Buffaloes, who faced stiff competition within-division during the stretch run to fall short in their surge towards the playoffs despite residing in last place for much of the spring. The Buffaloes relied, as usual, on excellent defense by Aparicio, Fox, Clemente, Brooksie, Kaline (.302, 32 hr) and Hodges (.276, 33 hr), with Glen Hobbie (21-14, 4.01) pacing the staff. But with all Western teams proving to be of at least .500 caliber, a wildcard berth from this division proved to be just out of reach. In the playoffs, wildcard Boston defeated Baton Rouge 4 games to 2, with Billy Pierce garnering two wins, while Anchorage was sorely tested in a seven-game series with Nashville. The Kingfish nearly upset the Attack even with Mantle injured for much of the series; Nashville's Stan Williams came within 1 out of a playoff series no-hitter in game 6. The World Series was no contest, as the Anchorage pitchers shut down the powerful Boston lineup in a Series sweep, with Roy Face picking up two saves.
LEAGUE STANDINGS FOR 1960 Continuing League East WON LOST PCT GB MAGIC# 1960 Boston BOS 96 66 .593 ---- *WON* 1960 Worcester WOR 85 77 .525 11.0 1960 Phlorida GAT 81 81 .500 15.0 1960 Anchorage ANC 78 84 .481 18.0 1960 Austin AUS 47 115 .290 49.0 Central WON LOST PCT GB MAGIC# 1960 Nashville NAS 106 56 .654 ---- *WON* 1960 Philadelphia PHI 93 69 .574 13.0 1960 Allentown ALL 88 74 .543 18.0 1960 Kansas City KCM 61 101 .377 45.0 1960 Fort Worth FTW 54 108 .333 52.0 West WON LOST PCT GB MAGIC# 1960 Baton Rouge BTR 103 59 .636 ---- *WON* 1960 Northbrook NOR 91 71 .562 12.0 1960 Seattle SEA 86 76 .531 17.0 1960 Buffalo BUF 75 87 .463 28.0 1960 Death Valley DVA 71 91 .438 32.0 A preseason name change for the Nashville Metropolitans made many fans wonder why a team that had won three consecutive pennants would abandon the Kingfish label. The question was quickly answered as the team led the CL in wins en route to an unprecedented fourth consecutive pennant. Nashvillian Mickey Mantle (.312, 53 hr, 145 rbi) captured his second MVP crown, paced by teammate Ken Boyer (.362, 47 hr, 164 rbi) who many felt was actually the team's most valuable player. On the mound, Stan Williams (21-4, 3.93) assembled a gaudy winning percentage and held together a staff of suspects for the entire year. The Philadephia Liberty clinched a close wildcard race to become the second expansion team to make it to post-season play as their 93 wins edged an injury depleted Northbrook squad. Long-suffering Liberty CF Willie Mays (.319, 33 hr, 125 rbi) finally reached the post-season thanks to a supporting cast that included Orlando Cepeda (.286, 35 hr, 130 rbi), Roberto Clemente (.317, 15 hr, 110) and an effective pitching staff headed by Mike McCormick (18-7, 3.59). In the CL West, it was a repeat performance for the Red Sticks, who relied upon the league's best pitching staff to easily outdistance the Northbrook Wildcats, who faltered after a season-ending injury to Roger Maris (.321, 42 hr). Baton Rouge's Jim Bunning (26-8, 2.92) took the Cy Young award, but Jim O'Toole (19-7, 2.62) and Bobby Locke (14-4, 2.26) also deserved some credit. As usual, the Red Sticks relied on the firepower of Mathews (.287, 33 hr) and Adcock (.305, 27 hr) but the new keystone combination of Wills and Fox gave the team a defensive flair lacking in previous years. In the East, Boston celebrated the last season of Ted Williams (.327, 38 hr) by winning the pennant, and Henry Aaron (.305, 50 hr, 145 rbi) was a serious contender for MVP honors. While the squad was typified by the silver bats and lead gloves of Harmon Killebrew (31 hr) and Dick Stuart (34 hr), the Dead Sox also received a gutsy performance from their rotation of the three veterans, Lary (23-11, 3.40), Pierce (14-8, 3.41) and Baton Rouge castoff Frank Sullivan (12-8, 3.75), as well as a spectacular relief performance by Hank Aguirre (11-4, 2.93, 29 saves). In the playoffs, Nashville's power proved too much for the Boston staff to handle as the Metros won in 5 games, while Baton Rouge required 6 to dispose of a stubborn Philadelphia squad as Bunning notched two victories. In the World Series, Nashville jumped to a quick 3-1 game lead but a brilliant performance by Bunning in Game 5 turned the Series around and the Red Stick finally pulled even at three apiece. In Game 7, two Wally Moon homers gave Baton Rouge an early lead but a three-run shot by Ken Boyer gave an injury-depleted Nashville squad a 7-6 win and their first CL championship since 1954.
