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FuzzyRussianHat

08-01-2024 06:31 PM

2010 CLB Hall of Fame

Chinese League Baseball had one Hall of Fame inductee in 2010, but it was an impactful one. Pitcher Jinlong Han was nearly unanimous in his debut at 99.4%. Fellow pitcher Jun Tang almost joined him on his fourth ballot, but just missed the 66% threshold at 63.7%. One other was above 50% with closer Chiang-Ho Yang debuting with 54.3%.

https://i.imgur.com/ZIXqJ5W.png

Dropped after ten ballots included Filipino closer Ryan Tarancon, who only had a nine-year CLB run with Wuhan. In that stretch though, he won three Reliever of the Year awards and had 289 saves, a 1.24 ERA, 712.2 innings, 995 strikeouts, 160 walks, 196 ERA+, 34 FIP-, and 36.3 WAR. He also won ROTY with OBA’s Samoa in 1997. With a few more years in China, Tarancon probably makes the cut. He hovered around the 35-45% range with a peak of 48.8% in 2002 and finish at a low of 35.1%.

Starting pitcher Tangchao Di also was dropped after ten ballots, although he peaked at 20.2% in his debut and ended with 8.8%. In a ten-year CLB run mostly with Shenzhen, he won Rookie of the Year and had a 126-72 record, 2.08 ERA, 1942.1 innings, 1964 strikeouts, 118 ERA+, 72 FIP-, and 49.8 WAR. Di wasn’t a league leader and dealt with multiple torn labrum wrecking his full potential.

https://i.imgur.com/on3A5VE.png

Jinlong Han – Starting Pitcher – Foshan Flyers – 99.4% First Ballot

Jinlong Han was a 6’8’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Urumqi, the capital of northwestern China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Region with around four million inhabitants. Han had absolutely filthy stuff with excellent control and respectable movement. His fastball only hit the 92-94 mph range, but he had a filthy slider, plus a changeup and cutter. Han was excellent at picking his spots and changing speeds, making him a very effective pitcher.

Han also had strong stamina for much of his career, leading the league twice in complete games and five times in shutouts. He had excellent durability and could be regularly expected to give a full load. The downside was his personality, as Han was considered lazy and selfish. Regardless, Han was dominant enough to earn plenty of fans.

In the 1989 CLB Draft, Han was picked third overall by Foshan. He didn’t play in 1990 and only saw seven relief appearances in 1991 at age 21. Han was a part-time starter in 1992 and was terrible with -1.6 WAR. Some within the Flyers organization were worried they drafted a lemon. Han assuaged those worries with an excellent 1993 as a full-time starter.

Each of Han’s Foshan seasons from 1993-2001 saw 340+ strikeouts, sub-two ERAs, and 6+ WAR. He took second in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1994 and third in 1995. The next six years would see remarkable dominance. Han won five Pitcher of the Year awards (1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001). He was the first to do so in CLB history and is one of four to earn the feat as of 2037. Han was also second in Southern League MVP voting in 1996, 1997, and 2000.

During that stretch, he led in ERA four times, strikeouts thrice, WIHP thrice, wins once, quality starts twice, complete games twice, FIP- four times, and WAR thrice. Each season was worth 10+ WAR with a peak of 13.8 in 2000. He also tied the then-world record with 12 shutouts, reaching that mark in both 1997 and 2000. That remains CLB’s single-season record as of 2037.

Among his many shutouts were four no-hitters with one in 1995 against Wuhan, a 20-strikeout no-no in 1997 against Hong Kong, another one against the Wolverines in 1999, and one over Macau in 2000. 20 Ks is the no-hitter record in CLB history. Only Han and Momota Oichi have thrown four no-hitters in CLB.

In 1999, Han threw only the third Triple Crown season in CLB history with a 21-12 record, 1.33 ERA, and 382 strikeouts. He missed it by one win in 2000, which was his finest season. Han set career bests in ERA (0.94), innings (287.2), strikeouts (403), WHIP (0.58), complete games (26), shutouts (12), FIP- (32), and WAR (13.8).

That WHIP mark remains CLB’s single-season record as of 2037. Han also set still standing lows for opponents OBP (.170), opponents slugging (.200), and opponents OPS (.369). It was the second lowest batting average (.137) allowed in CLB. It was only the fourth-ever 400+ strikeout season in CLB and ranks third all-time in WAR. The case could be made for it being the most impressive season ever by a CLB pitcher.

Foshan was awful in Han’s early years, but earned four playoff berths from 1996-2000. They advanced to the semifinal each year, but never could advance to the China Series. Han’s playoff stats were relatively underwhelming considering his other dominance, posting a 3-3 record over 66.2 innings, 2.02 ERA and 114 ERA+, 83 strikeouts, 8 walks, and 3.0 WAR. His 4 complete games and 38 FIP- suggests he might have gotten some bad bounces.

The Flyers gave Han a four-year, $12,720,000 extension after the 1997 season. They tried to lock him down beyond that, but Han wanted to secure the bag. Just about every CLB team was interested and many from other leagues wanted him too. Han entered free agency after the 2001 season and left China for his age 32 season and beyond.

With Foshan, Han finished with a 161-104 record, 1.69 ERA, 2612.1 innings, 3509 strikeouts, 434 walks, 259/298 quality starts, 166 complete games, 63 shutouts, 142 ERA+, 57 FIP-, and 88.4 WAR. Despite leaving early, Han still ranks seventh all-time in strikeouts and eighth in pitching WAR as of 2037. He’s also the career shutouts leader and ranks 12<sup>th</sup> in ERA among all pitchers with 1000+ career innings.

Some suggest Han could have had a shot at being CLB’s all-time GOAT pitcher had he stayed. He certainly would’ve been even more prominent on the leaderboards. Regardless, his decade of dominance made him a no-doubt Hall of Famer. Han was nearly unanimous at 99.4% as the lone CLB inductee in 2010.

Han’s career continued as he moved to the United States and Major League Baseball, inking a six-year, $50,100,000 with St. Louis. He would come back to China for the World Baseball Championship from 2002-05, posting a 10-5 record over 114.1 innings, 3.46 ERA, 142 strikeouts, 33 walks, 104 ERA+, and 1.7 WAR. Han earned a world championship ring with China’s 2002 squad.

Han wasn’t a Pitcher of the Year finalist at any point for the Cardinals, but he acclimated fairly well initially with 7.4 WAR and 6.5 WAR in his first two seasons. Han’s stats drifted more towards league average marks for his final four seasons, although he still reliably delivered consistent innings each year.

The major highlight of his tenure came on April 18, 2005 against Ottawa. Han tossed only the 18<sup>th</sup> perfect game in MLB history, striking out seven against the Elks. Having five total no-hitters and no-nos in multiple leagues put Han in very rarified air in baseball history.

Beyond that, it was an unremarkable time for St. Louis. They won two division titles in Han’s tenure, but went one-and-done both times. He had one playoff start in 2003, giving up two runs in five innings. In total with the Cardinals, Han had a 69-76 record, 3.33 ERA, 1471.1 innings, 1191 strikeouts, 311 walks, 108/211 quality starts, 100 ERA+, 90 FIP-, and 27.1 WAR.

Han was a free agent for 2008 and Montreal gave him two years and $15,400,000. He looked decent in four starts, but the Maples surprisingly released him in late April. Han finished spent the rest of 2008 in minor league Charleston and pitched in 2009 for minor league Madison. After looking subpar in both stints, he officially retired at age 39. Han returned home to China and Foshan honored him by retiring his #4 uniform.

For his entire pro baseball career, Han had a 233-180 record, 2.29 ERA, 4115.1 innings, 4713 strikeouts, 752 walks, 370/513 quality starts, 204 complete games, 72 shutouts, 123 ERA+, 69 FIP-, and 116.2 WAR. Certainly, Han goes down as one of the world’s most impressive pitchers from his era.

FuzzyRussianHat

08-02-2024 07:21 AM

2010 WAB Hall of Fame (Part 1)

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

West African Baseball added three players into the Hall of Fame in 2010 with each sitting in the 70-75% range. Pitcher Rick Agyemang had the top mark with a debut at 75.2%. Center fielder Aijboye Okemmiri was close behind with a 74.0% debut. First baseman Daouda Kadri was third with 72.1%, finally crossing the 66% requirement on his eighth ballot. Pitcher Angelo Costa barely missed the cut at 65.5% for his second ballot. 2B Hamza Seidu was also above 50% on his second try at 57.7%. No players were dropped after ten failed ballots in 2010.

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

Rick Agyemang – Starting Pitcher – Abidjan Athletes – 75.2% First Ballot

Rick Agyemang was a 5’10’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Tema, Ghana; a city of roughly 160,000 within the Greater Accra area. Agyemang had respectable stuff with above average control, although his control was often subpar. His fastball hit 95-97 mph regularly and was mixed in with a slider and changeup. Agyemang had pretty good stamina relative to other WAB aces and had excellent durability in his younger years.

Agyemang’s professional career began in Mali when he was signed in August 1984 as a teenage amateur by Bamako. He spent five full seasons in the Bullfrogs academy before debuting in 1990 at age 22. Agyemang was a full-time starter immediately, although control issues plagued him early on. He led the league with 99 walks in his debut season and didn’t post strong value until his third season.

Although he didn’t play in his native Ghana, Agyemang represented his native country from 1991-2004 in the World Baseball Championship. He tossed 112.1 innings with a 4.09 ERA, 114 strikeouts, 48 walks, 88 ERA+, and 0.8 WAR.

Bamako’s only playoff appearance during Agyemang’s tenure was a wild card round loss in 1992, which saw him get rocked in his one start. He had a respectable 1992 and 1993 campaign, then started to look like a proper ace in 1994. A 5.6 WAR season earned him a second place in Pitcher of the Year voting.

1995 was Agyemang’s last season under contract with Bamako, who didn’t have the desire to give him a big contract. He was traded in early June to Lagos with OF Alebiosu Alfa for C Teva Ioane and P Houssein Saores. With the Bullfrogs, Agyemang had a 67-60 record, 3.40 ERA, 1225.2 innings, 1302 strikeouts, 412 walks, 112 ERA+, and 16.2 WAR.

Agyemang struggled in his few months with the Lizards, posting a lousy 4.72 ERA. Lagos’ just missed the playoffs and Agyemang entered free agency at age 28. His weak season had lowered his stock some, but Abidjan still saw plenty of potential. They signed Agyemang to a six-year, $8,840,000 deal to begin what would be his signature run. He was going to a contender, as the Athletes had just won their fourth straight Western League pennant.

1996 was a respectable debut for Agyemang, although Abidjan lost in the wild card round and he got roughed up in his lone playoff start. 1997 was stronger with a new career best 6.5 WAR, but Abidjan’s playoff streak was snapped as they fell one game short at 95-67. The Athletes made it back with four straight berths from 1998-2001.

