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FuzzyRussianHat

01-21-2024 05:55 PM

1990 in CABA

Prior to the 1990 season, the Central American Baseball Association instituted rule changes designed to increase scoring. It would work as the Mexican League’s average ERA would go from 3.24 in the 1980s to 3.61 in the 1990s, while the Caribbean League went from 3.60 to 3.97. The CL would be among the highest scoring leagues in the world in the 1990s, although the numbers were merely above average when viewed in the full historical context.

https://i.imgur.com/jecqVa3.jpg

Monterrey set a franchise record in 1990, taking the Mexican League North Division at 110-52. This gave the Matadors their third consecutive playoff appearance as well. Monterrey had the fewest runs allowed in the ML by a huge margin at 483 and had the second most runs scored at 706. At 96-66, Torreon easily got the wild card for their second playoff berth in four years. Hermosillo, the CABA champion the prior year, finished third in the division at 86-76. The South Division saw back-to-back titles for Guadalajara. The Hellhounds were 90-72, finishing nine ahead of second place Merida.

Monterrey 1B Francklin Bonhomme was Mexican League MVP. The 23-year old Haitian was Rookie of the Year the prior season and followed it up by leading in home runs (53), and RBI (121). He added 8.4 WAR, 211 hits, and a .337/.372/.625 slash. His Matadors teammate Juan Meza won back-to-back Pitcher of the Year awards, leading in ERA (2.07) and innings pitched (277.2). Meza added a 22-5 record, 341 strikeouts, and 8.6 WAR.

In the wild card round, Guadalajara downed Torreon 3-1 to give the Hellhounds back-to-back Mexican League Championship Series berths. However, Monterrey mauled them with a sweep, giving the Matadors their first pennant since 1966. Monterrey now has 11 ML pennants, second only to Mexico City’s 12.

https://i.imgur.com/hq52sVO.jpg

The top record in the Caribbean League was easily Honduras at 100-62, giving the Horsemen their second playoff berth in three years. It was their first Continental Division title since 1973. There was a big glut of teams behind them fighting for the Island Division and the wild card. Defending CL champ Nicaragua won the wild card at 89-73, while both Santo Domingo and Puerto Rico were 88-74, Panama was 87-75, Havana was 85-78, and Trinidad was 83-79. The Dolphins defeated the Pelicans in a tiebreaker game to take the Island Division for back-to-back seasons. Costa Rica, the wild card last year, dropped to 70 wins.

Nicaragua CF Manuel Rodriguez won back-to-back Caribbean League MVPs and took advantage of the rule changes to increase his power. The third-year Guatemalan lefty smacked 68 home runs, the third-most in a season in CABA history. Rodriguez also led in RBI (146), runs (114), total bases (388), slugging (.692), OPS (1.053), wRC+ (172), and WAR (8.7). Santo Domingo’s Hugo Peguero won his second Pitcher of the Year, five years after his first one. The 31-year old Dominican righty led in ERA (2.25), WHIP (0.90), and FIP- (61). Peguero posted a 17-2 record over only 180 innings with 247 strikeouts and 6.3 WAR. An elbow strain cost him two months of the season and other injuries would make the next year his final full season.

Nicaragua began the wild card round down a game due to the handicap, but went onto win three straight to knock out Santo Domingo. The defending champ Navigators were underdogs heading to Honduras, where the Horsemen were making their first Caribbean League Championship Series appearance since 1973. Nicaragua pulled off the upset and took the series 4-2, earning back-to-back pennants and only their second ever.

https://i.imgur.com/ZMZ2zmw.png

The alternating home field advantage meant that the 80<sup>th</sup> CABA Championship gave Nicaragua the edge despite Monterrey finishing with 21 more wins. For the first time in CABA Championship history, the series went all seven games with the road team winning every game. This gave the Matadors their first title since 1957 and their fourth overall, having also won in 1937 and 1955. Second year 2B Santiago Rosas was finals MVP, getting 15 hits, 6 runs, and 4 doubles in 11 playoff starts. This title would kick off an impressive dynasty run for Monterrey throughout the 1990s.

https://i.imgur.com/evno6Vy.png

Other notes: OF Ruben Chavez won his seventh Silver Slugger.

FuzzyRussianHat

01-22-2024 04:35 AM

1990 in MLB

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

The top seed in the National Association in 1990 was Kansas City, finishing 100-62 atop the Lower Midwest Division. For the Cougars, this gave them three playoff berths in four years. On a similar streak was both Hartford and Chicago, who both finished 96-66. The defending NA champ Huskies won the Northeast Division and the Cubs claimed the Lower Midwest Division. In the East Division, 94-68 Philadelphia claimed a fourth playoff berth in five years by taking first.

The wild card race was a very competitive one. At 92-70, Winnipeg took the first spot, getting the first playoff berth in the franchise’s nine year history. Another expansion team, Virginia Beach, got the second spot at 91-71. The 1988 World Series champs were back in the postseason field after missing with 85 wins the prior year. Falling just short in the wild card race were New York (90-72), Milwaukee (90-72), Detroit (89-73), Brooklyn (88-74), Buffalo (87-75), Cincinnati (87-75), Baltimore (85-77), Ottawa (84-78), and St. Louis (84-78).

Taking National Association MVP was fifth-year 2B Brandon Swinson. The Fair Plain, Michigan native led in hits (208) and added 96 runs, a .330/.373/.471 slash, and 7.8 WAR. Marco Talamo won Pitcher of the Year in his MLB debut season with Virginia Beach. The 29-year old Italian signed a massive $11,920,000, six-year deal with the Vikings after six strong seasons the EBF with Malta. Talamo led the NA in ERA (2.21), innings (285), WIHP (0.92), K/BB (8.2), quality starts (31), FIP- (60), and WAR (10.0). He added 264 strikeouts and an 18-10 record.

Both wild card teams went on shocking upset runs. In the first round, Winnipeg swept Philadelphia 2-0 and Virginia Beach swept Chicago 2-0. Then in round two, the Vikings outlasted Kansas City 3-2 and the Wolves ousted Hartford 3-1. This set up a National Association Championship Series battle between two teams from the 1982 expansion. Winnipeg had never been the playoffs before, while Virginia Beach had won the 1988 World Series as the second wild card. Looking to repeat history, the Vikings defeated the Wolves 4-2 in the NACS.

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

Two teams in the American Association posted 105-57 records in 1990. Atlanta did it to earn their fourth consecutive Southeast Division title, the longest active playoff streak in MLB. 1988 AA champ Edmonton did it in the Northwest Division, back in the playoffs after missing by a game in 1989. In the Southwest Division, San Francisco finished first at 99-63 to end a two-year playoff drought.

The wild card race was largely a three-team race between the second place teams in the divisions noted above. Both defending World Series champion Denver and Los Angeles finished 97-65 to advance, while 96-66 Charlotte missed the cut. Only 92-70 Tampa was really also in striking distance. It was the third straight playoff berth for the Dragons and back-to-back for the Angels. Phoenix’s three-year playoff streak ended at 87-75. Meanwhile, Houston won the South Central Division at 96-66 to end a two-year playoff skid, finishing ten ahead of Dallas. Austin, who was the AACS runner-up the prior two seasons, dropped to 76-86.

Both major award winners in the American Association were by international stars. MVP went to Denver SS Bernd Sprenger, who won four Silver Sluggers in Belfast before joining the Dragons in 1986. The 30-year old German led in RBI (142), total bases (392), and slugging (.624), while adding 52 home runs, 206 hits, and 9.6 WAR. Meanwhile in his MLB debut with Los Angeles, 36-year old Junior Vergara won Pitcher of the Year. It was the ninth total POTY for the CABA legend, who had five Triple Crown seasons with Puebla. Vergara led the AA in complete games with 22 and posted a 16-15 record, 2.81 ERA, and 214 strikeouts over 297.2 innings with 6.6 WAR. This was the last great season for the Mexican lefty, as injuries and age would lead to a lackluster final 1991 season.

In the first round of the playoffs, Houston beat Denver 2-0 and Los Angeles upset divisional foe San Francisco 2-0. The Angels continued to roll, stunning Edmonton 3-2 in round two. This gave LA its first American Association Championship Series appearances since their 1973-74 World Series repeat titles. Atlanta survived in a five game battle with Houston, giving the Aces their second AACS in four years. The Angels would continue their hot streak, defeating Atlanta 4-2 to earn their eighth AA pennant.

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

The 90<sup>th</sup> World Series had two wild card teams squaring off with Virginia Beach and Los Angeles. The Vikings capped off another remarkable run by beating the Angels 4-2 for their second title in three years. The postseason hero was 36-year old Austrian 1B Dennis Schulze, who joined the Vikings in 1990 after previously playing in his hometown Vienna and in Russia with Krasnoyarsk. He won World Series MVP and NACS MVP, posting 22 this, 11 runs, 7 home runs, and 15 RBI in 19 playoff starts.

https://i.imgur.com/D0xkP9k.png

Other notes: Vancouver’s Levi Day threw the 16<sup>th</sup> MLB Perfect Game on September 24, striking out seven against Miami. That was the first perfect game since 1984 in MLB and it would ultimately be the final one of the 20<sup>th</sup> Century. Sahid Fakhruddin had a historically bad final season, tying the MLB all-time record for losses. The six-time APB Pitcher of the Year and future Hall of Famer went 7-27 at age 40 for Oklahoma City, tying the 27 losses by Bill Madison in 1904. Edmonton’s Xavier Escobar posted a .3895 batting average, the fourth best season in MLB history to date. Angels RF Quinn Iosifian in seven playoff games set still-standing MLB records in OBP (.643), slugging (1.292), and OPS (1.934). Christopher Sollinger became the 48<sup>th</sup> MLB batter to reach 3000 career hits. Catcher Mason Wilkinson won his seventh Silver Slugger.

FuzzyRussianHat

01-22-2024 01:38 PM

1991 MLB Hall of Fame

https://i.imgur.com/9oTlXe6.png

Closer Dominic Thurman was the lone inductee from the 1991 ballot into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. On his second attempt, Thurman just crossed the 66% threshold with 72.8%. LF Tim Morgan barely missed the cut on his second try, getting 65.6%. C Gavin Geoghan received 63.7% in his ninth ballot, the closest he’s come in all of his tries. The top debut was 1B Edward Torres at 61.3%. 2B Bobby Davis also crossed 60% with 60.6% on his ninth attempt. Four others were above 50%: C Earl Tucker, CL Angelo Kiernan, CL Mike Jennings, and SP Joseph Ashcraft. No players were dropped after failing on ten ballots, although six guys could suffer that fate in 1992.

