Continental Baseball Federation OOTP 22 8-tier promotion/relegation sim: 1950-onward

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The best record in the Continental Baseball Federation’s First League in 1952 went to the Chicago Cubs, winning the Midwestern Division at 108-54. The three teams in the race of the wild cards kept pace with the Cubs in September, but Chicago’s eight game lead held for their second division title and third straight playoff berth.

Going into the final series, Cleveland held second place with a two-game lead on Detroit and three on Minneapolis for two spots. The quirk was the Tigers hosting the Millers in a three game series, which Detroit would sweep to end the season on a six-game win streak and a 100-62 record. The Spiders closed with last place Grand Rapids, but split a four-game series and lost the final game of the year on a 5-4 walkoff. Thus, Cleveland finished tied with the Tigers with Detroit taking the tiebreaker having won the season series. It’s the same three playoff teams from the Midwest as the prior year.

St. Louis had the biggest drop, going from 90 wins in 1951 to seventh place at 72-90. Cincinnati remained mid-tier in sixth while newcomer Columbus had a respectable 1L debut at 79-93. Indianapolis was eighth at 58-104, avoiding relegation for Grand Rapids at 54-108. The Ravens are the first team to make the First League and get relegated back down to the Second League.

The Eastern Division remained a tight race with three teams tied for second at two back on the New York Yankees midway through September. Brooklyn and Baltimore faded out of the race, with Toronto and the New York Giants fading by the end. The defending conference champ Yankees finished 10-2 to hold onto the division title at 92-70, including a sweep of Boston. A 7-3 finish for Philadelphia and 3-6 one for the Red Sox gave the Phillies second place at 88-74, one better than the 87-75 Red Sox. It’s back-to-back wild cards for Boston and a rebound for the 1950 World Series champ Phillies, who limped to 73 wins last year.

The Giants and Blue Jays tied for fourth at 85-77 with the Dodgers sixth at 81-81 and Baltimore seventh at 79-83. Newcomer Staten Island struggled in their debut at 64-98, but avoided relegation in eighth. Montreal finished 56-106 to send them downward.

In the Southern Division, Miami closed the year on a 9-1 run, while Mexico City’s 5-5 finish allowed the Makos to take the division for the first time at 105-57. They and Los Diablos make the playoffs for the third straight year with Mexico City at 100-62. Atlanta played .500 ball to close the year, but chasing San Juan and Dallas did no better, while Austin’s late run didn’t get rid of the 6.5 hole entering the month. The Crackers took the third place spot at 87-75 for their first playoff appearance.

The Anacondas and San Juan tied for fourth at 85-77 with the Rangers one back at 84-78. Nashville and Houston again had weak seasons, but kept their 1L spot at 66-96 and 57-105, respectively. The worst record in the entire First League went to Charlotte at 38-124.

Phoenix won their second straight Western Division with a 105-57 record, ending with a five-game win streak while World Series champ San Francisco ended on a five-game losing streak. The Seals finished second at 98-64, giving them a third straight second-place finish. Edmonton, the Second League runner-up last year, earned the third playoff spot at 94-68.

Portland and San Diego fell a bit from 90+ win seasons with the Beavers fourth at 85-77 and the Padres fifth at 83-79. Hollywood, Vancouver, and Denver each finished in the 70s for wins while Oakland was a distant last, relegated at 58-104.



Chicago Cubs pitcher Ray Tamez posted one of the best-ever seasons as the lefty won the EMC’s Triple Crown at 26-10 with a 2.59 ERA and 352 strikeouts. Tamez had the most innings pitcher (344), most complete games (21), WHIP (1.06) and WAR (12.8.). Only Austin’s Jack Colella prevented Tamez from having the Triple Crown between both conferences. Colella had a 2.18 ERA and 11.7 WAR with both expected to be the runaways for the Pitcher of the Year awards.