In 1998, Agyemang led in wins with a career best 21-5 and had career highs in strikeouts (288), innings (267.1), and WAR (7.0). He took third in Pitcher of the Year voting, but wasn’t used in the playoffs as Abidjan lost in the wild card round. Agyemang had a decent 1999, but finally stepped up in the postseason. In four playoff starts, he had a 3-1 record over 27.1 innings, 29 strikeouts, and a 1.32 ERA. Abidjan won the WL pennant, but lost the WAB Championship against Kano’s dynasty.

The Athletes upset 125-win Kano in the 2000 WAB Championship, then lost in a rematch with the Condors in 2001. Agyemang was unremarkable in those playoff runs, finishing his postseason career with a 3.82 ERA over 61.1 innings. In 2001, Agyemang was third in POTY voting. He finished his Abidjan tenure with a 99-56 record, 3.21 ERA, 1418 innings, 1544 strikeouts, 361 walks, 120 ERA+, and 31.4 WAR.

Agyemang was a free agent again at age 34 and signed a four-year, $11,200,000 deal with Cotonou. The Copperheads had just snapped a 13-year playoff drought and hoped that Agyemang could help them contend more. Sadly, it didn’t pay off as they were merely above average in his first two seasons and then back to the bottom after that.

The deal was snake-bitten though due to Agyemang suffering a torn labrum in late January during the World Baseball Championship. He missed most of the 2002 season and looked middling in his limited action. Agyemang would surprise many with a stellar bounce-back season in 2003. He won his lone ERA title at 2.48 and led in WHIP at 1.00. That effort gave Agyemang his only Pitcher of the Year win at age 35. The season also saw a no-hitter with 11 strikeouts and 4 walks against Ibadan in May.

Agyemang’s success was short lived, as he got wrecked to start 2004. Cotonou eventually had to bench him, finishing with a 5.38 ERA and -1.7 WAR over 88.2 innings. He retired from the game that winter at age 37. With the Copperheads, Agyemang h ad a 26-18 record, 3.45 ERA, 412.2 innings, 429 strikeouts, 113 ERA+, and 4.6 WAR.

The final stats for Agyemang: 197-143 record, 3.37 ERA, 3188 innings, 3435 strikeouts, 919 walks, 250/416 quality starts, 114 ERA+, 92 FIP-, and 52.8 WAR. It was an interesting career as he generally didn’t lead any leaderboards. Almost quietly, Agyemang ended up 13<sup>th</sup> in strikeouts and 12<sup>th</sup> in wins still as of 2037. He ranks 47<sup>th</sup> in pitching WAR though and advanced stats suggest a more above average final grade.

Still, tenure has value. Agyemang also was visible in the back-end of Abidjan’s title runs of the era and did have both a POTY and no-hitter to his name. On his Hall of Fame ballot debut, Agyemang received 75.2%, earning the lead spot for the three-player 2010 class.

FuzzyRussianHat

08-02-2024 12:01 PM

2010 WAB Hall of Fame (Part 2)

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

Ajiboye Okemmiri – Center Field – Abidjan Athletes – 74.0% First Ballot

Ajiboye Okemmiri was a 6’0’’, 185 pound left-handed hitting center fielder from Idanre, Nigeria, a city with nearly 130,000 inhabitants in the country’s southwest. Okemmiri has very good home run power with average contact kills and an above average to good eye. He was especially strong against right-handing pitching with a .920 career OBP and 150 wRC+, while posting a lackluster .671 OPS and 90 wRC+ versus lefties.

Okemmiri did struggle with strikeouts, but he hit the ball hard when he made contact. His power was mainly focused on homers, topping 40+ six times and 30+ 13 times. Okemmiri didn’t find the gap too often, only averaging around 20-25 doubles/triples per season. Despite playing center field, his running speed on the basepaths was merely average.

His range in center was weaker than you’d like, although his arm and glove work were okay. Okemmiri graded as firmly below average defensively, but played almost his entire career in center. He handled the physical demands of the position fairly well for the most part. Some did criticize Okemmiri for a lack of hustle, but his natural talent carried him a long way.

Okemmiri was noticed by a scout from Abidjan and brought to the Ivory Coast in September 1984 as a teenage free agent. He officially debuted in 1988 at age 20, but only saw 24 games and three starts in his first two seasons. Okemmiri was a part-time starter in 1990 with a nice effort, earning the full-time gig from 1991 through 2004.

In 1991, Okemmiri led the Western League in home runs (50) and RBI (132) with career bests in both, earning a Silver Slugger. He would earn additional Sluggers in 1992 and 1993 as Abidjan began their dynasty run. The Athletes knew Okemmiri was going to be a big piece of that run, giving him a five-year, $3,878,000 extension after the 1992 season.

In 1993, Okemmiri snagged his lone MVP, leading in runs scored (102) and homers (46). The runs mark was a career best, as was his 166 hits, .290 average, .947 OPS, and 7.3 WAR. From 1992-2001, Abidjan made the playoffs each year but 1997. They won the WLCS four straight seasons from 1992-95 and won the WAB Championship in 1994.

Okemmiri was a strong playoff performer in the 1992-95 run with 1.5 WAR over 42 starts. He was less impressive in the middle runs, but was strong again in 2001. Abidjan won WL pennants from 1999-01 and won the WAB title in 2000 with a huge upset over 125-win Kano. In his playoff career, Okemmiri had 69 starts, 66 hits, 40 runs, 9 doubles, 5 triples, 16 gome runs, 38 RBI, a .256/.323/.516 slash, 130 wRC+, and 2.0 WAR.

He also played from 1991-2000 in the World Baseball Championship for Nigeria with mixed results. Okemmiri had 81 games and 59 starts in the WBC, recording 45 hits, 28 runs, 10 doubles, 16 home runs, 31 RBI, a .210/.309/.481 slash, 128 wRC+, and 1.9 WAR.

1994 and 1995 were down years because of injuries. Okemmiri missed parts of 1994 to a fractured thumb and a bone spur in his elbow, then lost a bit of 1995 to a fractured foot. He actually opted out of his contract following the 1994 season, but inked a new four-year, $5,740,000 deal with Abidjan.

Okemmiri was good and steady in his late 20s and early 30s, although he wasn’t a league leader. He did win Silver Sluggers in 1999 and 2003, giving him five for his career. The final one in 2003 came at right field and not center. Abidjan rewarded him after the 1998 campaign with a six-year, $13,680,000 extension which carried him through the 2004 campaign.

After the 2001 WL pennant, Abidjan fell towards the middle of the standings and missed the playoffs from 2002-04. Okemmiri chugged along, becoming the third WAB batter to 500 career home runs and the eighth to 2000 hits. Okemmiri was heading towards age 37 when his deal expired after a decent 2004 campaign. That would mark the end of his time in WAB.

Okemmiri wanted to keep playing, but had trouble finding anyone interested in his asking price. The newly formed European Second League was looking for experienced veteran players and Okemmiri ended up in France. He signed a three-year, $14,280,000 deal with Toulouse for one last final major payday.

Once the bag was secured, Okemmiri stunk it up for the Toads. He was only a part-time starter in 2005 and 2006 and mediocre when he did play. Toulouse eventually benched him and he saw only three games in 2007. With Toulouse, he posted -1.0 WAR, a .186/.283/.366 slash, and 93 wRC+. Okemmiri retired after the 2007 campaign at age 39.

Abidjan remembered him fondly though, retiring his #41 uniform that winter. Okemmiri finished his WAB career with 2036 hits, 1264 runs, 289 doubles, 559 home runs, 1393 RBI, 743 walks, 234 stolen bases, a .263/.334/.533 slash, 138 wRC+, and 63.6 WAR. Many of the accumulations would be dwarfed in later years, but Okemmiri was second in homers at retirement.

As of 2037, he’s 21<sup>st</sup> in homers and 40<sup>th</sup> in WAR among position players. Okemmiri didn’t have big eye-popping numbers, but he was a strong reliable contributor during a decade of success for Abidjan. That was enough for 74.0% of the vote in 2010, giving Okemmiri a first-ballot nod.

https://i.imgur.com/M2zJ4WK.png

Daouda Kadri – First Base – Ibadan Iguanas – 72.1% Eighth Ballot

Daouda Kadri was a 6’3’’, 200 pound right-handed first baseman from Cotonou, the largest city in Benin. Kadri was a solid power hitter with a very good eye for drawing walks. His strikeout rate was poor though and he was a merely above average contact hitter. Kadri averaged 34 home runs and 33 doubles per his 162 game average. While great at finding the gap, he wasn’t going to leg out extra bases as he was laughably slow and clumsy.

Kadri never played anywhere else defensively than first base, although he did make a few starts as a designated hitter. Despite his general sluggishness, Kadri graded out as a reliably average gloveman. He had very good durability and started 140+ games each year from 1988-2001.

Kadri drew plenty of notice dominating the amateur scene in Benin, becoming a top prospect ahead of the 1984 WAB Draft. He was picked third overall by Freetown, beginning his pro career in Sierra Leone. The Foresters used him sparingly as a rookie with 96 games and 48 starts, seeing mixed results. Kadri was the full-time starter from then after, but he missed part of 1986 to a strained MCL and part of 1987 to a concussion. Kadri would look like an ironman after that, playing 145+ games in each of his remaining WAB seasons.

Freetown wasn’t a particularly competitive team during Kadri’s run and didn’t make the playoffs. By the end of his brief run though, he was drawing plenty of attention. Kadri won Silver Sluggers in 1990 and 1991. In 1990, he was the Western League’s leader in RBI and total bases. He posted three straight 5+ WAR seasons to end his run with Freetown and was becoming a popular player.

In total for the Foresters, Kadri had 926 hits, 514 runs, 194 doubles, 210 home runs, 603 RBI, a .264/.325/.507 slash, 135 wRC+, and 24.7 WAR. He would be 29 years old when he hit free agency after the 1991 campaign. Ibadan won the sweepstakes for Kadri with a seven-year, $7,720,000 deal. The Iguanas had been a wild card in back-to-back seasons and hoped to get over the playoff hump.

Kadri helped them do that, earning three straight Eastern League Championship Series berths to start his run. They lost in 1992, but won the pennant in 1993 and 1994. In 1993, Ibadan earned their first WAB Championship, beating Abidjan in the final. The Athletes got revenge in the 1994 rematch. Kadri was ELCS MVP in the 1994 run.

