Readers will have to go back to the start of the MBWBA, back to 1973, where you will find Conley (a "rookie" like all the players that season) throwing with the first ever Seattle Storm. Conley led Seattle with 36 games started, 238 IP and 239 K's. This high K/IP ratio would stay with him his career--which lasted only 9 seasons. Seattle finished 70-92 that year, 1973.
Now here is where things get messed up.
The next season, 1974, Conley pitched an incredible 292 innings and won 21 games, while striking out 299, with a 3.24 ERA (1.97 FIP). The 21 wins were second in the JL to Steve Nebraska. The 299 strike outs were 3rd in the league & still are 48th all time for a single season. The 292 innings were 3rd in the JL in 1974 and still tie at 26th for the most in a season. And his page shows that he did this with Seattle. Wrong! He did it with Phoenix.
Conley's old player page says that he was traded to Phoenix in Feb '74 ("Traded from Seattle to Phoenix on 2/10/1974 (Going to SEA: P Isidro Guiterrez, P Richard Vitiello, CF Buster Hall, CF Benjamin Iniguez, P Jugman Jones. Going to PHX: P Luke Gofannon, CF Sam Hell, P Marcellus Conley")). This was a significant trade for Phoenix, since Gofannon won 15 games and Hell led the team, with an 846 OPS.
And the Phoenix team page shows him on the Talons in 1974. This page also notes the trade in the bottom right corner. I discovered this when I was getting my first two HOF candidates back stories. His in-game pages show the same mistake. I don't know if this can be corrected. For now the current PHX/YS records does not include that 1974 year for Conley, while the old PHX records does. See, there it is: 21 wins as the PHX single season record.
HEY DEYS
Now the mid70s-1980 were the early hey deys for the PHX/YS franchise. They went to the postseason in 1974, 1976 (LCS), 1979 (LCS) and 1980. Conley was on all four of those teams, including 1974 (even though his page says he pitched for the Storm). In 1974 he and six other Talons were sent to the ASG. The Talons finished 94-68, first in the JLM. The second place team was Marquette (87-75), which I guess is now Madison. Anyway, Marquette-Madison was the wildcard team and they knocked out Phoenix in the Doubleday, 3-1. I can't find any postseason records for Conley, but I assume he pitched in the PS for Phoenix in 74, 76 and 79. His old player page records a 9/25 injury that would have knocked him out of the 80 playoffs. I guess the injury (and/or the wear and tear on his arm) contributed to his early exit from the league in 1981. Thinking about that, it's incredible that Nebraska could have tossed 4774 innings.
But back to the story. In 75 Phoenix finished third in the JLM, 89-73, and missed the postseason. In today's league, it would have been the second WC team. Conley was 15-14 and led the team with 267 Ks. He was an All Star selection in 1974 and 75, with Phoenix. He didn't make an All Star team again, despite putting up great numbers, including his two best ERAs in 78 and 79. In 1976, Phoenix had its highest win total ever--yes I mean down through this season--at 100, and the Talons beat Marquette-Madison in Round 1 but lost to California in the Cartwright Series 3 games to 4. Conley was one of two 19 game winners for the team that year, and he finished 2nd on the team with 247 strike outs. I assume he pitched in the playoffs.
in 77 Conley was 16-15 and led the team with 289 strike outs (3rd in the league). He led the league that year with 17 CGs. In 78 Conley was 17-12 for second place Phoenix, which won 72 games. He had a 2.28 ERA, which was 3rd in the league and he also was third with 13 CGs. That 2.28 ERA is the second best single season for the franchise. Although the team missed the playoffs for two straight seasons, they would be back the next two seasons.
In 79 the team surprised folks with a 87 win season but once again lost to the Crusaders in the Cartwright. Conley posted the franchise best 2.22 ERA that season and was a major reason the Talons returned to the postseason. He was 18-7 and led the team with 286 strike outs. He was 3rd in the league in ERA (Nebraska had a 0.99). He was 4th in the league in strike outs. The next year, 1980, Phoenix was 75-87 but this was good enough to win the JLM! The Talons lost in 5 games in the Doubleday. Conley slipped to 8-11 & 3.44 but still led the team in Ks (203)--this was "about 6th" in the league. He got injured the last week of September and missed the postseason.
The injury seemed to take its toll, as in 1981 Conley started only 18 games and came out of the bull pen 12 times. He won 7 games, but his walk total was way up at 73 in 111 innings, a far higher ratio then over his career. This was the only year that Conley pitched out of the bull pen. He hung up his spikes after the year. In 1982 he was signed by minor league SLC. But his arm was cooked. If he had any stats that year, I can't find them and I don't know whose franchise SLC was part of.
He is still one of the best pitchers that Phoenix had. He is way up in the franchise record books, and his 21 wins in 1974, with Phoenix, is still the franchise high for one season. He was part of four playoff-bound teams, and he pitched (I assume) in three postseasons, including two Cartwright Series. He was one of two players that Ryan Scott, who was a GM for Phoenix after the Conley years, retired their uniform numbers.
FRANCHISE NUMBERS
All together he was 128-101 & 3.04 (2.23 FIP). He struck out 2144 in 2180 innings (8.85 K/9IP). His active age was 26 through 34, and his career probably came to a premature end.
The following numbers use both record books and are based on the "premise" that Conley was with Phoenix in 1974. Conley still holds the single season ERA mark for PHX/YSN pitchers at 2.22, which he did in 1979. The season before that he recorded a 2.28 ERA, which is second all time. The new record book shows the team's IP - Single Season leader as León Magdayao. But Conley's 1974 total of 292 is the actual franchise record. He is also the career leader in ERA (3.06 in 1942 IP) and he is #3 in wins for the franchise with 121. His corrected total of 75 CGs (see old record book) is one shy of David Klopp. He is also 4th in GS (258); 1st in SHO (24), 3rd in IP (1942), and 3rd in KO (1905). These stats are this franchise only, and they count the 1974 season.
He was an all star selection, for Phoenix, in 1974 and 1975 (with five teammates, both years). In addition, Conley pitched in 3 postseasons for PHX (74, 76, 79, missing 80 due to injury).
I think all he is missing is a good nick name. But now that he is 76, it might be getting a bit late for that. As I said, he is the 2nd player in the PHX/YS HOF.