2003 Season in Review

Universal Baseball League
2003

2003 Final Team Statistics

The Roman Gladiators reclaimed the UBL Championship for the EHL and owner Cameron Akers in a close, hard fought six game series with the WHL Champion Alaska Kodiaks, who were making their second appearance in the World Cup Finals. Alaska held a 2-1 series lead before Rome fired off three straight wins, including an exciting see-saw Game 6 that saw both club's best pitchers, Rome's Denny Mayer and Alaska's Billy Keerl, get knocked out of the game before the sixth inning. Rome had beaten last year's EHL Champs, the Paris Disparagers, and the Wild Card Barcelona Matadors, en route to the finals, while Alaska fought through the WHL Eastern Division Champs, the San Juan Destroyers, and the WHL Western Division Champs, the Mexico City Brahma Bulls, in two series that each went the limit.

               The exciting playoffs capped off what was an equally exciting regular season, the UBL's fifth. In the Western Hemisphere, Eastern Division, the San Juan Destroyers started the season slowly, hovering around the .500 mark, as the Boston Stranglers and Miami Tsunami paced the division. But as the summer wore on, Boston slipped to .500 and the Destroyers began to take charge, eventually posting the best record in the WHL. Havana and New York struggled again, as New York slipped under the .400 mark..
               Two extremely close pennent races consumed the Central and Western Divisions, as seven teams were involved in both as late as July 30th. Four teams in the West, Alaska, Caracas, Seattle, and Mexico City, who had lost over 100 games in 2002, were all within three games of one another for most of the first four months of the season. A 7-21 August put Seattle out of the playoffs, as that franchise still waited for their first postseason birth, but the other three teams continued a tight race, and each club took a shot at leading the division. By the final couple of weeks, a strong burst put Mexico City a few games ahead of the competition, and they were able to hold on to win their division, just one year after finishing last. Caracas dropped out of the playoff picture completely in September, while Alaska battled for the Wild Card.
               Meanwhile, in the Central, Atlanta, Detroit, and the 2002 UBL Champion Chicago Windbags all took turns aboard the rotating door that was first place. Chicago's chase for a repeat title started to wither away as they fell a few games behind Detroit and Atlanta entering the final weeks. Amazingly, the Hammers, Polar Bears and Kodiaks all finished with identical 90-72 records, and Detroit was crowned WHL Central Champs thanks to one tie-breaker, as the Alaska Kodiaks entered the playoffs as a Wild Card for the second straight year thanks to a better divisional record than their opponent.
               Things were slightly less exciting and confusing in the Eastern Hemisphere, where once again Rome ran away with the Central crown, this time finishing 26 games ahead of the second place club. Morocco, last year's Wild Card team, finished at .500, while Stockholm regained their confidence after a period of adjustment, when Cameron Akers had left and Tom English had entered as owner, to make a grab at the Wild Card. In the East, Warsaw and Vienna battled for the East crown again, but this time Warsaw's pitching led the way to a 92-70 record, five games ahead of Vienna, who found themselves with a new owner in the middle of the race. Moscow began to show signs of life, as they came within six games of the .500 mark. In the West, Paris held on to the division lead for most of the year, and coasted into the playoffs. The Barcelona Matadors made a late charge, and was able to take the Wild Card, thanks to a tie-breaker over Vienna, and a great final month of the season.

2003 Final Standings

Eastern Hemispheric League (EHL)

EHL West                  W   L   Pct.    GB    1-run  X-inn   L-10  Strk     Home   Road    v.RHP  v.LHP   in Div  nonDiv
Paris Disparagers        92  70   .568   ---    17-17   8-9    7-3   W  3    42-39  50-31    77-47  15-23    57-47  35-23
Barcelona Matadors       87  75   .537   5.0    30-21  15-6    5-5   W  1    47-34  40-41    64-48  23-27    59-45  28-30
Edinburgh! Clansmen      78  84   .481  14.0    18-24   6-7    3-7   L -1    34-47  44-37    60-52  18-32    50-54  28-30
Belfast Buckles          76  86   .469  16.0    24-22   6-11   4-6   L -4    42-39  34-47    49-58  27-28    49-55  27-31
London Clash             71  91   .438  21.0    23-29  16-10   8-2   W  5    31-50  40-41    55-72  16-19    45-59  26-32

EHL Central               W   L   Pct.    GB    1-run  X-inn   L-10  Strk     Home   Road    v.RHP  v.LHP   in Div  nonDiv
Roman Gladiators        110  52   .679   ---    35-19  10-9    9-1   L -1    58-23  52-29    88-40  22-12    69-35  41-17
Stockholm Shuteballers   84  78   .519  26.0    23-28   8-4    3-7   W  1    43-38  41-40    61-53  23-25    52-52  32-26
Morocco Misfits          81  81   .500  29.0    25-15   6-8    5-5   W  1    42-39  39-42    59-54  22-27    50-54  31-27
Zurich CMB               67  95   .414  43.0    16-22   6-4    2-8   L -6    33-48  34-47    46-64  21-31    46-58  21-37
Amsterdam Flyers         67  95   .414  43.0    22-24   5-10   4-6   L -1    35-46  32-49    51-72  16-23    43-61  24-34

EHL East                  W   L   Pct.    GB    1-run  X-inn   L-10  Strk     Home   Road    v.RHP  v.LHP   in Div  nonDiv
Warsaw Fighting Wombats  92  70   .568   ---    24-19   7-11   8-2   L -1    46-35  46-35    54-46  38-24    58-44  34-26
Vienna Cobras            87  75   .537   5.0    19-29  14-8    2-8   W  1    45-36  42-39    64-43  23-32    56-46  31-29
Moscow Communists        75  87   .463  17.0    27-26  10-13   4-6   L -2    41-40  34-47    45-54  30-33    47-55  28-32
Berlin Hoodfellas        67  95   .414  25.0    17-25   6-13   6-4   W  2    36-45  31-50    45-57  22-38    43-59  24-36