1992 was Kadri’s best individual season and the closest he came to winning MVP, taking second. He earned his third Silver Slugger, leading the league in runs, doubles, homers, RBI, total bases, slugging, OPS, and wRC+. This also saw a career best 8.7 WAR and .315 batting average. Kadri in 1993 had career highs in homers (46) and RBI (148). He remained quite solid in the following years, but wasn’t a league leader or award winner.

The Iguanas lost in the wild card round in 1995, then won another EL pennant in 1996 before losing the WAB final to Accra. 1997 was Kadri’s last year and saw another wild card round defeat as Kano began their dynasty. In his playoff career, Kadri had 45 starts, 50 hits, 24 runs, 6 doubles, 14 home runs, 39 RBI, a .278/.305/.556 slash, 144 wRC+, and 1.7 WAR.

That marked the end of his career in Africa, although Kadri still had five more years of baseball ahead. The 35-year old free agent ended up finding a home in Ukraine, signing for three years and $5,620,000 with Kharikiv. Kadri was okay in 1998, but was quite solid in 1999 and 2000 with 4+ WAR in both years.

Kadri played a big role in a dynasty run for Kharkiv. The Killer Bees won the Eurasian Professional Baseball Championship in 1998 and 1999, then moved to European Professional Baseball in the great 2000 exodus. In their EBF debut, Kharkiv won it all for a third straight title. Kadri was the ELCS MVP in 1999 and brought his overall ring total to four.

In 48 playoff starts, he had 42 hits, 17 runs, 8 doubles, 6 home runs, 21 RBI, a .241/.311/.391 slash, 109 wRC+, and 1.0 WAR. In total for Kharkiv, Kadri had 406 hits, 228 runs, 65 doubles, 74 home runs, 242 RBI, a .254/.345/.440 slash, 140 wRC+, and 11.9 WAR. He served his purpose well and was now a free agent again at age 38.

Having proven himself on the EBF stage, Zurich gave Kadri a one-year, $2,880,000 deal. He was decent with a 2.8 WAR season starting for the Mountaineers. After that, Kadri ended up in Australia for OBA’s Gold Coast on a one-year, $1,860,000 deal. He fractured his tibia and missed part of the spring, but still mustered 2.0 WAR in 116 games. Kadri opted to retire that winter at age 40.

For his entire pro baseball career, Kadri had 2552 hits, 1415 runs, 530 doubles, 552 home runs, 1683 RBI, 1001 walks, a .267/.338/.504 slash, 141 wRC+, and 73.8 WAR. His final WAB tally though missed out on five years of accumulations, making Kadri more borderline. He had 1909 hits, 1063 runs, 411 doubles, 437 home runs, 1310 RBI, 694 walks, a .270/.338/.524 slash, 144 wRC+, and 57.2 WAR.

Most voters thought Kadri’s resume was as borderline as you could get and he bounced around for eight ballots. He debuted at 54.9%, then dropped to 49.8% in 2004. Kadri was in the upper 50s the next two years, then suffered repeated heartbreak. From 2007-2009, he was within 1% thrice of breaching the 66% requirement. On his eighth go in 2010, Kadri finally bumped up to 72.1% as the third player in the 2010 WAB Hall of Fame class.

FuzzyRussianHat

08-02-2024 07:52 PM

2010 SAB Hall of Fame

South Asia Baseball had two inductees on their debut ballots for the 2010 Hall of Fame class. CF Van Loi Phung was a no-doubter and nearly unanimous at 99.4%. Pitcher Tanvir Hosen joined him with a respectable 77.5%. SP Jalal Mohammad narrowly missed the 66% requirement with 62.8% in his debut. Catcher Kumar Patel got 59.5% on his third go and 1B Sunil Lamichhane took 59.2% on his second try.

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

SP Joe Manavendra was dropped after ten failed tries. He was part of four titles for Ahmedabad and pitched 11 seasons between the Animals and Ho Chi Minh City, but had very few innings due to major injuries. Manavendra had a 125-52 record, 2.73 ERA, 1612.1 innings, 1924 strikeouts, 432 walks, 126 ERA+, 75 FIP-, and 40.9 WAR. He was effectively done after his age 31 season and didn’t have the tenure to make the cut. Manavendra peaked at 26.5% in his debut and ended at 9.0%.

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Van Loi Phung – Center Field – Chittagong Commandos – 99.4% First Ballot

Van Loi Phung was a 5’10’’, 175 pound right-handed center fielder from Haiphong, Vietnam’s third largest city. Phung was a great contact hitter with a solid eye with a decent strikeout rate. Despite his smaller stature, Phung had a very strong bat. He regularly hit 30+ home runs and topped 40+ five times. Phung could also find the gap effectively, averaging around 40-50 doubles/triples most seasons.

Phung wasn’t a burner, but he had above average speed with solid baserunning instincts. He had plenty of range as a career center fielder and graded out as an excellent defender, winning eight Gold Gloves in his career. Phung was fairly durable and was scrappy with a tireless work ethic. These attributes made Phung one of the most impactful and popular players of South Asia Baseball’s first two decades.

Many scouts quickly saw Phung’s potential as a possible five-tool guy. He ended up in Bangladesh when picked fifth overall by Chittagong in the 1982 SAB Draft. Phung was a full-time starter immediately and an all-star right away, winning 1983 Rookie of the Year. In his second year, he led the Southeast Asia League in WAR for the first of seven times. Phung won a Gold Glove, but didn’t have his power stroke quite yet.

He found it in major fashion in 1985 with a career best 53 home runs, 142 RBI, and 435 total bases. Phung also led the league and had career highs in runs (122), triple slash (.354/.404/.717), OPS (1.120), wRC+ (208), and WAR (13.5). The WAR mark in 2037 still ranks as the sixth highest among all SAB position players. Phung had the awards sweep, winning MVP, Silver Slugger, and Gold Glove.

That effort also gave Chittagong its first-ever winning season and playoff berth as a wild card, although they lost the SEAL Championship to Hanoi. Phung did his part in 10 playoff starts with a .343/.425/.657 slash and 202 wRC+. The Commandos would be stuck in the middle lower tier for the rest of Phung’s run despite his tremendous success.

He was becoming a baseball superstar in all of Southeast Asia, but was especially popular in his native Vietnam. Phung played for his country from 1982-2004 in the World Baseball Championship with 197 games and 190 starts, 180 hits, 111 runs, 32 doubles, 46 home runs, 103 RBI, 79 walks, a .252/.336/.496 slash, 140 wRC+, and 7.0 WAR.

Phung led in WAR again in 1986 and 1987 for Chittagong. 1987 was his second MVP, as he also led in runs, RBI, total bases, OPS, and wRC+. Phung won another Silver Slugger in 1987 and earned six consecutive Gold Gloves from 1984-1989. In total for the Commandos, Phung had 1269 hits, 678 runs, 237 doubles, 60 triples, 241 home runs, 736 RBI, 216 stolen bases, a .313/.369/.579 slash, 164 wRC+, and 67.9 WAR.

Chittagong didn’t have the funds to give Phung the massive contact he was likely due with free agency looming. His last season with the Commandos was 1989, entering free agency at age 29. In this era of SAB, Ahmedabad and Ho Chi Minh City established dynasties and hoovered up all of the money. The majority of big-time free agents were limited to one of the two evil empires. Phung was no exception.

Phung couldn’t come to terms with them or any other team and sat out the 1990 season, although he still played in the WBC. After taking the year off, Ahmedabad finally lured Phung back on a two-year, $1,300,000 deal. Phung led the Indian League with a career high 46 doubles and won a batting title with a .344 average. He breached 10+ WAR for the sixth time, winning a Silver Slugger and taking second in MVP voting.

Ahmedabad won the SAB Championship in 1991 for a three-peat and their fifth ring in six years. Phung’s great numbers came despite missing most of the fall and almost all of the postseason between a hamstring strain and elbow strain. He didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the second year of the deal and ended up a free agent again at age 31.

This time, Phung switched to the other dynasty, getting a six-year, $4,610,000 deal from Ho Chi Minh City. As a megastar already in Vietnam, the Hedgehogs and their fans had been itching to bring Phung in. He would lead SEAL in WAR in 1992, 1993, and 1995; posting 8+ WAR in all five years he ended up playing in that run.

Phung won his third MVP in 1992 and his fourth in 1995, while taking third in 1996’s voting. He also won Silver Sluggers in all five years of this run and grabbed Gold Gloves in 1992 and 1993. This gave Phung eight Silver Sluggers and eight Gold Gloves over his impressive career.

HCMC continued its dominance of SEAL, winning league pennants in 1992, 1994, and 1995. They had a record 126-36 mark in 1993, but suffered a stunning first round upset loss. The Hedgehogs were defeated in the 1996 LCS by Yangon. In each of their SAB Championship berths, they fell against Ahmedabad. Phung was great in his role, winning 1994 LCS MVP and posting 2.4 WAR over 59 starts in the run.

Phung was on pace in 1996 to maybe have his best season yet, but back spasms kept him out more than two months. He still got third in MVP voting in only 103 games. Ultimately, he didn’t reach the criteria for the sixth season of the deal and was a free agent again in 1997 at age 36. At this point, Phung effectively retired from the game.

He left open the possibility of a comeback and certainly was still plenty talented. However, dealing with the bidding wars and politics of the big two was annoying for Phung. He stayed in shape and still played for Vietnam in the World Baseball Championship, but he was gone from SAB three years from 1997-99.

Now 39 years old, Phung was lured back in 2000 on a one year deal with Ahmedabad. He missed some time to an elbow strain and showed some rust, posting easily the lowest WAR of his career with 3.3. Phung was relegated to a part-time role with only seven games and five starts in the playoffs. The Animals lost the SAB final that year to Ho Chi Minh City.

The Hedgehogs would bring him back in 2001 and he returned to form. Phung posted 7.4 WAR and won his ninth and final Silver Slugger. He was merely okay in the playoffs as HCMC was upset by Yangon in the LCS. Phung was used as a part-time role in 2002, only playing 96 games with 61 starts. HCMC again suffered an upset loss in the LCS, this time against Dhaka.

Between his Ho Chi Minh City stints, Phung had 1048 hits, 611 runs, 190 doubles, 240 home runs, 610 RBI, 112 stolen bases, a .309/.370/.599 slash, 174 wRC+, and 58.6 WAR. Phung was a free agent again at age 42 and Ahmedabad gave him another look, this time at three years and $6,840,000.

Phung was used only as a part-time starter in two more seasons with the Animals, posting playable numbers. Ahmedabad was upset in the Indian League final by Bengaluru in 2003, then lost in the first round in 2004. Despite being on the dynasty teams, Phung’s luck was bad for winning it all. The Animals’ 1991 title was his only SAB ring.