The MVP race is more competitive looking at the final numbers. The East-Midwest Conference had the league’s WAR leader in Baltimore outfielder Gideon Rivas at 8.7, but Cubs catcher Eduardo Gomez, Brooklyn shortstop Barney Puente, and Detroit’s Woody Lido are all in the mix. In the West-South Conference, Atlanta’s Wakefield O’Hara was the home run (45) and RBI leader (140), but Mexico City’s John Domec even with a month lost to injury, plus guys like Jonah Weber of San Francisco and Miami’s George Gortz are in the mix. The Seals did suffer a big loss with Weber going down to a torn labrum in mid September, keeping the 1951 World Series MVP out of the 1952 postseason

Notably on September 17, Miami’s Hugo Allemand set the First League record with 21 strikeouts against Denver. The 28-year old Frenchman actually didn’t beat the regulation record of 17, as Allemand went 12 innings. In true heartbreaking baseball fashion, he gave up two runs in the 13^th and ended up credited with the loss despite 21 Ks and only three hits allowed.

Three days later would be another historic pitching performance from Miami, this time for Jai Felix against Portland. Felix threw 12 no-hit innings, finally giving up a hit against his final batter faced in the 13^th. This time at least, Miami got the 1-0 victory.

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Entering September 1952, Ptitsburgh led the Second League East Division by 0.5 games over Buffalo, three over Quebec City and four over Richmond. The Pirates and Bisons played around .500 ball throughout September, while the Raptors and Bruins made gains. With four games to go, Pittsburgh was 100-58, one up on Quebec City, two on Richmond, and 3.5 on Buffalo. The Pirates had their final series at struggling Kansas City, but ended up getting swept by the Athletics, including a 2-1 defeat in the season finale in 11 innings. Meanwhile, Quebec hosted Richmond in a four-game series to close the year, with the Raptors winning three of four to clinch the division by a game.

Richmond finished 101-61 and earned promotion while Pittsburgh and Quebec City both ended at 100-62 and Buffalo at 99-63. Newcomer Worcester and the New York Mets both quietly had great years at 93-63. Virginia Beach(67-95) and Washington (64-98) struggled, but fared better than Newark, with the Wasps getting relegated on a 52-110 record.



Windsor held firm in the Midwest Division at 102-60, 16 games better than Louisville and 18 ahead of Omaha. The Wolverines become the smallest market yet to earn promotion into the top league. Newly promoted Lexington was fourth at 76-86. Winnipeg at 58-104 ended up relegated.

Tijuana pulled away in the Western Division with a 16-8 close to the season, winning the title at 101-61 and becoming the second Mexican team to earn promotion to the First League. The West was a loaded division Albuquerque and Calgary both finished 95-67 with Juarez at 94-68, San Jose at 90-72, Honolulu at 89-73, and Boise at 87-75. Colorado Springs in eighth weren’t bad at 79-83, although a notable drop from the prior year. Seattle at 65-97 gets relegated for the second straight season.

Santo Domingo maintained their Southern Division lead to win it 99-63, bringing the Dominican Republic’s capital to the First League. Monterrey was second at 88-74 with a third straight winning season while St. Petersburg’s 2L debut was a solid 87-75. Orlando, Jacksonville, and Memphis were each mid-tier. New Orleans was an awful 55-107, Tampa an even worse 51-111, but both are safe thanks to the worst team in the Second League. San Antonio finishes 48-114 in back-to-back years and as such, are headed downward.



In the Third League EMC, Albany and Gary both ran away with division titles to earn promotion for the second year in a row. For the Guardians, it’s the third straight promotion as their 116-46 mark was the best in the conference. Des Moines (106-56) and Fort Wayne (101-61) both had great seasons but stay put. Milwaukee after horrendous seasons to drop to the 3L bounced back with a fourth place 79-83 in 1952. Madison ended up last at 55-107 for their second demotion.

Stamford (100-62) and Providence (95-67) were behind Albany with the Pilgrims falling from their 112 win season the prior year. In the battle at the bottom, Hartford managed to take two of three over Albany in their last series to hold the slight edge over Ottawa. The Herons (53-109) get to stay while the Otters (51-111) are relegated for the second straight year.

