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FuzzyRussianHat

04-24-2023 05:28 PM

1954 EAB Hall of Fame

The 1954 East Asia Baseball Hall of Fame class had two players inducted, both representing Busan. Pitcher Yu-Geon Moon was a near unanimous pick at 99.3%, while 2B Sang-U Yoon just made the cut on his third attempt at 69.0%. Closer Osamu Kurokawa barely missed the 66% threshold on his third attempt at 65.6%. No one else was above 50%.

https://i.imgur.com/G9NggLq.png

One player was dropped after his 10<sup>th</sup> time on the ballot in closer Youta Kumagai. He only played eight EAB seasons but had 261 saves, a 1.46 ERA, and 29.1 WAR with one Reliever of the Year. Had he not left for MLB, he might have accumulated the numbers needed, but his run was too short. He peaked at 41.6% on his second ballot.

https://i.imgur.com/jyHBPk5.png

Yu-Geon Moon – Starting Pitcher – Busan Blue Jays – 99.3% First Ballot

Yu-Geon Moon was a 5’7’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Gwangju, South Korea. The stocky lefty was an all-time elite pitcher with 97-99 mph velocity and a dominant fastball. He mixed in a slider, forkball, and changeup and very rarely had a bad start. Moon was a team captain, known for his tireless work ethic and incredible leadership skills. He led Korea in ERA seven times, WHIP five times, quality starts six times, and WAR five times.

Moon attended Chung-Ang University in Seoul and after a great college career, was drafted fifth in the 1929 EAB Draft by Busan. He’d spend his entire 19-year professional career with the Blue Jays. After making 10 starts in his rookie year, Moon became the ace in year two and went on to have 6+ WAR seasons 14 times in 15 years, only missing the mark in 1941 due to injury. Moon won Pitcher of the Year a record seven times, taking the top spot in 1932, 35, 37, 39, 40, 42, and 44. He also finished third in 1934 and 1943.

Busan had a Korea League dynasty with Moon leading the way. During his career, they made the playoffs 10 times, winning the Korea League title eight times (33, 34, 38, 39, 40, 42, 43, 44) and the EAB title four times (33, 38, 42, 44) In the postseason, he had a 13-10 record, 3.00 ERA, 207 innings, 246 strikeouts, 33 walks, and 3.7 WAR. He retired as the postseason EAB leader in strikeouts and was still second as of 2037 despite expanded postseasons to come. His 13 wins was also first at retirement.

Incredibly durable, Moon missed significant time for first time in 1941 at age 33 thanks to radial nerve compression in his throwing elbow. He bounced right back though with his sixth Pitcher of the Year in 1942 and continued to dominate. A torn labrum in late 1947 and bone chips in 1948 finally made Moon wind down, retiring after the 1948 season at age 40.

The final stats: 283-127, 2.41 ERA, 3745.1 innings, 4452 strikeouts, 693 walks, 374/535 quality starts, and 116.7 WAR. At retirement, he was the all-time wins leader, second in strikeouts, and second in WAR among pitchers. He was the only seven-time Pitcher of the Year winner in Korea League history and only one other EAB pitcher would match that in the 2020s. Moon is forever a legend in Busan as the ace of a decade-plus dynasty and a player in the conversation for EAB’s best-ever pitcher. At 99.3% on his first ballot, Moon is an inner-circle Hall of Famer.

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Sang-U Yoon – Second Baseman – Busan Blue Jays – 69.0% Third Ballot

Sang-U Yoon was a 5’10’’, 205 pound right-handed second baseman from Mungyeong, a small city in central South Korea. Yoon was a solid reliable power hitter with respectable contact ability and good baserunning. He didn’t draw many walks and struck out a bit more than average. He spent roughly half of his career as a designated hitter and half in the field, primarily at second base. Defensively, Yoon was thought of as below average to poor. He was outspoken, making him a polarizing figure among fans and teammates.

Yoon was signed by Yokohama as an amateur and made his debut at age 20 in 1928. He saw limited action in three seasons with the Yellow Jackets, getting traded for the 1931 season to Busan. He’d become known as a key part of the Blue Jays dynasty, winning four Silver Sluggers (three at 2B, one as a DH) and taking second in MVP voting in 1932 and third in 1943. He was an ironman, making 145+ starts in 13 straight seasons. He was rarely a league leader, but a consistent bat with around 30 home runs and 30 doubles per year.

As mentioned above with Yu-Geon Moon, Busan was a Korean dynasty in the 1930s and early 1940s. In the postseason, Yoon in 101 playoff games had 87 hits, 39 runs, 22 doubles, 11 home runs, 40 RBI, and 15 stolen bases. In the 1944 KLCS at age 36, he won series MVP. He had a power surge in 1943, leading the league with career bests in home runs (48) and RBI (127). After that surge, age began to catch him and he began to struggle. He was released after the 1945 season and played one final year at age 1946 with Suwon, retiring at age 39.

The final stats: 2556 hits, 1276 runs, 444 doubles, 463 home runs, 1442 RBI, a .275/.304/.487 slash and 62.3 WAR. He’s lower on the statistical leaderboards than a lot of Hall of Famers, but was a key regular starter for a Busan franchise that won eight Korea League titles and four EAB titles in his tenure. The lower totals meant it took him three tries to make it in, but his third attempt got Yoon just above the threshold for the Hall of Fame at 69.0%.

FuzzyRussianHat

04-25-2023 12:21 PM

1954 BSA Hall of Fame

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The 1954 Beisbol Sudamerica Hall of Fame had two first-ballot Hall of Fame picks, both above 97% as well. Starting pitchers Mohamed Ramos and Pascal Aguirre were inducted at 98.5% and 97.8%, respectively. One other pitcher, Gustavo Borges, was the only other player above 50% with a 54.7% on his first try. No one was dropped after a 10<sup>th</sup> try, but notably dropped after nine was CF Nelson Coelho. He won MVP in 1935 and six Silver Sluggers between Callao and Caracas, but had lower totals since his BSA career started at age 28. He had 1484 hits, 784 runs, 270 home runs, and 59.8 WAR.

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Mohamed “Toto” Ramos – Starting Pitcher – La Paz Pump Jacks – 98.5% First Ballot

Mohamed Ramos was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from El Alto, part of the La Paz metropolitan area in Bolivia. The first Bolivian inducted into the HOF, Ramos would go down as the all-time professional baseball strikeout king. He had 97-99 mph velocity with an amazing fastball, along with a slider, forkball, changeup, and screwball. He was an extreme flyball pitcher when contact was made and he was great at holding runners. His “stuff” was rated 10/10 at his peak and he was a good defensive pitcher as well. Ramos was also an ironman who played a full season every year except for his last at age 39.

Ramos was fortunate that when Beisbol Sudamerica was founded, he was only 22 years old and ready to start his professional career. He signed with Lima and was an immediate star. He led the Bolivar League in strikeouts in its first seven seasons, including a career-high and all-time BSA mark of 549. He led in WAR six straight seasons, including the all-time record of 17.9 in 1936. With the Lobos, he won Pitcher of the Year in 1932, 35, and 36; finished second in 1933, 34, and 37; and finished third in 1935.

In 1935, Lima won its first Bolivar League title, falling in Copa Sudamerica to Brasilia. In that postseason, Ramos had a 1.89 record over 33.1 innings with 63 strikeouts and three walks. He had his first no-hitter in 1932, second in 1933, third in 1935, a fourth in a perfect game in 1936, and fifth in 1937. In 1934, he set the single-game record with 23 strikeouts over 10.1 innings. With the Lobos, he had four other games with 21 Ks and four others with 20. In his Lima career, he had a 154-77 record, 2.04 ERA, 2174 innings, 3582 strikeouts, only 359 walks, and 102.4 WAR. He did all of this before turning 30. And this wasn’t even his most famous run, although he had a higher career WAR with Lima than later with La Paz.

Often forgotten is that Ramos had a very brief stay with Cordoba. As Lima entered a rebuilding phase, they traded Ramos in late June 1938 to the Chanticleers, where he finished out the year. Although he didn’t win Pitcher of the Year having played in two different leagues, he had a combined 17.6 WAR that season, second-best all-time behind only his 1936 season. Ramos would leave Cordoba and enter free agency, ultimately returning home to Bolivia by signing with La Paz.

The Pump Jacks had been a lousy team prior to Ramos, but immediately started a Bolivar League dynasty with their hometown hero. From 1939-46, they won eight division titles, seven Bolivar League titles, and four Copa Sudamerica crowns. Ramos was Pitcher of the Year in 1939, 40, 41, and 44, bringing him to seven for his career. He was second in 1942 and 43, third in 1946, and second again in 1947. He additionally added league MVP honors in 1939 and 1941. He led the league in strikeouts eight more times with La Paz and WAR thrice.

Ramos earned 1939 Copa Sudamerica MVP and 1945 BLCS MVP. In his postseason appearances for La Paz, he had a 2.46 ERA, 201 innings, 285 strikeouts, and 6.4 WAR. He had three more 20+ strikeout games and four more no-hitters. He continued to dominate until finally falling off hard at age 39 in 1948, retiring at the close of that season. His La Paz statistics were 181-89 record, 1.98 ERA, 2719.2 innings, 3928 strikeouts, 409 walks, and 93.8 WAR.

If his Lima run and La Paz run were two separate careers, both would be worthy of induction. The accolades Ramos acquired were bonkers. He was the league leader in strikeouts 15 times, WHIP 11 times, WAR 11 times, and ERA twice. As of 2037, eight of the top 10 WAR seasons for a pitcher in BSA belong to him. Nine of the top 10 in strikeouts belong to him and 10 of the 12 seasons of 450+ plus are his.

The final overall statistics: 347-170, 1.98 ERA, 5030 innings, 7747 strikeouts, 782 walks, 485/599 quality starts, 296 complete games, 100 shutouts, and 205.1 WAR. As of 2037, he’s the all-time Beisbol Sudamerica leader in wins, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and WAR. No other player in any professional league has crossed 7000 career strikeouts. He was the first player in any professional league to reach 200+ career WAR and as of 2037; the only pitcher to ever do it. 100 shutouts is a mark no other pitcher has reached in any league. Even with the later expanded postseason, Ramos would be the BSA all-time playoff leader in strikeouts (361) and WAR (8.39). Stories about him told by parents and grandparents in Bolivia who saw him sound more like fairy tales than reality. La Paz would never again see that level of success as a franchise, but Mohamed Ramos would remain a mythical figure who historians could argue was the most dominant pitcher in the history of professional baseball.

https://i.imgur.com/f1YO9Yt.png

Pascal Aguirre – Starting Pitcher – Rio de Janeiro Redbirds – 97.8% First Ballot

Pascal Aguirre was a 6’1’’, 205 pound right-handed starting pitcher from Barcelona, Venezuela; a city on the northern coast of the nation. He was known for having very good control of his pitches with decent to good movement. His stuff was never considered outstanding despite 97-99 mph velocity, but he had a good balance with a fastball, splitter, and cutter. Aguirre was also viewed as a very good defensive pitcher, once winning a Gold Glove. He was a polarizing figure in the clubhouse though, thought of as a greedy, disloyal, and lazy player. This was part of the reason why his longest stint with any one team was just over five seasons.

His talent was evident as an amateur and Aguirre was picked third overall in the 1932 Beisbol Sudamerica Draft by Barquisimeto. The Black Cats were an abysmal franchise during his five year tenure, but he still was a reliable player. He led the league in complete games three times and finished his time there in that run with a 62-93 record, 2.53 ERA, 1330 strikeouts, and 24.6 WAR in five seasons. Barquisimeto opted to trade Aguirre to La Paz for the 1938 season at age 28.