Western Hemispheric League (WHL)

WHL East                  W   L   Pct.    GB    1-run  X-inn   L-10  Strk     Home   Road    v.RHP  v.LHP   in Div  nonDiv
San Juan Destroyers      97  65   .599   ---    27-18  10-10   4-6   L -2    51-30  46-35    68-41  29-24    68-36  29-29
Miami Tsunami            84  78   .519  13.0    17-20   8-9    5-5   W  1    35-46  49-32    58-46  26-32    54-50  30-28
Boston Stranglers        82  80   .506  15.0    26-20  12-9    5-5   W  1    43-38  39-42    51-45  31-35    58-46  24-34
Havana Defectors         65  97   .401  32.0    18-21   4-10   5-5   L -1    39-42  26-55    38-56  27-41    40-64  25-33
New York Brawlers        61 101   .377  36.0    19-26   5-5    4-6   W  2    31-50  30-51    40-58  21-43    40-64  21-37

WHL West                  W   L   Pct.    GB    1-run  X-inn   L-10  Strk     Home   Road    v.RHP  v.LHP   in Div  nonDiv
Mexico City Brahma Bulls 94  68   .580   ---    33-9   12-4    5-5   L -1    48-33  46-35    71-44  23-24    62-42  32-26
Alaska Kodiaks           90  72   .556   4.0    28-22  12-8    6-4   L -1    45-36  45-36    61-41  29-31    61-43  29-29
Caracas Cougars          87  75   .537   7.0    29-29   8-6    5-5   W  1    49-32  38-43    58-52  29-23    59-45  28-30
Seattle Devils           75  87   .463  19.0    12-30   4-9    7-3   W  1    41-40  34-47    48-65  27-22    42-62  33-25
Los Angeles Punishers    61 101   .377  33.0    13-29   5-12   4-6   L -1    32-49  29-52    38-72  23-29    36-68  25-33

WHL Central               W   L   Pct.    GB    1-run  X-inn   L-10  Strk     Home   Road    v.RHP  v.LHP   in Div  nonDiv
Detroit Polar Bears      90  72   .556   ---    21-21  11-12   7-3   L -2    41-40  49-32    57-46  33-26    56-46  34-26
Atlanta Hammers          90  72   .556    .0    22-22  11-11   4-6   L -2    45-36  45-36    55-44  35-28    54-48  36-24
Chicago Windbags         84  78   .519   6.0    26-27   8-10   3-7   W  2    40-41  44-37    60-48  24-30    50-52  34-26
Toronto Titans           74  88   .457  16.0    24-21  12-7    6-4   W  2    40-41  34-47    40-54  34-34    44-58  30-30

Playoffs

League championship: Eastern Hemispheric League

Round One:

      Best of 5 - Rome (3) vs. Barcelona (1)
         Game #1: Rome 9, at Barcelona 5
         Game #2: Rome 5, at Barcelona 1
         Game #3: Barcelona 9, at Rome 1
         Game #4: Barcelona 1, at Rome 3
             Rome advances

      Best of 5 - Warsaw (2) vs. Paris (3)
         Game #1: Warsaw 1, at Paris 6
         Game #2: Warsaw 10, at Paris 5
         Game #3: Paris 5, at Warsaw 3
         Game #4: Paris 0, at Warsaw 3
         Game #5: Paris 4, at Warsaw 1
             Paris advances

Round Two:

      Best of 7 - Rome (4) vs. Paris (2)
         Game #1: Paris 0, at Rome 5
         Game #2: Paris 0, at Rome 2
         Game #3: Rome 5, at Paris 8
         Game #4: Rome 4, at Paris 5
         Game #5: Rome 2, at Paris 1
         Game #6: Paris 4, at Rome 6
             Rome advances

League championship: Western Hemispheric League

Round One:

      Best of 5 - San Juan (2) vs. Alaska (3)
         Game #1: San Juan 2, at Alaska 5
         Game #2: San Juan 3, at Alaska 9
         Game #3: Alaska 0, at San Juan 1
         Game #4: Alaska 1, at San Juan 4
         Game #5: Alaska 6, at San Juan 5
             Alaska advances

      Best of 5 - Mexico City (3) vs. Detroit (2)
         Game #1: Mexico City 7, at Detroit 3
         Game #2: Mexico City 4, at Detroit 6
         Game #3: Detroit 6, at Mexico City 1
         Game #4: Detroit 3, at Mexico City 7
         Game #5: Detroit 0, at Mexico City 1
             Mexico City advances

Round Two:

      Best of 7 - Alaska (4) vs. Mexico City (3)
         Game #1: Mexico City 2, at Alaska 3
         Game #2: Mexico City 3, at Alaska 4
         Game #3: Alaska 2, at Mexico City 5
         Game #4: Alaska 12, at Mexico City 13
         Game #5: Alaska 13, at Mexico City 3
         Game #6: Mexico City 4, at Alaska 1
         Game #7: Mexico City 1, at Alaska 2
             Alaska advances

UBL Championship: World Cup

Best of 7 - Rome (4) vs. Alaska (2)

                                                                                                                       Game 1: Alaska 6, at Rome 5
                                                                                                                       Game 2: Alaska 4, at Rome 5 (11)
                                                                                                                       Game 3: Rome 4, at Alaska 6
                                                                                                                       Game 4: Rome 8, at Alaska 2
                                                                                                                       Game 5: Rome 5, at Alaska 4
                                                                                                                       Game 6: Alaska 7, at Rome 9