The career playoff numbers were solid though with 105 games, 99 starts, 106 hits, 52 runs, 24 doubles, 18 home runs, 49 RBI, a .282/.346/.500 slash, 146 wRC+, and 4.2 WAR. Phung retired after the 2004 season at age 44. Between the three stints with Ahmedabad, he had 424 hits, 216 runs, 98 doubles, 71 home runs, 222 RBI, 122 walks, a .286/.343/.521 slash, 172 wRC+, and 17.3 WAR.

Phung’s final stats had 2449 games, 2741 hits, 1505 runs, 525 doubles, 117 triples, 552 home runs, 1568 RBI, 796 walks, 378 stolen bases, a .307/.365/.577 slash, 169 wRC+, and 143.7 WAR. He was the sixth to reach 500 home runs, the third to 1500 runs scored, the second to 1500 RBI, and the second to 2500 hits. At retirement, he had just passed V.J. Williams as the all-time WARlord at 143.7, aided by his years of stellar defense in center field.

As of 2037, Phung is fifth in WAR among position players, 20<sup>th</sup> in hits, 22<sup>nd</sup> in runs, 21<sup>st</sup> in RBI, and 30<sup>th</sup> in home runs. Had he not missed a few seasons, Phung might feature more prominently in GOAT-level conversations. Either way, he was one of the absolute top-tier guys from his era and a Hall of Fame lock. Phung headlined SAB’s 2010 ballot with a near unanimous selection at 99.4%.

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Tanvir Hosen – Starting Pitcher – Surat Silver Sox – 77.5% First Ballot

Tanvir Hosen was a 6’7’’, 195 pound left-handed pitcher from Domar, an upazila of roughly 250,000 in northern Bangladesh. Hosen had good stuff, solid control, and above average movement. His velocity only peaked in the 92-94 mph range, but Hosen had a six pitch arsenal with each having respectable potency. His sinker was his strongest pitch, but Hosen also had a slider, curveball, forkball, changeup, and splitter. His stamina was among the strongest in the league and Hosen went deeper more often than most SAB aces.

Hosen was also known as a tremendous defensive pitcher and a master at holding runners. He won seven Gold Gloves in his career with wins in 1996, 97, 99, 2001, 02, 03, and 04. Hosen also great durability and tossed 200+ innings in all but two seasons. He was loyal, adaptable, and worked hard, making him well liked in the clubhouse.

Hosen was spotted as a teenage amateur in Bangladesh by a scout visiting from Surat. He signed in September 1988 and moved to India, spending three seasons in the Silver Sox developmental system. Hosen debuted in 1992 at age 21 as a part-time starter and held his own. Surat made him a regular in the rotation for his remaining six seasons there.

Hosen wasn’t generally dominant, but he posted three seasons worth 4.5+ WAR with Surat. He led the Indian League twice in innings pitched, once in quality starts, and once in complete games. He also led in losses once, not helped by the Silver Sox stinking during his run. Surat didn’t make the playoffs in his tenure and averaged only 73.4 wins per season.

Two of Hosen’s Gold Gloves came with Surat, but he otherwise wasn’t in awards conversations. He did also go home to Bangladesh for the World Baseball Championship from 1993-2004. Hosen tossed 151.2 WBC innings with a 5-10 record, 3.20 ERA, 165 strikeouts, 41 walks, 112 ERA+, and 3.5 WAR.

With Surat, Hosen had a 93-93 record, 2.89 ERA, 1652 innings, 1781 strikeouts, 1781 strikeouts, 357 walks, 152/217 quality starts, 49 complete games, 108 ERA+, and 30.9 WAR. He generally had nice things to say about the organization and even opted to be inducted in Silver Sox colors, despite having a more dominant and high profile run with Ho Chi Minh City.

Surat couldn’t afford to keep him and Hosen became a free agent at age 28 in 1999. He went to the Hedgehogs on a six-year, $9,600,000 deal. Hosen debuted with his best season by WAR with a Southeast Asia League best 7.5. This also had a career best in strikeouts at 320. Hosen took third in Pitcher of the Year voting and won a Gold Glove.

HCMC won the SEAL title, losing in the 1999 SAB Championship to Ahmedabad. Hosen stunk in the playoffs thought with a 6.85 EERA in 23.2 innings. He redeemed himself in 2000, leading that season in wins and shutouts. Hosen posted a 2.10 ERA in 30 playoff innings with 35 strikeouts, helping the Hedgehogs knock off the Animals in that year’s final.

Hosen was third in 2003 Pitcher of the Year voting with a career best 2.08 ERA. His playoff stats were mixed in the other runs, finishing with an 8-5 record, 3.75 ERA, 110.1 innings, 129 strikeouts, 16 walks, 97 ERA+, and 0.7 WAR. The Hedgehogs lost in the SEAL Championship in 2001 and 2002, but won the SAB Championship in 2003.

In 2004, a 33-year old Hosen left Ho Chi Minh City, but not by choice. South Asia Baseball expanded by four teams and Hosen was picked fourth overall by Nagpur in the expansion draft. He ended up pitching 127 innings for the Patriots with nice results, posting a 2.62 ERA, 152 strikeouts, and 4.0 WAR.

HCMC wanted Hosen back though and in late June, made a trade with Nagpur. The Hedgehogs sent over five prospects to get Hosen and $4,320,000. He finished the season with a combined 2.57 ERA and helped HCMC win back-to-back SAB Championships. They were excited to keep him for the run, giving Hosen a four-year, $9,280,000 extension in late September.

Oddly enough, 2004 would be his final season. Hosen was under contract in 2005, but never took the field. He hadn’t suffered a major injury to anyone’s knowledge, but when he reported to spring training, his velocity was now peaking at 85-87 mph. Hosen had to retire that winter at age 35, finishing his HCMC run with a 94-32 record, 2.94 ERA, 1232.2 innings, 1944 strikeouts, 184 walks, 106/158 quality starts, 125 ERA+, and 34.2 WAR.

For his career, Hosen had a 194-129 record, 2.90 ERA, 3011.2 innings, 3427 strikeouts, 560 walks, 268/391 quality starts, 93 complete games, 30 shutouts, 115 ERA+, 80 FIP-, and a nice 69.0 WAR. Before the sudden decline, Hosen was on pace to potentially reach some notable spots on the leaderboards.

Still, as of 2037 he’s 20<sup>th</sup> in pitching WAR, 26<sup>th</sup> in strikeouts, and 20<sup>th</sup> in wins. Hosen managed to post a fine career that the voters recognized, getting 77.5% in his ballot debut. This made Hosen the second member of SAB’s 2010 Hall of Fame class.

FuzzyRussianHat

08-03-2024 03:49 AM

2010 ABF Hall of Fame

FuzzyRussianHat

08-03-2024 11:53 AM

2010 ALB Hall of Fame

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Pitcher Ilwad Maxamed became the fifth member of the Arab League Baseball Hall of Fame, finally making the cut on his sixth ballot. He only barely breached the 66% requirement at 68.8%. Closer Khadr Seif fell painfully short with 65.2% for his second try. Closer Khemais Khalid had 58.0% on his sixth ballot and SP Nacerdine Rahim was at 53.9% on his fifth try. The best debut was SP Radwan Daoudi, barely staying on the ballot at 7.1%. No one was dropped after ten failed attempts.

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Ilwad Maxamed – Starting Pitcher – Casablanca Bruins – 68.8% Sixth Ballot

Ilwad Maxamed was a 5’9’’, 195 pound left-handed pitcher from Bosaso, historically known as Bender Cassim. It is a city in northeastern Somalia with around 700,000. Maxamed wasn’t outstanding at anything, but he was generally above average to good in terms of stuff, movement, and control. His fastball hit the 94-96 mph range and was mixed with a curveball and changeup. Maxamed’s changeup was considered his most deadly pitch.

Maxamed did have excellent stamina and durability, leading the conference twice in innings and four times in complete games. He had excellent durability and regularly started 32+ games until his final season. Maxamed was a team captain and well respected across the game for his leadership and work ethic.

By the time Arab League Baseball started for the 1990 season, Maxamed was established in the various semi-pro and barnstorming leagues of the region. He was already 29 years old, but viewed as a potential ace for the new league. Maxamed’s first ALB deal was signed for five years and $3,970,000 with Casablanca, sending him the Somali westward to Morocco.

In his five seasons with the Bruins, Maxamed led the Western Conference in shutouts each year, complete games four times, wins twice, and innings twice. Each season was worth 5+ WAR with a career best 7.8 WAR in 1991. Maxamed was third in Pitcher of the Year voting in both 1992 and 1993, but never won the top honor. Among his shutouts was a no-hitter with 10 strikeouts and no walks on September 23, 1991 versus Damascus.

Casablanca would be one of the first successful franchises and Maxamed played a big role. The Bruins earned conference finals berths in 1990, 92, 93, and 94. They won pennants in 1993 and 1994 and earned their first Arab League Championship ring in 1994 against Medina, preventing a three-peat by the Mastodons.

In seven playoff starts, Maxamed had a 4-2 record, 2.49 ERA, 47 innings, 34 strikeouts, 11 walks, 142 ERA+, and 1.1 WAR. In total for Casablanca, Maxamed had a 94-52 record, 3.08 ERA, 1329 innings, 1306 strikeouts, 271 walks, 112/173 quality starts, 60 complete games, 22 shutouts, 112 ERA+, and 29.1 WAR.

His deal expired after the 1994 campaign and Maxamed was a free agent at age 34. Next up was a move to Egypt and a five-year, $7,400,000 deal with Cairo. Maxamed led in wins in 1996 and topped 4+ WAR four times, peaking with 6.1 in 1995. He otherwise wasn’t a league leader or awards candidate with the Pharaohs.

Cairo was the Western Conference runner-up in 1995, then won the ALB Championship in 1996. Maxamed had a 2.95 ERA over his 36.2 playoff innings for the Pharaohs, striking out 41 with 5 walks, a 129 ERA+, and 1.8 WAR. His role in leading two teams to titles garnered plenty of respect. Cairo remained good for his final three years, but couldn’t overcome a fledgling Khartoum squad in the Nile Division.

For his playoff career, Maxamed had a 6-3 record, 2.69 ERA, 83.2 innings, 75 strikeouts, 16 walks, 136 ERA+, 64 FIP-, and 2.8 WAR. He was moved to a part-time role in his last year with Cairo, finishing his tenure there with a 71-55 record, 3.78 ERA, 1122.1 innings, 996 strikeouts, 245 walks, 94/160 quality starts, 102 ERA+, and 22.9 WAR.

Maxamed was now 39 years old and still trying to play somewhere. He ended up in Russia with Samara, who just joined Eurasian Professional Baseball as an expansion team following the great exodus that winter of teams to EBF and ABF. The new Steelers squad gave Maxamed three years and $5,880,000, expecting him to help them establish themselves.

