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

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In the First League entering September 1953, Boston still holds the best record overall at 96-41. The New York Yankees have had an excellent 30-12 run post break, putting them still nine games from the Red Sox in the Eastern Division, but 11 games ahead of third place Philadelphia. The Phillies have the final wild card spot with Brookyln 4.5 games away and the New York Giants six away. Four teams are within 3.5 games of last with Baltimore (62-76) currently last; but Staten Island, Toronto, and Richmond all still in danger.

Cleveland leads the Midwestern Division at 87-50, although St. Louis has made gains at 85-52, two back. There’s a 10-game distance to third place Chicago, currently in the playoffs despite their injury woes. Detroit is only three away from the last spot and Windsor is seven away. Indianapolis holds the last place spot at 49-90 with Cincinnati at 52-85 the only reachable team.

Phoenix has the best record in the Western Division at 92-45, with an impressive 32-11 run post break. San Francisco has kept up at 33-12, although the Seals are still nine games from first, they’re seven away from third. Tijuana, Portland, and Edmonton are fighting for the third playoff spot. Hollywood’s abysmal 11-31 run since the all-star break has them in relegation danger, five games away from eighth place Denver.

It is four teams fighting for three playoff spots in the Southern Division. Miami at 79-58 is first, but both Atlanta and San Juan are 77-61 at 2.5 back and Mexico City at 76-61 is three away. Dallas has played .500 post break to climb out of last place danger; Houston at 40-98 has the worst record in the 1L and barring a huge shift, will be relegated



The ninth no-hitter in 1L history was thrown by Columbus’s David Skaggs, striking out 12 and walking three against Windsor.



The Second League Eastern Division is a battle at the top yet again with Pittsburgh holding first at 89-50, four games ahead of Buffalo and six on Quebec City. In the bottom of the division, Montreal’s abysmal 12-30 post break and Washington’s 20-20 has put the Royals firmly in last at 46-92, eight away from eighth. In the Midwestern Division, a 31-12 run post break for Omaha has given them a 86-53 mark and firm 10-game lead in the division over Louisville. Grand Rapids at 39-98 is doomed to relegation.

The Southern Division is a tossup with Memphis first at 78-60. 0.5 back is Jacksonville, one back is St. Petersburg, 3.5 back for Orlando, and even Raleigh (6.5 back) and Monterrey (eight back) are all in the fight. The remaining three teams in the division are separated by one game for relegation (Tampa, New Orleans, Charlotte). Juarez has the Western Division at 91-48 with Calgary one back, Irvine 5.5 away, San Jose 6.5, and Honolulu eight away. Oakland is in danger for back-to-back drops,




Springfield (MA) is in-line potentially for a third straight promotion, leading the Third League Eastern Division at 87-52. Wilmington (four back) and Providence (five) are still in the hunt. Newark is last at 46-92, but Hartford is three away. Des Moines leads the entire 3L at 97-40, giving them an eight game lead on Fort Wayne in the Midwest. St. Paul at 42-97 is headed down barring a massive shift.

Seven games separate first from sixth in the Southern Division. Tallahassee at 76-62 is first, Arkansas is one back and San Antonio 1.5 back. Augusta at 58-80 sits last, but Tulsa is one game away. Salt Lake leads the Western Division at 92-46, 3.5 ahead of Guadalajara and 4.5 over Sacramento. Anchorage is last at 50-87, five games away from eighth place Seattle.



In the Fourth League East, Yonkers and Chesapeake have played great, while Erie fell off a cliff. The Yellow Jackets lead the division at 97-40, one up on the Clippers, then a steep drop. Mississauga is a distant last. The Midwestern Division is a two-team race with Green Bay first at 94-43 and South Bend at 93-45. Cedar Rapids is last at 40-97, but have played around .500 since the break to get within 1.5 games of Joliet.

Amarillo has gone 32-10 since the break to lead the South at 91-47, four games up on Cape Coral. Fort Worth is a distant last, primed for a third demotion in a run. Stockton’s lead in the Western Division has shrunk to a half game over Henderson and 2.5 over Fort Collins, and 6.5 from Lubbock. Aurora has gone 23-18 post break to climb ahead of Long Beach for last, although the Bluebirds are only 1.5 away from staying in the 4L.



