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FuzzyRussianHat

05-13-2024 05:00 PM

2003 BSA Hall of Fame

FuzzyRussianHat

05-14-2024 03:36 AM

2003 EBF Hall of Fame

https://i.imgur.com/3kQi3Ac.png

The European Baseball Federation added two into its Hall of Fame in 2003, although they entered with very different paths. RF Sean Houston was an absolute slam dunk with 99.3% and a first ballot nod. He was joined by SP Cornelius Danner, who finally crossed the 66% requirement with 68.2% on his tenth and final chance. Danner was the first-ever EBF inductee to make it on the final try.

Two others were just above 50% with LF Josip Stojanovic at 53.4% on his third ballot and LF Husnija Kojic at 52.4% on his seventh go. No players were dropped after ten failed attempts.

https://i.imgur.com/eYoe6CD.png

Sean Houston – Right Field – Birmingham Bees – 99.3% First Ballot

Sean Houston was a 5’10’’, 185 pound switch-hitting right fielder from Kirkcaldy, a town of 49,000 on Scotland’s east coast. Houston was THE slugger of the Northern Conference in the 1980s and 1990s, hitting 50+ home runs eight times in his career. He was an excellent contact hitter as well with great gap power, averaging 30 doubles and 13 triples per 162 game average. Houston also had an above average strikeout rate, although he drew far fewer walks than you’d expect with his power profile.

Despite his power, Houston had average to sometimes above average speed and could leg out extra bags. His only major flaw was defense. Houston played pretty much exclusively in right field and was an abysmal defender. Regardless, his bat was tremendous and he was an ironman, playing 149+ games in all but his rookie season. Houston was also a team captain and an excellent leader, becoming one of the most adored baseball figures of the United Kingdom.

Houston’s potential was spotted even out of high school in Scotland. You didn’t too often have high school draft picks in the EBF Draft, but Birmingham felt Houston was worth bucking that trend. With the 25<sup>th</sup> pick in the 1978 EBF Draft, the Bees brought him in. It would be one of their finest-ever decisions, as he’d give them 17 excellent years. Houston trained in the academy in 1979 and 1980, officially debuting in 1981 at age 22.

Houston was primarily a pinch hitter in his rookie season, then was a full-time starter from year two onward. In his sophomore campaign, Houston posted 7.6 WAR, earning his first of 11 consecutive Silver Sluggers. As of 2037, he’s one of only four outfielders with 11 or more Sluggers and is the only one to win his consecutively. In his third season, Houston was third in MVP voting.

Houston went on an epic tear from 1984-87 with four straight Northern Conference MVPs, posting 8+ WAR in each season. In 1984, he crushed 72 home runs with 167 RBI and 144 runs scored, setting EBF records for each stat. He’d lose both the HR and RBI records to Mattias Stole in 1994 and lose the runs record by one in 2019 to Jean-Paul Lafontaine. However, his 522 total bases in 1984 is still EBF’s top mark as of 2037. Houston is one of only seven EBF sluggers with a 70+ dinger season and his 167 RBI in 1984 is still second all-time behind Stole’s 183.

Wisely after the remarkable 1984, Birmingham extended Houston for eight years and $6,530,000, During this four year stretch, Houston led in RBI, total bases, slugging, OPS, and wRC+ each season. He also led in homers thrice, hits twice, runs twice, WAR once, and batting average once. The Bees would win five British Isles Division titles from 1983-88, but they would go one-and-done four times. In 1985, they lost to Copenhagen in the conference final.

Houston was beloved at this point in Birmingham and back home in Scotland. He played in the World Baseball Championship for the Scottish team from 1982-94, playing 112 games with 109 starts. He posted 130 hits, 65 runs, 23 doubles, 32 home runs, 70 RBI, a .296/.342/.572 slash, 161 wRC+, and 5.2 WAR.

Houston had merely a good season in 1988, then got back into the MVP picture. He won the top honor in 1989, 90, and 91, becoming EBF’s first-ever seven time winner. Houston would be the only one until the eventual GOAT Harvey Coyle won nine in the 2010s and 2020s. Houston led in slugging, total bases, and home runs in all three MVP seasons, while also leading in RBI once, OPS twice, wRC+ once, and WAR once.

Birmingham fell towards the mid-tier in 1989 and 1990, but Houston brought them back to prominence in 1991. That started a stretch of seven straight playoff berths with six division titles. The Bees won their first-ever European Championship in 1991, defeating Munich in the final. Houston was finals MVP with 29 hits, 19 runs, 5 doubles, 3 triples, 9 home runs, 23 RBI, a .475/.529/1.098 slash, 342 wRC+, and 2.1 WAR in the playoff run. As of 2037, he still holds the playoff records for total bases (67), and RBI (23).

Before the 1992 season, the Bees gave Houston another five years and $7,400,000. Houston led in homes and RBI once more in 1992, taking second in MVP voting. It was his last time as a league leader, but he had a remarkable seven times leading in homers, six in RBI, eight in total bases, seven in slugging, six in OPS, and five in wRC+.

Into his mid 30s, Houston was still great even if his power started to fade some. Birmingham won the conference title in 1993, losing the EBF final to Zurich. In 1994, the Bees won it all over Barcelona with a franchise-best 110-52 season. Houston had another mammoth postseason with 34 hits, 13 runs, 6 gome runs, 12 RBI, and a .466/.387/.808 slash, winning conference finals and European Championship MVP. His 34 hits were a playoff record that held until 2015.

Birmingham lost in the 1995 conference final, but won a fourth pennant in six years in 1996. They lost the European Championship in a rematch with Barcelona, marking the end of an impressive dynasty run. Houston’s leadership and incredible bat were critical to this success, as he went down as one of the all-time clutch performers.