He came in one year before his Hall of Fame classmate Mohamed Ramos and was there for the start of the Pump Jacks dynasty. In 1940, Aguirre actually outpitched his teammate by winning his lone Pitcher of the Year award with the Bolivar League lead in wins (26) and ERA (1.56). He had a 1.71 ERA over six postseason starts with 59 strikeouts, helping La Paz win the 1939 and 1940 Copa Sudamerica. In three seasons with the Pump Jacks, he was 56-35 with a 2.45 ERA, 891 strikeouts, and 17.5 WAR.

Fresh off the Pitcher of the Year award, Aguirre went to free agency and went back to a now-contending Barquisimeto on a six-year deal. But the team struggled and Aguirre’s tenure didn’t last a full year, as he was traded to Rio de Janeiro in the summer of 1941. His longest stint would come with the Redbirds, where he’d ultimately stay through 1946. There, he had a 82-68 record, 2.37 ERA, 1305 strikeouts, and 29.1 WAR.

At age 37 and still a solid reliable arm, Aguirre was signed for the 1947 season by Valencia. He had a nice year, but was traded in the offseason to Cali for 1948. After one respectable year there, Aguirre opted to retire at age 39.

The final stats: 238-231, 2.49 ERA, 4429 innings, 4124 strikeouts, 683 walks, 401/525 quality starts, 276 complete games, and 83.1 WAR. He was almost never injured, reliably giving you 4+ WAR in 13 of his 16 seasons. He was the sixth pitcher to cross 4000 strikeouts and had a role in kicking off the La Paz dynasty in his brief stay. Despite his prickly nature, his ability couldn’t be denied and he was inducted on the first ballot at an impressive 97.8%.

FuzzyRussianHat

04-26-2023 08:03 PM

1954 World Baseball Championship

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The 1954 World Baseball Championship was held in Tampa, Florida; marking the third occasion it was hosted in the United States. The Americans would have the best record in Division 1 at 8-1, scoring the most runs at 146. Argentina and Germany tied for second at 7-2 with North Korea at 6-3; the tiebreaker went to Argentina to send them to the second round. In Division 2; Colombia, Italy, and Spain each finished 7-2. The tiebreaker left out the Spaniards, pushing the Colombians and Italians into the Round Robin stage.

Division 3 and Division 4 had no standouts and a lot of parity with the best record in both 6-3 and the worst 3-6. Canada took first in D3 at 6-3, while Bolivia, France, Switzerland, and Venezuela all tied for second at 5-4. The Swiss would advance via the tiebreaker. In D4, defending world champ Japan and Puerto Rico both finished 6-3 to move in. Finishing one behind them were China, Mexico, and Portugal.

In the Round Robin, the United States went unbeaten at 6-0 in Group A and Canada was 4-2, sending both forward. Argentina was third at 2-4 and Switzerland was 0-6. In Group B, Colombia (5-1) and Italy (4-2) prevailed while defending champ Japan fell at 3-3 and Puerto Rico was winless at 0-6.

The best-of-five semifinal saw the USA defeat Italy 3-1 and Canada top Colombia 3-1, setting up a rematch of the first two WBC finals. Colombia officially took the bronze for the second time, while it was Italy’s first top four finish. The 1954 final seemed like it would be a repeat of the 1947 and 1948 editions with American dominance over Canada. However, the Canadians rallied after dropping the first three games of the series to take their first world title in seven games.

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The tournament MVP with to American Peter King, a 25-year old 3B for Phoenix. In his third tournament, King had 29 hits, 20 runs, 13 home runs and 32 RBI for 2.1 WAR. Bolivia’s Willy Flores earned Top Pitcher honor. A 29-year old reliever for La Paz, Flores had two starts and two relief appearances in his fourth tournament, posting a 0.45 ERA over 20 innings with 40 strikeouts for 1.4 WAR.

FuzzyRussianHat

04-27-2023 04:11 PM

1954 in EBF

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Leading the EBF Northern Conference in 1954 was Amsterdam with a 118-44 record, making the Anacondas a playoff team for all five years of the European Baseball Federation to date. Their Northwestern Division rival Paris wouldn’t continue their streak, as their 90-72 mark was nowhere near the division title or wild card. Berlin earned its first playoff berth with the North Central Division title at 105-57, while Stockholm at 101-61 took the wild card at 101-61 for their fourth playoff berth in five years. Defending European Champion London and Dublin tied for first in the British Isles Division at 92-70. In a one-game playoff, the Dinos knocked off the Monarchs to give Dublin its first playoff berth. It was a remarkable turnaround for Dublin, who won an abysmal 64 games the prior season.

Amsterdam’s Joe Ramet won his second Northern Conference MVP. The 35-year old French centerfielder led the conference in RBI (141), slugging (.631), OPS (.996), and wRC+ (201), posting 9.0 WAR with 48 home runs. The Anacondas also had the Pitcher of the Year in Luigi “the Bandit” Kerac. A 34-year old Croatian who signed with Amsterdam in the offseason after three years with Copenhagen, Kerac had a NC best 1.74 ERA and 0.80 WHIP, going 22-1 with 257 strikeouts, only 20 walks, and 8.8 WAR.

https://i.imgur.com/zdTyDcz.jpg

Defending Southern Conference champ Madrid made it five straight playoff appearances with the SC’s best record at 107-55 atop the Southwest Division. Last year’s wild card Barcelona fell to 81 wins in third, but Lisbon would finish 93-69 for their first wild card. Munich earned a fourth straight playoff berth by firmly winning the Southeast Division at 103-59. Zurich became a first-time playoff team by winning the South Central Division at 93-69; dethroning four-time champ Milan who tied for second with Naples at 85 wins.

Munich’s Orion McIntyre became a two-time Southern Conference MVP. The 38-year old Northern Irishman had a SC-best 9.5 WAR, whacking 51 home rns with 116 RBI and a 1.003 OPS. Zurich’s David Rothlan was Pitcher of the Year. A 36-year old Englishman, Rothlan had a 22-7 record, 1.94 ERA over 288.1 innings with 264 strikeouts and 10.0 WAR.

The first round in the Northern Conference playoff saw two sweeps with Amsterdam over Stockholm and Dublin upsetting Berlin. Both in the Southern Conference went all five games with Madrid surviving Lisbon and Munich outlasting Zurich. Neither Conference Championship had much drama with the Anacondas sweeping the Dinos and the Conquistadors sweeping the Mavericks. The European Championship was the second appearance for both franchises with Amsterdam winning it all in 1951 and Madrid taking runner-up the prior season. The Conquistadors would be runner-up again as the Anacondas became the first two-time European Champion, winning the series 4-1.

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Other notes: Marseille’s Jesper Rorendaal stole 124 bases in 1954, which would not be passed as the single-season record until 1986. Although he didn’t win Pitcher of the Year, Amsterdam’s Elih Cruz had a 13.1 WAR season on the mound, the first pitcher to have a 13+ year. Vienna’s Sem Outjes had the fourth EBF perfect game on April 25, striking out 11 against Munich.

FuzzyRussianHat

04-28-2023 07:53 AM

1954 in BSA

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Callao came seemingly out of nowhere to dominate the Bolivar League in 1954. The Cats, who had only made the playoffs in 1931 and 1938 prior, finished 111-51 atop the South Division. Guayaquil was a respectable second at 93-69, but remain the only Bolivar team without a playoff berth. Cali was third at 90-72, seeing their postseason streak end at seven. Medellin at 93-69 took a competitive North Division for their first playoff berth since 1947. The Mutiny were two games better than defending league champ Maracaibo.

Leading Callao to their success was league MVP Evelio Castillo, in his sixth season at Cats 3B. He led the league with 128 runs and 9.5 WAR, also adding 30 home runs and a .335 average. Quito’s Ralph Jung was the Pitcher of the Year with the 28-year old Brazilian leading the Bolivar League in WAR (10.5), FIP- (58), quality starts (28), strikeouts (299), and innings (285.1) while posting a 2.11 ERA and 19-11 record.

https://i.imgur.com/UjIibBD.jpg

In the Southern Cone League, Sao Paulo won back-to-back Brazil Division titles and set a franchise record for wins with a 115-47 mark. Defending Copa Sudamerica champ Cordoba claimed the South Division for the fourth time in five seasons. The Chanticleers ended at 93-69, eight games better than Buenos Aires and nine ahead of Rosario.

Although the Atlantics were short of the playoffs, Buenos Aires boasted both the league MVP and Pitcher of the Year in 1954. 25-year old LF Ishmael “Lucifer” Perla had a historic season for his hometown squad, setting the Beisbol Sudamerica single-season hitter record with 13.7 WAR; a mark still standing into the 21<sup>st</sup> Century. Offensively, Perla led Liga Cono Sur in runs (111), hits (200), triples (24), walks (85), stolen bases (122), average (.348) and OBP (.429), while winning a Gold Glove for his defense. Most remarkable is that he put up a 13+ WAR season while hitting only 11 home runs. The 122 stolen bases was also a single-season record that would hold until 1989. Rolando Salva won his third Pitcher of the Year with the 34-year old Paraguayan righty flashing his final great season. Salva led the league in strikeouts (372), WHIP (0.81) and WAR (11.1) with a 2.01 ERA and 17-7 record over 259.1 innings.

Callao won the Bolivar League Championship Series for the first time by downing Medellin 4-1. In a Southern Cone Championship rematch, Sao Paulo got revenge on Cordoba, winning a seven-game classic. For the Padres, it is their third title and first since 1944. In Copa Sudamerica, the Cats prevailed in six games over Sao Paulo. It was the first title for a Bolivar League team since 1947 and the first for a team in Peru.

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Other notes: Buenos Aires pitcher Daniel Rosales on September 5 tossed a perfect game, striking out nine against Santiago. Adrian Calvo had 52 home runs, becoming the first BSA player to hit 50+ dingers in three different seasons. In other home run news, Diego Pena and Matias Amaro became the first BSA hitters to 600 career home runs. Pena also became the first to 1500 career RBI. Amaro would retire the next season with 661 homers, while Pena would keep going until 1959 and be the first to cross 700. Luis Feliz Ochoa won his eight Gold Glove in CF and Loury Nova won his ninth in center.

FuzzyRussianHat

04-29-2023 07:13 AM

1954 in EAB

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Defending Japan League champ Sendai finished with the best record in the league in 1954 at 101-61, beating Sapporo by eight games atop the North Division. Kitakyushu again claimed the South Division title as their 97-65 finish placed them six games better than Fukuoka. It is the fourth playoff appearance for the Kodiaks all-time and second for the Samurai with both franchises only recently finding sustained success.

Fukuoka RF Takashi Ishihara won his fifth league MVP, the first five-time winner in EAB history. The 34-year old slugger smacked a league-best 52 home runs and 122 RBI, also leading Japan in runs (106), slugging (.632), and OPS (.971) while adding 8.1 WAR. Ishihara also became the eighth player to reach 500 career home runs in EAB. Kyoto’s Nobuyuki Matsui won Pitcher of the Year, a highlight in an otherwise unremarkable career. The 26-year old led in ERA (2.11) and WHIP (0.80) with 26 quality starts. However, his 4.8 WAR was the lowest-ever by a good margin for a Pitcher of the Year winner.

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Defending East Asia Baseball Champ Daegu had the best record in Korea in 1954 and made it fourth straight South Division titles. The Diamondbacks finished 103-59 but had to earn their crown, outracing a 100-62 Yongin squad. Incheon at 102-60 picked up the North Division title, 12 games better than second place Hamhung.

