OOTP Developments Forums - Baseball: The World's Game

The European Baseball Federation elected three players into the Hall of Fame for 2024, headlined by SP Mitja Kovacic at 96.3%. LF Robert Patrikyan also made it on the first ballot, but he narrowly reached the 66% requirement with 70.7%. Meanwhile SP Martin Kukoc finally crossed the line at 68.8% in his tenth and final chance. He became the fourth player to make EBF’s HOF on their tenth try. Kovacic and Kukoc were both also notable as the first-ever Slovenian inductees.

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Two others were above 50% with 3B Kyle Evrard at 62.3% and SP Johannes Jol with 58.9%; both on their sixth ballot. No one else was above 50%, although LE Richmond Diagne was close at 48.3% in his tenth and final try. Diagne’s peak was 49.4% in 2017 and he was never lower than 38.9% in 2022, but just couldn’t get any movement.

For Diagne, he won two Gold Gloves and one Silver Slugger, finishing with 2079 hits, 1302 runs, 289 doubles, 132 triples, 513 home runs, 1393 RBI, .282/.331/.566 slash, 149 wRC+, and 71.5 WAR. He also notably won four European Championship rings between three teams, getting one with Paris, two with Copenhagen, and one with Marseille. In 99 playoff games, Diagne had 109 hits, 58 runs, 15 doubles, 22 home runs, 69 RBI, .288/.323/.544 slash, 139 wRC+, and 3.0 WAR. He was reliably solid, but had no ink and was never an MVP finalist, thus he was banished to the Hall of Pretty Good.

RF Kristijan Acevski was dropped after ten ballots, peaking with a 31.1% debut and ending at 9.7%. He was hurt by his first five seasons with Budapest being in Eurasian Professional Baseball, although his final tallies combined still were likely too low with 2338 hits, 1019 runs, 398 doubles, 176 triples, 286 home runs, 1182 RBI, .307/.340/.519 slash, 146 wRC+, and 53.2 WAR. Acevski had one batting title and a nice career, but unsurprisingly missed the cut.

SP Mehmet Azemi also lasted ten ballots, debuting at 34.5% and ending with 4.4%. The Kosovar had a 16-year career with eight teams for a 195-189 record, 3.77 ERA, 3470 innings, 3538 strikeouts, 694 walks, 102 ERA+, and 51.1 WAR. He was a solid journeyman, but was never in the Pitcher of the Year conversations.

Two others fell below 5% and were dropped, but were still worthy of noting. RF Ari Hartnell had three Silver Sluggers, one Gold Glove, and led in WAR once. He had 2293 hits, 1105 runs, 247 doubles, 229 triples, 393 homers, 1195 RBI, .304/.337/.554 slash, 150 wRC+, and 74.4 WAR. Hartnell peaked with a 28.0% debut and fell to 4.7% on his eighth try.

Lastly, C Geir Valla fell off on his seventh ballot, peaking in his second try at 23.3%. He had 1640 hits, 748 runs, 277 doubles, 262 home runs, 833 RBI, .253/.306/.430 slash, 106 wRC+, and 46.9 WAR. Valla won two championships with Copenhagen and was an important piece for 16 years for the Corsairs. It is tough in the best cases though for catchers and even most pro-catcher voters would agree that Valla didn’t have the dominance or longevity.

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Mitja Kovacic – Starting Pitcher – Marseille Musketeers – 96.3% First Ballot

Mitja Kovacic was a 6’4’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Ilirska Bistrica, a town of 4,500 people in southwestern Slovenia. Kovacic had great stuff, excellent control, and very good movement. His fastball topped out in the 96-98 mph range, but his slider, curveball, and changeup were each equally viable options.

Kovacic’s stamina was above average relative to other European aces. While he did have some injury issues, he mostly avoided major setbacks over a 17-year run. Kovacic was good at holding runners, but struggled defensively otherwise. He wasn’t a genius by any stretch, but his natural ability was usually plenty to succeed. Kovacic became one of the more popular pitchers of his era and the first Slovenian baseball superstar.

He came from humble beginnings, but managed to catch the eye of a scout from Warsaw. The Wildcats just joined EBF in 2000 as part of the great exodus of teams from EPB. In March 2000, Kovacic joined Warsaw’s academy and spent four years in Poland. He never pitched for the Wildcats though, as he was traded in January 2004. Kovacic and prospect C Guntars Ozols were sent to Marseille for HOF Class of 2016 pitcher Enrico Gini.

Gini gave Warsaw one solid season as a rental, although they didn’t win it all as they hoped. The Musketeers certainly won the deal as Kovacic would give them 14 years of production. He debuted in 2005 at age 22 and struggled initially in a part-time role. Kovacic was a full-time starter after that, but he posted merely okay numbers over his first three full seasons in the rotation.

Kovacic broke out in 2009 as the Southern Conference’s WARlord at 8.1. He would also lead in WAR with 8+ efforts in 2010, 2013, and 2015. It also started a streak of nine consecutive seasons of at least 5+ WAR. Kovacic was second in 2009’s Pitcher of the Year voting and Marseille ended a 19-year playoff drought by going 97-65.

The Musketeers went all the way, defeating Luxembourg for the European Championship. Kovacic earned MVP of the conference finals win over Athens, posting a 2.52 ERA and 3-1 record over five playoff starts with 39.1 innings, 40 strikeouts, and 3 walks. He tossed a three-hit shutout against both the Anchors and the Lancers in the run, forever earning a spot in the hearts of Marseille fans.

Kovacic led in wins (21-8), strikeouts (290), WHIP (0.96), and WAR (8.3) in 2010, but again was second in Pitcher of the Year voting. His WAR and Ks were down in 2011, but a conference-best 21-2 record led him to his first POTY win. Kovacic was second again in 2012 and finally got his big payday that winter with a seven-year, $92,400,000 extension.

Marseille remained competitive, but never matched their 2009 title run. They earned playoff berths in 2010, 11, 12, 14, and 16, narrowly missing in the off years. However, they only got to the conference finals once with a 2014 loss to Barcelona. Kovacic held his own in the playoffs with 86 innings, a 5-4 record, 2.41 ERA, 82 strikeouts, 160 ERA+, and 2.9 WAR over his Musketeers tenure.

Kovacic won his second Pitcher of the Year in 2013 with his lone ERA title at 1.85, while also leading in wins (20-6) and WAR (8.1). He took third in 2014, then won for the third time in 2015 as the leader in WAR and strikeouts. 2015 saw his career best WAR (8.8) and FIP- (55). 2014 would see Kovacic‘s lone no-hitter on May 23 with 7 strikeouts against Chisinau. Kovacic was done with awards consideration after that, but remained solid in 2016 and 2017.

2017 was an absolute disaster on all fronts for Marseille. Kovacic got shoulder inflammation after his third start, missing the rest of the season. The Musketeers had fallen to 78-84 the prior year to end a decade run of winning seasons. In 2017, they plummeted to 56-106 and were relegated to the European Second League. Kovacic had one year left on his deal, but used the relegation opt-out to leave for free agency at age 35.

This ended Kovacic’s time in Europe, finishing with a 193-97 record, 2.88 ERA, 2848 innings, 2864 strikeouts, 422 walks, 247/351 quality starts, 104 complete games, 26 shutouts, 133 ERA+, and 71.5 WAR. Most fans in southern France remember Kovacic fondly, but the organization seemingly held a grudge for the way it ended and never retired his #10 uniform. As of 2037, Kovacic ranks 60th in wins, 77th in strikeouts, and 47th in pitching WAR.

His EBF tallies aren’t overwhelming as he didn’t crack the top 100 in innings. But the accolades made Kovacic a no-brainer. He won Pitcher of the Year thrice, led in wins thrice, strikeouts twice, and had an ERA title. Kovacic also was a solid playoff performer who helped Marseille return to relevance with their 2009 title. Some voters also gave him some credit for his post-EBF accumulations. Thus, Kovacic was an easy headliner for EBF’s 2024 Hall of Fame class at 96.3%.

Kovacic still had four more years post EBF though. Some were worried that after a season-ending injury that he might be cooked, but MLB’s Kansas City gave him a shot with a three-year, $61,200,000 deal. The Cougars were the reigning World Series champ and hoped to start a dynasty run. Kovacic was a reliably strong veteran starter for KC with a 44-19 record, 2.82 ERA, 685 innings, 526 strikeouts, 99 walks, 122 ERA+, and 13.8 WAR.

Kansas City won their third National Association pennant in four years, but lost the 2019 World Series to Houston. The Cougars fell in the 2020 NACS to Cincinnati, then missed the 2021 playoffs. Kovacic was merely okay in the playoffs with a 3-3 record over eight starts, 3.66 ERA, 51.2 innings, 32 strikeouts, and 95 ERA+. He was solid though in the 2019 Baseball Grand Championship with 2.73 ERA in five starts, 33 innings, 3-1 record, 34 strikeouts, and 141 ERA+. Kansas City finished third in the BGC at 12-7.

Heading towards age 39, he signed for 2022 with New York. Kovacic was respectable in a half-season for the Yankees with a 3.12 ERA over 124 innings, 111 ERA+, and 2.0 WAR. However, they cut him in late July. Baltimore employed Kovacic two days, but didn’t use him before cutting him in August. He finished the year for Montreal’s minor league Sherbrooke team and retired that winter. In MLB, Kovacic had a 50-22 record, 2.87 ERA, 809 innings, 566 strikeouts, 121 walks, 120 ERA+, and 15.9 WAR.

For his combined pro career, Kovacic had a 243-119 record, 2.87 ERA, 3657 innings, 3430 strikeouts, 543 walks, 130 ERA+, and 87.4 WAR. He’s not inner-circle level, but his resume was ironclad. Kovacic widely is considered Slovenia’s best-ever baseball player and he joined classmate Martin Kukoc as the first Slovenes to earn the top honor.

FuzzyRussianHat

01-23-2025 05:01 AM

2024 EBF Hall of Fame (Part 2)

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Robert Patrikyan – Left Field – Yerevan Valiants – 70.7% First Ballot

Robert Patrikyan was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed outfielder from Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. Patrikyan was a very good contact hitter with reliable power, especially for the gap. He led in doubles thrice and had a 162 game average of 36 doubles, 6 triples, and 34 home runs. Patrikyan was average to above average at drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. He was a skilled baserunner, but was limited by below average speed.

Patrikyan did most of his damage versus right-handed pitching with a career .992 OPS and 170 wRC+. He was merely above average against lefties with a 113 wRC+ and .770 OPS. Patrikyan played almost exclusively in left field, but was a lousy defender. Still, he was one of the hardest working and scrappiest guys on the field, which made Patrikyan a popular player in his era. He also maintained good durability and rarely missed time to injury over a 15-year career.

As Patrikyan was growing up, Armenia was in the Eurasian Professional Baseball sphere of influence. Three of his countrymen were inducted into EPB’s Hall of Fame prior to Patrikyan becoming the first Armenian in EBF’s HOF. The capital Yerevan was among the teams that defected to EBF in the 2000 exodus. The Valiants kept a close eye on Patrikyan as he entered college in the early 2000s. In the 2003 EBF Draft, Yerevan picked Patrikyan with the fifth overall pick.

Not only was it an obvious pick purely from a talent standpoint, but selecting a hometown hero made tons of business sense. In EPB, the Valiants had been one of the consistently worst teams, going from 1978-2003 without a single winning season. Patrikyan was solid as a part-time starter as a rookie in 2004, helping Yerevan finally get back above .500, even if it was 82-80. The Valiants didn’t become a powerhouse, but they had winning seasons from 2004-09. Yerevan would win division titles in 2006 and 2007, although they didn’t get beyond the second round.

Patrikyan led the Southern Conference thrice in doubles for Yerevan and had four seasons above 6+ WAR. He won Silver Sluggers in both 2006 and 2008, taking third in 2006’s MVP voting and second in 2008. 2008 was his best season by WAR (8.2), OPS (1.077), wRC+ (191), hits (217), RBI (127), and triple slash (.371/.451/.662). Patrikyan’s doubles best was 51 in 2009 , his runs best was 119 in 2011, and his homers best was 41 in 2006.

After the 2009 season, Patrikyan signed a four-year, $53,400,000 extension with Yerevan. To their disappointment, he would opt out after the 2011 season and become a free agent at age 30. With Yerevan, Patrikyan had 1365 hits, 753 runs, 296 doubles, 277 home runs, 776 RBI, 338 walks, .320/.371/.607 slash, 166 wRC+, and 47.3 WAR. He would remain a hometown favorite even after leaving Armenia and his #26 uniform would eventually be retired.

Patrikyan moved to Switzerland and signed for seven years and $73,400,000 with Zurich. He wasn’t an awards winner or conference leader with the Mountaineers, but was a very solid starter in his first two years. Patrikyan dipped a bit after that, but was still a positive contributor with his bat. Zurich was in regular contention with playoff berths in 2012-13, then from 2016-21.

Zurich lost in the 2012 Southern Conference Championship to Vienna, then had a second round loss in 2013. In 2016, the Mountaineers won it all, beating Amsterdam for the European Championship. Patrikyan was solid in that title run with 19 starts, 23 hits, 10 runs, 6 doubles, 2 homers, 12 RBI, 9 walks, and .902 OPS. In the Baseball Grand Championship, he was more inconsistent with a .182/.250/.500 slash, although 7 of his 12 hits were solo homers. Zurich finished 12-7 in a three-way tie for second, officially taking fourth after the tiebreakers.

The Mountaineers had first round exits in Patrikyan’s final two seasons. In 42 playoff games total for Zurich, he had 51 hits, 26 runs, 13 doubles, 8 home runs, 26 RBI, .340/.396/.587 slash, 170 wRC+, and 2.2 WAR. Patrikyan was moved to a backup role in his last season of 2018. He finished for Zurich with 994 hits, 529 runs, 201 doubles, 186 home runs, 555 RBI, .297/.344/.547 slash, 146 wRC+, and 28.1 WAR. After going unsigned for 2019, Patrikyan retired that winter at age 38.

Patrikyan’s final stats had 2359 hits, 1282 runs, 497 doubles, 86 triples, 463 home runs, 1331 RBI, 576 walks, 127 stolen bases, .310/.359/.580 slash, 157 wRC+, and 75.4 WAR. As of 2037, Patrikyan ranks 79th in hits, 79th in runs, 10th in doubles, 74th in homers, and 67th in RBI. He does miss the top 100 for WAR, but his slugging ranks 96th among those with 3000+ plate appearances.

His resume was a bit borderline as the totals were good, but not incredible. Patrikyan didn’t have a ton of accolades or black ink, but his work ethic earned him a lot of respect. He played an important role in a championship for Zurich and was a major ambassador to bridge the gap for Yerevan and Armenia into the EBF sphere. At 70.7%, Patrikyan narrowly made the cut for a first ballot selection with the three-player 2024 EBF Hall of Fame class.

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Martin Kukoc – Starting Pitcher – Belfast Brewers – 68.8% Tenth Ballot

Martin Kukoc was a 6’0’’, 170 pound left-handed pitcher from Kranj, Slovenia’s third-largest city with around 38,000 inhabitants. Kukoc was a fireballer with rock solid stuff and good-to-great movement and control. His 99-101 mph fastball was his strongest pitch, but he had a unique six-pitch arsenal. Kukoc’s slider, curveball, and forkball were each good along with a decent splitter and a lousy changeup.

Kukoc’s stamina was generally average compared to other EBF aces. He was a strong defensive pitcher and had an elite pickoff move. Kukoc’s durability was great, avoiding major injuries for 200+ innings in all but his rookie campaign. He was one of the hardest working and adaptable pitchers of his era. Some had more pure talent, but very few matched Kukoc’s sparkplug character.

In June 1989, a teenaged Kukoc was noticed and signed to a developmental contract with Belfast, making the move from what was then Yugoslavia to Northern Ireland. He spent parts of six years in their academy before debuting in 1995 with 149 innings at age 22. He was okay in that part-time role and moved into the rotation full-time for the next seven seasons with Belfast.

Kukoc was never a Pitcher of the Year finalist and rarely was a conference leader. He did lead with 28 quality starts in 1999 and had the most wins (19-15), starts (37), and innings (290.2) in 2002. Kukoc had six seasons above 4+ WAR for the Brewers, peaking with 6.5 in both 1999 and 2002. He had his career-best 253 strikeouts in 1999 and his best ERA in 2002 with 2.57

It was hard to get attention even in his best years though as Belfast had been a historically inept franchise. The Brewers averaged 71.5 wins per season during Kukoc’s run and only once got above .500 with an 82-80 mark in 2002. That was the final year of his time in Northern Ireland, as he left for free agency at age 30. With Belfast, Kukoc had a 95-105 record, 3.27 ERA, 1904 innings, 1726 strikeouts, 435 walks, 113 ERA+, and 36.0 WAR.

Kukoc stayed in the United Kingdom, moving to England on a six-year, $27,600,000 deal with Birmingham. The Bees had been a dynasty in the 1990s, but this was a rebuilding era for them as they peaked at 81-81 in Kukoc’s tenure. He was steady with three of his four seasons being above 5+ WAR. For Birmingham, Kukoc had a 57-40 record, 3.10 ERA, 973 innings, 892 strikeouts, 167 walks, 119 ERA+, and 19.1 WAR.

After the 2006 season, Kukoc was traded to Barcelona for two prospects. The Bengals were fresh off a 111-51 season and a runner-up finish and hoped Kukoc could shore up the rotation. They dropped to 96-66 in 2007, but repeated as Southern Conference champ. Barcelona then defeated Kyiv in an European Championship rematch. Kukoc had a great 2.25 ERA over 24 playoff innings and had a solid 5.0 WAR effort in the regular season.