To the Fifth League, Paterson’s amazing 34-11 run post-break has them at 99-40, now 7.5 games ahead of a strong 91-47 Scranton team in the East. Rochester holds the Midwest lead at 86-53 with only Independence (five back) in the hunt. Jeresy City is firmly last in the East, while Dayton and Springfield (MO) are trying to out-stink each other.

Port St. Lucie has pulled away from Plano in the Southern Division, at 93-44 with a seven-game lead. Mobile (21-117) is historically bad and already guaranteed relegation. Regina at 89-50 holds a 7.5 lead on Tacoma in the Western Division. Three teams are within three games of last with Santa Maria currently the worst at 55-84.



Lancaster’s 31-11 mark post-break has them now up 10 games ahead in the Sixth League Eastern Division at 90-49. Rapid City at 89-48 leads the Midwest with Canton still giving chase two back. Norfolk and Lincoln are both due to be relegated in a fourth straight season. Fresno and Greensboro are also in danger of the same, although those two could still climb out.

The Southern Division at 87-51 has Athens in first, 6.5 up on Lafayette. Boulder leads the Western Division at 86-51, three up on Salem and seven on Chandler. A 32-13 post-break push by the Swordfish has them in the hunt.



The Seventh League has Niagara Falls only a half game up on Delmarva in the Eastern Division. Appleton tops the Midwest but Bowling Green, Bismarck, and Eau Claire are within three of first. Waco has run away with the South at 95-43 for a 13.5 game lead entering September. Pueblo leads the West but Missoula, Santa Fe, and Salinas as all within four.

Newfoundland and Great Lakes are last in the EMC divisions, the Northerns going 7-35 since the break to fall behind Halifax. Fort Lauderdale is dead and buried in the South and Reno isn’t too much better off.



In the Eighth League, Edison and O’Fallon have comfortable division leads in the EMC, ready to move up. Sandy Springs has a 5.5 game lead on Murfreesboro in the Southern Division. The Western Division has Tri-City in first but only a half game lead on Grand Junction and 4.5 games on Flagstaff.

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Boston finished with the best record in the First League at 115-47 for their first-ever Eastern Division title. The Red Sox finished an impressive 63-18 at Fenway Park with a +308 run differential. It ended up being the same three playoff teams in the East with the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies both advancing again. The Yankees finished firmly in second at 100-62, while the Phillies took third at 87-75. The New York Giants ended on a six-game win streak and made up five games on Philadelphia, but finished one short.

Fifth through ninth were only separated by seven games. A six-game losing streak and a 1-9 close to the season led to Toronto getting relegated at 72-90, only worse than Staten Island and two behind Baltimore.

Cleveland won their second Midwestern Division in three years, going 109-53 and finishing with the best run differential in the 1L. Entering September, the Spiders were only two games ahead of St. Louis, but finished on a 22-3 tear to end with a 13-game gap. The Cardinals still comfortably were second at 96-66. Defending World Series champ Chicago narrowly made it back to the postseason, at 85-77 taking third by one game over Detroit.

Newcomer Windsor and Columbus tied for fifth at 77-85, while Minneapolis had a big drop from 96 wins to 75 in 1953. Cincinnati was eighth and Indianapolis at 58-104 ended up demoted.

In the Southern Division, Miami finished 18-9 to hold onto the title at 95-67, giving them back-to-back titles and fourth straight playoff berths. Atlanta took second at 90-72, one game over San Juan and two over Mexico City. The Jaguars used a 10-3 mark in extra innings and 22-11 record in one-run games to earn their first playoff berth and send the Diablos home early for the first time.

Dallas had the most notable drop in the South from 84 wins to an abysmal 56. Luckily for them, Houston had the worst record in the entire 1L at 47-115 to be relegated.

In the Western Division, Phoenix held onto their lead for a third straight division title, their best record yet at 108-54. San Francisco shrunk the hole from nine to four by ending with a 12-game win streak, but still took second at 104-58. Both the Firebirds and Seals remain postseason constants, in each year thus far in the 1L. Edmonton very narrowly took third for the second straight year, their 88-74 was two better than both newcomer Tijuana and Portland.

