Baseball: The World's Game

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Defending Mexican League champ Juarez again had the top overall seed, this time at 103-59. The Jesters repeated as North Division champs and earned their fifth playoff berth in six years. Juarez impressively led in both runs scored (810) and fewest allowed (584) in the ML. They won the division by seven over Torreon, who took the first wild card at 96-66. That gave the Tomahawks their fourth playoff berth in a row.

Leon snagged the South Division for the fourth straight season at 99-63. Queretaro was their closest foe at 93-69. The Terriers tied with San Luis Potosi for the second wild card, while Ecatepec (92-70) finished one game short. Queretaro bested the Potros in the tiebreaker game to end a 32-year playoff drought back to 1983. That was the longest active skid in CABA and the Terriers hadn’t even finished above .500 back to 2003. The new longest active drought falls to Mexico City (since 1985), who had the ML’s worst record in 2016 at 63-99.

Leon’s Max Valentin became a two-time Mexican League MVP, having previously won in 2013. The 32-year old right fielder led in home runs (66), RBI (135), slugging (.748), OPS (1.124), and wRC+ (206). The 66 homers fell six short of the CABA single-season record. Valentin also had 8.3 WAR, 121 runs, and a .341 average. In the prior March, the Lions locked him up for good at six years and $79,200,000.

Juarez’s Gibson Nieto earned Pitcher of the Year as the WARlord at 8.4. The 25-year old Puerto Rican had a 2.60 ERA over 240.1 innings, 17-8 record, 303 strikeouts, and 152 ERA+. Nieto signed a four-year, $49,200,000 extension after the 2015 season, but ended up falling towards below average production by 2019.

The division champs won in the first round of the playoffs with Juarez over Queretaro 3-1 and Leon over Torreon 3-0, setting up a rematch in the Mexican League Championship Series. The Jesters again prevailed over the Lions, although they needed all seven games to do it. Juarez earned their third pennant in five years and their 14^th overall, tying them with Ecatepec for the second-most in the ML.



Salvador surprised many by not only winning the Continental Division, but earning the Caribbean League’s #1 seed at 96-66. The Stallions ended a seven-year playoff drought and took the division crown by seven games over Suriname. Last year’s division winner Honduras was a non-factor at 75-87, while Panama couldn’t repeat as a wild card with their fall to 82-80. Both wild cards came out of a very competitive Island Division.

Jamaica took it at 95-67, falling one short of the top seed. The Jazz earned their third straight playoff berth, taking the division by three over Havana and four over reigning CABA champ Haiti. Suriname at 89-73 fell two short of the second wild card, while the next closest was Guatemala at 85-77.

The Hurricanes ended a six-year playoff drought, while the Herons grew their streak to five. In the last 20 years, Haiti has a remarkable 19 playoff berths, the most by a CABA team in such a stretch. That was the most in CABA history for a 20-year stretch, besting out 18/20 runs by both Monterrey and Ecatepec during their prime runs.

Costa Rica was just above .500, but they had the Caribbean League MVP in 1B Tomas Sesura. The 27-year old Honduran lefty led in total bases at 370. Sesura had 38 home runs, 105 RBI, a .338/.381/.593 slash, 160 wRC+, and 7.1 WAR. That effort earned Sesura a seven-year, $103,000,000 extension the following fall. However, he would opt out early and leave for MLB.

Havana’s Adrian Estrella won his third Pitcher of the Year, having won back in 2008 and 2013 with Panama. He joined the Hurricanes in 2015 on a five-year, $33,500,000 free agent deal. The 33-year old Salvadoran righty led in WAR (7.3), and quality starts (24). Estrella had a 2.77 ERA over 247 innings, 16-8 record, 276 strikeouts, and 145 ERA+.

Haiti upset top seed Salvador 3-2 in the first round, while Havana upset #2 seed Jamaica 3-1. The Herons were looking for the repeat, while the Hurricanes hadn’t been in the Caribbean League Championship Series since their 2009 title. Havana had home field advantage and dethroned Haiti 4-2 to become seven-time Caribbean champs.



In the 106^th Central American Baseball Association Championship, Juarez cruised to a 4-1 victory over Havana. The Jesters became a four-time CABA champ, having also won in 1977, 78, and 81. This continued an impressive run of parity with nine different CABA champs in nine years. Finals MVP was CF Gangzhun Peng, who joined Juarez in 2014 after a decade with Hong Kong. The 33-year old Chinese lefty had 15 playoff starts with 19 hits, 8 runs, 3 doubles, 2 homers, and 7 RBI.



Other notes: CABA’s 35^th Perfect Game came on August 7 by Monterrey’s Jimeno Calleros, who struck out 10 against Mexicali. Juan Castro and David Jack became the 17^th and 18^th members of the 600 home run club. Castro also became the 44^th to reach 1500 runs scored. CF Santiago Flores won his ninth straight Gold Glove. C Luis Moran won his eighth Silver Slugger.

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Three teams in the National Association had 100+ wins in 2016, led by top seed Kansas City at 104-58. This was a franchise record for the Cougars, who earned their second playoff berth in three years. They hadn’t taken the Lower Midwest Division since back in 1991. Two-time defending NA champ St. Louis was a close second in the division at 99-63. The Cardinals were down from their impressive 112-wins the prior year, but still grew their playoff streak to four as the first wild card.

The second bye was East Division champ Philadelphia at 102-60. The Phillies got a third division title in a row and their fifth straight playoff berth. The fight for the second wild card was centered in the East with Baltimore (94-68) getting it by one game over Brooklyn (93-69), ending a four-year drought for the Orioles. The next closest were Boston (91-71) and Indianapolis (87-73).

Toronto repeated atop the Northeast Division at 100-62, nine ahead of the Red Sox. Both Montreal and Hartford had playoff streaks ended as they were around .500. In the Upper Midwest, Chicago (87-75) ended a 17-year playoff drought. The Cubs were six ahead of both Minneapolis and Omaha and seven better than defending division champ Detroit. At 80-82, the Tigers’ run of winning seasons ended at 19 years. Chicago scored the most runs in the NA at 756, while St. Louis allowed the fewest at 484.

In his MLB debut, RF Ching-Hui Lin won National Association MVP. The 32-year old Taiwanese lefty had been a four-time Taiwan-Philippine Association MVP with Taipei. Lin signed with Toronto in 2016 for four-years and $87,200,000 and immediately delivered, leading in home runs (51), RBI (143), runs (122), and total bases (388) Linn also had a .325 average, 1.035 OPS, 215 wRC+, and 9.1 WAR

Pitcher of the Year was veteran Easton MacGregor in his third year with Philadelphia. The 33-year old Michigander had played the first decade of his career with Memphis before getting traded to the Phillies in 2014. MacGregor led in wins at 21-7 and posted a 2.16 ERA, 250.1 innings, 214 strikeouts, 163 ERA+, and 7.4 WAR.

Also worth a mention was Rookie of the Year Mike Rojas, who was picked third overall by Cincinnati out of Kansas. He broke the record for the most WAR by an MLB ROTY winner at 9.4, beating B.J. Scott’s 9.1 from 1925. Scott won MVP that year as well, while Rojas finished second with an NA best .343/.418/.705 slash, 1.123 OPS, and 228 wRC+. Rojas would become an all-timer over the next two decades for the Reds.

St. Louis’s three-peat hopes ended quickly as Chicago swept them in the first round of the playoffs. Toronto edged Baltimore 2-1 on the other side, then upset Philadelphia 3-2 in round two. Top seed Kansas City held on 3-2 in their own second round battle with the Cubs. The Timberwolves earned back-to-back appearances in the National Association Championship Series, while the Cougars got their second in three years.

Toronto seemed on their way to the road upset with a 3-0 start to the series. However, Kansas City completed the rally to win 4-3, becoming the first team in MLB’s 116-year history to pull off the comeback from down 3-0. KC got its sixth pennant and ended a 24-year drought with their prior wins in 1937, 61, 62, 76, and 91.



The top two records in the American Association battled for both the #1 seed and the Southwest Division title. Phoenix and San Francisco tied for both at 100-62, requiring a one-game tiebreaker won by the Firebirds. Phoenix grew their playoff streak to five with their third division title in that run, while the Gold Rush ended a 16-year playoff drought. The Firebirds allowed the fewest runs in the AA at 529.

Las Vegas (91-71), Albuquerque (90-72), and Oakland (89-73) each had solid years, but all just missed out on the second wild card. Despite going 80-82, San Diego scored the most runs in the AA at 802. Meanwhile Los Angeles’ playoff streak ended at six as the Angels took last in the Southwest at 70-93.

Charlotte very nearly got the #1 seed at 99-63, falling one short, but they still easily nabbed the second bye as Southeast Division champ. The Canaries ended a three-year playoff drought, beating Nashville (95-67) and Tampa (90-72). The Knights got the second wild card by four games to end a six-year playoff drought, while the Thunderbirds’ six-year streak ended.

The longest active playoff streak went to reigning World Series champ Denver, who won their seventh straight Northwest Division at 93-69. This tied the MLB record for consecutive division titles with Ottawa’s 1932-38 run. Salt Lake City was the Dragons’ closest foe at 85-77. New Orleans ended San Antonio’s three-year reign atop the South Central with an 87-75 mark, ending a 15-year playoff drought for the Mudcats. Dallas was second at 82-80, followed by the 80-82 Oilers.

DH Killian Fruechte had won MVPs in 2009 and 2012 in the National Association for Onaha. He joined San Diego in 2015 on a mammoth seven-year, $179,400,000 deal, but missed half the year to a torn labrum. Healthy in 2016, the 32-year old lefty earned American Association MVP for the Seals. Fruetche led in runs (138), homers (55), total bases (383), and slugging (.621). He added 8.2 WAR, a 1.020 OPS, and 180 wRC+. Fruechte also became an eight-time Silver Slugger winner, although it was his first as a DH.

Pitcher of the Year went to Charlotte’s J.J. Grove, who led in wins (23-8), ERA (2.45), and quality starts (23). Grove added 191 strikeouts over 260.2 innings, a 160 ERA+, and 6.5 WAR. This got him his big payday, but Grove shocked many by leaving for Mexico on a seven-year $64,800,000 deal with Ciudad Guayana in a rare case of a prime player leaving MLB. Sadly, Grove blew out his elbow in spring training 2017 and only posted average stats when then onward.

Both first round matchups went 2-1 to the wild cards with San Francisco over New Orleans and Nashville over Denver, ending the Dragons’ hope of a repeat title. Charlotte surprisingly swept the Gold Rush in round two, while the Knights upset Phoenix 3-1. The Canaries earned their first American Association Championship Series berth since 2012, while it was Nashville’s first since their 2009 title. That year also saw two Southeast Division teams collide as the Knights beat Jacksonville.

In a seven-game classic, Charlotte defeated Nashville 4-3 for the Canaries’ fourth-ever pennant. Not many were alive from the last once 75 years prior, as Charlotte’s pennants had come in 1923, 1937, and 1941. The Canaries’ only prior World Series win came in 1937 sweep of Kansas City; coincidentally the team they’d meet in the 116^th World Series.



The 2016 World Series rematch also went to Charlotte, although this time it was more competitive with a 4-2 result over Kansas City. The 79-year gap between titles was among the largest in pro baseball history. In his third year starting, 3B Ethan Harrington earned World Series MVP. The 26-year old Kentuckian in 16 playoff starts had 15 hits, 7 runs, 2 doubles, 4 home runs, and 9 RBI.



Other notes: CF Morgan Short became MLB’s new WARlord among position players in 2016, dethroning Elijah Cashman’s nearly century-long reign with 136.6. The 35-year old Short got 9.1 in 2016 with Brooklyn to get to 140.6. Short finished 2016 at 4^th in WAR among all-players with three pitchers ahead of him, led by Ned Giles at 151.7.

Short also grew his MLB-record for Silver Sluggers with 14, ultimately his final one. No other player in world history had 14 in center to this point and only AAB’s Mwarami Tale would later achieve that feat. Short also won his sixth Gold Glove. Cody Lim became the 23^rd member of the 600 home run club.

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The seventh Baseball Grand Championship was held in Rio de Janeiro with the automatic bids going to MLB’s Kansas City and Charlotte, CABA’s Havana and Juarez, EAB’s Changwon and Yokohama, BSA’s Rio de Janeiro and Callao, EBF’s Amsterdam and Zurich, EPB’s Moscow, OBA’s Guam, APB’s Semarang, CLB’s Changwon, WAB’s Dakar, SAB’s Hanoi, ABF’s Tehran, ALB’s Damascus, and AAB’s Brazzaville.

The wild card slot went to OBA runner-up Christchurch, who had tied the world record for wins in a regular season at 126-36. Guam denied them the Oceania Championship and carried that momentum into an ultra-competitive BGC. Only two wins separated first from ninth and three wins separated first from 12^th. However, Golden Eagles managed to emerge from the chaos as the Grand Champion.



Despite only a +1 run differential, Guam managed to win the tight games to prevail and like against the Chinooks in the OBA final, came through in the clutch. It was a massive celebration for one of pro baseball’s smallest markets by population with only around 168,000 people living in the unincorporated territory of the United States. At 13-6, the Golden Eagles were the first-ever Oceania Baseball Association team to claim the Grand Championship, giving four leagues a title thus far (four by MLB, one each to OBA, EAB, and AAB).

Three teams were one back on Guam at 12-7; Hanoi, Kansas City, and Zurich. Officially based on tiebreakers, the Cougars took second place, the Hounds third, and Mountaineers fourth. Hanoi’s finish was the highest to that point by a South Asia Baseball team. Zurich scored the most runs of any team at 93, followed by Kansas City (89) and Tehran (88). The Mountaineers had the best run differential at +25, followed by the Hounds (+23) and KC (+20).



Five teams finished tied for fifth at 11-8; Christchurch, Havana, Juarez, Tehran, and Yokohama. The Hurricanes allowed the fewest runs at 55, followed by Hanoi (57) and Semarang (60). Next were three teams at 10-9; Amsterdam, Charlotte, and Semarang.

Alone in 13^th was Moscow at 9-10, followed by 8-11 efforts by Callao, Changchun, and Rio de Janeiro. Damascus was 17^th at 7-12, then at 6-13 were Brazzaville and Changwon at 6-13. Dakar was alone in the last place spot at 4-15 and had the worst run differential at -34.

Tournament MVP went to Changchun’s Tie Li. The fifth-year 1B in 19 starts had 24 hits, 11 runs, 2 doubles, 11 home runs, and 21 RBI with a 1.148 OPS and 1.6 WAR. He beat out Zurich 3B Ludevit Dano, who smacked 17 home runs with 23 RBI, 23 hits, and 21 runs. Dano set a new record for homers in the BGC that would only finally be matched in 2028. Best Pitcher was Moscow’s Andrei Linev with the 25-year old Russian posting a 0.67 ERA over 26.2 innings, a 2-0 record and 20 saves, 41 strikeouts, and 1.9 WAR.

Other notes: Amsterdam’s Luther Bowness set a new single-game strikeout record for the BGC, fanning 20 over 10 innings against Tehran.

Editor’s note: For whatever reason, some individual stats for players won’t show up on the season’s leaderboard, but they show up in the all-time records (like Dano’s 17 HR doesn’t show up on the season leaderboard, but it is confirmed in his player stats). This seems to just be a BGC issue, I caught it in previous editions as well.

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Major League Baseball had a three-player Hall of Fame class for 2017. SP Udugama Bandara was the headliner with a first-ballot 94.4% mark. Fellow pitcher Daniel Grondin also got in on the first ballot with an 83.7% debut. 2B Elias Wilson on his tenth and final opportunity made it in at a nice 69.0%, just crossing the 66% requirement.

SP Keifer Bobbins and SS Robert Hightower both earned 61.4% on their fourth ballots. Also crossing 50% was C Brayan Varela at 56.7% for his second try, C Elliott McKay at 54.9% for his tenth and final ballot, and C Sebastian Van Velzen debuted at 53.6%.



For Elliott McKay, he debuted at 51.0% and never fell below 50%. He got as high as 62.0% in 2015, but couldn’t cross the line. The anti-catcher bias with the lower offensive stats that come with the position hurt him. McKay had a 19-year career mostly with Toronto, winning five Silver Sluggers and one MVP.

McKay had 2380 hits, 1145 runs, 355 doubles, 340 home runs, 1113 RBI, 979 walks, a .277/.350/.441 slash, 140 wRC+, and 95.7 WAR. As of 2037, he has the third-most WAR at catcher, only behind Mason Wilkinson (103.8) and Luca Adams (96.8). McKay likely is one of the most egregious snubs for MLB’s HOF, but such is the life as a catcher.

Also dropped was 3B Elmeri Paavolainen, who had an 18-year career with Edmonton, Denver, and Austin. The Finnish righty debuted with a peak at 28.1% and fell to 10.3% at the end. Paavolainen won a Silver Slugger with 2796 hits, 1439 runs, 340 doubles, 214 triples, 146 home runs, 891 RBI, 848 stolen bases, a .300/.367/.430 slash, 116 wRC+, and 62.2 WAR. He ranks 14^th in stolen bases as of 2037, but didn’t have the power or accolades to stand out.

SP Stan Sentido was also dropped after ten ballots, debuting and peaking at 26.8% and ending at 7.2%. Sentido pitched 20 years with seven teams and posted a 225-218 record, 3.39 ERA, 4222 innings, 3387 strikeouts, 909 walks, 105 ERA+, 84 FIP-, and 90.9 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks 53^rd in pitching WAR. However, Sentido was dismissed as a compiler who lacked accolades and black ink. He was notable though for having a 2.00 ERA in his 94.2 playoff innings, playing a big role in Virginia Beach’s 1988 and 1990 World Series wins.



Udugama Bandara – Starting Pitcher – Columbus Chargers – 94.4% First Ballot

Udugama Bandara was a 6’4’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from Daluguma, Sri Lanka; a suburb of the capital Colombo with around 74,000 people. Bandara was known for having incredible movement on his pitches, rated as a 10/10 at his peak. He also had strong stuff and above average to good control. Bandara’s fastball hit the 97-99 mph mark, but his curveball and splitter were often his most dangerous pitches, leading to an extreme groundball tendency. He also had a rarely used changeup for a fourth pitch.

Bandara’s stamina was respectable and he was a good defensive pitcher. He also had excellent durability, making 32+ starts each year from 1993-2006. Bandara also brought a tremendous work ethic, allowing him to become one of MLB’s top pitchers of the 1990s and 2000s.