The three best records in the West-South Conference were in the Western Division. Irvine was a dominant 119-43 to pick up a third straight promotion, leaving Guadalajara (107-55) and Salt Lake (101-61) in the 3L. Tuscon (94-68), El Paso (93), and Sacramento (87-75) all had solid years. Anchorage and Los Angeles both stunk at 63-99, but a 12-game losing streak to end the year for Long Beach doomed them to a drop at 53-109.

Birmingham had a half-game lead on Raleigh in the South with a week to go, but the Barons closed the year with a five-game losing streak, giving the edge to the Robins at 96-66 over the 93-69 Barons. Fort Worth was the distant last place at 44-118, the worst team in the 3L and dropped for back-to-back years.



The Fourth League East Division had perhaps the most exciting pennant chase in all of the Continental Baseball Federation. Entering September, Yonkers had the lead by a game over Springfield, 1.5 over Erie, and 5.5 over New Haven. Even Bridgeport and Chesapeake weren’t out of it, but the latter two faded as the final weeks progressed. The Hawks went on a 15-1 tear to open the month, including a sweep of the Storm, but solid play from the others kept the lead traded back-and-forth between Yonkers and Erie.

Entering the final series of the season, the SeaWolves and Yellow Jackets were tied for first at 101-57 with Springfield (MA) 0.5 back at 101-58 and New Haven two back at 99-59. Erie would close the year hosting the Hawks in a four-game series, while the Storm hosted Yonkers for their final three.

Erie won game one over Haven 7-3, followed by back-to-back Hawks wins (11-2 and 7-5). Meanwhile, Springfield beat Yonkers 4-3 in 10 innings in game one, followed by an 8-2 Yellow Jackets win. Thus, a three-way tie for first at 102-59 with New Haven one back entering the final game.

The SeaWolves picked up a 9-1 win in their final game, guaranteeing a tiebreaker game for first and eliminated New Haven. On the other side, Springfield bested Yonkers 5-1; putting the Storm and Erie tied for first at 103-59 with a one-game playoff to decide the division and promotion. In Massachusetts, Springfield would win 6-2 in the tiebreaker game to win and earn back-to-back moves upward.



The other side of the conference was less exciting as the Springfield Showboats of Illinois easily took the crown at 109-53, 11 better than Lansing. Ann Arbor fell off after a 99-win 1951 to place sixth at 69-93. Dayton (34-128) and Jersey City (46-116) were the clear worst teams with both getting relegated for back-to-back seasons.

The Fourth League Southern Division also had a dramatic finish, although between two teams in Tallahassee and Chattanooga. The Threshers managed to grow the lead to four early in September, but the Lookouts tied it by winning the first two of their four game series. Tallahassee won the next two to take a two game lead into the final series of the season. Chattanooga won two of three in their last series over Bakersfield, while the Threshers would get swept at home by Shreveport, tying the two atop the final standings at 104-58. In a one-game playoff in Florida, Tallahassee rallied from a 6-3 hole entering the ninth for a walk-off win, a division title, and a trip to the Third League.



Cape Coral, Amarillo, and Shreveport all finished with back-to-back 90+ win seasons, while the bottom four finished below 60 wins. Baton Rouge, Knoxville, and Oklahoma City escaped relegation thanks to Mobile, with the BayBears last at 46-116. Spokane ran away with the Western Division at 118-44. Las Vegas was a distant last at 40-122, moving the Gamblers down yet again.



The six teams in the Eastern Division fight in the Fifth League all kept up roughly the same pace in September in the final numbers. Scranton fell off in the final week, getting swept by Patterson and only getting one of three over Trenton. A nine-game win streak mid-month helped Poughkeepsie, who were able to play Manchester to a split and take one from Burlington at the end. The Pride took first at 101-61, two better than the Steelers and Malamutes, three better than the Blue Falcons. Charleston at 97-65 and Paterson at 94-68 also had great years, even Portland’s 87-75 was impressive in that division. Trenton fell off a cliff, going from 85 wins to 54. Fortunately for them, Norfolk was even worse, going 38-124 and getting sent down for a third straight year.

