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FuzzyRussianHat · 08-28-2024, 04:40 PM

The 2012 Hall of Fame class for the Asian Baseball Federation was a monumental one with four first ballot selections. There had only been five inductees total over the previous decade of voting. This group was foundational too, as all four were above 90%.

Leading the way was pitcher Rami Naqvi at 98.0%. Fellow starters Bedirhan Uzun had 96.1% with Hasan Afshin at 94.5%. The lone position player was outfielder Hakim as-Salam at 93.8%. No one else topped 50% with the best returner being pitcher Sa’id Farahani at 38.4% on his second ballot. Additionally, no players fell off the ballot after ten failed tries.

Rami Naqvi – Starting Pitcher – Hyderabad Horned Frogs – 98.0% First Ballot

Rami Naqvi was a 6’1’’, 180 pound left-handed pitcher from Lahore, Pakistan’s second largest city. Naqvi was known for powerful stuff with above average control. However, his movement was mediocre and he did have issues allowing home runs. Naqvi had a 98-100 mph fastball, along with a slider, curveball, and changeup. Despite the poor movement grade overall, his curveball was considered a 10/10 and was the main reason that Naqvi was a dominant strikeout guy.

Naqvi’s stamina was on the low-end compared to most ABF aces in terms of complete games. Still, he had respectable durability and pitched a healthy number of innings each year. Naqvi was a good defensive pitcher and solid at holding runners. Despite his immense talent, he was often viewed as a selfish and lazy player. Many peers argue Naqvi squandered some of his elite potential.

His hard throwing was noticed at a young age, leading to a developmental deal in April 1987 with Faisalabad. Naqvi debuted with two relief appearances in 1991 at age 20. The Fire had him start most of 1992 with promising results. Faisalabad earned its first-ever playoff berth that year, falling in the Pakistan League Championship Series to Peshawar. Naqvi struggled with a 5.40 ERA in 11.2 playoff innings.

Naqvi became a full-time starter for the remaining five seasons with Faisalabad and looked like a true ace by 1994. He led the league with 380 strikeouts in 1995, but also allowed a league-worst 29 home runs. Naqvi led in WHIP, K/BB, FIP-, and WAR in 1996 and had the most wins in 1997. Despite that, Naqvi was never a Pitcher of the Year finalist with the Fire.

Faisalabad made the playoffs again in 1997 and Naqvi had a good start in the PLCS, allowing one run over 7.2 innings against Hyderabad. The Horned Frogs would win the series though and that start was Naqvi’s final one for the Fire. In total for Faisalabad, Naqvi had an 86-47 record, 2.54 ERA, 1291.2 innings, 1889 strikeouts, 327 walks, 113 ERA+, and 32.3 WAR.

A free agent at age 27, Naqvi left for the reigning PL champ Hyderabad on a seven-year, $10,600,000 deal in what would be his signature run. The Horned Frogs had earned a fourth straight playoff berth in 1997 and finally won the PLCS after three straight defeats. However, they had lost the ABF Championship to Isfahan. Hyderabad officials hoped Naqvi could deliver them the top spot.

Naqvi had a strong debut, leading in strikeouts and posting career bests in WHIP (0.71) and ERA (1.77). He took third in Pitcher of the Year voting and allowed two runs in 14.2 playoff innings. Hyderabad won a franchise-record 113 games and beat Lahore for the Pakistan League title, but again fell to Isfahan in the ABF Championship.

In 1999, Naqvi won his lone Pitcher of the Year, leading in ERA (1.78), strikeouts (406), quality starts (28), and WAR (9.7). The K, QS, and WAR marks were all career bests and at the time, it was only the tenth 400+ strikeout season in ABF history.

