So is Barry Bonds the missing link for a No Fehr title? Not necessarily, although you'd never know it by the way Batbold clinched its first championship. In the closest race in the history of the league, Batbold regained the lead with two weeks remaining and won by a two-and-a-half point margin. The Harry Careys, Fighting Irish and Winning O'Men finished second through fourth, respectively.
Backed by an extraordinary start from Larry Walker, the Winning O'Men jumped to a commanding lead in the early season, but the O'Men's starting pitching was no match for BatBold's trio of Neagle, Smoltz and Rueter (a mid-season acquisition). Of course, Mr. Bonds also had plenty to do with BatBold's win. Despite an average year for Bonds, he earned his $47 No Fehr salary with a final-month barrage that kept Batbold second in home runs, just ahead of the Harry Careys.
Surprisingly, this is the first year that a No Fehr team with Bonds has won the championship. Bonds, who has been the highest paid player in the league for each of the past five years, went as high as $55 in the 1994 draft. This year, BatBold grabbed Bonds early in the draft for $47, made sure he had plenty of balance everywhere else and took home his first title. Despite a season filled with controversy, the No Fehr League had one of its best years, highlighted by its best pennant race.
Weeks 1-8 Winning O'Men Weeks 9-13 Batbold Weeks 14-17 Winning O'Men Weeks 18-19 Batbold Week 20 Harry Careys Week 21 Fighting Irish Weeks 22-24 Harry Careys Weeks 25-26 Batbold
Winning O'Men 12 Batbold 9 Fighting Irish 1 Harry Careys 4
Lopez, Javy 15B Slaught, Don 1A Olerud, John 10B Jones, Chipp 11D Grace, Mark 21A Sandberg, R 15A Grudzielanek 6C Stankiewicz 7A White, Rond 23D Ochoa, Alex 10B Bonds, Barry 47A Cangelosi, J 1A (Jay Payton 10A) Hernandez,Jo 2ASmoltz, John 19C Neagle, Den 15C Trachsel, St 10B Wohlers, Ma 18D Adams, Terry 4B Rueter, Kirk 8C Worrell, Todd 20D Martinez,Ram 15C Stephenson,G 10A
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