The big drop was for the Hollywood Stars, who won the division with 113 back in 1950. They closed 1953 on an 11-game losing streak and at 53-109, earned demotion. Hollywood, Toronto, and Houston specifically getting dropped this season goes to show that being in a very large market doesn’t guarantee success.



There was the 10^th First League no-hitter came from 38-year old Giancarlo Ross of Richmond on September 18^th against Brooklyn. Ross walked seven and struck out two.



The overall batting champion was Cleveland’s Timothy Pauley, the .360 average for the 23-year old was the best for anyone in First League history in its first four seasons. Other guys setting season records for hitter was Pauley with 238 hits, San Juan’s Luis Quezada at .688 slugging; Santo Domingo’s Aitor Alfaro with 105 stolen bases. The MVP race is a bit up for grabs. Leading candidates from the WSC are San Francisco outfielder Connor Timmons, along with Alfaro, Quezada, and Portland’s Heathcliff Brightwell. In the EMC conversation are Pauley, Toronto’s Dale Bjorgum, Cleveland’s Jared Diehl, Richmond’s Luke Ford, and Brooklyn’s Alexis Wright.

Pitcher of the Year in the EMC is likely a two man battle between former champions in Cleveland’s Emiliano Franco and Chicago’s Ray Tamez. WSC leading candidates include Phoenix’s Kenn Claude, Austin’s Jack Colella, and Miami’s Hugo Allemand.



The postseason bracket is below:

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In the Second League, Pittsburgh held onto the Eastern Division lead throughout September to take the title at 102-60, beating Buffalo (99-63) and Quebec City (96-66). The Pirates became the first team to earn a promotion back to the First League after previously getting relegated. Montreal was a distant last at 53-109, dropping them for back-to-back seasons.

Omaha easily took the Midwestern Division at 104-58, 20 games better then the prior season. Louisville was second at 90-72, a fourth straight winning season for them but still no promotion. Grand Rapids at 51-111 got dropped for a second straight year.

Jacksonville finished September 18-7 to make their way to the Southern Division title at 95-67, outlasting Memphis (91-71), and St. Petersburg (89-73). It was a solid run for the Miners, who had been a bottom-half team in their prior three years. The three-team battle for last saw Charlotte finish an abysmal 3-21, also dropped for back-to-back seasons finishing at 49-113, six behind New Orleans and Tampa.

Juarez pulled away in the Western Division with a 17-6 September compared to around .500 play for Calgary. At 108-54, the Jackals earn their first promotion, while the Mountains are stuck in the 2L. Irvine couldn’t earn a fourth straight promotion, but still had an excellent 2L debut at 98-64. Oakland (61-101) was dropped for back-to-back years,



To the Third League, Springfield (MA) maintained their Eastern Division lead to take the title 101-61, four games better than Wilmington and seven on Providence. This promotes the Storm for the third straight season. Stamford was fourth, but notably 21 games worse from their second place 1952. Hartford played a solid September to pull away from Newark for last place, the 55-107 Wasps fall for the second straight season.

Des Moines had the best record in the entire 3L at 11-51, fending off solid seasons from Fort Wayne (105-57) and Springfield (IL) (100-62). Although Akron and Peoria both had terrible closes, the hole for Saint Paul was too deep to avoid relegation at 53-109.

The Southern Division came down to the wire with San Antonio at 88-74 taking it by one game over both Tallahassee and Arkansas. This is a huge turnaround for the Missions, who had been last place and relegated in the prior two seasons. Tulsa and Augusta both finished 68-94 at the bottom, but the Greenjackets get demoted. They met in the penultimate series with the Oilers winning two of three; giving Tulsa the tiebreaker with the 6-4 season series edge.

A .500 finish for Salt Lake caused them to lose a 3.5 game lead in the Western Division entering the month, as the Bees were third at 104-58. It’s their third straight season with 100+ wins, but falling short. Sacramento and Guadalajara tied for first at 106-56, setting up a one-game playoff for promotion and the division crown. The game went 10 innings, won by the Solons 4-3 on a walk-off RBI single. Anchorage took last at 61-101, unable to gain on Seattle and took far from Los Angeles despite a 10-game losing streak.