LEAGUE STANDINGS FOR 1961 Continuing League East WON LOST PCT GB MAGIC# 1961 Phlorida GAT 93 69 .574 ---- *WON* 1961 Anchorage ANC 82 80 .506 11.0 1961 Boston BOS 81 81 .500 12.0 1961 Austin AUS 74 88 .457 19.0 1961 Worcester WOR 65 97 .401 28.0 Central WON LOST PCT GB MAGIC# 1961 Philadelphia PHI 106 56 .654 ---- *WON* 1961 Nashville NAS 103 59 .636 3.0 1961 Allentown ALL 93 69 .574 13.0 1961 Fort Worth FTW 57 105 .352 49.0 1961 Kansas City KCM 55 107 .340 51.0 West WON LOST PCT GB MAGIC# 1961 Buffalo BUF 104 58 .642 ---- *WON* 1961 Baton Rouge BTR 97 65 .599 7.0 1961 Northbrook NOR 84 78 .519 20.0 1961 Seattle SEA 82 80 .506 22.0 1961 Death Valley DVA 39 123 .241 65.0 The 1961 season saw the emergence of a new generation of winners, as the expansion Philadelphia Liberty and the once-lowly Phlorida Gaters each became first-time pennant winners. The Liberty took honors of the CL's top record of 106-56, with longtime franchise player Willie Mays (.288, 37 hr) being upstaged by young Orlando Cepeda (.335, 45 hr) and trade pickup Roberto Clemente (.363, 30 hr), acquired from Buffalo for Juan Marichal in a blockbuster deal. But the Liberty MVP might actually have been staff ace Mike McCormick (29-5, 3.05), who was edged for the Cy Young award in a controversial decision. Despite their spectacular year, the Liberty were hard-pressed down the stretch by wildcard pick Nashville, led by three-time MVP Mickey Mantle (.318, 55 hr), batting titleholder Ken Boyer (.378, 22 hr), and one of the CL's top rotations in Stan Williams (21-11), Joey Jay (22-6), Don Cardwell (20-11), and Bob Gibson (17-6). For the Phlorida Gaters, it was the long-suffering Ernie Banks (.297, 31 hr) who finally got to play for a pennant winner. But the forte of the Gaters was their Big Two of Warren Spahn (23-9, 3.17) and Frank Lary (24-11, 3.43), supplemented by the relief corp of Terry Fox (1.42, 10 sv) and Jim Brosnan (6-0. 1.88, 12 sv). The only familiar face among the pennant winners belonged to Buffalo, relying upon Cy Young winner Steve Barber (26-8, 2.95) as well as MVP runnerup Norm Cash (.371, 50 hr), who made a valiant run for a Triple Crown at the end of the season. The Baton Rouge Red Sticks played excellent ball during September with Eddie Mathews (.324, 35 hr) and Jim Bunning (21-10, 3.50) leading the way, but were unable to close the gap and settled for a fine 97-65 record. The playoffs were a cakewalk for the CL's two best teams, as Philadelphia and Buffalo each took only five games to dispose of the opposition. Philadelphia's offense, led by Elston Howard and Orlando Cepeda, proved too much for Phlorida's veteran pitchers, and Mike McCormick won two games for the Liberty. Meanwhile, Buffalo avenged their upset in the 1956 playoffs by shutting down Mickey Mantle, with Barber picking up two wins and Juan Marichal tossing a one-hitter. The World Series began with Buffalo reeling off two quick victories on the road thanks to some power hitting by Bob Allison and sloppy fielding by the Liberty, but Philly came roaring back to win four in a row as Howard and eventual Series MVP Willie Mays caught fire.