When Bandara was coming up, his native Sri Lanka had a very limited baseball scene. The country wouldn’t get a pro team in South Asia Baseball until 2008. Although Bandara dominated Sri Lanka’s limited amateur talent pool, it didn’t draw the attention of SAB teams. Despite being eligible multiple years, he wasn’t drafted into SAB. But he had managed to catch the attention of the Columbus Chargers, who gave him a sizeable $2,280,000 for one year to bring him to the United States.

The Chargers’ bet paid off with Bandara posting 4.4 in his debut, taking third in 1993’s Rookie of the Year voting. He was Columbus’ ace soon after, finishing above 6 WAR nine times in his run there. Bandara’s arm helped the Chargers become a contender with six playoff berths and four Lower Midwest Division titles from 1994-2001.

1994 saw an appearance in the National Association Championship Series for the first time since 1969, but Columbus lost to Cleveland. Unfortunately for the Chargers, they went 0-5 in their next five playoff series. In 1998, Columbus had the #1 seed at 100-62, but suffered an upset defeat to Toronto. You couldn’t blame Bandara though, as he had a 2.87 ERA over 47 playoff innings with 39 strikeouts and a 120 ERA+.

1996 saw Bandara toss a no-hitter on September 28 against Hartford, striking out 11 with one walk. After the 1997 season, Columbus gave him a six-year, $21,520,000 extension. In 1998, Bandara won Pitcher of the Year, leading in wins at 20-9. He finished with nine shutouts in 1999, earning third in POTY voting. As of 2037, Bandara is one of only 10 pitchers in MLB history to have nine or more shutouts in a season.

Bandara won his second Pitcher of the Year in 2000, which had his career-best ERA+ of 167. He led in wins in 2001, then took his lone ERA title in 2002 at 2.36 for a second in POTY voting. Bandara was a groundball and ‘pitch-to-contact’ type arm, so he didn’t get the big strikeout tallies. His black ink was surprisingly limited considering his overall run.

After 2002, Bandara declined the contract option, but re-signed shortly after on a five-year, $51,000,000 deal. He became less dominant as his velocity dwindled, but Bandara still was solid and reliable. By this point, Columbus had fallen towards the bottom of the standings mostly. After an ironman run to that point, Bandara had his first major injury in late June 2007 as a torn meniscus in his right knee knocked him out five months.

Columbus had bounced back to just above .500 at this point, but decided not to re-sign the soon-to-be 39-year old Bandara coming off injury. In total with the Chargers, he had a 239-171 record, 2.74 ERA, 3846.1 innings, 2743 strikeouts, 1088 walks, 345/516 quality starts, 126 ERA+, and 82.4 WAR. A few years later, Bandara’s #15 uniform would be retired in Columbus.

Plenty of teams still were interested and Bandara signed a three-year, $25,900,000 deal with Austin. He had a solid 2008 and helped the Amigos to a division title and the #2 seed, although they went one-and-done. They went .500 in 2009 as Bandara tore his meniscus again, missing the second half. In two years for Austin, he had a 27-14 record, 2.99 ERA, 364.1 innings, 211 strikeouts, 127 ERA+, and 7.5 WAR.

Bandara didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the third year, becoming a free agent again heading towards age 41. Kansas City gave him a three-year, $18,300,000 deal, but age started to catch up. Bandara missed a chunk of 2010 to rotator cuff inflammation and much of 2011 to an arthritic elbow. He was below average in his 314 innings for the Cougars with a 3.64 ERA, 93 ERA+, and 3.8 WAR. Bandara opted to retire after the 2011 campaign at age 42.

In total, Bandara had a 280-202 record, 2.82 ERA, 4524.2 innings, 3128 strikeouts, 1294 walks, 1.15 WHIP, 402/606 quality starts, 194 complete games, 69 shutouts, 123 ERA+, and 93.7 WAR. As of 2037, Bandara ranks 16^th in wins, 42^nd in WAR for pitchers, 23^rd in innings pitched, second in shutouts, and 85^th in strikeouts.

He retired as the leader in shutouts and would only later be passed by Vincent Lepp. This was especially interesting since Bandara didn’t crack the top 100 in complete games. Among all pitchers with 1000+ innings, his ERA ranks 61^st. Bandara didn’t have the raw dominance like some other greats, but he knew how to get outs and was as steady as they come. Thus, he received 94.4% to headline MLB’s three-player 2017 Hall of Fame class.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

Daniel Grondin – Starting Pitcher – Calgary Cheetahs – 83.7% First Ballot

Daniel Grondin was a 6’4’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Abbotsford, British Columbia; a city of 153,000 just outside of the Greater Vancouver area. Grondin was a fireballer with absolutely incredible stuff which some scouts rated an 11/10 at his peak. He also had fantastic movement and above average control. Grondin’s 99-101 mph cutter was an all-timer, but his sinker was a strong counter pitch. He also had a curveball in the arsenal.

Grondin was a good defensive pitcher, but was terrible at holding runners. He had strong stamina in his prime with good durability, but his body broke down into his 30s. Grondin was loyal and generally kept to himself, but his pitching dominance made him a popular player for the Canadian baseball fan.

He left Canada for the much warmer University of Miami, posting a 24-7 record, 2.29 ERA, 295 innings, 349 strikeouts, 151 ERA+, and 12.2 WAR in three years for the Hurricanes. In his junior season, he earned his first spot on Canada’s team for the World Baseball Championship. Grondin dominated in the WBC from 1997-2010 with an 18-8 record, 1.74 ERA, 223 innings, 394 strikeouts, 64 walks, 204 ERA+, and 9.7 WAR.

Among all WBC pitchers as of 2037, Grondin ranks 21^st in WAR and 28^th in strikeouts. He won Best Pitcher in 1998, going 4-0 over 19.2 innings with a 0.46 ERA, 44 strikeouts, and 790 ERA+. Grondin also had 69 strikeouts and a 1.03 ERA over 43.2 innings in 2004, helping the Canadians to the world title over Taiwan.

Grondin’s MLB career as the 26^th pick by Calgary in the 1997 draft. He had an impressive debut with 8.1 WAR, which began a streak of 12 seasons worth 7+ WAR or better. In his second year, Grondin led the American Association and had career highs in WAR (12.6), quality starts (26), and complete games (24), winning Pitcher of the Year. The WAR mark was the second-best ever by an MLB pitcher, only behind T.J. Nakabayashi’s 12.6 from 1991.

The first setback came in the 2000 WBC as Grondin suffered a bone spur in his elbow. This kept him out for spring training and the first half of 2000, but he looked strong in his return. Grondin followed that up with 12.4 and 12.5 WAR seasons in 2001-2002, leading both years in strikeouts as well at 342 and 335. Stunningly, Grondin wasn’t even a finalist for Pitcher of the Year in either season.

His 342 strikeouts was the seventh-most in a season to that point and ranks 12^th as of 2037. The advanced stats loved Grondin as he holds the 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th best seasons by WAR for a MLB pitcher. Perhaps being in Calgary was part of the reason he was overlooked as the Cheetahs were terrible in this era, averaging 76.8 wins per season during his tenure. Grondin stayed loyal though and signed a five-year, $49,600,000 extension after the 2003 season.

Grondin led in strikeouts again in 2003 and 2007 and was the WARlord from 2005-2007. He also led in FIP- ten times from 1998-2008, which suggested his traditional metrics were somewhat weakened due to poor defense by Calgary. Grondin would win a second Pitcher of the Year in 2007 with a 10.2 WAR effort. That would prove to be his final year with the Cheetahs.

For Calgary, Grondin had a 162-107 record, 3.03 ERA, 2607.2 innings, 2811 strikeouts, 694 walks, 132 ERA+, and 101.6 WAR. Getting above 100 WAR in his first decade put Grondin in rare territory. His efforts didn’t make the Cheetahs a winner though and they opted to trade him after the 2007 campaign to Boston for five prospects. The Cheetahs would later retire Grondin’s #46 uniform.

The Red Sox wanted him for the long haul, giving Grondin a six-year, $86,700,000 extension in spring training. Grondin was solid in his first two years for Boston, who won back-to-back Northeast Division titles. He got to see his first playoff action, posting a quality start in 2008 but struggling in two 2009 outings, finishing with a 5.30 ERA over 18.2 playoff innings. The Red Sox lost in the first round in 2008, then went one-and-done in 2009 despite having the #1 seed at 107-55.

In 2010, Grondin’s velocity started to drop and to overcompensate he tore his flexor tendon in August. When he came back in 2011 for Boston, he was terrible out of the bullpen with -0.8 WAR and a 4.66 ERA over 77.1 innings. The Red Sox cut their losses and released Grondin near the trade deadline. In total for Boston, he had a 41-22 record, 3.08 ERA, 650.2 innings, 601 strikeouts, 208 walks, 114 ERA+, and 15.3 WAR.

Grondin couldn’t overpower hitters any more, but he still wanted to pitch somewhere. A week after being released, he packed his bags for Iran as ABF’s Shiraz signed him for $2,000,000. In only his second appearance for the Suns, Grondin tore his UCL. Instead of trying to rehab that, Grondin retired in the winter at age 35.

For his MLB career, Grondin had a 203-129 record, 3.04 ERA, 3258.1 innings, 3412 strikeouts, 902 walks, 265/401 quality starts, 128 ERA+, 60 FIP-, and 116.9 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks ninth in pitching WAR and 44^th in strikeouts. Grondin’s K/9 of 9.42 is 38^th among all pitchers with 1000+ innings and his .630 opponent’s OPS ranks 92^nd.

Of the pitchers with 100+ career WAR, Grondin did it in 600 fewer innings than the next lowest. Sabermetrics suggested he was far better than a lot of people gave him credit for. Grondin only received 83.7% in his Hall of Fame ballot debut, hurt also by a shorter career. However, his raw dominance was certainly HOF worthy, earning the first ballot induction with the 2017 class.



Elias Wilson – Second Base – Ottawa Elks – 69.0% Tenth Ballot

Elias Wilson was a 5’9’’, 170 pound left-handed hitting second baseman from Port Colborne, Ontario; a small city of 20,000 located on Lake Erie. Wilson was an excellent contact hitter that was fantastic at avoiding strikeouts, although he was merely average at drawing walks. He had nice gap power with 24 doubles and 13 triples per his 162 game average. Wilson also got you 15 home runs per 162 games.

Despite being a leadoff type guy, Wilson was average at best as a baserunner. He played some shortstop at the very start of his career, but didn’t have the range to make that work. Wilson made about 4/5 of his starts at second base where he thrived, winning three Gold Gloves. He had recurring knee injuries and other issues that cost him chunks of many seasons, but still managed to play into his mid 40s thanks to his adaptability and intelligence.

Wilson left Canada to attend college for Miami University in Ohio. As a junior, he won a Silver Slugger as a shortstop and took second in NCAA MVP voting. In 142 games over three years, Wilson had 169 hits, 86 runs, 23 doubles, 22 home runs, 92 RBI, a .294/.347/.463 slash, and 5.4 WAR. In the 1979 MLB Draft, Wilson went eighth overall to Ottawa, where he’d spend the next 18 years.

In 1980, Wilson looked promising in limited use with 64 games. He started much of 1981, but struggled immensely with -1.8 WAR. The Elks didn’t give up on his and Wilson posted the best year of his career by WAR at 9.0. He also led the National Association with a career-best 19 triples and had his career best 20 home runs. Ottawa had a historic 115-47 season, but suffered an upset second round loss to St. Louis.

In 1983, Wilson won his first Gold Glove and led again in triples with 17. Ottawa again was the top seed at 105-57 and this time got the job done in the playoffs, winning the World Series. Wilson sealed his popularity in the Canadian capital, posting 27 hits, 13 runs, 3 homers, and 11 RBI in 17 playoff starts. Ottawa would be a regular playoff team during his career with ten playoff berths and five division titles.

One knock against Wilson was that his 1983 playoff run made up 1.0 of his 1.1 career playoff WAR. Over 66 playoff starts, he had a middling 97 wRC+ with 68 hits, 27 runs, 8 doubles, 8 home runs, 29 RBI, and a .686 OPS. The Elks won the NACS in 1986, but lost the World Series to Calgary. The eight other playoff appearances for Wilson ended in either a first or second round exit.

1985 was Wilson’s lone season as an MVP finalist, taking third with 8.3 WAR and a career best 104 runs scored. That effort led Ottawa to sign Wilson to an eight-year, $12,320,000 extension that winter. Injuries would plague him the next few years with a fractured finger in 1986, a broken kneecap in 1987, and a sprained knee in 1988. 1988 was on pace to be his best to date with 7.7 WAR and a .855 OPS over 126 games.

Around this time, Wilson started playing for Canada in the World Baseball Championship as well. From 1986-2002, he had 234 games and 227 starts with 219 hits, 109 runs, 49 doubles, 21 home runs, 101 RBI, a .268/.343/.427 slash, 119 wRC+, and 5.7 WAR. In 1995, he took second in WBC MVP voting with 37 hits, 19 runs, and 10 doubles over 26 starts with a 1.102 OPS and 2.0 WAR. Canada won the world title that year, plus Wilson helped them to titles in 1986 and 1991.

Wilson finally was healthy in 1989, but missed much of 1990 between a sprained wrist and elbow inflammation. Still, his 108 game effort earned him his second Gold Glove. Wilson played only 11 games at the end of the 1991 season with a torn ACL suffered in the WBC. He had a three-year run staying healthy though from 1992-1994, including an 8.6 WAR season in 1994 at age 35 for his lone Silver Slugger. Wilson topped 6+ WAR in ten seasons for his career.

Ottawa gave him a four-year, $9,280,000 extension before the 1993 season. He won his third and final Gold Glove in 1995 and his career 140.9 zone rating ranks 13^th among MLB second basemen as of 2037. Sadly, 1995 was his last full season as a starter due to more injuries. Knee and hamstring troubles plagued him in 1996, followed by rib issues in 1997. Now 39-years old, Ottawa and Wilson amicably parted ways here.

In total with the Elks, Wilson had 2510 hits, 1191 runs, 330 doubles, 183 triples, 207 home runs, 984 RBI, a .299/.348/.456 slash, 138 wRC+, and 92.2 WAR. He remains a very popular player with Ottawa fans, but surprisingly Wilson’s #33 uniform was never retired. He still wanted to play and inked a three-year, $11,040,000 deal with Portland.

That was snake-bitten right away with a torn meniscus in 1998 spring training and a ruptured Achilles tendon in late May 1999. With the Pacifics, Wilson had 99 games with 2.5 WAR. Portland traded him in January 2000 to San Francisco for two prospects and a draft pick. Rib issues cost him some time, but with 2.3 WAR over 105 games in 2000, Wilson seemed to still have some juice left in his 40s. The Gold Rush signed him that winter to a three-year, $17,400,000 deal.

Knee issues really popped up from here onward. Wilson had 105 games in 2001, but with below average production. He didn’t look better in 2002 with only 29 games, although it was injury keeping him out and not benching. Wilson had 239 games with 2.7 WAR for San Francisco. Wrecked physically, Wilson retired after the 2002 season at age 44.

Wilson ended with 2839 hits, 1336 runs, 374 doubles, 198 triples, 240 home runs, 1121 RBI, 113 stolen bases, a .295/.344/.450 slash, 133 wRC+, and 97.4 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks 61th in WAR for position players and fourth for WAR accrued at second base. Wilson is 25^th in triples, but doesn’t crack the top 100 in any other counting stats. His tallies weren’t amazing and many thought they were low considering Wilson played until his mid 40s. He lacked black ink or big accolades as well.

Second base wasn’t the easiest position to get noticed to begin with, plus a lot of Wilson’s value came from defense rather than hitting. Thus, many voters pegged him as a “Hall of Pretty Good” level guy, debuting on the 2008 ballot at 34.1%. He hovered around there for a few years before jumping to 52.4% in 2013. Wilson fell back to 38.1% in 2014, but barely missed the 66% requirement in 2015 at 63.7%.

Wilson fell back to 44.7% in his penultimate try and he was resigned to not getting in. With his tenth and final chance in 2017, supporters were able to convince enough skeptics that he deserved his spot. Wilson barely made it, but a nice 69.0% got him across the line to cap the 2017 MLB Hall of Fame class. He became the fourth guy to make it on his tenth ballot in MLB, joining 1B Tiger Novak (1973), SP Richard Thieman (1983), and CF Will Kemme (2014).

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The Central American Baseball Association saw a mammoth five-player Hall of Fame class in 2017, matching the record classes from 2012 and 2010. This group was a winner with all five earning first ballot nods. LF Luis Fernandez (99.0%) and SP Dario Becker (97.8%) were no-doubt headliners, while SP Aitor Moran (87.3%) and SP Yusmani Rodriguez (83.4%) got in with limited opposition. 1B/DH Alphanso Keyes was the closest to the 66% threshold, making it at 73.9%. No other players were above 50% with the top returner being SP Angel Tobar with a 47.8% ninth ballot effort.



3B Stanley Vil fell off the ballot after ten failed tries, ending at only 7.3% after debuting at 39.1%. He played 16 years with Haiti, winning two Silver Sluggers, one Gold Glove, and two CABA Championships. Vil had 2338 hits, 1044 runs, 398 doubles, 165 triples, 237 home runs, 1009 RBI, 495 stolen bases, a .310/.337/.501 slash, 129 wRC+, and 65.8 WAR. He won a batting title in 1991, but his lack of black ink otherwise and low power kept him on the outside.

1B Nicolas Ortiz fell below 5% and was dropped after eight ballots, but he was notable for winning three batting titles and leading in hits thrice. Ortiz also lacked power which sank him, but his .345 career batting average ranks 23^rd as of 2037 among all hitters with 3000+ plate appearances.



Luis Fernandez – Left Field – Trinidad Trail Blazers – 99.0% First Ballot

Luis Fernandez was a 6’1’’, 200 pound left-handed outfielder from Bonao, a city of 158,000 people in the central Dominican Republic. Fernandez simply socked dingers, topping 50 home runs in ten different seasons. He was also outstanding at drawing walks and was a deceptively crafty and skilled baserunner despite merely average speed.

However, Fernandez was merely an average to above average contact hitter. He also struck out a ton and was a ‘three-true outcomes’ type batter as more than 47% of his plate appearances ended in a homer, walk, or strikeout. Fernandez didn’t have a ton of gap power with 19 doubles and 7 triples per his 162 game average, focusing his efforts on towering homers. But that and his ability to draw walks made him a very dangerous and extremely popular player.

Defensively, Fernandez was hot garbage at any spot. He had a cannon arm, but had trouble aiming it along with poor glove work and range. He made the majority of his starts in left field, but saw the second most time as a designated hitter. Fernandez also had stints at right field and first base, struggling at each spot. However, you had to find a spot for the big bat. Fernandez was fiercely loyal and
generally fairly durable.