Korea League MVP went to Gold Sox 2B San Chai. The 25-year old set a single-season record with 142 runs scored, while also leading the league in hits (228), doubles (49), RBI (137), average (.356), slugging (.684), OPS (1.092), and WAR (9.9). Daegu’s Young-Gwon Shin became a two-time Pitcher of the Year winner. The 26-year old Shin was one win shy of a Triple Crown with a 21-4 record, 1.84 ERA, and 363 strikeouts. He also had the top mark in WHIP (0.77), FIP- (40), and WAR (11.4). Shin was also the second EAB pitcher to have a 20 strikeout game, doing it on August 9 against Changwon.

The result was switched in a Japan League Championship Series rematch. Sendai won it in seven last year, but this time Kitakyushu cruised to a sweep for the Kodiaks’ first-ever league title. The Korea League Championship Series ended up a seven-game classic that saw Incheon prevail over Daegu, denying a Diamondbacks three-peat. It is the second Korean title for the Inferno, who ultimately added their second EAB Championship win as well with a 4-2 win over Kitakyushu.

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Other notes: Beom-Kyung Kim crossed 3500 career strikeouts. Han-Yul Jeong became a seven-time Gold Glove winner at SS. Takashi Ishihara added his eighth Silver Slugger in his MVP season, while 3B Nariyuki Yanagisawa earned his seventh.

FuzzyRussianHat

04-30-2023 06:50 AM

1954 in CABA

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Mexicali made it six straight Mexican League North Division titles in 1954 with the defending CABA champs winning it at 95-67. They had the best record in a competitive league, beating out Monterrey (93-69) by two in the division race. The South Division race saw Mexico City first at 90-72, two ahead of Ecatepec and six over Guadalajara. Defending division champ Puebla dropped to 80 wins in fourth. For the Aztecs, it is their first division title since 1947.

Hellhounds slugger Prometheo Garcia won his fourth league MVP and earned his third career Triple Crown. The 31-year old 1B led Mexico in hits (216), home runs (44), RBI (117), average (.350), OBP (.399), slugging (.625), OPS (1.023), and WAR (9.8). Garcia also crossed 2000 career hits and 400 home runs; impressive milestones for someone just entering his 30s. 29-year old Merida lefty Miguel Martinez won Pitcher of the Year. Martinez had a 15-7 record, 1.90 ERA over 270 innings with 270 strikeouts and 30 quality starts for 6.4 WAR.

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The top two in the Caribbean League were clear in 1954. Defending champ Honduras had the best overall record and won back-to-back Continental Divisions at 109-53. After missing the Island Division title by a game last season, Santiago rolled to it at 107-55 in 1954. The Sailfish now have three playoff appearances in four years, having won the overall CABA crown in 1951 and 1952.

Caribbean MVP went to Santo Domingo LF Grant Duncan. The 26-year old Jamaican was five average points short of a Triple Crown season. Duncan led the league with 121 runs, 51 home runs, 118 RBI, a 387 OPS, .683 slugging, 1.070 OPS, 203 wRC+ and 10.7 WAR. Honduras 29-year old righty Mario Guerrero won the Pitcher of the Year, posting a 26-3 record with a league-best 1.86 ERA. He also had 6.1 WAR and 266 strikeouts. Also notably, Jamaica’s Yimi Armenta became a three-time Reliever of the Year winner, posting 32 saves and a 1.87 ERA for 2.9 WAR. He also crossed 300 career saves.

The Mexican League Championship Series went seven games for the third straight season. Mexicali made it a five-peat, winning the league title yet again and continuing the dynasty by besting Mexico City. The Maroons would be the first CABA franchise to win five consecutive league titles. In the Caribbean League Championship Series, Santiago won for the third time in four years. The Sailfish bested defending champ Honduras 4-2. In the CABA Championship, Mexicali topped Santiago in five games to give the Maroons their second overall CABA crown. This would mark the end of the Mexicali dynasty and the Maroons wouldn’t win another league title in the 20<sup>th</sup> Century.

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Other notes: Salvador Islas became a 10-time Gold Glove winner at first base, a record for the position. Honduras’s Gavino Zaldana became the ninth CABA pitcher with a 20 strikeout game and the first to do it since 1923.

FuzzyRussianHat

05-01-2023 05:30 AM

1954 in MLB

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The best overall record in the National Association in 1954 went to the defending NA champ Detroit Tigers, running away with the Midwest League crown at 105-57. Although they have back-to-back playoff berths, it is the first ML title for Detroit since 1930. Hartford won the Eastern League at 101-61 for their first playoff berth since their 1950 NA title and first EL crown since the 1948 campaign. Three teams earned wild cards with 94-68 records; Columbus, Boston, and Toronto. It’s back-to-back playoff spots for the Red Sox; the first since 1949 for the Timberwolves, and the sixth in eight years for the Chargers. The final spot went to 93-69 Ottawa, who beat both Baltimore and Kansas City by two games and Cleveland by three. The Elks snap a 12-year postseason draught since their 1930s success.

National Association MVP with to Detroit’s Bob Puyol. The 30-year old 2B from Brooklyn led the NA in hits (232), batting average (.367) and WAR (9.5), also winning his sixth Silver Slugger at the position. Chicago veteran Joseph Allen won the Pitcher of the Year with a career-year at age 35. The righty from the Yukon led the NA in ERA (2.32) and wins (21-8) for the first time in his career, tossing 17 complete games and seven shutouts with 7.2 WAR.

In the first round of the NA playoffs, Toronto beat Boston in three games and Ottawa topped Columbus in two. In the second round, the Elks stunned Detroit by not only beating them on the road, but sweeping them. The Timberwolves also upset EL champ Hartford, although it took a five-game battle for them. The Canadian rivals met in the NACS for the third time and Toronto prevailed 4-2 over Ottawa, giving the Timberwolves their third National Association title (1903, 1926).

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Las Vegas earned a fifth-consecutive playoff berth and sixth 100+ win season in seven years, taking the Western League for the third time in that playoff stretch. The Vipers at 112-50 had the best overall record in Major League Baseball. Oakland at 101-61 was second in the AA, getting a wild card for their first playoff berth since 1942. Nashville at 100-62 won the Southern League, their first title since 1948. Defending SL champ San Antonio made it four playoff berths in five years with the second wild card at 98-64.

The other two wild cards went to Albuquerque and Seattle; both at 91-71. They were two games better than Houston and three ahead of San Francisco. It is the first playoff berth for the Grizzlies since 1940, while the Isotopes are in for the third straight year and sixth time in eight years. Defending World Series champ Phoenix finished at 80-82, tying for seventh in the Western League.

For the first time in Major League Baseball history, a player won both MVP and Pitcher of the Year in the same season. Las Vegas lefty Andy Upshaw pulled it off in his first full season with the Vipers, as the 28-year old had been traded at the deadline last summer from Pittsburgh. Upshaw had only the fourth pitching Triple Crown in MLB history and first in 20 years. He lead the AA in wins (25-8), ERA (1.96), strikeouts (347), WHIP (0.91), K/BB (6.8), quality starts (29), complete games (25), FIP- (60), and WAR (10.8). He’s the first pure pitcher in MLB to win an MVP, although two-way player Jared Lee won it three times in the 1940s.

Both first round series were 2-0 as San Antonio beat Albuquerque and Seattle upset Oakland. In round two, Las Vegas outlasted Seattle in five games and Nashville swept San Antonio. In the American Association Championship Series, the Knights beat the Vipers 4-2, giving Nashville a third AA title (1944, 47). Las Vegas for the fifth straight season wins 100+ and falls short of the World Series. In the 1954 Fall Classic, the Knights topped Toronto in five games to give Nashville its first-ever overall MLB title.

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Other notes: Stan Provost became the third player to reach 2000 RBI and the 12<sup>th</sup> to cross 600 home runs. The ageless wonder spent 1954 at age 41 with Las Vegas, after bouncing between Seattle, New Orleans, and Hartford in the prior few seasons. He extended his all-time best hits total to 3,835. Provost has two more years and two different teams left in his career. Erich Fleischmann crossed both 1500 RBI and 1500 runs scored.

FuzzyRussianHat

05-02-2023 05:36 AM

1955 Eurasian Professional Baseball Formed

“In Soviet Russia, baseball plays you!”

When the European Baseball Federation was being formed and discussed, there were initial overtures to include teams within the Soviet Union and the Soviet-aligned eastern states. Ultimately, that fell through due to the geopolitical conflicts of the time. But plenty throughout the Second World had taken to baseball and saw the massive potential the game had there. Leaders throughout the USSR and its allies began planning their own multi-national baseball organization in the 1950s.

They looked at the successes of the EBF and other world leagues and tried to put together what they thought would be successful within the socialist ideology and framework. Leaders in Moscow especially wanted to create something strong that could compete with the US and Europe on the world stage in an attempt to flex about the superiority of their way of doing things. Eventually, what came to be was called Eurasian Professional Baseball (EPB). To that end, the new league would also join the Global Baseball Alliance sanctioning body to facilitate participation for the member states in the World Baseball Championship.

The original and prevailing format from its founding in 1955 until the 2000 mass exodus would be 32 total teams divided into two 16-team leagues. There would be the European League and Asian League, each split into two eight-team geographic divisions. Due to the massive amount of landmass between the two, the leagues would not participate in any interleague play. Unlike the EBF, EPB used the designated hitter for both leagues. The amateur draft would use a regional format like many of their competitors The postseason would see both division champs and two wild cards from each league with a best-of-five first round hosted by the division champ; a 2-3-2 league championship and the 2-3-2 “Soviet Series” for the overall title.

The European League's North Division would feature Russian teams from Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Kazan; along with Minsk (Belarus), Warsaw (Poland), Helsinki (Finland), Vilnius (Lithuania) and Riga (Latvia). The South Division had Kyiv and Kharkiv (Ukraine), Budapest (Hungary), Prague (Czechia), Bratislava (Slovakia), Tirana (Albania), Bucharest (Romania), and Sofia (Bulgaria). At the time, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, and Latvia were states within the Soviet Union, while the others mentioned were aligned with and/or heavily influenced by the Soviets.

In the Asian League, the North Division had seven Russian teams; Omsk, Chelyabinsk, Yekaterinburg, Ufa, Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, and Irkutsk. The eighth member was the Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar. The South Division had teams from what would later become the independent states of central Asia and the Caucasus. The teams were in Tbilisi (Georgia), Baku (Azerbaijan), Yerevan (Armenia), Tashkent (Uzbekistan), Almaty (Kazakhstan), Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan), Dushanbe (Tajikistan), and Asgabat (Turkmenistan).

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FuzzyRussianHat

05-03-2023 05:30 AM

1955 MLB Hall of Fame

The 1955 Major League Baseball Hall of Fame class saw three players inducted, each on the first ballot. SP Ned Giles (98.9%) and 3B Purvis Jones (96.0%) were both no-doubters, while 1B Aubin Shrauger got on with a very strong 89.9%. 1B Maxwell Redmond came close at 61.9% on his second try but just missed. Three others made it above 50%.

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One of those was closer Cliff Bettis, who was dropped on his 10<sup>th</sup> ballot. In 16 seasons with Phoenix and six other teams, Bettis won three Reliever of the Year awards with 350 saves, a 2.48 ERA, and 31.6 WAR. Some of his numbers compare well to other relievers who made the hall, but he peaked at 56.8% on his fourth ballot. Also dropped on his 10<sup>th</sup> ballot was SP Max Reaster, whose entire 16 year career was with Milwaukee. He had a 200-137 record, 3.11 ERA, 2741 strikeouts, 82.2 WAR, and two Pitcher of the Year awards. He peaked at 51.5% on his second try.

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Ned Giles – Starting Pitcher – Denver Dragons – 98.9% First Ballot

Ned Giles was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Portmarnock, a suburb of Dublin, Ireland. The first Irish-born inductee, Giles at his peak had 99-101 mph velocity with tremendous stuff and movement. He had good control in his 20s and excellent control as he aged. Giles mixed up a slider, curveball, cutter, and changeup and was a solid defensive pitcher. He was a fan favorite and beloved by fans and teammates alike despite bouncing around more than you’d expect for a likeable player. Giles was also incredibly durable, making 32+ starts in every year of his pro career except for his final two.