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

Dominic “Crab” Thurman – Closer – Tampa Thunderbirds – 72.8% Second Ballot

Dominic Thurman was a 5’10’’, 170 pound left-handed relief pitcher from Cary, North Carolina; a city near Raleigh with around 180,000 people. Thurman had incredible stuff with a one-two punch of a 96-98 mph cutter and a filthy changeup. His control and movement were both good and his ability to fool you with the changeup made him a very successful pitcher. Thurman was also a respectable defensive pitcher and was considered a team leader.

Thurman attended Tennessee, where he was a starting pitcher in his first two seasons. He was switched to a relief role as a junior, posting a 2.67 ERA over 178.1 college innings with 208 strikeouts and 6.6 WAR. He would be picked late in the third round of the 1968 MLB Draft, the 143<sup>rd</sup> overall selection by Tampa. Thurman spent most of 1969 in minor league Orlando, but would make nine appearances in 1969.

In his first full MLB season, Thurman was moved to the closer role. He’d hold this position for the next six seasons with the Thunderbirds, winning Reliever of the Year in 1972 and taking second in 1973 voting. He also pitched from 1971-73 for Team USA in the World Baseball Championship, posting a 1.57 ERA over 34.1 innings with 80 strikeouts. Thurman earned three world titles with the American team and was second in Best Pitcher voting in 1973.

In total with Tampa, he had 155 saves and 178 shutdowns, a 1.66 ERA, 401.2 innings, 516 strikeouts, and 18.9 WAR. Thurman was well liked enough that this short run led to the Thunderbirds eventually retiring his #48 uniform. Although Tampa had decent seasons in this stretch, Thurman wouldn’t make the playoffs with the Thunderbirds. They finally broke their postseason drought in 1976, but Thurman was traded before the season started to Houston for four players. In his one year with the Hornets, Thurman led in saves and took second in Reliever of the Year voting. This was also his first playoff experience, as the Hornets lost in the American Association Championship Series to Las Vegas.

At age 28, Thurman was a free agent for the first time and signed a three year, $1,570,000 deal with Albuquerque. He had more of a setup role in his first year with the Isotopes, but got the closer role back in 1978. Albuquerque traded him to Las Vegas before the 1979 season straight up for LF John Howard. Thurman played a big role in the postseason as the Vipers won the World Series, posting five saves and a 0.75 ERA in 12 playoff innings.

Vegas didn’t re-sign Thurman with the now 31-year old going to Los Angeles on a two-year deal. He led the AA in saves in 1980 and won Reliever of the Year for the second time. Thurman was still decent in 1981, but the Angels decided to waive him in late August. Tampa re-signed him to finish out the year.

San Francisco signed Thurman to a two-year, $1,880,000 deal for the 1982 season. However in spring training, he suffered a stretched elbow ligament that knocked him out 12 months. Thurman made his return in 1983 with the Gold Rush and was a decent middle relief guy. He then played his final season with Columbus in 1984, retiring at the end of the year at age 36.

Thurman’s final stats: 313 saves and 366 shutdowns, 1.90 ERA, 882 innings, 1110 strikeouts to 270 walks, 56 FIP-, and 37.5 WAR. 300 saves wasn’t a guarantee for induction in MLB’s Hall of Fame, but it got you a look by the voters. Of the 18 relievers in the MLB HOF before him, Thurman had a better ERA than all but two. The WAR and strikeout numbers were comparable to many of them despite having fewer innings. His role in Las Vegas’ 1980 title run helped him as well despite lower accumulations. Thurman missed the cut on his debut at 63.3%, but with a weak 1991 ballot, he got the bump up to 72.8% to cross the line as the lone addition.

FuzzyRussianHat

01-22-2024 06:12 PM

1991 CABA Hall of Fame

FuzzyRussianHat

01-23-2024 04:38 AM

1991 EAB Hall of Fame

East Asia Baseball’s Hall of Fame added two guys in 1991 on their first ballots. RF Makata Araki was a no-doubter, getting 98.7%. Joining him was SP Kimio Ito with 81.4%. SP Ho-In Koh was close to the 66% mark on his second ballot, but just short with 61.9%. No other players were above 50%.

https://i.imgur.com/mxtJ40J.png

The lone player dropped after ten ballots was 1B Carl Valdes, who peaked at 28.6% on his second ballot and finished at 11.1%. Valdes made his mark in history when he became EAB’s single season home run king in 1972 with 71 and when he hit 70 in 1974. The Filipino lefty didn’t stick around long enough to get accumulations and didn’t have a ton of value outside of dingers. In around a decade with Sapporo and a partial year with Busan, Valdes had 1236 hits, 810 runs, 453 home runs, 972 RBI, a .257/.306/.585 slash, and 43.9 WAR. At his peak, he was one of the world’s top power hitters, but Valdes didn’t sustain it long enough to earn the spot. He would remain the home run king until 1994 and as of 2037 is still tied for fifth most in an EAB season.

https://i.imgur.com/FUU523d.png

Makata Araki – Right Field – Yokohama Yellow Jackets – 98.7% First Ballot

Makata Araki was a 6’4’’, 200 pound left-handed right fielder from Sendai, Japan; the capital of the Miyagi Prefecture. Araki was an excellent home run hitter who smacked 40+ dingers in each his first 12 seasons. He was also a solid contact hitter and had a great knack for drawing walks, although his strikeout rate was subpar. Araki had okay gap power with around 25 doubles/triples per year. For a big powerful guy, he had shockingly good speed and baserunning instincts. Araki was a career right fielder and considered above average with the glove. He was very durable, but did annoy some teammates and fans over the years with a weak work ethic and lack of leadership. Still, Araki’s skillset made him very popular in Yokohama, where he spent his entire pro career.

Araki would get drafted out of Hosei University by the Yellow Jackets with the second overall pick in the 1970 EAB Draft. He was a full-time starter immediately with 5.7 WAR and 43 home runs in his debut season, although he also led the Japan League in strikeouts. Still, this powerful start to his career earned him the 1971 Rookie of the Year. Araki would go onto lead Japan in runs scored thrice, homers twice, walks five times, total bases once, OBP twice, slugging four times, OPS five times, wRC+ thrice, and WAR once. He had seven seasons worth 9+ WAR.

Araki would win MVP twice in his career, taking it in 1978 and 1981. He was a regular finalist, taking third in 1973, 1974, and 1975; second in 1976, and second in 1979. He won six Silver Sluggers (1974-76, 78-79, 81). Three times, Araki hit 61 home runs (1974, 76, 79) with 60 dingers in 1978. Later in his career, he made appearances for Japan in the World Baseball Championship. Araki had 53 games played from 1978-83 with 43 hits, 25 runs, 18 home runs, 32 RBI, 32 walks, and 2.0 WAR.

Despite Araki’s efforts, he never got to play in the postseason in his career. Yokohama even had eight straight winning seasons from 1975-82, but they could never get over the hump. Some thought Araki might leave in free agency, but at age 31, he got the bag and signed a six-year, $2,904,000 contract extension. His decline began in 1983 as his power plummeted to a career worst 22 home runs. Araki was a bit better the next year, but he’d be relegated to a bench role in the final year of his deal. He decided to retire after the 1985 season at age 37. Yokohama would immediately retire his #31 uniform and he remains a popular figure with many fans.

Araki’s final stats: 2066 hits, 1400 runs, 260 doubles, 680 home runs, 1396 RBI, 958 walks, 633 stolen bases, a .287/.372/.631 slash, 185 wRC+, and 109.4 WAR. He was the 18<sup>th</sup> EAB batter to 600 home runs and was one of only 15 guys above 100+ hitting WAR at induction. Araki at induction was also one of four guys to have 600+ homers and 600+ stolen bases. As of 2037, he’s one of only six EAB Hall of Famers with a career OPS above 1.000. He didn’t have the longevity or playoff accolades to get included in many of the inner circle conversations, but Araki was clearly one of the finest sluggers in EAB history. His induction was a slam dunk at 98.7% on his first ballot.

https://i.imgur.com/fhhMYW0.png

Kimio Ito – Starting Pitcher – Kobe Blaze – 81.4% First Ballot

Kimio Ito was a 5’10’’, 180 pound right-handed pitcher from Komaki, Japan; a city of around 148,000 people in Aichi Prefecture. Ito was known for having excellent control with good stuff at his peak and decent movement. His velocity peaked at 96-98 mph with his most impressive pitch being the screwball. Ito mixed it with a sinker, slider, and changeup. His stamina was decent and his defense was solid. Ito was a very intelligent pitcher and used that and his pinpoint control to continue to succeed even as his stuff diminished.

Ito was a hot property even at Osaka Toin High School. In the 1965 EAB Draft, Sendai selected him third overall. However, Ito opted to instead go to Aichi Sangyo University in Nagoya. When eligible next in 1968, he was again picked third overall, this time by Kobe. Ito signed with the Blaze and would spend his entire pro career with Kobe. His made his debut with four lousy starts in 1969, then was a full-time starter each year after.

Ito was iffy in his first full season, but he settled into a rhythm after that. 1973 was his finest season, leading the Japan League in WAR (9.0) and quality starts (26). This earned a second place finish in Pitcher of the Year voting. He ultimately never won the top award and was a consistently above average guy for the next decade or so, never leading in any major statistics. Kobe was good in the 1970s with eight winning seasons, but they couldn’t earn a playoff spot thanks to Kyoto’s dynasty run. Ito was committed to the Blaze, signing a six-year extension before the 1972 season and then a four-year extension in 1981.

Recurring back spasms would start to cost Ito a few weeks each season as he entered his 30s. The back troubles caused his stuff to fall off a bit, but Ito’s control improved and kept him in the rotation. He led in K/BB from 1980-82. Kobe finally ended their playoff drought to start the 1980s with three division titles from 1980-82, although they only got to the JLCS in 1981, falling to Sapporo.

In 1983, Kobe missed the playoffs, but Ito led in WIHP for the first time in his career. The next year, he put together a full season with a career best 1.99 ERA at age 36. Ito was second in Pitcher of the Year voting for the second time and the Blaze earned a division title. Kobe would win the Japan League title, falling to Yongin in the EAB championship. Ito posted a solid 2.29 ERA over 39.1 playoff innings in the run. This would be his last hurrah, as he put up mediocre numbers in 1985 and his first losing season since his rookie year. Ito opted to retire at age 38 after the season and immediately saw his #7 uniform retired as a key cog for Kobe for 16 years.

Ito’s final stats: 216-162 record, 3.02 ERA, 3591.2 innings, 3649 strikeouts to 620 walks, 310/467 quality starts, 86 FIP-, and 70.9 WAR. Ito was never super dominant, which shows in his accumulations being towards the middle-to-bottom among other EAB Hall of Fame pitchers. But he was as steady as they come with voters also appreciating his loyalty to Kobe. Ito earned the first ballot look at 81.4% as the second member of EAB’s 1991 Hall of Fame class.