A visiting scout from Trinidad noticed Fernandez’s power potential as a teenager, signing him away from the DR in July 1990. He officially debuted with two at-bats in 1994 at age 20. Fernandez saw 197 games and 120 starts from 1995-1996 with unremarkable results. He became a full-time starter in 1997 and notably led the Caribbean League in walks (100), OBP (.435), and wRC+ (175). It was a career-best OBP and the only time he led despite his high walk tally, since his batting average was never great.

Fernandez would lead the league seven times in walks drawn and is one of only three CABA players to breach 100 walks in three seasons. 1997 was his first of 12 seasons worth 6+ WAR. He only hit 30 home runs that year, but then really found his power with 56 in 1998, winning his first Silver Slugger. Fernandez got additional Sluggers in 1999-2002, 2004-2005, 2007, and 2009.

1999 saw a 62 home run effort and a third place finish in MVP voting for Fernandez. Trinidad gave him a five-year, $18,400,000 extension with that effort. He was beloved by Trail Blazers fans, but they were stuck in the middle of the standings consistently in his tenure. Over Fernandez’s 18-year run in Trinidad, they averaged 81.1 wins per season; the definition of mid. Sadly, they also never made the playoffs in that entire run. The best effort was 95 wins in 2000, falling one game short of a division title.

Fernandez still thrilled the fans, leading in homers six times from 2000 onward. In 2001, he was second in MVP voting as he also led in runs (123), slugging (.653), OPS (1.039), and wRC+ (180). Fernandez led in OPS and wRC+ again in 2003 and 2004, peaking with a 1.118 OPS in 2003. In 11 seasons, Fernandez finished with an OPS above one. He also led in WAR with a career-best 8.0 in 2003 despite missing a month to a sprained knee. That surge gave him another five-year, $35,400,000 extension the following spring.

Unfortunately for Fernandez, he never won MVP. He took second again in 2004 and 2007, third in 2008, and second in 2009. In 2007, Fernandez smacked 71 home runs, falling one short of Yohnny Galaz’s 1988 record. Trinidad gave him another three years and $31,500,000 in April 2009. 2009 saw his career best in RBI at 139, runs at 124, total bases at 396, and slugging at .701. Fernandez also had 63 home runs, topping 60 for the fourth time. He was only the second in CABA history to achieve that feat.

Fernandez was beloved on Trinidad, but also a hero back home in the Dominican Republic. He played for the DR from 1997-2005 in the World Baseball Championship, posting 80 games and 74 starts, 61 hits, 56 runs, 35 home runs, 69 RBI, a .248/.388/.699 slash, 1.087 OPS, 206 wRC+, and 5.1 WAR. Among all WBC players with 250+ plate appearances, Fernandez’s OPS ranks 34^th.

2009 had seen Fernandez cross 700 career home runs, 1500 runs, and 2000 hits. He was the seventh member of the 700 homer club and still playing at a high level in his age 35 season. Some thought he could challenge the recently retired Hugh Boerboom’s home run record of 866. Unfortunately, that was not to be as the decline came quickly and suddenly.

The next year in 2010, Fernandez only managed 31 homers, a .776 OPS, and 1.9 WAR despite being healthy. He fared even worse the next year with -0.5 WAR, a .634 OPS, 77 wRC+, and league worst 204 strikeouts. Fernandez had another year on his contract and Trinidad had kept starting him out of respect, but he decided to call it quits at age 37. The Trail Blazers immediately retired his #27 uniform and he’d be a popular icon for the franchise for many years after.

Fernandez ended with 2310 hits, 1678 runs, 292 doubles, 103 triples, 762 home runs, 1651 RBI, 1318 walks, 2614 strikeouts, 521 stolen bases, a .272/.371/.601 slash, 157 wRC+, and 90.5 WAR. At retirement, he was third all-time in homers and second in walks drawn. As of 2037, Fernandez ranks fourth in dingers and third in walks. He did also retire with the most strikeouts by one, but would eventually surrender that unfortunate sombrero to Matias Esquilin.

Additionally, he ranks 12^th in runs scored, 22^nd in RBI, and 48^th in WAR among position players. Among all CABA batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Fernandez’s .973 OPS ranks 36^th and his slugging ranks 39^th. Few batters commanded more attention in the ballpark at the plate, as you knew a towering shot was a strong possibility.

The lack of team success, the terrible strikeout rate, and poor defense gave Fernandez a relatively low WAR mark despite his power. That keeps him out of any GOAT-level conversations, but you couldn’t argue against him as a Hall of Fame headliner. Even in a loaded five-player 2017 class, Fernandez led the way at a nearly unanimous 99.0%.

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Dario Becker – Starting Pitcher – Monterrey Matadors – 97.8% First Ballot

Dario Becker was a 6’0’’, 175 pound left-handed pitcher from Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic. Becker was known for having pinpoint control along with good stuff and below average movement. His fastball peaked in the 94-96 mph range, but he put it in the right spot regularly. Becker also had a solid splitter and sinker, along with a rarely used changeup.

Becker’s stamina was merely okay compared to most CABA aces, but his stellar durability meant you’d still get reliable innings out of him. He was great at holding runners and defense, winning a Gold Glove in 1996. The downside is that Becker was a selfish jerk with a questionable work ethic. Because of that, he didn’t stay in any one place too long. Becker’s production was reliable though and he could always find work.

In January 1988, he moved from the DR to Mexico as a scout from Torreon signed him to a teenage amateur developmental deal. He spent six years in the Tomahawks academy, then became a full-time starter in 1994 at age 22. Becker was merely decent in his first few years with Torreon. He looked solid in his fifth year in 1998 with 6.0 WAR. Torreon was stuck in the mid-tier at this point and wasn’t sure they should try to lock Becker up long-term with free agency coming soon.

Thus, Torreon traded him after the 1998 campaign to Haiti for three prospects. With the Tomahawks, Becker finished with a 62-48 record, 3.23 ERA, 1029.2 innings, 1006 strikeouts, 151 walks, 114 ERA+, and 17.6 WAR. His debut with the Herons saw his career-best in WAR (6.5). Becker topped five WAR in eight different seasons. He had a quality start in the 1999 playoffs, but Haiti fell to Salvador in the first round. Still, the Herons were happy with their acquisition and gave Becker a three-year, $10,560,000 extension.

Haiti in 1997 had started what would become a 14-year playoff streak. The Herons became a dynasty from 2000-2002 with three straight Caribbean League titles. They had a classic rivalry with Ecatepec, losing to the Explosion in the 2000 CABA Championship but winning in 2001 and 2002. Becker had trouble in the 2000 postseason with a 5.19 ERA. However in 2001, he went 3-0 over 19.1 innings with a 1.40 ERA.

In four seasons for the Herons, Becker had a 68-30 record, 3.27 ERA, 950 innings, 946 strikeouts, 110 walks, 122 ERA+, and 17.8 WAR. He entered free agency for the first time after the 2002 campaign at age 31. Monterrey would ink him for two years and $5,680,000 initially. His Matadors debut had career-best 290 strikeouts, giving Becker his lone Pitcher of the Year finalist bid, taking third.

This was at the tail end of Monterrey’s historic 18-year playoff streak with first round exits from 2003-2005. Becker stunk in his three playoff starts with a 5.57 ERA, but did well enough in the regular season to get a four-year, $19,360,000 extension in April 2004. Monterrey would be his longest tenure and ultimately the team Becker represented at induction. In 2006, he led in WHIP for the only time at 0.91.

In 2008 at age 36, Becker had a career-best 2.39 WAR and 149 wRC+, showing his skill set was aging well. After three straight years missing the playoffs, Becker went back to free agency at age 37. With Monterrey, Becker had a 93-51 record, 2.82 ERA, 1433.1 innings, 1454 strikeouts, 140 walks, 126 ERA+, and 28.7 WAR. He would sign a two-year, $10,200,000 deal with Havana.

In his later years, Becker did also return home to the Dominican Republic and pitch for his country in the World Baseball Championship. He tossed 71 innings from 2004-2011, but it didn’t go well with a 5.07 ERA, 81 strikeouts, 71 ERA+, and 0.7 WAR.

Becker helped Havana pull off a surprise 103-59 run in 2009. The Hurricanes won the Caribbean League and incidentally beat Monterrey in the CABA Championship. Becker was excellent in the playoffs with a 1.99 ERA over 31.2 innings with 25 strikeouts and a 212 ERA+. That and the 2001 season with Haiti gave Becker a reputation as a playoff performer. For his career, he graded as above average with a 3.45 ERA over 122.2 innings, 6-6 record, 114 strikeouts, 112 ERA+, and 2.2 WAR.

Despite helping Havana to the title with a 5.9 WAR season, Becker’s personality rubbed many the wrong way. In December 2009, he was traded to Costa Rica for two prospects. Becker had a respectable 2010 for the Rays, becoming the 10^th CABA pitcher to 250 career wins. Costa Rica brought him back on a qualifying offer in 2011, but he posted merely average numbers. Becker opted for retirement after that season at age 40.

Becker ended with a 270-157 record, 3.09 ERA, 4115 innings, 3990 strikeouts, 476 walks, 346/533 quality starts, 81 complete games, 25 shutouts, 122 ERA+, and 77.4 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks seventh in wins, sixth in innings pitched, and 19^th in strikeouts. A lot of that can be attributed to his longevity, as even with that workload, he only ranks 42^nd in pitching WAR. Becker never had raw dominance and won’t come up in the GOAT-level conversations.

However, Becker had steady production for a long-time and played a role in championship runs for both Haiti and Havana. Even if he was a jerk, Becker’s final totals easily hit the benchmarks the voters looked for in a starting pitcher. He earned a strong 97.8% as the second-highest ranking member of CABA’s 2017 Hall of Fame class.



Aitor Moran – Starting Pitcher – Juarez Jesters – 87.3% First Ballot

Aitor Moran was a 6’5’’, 205 pound left-handed pitcher from La Chorrera, a city of roughly 161,000 in central Panama. Moran was well-rounded with good to great stuff, movement, and control. He threw hard with a 99-101 mph fastball, but his incredible splitter was an all-timer. Moran also had a good slider and a rarely seen changeup. He was especially dominant against left-handed bats with a 2.11 career ERA compared to a 3.12 ERA versus righties.

Moran had good stamina compared to most CABA aces, but various injuries plagued him throughout his career. He was solid at holding runners, but below average defensively. Moran was a warm and likeable guy, becoming a popular arm throughout his pro career with Juarez. His entire run came with the Jesters, who brought Moran from Panama to Mexico on a developmental deal in April 1992.

He spent most of five years in the Juarez academy, officially debuting in 1996 at age 20 with three appearances. Moran was a full-time starter the next year with an impressive debut, leading the Mexican League in wins at 20-5 for a third place finish in both Pitcher of the Year and Rookie of the Year voting.

Moran debuted for his native Panama in the 1998 World Baseball Championship and made an immediately impression, throwing a no-hitter with nine strikeouts and five walks against India. From 1998-2011, he tossed 165 WBC innings with a 2.40 ERA, 11-10 record, 219 strikeouts, 54 walks, 151 ERA+, and 4.6 WAR.

He was decent in 1998 and 1999 for Juarez, earning a six-year, $26,480,000 extension in April 2000. Moran really emerged as an ace in 2000. That year, Moran led the league in strikeouts (312) and WAR (9.0), taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting. The Jesters became a contender in the new Millennium, falling that year to Ecatepec in the MLCS. Although Juarez lost, Moran had a 1.38 ERA over his 26 playoff innings.

Juarez narrowly missed the playoffs in 2001, then suffered another MLCS loss to the Ecatepec dynasty in 2002. That year was Moran’s lone Pitcher of the Year win, leading in WAR at 8.8. He also had a career best 317 strikeouts and his best full-season ERA (2.25) and record (20-4). Moran took third in POTY voting in 2004, his last time as a finalist. Juarez had first round playoff exits in both 2003 and 2004.

In 2005, the Jesters finally broke through and beat Ecatepec for the Mexican League title, although they lost to Salvador in the CABA Championship. Moran had a 2.36 ERA in 26.2 playoff starts. He was a big-time playoff pitcher in his career with a 1.71 ERA over 79 innings, 6-2 record, 92 strikeouts, 3 walks, 217 ERA+, and 2.9 WAR.

Unfortunately, 2005 would be Moran’s last playoff chance despite Juarez winning another pennant in 2006. Juarez gave him a big six-year, $42,600,000 extension in late June, but by September he was out with an arthritic elbow. In 2007, a torn back muscle cost him more than half the season. Then, Moran missed almost all of 2008 with bone chips in his elbow.

Things didn’t get better with another arthritic elbow in 2009, making only seven starts all season. Moran finally had a somewhat full load in 2010 with 3.4 WAR over 168 innings. He had a strong start to 2011 and seemed to be getting back to form. Unfortunately on June 3, Moran suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament with an expected 12 month recovery needed.

The Juarez organization and fans still really liked Moran, but the big extension unfortunately didn’t pay off. They voided the last year of his deal, making Moran a free agent heading towards age 36. Instead of trying to rehab the UCL tear, he decided to retire. The Jesters quickly retired his #15 uniform for his 15 years of service.

Moran ended with a 178-90 record, 2.83 ERA, 2667.2 innings, 3057 strikeouts, 448 walks, 215/355 quality starts, 72 complete games, 20 shutouts, 130 ERA+, and 73.4 WAR. The truncated career hurt his tallies, but as of 2037 Moran ranks 55^th in WAR among pitchers and 81^st in strikeouts. His WAR tally was only four points below his Hall of Fame classmate Dario Becker.

There were a couple voters that thought the low tallies were an issue, but most gave Moran some grace for his physical breakdown. He stayed with one team his whole run, won two pennants, and a Pitcher of the Year. That got Moran to 87.3% for a first ballot induction in CABA’s five-player 2017 class. He had the third-highest percentage of the bunch.

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Yusmani “Spike” Rodriguez – Starting Pitcher – Honduras Horsemen – 83.4% First Ballot

Yusmani Rodriguez was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Aserri, a canton of 58,000 in Costa Rica’s San Jose province. Nicknamed “Spike,” Rodriguez was a known prankster in the clubhouse. He had strong stuff, good movement, and above average control. Rodriguez’s fastball was stellar at 98-100 mph and he had a great changeup with it. He also had a respectable slider and cutter in the arsenal.

Relative to other CABA aces, Rodriguez had poor stamina and only tossed 17 complete games in his career. He also only topped 200 innings only four times between the weak stamina and some later injury issues, but his innings were quality ones. Rodriguez was effective at holding runners, but considered lousy defensively otherwise.

Rodriguez’s entire pro career came in nearby Honduras, as the Horsemen signed him as a teenage amateur in June 1993. However, Rodriguez did still pitch for his native Costa Rica regularly in the World Baseball Championship once he debuted. From 1998-2011, he had a strong 2.41 ERA over 116 innings, 156 strikeouts, 13 walks, 152 ERA+, and 3.4 WAR.

Honduras debuted Rodriguez at age 20 in 1997, but he struggled in five starts. He wasn’t much better in 1998 split between starting and relief. Rodriguez was a full-time starter from 1999 onward. That year also saw his first playoff action as the Horsemen were upset by Salvador in the Caribbean League Championship Series. Honduras would be a playoff regular with ten straight berths from 1997-2006.

In 2000, Rodriguez won his lone Pitcher of the Year, leading the league and posting career bests in ERA (1.76) and WHIP (0.84). He also had his career-best WAR at 8.6. However, Rodriguez gave up four runs in four playoff innings as Honduras again lost in the CLCS, this time to Haiti. They lost again in the 2001 CLCS and fell in the first round of 2002. Rodriguez started to find his footing in the playoffs with a 2.91 ERA in 2001 over 21.2 innings.

Rodriguez had signed a four-year extension worth $13,320,000 in May 2000. In 2003, he led in wins at 23-3 and WHIP at 0.99 to take second in POTY voting. Rodriguez had a 2.82 ERA over 22.1 playoff innings as Honduras won the CABA Championship over the Ecatepec dynasty. With that, Rodriguez signed a six-year, $39,100,000 extension in June 2004.

The Horsemen got back for a 2004 CABA Championship rematch, but lost to the Explosion. Rodriguez struggled in that postseason run with a 5.52 ERA in 29.1 innings. 2005 saw his second ERA title with a career-best 1.70 with a pace for his best season yet. Unfortunately on July 29, Rodriguez suffered a damaged elbow ligament and would be out for a calendar year.

Rodriguez only tossed 36 innings in 2006 and 15.1 playoff innings as Honduras in the CLCS. They fell again in the 2007 CLCS, the final year of their playoff streak. It was a mixed bag in Rodriguez’s playoff career, finishing with a 3.83 ERA and 103 ERA+ over 122.1 innings, 8-5 record, 147 strikeouts, 13 walks, and 2.8 WAR.

2007 saw a mostly full load and Rodriguez posted 6.3 WAR. His ERA was unremarkable (3.88), but his FIP- (62) led the league and suggested he didn’t get help. Either way, Rodriguez seemed like he could still be an ace as he turned 31. That would be quickly dashed though with a torn labrum in spring training 2008, costing him the entire season.

Worried about more injuries, Honduras brought him back in 2009 as a reliever with a 2.08 ERA and 32 saves, taking third in Reliever of the Year voting. The Horsemen moved him back to the rotation in 2010, but were satisfied enough with his health for a four-year, $24,200,000 extension. Rodriguez had a good 2010 with a 2.40 ERA over 168.2 innings, but he wasn’t able to go deep to the expectations of an ace.

With that, he went back to the bullpen primarily in 2011 with passable results. Honduras ended a three-year playoff drought and surprised everyone as a wild card, winning the CABA Championship over Juarez. In 6.1 relief innings, Rodriguez allowed one run with 10 strikeouts. He thought about continuing as a reliever, but decided retiring with a championship season was too good to pass up. Rodriguez left the game at age 35 and his #55 uniform was soon retired by the Horsemen.

Rodriguez had a 161-78 record, 2.87 ERA, 2260 innings, 2600 strikeouts, 388 walks, 171/287 quality starts, 138 ERA+, and 64.1 WAR. His accumulations are very low between the injuries and stamina issues. Rodriguez as of 2037 ranks 82^nd in pitching WAR and doesn’t crack the top 100 in wins or Ks. The rate stats were solid though, especially in the higher-offense Caribbean League.

Working in Rodriguez’s favor was two CABA title rings and three Caribbean rings, a Pitcher of the Year, and two ERA titles. Voters remembered his good playoff showings more than the bad ones and gave him some grace for the injuries costing him more innings. Rodriguez got 83.4% for a first ballot induction, the fourth of five in CABA’s 2017 Hall of Fame class.