Yonkers and Chesapeake went back-and-forth in the Fourth League Eastern Division throughout September. The Clippers ended getting swept by Erie, while the Yellow Jackets took three of four in their final series, leading them to be finished tied at 112-50. It was tiebreaker game in the division for back-to-back seasons; Yonkers picked up a 4-3 road win to earn promotion.



New Haven and Erie both won 102 games, both finishing in the triple digits for back-to-back series but having to stay in the 4L thanks to a loaded division. Mississauga at 57-105 was relegated.

A 7-3 finish for Green Bay and 3-7 end for South Bend pushed the Green Sox to the Midwestern Division title at 111-51, five better than the Bucks. Sioux Falls had a notable plunge, going from 91 wins in 1952 to only 65 in 1953. A 6-18 close for Joilet dropped them below Cedar Rapids in last, relegating the Jackhammers at 48-114.

Amarillo maintained the Southern Division lead over Cape Coral, moving the Amigos promotion at 109-53 and keeping the Crocs in the 4L at 104-58. Fort Worth was last at 53-109, dropping the Cats for a third straight season.

Henderson finished 14-9 while Stockton and Fort Collins had below .500 Septembers, putting the Heat first at 94-68. A six-game losing streak to close the year for Aurora dropped them below Long Beach, relegating the Avalanche at 64-98 and saving the Bluebirds back-to-back drops by a game.



Paterson had the best record in the Fifth League at 116-46, winning the Eastern Division by 10 games. Scranton has now won 94, 94, 99, and 106, but haven’t been able to climb out of the 5L. Jersey City at 54-108 was dumped for the third time.

Rochester’s five-game lead in the Midwest Division shrunk and newcomer Independence made up ground, but the Raccoons hung on to take it 101-61, one better than the Ironmen. Dayton at 39-123 was the worst team in the 5L for a third straight drop; luckily for Springfield (MO), they stay put despite finishing in the low 40s for wins again.

Port St. Lucie grew their Southern Division lead over Plano to five games entering the final week, enough cushion to survive a five-game losing streak to end the year. The Palms (106-56) ended up one better than the Porkers, sending PSL upward for the third straight season. Mobile at 25-137 had the worst record any team has ever seen in the Continental Baseball Federation.

The Western Division had Regina finish strong at 104-58, nine ahead of Eugene and Tacoma. There were a number of weak teams at the bottom, but Santa Rosa was the worst at 63-99. It was a stunning collapse for them, having won 93 the prior year.



In the Sixth League Eastern Division, Lancaster won the title at 101-61, five ahead of Trois-Rivieres. Rapid City at 106-56 claimed the Midwest, four better than debuting Canton. Athens (99-63) won the Southern Division, four over Lafayette and five ahead of Daytona. Boulder (103-59) took the Western Division, four over Salem. Norfolk, Lincoln, Greensboro, and Fresno all continued their perpetual free-fall; all four teams have now been relegated in four consecutive seasons.



In the Seventh League, Niagara Falls earned promotion at 107-55. The Midwest came down to the final week at Appleton (98-64) finished one better than Eau Claire (97-65). Waco (110-52) dominated in the Southern Division, while Pueblo (97-65) took the West by one game over Missoula and three over Salinas. Getting relegated were Newfoundland, Great Lakes, Fort Lauderdale, and Reno.



In the Eighth League, earning promotions were Edison, O’Fallon, Sandy Springs, and Grand Junction. The El Stinko went to York at 35-127.