FuzzyRussianHat

01-23-2024 11:30 AM

1991 BSA Hall of Fame

Slugger Goito Palominos was the lone inductee in Beisbol Sudamerica’s 1991 Hall of Fame class, getting in with an impressive 97.6% on his first ballot. Only three others were above 50% with 1B Cy Cavazos at 56.4% on his eight try, SP Robinson Moreira at 54.3% for his second go, and 3B Saul Puerta at 51.6% on his third ballot.

https://i.imgur.com/lF3Cy9b.png

SP Carlos Estrella was dropped after ten failed ballots, peaking at 37.4% on his second try and ended at 11.1%. He pitched 20 years with the majority of his BSA run with Bogota, posting a 207-174 record, 2.88 ERA, 3656.1 innings, 3051 strikeouts, 587 walks, 87 FIP-, and 69.2 WAR. Guys with similar stat lines had gotten into the Hall, but Estella had no major awards or playoff accolades, along with only one season leading in any major stat.

Also dropped was 1B Jovanny Camacho, who won Bolivar League MVP in 1967. In 12 years with Valencia, he had 1631 hits, 902 runs, 284 doubles, 471 home runs, 1089 RBI, a .251/.294/.524 slash, and 48.0 WAR. Camacho led the league in homers four times, but fell off hard and was retired by age 35. He didn’t have the longevity to get the accumulations expected at the position, thus he peaked at 33.3% on his debut and finished with 9.7% of the vote.

https://i.imgur.com/qtB0cTF.png

Goito “Iceman” Palominos – Right Field/Designated Hitter/First Base – Maracaibo Mariners – 97.6% First Ballot

Goito Palominos was a 5’9’’, 175 pound right-handed hitter from Yaritagua, Venezuela; a city of around 120,000 people located just east of Barquisimeto. Nicknamed “Iceman” for his calm demeanor at the plate, Palominos was a very solid contact and power hitter. He regularly hit 30+ home runs and hit 40+ seven times. Despite his power, Palominos had an average at best walk and strikeout rate. He did have great gap power, often hitting 30+ doubles per season. Palominos was a very smart baserunner, but he lacked speed. He also lacked range, making him grade out as a poor defender in his career. Palominos made about half of his starts in left field with ¼ at first base and the rest as a designated hitter. He had a strong work ethic and was durable with 130+ games played in each his first 13 seasons

Palominos was the top prize coming out of the college/amateur ranks and was the first overall pick to Maracaibo in 1968. He was immediately a starter and hit 34 home runs on his way to 1969 Rookie of the Year honors. Palominos was used as a DH and won Silver Sluggers in 1970 and 1971. He was moved to first base in 1972 and had his finest year, earning Bolivar League MVP and a Silver Slugger. Palominos posted a Triple Crown with 52 home runs, 112 RBI, and a .351 average, while also leading in runs, hits, triple slash, OPS, wRC+, and WAR.

That MVP season helped make Palominos very popular with Maracaibo fans. He was also popular nationally as he played with Venezuela in the World Baseball Championship from 1970-85. He played in 125 games with 117 hits, 74 runs, 41 home runs, 88 RBI, and 4.7 WAR. Palominos was never as dominant again as that 1972 season, but he’d lead in runs scored once more, doubles twice, RBI twice, total bases once, and wRC+ once. He won Silver Slugger in 1974 (in LF), 1975 (at 1B), 1977 (DH), and 1980 (LF), giving him seven Sluggers. Palominos was also second in 1974 MVP voting, third in 1975, and second in 1977.

Palominos helped turn around Maracaibo, who was absolutely abysmal in the 1960s. By the mid 1970s, the Mariners were a consistent winner, but they were cursed by sharing a division with Valencia’s dynasty run of five straight Bolivar League titles. Palominos never made the playoffs with the Mariners, whose competitive window closed to end the decade. He’d still be very popular with Maracaibo fans for his excellence in the 1970s and his #39 uniform would be retired.
While still quite good, Palominos did see his production start to fall as he entered his 30s. He had signed a six-year contract extension in the summer of 1976, but it was clear that Maracaibo would need to rebuild before that. After the 1980 season, the Mariners moved the 35 year-old Palominos to Salvador for prospects. The Storm had won Copa Sudamerica in 1979 and lost in the Southern Cone Championship in 1980. Palominos had one season with Salvador, but was strong with 42 home runs and 6.4 WAR. He posted 14 hits, 10 runs, 5 home runs, and 8 RBI in the postseason as he helped the Storm to a Copa Sudamerica ring.

Although Salvador was grateful for his help in their title run, they voided the team option year left on his contract. At age 36, Palominos was a free agent for the first time. He got international attention and ended up heading to America on a three-year, $3,120,000 deal with MLB’s Jacksonville. His one year with the Gators was forgettable and plagued by a strained PCL as well. Jacksonville cut their losses by trading him that winter to Philadelphia.

Another PCL issue and poor production led to a subpar season with the Phillies. His MLB run in total had 44 home runs, 127 RBI, and 2.2 WAR. Before the 1984 season, Maracaibo brought him back and he bounced back with a solid 4.4 WAR season, earning his 2500<sup>th</sup> career hit. Palominos would be a part of an offseason trade to Recife though, which neted Maracaibo eventual Hall of Fame pitcher Gonzalo Argueta. After an unremarkable season in a bench role with the Retrievers, Palominos retired at age 39,

The final Beisbol Sudamerica stats for Palominos: 2549 hits, 1307 runs, 439 doubles, 561 home runs, 1470 RBI, a .307/.345/.571 slash, 161 wRC+, and 85.2 WAR. He wasn’t at the very top of the leaderboards, but his tallies and popularity with Venezuelan baseball fans made Palominos a very easy choice. The voters got him in at 97.6% as the lone member of the 1991 class.

FuzzyRussianHat

01-23-2024 05:02 PM

1991 EBF Hall of Fame

https://i.imgur.com/f63QzQk.png

The 1991 ballot for the European Baseball Federation Hall of Fame very nearly was a blank one. 1B Alex Zonneveld would barely cross the 66% threshold, but he would be the lone inductee with 66.3% on his fourth ballot. SP Ugo Musacci barely missed out at 64.9% on his sixth try. Two others were above 60% with SP Torger Thelin at 61.0% on his third ballot and 1B Isak Steffensen at 60.3% for his ninth attempt. The best debut was SP Jose Calderon at 49.6%. No players were dropped after ten ballots.

https://i.imgur.com/tMoI27M.png

Alex Zonneveld – First Base – Luxembourg Lancers – 66.3% Fourth Ballot

Alex Zonneveld was a 6’2’’, 195 pound left-handed first baseman from Tilburg; a city of 222,000 people in the southern Netherlands. Zonneveld was a well-rounded bat with respectable contract skills and an above average eye. He wasn’t a prolific home run hitter, but would get you 20-25 dingers per year reliably. Zonneveld had great gap power, averaging around 25-30 doubles and another 20-25 triples per season. He was also quicker than most first basemen with around 30 stolen bases per season. Zonneveld was a career first baseman and was generally above average with his glove. He was an ironman who played 140+ games every year from 1966-81.

Zonneveld left the Netherlands for England’s University of Cambridge for his college career. In the 1962 EBF Draft, he’d get picked 13<sup>th</sup> overall by Luxembourg. Zonneveld was used as a part-time starter in 1963 with promising results, taking third in Rookie of the Year voting. The Lancers wouldn’t use him at all surprisingly and he only played 16 games in 1965. During this time, he started playing for the Dutch national team in the World Baseball Championship. From 1964-79, Zonneveld played 110 WBC games with 73 hits, 52 runs, 15 doubles, 25 home runs, 57 RBI, and 2.2 WAR.

Zonneveld earned the full-time starter job in 1966 and would be a regular starter for the next 16 years. With Luxembourg, he had eight solid seasons of 5+ WAR each year, although he didn’t win any major awards or lead in any stats. Zonneveld forever earned a spot in the hearts of Lancers fans though in 1971, as they put together a European Championship run after stinking in the 1960s. Zonneveld was finals MVP, posting 18 hits, 7 runs, 3 doubles, 3 triples, one home run, and 15 RBI over 15 postseason starts.

In total with Luxembourg, he had 1468 hits, 725 runs, 226 doubles, 189 triples, 226 home runs, 688 RBI, a .285/.340/.533 slash, and 51.2 WAR. The Lancers fell below .500 in the two years after their title season and Zonneveld decided to try free agency at age 33. He signed for the 1974 season on a five-year, $1,590,000 contract with Rotterdam. The Ravens had been a regular playoff contender, winning the EBF title in 1969 and 1972.

Zonneveld’s best seasons statistically came with Rotterdam, leading the Northern Conference in triples thrice and total bases twice. In his first season there, Zonneveld won his lone MVP and his first Silver Slugger, leading with a .973 OPS and posting a career best 8.5 WAR. He won Silver Slugger again in 1975 and 1976. Rotterdam got to the conference finals in 1974, 76, and 77. In 1977, they won the European Championship again with Zonneveld posting 18 hits, 9 runs, 11 extra base hits, and 20 RBI in the postseason run.

In total with Rotterdam, Zonneveld had 881 hits, 497 runs, 139 doubles, 138 triples, 135 home runs, 466 RBI, a .290/.341/.561 slash, and 32.1 WAR. His Ravens deal ended and at age 38, Zonneveld signed with Amsterdam. He spent the final four years of his career with the Anacondas, posting two solid seasons to start and leading in OBP in 1980 with a career-best .383. Zonneveld fell off in 1981 and was reduced to a bench role in 1982, retiring after that season at age 41. With Amsterdam, he had 12.5 WAR with 442 hits, 242 runs, and a .269/.334/.503 slash.

Zonneveld’s final stats: 2791 hits, 1446 runs, 438 doubles, 378 triples, 431 home runs, 1418 RBI, 828 walks, 510 stolen bases, a .284/.339/.537 slash, 163 wRC+, and 95.8 WAR. At induction, he was second all-time in triples, only one behind Blaise Combes. Zonneveld was the seventh EBF batter to 2500 hits. But he didn’t have the big power numbers or awards compared to other contemporary first basemen, which hurt him with many voters despite a solid resume. Zonneveld was on the outside in his first three ballots at 63.1%, 55.0%, and 62.5%. With a weak group in 1991, he finally got his due and earned induction at 66.3% on the fourth ballot.

FuzzyRussianHat

01-24-2024 04:48 AM

1991 EPB Hall of Fame

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Eurasian Professional Baseball added two new members into the Hall of Fame from the 1991 ballot. Both were slam dunk first ballot guys with DH Ivan Valev getting in with 99.3% and pitcher Vladimir Nadiryan making it with 95.6%. LF Emin Ismayilov had a solid debut as well, but fell just short of the 66% requirement with 59.9%. Also above 50% was 2B Ali Alasgarov at 57.6% on his ninth ballot and 1B Bartlomiej Tarka at 52.2% in his second attempt. No players were dropped after ten failed ballots.

