12-13-2023, 06:04 AM
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#767
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MVP
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1985 in MLB
The big story in the 1985 National Association was Toronto’s impressive turnaround from their lousy 67 win season the prior year. The Timberwolves finished at 104-58 to take first place in the Northeast Division, taking first for the first time since 1962. They did it in a loaded division too with both wild cards firmly coming out of there. Montreal at 98-64 earned a fifth berth in seven years and Ottawa at 97-65 extended its playoff streak to four seasons. Hartford, winners of a NA-best 113 games in1984, dropped down to a middling 84-78.
Baltimore won a fourth straight East Division title at 101-61. In the Upper Midwest, Cleveland snapped an 11-year playoff drought with a 93-69 mark. This beat defending World Series champion Chicago by four games, keeping the Cubs from the postseason. In the Lower Midwest Division, Louisville (89-73) edged Kansas City by one and St. Louis by two. This extended the Lynx’ playoff streak to four years and gave them their ninth playoff appearance in the last 11 years.
Baltimore’s Chuji Kaizoji won the National Association MVP. After showing powerful production in seven seasons in Japan, he signed with the Orioles in 1984, but missed most of that season to a torn meniscus. The 29-year old right fielder had an impressive comeback by leading the NA in home runs (59), RBI (141), runs (123), total bases (398), slugging (.671), OPS (1.053), wRC+ (221), and 9.8 WAR. His 59 dingers were three behind the all-time MLB record of 62. Pitcher of the Year was Chicago’s Jinhai Mo, in his third season with the Cubs after winning Pitcher of the Year thrice in the Oceania Baseball Association. The 30-year old Australian led in quality starts (29), and shutouts (70), adding 8.5 WAR and 213 strikeouts over 267.1 innings with a 2.26 ERA and 17-8 record.
In the first round of the playoffs, Louisville topped Montreal 2-1 and Ottawa ousted Cleveland 2-1. Toronto survived in five over the Elks in round two, while Baltimore bested the Lynx in four. This put the Orioles in the National Association Championship Series for the second time in three years and gave the Timberwolves their first berth since taking the 1970 pennant. Toronto capped off their impressive turnaround season by rolling Baltimore in the NACS 4-1. The Timberwolves are now five-time NA champs.
The American Association’s best record in 1985 belonged to 109-53 Calgary atop the Northwest Division. This gave the Cheetahs a third consecutive playoff berth. The second best record was San Diego at 100-62, winning the Southwest Division and ending a 13-year playoff drought. The Seals had to fend off tough competition as both wild cards came out of the Southwest. Phoenix took the first one at 94-68 for their fourth playoff berth in five years. Defending AA champ San Francisco and Albuquerque tied for the second spot at 91-71. The Gold Rush won the playoff tiebreaker game to earn a third straight playoff berth.
San Antonio won the South Central Division at 96-66 to end their own 14 year playoff drought, finishing 11 ahead of Houston. Tampa took the Southeast Division for the third time in four years, finishing 93-69. Miami was second at 88-74 for their first winning season in a decade. With San Diego and San Antonio’s success, the Mallards now have the longest playoff drought in the American Association at 13 seasons. The biggest drought in all of MLB though is in the NA with Milwaukee’s 25 years of futility. Also of note, expansion teams Orlando and Austin both went 81-81 and Salt Lake City was 80-82; these are the best marks yet for any of the expansion teams in their four years of existence.
Miami’s Armand Whipple earned the AA MVP as the 28-year old 3B was the WARlord at 7.4. He had a .306 average, 51 home runs, and 126 RBI. He managed to beat out Oklahoma City’s Brian Ostrovskaya for the award despite Ostrovskaya’s 60 home runs and 147 RBI. The 60 dingers was two short of the MLB record of 62. Pitcher of the Year was Albuquerque’s Jimmy Roussel, a second-time winner. The 28-year old led in WAR (11.3), innings (293.1), WHIP (0.93), K/BB (9.0), and FIP- (57). Roussel added 269 strikeouts and a 2.73 ERA with a 22-9 record. Also of note, Calgary’s James Chretien became a four-time Reliever of the Year winner, only the second in MLB history to win the award four times.
Phoenix edged Tampa 2-1 and San Antonio topped San Francisco 2-1 in the first round of the playoffs. The Oilers stunned San Diego with a round sweep in round two, while the Firebirds upset Calgary 3-1. It was San Antonio’s first time in the American Association Championship Series since 1958 with the Oilers as one of the few teams without a single pennant over MLB’s 85 seasons. They wouldn’t get their first in 1985 either as Phoenix won the AACS 4-1. The Firebirds are now nine time AA champs (1907, 30, 33, 51, 53, 60, 64, 82, 84), tying them with Houston for the most titles.
The 85th World Series was the first one to end in a sweep since 1969. Phoenix destroyed Toronto to become four-time MLB champs, having also won in 1907, 1953, and 1960. The Firebirds win ended a four-year streak of wins by National Association teams. Pitcher Gabriel Adams was World Series MVP, going 3-0 in five postseason starts with a 3.38 ERA over 40 innings and 29 strikeouts. The Timberwolves are now 1-4 in the World Series, having won in 1903 but lost in their subsequent berths. There has also been an impressive streak of parity with eight different champs in eight years.
Other notes: Raymond Boisvert became the 44th MLB hitter to reach 3000 career hits. Khaled Scott became the 33rd pitcher to 250 wins. |
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