LEAGUE STANDINGS FOR 1962 Continuing League East WON LOST PCT GB MAGIC# 1962 Boston BOS 108 54 .667 ---- *WON* 1962 Worcester WOR 93 69 .574 15.0 1962 Austin AUS 79 83 .488 29.0 1962 Anchorage ANC 65 97 .401 43.0 1962 Altoona ALT 63 99 .389 45.0 1962 Phlorida GAT 55 107 .340 53.0 Central WON LOST PCT GB MAGIC# 1962 Allentown ALL 110 52 .679 ---- *WON* 1962 Nashville NAS 104 58 .642 6.0 1962 Fort Worth FTW 90 72 .556 20.0 1962 Philadelphia PHI 84 78 .519 26.0 1962 Kansas City KCM 76 86 .469 34.0 1962 Jordan SUN 26 136 .160 84.0 West WON LOST PCT GB MAGIC# 1962 Buffalo BUF 104 58 .642 ---- *WON* 1962 Baton Rouge BTR 99 63 .611 5.0 1962 Northbrook NOR 93 69 .574 11.0 1962 Death Valley DVA 91 71 .562 13.0 1962 Phoenix PHO 63 99 .389 41.0 1962 Seattle SEA 55 107 .340 49.0 After a decade playing second fiddle in the CL Central, the Allentown Allnighters put together a season to remember, with the CL's top record. The Allnighter's finally withstood a late-season Nashville push with an impressive streak of their own, winning nine of their last ten games to end with 110 wins, tops in the league and in the history of the franchise. The squad did it with the finest basehitting in the league, led by veterans like Norm Siebern (.337, 27 hr, 121 rbi) and Bobby Richardson (.307, 36 doubles, 106 runs), as well as critical performances by part-timers like Leppert (.358, 8 hr) and Berra (.313) as well as the injured Tony Kubek (.321) and Gil Hodges (.311, 22 hr). On the mound, Allentown looked to its trio of 20-games winners of Whitey Ford (26-12), Bill Monboquette (22-8), and Ernie Broglio (24-4). However, their nemeses in Nashville also made the playoffs (for the sixth consecutive season) thanks to rising stars like Bob Gibson (23-7, 2.67) and Tommy Davis (.321, 27 hr) supporting the aging veterans like Mickey Mantle (.324, 23 hr) and Ken Boyer (.293, 33 hr). In the CL East, the Boston Dead Sox put together the best record in the proud history of that franchise, garnering 108 wins along with the leagues top power (257 hr) and, amazingly enough, ERA (3.28). The Aaron/Killebrew tandem each knocked 53 homers, losing the HR title to former teammate Leon "Daddy Wags" Wagner, but it was the fine pitching that distinguished this Dead Sox squad from other power-happy models. Hank Aguirre (22-3, 1.64) was the first Boston Cy Young winner since Red Ruffing in 1934, coming out of the bullpen to put together the finest performance by a starting pitcher in the history of the franchise. Meanwhile, Don McMahon (2-5, 27 saves) emerged as the closer for the squad, and Jim Maloney (11-2, 2.14) is finally began to show some of the promise that led to his large signing bonus. The Dead Sox beat a revitalized Worcester Ruby Leg squad by 15 games, but the Rubies 93 wins was their best showing since 1934 as Felipe Alou (.322, 30 hr) and Don Demeter (.317, 34 hr) made a powerful outfield tandem. In the West, the Buffalos held their slim lead over Baton Rouge to the end to become the only repeat pennant-winner of 1962. Buffalo relied upon the power of Bob Allison (.333, 39 hr), Billy Williams (.296, 29 hr), Brooks Robinson (.296, 36 hr), and Al Kaline (.321, 42 hr), the latter an MVP candidate before his season ending injury. On the mound, the duo of Marichal (24-11, 3.61) and Kaat (21-10, 3.08) each contributed over 300 innings to pace a sturdy rotation. Baton Rouge posted 99 wins thanks to an excellent staff of Farrell (19-9, 2.97), O'Toole (21-12, 3.85), Terry (22-15, 4.03) and Bunning (18-13, 3.73), but Eddie Mathews (.277, 33 hr) was too lonely on the offensive end to catch the Buffalos. In the playoffs, Boston decimated Nashville 4-1 with Killebrew smashing four homers and McMahon contributing two saves. Meanwhile, Buffalo and Allentown battled to a Game 7, where Buffalo's Earl Wilson tossed a four-hitter on two days rest to put the Buffs into the Series. In the World Series, Boston won three in a row despite a Game 1 injury to Killebrew, and many thought a sweep was at hand. But Buffalo reeled off three consecutive victories, including one against Aguirre, to force a Game 7 confrontation. But Jim Maloney fanned 10 and a returning Killebrew homered to give the Dead Sox their first CL championship since 1934.