Columbia ran away with the Midwest title at 107-55, while Rockford’s Fifth League debut saw an impressive 90-72 season. Lincoln had a race to the bottom with Springfield (MO) with the Lightning faring worse, demoted for the third straight year at 39-123. The Silver Hawks at 42-120 breathe a sigh of relief.

Fayetteville’s big lead in the South held for a title at 103-59. Norman was second at 91-61, a huge turnaround from their abysmal 60 win 1951 campaign. Greensboro also gets relegated for the third straight year at 43-119, as does Fresno (45-117) on the other side of the conference. Perhaps those four flailing franchises will level out in the Sixth League?

The 5L Western Division saw a reversal, as entering the month, Regina had a narrow 0.5 game lead on Santa Rosa, two games on Eugene, and four on Billings. The Red Foxes went 10-16, while Santa Rosa was 9-14 in September to squander their advantage. The Emeralds played a respectable 14-10 month, but Billings went on a tear. The Bobcats had four games sweeps of both Regina and Santa Rosa, going 19-6 in the final month and earning the division title at 97-65, two ahead of Eugene, four on Santa Rosa, and five on Regina. Santa Maria didn’t handle the jump up well with a lackluster 61-101 mark, but Fresno saved them from being shipped back to the 6L.



In the Sixth League, Kingston and Moncton kept an even pace in the Eastern Division battle, allowing the Canucks to hold onto first at 106-56, two better than the debuting Muskies. Independence also maintained their lead on Rapid City in the Midwest, the Ironmen taking the title at 102-60 to the Rapids’ 98-64. Halifax fell for the third straight year, while Fargo dropped for the second straight.

Port St. Lucie (107-55) and Mexicali (107-55) each held onto their sizeable division leads to earn back-to-back promotions for those teams. Fort Lauderdale went from a 70-win team to a 52-110 one to drop them, while Reno earned relegation for the third straight season.



In the Seventh League, Trois-Rivieres ended the season with a 10-game win streak to secure the Eastern Division at 106-56, eight better than Kitchener and nine over Niagara Falls. Canton held on for a three-game division win in the Midwest at 100-62 over Eau Claire (97-65). Wilkes-Barre out-stunk Newfoundland to get relegated at 46-116 compared to the 49-113 Northerns in the East, while a six-game losing streak at the end doomed Overland Park (57-105) and saved Great Lakes (59-103).

Daytona dominated the South at 110-52 to earn promotion while Columbia (45-117) was a clear loser to get relegated, dropping 29 games from the prior year. What was a close Western Division ended up a clear Victoria win as the Vipers went 19-5 in September, pulling away from the pack. Idaho Falls (61-101) outlasted Bend (60-102) to avoid relegation. The Bulldogs get dropped back down after being the Eighth League’s runner-up last season.

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1952 Promotion and Relegation

First League
Promoted To: Richmond Raptors, Windsor Wolverines, Santo Domingo Diamonds, Tijuana Titans
Relegated From: Montreal Royals, Grand Rapids Ravens, Charlotte Knights, Oakland Oaks

Second League
Promoted To: Albany Capitals, Gary Guardians, Raleigh Robins, Irvine Inferno
Relegated From: Newark Wasps, Winnipeg Wildcats, San Antonio Missions, Seattle Rainiers

Third League
Promoted To: Springfield (MA) Storm, Springfield (IL) Showboats, Tallahassee Threshers, Spokane Sabercats
Relegated From: Ottawa Otters, Madison Snakes, Fort Worth Cats, Long Beach Bluebirds

Fourth League
Promoted To: Poughkeepsie Pride, Columbia (MO) Comets, Fayetteville Fire, Billings Bobcats
Relegated From: Jersey City Jackrabbits, Dayton Dragons, Mobile BayBears, Las Vegas Gamblers

