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HBWRL Season Twelve

Team by Team
1. Karas Powers
2. Silicon Valley Chips
3. Minneaoplis Reps
4. Burke Upper-Deckers
5. Myers Red Dawgs
6. Tri-City Tritans

Karas Powers

(13-7, Regular Season Champions in Season 12)

Hitting/Offense
Batting average: .344 (4th)
Slugging percentage: .413 (4th)
Runs scored: 64 (5th)
Homeruns: 11 (3rd)
Doubles: 17 (4th)
Stolen bases: 14 (1st)
Caught stealing: 8 (T-4th)
Stolen base percentage: 64% (2nd)

Pitching/Defense
ERA: 2.39 (1st)
H/IP: 1.21 (1st)
Saves: 8 (1st)
Strikeouts: 151 (1st)
Errors: 8 (4th)

Team Leaders
Batting average: Mike Schmidt, .418
Slugging percentage: Rogers Hornsby, .559
Runs scored: Tris Speaker, 10
RBI: Schmidt, Hornsby; 11 each
Homeruns: Hornsby, 3
Doubles: Schmidt, 4
Stolen bases: Honus Wagner, 12 (led league)

ERA (starters): Urban Shocker, 1.13 (led league)
H/IP (Min. 4 IP): Carl Hubbell, Bob Lemon; 1.00 each
Saves: Lemon, 3
Strikeouts: Shocker, 31 (led league)
W-L: Shocker, Hubbell; 3-1 each

Synopsis
The Powers started 9-1 then coasted to their 2nd straight regular season title, and their 3rd in the last four years. They have made the playoffs ever year since J. Karas took over this year. The suprise of the year was Shocker, who led the league in strikeouts and ERA among starters in his rookie season. But Shocker's 3-1 record was bested by the Chips' Steve Carlton (3-0). With those and other great players, the Season 12 World Series promises to be very competitive. The Powers went 9-1 during the first half of the season; the Chips went 8-2 during the second half. In the Series, something will have to give.
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Silicon Valley Chips

(12-8, 2nd place in Season 12)

Hitting/Offense
Batting average: .339 (5th)
Slugging percentage: .392 (5th)
Runs scored: 75 (4th)
Homeruns: 7 (5th)
Doubles: 20 (3rd)
Stolen bases: 12 (2nd)
Caught stealing: 8 (T-4th)
Stolen base percentage: 60% (3rd)

Pitching/Defense
ERA: 2.57 (2nd)
H/IP: 1.31 (2nd)
Saves: 4 (3rd)
Strikeouts: 127 (last)
Errors: 7 (T-2nd)

Team Leaders
Batting average: Ty Cobb, .446 (T-batting title)
Slugging percentage: Stan Musial, .482
Runs scored: Cobb, 15 (led league)
RBI: Musial, 23 (HBWRL record)
Homeruns: Three tied with 2
Doubles: Gabby Hartnett, 5
Stolen bases: Cobb, 10

ERA (starters): Steve Carlton, 1.47
H/IP (Min. 4 IP): Goose Gossage, 0.86
Saves: Gossage, Wes Ferrell; 2 each
Strikeouts: Sandy Koufax, 27
W-L: Carlton, 3-0

Synopsis
The Chips made an improbable run to the HBWRL playoffs with an eight game winning streak after a 4-7 start. That streak tied a regular season record. In addition, the Chips blew 3-0 leads and lost by one run or in extra innings in both their first and last games of the season. Had they won even one of those two games, they would have been the regular season champions, despite a 9-1 start by the Powers. The Chips will be formidable World Series opponents for the Powers, and should again be formidable next year.
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Minneapolis Reps

(11-9, 3rd place in Season 12)

Hitting/Offense
Batting average: .374 (1st)
Slugging percentage: .430 (2nd)
Runs scored: 85 (3rd)
Homeruns: 10 (4th)
Doubles: 12 (last)
Stolen bases: 10 (3rd)
Caught stealing: 5 (T-2nd)
Stolen base percentage: 67% (1st)

Pitching/Defense
ERA: 2.96 (3th)
H/IP: 1.35 (3rd)
Saves: 7 (2nd)
Strikeouts: 133 (T-3rd)
Errors: 7 (T-2nd)

Team Leaders
Batting average: Joe Sewell, .412
Slugging percentage: Edd Roush, .506
Runs scored: Three tied with 12
RBI: Roush, Richie Allen; 13 each
Homeruns: Roush, 3
Doubles: Roush, Babe Ruth; 3 each
Stolen bases: Eddie Collins, 8

ERA (starters): Eddie Plank, 2.08
H/IP (Min. 4 IP): Bob Feller, 1.00
Saves: Rube Marquard, 3
Strikeouts: Plank, 29
W-L: Rube Waddell, Greg Maddux; 3-0 each

Synopsis
Despite sporting the league's most prolific offense and going 10-5 in their last 15 games, it was a disappointing season for the defending champion Reps. They are the first team in HBWRL history to lead the league in batting average and have a team ERA under 3.00, yet fail to make the playoffs. The Reps never totally overcame a 1-4 start, and could not beat the streaking Chips in two decisive games down the stretch. Despite the addition of two expansion teams, the Reps' winning percentage actually fell from last year (.556 to .550). Each of the other incumbent teams improved. Kevin C. not pleased.
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Burke Upper-Deckers