On April 28, Naqvi had an incredible 24 strikeout effort over nine innings against Rawalpindi. There had never been a 24 strikeout game prior in a pro game, although it had been reached and topped in the World Baseball Championship. As of 2037, Naqvi is still the only pitcher to reach the mark in a pro game without extra innings. Naqvi also had a 20 strikeout no-hitter against Rawalpindi on July 30. That was the ABF record for Ks in a no-no until 2011.

Naqvi wasn’t amazing in the playoffs with a 3.63 ERA over 22.1 innings, but he did strikeout 38 batters. Hyderabad three-peated as Pakistan’s champ and finally won the ABF title, defeating Bursa. The Horned Frogs made the playoffs again in 2000 and 2003, but had first-round losses both years in a newly expanded ABF. Naqvi got rocked in one playoff start in 2003 and finished with a career playoff ERA over 3.72 over 58 innings. He did have 98 strikeouts and 1.6 WAR, but a 79 ERA+.

Shoulder inflammation cost Naqvi much of the 2001 season. He had a respectable 2002, then led in strikeouts for the fourth time and WHIP for the third time in 2003. Naqvi was third in 2003’s POTY voting, his final time as a finalist. That season also had his second-no hitter, a 12 K, 3 BB effort on March 28 against Peshawar.

Hyderabad gave Naqvi a five-year, $16,680,000 extension in May 2004. About a month later, Naqvi became the second pitcher in ABF history to 4000 career strikeouts. He ultimately wouldn’t catch or pass Hall of Fame classmate Hasan Afshin for the strikeout king title, but Naqvi did retire in the #2 slot.

The Horned Frogs fell into mediocrity in Naqvi’s final seasons. He still was a respectable starter in his final years, but many felt he was showing limited effort by that point. He became the second to 200 wins in his final season. Although Naqvi still had time left on his deal, he decided to retire after the 2006 campaign at age 36.

Hyderabad would retire his #25 uniform for his efforts. In nine seasons for the Horned Frogs, Naqvi finished with a 117-76 record, 2.33 ERA, 1908.1 innings, 2749 strikeouts, 415 walks, 195/249 quality starts, 48 complete games, 128 ERA+, and 43.3 WAR.

For his career, Naqvi had a 203-123 record, 2.41 ERA, 3200 innings, 4638 strikeouts, 742 walks, 324/432 quality starts, 122 ERA+, and 75.6 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks seventh in strikeouts, 13^th in pitching WAR, and 19^th in wins. Naqvi is also 22^nd in ERA among all pitchers with 1000 career innings and rates highly in many other rate stats.

As of 2037 among pitchers with 1000 innings, Naqvi has the second-best H/9 (5.88), ninth-best K/9 (13.04), fifth-best WHIP (0.89), second-best opponent’s batting average (.185), tenth-best OBP (.240), and eighth-best OPS (.554). The boom-or-bust nature of Naqvi’s pitching at times meant he only won POTY once despite such impressive stats.

Others argue that if he was smarter and had a better work ethic, then Naqvi might have ended up in the GOAT-level territory. Still, he was a no-doubt Hall of Famer and at 98.0% had the highest percentage in the impressive four-player 2012 ABF class.

Bedirhan “Shepherd” Uzun – Starting Pitcher – Bursa Blue Claws – 96.1% First Ballot

Bedirhan Uzun was a 6’7’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Tire, a city of 87,000 in Turkey’s Izmir Province. Uzun had very solid stuff along with average to above average movement and control. A 95-97 mph sinker was his primary pitch, although he also had a slider and changeup in his arsenal. Uzun had an extreme groundball tendency, but he also could record strikeouts effectively in his prime.

Uzun’s stamina was strong, leading the league twice in complete games and once in innings pitched. He was also solid defensively and was effective at holding runners. Injuries would ultimately greatly limit his final numbers, but Uzun’s intelligence allowed him to maximize the innings he had.

By the 1994 ABF Draft, many had Uzun as the top Turkish prospect. Bursa selected him with the third overall pick and made him a full-time starter immediately. Uzun led in walks and losses as a rookie, but showed flashes of potential. His second season did see a major setback as a torn back muscle knocked him out five months.