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1953 Promotion and Relegation

First League
Promoted To: Pittsburgh Pirates, Omaha Horsemen, Jacksonville Jesters, Juarez Jackals
Relegated From: Toronto Blue Jays, Indianapolis Clowns, Houston Buffaloes, Hollywood Stars

Second League
Promoted To: Springfield (MA) Storm, Des Moines Ducks, San Antonio Missions, Sacramento Solons
Relegated From: Montreal Royals, Grand Rapids Ravens, Charlotte Knights, Oakland Oaks

Third League
Promoted To: Yonkers Yellow Jackets, Green Bay Green Sox, Amarillo Amigos, Henderson Heat
Relegated From: Newark Wasps, Saint Paul Saints, Augusta Greenjackets, Anchorage Nanooks

Fourth League
Promoted To: Paterson Penguins, Rochester (MN) Raccoons, Port St. Lucie Palms, Regina Red Foxes
Relegated From: Mississauga Mighty Gulls, Joliet Jackhammers, Fort Worth Cats, Aurora Avalanche

Fifth League
Promoted To: Lancaster Lumberjacks, Rapid City Rapids, Athens Admirals, Boulder Bighorns
Relegated From: Jersey City Jackrabbits, Dayton Dragons, Mobile BayBears, Santa Rosa Red Raiders

Sixth League
Promoted To: Niagara Falls Fisherman, Appleton Apple Sox, Waco Warthogs, Pueblo Prowlers
Relegated From: Norfolk Tides, Lincoln Lightning, Greensboro Grasshoppers, Fresno Grizzlies

Seventh League
Promoted To: Edison Express, O’Fallon Firecats, Sandy Springs Scorpions, Grand Junction Gryphons
Relegated From: Newfoundland Northerns, Great Lakes Loons, Fort Lauderdale Lynx, Reno Red Wolves




In the Second League postseason, Pittsburgh swept Omaha and Jacksonville beat Juarez in the conference finals. The Pirates took the 2L title in five over the Jesters.

Both Third League conference finals went six with Springfield beating Des Moines and Sacramento topping San Antonio. The Solons swept the Storm for the 3L championship.

Green Bay swept Yonkers and Amarillo bested Henderson 4-1 in the Fourth League’s conference finals. The Green Sox were winners over the Amigos in six to take the 4L crown.

Rochester swept Paterson and Regina downed Port St. Lucie in six, then the Raccoons topped the Red Foxes in five games for the Fifth League Championship.

The Sixth League conference finals each went five games as Rapid City topped Lancaster and Athens downed Boulder. The Admirals bested the Rapids in six for the 6L crown.

The Seventh League saw Appleton defeated Niagara Falls in five, while Waco went the distance with Pueblo, taking game seven 1-0. The Warthogs cruised to the overall title in five games over the Apple Sox.

The Eighth League conference finals both went seven games and were each decided by one run with Edison over O’Fallon and Grand Junction over Sandy Springs. The 8L final went to the Express in six games

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In the 1953 First League Wild Card Round, the defending World Series champion Chicago Cubs entered with injuries to the pitching staff, including ace Ray Tamez, and went 1-5 against the New York Yankees in the regular season. Despite this, the Cubs upset the New York Yankees 4-3 in 11 innings for game one. The Yankees dominated game two 9-0, but the Cubs edged them 8-7 in game three. In the winner-take-all game four, the Yankees won at home 2-1, fending off the challenge and advancing to the second round.

On the other side of the East-Midwest Conference, St. Louis was the host to Philadelphia. The visiting Phillies would sweep the series though, winning 2-1, 2-1, and 7-1. This sets up Philadelphia at Boston, plus New York at Cleveland in the second round.

In the West-South Conference, Atlanta was hosts to Edmonton, although the Elephants had won the season series 5-1. The Crackers got 6-4 and 7-3 wins though to advance to face Phoenix.

San Francisco was the host of San Juan on the other side and the visiting Jaguars started with upset 8-4 and 2-1 wins; taking game two in 14 innings. The Seals claimed game three 7-5 to force the winner-take-all game four, which SF won in dominant fashion 11-2. By surviving the challenge, San Francisco advances to the second round for the fourth straight season, where they’ll face Miami.



The Second Round Is a true best-of-five unlike the First Round, but the Division champion hosts each game. In the EMC, Cleveland played hosted to the New York Yankees and Boston hosted Philadelphia. In the WSC, it was Phoenix hosting Atlanta and Miami hosting San Francisco.