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Ivan “Socks” Valev – Designated Hitter – Bucharest Broncos – 99.3% First Ballot

Ivan Valev was a 5’11’’, 200 pound left handed slugger from the capital of Bulgaria, Sofia. Nicknamed “Socks,” Valev was one of the all-time best pure sluggers with excellent contact skills and home run power. Despite his power profile, he was below average at drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. Valev did have nice gap power, adding around 30 doubles per you along with his 45-55 homers per season. He was a slow baserunner and a horrible defender with his very rare defensive starts generally at first base. Valev had 133 starts at first, four in left field, and the rest as a designated hitter. His bat was so elite though that even with those deficiencies, he was deserving of a prominent spot in the lineup.

Valev’s batting prowess was noticed immediately as he dominated the amateur ranks ahead of the 1968 EPB Draft. Bucharest had the #1 overall pick and used it on Valev. He debuted in 1969 with limited appearances, but was a full-time starter after. Valev was an ironman, who would start 140+ games in 15 consecutive seasons. He was merely okay in year two with improvement in year three for the Broncos. Valev would see his breakout season in 1972, leading the European League in home runs and RBI for the first time. This earned him his first of 11 Silver Sluggers and a second place finish in MVP voting.

In total for his career, Valev would be a league leader in runs scored three times, hits thrice, home runs eight times, RBI seven times, total bases ten times, batting average three times, OBP once, slugging six times, OPS five times, wRC+ six times, and WAR three times. Earning WARlord as a pure DH is especially impressive considering the hit due to providing no defensive value. Valev’s 11 Silver Sluggers came in 1972-74, 76, 78, 79-80, and 82-85. Socks was also a regular for his native Bulgaria from 1968-87 in the World Baseball Championship. He played 140 games with 133 hits, 87 runs, 58 home runs, 108 RBI, and 6.4 WAR.

1973 was a banner year as Valev became the fifth EPB hitter to earn a Triple Crown, posting 52 home runs, 116 RBI, and a .316 average. This got him his first MVP. He’d lead in homers and RBI again the next year, taking second in MVP voting. Despite his efforts, Bucharest never posted a winning season in his tenure. Valev went into the Hall of Fame as a Bronco with it being his longest tenure, but the relationship would be icy years later and his number would never be retired. In six full seasons and one partial one with Bucharest, Valev had 1073 hits, 487 runs, 255 home runs, 619 RBI, a .282/.319/.540 slash, and 35.8 WAR.

Valev’s frustrations with the Broncos were growing and it was clear that he would command a high salary once he’d be eligible for free agency in 1978. Bucharest decided to trade him and prospect RF Stefan Canaj to Budapest in exchange for 1B/3B Konrad Mazur and prospect 2B Andrei Kamalovich. The deal would pay off for the Broncos, as Mazur in particular provided strong power for a decade. He helped eventually make Bucharest a contender in the 1980s and went onto be EPB’s home run king.

In his first year with the Bombers, the 27-year old Valev had his second Triple Crown season with career bests in home runs (58) and average (.318) with 118 RBI. As of 2037, Valev is the only EPB hitter to post multiple Triple Crown seasons. Unsurprisingly, this earned Socks his second MVP. However, the Bombers were on a downswing as well and posted two losing seasons while he was there. Valev’s production dropped a bit in 1977 and in total with Budapest, he had 13.4 WAR, 364 hits, 165 runs, 98 home runs, and 218 RBI.

Valev became a free agent at age 29 and signed a megadeal for the 1978 season with Krasnoyarsk; eight years, $3,342,000. He won Asian League MVP in his debut season with the Cossacks, who had struggled since their AL pennant in 1974. Valev was second in MVP voting in 1979, followed by two solid seasons after that.

He finally had a chance to play in the postseason in 1981, but Krasnoyarsk went one-and-done. That offseason, the Cossacks surprised many by trading Valev with four years left on his deal to Dushanbe in exchange for SP Orazguly Mammedov and SP Aaron Pinola. In total with Krasnoyarsk, Valev had 724 hits, 371 runs, 181 home runs, 450 RBI, and 25.8 WAR. The Dynamo were the defending Soviet Series champ and Valev hoped this meant he’d finally get that ring. As fate would have it, the Cossacks won the title the next year and Dushanbe would only make it back twice with early exits.

Still, Valev had four solid seasons with the Dynamo, earning his third batting title and WARlord status in 1982. That effort made Valev a four-time MVP. He’d be a finalist once more, taking second in 1983 voting. His last year in Tajikistan saw his first notable injury setback, as a strained abdominal muscle cost him six weeks. In total with Dushanbe, Valev had 695 hits, 336 runs, 157 home runs, 412 RBI, and 27.9 WAR.

The eight-year deal originally signed with Krasnoyarsk expired after the 1985 season, making Valev a 37-year old free agent. He was in contention to become EPB’s home run king, as he was 29 short of Zina Gigolashvili’s all-time mark of 720. At 691, Valev was seven better than Konrad Mazur, who was still mashing back in Bucharest. Valev was also the RBI leader at this point, although Mazur would narrowly pass him. Plus, he was 42 hits shy of becoming the hits leader and 144 away from being EPB’s first player to 3000. However, Valev was a fan of money and the allure of American dollars was just now available to EPB players. Socks inked a two-year, $2,680,000 deal with MLB’s Portland, almost tripling his best annual salary previously.

Valev was seemingly living up to the billing, putting up 34 home runs and 4.0 WAR in 94 games with the Pacifics. However, a fractured finger cost him the final two months of the season. He failed to meet the vesting criteria in his contract and was a free agent again. Valev then went to Canada and signed with Edmonton, putting up decent numbers in his one year with the Eels. Age and injuries were starting to catch up though unfortunately. Socks signed with Houston in 1988 and saw his power fall off a cliff with a .382 slugging percentage. He eventually ended the year with a torn back muscle and was released that winter. Valev was unsigned in 1989 and retired that winter at age 40. For his MLB excursion, he had 5.5 WAR, a .278/.318/.502 slash, 372 hits, 182 runs, 77 home runs, and 242 RBI.

Valev had 768 home runs, 1941 RBI, 3228 hits, 1541 runs, a .287/.326/.547 slash, and 108.4 WAR for his entire professional career. Just in EPB, he ended with 2856 hits, 1359 runs, 456 doubles, 691 home runs, 1699 RBI, a .288/.327/.553 slash, 172 wRC+, and 102.9 WAR. At induction, he was third all-time in homers, second in RBI, second in hits, seventh in doubles, and fifth in batting WAR. As of 2037, he’s still fourth in homers, fifth in RBI, and eighth in hits. Valev was maybe the best pure hitter in EPB history, although his teams’ lack of playoff success and being a DH would ding him in some of the all-time lists. Basically no one questioned his spot in the Hall of Fame though, getting in at 99.3%.

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Vladimir Nadiryan – Starting Pitcher – Prague Pilots – 95.6% First Ballot

Vladimir Nadiryan was a 6’2’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from Brun, Armenia; a small village of just over 1000 people in the country’s southeast. Nadiryan was a well-rounded pitcher with solid stuff and movement with respectable control. His very good fastball peaked in the 97-99 mph range and was mixed with a curveball, forkball, and changeup. Nadiryan had excellent stamina and was an ironman, pitching 270+ innings in all but his rookie season (where he tossed 247.2). He was a popular figure in the clubhouse for his work ethic and leadership skills.

With this skillset, he managed to immediately become one of the top prospects despite growing up in obscurity. After his college career, Nadiryan was highly prized and picked first overall by Baku in the 1969 EPB Draft. He was immediately a full-time starter with the Blackbirds and essentially never missed a start in his 16 year professional career. Nadiryan had two decent seasons to start his career, then drew some attention by leading the Asian League in ERA and quality starts in 1972.

By his late 20s, Nadiryan was recognized as a legitimate ace despite being stuck on some terrible Baku teams. He took third in 1974 Pitcher of the Year voting, then won the award in 1975 with a league and career best 10.1 WAR. Over his full career, Nadiryan had four seasons with a sub-two ERA, ten seasons with 300+ strikeouts, 11 seasons with 18+ complete games, and nine seasons with 7+ WAR. In total with Baku, Nadiryan had a 100-112 record, 2.26 ERA, 2076 innings, 2181 strikeouts, 449 walks, 191/245 quality starts, 81 FIP-, and 45.9 WAR.

Despite Nadiryan’s individual successes, Baku never had a winning season while he was there. He was scheduled for free agency after the 1978 season and the Blackbirds figured they wouldn’t be keeping him around. In the summer of 1977, he was traded for four prospects to Prague. The Pilots had historically been a weaker franchise, but they were starting to be competitive around this time. The hope was that Nadiryan could get them over the top. His time in the modern Czech Republic would be his signature run.

1977 would see a franchise-best 101-61 record and Prague’s first-ever division title. They fell in the European League Championship Series to eventual champion St. Petersburg, but Nadiryan was solid with a 2.22 ERA in three playoff starts. He decided to sign a five-year, $1,768,000 extension with the Pilots before the start of the 1978 season. Nadiryan took second in Pitcher of the Year voting that year with Prague again falling in the ELCS. He finished second again in 1979, leading the EL in WAR in both 1978 and 1978.

Nadiryan wouldn’t be a finalist again for Pitcher of the Year, but he carried on with consistently solid stats. Prague peaked in the late 1970s and fell back to mediocrity by the mid 1980s. Nadiryan would remain a constant though and never really had a huge decline. His final season of 1985 still saw 292.1 innings, a 2.52 ERA, and 4.3 WAR. He decided it was time to call it a career there at age 39. With Prague, Nadiryan had a 139-120 record, 2.37 ERA, 2429.1 innings, 2547 strikeouts, 217/279 quality starts, a 73 FIP-, and 63.6 WAR. The Pilots would retire his #26 uniform that winter.

Nadiryan’s final stats: 239-232 record, 2.32 ERA, 4505.1 innings, 4728 strikeouts, 855 walks, 408/524 quality starts, 289 complete games, 68 shutouts, 77 FIP-, and 109.4 WAR. At induction, he was third all-time in complete games, second in innings pitched, fourth in strikeouts, and fourth in pitching WAR. Nadiryan’s ERA is among the best of the EPB Hall of Famers, but he doesn’t get a ton of attention in the all-time best conversations. Being stuck on some lousy teams hurt his recognition with traditionalists pointing at a 50.7% win percentage, among the worst of any inductee. Had Nadiryan played on one of the great dynasties, he’d probably be given the greater attention he probably deserved. Still, his Hall of Fame status wasn’t in question, getting the first ballot nod with 95.6%.

