1968 International League season
| 1968 International League season | |
|---|---|
| League | International League |
| Sport | Baseball |
| Duration | April 20 – September 18 |
| Number of games | 148 |
| Number of teams | 8 |
| Regular season | |
| Season MVP | Merv Rettenmund, Rochester Red Wings |
| Governors' Cup Playoffs | |
| League champions | Jacksonville Suns |
| Runners-up | Columbus Jets |
The 1968 International League was a Class AAA baseball season played between April 20 and September 18. Eight teams played a 148-game schedule, with the top four teams qualifying for the post-season.
The Jacksonville Suns won the Governors' Cup, defeating the Columbus Jets in the final round of the playoffs.
Team changes
- The Toronto Maple Leafs relocated to Louisville, Kentucky and were renamed the Louisville Colonels. The club remained affiliated with the Boston Red Sox.
- The Buffalo Bisons ended their affiliation with the Cincinnati Reds and began an affiliation with the Washington Senators.
- The Toledo Mud Hens ended their affiliations with the New York Yankees and began an affiliation with the Detroit Tigers.
Teams
Map of teams
International League teams
Regular season
Summary
- The Toledo Mud Hens finished with the best record in the league for the first time in franchise history.
Standings
| International League | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Win | Loss | % | GB |
| Toledo Mud Hens | 83 | 64 | .565 | – |
| Columbus Jets | 82 | 64 | .562 | 0.5 |
| Rochester Red Wings | 77 | 69 | .527 | 5.5 |
| Jacksonville Suns | 75 | 71 | .514 | 7.5 |
| Louisville Colonels | 72 | 75 | .490 | 11 |
| Syracuse Chiefs | 72 | 75 | .490 | 11 |
| Buffalo Bisons | 66 | 81 | .449 | 17 |
| Richmond Braves | 59 | 87 | .404 | 23.5 |
League Leaders
Batting leaders
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Merv Rettenmund, Rochester Red Wings | .331 |
| H | Elvio Jiménez, Columbus Jets Bobby Pfeil, Jacksonville Suns |
157 |
| R | Merv Rettenmund, Rochester Red Wings | 104 |
| 2B | George Thomas, Louisville Colonels | 33 |
| 3B | Bobby Mitchell, Louisville Colonels | 15 |
| HR | Dave Nicholson, Richmond Braves | 34 |
| RBI | Dave Nicholson, Richmond Braves | 86 |
| SB | George Spriggs, Columbus Jets | 46 |
Pitching leaders
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Dave Roberts, Columbus Jets | 18 |
| L | Jack Jenkins, Buffalo Bisons | 14 |
| ERA | Galen Cisco, Louisville Colonels | 2.21 |
| CG | Mike Marshall, Toledo Mud Hens | 16 |
| SHO | Galen Cisco, Louisville Colonels | 6 |
| SO | Jim Rooker, Toledo Mud Hens | 206 |
| IP | Mike Marshall, Toledo Mud Hens | 211.0 |
Playoffs
- The Jacksonville Suns won their first Governors' Cup, defeating the Columbus Jets in four games.
Playoff bracket
| Semi-finals | Governors' Cup | ||||||||
| 1 | Toledo | 1 | |||||||
| 4 | Jacksonville | 3 | |||||||
| 4 | Jacksonville | 4 | |||||||
| 2 | Columbus | 0 | |||||||
| 2 | Columbus | 3 | |||||||
| 3 | Rochester | 1 | |||||||
Awards
| International League awards | |
|---|---|
| Award name | Recipient |
| Most Valuable Player | Merv Rettenmund, Rochester Red Wings |
| Pitcher of the Year | Dave Roberts, Columbus Jets |
| Rookie of the Year | Merv Rettenmund, Rochester Red Wings |
| Manager of the Year | Jack Tighe, Toledo Mud Hens |
All-star team
See also
References
- ^ 1968 IL Standings at stats-crew.com, URL accessed 18 November 2024.
- ^ 1968 IL Batting Leaders at baseball-reference.com, URL accessed 18 November 2024.
- ^ 1968 Pitching Leaders at baseball-reference.com, URL accessed 18 November 2024.