In 109 playoff games, Houston had 163 hits, 85 runs, 14 doubles, 14 triples, 43 home runs, 97 RBI, a .384/.419/.788 slash, 235 wRC+, and 8.9 WAR. As of 2037, he’s the EBF career postseason leader in homers and total bases (334). Houston retired as the leader in hits, runs, and RBI. As of 2037, he’s still third, fourth, and second in those stats. The rate stats show that Houston managed to get even better in the playoffs despite already having a very high bar for regular season performance.

In 1996, Houston became the fifth to reach 700 career home runs and the fifth to 3000 hits. 1997 would be the last year of his deal as his power had declined. Houston hit 30 home runs and 86 RBI, the lowest since his first full season. It ended a streak of 14 consecutive seasons with 100 RBI. Houston ended the season at 1991 RBI, falling just short of joining Jacob Ronnberg and Jack Kennedy in the 2000 club. The Bees had the last playoff berth of their streak, a wild card and a one-and-done.

Houston’s contract expired and he became a free agent for the first time at age 39. He wanted to still play somewhere, but couldn’t find a home in 1998, eventually retiring that winter. Birmingham immediately retired his #16 uniform and he would remain a beloved franchise icon for decades to come.

Houston finished with 3269 hits, 1760 runs, 500 doubles, 208 triples, 752 home runs, 1991 RBI, 374 stolen bases, a .328/.361/.646 slash, 181 wRC+, and 114.4 WAR. At induction, Houston was third all-time in hits, fourth in runs, third in doubles, fourth in home runs, third in RBI, and eighth in offensive WAR.

As of 2037, he’s still 11<sup>th</sup> in hits, 13<sup>th</sup> in runs, 8<sup>th</sup> in doubles, 7<sup>th</sup> in homers, 7<sup>th</sup> in RBI, and 20<sup>th</sup> in WAR. Houston’s atrocious defense hurts him compared to his contemporaries like Ronnberg and Kennedy, but he’s easily one of the finest pure hitters in EBF history. Houston has a case as the most clutch playoff hitter of all-time and led Birmingham in their 1990s dynasty run. Houston was a surefire lock at 99.3% and an impressive headliner for the 2003 EBF Hall of Fame class.

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

Cornelius Danner – Starting Pitcher – Athens Anchors – 68.2% Tenth Ballot

Cornelius Danner was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Klosterneuburg, a town of 27,500 people in northeastern Austria. Danner was a fireballer in his prime with excellent stuff and a fastball that peaked in the 99-101 mph range. He also had a terrific forkball, plus a good splitter, okay slider, and rarely seen changeup. Danner had average to above average control and movement. Prior to his later injury issues, Danner also was known for great stamina and the ability to go deep in games.

Danner was spotted as a teenage amateur by a scout from Athens, who brought him to Greece in the summer of 1968. He spent four years and change in their academy, debuting at age 20 in 1973. Danner definitely wasn’t ready though, posting a 5.09 ERA and conference-worst 20 losses. He bounced back with a very solid sophomore campaign with 2.47 ERA, 298 strikeouts, and 5.6 WAR.

1975 was decent, but saw a lost six weeks to a biceps strain. Danner bounced back for a very good 1976, but he looked pedestrian in early 1977. His first major injury occurred in late June with a torn labrum knocking him out five months. Danner bounced back impressively in 1978, winning his lone Pitcher of the Year. He led in wins at 23-9 and had a career best 2.13 ERA.

Athens made the playoffs for the second straight year in 1978 and won the Southern Conference Championship, dropping the European Championship to Brussels. Danner had mixed results in the playoff run with a 3.23 ERA over 30.2 innings and 106 ERA+. The Anchors were still somewhat worried about injuries, so when Danner was extended, it was only for three years at $1,668,000.

His 1979 was arguably better with career highs in WAR (9.6) and strikeouts (396), although Danner was third in voting. He followed it up with a good 1980 with career highs in innings (289) and complete games (24). The Anchors won division titles both years, but both times went one-and-done. Danner wasn’t to blame with two quality starts in those efforts, finishing with a 2.47 ERA in 47.1 playoff innings for Athens.

1981 was a contact year and Danner had a great first month. Disaster struck again though on May 11 with another torn labrum, this time putting him on the shelf for 11 months. It was too much of a liability for Athens, who didn’t re-sign him. For his nine seasons with the Anchors, Danner had a 123-90 record, 2.92 ERA, 2050 innings, 2409 strikeouts, 528 walks, 117 ERA+, 79 FIP-, and 47.8 WAR. The franchise would opt to retire his #6 uniform later as well.

Although he had been in Greece for a decade, Danner still had love for his native Austria. He pitched for his country in the World Baseball Championship from 1974-88, posting a 4.18 ERA over 153 innings, 214 strikeouts, 90 ERA+, and 2.2 WAR. When he became a free agent at age 29, Danner really hoped he’d have a chance to come home. Fortunately for him, Vienna was also interested in giving him a look.

Danner signed a seven-year, $4,420,000 deal with the Vultures. He was never the same after the second labrum tear though with below average results. In his fourth season, Danner had an abysmal 5.59 ERA in 83.2 innings and was flat out benched. Vienna was still on the hook though for three more seasons.

He seemed to refine things in 1986 and looked solid again for a bit, but he partially tore his labrum again. Danner was back to mediocrity in 1987 and Vienna bought out the final year of his contract. They would bring him back in 1988 anyway with lousy results yet again. For his Vienna tenure, Danner had a 60-63 record, 4.31 ERA, 1083.2 innings, 1064 strikeouts, 435 walks, 87 ERA+, and 6.5 WAR. It went down as one of the worst free agent deals of that era. Danner wanted to still play somewhere in 1989, but went unsigned and had to retire at age 37.