FuzzyRussianHat

01-24-2024 11:01 AM

1991 OBA Hall of Fame

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The Oceania Baseball Association had one Hall of Famer in 1991 with perhaps the most decorated player in baseball history; Jimmy Caliw. He was a first ballot selection with 96.9%. No one else was above 50% and only one other even got to the 1/3 mark with SP Ramgopal Singh debuting with 38.2%. No one was dropped after ten failed ballots.

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Jimmy Caliw – Shortstop/Second Base – Adelaide Aardvarks – 96.9% First Ballot

Jimmy Caliw was a 6’1’’, 180 pound left-handed hitting middle infielder from Calaca, a city in the Philippines with around 87,000 people in the Province of Batangas. As a batter, Caliw was a solid contact hitter with excellent all around power. He averaged around 40 home runs per season along with around 35 doubles/triples per year. Caliw could often leg out extra bases as he had very good speed and excellent base stealing instincts. He had a respectable eye early in his run and a great eye in his later years. Caliw could draw walks respectably, although his strikeout rate was around average.

While his batting was great, Caliw was legendary defensively. He made around 70% of his starts at shortstop with most of the rest at second base. At both spots, he was incredible with his glove and some historians argue he was maybe the most valuable defensive player in pro baseball history. Between Caliw’s OBA and MLB tenures, he won a world record 17 Gold Gloves. He also added a world record 17 Silver Sluggers to complement his defense. Helping him accomplish this was his legendary durability at a very physically demanding position. From 1968-85, Caliw started in 145+ games in every season sans 1981. All of this made Caliw a baseball superstar and one of the most valuable players in the history of the game.

Unlike most young Filipino players, Caliw’s career didn’t start out in Austronesia Professional Baseball. He was spotted at a showcase by a scout from Adelaide when he was only 17 years old. The Aardvarks were enamored by Caliw’s potential and signed him to a developmental deal, bringing him to Australia. He made his official debut in 1967 at age 21 with 35 games. Caliw earned the starting role the next year and would become a prolific starter for the next 22 seasons.

He technically played enough in 1967 to make him ineligible for Rookie of the Year honors in 1968. Caliw’s first full season saw him immediately emerge as a star, winning his first Silver Slugger and Gold Glove along with a second place in MVP voting. He would win the Silver Slugger in all of his 12 full seasons with the Aardvarks and take the Gold Glove in all but his final year. Caliw had 9.8 WAR in the 1968 season and would record 10+ each of the next nine seasons, leading the Australasia League each of those years.

With Adelaide, he led the AL in runs scored six times, hits twice, home runs four times, RBI three times, total bases five times, average once, OBP twice, slugging four times, OPS four times, and wRC+ four times. Caliw also first appeared in the World Baseball Championship in 1969 for the Philippines. He made 260 starts from 1969-89 and had 268 hits, 221 runs, 33 doubles, 121 home runs, 217 RBI, 121 walks, 106 stolen bases, a .287/.384/.720 slash, 209 wRC+, and 19.4 WAR. The WBC exposed him to the entire baseball world as one of the game’s true greats. He was Tournament MVP in 1977 and retired as the all-time WBC home run leader with 121. As of 2037, Caliw is third in hitting WAR, third in RBI, seventh in hits, and fourth in runs scored in World Baseball Championship history.

Back to Adelaide, Caliw won the Australasia League MVP nine consecutive seasons from 1969-1977 and took second in 1978. The Aardvarks were just outside of first place in the early 1970s, then put together a dynasty run led by Caliw. Adelaide was the 1974, 76, and 77 OBA champions. In his 19 finals games with the Aardvarks, Caliw had 20 hits, 13 runs, 5 home runs, 11 RBI, and 1.0 WAR. Adelaide fell to below .500 after the 1977 title with Caliw seeing his worst two seasons in 1978 and 1978. Granted, he still had 7.9 and 6.1 WAR, but his power and average both dropped from previous norms.

Now age 34, Caliw was seemingly entering the back end of his career. Adelaide was starting to rebuild and didn’t feel they could compete with the big money that Caliw would still command. They didn’t re-sign him after the 1979 season, but his #4 uniform would eventually be retired. This also marked the end of his Oceania Baseball Association run, although Caliw still had another decade of baseball left.

With Adelaide, Caliw had 1928 hits, 1089 runs, 302 doubles, 134 triples, 417 home runs, 1096 RBI, 591 stolen bases, a .273/.330/.530 slash, 165 wRC+, and 138.0 WAR. He was OBA’s hitting WARlord when he left and still holds that distinction as of 2037. A lot of that was from his incredible defense, as Caliw wouldn’t be at the top of the counting stat leaderboards since he left when he did. Even still, some will argue he was OBA’s all-time best position player, even if someone like Sione Hala and others to come were more impressive pure hitters. Caliw was a Hall of Fame lock, getting in at 96.9%.

However, it was the next decade that would help put Caliw into the all-timer conversations for all of pro baseball. His WBC exploits especially drew the attention of Major League Baseball teams. Seeing Caliw excel on that stage eased the fears of some bidders that Caliw’s success was because of the comparatively weaker talent of OBA. Some other teams were worried he had already peaked and didn’t want to commit big money to a 34-year old. Houston was not deterred however and gave Caliw a five-year, $3,500,000 contract.

The Hornets were immediately rewarded with Caliw leading the American Association in his debut in both home runs and WAR as he thrived in the higher offensive environment offered in MLB. Caliw received 1980 MVP honors; the tenth in total of his career. Houston also earned a third straight AACS appearance, although they were thwarted by Dallas. They made the playoffs again in 1983 and 1984, although suffered early exits both times.

In four of his five seasons with the Hornets, Caliw was the AA’s WARlord. He won MVP twice more in 1982 and 1983 and finished second in 1984. This made Caliw a 12-time MVP between MLB/OBA, beating the previous world record of 10 by CABA legend Kiko Velazquez. He’d be the only player in pro baseball history with 12 MVPs until matched and passed in the 2030s by APB’s Binh Tang. He also won Silver Sluggers in 1980, 82, 83, and 84 with the Hornets to get to 16 total. It was his first major injury, a sprained ankle that cost him seven weeks, which likely kept Caliw from also winning the award in 1981. Caliw also had Gold Gloves from 1980-84 to get to 16 there. Each of his AA GGs were at shortstop. In OBA, he won five at shortstop and six at second base.

Caliw’s final stats with Houston had 782 hits, 497 runs, 203 home runs, 545 RBI, a .289/.362/.569 slash, and 47.2 WAR. His Hornets deal expired after the 1985 season and Caliw was a free agent at age 39. Montreal signed him to a two-year, $2,880,000 contract. In his Maples debut, he won his world record 17th Gold Glove and 17th Silver Slugger, finishing second in MVP voting with 9.4 WAR. Montreal would suffer a first round playoff exit.

Caliw’s second season was his first time missing more than half of the year thanks to a late March torn labrum. He got back in the late fall, but missed the postseason with a strained PCL. Still, in a year and a half with Montreal, Caliw had 14.0 WAR, 204 hits, 131 runs, 53 home runs, and 131 RBI. It was there that Caliw officially crossed 200 career WAR, a mark that a position player had never reached in baseball history to that point.

A free agent again now at age 41, Caliw signed a two-year, $3,040,000 deal with Philadelphia. He showed he could still go, taking third in MVP voting in 1987 with 41 home runs. His power fell off significantly in 1988, but he still posted a very strong 6.2 WAR season. The Phillies made it to the National Association Championship Series, but fell to Virginia Beach. With Philadelphia, Caliw had 12.7 WAR with 257 hits, 178 runs, 60 home runs, and 146 RBI.

Those were his last good seasons. Caliw signed for 1989 with Atlanta, but was barely a league average hitter. It took until his mid 40s, but he was finally a subpar defender as his range was diminished. Caliw went to Salt Lake City in 1990, but suffered a fractured ankle in early April that forced his retirement. He was one of a very select group to still be playing up to age 44.

For his MLB career, Caliw had 1389 hits, 884 runs, 182 doubles, 331 home runs, 879 RBI, 313 stolen bases, a .277/.357/.530 slash, 146 wRC+, and 75.9 WAR. He officially wasn’t eligible for the MLB Hall of Fame, as players are removed from consideration once they’re elected to any other HOF. His accumulations probably wouldn’t have gotten him in, but Caliw had a genuine shot to get into both,

For his entire pro career, Caliw had 3317 hits, 1973 runs, 484 doubles, 180 triples, 748 home runs, 1975 RBI, 1130 walks, 904 stolen bases, a .275/.341/.530 slash, 157 wRC+, and 214.0 WAR. The offensive numbers are great in any context, but the incredible defense put him over the top with a career zone rating of 252.0 at shortstop and 136.9 at second base. Caliw had a 1.098 EFF at second and 1.079 at short.

This made him the all-tine WARlord for all players in baseball history. This passed the previous mark for a position player of 189.1 by CABA/MLB great Prometheo Garcia. This even passed world strikeout king Mohamed Ramos, who had been the only other 200+ guy with 205.1 over his legendary pitching career in South America.

Once advanced metrics and defensive stats became more commonly looked at, baseball historians began to look at Jimmy Caliw and ask, “is this the single most valuable player in pro baseball history?” Looking at the trophy case, he’s the most decorated of all-time. There were a select group you could say were better hitters and an even smaller group who were better fielders, but Caliw combined this into a remarkable package. He would only finally surrender the WARlord title in the late 2020s to Englishman Harvey Coyle, who combined equally impressive defense at shortstop with prolific home run power. In his own time, Caliw was a beloved baseball legend in his home country of the Philippines, in Australia from his Adelaide run, and in North America from his MLB tenure. As the years passed, the appreciation for how special he was has only grown.

FuzzyRussianHat

01-24-2024 06:02 PM

1991 APB Hall of Fame

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For 1991, first baseman Francis Pung was the lone addition into the Austronesia Professional Baseball Hall of Fame. On his second ballot, Pung got the bump up to 75.9%. Three others were above 50%, led by SP Ary Mustofa at 58.8% on his third ballot. 1B Po-Yu Shao got 57.6% on his fourth attempt and CL Lee Tira had 55.9% in his fourth. No players were dropped after ten failed ballots.

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Francis Pung – First Base – Davao Devil Rays – 75.9% First Ballot

Francis Pung was a 6’4’’, 200 pound left-handed first baseman from Olongapo, a city of around 260,000 people in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Pung was a fantastic contact hitter and an expert at putting the ball in play. He was excellent at avoiding strikeouts, but only okay at drawing walks. Pung had very good gap power, averaging around 30 doubles and another 10-15 triples per year. He also had solid speed and baserunning instincts, allowing him to leg out extra bases. Pung wasn’t a prolific home run hitter, but still got you around 10-15 per year on average. He was considered fairly durable and spent his entire career at first base. Defensively, Pung was slightly below average, but he wasn’t a liability by any means.