Sadly, Maxamed never played an inning for Samara. He suffered rotator cuff inflammation in spring training and never could get it to go away. A setback in May led to doctors telling Maxamed he had to retire from the game at age 39.

Maxamed finished with a 165-107 record, 3.40 ERA, 2451.1 innings, 2302 strikeouts, 516 walks, 206/333 quality starts, 80 complete games, 29 shutouts, 107 ERA+, 84 FIP-, and 52.0 WAR. Like many early days guys, Maxamed was hurt by starting his official career at age 29, thus making his final accumulations on the lower end. Advanced stats also suggested that he might have been a “Hall of Pretty Good” type guy and he lacked the awards and big stats.

Still, Maxamed had very strong playoff numbers, helping two franchises win rings. His leadership and respect across the game were major plusses. Maxamed would debut with a mere 40.2% in 2005, although he slowly climbed his way up.

By 2009, Maxamed got to 62.1%, just missing the 66% requirement. With no impressive debuts in 2010, Maxamed got the bump he needed to 68.8%. With that, he earned a sixth ballot addition as the lone 2010 inductee for the Arab League Baseball Hall of Fame.

FuzzyRussianHat

08-03-2024 08:38 PM

2010 AAB Hall of Fame

FuzzyRussianHat

08-04-2024 04:36 AM

2010 Baseball Grand Championship Origins

FuzzyRussianHat

08-04-2024 01:10 PM

2010 World Baseball Championship

FuzzyRussianHat

08-04-2024 07:38 PM

2010 in E2L

FuzzyRussianHat

08-05-2024 08:05 AM

2010 in AAB

FuzzyRussianHat

08-05-2024 01:06 PM

2010 in ALB

Since 1997, Arab League Baseball had an active roster size of 26 players; the largest of any of the pro leagues. For the 2010 season, they lowered the limit down to 25. A couple leagues had dropped down to 24 or 23, but 25 was the default standard
number. ALB would eventually bump back up to 26 in 2032.

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Reigning ALB champion Amman greatly improved from their 99-win 2009 campaign. The Aviators set a Western Conference all-time mark at 116-46, which still stands as the WC record as of 2037. It was tied for the second-best ever ALB record and was only behind Mosul’s 121-41 from 2000. Amman claimed the Levant Division for the third consecutive season. The Aviators pitching staff had a team 1.003 WHIP, which remains a conference record.

For the third straight year, the WC had the same three playoff teams. Casablanca took the Mediterranean Division for the fourth consecutive year at 91-71, besting Tripoli by five games. In ALB’s 21 seasons to date, the Bruins have 16 playoff appearances. Giza’s Nile Division streak grew to five seasons. The Goats were 91-71, nine games ahead of their closest foe Khartoum.

Jerusalem’s Tarek Abdel Rahman repeated as WC MVP despite his Jets finishing at 82-80. The 29-year old Egyptian DH certainly deserved it, becoming ALB’s new single-season home run king. He socked 72 dingers, passing Nordine Soule’s record of 70 from 2005. Although Rahman was later passed as HR king, his .837 slugging from 2010 remains ALB’s single-season best.

Rahman also led the conference in runs (115), total bases (441), batting average (.353), OPS (1.244), wRC+ (264), and WAR (11.5). The OPS mark also narrowly beat Soule for the single-season best and still ranks third as of 2037. Rahman also had 136 RBI, falling four short of a Triple Crown.

Casablanca’s Abdullah Al-Tamtami won his fifth Pitcher of the Year, a mark only previously reached by Rashid Tariq. The 29-year old Omani righty led in wins (22-5), ERA (2.02), WHIP (0.83), quality starts (27), FIP- (42), and WAR (11.6). Al-Tamtami had a 180 ERA+ over 249 innings and 367 strikeouts, missing a Triple Crown by only five Ks.

Amman posted 69 saves as a pitching staff, which is the second-most in world history by any time behind only China’s Wuhan with 74 in 1974. Leading that effort was Ramy Kayat, who won his second Reliever of the Year. He set a world record with 58 saves, which still holds as of 2037. He also set the ALB record for appearances at 81. The 30-year old Moroccan righty had a 1.66 ERA over 103 innings, 160 strikeouts, a 217 ERA+, and 4.5 WAR.

Casablanca beat Giza 2-1 in the first round of the playoffs, giving the Bruins their fourth consecutive Western Conference Final appearance and their 12<sup>th</sup> overall. They met Amman for the third straight year. The record-setting Aviators rolled to a 3-0 sweep to earn repeat pennants and their third overall.

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Basra dominated the Eastern Conference for the top seed at 100-62. The Bulldogs rolled to an eighth straight Iraq Division title, tying Mosul (1995-02) for the longest playoff streak in ALB history. It was the fifth time in that stretch that Basra won 100+ games. The rest of the conference saw a bit of a shakeup.

In the Gulf Division, Abu Dhabi ended a 16-year playoff drought, winning only their third-ever division title. At 89-73, the Destroyers edged Dubai by only one game. Defending conference champ Kuwait struggled to last in the division at 79-83. After seeing their playoff streak ended in 2009 at six seasons, Medina returned to the top of the Saudi Division. The Mastodons were 87-75, ousting reigning division champ Mecca by four games.

Basra RF Farouk Adam won a third consecutive Eastern Conference MVP. The 29-year old Comoran lefty led with a .398 batting average, 198 wRC+, and 10.4 WAR. Adam added 119 runs, 229 hits, 44 doubles, 15 triples, 28 home runs, and 112 stolen bases. The Bulldogs would eventually extend him again just before the 2012 season with a six-year, $36,300,000 deal.

Medina’s Mostafa Nabil won his fourth Pitcher of the Year in five years. The 27-year old Egyptian righty led in wins (20-5), WHIP (0.81), K/BB (10.8), FIP- (53), and WAR (8.5). He added a 2.67 ERA, 212.1 innings, and 378 strikeouts. He beat out Sulaymaniyah’s Abdelmalek Kamal for the award despite Kamal’s 410 strikeouts. That tied the ALB single-season record set by Ahmad Abu Kabeer in 1997.

Abu Dhabi edged Medina 2-1 in the first round, sending the Destroyers to their first-ever Eastern Conference Final. They were the big underdog to Basra, making their seventh straight appearance. AD took the Bulldogs to the limit, but Basra prevailed 3-2. The Bulldogs earned their fourth pennant in seven years, succeeding in even-numbered seasons (2004, 2006, 2008, 2010).

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In the 21<sup>st</sup> Arab League Championship, Amman repeated as champs with a 4-2 victory over Basra. 1B Mahmood bin Aminuddin was finals MVP, posting 15 hits, 7 runs, 4 doubles, 4 home runs, and 10 RBI in nine playoff starts. The Aviators became the fourth franchise to repeat, joining Mosul (1998-99), Casablanca (1994-95), and Medina (1992-93). Amman also tied 1993 Medina for the most wins by an ALB champ at 116-46. The 2010 Aviators certainly deserve consideration when discussing ALB’s best-ever season.

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Other notes: Basra’s Nordine Soule became the first ALB hitter to 900 career home runs and only the third in world history to reach that mark. After his age 35 season, Soule has 916 dingers, behind only Beisbol Sudamerica’s Milton Becker (941) and CABA/MLB’s Prometheo Garcia (928) for the world record. Soule also won his record 14<sup>th</sup> Silver Slugger in left field.

Basra’s Hassan El Zamek broke his own previous record of 138, stealing 141 bases. This held as the record for eight years. El Zamek also had a 34-game hitting streak, breaking the previous ALB record of 30 by Farouk Adam. This held as the top mark until 2024. Amman’s Tarek Samy struck out 20 in April against Cairo, becoming the sixth ALB pitcher with a 20K game.

SS Amr Khatab won his 11<sup>th</sup> Gold Glove, an ALB record at any position. Mustafa bin Nazim won his 12<sup>th</sup> Silver Slugger and his second at third base. His previous 10 were all at second base.

FuzzyRussianHat

08-05-2024 07:43 PM

2010 in ABF

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Bishkek’s playoff streak ended at five seasons in 2009, but the Black Sox bounced back for the ABF East League’s best record in 2010. At 104-58, Bishkek won the North Division by 14 games. The South Division went to 96-66 Rawalpindi, earning repeat playoff berths. It was the Red Wings’ first time leading the standings, taking the top spot by nine games.

Almaty (90-72) got the first wild card for a repeat playoff berth. Defending ABF champ Karachi and Faisalabad tied for the second wild card at 87-75. The tiebreaker went to the Fire, ending the Carp postseason streak at six seasons. It was Faisalabad’s third-ever berth, snapping a 12-year drought. Falling just short for the second wild card were Tashkent (85-77), Hyderabad (83-79), and Asgabat (83-79). The Horned Frogs saw a three-year playoff streak ended.

Rawalpindi’s Vural Yildiz won his second East League MVP in three seasons. The 29-year old Turkish right fielder led in home runs (45) and slugging (.625). Yildiz added 94 RBI, a .992 OPS, 204 wRC+, and 8.6 WAR. This was his final season in ABF, as he’d earn big MLB money with a four-year, $65,700,000 offseason deal with Los Angeles.

Oskar Tamm became ABF’s second player to win Pitcher of the Year five times. The 33-year old Estonian lefty for Bishkek had also won it in 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2007. In 2010, Tamm led in WAR (7.8), shutouts (7), and innings (260.1). He added a 16-12 record, 2.11 ERA, 148 ERA+, and 314 strikeouts.

Both division champs had first round playoff sweeps with Bishkek over Faisalabad and Rawalpindi over Almaty. For the Black Sox, this was their third East League Championship Series appearance in four years. For the Red Wings, their only prior ELCS was their 1988 pennant. Rawalpindi pulled off the upset in a seven game classic for their second-ever title.

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The West League’s best records were in the Central Division with Baku (95-67) edging out Shiraz (94-68) for the top spot. The Blackbirds earned back-to-back division titles, while the Suns as a wild card picked up their fifth playoff berth in seven years. In only their second season since expansion, Gaziantep was a surprise Turkish Division champ at 87-75. The Gorillas were two games ahead of defending WL champ Ankara.

For the second wild card, Tabriz (87-75) narrowly beat Isfahan (86-76) and Ankara. The only previous playoff berth for the Tiger Sharks was the inaugural 1985 season. The Imperials’ playoff streak ended at four seasons, while the Alouettes’ repeat bid was dashed. Istanbul finished 78-84, which ended their postseason streak at seven seasons. The Ironmen hadn’t posted a losing record since 2000.

West League MVP was Baku first baseman Ali Sungu. The 25-year old Turkish lefty led in runs (114), home runs (56), RBI (134), total bases (369), slugging (.636), OPS (1.019), and wRC+ (196). Sungu added 9.9 WAR and a .302 average. The Blackbirds had committed eight years and $47,080,000 to Sungu the prior winter.