Giles moved to the United States as a teenager and quickly picked up baseball, playing college baseball at Kentucky. He was second in NCAA Pitcher of the Year voting as a freshman. Due to the first three rounds of the MLB Draft being regionally based for American and Canadian players, Giles was selected in the fourth round. Nashville picked him third in the round, 150<sup>th</sup> overall, in the 1928 Draft.

He was an immediate success with the Knights, posting 20.6 WAR in three seasons. The struggling squad opted to trade Giles to Brooklyn before the 1932 season, where he’d become a s8perstar in just four seasons with the Dodgers. From 1932-35, Giles led the National Association in ERA and WAR each year and led in strikeouts thrice. He won Pitcher of the Year in 1932, 34, and 35, and took second in 1933. With Brooklyn, he was 75-38 with a 2.20 ERA, 996 strikeouts, and 39.0 WAR.

The Dodgers were a lower-end franchise, getting only one forgettable wild card in 1934, leading to Giles opting out of his contract and testing free agency at age 27. For the 1936 season, Giles signed with Denver, which would ultimately be the team he’d be inducted to the Hall of Fame with despite only playing five seasons there. In that run, he had a 101-55 record, 2.94 ERA, 1349 strikeouts, and 43.1 WAR. Giles won his fourth and fifth Pitcher of the Year in 1938 and 1940, and took third in 1937.

The 1938 season is what would make Giles a Dragons legend. In the first round of the playoffs, he threw the sixth MLB perfect game, striking out 13 against Houston on October 3. It was the first playoff perfect game and part of a postseason run that saw Denver win the World Series over Ottawa. Giles set a still-standing postseason record with 2.3 WAR over five starts with a 5-0 record, 0.62 ERA over 42.1 innings with 43 strikeouts. This run would forever be considered perhaps the best by a pitcher in MLB postseason history. Sadly for Giles, he’d only get to play in the postseason once more and it would come a decade later.

Giles wouldn’t win Pitcher of the Year again, but he settled into a role as a reliable solid starter throughout his 30s, posting seven more seasons of 5+ WAR. He signed with Montreal from 1941-43, then went Houston from 1944-46. Midway through the 1946 season after a sluggish start, Giles was traded back to Nashville and finished strong. He’d play his final three seasons with the Knights, posting a solid age 38 season in 1947. Injuries and age finally caught up in his final two years.

Giles continued to rack up milestones in the second half of his career. In 1945 with Houston, he was the second pitcher to 300 wins and in 1948 with Nashville, became the first to cross 350. He became the third to 4000 career strikeouts and the second to 4500 Ks. In 1948, he became the first MLB player, pitcher or hitter, to cross 150+ career WAR. He remains the pitching WARlord even a century later. At retirement, he was second all-time in strikeouts, second in innings, tied for first in shutouts, and second in complete games.

The final statistics for Giles: 356-232 record, 3.10 ERA, 5346 innings, 4561 strikeouts, 1.15 WHIP, 437/665 quality starts, 285 complete games, 59 shutouts, a 73 FIP-, and 151.7 WAR. Any conversation about the greatest pitcher in MLB history has to include Giles near the top. He was an absolute force in the 1930s and 1940s and beloved by each fanbase he encountered, as well as by folks back home in Ireland and Irish-Americans.

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Purvis Jones – Third Base/Shortstop – Detroit Tigers – 96.0% First Ballot

Purvis Jones was a 6’0’’, 195 pound right-handed infielder from La Mirada, California; part of Los Angeles County. Jones was known for being an excellent contact hitter with solid reliable power. He had above average speed and could respectably draw walks while being around average in terms of avoiding strikeouts. Jones started his career as a shortstop before later shifting to third base, making about 2/3s of his starts at third. He was considered an excellent defender at third, winning three Gold Gloves. He was thought of as a solid shortstop in his early 20s, although his range would diminish into his 20s, leading to the shift to 3B.

Jones played college baseball at Wake Forest and won a Silver Slugger as a junior, finishing third in college MVP voting. He was selected 34<sup>th</sup> overall in the 1928 MLB Draft by Phoenix. Jones had a solid debut, finishing third in Rookie of the Year voting in 1929. From 1930-34, he won five straight Silver Sluggers; the first three at SS and the latter two at 3B. He was second in MVP voting in 1930 and third in 1934. In 1930 and 1933, the Firebirds won the American Association title with Jones posting 44 hits, 31 runs, 11 home runs, and 33 RBI over those postseason runs. In 1933, he won both the AACS and World Series MVP. In seven strong seasons with Phoenix, Jones had 1168 hits, 660 runs, 155 doubles, 208 home runs, 604 RBI, a .305 average, and 39.4 WAR.

At age 28, Jones left for free agency before the 1936 season and signed a then-massive eight season, $199,600 deal with Detroit. He played seven of those seasons with the Tigers in what became his most famous run. In his second season with the Tigers in 1937, he led the National Association in home runs (50), RBI (136), OPS (1.043), and WAR (9.2), earning his lone MVP. He finished second in MVP voting the next season, getting his two Silver Sluggers with the Tigers in this stretch. He never matched that power again, but went back to being a solid 30ish home run guy for the rest of his Detroit run. The Tigers were a bottom-tier franchise at this time with no playoff appearances, but Jones put up1720 hits, 720 runs, 252 home runs, 719 RBI, a .315 average, and 54.0 WAR. He got his first Gold Glove at age 34 in 1942.

The Tigers voided the final year of his contract and Jones signed with Kansas City for the 1943 season. A broken hand put him out half of his Cougars debut, but he was very solid in the next three seasons for KC, winning his eighth and final Silver Slugger along with two Gold Gloves. He earned his 3000<sup>th</sup> career hit, 1500<sup>th</sup> RBI, 1500<sup>th</sup> run scored, and 500<sup>th</sup> home run with Kansas City. His stats with the Cougars saw 566 hits, 101 home runs, 341 runs, and 21.7 WAR.

Now 39 years old, Jones signed with Brooklyn for the 1947 season. After being durable for most of his career, Jones couldn’t stay healthy in his final seasons. He spent 1947 and 1948 with the Dodgers and 1949 with Philadelphia. Jones then went to Mexico City for his final two seasons in 1950-51 before retiring at age 44.

The final MLB stats for Jones; 3175 hits, 1800 runs, 444 doubles, 587 home runs, 1737 RBI, 991 walks, a .304/.367/.537 slash, and 118.4 WAR. At retirement, he was one of only six players with 1800+ runs scored. He was the 19<sup>th</sup> to cross 3000 hits and 28<sup>th</sup> to 500 home runs. At retirement, he was fifth all-time among MLB hitters with 118.4 WAR. Jones was a consistent top-level performer on the left side of the infielder for two decades and certainly earned first ballot Hall of Fame induction at 96.0%.

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Aubin Shrauger – First Baseman/Designated Hitter – Las Vegas Vipers – 89.9% First Ballot

Aubin Shrauger was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed slugger from Holdenville, a small town in central Oklahoma. Shrauger was an excellent power hitter who ultimately led the American Association in home runs seven times and RBI four times. He was a solid contact hitter and could draw walks as well, although he did strike out often. Shrauger was a very slow baserunner and a generally below average defender at first base. He started around 40% of his career games at first and the rest almost exclusively as a DH.

Shrauger moved to Michigan and attended Michigan State University, earning the 1932 college baseball MVP award as a junior for the Spartans. With that success, Las Vegas picked Shrauger 39<sup>th</sup> overall in the 1932 MLB Draft. He was an immediate success with the Vipers, earning the 1933 Rookie of the Year. Shrauger developed into a powerhouse with seven 40+ home run seasons and three 50+ dinger years. He led the AA in homers from 1936-1941 and had 153 RBI in 1939, only the eighth season in MLB history of 150+.

He led in WAR in 1938 and 1939, winning MVP in both seasons. Shrauger was second in MVP in 1936 and 1937 and won the Silver Slugger five straight years from 1936-40. The Vipers made the playoffs twice in his tenure, falling in the 1934 AACS to Albuquerque. In a decade with LV, he had 1733 hits, 970 runs, 445 home runs, 1204 RBI, a .298 average, and 54.8 WAR. His #33 uniform would be the third number retired by the Vipers franchise.

At age 31, Shrauger left for free agency and signed in 1943 with San Diego. He was never an MVP candidate in his 30s with his production dwindling and some injury issues, although he still had a few more 30+ home run seasons. He spent 1943-45 with the Seals, then spent his final four seasons from 1946-49 with Houston. With the Hornets, Shrauger became the 10<sup>th</sup> MLB player to 600 career home runs.

Shrauger’s final stats: 2575 hits, 1435 runs, 430 doubles, 622 home runs, 1745 RBI, a .280/.351/.537 slash and 64.0 WAR. He was arguably the premier home run hitter in MLB in his 20s and one of the elite sluggers of the 1930 and early 1940s. This power especially earned Shrauger a first ballot selection at 89.9% for the 1955 MLB Hall of Fame.

FuzzyRussianHat

05-04-2023 06:11 AM

1955 CABA Hall of Fame

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The 1955 Central American Baseball Association Hall of Fame class was a four-player group. Two were no-doubt first ballot selections with both getting 97.8% of the vote; RF Pasqualino Yanez and LF Yves Jean. The other two inductees both got in just over the 66% threshold on their second ballots; 1B Egor Guzman and SP Jovan Williams. No one else was above 50% and there were no players dropped after a 10<sup>th</sup> ballot.

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Pasqualino “Weed” Yanez – Right Fielder – Puerto Rico Pelicans – 97.8% First Ballot

Pasqualino Yanez was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed right fielder from Camaguey in Central Cuba, the nation’s third largest city. Nicknamed “Weed” for his fondness of cannabis, Yanez boasted excellent reliable power and was rarely injured. He put up good contact numbers despite striking out quite a bit and rarely walking, often getting extra bases despite being an unremarkable baserunner. Yanez was a career right fielder and was generally thought of as an average to above average defender. Some teammates felt he could be lazy, but Yanez was an extremely popular player both at home in Cuba and in his career stops.

After an excellent amateur run, Yanez was picked fifth overall in the 1934 CABA Draft by Puerto Rico and would spend his entire CABA run in San Juan. In his rookie campaign, he was second in Rookie of the Year voting. By his third year, Yanez had emerged as an elite power hitter with the first of eight 40+ home run seasons. Apart from his rookie year, he had 35+ homers in each season with the Pelicans. In 1942, he had a career high of 52, one of the few 50+ seasons in the early more defensive-minded era of CABA. Yanez led in homers five times, RBI three rims, runs three times, and WAR four times with Puerto Rico.

He acquired nine Silver Sluggers in CABA and won Caribbean League MVP in 1942, 43, and 46. In 1942, he earned his lone batting title and had a career best in OPS (1.020) and WAR (9.2) along with his 52 homers. He also was third in MVP voting in 1939 and second in 1940, 41, and 45. By the 1940s, the Pelicans had become a contender and now in his 30s, Yanez played a big part. Puerto Rico had six straight playoff appearances from 1941-46, winning the Caribbean League title in 41, 43, 44, and 45. In 1944, they won the overall CABA crown. In 60 playoff stats, Yanez had 68 hits, 49 runs, 22 home runs, 48 RBI, a .301 average, and 3.6 WAR. When he left CABA, he was the all-time playoff home run leader and runs leader.