His family moved from the Philippines to Taiwan when he was a teenager. Pung played at Dali High School in Taipei and excelled, which earned him attention in the 1966 APB Draft. He was a rare high school draft pick, taken in the third round with the 50<sup>th</sup> overall pick by Davao. Pung was a rarely used pinch hitter in his first two years, spending most of his time in developmental. He was a part time starter in 1969, then earned the starting role in 1970. From there, Pung’s only missed starts in the next 13 years with Davao came with occasional small injuries.

With the Devil Rays, Pung won seven batting titles. He led the Taiwan-Philippine Association in hits five times, doubles twice, RBI once, OBP four times, and OPS once. Pung picked up five Silver Sluggers (1971, 72, 73, 80, 81). He took second in 1972’s MVP voting and second again a decade later in 1982. Pung took the top honor once, winning MVP in 1978. That year had a career-best .922 OPS and .384 OBP.

Davao won the Philippine League title four times in Pung’s tenure. In 1975, the Devil Rays won the TPA title, falling in the Austronesia Championship to Semarang. In 27 playoff starts, Pung had 34 hits, 11 runs, 9 doubles, 2 home runs, and 10 RBI. He also played for the Philippines in the World Baseball Championship from 1973-83, although primarily as a pinch hitter. In 69 games and 19 starts, Pung had 26 hits, 15 runs, 6 home runs, and 16 RBI.

Pung was very popular with Davao, who locked him up after the 1975 season to an eight-year, $2,528,000 contract extension. The Devil Rays would eventually retire his #18 uniform as well. After a solid 1970s, Davao began to struggle and rebuild, bottoming out at 61-101 in 1983. Pung had put up consistent stats before that, but his slugging fell noticeably to start that year. Still, he reached the 2500 hit and 1000 RBI milestones with Davao. He finished his Devil Rays tenure with 2533 hits, passing Angelo Mula’s all-time APB mark of 2517.

1983 was the last year of his contact and Davao would trade him that summer to Manila for shortstops Romzi Ceputra and Suwita Sumarna. The Manatees got to the playoffs, but were one-and-done. Pung stayed in the Philippines and signed in 1984 with Zamboanga, where he had one okay season as a Zebra. He went unsigned in 1985, retiring that winter at age 37.

For his career, Pung had 2741 hits, 1032 runs, 457 doubles, 199 triples, 197 home runs, 1119 RBI, 738 stolen bases, a .309/.346/.473 slash, and 68.1 WAR. He was the APB hit king at retirement and the all-time leader in batting average and doubles. In the low offense environment of APB, he’s still seventh in hits, seventh in doubles, and fourth in batting average as of 2037. The advanced stats weren’t friendly to him though with the lack of home run power or defensive value. Of the 26 APB Hall of Fame hitters as of 2037, Pung is 25<sup>th</sup> in WAR. He barely missed the cut on his first ballot with 65.7%. But you can’t leave the hit king out and Pung got the bump to 75.9% to earn second ballot induction as the lone member of the 1991 class.

FuzzyRussianHat

01-25-2024 04:28 AM

1991 CLB Hall of Fame

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1991 very nearly had no new Hall of Famers for Chinese League Baseball, but starting pitcher Lixuan Xiao made it in just barely. On his second ballot, Xiao crossed the 66% requirement with 66.9%. RF Xinze Yan barely missed joining him with 65.4% on his second ballot. 1B Shenchao An had a solid debut, but missed out at 60.3%. The other player above 50% was SP Li Jin with 52.1% in his fifth ballot. No players were dropped after their tenth ballot.

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Lixuan Xiao – Starting Pitcher – Shanghai Seawolves – 66.9% Second Ballot

Lixuan Xiao was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Fushun, a city with around 1,850,000 people in Northeast China’s Liaoning Province. Xiao had strong control and movement on his pitches, which allowed him to succeed despite having merely average stuff. His velocity peaked at 93-95 mph with a six pitch arsenal. His sinker, splitter, and forkball were his best pitches, although he also had a changeup, curveball, and knuckle curve. Xiao had excellent stamina and led the league twice in innings pitched. He also had pretty good durability and reliably gave you 200+ innings each season.

Xiao was picked 23<sup>rd</sup> overall by Shanghai in the 1971 CLB Draft. The Seawolves only used him as an occasional reliever in his first two seasons. Xiao earned a spot in the rotation in 1974 and was a regular starter for the rest of his run in China. In 1975, he emerged almost out of nowhere as an ace, leading the Northern League in ERA (1.42) and posting 9.5 WAR. This got Xiao the Pitcher of the Year and helped Shanghai to a playoff appearance.

Xiao had a career best 9.9 WAR in 1976 and led the league in wins at 23-6, taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting. He wasn’t great in his two playoff starts, but Xiao helped Shanghai get to the China Series for the first time, where they lost to Xi’an. The Seawolves fell off after that, but Xiao earned his second Pitcher of the Year in 1977, leading the league with a 0.76 WHIP. On May 1, 1977, he tossed CLB’s seventh perfect game, striking out 13 against Harbin.

In total with Shanghai, Xiao had an 80-56 record, 1.91 ERA, 1418.2 innings, 1352 strikeouts, 228 walks, and 40.6 WAR. The franchise considered him an important enough early era player to retire his #4 uniform in 1988. His run with the Seawolves ended in the summer of 1979, as he put up middling stats in the first half. Shanghai traded him in July to Nanjing for LF Jingbo Zhang and RF Weiwei Mewlan.

Xiao pitched better in the second half with the Nuggets and gave them a respectable 1980 effort, although he wouldn’t be an awards finalist ever again. Xiao became a free agent after the 1980 season at age 32 and signed a four-year, $2,160,000 deal with Wuhan. He was steady with the Wolverines, twice posting 7+ WAR seasons. In total with Wuhan, Xiao had a 50-43 record, 2.20 ERA, 963.1 innings, 909 strikeouts, and 23.4 WAR.

In his final season with the Wolverines, Xiao missed two months to an elbow strain. Some teams were weary of his value as he was a now a 36-year old free agent. Xiao would leave China, finding a job in Haiti on a two-year, $1,600,000 deal. He was below average in his two seasons with the Herons, posting a 4.15 ERA and 2.2 WAR with an ERA+ of 84. He went to Costa Rica in 1987 and got a CABA Championship ring. He only tossed 24.2 innings with the Rays before suffering a catastrophic torn rotator cuff. This put Xiao out 12 months, but he didn’t want to retire. A setback in December 1987 meant another 15 months of recovery. He finally relented and retired in late 1988 at age 40.

Xiao’s final stats in CLB: 153-114 record, 2.02 ERA, 2776.1 innings, 2688 strikeouts, 392 walks, 280/346 quality starts, 118 complete games, 72 FIP-, and 72.9 WAR. Xiao didn’t have big totals, but the advanced stats suggested he was pretty good even when adjusted for the very low offense of Chinese baseball. The CLB voters were also far more favorable to pitchers, as evidenced by the other eight Hall of Famers before Xiao all being pitchers. He missed out at 55.7% on his debut, but in a weak 1991 class, got the bump to 66.9% to just cross the line.

FuzzyRussianHat

01-25-2024 01:13 PM

1991 WAB Hall of Fame

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In 1991, pitcher Axel Kouacou became the third member of the West African Baseball Hall of Fame. In his debut ballot, Kouacou received 94.8%. Only one other player was above 50% with SP Adul dos Santos at 58.5% on his third try. No players fell off the ballot after ten tries.

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Axel Kouacou – Pitcher – Benin City Blue Devils – 94.8% First Ballot

Axel Kouacou was a 5’10’’, 190 pound left-handed pitcher from Sinfra, a city with around 137,000 people in the central part of Cote d’Ivoire. Kouacou had only two pitches, but knew how to masterfully switch between them. He had a 96-98 mph cutter and an incredible changeup. Changing speeds was Kouacou’s calling card, making up for having subpar control and okay movement. He had solid stamina and was considered a good defensive pitcher.

When West Africa Baseball was formed for the 1975 season, Kouacou was already 26-years old and established on the Ivory Coast. He went to Nigeria to start his WAB career, signing with Benin City. Kouacou was a starting pitcher for his first five seasons as a Blue Devil and an effective one, leading the Eastern League in strikeouts from 1976-78. In 1977, Kouacou won Pitcher of the Year with a league-best 26-3 record and 10.9 WAR. He took third in POTY voting in 1978.

Benin City was solid in the early days of WAB, but were knocked out in the wild card round in both 1975 and 1978. Kouacou struggled a bit in 1979 with a career worst 3.86 as improved hitters were able to figure out his two pitches. At this point, it was decided that the 31-year old Kouacou would be moved to the bullpen. For the rest of his career, he was a closer. The Blue Devils got to the ELCS in 1980, but fell to Port Harcourt.

Kouacou pitched for the Ivory Coast from 1977-85 in the World Baseball Championship, making some starts but primarily as a reliever. He posted a 3.94 ERA over 75.1 innings with 112 strikeouts and 1.4 WAR. 1980 would be his final year with Benin City, finishing with a 103-55 record, 40 saves, 3.05 ERA, 1350 innings, 1845 strikeouts, and 39.3 WAR.

Kouacou became a free agent at age 32 and signed with Kumasi. He excelled in the closer role in his first year with the Monkeys, posting a 1.07 ERA. This earned Kouacou Reliever of the Year and a third place in Pitcher of the Year. The Monkeys made the playoffs all three years he was there, but couldn’t get beyond the WLCS. Kouacou was second in 1983 Reliever of the Year voting as well. In total with Kumasi, he had 95 saves, 1.73 ERA, 244.2 innings, 419 strikeouts, and 10.9 WAR.

Before the 1984 season, Kumasi traded Kouacou to Lagos for three prospects. He spent two seasons with Lizards and was a huge part of their 1985 championship season. In 15.1 playoff innings, Kouacou struck out 28 with a 0.59 ERA, three saves, and five shutdowns. He was still only 36 years old after this season, but Kouacou decided that was a good time to retire.

Kouacou’s final stats: 138-82 record, 206 saves, 2.82 ERA, 1785 innings, 2551 strikeouts, 470 walks, 235 shutdowns, 116/117 quality starts, FIP- of 67, and 54.9 WAR. He had a very unique accomplishment in baseball history, having won Pitcher of the Year as a starter and also later winning Reliever of the Year. With his split career and late official start, it is hard to evaluate Kouacou’s stats. It was also tougher considering the still relative newness of WAB and its unique environment. The Hall of Fame voters were easily swayed though by Kouacou’s resume, putting him in on the first ballot at 94.8%.