Tabriz lefty Gevorg Qasimov won his second Pitcher of the Year in three seasons. The 25-year old Uzbek lefty led in ERA (1.59), wins (20-4), innings (271), WHIP (0.81), K/BB (9.6), quality starts (28), shutouts (6), FIP- (50), and WAR (11.2). He had a 215 ERA+ and was second in the league at 357 strikeouts. Qasimov also earned a big extension prior to the 2010 campaign worth $29,500,000 over six years.

Baku bested Tabriz 3-1 and wild card Shiraz won 3-1 at Gaziantep in the first round of the playoffs. The Blackbirds had never been to a league championship before dating back to their EPB days, while the Suns were making their third West League Championship Series appearance in six years. Top seeded Baku outlasted Shiraz in a seven-game classic.

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The 26<sup>th</sup> Asian Baseball Federation Championship was guaranteed to crown the 15<sup>th</sup> unique champ in ABF history. Rawalpindi survived a seven game thriller over Baku, becoming the sixth of the seven Pakistani teams to win it all. 3B Darak Ghulam won finals MVP in his lone season with the Red Wings. The 35-year old had previously won finals MVP with Bursa in 2004. In the 2010 playoffs, Ghulam had 17 starts, 15 hits, 12 runs, 5 doubles, 5 home runs, and 9 RBI.

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Other notes: Radi Umar became the second ABF slugger to 600 home runs. He passed Vahid Hadadi’s all-time mark of 603 and retired after the 2011 season with 633. Umar remained ABF’s home run king for about a decade and ranks eighth as of 2037. He also became the first to 1500 career RBI, retiring with 1573. Umar ranks seventh as of 2037.

Altaf Aslam became only the third member of the 500 homer club. Catcher Amir Yskakov won his ninth Gold Glove. 3B Tomas Pataki and C Faris Saifullah both won a seventh Silver Slugger.

FuzzyRussianHat

08-06-2024 06:48 AM

2010 in SAB

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Pune ended a three-year playoff drought and posted the Indian League’s best record at 109-53, leading in both runs scored (824) and fewest allowed (543). The Purple Knights won a strong West Division, finishing 17 games better than Mumbai. The Meteors at 92-70 took the wild card by four games over Ahmedabad. Mumbai got its second berth in three years, while the Animals missed the playoffs for the second time in three years. Ahmedabad had never done that, only missing the field four times over SAB’s 31 year history.

Kolkata clobbered the competition at 100-62 in the Central Division. Defending IL champ Jaipur dropped hard to 73-89, which ended a six-year playoff streak. The Jokers hadn’t posted a losing record since 1998. A tight South Division title went to Chennai at 87-75, topping Visakhapatnam by two games and Nagpur by five. It was the third-ever division title for the Cows, joining their 2006 and 1987 efforts. Hyderabad notably went from 85 wins in 2009 to 60-102 in 2010, tying with Bengaluru for the IL’s worst record.

LF Ratan Canduri spent only 2010 with Pune, but he earned the Indian League MVP while there. He had previously won the top honor with Mandalay in 2006. The 33-year old Indian righty led in runs (149), home runs (69), walks (11), OBP (.475), slugging (.796), OPS (1.270), wRC+ (262), and WAR (12.6). Canduri also had a .367 average and 141 RBI. He continued to play at a high level for another decade, but wouldn’t commit long-term anywhere, ultimately playing for seven more teams.

Ahmedabad’s Arkakara Raja won his third Pitcher of the Year, joining his 2002 and 2005 wins. The 31-year old lefty only pitched 188.1 innings in a split starter/relief role, but led the league with a 1.86 ERA. Raja had a 13-7 record and 12 saves, 243 strikeouts, 195 ERA+, and 4.1 WAR.

Pune swept Mumbai in the first round and Kolkata outlasted Chennai in five games. The Purple Knights earned their first Indian League Championship Series appearance since 1987, while it was back-to-back for the Cosmos. Kolkata pulled off the ILCS upset 4-2 to earn their first-ever pennant. They became the ninth of India’s 14 teams to win the title once.

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The Southeast Asia League’s North Division saw an intense battle for first place between Hanoi and Dhaka. The Hounds prevailed again at 121-41, becoming the first franchise in world history to win 120+ games in three consecutive seasons. The Dobermans set a franchise record at 114-48, but were again relegated to a wild card. Both teams extended playoff streaks to six seasons. Hanoi set a SAB record with a team .348 on-base percentage, which remained the all-time best until 2031.

Bangkok and Yangon tied for the South Division title at 90-72. A one-game tiebreaker gave the Bobcats their first division title since 1988 and their first playoff berth since 2001. The Green Dragons earned the second wild card, finishing four ahead of Chittagong and five better than Kathmandu.

Defending South Asia Baseball champ Ho Chi Minh City fell short at 82-80, ending their historic playoff streak at 23 seasons. The Hedgehogs tied with Ahmedabad for SAB’s longest-ever streak and fell one year shy of Minsk’s world record of 24. This perhaps officially marked the end of the era of dominance for the Hedgehogs and Animals. The only other time that both had missed the playoffs was SAB’s inaugural 1980 season.

The bonkers power numbers for Hanoi DH Majed Darwish didn’t stop as he won his fourth straight SEAL MVP. For the third consecutive season, he topped 80+ home runs and 200+ RBIs, two marks no other player in the world had even reached once. Darwish won his second Triple Crown with a .381 average, 85 home runs, and 200 RBI. He was short of his world records of 91 homers from 2009 and 220 RBI from 2008. That said, this was still arguably Darwish’s best season.

He broke his own SAB records for runs scored (172), total bases (546), slugging (.869), and OPS (1.321) with each still holding in SAB as of 2037. The runs and total bases marks were also world records that still stand. Darwish had a career best 241 wRC+ and 14.5 WAR. That fell just short of Basava Sanjahay’s 14.7 WAR in 2006, but Darwish nearly passed him despite the DH penalty. He also had a career and league best 50 doubles.

While he’d still dominate SAB plenty more, this was the final of the absurd seasons for the 27-year old Bahraini, as his numbers would look more human in later years. But posting 261 homers, 629 RBI, 692 hits, and 506 runs in a three year stretch is a truly absurd stretch that still feels impossible.

Hanoi also had the Pitcher of the Year in Ba Phan, who they had signed the prior offseason on a four-year, $14,400,000 deal. The 31-year old Vietnamese lefty had posted mostly average seasons in his prior run with Vientiane. Phan led in ERA (2.43), wins (22-7), innings (255.2), complete games (14), and shutouts (5) in 2010. He also had 6.9 WAR, 165 ERA+, and 307 strikeouts. Phan was 14 strikeouts away from a Triple Crown.

Hanoi ousted Yangon and Dhaka dumped Bangkok 3-0, setting up a massive showdown between the division rivals. Despite their recent success, the Dobermans hadn’t been to the SEAL Championship since 2002, suffering five straight one-and-dones. The Hounds had suffered a first round loss the prior season despite going 122-40, but now had a shot at their third title in four years. The series was somewhat anticlimactic as Hanoi prevailed 4-1, becoming four-time Southeast Asia League champs.

https://i.imgur.com/It1z6PC.png

The Hounds’ hopes for a third SAB Championship win in four years was thwarted with Kolkata earning the upset in six games. The Cosmos became the 10<sup>th</sup> franchise to win it all through SAB’s 31 seasons to date. Finals MVP was 1B Umesh Pant, who joined Kolkata in a 2008 trade from De Nang. The 29-year old Nepali had 17 playoff starts, 24 hits, 11 runs, 4 doubles, 5 homers, and 10 RBI.

The Cosmos’ Lwin Swe Ko also had a big postseason, winning LCS and first round MVP. He set a playoff record with 59 total bases which still stands as of 2037. The 26-year old Burmese left fielder had 20 hits, 11 home runs, 2 doubles, 2 triples, 16 runs, and 15 RBI. The 11 homers was also a playoff record, although it would get passed in 2015.

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

Other notes: Aftab Alam became the sixth batter to reach 1500 runs scored. Alam, Devavesman Toppo, Dhuna Itar, and Ratan Canduri each crossed 600 career home runs in 2010, making six members of the club. Dong Hung and Kamlesh Kanmani became the sixth and seventh to reach 2500 career hits.

In their third season, Colombo finished 49-113, which tied SEAL’s all-time worst set by Kathmandu in 1994. 3B Kamala Vijay won his eighth Gold Glove. 3B Jatinder Chowdhary won his tenth Silver Slugger. Ratan Canduri won his seventh Silver Slugger, although it was his first as a first baseman. The previous wins were all in left field.

FuzzyRussianHat

08-06-2024 01:10 PM

2010 in WAB

For the 2010 season, West African Baseball lowered its active roster size from the default 25 down to 24. Many leagues had lowered to 24, feeling it promoted more strategy. Teams still had their hefty reserve rosters which didn’t have a limit, allowing them to hold onto prospects and specialists.

https://i.imgur.com/sU1enDU.jpg

Defending WAB champ Abidjan and Cape Verde tied for the top spot in the Western League at 96-66. The Vulcans earned first place with the tiebreaker for their first playoff berth since 2002. It was Cape Verde’s first time leading the standings. The Athletes extended their playoff streak to six years. Monrovia’s playoff streak also grew to six, taking third place at 90-72.

The fourth place spot and final wild card went to Conakry at 85-77. The Coyotes edged Nouakchott by one game, Dakar by two, and Accra by four. Conakry ended a four-year playoff drought. Bamako and Freetown, wild cards last year, both fell below .500.

Leading Cape Verde’s success was Western League MVP Abdoulaye Sissako. The 26-year old designated hitter from Mauritania led in runs (104), hits (200), home runs (48), RBI (156), total bases (388), and slugging (.610). Sissako also had a .314 average, .980 OPS, and 6.8 WAR. It was one breakout season in an otherwise unremarkable career.

Abidjan’s Arthur Boateng earned a third consecutive Pitcher of the Year and earned back-to-back Triple Crowns. He joined Kouadio Diao as the only multiple-time Triple Crown winners in WAB. The 26-year old Ghanaian lefty had an 18-7 record, 1.61 ERA, and 326 strikeouts. Boateng’s ERA mark still ranks as the fourth-lowest in WAB history as of 2037 by any pitcher with 162+ innings. He also led the league with 257.1 innings and 7.0 WAR with a 229 ERA+.

Monrovia beat Conakry 2-0 in the first round, then lost to #2 seed Abidjan 2-0 in round two. That was the first time in their six-year playoff streak that the Diplomats didn’t make it to the Western League Championship Series. The Athletes earned a third consecutive berth, while top seed Cape Verde was making their second-ever berth. The Vulcans’ last appearance was their lone pennant in 2002.