Danner’s career stats had a 183-153 record, 3.40 ERA, 3133.2 innings, 3473 strikeouts, 963 walks, 231/393 quality starts, 135 complete games, 104 ERA+, 91 FIP-, and 54.4 WAR. The Vienna run got him to less borderline accumulations, but it absolutely tanked his rare stats. When inducted, he had the worst ERA of any inductee. Even his tallies though weren’t eye-popping, leading many to assume Danner was a mere Hall of Pretty Good guy.

Danner debuted at 49.0% and hovered roughly around there in his first five ballots. He jumped to a high of 60.9% in 1999, then a low of 28.2%. Danner was back to 50.9% in 2001, but plummeted to 26.4% in his ninth ballot. Most assumed that was it for him, but Danner had one of the most remarkable ballot comebacks. There were those sympathetic to injuries derailing his back end of his career. Danner managed to win just enough over in his final try to get across the line at 68.2%. He’s definitely among the weakest entries, but Danner has the ring regardless.

FuzzyRussianHat

05-14-2024 11:16 AM

2003 EPB Hall of Fame

Two players received a first ballot addition with the Eurasian Professional Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003. SP Haxhi Maho was a no-doubter at 99.3%, while 1B Aleksei Sakalauskas was less of a lock. Still, he managed 75.9% to earn his spot alongside Maho. The best returner was SP Petr Bidzinashvili, missing the 66% requirement at 59.3% in his sixth try. Two other debuting players were above 50% with pitchers Dana Bancu at 57.0% and Giorgi Mikadze at 54.1%.

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

Closer Pavel Artamov was dropped after ten ballots. He had ten seasons with Omsk and seven years in MLB. With the Otters, Artamov had one Reliever of the Year, 301 saves, 2.05 ERA, 784.2 innings, 1087 strikeouts, 142 ERA+, and 29.6 WAR. He wasn’t quite as dominant as the other relievers that had gotten into EPB’s Hall and he lost some counting stat chances by leaving for MLB. Artamov peaked at 36.2% on his second try and ended at 11.5%.

SP Anatolie Burlacu also fell off the ballot after ten tries, debuting at 32.5% but ending at 7.0%. He had a 13-year career between Kazan, Kharkiv, and Almaty and posted a 167-173 record, 2.69 ERA, 3100.1 innings, 3329 strikeouts, 108 ERA+, and 47.9 WAR. Burlacu had one outstanding effort in 1984, leading in strikeouts (377) and posting a 1.60 ERA and 10.0 WAR for second in Pitcher of the Year voting. Outside of that though, he was considered firmly a “Hall of Pretty Good” level guy.

https://i.imgur.com/yXuwd9R.png

Haxhi Maho – Starting Pitcher – Bucharest Broncos – 99.3% First Ballot

Haxhi Maho was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Durres, Albania’s second largest city with around 175,000 along the Adriatic Sea. Maho was best known for having outstanding movement on his pitches, solid stamina, and terrific durability. His control and stuff only graded out as average to above average, but Maho made it work. A 96-98 mph cutter was his primary out pitch and was mixed with a slider, screwball, and changeup. Maho was a fan favorite known for his loyalty and longevity, becoming one of the most popular players of his era.

Maho was picked seventh overall by Bucharest in the 1979 EPB Draft. He was a full-time starter immediately and tossed 245+ innings every year for the next 17 years for the Broncos. He was solid from the beginning, taking second in Rookie of the Year voting in 1980. One year later, he was Pitcher of the Year, leading the European League in wins at 23-4 and ERA at 1.72. This was his first of ten seasons worth 8+ WAR and 15 seasons worth 6+ WAR.

That also marked the start of regular contention for Bucharest, who hadn’t made the playoffs in two decades. They would have regular wars in the South Division with Kyiv and Kharkiv for the top spot over the next decade. From 1981-91, the Broncos earned nine playoff berths, seven division titles., and six seasons with triple-digit wins. Maho was the reliable ace for this impressive run.

Bucharest would see some disappointment in their postseason efforts, going one-and-done in seven of their nine berths. In 1984, the Broncos broke through to win the EPB title over Bishkek. Bucharest made the ELCS in 1990, but fell to Minsk. Although the team’s playoff stats were underwhelming, you couldn’t blame Maho for their failings. In 122.1 playoff innings, he had a 7-3 record, 1.84 ERA, 133 strikeouts, 156 ERA+, and 2.9 WAR.

Maho posted a league and career-best 11.3 WAR in 1984, but only took third in Pitcher of the Year voting in a loaded field. He never led the league in strikeouts, but had a career-best 336 this season. Maho would fan 250+ batters though each year of his career except for his first and last. He would take Pitcher of for the second time in 1985 with a league-best 24-8 record, 1.68 ERA, and 10.7 WAR. Not only that, but Maho won EL MVP as Bucharest had the EPB’s best record at 110-52.

In May 1986, Maho signed a five-year, $3,470,000 contract extension with Bucharest. He wasn’t an awards finalist for a few seasons, but still led in WAR again in 1988. In 1990, Maho won his third Pitcher of the Year and his second MVP. He set the EPB record for wins at 29-3, a mark that still hasn’t been topped. It was also one win shy of the world record of 30 set in OBA. Maho also had a career-best 1.46 ERA.

