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FuzzyRussianHat · 09-18-2024, 02:02 PM

Roberto Baccin – First Base/Right Field – Madrid Conquistadors – 96.3% First Ballot

Roberto Baccin was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed first baseman from Venice, Italy; located in the northeast with around 258,000 inhabitants. Baccin had a very well rounded bat and was one of the better contact hitters of his era with a solid eye for walks and avoiding strikeouts. He wasn’t a prolific power hitter, but Baccin had no shortage of extra base hits. Per his 162 game average, he got 33 doubles, 9 triples, and 25 home runs. Baccin’s speed and baserunning were both good-to-great.

Defensively, Baccin’s career was split almost evenly between first base and right field with a slight lead for 1B. While those are spots that you often hide bad glovemen, Baccin posted very good defense in both spots. He won two Gold Gloves in right field early in his career. Baccin had strong durability and was loyal, but he wasn’t much for leadership. He wasn’t incredible at any one thing, but Baccin was good to great across the board, becoming one of the most steady performers during Madrid’s 2000s dynasty run.

Although well known for his time in the Spanish capital, Baccin didn’t get there until his 30s. He was the #1 overall draft pick in 1988 by Malta, where he spent the first eight years of his career. The Marvels hoped Baccin could be the one to finally turn the perennial loser into a success. He wasn’t a magician despite his talents though, as Malta averaged 67 wins per season in Baccin’s run.

It was hard to get noticed on the worst franchise in the league, but Baccin did win his Gold Gloves there in 1992 and 1994. He was a full-time starter immediately, although he was merely okay in his first three years. Baccin emerged as a great starter with 5+ WAR each year from 1992-1996, including 8.2 WAR in 1992. Baccin’s only time leading a stat was his .398 OBP in 1996 for the Marvels.

Although his pro career kept him from his native Italy, Baccin was a staple for his country from 1990-2008 in the World Baseball Championship with 150 games and 117 starts. He posted 109 hits, 60 runs, 24 doubles, 18 home runs, 49 RBI, a .242/.318/.420 slash, 113 wRC+, and 2.4 WAR.

With Malta, Baccin had 1382 hits, 641 runs, 218 doubles, 77 triples, 174 home runs, 653 RBI, 170 stolen bases, a .306/.352/.504 slash, 136 wRC+, and 41.3 WAR. He had signed a five-year, $12,940,000 extension after the 1994 season, but grew tired of the losing. Baccin opted out of his deal after the 1996 season, becoming a free agent heading towards his age 30 season. Madrid was very interested, signing him for seven years and $21,080,000.

The Conquistadors were coming off a subpar 73-89 season, their worst effort since the 1960s. They hoped a reliable guy like Baccin could get them back into contention. From 1997-2005, Baccin gave them 6+ WAR each year but 2003 (and only narrowly missed it that year despite losing seven weeks to a strained hip muscle).

He never did win a Silver Slugger though competing against the great sluggers at his positions. Still, Baccin took second in MVP voting in both 2001 and 2002. 2000 saw a batting title at .386 and a career and conference best 1.061 OPS and 191 wRC+. He led in average and OBP again in 2001 and had 8+ WAR each year from 2000-2002. Baccin also led twice in doubles, once in runs, and once in doubles.

Baccin’s presence helped Madrid become a regular contender again. They ended an eight-year playoff drought in 1999, winning the European Championship against Hamburg. The Conquistadors started a seven-year playoff streak and won the Southern Conference pennant again in 2000, 2002, and 2004. They lost the finals in 2000 and 2002 to Kharkiv and were defeated in 2004 by Copenhagen.

In the playoffs, Baccin’s production remained solid, including a conference finals MVP in 2002. Over 87 games and 84 starts, he had 110 hits, 51 runs, 17 doubles, 5 triples, 10 home runs, 54 RBI, 21 stolen bases, a .332/.381/.505 slash, 143 wRC+, and 3.4 WAR. This made Baccin very popular in Madrid with his #35 uniform eventually being retired.

The Conquistadors gave Baccin a three-year, $17,400,000 extension after the 2002 season. He started missing some time to nagging injuries in his late 30s, but his production remained excellent. Baccin became a free agent after the 2005 season, which saw him cross the 3000 hit and 1500 RBI thresholds. He would re-up with Madrid for another two years and $15,500,000. After another two solid seasons, Baccin added another two years and $8,400,000 before the 2007 season.