FuzzyRussianHat

01-25-2024 05:40 PM

1991 World Baseball Championship

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The 1991 World Baseball Championship was the 45<sup>th</sup> edition of the event and the first to be hosted within the Arab world as the primary host city was Cairo, Egypt. Division 1 had a first-time winner with Greece on top at 8-1, edging out 7-2 Ukraine and 6-3 Venezuela. The Greeks become the 62<sup>nd</sup> different nation to advance to the elite eight at least once. In Division 2, the United States was first at 8-1 with last year’s third place team Pakistan second at 6-3. After a rare miss the prior year, the Americans advance to the elite eight for the 38<sup>th</sup> time. China snapped a six-year division title drought, going unbeaten in D3. It was the 14<sup>th</sup> division title for the Chinese.

In Division 4, France went undefeated at 9-0, outracing 7-2 Australia and Japan. It was the seventh division title for the French and their first since 1986. In D5, Germany claimed first at 8-1, beating Mexico by a game. It was the German’s seventh division win and first since their 1983 world title. Russia, last year’s runner-up, finished 5-4.

D6 had a three-way tie for first at 7-2 between Cuba, India, and Spain. Nigeria and Sweden were both close by at 6-3. The tiebreakers favored Cuba for only their third-ever elite eight appearance (1947, 1953). The 38-year gap between division titles for the Cubans was a record. In Division 7, two-time defending world champ Brazil won at 7-2, topping both Turkey and South Korea by one. This was the 25<sup>th</sup> time advancing for the Brazilians. And in Division 8, Canada and New Zealand tied for first at 6-3, while five countries were 5-4 (Bolivia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, England, Indonesia). The tiebreaker went to the Canadians, denying the Kiwis their first-ever division title. It was the 27<sup>th</sup> time advancing for Canada, second most behind the Americans.

In the Double Round Robin Group A, Canada had the top mark at 4-2. Both Germany and China went 3-3 and Greece went 2-4. The tiebreaker favored the Germans to give them only their fourth-ever semifinal appearance. For the Canadians, it was their 21<sup>st</sup> time advancing to the final four. Group B had Brazil on top at 5-1, advancing along with 4-2 Cuba. France finished 2-4 and the United States was 1-5. It was the 14<sup>th</sup> time to the semifinal for Brazil, keeping their three-peat hopes alive. It was Cuba’s second-ever final four appearance, as they took third in the inaugural 1947 WBC.

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In the semifinal, Canada clobbered Cuba with a 3-0 sweep, while Germany edged Brazil 3-2. This moved the Canadians to the championship for the second time in three years and for the 13<sup>th</sup> time overall. For the Germans, this was their second time in the final. Brazil officially took third, giving them five straight editions in the top four.

In the 45<sup>th</sup> World Championship, Canada cruised to the crown 4-1 for their fifth-ever title, joining their 1954, 59, 67, and 86 wins. The Canadians are now 5-8 all-time in their finals berths. Tournament MVP was Germany’s Robert Beck, a third-year third baseman with Hamburg. In 24 starts, Beck had 30 hits, 17 runs, 7 doubles, 8 home runs, 19 RBI, and 1.9 WAR. China’s Shoushan Ilhamjan was named Best Pitcher. An 11-year veteran with Shanghai, he pitched 11.2 innings with a 0.00 ERA, allowing only three hits and two unearned runs with 15 strikeouts and two walks.

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Other notes: For the third straight WBC, zero no-hitters were thrown. Next year would make up for lost time with five no-hitters.

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FuzzyRussianHat

01-26-2024 04:38 AM

1991 in ALB

FuzzyRussianHat

01-26-2024 12:36 PM

1991 in ABF

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For the third consecutive season, Gujranwala and Peshawar emerged as the playoff teams out of the Pakistan League. They swapped positions in the standings again with the Predators first at 91-71 and the Grasshoppers one behind at 90-72. Faisalabad was right in the mix at 89-73 but fell short. Hyderabad at 84-78 also made a solid run at the throne.

Gujranwala catcher Razak Mohiyoudeen won back-to-back Pakistan League MVP honors. He posted 10.6 WAR with 36 home runs, 98 RBI, a .303/.366/.556 slash and 212 wRC+. Peshawar’s Muhib Salahuddin won Pitcher of the Year, leading the PL with a 1.45 ERA. He had an 11-7 record over 230.1 innings with 293 strikeouts and 6.6 WAR.

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The West Asia Association saw repeat league champs in 1991 as well. Izmir had the best overall record at 101-61 to claim the Turkish League, finishing 14 games better than second place Adana. Defending ABF champ Mashhad won the Persian League at 99-63. Tehran was a distant second at 84-78.

Tabriz finished at .500, but second year 1B Vahid Hadadi made history by winning WAA MVP again. After setting the single-season home run record at 67 in 1990, Hadadi bested that with an impressive 74 dingers. This remains the ABF record as of 2037. The Iranian lefty also was the leader in runs (121), RBI (141), total bases (424), slugging (.752), OPS (1.133), wRC+ (218), and WAR (10.6). Pitcher of the Year was Bursa righty Fahri Unal. In his third season, the 25-year old Turk was the WARlord (9.0) with the most innings (284) and quality starts (26). Poor run support from the middling Blue Claws gave him a 13-13 record despite his 2.54 ERA and 319 strikeouts.

The Pakistan League Championship Series was round three between Peshawar and Gujranwala. The previous two encounters both went to the Predators in seven games. The 1991 edition was on its way to be a Peshawar sweep, but the Grasshoppers rallied from down 3-0 to win the series in seven for their first pennant. In the West Asia Association Championship, Izmir got revenge in the rematch with Mashhad, taking their first pennant 4-2.

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The seventh Asian Baseball Federation Championship was the first to end in a sweep. Gujranwala clobbered Izmir to bring the title back to a PL team after the last three went to the WAA. CF Mahmood Omar was the star of the postseason for the Grasshoppers, winning both finals MVP and PLCS MVP. The 27-year old in 11 starts had 16 hits, 5 runs, 2 doubles, 2 triples, 7 RBI, and 4 walks.

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Other notes: Peshawar 2B Muyassar Egal had two impressive hit streaks, first with a 34-game one that ended on May 20, then a 22-game streak that ended on July 25. The 34-game streak was the second-best in ABF’s history to that point. During the first streak, Egal had 49 consecutive games where he got on base.

FuzzyRussianHat

01-26-2024 05:44 PM

1991 in SAB

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The Indian League’s 1991 division champs were the same three teams from the prior year. Defending South Asia Baseball champ Ahmedabad had the top overall record in the IL for the fourth straight year (111-51) and extended their postseason streak to seven seasons. This earned the Animals the West Division for the sixth time in that streak. Kanpur (104-58) claimed the Central Division for the fourth time in five years and Visakhapatnam (87-75) won the South Division for the third consecutive season. In the wild card race, 91-71 Delhi edged out Surat by two games, ending the Silver Sox’s wild card streak at three seasons. For the Drillers, this was their first-ever playoff berth, leaving Mumbai as the only SAB team without at least one playoff berth in SAB’s first 12 seasons.

Ahmedabad LF K.C. Choudhury won Indian League MVP for the second time. The 31-year old was the WARlord (12.5) and a Gold Glove winner while also leading in runs (125), walks (122), OBP (.428), OPS (1.068), and wRC+ (240). Choudhry added 81 stolen bases, 45 home runs, and 114 RBI. Delhi’s Sai Sameer won Pitcher of the Year. Nicknamed “Dawg,” the 26-year old righty had a league-best 14 complete games along with 9.2 WAR over 252.1 innings, 292 strikeouts, a 1.879 ERA, and 17-7 record.

Both first round playoff series were classics that needed all five games. Ahmedabad survived a fierce challenge in Delhi’s postseason debut, while Visakhapatnam upset Kanpur on the road. The Animals would cruise to a sweep over the Volts in the Indian League Championship Series to continue their dynasty. For Ahmedabad, that makes three straight IL pennants and five in six years.

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The Southeast Asia League looked similar in the South Division in 1991, but different in the North. Defending SEAL champ Ho Chi Minh City was first again at 106-56, earning a third consecutive division title and an eighth playoff berth in nine years. There was a huge 20 game gap to second place, but Johor Bahru (86-76) and Phnon Penh (85-77) both continued their wild card streaks. It was the fourth consecutive one for the Pandas and the third for the Blue Wings. Vientiane at 83-79 was just outside at the end, as was three-time defending North Division Hanoi at 82-80. Dhaka ran away with the North at 107-55, setting a franchise record with an impressive turnaround after five straight losing seasons for the Dobermans. This earned Dhaka the top seed entering the playoffs.

Yangon was a non-factor at 70-92, but 2B Abdul Deepkaran still pulled off SEAL MVP honors. The 26-year old Indian won the batting title (.344) and led in hits (206). Deepkaran added 89 runs, 27 home runs, and 9.1 WAR. Pitcher of the Year was Dhaka rookie Ton Loi Hoang. He had debuted the prior year in spring training, but missed all of 1990 with a torn flexor tendon. The 24-year old Vietnamese righty returned from the injury with the league lead in wins at 20-9 and quality starts with 27. Hoang added 8.0 WAR over 238 innings with 308 strikeouts and a 2.16 ERA.

Both division champs won in the first round, but both were taken to the brink and needed all five games. Ho Chi Minh City survived Johor Bahru and Dhaka outlasted Phnon Penh. This gave the Hedgehogs their fifth consecutive appearance in the Southeast Asia League Championship Series with a shot at a three-peat. It was the fifth appearance for the Dobermans, but their first since making four straight from 1981-84. The series was a seven game classic with Dhaka winning over HCMC, giving the Dobermans their third pennant.

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Despite Dhaka’s great roster, they also found themselves unable to handle the buzzsaw that is Ahmedabad. In the 12<sup>th</sup> South Asian Championship, the Animals beat the Dobermans 4-1 for their third consecutive SAB title and their fifth in six years. At this point in history, Ahmedabad is one of only two franchises in any world league to win five overall titles in six years along with Mexico City, who had a five-peat in CABA from 1969-73. Finals MVP was pitcher Shola Ibeh, a 31-year old Nigerian who came to India after nine seasons in West African Baseball. He was 3-0 over 5 playoff starts and 37.1 innings with 38 strikeouts, four walks, and 1.4 WAR.

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Other notes: VJ Williams became the first SAB player to 1000 runs scored and the second to 400 home runs. He also won his ninth Silver Slugger split between 1B and 2B. So far, nine is the most Sluggers for any player in SAB’s first 12 seasons.

FuzzyRussianHat

01-27-2024 04:56 AM

1991 in WAB

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Kumasi’s postseason streak continued to 14 seasons in 1991, the second longest streak in any world league behind only EBF’s Zurich (who got to 19 in 1991). For only the third time in that streak, the Monkeys (95-67) had the top record in the Western League. Their pitching staff had 1875 strikeouts as a team, which held until 2020 as the WL record. Second place went to 89-73 Monrovia, ending their stretch of eight straight losing seasons and an equally long playoff drought. Dakar narrowly took the third place spot and final playoff slot at 87-75, getting back-to-back berths. Defending WAB champ Conakry was stuck in a glut for fourth as they, Abidjan, and Freetown were each 84-78.