Cape Verde had home field advantage from the tiebreaker, but Abidjan prevailed 3-1 in the WLCS. The Athletes repeated as WL champs and won their 12<sup>th</sup> pennant. That was the most of any WL team and second in all of WAB’s 36 years behind only Kano’s 13.

https://i.imgur.com/EQ08taV.jpg

Cotonou had never finished first in the Eastern League standings and their only previous playoff berths were in 1987 and 2001. The Copperheads looked to reverse their fortunes, taking first in the EL standings in 2010 at 101-61. Cotonou took the top spot by eight games.

Four teams were in a fierce fight for the remaining three playoff spots. Ibadan and Niamey tied at 93-69, Lome was 92-70, and Port Harcourt went 88-74. The tiebreaker gave the defending EL champ Iguanas the #2 seed over the Atomics. The Atomics earned their fourth playoff appearance in five years.

For the Lasers, they ended a seven-year playoff drought by taking fourth. Ouagadougou, who went 111-51 in 2009, dropped to sixth at 81-81. The Osprey saw their playoff streak ended at three seasons. Despite finishing .500, Ouagadougou’s pitching staff set an Eastern League record with a 11.34 K/9. That stood as the top mark until 2023.

Douala was seventh at 80-82, but they had the Eastern League’s MVP in 2B Bright Abubakar. The 27-year old Nigerian led in runs (128), home runs (49), RBI (132), total bases (445), slugging (.749), OPS (1.173), wRC+ (206), and WAR (10.7). His .365 batting average fell nine points shy of a Triple Crown.

Lome’s Nana Villars earned Pitcher of the Year. The 27-year old righty from Ghana was in only his second season as a full-time starter and led in wins (18-7), innings (256), strikeouts (364), WHIP (0.83), K/BB (9.6), quality starts (24), FIP- (60), and WAR (9.0). Villars had a 162 ERA+ and 2.43 ERA, taking second to Ouagadougou’s Zeb Onyedika at 2.12. This effort earned Villars a five-year, $15,700,000 contract extension after the season.

Niamey won 2-0 over Lome in the first round, then lost 2-0 to Ibadan in round two. The Iguanas were going for repeat titles and were making their 12<sup>th</sup> Eastern League Championship Series appearance in 20 years. Cotonou’s only prior ELCS was a defeat in 1987. In 2010, the Copperheads prevailed 3-1 over Ibadan, becoming the sixth EL franchise to win a pennant.

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

In the 36<sup>th</sup> West African Championship, Cotonou denied Abidjan’s repeat bid and won the series 4-2. The Copperheads were the 13<sup>th</sup> franchise in WAB history to win it all. Finals MVP was DH Fares Belaid in his second full season. The 21-year old Tunisian in 10 playoff starts had 15 hits, 9 runs, 1 double, 2 triples, 4 home runs, 9 RBI, and 7 stolen bases. This was the introduction to the big stage for Belaid, who would retire 23 years later with more hits than any player in pro baseball history.

https://i.imgur.com/3l4f1u8.png

Other notes: Ouagadougou’s Charles Compaore threw WAB’s 17<sup>th</sup> perfect game on September 15, striking out 15 against Lome. Luc Mariam became the seventh to 500 career home runs. Ibrahima Bah was the fifth to join the 2500 hit club. Zachary Owusu became the 13<sup>th</sup> to 3000 career strikeouts.

SS Tchiressoua Yao won his ninth Gold Glove. 2B Sambegou Toure and C Okoro Otene both became eight time Gold Glovers. 1B Ahamad Mathew won his ninth Silver Slugger.

FuzzyRussianHat

08-06-2024 08:16 PM

2010 in CLB

https://i.imgur.com/Tx1Vm6G.jpg

Three of the four CLB Northern League playoff teams earned repeat berths in 2010. Last year’s China Series runner-up Zhengzhou narrowly took first at 96-66, earning their third straight berth and fourth in five years. Nanjing was only one game back at 95-67, ending a three year playoff drought. Tianjin took third at 94-68 and Shanghai was fourth at 92-70. The Seawolves extended their playoff streak to three.

For the Jackrabbits, they had an impressive pitching staff and had top three all-time seasons in runs allowed (357, 3<sup>rd</sup>), hits (988, 2<sup>nd</sup>), and WHIP (0.826, 2<sup>nd</sup>). The Zips were close by with only 368 runs allowed. Harbin was the first team to miss the playoffs, allowing 371 runs but finishing fifth at 88-74. Beijing was third last year and dropped to sixth in 2010 at 83-79.

Shanghai’s Lin Wan earned Northern League MVP. Nicknamed “Black Magic,” the 31-year second baseman was in his ninth season with the Seawolves and led with 306 total bases. Wan added 33 home runs, a .285/.330/.516 slash, 200 wRC+, and 10.1 WAR.

Zhengzhou’s Yuandong Wang repeated as Pitcher of the Year in only his third season. The 23-year old lefty had a 16-6 record, 1.59 ERA, and 318 strikeouts over 265.2 innings with a 150 ERA+, 60 FIP-, and 8.4 WAR. His effort included a no-hitter against Shiijazhuang on May 16 with 15 strikeouts and four walks.

Also worth noting was Shanghai’s Jingxing Zhang winning his third Reliever of the Year. His 0.55 ERA was the fourth time a ROTY winner in CLB had a sub 0.60 ERA. Zhang added 158 strikeouts and 46 saves over 98.1 innings and 79 games with a 440 ERA+ and 6.9 WAR. Zhang played one more year for the Seawolves before leaving for MLB and BSA in his later seasons.

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

Macau led the Southern League standings for the third consecutive season and again won 100+ games. At 102-60, the Magicians took first by four games over Foshan at 98-64. The Flyers ended a nine year playoff drought and had the SL’s third lowest season by hits allowed (945) and H/9 (5.71). Changsha took third at 94-68 to end a two-year playoff drought.

Chengdu grabbed the fourth and final playoff spot at 93-69, extending their playoff streak to three seasons. Narrowly missing the cut were Shenzhen (89-73), Wuhan (88-74), Dongguan (87-75), and Guangzhou (85-77). Last year’s CLB champion Xiamen struggled to 73-89, finishing tenth in the standings.

Hong Kong center fielder Gangzhun Peng picked up Southern League MVP honors despite his squad winning only 69 games. He missed six weeks to injury, but in 122 games still posted 9.6 WAR, a .270/312/.580 slash, 213 wRC+, and 37 home runs.

Changsha’s Lei Li repeated as Pitcher of the Year and became the first (and as of 2037, only) six-time POTY in CLB history. The 30-year old righty led in FIP- (46) and had a 17-7 record, 14 saves, 1.55 ERA, 276 strikeouts, and 7.6 WAR over 209.1 innings. It was Li’s last POTY, although he still had two more strong years ahead for the Cannons. He would leave for MLB for the 2013 campaign on a four-year, $86,400,000 deal with Hartford.

The Southern League teams dominated Round Robin Group A with #4 seed Chengdu and #2 Foshan both advancing to the semifinal at 5-1, while #1 Tianjin and #3 Zhengzhou were both 1-5. Group A ended up having a calamity as all four teams finished 3-3, requiring complex tiebreakers to figure out who moved on. The formula sent Macau and Changsha forward and sent both Shanghai and Nanjing home

With that, the semifinals featured all four SL playoff teams. Chengdu earned a repeat berth and Macau had their second in three years. Changsha ended a two-year drought and Foshan had their first semifinal since 2000. Both series ended up being seven game thrillers with the top ranked Magicians outlasting the Cannons and the bottom ranked Clowns surviving against the Flyers.

https://i.imgur.com/WQ3bujz.png

The 41<sup>st</sup> China Series was guaranteed to crown the 17<sup>th</sup> unique franchise as CLB champ. For Macau, they had lost in four prior finals berths (1975, 1989, 2004, 2005). Chengdu’s lone prior appearance was a 1987 defeat. The Clowns would upset the top seeded Magicians in a seven game classic. Finals MVP was 1B Peng Wang in his fourth season. In 20 playoff starts, he had 18 hits, 11 runs, 3 doubles, 7 home runs, and 15 RBI.

https://i.imgur.com/6K5WclD.png

Other notes: 2010 saw three perfect games, making it 43 thrown in CLB history. The first came on July 20 by Macau’s Jeff Hinson with 19 strikeouts against Shenzhen. This set a CLB record for most Ks in a perfect game. The second was August 9 by Chongqing’s Jizhu Tang with 12 Ks versus Hong Kong. The third came via Macau’s Yiak Pang with 16 strikeouts over Wuhan. Minghui Ruan became the fifth CLB hitter to 400 home runs and the eighth to 1000 RBI.

FuzzyRussianHat

08-07-2024 07:02 AM

2010 in APB

FuzzyRussianHat

08-07-2024 02:07 PM

2010 in OBA

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

Melbourne’s Australasia League dynasty showed no signs of slowing down with a 113-49 record, leading in both runs scored (823) and fewest allowed (558). Their closest competitor was Auckland at 89-73, 24 games back. The 113 wins for the Mets was the second-most in AL history, one game behind their 2008 effort. They also set a new AL record for walks drawn at 541. Melbourne’s defense was also excellent with four Gold Glove winners (SS, LF, CF, RF).

This was Melbourne’s eighth consecutive pennant. Only two other franchises in all of pro baseball history had won their subleague title eight years in a row. Kano of West Africa Baseball (1997-2005) and Ahmedabad of South Asia Baseball (1994-2002) both had nine year streaks.

Interestingly enough, third place Canberra (85-77) had both the MVP and Pitcher of the Year in the Australasia League. They both led the Centurions to their first winning season since joining OBA in the 2006 expansion. Canberra was only three years removed from an all-time worst 44-118 in 2007.

Repeating as MVP was RF Merlin Megson. The 24-year old Englishman led in hits (203), home runs (50), total bases (416), average (.340), slugging (.697), OPS (1.076), wRC+ (198), and WAR (8.3). Megson’s 120 RBI fell two short of a Triple Crown season. Canberra signed him to an eight-year, $36,780,000 extension prior to the 2010 season.

Lucas Jimenez was Pitcher of the Year in his third year for the Centurions. The 25-year old Spaniard led in ERA (2.59), innings (323), complete games (15), FIP- (66), and WAR (10.3). Jimenez had a 21-14 record, 370 strikeouts, and 147 ERA+. Sadly, this was his final full season as numerous major injuries would plague him in the next few seasons.

