1978 Pacific Coast League season
From BR Bullpen
The 1978 Pacific Coast League season was the 75th in the league's history, and ended with the Albuquerque Dukes and Tacoma Yankees being declared co-champions.
Due to inclement weather, the fifth and deciding game in the semifinal series between Tacoma and the Portland Beavers was not played. After waiting three days and consulting the long-range weather forecast in Portland, league president Ray Jackson declared the co-championship. Tacoma earned the honor due to their better record.
The league expanded to 10 teams this year, adding Portland and the Vancouver Canadians. The playoff format expanded as well, as the top two teams in each division qualified.
Contents |
[edit] Final standings
Playoff teams in bold.
| East Division | W | L | Pct. | GB | Manager | Affiliation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque Dukes | 78 | 62 | .557 | -- | Del Crandall | Los Angeles Dodgers |
| Salt Lake City Gulls | 72 | 65 | .526 | 4½ | Deron Johnson | California Angels |
| Phoenix Giants | 72 | 68 | .514 | 6 | Rocky Bridges | San Francisco Giants |
| Tucson Toros | 69 | 71 | .493 | 9 | Rich Donnelly | Texas Rangers |
| San Jose Missions | 53 | 87 | .379 | 25 | Rene Lachemann | Seattle Mariners |
| West Division | W | L | Pct. | GB | Manager | Affiliation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tacoma Yankees | 80 | 57 | .584 | -- | Mike Ferraro | New York Yankees |
| Portland Beavers | 76 | 62 | .551 | 4½ | Gene Dusan | Cleveland Indians |
| Vancouver Canadians | 74 | 65 | .532 | 7 | Jim Marshall | Oakland Athletics |
| Spokane Indians | 64 | 75 | .480 | 17 | John Felske | Milwaukee Brewers |
| Hawaii Islanders | 56 | 82 | .407 | 24½ | Dick Phillips | San Diego Padres |
[edit] First Round
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[edit] League Leaders
[edit] Batting
- Batting Average Jeffrey Leonard, Albuquerque, .371
- Runs Scored Bill Sample, Tucson, 141
- Hits Leonard, 183
- Doubles Dan Briggs, Portland, 38
- Triples Art Gardner, Phoenix, 16
- Home Runs Willie Aikens, Salt Lake City, 29
- Runs Batted In Pedro Guerrero, Albuquerque, 116
- Stolen Bases Rudy Law, Albuquerque, 79
[edit] Pitching
- Wins Eric Wilkins, Portland, 15
- Earned Run Average Larry McCall, Tacoma, 2.93
- Complete Games Steve Mura, Hawaii, 16
- Shutouts McCall, 4
- Strikeouts Mura, 158
- Saves Larry Andersen, Portland, 25
[edit] All-Star Team
None announced
[edit] References
The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball. W. Lloyd Johnson and Miles Wolff, editors. Baseball America, 1993.
1979 Baseball Guide