Fifth League
Promoted To: Kingston Canucks, Independence Ironmen, Port St. Lucie Palms, Mexicali Monkeys
Relegated From: Norfolk Tides, Lincoln Lightning, Greensboro Grasshoppers, Fresno Grizzlies

Sixth League
Promoted To: Trois-Rivieres River Hawks, Canton Chanticleers, Daytona Tortugas, Victoria Vipers
Relegated From: Halifax Huskies, Fargo Foresters, Fort Lauderdale Lynx, Reno Red Wolves

Seventh League
Promoted To: Delmarva Shorebirds, Livonia Leopards, Myrtle Beach Beacons, Fremont Ferrets
Relegated From: Wilkes-Barre Blackhawks, Overland Park Predators, Columbia (SC) Fireflies, Bend Bulldogs



In the Second League Conference Championships, Richmond defeated Windsor in six and Santo Domingo traded a seven game series with Tijuana. The last five games of the back-and-forth WSC final was 3-1, 3-1, 2-0, 4-3, and 3-2. That wore out the Diamonds though, as the Raptors won the Second League Championship in five.

In the Third League, Albany swept Gary and Raleigh swept Irvine in the conference finals. Raleigh took the 3L championship 4-1.

Springfield (MA) defeated Springfield (IL) 4-2 and Spokane swept Tallahassee in the Fourth League conference finals. The 4L title went to the Storm in five over the Sabercats.

In the EMC final in the Fifth League Poughkeepsie and Columbia went seven games with the Pride taking game seven 6-1 in 12 innings. Even odder, the road team won all seven games. Fayetteville bested Billings in six on the other side with the Fire winning the 5L title in five over Poughkeepsie.

Kingston downed Indepedence in five and Port St. Lucie went seven to beat Mexicali. The Palms took game seven 8-5 in 10 innings. The Sixth League final went seven with the home team winning each time; this favored Port St. Lucie.

The Seventh League conference finals both went five with Trois-Rivieries over Canton and Daytona over Victoria. The 7L final went seven and game seven with 10 innings, with the Tortugas walking off in a 2-1 championship win.

The Eighth League conference finals both went six, Delmarva topped Livonia and Fremont downed Myrtle Beach. The Ferrets took the 8L crown in six against the Shorebirds.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

Both first round playoff series in the East-Midwest Conference went to the Midwestern Division team. Despite beginning the series down a game and being on the road, Cleveland swept Philadelphia. The Spiders won 5-4, 5-3, and 9-5, moving them to the second round in Chicago.

On the other side, Detroit held firm with their advantage, defeating Boston 3-0 and 12-3. The Tigers have the most runs scored in the EMC but 11^th most allowed, but got a huge game one complete game shutout by Anderson De Alba, who pitched a mediocre 5.36 ERA in the regular season.

In the West-South Conference, Mexico City and Edmonton had a high-scoring affair. Los Diablos won game one 10-8 with the Elephants taking game two 15-9. Mexico City took game three 15-10, winning the series 3-1 with the one-game handicap for placing second.

The most interesting series was in San Francisco as the defending World Series champs hosted Atlanta. The Crackers stunned the Seals in game one 10-8, then out-pitched them 3-2 for a 2-1 series lead. Game three went extras with Seals outfielder Juan Rodriguez, who had two RBI all season long, hit the game-winning RBI single in the 10^th inning for a 3-2 Seals win. In the decisive fourth game, San Fran’s Archie Fox scattered 12 hits for only two runs in eight innings en route to a 6-2 win, keeping the defending champs alive and onto the second round.



Despite winning the Midwestern Division by eight games over both Detroit and Cleveland, the Cubs went 3-7 against the Spiders in the regular season. Chicago started the series with a 7-1 win at Wrigley Field on a complete game win from likely Pitcher of the Year Ray Tamez, who struck out 12 and walked none. Cleveland took a 6-5 lead into the ninth in game two, but Marcelo Camargo’s two-run double walked it off for a 7-6 Cubs win. Chicago rallied in the eighth in game three for a 5-4 win, giving them the sweep and a trip to the conference championship.