In game one, a quality start from Emiliano Franco lifted the Spiders to a 7-4 victory against the Yankees. In game two, New York erased a 4-0 hole to win 5-4, taking the lead in the top of the ninth on a bases loaded walk. The Yankees then took the 2-1 series lead with a 9-0 shutout, 7.2 innings coming from Chuck Gonsalez. The 28-year old Puerto Rican had started the season with the Spiders, getting traded just before the deadline to the Yankees.

After a day of rest, Cleveland claimed game four 8-3 to tie the series with another solid outing from former Pitcher of the Year Franco. In game five, it was #2 starter Keenan Williams throwing an absolute gem. Williams had a one-hit shutout with two walks and a playoff record 13 strikeouts, giving Cleveland a 4-0 win and moving them to the Conference Championship for the first time ever.

On the other side, Boston came in the heavy favorite, having finished 18 games better than Philadelphia in the regular season, going 7-3 against them in the regular season, and holding a dominant 63-18 record at Fenway Park. But the Phillies immediately flipped that on its head in game one as Sammy Vawters was the better man in a 2-1 pitcher’s duel. Then in game two, Philadelphia was a 7-1 winner, putting them in reach of a stunning sweep.

The Red Sox battled back in game three with a 6-4 win. Then in game four, a three-run rally in the bottom of the eighth gave Boston a 4-2 win, forcing game five at Fenway.

Journeyman Ladarius Griffin, who tossed a great game two for the Phillies, matched Boston’s Shen-Wai Tsao in a pitcher’s duel game five, as both allowed one run in eight innings. The game went extras tied at 1-1. In the 11^th, an error at shortstop started what would be a five-run inning for Philadelphia. The Phillies would win 6-1, sending them to the Conference Final for the second time and stunning the team with the best record in the First League.




Phoenix and Atlanta had split their six games in the regular season, but the Firebirds with home field and a 108-54 record were the big favorite over 90-72 Crackers. Like with the Phillies, Atlanta immediately flipped things. Game one was tied 4-4 after regulation, but a three-run 10^th gave the 7-4 win to the Crackers. Atlanta then crushed Phoenix 14-0 in game two, making a sweep all of a sudden seem likely.

The Firebirds rose from the ashes with a 9-2 game three win and 14-2 game four blowout, forcing game five. Rookie centerfielder Peter Winchel, Atlanta’s first round pick in 1951, had a career game in game five, as his four hits, three RBI, and a run was the difference in a 5-3 Crackers win. The win ends Phoenix’s hope of repeating as Conference champs and sends Atlanta to the CC for the first time.

The remaining series was a familiar playoff one between Miami and San Francisco, as they met in the Second Round last year and in the Conference final in 1950. Both times, the Seals won and with their historical playoff success and better overall record, many favored SF despite Miami being the home team for the series.

Makos ace Hugo Allemand had a quality start in a 6-2 game one victory. In game two, a Nico Kay two RBI double in the seventh was the difference in a 7-6 Miami win. Game three then saw Miami lead 6-5 after the third inning, which would hold in a 7-5 win. The sweep pushed the Makos to their second Conference Final and for the first time in the 1L’s short history, kept the Seals out of the Conference final.

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he East-Midwest Conference Championship was the first appearance for 109-53 Cleveland, who had the fewest runs allowed in the First League at 605 with what many considered the best pitching staff in the game. The Spiders had gone 4-2 in their season series against Philadelphia, the third place Eastern Division finisher who at 87-75, wasn’t expected to be there. The 1950 World Series champ hoped that they could use their same magic from the Boston series for another upset.

Because of the previous round going five for both, it was the third man in the rotation for both teams in game one. Cleveland roughed up Felix Viera, who went down with a hamstring strain, getting four runs in the first inning en route to a 9-4 win. Ashton Walsh had four hits, three runs, and two RBI.

The Phillies started ahead 5-0 in game two, finding success against Emiliano Franco. But the Spiders used a four-run fifth inning to take the lead, adding cushion in the seventh in a 9-5 wim. Batting champ Timothy Pauley had two hits, two runs, three RBI, and a homer, helping the Spiders to a 2-0 series lead as it shifted to Pennsylvania.

