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ifspuds · 03-24-2008, 11:31 AM

1943: And A Veteran Shall Lead Them

Team Record: 53-47, 1st place. Defeated Portland 5-3 in Western Cup.
Top Pitcher: Eddie Walters (12-9, 2.55 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 4.23 K/9, 2.48 BB/9)
Top Hitter: Jesus Santana (.313/.467/.479, 7 HR, 43 RBI, 9 SB)

Early in the season, the local newspapers were climbing on the Rainiers bandwagon. With the profusion of youth in the starting lineup, one local writer dubbed the team "The Brewery Babes", playing off owner Emil Sick's Rainier Brewing Company. Make no mistake, the starting lineup was young. Shortstop Curtis Joseph was 25. Third baseman Craig Playne was 22. Second baseman Allen Reid was also 22. Top catcher Jaime Romero? 22. The average age of the entire hitting corps was just 25.9. But they still lacked a strong presence in the lineup to tie everything together. That presence was left fielder Jesus Santana. Acquired from the Salt Lake franchise early in the 1943 season, Santana put together three seasons in Rainiers red that Seattle fans aren't likely to ever forget. Between this deal and the trade that brought Eddie Walters to the Emerald City, Seattle general manager Walter Franklin was gaining a reputation as an astute judge of talent.

The most striking turnaround in the 1943 season was the pitching. In just a couple of years, the Rainiers staff had gone from a collection of soft-tossing semi-pro rejects to the top of the league. Allowing 377 runs, 33 fewer runs over the season than their closest competitors, the Rainiers were the first team since the inaugural Los Angeles Quake squad of 1940 to allow so few of their opponents to touch home plate. Eddie Walters was a big reason for that, sure, but the Seattle nine boasted three quality pitchers in their rotation. Walters led the staff, with Cole Phillips (17-12, 3.22 ERA) right behind. Kevin Schroeder (10-7, 3.06 ERA) brought up the rear, and together the three dominated PBPL hitters in a fashion unseen in Seattle baseball. It would be the beginning of a four-year reign as the top pitching staff in the PBPL.

Even with all that, the Rainiers still won the regular season championship by a mere half-game over the Portland Timbers. With a solid pitching staff of their own (#2 in the league behind Seattle) and a significantly better offense, many believed that the more experienced Timbers, who had won the Western Cup two years prior, would be the favorites in the postseason series. It would turn out that two hot hitters (Playne and Santana) and a dominating hurler (Walters) were enough to make the Rainiers the Western Cup champions, as they took the best-of-9 series by a 5-3 count. Despite the success, though, it would be just a prelude to a 1944 season that captivated an entire city.

03-24-2008, 11:31 AM	#6 (permalink)
ifspuds Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 2,092	1943: And A Veteran Shall Lead Them 1943: And A Veteran Shall Lead Them Team Record: 53-47, 1st place. Defeated Portland 5-3 in Western Cup. Top Pitcher: Eddie Walters (12-9, 2.55 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 4.23 K/9, 2.48 BB/9) Top Hitter: Jesus Santana (.313/.467/.479, 7 HR, 43 RBI, 9 SB) Early in the season, the local newspapers were climbing on the Rainiers bandwagon. With the profusion of youth in the starting lineup, one local writer dubbed the team "The Brewery Babes", playing off owner Emil Sick's Rainier Brewing Company. Make no mistake, the starting lineup was young. Shortstop Curtis Joseph was 25. Third baseman Craig Playne was 22. Second baseman Allen Reid was also 22. Top catcher Jaime Romero? 22. The average age of the entire hitting corps was just 25.9. But they still lacked a strong presence in the lineup to tie everything together. That presence was left fielder Jesus Santana. Acquired from the Salt Lake franchise early in the 1943 season, Santana put together three seasons in Rainiers red that Seattle fans aren't likely to ever forget. Between this deal and the trade that brought Eddie Walters to the Emerald City, Seattle general manager Walter Franklin was gaining a reputation as an astute judge of talent. The most striking turnaround in the 1943 season was the pitching. In just a couple of years, the Rainiers staff had gone from a collection of soft-tossing semi-pro rejects to the top of the league. Allowing 377 runs, 33 fewer runs over the season than their closest competitors, the Rainiers were the first team since the inaugural Los Angeles Quake squad of 1940 to allow so few of their opponents to touch home plate. Eddie Walters was a big reason for that, sure, but the Seattle nine boasted three quality pitchers in their rotation. Walters led the staff, with Cole Phillips (17-12, 3.22 ERA) right behind. Kevin Schroeder (10-7, 3.06 ERA) brought up the rear, and together the three dominated PBPL hitters in a fashion unseen in Seattle baseball. It would be the beginning of a four-year reign as the top pitching staff in the PBPL. Even with all that, the Rainiers still won the regular season championship by a mere half-game over the Portland Timbers. With a solid pitching staff of their own (#2 in the league behind Seattle) and a significantly better offense, many believed that the more experienced Timbers, who had won the Western Cup two years prior, would be the favorites in the postseason series. It would turn out that two hot hitters (Playne and Santana) and a dominating hurler (Walters) were enough to make the Rainiers the Western Cup champions, as they took the best-of-9 series by a 5-3 count. Despite the success, though, it would be just a prelude to a 1944 season that captivated an entire city. __________________ Jeff Watson TWB (co-commissioner): Pittsburgh Pirates GM (team dynasty here, #5 Dynasty of 2005!) (TWB Champs 1966, 1967, 1973, NL Champs 1968, NL East Champs 1969, NL Champs 1970, 1971 NPBL: Illinois Jethawks GM Outpost League: A Fictional World Dynasty (#9 (tie) Dynasty of 2005!)