LEAGUE STANDINGS FOR 1963 Continuing League East WON LOST PCT GB MAGIC# 1963 Boston BOS 106 56 .654 ---- *WON* 1963 Worcester WOR 103 59 .636 3.0 1963 Austin AUS 80 82 .494 26.0 1963 Phlorida GAT 72 90 .444 34.0 1963 Altoona ALT 66 96 .407 40.0 1963 Anchorage ANC 50 112 .309 56.0 Central WON LOST PCT GB MAGIC# 1963 Philadelphia PHI 113 49 .698 ---- *WON* 1963 Nashville NAS 103 59 .636 10.0 1963 Allentown ALL 94 68 .580 19.0 1963 Fort Worth FTW 83 79 .512 30.0 1963 Kansas City KCM 68 94 .420 45.0 1963 Jordan SUN 38 124 .235 75.0 West WON LOST PCT GB MAGIC# 1963 Buffalo BUF 99 63 .611 ---- *WON* 1963 Northbrook NOR 94 68 .580 5.0 1963 Death Valley DVA 89 73 .549 10.0 1963 Baton Rouge BTR 80 82 .494 19.0 1963 Seattle SEA 65 97 .401 34.0 1963 Phoenix PHO 55 107 .340 44.0 The 1963 saw a first in CL history, as a single playoff game was needed to determine a postseason berth as both the Worcester Ruby Legs and the Nashville Metropolitans finished with identical 103-59 records, good for second place in their respective divisions. Both teams, faced with debilitating injuries for the stretch run, made gritty efforts to challenge for pennants. Worcester fell just three games short of Boston, despite a season-ending injuries to staff aces Joe Nuxhall (21-8, 2.40) and Dennis Bennett (16-5, 3.13). With these starters out, veteran Camilo Pascual (17-12, 3.43) squeezed 291 innings out of his aging arm, and stopper Ron Perranoski (2.85, 29 saves) hung onto leads provided by offensive leaders Felipe Alou, Leon Wagner, and Don Demeter. For Nashville, the big blow was the loss of Mickey Mantle (.347, 49 hr), who was headed for another MVP award before his knees put him out for the season. But batting champ Tommy Davis (.369, 28 hr) shouldered the load while Bob Gibson (23-9, 2.89) came in third in the Cy Young balloting. So Worcester and Nashville will face each other in a one-game playoff to earn a wildcard slot. The pennant winners sported familiar faces. Philadelphia challenged the CL wins record, finishing 113-49 with a team sporting a great combination of pitching and offense. On the mound, Ellsworth (26-7, 2.38) and Bouton (23-8, 2.69) carried the load for the Liberty much of the year, while late trade pickups in Al Downing (13-11, 2.37) and Ken McBride (16-13, 2.43) were among the league's premier pitchers with sub-.500 teams. Of course, the offense was led by Cepeda (.316, 38 hr) and Mays (.310, 37 hr), with five players rapping 20 or more homers. In the East, the Boston Dead Sox successfully defended their pennant thanks to CL MVP Hank Aaron (.324, 55 hr) heading, need we say it, the league's most powerful lineup. But, with Jim Maloney (22-7, 3.00) earning many Cy Young votes and Pizarro, Grant and Aguirre all winning 18, the Dead Sox rotation also counted among the league's best. In the West, it was Buffalo outlasting injury riddled squads from Northbrook and Death Valley. The Buffs got 349 innings out of Juan Marichal (20-16, 2.86) and a big year from outfielder Bob Allison (.269, 43 hr), as well as, need we say it, the league's top fielding percentage. Northbrook made a respectable run at the lead during the stretch, with the remarkable Sandy Koufax (28-7, 1.66) carrying the squad with one of the finest performances by a starter in league history. The loss of big Frank Howard (.311, 44 hr) was among the reasons that Death Valley faded to 10 games back after contending much of the season in the West. In the wildcard playoff, Camilo Pascual shut out the Metros and Worcester had it's first postseason berth since their championship year in 1927. However, in the championship series against the Liberty, their luck ran out as Felipe Alou went down early to injury and Mays, Frank Malzone and Elston Howard rang up hits on the Ruby Leg staff to win the series 4-2. The other championship series was a rematch of the '62 World Series, and the outcome was the same as Boston took the full seven to dispose of a persistent Buffalo squad. Kaat and Wilson handled the Dead Sox power effectively, but Killebrew's 4 homers and Aaron's .462 average proved too much for the rest of the Buffalo pitchers. The World Series, played live via ICQ, also went the full seven, with a wild 12-inning game seven that was won when Willie Mays greeted reliever Ted Abernathy with a home run to lead off the bottom of the 12th.