Kukoc had a 5.8 WAR effort in 2008, although Barcelona missed the playoffs. For the Bengals, he had a 26-22 record, 3.26 ERA, 433.1 innings, 432 strikeouts, 86 walks, 121 ERA+, and 10.8 WAR. Kukoc still seemed to be pitching at a high level and at age 36 singed a three-year, $15,640,000 deal with Thessaloniki. His production dropped a bit with 2.9 WAR over 211.2 innings in 2009. Kukoc decided to retire that winter shortly after his 37th birthday.

In total, Kukoc had a 197-177 record, 3.24 ERA, 3522 innings, 3250 strikeouts, 724 walks, 294/446 quality starts, 91 complete games, 22 shutouts, 115 ERA+, 86 FIP-, and 68.8 WAR. As of 2037, Kukoc ranks 50th in wins, 24th in innings, 42nd in strikeouts, and 57th in WAR among pitchers. His resume was a tricky one for many voters for the European Baseball Federation’s Hall of Fame.

Detractors pointed out his lack of black ink and that he was never a Pitcher of the Year finalist. Kukoc didn’t have big totals and had the stink of being on mostly bad teams hurting him. Supporters pointed that his advanced stats were better than the traditional stats might suggest. While his tallies were on the lower end, they wouldn’t be out of place compared to some other inductees. Supporters also argued that if not for being on bad teams, he probably satiates the traditionalists and gets to 225+ wins. Kukoc also did pitch well and was an important piece in Barcelona’s 2007 title run.

Kukoc debuted at 44.6% and didn’t budge much from there on his first five ballots. He got a nice jump to 56.4% in 2020, then dropped back to 51.5% in 2012. Kukoc got some more support in 2022 and 2023 with 59.6% and 60.4% respectively, but was still a few checks away from the 66% requirement. 2024 would be his tenth and final opportunity.

His fellow Slovene Mitja Kovacic was considered a lock by voters upon his 2024 debut. While Kovacic was certainly more dominant, Kukoc backers pointed out that he hit similar benchmarks. Some also liked the idea of having two guys being their country’s first HOFers together. Those efforts got Kukoc to 68.8%, just crossing the line on his tenth ballot to cap off the 2024 EBF Hall of Fame class. As of 2037, Kukoc and Kovacic remain the only Slovene inductees.

FuzzyRussianHat

01-23-2025 12:10 PM

2024 EPB Hall of Fame

The 2024 Hall of Fame ballot for Eurasian Professional Baseball was a weaker one and nearly didn’t add any players. LF Aram Sargsyan would be the lone selection on his second ballot, although he squeaked by the 66% requirement at 66.7%. SP Nijat Statsky came close on his fifth ballot but missed at 64.5%. 1B Benjamin Bodnar was the only other player above 50% with 57.4% on his fifth go. The best debut was SP Artur Woloshyn with 49.3%.

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SP Mateo Chapparo was dropped after ten failed ballots, peaking at 20.7% in 2016 and ending at 8.5%. The Mexican lefty had an unusual career, coming to Moscow after eight years with Mexicali. His EPB run was just five seasons, but he won two Pitcher of the Year awards and two EPB titles for the Mules. With Moscow, Chaparro had a 79-39 record, 1.95 ERA, 1175.2 innings, 1214 strikeouts, 150 ERA+, and 36.9 WAR.

It speaks to how impressive Chaparro was with the Mules that he lasted ten years on the ballot with only a five year run. Combining his CABA stats, Chaparro had a 173-145 record, 2.80 ERA, 3003.2 innings, 2861 strikeouts, 573 walks, 122 ERA+, and 73.4 WAR. It was certainly a unique run that deserved acknowledgement, but it fell outside the Hall of Fame threshold.

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Aram Sargsyan – Left Field – Irkutsk Ice Cats – 66.7% Second Ballot

Aram Sargsyan was a 6’1’’, 200 pound switch-hitting left fielder from the capital of Armenia, Yerevan. Sargsyan was best known for having an incredible eye for drawing walks, leading the league in 11 different seasons. At his peak, he was also a good-to-great power hitter with a decent strikeout rate. Sargsyan’s power wasn’t amazing, but it was steady with 26 home runs, 23 doubles, and 10 triples per his 162 game average. Sargsyan was noticeably better facing right-handed pitching (156 wRC+, .882 OPS) compared to lefties (131 wRC+, .769 OPS).

Sargsyan’s speed was above average, but he was a sloppy baserunner and got caught stealing much more than he succeeded. His athleticism did lend itself towards reliably strong defense in left, winning five Gold Gloves. Sargsyan had a few notable injuries, but held up remarkably well overall for a 19-year pro career. He built up a sizeable fan base over his near two decades in the game.

When Sargsyan was growing up in the 1990s, Armenia was still part of the EPB sphere. His hometown Yerevan was among the teams that made the jump to the European Baseball Federation in 2000. Sargsyan still had great popularity back home, although his entire career was in Russia. In October 1995, it started with a developmental deal with Irkutsk. Sargsyan spent most of four years in the Ice Cats academy, debuting in 1999 at age 20 with 12 pinch hit at-bats.

Sargsyan was named a full-time starter in 2000 and held down left field for eight years in Irkutsk. He had a career and Asian League best 35 doubles in 2000. Sargsyan only got to 30 doubles once more, but his home run power improved shortly after to a reliable 25 dingers per year. 2001 started a six-year streak as the AL’s leader in walks drawn. He led in OBP in both 2001 and 2005 and had five seasons worth 5+ WAR. Sargsyan’s career best WAR was 7.9 in 2005.

For Irkutsk, Sargsyan won Silver Sluggers in 2001, 2003, 2004, and 2007 and took Gold Gloves in 2004, 2005, and 2007. The Ice Cats were mostly in the middle tier during his run, but did loser in the 2006 ALCS to Yekaterinburg. In 2007, Sargsyan still won awards despite missing the spring to a dislocated shoulder. He was very popular at this point in Irkutsk, but it was unclear if the Ice Cats would be able to lock him up long-term.

On New Year’s Day 2008, Sargsyan was traded to Yekaterinburg as part of a six player exchange. It was ultimately a star-studded exchange that had three eventual Hall of Famers involved. The Ice Cats got prospect Kamil Domanski, who would be their 2010s ace and a two-time Pitcher of the Year winner. Irkutsk also got 2016 inductee Yakov Ryzhinkov in his late 30s, who had made his name with Krasnoyarsk primarily. They also got two forgettable prospects, while the Yaks got Sargsyan and a forgettable reliever.

With Irkutsk, Sargsyan had 1195 hits, 544 runs, 192 doubles, 74 triples, 167 home runs, 544 RBI, 620 walks, .277/.368/.472 slash, 149 wRC+, and 44.7 WAR. He would be remembered quite fondly by Ice Cats fans and his #13 uniform would eventually be retired. Yekaterinburg wasn’t looking for a rental in the deal though, signing Sargsyan to a seven-year, $47,500,000 extension in spring training 2008. The Yaks were the defending EPB champ and wanted to continue their dynasty run, having won four pennants and three EPB titles in the prior five years.

Sargsyan’s overall WAR and power was down in 2008, but he still won a Gold Glove and led the league with 111 walks, tying the EPB single-season record. He had an unremarkable postseason, but Yekaterinburg earned repeat championships, beating Minsk in the final. The Yaks would be the ALCS runner up in the next three seasons with largely underwhelming playoff stats out of Sargsyan.

However in 2009, Sargsyan led the league in walks (104), OBP (.426), OPS (.985), and wRC+ (173) while adding 7.4 WAR. He got the awards sweep, winning MVP, Silver Slugger, and Gold Glove. His triple slash of .312/.426/.559 would be career bests for a qualifying season and he had his top mark of runs scored at 104. Sargsyan was on an even more dominant pace early in 2010, but suffered a severely strained hip muscle that kept him out from June onward.

Sargsyan missed small bits of the next two years, but led in OBP for the fourth and final time in 2012. He won Silver Sluggers in 2011 and 2012, giving him seven for his career. Sargsyan had a second place in 2011’s MVP voting and would lead in walks again in 2013 and 2015. As of 2037 in EPB, there have only been 17 seasons with 100+ walks drawn; Sargsyan has four of them.

Yekaterinburg’s dynasty had one final stand in 2012, which was their tenth straight year in the playoffs. They won their fifth EPB Championship of the streak, defeating Rostov in the final. Sargsyan stepped up in the postseason and won finals MVP, getting 15 hits, 8 runs, 2 doubles, 2 triples, 1 home, and 6 RBI over 13 playoff starts. He played nine games in the Baseball Grand Championship as Yakerinburg finished near the bottom at 7-12. The Yaks would be just above .500 but outside the playoffs in the next two years. They then plummeted to 65-97 in 2015 to truly signal the end of their era on top.

For the Yaks, Sargsyan had 1023 hits, 595 runs, 136 doubles, 65 triples, 192 home runs, 532 RBI, 623 walks, .277/.381/.504 slash, 155 wRC+, and 38.8 WAR. Yekaterinburg fans often claim him as their guy, although he played slightly longer for Irkutsk and was inducted in Ice Cats blue. Sargsyan became a free agent for 2016 heading towards age 37 and had been still playing at a high level. He stayed in the AL and inked a two-year, $21,400,000 deal with Omsk.

The Otters had looked to take over Yekaterinburg’s old spot as the Asian League’s top contender, having won the EPB title in 2014. They missed the playoffs in 2016 narrowly, then were upset as the top seed in the 2017 ALCS by Ulaanbaatar. Sargsyan gave Omsk two respectable seasons with 289 hits, 156 runs, 37 doubles, 54 home runs, 148 RBI, .250/.332/.454 slash, 133 wRC+, and 7.1 WAR. He likely could’ve played another season or two, but decided to retire after the 2017 campaign at age 38.

Sargsyan finished with 2612 games, 2507 hits, 1295 runs, 365 doubles, 157 triples, 413 home runs, 1224 RBI, 1383 walks, 1854 strikeouts, 264 stolen bases, .274/.368/.483 slash, 149 wRC+, and 90.7 WAR. As of 2037, Sargsyan is 40th in hits, 25th in runs, 27th in games, 71st in doubles, 67th in home runs, 46th in RBI, 2nd in walks, and 21st in WAR among position players. Among all batters with 3000+ plate appearances, his OBP ranks 14thand his .852 OPS is 44th.

Many EPB Hall of Voters were stingy towards Sargsyan though despite his resume. He didn’t have the home run or RBI numbers many traditionalists liked and many of those same types put little stock into walks or defensive value. Advanced metrics were much more appreciative of Sargsyan, plus he had plenty of awards along with two championship rings.

Despite that, he missed out on a first ballot induction in 2023 with 65.2%, barely missing the 66% requirement. Sargsyan hardly budged with a weak 2024 group, but that hardly was enough to get to 66.7%. With that, Sargsyan earned a second ballot induction as the lone addition into the Eurasian Professional Baseball HOF in 2024.

FuzzyRussianHat

01-23-2025 05:45 PM

2024 OBA Hall of Fame (Part 1)

FuzzyRussianHat

01-24-2025 05:18 AM

2024 OBA Hall of Fame (Part 2)

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Jonathon Reilly – Left Field – Christchurch Chinooks – 97.0% First Ballot

Jonathon Reilly was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed left fielder from Sunshine Coast, Australia; a city of 311,000 in Queensland. Reilly was a solid contact hitter with excellent gap power and steady home run power. His 162 game average got you 23 doubles, 22 triples, and 34 home runs, making him an extra base machine. Reilly was a fantastic baserunner and base stealer, becoming a menace for defenses despite having merely good to occasionally great speed. One downside is that Reilly was subpar at drawing walks, although his strikeout rate wasn’t bad.

Reilly spent his entire career in left field and provided reliably above average defense. He never won a Gold Glove, but he generally gave you a positive defensive grade. Reilly’s durability was excellent, playing 140+ games in all but the first and final seasons of his career. Some thought he was a bit greedy and dumb, which may have been why he bounced around a bit in his career. His skillset though made him one of the better known faces for Australian baseball in his era despite playing most of his career elsewhere.

In the 2001 OBA Draft, Reilly was picked seventh overall by Sydney. He didn’t like their terms though and returned to college. Reilly dropped to ninth in the 2002 draft by Auckland, but opted to sign and move to New Zealand. He only played 15 games in 2003, then was a full-time starter from 2004 onward. Reilly earned 2004’s Rookie of the Year honors, then put together his finest effort in his sophomore campaign.

In 2005, Reilly led the Australasia League in runs (124), hits (196), triples (27), RBI (117), total bases (387), steals (85), slugging (.655), OPS (1.031), wRC+ (174), and WAR (9.2). It would be his only time leading in any of those stats sans runs, hits, and triples. Reilly had his career best WAR, OPS, and triple slash, winning his lone MVP and a Silver Slugger. It ended a four-year stretch of losing seasons for Auckland at 88-74.

The Avengers were good for the next few years, but were at best second behind Melbourne’s dynasty run. Reilly led in runs again in 2006 and 2007 and was a great starter, but couldn’t replicate the MVP season. He made it fairly clear to Auckland that he wanted to test out free agency after the 2009 season and get a big payday. Thus, they traded him for three prospects before spring training to Honolulu. With Auckland, Reilly had 932 hits, 532 runs, 113 doubles, 118 triples, 144 homers, 489 RBI, 335 steals, a .302/.338/.554 slash, 137 wRC+, and 30.6 WAR.

Reilly won his second Silver Slugger in his lone season for the Hnou, who were fourth in the Pacific League in 2009 at 92-70. After the nice 6.9 WAR effort, Reilly was a 30-year old free agent and got his big deal for five years and $29,800,000 with Canberra. The Centurions were a 2006 expansion team who struggled early. Reilly helped get them their first-ever winning seasons in 2010 and 2011, although they were still far away from dethroning Melbourne. He won Silver Sluggers both years.

For Canberra, Reilly had 343 hits, 205 runs, 38 doubles, 36 triples, 81 home runs, 193 RBI, 119 steals, .290/.333/.589 slash, 150 wRC+, and 11.7 WAR. The Centurions thought they had a good thing going, but Reilly frustrated them by opting out of his deal after only two years, returning to free agency at age 32. This would be his only time playing for an Australia-based team.

Despite that, Reilly did regularly represent Australia in the World Baseball Championship throughout his career. From 2006-18, he played 81 games with 55 hits, 32 runs, 8 doubles, 2 triples, 12 homers, 40 RBI, 24 stolen bases, a .223/.278/.417 slash, and 1.5 WAR. Their deepest run with Reilly was an elite eight in 2008.

He went back to New Zealand for 2012 on a five-year, $35,500,000 deal with Christchurch, starting his longest and most famous tenure. Reilly had reliably strong production, helping the Chinooks take over atop the AL as Melbourne’s reign ended. In 2014, Reilly was second in MVP voting and earned his fifth Silver Slugger, leading with career highs in runs (130) and hits (205). This also had his best WAR mark at 9.5. Reilly would be above 5.5 WAR in each of his first five years for Christchurch.

The Chinooks four-peated as Australasia League champ from 2013-16. They beat Guadalcanal in the 2013 Oceania Championship and topped Tahiti in 2014. Christchurch fell in their 2015 rematch with the Tropics. They finished 8-11 in the 2013 Baseball Grand Championship and took third in 2014 at 13-6. Reilly’s production would be a mixed bag these years.

In 2016, Christchurch shocked the world with an incredible 126-36 season, joining 1993 Ho Chi Minh City from South Asia Baseball as the only teams ever to win that many games. Like the Hedgehogs, the Chinooks failed to win it all, getting upset by Guam 4-3 in the Oceania Championship. Christchurch did earn the at-large for the 2016 BGC and finished 11-8 in a five-way tie for fifth place.

In the Oceania Championship, Reilly had 24 starts with 25 hits, 10 runs, 2 doubles, 2 triples, 1 homer, 11 RBI, 9 steals, a .284/.319/.386 slash, 100 wRC+, and 0.3 WAR. Reilly’s Baseball Grand Championship starts were a bit better with 54 games, 48 hits, 34 runs, 4 doubles, 3 triples, 18 homers, 39 RBI, 13 steals, a .229/.284/.533 slash, and 1.7 WAR. He would be popular with Chinooks fans for these efforts, but he wouldn’t get his #44 uniform retired.

Reilly signed a three-year, $36,300,000 extension after the 2015 season with Christchurch. His production dropped off noticeably and they finished one win behind Brisbane in the 2017 season. Reilly was reduced to a backup role in 2018 and the Chinooks again missed the pennant. He retired that winter at age 39, finishing the Christchurch run with 1102 hits, 649 runs, 145 doubles, 128 triples, 207 home runs, 647 RBI, 370 stolen bases, a .295/.326/.568 slash, 147 wRC+, and 38.4 WAR.

In total, Reilly had 2235 games, 2551 hits, 1485 runs, 318 doubles, 299 triples, 467 homers, 1405 RBI, 411 walks, 895 steals, .298/.333/.568 slash, 145 wRC+, and 87.6 WAR. As of 2037, Reilly 27th in hits, 10th in runs, 16th in total bases (4868), 91st in doubles, 9th in triples, 30th in home runs, 22nd in RBI, 20th in steals, and 17th in WAR among position players. He ranks 17th in slugging among those with 3000+ plate appearances and his .901 OPS is 25th.