Now age 36, Yanez left for the big paycheck and joined MLB’s Dallas Dalmatians for the 1948 season. He spent three seasons in Dallas, then played his final three with Las Vegas. He was never an MVP level bat in MLB, but provided respectable power with 156 home runs and 749 hits in six seasons. CABA fans did get to see him again in his twilight as Yanez played from 1951-53 for his native Cuba in the World Baseball Championship. His 1953 tournament was especially impressive at age 41, hitting six home runs in 15 games. Torn ankle ligaments and numerous setbacks later in1953 ultimately ended his career at age 42.

For his entire professional career, Yanez ended up with 694 home runs, 3045 hits, 1690 runs, 1942 RBI, and 105.5 WAR. For just his CABA run, he had 2296 hits, 1285 runs, 367 doubles, 538 home runs, 1444 RBI, a .304/.349/.577 slash and 90.6 WAR. Had he played his final years in CABA, Yanez might have ended higher in the all-time leaderboards. Still, he was an undisputed great of the 1930s and 40s and a perennial MVP candidate, earning an easy first ballot induction.

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Yves “Rocket” Jean – Left Fielder – Monterrey Matadors – 97.8% First Ballot

Yves Jean was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left fielder from Carrefour, a commune in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Jean threw left-handed, but was a right-handed hitter known for being a pretty well-rounded bat. He was a strong power hitter with good contact skills and the ability to draw walks well, although his strikeout tallies were sometimes high. He wasn’t much of a baserunner and was considered a terrible defender in left field, where he spent his entire career. Still, his bat value, excellent durability, and later playoff heroics made Jean a guy worth keeping around.

Jean was discovered as a teenager in Haiti by scouts from Monterrey and was signed as an amateur free agent. His official debut came with 10 pinch hitting appearances in 1931 at age 21, followed by a bench role the next year. He took over the starting job full time in 1933 and was a full-time starter for the rest of his career, sans his final season. He started to really hit his rhythm in his mid to late 20s, posting numerous 7+ WAR seasons. His first Silver Slugger with the Matadors came in 1936, followed by additional honors in 1937, 38, 40, 41, and 42. He led Meixco in runs twice, home runs twice, walks twice, and OPS twice. He never won league MVP, but was second in 1937, third in 1938, and second again in 1942. 1937 was a career peak with 10.0 WAR and a .323 average, both career bests. Jean had career-best 49 home runs in both 1938 and 1942.

Monterrey won six straight Mexican League North Division titles from 1934-39, won the Mexican League title in 35, 37, 38; and the overall CABA crown in 1937. Jean played a big role, earning MLCS MVP in 1935 and 1938. In 56 playoff games with the Matadors, he had 62 hits, 26 runs, 10 home runs, 25 RBI, and 2.2 WAR. For his regular season career in Monterrey, Jean had 1854 hits, 1001 runs, 398 home runs, 1055 RBI, a .298/.370/.543 slash and 74.8 WAR. His #46 uniform would get retired by the team in 1949.

The Matadors started to rebuild in the mid 1940s and midway through the 1943 season, they traded the 33-year old Jean for three prospects to Puerto Rico. The Pelicans were in the midst of their own dynasty and Jean contributed to Caribbean League titles in 1943, 44, and 45; plus the overall CABA title in 1944. Jean was the 1944 LCS MVP and won his seventh Silver Slugger in 1945. With the Pelicans in 44 playoff games, he had 50 hits, 11 home runs, 25 runs, and 31 RBI; even more impressive than his Monterrey playoff stats.

At retirement, his 112 hits were the most by any CABA player in the postseason, as he was the first to cross 100. His 51 runs scored was also the all-time mark, two ahead of fellow 1955 inductee Pasqualino Yanez. His career postseason stats in 100 games were 112 hits, 51 runs, 21 home runs, 56 RBI, a .281/.324/.494 slash, and 3.8 WAR. Puerto Rico began to fade into the end of the 1940s as did Jean, who retired at age 39 after the 1949 season. He was able to participate for his native Haiti in the first three World Baseball Championship tournaments, getting 25 hits, 17 runs, and nine home runs in 33 games.

The final overall statistics for Jean: 2723 hits, 1450 runs, 397 doubles, 554 home runs, 1528 RBI, 986 walks, .292/.366/.522 slash and 95.4 WAR. Those numbers alone make him a worthy inductee, but his playoff heroics and role in league titles for both Monterrey and Puerto Rico make Yves Jean a slam dunk, getting in on the first ballot at 97.8%.

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Egor Guzman – First Baseman – Merida Mean Green – 69.7% Second Ballot

Egor Guzman was a 6’1’’, 190 pound left-handed first baseman from the city of La Paz in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur. Guzman was a powerful bat, hitting 30+ home runs in 15 different seasons. He was a good contact hitter who could draw walks, although he did strike out more than you’d like. He was an alright baserunner who played his entire career defensively at first base, where he was considered a very solid defender who won two Gold Gloves. Guzman was considered a team captain type, a great leader and very popular figure in each stop of his career. He was also a durable player who regularly could be counted on to play the whole season.

Guzman had an impressive amateur career and was picked sixth overall in the 1927 CABA Draft by Merida. He had nine at bats in 1928, then became a full-time starter. Guzman won his first Silver Slugger in 1930, followed by additional titles in 1932, 34, and 35. He added Gold Gloves in 1929 and 1930 and posted 5+ WAR in all of his full-time seasons with the Mean Green. Guzman was second in MVP voting in 1929, third in 1932, and third in 1934. He was a bright spot for a struggling franchise that didn’t post a winning season in his eight year tenure. His #14 uniform would get retired by the squad for this run where he posted 1134 hits, 605 runs, 277 home runs, 670 RBI, a .281/.343/.538 slash and 47.0 WAR.

Guzman opted out of his contract and signed with Nicaragua for the 1936 seaosn at age 29. He struggled in his first season, but bounced back and put up solid numbers in a seven-year run with the Navigators. They had a few decent seasons but again, Guzman was denied a chance to play in the postseason. He never would play a playoff game for any team. At age 36 entering 1943, Guzman went to American and signed with Chicago. He had three respectable seasons with the Cubs, then was a backup in 1946 with Louisville. He returned to Nicaragua In 1947 and then closed his career with Juarez in 1948, retiring at age 41.

The final statistics for his whole professional career saw 2672 hits, 1488 runs, 345 doubles, 639 home runs, 1627 RBI, and 86.1 WAR. His CABA stats were 2244 hits, 1216 runs, 295 doubles, 541 home runs, 1366 RBI, a .267/.329/.508 slash and 76.4 WAR. Solid numbers on their own, but he wasn’t noticed by many fans due to being stuck on bad teams throughout his career. Still, he was able to get 64.1% on his first try on the ballot and got over the 66% hump on his second try at 69.7%.

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Jovan “Swami” Williams – Starting Pitcher – Santo Domingo Dolphins – 69.0% Second Ballot

Jovan Williams was a 5’10’’, 185 pound right-handed pitcher from Spanish Town in south central Jamaica. Williams had 96-98 mph velocity with good stuff, movement, and control. His deadliest pitch was a changeup, which was hard to spot against the rest of his arsenal of a slider, forkball, and sinker. Although talented, Williams clashed in the clubhouse with teammates as times, considered to have poor work ethic and leadership skills. Despite the character concerns, his skills were undeniable, leading to being picked third overall by Santo Domingo in the 1934 CABA Draft.

He debuted in 1935 and became a full-time starter immediately for the Dolphins. The team struggled, but Williams was a solid contributor for eight seasons, posting a 112-88 record with a 3.27 ERA, 1970 strikeouts over 2007.1 innings, and 46.0 WAR. By the end of his run with Santo Domingo, he had become an elite pitcher, getting second in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1940 and third in 1941. His #4 uniform would get retired ultimately by the Dolphins.

Williams was traded before the start of the 1943 season for prospects to Chihuahua. The 31-year old Williams had a career season in his Warriors debut, winning his lone Pitcher of the Year with career bests in wins (20), ERA (1.86), quality starts (30), and WAR (8.9). That season was his first taste of postseason play as well. Williams spent six seasons with Chihuahua, who on the Mexican League title in 1946 and 1948. He had a solid 1.88 ERA in 24 innings in the 1946 postseason run with 29 strikeouts. Williams was third in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1946 and in his Chihuahua run had a 85-51 record, 2.73 ERA, 1255.1 innings, 1342 strikeouts, and 34.9 WAR. He began to struggle a bit in his final season, opting to retire at age 36 after the 1948 season.

The final stats for Williams: 197-139 record, 3.06 ERA, 3262.2 innings, 3312 strikeouts, 281/432 quality starts, 82 complete games, and 80.9 WAR. A very solid career with consistent performance over 14 seasons. Still, his unpleasant personality and short career relative to many other inductees meant Williams only got 58.8% on his first ballot. The second try gave him a good boost to 69.0%, putting Williams into the 1955 HOF class.

FuzzyRussianHat

05-05-2023 05:20 AM

1955 EAB Hall of Fame

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The 1955 East Asia Baseball Hall of Fame class had two players inducted, both pitchers. Former Kobe ace Drew St. Louis was a near unanimous first ballot pick at 98.8%. Meanwhile, closer Osamu Kurokawa made it on his fourth ballot at 71.7%. Another starter, Toshihiro Tsukahara, had a nice showing at 60.8% on his fifth ballot, but was short. Two others, SS Soo-Hyun Choo and SP Kazuo Udagawa, were just above 50%. No players were dropped on their 10<sup>th</sup> ballot, although SP Eun-Chan Shin made it nine ballots before falling below 5% and getting dropped. Shin had a 232-189 record, 3.36 ERA, 3195 strikeouts, and 67.4 WAR; decent accumulations but considered more of a “hall of very good” type.

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Drew St. Louis – Starting Pitcher – Kobe Blaze – 98.8% First Ballot

Drew St. Louis was a 5’10’’, 180 pound right-handed starting pitcher from Tabaquite, a small rural town in central Trinidad. At his peak, St. Louis had incredible stuff with 99-101 mph velocity on a stellar fastball. He also had a curveball and changeup he mixed in with good control and movement. But it was that one-of-a-kind fastball which made St. Louis an elite strikeout pitcher.

St. Louis had an unusual path to East Asia Baseball as someone growing up in rural Trinidad. He happened to get spotted as a teenager for his incredible arm strength and was signed by Hiroshima in 1930. He spent five seasons in their organization as a developmental player, but never played a game for the Hammerheads. In summer 1934, he and two other prospects were traded to Kobe for pitcher Seiju Suzuki. St. Louis spent the rest of his professional career with the Blaze and soon became elite.

He debuted at age 21 in 1935 as a reliever, then was used as a starter more thereafter. In his second season, he placed second in the Japan League Pitcher of the Year voting. He won the award for the first time in 1937, then won it again in 1939, 40, 41, and 44. St. Louis was third in 1942 and 43 for PotY and also managed to take second in MVP voting in 1944 and third in 1939. He led Japan in strikeouts six times, including five straight years from 1936-41. He led in ERA thrice, WHIP thrice, and WAR six times; including a remarkable 10.8 WAR in 1941. He had a career high 366 strikeouts and career best 1.43 ERA in 1939.

St. Louis also had a perfect game in 1937 against Tokyo with 12 strikeouts. He had another no-hitter against Nagoya in 1942 with 12 strikeouts and two walks. In 1944 against Chiba, he struck out 21 in a game, a mark that had only been topped by Michiro Yabuta with 22 in 1924. St. Louis earned a ring in his rookie year as Kobe was the 1935 EAB champ, although he didn’t play in the postseason. The team made the playoffs only twice more in his tenure, winning the 1942 Japan League title. The pressure demanded on his arm for his fastball caught up with him as he aged with elbow tendinitis, a torn triceps, and a strained shoulder all hitting in his final seasons. By age 32, he was no longer an ace and after struggling in his final seasons, St. Louis retired at age 35. His #27 uniform was immediately retired.