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

Guadalcanal ended a 32-year Pacific League title drought, dominating the field at 113-49. The Green Jackets set an OBA record offensively with a team .499 slugging percentage, which still remains the all-time top mark. They had 856 runs scored, the third-highest in PL history. It was Guadalcanal’s sixth pennant (1961, 1964, 1966, 1968, 1977, 2010), but they hadn’t been a legit contender in decades.

Tahiti was a distant second at 99-63, followed by defending PL champ Guam at 97-65. Port Moresby was fourth at 89-73 and posted the second most hits in PL history with 1583. Even with the hits, they were still third in runs scored in the league.

Pacific League MVP went to third-year Port Moresby left fielder Suliano Nadruku. The 25-year old Fijian lefty led in hits (224), average (.367), OBP (.402), OPS (1.035), wRC+ (184), and WAR (9.5). He added 34 home runs, 37 doubles, and 102 RBI. He beat out Honolulu’s Max Dhong for the award despite Dhong’s 66 home runs and 127 RBI. That fell three short of Vavao Brighouse’s nice single-season record of 69.

Fiji’s Akira Brady won Pitcher of the Year in his third season. This fully introduced the left-handed New Zealander to the big stage and started an all-time great run of dominance. The 23-year old lefty led in ERA (2.74), strikeouts (444), quality starts (30), and WAR (11.9). Brady also had a 22-10 record over 329 innings with a 137 ERA+

https://i.imgur.com/BRVmjQ5.png

With both teams at 113-49, the 51<sup>st</sup> Oceania Championship set a finals record for most wins combined between the participants. Melbourne’s historic dynasty continued as they defeated Guadalcanal 4-2. The Mets earned back-to-back OBA rings and got their sixth in seven years. 1B Isaac Endo repeated as finals MVP as the 25-year old from Guam had 11 hits, 4 runs, 3 doubles, 4 home runs, and 11 RBI in the series.

https://i.imgur.com/kNX7ais.png

You could argue the 2010 squad as Melbourne’s best of the dynasty, as the only team that won more games (114-48 in 2008) lost in the finals. Six championships in seven years puts the Mets in very rare territory in world baseball history, joining CABA’s Mexico City (1967-73), WAB’s Kano (1997-2003), SAB’s Ahmedabad (nine titles from 1986-96), and AAB’s Kinshasa (1997-2003).

Although Melbourne had two more finals berths in the run still to come, this was their final overall title and the peak. It certainly stands firm as the best-ever Australian dynasty. Only Honolulu’s seven titles from 1982-1990 competes in terms of terms of the best-ever sustained run of OBA greatness. It was fitting that this Mets group would be the first OBA representative in the Baseball Grand Championship.

Other notes: Timor’s pitching staff allowed 800 runs, the second worst in PL history. The Tapirs offense was no better, setting a PL all-time worst with 1713 team strikeouts. Christchurch’s Liam Scullion became only the fifth OBA slugger to post a four home run game, doing it against Melbourne on June 1. CF Ashton Hughes became an eight-time Gold Glove winner. LF Samson Gould and CF Tory Clayton both won their seventh Gold Glove.

Timothy Manglona joined Tarzan Rao as the only OBA pitchers with 5500+ strikeouts. Manglona finished the season at 5604, 46 shy of Rao’s all-time mark of 5650. However, he suffered a torn UCL in September, putting his future in doubt. Manglona would only pitch 20.1 innings in all of 2011 at age 37, but managed to come back for just enough in 2012 to earn the strikeout king crown.

FuzzyRussianHat

08-07-2024 07:02 PM

2010 in EPB

FuzzyRussianHat

08-08-2024 07:58 AM

2010 in EBF

https://i.imgur.com/V4sPq8b.jpg

After missing out on the playoffs by one game in 2009, Brussels had the top record for the entire EBF Elite in 2010. The Beavers were the Northern Conference’s #1 seed at 112-50, rolling to the Northwest Division title. It was their first division title since 1991. Last year’s #1 seed Dublin was still strong, taking the other bye at 102-60. The Dinos won a third consecutive British Isles Division and their fifth in six years, although they didn’t have any playoff success to show for it.

Birmingham was second in the division at 95-67, which earned the first wild card. The Bees broke a playoff drought back to 1997. Paris took the second wild card at 93-69, while Belfast and Glasgow were both four back at 89-73. The Poodles ended a three-year playoff drought. Notably the Brewers had their best season since 1972, although their playoff drought still grew to 49 years. Defending conference champ Luxembourg, winners of 100 games in 2009, fell short at 86-76.

Cologne won the North Central Division at 93-69 for their second division title in three years. Kyiv’s postseason streak ended at six seasons, as the Kings were second at 87-75. That guaranteed the first Northern Conference Championship without Kyiv since 2004. Oslo repeated as Baltic Sea Division champ at 87-75 and were the only team in the division above .500.

At the bottom of the division was Berlin at 61-101, who suffered the fate of relegation. London (63-99), Kharkiv (64-98), Stockholm (65-97), and Manchester (65-97) all narrowly avoided their own relegation by avoiding the 100 loss threshold. The Killer Bees drop was stunning considering their dynasty a decade earlier, posting their worst season since 1966. The Crushers had a rough go too, having earned a wild card at 90 wins the prior season.

Oslo’s Harvey Coyle repeated as Northern Conference MVP and broke EBF’s single-season WAR record by any player. The previous high was a two-way season by Edgar Miranda with 15.5 in 1986. The high just as a position player was Danijel Cindric’s 15.4 in 1953. In 2010, Coyle posted a 15.68 WAR.

At the plate, the 23-year old Englishman led in hits (210), total bases (437), OBP (.424), slugging (.761), OPS (1.185), and wRC+ (230). The switch-hitting shortstop also had 55 home runs, 128 RBI, and a .366 average. Coyle won his third Gold Glove with a 27.2 zone rating and 1.115 EFF. This would just be the start for a guy who would be considered by many as the greatest player in baseball history.

Dublin’s Roman Vakulenko won Pitcher of the Year. The Ukrainian righty had never pitched a full season previously due to injuries, but finally managed in 2010 at age 24. Vakulenko led in strikeouts (359), K/BB (9.7), complete games (15), FIP- (49), and WAR (9.8) while also winning a Gold Glove. He had a 2.33 ERA over 240 innings, 21-3 record, and 155 ERA. Although Vakulenko pitched for another decade, he never had another full season due to multiple torn labrums and back issues.

Birmingham swept Oslo and Cologne won 2-0 over Paris in the first round. Neither stood up to the top seeds, although the Bees did force a 3-2 effort from Brussels. Dublin swept the Copperheads, giving the Dinos their first Northern Conference Championship appearance since their 1995 pennant. The Beavers hadn’t made it that far since 1991.

Brussels had home field advantage and was the favorite, but Dublin prevailed easily with a 4-1 win. This was the fifth conference title for the Irish capital, joining their 1961, 1967, 1968, and 1995 efforts. A team from the British Isles Division hadn’t won the pennant since Glasgow in 2001.

https://i.imgur.com/9wvgDXB.jpg

The Southern Conference’s best two records came out of an intense fight for the Southwest Division. After missing the playoffs narrowly the prior two seasons, 2007 European champ Barcelona took the top seed at 100-62. They were only one game better than reigning EBF champ Marseille at 99-63. Lisbon (86-76), Madrid (85-77), and Seville (84-78) each missed the cut, which prevented three straight playoff berths for the Stingrays.

The next best two records were both in the South Central Division. Zurich won at 97-65 to earn the #2 seed and bye, ending a three-year playoff drought. Munich finished three behind at 94-68 and earned the second wild card by eight games. The Mavericks continued the longest active playoff streak in EBF, growing it to a decade.

Athens won the East Central Division at 93-69, earning a third straight division title. Vienna was their closest foe at 86-76 with Zagreb at 85-77. In a lousy Southeast Division, Thessaloniki and Bucharest tied for first at 81-81, while Skopje was two back at 79-83. In a one-game tiebreaker, the Tritons prevailed. Thessaloniki was the first franchise that started in the Second League to earn a playoff spot in the Elite tier.

No team lost 100+ games in the Southern Conference, meaning the worst record was the team to be demoted. That ended up being Tirana at 63-99, falling one game behind Sofia (64-98) and five from Yerevan (68-94). The Trojans had averaged 68.8 wins per year in the prior decade, but had narrowly escaped relegation until now.

Marseille RF Jean-Luc Tapie won his third Southern Conference MVP in four years. The 25-year old Frenchman led in OBP (.451), slugging (.705), OPS (1.156), wRC+ (211), and WAR (10.4). Tapie added 44 home runs, 118 runs, 113 RBI and a .368 average. The Musketeers finally hammered out a long-term extension in August 2011 for Tapie worth $88,300,000 over eight seasons.

Munich’s Lucio de Jesus repeated as Pitcher of the Year. The 35-year old Mexican lefty was in his fifth European season and led again in ERA (2.21). He also led with 25 quality starts while adding a 17-6 record over 248.2 innings, 257 strikeouts, a 173 ERA+, and 8.0 WAR.

Marseille swept Thessaloniki and Munich swept Athens in the first round of the playoffs. Zurich survived 3-2 in round two against the Mavericks, while Barcelona rolled to a 3-0 sweep of the defending champ Musketeers. This was the Bengals first Southern Conference Championship appearance since their 2006 and 2007 repeat pennants. The Mountaineers hadn’t made it that far since 2000.

Zurich took the series 4-2 over Barcelona, ending a 16-year pennant drought for the Mountaineers. It was the ninth conference title for the Swiss squad despite the drought, tying them with Madrid for the most Southern Conference crowns.
https://i.imgur.com/T3enHCO.png

In the 61<sup>st</sup> European Championship, Dublin downed Zurich 4-2 to become three-time EBF champs, joining their 1962 and 1967 triumphs. The Mountaineers moved to 2-7 all-time in their finals appearances. The 42 year gap between titles for Dublin was the second-longest such gap in EBF history, behind Copenhagen’s 53 years from their inaugural 1950 win to the 2004 title

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

Other notes: Although he only played five games, Cologne’s Ufuk Turan set a playoff record for batting average and on-base percentage, both at .6364. The rate stat is for anyone with 20 plate appearances. Carsten Dal became the seventh member of the 3000 hit club. Two-way player Atanas Kalkanov won his 11<sup>th</sup> Silver Slugger (his 10<sup>th</sup> as a pitcher).

Promotion/Relegation: Berlin and Tirana were relegated and Second League conference champs Prague and Helsinki both reclaimed spots among the Elite. The Barons went to the E2L Western Conference and the Trojans to the Eastern Conference.

The Honkers filled Berlin’s spot in the Baltic Sea Division. The Pilots were placed into the East Central Division, while that division’s reigning champ Athens was shifted into the Southeast Division to fill Tirana’s void.

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