Maho was second in POTY voting in 1991, his final time as a finalist. He continued his same steady production for his final five years with Bucharest posting 6+ WAR each time. He also managed a third ERA title in 1995 at age 37. The Broncos still won 90+ games each year from 1992-95, but couldn’t crack the postseason lineup. In 1996, they fell just below .500 and fell towards mediocrity for their final seasons in EPB.

Maho reached notable milestones in these final years. In 1992, he became EPB’s fourth pitcher to 250 wins. In 1995, he was the second to 300 wins and the 11<sup>th</sup> to 4500 career strikeouts. With his contract up after the 1996 season and Bucharest no longer a contender, both sides knew the run had ended. Maho still remained beloved by Broncos fans and his #13 uniform would be shortly retired.

Maho still wanted to pitch and thought he might have a shot at catching Alvi Tahiri’s wins record of 349. His velocity had dipped notably though, limiting the interested teams. Just before the start of the season, St. Petersburg gave Maho a one-year deal. He was now only hitting the 88-90 mph range for max velocity and posted firmly below average numbers for the Polar Bears, although he did eat innings. Maho decided to retire after this effort at age 40.

The final stats for Maho was a 335-188 record, 2.17 ERA, 4915 innings, 4968 strikeouts, 926 walks, 460/589 quality starts, 230 complete games, 75 shutdowns, 133 ERA+, 68 FIP-, and 142.0 WAR. At induction, he was second all-time in wins, third in pitching WAR, fifth in strikeouts, third in innings, and tied for first in shutouts.

As of 2037, he’s still second in wins, second in shutouts, third in innings, seventh in strikeouts, and fourth in WAR. Most all-time pitcher lists for EPB have Maho in the top five for good reason. He was well deserving of the headline honor atop the 2003 EPB Hall of Fame class at 99.3%.

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

Aleksei Sakalauskas – First Base – Yekaterinburg Yaks – 75.9% First Ballot

Aleksei Sakalauskas was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed first baseman from Novokuznetsk, Russia; a city of more than 500,000 people in southwestern Siberia. Sakalauskas was known for having an outstanding eye for drawing walks and very solid home run power. He was a good contact hitter also, but his strikeout rate was below average. Sakalauskas was great at finding the gap, averaging around 30 doubles per year. He was a fairly intelligent baserunner, but only had below average speed.

Sakalauskas played almost exclusively at first base, although he did have a couple weak starts at third. He graded out as a strong defender at first, winning four Gold Gloves. Sakalauskas was an iron man, playing in 150+ games every year from 1983-2001. He was scrappy and worked hard, making him one of Russia’s most beloved baseball figures of the era.

Sakalauskas’s skillset was undeniable even as a teenager with Russian teams salivating at him as a prospect. With the #1 overall pick in the 1978 EPB Draft, Sakalauskas was picked by Yekaterinburg. His entire EPB career came with the Yaks, although he wasn’t immediately used. Sakalauskas stayed in developmental in 1979, then saw 20 games and one start between 1980 and 1981. He was a part-timer in 1982, then a full-time from 1983 onward.

Once in the lineup for good, Sakalauskas excelled with his first Silver Slugger in 1983; his only one as a third baseman. He led the Asian League with a career best (42) in doubles that year and posted his first of 11 seasons worth 6+ WAR. In 1985, Sakalauskas had a banner year with league bests in runs (103), homers (54), RBI (116), total bases (362), OBP (.374), slugging (.623), OPS (.997), wRC+ (223), and WAR (10.8). He earned his second Silver Slugger and lone MVP. This year had career bests in runs, hits, homers, total bases, average (.305), slugging, OPS, wRC+, and WAR.

This season snapped a 12-year playoff drought for Yekaterinburg, although they went one-and-done. Still, Sakalauskas had brought them back to respectability and the Yaks were delighted to lock him up with an eight-year, $4,604,000 extension after the 1985 season. They would earn five playoff berths from 1985-90 and make it to the ALCS thrice. In 1989 as a wild card, Yekaterinburg went on a surprise playoff run, defeating Minsk in the EPB Championship.

In the playoffs for Yekaterinburg, Sakalauskas had 46 starts, 43 hits, 29 runs, 5 doubles, 16 home runs, 29 RBI, a .249/.311/.566 slash, 161 wRC+, and 2.4 WAR. He was also a regular for Russia in the World Baseball Championship. From 1983-2000, Sakalauskas played 178 games and started 170, posting 142 hits, 123 runs, 20 doubles, 63 home runs, 132 RBI, 120 walks, a .242/.382/.601 slash, 181 wRC+, and 10.2 WAR.

As of 2037, he has the 34<sup>th</sup> most WAR of any position player in the WBC. He’s also Russia’s all-time leader in WAR, runs, home runs, RBI, and walks drawn. Sakalauskas also went on a tear in the 1990 WBC, which saw the Russians fall in the championship to Brazil. In 26 games, he had 23 hits, 25 runs, 13 home runs, 29 RBI, and 22 walks for 2.3 WAR. This kept Sakalauskas as a beloved national figure even after he later left for MLB.

With Yekaterinburg, Sakalauskas won additional Silver Sluggers in 1986, 89, 91, and 92; giving him six total. He won three Gold Gloves in EPB (1988-90). Sakalauskas was second in MVP voting in 1987 and 1989, plus third in 1991. Sakalauskas had three seasons with double-digit WAR and was the AL’s WARlord four times. After his 1985 MVP, Sakalauskas led in RBI once more, total bases twice, OBP thrice, slugging four times, OPS thrice, and wRC+ thrice.

The Yaks narrowly missed the playoffs in 1991 and 1992. The team would ultimately go for a full rebuild after that, in part due to Sakalauskas declining the final year option in his contract. He was a free agent for the first time heading into his age 34 season. Sakalauskas would have worldwide offers and ended up leaving EPB much to the chagrin of Russian officials. The timing worked out for him, as the Soviet Union had only recently collapsed.