The final statistics; 188-114, 63 saves, 2.01 ERA, 2856.1 innings, 3634 strikeouts, 265/328 quality starts, 119 complete games, 65 FIP-, and 85.5 WAR. His career was a short burst, but in his prime, St. Louis was as dominant as any pitcher in Japan League history. He was the first five time Pitcher of the Year winner in Japan and the second in EAB, placing St. Louis in very elite company. His fastball struck fear into even the most seasoned hitters, earning a first ballot Hall of Fame nod at 98.8%.

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Osamu Kurokawa – Closer – Nagoya Nightowls – 71.7% Fourth Ballot

Osamu Kurokawa was a 5’10’’, 190 pound right-handed reliever from Muika, a small town in a mountainous and snowy part of Niigata Prefecture in Japan. Kurokawa had 96-98 mph velocity and good movement in a two pitch arsenal of a cutter and slider. With these, he was extremely adept at drawing ground balls. He was a very hard working player, which helped him get noticed as a rare EAB draft pick out of high school He was a second round selection, 60<sup>th</sup> overall, in the 1928 EAB draft by Nagoya.

Kurokawa made his debut at age 21 in1931 and spent 12 seasons with the Nightowls. His role varies in the earlier years before becoming the full time closer by 1936. Kurokawa joined right at the start of Nagoya’s 1930s dynasty, winning the EAB title in 1931 and 1934. They won the Japan League again in 1937 and the EAB crown in 1940. Kurokawa was spotty in the postseason, posting a 3.83 ERA with eight saves over 40 innings, 42 strikeouts, and 1.1 WAR.

He led Japan in saves twice, posting 50 in 1940 and 48 in 1941. He was rarely considered dominant and only once did he finish in the top three in Reliever of the Year voting, taking third in 1933. Still, Kurokawa with Nagoya posted 337 saves, a 2.56 ERA, 862 strikeouts over 766.2 innings, and 18.4 WAR. At age 33, he was traded for to Saitama for the 1943 season and spent four seasons with the Sting. He suffered a partially torn labrum in 1943, but still came back and held down the closer role. He was the third to 400 career saves and retired with the career lead of 447, although Oki Tanaka had passed him only a few seasons later. Kurokawa retired at age 36.

The final stats: 447 saves, 2.62 ERA, 926 games, 511 shutdowns, 1043.0 innings, 1099 strikeouts, and 21.0 WAR. The more sabermetric minded stats find Kurokawa unimpressive; his WAR total is the second worst of any EAB Hall of Famer. His lack of dominance or award-winning seasons meant that even as someone at the top of the saves leaderboard, he had to wait a few years. He barely missed the cut in his second and third ballots, but finally crossed the line on his fourth try at 71.7%.

FuzzyRussianHat

05-06-2023 07:51 AM

1955 BSA Hall of Fame

The 1955 Beisbol Sudamerica Hall of Fame class was a big one with four players all getting in on their first ballot. SP Danilo Patricio was virtually undisputed, getting in at 97.8%. Two-way player Ignacio Rola was next at 86.3%, followed by 3B Ruy Vargas at 77.5%. The fourth player, just barely sneaking over the 66% threshold, was closer D.J. Sanchez at 66.8%.

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No other players were above 50%. One was dropped after his tenth ballot in 2B Dan Altreche. His BSA career started at age 31, but he still amassed five Silver Sluggers, 59.1 WAR, 362 home runs, and 926 RBI between Rio de Janeiro, Cali, and Cordoba. Had he been able to have a full career’s worth of numbers, he probably gets the totals to make the cut. But alas, he peaked at 32.4% on his second try.

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Danilo Patricio – Starting Pitcher – Brasilia Bearcats – 97.8% First Ballot

Danilo Patricio was a 5’10’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Ecoporanga, a small municipality in the southeastern Brazilian state of Espirito Santo. Patricio threw heard with 98-100 mph velocity and solid movement, leading with an excellent cut fastball. He mixed it with a strong splitter, good curveball, and passable slider. Patricio was reliable, durable, and a team captain; whose leadership led to tremendous postseason success both individually and for his teams. He also was a respectable defensive pitcher and by pitcher standards, an okay batter. He put up 238 this, 78 runs, and six home runs with a .183 average and won a Silver Slugger in 1936.

Brasilia selected Patricio 21<sup>st</sup> overall in the inaugural 1931 Besibol Sudamerica Rookie Draft. The Bearcats were the most successful franchise in the first decade of Liga Cono Sur and Patricio was a big part of that. Making his debut in 1933, he led the league in wins as a rookie. He would develop into a top tier starter soon after, although he only once finished in the top three in Pitcher of the Year with Brasilia, taking third in 1936. However, he shined in the playoffs, going 10-2 with a 2.49 ERA over 94 innings with 93 strikeouts with the Bearcats. They won Copa Sudamerica in 1935 and 38, and were runner-up in 1938.

Brasilia began a rebuilding phase in the 1940s and Patricio entered free agency, signing at age 33 for the 1943 season with Sao Paulo on a five-year deal. His Padres debut was his career-best season, leading the league in ERA (1.41) and strikeouts (358) for the only time in his career, along with a career best 12.0 WAR. This earned Patricio his lone Pitcher of the Year honor. Sao Paulo put together Brazil Division dominance during his tenure, taking Copa Sudamerica runner up in 1943 and winning it in 1944. His playoff stats with the Padres were even more impressive, going 6-2 with a 1.75 ERA in 77.1 innings with 81 strikeouts for 2.6 WAR.

Patricio’s contract expired at the end of 1947 and he spent his final two seasons back in Brasilia. He still put up respectable stats, but injuries and age slowed him down, as he retired at the age of 40 after the 1949 season. He did pitch one inning for the Brazilian national team in the 1948 WBC. With Brasilia, he had a 194-110 record, 2.35 ERA, 2990 strikeouts, and 64.4 WAR. With Sao Paulo, 92-50, 2.00 ERA, 1499 strikeouts, and 43.4 WAR. He was the second BSA pitcher to reach both 250+ wins and 4000+ strikeouts.

The final regular season stats: 286-160, 2.23 ERA, 4283 innings, 4489 strikeouts, 425/533 quality starts, 162 complete games, and 107.8 WAR. Those totals alone make him worthy, but his playoff line of 16-4, 2.15 ERA, 171.1 innings, 174 strikeouts, and 4.5 WAR give him a big boost. He was the playoff wins leader for around 50 years and a huge reason both Brasilia and Sao Paulo won their early championships. His #12 uniform was retired by the Bearcats and he was a no doubt HOF pick at 97.8%.

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Ignacio Rola – Starting Pitcher/Right Fielder – Salvador Storm – 86.3% First Ballot

Ignacio Rola was a 5’9’’, 185 pound right-handed player from Salto, a municipality in the state of Sao Paulo in Brazil. He was Beisbol Sudamerica’s first two-way star player and boasted a very unique skill set. Best known as a pitcher, he had 97-99 mph velocity with notably solid control and movement with a fastball, slider, and curveball. As a hitter, Rola was a singles hitter with excellent speed and baserunning ability. He played primarily in right field with occasional starts in center and was thought of as a pretty good defensive outfielder.

Rola was picked 24<sup>th</sup> overall by Salvador in the 1935 BSA Draft and made his debut primarily as a reliever in 1936. He became a full-time starting pitcher the next year and also became a regular starter in the outfielder from 1938 through 1943. As a pitcher, he led Liga Cono Sur in quality starts four times and put up eight straight seasons with the Storm of 5+ pitching WAR with three of those seasons being 7.9 WAR or better. Offensively, he had 4+ WAR in three different seasons and peaked with a stellar 6.7 WAR WAR offensive season in 1942, leading the league with 95 stolen bases. He had a combined 13.4 WAR in 1942, but wasn’t in the top three in MVP voting surprisingly.

Rola did win MVP in 1940 despite leading the league in losses at 19. He still posted 6.6 WAR pitching and 4.3 WAR hitting that year. He was third in both Pitcher of the Year and MVP voting in 1941 and third in PotY in 1937. He won 11 Silver Sluggers as a pitcher, easily leading the way among pitchers even in the later seasons where he was only a pitcher. Salvador was consistently above .500 during Rola’s tenure, but they never were a playoff qualifier. During his Storm tenure, he was 144-99 pitching with a 2.09 ERA, 2536 strikeouts in 2288.1 innings and 61.3 WAR. As a hitter, he had 763 hits, 323 runs, 411 stolen bases and 23.2 WAR. His #4 uniform would be the first number retired by the team.

As Rola turned 30, he was shifted to a full-time pitcher, rarely making starts in the field, but still putting up positive offensive numbers in the pitcher slot. In summer 1945, the now 31-year old Rola was traded for prospects to Rio de Janeiro. After finishing the season with the Redbirds, he signed for the 1946 season with Belo Horizonte. By this point, he was now an average-at-best pitcher, but the Hogs were a contender. Rola was able to get a ring as Belo Horizonte won the 1948 Copa Sudamerica. He only pitched 46.1 innings that year and then 6.2 innings the following season, retiring at age 36.

The final pitching stats for Rola: 185-130, 2.29 ERA, 2925.2 innings, 3064 strikeouts, only 439 walks, 298/377 quality starts, 82 complete games, and 69.1 WAR. Not dominant, but a very reliable pitcher worthy of HOF consideration on his pitching alone. Offensively, he added 842 hits, 349 runs, 446 stolen bases, a .268/.292/.350 slash and 24.6 WAR. He was a unique competitor who earned his spot as a first ballot Hall of Fame pick at 86.3%.

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Ruy Vargas – Third Baseman – Medellin Mutiny – 77.5% First Ballot

Ruy Vargas was a 6’0’’, 185 pound left-handed hitting and right-handed throwing third baseman from Bogota, Colombia. Vargas was a reliable and durable player who brought consistently above average contact and power ability. He was a decent baserunner who was respectable at drawing walks, although he had a fair share of strikeouts. He played almost entirely at third base defensively and was thought of as a good to sometimes great defender, winning two Gold Gloves in his career.

Vargas was selected 13<sup>th</sup> overall in the 1932 Beisbol Sudamerica Draft by Medellin and would spend his entire professional career with the Mutiny. By his second season, Vargas won his first of six Silver Sluggers. He won additional honors in 1937, 38, 39, 43, and 47. He picked up Gold Gloves in 1943 and 44. He generally wasn’t a league leader in stats, but he was always in the lineup, making 139+ starts in 14 straight seasons. You could reliably go to a Medellin game and find Vargas occupying the third base spot from the mid 1930s through the 1940s.

His banner year came in 1937 at age 27. Vargas won the league MVP with a Triple Crown season with 46 home runs, 128 RBI, and .332 average. He also led the Bolivar League in hits (196), OBP (.384), slugging (.633), OPS (1.017), wRC+ (211), and WAR (13.2). He also posted 10+ WAR seasons in 1938 and 39, finishing second in MVP voting in 1938.

Medellin had peaks and valleys during Vargas’ run. In his second season in 1934, the Mutiny won Copa Suadmerica. They were runner-up in 1936 and champs again in 1937. They had a six year skid after that, getting back to the playoffs again from 1944-47. In 1947, the now 37-year old Vargas posted 7.3 WAR as the Mutiny were BSA champs again, giving him three Copa Suadmerica rings. His final playoff stats in 64 games saw 59 hits, 28 runs, 11 doubles, 10 home runs, 22 RBI, and 1.8 WAR. Vargas’ final two seasons saw his production drop, retiring after the 1949 season. He was able to serve as a bench player for his native Colombia in the first three World Baseball Championship tournaments. His #4 uniform would be the second retired by the Mutiny.