Alphanso Keyes – First Base/Designated Hitter – Haiti Herons – 73.9% First Ballot

Alphanso Keyes was a 6’4’’, 205 pound left-handed first baseman from Freetown, Bahamas; an area on the island of Eleuthera. The island itself only has about 13,000 inhabitants. Keyes was a tremendous contact hitter with a good eye for drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. He also had a very good pop in his bat with 34 doubles and 30 home runs per his 162 game average. Despite regularly being on base, Keyes was an abysmal baserunner.

Keyes made about 60% of his starts at first base with the rest as a designated hitter. He was a below average defender, but not a complete liability. Keyes was one of the hardest working guys in the game, which garnered him a lot of respect. He managed an 18-year career, although recurring injuries (especially with his knees) meant he rarely played a full season.

In the 1992 CABA Draft, Keyes was picked sixth overall by Haiti and ultimately spent his entire career as a Heron. He was a full-time starter immediately with passable results as a rookie. Keyes was used in a more limited role in his second year, but was back as a full-time starter from 1996 onward when healthy. His third season proved he could be an elite bat.

In 1996, Keyes led the Caribbean League in hits (233), batting average (.405), wRC+ (164) and WAR (7.3). He won his first Silver Slugger and took second in MVP voting. The next year began his recurring injury woes, losing a month to a torn hamstring. 1997 also was a milestone that began Haiti’s run as an annual contender, starting a 14-year playoff streak. The Herons would lose in the 1997 and 1998 CLCS to Salvador’s dynasty, then lost in the first round in 1999.

Keyes started every game of 1998 and led in doubles (44) and OBP (.438). The doubles were a career high, as was his 113 runs, taking third in MVP voting. This also started a streak of six seasons with an OPS above one. Haiti committed that offseason to Keyes with an eight-year, $31,120,000 extension. But he’d see a setback in July 1999 with a torn ACL.

In 2000, Keyes was back for the majority of the season, winning his second batting title (.371) and leading in OBP for the third time (.419). Haiti got over their playoff hump with Keyes taking CLCS MVP honors. The Herons won the Caribbean League pennant, but dropped the CABA Championship to Ecatepec’s dynasty. In 15 playoff starts, Keyes had 23 hits, 9 runs, 4 doubles, 3 homers, and 19 RBI.

Keyes was on a bonkers pace in 2001, leading the league and setting a career-best at 9.3 WAR despite only playing 109 games. A knee sprain put him out for two summer months, but even still Keyes won his first MVP and his second Silver Slugger. His triple slash was an absurd .453/507/.740 with a 232 wRC+. Keyes was 33 plate appearances short from qualifying (502 PA required), but his average and OBP would’ve been world records and his OPS (1.247) would’ve set the CABA record. A strained oblique meant he only had three playoff games, but Haiti won the CABA Championship in a rematch with Ecatepec.

In 2002, Keyes stayed healthy and repeated as MVP with his third Silver Slugger. He led in the triple slash (.398/.440/.691), OPS (1.130), and wRC+ (195), while adding a career best 40 home runs and 130 RBI. As of 2037, Keyes’ batting average ranks as the fifth-best CABA season. Haiti repeated as CABA champs over the Explosion. Keyes was CLCS MVP again and had 13 hits, 7 runs, 3 doubles, 4 home runs, and 8 RBI in 9 playoff starts.

Carrying over from 2002, Keyes had a 33-game hit streak that ended on April 16, 2003. That was his final full season, which saw Haiti upset in the first round of the playoffs. The Herons had another first round loss in 2004, then lost in the 2005 CLCS to Salvador. Now in his early 30s, the injuries would really start to pile up for Keyes.

It was a strained groin muscle among other things in 2004, and a torn hamstring in 2005. Haiti still appreciated Keyes and gave him a five-year, $26,100,000 extension in March 2006. A knee sprain cost him half of 2006, but he was back for a strong playoff run with 19 hits, 7 runs, 5 doubles, 3 homers, and 16 RBI in 14 starts. This began Haiti’s second dynasty winning the 2006 CABA title over Juarez. They repeated in 2007 over Mexicali, but Keyes missed almost the whole season between a fractured finger and torn hip flexor tendon.

Keyes managed 105 games in 2008, but still lost time to a fractured hand. Haiti was the top seed in 2008, but was upset in the first round. They had another first round loss in 2009 as a wild card. The Herons made Keyes a part-time starter that year to try to save him, getting 129 games but only 65 starts. In 2010, a fractured rib and knee sprain kept him out most of the year.

Haiti won their sixth Caribbean League title of the 14-year playoff streak in 2010, but lost to Ecatepec in the CABA final. Keyes struggled in this postseason with a .465 OPS and -0.4 WAR. Even worse, in the championship he suffered a torn PCL with an expected recovery time of nine months. On the whole, Keyes was a strong playoff player. In 79 games, he had 92 hits, 35 runs, 15 doubles, 13 home runs, 55 RBI, a .321/.377/.530 slash, 132 wRC+, and 2.4 WAR.

Keyes got back late in the 2011 season, but Haiti’s playoff streak ended. His contract ended as well and they felt he was too wrecked to re-sign. Keyes wanted to play somewhere still, but went unsigned in 2012 and retired that winter at age 39. The Herons quickly retired his #50 uniform for his critical role in their dynasty run.

In total, Keyes had 2530 hits, 1167 runs, 399 doubles, 353 home runs, 1327 RBI, a .359/.406/.579 slash, 160 wRC+, and 76.3 WAR. Because of the injuries, his accumulations ended up a lot lower than you’d expect. As of 2037, Keyes ranks 62^nd in hits, 87^th in RBI, and 91^st in WAR for position players, while missing the top 100 in the other counting stats.

However, he retired the leader in batting average among all CABA hitters with 3000+ plate appearances and only one player ranks ahead of him in 2037. Keyes also sits seventh in OBP and 28^th in OPS (.985). Among all world Hall of Famers and expected HOFers, Keyes’ batting average is fourth and his OBP is 23^rd. Very few players in baseball history were better contact hitters. Plus, Keyes was a big piece of an all-time dynasty run by Haiti.

Despite all that, the lower grand totals scared away a number of voters. Keyes was also dinged for played DH and for not having the huge power stats expected for a 1B/DH. Keyes received only 73.9%, but that was enough for the first ballot induction. He capped off an impressive five-player 2017 Hall of Fame class for CABA.

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East Asia Baseball’s 2017 Hall of Fame class was very nearly empty, but two guys crossed the 66% requirement by the slimmest of margins. On his fifth ballot, 3B/2B Kazuo Shiraki snuck in at 67.3%, while 1B Hyeon-Seong Yang inched across the line at 66.7%. 3B Min-Seong Ryu nearly joined them on his third attempt, but missed at 62.6%. No other players were above 50%.



Reliever Genzo Fujikawa fell off the ballot after ten tries, peaking at 39.4% in 2011 and ending at 18.9%. He only had an 11-year career, posting 326 saves and 365 shutdowns, a 2.70 ERA, 800 innings, 986 strikeouts, 123 ERA+, and 12.3 WAR. The save number got him some support, but Fujikawa never won Reliever of the Year and he was hardly dominant compared to the other great closers. Frankly, it’s somewhat surprising he lasted ten years on the ballot.



Kazuo Shiraki – Third Base/Second Base – Bucheon Bolts - 67.3% Fifth Ballot

Kazuo Shiraki was a 6’0’’, 190 pound right-handed infielder from Gifu, Japan; a city of 400,000 in the Chubu region of Honshu. Shiraki was a well-rounded batter who wasn’t great at any one thing, but above average to good in terms of contract and power. His ability to draw walks and avoid strikeouts were both just below average.

Shiraki’s gap power was probably his best attribute, getting 28 doubles and 12 triples per his 162 game average. Shiraki was also good for 23 homers per 162. His speed was good and he was a very efficient base stealer. Defensively, Shiraki’s career was split almost evenly between third base and second base. The majority of his starts at 2B came in his 20s with the move to 3B in his 30s. Shiraki graded as below average at 3B and mediocre at 2B.

He did have fairly good durability over a 19 year career. Shiraki was a hard worker and a fan favorite, becoming one of Japan’s more popular players despite bouncing around in his career. Shiraki was signed as a teenage amateur in April 1983 by Bucheon, making the move to South Korea. He spent most of six years in the Bolts academy, debuting with 14 plate appearances in 1988 at age 21. Bucheon made him a full-time starter the next year.

Shiraki earned 1989 Rookie of the Year honors with a 2.6 WAR debut season. He then won his first Silver Slugger at 2B in 1991 with 6.1 WAR. He topped 5+ WAR in ten different seasons. In 1992, Shiraki led the Korea League with career bests in runs (107) and doubles (41). He also had a career-best 77 stolen bases, winning his second Silver Slugger.

A 1978 expansion team, Bucheon had their first success with wild cards in 1990, 1991, and 1993. The Bolts made it to the KLCS in 1990 and 1993, but fell both times. Shiraki had a .293/.326/.463 slash in 21 playoff starts. Bucheon fell to the bottom of the standings for 1994 and 1995. Shiraki would win his third Silver Slugger in 1994 and hit for the cycle that year against Hamhung.

Bucheon wanted Shiraki for their rebuild, but he opted for free agency after the 1995 season at age 29. With the Bolts, he had 1233 hits, 626 runs, 217 doubles, 126 home runs, 491 RBI, 362 stolen bases, a .312/.355/.502 slash, 138 wRC+, and 36.5 WAR. It was his longest tenure and the one he went into the Hall of Fame with, although you could argue Shiraki’s third team was the most impactful. The lack of a lengthy signature run in one spot did cost him some voters later on.

Shiraki signed four years and $9,840,000 with Sapporo. He had wanted to return home to Japan and would stay in the JL for the rest of his career. Shiraki also began playing for the national team in 1996, but generally was a reserve. From 1996-2005, Shiraki had 58 games and 30 starts in the World Baseball Championship with 44 hits, 26 runs, 8 doubles, 7 home runs, 18 RBI, 12 steals, a .367/.437/.708 slash, 209 wRC+, and 2.4 WAR.

The 1996 debut for Sapporo saw Shiraki lead the league with a career best 7.7 WAR and 102 runs. He also had a career-best .932 OPS and 184 wRC+, winning his fourth Silver Slugger and taking second in MVP voting. This was Shiraki’s final Slugger and only time as a MVP finalist. Sapporo won a third straight North Division, but lost to Hiroshima in the JLCS. Shiraki also hit for the cycle for the second time in 1996.

A strained ACL cost him part of 1997, but Shiraki stepped up in the playoffs and won JLCS MVP. Sapporo won the pennant, but did lose to Yongin in the EAB Championship. In 12 playoff starts, Shiraki had 16 hits, 9 runs, 6 doubles, 2 homers, and 7 RBI. In two years for the Swordfish, he had 311 hits, 161 runs, 41 doubles, 28 triples, 42 homers, 150 RBI, 170 wRC+, and 11.5 WAR.

Shiraki surprised many by opting out of the remaining two years of the Sapporo deal, becoming a free agent again at age 31. He nabbed a six-year, $16,440,000 deal with Hiroshima. Nagging injuries cost him some time in his first three years for the Hammerheads, but he stayed healthy after that. While Shiraki didn’t win awards with Hiroshima, all seven of his seasons were worth 4.5+ WAR.

Hiroshima had an eight-year playoff streak from 1999-2006, but famously struggled in the playoffs with six first round eliminations. Their deepest runs came with JLCS losses in 2003 and 2004, both in upset losses to Niigata. Shiraki was average at best in the playoff run with a 102 wRC+. For his playoff career, he had 81 starts, 88 hits, 43 runs, 18 doubles, 9 homers, 34 RBI, 25 steals, a .276/.307/.442 slash, 123 wRC+, and 2.3 WAR.

Shiraki opted out of his deal after the 2001 season, but signed a new three-year, $12,120,000 contract with Hiroshima. In total for the Hammerheads, Shiraki had 1000 hits, 548 runs, 145 doubles, 67 triples, 153 home runs, 516 RBI, 302 stolen bases, a .283/.329/.492 slash, 147 wRC+, and 39.2 WAR. He was a free agent again after the 2004 season, now 38-years old.

There were still multiple suitors and Yokohama gave Shiraki three years and $14,280,000. He had a nice 4.7 WAR effort in 2005, but the Yellow Jackets moved him in an offseason trade with Tokyo. They sent Shiraki and $15,420,000 over in exchange for four prospects. He had a respectable 3.8 WAR debut season for the Tides in 2006, but his season ended with a fractured foot. Shiraki missed the playoffs as Tokyo lost to Niigata in the JLCS.

Shiraki was barely saw the field in 2007 as a bench player, then saw his season end in September to a hamstring strain. Tokyo won the JL pennant shockingly at 82-80, but lost the EAB final to Yongin. With his deal up and skills diminished, Shiraki retired at age 41.

In total, Shiraki had 2845 hits, 1492 runs, 445 doubles, 189 triples, 363 home runs, 1276 RBI, 533 walks, 820 stolen bases, a .297/.341/.496 slash, 144 wRC+, and 96.4 WAR. As of 2037, Shiraki ranks 39^th in WAR among position players, 37^th in hits, 39^th in runs, 60^th in doubles, and 57^th in stolen bases. However, he quietly put up those tallies, lacking black ink or any big dominant performances. Shiraki bouncing around between so many teams also soured some voters.

Sabermetric voters pointed to the WAR total and his regular team success as plusses. However, many voters thought he merely sustained above averageness as opposed to greatness. Shiraki missed the cut on his debut at 56.1% and hovered in the 50s again in 2014 and 2015. He got to 64.1% in 2016, barely missing the 66% requirement. With a very weak 2017 ballot, Shiraki just bumped across the line at 67.3% to earn induction on the fifth ballot.



Hyeon-Seong Yang – First Base – Yokohama Yellow Jackets – 66.7% First Ballot

Hyeon-Seong Yang was a 6’4’’, 190 pound left-handed hitting first baseman from Icheon, South Korea. Not to be confused with Incheon, Icheon has 223,000 people in the Gyeonggi Province. Yang had extreme splits in his career, hitting well against right-handed pitching (.935 OPS, 169 wRC+) but with subpar results against lefties (.677 OPS, 96 wRC+). On the whole, he hit for a good average, but Yang struggled with drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts.

Yang had reliably solid home run power, topping 30+ in 13 seasons and 40+ in six seasons. He also had good gap power and topped 30 doubles regularly despite having abysmal baserunning speed and ability. Yang was a career first baseman and a generally lousy defender. He did see some starts as a designated hitter late in his career when that was an option in Korea. Yang’s durability was generally pretty good.

After an impressive run at Woosung High School, Yang was picked 14^th overall in the 1990 EAB Draft by Daejeon. He passed on the Ducks and spent the next three years at Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul. When next eligible in the 1993 EAB Draft, Yang was picked 21^st overall by Busan. His stint with the Blue Jays would be very brief with 54 games and 20 starts in 1994.

Near the trade deadline, Busan sent Yang and prospect Nobyuki Nakano to Yokohama for veteran LF Kitachachi Kawamoto to help with their playoff push. He was only a pinch hitter for the rest of the year, but the Yellow Jackets made him a full-time starter from 1995-2002. In that stretch, Yang topped 5+ WAR six times. Yokohama was generally stuck in the middle tier, averaging 77.5 wins in that stretch.

Yang led in total bases in 1996 and topped 35+ homers each year starting for Yokohama. He wasn’t generally a league leader though with the exception of a stellar 1998. This saw Yang win MVP and his lone Silver Slugger, leading the league in runs (103), hits (207), doubles (48), home runs (142), total bases (435), slugging (.720), OPS (1.097), wRC+ (231), and WAR (10.3). Those were all career bests by a healthy margin.

Yokohama gave Yang a five-year, $12,240,000 extension after the 1997 season. While still a reliably strong starter, his poor defense and weakness against lefties kept him from awards conversations. In total for Yokohama, Yang 1433 hits, 702 runs, 238 doubles, 342 home runs, 858 RBI, a .303/.332/.584 slash, 172 wRC+, and 45.2 WAR. He was a positive in a generally forgettable era for the Yellow Jackets, who later retired Yang’s #15.

Yang was a free agent after the 2002 season at age 29. He returned to South Korea on a five-year, $13,920,000 deal with Gwangju. Yang kept his general production in his first two years, but missed most of 2005 with a ruptured Achilles tendon. He did return to form in 2006, but couldn’t list the Grays beyond mediocrity. With Gwangju, Yang had 519 hits, 252 runs, 103 doubles, 119 home runs, 310 RBI, a .287/.314/.552 slash, 137 wRC+, and 12.3 WAR.

After the 2006 season, Yang declined his contract option and became a 34-year old free agent. Incheon grabbed him for five years at $18,000,000. Yang hit for the cycle in 2008 and crossed the 500 home run and 1000 runs scored milestones with the Inferno. Yang was a solid starter in his first two years, but started to drop off a bit in year three.

By the end, Yang was a healthy scratch, only playing 55 games with two starts in his final two years. Incheon was also middling and Yang never got to play in the postseason for his whole career. With the Inferno, he had 473 hits, 223 runs, 100 doubles, 92 home runs, 271 RBI, a 124 wRC+, and 8.4 WAR. Yang retired after the 2011 campaign at age 38.

Yang finished with 2453 hits, 1195 runs, 446 doubles, 559 home runs, 1463 RBI, a .294/.321/.560 slash, 153 wRC+, and 66.2 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks 51^st in home runs, 63^rd in RBI, and 59^th in doubles. However, Yang doesn’t crack the top 100 in any of the other stats, including WAR. That and his lack of team success made many voters look at Yang as a “Hall of Pretty Good” type.

Still, 550 home runs and a MVP season go a long way. Yang benefited from a very weak 2017 ballot where his resume looked comparatively stronger. At 66.7%, he barely crossed the 66% requirement, but it was enough for snag a first ballot induction into the EAB Hall of Fame.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

Beisbol Sudamerica added three first-ballot selections into the Hall of Fame for 2017. Two were no-doubters with former teammates 1B Matt Monaco at 98.7% and OF Emiliano Pina at 98.1%. SP Camilo Medellin’s 72.5% got him across the 66% line narrowly. Falling just short was C Moises Avalos at 62.3% for his ninth ballot. This still left BSA without a single catcher in the Hall of Fame. No one else breached 50%.