As the Eastern Division champ, the defending conference champion New York Yankees had home-field throughout their best of five with Detroit despite the Tigers finishing with eight more wins. The road trip didn’t faze Detroit, taking game one 10-5 and game two 7-2, the latter thanks to another strong start by De Alba. In game three, Starter Llewellyn Burns and reliever Ibian Chapa combined for a three-hitter in a 4-1 victory, giving the Tigers the sweep and a meeting with the Cubs in the conference final.


Miami played host to San Francisco in a rematch of the 1950 Conference Final. The Seals yet again entered as the road underdog, having finished second in their division for the third straight year. Yet again, San Fran would advance to the conference final, taking game one 6-3, game two 6-4, and game three 5-2 for the stunning sweep in Florida.

The exciting second round series of the 1952 postseason was Phoenix hosting Mexico City. The Firebirds looked to get to the conference final in back-to-back years while los Diablos wanted to avoid a third straight second round exit. Game one went to Phoenix 9-4, but Mexico City took game two 2-1 on the strength of an eight-inning gem by Eddie Rosa and the go-ahead double in the eighth by Lacy Docken.

Phoenix only had four hits to Mexico City’s 10 in game three, but the Firebirds came away with a 4-1 win. But the Diablos got a four hit, four RBI game by lead-off man Paul Wood in an 11-3 game four win, forcing a decisive game five in Phoenix.

An unlikely hero lifted the Firebirds in game five. 25-year old outfielder Mariano Reynoso entered the postseason with a total of 30 games played and 13 starts in two First League seasons, playing below league average in his limited action. But in game five, the former Ohio Bobcat scored four runs on two hits with two walks and one RBI. The RBI was a solo home run in the eighth inning, the decisive run in the Firebirds’ 7-6 win. A pretty big hit for a guy with no regular season homers to his name. Reynoso was 8-19 in the series with two homers, getting the series MVP. Meanwhile Mexico City goes down in the second round yet again.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

The West-South Conference final was a rematch from the prior year, which saw San Francisco defeat Phoenix in six en route to the World Series title. Again, the Firebirds would have home field for the 2-3-2 best of seven, beating the Seals by seven games in the Western Division race. Phoenix narrowly beat San Francisco 6-4 in the season series.

In game one in Arizona, Archie Fox allowed only three hits and two runs in 8.1 innings for the Seals, followed by a Marco Santos save in a 4-2 road win. Firebirds starting pitcher Kenn Claude went down to injury in the second inning, disrupting things enough despite decent bullpen work. Game two was a pitcher’s duel with both starters going seven. Dilberto Hernandez fared slightly better than Baltemar Muniz in a 2-1 Phoenix win, tying the series at 1-1 as it shifted to California.

Game three saw the Firebirds scatter seven runs over six different innings en route to a 7-4 road win, putting them ahead in the series 2-1. A quality start for Archie Fox in game four handed the Seals a 5-2 victory to tie the series. In game five, Dilberto Hernandez tossed a complete game with two runs allowed and Declan Unkle and Mickey Butler hit key home runs for a 7-2 win. The two road wins gave Phoenix the 3-2 series lead as it shifted back to Arizona.

The Seals led game six 2-1 entering the seventh inning. Two singles and a double in the bottom half put Phoenix ahead 3-2 against SF pitcher A.C. Callahan, who threw eight innings with three allowed. The Firebirds’ Steven Miller allowed two runs over seven and Troy Stover pitched the final two innings with no-hit relief, giving the Firebirds a 3-2 win and the series win in six. Thus ended San Francisco’s bid for a third straight World Series appearance as Phoenix earned their first trip to the fall classic.