The final stats for Vargas saw 2374 hits, 1194 runs, 359 doubles, 478 home runs, 1312 RBI, a .260/.316/.467 slash and 104.7 WAR. At retirement, he was one of only four hitters to have put together 100+ career WAR. He was as dependable as you can get at third base and a key part for Medellin championships in two different decades. Frankly, only getting 77.5% seems low considering his resume, but Vargas is a first ballot Hall of Famer regardless.

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D.J. Sanchez – Closer – Montevideo Venom – 66.8% First Ballot

D.J. Sanchez was a 6’4’’, 205 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Asuncion, Paraguay. The first Paraguayan Hall of Famer, Sanchez had 97-99 mph velocity and was known for incredible movement on his two pitches; a slider and sinker. The slider in particular was unhittable, although he had trouble locating it at times. Sanchez was known as a hard worker and a solid leader. Sanchez was selected 70<sup>th</sup> overall in the third round of the 1932 Beisbol Sudamerica Draft by Montevideo. This would be his longest run with a team, spending seven seasons with the Venom.

After being a solid setup type guy in his first three years, he became the full-time closer for Montevideo. In 1938, he led Liga Cono Sur with 38 saves. The Venom were a bottom-tier team, but Sanchez posted a strong 1.67 ERA and 17.9 WAR in his tenure with 160 saves and 653 strikeouts over 564.2 innings. In the 1939 offseason, Sanchez was traded to Maracaibo.

He was used very sparingly in his first year with the Mariners, but became the closer the next year and led with 48 saves in 1941 and 50 saves in 1942. He earned Reliever of the Year in both seasons with 10.4 WAR and 291 strikeouts over 208 innings. He spent three more seasons with Maracaibo, although his role would vary. He got his first postseason action with the Mariners in this run with the team claiming the Bolivar League title in 1941. In that run, he had five saves in 11 innings with 17 strikeouts. In total for Maracaibo, he had 141 saves, 1.49 ERA over 422.2 innings with 537 strikeouts and 16.3 WAR.

Sanchez bounced around Beisbol Sudamerica in his final seasons. He signed for 1946 to his hometown squad Asuncion, but was traded in the summer and finished the year with Rio de Janeiro. He signed again with the Archers the next year and was again traded, this time to Cali. He signed for a third time with Asuncion and this time stuck for a full year, finishing second in Reliever of the Year in 1948 with a brief resurgence. He started 1949 with Asuncion and was traded for a third time, finishing up his final season with Medellin. Sanchez also played for his native Paraguay in the first three editions of the World Baseball Championshp. He retired after the 1949 season at age 39.

The final stats: 347 saves and 510 shutdowns, a 1.73 ERA, 1248.2 innings, 1416 strikeouts, 353 walks, and 39.0 WAR. His total stats are actually a bit low relative to some of the other closers in the BSA Hall and he wasn’t the most noticed player due to his time with bad teams. Still, he was able to get in on the first ballot, just barely crossing the 66% threshold with a 66.8% mark, making Sanchez the first Hall of Famer from Paraguay.

FuzzyRussianHat

05-07-2023 06:18 AM

1955 World Baseball Championship

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The 1955 World Baseball Championship was held in Fukuoka, Japan; the first edition hosted in Japan. The biggest change was a bit of a different field of nations as the addition of Eurasian Professional Baseball meant that a few of the Eastern Bloc nations now had teams in the field. This was most notable in Division 2 as the debuting Russian team took the top spot at 8-1. Germany and Ukraine tied for second at 6-3 with the Germans advancing on the tiebreaker to the Round Robin stage. In Division 1, the United States finished first at 8-1, advancing along with 7-2 Argentina.

In Division 3, El Salvador prevailed with a 7-2 mark. Defending World Champ Canada and Venezuela both went 6-3 and the tiebreaker went to Venezuela, denying a Canadian repeat. In Division 4, newcomer Romania finished first at 7-2. China, England, and Japan all tied for second at 6-3. The tiebreaker enabled the English to make it to the elite eight. England, Romania, El Salvador, Germany, and Russia were all first-time Elite Eight teams.

To the Double Round Robin, Russia was the top team in Group A going 5-1. Argentina and England both went 3-3 and El Salvador was 1-5. The tiebreaker sent Argentina to their first semifinal. In Group B, the Americans were first at 5-1. Germany and Romania tied for second at 3-3 and Venezuela was 1-5. This tiebreaker pushed Germany into the semifinal for the first time.

Neither semifinal was ultimately competitive with both ending in 3-0 sweeps. The US bested Argentina and Russia topped Germany with the bronze officially going to Argentina and fourth to Germany. In the battle of the world’s superpowers, the United States beat Russia in five games to give the Americans their fifth world title in the tournament’s first nine editions.

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Both the tournament MVP and Best Pitcher awards went to American players. MVP went to C.J. West, a 26-year old LF for Portland. West posted 28 hits, 16 runs, six doubles, nine home runs, 17 RBI and a .364 average for 1.7 WAR in 23 games. Closer Forbes “Cougar” Wiley earned the pitching honor. A 24-year old lefty for Oakland, he had two starts and six relief appearances, posting a 0.79 ERA with a 5-0 record and two saves over 22.2 innings. In those innings, he had a dominant 63 strikeouts and posted 1.6 WAR.

FuzzyRussianHat

05-08-2023 05:11 AM

1955 in EPB

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The debut season of Eurasian Professional Baseball in 1955 saw Warsaw dominate in the European League with a 122-40 mark. They cruised to the North Division title while Riga at 100-62 was second and grabbed a wild card. Bucharest took the South Division at 96-66, two games better than Kyiv. The Kings and Minsk both finished 94-68 and needed a one-game playoff for the final wild card spot with the Miners winning and advancing to the first postseason.

The first European League MVP went to Warsaw RF Samir Annekov. A 24-year old left-handed Ukrainian, he had the league lead in hits (203), average (.334), slugging (.625), and OPS (.982) while adding 7.1 WAR, 39 home runs, and 126 RBI. Pitcher of the Year went to Bogdan Chirita of Bucharest. A right-handed 28-year old Romanian, Chirita led the league in ERA (1.65) WAR (9.9) and FIP- (55) with 307 strikeouts in 262 innings.

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The top mark in the Asian League went to Yekaterinburg, taking the North Division at 104-58. Krasnoyarsk took second at 100-62 and picked up the first wild card. The South Division crown went to Almaty at 97-65. Behind them were Dushanbe at 95-67 and Baku at 93-69 with the Dynamo earning the second wild card spot.

The Asian League MVP was Yaks RF Igor Tcaci. The 28-year old Moldovan led the league in home runs (46), RBI (118), slugging (.600), OPS (.934), and WAR (6.6). The Pitcher of the Year was Dushanbe’s Sergei Filatov. The 26-year old Russian lefty led in wins (22) and complete games (26), posting 9.2 WAR, a 2.63 ERA, and 307 strikeouts in 281 innings.

Despite the record-setting 122 win season, Warsaw was ousted in the first round of the playoffs 3-1 by Minsk. Bucharest swept Riga 3-0, followed by a Miners victory in six games in the ELCS. Yekaterinburg survived Dushanbe in five and Almaty topped Krasnoyarsk in four in the first round in the Asian League, followed by a sweep by the Yaks in the ALCS. The first ever Soviet Series saw Yekaterinburg defeat Minsk 4-2 to make the Yaks the first-ever EPB champion.

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Other notes: The first EPB perfect game was April 19 as Almaty’s Maksim Trafimov struck out six against Omsk. Ulaanbaatar’s Max Sarinyan hit 57 doubles, a single-season record that still stands decades later. A bad single-season record also set in the debut year went to Bratislava’s Antoine Marin, striking out 311 times.

FuzzyRussianHat

05-09-2023 05:06 AM

1955 in EBF

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Defending European Champion Amsterdam made it six straight playoff appearances to start the European Baseball Federation as the Anacondas had the best record in the Northern Conference at 111-51. Berlin won a second straight North Central Division title with a 104-58, finishing five games better than Stockholm. London took the British Isles Division at 86-76 for their third playoff berth thus far, beating Dublin by five games. Stockholm at 99-63 earned the wild card spot, outracing Paris by three games. The Swordsmen make it five straight playoff berths.

Northern Conference MVP went to rookie LF Blake Turland for London, who also won the Rookie of the Year. The 23-year old Englishman led the NC in WAR (9.4), slugging (.635), OPS (1.036), and wRC+ (206), adding 37 home runs, 85 RBI, and a .314 average. Stockholm’s Pietro Ribsi won his second Pitcher of the Year Award. The 30-year old Italian was the leader in ERA (1.59), innings (282.1), and quality starts (29), adding 303 strikeouts and 11.1 WAR.

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The best mark in the Southern Conference went to two-time defending conference champ Madrid. The Conquistadors joined Amsterdam as the only teams to make the playoffs in each year of the EBF thus far, rolling to the Southwest Division at 107-55. Zurich took back-to-back South Central Division titles with a 95-67 finish, seven games better than Milan. In the Southeast Division, Belgrade and Munich tied for first at 93-69. The Bruisers won the one-game tiebreaker to earn their first playoff berth. The Mavericks still advanced to the playoffs as the wild card, their fifth consecutive appearance. The ended up a few games ahead of Lisbon, Milan, and Seville.

Leading Belgrade was SC MVP Kazzimierz Franiak. The 30-year old from Poland in his fifth season with the team was the leader in homers (62), RBI (144), slugging (.672), OPS (1.060), and wRC+ (202) with 9.3 WAR. Strangely enough, Franiak would take the next five years off from professional baseball, although he’d still play for the Polish team in the World Baseball Championship. He re-emerged in 1960 in MLB with Cleveland.

Pitcher of the Year ended up being a split between two players. Vienna’s Sem Outjes had the second-ever Triple Crown for an EBF pitcher. The 32-year old Dutchman did it with a 21-10 record, 1.81 ERA, 305 strikeouts, and 11.7 WAR. Nino Kristo of Zagreb meanwhile was in what would be the final season for the 35-year old lefty from Croatia. Kristo led the conference in wins (21), innings (287), quality starts (28), complete games (18), and shutouts (8). He had a 1.98 ERA, 257 strikeouts, and 8.5 WAR.

In the first round of the playoffs in the Northern Conference, Amsterdam topped Stockholm in four games and Berlin swept London. The Anacondas bid for a championship repeat was quickly thwarted as the Barons swept them in the conference championship, sending them to their first finale. In the Southern Conference, Madrid survived in the first round in a five game battle with Munich, while Zurich topped Belgrade in four games. The Conquistadors edged the Mountaineers 4-3 in the SCC, giving Madrid a third straight Southern Conference title. The Conquistadors finally picked up their first European Championship, defeating Berlin in six games. It is the first title for a Spanish team.

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Other notes: Centerfielder Mercury Hand and third baseman Adrian Liechti became the first five-time Gold Glove winners. 3B Orion McIntyre became the first five-time Silver Slugger winner.

FuzzyRussianHat

05-10-2023 05:15 AM

1955 in BSA

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Entering 1955, Guayaquil was one of two (Quito) Bolivar League teams without a single playoff appearance thus far in Beisbol Sudamerica. They changed that in 1955, winning the South Division at 96-66. They finished three games better than Cali and seven ahead of defending Copa Sudamerica champ Callao. In the North Division, Bogota finished first at 96-66, three better than Barquisimeto and nine over Maracaibo. Last year’s division champ Medellin fell off to finish with 70 wins. For the Bats, they snap a three-year playoff drought and bounce back from a losing season the prior year.