Numerous players were cleaned off the ballot after ten failed tries. 2B Dani Alvarado had an 18-year career with Sao Paulo, winning two Silver Sluggers and two Copa Sudamerica rins. Alvarado had 2522 hits, 1010 runs, 321 doubles, 216 triples, 57 home runs, 681 RBI, 831 stolen bases, a .333/.354/.454 slash, 138 wRC+, and 79.6 WAR. Leadoff guys always had a tough climb with the lack of power numbers and Alvarado missed just enough time to injury to dull his accumulations. He peaked at 43.9% in 2009 and ended at 31.6%.

SP Erubiel Medina had 17 seasons mostly with Buenos Aires, posting a 230-175 record, 3.05 ERA, 3741.2 innings, 3636 strikeouts, 762 walks, 110 ERA+, and 77.9 WAR. He quietly had a reliable career, but was never an all-star or league leader. The lack of flashiness kept him to a peak of 49.2% in 2009 and a finish of 27.8%.

SP Louis Torres had a 15-year BSA career and led in wins twice, helping Rosario to their 1992 Copa Sudamerica. He had a 215-141 record, 3.02 ERA, 3435.2 innings, 2800 strikeouts, 529 walks, 111 ERA+, and 61.6 WAR. He was another guy with nice tenure, but lacked accolades or eye-popping stats. Torres peaked with 46.0% in 2010 and ended with 8.9%. He did see his #23 later retired by the Robins.

Lastly, 2B Hanley Civetta had a 21-year career overall and 17-years in BSA with Buenos Aires. He won two Silver Sluggers and one batting title, posting 2388 hits, 1027 runs, 424 doubles, 213 home runs, 982 RBI, a .315/.376/.472 slash, 153 wRC+, and 76.8 WAR. Civetta was another leadoff guy who didn’t have enough power to get the voters’ attention. He peaked with 34.4% and ended at only 2.6%, but managed to survive ten ballots.



Matt Monaco – First Base – Rosario Robins – 98.7% First Ballot

Matt Monaco was a 6’8’’, 200 pound left-handed first baseman from La Plata, a city of around 770,000 people in Argentina’s Buenos Aires province. Monaco was a very good contact hitter that also had excellent pop in his bat, posting 40 home runs and 36 doubles per his 162 game average. He especially mashed against right-handed pitching with a 1.027 career OPS and 198 wRC+. Against lefties, Monaco had a .761 OPS and 120 wRC+.

On the whole, Monaco was below average at drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. He was also quite slow and clumsy on the basepaths. Monaco’s height did help him at first base, where he spent his entire career with reliably average defense. His durability was good, but he did suffer a few big injuries. Monaco was one of the smartest guys in the game and that combined with his propensity for extra base hits made him one of Argentina’s biggest baseball stars.

Although he grew up near Buenos Aires, Monaco’s entire Argentina career came with Rosario, who inked him as a teenage amateur in July 1991. He officially debuted in 1994 with 10 at-bats at age 21. Monaco had 119 games and 26 starts in 1995, then earned the full-time gig from 1996-2009. He basically never missed a start for the Robins in that run apart from injuries.

Monaco’s second full-season in 1997 saw league bests in hits (202), doubles (49), total bases 9383), and wRC+ (199), earning his first Silver Slugger and a third place in MVP voting. It was the first of eight 7+ WAR seasons over the next nine years. He may have had nine consecutive if not for a torn hamstring that cost him half of 1998.

In 1999, Monaco led in hits (209), doubles (39), average (.344), slugging (.643), and wRC+ (219). It was also his first of eight seasons with 45+ home runs and his first of five seasons with an OPS above one. Monaco won his second Silver Slugger and took second in MVP voting. The season also featured a 34-game hitting streak.

Monaco bested it in 2000 with his lone MVP and third Slugger. He broke the Beisbol Sudamerica doubles record with 58, a mark that still holds as of 2037. His 461 total bases also ranked as the fifth-most in a season to that point and still ranks 11^th as of 2037. Monaco led in runs (122), hits (235), average (.372), slugging (.729), OPS (1.126), wRC+ (226), and WAR (11.3); all career highs. His 52 home runs, 125 RBI, and .397 OBP were also career bests.

Despite Monaco’s efforts, Rosario was stuck in the middle tier.. In 2001, Monaco posted an impressive 36-game hit streak, which ranks as the sixth-longest in BSA history. However, he suffered a fractured knee in August to end his season. Worried about the injury, Rosario only gave him a two-year, $9,360,000 extension at that point. They would eventually sign Monaco the next winter for seven years and $43,600,000.

The Robins posted seven straight winning seasons from 1999-2005, but had no playoff berths to show for it. Monaco still performed, taking third in 2003 MVP voting and winning his fourth Silver Slugger in 2004. He led in hits in 2002 and in both doubles and total bases in 2003. Monaco’s run of 7+ WAR seasons ceased in 2006, but he still stayed above 4+ WAR for the next four seasons.

Although he didn’t get the big game experience with Rosario, Monaco did represent Argentina proudly in the World Baseball Championship. From 1997-2011, he played 117 tournament games with 96 starts, 108 hits, 69 runs, 19 doubles, 42 home runs, 82 RBI, a .290/.339/.691 slash, 192 wRC+, and 6.0 WAR.

Rosario remained mid for Monaco’s remaining tenure, averaging 79.4 wins per season with no playoff berths in total. A torn abdominal muscle cost him the second half in 2007, but he stayed healthy for 2008 and 2009 and topped 40 homers both years. Monaco declined the last year option of his deal and became a free agent for the first time after the 2009 season heading towards age 37.

Monaco wanted to make a run at Copa Sudamerica and thus signed with Recife, who was the Southern Cone League’s runner-up the prior year. He signed three years and $19,800,000 with the Retrievers, but was used exclusively as a backup in two years there. He had 195 games and 50 starts, seeing his production drop steeply in his limited use. Monaco ended up with a .237 average, 89 wRC+, and 0.2 WAR for the Retrievers.

He did get to Copa Sudamerica though, as Recife won back-to-back pennants in 2010 and 2011. The Retrievers couldn’t win the cup though, spoiled by Santa Cruz in 2010 and Valencia in 2011. Monaco had 20 playoff games and 9 starts, struggling to a .186/.217/.256 slash and -0.1 WAR. He also played seven games in with five starts in the inaugural Baseball Grand Championship. Monaco retired after the 2011 season at age 38 and quickly saw Rosario retire his #27 uniform for his dedicated service with the Robins.

Monaco ended with 2706 hits, 1295 runs, 525 doubles, 592 home runs, 1469 RBI, a .323/.353/.611 slash, 180 wRC+, and 98.4 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks 41^st in WAR among position players, 47^th in hits, 11^th in doubles, 73^rd in runs, 27^th in home runs, and 48^th in RBI.

Few power hitters were more reliable than Monaco in his era in Argentina. It was unfortunate that never translated to playoff appearances for Rosario, but he certainly wasn’t to blame. The voters acknowledged Monaco’s impressive resume with 98.7% to co-headline the three-player 2017 Hall of Fame class for Beisbol Sudamerica.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

Emiliano Pina – Outfielder – Rosario Robins – 98.1% First Ballot

Emiliano Pina was a 6’0’’, 200 pound switch-hitting outfielder from Cordoba, Argentina’s second-most populous city. Pina was an outstanding home run hitter, hitting 40+ homers in 12 different seasons. He was a good contact hitter and was solid at drawing walks, although his strikeout rate was subpar. Pina’s gap power got him 24 doubles and 10 triples per 162 games. His speed and baserunning were both quite average.

Pina made about 2/3s of his starts in left field with the rest in right. He graded as a mediocre defender in both spots, lacking the range or glove work to thrive. Pina was an ironman in the outfield though, playing 155+ games each year from 1995-2009. He had an unremarkable personality, but his reliability and home run power made him a powerful force in the Southern Cone League.

In the 1993 BSA Draft, Rosario picked Pina 11^th overall. He saw part-time use in 1994, then earned the full-time gig from 1995-2005 for the Robins. As mentioned with his Hall of Fame classmate Matt Monaco, Rosario was reliably average in the 1990s and 2000s. Pina wouldn’t get to play in the postseason until after he left.

Pina’s first awards came with Silver Sluggers from 1999-2002 in left. From 1996-2008, he hit 40+ homers in all but one season. Pina posted 6+ WAR in nine seasons total. Yet, he wasn’t generally a league leader. His first time with black ink came in 2002, leading with a .702 slugging. Pina also hit 52 home runs, his second 50+ season (54 in 2000). 2002 would be his lone MVP win, featuring career bests in OPS (1.080), wRC+ (207), WAR (9.3), and hits (195).

Rosario signed him to a five-year, $27,440,000 extension after the 2001 campaign. Pina won his fifth Slugger in 2004 and took third in MVP voting. It was the only time he led in homers, smacking 60. He also led in RBI (125) and slugging (.681) and posted his third season with an OPS above one. Pina would drop off a bit the next year, his final with Rosario.

Pina was also a regular for Argentina in the World Baseball Championship, playing from 1996-2010. He had 143 tournament games and 134 starts in total, posting 94 this, 73 runs, 17 doubles, 33 home runs, 75 RBI, 80 walks, a .199/.322/.466 slash, 124 wRC+, and 3.1 WAR.

With Rosario, Pina finished with 1803 hits, 1070 runs, 280 doubles, 102 triples, 504 home runs, 1135 RBI, 649 walks, a .276/.343/.581 slash, 166 wRC+, and 65.6 WAR. Like Monaco, Pina’s #4 uniform would later be retired by the Robins. Pina declined his contract option after the 2005 campaign, becoming a free agent at age 34. He ended up signing a four-year, $26,800,000 deal with Fortaleza, who was the 2005 Southern Cone League champ.

The Foxes would just miss the playoffs in Pina’s first two years despite his reliable production. Fortaleza then earned the top seed in both 2008 and 2009, but suffered upset losses in the divisional series. Pina was lousy in his nine playoff starts with a .628 OPS and 75 wRC+. He was good generally though for Fortaleza, winning his sixth Silver Slugger in 2008. He led with a career-best 138 RBI that year and posted 6+ WAR in all four seasons for Fortaleza.

Pina finished there with 732 hits, 464 runs, 103 doubles, 168 home runs, 465 RBI, a .309/.374/.616 slash, 172 wRC+, and 27.7 WAR. He then followed Monaco’s lead and signed with Recife on a two-year, $17,600,000 deal. Pina regressed quickly and like Monaco, was used in a reserve role for the Retrievers. He had 141 games and 44 starts total with a 126 wRC+ and 1.0 WAR.

Recife won the Southern Cone League both years, but fell in Copa Sudamerica both times. Pina had a .646 OPS over 10 playoff games and three starts and went 1-5 as a pinch hitter in five games in the Baseball Grand Championship. He retired after the 2011 season at age 40.

Pina finished with 2600 hits, 1571 runs, 396 doubles, 164 triples, 688 home runs, 1644 RBI, 912 walks, 213 stolen bases, .284/.350/.588 slash, 166 wRC+, and 94.3 WAR. As of 2037, Pina ranks ninth in homers, 18^th in RBI, 19^th in runs, 69^th in hits, and 50^th in WAR among position players.

Like Monaco, it was unfortunate that Pina really never had a chance on the big stage in his prime. Rosario fans finally had reason to celebrate though with both going into the Hall of Fame together in the Robins orange and brown. At 98.1%, Pina was a co-headliner with Monaco for the 2017 BSA Hall of Fame class.



Camilo Medellin – Starting Pitcher – Buenos Aires Atlantics – 72.5% First Ballot

Camilo Medellin was a 6’6’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from Jujuy, a city of 257,000 inhabitants in northwest Argentina. All three Hall of Fame inductees in 2017 were Argentinian, but Medellin had Spanish dual nationality. He had very good control and his stuff and movement ranged from good to great. Medellin’s best pitch was a 96-98 mph cutter. He also had a splitter, forkball, slider, and changeup in the arsenal.

Medellin’s stamina was very good and he had impressive durability, thus he tossed 240+ innings each year from 1999-2011. He was a good defensive pitcher, but struggled holding runners. The big knock according to those who played with him is that Medellin was both lazy and dumb. Some feel he squandered his natural talent and never reached his full potential.

That potential was very evident even as a teenager to a visiting scout from Buenos Aires. They signed Medellin in May 1993 as an amateur and put him in the Atlantics academy for six seasons. Medellin debuted as a full-time starter in 1999 at age 22 and led the Southern Cone League with 16 complete games. He took second in both Rookie of the Year and Pitcher of the Year voting with his debut. Medellin gave up five runs in eight innings in his lone playoff start as BA fell in the first round.

Buenos Aires was a playoff regular in Medellin’s tenure with five straight berths to start his career. They also made it in 2005 and 2007, but the Atlantics couldn’t get over the hump. They lost in the Southern Cone Championship in 2000, 2002, and 2003. BA suffered divisional series defeats the other years. One knock on Medellin was poor playoff performances with a career 5.36 ERA over 84 innings.

Medellin’s regular season numbers were strong though. He led in complete games five straight years to start his career and led thrice in innings pitched. He led in wins in 2000 at 20-9 and had 7.7 WAR, earning Pitcher of the Year honors. Medellin finished third in POTY voting in both 2003 and 2007. 2003 had Medellin’s career bests in WAR (10.3) and strikeouts (335). 2007 was his best ERA at 2.47.

From 1999-2010, Medellin played in the World Baseball Championship but with his dual nationality, he oscillated between playing for Argentina and Spain. In total, he had a 4.28 ERA over 183 innings, 11-11 record, 194 strikeouts, 51 walks, 83 ERA+, and 3.5 WAR.

After the 2003 season, Medellin signed a six-year, $26,960,000 extension with Buenos Aires. He never repeated that effort, but posted 5+ WAR four more times. Medellin topped 5+ WAR in nine seasons total. Happy with the results, the Atlantics gave Medellin another five years and $34,500,000 after the 2008 season.

Buenos Aires fell towards the middle of the standings as the 2010s dawned. Medellin’s velocity also started to decline, posting merely average stats in 2010. In 2011, he was actively bad with a career worst 5.10 ERA over 204.2 innings. Seeing his goose was cooked, Medellin retired at age 35. Buenos Aires did recognize him by retiring his #11 uniform.

Medellin had a 201-164 record, 3.23 ERA, 3494 innings, 3319 strikeouts, 437 walks, 277/425 quality starts, 177 complete games, 34 shutouts, 112 ERA+, 85 FIP-, and 72.8 WAR. As of 2037, Medellin ranks 67^th in wins, 47^th in innings, 74^th in strikeouts, 25^th in complete games, 48^th in shutouts, and 69^th in WAR among pitchers.

BSA voters were often very favorable towards pitching, but many scholars argue that Medellin’s resume was quite borderline. Working in his favor was a Pitcher of the Year and staying with one team for his whole career. Against him was a lack of raw dominance and terrible playoff stats. Medellin debuted in 2017 at 72.5%, which got him across the 66% requirement for a first ballot induction to cap off the three-player crew.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

SP Viktor Stier and 1B Oleksandr Belov earned first ballot additions in 2017 for the European Baseball Federation’s Hall of Fame. Stier got in at 86.6% while Belov received 77.8%. SP Jarand Dahl barely missed the 66% requirement with 65.1% on his seventh ballot. Two other returners cracked 50% with SP Geza Sebestyen at 56.7% on his second try and CL Steven Macario with 54.8% for his fifth go.



Dropped after ten failed ballots was RF Udo Gottschall, who played 17 years with Munich. He won MVP in 1991 and had eight Gold Gloves, helping the Mavericks to the 1988 European Championship. Gottschall finished with 2241 hits, 1232 runs, 289 doubles, 276 triples, 242 home runs, 1107 RBI, 1058 stolen bases, a .288/.333/.489 slash, 125 wRC+, and 68.5 WAR. Apart for the MVP season and the one before it, Gottschall’s offense wasn’t dominant enough to get much attention from voters. He peaked twice at 28.1% before ending at 17.2%.

Also dropped was closer Dario Wiesner, who played 15 years between Seville and Barcelona. He got to 348 saves, but had a 3.60 ERA, 107 ERA+, 12.7 WAR, 1014.1 innings, and 1284 strikeouts. Wiesner had no accolades and was basically the relief version of a compiler. He still got 29.4% in his debut, but fell to 8.8% by the end.



Viktor “Skeet” Stier – Starting Pitcher – Hamburg Hammers – 86.8% First Ballot

Viktor Stier was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Cottbus, a city of around 98,000 inhabitants in the German state of Brandenburg. Stier was a fireballer with dominant stuff along with solid control and movement. His impressive fastball regularly hit the 99-101 mph range and was among the best in the game at his peak. Stier also boasted a very good curveball along with a changeup and splitter.

Stier’s stamina was around average compared to other European aces, but he had pretty good durability in the front end of his career. He was good at holding runners, but was subpar defensively. Stier was quiet and humble, which served him well in a 15-year career with Hamburg. He became a well-known and popular figure in the German baseball world.

In the 1995 EBF Draft, Stier was picked 19^th overall by Hamburg. They kept him on the reserve roster for all of 1996, then made him a full-time starter in 1997. Stier struggled as a rookie, but showed more promise in his second and third seasons. He took third in 1998 Pitcher of the Year voting, then finished second in 2000. His fourth season in 2000 started a four-year streak of 8+ WAR efforts. Stier topped 5+ WAR in seven different seasons.

Stier first gained attention more broadly in 1999, which saw Hamburg as a wild card win the Northern Conference. They fell to Madrid in the European Championship, but Stier had an excellent 1.08 ERA over 25 playoff innings with 23 strikeouts. The Hammers made the playoffs again the next three seasons, but never got deeper than the second round. Stier had a weak start in 2000, but otherwise had strong playoff career with a 1.81 ERA over 64.2 innings.

Hamburg signed Stier to a five-year, $23,120,000 extension in April 2002. He immediately delivered, winning back-to-back Pitcher of the Year awards in 2002 and 2003. In both seasons, Stier led the Northern Conference with 9.0 WAR and led with sub-two ERAs. His 0.75 WHIP in 2002 is one of only 16 qualifying seasons in EBF history at that mark or better as of 2037. Stier also led in strikeouts for the only time with 291 in 2003, although he narrowly topped that mark in the prior three seasons. His 1.88 ERA in 2003 was his career best as well.

The Hammers would be in the middle of the standings largely for the rest of the 2000s, although they did get first round playoff exits in 2006 and 2008. Stier wasn’t in awards conversations after 2003, but he remained a very solid starter through 2007. Stier was also a regular for Germany in the World Baseball Championship. From 1998-2011, he had a 2.88 ERA and 12-13 record over 193.2 innings, 281 strikeouts, 43 walks, 124 ERA+, and 5.2 WAR.