For his Yekaterinburg and EPB run, Sakalauskas had 1672 hits, 906 runs, 303 doubles, 389 home runs, 1004 RBI, 732 walks, a .285/.367/.543 slash, 182 wRC+, and 87.1 WAR. The franchise retired his #5 uniform and he’d be a celebrated Yak for many years.

Because he left, Sakalauskas’s accumulations weren’t at the top of the leaderboard, but as of 2037 he does notably have the third best OPS, seventh best slugging percentage among EPB Hall of Famers and the fourth best OBP. Sakalauskas was the OBP leader at induction as well. Still, there were voters that held his departure against him, but enough recognized his greatness to give Sakalauskas the first ballot induction at 75.9%.

Even though he came to MLB at age 34, Sakalauskas still had another decade of play in front of him. He signed a five-year, $11,600,000 deal with Calgary, who were fresh off a World Series defeat to Hartford. Sakalauskas helped them get back in 1993, winning the title against Toronto. He won American Association Championship Series MVP and had 22 hits, 15 runs, 8 home runs, and 17 RBI over 15 playoff starts.

Sakalauskas didn’t lead the AA or win awards with the Cheetahs, but he gave them five seasons of 4.9+ WAR or better. Calgary won 106 games in 1994, but suffered a disappointing second round exit. They fell into the mid-tier for the rest of his run. Sakalauskas posted 871 hits, 533 runs, 153 doubles, 165 home runs, 535 RBI, a .288/.373/.515 slash, 138 wRC+, and 27.0 WAR.

He was 39 years old and a free agent again entering the 1998 season. Having shown no signs of decline to that point, Ottawa gave Sakalauskas a three-year, $13,200,000 deal. His debut season with the Elks was his best MLB year with 7.0 WAR, earning a Silver Slugger. Sakalauskas gave Ottawa two more good seasons after that, getting 446 hits, 262 runs, 101 home runs, 281 RBI, a .255/.344/.485 slash, 154 wRC+, and 15.8 WAR.

At 42 years old, Sakalauskas was still looking great and New Orleans inked him at three years at $14,960,000. Age finally caught up to him as he posted very average hitting numbers in 2001. Sakalauskas struggled in limited use in 2002, getting cut in the summer by the Mudcats. After finishing the year unsigned, Sakalauskas retired at age 44. He had 0.5 WAR and a 93 wRC+ with New Orleans.

For his MLB tenure, Sakalauskas had 1454 hits, 870 runs, 256 doubles, 291 home runs, 887 RBI, 697 walks, a .270/.356/.489 slash, 138 wRC+, and 43.4 WAR. Those are remarkable stats having played only a decade and starting at age 34.

For his entire pro career, Sakalauskas had 3126 hits, 1776 runs, 559 doubles, 680 home runs, 1891 RBI, 1429 walks, a .278/.362/.517 slash, 161 wRC+, and 130.5 WAR. The combined numbers certainly put Sakalauskas in the conversation among the best-ever Russian-born sluggers.

FuzzyRussianHat

05-14-2024 02:38 PM

2003 OBA Hall of Fame

FuzzyRussianHat

05-15-2024 05:41 AM

2003 APB Hall of Fame

FuzzyRussianHat

05-15-2024 11:58 AM

2003 CLB Hall of Fame

Chinese League Baseball inducted two players for the 2003 Hall of Fame voting. The headliner was two-way star Wei Qin with a first ballot spot at 93.8%. Right fielder Shichao Zhang got a bump on his fourth try, joining Qin at 75.0%.

https://i.imgur.com/k996vLe.png

Four others were above 50%, but short of the needed 66%. RF Zhengyu Peng was the closest at 60.2% for his seventh try. Closer Junwei Zhu had 60.2% on his sixth ballot. SP Pengju Xue received 54.7% in his seventh go and SP Baoxian He had 51.2% on his sixth shot.

2B/SS Weiping Gao was dropped after ten ballots. He had a decorated career with 14 seasons between Kunming and Foshan, earning two MVPs, three Gold Gloves, and five Silver Sluggers. Gao had 1576 hits, 799 runs, 206 doubles, 101 triples, 343 home runs, 880 RBI, a .239/.276/.458 slash, 146 wRC+, and 82.1 WAR. He also won two titles with the Muscle and one with Honolulu as he left for OBA late in his career.

Despite that resume, the notoriously tough on hitters CLB voters never gave Gao much of a look. He debuted at 35.7%, which would be his peak. Gao finished at a mere 10.2%. He’s 50<sup>th</sup> in WAR by a
positional player as of 2037.

https://i.imgur.com/s9kphwB.png

Wei Qin – First Base/Pitcher – Macau Magicians – 93.8% First Ballot

Wei Qin was a 6’3’’, 205 pound right-handed pitcher and first baseman from China’s most populous city, Shanghai. As a batter, Qin had strong home run power with respectable contact skills. He was quite good at drawing walks, but had a poor strikeout rate. Qin’s gap power was decent and he was a very intelligent and crafty baserunner, although his speed was below average.

On the mound, Qin had above average stuff, movement, and control. He had an impressive mid 90s cutter in his pitching prime, mixed with a good changeup and forkball, plus a weak slider. Qin had nice stamina and was a good defensive pitcher. He’d start at first base when playing the field and was a firmly above average to good defender there as well. Qin managed to put together a lengthy career despite the physical wear-and-tear and injuries that typically came with two-way efforts.