The 1952 East-Midwest Conference final was the first one for Detroit and the second for Chicago, as the Cubs had taken runner-up to Philadelphia in 1950. Chicago had won the season series 6-4 against their division foe, beating Detroit by eight games in the standings. The Cubs were third in runs scored and second in runs allowed in the conference, while the Tigers had the most runs scored, but 11^th best allowed. However, Detroit’s pitching had allowed 0, 3, 5, 2, and 1 in their playoff games to date.

The Tigers started game one hot, getting three runs in the first inning against ace Ray Tamez. He and Francisco Calderon each gave up four runs over their start. In the eighth, Chicago 3B Russ Duncan had a two RBI single against relief which proved decisive as the Cubs won 6-4. In game two, despite a weak regular season, Cubs starter Dravid Harris held the potent Tiger offense to two runs and three hits in 7.1 innings. Chicago scored two in the sixth, three in the seventh, and two in the eighth in a 7-2 victory, giving the Cubs the 2-0 series lead as they made the short trip east to Michigan.

Game three in Detroit was tied at 2-2 after regulation. In the top of the 12^th, two walks, a fielder’s choice, and a wild pitch allowed Johnny Law to score the winning run for a 3-2 Cubs victory. Chicago rookie reliever Sean Deising was a standout. The fireballer had played at Penn that summer before being the Cubs first round pick, joining the squad in late August. He tossed four no-hit innings in relief to help take game three and give the Cubs a 3-0 series lead.

Game four also went extras, this time tied at 3-3. In the bottom of the 10^th, Tony Hunt had the walkoff RBI single to score Marino Deya for a 4-3 Tiger win to keep the series alive. Then game five was a Detroit rout 12-2, putting the series at 3-2 Cubs heading back to Wrigley for game six.

Game six was 4-3 Cubs after the fifth inning and that would be the final score as Monte Burton had a quality start in seven innings and Deising picked up the save. Second baseman Franco De Los Santos was named series MVP, going 8-23 with five RBI in the series. With the best record in the First League, the Cubs would have home field advantage in the 1952 World Series.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

The Third Continental Baseball Federation World Series began on Wednesday, October 22, 1952 at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Both teams had the best record in their conference in the regular season. The Cubs overall had the top record at 108-54, having scored the third most runs (956) and allowed the second fewest (656) in the conference. Phoenix at 105-57 had scored the most runs in their conference (1002) while finishing sixth in runs allowed (769). The two had met in an inter-conference series in Chicago back in early May. The Cubs won game one 6-3 and game two 5-4 after 10 innings, then lost game three in a bizarrely lopsided 29-8 contest.

In game one, the Firebirds were able to get to ace Ray Tamez, scoring seven runs off 10 hits against him over 5.2 innings pitched. Phoenix’s Dilberto Hernandez didn’t fare much better, allowing six runs on 13 hits over 7.1. The Firebirds came away with a 9-6 game one road win, getting four hits and three runs scored by DH Declan Unkle.



In game two, Chicago’s Dravid Harris pitched a quality start while the Cubs offense picked up 14 hits in an 11-5 win. This evened the series at 1-1 as the next three games would be out in the desert.



In game three entering the ninth inning, Phoenix led 3-2. Starter Steven Miller pitched all nine for the Firebirds, but in the top half, two walks, a single, and a hit batsmen allowed the Cubs to tie the game at 3-3. In the bottom half against rookie Sean Deising, Avery Bender drew a one-out walk. Jose Navarro singled, then Bender was replaced by backup Isaac Lefferts, who may only have played 23 games all season, but possessed top-tier speed. Hook George then singled on the first pitch past the second baseman and the pinch runner Lefferts beat the throw from center to score the game-winning run in a 4-3 Firebirds game three victory.



In game four, Phoenix again had success against Cubs ace Ray Tamez, getting four runs in the first inning and five total against him over seven innings. The Firebirds starter Dilberto Hernandez allowed two runs over 5.2 innings, but had to leave early due to an abdominal strain. Reliever Pedro Islas got roughed up in a four-run, four hit sixth inning which saw the Cubs take a 6-5 lead. That score held, evening the series at 2-2 with one more to go in Arizona.