Reilly won’t be in too many conversations for the top 10 position players in OBA history, but he makes most top 20 lists. Few outfielders were as reliably productive in his era and he was a key piece of Christchurch’s mid 2010s dynasty run. Reilly would be an easy headliner most years, but his 97.0% makes him second of three in a strong 2024 Hall of Fame class for the Oceania Baseball Association.

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Kevin Coan – Designated Hitter/Right Field/First Base – Gold Coast Kangaroos – 80.1% First Ballot

Kevin Coan was a 6’3’’, 200 pound right-handed hitting slugger from Melbourne, Australia. Coan was a great contact hitter with reliably strong home run power. He was average to just above average in terms of walks and strikeouts. Coan’s 162 game average got you 36 home runs, 26 doubles, and 7 triples. He was only okay as a baserunner, but wasn’t actively awful like many sluggers of his vintage tended to be.

Unfortunately, Coan was an absolutely atrocious defender. He played some right field in his mid 20s and got a look at first base in his mid 30s, but was abysmal at both spots. Coan was a designated hitter in the middle, making around 40% of his starts there. He had around 1/3 of his starts in right and most of the rest at first. Despite that, Coan worked hard and stayed durable enough for a 17-year career. When you sock dingers, you’ll be quite popular even if you don’t know how to use a glove.

Many fans might not realize that Coan started his career with Brisbane, getting picked fifth overall by the Black Bears in the 2000 OBA Draft. He played only one game in 2001 and only 36 in 2002, starting eight. Brisbane was very underwhelmed by his development and thought he might be a bust. Coan was traded after the 2002 campaign in a four player deal to Gold Coast.

Coan only saw 77 games and 48 starts in his Kangaroos debut, as he still hadn’t fully developed his home run power. He earned a full-time spot in 2004 and found his footing by 2005 with his first of four straight 40+ homer seasons. Coan won Silver Sluggers as a DH in 2004 and 2005 and as a right fielder in 2006 and 2008. In 2006, Coan led the Australasia League in both OBP (.394) and OPS (1.044), both career bests. Gold Coast gave him a six-year, $35,340,000 extension in August 2007.

2008 was his strongest effort by many metrics, leading in home runs (47), slugging (.642), and wRC+ (169). Coan had his career bests in homers, RBI (123), runs (107), average (.341), and WAR (7.5), placing second in MVP voting. He never quite replicated that, but was still a strong bat into his early 30s. Coan did miss much of 2011 to radial nerve compression in his elbow.

Gold Coast was consistently mid-tier in his tenure, averaging 78.75 wins per season with no hope of competing with Melbourne’s dynasty. Still, he was a very popular figure for the Kangaroos and saw his #26 uniform eventually retired. Coan also represented Australia from 2005-17 in the World Baseball Championship. His results were mostly underwhelming with 111 games, 98 starts, 73 hits, 49 runs, 11 doubles, 24 homers, 40 RBI, .203/.294/.439 slash, 106 wRC+, and 1.6 WAR. Coan did notably post a 1.635 OPS in 2013, going 9-25 with 6 homers in 8 starts.

With the Kangaroos, Coan had 1748 hits, 884 runs, 230 doubles, 72 triples, 367 home runs, 1033 RBI, .311/.359/.574 slash, 150 wRC+, and 46.9 WAR. His deal expired after the 2013 campaign, heading to free agency for the first time with his 33rd birthday looming next May. Coan inked a five-year, $50,300,000 deal with Guadalcanal, who had won back-to-back Pacific League titles.

The Green Jackets remained in the top half of the standings with Coan, but couldn’t finish higher than second. He won his fifth Silver Slugger in 2014, leading the year in hits and doubles. Coan had strong paces in 2015 and 2016, but lost around two months both years to knee injuries. His production stayed steady until 2018 with only 1.7 WAR and .762, both career full-season lows.

For Guadalcanal, Coan had 804 hits, 365 runs, 128 doubles, 26 triples, 127 home runs, 409 RBI, a .310/.360/.527 slash, 158 wRC+, and 20.6 WAR. He still wanted to play in 2019, but his bat was no longer good enough to justify a spot for a guy with negative defensive value. Coan retired in the winter of 2019 at age 38.

In total, Coan had 2567 hits, 1261 runs, 359 doubles, 99 triples, 496 home runs, 1456 RBI, 585 walks, 149 steals, .311/.359/.558 slash, 152 wRC+, and 67.5 WAR. As of 2037, Coan is 24th in hits, 30th in runs, 54th in doubles, 23rd in home runs, 19th in RBI, and 44th in WAR for position players. Against batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Coan’s .917 OPS ranks 16th and his triple slash is 29th/22nd/25th.

While not an inner-circle level guy, Coan easily was one of the most reliably effective hitters of his era. A few voters dinged him for being a DH and/or not having big team success, but that group was definitely the minority. Coan received 80.1% for a first ballot induction to round off an impressive three-player Hall of Fame class for the Oceania Baseball Association in 2024.

FuzzyRussianHat

01-24-2025 12:36 PM

2024 APB Hall of Fame (Part 1)

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The 2024 Austronesia Professional Baseball Hall of Fame class was one of their better ones with three pitchers making it in on their debut. SP Donnie Luzon was nearly unanimous at 99.3% and Yu-Ren Yang at 93.6% would be a headliner most other years. Kuo-Sheng Ting joined them at a strong 80.1% as the third member. Closer Kyle Oliveira had a nice debut at 58.4%, but missed the 66% requirement. The best returner was fellow reliever Rizal Prastiche at 51.7% for his second ballot. No one else was above 50% and none were dropped after ten failed ballots.

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Donnie Luzon – Starting Pitcher – Davao Devil Rays – 99.3% First Ballot

Donnie Luzon was a 6’4’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Carmen, Philippines, a municipality of around 58,000 in the Cebu province. Luzon was known for absolutely legendary control of his arsenal, graded as a 10/10 by some scouts at his best. Along with the pinpoint control, he had great movement and solid stuff. Luzon’s velocity peaked in the 94-96 mph range, but his sinker and cutter were always in the right spot. He also had an impressive curveball as a strikeout pitch and had a changeup as a fourth option.

Luzon’s stamina was below average compared to most great APB aces, going the distance far less than one would expect considering his success. However, he was an ironman who never missed a start to injury, reliably tossing 200+ innings in all 16 years of his career. Luzon graded as above average at holding runners and defense. On top of his talents, Luzon was a team captain renowned for his leadership and work ethic. He became one of the most universally beloved players to ever come out of the Philippines.

Even in high school, Luzon’s control was well beyond his years and drew the attention of scouts. Without a second of college baseball, Luzon was picked #1 overall by Davao in the 2000 APB Draft. The Devil Rays had him in their academy in 2001 and 2002, debuting Luzon for 2003 at age 22. He took second in Rookie of the Year voting with a 5.4 WAR effort.

From 2004-14, Luzon was worth 7+ WAR each season. With his control, he would lead the Taiwan-Philippine Association in K/BB eight times, finishing his career with a staggering 13.5. Luzon amazingly never won an ERA title despite having an ERA below two in ten different seasons, an impressive mark even in the very low scoring world of APB. He had four seasons above 3000 strikeouts, peaking with 347 in 2006.

2006 also had Luzon’s career best 11.1 WAR for a second in Pitcher of the Year voting. He led again in 2010 with 9.7 and also was above 9+ WAR in 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2014, and 2017. Despite that remarkable production, Luzon never won the top award. He was third in 2007’s voting, third in 2010, and second in 2011. Some scholars would suggest Luzon was the best-ever pitcher in baseball history that didn’t win Pitcher of the Year. He was also one of the few of his production to never throw a no-hitter.

Luzon was ultimately fine without the individual accolades, preferring the team success and the dynasty run Davao put together. The Devil Rays took the Philippine League title from 2005-11, winning 100+ games in all but 2006. Davao won the Austronesia Championship in 2005 over Palembang and in 2006 over Surabaya. Luzon was incredible in those two runs with an 0.82 ERA over 43.2 innings with 58 strikeouts and 2.2 WAR. In April 2007, he signed a five-year, $34,600,000 to stay committed to the Devil Rays.

Davao got the top seed in 2007 and 2008, but was upset in the Taiwan-Philippine Association by Kaohsiung and Taoyuan, respectively. The Devil Rays returned to the top with three straight pennants from 2009-11. They repeated as APB champ with a 2009 win over Singapore and a 2010 victory against Medan. The three-peat was denied in 2011 by Pekanbaru. Luzon was especially strong in 2011, but merely decent in the other runs.

For his playoff career though, he had an excellent 1.87 ERA over 149.1 innings, 9-5 record, 182 strikeouts, 10 walks, 149 ERA+, and 6.0 WAR. As of 2037, Luzon is 5th in playoff WAR among APB pitchers, 8th in wins, and 7th in strikeouts. He fared surprisingly poorly in the Baseball Grand Championship appearances with a 2-3 record, 4.14 ERA, 41.1 innings, 54 strikeouts, 5 walks, and 1.5 WAR. Davao went 2-7 in the 2010 WBC and 8-11 in 2011.

Luzon’s game did translate well to the World Baseball Championship, representing the Philippines from 2004-17. He had 149.2 innings with a 2.04 ERA, 13-5 record, 207 strikeouts, 27 walks, and 5.7 WAR. Luzon ranks third in WAR among Filipino pitchers. In 2015, the Philippines beat Mexico 4-3 to win their first-ever world championship. In that run, Luzon had a 1.29 ERA over 21 innings with 34 strikeouts and 3 walks. That further cemented Luzon as an icon of Filipino baseball.

Davao’s run at the top ended in 2012, although they stayed above. 500 through 2014. The soon-to-be 32 Luzon signed a seven-year, $93,800,000 extension in April 2012 to remain with the Devil Rays. They shockingly fell to 60-102 in 2015, which was Luzon’s first season below 7 WAR since his rookie year and ended a run of eight straight years with an ERA below two.

Luzon’s ERA was a career-worst 2.95 in 2016, but he still was worth 7.9 WAR for the season. Davao bounced back for a playoff berth, falling to Taipei for the TPA pennant. They had winning seasons the next two years, but couldn’t compare to Zamboanga’s now thriving dynasty. Luzon had an impressive 1.58 ERA and 9.9 WAR in 2017. He led in quality starts in his final two seasons as his game aged impressively well.

In 2017, Luzon became the 17th APB pitcher to reach 4000 strikeouts, then became the fifth to 250 wins in 2018. With his ironman durability, many figured he’d make a run at Hadi Ningsih’s 277 wins for the top spot in APB. However, Luzon felt he had little more to prove. He retired while still pitching at a very high level at age 37 and immediately had his #25 uniform retired by Davao.

Luzon finished with a 258-126 record, 1.94 ERA, 3713 innings, 4431 strikeouts, 329 walks, 0.81 WHIP, 13.5 K/BB, 407/490 quality starts, 66 complete games, 22 shutouts, 145 ERA+, 52 FIP-, and 137.8 WAR. As of 2037, Luzon ranks 6th in wins, 18th in innings, 13th in strikeouts, and 4th in pitching WAR.

Among all pitchers with 1000+ innings, Luzon is 31st in ERA and 21st in WHIP. His .528 opponent’s OPS ranks 36th. Luzon’s remarkable control gave him 0.80 walks per nine innings, which is best among APB pitchers and among the very best of those who qualify in world history. Luzon is the only pitcher in all of baseball history to have pitched 3000+ innings while walking fewer than 350 batters in his career.

Against all pitchers ever, Luzon ranks 32nd in WAR as of 2037. Against all players at any spot, he sits 88th in WAR. Against Hall of Fame starters across all leagues, Luzon is 14th in FIP-, 27th in opponent’s OPS, 21st in ERA, and just outside the top 50 in ERA+. As mentioned before, Luzon may be the top player that never won Pitcher of the Year or MVP over a storied career.

Efficiency is certainly the word for Luzon and few pitchers have even been more efficient. He’s a tough one to rank though, especially as APB has had so many awesome pitchers. Despite it all, Luzon never won an ERA title, never led in strikeouts, never won POTY, and only led in wins once. There were other pitchers in APB with more dominant bursts like his contemporary Ching-Chen Yao. Six of Yao’s historic ten POTY wins came directly against Luzon, keeping him from grabbing that honor in his later years.

Many have Luzon in their top five pitchers and most at least place him in the top ten. His playoff efforts gave him a lot of points with Davao’s run in the running for APB’s greatest dynasty. By any measure, Luzon was a Hall of Fame lock with a nearly unanimous 99.3% to headline an impressive three-player 2024 class in Austronesia Professional Baseball.

FuzzyRussianHat

01-24-2025 06:00 PM

2024 APB Hall of Fame (Part 2)

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Yu-Ren Yang – Starting Pitcher – Manila Manatees – 93.6% First Ballot

Yu-Ren Yang was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Taichung, Taiwan’s second-largest city. Yang was a hard thrower with rock solid stuff and control along with above average movement. His velocity peaked in the 98-100 mph range with an arsenal of fastball, slider, changeup, splitter, and cutter. All but the changeup were equally potent options and gave Yang an extreme groundball tendency.

Yang’s stamina was average relative to most APB aces, but he had very good durability in the front end of his career. He would run into numerous injuries in his 30s, but still powered through for a 20-year career with a tireless work ethic. Yang had a fantastic pickoff move, but was a generally weak defensive pitcher.

In November 1993, a teenaged Yang left Taiwan for the Philippines as he signed a developmental deal with Davao. He ultimately never played a game for the Devil Rays, but did spend about three-and-a-half years in their academy. In the summer of 1997, he was part of a five-player swap with Manila. The Manatees kept him as a reserve in 1998, then debuted Yang in 1999 at age 22 with 130.2 innings. Yang struggled in four playoff relief appearances as Manila made it to the Austronesia Championship, losing to Surabaya.

Yang’s first full season was arguably the best of his career, winning an ERA title at 1.54. That would be a career best, as would his 176 ERA+, 28 quality starts, and 9.8 WAR. Yang was second in Pitcher of the Year voting, which would be his highest finish. He took third in 2004 when he led with a career-high 361 strikeouts. Yang topped 6+ WAR each year from 2000-08 and finished above 9 WAR four times. He won a second ERA title in 2006 at 1.77 and had 300+ strikeouts in seven seasons.

It wasn’t easy to get noticed with so many strong pitchers in the Taiwan-Philippine Association. It also didn’t help that Manila fell towards the middle of the standings for the 2000s, averaging 82.5 wins per season in Yang’s tenure. They wouldn’t make the playoffs apart from his rookie year, but did come close in the Philippine League with second place finishes in 2003, 2004, and 2008. The Manatees still locked Yang up with a five-year, $12,640,000 extension after the 2001 season and a six-year, $47,400,000 extension in May 2006.

As of 2037, Yang is one of five APB pitchers to throw multiple perfect games. His first came on June 26, 2000 with 17 strikeouts versus Taoyuan. The second was September 3, 2002 with 16 Ks over Davao. Yang also had a third no-hitter on April 17 with 8 strikeouts and 1 walk versus Taipei. While his career highlights largely came in the Philippines, Yang did do well representing his native Taiwan in the World Baseball Championship.

From 2000-14, Yang tossed 114.2 WBC innings with a 2.59 ERA, 10-2 record, 170 strikeouts, 28 walks, 138 ERA+, and 4.5 WAR. He finished third in 2004’s WBC Best Pitcher voting, a year which saw Taiwan take runner-up to Canada. Yang allowed only one run over 14 innings in the effort. Taiwan also had an elite eight appearance in 2010. Yang was used more as a reliever than starter with 10 WBC starts and 21 relief appearances.

Yang was impressively steady through his 20s and into his early 30s. The first setback came in 2011, as he missed more than half of the season between a strained hamstring and herniated disc. Then in August 2022, Yang suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament with a 12 month recovery time. His future was in doubt as this coincided with the end of his Manila deal, becoming a free agent at age 36.

For the Manatees, Yang had a 196-138 record, 2.22 ERA, 3061 innings, 3755 strikeouts, 421 walks, 126 ERA+, and 93.1 WAR. His hard work was appreciated and his #21 uniform would eventually be retired. Yang focused on rehabbing for a comeback and showed some promise by spring 2013. MLB’s Washington Admirals gave him a shot at one year and $15,400,000. He made it back in September and looked good in 20 relief innings, but the Admirals didn’t keep him around beyond that.

It was good enough for Detroit to sign Yang for two years and $18 million, tossing 73.2 innings with a 3.05 ERA in 2014. He didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the second year of the deal. In 2015, he bounced around MLB, starting with Philadelphia in spring training. Yang was cut before making a start for the Phillies, but would find work for Montreal in the first half. He was cut in the summer, then made a brief return with Detroit before ending the season for Seattle.

Hartford had Yang for the spring of 2016, then he bounced to San Diego for the second half. Yang spent all of 2017 with Tampa and actually was used as a full-time starter, posting passable results with a 3.93 ERA over 215 innings. After that, the now 41-year old Yang returned to Taiwan on a two-year, $12,600,000 deal with Kaohsiung. He was a decent part-time starter with a 2.26 ERA, 107.1 innings, and 0.8 WAR in 2018 for the Steelheads. Yang retired that winter at age 41.

For his MLB tenure, Yang had a 26-21 record, 3.59 ERA, 461.1 innings, 326 strikeouts, 103 ERA+, and 6.3 WAR. For his combined pro career, Yang ended with a 226-167 record, 2.39 ERA, 3629.2 innings, 4182 strikeouts, 528 walks, 122 ERA+, and 100.2 WAR.