Uzun bounced back with an excellent third season with 8.0 WAR, taking second in 1997 Pitcher of the Year voting. Bursa earned its first-ever playoff berth and started what would be a nine-year playoff streak. They had the top record in the West Asia Association in both 1997 and 1998, but lost both years to Isfahan for the WAA pennant.

In 1998, Uzun led the WAA in wins (26-6), strikeouts (373), quality starts (25), and complete games (22). He also had a career-best 10.2 WAR, but finished second again in POTY voting. That effort earned a five-year, $5,900,000 extension with the Blue Claws in the offseason. Uzun took third in 1999, which had a league and career-best 0.93 WHIP. That year also saw Bursa finally beat Isfahan for the pennant, although they lost in the ABF Championship to Hyderabad.

Post expansion in 2000, Bursa lost in the 2000 and 2002 West League Championship Series. The Blue Claws did win the 2001 pennant, but were denied their first ABF title by Dushanbe. In the playoffs for Bursa, Uzun had a 3.24 ERA over 94.1 innings, 6-6 record, 139 strikeouts, 17 walks, 107 ERA+, and 2.6 WAR.

In 2002, Uzun had a career and league-best 1.66 ERA, but missed the final months of the season to a strained forearm. Still, that earned a third in POTY voting. Uzun took second again in 2003, posting a career best 401 strikeouts. He was also the league leader in WAR (9.8) and wins (22-5).

That marked his final season with Bursa, entering free agency at age 32. With the Blue Claws, Uzun had a 150-76 record, 2.56 ERA, 2050.1 innings, 2673 strikeouts, 494 walks, 138 ERA+, and 58.6 WAR. Unfortunately for him, he left just before they finally won the ABF title in 2004. Still, Uzun’s #31 uniform would get retired for his role in turning them into a contender.

Uzun got paid, signing a five-year, $26,000,000 deal with Istanbul. 2004 also marked his first time pitching in the World Baseball Championship for Turkey. He posted a 1.95 ERA over 64.2 innings from 2004-06 with 70 strikeouts, 20 walks, and a 179 ERA+.

It was an excellent debut for Uzun with Istanbul, leading in ERA at 2.01 with a career-best 28 quality starts. He also topped 350+ strikeouts for the fifth time, but again still couldn’t win Pitcher of the Year, taking second. The Ironmen had the top seed at 104-58, but were upset by Ankara in the first round. Uzun gave up three runs in 7.2 innings for his playoff start.

It looked like Istanbul had made a good investment, but things fell quickly for Uzun. He missed most of 2005 to a torn meniscus, but was back in time to allow four runs in eight innings in his lone playoff start. The Ironmen again went one-and-done that year. Although they continued their playoff streak and eventually won titles in 2007 and 2008, Uzun wouldn’t be there for them.

Uzun only saw 32.1 innings in 2006, missing the early part of the season to shoulder bursitis. Soon after returning, he suffered a stretched elbow ligament that effectively ended his career. Uzun was on roster for 2007, but never made it back to the field. He retired that winter at age 36, finishing the Istanbul run with a 25-13 record, 2.42 ERA, 372 innings, 478 strikeouts, and 9.4 WAR.

The final stats: 175-89 record, 2.54 ERA, 2422.1 innings, 3151 strikeouts, 591 walks, 212/292 quality starts, 146 complete games, 139 ERA+, 71 FIP-, and 68.0 WAR. Uzun ranks 23^rd in pitching WAR as of 2037 and 42^nd in strikeouts.

Injuries certainly hurt him from having more impressive accumulations, but Uzun was in the Pitcher of the Year mix consistently in his career, even if he didn’t ever win it. The voters recognized that and inducted him easily at 96.1%. Uzun had the second-best percentage amongst ABF’s impressive four-player 2012 Hall of Fame class.

