1994 Astrology Awards Recap
View the 1994 FABL Lineups Here!
The 1994 MLB players strike looms large in the history of professional baseball. It was the last labor-related work stoppage in MLB history – although the contentious expiration of the current collective bargaining agreement after the 2021 season threatens to put an end to this streak. Hopefully whatever happens this coming offseason doesn’t approach the length of the 1994-95 strike: 232 days, resulting in 948 total games cancelled. This was the longest work stoppage MLB had ever seen, and second longest in all major league sports (following the 2004-05 NHL lockout).
The story in a nutshell, as I understand it, is that the owners wanted to implement a salary cap, to which the players understandably objected. With a weakened commissioner’s office and no collective bargaining agreement in place (the last one having expired in December of 1993), the players felt they had no choice but to strike. This event occurred on August 12, 1994, after roughly 117 games had been played. This not only resulted in the cancellation of the World Series when the Montreal Expos were having their best year, but also the cancellation of the Fantasy playoffs when the Sagittarius Archers were in a good position to win it all.
As in 1995, Gemini snuck into the final four, despite being a bottom three team in overall points scored. (Air signs occupied 10th, 11th, and 12th place in the league in ’94). However, despite their overall struggles, the Twins had two first basemen who had no choice but to share the Positive Polarity Most Valuable Player award. Not only were Jeff Bagwell (2,607 / 23.7) and Frank Thomas (2,503 / 22.2) separated by just over 100 points on the year, but they won the respective MVP’s in their real-life leagues, and they happen to share a birthday. And not just the calendar date: were born on the very same day: May 27, 1968. It doesn’t get more star-crossed than that. What’s more, the third-highest scoring player in the PP was also a Gemini: center fielder Kenny Lofton (2,381 / 21.3).
Maybe this is a symptom of the shorter season, but I had two other awards finish with shared winners, and they both involved Virgos. I have Albert Belle (2,323 / 21.9) as the primary Negative Polarity MVP, who would defend his title in 1995, and share it with a Virgo teammate in ’96. But Ken Griffey Jr. (2,277 / 20.5) was so close that it seems wrong not to honor the Scorpio center fielder as well. (He would go on to win the award outright in 1997.) Capricorn David Cone (1,896 / 82.4) had the most pitching points in the NP, but Virgo Randy Johnson (1,862 / 81.0 and the next year’s winner) was close enough to merit mentioning. All this production led to Virgo finishing a close second in overall points, just missing out on making it three straight years at the top.
One award that was not close to close was the Positive Polarity Cy Young Award, which went to Greg Maddux (2,633 / 105.3). The Professor would win the next two PP CYA’s, including five of seven from ’94 to 2000. What’s somewhat ironic is that Maddux’s runner-up, Bret Saberhagen (1,999 / 83.3), was also an Aries, and he also scored more points than either of the Negative Polarity co-winners. Sticking with Fire Signs, the only award winner from league-leading Sagittarius is Rookie of the Year Bob Hamelin (1,487 / 14.7), a first baseman/DH for the Royals. He didn’t have as long or storied a career as his NP RoY counterpart Pisces Raul Mondesi (1,454 / 13.0), or even as his PP runner-up Manny Ramirez (1,182 / 13.0), yet another Gemini.
In the relief pitching department, Leo John Wetteland (1,404 / 27.0) had the most points in all of baseball, winning the Reliable Reliever award while pitching for the aforementioned real-life Expos. His fellow Montreal bullpen weapon Mel Rojas (1,282 / 22.1) was part of a duo of Sagittarius runners-up (the other being veteran Lee Smith (1,296 / 31.6)) that helped the Archers finish first in overall fantasy points. In the Negative Polarity, Cancer Crab Doug Jones (1,299 / 27.6) led the way, narrowly edging out Virgo John Franco (1,266 / 26.9) – although not narrowly enough that I would consider yet another shared award.
Next time… who knows what I’ll do? I’m a little overwhelmed with the excitement of the stretch runs – both in real-life MLB and the FABL as well – plus the demands of a new job. So whatever happens, my next post will come on Tuesday, as I eliminate the Sunday post and move to a two-post-per-week structure.