In APB between Manila and Kaohsiung, Yang ended with a 200-146 record, 2.22 ERA, 3168.1 innings, 3856 strikeouts, 438 walks, 296/403 quality starts, 114 complete games, 33 shutouts, 126 ERA+, 66 FIP-, and 93.9 WAR. As of 2037, Yang ranks 31st in wins, 52nd in innings, 82nd in complete games, 58th in shutouts, 30th in strikeouts, and 20th in WAR among pitchers.

Advanced stats showed that Yang was more efficient than the raw tallies might suggest, although he still hit the counting milestones voters liked. Although he never won the top award or saw much playoff time, Yang had two ERA titles, two perfect games, 200 wins, and 3500+ strikeouts. He was a top five level pitcher for much of his prime and the Hall of Fame voters were easily sold on the resume. With 93.6%, Yang earned first ballot status as the second member of a strong three-player class in 2024 for Austronesia Professional Baseball.

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Kuo-Sheng Ting – Starting Pitcher – Taipei Tigercats – 81.3% First Ballot

Kuo-Sheng Ting was a 6’0’’, 195 pound right-handed starting pitcher from Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Ting had excellent movement and very good stuff along with respectable control. His velocity peaked in the 94-96 mph range with his cutter, but he wasn’t one to beat you with raw power. Ting’s arsenal included a curveball, screwball, changeup, and slider with a knack for changing speeds.

Ting’s stamina was above average relative to other APB aces of his era. He was weak defensively and was subpar at holding runners. A number of major injuries limited his output, but he still fought hard to survive for a 15-year career. Ting’s work ethic and leadership made him an appreciated member of the clubhouse.

Scouts were enamored with Ting even as he attended Gubao High School in Taipei. He was picked fourth overall in the 2000 APB Draft by Tainan, but declined and opted for the University of Kang Ning. Ting improved his game and was next eligible in the 2003 APB Draft, where he was picked third by Taipei. He was able to negotiate his first three years at $6,330,000 for the Tigercats, who made him a full-time starter immediately.

Ting was third in 2004 Rookie of the Year voting. His second year had his lone ERA title at 1.54 along with a Taiwan-Philippine Association best 10 shutouts. As of 2037, 10+ shutouts have only been hit 12 times in APB history. Ting was second in Pitcher of the Year voting. He wouldn’t be a finalist again in his career despite hitting 7+ WAR six more times with 9+ efforts in both 2008 and 2013. 2008 would have a career-best 1.52 ERA along with 9.7 WAR, while his highest WAR was 10.2 in 2013. Ting’s lone no-hitter would be on April 22, 2012 with 13 strikeout and 1 walk against Zamboanga.

2007 had an injury setback with a torn labrum in July. Ting bounced back though and by May 2010 signed a seven-year, $74,800,000 extension. Taipei had reversed their fortunes, ending a decade-long playoff drought in 2009. The Tigercats won the Taiwan League in 2009-10, then had a historic nine-year streak from 2012-20. Taipei though became known for struggling to finish the job, as they fell in the Taiwan-Philippine Association Championship in their six appearances from 2009-15.

Even if Taipei struggled in the playoffs, Ting generally did well. Over 90.1 playoff innings, he had a 1.99 ERA in 11 starts, 5-3 record, 117 strikeouts, 12 walks, 136 ERA+, and 3.7 WAR. His stats were decent as a regular in the World Baseball Championship for Taiwan from 2005-18. In the WBC, Ting had 217.1 innings, 3.40 ERA, 15-8 record, 276 strikeouts, 91 walks, 108 ERA+, and 4.8 WAR.

In 2010, Ting made his presence known on the world stage, giving up only one unearned run over 25.2 innings in three victorious starts for Taiwan. He struck out 40 and walked 10, helping the Taiwanese make an elite eight trip. Ting was less effective with a 4.09 ERA in 33 innings in their 2017 runner-up finish against the United States. He ranks sixth in pitching WAR, fourth in strikeouts, and second in wins amongst Taiwanese pitchers in the WBC as of 2037.

Ting missed the 2011 playoff run with a torn meniscus. He bounced back expertly in the next two years, but lost most of 2014 with another meniscus tear in his right knee. Ting was less dominant after that, but maintained a very good starter for the rest of his deal. Taipei finally broke through and won the 2016 pennant, but fell in the Austronesia Championship to Semarang. The Tigercats again lost in the TPA final in 2017, ultimately leaving Ting without an APB ring.

After the 2017 season, Ting became a free agent for the first time at age 36. Taoyuan signed him to a two-year, $21,400,000 deal, but he struggled in only seven starts in 2018. Ting suffered a torn rotator cuff in early April and was never the same after that, retiring in the winter shortly after turning 37. Taipei would bring Ting back and retire his #21 uniform for his 14-year run with the Tigercats.

Ting ended with a 187-114 record, 2.19 ERA, 2979 innings, 3583 strikeouts, 642 walks, 292/379 quality starts, 114 complete games, 43 shutouts, 126 ERA+, 65 FIP-, and 90.9 WAR. As of 2037, Ting ranks 44th in wins, 69th in innings, 82nd in complete games, 33rd in shutouts, 39th in strikeouts, and 23rd in pitching WAR. His ERA ranks 90th among all pitchers with 1000+ innings.

He was another great pitcher in an era of dominant pitchers in the Taiwan-Philippine Association who put up impressive numbers even if he never won Pitcher of the Year. In his time, Ting was generally rated below his 2024 Hall of Fame classmates Donnie Luzon and Yu-Ren Yang. A couple voters thought he was far enough below those two to not be deserving of induction.

However, supporters noted that Ting hit some important milestones, had an ERA title, and was a great playoff pitcher. Even if Taipei struggled to make deep playoff runs, Ting was a huge reason that the Tigercats were Taiwan’s top team for the 2010s. Ting received a solid 81.3% to secure a first ballot spot to cap off an impressive 2024 class for Austronesia Professional Baseball.

FuzzyRussianHat

01-25-2025 04:33 AM

2024 CLB Hall of Fame

FuzzyRussianHat

01-25-2025 06:07 PM

2024 WAB Hall of Fame

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West African Baseball’s 2024 Hall of Fame voting inducted two players on their first ballot, although neither were complete slam dunks. Still, 1B/DH Abdel Rahmane Padacke’s 76.3% and SP Nana Villars’ 73.1% got them across the 66% requirement. CL Christopher James barely missed joining them with a 64.0% debut. The best returner was 1B Ikechukwu Onyia at 62.5% on his fourth ballot. Two returning relievers got 56.5% with Francis Koomson in his fourth try and Emma Markson in his seventh. No players were dropped after ten failed ballots.

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Abdel Rahmane Padacke – First Base/Designated Hitter – Benin City Blue Devils – 76.3% First Ballot

Abdel Rahmane Padacke was a 6’3’’, 190 pound right-handed first baseman from Lere, Chad; a city of 89,000 near the country’s southwestern border with Cameroon. He was the first (and only as of 2037) Chadian to make the WAB Hall of the Fame and only the second in any league, joining AAB Class of 2023 Negue Rouillard.

Padacke was best known for his very powerful bat with a 162 game average of 46 home runs, 41 doubles, and 4 triples. He was a solid contact hitter for most of his run, but struggled with strikeouts and rarely drew walks. Padacke’s speed was okay, but he was a very uncoordinated baserunner. The front end of his career was mostly as a designated hitter with the back end as a first baseman. Padacke had about 55% of his starts at first with the rest as a DH, grading as a mediocre defender.

He was a team captain with garnered tremendous respect amongst players and coaches. Padacke had excellent leadership, adaptability, and intelligence along with a stellar work ethic. He also stayed fairly durable in his run, playing 150+ games in all but one season from 2007-18. Although his game wasn’t multi-dimensional, having reliably strong power with great leadership will earn you a spot on most rosters.

Most fans wouldn’t realize that Padacke’s professional career started with Nouakchott. In March 1998, the Night Riders brought him from Chad to Mauritania. He spent four years in their academy, then was sent in an October 2002 trade to Benin City for two different prospects. Padacke’s entire playing career would be with the Blue Devils, where he became a very popular superstar slugger. Padacke wasn’t an overnight success, as his limited game made him a late bloomer.

Padacke didn’t fully find his power until his mid 20s and as such he had very limited utility initially. He officially debuted in 2003 at age 22, but only saw 16 at-bats in his first two-years. From 2005-06, Padacke played 126 games and started 55, but posted -0.6 WAR. Benin City didn’t give up on him though and gave him a shot as a full-time starter in 2007. Padacke had 37 home runs and 126 RBI, earning him a steady job for the next decade. He lost half of 2008 to injury, but stayed healthy after that.

In 2009, Padacke exploded with 61 home runs, 178 RBI, 437 total bases, and .690 slugging. Those would all be career highs, as would his 7.5 WAR, 175 wRC+, .324 average, and 1.043 OPS. Padacke’s RBI mark was the second-best in WAB history behind only Mo Reda’s 186 from 2003, and still ranks 15th best in world history as of 2037. Padacke won his lone MVP and a Silver Slugger at first base. Benin City gave him a four-year, $16,360,000 extension during the season.

The Blue Devils had been consistently lousy in recent memory, but the 2009 effort ended a 26-year playoff drought and was their first winning season since 1992. They only went 85-77 for a third place finish and lost in the first round to Ibadan. Benin City returned to mediocrity after that and wouldn’t post their next winning season until 2029. They would be just below .500 mostly for the latter part of Padacke’s career, but he stayed loyal regardless.

Padacke won additional Silver Sluggers at first base in 2012, 2013, and 2015. He was second in 2012’s MVP voting, leading again in homers (54), RBI (147), total bases (428), and slugging (.667). Padacke had four seasons with an OPS above one. Each season from 2009-17 had at least 45 homers and 100 RBI. Padacke led in both homers (53) and RBI (148) again in 2013, then led in homers for a fourth and final time in 55.

In June 2013, Padacke inked a five-year, $56,400,000 extension with Benin City. He had four games with three home runs and hit for the cycle in 2017. Padacke’s production remained steady until 2018, when he had career worsts across the board in strikeouts (234), OPS (.720), wRC+ (78), and WAR (-1.4). He still had 36 homers and 106 RBI, but it wasn’t enough to make him positive. Benin City didn’t re-sign Padacke and he went unsigned in 2019, retiring that winter at age 38. The Blue Devils would retire his #28 uniform for his steadfast service.

Padacke had 2268 hits, 1216 runs, 500 doubles, 50 triples, 565 home runs, 1511 RBI, 329 walks, 2004 strikeouts, .297/.326/.598 slash, 139 wRC+, and 48.8 WAR. As of 2037, Padacke ranks 19th in homers, 29th in RBI, 63rd in hits, 64th in runs, 47th in doubles, and 47th in strikeouts.

He doesn’t make the top 100 in WAR among position players, losing lots of potential value as a DH. Padacke’s high strikeout/low walk rate and poor baserunning also knocked him down in many advanced metrics. A few voters also held Benin City’s lack of team success as a mark against Padacke’s value. But his power numbers were impressive, as he was the 9th WAB slugger to 500 home runs and the 7th to 1500 RBI.

Also in Padacke’s favor was that among all batters with 3000+ plate appearances as of 2037, his .925 OPS was 78th and his slugging ranked 37th. The impressive power and his leadership was enough to win over the majority of voters. Padacke received 76.3% for a first ballot selection for West African Baseball’s 2024 Hall of Fame class.

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Nana Villars – Starting Pitcher – Lome Lasers – 73.1% First Ballot

Nana Villars was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Ejura, Ghana; a city of around 130,000 people. Villars had very good stuff along with solid control and average movement. His fastball peaked in the 95-97 mph range and was mixed with a slider, changeup, and cutter. Villars’s slider was generally the pitch that drew the most whiffs. He fared noticeably better against right-handed bats (144 ERA+, 3.00 ERA) compared to lefties (112 ERA+, 3.87 ERA).

Compared to other WAB aces, Villars’s stamina was average. He ran into some injury issues (usually with his back) that cost him a couple starts, but he still managed 200+ innings each year from 2009-16. Villars was subpar both defensively and at holding runners. He worked hard though and was fiercely loyal, known as one of the more humble players you’d encounter.

Villars was picked 25th overall in the 2005 WAB Draft by Lome, taken with the fourth pick of the second round. He was only an occasional starter though early on with 33 games and 189 innings over his first three years. Villars finally earned a full-time rotation spot in 2009 at age 26, leading the Eastern League that year in WHIP.

He emerged as a true ace in 2010, leading the EL in wins (18-7), innings (256), strikeouts (364), WHIP (0.83), K/BB (9.6), quality starts (24), FIP- (60), and WAR (9.0). All of those sans the wins would be career bests, as was Villars’s 2.43 ERA. He was second in ERA, missing the Triple Crown to Ouagadougou’s Zeb Onyedika’s 2.12. Regardless, Villars won his lone Pitcher of the Year with this effort. Lome ended a seven-year playoff drought as a wild card, but lost in the first round with Villars missing his start to a bruised shin.

Lome gave Villars a five-year, $15,700,000 extension off that performance. He never was that dominant again, but he’d post six straight 5+ WAR efforts. Villars’ 6.5 in 2011 led the league, placing him third in Pitcher of the Year voting. Most importantly, the Lasers became a regular contender. After missing the 2011 playoffs, Lome earned five straight berths from 2012-16 and finished first in the 2015 standings.

Despite being a regular wild card, Lome won the West African Championship twice in this run. The Lasers defeated Dakar in the 2012 final and bested Banjul in 2014. Their lone year as the top seed saw an ELCS defeat to Port Harcourt. Lome lost in the first round of 2013 and 2016. Villars was great in the 2012 title run with a 4-1 record, 2.67 ERA, 30.1 innings, and 37 strikeouts. He’s one of only three to have 4+ wins in a WAB postseason run.

Surprisingly, Villars was lousy in his remaining playoff starts with an ERA at six or worse each year. For his career, Villars had a 5-5 playoff record, 64 innings, 4.78 ERA, 73 strikeouts, 12 walks, 93 ERA+, and 1.1 WAR. He fared even worse in the Baseball Grand Championship with a 5.55 ERA in 61.2 innings, 2-5 record, 72 strikeouts, and 0.1 WAR. Lome was 9-10 in the 2012 BGC and 10-9 in 2014. Villars also sporadically pitched for his native Ghana in the World Baseball Championship with a 4.04 over 42.1 innings.

Even if his big game numbers were lacking, Villars’s regular season production was elite. He won his second Pitcher of the Year in 2014 and his third in 2015. As of 2037, Villars is one of only 14 WAB aces to win the award thrice. In March 2015, the now 32-year old Villars signed a five-year, $58 million extension to stay with Lome for the long haul.

Lome’s playoff run ended with 2017 and Villars struggled with a 4.43 ERA over 142.1 innings, missing the fall months to a herniated disc. He was reduced to occasional use with a 5.17 ERA over 76.2 innings in 2018. With the quick decline, Villars decided to retire that winter at age 35. The Lasers immediately retired his #26 uniform.

Villars finished with a 157-71 record, 3.34 ERA, 2230.2 innings, 2802 strikeouts, 437 walks, 183/298 quality starts, 34 complete games, 8 shutouts, 130 ERA+, and 52.1 WAR. As of 2037, Villars ranks 48th in wins, 68th in innings, 38th in strikeouts, and 50th in pitching WAR. Amongst all pitchers with 1000+ innings, Villars’s ERA ranks 91st, his 1.05 WHIP is 45th, and his .658 opponent’s OPS is 70th. He also ranks 10th in winning percentage at .689.

Because of relatively fewer innings, Villars’s final accumulations are fairly unremarkable. A few detractors held that against him along with his generally weak playoff numbers and lack of an ERA title. But those detractors were outweighed by supporters that pointed at three Pitcher of the Year awards and two WAB championship rings. Villars got 73.1% on his debut, just enough for the first ballot induction with WAB’s 2024 Hall of Fame class.

FuzzyRussianHat

01-26-2025 04:50 AM

2024 SAB Hall of Fame (Part 1)

South Asia Baseball’s 2024 Hall of Fame class was a strong one with three players inducted on their first ballot. The co-headliners were pitcher Ariffin Sapri (98.8%) and 1B Davavesman Toppo (97.9%) with 1B/3B Kumar Clark joining them (79.2%). CL Viaan Govindraj barely missed the 66% requirement to join them, debuting at 65.1%. Fellow reliever Khon Aye Ko debuted with a nice 59.8%. No one else was above 50% with the best returner at 44.6%.

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No players were dropped after ten failed ballots. Worth a mention though was SS Dong Hung, who fell to 2.6% on his ninth ballot. He peaked at 27.9% in 2017 and had two Silver Sluggers, 2554 hits, 1174 runs, 549 doubles, 144 triples, 278 home runs, 1111 RBI, 511 steals, .275/.325/.455 slash, 123 wRC+, and 78.4 WAR. Hung was also worth a mention simply because of the innuendo from his name giving my inner teenager a sensible chuckle. While the name was HOF worthy, the resume was merely pretty good.

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Ariffin Sapri – Pitcher – Visakhapatnam Volts – 98.8% First Ballot

Ariffin Sapri was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Bedong, Malaysia; a town of around 14,000 people. Sapri had filthy stuff with good control and average-at-best movement. His fastball topped out in the 99-97 mph range, but it was the least scary of his three pitches. Sapri had an incredible knuckle curve and a very good changeup, each of which were often impossible to identify until it was too late.

Sapri’s stamina was below average relative to most SAB aces. He was exclusively a reliever in his first four seasons and saw a lot of split use after that. Sapri’s durability was fantastic though, so you never had to worry about injury problems. He graded as good at holding runners and defense. Sapri was an incredibly smart pitcher who knew how to pick his spots. His work ethic and loyalty also made him a respected figure in the clubhouse.