Bolivar League MVP went to Barquisimeto 2B Remberto Borja. The 25-year old Venezuelan was the league leader in hits (219), runs (113), triples (24), stolen bases (81), average (.373), OPS (.423), and WAR (10.3). Borja also set a BSA record with a 43-game hitting streak, shattering the previous mark of 30 games. This holds as the all-time mark in Beisbol Sudamerica with only one other player even reaching 40 come 2015. Bogota’s Fernando Guitard won Pitcher of the Year. The 30-year old Colombian only led the league in complete games with 23, but added a 20-12 record, 2.24 ERA, 263 strikeouts, and 8.7 WAR. Sadly for him, a steady career would end two seasons later due to a torn rotator cuff.

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The top mark in the Southern Cone League and all of BSA belonged to Cordoba at 107-55. It was a franchise record for the Chanticleers, who earned their fifth South Division title in six seasons. Sao Paulo won a third straight Brazil Division title to set up another rematch in for the league title with the Padres finishing 98-64.

Salvador CF Rodrigo Leite picked up MVP in his third season for the Storm. The left-handed leadoff man led the league in hits (193), runs (96), average (.348), OPS (1.000), and WAR (11.7). Sao Paulo’s Argel Souza won the first of what would be five Pitcher of the Year awards. The 25-year old righty led in wins (28), strikeouts (346), quality starts (31), complete games (17), shutouts (6), and WAR (9.5). His 2.03 ERA has five points off the lead to deny a Triple Crown.

The Bolivar League Championship Series saw Guayaquil succeed in their finals debut, besting Bogota in six games for the title. Meanwhile, round three between Cordoba and Sao Paulo for the Southern Cone crown went to the Chanticleers 4-1. With that, Cordoba wins its third title in five seasons. They hoped to match that mark in Copa Sudamerica, but the Golds won it in a seven-game classic for Guayaquil’s first overall title. It was the first seven-game Copa Sudamerica since 1947 and the first time an Ecuadoran team won the top prize. This leaves Paraguay and Uruguay as the represented countries in Beisbol Sudamerica without a title and it wouldn’t be until the 21<sup>st</sup> Century that changed.

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Other notes: Sao Paulo’s Alonzo Guzman won his 250<sup>th</sup> game, the fifth player to do so. Barry Hernandez and Alexandre Bentivogilo became the sixth and seventh pitchers to cross 4500 strikeouts. Angel Gabriel Cornejo and Placido Guerrero became the fifth and sixth BSA hitters to 500 home runs. Matias Amaro became the second to cross 1500 RBI. In award notables, Loury Nova won his 10<sup>th</sup> Gold Glove at CF, only the third BSA player to win the award 10+ times.

FuzzyRussianHat

05-11-2023 06:28 AM

1955 in EAB

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Defending Japan League champ Kitakyushu won the South Division for the third straight year with a 98-64 record in 1955, finishing 11 games ahead of Fukuoka. Sapporo returned to first in the North Division after just missing out the prior three seasons. The Swordfish finished 95-67, seven games ahead of last year’s winner Sendai.

The league MVP went to second-year 1B Kenzan Manabe of Osaka. Manabe was the league leader in runs (94), RBI (118), slugging (.587), OPS (.955), wRC+ (198), and WAR (8.0). He also posted 41 home runs and a .306 average. Kobe’s Seung-Bin Jeong won Pitcher of the Year, a second-time winner with a seven-year gap from the previous award. Jeong led in quality starts (25), posting a 2.24 ERA with a 15-7 record over 236.2 innings with 276 strikeouts and 5.7 WAR.

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Korea’s best record went to Hamhung at 98-64, snapping a seven-year playoff drought with the North Division title. Defending East Asia Baseball champ Incheon and Goyang tied for second behind the Heat at 93-69. Only 89-73 was enough for Gwangju to win the South Division, five games better than defending champ Daegu and Changwon. For the Grays, they earn their first playoff berth since the 1930 championship season, a 25-year gap.

League MVP went to Hamhung’s Young-Hwan Sha, his third time winning the award in the last four seasons. The 27-year old RF was the league leader in runs (132), home runs (54), OBP (.414), slugging (.702), OPS (1.116), and wRC+ (194). Incheon’s Jae-Ha Pak was Pitcher of the Year for the second time in three seasons. The 27-year old lefty in his eighth year with the Inferno had a league best 2.33 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 25 quality starts, 57 FIP-, and 9.9 WAR.

In the Japan League Championship Series, Kitakyushu topped Sapporo in six games to give the Kodiaks back-to-back league titles. In the Korea League Championship Series, Hamhung beat Gwangju in six for the Heat’s first title since 1947 and fifth Korean title in franchise history. Hamhung added a fourth East Asian Championship to the mantle as they swept Kitakyushu. It was the first EAB Final sweep since 1949 and the third straight season with a Korean team prevailing for the crown.

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Other notes: Seok-Hwa Hu of the Kitakyushu was notable. Hu was on first a lot with a .3797 average, the EAB single-season record and 51 points ahead of second place in Japan. Daegu’s Young-Gwon Shin had only the third EAB game with 21 or more strikeouts. He’s the only one to do it in extras, needing 10.2 IP against Seongnam

FuzzyRussianHat

05-12-2023 05:32 AM

1955 in CABA

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Mexicali’s reign atop the Mexican League ended in 1955 as they fell to 84 wins, second in the North Division. Monterrey cruised to the division title at 104-58 for their first playoff berth since 1942. Guadalajara ended a four-year drought to win the South Division, also at 104-58. Leon was a distanta second at 88 wins. Last year’s division winner Mexico City fell to fourth at 80-82.

Hellhounds 1B Prometheo Garcia became a five-time league MVP in 1955. He had yet another dominant season, this time leading the league in hits (230), runs (115), home runs (54), RBI (122), triple slash .370/.425/.684, OPS (1.110), wRC+ (235), and WAR (11.5). He won his fourth Triple Crown, tying Hall of Famer Kiko Velazquez for the most by a single player in any professional league. The Pitcher of the Year was Matadors righty Wily Orantes. The 29-year old led the league in ERA (1.56) and WHIP (0.80) with 7.3 WAR and 201 strikeouts and a 21-5 record. He also won his fourth Gold Glove.

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Defending Caribbean League champ Santiago earned a fourth playoff berth in five seasons by taking the Island Division at 98-64, eight games better than Puerto Rico and nine ahead of Santo Domingo. The best overall record went to Continental Division champ Honduras at 104-58, who were 10 games better than second place Nicaragua. The Horsemen earn a third straight division title.

Santo Domingo’s Grant Duncan was MVP for the second straight season. The 27-year old Jamaican outfielder led the league in runs (108), homers (45), OBP (.393), slugging (.667), OPS (1.060), wRC+ (204), and WAR (11.7). Honduras pitcher Tirso Sepulveda won his second Pitcher of the Year in three seasons. He led in wins (22), quality starts (28), and shutouts (4). Sepulveda added a 2.44 ERA, 288 strikeouts in 273 innings, and 6.9 WAR.

The Mexican League Championship Series was a sweep for the first time since 1940 as Monterrey handled Guadalajara. For the Matadors, it is their fourth league title and first since their late 1930s dynasty. Meanwhile, Santiago remained in control in the Caribbean League, winning the CLCS over Honduras in five games. The Sailfish take their fourth title in five seasons and eighth overall, tying Puerto Rico for the most titles. In the CABA Championship, Monterrey prevailed4-2 over Santiago for the Matadors’ second-ever overall title (1937).

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Other notes: Nicaragua’s Ricardo De Jesus had a 30-game hitting streak, only the second time a CABA hitter had 30+. The record remains 38 from Ivan Iniguez in the debut 1911 season. 1B Salvador Islas won his 11<sup>th</sup> Gold Glove.

FuzzyRussianHat

05-13-2023 05:50 AM

1955 in MLB

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The National Association in 1955 didn’t have any major standouts as the best overall record was 96-66. That went to Boston as the Red Sox won the Eastern League title for their third straight playoff berth. All four wild cards came out of the EL with Ottawa (93-69), Baltimore (92-70), defending NA champ Toronto (92-70), and Hartford (90-72). The Elks, Timberwolves, and Huskies are all in the playoffs for back-to-back seasons, while it is the third appearance in four years for the Orioles. In the Midwest League, Detroit at 92-70 won the title for back-to-back years and made their third straight playoff berth. Falling just short of both the Tigers and the wild card spots were Indianapolis and Minneapolis (both 89-73) and Kansas City (87-75).

Baltimore’s Adam Lewis won his second MVP with an all-time great season. The 30-year old CF became the first MLB hitter to bat above .400 in a season, posting a .402 average. His 241 hits were one off of Sebastian Lunde’s single-season record. At 12.26 WAR, he posted the best-ever season by WAR for an MLB player, barely beating Elijah Cashman’s 12.25 from 1923. Even more impressive to post that type of WAR with only 27 home runs. He also led the NA in triples (13), OBP (.456), slugging (.646), OPS (1.102), and wRC+ (222). Pitcher of the Year went to Louisville’s Trevor Brown. The 31-year old lefty had been acquired in a trade last summer by the Lynx. In his first full year with the team, he had a 22-9 record, 2.28 ERA, and 6.62 WAR.

In the first round of the National Association playoffs, Baltimore beat Toronto and Hartford topped Ottawa, both 2-1. The league champs prevailed in round two as Boston swept the Huskies and Detroit topped the Orioles in four. In the NACS, the Red Sox defeated the Tigers in six games, sending Boston to the World Series for the first time in the franchise’s 55 year history.

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Defending World Series champ Nashville had the best record in MLB with a franchise-record 105-57 mark for back-to-back Southern League titles. A distant second place was Oklahoma City at 92-70, but it was enough for the Outlaws to earn their first-ever playoff berth in 55 seasons. OKC was the only franchise left in MLB that hadn’t made the postseason at least once.

The Western League had a three-team race at the top with San Francisco narrowly taking the crown at 93-69, one ahead of both Calgary and San Diego. The Gold Rush get their third playoff berth in six years. The Seals have been on a rollercoaster, winning 108 in 1953, only 68 in 1954, and now 92 for a wild card in 1955. The Cheetahs wild card gets them their first berth since 1948. The fourth and final wild card went to Vancouver at 86-76, as the Volcanoes were one game better than Los Angeles and Houston and two ahead of both Denver and Oakland. It snaps an 11-year playoff drought for Vancouver. The longest active playoff streak ends at five as Las Vegas, who won 100+ the prior five seasons, fell to 71 wins. Only Nashville returns to the playoffs from the prior year in the American Association field.

Despite having the word record in the AA at 70-92, Memphis boasted the MVP in Brendan Emmanuelli. The 24-year old LF’s season was a bit overshadowed by Adam Lewis’ s marks in the NA, but Emmanuelli had an impressive .387 average, 234 hits, and 9.4 WAR. He also added 35 home runs and 112 RBI. San Diego ace Spenser Emond won his fourth Pitcher of the Year in his age 30 season. Emond only led the AA in WHIP (1.03), but had a 21-10 record, 2.92 ERA, 260 strikeouts, 293 innings, and 9.6 WAR.

The first round of the American Association playoffs had Oklahoma City sweep Calgary and San Diego sweep Vancouver. In round two, the defending champ Nashville swept Oklahoma City, while the Seals upset San Francisco 3-1. The Knights were denied the repeat as San Diego took the AACS in five games, giving the Seals their second AA title (1936). San Diego picked up a second World Series title as well as they bested Boston 4-1 in the World Series.

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Other notes: Milwaukee finished an abysmal 42-120 in 1955, tying the 1952 Miami Mallards for the worst record in MLB history. Jess Lewis and Sebastian Lunde both crossed 1500 RBI, while Lewis also joined the 3000 hit club.

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