Hamburg signed Stier for another five years and $37,000,000 in February 2007, shortly after his 32^nd birthday. The deal would be snake-bitten though as Stier suffered a damaged elbow ligament in August 2007. That put him out more than a calendar year, only getting back for three starts at the end of 2008. Then in late 2008, he tore his meniscus and needed knee surgery, knocking him out another eight months.

The injuries tanked Stier’s stamina, but he still could go in short bursts in 2009. Unfortunately, he suffered a stretched elbow ligament in August, knocking him out another ten months. Hamburg split him between the bullpen and starting in 2010 and 2011, but Stier was terrible with ERAs above 5.50. He retired after the 2011 campaign at age 36 and immediately had his #18 uniform retired by Hamburg.

Stier had a 182-113 record, 2.87 ERA, 2698.1 innings, 2952 strikeouts, 483 walks, 232/369 quality starts, 68 complete games, 130 ERA+, 70.2 WAR. The injuries prevented him from big accumulations but as of 2037, Stier still ranks 50^th in pitching WAR, 83^rd in wins, and 71^st in strikeouts. His rate stats though ranked in the mid-range compared to previously inducted starters in EBF.

A couple voters didn’t think he played long enough to belong, but most were sympathetic knowing bad injury luck was to blame and not talent deficiency. Stier received 86.6% to earn a solid first ballot induction, which made him the headliner in EBF’s two-player 2017 Hall of Fame class.



Oleksandr “Meal Ticker” Belov – First Base – Kyiv Kings – 77.8% First Ballot

Oleksandr Belov was a 6’4’’, 200 pound right-handed first baseman from Luhansk, a city of around 400,000 in eastern Ukraine. Belov was a very good contact hitter and was solid at avoiding strikeouts, although he was average-at-best at drawing walks. His gap power was impressive and he regularly got extra bases. Over a 162 game average, Belov got you 29 doubles, 24 triples, and 24 home runs. He had excellent speed, but was often overly aggressive and mistake-prone on the basepaths.

Despite that profile, Belov exclusively played first base in his career and graded as a reliably solid defender. He was an ironman that started 145+ games each year from 1998-2012. Belov’s reliability made him one of the more popular players to come out of Ukraine.

In the 1990s, Ukraine’s teams and players were in the Eurasian Professional Baseball sphere. Belov was picked 35^th overall by Kyiv in the 1994 EPB Draft and the Kings kept him in their developmental system initially. He didn’t play in 1995 and only saw five games in 1996. Belov started most of 1997 with promising results, then had the full-time job from 1998 onward in the Ukrainian capital. Despite statistically being one of his weaker years, Belov’s lone Silver Slugger came in 1998.

A powerhouse only a few years prior, 1997-2001 saw a playoff drought for Kyiv. The big shift came for the 2000 season with the massive exodus of teams from EPB to EBF and ABF. This began Belov’s EBF career as Kyiv made the move. 2000 was also his first of ten season worth 5+ WAR. In 2001, he led the Northern Conference with 36 triples and had a career-high 407 total bases. The Kings locked him up after the 2002 campaign to an eight-year, $47,960,000 extension.

Belov took third in 2003’s MVP voting and second in 2006. 2003 saw conference bests in hits (231), total bases (401), and triples (34). The hits were a career best, as was his 8.4 WAR, 195 wRC+, and his .379/.415/.658 triple slash and 1.074 OPS. It was the third of four seasons above one OPS. Belov would lead in triples thrice more in his career.

Kyiv returned to form and made the playoffs seven times from 2002-2009. This culminated in a dynasty run with five straight conference finals berths from 2005-2009. The Kings won three straight pennants from 2006-2008 and took the European Championship in 2006 and 2008. In his playoff career for Kyiv, Belov had 86 games, 105 hits, 47 runs, 11 doubles, 16 triples, 4 home runs, 28 RBI, a .299/.338/.456 slash, 121 wRC+, and 2.0 WAR.

Belov had similar production playing for his native Ukraine from 1998-2011 in the World Baseball Championship. In his combined tournament career, he had 145 games and 140 starts with 139 hits, 67 runs, 34 doubles, 4 triples, 20 home runs, 70 RBI, a .266/.329/.461 slash, 130 wRC+, and 4.0 WAR.

In 2009, Belov hit for the cycle against Kharkiv. He also reached 2000 career hits and 1000 runs in the EBF. Kyiv gave him a four-year, $32,200,000 extension heading towards his age 35 season. The Kings narrowly missed the playoffs in 2010, then stunningly plummeted to 52-110 in 2011. With that, they were relegated to the European Second League only three years after being the EBF champ.

Belov used the relegation opt-out clause, ending his lengthy run with Kyiv. In total, he had 2921 hits, 1408 runs, 369 doubles, 363 triples, 340 home runs, 1344 RBI, 555 stolen bases, a .324/.361/.558 slash, 164 wRC+, and 83.1 WAR. Fans understood why he left after the team’s collapse, but some in management held a grudge, thus Belov’s #16 uniform was never retired. This also ended his EBF career, as he ended up returning to EPB for his final two seasons.

He ended up in Russia on a two-year, $13,200,000 deal with Rostov, posting respectable results with a 7.4 WAR, 146 wRC+, and .836 OPS over 275 games. The Rhinos earned their first-ever playoff berth in 2012 and earned back-to-back European League titles. They lost the 2012 EPB Championship to Yekaterinburg, but claimed the title in 2013 against Ulaanbaatar.

In 24 playoff starts for Rostov, Belov had 1.1 WAR, 173 wRC+, and a .910 OPS, playing an important role. He also earned a chance to play in the Baseball Grand Championship in 2013, but struggled to -0.2 WAR and a .502 OPS in 19 starts. With that and his power waning, Rostov didn’t re-sign Belov in the offseason.

He wanted to still play, but most teams wanted big boppers at first base. After going un-signed in 2014, Belov retired at age 39. In EPB between Rostov and his early Kyiv years, he had 784 hits, 330 runs, 99 doubles, 83 triples, 78 home runs, 339 RBI, a .284/.316/.465 slash, 143 wRC+, and 14.3 WAR.

For Belov’s combined pro career, he had 3253 hits, 1567 runs, 415 doubles, 397 triples, 367 home runs, 1481 RBI, 626 stolen bases, a .322/.359/.551 slash, 162 wRC+, and 90.5 WAR. Among all pros as of 2037, Belov ranks 12^th all-time in triples. His EBF Hall of Fame candidacy though had slightly lower accumulations with 2469 hits, 1237 runs, 316 doubles, 314 triples, 289 home runs, 1142 RBI, 458 stolen bases, a .336/.375/.585 slash, 169 wRC+, and 76.2 WAR.

As of 2037 in EBF, Belov ranks 21^st in triples, 54^th in hits, and 92^nd in runs. He doesn’t crack the top 100 in WAR for position players, but his .958 OPS ranks 72^nd among all hitters with 3000+ plate appearances and his batting average ranks 37^th. Some voters felt he didn’t quite have the longevity or accolades to get in, but Belov was a critical piece of Kyiv’s 2000s dynasty. That quieted most doubters, getting him to 77.8% and a first ballot induction for the 2017 EBF Hall of Fame.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

The 2017 Eurasian Professional Baseball Hall of Fame class was girthy at four players, the most since 2011. They had been four inductees total in the prior three years. SP Pascal Branescu was the clear headliner at 97.2%. The other three guys were in the 70% range, which was enough to cross the 66% requirement.

CL Stilian Zaborov got 74.8% on his third ballot, SP Edmond Vardanyan received 74.1% for his fifth go, and 3B/DH Roman Izosimov debuted at 71.3%. LF Oleg Ivashko barely missed the cut with 63.4% for his sixth ballot. SS Gleb Khassanov got 52.1% in his fifth try. No one else was above 50% and no players were dropped after ten failed ballots.



Pascal Branescu – Starting Pitcher – Krasnoyarsk Cossacks – 97.2% First Ballot

Pascal Branescu was a 6’4’’, 195 pound left-handed pitcher from Bacau, a city of roughly 136,000 people in northeast Romania. Branescu had strong stuff with a very highly rated slider and curveball, along with a 94-96 mph fastball and a changeup. His control was iffy early in his career, but solid in his later years. Branescu’s biggest issue was an extreme flyball tendency. His breaking pitches could often go flat and get sent over the fence.

Branescu had outstanding stamina and led the league four times in innings pitched. He also had great durability for most of his career, tossing 240+ innings in 12 of his 13 seasons. Branescu was excellent at holding runners and above average defensively. He could be inflexible at times, which perhaps limited his ultimate potential.

A Russian scout from Krasnoyarsk happened to spot Branescu at a prospects came in Romania. They signed him to a teenage amateur deal in August 1992 and had him in the academy for six years. Branescu debuted in 1999 at age 23 as a full-time starter, leading the Asian League with seven shutouts as a rookie. He finished third in Rookie of the Year voting.


Branescu’s 2000 was notable for a no-hitter on July 19, striking out 10 with two walks over Nizhny Novgorod. He arrived as an ace in 2001 with his first of six seasons worth 6+ WAR. Branescu took second in Pitcher of the Year voting, leading the league with nine shutouts and adding 354 strikeouts and a 2.33 ERA. This effort also helped Krasnoyarsk end a 12-year playoff drought.

The Cossacks upset Yekaterinburg to win the Asian League pennant, although they lost to a fledgling Minsk dynasty in the EPB Championship. In 2002, Branescu led in wins (27-7) and had a career best 1.77 ERA and 310 innings, taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting. He was third in 2003, which featured his career bests in strikeouts (366), and WAR (8.0).

Krasnoyarsk won 100+ from 2002-2004, but fell each year in the ALCS. They barely made the playoffs in 2005 at 87-75, but upset the Yaks and Moscow for the franchise’s second EPB title. The Cossacks were around .500 from 2006-2008, then won the pennant again in 2009 before falling to Moscow in the EPB Championship.

Branescu’s playoff stats were a mixed bag over 13 starts with 100.2 innings, a 3.58 ERA, 5-4 record, 97 strikeouts, 23 walks, 86 ERA+, and 2.0 WAR. He was strong in 2002 with a 1.72 ERA in two starts and was excellent in 2009 with a 1.48 ERA over 24.1 innings. Branescu was more middling in 2001 and 2004, bad in 2005, and awful in 2003.

Branescu’s stats were below average in total playing for his native Romania in the World Baseball Championship. From 2000-2010, he saw a 9-6 record, 4.48 ERA, 124.2 innings, 157 strikeouts, 48 walks, 79 ERA+, and 0.8 WAR. Like in EPB, his inconsistency with allowing home runs could burn him.

Branescu later took second in2004’s EPB Pitcher of the Year voting, third in 2006, second in 2007, and second in 2009; never winning the top honor. He had a rough 2005, allowing the most homers in the AL at 37, but bounced back to his usual production shortly after. Branescu led in wins in 2006 and topped 300 strikeouts in six seasons.

After the 2008 season, a 33-year old Branescu opted to give free agency a look. After three months on the market, he ended up going back to Krasnoyarsk for $26,080,000 over five years. Branescu had a nice 2009 and helped the Cossacks win the pennant, but he suffered his first injury setback the next year.

In June 2010, a torn back muscle ended his season. Branescu was back in 2011 and his production was closer towards league average. He still could eat innings, but his overall effectiveness was waning. Branescu decided to get out before he declined further, retiring that winter at age 36. Krasnoyarsk would honor him by retiring his #31 uniform.

Branescu had a 224-138 record, 2.83 ERA, 3473.2 innings, 3705 strikeouts, 781 walks, 286/410 quality starts, 185 complete games, 50 shutouts, 112 ERA+, and 68.9 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks 32^nd in wins, 49^th in strikeouts, 87^th in pitching WAR, 16^th in shutouts, 44^th in complete games, and 50^th in innings pitched. He’s a somewhat odd case statistically and the sabremetric stats aren’t kind due to his home run issues.

However, he checked a lot of boxes for traditionalist voters. Branescu went deep in games, he played with one team, and he was a regular finalist in Pitcher of the Year voting. Plus, Branescu was a key figure in three pennants and one EPB title for Krasnoyarsk. Those perks made him a slam dunk for the voters even if the raw numbers aren’t overly impressive. At 97.2%, Branescu was given headliner status for EPB’s four-player Hall of Fame class in 2017.



Stilian Zaborov – Closer – Irkutsk Ice Cats – 74.8% Third Ballot

Stilian Zaborov was a 6’2’’, 195 pound left-handed relief pitcher from Vladivostok, a city of 600,000 inhabitants in Russia’s Far East. Zaborov was known for outstanding stuff with excellent movement, although his control was often wild. He mixed a 95-97 mph cutter with a curveball to great effect. He also had very good stamina and durability out of the bullpen. That reliability and his leadership made Zaborov one of the most valuable relievers of his era in EPB.

As a known reliever, Zaborov wasn’t at the tip-top of prospect lists heading into the 1997 EPB Draft. Still, his college exploits were good enough to get him picked late in the second round by Irkutsk with the 67^th overall spot. This was at the tail end of the Ice Cats’ dynasty run and they didn’t immediately have a spot for him on the active roster. Zaborov didn’t play in 1998 and only saw six appearances in 1999.

Zaborov spent part of 2000 in the closer role, then took the full-time job for the next nine years. In 2001, he led the Asian League in saves (38) and games (69), finishing second in Reliever of the Year voting. He would lead in saves once more in 2004 and twice more in games pitched. From 2002-2008 though, Zaborov topped 4 WAR six times and twice had an ERA below one.

From 2002-04, Zaborov won three straight Reliever of the Year awards. He took second in 2005, then won his fourth ROTY in 2006. Zaborov was second in 2007 (and third in Pitcher of the Year), then won his fifth ROTY in 2008. He joined Svetoslav Angelov as the only five-time winners in EPB and as of 2037, is one of five to have pulled that off.

Zaborov’s 2002 was his best ERA at 0.80 and a 366 ERA+, but his top WAR came at 5.3 in both 2006 and 2007. 2003 saw his highest strikeout (146) and innings tally (100.2). Zaborov also pitched for Russia in six editions of the World Baseball Championship from 2002-2009. He was used more as a starter with eight starts and four relief appearances, but dominated with a 1.26 ERA over 57.1 innings, 91 strikeouts, 15 walks, 283 ERA+, and 2.6 WAR.

Irkutsk fell towards the middle of the standings for most of Zaborov’s tenure, but made it back to the playoffs in 2006 and 2008 as a wild card. Both years, they lost to Yekaterinburg’s dynasty in the ALCS. Zaborov had four scoreless innings and two saves in 2006, but allowed three runs in 5.2 innings in 2008.

Zaborov was finally due for free agency after the 2009 season, but disaster struck before he could get there. On July 21, he suffered a torn UCL, which effectively ended his EPB career. No team wanted to take a chance on him off a major injury like that, but he still wanted to play somewhere. Zaborov rehabbed back and found an unexpected taker in Mexico.

Based on his prior excellence, CABA’s Juarez gave Zaborov two years and $8,560,000. Unfortunately, he was a shell of his former self with a 4.11 ERA over 15.1 innings in 2010 with the Jesters, who bought out his second year of his contract. Zaborov stayed in CABA and actually signed a one-year deal with Salvador for 2011, but the Stallions left him on the reserve roster all year. With that, Zaborov retired that winter at age 36. He returned home to Russia and Irkutsk retired his #7 uniform.

With Irkutsk, Zaborov had 315 saves and 378 shutdowns, a 70-54 record, 1.57 ERA, 838.1 innings, 1172 strikeouts, 263 walks, 197 ERA+, and 37.9 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks 17^th in saves. Of the other Hall of Fame relievers in EPB at that point, his WAR was 7^th out of nine. Notably among all of the great closers in pro baseball history, Zaborov’s ERA+ ranks 28^th.

Zaborov didn’t have as much longevity as a lot of voters like, but his dominance at his peak was unquestioned. Five Reliever of the Year awards was a rare feat in any league, but Zaborov still had to wait to get in. He barely missed with his 2015 debut at 64.2% and dropped to 56.2% in 2016. In 2017, Zaborov got across the 66% line at 74.8% to earn a third ballot induction for EPB’s Hall of Fame

[FuzzyRussianHat]

Edmond Vardanyan – Starting Pitcher – Kazan Crusaders – 74.1% Fifth Ballot

Edmond Vardanyan was a 5’10’’, 190 pound left-handed pitcher from Vagharshapat, a city of around 37,000 people in Armenia just west of the capital Yerevan. Pinpoint control was Vardanyan’s biggest asset as his stuff and movement were merely above average. His fastball hit 95-97 mph and he had a nice slider, but Vardanyan’s changeup earned the most whiffs.

Vardanyan’s stamina was average relative to his EPB contemporary aces, but he got plenty of innings due to excellent durability. He was above average at holding runners but below average defensively. Vardanyan was adaptable and a hard worker, but wasn’t one to pick up the reigns of leadership. Perhaps that’s why he never stayed in one place very long despite being generally likeable in the clubhouse.

Top prospects didn’t come out of Armenia too often and the capital’s squad was excited for a possible local hero. Yerevan picked Vardanyan seventh overall in the 1991 EPB Draft. He saw part-time use with okay results as a rookie, then more use and better production in 1993. Vardanyan became a full-time after that and boasted his career best WAR (8.3), ERA+ (144), and ERA (2.02) in 1995. He led the Asian League in quality starts at 30, but didn’t get any awards acknowledgement.

Vardanyan had a strong 1996 as well at 7.5 WAR but it was hard to get traction with Yerevan, who had historically been a bottom rung team. From 1978-2003, the Valiants didn’t post a single winning season. Vardanyan’s time there ended after only five years as Yerevan traded him to Tashkent for four prospects. With Yerevan, Vardanyan had a 57-58 record, 2.24 ERA, 1079 innings, 1056 strikeouts, 228 walks, 129 ERA+, and 24.2 WAR. It was statistically his most effective run.

Tashkent was a contender at this point and hoped Vardanyan could strengthen the rotation. He was terrible though in his first year at a 4.19 ERA, by far the worst of his career. Vardanyan was split between starting and relief in 1998 with better results. He then was a nice starter in 1999, but still down from his Yerevan peaks. Despite iffy regular season numbers, Vardanyan stepped up in the postseason.

The Tomcats won back-to-back Asian League pennants in 1998 and 1999, losing both years in the EPB Championship to Kharkiv. Vardanyan had a 1.99 ERA in 22.2 innings in 1998 and a 1.45 ERA over 31 innings in 1999. This temporarily ended Vardanyan’s EPB career, as Tashkent was among the many teams in the great exodus before the 2000 season.