08-28-2024, 04:40 PM	#1561
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,966	2012 ABF Hall of Fame (Part 1) The 2012 Hall of Fame class for the Asian Baseball Federation was a monumental one with four first ballot selections. There had only been five inductees total over the previous decade of voting. This group was foundational too, as all four were above 90%. Leading the way was pitcher Rami Naqvi at 98.0%. Fellow starters Bedirhan Uzun had 96.1% with Hasan Afshin at 94.5%. The lone position player was outfielder Hakim as-Salam at 93.8%. No one else topped 50% with the best returner being pitcher Sa’id Farahani at 38.4% on his second ballot. Additionally, no players fell off the ballot after ten failed tries. Rami Naqvi – Starting Pitcher – Hyderabad Horned Frogs – 98.0% First Ballot Rami Naqvi was a 6’1’’, 180 pound left-handed pitcher from Lahore, Pakistan’s second largest city. Naqvi was known for powerful stuff with above average control. However, his movement was mediocre and he did have issues allowing home runs. Naqvi had a 98-100 mph fastball, along with a slider, curveball, and changeup. Despite the poor movement grade overall, his curveball was considered a 10/10 and was the main reason that Naqvi was a dominant strikeout guy. Naqvi’s stamina was on the low-end compared to most ABF aces in terms of complete games. Still, he had respectable durability and pitched a healthy number of innings each year. Naqvi was a good defensive pitcher and solid at holding runners. Despite his immense talent, he was often viewed as a selfish and lazy player. Many peers argue Naqvi squandered some of his elite potential. His hard throwing was noticed at a young age, leading to a developmental deal in April 1987 with Faisalabad. Naqvi debuted with two relief appearances in 1991 at age 20. The Fire had him start most of 1992 with promising results. Faisalabad earned its first-ever playoff berth that year, falling in the Pakistan League Championship Series to Peshawar. Naqvi struggled with a 5.40 ERA in 11.2 playoff innings. Naqvi became a full-time starter for the remaining five seasons with Faisalabad and looked like a true ace by 1994. He led the league with 380 strikeouts in 1995, but also allowed a league-worst 29 home runs. Naqvi led in WHIP, K/BB, FIP-, and WAR in 1996 and had the most wins in 1997. Despite that, Naqvi was never a Pitcher of the Year finalist with the Fire. Faisalabad made the playoffs again in 1997 and Naqvi had a good start in the PLCS, allowing one run over 7.2 innings against Hyderabad. The Horned Frogs would win the series though and that start was Naqvi’s final one for the Fire. In total for Faisalabad, Naqvi had an 86-47 record, 2.54 ERA, 1291.2 innings, 1889 strikeouts, 327 walks, 113 ERA+, and 32.3 WAR. A free agent at age 27, Naqvi left for the reigning PL champ Hyderabad on a seven-year, $10,600,000 deal in what would be his signature run. The Horned Frogs had earned a fourth straight playoff berth in 1997 and finally won the PLCS after three straight defeats. However, they had lost the ABF Championship to Isfahan. Hyderabad officials hoped Naqvi could deliver them the top spot. Naqvi had a strong debut, leading in strikeouts and posting career bests in WHIP (0.71) and ERA (1.77). He took third in Pitcher of the Year voting and allowed two runs in 14.2 playoff innings. Hyderabad won a franchise-record 113 games and beat Lahore for the Pakistan League title, but again fell to Isfahan in the ABF Championship. In 1999, Naqvi won his lone Pitcher of the Year, leading in ERA (1.78), strikeouts (406), quality starts (28), and WAR (9.7). The K, QS, and WAR marks were all career bests and at the time, it was only the tenth 400+ strikeout season in ABF history. On April 28, Naqvi had an incredible 24 strikeout effort over nine innings against Rawalpindi. There had never been a 24 strikeout game prior in a pro game, although it had been