Game five saw the Cubs take a 6-1 lead on a fifth inning grand slam by Franco De Los Santos to left. The Firebirds tried to rally in the late stages, but Chicago survived for a 6-4 win, giving the Cubs the 3-2 series finale with the remaining play back at Wrigley Field.



Over 40,000 packed into Wrigley despite it being a cold, rainy late October day in the Windy City. Monte Burton got the ball in Game Six for the Cubs having pitched a respectable postseason. Burton had been a full-time starter the prior year but stunk, to the tune of a 6.82 ERA and -0.3 WAR. He only threw 23 innings in the 1952 regular season, but circumstances found him in the postseason rotation. In game six, he was excellent, going 7.1 innings with five hits and two runs allowed.

The Cubs were up 3-1 after the fourth inning and took a 5-2 lead into the eighth where Sean Deising picked up his sixth postseason save. 5-2 would be the final as the Third CBF World Series belonged to the Chicago Cubs.




Franco De Los Santos was the series MVP, picking up two more RBI to add to the 14 he had over the series on six hits and three homers.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

As the offseason began, many in the baseball world were shocked as Mexico City manager Enos Culbert was fired. Although the Diablos had won 100+ in three straight years, some thought the easygoing 41-year old lacked the edge needed to win the big game. The other surprising one was Portland’s Willis Cass being let go after three seasons as Beavers manager with the 58-year old helping get them to the First League.

Below are the award winners in the 1952 First League.



Of note, Chicago catcher Eduardo Gomez, Detroit left fielder Sinnett Tippett, and Mexico City centerfield Paul Wood each won their third Gold Gloves. Gomez also became a three-time Silver Slugger winner, as did New York first baseman Steven Archambault. Miami’s Carlos Balderas became the first two-time winner of the Reliever of the Year, compiling an impressive 5.0 WAR in relief.

Unsurprisingly, Chicago’s Ray Tamez won the East-Midwest Conference Pitcher of the Year, doing so unanimously with his Triple Crown season. Tamez also had the most first place MVP votes (15), but finished third in the final voting. Detroit’s Marte Houston (9) had the most total points, followed by Gideon Rivas, Tamez, and Eduardo Gomez. Houston was the EMC leader in homers and top five in a lot of categories, but a case could be made for a number of options.

Jack Colella of Austin won the WSC Pitcher of the Year, although Mexico City’s P.J. Fernandez gave him a solid run due to more innings. At 11.7 WAR and 2.18 ERA, Colella was definitely the expected winner. Colella received MVP votes as well, but more than half the first place votes went to Atlanta’s Wakefield O’Hara. He was the conference leader in homers, RBI, and extra base hits.



Final money report from the First League.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

The top pitching free agent was 29-year old Dave Jamieson, who was the Second League’s EMC runner-up for Pitcher of the Year in 1951. The outstanding sinkerballer opted out from Newark after the Wasps’ demotion. Since it worked out when they did it last year, the Chicago Cubs opened up the checkbook, signing him to a four-year, $638,000 deal.

The biggest overall contract of the cycle went to Nat Guillemin, a 29-year old outfielder who opted out from Winnipeg. Edmonton offered him a seven-year deal worth $1,288,000 total. Outfielder Alejandro Toledo also got a seven-year deal worth more than a million dollars; the former Oakland Oak signed with newly promoted Windsor who wants to compete immediately.

The biggest per-year signing went to veteran outfielder James Drug, who opted out of his deal with Charlotte. He signed with Atlanta at $190,000 per year, the fourth largest yearly salary in the First League. Centerfielder Randall Richards, also formerly of Oakland, signed with Philadelphia for $182,000 per year over four years. Another Oak opt out, catcher Oscar Matt, will be making $180,000 per year over three years with St. Louis.

The rest of the top free agents are below:



The highest rated players in baseball entering the 1953 are below.