Tashkent made the switch to the Asian Baseball Federation and won the league title in their first year over Isfahan. Vardanyan had a strong 8.2 WAR season and a career-high 313 strikeouts. On July 14, he had a no-hitter with six strikeouts against Multan. Vardanyan also had a 2.41 ERA and 49 strikeouts over 37.1 playoff innings. In total for Tashkent, Vardanyan had a 56-41 record, 2.88 ERA, 855.2 innings, 900 strikeouts, 102 ERA+, and 16.2 WAR.

Vardanyan was a free agent after the 2000 season at age 32 and had to decide which league to go to. He ultimately returned to EPB and went to Russia on a five-year, $16,800,000 deal with Kazan. Vardanyan would later choose to be inducted in Crusaders purple and gold, as he threw more innings with Kazan than any other team.

He gave the Crusaders plenty of innings, but generally average production apart from 2004, which saw 6.9 WAR and a league-best 29 quality starts. Vardanyan was third in Pitcher of the Year voting, his only time as a finalist. Kazan made it to the European League Championship Series in 2002 and 2004, but lost both times to Minsk. Vardanyan struggled in his three playoff starts with a lousy 5.95 ERA over 19.2 innings.

In total with Kazan, Vardanyan had an 81-64 record, 2.60 ERA, 1416.2 innings, 1287 strikeouts, 193 walks, 103 ERA+, and 22.6 WAR. Now 37, he signed a three-year, $12,480,000 deal with Yekaterinburg. Vardanyan had an alright 2006 and was iffy in the playoffs with a 4.18 ERA over 23.2 innings. The Yaks won the ALCS, but lost the EPB Championship to Moscow.

Vardanyan missed a month in 2007 to a strained oblique and saw a part-time role in the rotation. He had one quality start in the playoffs as the Yaks won it all, getting revenge over the Mules. In two years for Yekaterinburg, Vardanyan had a 3.39 ERA, 19-22 record, 94 ERA+, and 5.0 WAR. He retired that winter at age 39.

For his combined pro career, Vardanyan had a 213-185 record, 2.64 ERA, 3728.1 innings, 3533 strikeouts, 599 walks, 108 ERA+, and 68.0 WAR. Removing his one ABF season for Tashkent, he had a 193-176 record, 2.65 ERA, 3464 innings, 3220 strikeouts, 564 walks, 157 complete games, 27 shutouts, 107 ERA+, and 59.8 WAR.

As of 2037, Vardanyan ranks 76^th in wins, 52^nd in innings, and 91^st in strikeouts while not making the top 100 in pitching WAR. He didn’t have black ink or awards, looking like a “Hall of Pretty Good” level guy for many. In total, he had a 2.99 playoff ERA with the strong Tashkent efforts giving him a boost. Being on multiple pennant-winning teams helped his cause. Also helping was EPB voters being generally favorable towards pitching.

Vardanyan debuted at 55.4% in 2013 and slowly moved up to 57.3%, 64.8%, and 65.3%. He got across the line in 2017 at 74.1% for a fifth ballot EPB Hall of Fame induction. Scholars will note Vardanyan is one of the weaker starting pitchers to secure the nod, but he’s in regardless.



Roman Izosimov – Third Base/Designated Hitter – Ufa Fiends – 71.3% First Ballot

Roman Izosimov was a 6’1’’, 180 pound right-handed third baseman from Novaya Tavolzhanka, a village of around 5000 people in western Russia’s Belgorod Oblast. Izosimov was a “three true outcomes” type of hitter that hit a lot of home runs and drew a lot of walks, but also struck out a ton. He was a below average contact hitter, but he regularly hit 30+ homers and topped 40+ thrice. Izosimov’s gap power was decent, getting 21 doubles per his 162 game average.

Izosimov wasn’t a great athlete and was very slow on the basepaths, although he had average baserunning chops. He had a strong arm, thus his entire defensive career came at third base. However, Izosimov’s poor range and glove work made him a subpar defender. Just over half of his career starts came at third with the rest as a designated hitter. Izosimov’s durability was excellent, playing 149+ games each year from 1996-2011. That reliability and his home run power made him a popular figure in Russian baseball.

In December 1989, Izosimov signed a teenage amateur deal with Ufa. He spent most of seven years in their developmental academy. Izosimov debuted in 1992 at age 20 with 13 at-bats, but didn’t see the field again until 1996. He was a full-time starter from then onward and led the Asian League in home runs as a rookie with 36.

Izosimov led the league from 2000-2003 in home runs, peaking with 49 in 2000. He also led in RBI thrice in that stretch and had a career best 6.8 WAR in 2001. In 2000, Izosimov led with career bests in total bases (335) and slugging (.559). Izosimov won Silver Sluggers as a DH in 2000 and 2001 and finished third in 2001’s MVP voting.

Ufa was generally stuck in the middle tier during Izosimov’s tenure. Their lone playoff appearance was a wild card and first round defeat in 1998. This was Izosimov’s only playoff experience, going 1-12. He did play some for Russia in the World Baseball Championship, but only had four starts over 23 games from 2001-2007.

In total for Ufa, Izosimov had 1270 hits, 716 runs, 194 doubles, 331 home runs, 874 RBI, a .238/.312/.467 slash, 138 wRC+, and 39.8 WAR. He was popular enough to see his #3 uniform later retired by the Fiends. Izosimov became a free agent after the 2004 season heading towards age 33. He signed a four-year, $17,280,000 deal with Nizhny Novgorod. The Ninjas were one of the expansion teams after the exodus and largely struggled in their early years in EPB.

Izosimov put up fairly steady stats for them and led the European League in home runs in 2007. NN gave him a two-year, $8,000,000 extension in July 2008. Izosimov dropped off notably in 2009 with only 20 home runs, but bounced back in 2010, which got him another two-year extension at $8,800,000.

In 2011, Izosimov was finally cooked with a -0.7 WAR season and only 14 home runs. He retired that winter at age 39. In total for Nizhny Novgorod, he had 820 hits, 431 runs, 139 doubles, 217 home runs, 492 RBI, a .218/.283/.433 slash, 120 wRC+, and 25.5 WAR.

In total, Izosimov had 2090 hits, 1147 runs, 333 doubles, 548 home runs, 1366 RBI, 915 walks, 2842 strikeouts, a .230/.300/.453 slash, 131 wRC+, and 65.3 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks 18^th in home runs, 24^th in RBI, 27^th in walks, and 62^nd in runs scored. On the bad side, he doesn’t crack the top 100 in WAR for position players and he has the ninth most strikeouts. Izosimov also has the lowest batting average of any EPB Hall of Famer.

Home run power goes a long way and he led the league six times in dingers. That power was enough for most voters to give him the nod with Izosimov debuting at 71.3%. It wasn’t by much, but he earned a first ballot induction and capped off EPB’s four-player Hall of Fame group in 2017.

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For the first time since 2008, the Oceania Baseball Association didn’t induct any players into the Hall of Fame. No one was even particularly close as 1B Darren Lucklin was the only guy above 1/3s of the vote, getting 41.7% on his fifth ballot. The best debut was RF Solomon Wesley at a measly 10.4%.

Reliever T.J. Pablo was dropped from the ballot after ten failed tries, peaking at 28.1% in his debut and ending at 15.5%. He was the closer for Guam’s 2000 title but only had a nine year career in OBA before ending between EPB and BSA. Pablo had 219 saves, a 2.38 ERA, 608.1 innings, 733 strikeouts, 144 ERA+, and 13.9 WAR. He had no awards either and weak ballots are probably the only reason he made it ten years on the ballot.

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SP Eddie Abundez was the lone addition for the Austronesia Professional Baseball Hall of Fame in 2017, debuting at 80.3%. No one else got above 60%, but five returners topped 50%. On their fifth tries, RF Sutanto Mangkoepradja had 59.1% and 1B Gavin Loh earned 52.7%. CF Fransisco Hartati had 51.6% on his sixth ballot and SP Nai-Wen Teng had the same on his tenth try. SP Wahyu Toy was at 51.3% for his eighth go.



For Teng, he got as high as 52.6% in 2011 and usually hovered in the upper 30s to mid 40s. He had a 17-year career, but lost APB accumulations since he made an MLB attempt in his 30s. In APB, Teng had a 143-105 record, 2.20 ERA, 2325.1 innings, 2940 strikeouts, 443 walks, 115 ERA+, and 60.5 WAR. He was part of championship teams for Medan in 1987 and 1989 and had a 1.95 ERA in 69.1 playoff innings. However, Teng didn’t have the longevity or accolades to get across the line.



Eddie Abundez – Starting Pitcher – Quezon Zombies – 80.3% First Ballot

Eddie Abundez was a 6’6’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Manila, the capital of the Philippines. Abundez had very good stuff and movement along with above average control. His fastball was quite solid at 96-98 mph, but his changeup was also quite potent. Abundez also had a good forkball and okay slider in the arsenal and had an extreme groundball tendency.

Abundez was around average compared to other APB aces for going deep into games. He had stellar durability though and almost never missed a start, tossing 240+ innings each year from 1996-2009. Abundez could struggle holding runners, but he was excellent at fielding the position, winning four Gold Gloves. He had a stellar work ethic and was a selfless and loyal player.

By the 1994 APB Draft, Abundez was viewed by many as the top pitching prospect. Quezon had the #1 overall pick and went with Abundez, who played nearly his entire career for the Zombies. They kept him on the reserve roster for much of 1995, only using him in 14 games and 59.1 innings. Abundez earned a full-time rotation slot from 1996 onward.

After an iffy 1996, Abundez posted his first of four 6+ WAR seasons in 1997. He topped 5+ ten times in his career, but he wasn’t one to be a league leader generally. Abundez led in wins in 1998 at 21-8, taking third in Pitcher of the Year voting. That was his only time as a finalist and only time leading a major stat, apart from having 28 quality starts in 2001. Abundez notably did throw a no-hitter in August 1999 with 10 strikeouts and one walk against Cebu.

By WAR, 2003 was Abundez’s top season with 8.8. It was one of four seasons above 300 strikeouts with his peak at 326 in 1999. Abundez’s best ERA was 2.04 in 2001, which was also his best ERA+ at 131. Abundez also regularly pitched for the Philippines in the World Baseball Championship. From 1999-2011, he had a 3.27 ERA over 85.1 innings, 104 strikeouts, 35 walks, 110 ERA+, and 1.3 WAR.

Quezon generally bounced between middling and bad during Abundez’s tenure. Their lone playoff appearance came in 1998, where they won the Taiwan-Philippine Association pennant before falling to Batam in the Austronesia Championship. Abundez was subpar in his four playoff starts with a 4.39 ERA over 26.2 innings. Still, the Zombies were happy with him and gave him a four-year, $6,120,000 extension in July 1999.

In June 2003, Abundez signed for another five years and $15,800,000 with Quezon. His Gold Glove wins came in this later run from 2006-2009. He remained steady, but the Zombies’ best season in the early 2000s was a mere 82-80 in 2001. Abundez’s loyalty was appreciated and he later had his #37 uniform retired by the team.

Quezon bought out the final year of his deal after the 2007 season, but gave Abundez a new three-year, $12,240,000 deal. After the 2010 season, the Zombies traded Abundez to Depok for two prospects. He provided his usual later career value with 3.4 WAR for the Demons, but they couldn’t break their playoff drought.

A free agent for the first time at age 39, Abundez went back to Quezon on a three-year, $17,100,000 deal. He still had the same production in 2011, but his season ended with acute elbow soreness. Abundez decided not to overstay his welcome and retired that winter just after turning 40.

Abundez finished with a 219-210 record, 2.55 ERA, 4183.2 innings, 4149 strikeouts, 812 walks, 408/532 quality starts, 133 complete games, 108 ERA+, and 79.6 WAR. As of 2037, Abundez ranks 18^th in wins, sixth in innings, 19^th in strikeouts, and 32^nd in pitching WAR.

He wasn’t an overpowering dominant force, but Abundez reliably gave you quality starts in most outings. Being stuck on some forgettable Quezon teams may have kept Abundez from getting more recognition, but he quietly built a solid resume. He received 80.3% on his ballot debut to be the lone Hall of Famer for APB in 2017.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

For the second time in four years, Chinese League Baseball didn’t add anyone into the Hall of Fame. 2017 was weak on debuts with the best newcomer being SP Hongtao Chen at 37.8%. A few returners came close to the 66% requirement, led by SP Xin Ruan at 62.2% on his eighth ballot. RF Hongbo Wan got 61.9% in his seventh go, RF Minghui Ruan earned 59.2% for his second try, and LF Seok-Hyeon So nabbed 57.7% in his fourth ballot.




No players were dropped after ten failed ballots. 1B Ziming Feng is worth a quick mention, falling below 5% on his seventh ballot. He led the league five straight seasons from 1995-1999 and won MVP in 1996 with Zhengzhou. Feng seemed like his was on the HOF track, but he tore his right PCL in 2000, then his left PCL in 2001 to derail his career. He still managed 52.1 career WAR, but ended up as a “what-if?” player.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

West Africa Baseball’s 2017 ballot was an interesting one as a few points shifted could’ve gotten them zero inductees or up to six. Three managed to narrowly cross the 66% requirement, while three others topped 60% but fell short. Making it in was RF Ada Nwankwo at 72.3% in his eighth ballot, 3B/DH Yakubu Odiye at 67.0% for his fifth try, and SP Alusine Sadiq at 66.3% on his ninth attempt.

Just missing the cut by less than a full point was 3B Falaba Ba at 65.3% in his fifth ballot. LF Kely Ballard was the only strong debut, narrowly missing at 63.7%. 3B Awudu Haddad received 61.1% on his third try. No one else was even above 20% apart from the top six.



Getting dropped after ten failed ballots was SP Ohene Arthur, who had six championship rings between Kano and Lagos. In 13 seasons, he had a 133-69 record, 3.08 ERA, 1860 innings, 1988 strikeouts, 122 ERA+, and 37.9 WAR. Arthur won an ERA title, but otherwise wasn’t a league leader and lacked accolades or dominance. He debuted and peaked at 27.3% and survived ten ballots, ending at 5.0%.



Ada Nwankwo – Right Field – Ibadan Iguanas – 72.3% Eighth Ballot

Ada Nwankwo was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed right fielder from Owerri, Nigeria. Called the “Las Vegas of Africa,” it has 1.4 million people in the country’s south. Nwankwo was an outstanding contact hitter and was a leadoff hitter. He was great at putting the ball in play and avoiding strikeouts, but he rarely drew walks. Nwankwo didn’t just slap singles though, regularly finding the gap with 43 doubles and 11 triples per his 162 game average. He lacked home run power though with 24 for his entire career.

Despite having solid speed, Nwankwo was a comically bad baserunner, which did limit his leadoff value. He was a career right fielder and was a reliably good to sometimes great defender. Nwankwo’s durability was a mixed bag with seemingly unrelated things keeping him out at points. He was a smart guy and one of the hardest working and least selfish players in the league.

In the 1988 WAB Draft, Nwankwo was picked early in the second round by Ibadan with the 23^rd overall pick. The Iguanas would begin a 12-year playoff streak from 1990 to 2001. Nwankwo couldn’t find a spot initially though, making only 39 starts and playing 110 games in his first three years. He earned a full-time role in 1992 and held it for the next six years for Ibadan.

Nwankwo pulled off the rare feat from 1992-1996 of winning five straight batting titles, leading in hits each year as well. His 237 hits in 1995 set a new WAB single-season record, then he matched it in 1996. Nwankwo’s .388 batting average in 1996 was also a record at the time, although the later explosions in offense for WAB dropped him down the leaderboard.

In addition, Nwankwo led in doubles thrice in this stretch, peaking with 52 in 1995. He led in triples that year as well at 18. He led in OBP in 1996 at .421 and had his career best WAR (7.9), wRC+ (179), and OPS (.957) that year. Nwankwo’s highest run total was 103 in 1993. He signed a five-year, $2,936,000 extension in June 1993. Nwankwo won his lone Silver Sluggers in 1995 and 1996

Ibadan won Eastern League pennants in 1993, 1994, and 1996. In 1993, the Iguanas were 110-52 and won their only WAB Championship to date over Abidjan. Nwankwo was actually iffy in that run, but stronger in later postseasons, including taking finals MVP in 1996 even in defeat. In 49 playoff games for Ibadan, Nwankwo had 71 hits, 32 runs, 18 doubles, a .378/.398/.511 slash, 160 wRC+, and 2.1 WAR.

In total for Ibadan, Nwankwo had 1405 hits, 512 runs, 284 doubles, 71 triples, 19 home runs, 456 RBI, a .355/.376/.477 slash, 143 wRC+, and 31.4 WAR. The Iguanas later retired his #14 uniform, but the run ended abruptly. Nwankwo declined his contract option and entered free agency after the 1997 season at age 31. He signed for five years and $7,700,000 with Kumasi.

Nwankwo broke his single-season hits record with 238 in 1998 and led in doubles and batting average. He also posted a 33-game hit streak in the spring and a 24-game one shortly after. Kumasi ended a five-year playoff drought and surprised many by winning the Western League pennant, although they fell to the Kano dynasty in the WAB Championship. Nwankwo had a weak postseason with -0.4 WAR over 10 starts.

1998 was the beginning of the end in some respects as Nwankwo. He had 5.3 WAR that year, then a combined 5.4 WAR over his final six seasons. Various injuries cost him chunks of 1999 and 2000. Nwankwo was mostly healthy in 2001 and 2002, but his average was merely good now and not elite. Kumasi was near .500 from 1999-2001, then had WLCS losses in 2002 and 2003. They gave him a two-year, $2,000,000 extension after the 2002 season. However, Nwankwo saw limited use at this point.

Nwankwo played 52 games with 29 starts in 2003, struggling to -0.3 WAR. He only had three at-bats in all of 2004 as a healthy scratch. Kumasi did win the WAB Championship in 2004 with Nwankwo getting a ring despite barely contributing. In total for Kumasi, he had 780 hits, 254 runs, 172 doubles, 43 triples, 5 homers, 298 RBI, a .323/.349/.436 slash, 119 wRC+, and 10.7 WAR. He retired after the 2004 season at age 38.

Nwankwo ended with 2185 hits, 766 runs, 456 doubles, 114 triples, 24 home runs, 754 RBI, a .343/.366/.461 slash, 133 wRC+, and 42.1 WAR As of 2037, he ranks 75^th in hits and 71^st in doubles, falling rapidly down the leaderboards as offensive numbers soared shortly after he retired. Nwankwo doesn’t crack the top 100 in WAR among position players. Notably, his batting average still ranks 20^th among all WAB hitters with 3000+ plate appearances.