It was looking like Baccin had a shot at Jacob Ronnberg’s all-time hits mark of 3520, sitting with 3409 hits after a 4.9 WAR 2007 season. Baccin had also posted 33 doubles in 2007, passing Jack Kennedy for EBF’s all-time doubles record. However, age and regression finally caught him that year, posting 0.2 WAR over only 42 games and 25 starts. Baccin was cooked and decided to retire that winter at age 41 instead of trying to hang around.

Baccin ended with 3439 hits, 1665 runs, 567 doubles, 146 triples, 436 home runs, 1699 RBI, 911 walks, 533 stolen bases, a .329/.380/.537 slash, 153 wRC+, and 115.2 WAR. As of 2037, Baccin is 4^th in doubles, 6^th in hits, 18^th in RBI, 17^th in runs, and 19^th in WAR among position players. Those are amazing tallies for a guy who never won MVP or a Silver Slugger.

Anyone who watched him knew that Baccin was one of the most complete players of his era. He was a critical part of Madrid’s Southern Conference dominance to start the 21^st Century and would be the headliner in most Hall of Fame classes. Baccin was the #2 vote-getter in 2014 at 96.3%, earning his spot with the all-timers.

Giulio Lago – Outfielder – Naples Nobles – 88.3% First Ballot

Giulio Lago was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed outfielder from Fermo, Italy; a town of 37,000 people near the Adriatic coast. Lago was a very good contact hitter with a respectable eye for walks and average strikeout rates. He was a master at getting extra base hits and finding the gap, getting 32 doubles and 15 triples per his 162 game average. Lago also boasted reliably solid home run power, topping 30+ eight times and 40+ twice. He had very good speed, but his baserunning instincts were average at best.

Lago made around 2/3 of his starts in right field, where he graded as an excellent defender. His range wasn’t quite good enough to thrive in center, posting below average metrics there. About ¼ of his starts came in center with the rest in left with average results. Lago ended up as one of Italy’s more popular players of the 1990s and 2000s.

Naples selected Lago 6^th overall in the 1993 EBF Draft and made him a full-time starter immediately. He held a starting job for 13 years with the Nobles, only missing some time to various injuries. Lago posted 4.6 WAR and a .922 OPS to earn 1994 Rookie of the Year honors. By his third year, Lago posted his first of seven seasons worth 6+ WAR.

Lago first received MVP consideration in 1997, leading the Southern Conference with 45 doubles and a .422 on-base percentage. The doubles mark, his 25 triples, and 199 wRC+ were each career-bests. He also had a 1.095 OPS and 10.2 WAR, taking second in MVP voting and his first Silver Slugger. This effort gave Naples back-to-back .500 seasons. The Nobles hadn’t had many seasons at or above .500 in recent memory, as their playoff drought grew to 26 years.

That snapped in 1998 with an unexpected 98-64 finish and their first-ever European Championship, beating Berlin for the title. Lago won MVP honors and a Silver Slugger, leading with a career-best 10.6 WAR and 206 hits. He also had career bests in runs (121), homers (48), and RBI (123). In 18 playoff starts, Lago had 27 hits, 10 runs, 6 doubles, 3 homers, 13 RBI, a .954 OPS, and 0.8 WAR. This run forever cemented Lago’s place in Naples’ lore.

Lago had already seen some popularity in all of Italy playing in the World Baseball Championship. He had 131 games and 116 starts from 1995-2008 with 113 hits, 68 runs, 18 doubles, 34 home runs, 70 RBI, a .256/.330/.537 slash, 151 wRC+, and 3.9 WAR.

Late in the 1998 season, Naples locked Lago up with an eight-year, $27,800,000 extension. The Nobles wouldn’t sustain the team success, losing in the first round in 1999 after a division title. They also had wild cards in 2004 and 2006, but went one-and-done both years, hovering around the mid-tier otherwise.

Lago had a great 1999, winning a batting title (.378) while also leading in OBP (.426), OPS (1.088), and WAR (9.1) to take second in MVP voting. This would be his last time as a league leader or MVP contender, although Lago did win additional Silver Sluggers in 2001, 2002, 2004, and 2005. His rate stats remained strong, topping a one OPS four more times. However from 2000-2006, Lago missed a month or more in five different seasons due to various injuries.