In March 1998, Sapri was signed to a developmental deal by Visakhapatnam, making the move from Malaysia to India. He spent his entire pro career with the Volts, finally debuting in 2004 at age 22. Sapri was used exclusively as mid relief in his first four seasons with respectable results. He looked strong in a split starter/relief role in 2008 and would see more regular innings after that.

In 2009, Sapri had an all-time season with a 1.24 ERA over 218 innings, setting a single-season ERA record that still stands in SAB as of 2037. It was the seventh Triple Crown by a SAB pitcher as Sapri went 20-3 with 378 strikeouts and 9.2 WAR; all career bests. The strikeout mark is the 13th-most in an SAB single season, giving Sapri Pitcher of the Year honors. He had a 20 strikeout performance on April 26 against Chennai. Sapri is one of ten as of 2037 with a 20+ K game in SAB, but is the only one to do his in only eight innings.

Sapri set a number of single-season rate stat records that still hold among qualifying pitchers with 162+ innings. He had a 4.33 H/9, 15.61 K/9, 0.64 WHIP, and .232 opponent’s OPS; all SAB bests. Sapri’s triple slash was .141/.182/.236; the average and on-base percentage are still records while the slugging was second-best. Among all qualifying pitchers in any league, Sapri’s H/9 ranks 23rd, his K/9 is 40th, his average is 17th, OBP is 39th, and OPS is 48th. It’s especially impressive to make the world list when competing with pitchers from leagues with significantly less scoring.

This effort helped Visakhapatnam to its first division title, playoff berth, and winning season since 2001, although they lost in the first round. The Volts extended Sapri cautiously to a three-year, $7,880,000 deal that winter. He finished second in 2010’s Pitcher of the Year voting, although Visakhapatnam missed the playoffs. Sapri led in wins in 2011 and the Volts won a terrible South Division at 79-83. They managed to get to the Indian League Championship Series despite that, but lost to 111-win Kolkata.

Sapri finally got his big extension in March 2012 worth $27,600,000 over seven years. Sapri won his second Pitcher of the Year in 2012, leading in WAR (7.5) for the second time and wins (18-6) for the third time. He stuck out 344 over 207 innings with a 2.09 ERA. Visakhapatnam took the top seed at 106-56 and won the IL pennant, but fell to Yangon in the SAB Championship. Sapri had a 3.38 ERA over 37.1 playoff innings; a mixed bag.

Visakhapatnam repeated as IL champs in 2013 and Sapri was second in POTY voting. He was merely above average in the playoffs again with a 3.47 ERA over 36.1 innings as the Volts fell to Hanoi in the SAB Championship. Visakhapatnam was upset in the 2014 ILCS by Mumbai, although Sapri was strong in this playoff run with one run allowed over 14.2 innings. For his playoff career, Sapri had 114 innings, an 8-7 record, 3 saves, 2.84 ERA, 160 strikeouts, 30 walks, 125 ERA+, and 3.7 WAR.

While his entire pro career was in India, Sapri did return home to Malaysia for the World Baseball Championship from 2007-18. He was a beast on the WBC stage with a 1.74 ERA over 144.2 innings, 8-5 record, 225 strikeouts, 52 walks, 212 ERA+, and 4.8 WAR. Sapri helped the Malaysians to their first WBC division title in 2009. Among all WBC pitchers with 80+ innings as of 2037, Sapri’s ERA ranks 55th.

Visakhapatnam’s competitive window ended in 2015, starting an eight-year playoff drought. Sapri was solid that year, but his effectiveness began to falter as his final three seasons had ERAs above three, a mark he never had as a starter prior. In 2018, Sapri became the 10th in SAB to reach 3500 career strikeouts. He didn’t try to chase 200 wins, retiring that winter at age 37. The Volts quickly retired his #3 uniform for efforts over 15 seasons.

Sapri had a 191-107 record, 37 saves, 2.60 ERA, 2465 innings, 3722 strikeouts, 518 walks, 228/294 quality starts, 25 complete games, 7 shutouts, 136 ERA+, 75 FIP-, and 60.5 WAR. Sapri had fewer innings than a lot of other aces, ranking 75th as of 2037. Despite that, he still ranks 16th in strikeouts. It did lower some of the other counting stats as he was 23rd in wins and 29th in WAR.

Among SAB pitchers with 1000+ innings, Sapri’s ERA ranks 30th and his 0.96 WHIP is 16th. He ranks 24th in H/9 (6.73), 7th in K/9 (13.59), and 45th in OPS (.605). Sapri’s triple slash was .206/.252/.353 , ranking 21st/16th/99th. His relative few years on top keep him out of inner-circle level conversations, but Sapri was one of the most efficient starters in SAB history.

Sapri’s 2009 season also goes down in some minds as the most dominant effort by a starting pitcher in SAB history. Two Pitcher of the Year awards, a record-setting Triple Crown season, and 3500 Ks made Sapri a lock. He’s one of only two pitchers in world history to reach 3500 Ks despite not pitching 2500+ innings. Sapri received 98.8% to co-headline an impressive three-player South Asia Baseball Hall of Fame group for 2024.

FuzzyRussianHat

01-26-2025 09:20 AM

2024 SAB Hall of Fame (Part 2)

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Devavesman Toppo – First Base – Hanoi Hounds – 97.9% First Ballot

Davavesman Toppo was a 6’5’’, 195 pound left-handed hitting first baseman from Nadiad, India; a city of 327,000 people in the Gujarat state on the western coast. Toppo was known as one of baseball’s best-ever home run hitters with his power grading as a 10/10 from some scouts at his peak. He had a 14-year run where he smacked at least 49 dingers with 100+ RBI each season. Toppo was solid at drawing walks, but his strikeout rate was subpar.

Toppo was a great contact hitter against right-handed pitching and average against lefties. Versus LHP, he was still respectable with a career .818 OPS and 130 wRC+. Toppo was a monster facing righties though with a 185 wRC+ and 1.065 OPS. His gap power was quite good with 30 doubles per his 162 game average. Toppo’s main offensive drawback was poor speed and atrocious baserunning.

Despite his clumsiness on the basepaths, Toppo actually graded as a reliably average defender at first base. Every defensive start he made was at 1B with occasional play as a designated hitter. Toppo ran into some knee troubles, but stayed generally healthy with 130+ games each year from 2000-16. Some felt his work ethic was iffy, but fans and sponsors are easily swayed by dingers. Around 32% of Toppo’s career hits went yard, making him a beloved superstar in his time. He was a high “three true outcomes” hitter as 46% of his plate appearances ended in a homer, strikeout, or walk.

Being a tally lefty from a young age will earn plenty of looks from scouts. One of them signed Toppo in July 1994 to a developmental deal with Hanoi, moving him from India to Vietnam. He spent nearly his entire pro career with the Hounds and helped turn them into a 21st Century dynasty. Toppo spent most of five years in their academy, although he did officially debut in 1998 at age 19. He had 18 plate appearances between 1998 and 1999, then moved into a starting role beginning in 2000.

Toppo immediately delivered his signature power with 53 homers, 107 RBI, 1.018 OPS, and 7.8 WAR as the 2000 Rookie of the Year and a Silver Slugger winner. It was his first of 12 seasons with 50+ homers, 17 with 100 RBI, 14 with 100 runs, 13 worth 7+ WAR, and 12 with an OPS above one. In 2001, Toppo led in runs scored (111) and homers (59) to win his second Slugger and take second in MVP voting. Hanoi signed Toppo to an eight-year, $16,600,000 extension in August 2002.

Despite his impressive and reliable stats, Toppo never won MVP and generally wasn’t the Southeast Asia League’s leader in any stats. The only times he led a stat after 2001 was 2005, when he had the most homers (65), RBI (145), and the best slugging (.668). Toppo won a Silver Slugger as a DH and took second in 2005’s MVP voting. He won three later Sluggers at 1B in 2006, 2010, and 2016.

A big reason Toppo didn’t get more play as THE guy was because of teammate Majed Darwish, who debuted in 2003. Darwish eventually became the world’s home run, RBI, and runs scored king and posted absolutely absurd world record shattering power in the late 2000s. This made Toppo the Robin to Darwish’s Batman despite Toppo’s world class power stats in his own right. With each other’s help and a homer-friendly ballpark in Hanoi, the Vietnamese capital became one of the most electric baseball spots in the world.

Hanoi had been a fairly regular playoff team in the 1990s, but couldn’t get by the dynasty runs between Ho Chi Minh City and Yangon. With the power twins Toppo and Darwish, the Hounds started their own dynasty efforts beginning with a 13-year playoff streak starting in 2005. HCMC’s dynasty started to wind down towards the end of the decade. Most of Hanoi’s biggest playoff battles came against the Green Dragons, who were in the midst of what would be a world record 29-year playoff streak.

The Hounds won 100+ games in all but two seasons from 2005-17. Hanoi lost in the 2005 SEAL Championship to Ho Chi Minh City and had a first round exit in 2006 against Yangon. The Hounds then won their first-ever South Asia Baseball Championship in 2007, defeating Kanpur in the final. Hanoi did even better at 120-42 in 2008 and won it all versus Mumbai in the final. They had beaten the Green Dragons in the LCS both years.

2008 marked the start of the truly absurd stats by Darwish, setting world records with 85 homers, 220 RBI, and 167 runs that year. Toppo meanwhile had 61 homers and 173 RBI; his RBI mark would’ve been the new SAB record if not for Darwish. Toppo’s mark remains the 22nd most RBI in a season by any pro as of 2037. The 2008 Hounds are the only SAB team to score more than one thousand runs in a season (1006).

While Darwish’s jaw-dropping numbers got the worldwide publicity, Toppo was the star of that postseason run. He won both LCS and finals MVP, starting 16 games with 23 hits, 12 runs, 4 doubles, 10 home runs, 20 RBI, a .411/.484/1.018 slash, 1.502 OPS, 270 wRC+, and 1.8 WAR.

Hanoi went 122-40 in 2009 and 121-41 in 2010, setting a world record for most wins a three-year stretch at 363-123. They were shocked by Yangon in the first round in 2009, but got revenge in 2010. The Hounds took the SEAL title over Dhaka in 2010, but lost to Kolkata for the SAB title. Toppo signed a six-year, $27,400,000 extension in June 2010. He was second in 2010’s MVP voting with career bests in runs (130), homers (66), OPS (1.135), wRC+ (199), and WAR (9.8). That year, Darwish had posted 85 homers, 172 runs, and 200 RBI with Toppo’s help.

Darwish’s numbers were a bit more mortal after that, while Toppo remained steady. Toppo smacked 63 homers in 2011 and 60 in 2012, giving him six seasons of 60+ dingers. He was third in 2011’s MVP voting and ultimately never won the top honor despite being a 16-time all-star. Hanoi’s success continued as they made the SEAL Championship each year from 2011-17. The Hounds would go 2-4 in that stretch, but would win additional SAB Championships in 2013 against Visakhapatnam and 2016 against Mumbai. Toppo would be LCS MVP in 2010 and first round MVP in 2011, 2014, and 2016.

On the whole, Toppo’s playoff numbers were excellent over 157 games and 144 starts with 158 hits, 90 runs, 31 doubles, 48 home runs, 107 RBI, 50 walks, .290/.361/.615 slash, .975 OPS, 162 wRC+, and 7.4 WAR. In 47 Baseball Grand Championship games, Toppo had 35 hits, 26 runs, 4 doubles, 16 homers, 28 RBI, .208/.320/.518 slash, .838 OPS, and 1.6 WAR. Hanoi was 3-6 in the inaugural divisional BGC format in 2010. They finished 10-9 in 2013 and 12-7 in 2016. The Hounds officially were third in 2016 as part of a three-way tie with Kansas City and Zurich, while 13-6 Guam took the top spot.

As of 2037, Toppo ranks 4th in playoff homers in SAB, 3rd in RBI, 5th in hits, 4th in runs, and 4th in games played. His OPS ranks 47th among all batters with 40 plate appearances and his slugging ranks 42nd. Toppo’s big game performances also carried into the World Baseball Championship, as he regularly represented his native India. This helped him remain a megastar back home even as his exploits came in Vietnam.

In the WBC, Toppo had 124 games, 82 starts, 78 hits, 65 runs, 12 doubles, 34 home runs, 64 RBI, .239/.346/.589 slash, .935 OPS, and 4.5 WAR. Toppo was surprisingly a backup in 2009 as India won its first-ever World Championship over the United States. The Indians also notably finished fourth in 2010 and had division titles in 2004 and 2007 with Toppo on the club.

Toppo began approaching key milestones in his 30s, becoming SAB’s second to 800 home runs in 2013 and the second to 2000 RBI in 2015; both only reached to that point by Tirtha Upadhyaya. Toppo’s deal expired after the 2015 season and he was a free agent for the first time at age 37. After some time on the market, he went back to Hanoi for two more years at $19,800,000.

He never caught Upadhyaya’s home run mark, but did pass his RBI record in 2017. Toppo’s reign as the RBI leader lasted one year with both Darwish and Ratan Canduri surpassing him soon after. Canduri was another whose own remarkable stats would overshadow Toppo’s efforts. Toppo was reduced to a platoon role though by 2017 and started only 98 games with 23 home runs and 58 RBI. That marked the end of an incredible two decade odyssey with Hanoi, whose playoff streak would end the next year.

Toppo still wanted to play and Kolkata gave him a chance in spring training for one year and $2,760,000. He was a part-timer with 115 games and 75 starts, but his power was gone with only seven homers all year. Toppo did join the 950 homer club, only the fifth member in any world league to that point. He was unsigned in 2019 and finally retired that winter at age 41. Hanoi quickly brought him back to his second home and retired his #7 uniform.

The final tallies for Toppo: 2869 games, 2967 hits, 1918 runs, 523 doubles, 44 triples, 953 home runs, 2226 RBI, 1177 walks, 2557 strikeouts, .292/.368/.633 slash, 1.001 OPS, 171 wRC+, and 129.3 WAR. As of 2037, Toppo ranks 4th in homers in SAB, 3rd in RBI, 5th in runs, 9th in hits, 9th in walks, 12th in strikeouts, 5th in games played, and 9th in WAR among position players. Among all SAB batters with 3000+ plate appearances, his OPS is 11th, OBP is 51st, and slugging is 8th.

Compared to all world players as of 2037, Toppo is 11th in home runs, 25th in RBI, and narrowly misses the top 50 for runs. Among Hall of Famers, his slugging is 33rd and his OPS is 44th. Toppo is still overshadowed though in conversations for the world’s best-ever home run hitters between South Asia Baseball’s relatively inflated numbers and because his contemporaries Darwish, Canduri, and Upadhyaya had Toppo beat in many categories.

It’s hard to believe a guy with Toppo’s tallies could be underappreciated, but he was to a degree as the Scottie Pippen to Darwish’s Michael Jordan. Like those 1990s Chicago Bulls, their pairing created an impressive run of dominance for Hanoi. From 2005-17, the Hounds averaged 107.3 wins per season with four SAB titles, five SEAL titles, 11 LCS trips, and 10 division titles.

Toppo is easily on SAB’s Mount Rushmore in terms of raw power, although his ranking among the top five or top ten players in SAB history varies depending on who you ask. He was a Hall of Fame lock and superstar by any measure and frankly his 97.9% was too low. Toppo was actually just behind SP Ariffin Sapri’s 98.8% as a co-headliner for the three-player 2024 class for SAB.

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Kumar Clark – First/Third Base – Hyderabad Hippos – 79.2% First Ballot

Kumar Clark was a 6’0’’, 200 pound switch-hitting corner infielder from Sheikhupura, India; a city of 62,900 in the eastern Bihar state. Clark didn’t have the record-shattering power of some of his contemporaries, but he was a reliably strong power hitter in his time. His 162 game average got you 31 homers, 23 doubles, and 10 triples. Clark graded as a good contact hitter, but he was average-at-best at drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts.

Clark’s speed was merely above average, but he was one of the most skilled and crafty baserunners in the game. Roughly the first third of his career came at third base, where he graded as a lousy defender as he lacked the arm or range needed for the spot. Clark moved to first base at age 32 and thrived there defensively, winning seven consecutive Gold Gloves from 2011-17. He was an ironman with an impressive scrappy work ethic and adaptability. Clark would start 145+ games each year from 2005-18, helping him become of India’s most popular baseball fixtures.

In October 1995, Clark signed a developmental contract with Hyderabad. He spent four full years in their academy before debuting in 2000 at age 22. Clark’s use was limited initially with only 23 starts and 99 games in his first two years. He had a full-time roster spot for the following three years, but only started a combined 88 games. Despite 33 starts in 2004, Clark posted 3.4 WAR and .913 OPS over 136 games. That impressive bat earned him a starting gig from 2005 onward with Hyderabad. Clark also signed an eight-year, $17,140,000 extension after the 2004 season.

Each of the next seven seasons with the Hippos earned Clark 5.9+ WAR, winning Silver Sluggers in 2006, 2007, and 2008 at third base. He wasn’t generally a league leader, but he did lead the Indian League with 16 triples in 2008. Clark’s bests for Hyderabad with his career highs for WAR (8.8), and wRC+ (8.8). He twice hit 40+ homers and thrice had 100+ RBI.