Additionally among all Hall of Famers in world history as of 2037, Nwankwo’s batting average ranks 15^th best. In terms of batting average and getting hits, Nwankwo was obviously excellent. Traditionalist voters look at six batting titles as a very strong case for induction. Nwankwo also was a solid playoff performer during a prominent run for Ibadan.

However, modern analytics view batting average as a far less impactful stat, which grades Nwankwo much more harshly. His WAR is among the lowest of any position player in any Hall of Fame. Nwankwo was also hurt by a relatively short career and quick decline. These factors made his Hall of Fame case a tricky one for the WAB voters. With a debut at 38.6% in 2010, he seemed destined for the Hall of Pretty Good.

Nwankwo slowly gained traction and got up to 60.1% by 2015 and 59.1% in 2016. Without any major debuts in 2017, Nwankwo’s resume got another pass on his eighth ballot. The batting titles and playoff success won over just enough skeptics for 72.3%, putting Nwankwo into WAB’s 2017 Hall of Fame class.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

Yakubu Odiye – Third Base/Designated Hitter – Nouakchott Night Riders – 67.0% Fifth Ballot

Yakubu Odiye was a 6’4’’, 200 pound right-handed third baseman from Iseyin, a city of 362,000 in southwest Nigeria. As a hitter, Odiye wasn’t amazing at any one thing, but was above average to good in terms of contact, avoiding strikeouts, eye, and power. He was good at finding the gap with 39 doubles per his 162 game average. Odiye wasn’t a big bopper, but still got you around 20-25 home runs most years.

Odiye wasn’t much of an athlete otherwise with poor and clumsy baserunning. He had a strong arm and thus played third base, but his range and glove work stunk. Odiye saw limited first base play late in his career with average results. He also had about ¼ of his career starts as a designated hitter. He had respectable durability in a 21-year career over three continents, becoming a very popular player along the way.

Many don’t realize that Odiye started his pro career with Lome, who brought him to Togo on a developmental deal as a teenager in April 1985. He spent six years in the Lasers system, but never played for them. In November 1990, Odiye and SP prospect Nama Diawara were traded to Nouakchott for LF Samuel Rockson. The Night Riders debuted Odiye in 1991 at age 22, but only in 13 games. He saw 69 games and 55 starts in 1992.

Odiye earned the starting job in 1993 and won his first Silver Slugger in 1996. In 1995, he led the Western League with a career-best 51 doubles. Odiye generally didn’t lead the league, but he did have the best wRC+ (172) in 1997 and led in hits in 2000 (205). Odiye earned MVP honors and a Slugger in 1997 with career bests in WAR (7.9), OPS (.966), home runs (29), RBI (126), hits (208), and triple slash (.350/.392/.574).

Nouakchott ended a nine-year playoff drought in 1994, but lost in the wild card round. They made it back to the playoffs in 1997 as the #1 seed and won the Western League pennant, although they lost to the fledgling Kano dynasty in the WAB Championship. Odiye unfortunately missed most of the 1997 playoff run to an intercostal strain. The Night Riders had a wild card round loss in 1999, then stayed just above .500 but outside of the playoffs for the next three years.

After the 1996 season, Odiye inked a four-year, $7,260,000 extension. He then nabbed a five-year, $10,400,000 extension in May 2000. Odiye won Silver Sluggers in 2000, 2002, and 2003. He also took third in 2000’s MVP voting with 7.8 WAR; the second-best of his career. 2001 would be a disaster though with shoulder inflammation that led to a setback and surgery, knocking Odiye out almost the entire year.

Odiye was back and strong after that and helped Nouakchott back to a wild card in 2003. They got to the WLCS in 2004 as the top seed, but were upset by Kumasi. Odiye’s playoff numbers were unremarkable with 0.1 WAR and 95 wRC+ over 13 games. His production dropped off in 2004 and he eventually lost the starting gig. The Night Riders voided the team option year for a buyout of $400,000, which ended his run in WAB.

In total for Nouakchott, Odiye had 2132 hits, 913 runs, 454 doubles, 241 home runs, 1191 RBI, 412 walks, a .318/.361/.507 slash, 140 wRC+ and 55.0 WAR. The Night Riders would retire his #9 uniform later and his popularity helped him get over the hump. Leaving WAB at age 36 though limited his final tallies and gave him a borderline case for WAB’s Hall of Fame.

As of 2037, Odiye is 73^rd in WAR among position players, 84^th in hits, 72^nd in doubles, and 79^th in RBI. The numbers weren’t eye-popping, but he had an MVP, a pennant, and five Silver Sluggers. Odiye debuted at 53.7% in 2013, but jumped up to 62.1% in 2014. He then had 56.5% in 2015 and 63.2% in 2016. With a wide open 2017 field, Odiye scraped by the 66% requirement at 67.0% even, earning a fifth ballot Hall of Fame induction.

Odiye’s pro baseball career did continue for another seven years post-WAB. As a popular veteran, the newly formed European Second League came calling with a two-year, $6,400,000 deal with Liverpool. He won Silver Sluggers in both years with the Phantoms, posting 11.6 WAR. Odiye wanted to show that he still had big-league talent and that effort helped him prove that.

A free agent again at age 38, he ended up in the Asian Baseball Federation with Bishkek. His production was merely okay over 69 games with a hamstring strain costing him the second half of the season. Odiye still wanted to play and ended up in the African Association of Baseball for his final four years. He started in 2008 with Cape Town and posted a 4.3 WAR effort.

Next came Harare in 2009 and 2010 with 4.0 and 4.3 WAR seasons for the Hustlers. Odiye had a strong postseason in 2010 with a .990 OPS and 0.6 WAR in 11 starts, helping the Hustlers earn their first-ever Southern Conference pennant. Ultimately, a 120-win Addis Ababa buzzsaw awaited in the Africa Series.

Odiye then spent 2011 in Nairobi and was still a respectable starter with 2.3 WAR in 116 starts. He was still wanting to play somewhere in 2012, but couldn’t find a suitor, finally retiring at age 44. In his AAB stints, Odiye had 563 hits, 296 runs, 114 doubles, 106 home runs, 347 RBI, a .296/.379/.530 slash, 147 wRC+, and 14.9 WAR.

Combining all leagues, Odiye had 3028 hits, 1394 runs, 637 doubles, 399 home runs, 1719 RBI, a .308/.364/.506 slash, 142 wRC+, and 82.4 WAR. The E2L seasons probably shouldn’t count as “major league,’ but Odiye had a solid run however you frame it. His post-WAB stats were just good enough to help him slightly in getting across the line for WAB Hall of Fame induction.



Alusine Sadiq – Starting Pitcher – Ibadan Iguanas – 66.3% Ninth Ballot

Alusine Sadiq was a 6’0’’, 205 pound right-handed pitcher from Omoku, a city of around 200,000 people in southern Nigeria. Sadiq had above average to good stuff and movement with below average control. His velocity peaked in the 92-94 mph range, but he had a diverse arsenal of slider, curveball, forkball, changeup, and cutter.

Sadiq’s stamina was below average relative to other WAB aces, but he showed excellent durability. He was excellent at holding runners, but subpar defensively otherwise. Sadiq’s biggest flaw was his personality, as he was known for being selfish and lazy. Some felt that if he put more work in, he could’ve had an even better career than he had.

By the 1984 WAB Draft, Sadiq was eligible after a brief college career. He was picked 12^th overall by Ouagadougou, but didn’t see the field in 1985 or 1986. The Osprey debuted Sadiq as a part-time starter with okay results in 1987. He was a full-time starter mostly in 1988 and 1989, but posted subpar results. Sadiq flashed some of the promised potential in 1990, but regressed back to below average production in 1991.

Ouagadougou was a lower-end team during this era and was unimpressed by what they got from Sadiq. After the 1991 season, they traded him and prospect RF Ajoku Oparaugo to Port Harcourt for CF Monday Adebayo. In total for the Osprey, Sadiq had a 41-63 record, 4.00 ERA, 945 innings, 870 strikeouts, 93 ERA+, and 9.1 WAR.

Sadiq looked quite good in his two years for Port Harcourt, posting a 35-13 record, 2.70 ERA, 426.2 innings, 436 strikeouts, 140 ERA+, and 7.3 WAR. The Hillcats were in the middle of a playoff streak at this point. They lost in the first round in 1992 with Sadiq not seeing the field in the brief series. PH lost the 1993 Eastern League Championship Series to Ibadan with Sadiq allowing four runs over 6.2 innings in his one playoff start.

Now entering 1994, Sadiq was a free agent for the first time and soon to turn 29. He scored a five-year, $4,110,000 deal with Lagos. The Lizards used him in a split starter/bullpen role with okay results, posting 2.4 WAR over 164 innings in 1994. He had two relief appearances in the playoffs as Lagos lost the ELCS to Ibadan. Sadiq wasn’t thrilled with his role after one year and clashed constantly with Lagos management.

Thus, he was traded to the team that beat the Lizards in the ELCS. In spring training 1995, Sadiq was shipped to Ibadan for LF Samuel Sawadogo and P Houssein Soares. The Iguanas had won back-to-back pennants and hoping for a dynasty. This would become Sadiq’s most famous run, although he was forgettable in his first year in a split role. He was back to full-time starting from 1996 onward.

Ibadan lost in the first round in 1995, but won the 1996 pennant at 112-52. Sadiq had a solid 1996 run with a 1.88 ERA over 14.1 innings. His other playoff starts were a mixed bag and in total, he finished with a lackluster 5.09 ERA in the playoffs over 58.1 innings. The Iguanas earned five more playoff berths from 1997-2001, but lost in the first round of 1997 and in the ELCS the other four seasons.

Sadiq’s production was good enough to get a three-year, $3,380,000 extension in May 1998. He improved his control in his later years and had his best two seasons in 2000 (5.0 WAR) and 2001 (5.2 WAR). 2001 was Sadiq’s only time as a Pitcher of the Year finalist, taking third. Ibadan gave him another two years and $2,960,000 that winter.

In 2002, Sadiq reverted back to middling production and got moved out of the rotation full-time. The playoff streak ended for Ibadan as well at 77-85. In 2003, Sadiq saw only 67.1 innings with a 4.81 ERA and retired that winter at age 38. With Ibadan, Sadiq had a 107-82 record, 3.43 ERA, 1770.1 innings, 1836 strikeouts, 420 walks, 112 ERA+, and 29.0 WAR.

In total, Sadiq had a 198-166 record 3.50 ERA, 3306 innings, 3325 strikeouts, 848 walks, 275/449 quality starts, 37 complete games, 108 ERA+, and 47.7 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks 11^th in wins, fifth in innings, and 17^th in strikeouts. His longevity got him up those leaderboards, but Sadiq only ranked 58^th in pitching WAR despite that. Advanced stats suggested he was merely an above average pitcher that happened to have tenure.

Plus, his personality, lack of black ink and awards, and playoff woes made Sadiq seem destined for the Hall of Good. He debuted at 38.9% in 2009 and fell to 33.9% in 2010. He gained some momentum and got as high as 58.2% in 2015, but fell back to 43.3% in 2016. In 2017 with a wide open field, Sadiq managed to win over some of the critics. He crossed the line by a very narrow threshold at 66.3%, but that got him a ninth ballot induction with WAB’s 2017 Hall of Fame class.

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Earning a first ballot spot into the South Asia Baseball Hall of Fame in 2017 was shortstop Aftab Alam at 93.5%. No one else got in, but 1B Sunil Lamichhane barely missed the 66% cut at 64.5% in his ninth ballot. RF Han Kwye Khant got 60.9% on his fifth attempt. Also cracking 50% was C Kumar Patel at 59.8% in his tenth and final shot, plus RF Teerapat Siryakorn at 58.3% for his sixth go.



For Patel, he was hurt by the usual anti-catcher bias from voters with the lower tallies that naturally come from the spot. He had an 18-year career with Kolkata and was a 14-time all-star and four-time Silver Slugger winner. Patel had 2073 hits, 805 runs, 541 doubles, 180 home runs, 895 RBI, a .273/.319/.425 slash, 132 wRC+, and 74.6 WAR.

At retirement, Patel had the most WAR at catcher in SAB history and still ranks second as of 2037. He had a much better resume in paper than Krish Balvinder, SAB’s lone HOF catcher to that point. Patel debuted at 56.7% and got as close at 62.9% in 2012, but ended at 59.8%. The lack of power numbers probably sank him, but again voters seemed overly harsh towards a deserving catcher.

Also dropped after ten ballots was SP Raj Laghari, the 1996 Pitcher of the Year for Jaipur. He was hurt by only an 11-year career and a very sudden decline, finishing with a 147-103 record, 2.78 ERA, 2352.2 innings, 2836 strikeouts, 119 ERA+, and 58.1 WAR. Laghari peaked at 40.5% in his debut and ended with 18.5%. With a couple more years of production, he probably would’ve made the cut.



Aftab “Spider” Alam – Shortstop – Bangkok Bobcats – 93.5% First Ballot

Aftab Alam was a 6’2’’, 190 pound right-handed shortstop from Fulbari, an upazila of around 194,000 people in northwest Bangladesh. Nicknamed “Spider,” Alam provided reliable power with 36 home runs, 26 doubles, and 6 triples per his 162 game average. He was merely an average when it came to contact and drawing walks and subpar at avoiding strikeouts. However, Alam made his contact count regularly.

His speed was only above average, but Alam was a very crafty base stealer. He made the vast majority of his starts at shortstop and was a rock solid defender. Alam held up incredibly well at a demanding position over a 21-year career. He was quite smart and became a beloved superstar both in his native Bangladesh and his second home in Thailand.

The majority of his pro career came with Bangkok, who grabbed him as a teenage amateur in January 1986. After five years in the Bobcats academy, he debuted in the Thai capital in 1991 at age 21, playing 83 games with 27 starts. Alam became a full-time starter in 1992 and started 130+ games each year from 1992-2000. Apart from a poor showing in 1995, Alam had 6+ WAR each year in that stretch.

Alam generally didn’t lead the league in hitting categories, but his defense helped him to the WARlord title in 1994 and 1996. He also led in 1996 with a career high 117 runs. 1994 was his top season by WAR at 9.1. Both years saw 40+ home runs, a mark he’d reach four times in his career. Alam won three straight Silver Sluggers from 1992-94 and was second in 1994 MVP voting. That winter, he signed an eight-year, $11,700,000 extension.

1996 saw a second in MVP voting, but he missed the Silver Slugger somehow. Alam then won three straight Sluggers from 1997-1999. His seventh and final Sluggers with Bangkok came in 2001 despite missing two months to a strained knee. During Alam’s tenure, Bangkok earned five wild cards, but it was nearly impossible to compete against the loaded Ho Chi Minh City and Yangon rosters of the era. Thus, they never got beyond the first round.

Still, Alam was beloved for his efforts in Bangkok. He was also a star back home in Bangladesh and played for his country from 1993-2011 in the World Baseball Championship. Alam had 152 games and 147 starts in the WBC, posting 108 hits, 71 runs, 16 doubles, 35 home runs, 94 RBI, a .200/.267/.439 slash, 102 wRC+, and 2.3 WAR.

Bangkok fell to 64-98 in 2002 and would stay at the bottom of the standings for the next few years. Alam had signed a four-year, $7,300,000 extension before the 2002 season. He maintained his usual excellence, although back spasms cost him half of 2004. The Bobcats executed Alam’s contract option in 2005, but looked to trade him as it didn’t seem like they’d be competing in the near future.

In total for Bangkok, Alam had 2108 hits, 1171 runs, 347 doubles, 478 home runs, 1335 RBI, a .274/.325/.525 slash, 141 wRC+, and 98.1 WAR. There were no hard feelings from the trade and his #4 uniform was retired at the end of his career. In November 2005, Alam was traded to Bengaluru for four prospects. The Blazers had won back-to-back Indian League titles in 2003-04 and they hoped Alam could keep that train rolling.

Bengaluru narrowly missed the playoffs in 2006, although Alam more than held his own with a 7.7 WAR effort and his eighth Silver Slugger. He became a free agent for the first time at age 37 and hadn’t shown any signs of decline, having posted 14 seasons worth 5+ WAR and nine above 7+ WAR. Alam signed a three-year, $10,560,000 with Yangon, the defending Southeast Asia League champ.

The Green Dragons remained a contender in Alam’s two years there, but lost both seasons in the SEAL final to the fledgling Hanoi dynasty. Alam got his ninth Slugger in 2007, which as of 2037 remains the most by any SAB shortstop. His pace was strong in 2008, but recurring back spasms cost him two months. He didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the third year of the deal, becoming a free agent again at age 39.

Just before the season started, Alam signed for one season with Ho Chi Minh City. 2009 was the last gasp of the Hedgehogs dynasty, earning a 23^rd straight playoff berth and their sixth SAB Championship. Alam had his best postseason run with 17 hits, 11 runs, 5 homers, and a 1.022 OPS over 13 starts, securing his lone ring. Unfortunately though, he missed the clinching games of the series to a concussion.

Alam was respectable for his career in the playoffs with 51 games, 47 hits, 30 runs, 7 doubles, 3 triples, 13 home runs, 33 RBI, a .253/.307/.532 slash, 126 wRC+, and 1.7 WAR. A free agent again at age 40, Alam went back to Yangon for 2010. He missed some time to a strained back, but the Green Dragons used him in a backup role mostly. He only had four pinch hit at-bats in the 2010 postseason as Yangon lost in the first round.

Between the two stints for the Green Dragons, Alam had 12.4 WAR, 313 hits, 188 runs, 56 doubles, 61 home runs, 198 RBI, and a .282/.333/.520 slash. Alam wanted to keep going and Delhi gave him a three-year, $12,040,000 deal. He was mostly a full-time starter for the Drillers in 2011 with passable results, posting 1.5 WAR and a 114 wRC+. Alam decided to retire with that just after turning 42.

Alam finished with 2814 hits, 1598 runs, 464 doubles, 98 triples, 634 home runs, 1769 RBI, 776 walks, 585 stolen bases, a .273/.324/.521 slash, 139 wRC+, and 124.6 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks 16^th in hits, 14^th in runs, sixth in games played (2841), 58^th in doubles, 16^th in home runs, 11^th in RBI, 12^th in total bases (5376), and 13^th in WAR among position players. Alam also leads all shortstops in WAR, runs, hits, total bases, homers, and RBI.

Because there were so many other contemporaries putting up jaw dropping numbers, Alam almost flew under the radar. By the numbers though, it’s hard to argue he isn’t SAB’s greatest-ever shortstop thus far. Few guys in baseball history maintained and sustained such a high level of play over two decades. Alam got the first ballot nod at 93.5% and stood alone for SAB’s 2017 Hall of Fame class.