The Spiders had a 5-3 lead entering the ninth inning in game three, but against the bullpen, the Phillies rallied a 6-5 walkoff win. Leandro Rubio had a two RBI single with two outs to win it. Philadelphia was up 7-3 after four in game four, but three in the eighth and one in the top of the ninth from Cleveland forced extras at 7-7. In the top of the 11^th, Timothy Pauley hit a two-run homer that ultimately won it 9-7 and put the Spiders ahead in the series 3-1.

Philadelphia wasn’t about to get eliminated on their home field, as Sammy Vawters allowed only run over eight innings while the Phillies scattered solo runs in five innings. Cleveland finally broke through against Vawter in the ninth, but couldn’t complete the comeback. Philadelphia won 5-4, forcing the series back to Ohio with the Spiders leading 3-2.

In game six, Cleveland was able to get five runs off the bullpen after starter Ladarius Griffin went down with an injury. In the seventh, Santiago hit a grand slam to right that barely cleared the wall at 326 feet, but it was decisive. Keenan Williams allowed four over 7.2 innings, good enough for a 7-4 Spiders win and the East-Midwest Conference title in six games. Ashton Walsh was the series MVP, going 9-24 with six RBI.



Considering the Western Division was stronger in the regular season, having two Southern Division teams in the WSC final was a bit surprising. Miami at 95-67 was the division champ and had allowed the fewest runs in the conference at, while 10^th in runs scored. 90-72 Atlanta was a bit the inverse, third in runs scored but ninth in runs allowed. Although the Makos beat the Crackers by five games in the division, Atlanta had won the season series 7-3.

The Crackers had 22-year old rookie Enos Kornreich, their first round pick in 1952, allow two runs over 8.1 innings. Atlanta was able to score five runs on Miami ace Hugo Allemand for a 5-2 game one road win. In game two, Campbell Walker allowed one run over seven innings as the Crackers won 4-2, giving them a 2-0 series lead as things shifted north to Georgia.

Game three in Atlanta saw a 3-1 lead for the Makos entering the ninth. In the bottom half, Nino Jaimes socked a two-run homer to left, tying the game at 3-3, which it stayed until the 13^th inning. Miami’s Todd Monn had a one out double, followed by Nico Kay’s RBI double to score Monn, the decisive run in a 4-3 Miami road win. In game four, Hugo Allemand tied the playoff record with 13 strikeouts in a complete game victory. Miami’s 7-2 win evened the series up with the road team having won all four to that point.

Game five started with a three-run Pablo Yepez home run for the Makos and they’d never surrender the lead in an 8-3 win. Miami had rallied to take the series lead 3-2 with it heading back to Florida, making five straight road wins in the series. In game six, Atlanta beat up starter Jai Felix en route to an 8-4 win, yet another road winner, forcing a game seven.

Game seven was a warm 88 degree Tuesday in southern Florida. In the third inning, Miami ace Hugo Allemand had control issues, loading the bases up on three straight walks. A double and single afterward led to a four-run inning for a 5-0 Crackers lead. It would hold as rookie Enos Kornreich had another great start; the Detroit Mercy grad giving up one hit and two runs (one earned) in seven innings. Jed McConnell picked up his sixth save of the postseason and Atlanta advanced to the World Series with a 5-2 win. First baseman Alfonso Rojas was series MVP with 13 hits, four RBI, and five runs.

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The Fourth Continental Baseball Federation World Series was to begin in Cleveland on Thursday, October 22, 1953. The Midwestern champion Spiders were the favorite at 109-53 compared to Atlanta at 90-72. Further sinking the Crackers with the oddsmakers was the injury to former MVP Wakefield O’Hara. The Atlanta outfielder suffered a strained oblique in game seven of the WSC, knocking him out for the duration of the Fall Classic. The two teams had met in inter-conference play in the regular season. They split two games in Cleveland in May (11-1 Spiders, 9-3 Crackers), then in July, Cleveland won 8-4 and 6-3 in Georgia.

Both starters, Emiliano Franco for the Spiders and Campbell Walker for the Crackers, went seven innings with one run allowed. Against Jed McConnell in the bottom of the eighth, the Spiders had a solo home run from Aden Reid and a RBI double from Timothy Pauley, giving Cleveland a 3-1 game one victory.