Hyderabad was typically below average in Clark’s tenure, averaging 76 wins per season. They peaked with an impressive 101-61 in 2007, their first playoff berth in a decade. The Hippos would get upset by Kanpur in the ILCS, although Clark had a strong showing with .930 OPS, 14 hits, 10 runs, and 6 extra base hits in 11 starts. Hyderabad won a weak division at 81-81 in 2008 and lost in the first round. They were back at the bottom of the standings by the 2010s.

Clark moved to first base in 2010 and won his first of seven consecutive Gold Gloves in 2011. That was his only GG for Hyderabad, who traded their long-time superstar that winter. Clark was in the last year of his deal and the Hippos were in full rebuild mode after repeat 100+ loss campaigns. Clark was sent to Mumbai for three prospects, although none of them amounted to anything.

For Hyderabad, Clark had 1471 hits, 755 runs, 221 doubles, 96 triples, 265 home runs, 780 RBI, 380 stolen bases, .297/.351/.541 slash, 166 wRC+, and 55.6 WAR. He was a franchise icon whose #33 uniform would be the first retired by the Hippos. Clark would also be the first Hall of Famer wearing Hyderabad’s pink and black.

At age 34 though, he now was with Mumbai. The Meteors were hoping to get over the hump after back-to-back first round playoff losses. Mumbai was again a wild card and first round loser in 2012, although Clark certainly delivered. He posted career bests in home runs (55) and RBI (135) while scoring 110 runs with 8.2 WAR. They couldn’t come to terms for a long-term deal and Clark entered free agency for the first time at age 35.

Hoping for playoff success, Clark signed with the defending Indian League champ Visakhapatnam at $44,500,000 over four years. He won Gold Gloves all four years for the Volts, although his overall production did drop a bit in after the first year. Clark’s 2013 though saw a league-best 133 RBI along with a career best 1.009 OPS, plus 8.4 WAR and 46 home runs.

That effort helped Visakhapatnam repeat as IL champs in 2013, although they were defeated for the SAB Championship by Hanoi. The Volts lost to Kolkata in the 2014 ILCS, then began an eight-year playoff drought after that. Clark in 26 playoff starts had 23 hits, 19 runs, 3 doubles, 3 triples, 7 home runs, 13 RBI, .250/.352/.576 slash, 141 wRC+, and 1.1 WAR.

Clark never won it all, although his overall playoff stats were rock solid with 49 starts, 48 hits, 36 runs, 9 doubles, 4 triples, 14 home runs, 26 RBI, 18 walks, .264/.330/.588 slash, 151 wRC+, and 2.1 WAR. Clark also played for India from 2005-14 in the World Baseball Championship, although his role was limited with 50 games and 13 starts, posting .658 OPS and 0.6 WAR.

For Visakhapatnam, Clark had 654 hits, 335 runs, 95 doubles, 37 triples, 133 home runs, 440 RBI, .280/.336/.524 slash, 149 wRC+, and 21.4 WAR. A free agent again at age 39, Clark signed a two-year, $9,040,000 deal with Colombo. He won his final Gold Glove in 2017 with a 5.1 WAR season. Clark’s overall production fell to 2.4 WAR in 2018, but he still hit 39 home runs. The 2008 expansion Catfish earned their first-ever playoff berth in 2018, but lost in the first round.

In 2018, Clark reached the 2500 hit, 1500 RBI, and 500 home run milestones. For Colombo, Clark had 333 hits, 185 runs, 51 doubles, 22 triples, 67 home runs, 217 RBI, .273/.318/.515 slash, 126 wRC+, and 7.5 WAR. Clark was still healthy and seemingly could contribute, but no teams grabbed him for 2019. He officially retired that winter at age 41.

Clark finished with 2700 games, 2625 hits, 1385 runs, 387 doubles, 167 triples, 520 home runs, 1572 RBI, 667 walks, 606 stolen bases, .289/.342/.540 slash, 158 wRC+, and 92.7 WAR. As of 2037, Clark is 13th in games played, 25th in hits, 40th in runs, 22nd in total bases (4906), 20th in triples, 36th in home runs, 20th in RBI, 79th in steals, 69th in walks, and 28th in WAR among position players.

He never had the huge eye-popping numbers of some of his contemporaries, but hard work and longevity gave Clark a rock solid resume. He won’t be mentioned in the inner circle, but not many voters had any objections for Clark’s induction. At 79.2%, Clark was a first ballot pick to cap off an impressive three-player 2024 Hall of Fame class for South Asia Baseball.

FuzzyRussianHat

01-26-2025 08:45 PM

2024 ABF Hall of Fame (Part 1)

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The Asian Baseball Federation’s 2024 Hall of Fame class was an impressive one with all three inductees debuting with at least 96% of the vote. The three guys would be headline worthy in their own right basically any year. 1B Petri Viskari (98.9%), SP Gevorg Qasimov (96.8%) and SP Khalil Shaan (96.1%) were the inductees. No one else was above 50% with the top returner being 1B Altaf Aslam with 46.1% in his ninth chance. No players were dropped after ten failed ballots, although Aslam was now on the chopping block for 2025.

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Petri “Friar” Viskari – First Base – Istanbul Ironmen – 98.9% First Ballot

Petri Viskari was a 6’8’’, 205 pound left-handed first baseman from the capital of Finland, Helsinki. Nicknamed “Friar” for his religious beliefs, Viskari was one of the most well-rounded batters in ABF history. He was an excellent contact hitter with an excellent pop in his bat, along with a good eye for drawing walks. Viskari was a master at finding the gap with 45 doubles per his 162 game average, but he also had great home run power with 38 per 162.

Viskari was especially dominant facing right-handed pitching with a career 180 wRC+ and .994 OPS. Against lefties, he was still quite good at .804 OPS and 136 wRC+. His strikeout rate was merely decent and he was a terribly slow and sluggish baserunner. Viskari played first base exclusively defensively, but did make around 15% of his starts as a designated hitter. He graded as a mediocre gloveman.

Although he did run into some knee issues in his 30s, Viskari showed fairly good durability for his career, playing 135+ games in all but two of his 19 seasons. His reliably strong bat helped make Viskari one of ABF’s early international superstars. He would be the second-ever Finnish Hall of Famer, joining CL Theo Siitonen from Eurasian Professional Baseball’s 1974 class.

Viskari had an unlikely path to the ABF as Finland wasn’t within its general sphere of influence. The country had been EPB territory throughout the 20th Century, but Helsinki was one of the teams that defected to the European Baseball Federation in 2000. From then forward, Finnish players and fans generally gravitated towards the EBF. Viskari’s teenage years came right around this transition point.

As a tall lefty, Viskari certainly earned attention from a young age. A scout from Baku became quite fond of him and in February 1999 convinced Viskari to sign a developmental deal with the Blackbirds. The Azerbaijani capital also left EPB in the 2000 exodus, but they went to ABF along with the other Central Asian teams. By this point, Viskari was committed to continue his career with Baku.

After three years in their academy, Viskari debuted in 2002 at age 20 and started 119 games. He won Rookie of the Year honors with 3.7 WAR and .853 OPS in his debut. The next two years were his best by home run power with 54 dingers in 2003 and 55 in 2004. Viskari was second in 2003’s MVP voting and third in 2004, combining for 19.3 WAR between the years. He also led the league in hits in 2004 with 197.

Viskari led with 122 RBI in 2005, but his overall production dropped to 5.7 WAR. Baku had struggled in their final decade in EPB and hadn’t fared much better in their first years in ABF. After the 2005 season, the Blackbirds traded Viskari to Istanbul for two pitching prospects. With Baku, Viskari had 668 hits, 351 runs, 169 doubles, 175 home runs, 448 RBI, .302/.355/.622 slash, 176 wRC+, and 28.8 WAR.

It would be in Turkey’s largest city that Viskari became a superstar. The Ironmen had earned three straight West League playoff berths, but hadn’t been able to get over the hump. Viskari was impressive right away, leading in runs (121), doubles (49), OBP (.400), OPS (1.020), and wRC+ (186). He won his first Silver Slugger and was third in MVP voting. Istanbul made the WLCS as the top seed, but was upset by defending ABF champ Shiraz.

2007 was actually a weaker year statistically for Viskari, but he finished second in MVP voting. Most importantly, he was a beast in the playoffs as MVP of the WLCS and the ABF Championship. Istanbul won it all, going 104-58 and beating Bishkek in the final. In 14 playoff starts, Viskari had 22 hits, 15 runs, 3 doubles, 10 homers, 20 RBI, a .431/.500/1.118 slash, 322 wRC+, and 2.1 WAR. Viskari set a new playoff homers record that held until 2036 and tied the then RBI record. It forever ranks as one of the most impressive runs by ABF playoff history.

Istanbul knew they had their guy and less than a week after the ABF Championship, they signed Viskari to an eight-year, $42,460,000 extension. 2008 would be Viskari’s finest season with league and career bests in runs (131), hits (213), RBI (142), total bases (410), triple slash (.370/.445/.712), OPS (1.157), wRC+ (213), and WAR (11.4). He was only two runs short of the then-ABF record. Viskari won his second Silver Slugger and his first league MVP.

The Ironmen improved to 112-50 and completed the repeat, defeating Karachi in the ABF Championship. Istanbul’s 2008 squad set the new ABF record for most wins by a champion, although Tehran topped it a decade later. Viskari again won finals MVP and posted 15 hits, 7 runs, 6 doubles, 2 homers, and 11 RBI in 12 playoff starts. For his playoff career, Viskari started 40 games with 50 hits, 29 runs, 13 doubles, 13 homers, 37 RBI, .345/.429/.717 slash, 1.146 OPS, 208 wRC+, and 3.2 WAR.

While thriving in Turkey, Viskari did start coming home to Finland for the World Baseball Championship. From 2008-20, Viskari played 111 games and started 98 for the Fins with 104 hits, 61 runs, 25 doubles, 25 home runs, 59 RBI, 35 walks, .276/.351/.546 slash, 155 wRC+, and 4.4 WAR. He helped Finland to its first-ever division title in 2016. Playing in such a large market like Istanbul, Viskari earned worldwide stardom, but he was especially a hero became home in Finland.

Istanbul dropped to 87-75 and had a first round playoff loss as a wild card. That was the end of their reign at the top and they’d spend the next nine years generally around .500. Viskari continued to thrive, winning his second MVP in 2009. He won additional Sluggers in 2009 and 2014. From 2009 onward, Viskari led five more times in doubles. He didn’t lead in other big stats apart from 2014 when he had the most RBI (122), total bases (373), best OBP (.401), OPS (1.044), wRC+ (206), and WAR (9.9).

After the 2014 season, Viskari signed a four-year, $52,800,000 extension to stay loyal to Istanbul. His longevity and consistency allowed him to start rising up the leaderboards in the still young ABF. He passed Radi Umar to become the new ABF doubles leader and would become the first in ABF to get 600 doubles and the only player to breach 700. Viskari joined Umar in 2015 as the only players with 1500 RBI and joined him in 2016 as the only ones thus far to 2500 hits. Viskari had a big setback though with a torn PCL in May 2016.

Viskari bounced back with a solid 2017, but did lose the final two months of 2018 to a torn meniscus. Still, Viskari was able to pass Umar as ABF’s hits leader, runs scored leader, and RBI leader. He also got to third on the home run chart at 595 behind Umar (633) and Vahid Hadadi. Viskari also was ABF’s WARlord albeit briefly. Most of his numbers would be passed by multiple players within the next decade, but Viskari’s spots remain impressive two decades later.

With a bad knee and his 37th birthday passed, Istanbul didn’t re-sign Viskari following the 2018 campaign, marking the end of his ABF tenure. For the Ironmen, Viskari had 2127 hits, 1095 runs, 559 doubles, 420 home runs, 1237 RBI, 716 walks, .307/.378/.581 slash, 173 wRC+, and 85.7 WAR. He would remain beloved in Istanbul and later saw his #21 uniform retired. Viskari was still wanting to play somewhere though and opened up an international search.

Viskari ended up in Russia and EPB on a two-year, $11,600,000 deal with Irkutsk. The Ice Cats were below average in this era, but Viskari provided them two decent seasons as a starter with 298 hits, 138 runs, 55 doubles, 55 home runs, 164 RBI, .252/.314/.443 slash, 121 wRC+, and 4.6 WAR. For his combined career, that run got Viskari to the 3000 hit, 1500 runs, and 650 home run clubs. He also retired third in world baseball history 783 doubles, retiring only behind SAB’s Manju Abbas (816) and ABF/MLB legend Gokhan Karatas (787). Viskari retired after the 2020 season at age 39.

For his ABF career, Viskari had 2479 games, 2795 hits, 1446 runs, 728 doubles, 43 triples, 595 home runs, 1685 RBI, 869 walks, .306/.373/.591 slash, 174 wRC+, and 114.5 WAR. As of 2037, Viskari remains ABF’s career leader in doubles. Viskari also ranks 6th in WAR among position players, 18th in games, 11th in runs, 7th in hits, 4th in total bases (5394), 11th in home runs, 3rd in RBI, and 14th in walks.

Among ABF batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Viskari’s .964 OPS ranks 20th and his triple slash rates 50th/23rd/19th. Combined with his two Irkutsk seasons, Viskari had 3093 hits, 1584 runs, 783 doubles, 650 home runs, 1849 RBI, 67 walks, .300/.366/.574 slash, 168 wRC+, and 119.1 WAR. Viskari still sits 6th in the world’s doubles list as of 2037.

His final ranking among ABF’s all-time greats is up for debate, but most place Viskari among the top ten position players and some stick him in the top five. His starring role in a dynasty run for Istanbul also holds a lot of sway. Either way, he’s a surefire Hall of Famer and had the highest percentage (98.9%) amongst a loaded three-player 2024 class in ABF. Viskari also is widely viewed as the best-ever baseball player to come out of Finland.

FuzzyRussianHat

01-27-2025 06:58 AM

2024 ABF Hall of Fame (Part 2)

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Gevorg Qasimov – Starting Pitcher – Tabriz Tiger Sharks – 96.8% First Ballot

Gevorg Qasimov was a 5’11’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Dashtobod, Uzbekistan. Formerly named Ulyanovo in the Soviet era, it is a town of 36,500 located about three hours southwest of Tashkent. Qasimov was a hard thrower with 99-101 mph peak velocity. His stuff, movement, and control all graded as good-to-great. Qasimov’s fastball and curveball were especially impressive, but he also had a great changeup and a decent slider.

Qasimov’s stamina was excellent early in his career and he stayed fairly durable early on, although catastrophic injuries ended his career prematurely in his 30s. He had a good pickoff move but was a weak defensive pitcher. Qasimov wasn’t a genius by any stretch, but his immense talent made him a popular figure both at home in Uzbekistan and in his second home of Tabriz, Iran.

He would spend his entire pro career with the Tiger Sharks, who signed him to a developmental deal in June 2001. Despite that, Qasimov did return home and pitched quite well for Uzbekistan in the World Baseball Championship. From 2008-17, he had 151.1 innings, a 2.85 ERA, 9-8 record, 191 strikeouts, 51 walks, 127 ERA+, and 3.8 WAR. Qasimov’s best effort saw two shutouts in the 2017 WBC.

Qasimov spent just over four years in Tabriz’s academy, debuting in 2006 at age 21. The season was short for the stout lefty, suffering bone chips in his elbow that ended his campaign in late May. He bounced back as a full-time starter after that and stayed largely healthy for the next decade. By 2008, Qasimov was a true ace, leading the West League in innings (266.2), WHIP (0.85), quality starts (23), and complete games (19). He also had a 2.40 ERA, 319 strikeouts, and 7.5 WAR; earning Pitcher of the Year.

He regressed slightly in 2009 and lost a month to a hamstring strain. Still, Tabriz was impressed and singed Qasimov that winter to a six-year, $29,500,000 extension. He rewarded that confidence with his second POTY in 2010, leading the league with a 20-4 record, 1.59 ERA, 271 innings, 0.81 WHIP, 6 shutouts, and 11.2 WAR. The ERA and WAR would be career bests and he took second in strikeouts with 357.

Tabriz had been historically mediocre with no playoff berths to that point except for the inaugural 1985. They snapped the drought in 2010 as a wild card, but lost in the first round. Qasimov’s one start saw four runs allowed over eight innings. The Tiger Sharks would be stuck in the middle of the standings for the next five years despite Qasimov’s best efforts.

Those efforts saw additional ERA titles in 2013 (1.82) and 2014 (1.79). He won Pitcher of the Year both years, becoming only the third ABF ace to win the award four times. Qasimov also led in strikeouts (337) and WAR (9.0) in 2014. He had a career best 358 Ks in 2011. Tabriz gave him a new six-year, $62,500,000 contract extension in May 2015. He was still only 30-years old at that point with many great years hopefully ahead of him.

Sadly, those great years didn’t come for Qasimov. He was decent in 2016, but lost six weeks to a sprained ankle. Tabriz got back to the playoffs and lost in the first round with Qasimov allowing three runs in eight innings. The Tiger Sharks started a playoff streak from here, but the 2016 outing would be his final playoff start. In late May 2017, Qasimov suffered a damaged elbow ligament that knocked him out 11 months.

Qasimov rehabbed hard but only had one start in 2018 as severe shoulder inflammation kept him out almost all year. He felt good entering 2019, but damaged his elbow ligament again in spring training. That time, doctors told him he had to call it quits, officially retiring shortly after his 35th birthday. Tabriz retired his #12 uniform and gave Qasimov an honorary championship ring when they won the title in 2019.

In total, Qasimov had a 154-92 record, 2.43 ERA, 2448.1 innings, 3077 strikeouts, 404 walks, 221/298 quality starts, 136 complete games, 37 shutouts, 138 ERA+, and 67.0 WAR. As of 2037, Qasimov ranks 53rd in wins, 57th in innings, 44th in strikeouts, 19th in complete games, 8th in shutouts, and 24th in WAR among position players.