After the 2006 season, Lago became a free agent for the first time at age 36. With Naples, he had 2209 hits, 1165 runs, 373 doubles, 194 triples, 409 home runs, 1233 RBI, 416 stolen bases, a .329/.383/.625 slash, 171 wRC+, and 88.2 WAR. The Nobles would later retire his #11 uniform and he’d remain a popular figure for decades to come in Naples.

Lago signed a two-year, $16,400,000 deal with Munich, who hoped he could help them get over the playoff hump. Although the Mavericks were conference champs in 2001, they hadn’t gotten back with first round exits from 2002-04 and conference finals losses in 2005 and 2006. Munich’s playoff streak continued, but they fared no better with Lago with a first round loss in 2007 and second round defeat in 2008.

His production was the lowest of his career to that point, but Lago was still a positive value starter. In two years in Germany, he had 273 hits, 150 runs, 50 doubles, 15 triples, 52 home runs, 185 RBI, a .279/.339/.521 slash, 130 wRC+, and 6.4 WAR. This marked the end of his EBF Elite career, as he had to broaden his job search as a 38-yar old free agent.

Lago ended up in Saudi Arabia in 2009 for Mecca, but was unremarkable with a 1.3 WAR and 117 wRC+ over 113 games. He came back to Europe in 2010, but as a part-time starter with the Second League’s Odesa. Lago was unsigned in 2011 and retired that winter at age 41.

His EBF Elite numbers saw 2482 hits, 1315 runs, 423 doubles, 209 triples, 461 home runs, 1418 RBI, 707 walks, 481 stolen bases, a .323/.378/.611 slash, 166 wRC+, and 94.6 WAR. All of the extra base hits helped Lago rank 40^th in slugging among all batters with 3000+ plate appearances as of 2037 despite ranking merely 79^th in homers. Lago’s .989 career OPS also sits 34^th best.

He also ranks 44^th in WAR among position players, 41^st in doubles, 52^nd in hits, and 47^th in RBI. Lago wasn’t the tip-top guy in many years, but he was consistently a top ten outfielder in EBF for many years and a big part of Naples’ only European Championship trophy. Lago received 88.3% for the first ballot induction to complete an impressive three-player 2014 Hall of Fame class.