reached and topped in the World Baseball Championship. As of 2037, Naqvi is still the only pitcher to reach the mark in a pro game without extra innings. Naqvi also had a 20 strikeout no-hitter against Rawalpindi on July 30. That was the ABF record for Ks in a no-no until 2011. Naqvi wasn’t amazing in the playoffs with a 3.63 ERA over 22.1 innings, but he did strikeout 38 batters. Hyderabad three-peated as Pakistan’s champ and finally won the ABF title, defeating Bursa. The Horned Frogs made the playoffs again in 2000 and 2003, but had first-round losses both years in a newly expanded ABF. Naqvi got rocked in one playoff start in 2003 and finished with a career playoff ERA over 3.72 over 58 innings. He did have 98 strikeouts and 1.6 WAR, but a 79 ERA+. Shoulder inflammation cost Naqvi much of the 2001 season. He had a respectable 2002, then led in strikeouts for the fourth time and WHIP for the third time in 2003. Naqvi was third in 2003’s POTY voting, his final time as a finalist. That season also had his second-no hitter, a 12 K, 3 BB effort on March 28 against Peshawar. Hyderabad gave Naqvi a five-year, $16,680,000 extension in May 2004. About a month later, Naqvi became the second pitcher in ABF history to 4000 career strikeouts. He ultimately wouldn’t catch or pass Hall of Fame classmate Hasan Afshin for the strikeout king title, but Naqvi did retire in the #2 slot. The Horned Frogs fell into mediocrity in Naqvi’s final seasons. He still was a respectable starter in his final years, but many felt he was showing limited effort by that point. He became the second to 200 wins in his final season. Although Naqvi still had time left on his deal, he decided to retire after the 2006 campaign at age 36. Hyderabad would retire his #25 uniform for his efforts. In nine seasons for the Horned Frogs, Naqvi finished with a 117-76 record, 2.33 ERA, 1908.1 innings, 2749 strikeouts, 415 walks, 195/249 quality starts, 48 complete games, 128 ERA+, and 43.3 WAR. For his career, Naqvi had a 203-123 record, 2.41 ERA, 3200 innings, 4638 strikeouts, 742 walks, 324/432 quality starts, 122 ERA+, and 75.6 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks seventh in strikeouts, 13^th in pitching WAR, and 19^th in wins. Naqvi is also 22^nd in ERA among all pitchers with 1000 career innings and rates highly in many other rate stats. As of 2037 among pitchers with 1000 innings, Naqvi has the second-best H/9 (5.88), ninth-best K/9 (13.04), fifth-best WHIP (0.89), second-best opponent’s batting average (.185), tenth-best OBP (.240), and eighth-best OPS (.554). The boom-or-bust nature of Naqvi’s pitching at times meant he only won POTY once despite such impressive stats. Others argue that if he was smarter and had a better work ethic, then Naqvi might have ended up in the GOAT-level territory. Still, he was a no-doubt Hall of Famer and at 98.0% had the highest percentage in the impressive four-player 2012 ABF class. Bedirhan “Shepherd” Uzun – Starting Pitcher – Bursa Blue Claws – 96.1% First Ballot Bedirhan Uzun was a 6’7’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Tire, a city of 87,000 in Turkey’s Izmir Province. Uzun had very solid stuff along with average to above average movement and control. A 95-97 mph sinker was his primary pitch, although he also had a slider and changeup in his arsenal. Uzun had an extreme groundball tendency, but he also could record strikeouts effectively in his prime. Uzun’s stamina was strong, leading the league twice in complete games and once in innings pitched. He was also solid defensively and was effective at holding runners. Injuries would ultimately greatly limit his final numbers, but Uzun’s intelligence allowed him to maximize the innings he had. By the 1994 ABF Draft, many had Uzun as the top Turkish prospect. Bursa selected him with the third overall pick and made him a full-time starter immediately. Uzun led in walks and losses