The shortened career hurts his counting stats, but among pitchers with 1000+ innings, Qasimov’s ERA ranks 25th. His 0.90 WHIP is 9th and his .562 opponent’s OPS is 19th. Qasimov’s triple slash of .202/.239/.323 ranks 28th/7th/40th. His 6.57 H/9 ranks 28th as well.

He falls outside of the GOAT conversations because of the injury-shortened tallies, but Qasimov certainly was one of the most efficient starters in ABF history. Having four Pitcher of the Year awards and three ERA titles makes you a lock with Qasimov getting 96.8% as part of the loaded three-player 2024 Hall of Fame class for the Asian Baseball Federation. He also had the honor of being the first Uzbek to make ABF’s HOF.

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Khalil Shaan – Starting Pitcher – Gujranwala Grasshoppers – 96.1% First Ballot

Khalil Shaan was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Lahore, Pakistan’s second-largest city and the 27th largest in the world. Shaan had impressive stuff that carried him to success despite having below average control and movement. He hit 96-98 mph with his cutter and splitter, but it was Shaan’s awesome changeup that got most of his whiffs. His ability to change speeds made him dangerous despite his flaws and extreme flyball tendency.

Shaan also had very good stamina and excellent durability, pitching 215+ innings each year from 2005-17. He was a solid defensive pitcher with a good pickoff move. Shaan was a team captain known for his leadership, work ethic, and selflessness. He became one of the most respected pitchers of his era amongst his peers.

As a teenager, Shaan was one of the more promising prospects from the Lahore area. A scout from Gujranwala convinced him to join the Grasshoppers’ academy in January 1998. Shaan spent around six years in the developmental system, officially debuting in 2003 at age 21 with three relief appearances. He was a part-time starter in 2004 with iffy results.

Shaan moved to the rotation full-time after that and emerged as an elite strikeout pitcher. Batters would flail comically at his changeup like out of the famous Bugs Bunny cartoon. Shaan struck out 413 batters in 2005, which rates as the ninth-most in an ABF season still as of 2037. He didn’t top 400 Ks after that, but led the East League five consecutive seasons from 2005-09.

His lone Pitcher of the Year award win came in 2006, which also had a career and league-best 8.1 WAR. Despite his steady production in his 20s, Shaan wasn’t a finalist for the rest of his Gujranwala run. He was hurt by the Grasshoppers usually being a mid to below average team. They made it to the ELCS in 2006 but lost to eventual ABF champ Lahore. Shaan got rocked in his three playoff starts with a 6.97 ERA. Gujranwala wouldn’t have another winning season for more than a decade.

On April 10, 2008, Shaan notably tossed a no-hotter against Peshawar with 12 strikeouts and three walks. Two weeks later, he signed a four-year, $16,080,000 extension with the Grasshoppers. Two years later on April 23, 2010, Shaan’s second no-hitter came again versus the Predators, this time with eight strikeouts and two walks.

2012 was to be Shaan’s final year under contract with Gujranwala at age 30. With the team’s recent struggles, they weren’t confident that they’d be able to keep him around. Shaan’s run with the Grasshoppers ended in a trade with Bishkek for a third round draft pick and two prospects that ultimately never made the show. For Gujranwala, Shaan had a 110-94 record, 2.62 ERA, 1987.2 innings, 2783 strikeouts, 514 walks, 118 ERA+, and 46.8 WAR. His #6 uniform would later be retired by the Grasshoppers.

Shaan finished third in POTY voting in 2012 for Bishkek, although he fell one K shy of extending his 300+ strikeout streak to an eighth season. The Black Sox fell two wins shy of a wild card and Shaan entered free agency at age 31. He had plenty of suitors and made the move to Tajikistan on a six-year, $58,500,000 with Dushanbe.

The Dynamo had been on an eight-year playoff drought when Shaan arrived, but started a ten-year playoff streak upon his 2013 debut. He maintained his steady production for his first four years with Dushanbe, who lost to Hyderabad in the 2013 ELCS. The Dynamo lost in the first round in 2014, then earned back-to-back pennants in 2015-16. They defeated Shiraz in the 2015 ABF Championship, but fell to Tehran in 2016. Dushanbe then lost to Asgabat in the 2017 ELCS.

Shaan’s playoff results were mixed with Dushanbe, posting 74.2 innings in 11 starts, a 5-2 record, but 3.62 ERA, 87 strikeouts, 23 walks, 90 ERA+, and 0.5 WAR. He had a 5.20 ERA over 27.2 innings and 0-3 record in the 2015 Baseball Grand Championship with the Dynamo finishing 9-10. The underwhelming results in big games lowered Shaan’s spot when comparing the all-time ABF pitching greats. Still, his efforts in his 30s helped return Dushanbe to regular contention.

In 2017, Shaan became the 7th ABF pitcher to 200 career wins and 3rd to 4500 strikeouts. His velocity and movement started to dip by this point with only 258 Ks in 2017; his lowest since his rookie year. Some thought he might challenge Hasan Afshin’s all-time Ks record of 5151. However, Shaan was reduced to a part-time role in 2018 after struggling to a 4.03 ERA over 105 innings.

With Dushanbe, Shaan finished with an 87-53 record, 2.98 ERA, 1328 innings, 1717 strikeouts, 351 walks, 108 ERA+, and 25.8 WAR. He retired after the 2018 season shortly after his 37th birthday. Shaan ended at 4799 strikeouts, retiring second to Afshin. His 213 wins also placed him only nine short of the then-top spot of 224 by Oskar Tamm.

Shaan finished with a 213-156 record, 2.74 ERA, 3563.2 innings, 4799 strikeouts, 915 walks, 317/443 quality starts, 149 complete games, 42 shutouts, 115 ERA+, 82 FIP-, and 77.4 WAR. As of 2037, Shaan ranks 10th in wins, 8th in innings, 4th in strikeouts, 14th in complete games, 5th in shutouts, and 11th in WAR among pitchers. Among those with 1000+ innings, Shaan’s ERA is 70th and his 12.12 K/9 is 25th. His .609 opponent’s OPS is 81st.

The reliability gave Shaan totals that made him a Hall of Fame lock. However, his weaker playoff stats and lack of an ERA title usually means scholars keep him out of most top five pitcher lists and even some top ten lists. Regardless, Shaan got 96.1% as an obvious first ballot pick. He had the third-best percentage in the loaded three-player 2024 Hall of Fame class for the Asian Baseball Federation.

FuzzyRussianHat

01-27-2025 02:32 PM

2024 ALB Hall of Fame

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Arab League Baseball’s 2024 Hall of Fame ballot was a weak one with no debuts above 1/3 of the vote. It was very nearly blank, but reliever Souilem Boudiaf barely crossed the 66% requirement with 67.3% on his third ballot. The only other player above 50% was LF Abduwali Suleiman with 50.2% for his fourth try. No players were dropped after ten failed ballots.

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Souilem “Mirror” Boudiaf – Relief Pitcher – Tripoli Privateers – 67.3% Third Ballot

Souliem Boudiaf was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Khemis Miliana, Algeria; a university town of around 200,000 located 120 kilometers west of Algiers. In his prime, Boudiaf had tremendous stuff with great movement and good control. Even after his stuff diminished in his later years, Boudiaf’s control remained strong enough to stay playable. He remarkably played for 22 seasons as one of the only relievers in world history to play into his mid 40s.

Boudiaf’s strength at his peak was an impressive 99-101 mph fastball mixed with a good slider. He had good stamina for a reliever and managed for most of his run to avoid the major arm injuries that ruined many pitchers. Boudiaf was subpar at holding runners with weak defense. He was a prankster in the clubhouse and a good leader, becoming appreciated in the many clubhouses he inhabited in his career.

Relievers often weren’t picked at the top of the draft, but Boudiaf was an exception as he went eighth to Tripoli in the 1999 ALB Draft. He had full time use in middle relief right away, but struggled immensely as a rookie with -1.3 WAR and a 6.44 ERA in 50.1 innings. Despite that, the Privateers promoted Boudiaf to closer in 2001 with decent results. He justified the selection in 2002, which was among Boudiaf’s finest seasons.

Boudiaf posted a career-best 45 saves to lead the Western Conference and led for the only time in his career with 75 games. He had 102.1 innings, 191 strikeouts, and 7.0 WAR; impressive numbers by any closer. Boudiaf won his first Reliever of the Year and was second in Pitcher of the Year voting. He tossed 4.1 scoreless innings in the playoffs as Tripoli fell to Alexandria in the conference final. The Privateers had a first round exit in 2004, but were generally below average for the rest of Boudiaf’s run.

2003 saw a third place in Reliever of the Year voting and 2005 had a second place. Tripoli struggled in 2006 and were sellers in the summer, trading Boudiaf to reigning ALB champ Medina for two prospects. For the Privateers, Boudiaf had 217 saves, 34-45 record, 2.27 ERA, 499.2 innings, 865 strikeouts, 155 walks, 172 ERA+, and 25.5 WAR.

Boudiaf had a strong second half for Medina, who took the top seed in the Eastern Conference at 107-55. He allowed one run in three playoff innings as the Mastodons were upset in the ECF by Basra. Boudiaf’s combined effort for the season earned his second Reliever of the Year with a career-best 7.1 WAR and 193 strikeouts. He then won the award again in 2007 and 2008 for Medina, becoming only the second in Arab League history to win the award four times.

In 2007, Boudiaf had his career best ERA at 1.08 and he led in saves for the second time in 2008 with 43. The 2008 effort allowed Boudiaf to become the fourth with 300 ALB saves. He was excellent in the 2007 postseason, allowing one run over 14 innings with 29 strikeouts. Boudiaf fanned 13 over seven scoreless in 2008. Medina won the 2007 ALB title over Jerusalem, but lost to Basra in the 2008 Eastern Conference Final.

For Medina, Boudiaf had 97 saves, 14-11 record, 1.32 ERA, 231 innings, 457 strikeouts, 58 walks, 302 ERA+, and 14.5 WAR. He became a free agent after the 2008 season at age 31 and ended his Arab League career. Boudiaf would pitch another 13 seasons across six continents for ten different teams, becoming an ace in the hole for any international Immaculate Grid.

In ALB, Boudiaf finished with 314 saves and 330 shutdowns, 48-56 record, 603 games, 730.2 innings, 1322 strikeouts, 213 walks, 199 ERA+, and 40.0 WAR. He didn’t stay long enough to qualify for rate stats, but he still ranked 8th in saves as of 2037. Boudiaf also had the highest WAR of any Hall of Fame reliever in ALB, which worked in his favor with supporters. His 0.64 ERA over 28.1 playoff innings with 58 strikeouts also showed his value in his peak.

Still, Boudiaf’s candidacy had to overcome voters who thought he wasn’t around long enough to qualify. Many of them gave Boudiaf little to no credit for his post-ALB numbers. He debuted on the 2022 ballot at 54.6% and improved to 58.5% in 2023. Enough were impressed with his dominant peak to keep Boudiaf in the conversation. With a very weak 2024 group, Boudiaf got the bump just across the 66% threshold. At 67.3%, he was a third ballot inductee and the lone 2024 selection for the Arab League.

Even after he left the Arab World, Boudiaf still proudly represented his native Algeria in the World Baseball Championship. He was a stalwart from 2000-20 as one of the very few to play in more than 20 WBCs. Boudiaf had 58 games, 224 innings, a 17-14 record, 12 saves, 2.97 ERA, 330 strikeouts, 78 walks, and 7.1 WAR. He saw regular use as a starter in the WBC, most notably throwing a 17 strikeout, two walk no-hitter in 2010 against Switzerland. Boudiaf also helped Algeria earn its first-ever elite eight trip in 2012.

His WBC outings helped earn international attention ahead of his free agency entry. Boudiaf signed a three-year, $30 million deal with MLB’s Philadelphia Phillies. He was used in middle relief for Philly, but was efficient with a 1.98 ERA over 77.1 innings, 105 strikeouts, and 3.0 WAR. Boudiaf also allowed only one run over ten playoff innings in his run, helping Philadelphia to the National Association pennant in 2010. They lost the World Series to San Diego, but won the first-ever Baseball Grand Championship. Boudiaf allowed two runs (one earned) in four BGC innings.

After generally staying healthy, Boudiaf missed most of 2011 to shoulder inflammation. This made some teams leery as he returned to free agency heading towards age 35. Calgary gave him a shot at two years and $16,600,000. In 2012, Boudiaf had a 1.42 ERA over 50.2 innings for the Cheetahs. However, he was cut in the offseason and signed for 2013 with Chicago. Boudiaf remained effective in middle relief with a 2.29 ERA over 51 innings for the Cubs.

For his combined MLB tenure, Boudiaf had a 1.91 ERA over 179 innings, 24-12 record, 4 saves, 198 strikeouts, 45 walks, 183 ERA+, and 5.6 WAR. Now 37-years old, Boudiaf ended up in South America with Valencia on a two-year, $11,800,000 deal. He returned to a closer role with mixed results, getting 35 saves but posting a 3.18 ERA over 65 innings. The Velocity traded him in the offseason to Belo Horizonte for prospects, sending Boudiaf to his sixth different country.

He stayed the Hogs closer with 30 saves and a 2.46 ERA over 84 innings. Back to free agency at age 39, Boudiaf ended up with Chisinau for two years and $11,400,000. With that, Boudiaf played on his sixth continent, playing on all of the populated ones except Australia. He got 31 saves in 2016 for the Counts, giving Boudiaf more than 400 saves for his combined career. He had a 3.35 ERA and allowed two runs in 5.1 playoff innings as Chisinau lost in the second round of the playoffs.

Boudiaf spent the first half of 2017 with the Counts before getting traded to Dublin, finishing the year with 12 saves and a 3.21 ERA over 61.2 innings between the two. The now 41-year old Boudiaf signed for 2018 with Zaragoza with a 1.97 ERA in 64 innings, showing he could still go. After that, he moved to his fifth different league with Perm of Eurasian Professional Baseball. He was a full-time closer one last time with 27 saves and a 3.75 ERA over 74.1 innings for the Pitbulls.

In 2020, Boudiaf returned to South America with Asuncion, but struggled with a 4.95 ERA and 17 saves in 56.1 innings. He was back in Europe for 2021 with Rome, but had a 5.76 ERA of 25 innings. In late May, Boudiaf suffered a torn rotator cuff that effectively ended his career. Instead of trying to rehab back and hope for a new home, he retired at age 44. Between the EBF stints, Boudiaf had a 3.26 ERA over 237.1 innings, 17-13 record, 43 saves, 185 strikeouts, 115 ERA+, and 1.8 WAR.

For his combined pro career, Boudiaf had 470 saves and 557 shutdowns, an 111-107 record, 1139 games, 2.47 ERA, 1426.2 innings, 1976 strikeouts, 378 walks, 151 ERA+, 57 FIP-, and 53.0 WAR. As of 2037, Boudiaf ranked 5th in world history in games pitched, 23rd in saves, 24th in shutdowns, 22nd in strikeouts for relievers and 32nd in WAR among relievers.

There were other great closers with more raw dominance, but Boudiaf’s longevity was unheard of for a relief pitcher. He pitched in five leagues across six continents for 13 teams in 12 countries. There may not have been any players with more stamps in their passports over a career. Boudiaf’s unique career was certainly worthy of a mention in the tale of baseball history and he was impressive enough in the Arab League to secure a spot in the Hall of Fame for 2024.

FuzzyRussianHat

01-27-2025 07:42 PM

2024 AAB Hall of Fame (Part 1)

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Three players were selected for the African Association of Baseball’s Hall of Fame for 2024. Each earned a first ballot pick, but 1B/DH Luke Tembo was the clear headliner at 98.1%. Joining him were pitchers Bahujnana Kaimal at 76.4% and Paul Lambote at 72.0%. 2B Gedeon Bukasa was the best returner at 62.1%, narrowly missing the 66% requirement in his sixth ballot. RF Anthony Chongo also was above 50% with 50.3% for his second try. No one was dropped after ten failed ballots.

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Luke Tembo – First Base/Designated Hitter – Bujumbura Bighorns – 98.1% First Ballot

Luke Tembo was a 6’1’’, 200 pound left-handed first baseman from Mwanza, Malawi; a town of 18,000 on the southern border with Mozambique. He joined Class of 2020 SP Michael Wakachu as the only Malawians to earn induction. Tembo was legendary for his prolific home run power and his remarkable eye for drawing walks. At his prime, both skills rated as a 10/10 according to many scouts.

However, Tembo was a below average contact hitter who struck out a ton. His 162 game average got you an outstanding 59 home runs, 124 RBI, and 128 walks; but also 202 strikeouts. He was the poster child for the “three true outcomes” with more than 58% of his plate appearances ending in homer, walk, or strikeout.

Tembo’s power was concentrated on dingers and his 162 game average only got you 26 doubles. He was also a clumsy and slow baserunner, which did limit the value of his walks. Tembo’s power was also far more pronounced against right-handed pitching with a career 1.081 OPS, .666 slugging, and 181 wRC+. Against lefties he had .887 OPS, .537 slugging, and 137 wRC+. His strikeout rate was around 30% against both, but the awesome power made him a dangerous batter despite his flaws.

Throughout his career, Tembo had very good durability, starting 140+ games all but one year from 2003-17. Around 60% of his career starts were at first base, where he was a firmly mediocre but not abysmal defender. The rest of his starts were as a designated hitter.