09-18-2024, 02:02 PM	#1624
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,966	2014 EBF Hall of Fame (Part 2) Roberto Baccin – First Base/Right Field – Madrid Conquistadors – 96.3% First Ballot Roberto Baccin was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed first baseman from Venice, Italy; located in the northeast with around 258,000 inhabitants. Baccin had a very well rounded bat and was one of the better contact hitters of his era with a solid eye for walks and avoiding strikeouts. He wasn’t a prolific power hitter, but Baccin had no shortage of extra base hits. Per his 162 game average, he got 33 doubles, 9 triples, and 25 home runs. Baccin’s speed and baserunning were both good-to-great. Defensively, Baccin’s career was split almost evenly between first base and right field with a slight lead for 1B. While those are spots that you often hide bad glovemen, Baccin posted very good defense in both spots. He won two Gold Gloves in right field early in his career. Baccin had strong durability and was loyal, but he wasn’t much for leadership. He wasn’t incredible at any one thing, but Baccin was good to great across the board, becoming one of the most steady performers during Madrid’s 2000s dynasty run. Although well known for his time in the Spanish capital, Baccin didn’t get there until his 30s. He was the #1 overall draft pick in 1988 by Malta, where he spent the first eight years of his career. The Marvels hoped Baccin could be the one to finally turn the perennial loser into a success. He wasn’t a magician despite his talents though, as Malta averaged 67 wins per season in Baccin’s run. It was hard to get noticed on the worst franchise in the league, but Baccin did win his Gold Gloves there in 1992 and 1994. He was a full-time starter immediately, although he was merely okay in his first three years. Baccin emerged as a great starter with 5+ WAR each year from 1992-1996, including 8.2 WAR in 1992. Baccin’s only time leading a stat was his .398 OBP in 1996 for the Marvels. Although his pro career kept him from his native Italy, Baccin was a staple for his country from 1990-2008 in the World Baseball Championship with 150 games and 117 starts. He posted 109 hits, 60 runs, 24 doubles, 18 home runs, 49 RBI, a .242/.318/.420 slash, 113 wRC+, and 2.4 WAR. With Malta, Baccin had 1382 hits, 641 runs, 218 doubles, 77 triples, 174 home runs, 653 RBI, 170 stolen bases, a .306/.352/.504 slash, 136 wRC+, and 41.3 WAR. He had signed a five-year, $12,940,000 extension after the 1994 season, but grew tired of the losing. Baccin opted out of his deal after the 1996 season, becoming a free agent heading towards his age 30 season. Madrid was very interested, signing him for seven years and $21,080,000. The Conquistadors were coming off a subpar 73-89 season, their worst effort since the 1960s. They hoped a reliable guy like Baccin could get them back into contention. From 1997-2005, Baccin gave them 6+ WAR each year but 2003 (and only narrowly missed it that year despite losing seven weeks to a strained hip muscle). He never did win a Silver Slugger though competing against the great sluggers at his positions. Still, Baccin took second in MVP voting in both 2001 and 2002. 2000 saw a batting title at .386 and a career and conference best 1.061 OPS and 191 wRC+. He led in average and OBP again in 2001 and had 8+ WAR each year from 2000-2002. Baccin also led twice in doubles, once in runs, and once in doubles. Baccin’s presence helped Madrid become a regular contender again. They ended an eight-year playoff drought in 1999, winning the European Championship against Hamburg. The Conquistadors started a seven-year playoff streak and won the Southern Conference pennant again in 2000, 2002, and 2004. They lost the finals in 2000 and 2002 to Kharkiv and were defeated in 2004 by Copenhagen. In the playoffs, Baccin’s production remained solid, including a conference finals MVP in 2002. Over 87 games and 84 starts, he had 110 hits, 51 runs, 17 doubles, 5 triples, 10 home runs, 54 RBI, 21 stolen bases, a .332/.381/.505 slash, 143 wRC+, and 3.4 WAR. This made Baccin very popular in Madrid with his #35 uniform eventually being retired. The Conquistadors gave Baccin a three-year, $17,400,000 extension after the 2002 season. He started missing some time to nagging injuries in his late 30s, but his production remained excellent. Baccin became a free agent after the 2005 season, which saw him cross the 3000 hit and 1500 RBI thresholds. He would re-up with Madrid for another two years and $15,500,000. After another two solid seasons, Baccin added another two years and $8,400,000 before the 2007 season. It was looking like Baccin had a shot at Jacob Ronnberg’s all-time hits mark of 3520, sitting with 3409 hits after a 4.9 WAR 2007 season. Baccin had also posted 33 doubles in 2007, passing Jack Kennedy for EBF’s all-time doubles record. However, age and regression finally caught him that year, posting 0.2 WAR over only 42 games and 25 starts. Baccin was cooked and decided to retire that winter at age 41 instead of trying to hang around. Baccin ended with 3439 hits, 1665 runs, 567 doubles, 146 triples, 436 home runs, 1699 RBI, 911 walks, 533 stolen bases, a .329/.380/.537 slash, 153 wRC+, and 115.2 WAR. As of 2037, Baccin is 4^th in doubles, 6^th in hits, 18^th in RBI, 17^th in runs, and 19^th in WAR among position players. Those are amazing tallies for a guy who never won MVP or a Silver Slugger. Anyone who watched him knew that Baccin was one of the most complete players of his era. He was a critical part of