Coyotes LF Abel Alemu won Western League MVP as the 30-year old Ethiopian won the batting title at .353 and led in OBP at .384 and wRC+ at 185. He had 7.6 WAR, 211 hits, 99 runs, and 28 home runs. Dakar’s Ousseynou Darboe won back-to-back Pitcher of the Year, again leading in both ERA (1.68) and strikeouts (354). The ERA mark was the fourth lowest in WAB history to date. Darboe had 9.1 WAR and a 14-7 record over 247 innings with 27 quality starts and a 0.81 WHIP. Also of note was Monrovia closer Saidou Bolly, who won Reliever of the Year and set the WAB single season record of 51 saves. This passed the previous top mark of 50 and remains the standard as of 2037.

Dakar upset Monrovia 2-1 on the road in the wild card round, sending the Dukes to their third Western League Championship Series in four years. Despite their playoff streak, this was Kumasi’s eighth WLCS and they had gone 3-4 previously. The series went all five games with the Monkeys prevailing over Dakar for their fourth pennant (1979, 85, 87, 91).

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Two-time defending Eastern League champ Port Harcourt had won their pennants as a wild card. In 1991, the Hillcats finished first in the standings for the first time since 1980, going 106-56. They were five ahead of 101-61 Lagos, who bounced back after narrowly missing the field last year. The Lizards have been to the playoffs 13 times in WAB’s first 17 seasons. Ibadan got third at 90-72 for back-to-back wild card berths, finishing three ahead of Benin City and six better than Cotonou for the last spot. Lome, who won 100+ and took first in the prior two seasons, dropped to a sixth place 80-82.

Lagos ace Paul Akpan won both Eastern League Pitcher of the Year and MVP. He’s the third WAB pitcher to win an MVP and the second pure pitcher, as last year’s MVP Rudy Bambara was a two-way guy. Akpan posted WAB’s fourth pitching Triple Crown and became the second to do it along with Kouadio Diao’s three Triple Crowns from 1977-81. The 26-year old Nigerian lefty had a 23-8 record, 1.64 ERA, and 346 strikeouts over 258.2 innings. Akpan also led in WHIP (0.73), complete games (14), shutouts (8), and WAR (7.8). His ERA was the third lowest single season in WAB to that point with Albert Kamara having the best mark of 1.49.

The wild card round had Lagos hang on at home 2-1 over Ibadan, giving the Lizards their 11<sup>th</sup> appearance in the Eastern League Championship Series. Two-time defending EL champ Port Harcourt was actually the top seed this time, but it did them no good. Lagos swept the Hillcats for their eighth EL pennant (1977, 78, 79, 81, 83, 85, 88, 91).

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Both Lagos and Kumasi had been to the West African Championship multiple times, but with very different results. Entering the 17<sup>th</sup> finale, the Lizards had a 6-1 record in the championship, while the Monkeys had gone 0-3. The trends continued with Lagos taking the 1991 title in six games. Pitcher Messan Atte was finals MVP as the Togolese 28-year old went 4-0 in four playoff starts with a 0.90 ERA over 30 innings and 40 strikeouts. This marked the end of Kumasi’s 14-year playoff streak and while impressive, there forever remains a tinge of disappointment that they could never win it all. As of 2037, Lagos is one of two WAB to have won the championship 7+ times, only joined by Kano after the Condors’ late 1990s/early 2000s dynasty.

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Other notes: Addise Assefa became the third pitcher to reach 200 wins. Catcher Guy Kamga won his eighth straight Gold Glove.

Ilove_Telin54

01-27-2024 09:26 AM

yo where you find that all logo?

FuzzyRussianHat

01-27-2024 12:44 PM

1991 in CLB

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ilove_Telin54 (Post 5070015)

yo where you find that all logo?

The team logos are almost all from this thread. The league logos I forget what websites I used, but there were some templates available that I adjusted around to something that I thought made sense.

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

Dalian finished atop the Northern League standings for the third consecutive season. CLB runner-up last year and champ in 1989, the Gold Dragons finished at 93-69 atop the NL. Although they didn’t blow away the field, Dalian had the most runs scored (558) and fewest allowed (418) in the NL. At 89-73, Beijing took second to earn a semifinal berth for the first time since their mid 1980s dynasty. Five games back was Nanjing with three teams at six back. Hangzhou, the Chinese League Baseball champ last year, plummeted to an 11<sup>th</sup> place 73-89.

Winning Northern League MVP was Dalian’s Liang Shang Guan. Nicknamed “Nightmare,” the 24-year old second baseman led the league in runs (93), hits (207), doubles (40), triples (27), total bases (325), triple slash (.359/.409/.564), OPS (.973), wRC+ (225), and WAR (12.5). Shanghai’s Zengxiang Zhang won his second Pitcher of the Year in three years. For the fifth time, he was the ERA leader, this time at 1.44. Zhang led in WHIP (0.67), K/BB (36.2), FIP- (51), and WAR (8.9). He had a 15-8 record over 249.1 innings with 326 strikeouts and only 9 walks. Zhang’s BB/9 of 0.32 is still CLB’s single-season best as of 2037.

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The Southern League standings were top-heavy with three teams winning 100+ games. Wuhan and Shenzhen both finished at 105-57 with the tiebreaker giving the #1 spot to the Wolverines. This was an impressive turnaround for Wuhan, who won only 68 games the prior year and hadn’t earned a playoff spot since 1976. For the Spartans, this gave them their fourth consecutive playoff berth. Macau was third at 102-60, ending their playoff streak at three seasons. Xiamen was a distant fourth at 93-69, but notably had their own impressive rebound after taking last in 1990 at 62-100.

Shenzhen had the Southern League’s MVP and Pitcher of the Year. For the second time in three years, MVP was Chenchao Pan. The 28-year old shortstop had a league and career best 12.4 WAR while also leading with 101 runs, 23 triples, 327 total bases, .567 slugging, .915 OPS, and 213 wRC+. Pan also had a .291 average and 33 home runs, both high numbers in the low offense atmosphere of CLB. Pan would play one more year with the Spartans before leaving for MLB in 1993. Fourth-year righty Yiping Chen was Pitcher of the Year with an 18-9 record, 1.70 ERA, and 347 strikeouts over 243 innings for 9.4 WAR.

Although the Southern League’s teams had better win-loss records, both Northern League teams won the playoff semifinal matchups for the second consecutive season. Dalian topped Shenzhen 4-2 to give the Gold Dragons a third straight finals berth, while Beijing bested Wuhan in six. The Bears grabbed their sixth finals appearance and first since the 1984-87 dynasty run.

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In the 22<sup>nd</sup> China Series, Dalian defeated Beijing 4-2 to give the Gold Dragons two titles in three years. It is their third ring overall, having also won the 1975 crown. League MVP Liang Shang Guan was China Series MVP for the second time in his career. Over 12 playoff games, he had 14 hits, 7 runs, 1 double, 2 triples, 2 RBI, 8 walks, and 7 stolen bases.

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Other notes: Mingqi Dai became the seventh CLB hitter to 1000 career RBI. Baoxian He became the ninth pitcher to 3000 strikeouts. Wei Qin earned two Silver Sluggers in 1991; one as a pitcher and the other at first base. He now has seven total in his career.

FuzzyRussianHat

01-27-2024 04:15 PM

1991 in APB

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Both Taipei and Cebu were again atop their leagues within the Taiwan-Philippine Association. The Tigercats had the top overall record at 97-65 and were the only Taiwan League team above .500. This gave Taipei a fourth successive TL title. The defending TPA champ Crows won the Philippine League for the third time in four years. Cebu was 94-68, fending off solid efforts from two 90-72 squads in Davao and Zamboanga.

For the third time, Taipei 1B Eli Cheng won TPA MVP. The 29-year old lefty led the association in runs (97), home runs (52), RBI (102), and total bases (317). He added a 184 wRC+ and 6.4 WAR. This would be Cheng’s final season with the Tigercats, leaving for MLB and Las Vegas in the offseason on a seven-year, $16,960,000 deal. For the fourth time in five years, Cebu’s Alex Clavijo was Pitcher of the Year. The 27-year old lefty was one win short of back-to-back Triple Crowns with a 20-11 record, 409 strikeouts, and 1.61 WAR. Clavijo had 11.5 WAR over 279.2 innings with a 0.72 WHIP, 13.2 K/BB, and 46 FIP-.

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Surabaya had the Sundaland Association’s best record at 96-66, giving the Sunbirds their first Java League title since winning the 1979 Austronesia Championship. Surabaya unseated defending APB champ Semarang for first, topping the 92-70 Sliders by four games. In the Malacca League, Batam grabbed repeat titles. At 89-73, the Blue Raiders were the only team of five above .500 in the ML.

Leading Surabaya’s success was Sundaland Association MVP Gede Mamuaya. The third-year third baseman led in WAR (10.8) and walks (69), adding 45 home runs, 100 RBI, a .927 OPS and 220 wRC+. Carson Lim won his second Pitcher of the Year, having previously won the 1985 award with Quezon. After a decade with the Zombies, Lim was traded to Semarang and led in wins (22-8), complete games (24), and shutouts. The 32-year old righty added a 1.60 ERA over 270.1 innings with 251 strikeouts and 5.8 WAR. Lim left for Zamboanga for his final four seasons, but struggled with injuries.

In a Taiwan-Philippine Association Championship rematch, Cebu was again victorious over Taipei. The Crows did it in seven games this time, earning their third pennant (1980, 90, 91). In the Sundaland Association Championship, Batam bested Surabaya 4-2. It was the third pennant for the Blue Raiders, who also got wins over the Sunbirds for their 1972 and 1973 titles.

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

Ahead of the 27<sup>th</sup> Austronesia Championship, both teams were looking for their second-ever overall ring. Batam’s lone title came in 1972, while Cebu claimed the 1980 crown. After taking runner-up the prior season, it was the Crows claiming the 1991 throne in a seven game classic over the Blue Raiders. 3B Yi-Cheng Sun was finals MVP, posting 13 hits, 7 runs, 3 doubles, 1 home run, and 8 RBI over 14 playoff starts.

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

Other notes: Vhon Lasam became the first APB pitcher to reach 5000 strikeouts. He’d pitch one more season and finish with 5365, remaining APB’s strikeout king until passed in the early 2010s by Dedi Dewi. Lasam is still #2 as of 2037. Dave Hermillo became the second to reach 4500 Ks and became the first to 250 wins. Hermillo also had one more season and ended with 269 wins, although he’d lose the top spot by the end of the decade. He still sits fourth best as of 2037. Kuo-Long Tsai became the fifth to reach 200 wins. Stallion Ricciardi was the sixth closer to reach 300 saves.

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