In the 1984 CLB Draft, Qin was picked 5<sup>th</sup> overall by Macau. His entire 13-year career in the Chinese League came with the Magicians, who intended to make him a full-time starter immediately. Qin’s first year was trying though with back spasms costing him two months, followed by a stretched elbow ligament in July. That would cost him the rest of 1985 and the first chunk of 1986, needing 11 months total to recover. There was some worry that this injury could limit his pitching usefulness, but Qin would overcome that.

In his initial years, Qin was a great batter and merely good pitcher. He would win 12 Silver Sluggers in his career, but impressively, not all were against the weak competition of normal pitchers. In 1988, he won two SSs, one as a pitcher and one as a first baseman. Qin did the same in 1991. His pitcher-only Silver Sluggers came in 1987, 89, 90, 92, 93, 94, 95, and 97. He didn’t play enough games in the field to lead the league offensively, but he had five seasons with 5+ WAR offensively and hit 20+ home runs seven times.

The combined efforts earned Qin MVP consideration for the first time in 1987, taking third. He won MVP four times (1988, 90, 92, 93) and took third in 1991, second in 1994, and third in 1995. Qin’s pitching skills improved as he’d lead in wins in both 1990-91, then in ERA in 1993 and 1994. Qin also won 1993 Pitcher of the Year honors and took second in 1990. He had three seasons of 6+ WAR on the mound.

By WAR, Qin’s best combined number was 1992 with 6.7 offensively and 7.1 pitching, a total of 13.8. He also breached double-digits in 1988 (10.9), 1990 (12.1), and 1993 (11.2). Qin was a superstar for Macau, who gave him an eight-year, $9,750,000 extension after the 1989 season. He was a big reason the Magicians became a playoff contender, making five berths from 1988-94.

Despite his efforts, Macau only once made it beyond the semifinal, dropping the 1989 China Series to Dalian. Qin’s playoff numbers at the plate were decent with 36 games and 31 starts, 24 hits, 10 runs, 5 doubles, 5 home runs, 10 RBI, a .214/.273/.411 slash, 146 wRC+, and 1.0 WAR. On the mound though, he had a 76 ERA+ with a 3.22 ERA in 67 innings, 64 strikeouts, and only 0.5 WAR.

Qin also made a few two-way appearances for China in the World Baseball Championship. He played in six WBCs from 1989-96 and at the plate was strong in 73 games and 59 starts. Qin had 57 hits, 35 runs, 8 doubles, 22 home runs, 47 RBI, a .249/.341/.581 slash, 163 wRC+, and 3.0 WAR. On the mound, he had a mere 4.75 ERA over 30.1 innings for a 77 ERA+. He would earn a world title ring with the 1993 squad.

The demands of the job started to catch up to Qin. He reputed a tendon in a finger to miss the end of 1993, then lost two months of 1994 to back troubles. 1996 had a forearm strain that cost about three months. Towards the end of the Macau run, his pitching stats began to look subpar. However, his offense numbers still held up quite well. The Magicians had fallen off with 1996 being their first losing season in a decade.

Macau opted not to re-sign Qin after the 1997 season, making him a 36-year old free agent. The franchise would later retire his #23 uniform. Qin earned attention worldwide and ended up moving to Canada and MLB, signing a two-year, $8,320,000 deal with Calgary. Qin struggled as a pitcher for the Cheetahs and gave them average offensive numbers in one season, missing some time to a sprained ankle. He didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the second year of the deal, becoming a free agent again for 1999. He stayed in MLB on a one year, $3,040,000 contract with Dallas.

The Dalmatians gave him another year after that and used him mostly as a hitter in 2000. He was merely okay as a hitter for Dallas with similar marks a pitcher. Still wanting to play in 2001 somewhere, the now 39-year old Qin ended up in Saudi Arabia with Jeddah. Qin had okay batting numbers for the Jackals and only saw one relief appearance on the mound. He made it back to MLB just as a batter in 2002 with Minneapolis, but had poor results. Qin finally retired that winter at age 41. Between MLB and ALB he had 2.1 WAR offensively and 1.3 WAR pitching.

For his CLB and Macau run as a hitter, Qin had 1005 hits, 585 runs, 141 doubles, 249 home runs, 604 RBI, 464 walks, a .239/.324/.460 slash, 168 wRC+, and 54.7 WAR. As a pitcher, Qin had a 169-88 record, 2.17 ERA, 2520 innings, 2502 strikeouts, 493 walks, 262/343 quality starts, 111 ERA+, and 45.1 WAR. Either by themselves probably weren’t HOF worthy, but a combined 99.8 WAR with four MVPs is hard to deny.

Counting his MLB/ALB stats, Qin had a career WAR of 103.2. When compared to other two-way guys as of 2037, that is 16<sup>th</sup> best. He’s among the higher ones in batting WAR, as most of the other elites in history tended to be stellar pitchers and good batters. Qin had bursts as a great pitcher, but was more consistently good as a hitter. Qin earned 93.8% for a first ballot induction to headline the 2003 CLB class.

https://i.imgur.com/5fVQVtW.png

Shichao Zhang – Right Field/First Base – Chongqing Cavaliers – 75.0% Fourth Ballot

Shichao Zhang was a 6’0’’, 205 pound switch-hitting right fielder from Tanggu, a former district within Tianjin in Northern China. Zhang was an excellent home run hitter that could also quite effectively hit for contact. He was above average at drawing walks with an average strikeout rate. Zhang also had very good gap power, averaging 29 doubles and 38 home runs per 162 game average.

He was a decent baserunner, but could only do so much to makeup for mediocre speed. Zhang made around 3/4s of his starts in right field with the rest at first base. He was an absolutely abysmal defender in both spots, really stinking up the outfield with his awful range. Some criticized him for poor leadership and intelligent. However, strong man smacking dingers always finds a home somewhere. Zhang was a popular player and boasted very good durability.