Madrid’s Southern Conference dominance to start the 21^st Century and would be the headliner in most Hall of Fame classes. Baccin was the #2 vote-getter in 2014 at 96.3%, earning his spot with the all-timers. Giulio Lago – Outfielder – Naples Nobles – 88.3% First Ballot Giulio Lago was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed outfielder from Fermo, Italy; a town of 37,000 people near the Adriatic coast. Lago was a very good contact hitter with a respectable eye for walks and average strikeout rates. He was a master at getting extra base hits and finding the gap, getting 32 doubles and 15 triples per his 162 game average. Lago also boasted reliably solid home run power, topping 30+ eight times and 40+ twice. He had very good speed, but his baserunning instincts were average at best. Lago made around 2/3 of his starts in right field, where he graded as an excellent defender. His range wasn’t quite good enough to thrive in center, posting below average metrics there. About ¼ of his starts came in center with the rest in left with average results. Lago ended up as one of Italy’s more popular players of the 1990s and 2000s. Naples selected Lago 6^th overall in the 1993 EBF Draft and made him a full-time starter immediately. He held a starting job for 13 years with the Nobles, only missing some time to various injuries. Lago posted 4.6 WAR and a .922 OPS to earn 1994 Rookie of the Year honors. By his third year, Lago posted his first of seven seasons worth 6+ WAR. Lago first received MVP consideration in 1997, leading the Southern Conference with 45 doubles and a .422 on-base percentage. The doubles mark, his 25 triples, and 199 wRC+ were each career-bests. He also had a 1.095 OPS and 10.2 WAR, taking second in MVP voting and his first Silver Slugger. This effort gave Naples back-to-back .500 seasons. The Nobles hadn’t had many seasons at or above .500 in recent memory, as their playoff drought grew to 26 years. That snapped in 1998 with an unexpected 98-64 finish and their first-ever European Championship, beating Berlin for the title. Lago won MVP honors and a Silver Slugger, leading with a career-best 10.6 WAR and 206 hits. He also had career bests in runs (121), homers (48), and RBI (123). In 18 playoff starts, Lago had 27 hits, 10 runs, 6 doubles, 3 homers, 13 RBI, a .954 OPS, and 0.8 WAR. This run forever cemented Lago’s place in Naples’ lore. Lago had already seen some popularity in all of Italy playing in the World Baseball Championship. He had 131 games and 116 starts from 1995-2008 with 113 hits, 68 runs, 18 doubles, 34 home runs, 70 RBI, a .256/.330/.537 slash, 151 wRC+, and 3.9 WAR. Late in the 1998 season, Naples locked Lago up with an eight-year, $27,800,000 extension. The Nobles wouldn’t sustain the team success, losing in the first round in 1999 after a division title. They also had wild cards in 2004 and 2006, but went one-and-done both years, hovering around the mid-tier otherwise. Lago had a great 1999, winning a batting title (.378) while also leading in OBP (.426), OPS (1.088), and WAR (9.1) to take second in MVP voting. This would be his last time as a league leader or MVP contender, although Lago did win additional Silver Sluggers in 2001, 2002, 2004, and 2005. His rate stats remained strong, topping a one OPS four more times. However from 2000-2006, Lago missed a month or more in five different seasons due to various injuries. After the 2006 season, Lago became a free agent for the first time at age 36. With Naples, he had 2209 hits, 1165 runs, 373 doubles, 194 triples, 409 home runs, 1233 RBI, 416 stolen bases, a .329/.383/.625 slash, 171 wRC+, and 88.2 WAR. The Nobles would later retire his #11 uniform and he’d remain a popular figure for decades to come in Naples. Lago signed a two-year, $16,400,000 deal with Munich, who hoped he could help them get over the playoff hump. Although the Mavericks were conference champs in 2001, they hadn’t gotten back with first round exits from 2002-04 and conference finals losses in 2005 and 2006. Munich’s playoff streak continued, but they fared no better with Lago with a first round loss in 2007 and second round defeat in 2008. His production was the lowest of his career to that point, but Lago was still a positive value starter. In two years in Germany, he had 273 hits, 150 runs, 50 doubles, 15 triples, 52 home runs, 185 RBI, a .279/.339/.521 slash, 130 wRC+, and 6.4 WAR. This marked the end of his EBF Elite career, as he had to broaden his job search as a 38-yar old free agent. Lago ended up in Saudi Arabia in 2009 for Mecca, but was unremarkable with a 1.3 WAR and 117 wRC+ over 113 games. He came back to Europe in 2010, but as a part-time starter with the Second League’s Odesa. Lago was unsigned in 2011 and retired that winter at age 41. His EBF Elite numbers saw 2482 hits, 1315 runs, 423 doubles, 209 triples, 461 home runs, 1418 RBI, 707 walks, 481 stolen bases, a .323/.378/.611 slash, 166 wRC+, and 94.6 WAR. All of the extra base hits helped Lago rank 40^th in slugging among all batters with 3000+ plate appearances as of 2037 despite ranking merely 79^th in homers. Lago’s .989 career OPS also sits 34^th best. He also ranks 44^th in WAR among position players, 41^st in doubles, 52^nd in hits, and 47^th in RBI. Lago wasn’t the tip-top guy in many years, but he was consistently a top ten outfielder in EBF for many years and a big part of Naples’ only European Championship trophy. Lago received 88.3% for the first ballot induction to complete an impressive three-player 2014 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)