When you hit a ton of homers, you’re bound to become extremely popular. But Tembo became one of Africa’s biggest baseball superstars also because of his winning smile and personality. No one would have a bad word about Tembo as a man, renowned for his loyalty, work ethic, leadership, intelligence, and selflessness. He gladly and humbly took on the role as one of the best ambassadors for the game from the continent.

Tembo came from humble beginnings, but his eye and power were well beyond his years as a teenager. That caught the attention of a scout in Burundi who convinced Tembo to join the Bujumbura academy in February 1998. He spent his entire career with the Bighorns, staying loyal despite the franchise rarely being in serious contention. Tembo debuted in 2002 at age 21 with 58 games and two starts.

He was moved to a starting role the next year, which was his first of 11 seasons leading the Central Conference in walks drawn. Tembo also led in on-base percentage and strikeouts, winning a Silver Slugger at first base. He led in OBP in five of his first six seasons starting for Bujumbura. 2003 started a 13-year streak of 100+ RBI, 100+ walk, 48+ home run seasons. It was his first of 11 seasons scoring 100+ runs, his first of eight with an OBP above .400, first of 10 with an OPS above one, and first of ten with 6+ WAR.

In 2004, Tembo drew 156 walks, breaking the previous world record of 146 set by Miguel Melis in the 1993 MLB season. Tembo got 155 walks in 2005 and 163 in 2006, which remain the three best single-seasons in world history. He’d also get 144 in 2008, holding four of the six seasons above 140+ in baseball history. 130+ has been hit 32 times as of 2037; Tembo has seven of those seasons.

2005 was Tembo’s first MVP and second Silver Slugger at 1B, leading the conference for the first time in homers (61), OPS (1.123), wRC+ (185), and WAR (8.0). He won his third Slugger in 2006 and was second in MVP voting. 2007 was Tembo’s second MVP and fourth Slugger, leading again in homers (64), OPS (1.156), wRC+ (192), and WAR (8.2). The Bighorns also ended a seven-year playoff drought, but lost to Addis Ababa in the Central Conference Championship. Bujumbura had hovered around .500 for most of Tembo’s run to that point.

Tembo won his third MVP and another Slugger in 2008 with career highs in RBI (150), total bases (398), triple slash (.301/.455/.678), OPS (1.224), wRC+ (197), and WAR (9.2). His OBP ranks as the fifth-best AAB season as of 2037. It was also Tembo’s only season leading in total bases despite leading in homers eight times in his career. His power peaked with 71 homers in 2009, which was only the fourth 70+ homer season in AAB to that point, falling six short of Mwarami Tale’s 77 from 2006. He won his first Silver Slugger as a DH and finally got a big payday the following spring at seven years and $26,760,000.

Despite Tembo’s efforts, Bujumbura didn’t make the playoffs from 2008-16; averaging 79.2 wins during that stretch. He led the conference with 60+ homers four times in his 30s, giving him eight 60+ homer seasons for his career; an AAB record. Tembo won Sluggers in 2011, 2012, and 2015 at first base and one in 2013 as a DH.

He was third in 2012’s MVP voting, but was getting less play in MVP conversations by this point. Tembo’s strikeouts had started to go up in his 30s and he’d have the most whiffs in the conference eight times. His 241 strikeouts in 2013 are the AAB all-time worst and his 234 from 2012 is the third-worst. There have been 60 seasons of 200+ Ks in AAB and Tembo has eight of them.

Tembo did have a bit of resurgence in 2015 at age 34, winning his fourth MVP and leading in homers (61), OBP (.409), slugging (.699), OPS (1.108), wRC+ (189), and WAR (7.4). He was one of only five to that point in AAB with four MVP wins. Tembo also earned his tenth and final Silver Slugger.

2016 had a setback with a hamstring strain keeping him out seven weeks. Still, Tembo hit 40 home runs and became the second member of AAB’s home run club. Felix Chaula had been the first in 2013 and Mwarami Tale also joined the club in 2016. Tembo was now in a battle with those two for the top power numbers on the AAB leaderboard. Both also gave chase for the most walks, but Tembo stayed ahead in that battle. In 2014, he became the first in AAB history to record 1500+ walks drawn.

2017 was Tembo’s last shot at the playoffs, as Bujumbura took second in the standings at 99-63. He did his part, going 4-15 with 4 solo homers, but the Bighorns lost the conference final 4-1 to Mogadishu. Tembo hit 51 homers that year and Bujumbura gave him a three-year, $29,500,000 deal in the winter. The thought was that he could still chase Chaula and Tale’s home run and RBI marks. Tembo also had a shot at being the second in world history to reach 2000 walks.

However, his decline was steep in 2018, leading to a benching. Tembo played 80 games and started 65 with -0.1 WAR and a .163/.302/.389 slash. With his power gone, Tembo realized it was time to retire that winter at age 37. The beloved slugger immediately had his #3 uniform retired by Bujumbura.

Tembo finished with 2466 games, 1964 hits, 1616 runs, 390 doubles, 6 triples, 893 home runs, 1888 RBI, 1956 walks, 3073 strikeouts, .246/.399/.633 slash, 1.032 OPS, 170 wRC+, and 95.7 WAR. As of 2037, Tembo is AAB’s all-time leader in both walks and strikeouts. He’s second on the world leaderboard in walks behind MLB’s Chris Louden, who had 2106 form 1902-23. Tembo is also 21st in strikeouts, one of only 29 in world history in the 3K whiffers club.

On the AAB leaderboards, Tembo ranks 3rd in homers, 4th in RBI, 44th in hits, 8th in runs, and 4th in WAR among position players. Among AAB batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Tembo’s 1.032 OPS sits 10th. He also is 13th in OBP and 12th in slugging. On the world leaderboard, Tembo is 27th in homers. Among Hall of Famers, his slugging is 32nd and his OPS is 22nd.

Guys like Chaula and Tale were far more complete players with multiple championship rings, which keeps Tembo out of GOAT conversations. He’s easily in most AAB top five lists when discussing power bats and makes some scholars’ top five lists when talking about position players altogether. Tembo’s time as a DH, strikeout tallies, and lack of playoff success does ding him with some.

Still, almost all would consider him an inner-circle player and person. Tembo was beloved for good reason among baseball fans and participants in Africa. He received 98.1% of the vote to headline the three-player Hall of Fame class for 2024 in the African Association of Baseball.

FuzzyRussianHat

01-28-2025 05:02 AM

2024 AAB Hall of Fame (Part 2)

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Bahujnana “Beagle” Kaimal – Starting Pitcher – Harare Hustlers – 76.4% First Ballot

Bahujnana Kaimal was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Piments-Baie Topaze, Mauritius; part of the 41,000 person Rodrigues island. As of 2037, Kaimal is the only Hall of Famer from the small island nation. Nicknamed “Beagle,” his biggest strengths were excellent control and very good movement. Kaimal’s stuff was merely above average to good, but he knew how to spot his pitches.

Kaimal’s velocity peaked in the 94-96 mph range with a five pitch arsenal of slider, forkball, changeup, sinker, and splitter. He had an extreme groundball tendency and was especially dominant against fellow lefties with a career 2.58 ERA and 160 ERA+. He was plenty good versus right-handed bats with a 2.91 ERA and 141 ERA+.

AAB pitchers went the distance far more rarely than most leagues, but even by that standard Kaimal had subpar stamina for an ace. He made up for it by being an ironman who almost never missed a start to injury. Kaimal had an excellent pickoff move, but was a weak defender otherwise. Personality wise, he was fairly unremarkable with no major positive nor negative traits.

The amateur scene in Mauritius was limited, but Kaimal dominated it and drew plenty of eyes ahead of the 2003 AAB Draft. Harare selected him sixth overall and he’d spend his entire pro career with the Hustlers. Kaimal was split between the bullpen and starting in 2005, then was a part-time starter only in 2006. With decent results both years, Harare made him a full-time starter in 2007.

Without big strikeout numbers, Kaimal didn’t get a huge amount of attention. Still he kept his ERA low, winning his first of three ERA titles in 2009 at 2.95. He was third in 2008 and 2009’s Pitcher of the Year voting, then took second in 2010. 2010 was Harare’s first-ever playoff berth, winning the Southern Conference pennant. They lost in the Africa Series to the historic 120-win Addis Ababa squad. Kaimal had a 2.57 ERA over his 21 playoff innings.

Kaimal regressed to a career-worst 3.79 ERA in 2011, but bounced back with his second ERA title in 2012 at 2.34. In June 2012, he signed a three-year, $8,880,000 extension with Harare. Kaimal finished third in 2013’s POTY voting and the Hustlers got back to the playoffs, having just missed the prior two seasons. They lost to Lusaka in the conference final with Kaimal allowing five runs in five innings in his one start.

In 2014, Harare won their first-ever Africa Series, defeating Nairobi in the final. Kaimal was an absolute beast in the postseason with a 0.34 ERA over four starts and 26.2 innings with 23 strikeouts and 4 walks. That role in the Hustlers’ first title was a big reason that Kaimal’s #13 uniform was eventually retired. Harare fell four wins short of the playoffs in 2015. They then plummeted to 62-100 in 2016 and began a rebuild for the rest of the decade.

Harare finally gave Kaimal the big extension before the 2015 season at five years and $50,500,000. Kaimal earned his third ERA title in 2015 with a blistering 1.75, which was the second-best by a qualified starter in AAB history to that point behind Yves Munyaneza’s 1.59 from 1996. Kaimal’s mark still ranks third as of 2037, but he still only took third in Pitcher of the Year voting.

Kaimal took third one more time in 2017, never winning the top award. That year at age 34, he posted his career best WAR at 7.6. He dropped off a bit in 2018 with a 3.09 ERA, but still posted a very good 5.1 WAR. Kaimal surprised many by retiring with that just after his 36th birthday despite seemingly having a few more good years left in him.

In total, Kaimal had a 175-118 record, 2.82 ERA, 2655 innings, 2358 strikeouts, 536 walks, 15 complete games, 6 shutouts, 146 ERA+, 72 FIP-, and 73.0 WAR. As of 2037, Kaimal ranks 11th in wins, 18th in innings, 33rd in strikeouts, and 2nd in pitching WAR. Among those with 1000+ innings, Kaimal’s ERA ranks 6th. His .635 opponent’s OPS is 9th and his 1.03 WHIP is 8th.

Kaimal was certainly one of the most efficient starting pitchers AAB has ever had, but he was somewhat under-rated since he lacked the big dramatic strikeout numbers. He also didn’t stick around to pad his stats, although he still pulled in solid tallies. Kaimal received 76.4% for his ballot debut, not considered an inner-circle type. But he was a first ballot pick and the second of three in the African Association of Baseball’s 2024 Hall of Fame class.

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Paul Lambote – Starting Pitcher – Luanda Landsharks – 72.0% First Ballot

Paul Lambote was a 6’4’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Lambote was really the antithesis of his Hall of Fame classmate Bahujnana Kaimal. While Kaimal was very quietly efficient with his great control, Lambote was extremely boom-or-bust. His raw stuff was awesome when he was on, but his movement was average and his control was mediocre.

Lambote’s velocity only peaked in the 94-96 mph range, but he had a tricky six-pitch arsenal of fastball, slider, curveball, screwball, forkball, and changeup. His skillset meant a lot of strikeouts, but also a ton of walks, meaning he certainly wasn’t boring. Lambote ended up with more strikeouts and more walks than anyone in AAB history.

His stamina was very good and like Kaimal, he had excellent durability. Apart from his first two years, Lambote had 220+ innings each year of his AAB run. He was a good defensive pitcher with an adequate pickoff move. Part of Lambote’s erratic results could be traced to his personality. His work ethic was lackluster and he wasn’t smart enough to make some of the corrections that would’ve helped his game.

Lambote was picked tenth in the 2003 AAB Draft by Luanda. He pitched 86.2 innings as a rookie and struggled to -0.6 WAR and a 4.47 ERA. Lambote started most of 2005 with better results, although it was his first of eight seasons leading the conference in walks. Five of those were within his first six seasons in the rotation.

However, 2006 was Lambote’s first of five straight seasons leading in strikeouts. He led eight times in his career and was above 300 K in six seasons. 2006 also had his career bests in ERA (3.17), wins (20-7), and WAR (7.0), taking third in Pitcher of the Year voting. Lambote’s highest strikeout total was 327 in 2007, one short of the then record by Joel Mwasesa. As of 2037, Lambote’s 2007 ranks as the 20th best single-season in AAB as league strikeout rates would rise in later decades.

Luanda lost in the 2006 Southern Conference Championship to Durban. After narrowly missing the playoffs the next two years, they won their first pennant in 2009. They were denied the Africa Series title to the Addis Ababa dynasty, which won its second of six straight titles. Lambote had good playoff showings these years with 29 innings, 39 strikeouts, 2.48 ERA, and 1.0 WAR, although his record was 1-3.

2009 also was Lambote’s lone Pitcher of the Year win with a 14-8 record, 3.27 ERA, 279 strikeouts, and a conference-best 6.0 WAR. He also got his walks down to only 87 after four straight 120+ seasons. Lambote also set the AAB single game record with 21 strikeouts against Johannesburg on April 9. He broke his own league record of 19 from three years earlier. As of 2037, Lambote is the only AAB arm with a 21K game.

Lambote’s ERA jumped up to 4.27 though in 2010 and he started 2011 with 5.23 in 156.2 innings. The Landsharks had fallen to the bottom of the standings and weren’t inclined to give Lambote an extension if this is how he was going to pitch. He’d be due a deal by the following year or would enter free agency. Luanda decided to trade Lambote in the summer to Kigali for prospects.

He looked much better in the final months with the Guardians and had a solid enough effort in 2012. Kigali made the playoffs both years, but couldn’t dislodge Addis Ababa’s hold on the Central Conference’s top spot. Lambote’s three playoff starts for the Guardians saw a 4.82 ERA over 18.2 innings. In total with Kigali though, he had a 3.21 ERA over 308.2 innings, 21-10 record, 398 strikeouts, 140 walks, 125 ERA+, and 5.5 WAR.

Lambote looked good enough with the Guardians though to rebuild his stock entering free agency at age 31. He had also pitched for his native DR Congo with mixed results from 2006-14 in the World Baseball Championship. Lambote had 97 WBC inning with a 7-6 record, 4.36 ERA, 124 strikeouts, 58 walks, 82 ERA+, and 1.2 WAR.

His next stop would be Chad, signing a six-year, $32,400,000 deal with Ndjamena. The Magic had been at the bottom tier to start the decade and stayed there with no winning seasons in the 2010s. Lambote had his usual inconsistent stats, leading twice in strikeouts and twice in walks. In five seasons with Ndjamena, Lambote had a 64-73 record, 4.08 ERA, 1181.1 innings, 1432 strikeouts, 574 walks, 98 ERA+, and 16.7 WAR.

While there though in 2014, Lambote became the second in AAB history to 3000 strikeouts. He finished 2016 with 3591 Ks, passing Joel Mwasesa’s 3583 to become AAB’s strikeout king. During the run, he had also passed Osama Nour’s 1296 to have the most walks in AAB history. With one year left on his deal, the Magic traded Lambote after the 2017 season to Luanda for two prospects.

Lambote had one final season back in Angola and became the first (and as of 2037, only) AAB pitcher with 4000 strikeouts. He struggled in his one playoff start as the Landsharks lost the conference final to Johannesburg. For his playoff career, Lambote had a 3.35 ERA over 51 innings, 2-3 record, 68 strikeouts, 24 walks, 118 ERA+, and 1.1 WAR. His role in the 2009 pennant was a big reason that his #14 uniform would later be retired by Luanda.

Between stints with the Landsharks, Lambote had a 113-90 record, 3.85 ERA, 1846 innings, 2263 strikeouts, 972 walks, 106 ERA+, and 30.6 WAR. That was the end of his career in Africa, although Lambote had two more seasons as a below average starter in the European Baseball Federation. He spent 2019 in Amsterdam and 2020 in Frankfurt, posting a 19-12 record, 4.29 ERA, 262.1 innings, 246 strikeouts, 78 walks, 91 ERA+, and 2.6 WAR between the two seasons. Lambote was unsigned for 2021 and finally retired that winter at age 40.

For his AAB career, Lambote had a 198-173 record, 3.87 ERA, 3336 innings, 4093 strikeouts, 1686 walks, 94 complete games, 17 shutouts, 105 ERA+, 94 FIP-, and 52.8 WAR. As of 2037, Lambote remains AAB’s all-time leader in both walks and strikeouts. He also ranks third among all world pitchers in walks behind only Casey Esnault’s 1810 and Arul Anustasravas’ 1780.

In AAB, Lambote ranks 5th in wins, 2nd in innings, 8th in complete games, 8th in shutouts, but only 30th in WAR among pitchers. His 11.04 K/9 is 17th among AAB pitchers with 1000+ innings. Among all of the Hall of Fame starters in world history as of 2037, Lambote has the second-worst ERA. While AAB’s higher-offense environment is part of that, the advanced stats generally rate Lambote’s overall value as merely above average.

By efficiency metrics, his HOF classmate Kaimal was a far more effective pitcher. Still, if you asked fans on the street who was better, many would still say Lambote. Striking out a ton of guys is sexy. Lambote also had the longevity to hit other counting benchmarks that rate him favorably.

As mentioned earlier, Lambote certainly wasn’t boring. Some argued he was way too inefficient to belong, but most thought that being AAB’s strikeout king was a clincher by itself. At 72.0%, Lambote got enough for the first ballot nod to cap off a three-player 2024 Hall of Fame class for the African Association of Baseball.