1980 American Association season
The 1980 American Association season was the 73rd in the league's history, and ended with the Springfield Redbirds winning their first league championship.
The Redbirds upset the Denver Bears, who had won the most games in the AA since the 1959 Louisville Colonels, in the championship series.
Final standings[edit]
Playoff teams in bold.
East Division | W | L | Pct. | GB | Manager | Affiliation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Springfield Redbirds | 75 | 61 | .551 | -- | Hal Lanier | St. Louis Cardinals |
Evansville Triplets | 61 | 74 | .452 | 13½ | Jim Leyland | Detroit Tigers |
Iowa Oaks | 59 | 77 | .434 | 16 | Pete Ward | Chicago White Sox |
Indianapolis Indians | 58 | 77 | .430 | 16½ | Jim Beauchamp | Cincinnati Reds |
West Division | W | L | Pct. | GB | Manager | Affiliation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Denver Bears | 92 | 44 | .676 | -- | Billy Gardner | Montreal Expos |
Oklahoma City 89ers | 70 | 65 | .519 | 21½ | Jim Snyder | Philadelphia Phillies |
Omaha Royals | 66 | 70 | .485 | 26 | Joe Sparks | Kansas City Royals |
Wichita Aeros | 61 | 74 | .452 | 30½ | Jack Hiatt | Chicago Cubs |
Championship Finals[edit]
|
League Leaders[edit]
Batting[edit]
- Batting Average Tim Raines Sr., Denver, .354
- Runs Scored Randy Bass, Denver, 106
- Hits Manny Castillo, Omaha, 173
- Doubles Tim Ireland, Omaha, 37
- Triples Elijah Bonaparte; Castillo; Raines, 11
- Home Runs Bass, 37
- Runs Batted In Bass, 143
- Stolen Bases Raines, 77
Pitching[edit]
- Wins Steve Ratzer, Denver, 15
- Earned Run Average Al Olmsted, Springfield, 2.77
- Complete Games Olmsted; Len Strelitz, Springfield, 8
- Shutouts Four tied with 3
- Strikeouts Bruce Berenyi, Indianapolis, 121
- Saves Geoff Combe, Indianapolis, 23
All-Star Team[edit]
- First Base Ken Phelps, Omaha
- Second Base Tim Raines Sr., Denver
- Shortstop Jerry Manuel, Denver
- Third Base Tim Wallach, Denver
- Outfield Dan Briggs, Denver; Art Gardner, Denver; Orlando Gonzalez, Oklahoma City; Paul Householder, Indianapolis
- Catcher Glenn Borgmann, Iowa; Don McCormack, Oklahoma City
- Utility Tim Ireland, Omaha
- Designated Hitter Randy Bass, Denver
- Pitcher Al Olmsted, Springfield; Steve Ratzer, Denver
- Manager Billy Gardner, Denver
References[edit]
The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball. W. Lloyd Johnson and Miles Wolff, editors. Baseball America, 1993.
1981 Baseball Guide
External Links[edit]
1980 Denver Bears tribute – Minor League Baseball official site
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