as a rookie, but showed flashes of potential. His second season did see a major setback as a torn back muscle knocked him out five months. Uzun bounced back with an excellent third season with 8.0 WAR, taking second in 1997 Pitcher of the Year voting. Bursa earned its first-ever playoff berth and started what would be a nine-year playoff streak. They had the top record in the West Asia Association in both 1997 and 1998, but lost both years to Isfahan for the WAA pennant. In 1998, Uzun led the WAA in wins (26-6), strikeouts (373), quality starts (25), and complete games (22). He also had a career-best 10.2 WAR, but finished second again in POTY voting. That effort earned a five-year, $5,900,000 extension with the Blue Claws in the offseason. Uzun took third in 1999, which had a league and career-best 0.93 WHIP. That year also saw Bursa finally beat Isfahan for the pennant, although they lost in the ABF Championship to Hyderabad. Post expansion in 2000, Bursa lost in the 2000 and 2002 West League Championship Series. The Blue Claws did win the 2001 pennant, but were denied their first ABF title by Dushanbe. In the playoffs for Bursa, Uzun had a 3.24 ERA over 94.1 innings, 6-6 record, 139 strikeouts, 17 walks, 107 ERA+, and 2.6 WAR. In 2002, Uzun had a career and league-best 1.66 ERA, but missed the final months of the season to a strained forearm. Still, that earned a third in POTY voting. Uzun took second again in 2003, posting a career best 401 strikeouts. He was also the league leader in WAR (9.8) and wins (22-5). That marked his final season with Bursa, entering free agency at age 32. With the Blue Claws, Uzun had a 150-76 record, 2.56 ERA, 2050.1 innings, 2673 strikeouts, 494 walks, 138 ERA+, and 58.6 WAR. Unfortunately for him, he left just before they finally won the ABF title in 2004. Still, Uzun’s #31 uniform would get retired for his role in turning them into a contender. Uzun got paid, signing a five-year, $26,000,000 deal with Istanbul. 2004 also marked his first time pitching in the World Baseball Championship for Turkey. He posted a 1.95 ERA over 64.2 innings from 2004-06 with 70 strikeouts, 20 walks, and a 179 ERA+. It was an excellent debut for Uzun with Istanbul, leading in ERA at 2.01 with a career-best 28 quality starts. He also topped 350+ strikeouts for the fifth time, but again still couldn’t win Pitcher of the Year, taking second. The Ironmen had the top seed at 104-58, but were upset by Ankara in the first round. Uzun gave up three runs in 7.2 innings for his playoff start. It looked like Istanbul had made a good investment, but things fell quickly for Uzun. He missed most of 2005 to a torn meniscus, but was back in time to allow four runs in eight innings in his lone playoff start. The Ironmen again went one-and-done that year. Although they continued their playoff streak and eventually won titles in 2007 and 2008, Uzun wouldn’t be there for them. Uzun only saw 32.1 innings in 2006, missing the early part of the season to shoulder bursitis. Soon after returning, he suffered a stretched elbow ligament that effectively ended his career. Uzun was on roster for 2007, but never made it back to the field. He retired that winter at age 36, finishing the Istanbul run with a 25-13 record, 2.42 ERA, 372 innings, 478 strikeouts, and 9.4 WAR. The final stats: 175-89 record, 2.54 ERA, 2422.1 innings, 3151 strikeouts, 591 walks, 212/292 quality starts, 146 complete games, 139 ERA+, 71 FIP-, and 68.0 WAR. Uzun ranks 23^rd in pitching WAR as of 2037 and 42^nd in strikeouts. Injuries certainly hurt him from having more impressive accumulations, but Uzun was in the Pitcher of the Year mix consistently in his career, even if he didn’t ever win it. The voters recognized that and inducted him easily at 96.1%. Uzun had the second-best percentage amongst ABF’s impressive four-player 2012 Hall of Fame class. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)