Classic Baseball Union

Jose "Gramps" Casas collected his 300th save in 2000.

 November 1, 2001 – The Classic Baseball Union has recently finished its 8th season as a major professional league in the United States. With that accomplishment the players that make the league also reached milestones and achievements worth notating.

In September of 2000 the first milestone was reached by José Casas of Charlotte who completed his 300th save on the 29th. Casas would be followed up by two other top closers in 2001 when Dave Taylor of Portland reached the 300 mark in July. In September reliever Sam Glover of Sioux Falls completed the feet by notching his 300th save on the 2nd.

Juan Rodriguez was first to hit 300 homers in the CBU

Closers were not the only featured athletes to reach milestones it was also the year of the slugger as three sluggers reached the 300 home run plateau during the 2001 campaign. The first to do it was Juan Rodríguez of Tacoma who blasted his 300th homer in April of 2001.

Flint Johnson of Wisconsin cracked his 300th career CBU home run on the 2nd of September in 2001. Finally Joey Brown of Portland reached the 300 home run club one week after Flint on the 9th.

Also of note, Jason Gardner of Redbank was the first player in the CBU to bring in his 1,000th RBI in August of 2001. Gardner has been a life long Bandit in his seven years in the league. He will no doubt reach the 300 home run club immediately in 2002 as he is stuck on 299.

Raul Ayala

Raúl Ayala of Brainered put on a most impressive display when he peeled off a 38 game hitting streak that lasted from mid May to late July. Ayala was terrorizing pitchers most often from the lead off position. Ayala is atypical of most first basemen. He hits for a high average and is extremely athletic. But his 6’5 frame allows him to be an huge asset on the defense.

Two pitchers were noted for completing the no hitters, and both time the Greene Monsters were on the wrong end of the hitless parade. Michael Jordan was the first to do it this year when he went 9 innings without giving up a hit, striking out 9 and walking four hitters. Chris Smith of Augusta followed him up in July with a 7 strikeout, 3 walk, no-hit performance.

2001 was a very exciting year for CBU fans, and more thrills are soon to come as the leagues grows and matures.