His power potential was noted by Chongqing, who selected Zhang second overall in the 1979 CLB Draft. He wasn’t ready yet for the big time, making only five at bats in 1980. He saw some pinch hit spots in 1981 and a few starts in 1982. Zhang earned a full-time job in 1983 and held it for the next decade with the Cavaliers. He would hit 30+ homers in every season as a full-time starter for Chongqing.

Zhang had a remarkable streak of six straight seasons leading in wRC+ from 1984-89. He led in OPS and slugging five times in that stretch while leading in OBP thrice, batting average twice, total bases thrice, home runs thrice, doubles once, and RBI once.

1984 saw CLB’s first-ever offensive Triple Crown with 47 home runs, 101 RBI, and a .301 average, all career bests while in CLB. He also had 9.5 WAR that year, but managed to take second in MVP voting. Zhang never won the top honor, but also took second in 1985, 86, 88, and 92. He won eight Silver Sluggers with seven straight in RF from 1983-89, then one at 1B in 1992.

Chongqing had three straight playoff berths from 1983-85, earning China Series appearances in 1983 and 1985. They lost the former year to Tianjin and the latter to Beijing. In 25 playoff starts, Zhang had 29 hits, 11 runs, 5 doubles, 6 home runs, 16 RBI, a .284/.324/.510 slash, 179 wRC+, and 1.6 WAR. The Cavaliers committed to Zhang after the 1984 campaign on an eight-year, $3,502,000 extension. They wouldn’t make the playoffs after 1985 while Zhang was there, generally hovering just below .500.

Zhang’s stats fell off a bit in 1990 and 1991, but he bounced back with a strong 1992, leading in homers, RBI, total bases, OBP, slugging, OPS, and wRC+. It was also his fourth season worth 8+ WAR. He performed well in a contract year, earning the soon-to-be 33 year old attention as he entered free agency for 1993.

This marked the end of his time in the Chinese League. He would return home for the World Baseball Championship from 1993-97, posting 83 hits in 110 games with 81 runs, 19 doubles, 44 home runs, 91 RBI, a .213/.335/.607 slash, 169 wRC+, and 5.9 WAR.

China won the world title in 1993 against India and in 1994 against the United States. 1995 was a defeat to Canada in a seven-game thriller with game seven going 11 innings with a 1-0 final. Although they lost, Zhang was the 1995 WBC MVP, starting 27 games with 26 hits, 26 runs, 17 home runs, 37 RBI, 18 walks, a .283/.416/.870 slash, 259 wRC+, and 2.7 WAR. At the time, 37 RBI was the second-most in a single WBC. He has the fifth most homers of any Chinese player in the WBC despite only playing in five editions.

During those WBCs, Zhang made his money in America in Major League Baseball. For 1993, he signed a four-year, $9,280,000 deal with Cleveland. He had four strong seasons hitting for the Cobras, smacking 40+ homers and 100+ RBI thrice each. 1996 saw career bests with 49 homers and 129 RBI, along with an impressive 6.9 WAR at age 36.

Cleveland won their division from 1993-95 and in 1994, earned a trip to the World Series where they were defeated by San Francisco. In 19 playoff starts for the Cobras, Zhang had 20 hit, 11 runs, 6 home runs, 15 RBI, a .303/.418/.606 slash, 210 wRC+, and 1.2 WAR. In total for Cleveland, Zhang had 580 hits, 368 runs, 82 doubles, 164 home runs, 415 RBI, a .272/.348/.549 slash, 169 wRC+, and 20.2 WAR. He certainly showed that he could adjust well to MLB hitters.

Now 37 and a free agent again, Zhang signed for two years and $7,680,000 with Tampa. He looked merely average in a 1997 that was plagued by various injuries. Zhang was moved to a part-time role after terrible results in 1998 with negative WAR. He had zero WAR total and an 89 wRC+ with the Thunderbirds. Philadelphia gave Zhang a look in 1999, but he stunk in his 49 at-bats. He retired that winter at age 39.

For his entire pro career, Zhang had 2408 hits, 1265 runs, 413 doubles, 579 home runs, 1409 RBI, a .275/.343/.531 slash, 184 wRC+, and 94.5 WAR. The great years in Cleveland helped pad out his accumulations. In just CLB with Chongqing, Zhang had 1638 hits, 805 runs, 292 doubles, 387 home runs, 887 RBI, a .283/.357/.547 slash, 204 wRC+, and 74.8 WAR. The Cavaliers also retired his #45 uniform.

The accumulations aren’t super high, largely due to the very low offense environment of CLB. The notoriously harsh CLB voters kept him out for three years because of the accumulations and his truly abysmal defense. His rate stats are outstanding though. As of 2037 among CLB HOFers, he’s fourth in OBP, seventh in slugging, and fifth in OPS. Zhang got 61.0%, 65.9%, and 61.8% in his first three times on the ballot. Finally in 2003 on his fourth try, he got the bump to 75.0% to earn his spot in the Hall of Fame.

FuzzyRussianHat

05-15-2024 05:04 PM

2003 WAB Hall of Fame

FuzzyRussianHat

05-16-2024 05:14 AM

2003 SAB Hall of Fame

FuzzyRussianHat

05-16-2024 11:47 AM

2003 ABF Hall of Fame

FuzzyRussianHat

05-16-2024 05:11 PM

2003 ALB Hall of Fame

FuzzyRussianHat

05-17-2024 04:41 AM

2003 World Baseball Championship

FuzzyRussianHat

05-17-2024 12:42 PM

2003 in AAB

https://i.imgur.com/PCWXUzo.jpg
After a third place finish the prior season, Dar es Salaam took first in the AAB Southern Conference standings at 103-59. This was a new franchise best for the Sabercats and their third playoff berth in four years. It was also their second time taking the #1 spot in the standings (1997). Dar es Salaam set still-standing conference pitching records for H/9 (6.93) and WHIP (1.066). The Sabercats had both the most runs scored (852) and fewest allowed (593) in the Southern Conference.

