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After inducting its first two Hall of Famers in 1984 and 1985, Chinese League Baseball put in two more in 1986. One was relief pitcher Encai Xing at 91.8% and the other starter Luke Ren at 78.2%; both getting the first ballot nod. Closer Yi Li came close to joining them on his second attempt but was just short at 61.5%. No players were cut after ten ballots.



Encai Xing – Closer – Wuhan Wolverines – 91.8% First Ballot

Encai Xing was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left-handed relief pitcher from Jiupu, a city with around 120,000 people in the northeastern coastal province of Liaoning. Although his velocity peaked at 94-96 mph, Xing had excellent stuff with his fastball-curveball combo. Both pitches had very good movement and he had respectable command. Xing was durable and was a team captain, known for great leadership and work ethic. When Chinese League Baseball was formed for the 1970 season, he had already been established as a great semi-pro arm. At age 26, Xing’s first CLB contract came with Wuhan.

Xing spent five seasons with the Wolverines and won Reliever of the Year in both 1971 and 1974, while taking second in 1970 and 1972 and third in 1973. He had 7.9 WAR over 100.1 innings with 206 strikeouts and a 0.54 ERA in 1971; unheard of dominance even in the very low offense CLB. In 1974, he set the still-standing CLB record with 57 saves, tying the then-world record as well. As of 2037, 57 saves has only been topped once in any world league.

Xing also threw seven scoreless playoff innings in his time with Wuhan, although they never got beyond the semifinal round. In total with the Wolverines, he had 208 saves and 263 shutdowns, a 0.76 ERA, 461.1 innings, 841 strikeouts, an FIP- of 4 (yes, FOUR); and 33.4 WAR. He also began pitching for the Chinese national team in the 1970s editions of the World Baseball Championship. Xing had 63 appearances with 18 starts, posting a 2.43 ERA, 18-12 record, 18 saves, 192.1 innings, 307 strikeouts, and 7.5 WAR. He helped China win world titles in 1970 and 1979.

Xing became a free agent at age 31 for 1975 and signed with Hong Kong. He did fine there, but the Champions struggled and decided to trade him to Macau at the deadline. Between the two, Xing won his third Reliever of the Year. He signed with Xiamen in 1976 but again was a deadline trade, moved to Xi’an. Xing was an important acquisition, getting five saves with a 0.69 ERA over 13 innings in the playoffs, helping the Attack win the China Series.

He’d stay with Xi’an and lead the league in saves the next three seasons, winning Reliever of the Year again in 1977 and 1978 and taking second in 1979. The Attack made the playoffs each of those years, but couldn’t advance beyond the semifinal. Xing pitched great though and finished his playoff career with a 0.76 ERA and 11 saves over 47.1 innings with 83 strikeouts. His stuff fell off hard in 1980 and he retired after the season at age 37. For his run with Xi’an, Xing had 165 saves and 196 shutdowns, a 1.50 ERA, 420.1 innings, 603 strikeouts, and 19.4 WAR.

For his full career, Xing had 426 saves and 529 shutdowns, a 1.14 ERA, 1015.2 innings, 1666 strikeouts to only 187 walks, a FIP- of 21, and 61.3 WAR. He finished just behind Yongjie Xie’s 437 saves for the top mark in CLB history; they remain #1 and #2 as of 2037. Xing does boast the lowest ERA of anyone in CLB’s Hall of Fame as of 2037. Even the most closer-skeptic voter couldn’t deny Xing’s value, getting the first ballot induction at 91.8%.



Luke Ren – Starting Pitcher – Tianjin Jackrabbits – 78.2% First Ballot

Luke Ren was a 5’7’’, 195 pound left-handed pitcher from Xi’an, a city of nearly 13 million and the capital of Shaanxi Province. The stocky Ren was known for having solid control, making up for having average at best stuff and movement. His velocity peaked at 92-94 mph, but he had four pitches he could equally beat you with; fastball, slider, splitter, and knuckle curve. Ren had solid stamina and durability, making him a reliable arm in his run. He was also a team captain that was renowned for his great leadership and work ethic.

Ren was 25-years old when CLB was formed and signed his first deal in 1970 with Tianjin. He spent six seasons with the Jackrabbits, leading in wins twice. Tianjin would make it to the 1971 and 1972 China Series, winning it all in 1972. Ren in the playoffs there had a 2.08 ERA over 56.1 innings with a 5-2 record and 36 strikeouts. Although not dominant or high up leaderboards generally, his 8.3 WAR effort in 1971 earned a Pitcher of the Year. He’d also finish third in 1975 voting and win a Gold Glove in 1972.

In total with Tianjin, Ren had a 116-48 record, 2.41 ERA, 1666.1 innings, 1410 strikeouts, and 33.0 WAR. He became a free agent at age 31 before the 1976 season and signed a six-year, $1,822,000 deal with Kunming. He had five solid seasons with the Muscle, who put together their own dynasty run. They finished first in the Southern League standings from 1976-79, made it to the championship thrice and won it all in 1977 and 78. In the playoffs, Ren had a 3-4 record, 2.16 ERA, 75 innings, 69 strikeouts, and 2.2 WAR. In total with Kunming, he had a 66-58 record, 2.44 ERA, 1281.1 innings, 1008 strikeouts, and 18.3 WAR. His production dipped a bit in 1980 and instead of hanging around and risking overstaying his welcome, Ren retired at age 36.

Ren’s final stats: 182-106 record, 2.42 ERA, 2947.2 innings, 2418 strikeouts to 508 walks, 270/358 quality starts, 128 complete games, 90 FIP-, and 51.3 WAR. When looking back at his stats against other Hall of Famers in 2037, Ren’s totals are a bit underwhelming. But he was a leader and captain for three championship teams, and a very likeable guy. That went a long way for voters looking to start filling voids in a still pretty new CLB Hall of Fame. Ren received first ballot induction at 78.2%.