(11-9, 4th place in Season 12)

Hitting/Offense
Batting average: .349 (2nd)
Slugging percentage: .437 (1st)
Runs scored: 86 (T-1st)
Homeruns: 12 (T-1st)
Doubles: 30 (1st, HBWRL record)
Stolen bases: 7 (4th)
Caught stealing: 12 (last)
Stolen base percentage: 37% (5th)

Pitching/Defense
ERA: 3.82 (4th)
H/IP: 1.58 (5th)
Saves: 3 (4th)
Strikeouts: 131 (5th)
Errors: 5 (1st)

Team Leaders
Batting average: Jackie Robinson, .446 (T-batting title)
Slugging percentage: Ken Griffey, Jr., .605 (HBWRL Season 12 MVP)
Runs scored: Paul Molitor, J. Robinson; 14 each
RBI: Mickey Mantle, J. Robinson; 11 each
Homeruns: Griffey, 3
Doubles: Griffey, 7 (T-HBWRL record)
Stolen bases: Molitor, 5

ERA (starters): Walter Johnson, 2.38
H/IP (Min. 4 IP): Roger Clemens, 0.78
Saves: Luis Tiant, 2
Strikeouts: Cy Young, 28
W-L: Jim Palmer, 2-0

Synopsis
Clearly the biggest surprise of the season, Burke had a winning record as an expansion team and finished just one game out of the playoffs. A prolific offense tied for the league lead in runs scored and homeruns, and led the league in slugging percentage. Burke got good pitching at the beginning and end of the season, but was victimized by a pitching slump during the season's "dog days" (no pun intended). Burke should contend next year.
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Myers Red Dawgs

(9-11, 5th place in Season 12)

Hitting/Offense
Batting average: .345 (3rd)
Slugging percentage: .418 (3rd)
Runs scored: 86 (T-1st)
Homeruns: 12 (T-1st)
Doubles: 21 (2nd)
Stolen bases: 1 (last)
Caught stealing: 1 (1st)
Stolen base percentage: 50% (4th)

Pitching/Defense
ERA: 4.11 (5th)
H/IP: 1.48 (4th)
Saves: 2 (5th)
Strikeouts: 133 (T-3rd)
Errors: 9 (5th)

Team Leaders
Batting average: Albert Belle, .412
Slugging percentage: Belle, .588
Runs scored: Belle, 13
RBI: Wade Boggs, 15
Homeruns: Belle, Boggs; 3 each
Doubles: Belle, 6
Stolen bases: Nap Lajoie, 1

ERA (starters): Whitey Ford, 2.48
H/IP (Min. 4 IP): Lefty Grove, 0.21
Saves: Grove, Carl Mays; 1 each
Strikeouts: Ford, 24
W-L: Eppa Rixey, 2-0

Synopsis
A solid year of improvement for Red Dawgs GM Jak Myers in his 2nd HBWRL season. The Dawgs went from 5-13 (.278) to 9-11 (.450), thanks mostly to modern players like Boggs and Belle. The Dawgs offense was impressive, tying for the league lead with 86 runs scored. Inconsistent pitching victimized the Dawgs-they finished in the lower half of the league in almost every pitching/defensive category. The Dawgs should contend next year if they can combine solid pitching with Season 12's offense. The Dawgs started and ended the season with two wins, but went 5-11 in the other 16 games.
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Tri-City Titans

(4-16, last place in Season 12)

Hitting/Offense
Batting average: .306 (last)
Slugging percentage: .337 (last)
Runs scored: 47 (last)
Homeruns: 2 (last)
Doubles: 16 (5th)
Stolen bases: 2 (5th)
Caught stealing: 5 (T-2nd)
Stolen base percentage: 29% (last)

Pitching/Defense
ERA: 4.70 (last)
H/IP: 1.63 (last)
Saves: 1 (last)
Strikeouts: 150 (2nd)
Errors: 11 (last)

Team Leaders
Batting average: Eddie Mathews, .368
Slugging percentage: Bill Dickey, .440
Runs scored: Three tied with 7
RBI: Dickey, 8
Homeruns: George Sisler, Dickey; 1 each
Triples: Sisler, 1
Doubles: Three tied with 3
Stolen bases: Sisler, Dickey; 1 each

ERA (starters): Lefty Gomez, 3.00
H/IP (Min. 4 IP): Jim Bunning, 0.92
Saves: Gaylord Perry, 1
Strikeouts: Gomez, 29
W-L: Bunning, 1-0

Synopsis
The Titans and their expansion brethren, the Burke Upper-Deckers, were each 4-6 at the All-Star Break. While Burke ended with a playoff surge to finish 11-9, the Titans didn't win another game, and ended the season at 4-16, riding a record 12 game losing streak. It was the anatomy of a slump, as the Titans got hitting when there was no pitching, and vice versa. Still, the 4-16 mark is not horrible-or even unexpected-for an expansion team, and the Titans should improve next year.
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