Reigning conference champ Antananarivo again took the second playoff spot at 92-70. The Eagles edged Durban by two games, Johannesburg by four, and Lilongwe by five. The Jackalopes saw their playoff streak end at five seasons. The good times officially ended the next season when they posted their first-ever losing season.

Lilongwe RF Felix Chaula won his third consecutive Southern Conference MVP. The 27-year old from Tanzania led in runs (128), home runs (64), OBP (.430), slugging (.739), OPS (1.169), wRC+ (211), and WAR (10.1). Chaula also had 172 hits, 118 RBI, and a .318 average.

Pitcher of the Year was Antananarivo lefty Seth Zoontjes. The 33-year old Dutchman was in his second year with the Eagles after a decade in the European Baseball Federation primarily as a closer. In his second year as a starter, he posted a 13-6 record over 199 innings, 2.89 ERA, 206 strikeouts, 144 ERA+, and 5.1 WAR. Zoontjes became one of a select few in any league to win a Pitcher of the Year as a starter and also a Reliever of the Year in his career.

https://i.imgur.com/7up1Uzw.jpg

Reigning AAB champ Kinshasa dominated the Central Conference again, setting a new franchise and conference best record at 108-54. The Sun Cats have been in the playoffs in all nine AAB seasons and six times have finished first in the standings.

There was a steep drop to the second place spot, which went to Kigali at 85-77. Not only was this the Guardians’ first-ever playoff berth, but they hadn’t won more than 64 games in their prior eight seasons. Kigali edged out Addis Ababa by one game, Kampala by two, and Bujumbura by four. Mogadishu, who won 102 games the prior year, dropped to sixth at 79-83.

Strengthening Kinshasa was a trade in the offseason with neighboring Brazzaville. The Sun Cats sent over three prospects to get two-time MVP and single-season home run king Mohau Sibiya. The 30-year old South African became a three-time MVP, leading in runs (131), homers (64), slugging (.734), OPS (1.144), wRC+ (196), and WAR (11.8). He also had 124 RBI and a .285 average. Sibiya ultimately went to free agency after being a rental for Kinshasa and signed a six-year, $17,200,000 deal with Antananarivo.

Lubumbashi’s Alemayehu Legesse won his second Pitcher of the Year in three years. The 30-year old Ethiopian righty led in WHIP (1.02) while adding an 18-11 record over 269.2 innings, 3.27 ERA, 250 strikeouts, and 6.7 WAR. Also of note, his Loggerheads teammate Rajab Hamadi became a three-time Reliever of the Year winner. The 28-year old Tanzanian had 34 saves, a 1.57 ERA, and 135 strikeouts in 69 innings.

In the Southern Conference Championship, Antananarivo upset Dar es Salaam 4-2, earning repeat pennants from the #2 spot in the standings. Kinshasa rolled as expected in the Central Conference Championship, taking it 4-1 against Kigali. The Sun Cats earned a seventh pennant in nine years, maintaining their dominance.

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

The ninth Africa Series saw Kinshasa’s dynasty continue with perhaps their strongest team of the bunch. In a rematch of the prior year, the Sun Cats bested Antananarivo 5-2. 1B Boubacar Mavinga had a big postseason, winning MVP of the conference finals and the Africa Series. The 36-year old Congolese slugger had 16 hits, 13 runs, 6 doubles, 6 homers, and 14 RBI over 11 starts.

https://i.imgur.com/Opq1BAX.png

On top of repeating as champion, Kinshasa earned a sixth title in seven years. They’re only the third franchise in any world league to take six in seven, Joining CABA’s Mexico City (1967-73), and SAB’s Ahmedabad (with nine titles between 1986-96). Although the Sun Cats would continue their conference control for two more years, this was the peak of the dynasty, as they wouldn’t win it all again until 2033. Kinshasa forever goes down as the first great AAB dynasty and arguably the most impressive, only later rivaled by Addis Ababa’s run from the mid 2000s to early 2010s.

Other notes: At 53-109, Lusaka posted a new Southern Conference worst record. This wouldn’t be topped until 2025. Cape Town’s Gabriel Rakotomamonjy became the second AAB batter to post a six-hit game. Boubacar Mavinga became the first to 1000 career RBI. Mohau Sibiya became the first to 400 home runs, joined two weeks later by Timeo Kahudi. SS Ian Dube won his seventh Gold Glove, a new AAB record. 1B Yugo Hattori became the second six-time Gold Glover. LF Marley Mubiru became the first to six Silver Sluggers

FuzzyRussianHat

05-17-2024 06:07 PM

2003 in ALB

FuzzyRussianHat

05-18-2024 04:05 AM

2003 in ABF

FuzzyRussianHat

05-18-2024 10:32 AM

2003 in SAB

FuzzyRussianHat

05-18-2024 04:17 PM

2003 in WAB

FuzzyRussianHat

05-19-2024 05:24 AM

2003 in CLB

FuzzyRussianHat

05-19-2024 11:02 AM

2003 in APB

FuzzyRussianHat

05-19-2024 05:06 PM

2003 in OBA

FuzzyRussianHat

05-20-2024 04:57 AM

2003 in EPB

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