In game two, the star was 32-year old lefty Jurmen Trustfull of Curacao. He was one batter from a complete game shutout, allowing only two hits and two walks with six strikeouts in a 5-0 Atlanta win. It was 1-0 until the eighth when the Crackers broke through against starter Keenan Williams with Peter Winchel’s bases loaded double giving Atlanta cushion. The series was even 1-1 as it shifted south.



Game three saw Cleveland’s Esteban Valadez spin a gem, allowing five hits and one run with five strikeouts in a complete game victory. The Spiders won 5-1 as they were able to get four runs in the sixth against rookie Enos Kornreich, led by Ashton Walsh’s three-run dinger.



Atlanta evened the series up with a game four home win 5-1. The Crackers managed a five run, six hit third inning against Franco. Walker had another great start, allowing one run on five hits over 7.2 innings.



In game five, Jurmen Trustfull couldn’t replicate his game two effort, giving up eight runs, including a seven-run third as Cleveland won 11-4. The Spiders managed to scatter four runs despite allowing 11 hits. With that, Cleveland held a 3-2 series lead as the World Series would conclude back by Lake Erie.



Game six was a 50 degree Thursday afternoon in Cleveland. The Spiders went ahead with a solo home run in the first inning by Jared Diehl; an inside-the-park one no less. In the second, J.C. Ordaz narrowly cleared the right field fence for a 2-0 lead. In the sixth, Atlanta got on the board with a Peter Winchel RBI single that brought in Jace Forse.

Enos Kornreich’s final line was 6.1 innings, four hits, two earned runs; not bad. For Esteban Valadez, 7.1 innings, seven hits, one run, no walks, and six strikeouts. Up 2-1, David Vaquera recorded the final five outs, striking out four, getting the save and the 2-1 Cleveland win. With that, it was fun times in Cleveland again (still Cleveland!) with the Spiders winning their first World Series in six games.



The series MVP went to Atlanta’s Peter Winchel despite the defeat, but considering he had 14 hits and the best Spider had seven, you can understand the choice. In the first four seasons of the First League, there had now been four different World Series (and seven teams making up the eight slots).

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

Here are the final financial numbers from the First League in 1953.



First League awards were given out in November 1953. Of note defensively, Mexico City centerfielder Paul Wood became the first four-time Gold Glove winner. Atlanta shortstop Manuel Santiago and Cleveland first baseman Jared Diehl became three-time winners. New York Yankees outfielder Africa Watson and Portland first baseman Heathcliff Brightwell became three-time Silver Slugger winners.

NYY’s J.J. Alvarado was named EMC Reliever of the Year for the second straight season, again leading the conference in saves, while Jude Shields got it for Portland in the WSC. Although the Firebirds didn’t have postseason success, their manager Franz Phillip picked up his third straight Manager of the Year.

EMC Rookie of the Year was Chicago reliever Sean Deising. The 25^th pick in 1952 was a big part of the 1952 World Series run for the Cubs and he continued to be great in the pen in his first full CBF season. Santo Domingo’s Leonardo Rios, the 87^th overall pick in 1952 out of Pepperdine, picked up the award in the WSC with 31 homers despite only 98 starts.



The EMC Pitcher of the Year for the second time went to Cleveland’s Emiliano Franco with defending champ Ray Tamez of Chicago a competitive second place. Franco was the leader in WHIP (1.07), WAR (10.2) and quality starts (28). Portland’s Jocelin Holmstein took the award in the WSC, just beating out Hugo Allemand of Miami. Holmstein didn’t lead the conference in anything but was near the top in most things. It’s not his first time winning the award in some form; he was the Second League’s Pitcher of the Year with the Beavers in 1950.

San Francisco outfielder Connor Timmons won the WSC Most Valuable Player unanimously as both one of the most well-rounded bats in the game, but also a top-tier defender. EMC MVP was tighter with St. Louis third baseman Luke Griffith getting the edge, his power and lead in RBI swayed the voters. He had Cleveland’s Jared Diehl beat in RBI and hits and Timothy Pauley was dinged as a DH and his lack of power.