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FuzzyRussianHat

09-10-2024 06:23 PM

2013 in AAB

https://i.imgur.com/hk8g9l9.jpeg

Defending Southern Conference champ Lusaka took first place in the standings for the third straight season and earned a fourth playoff berth in a row. The Lake Monsters finished 102-60 for a comfortable eight-game lead over second place. That went to Harare at 94-68 for their second-ever playoff berth, joining their 2010 pennant season. The Hustlers had seen back-to-back third place finishes since then.

Harare had the fewest runs allowed (594) while Lusaka scored the most (881) in the SC. Johannesburg was a close third at 91-71, ending a four-year stretch of losing seasons. Maputo, who had been second in 2011 and 2012, dropped to fourth at 89-73.

Lusaka RF Hamad Ali won Southern Conference MVP and broke AAB’s single-season runs scored record with 153. Mwarami Tale had the previous record with 146 in 2006. At the time, Ali also had the fourth-most in a season in any world league, only behind the bonkers 172, 167, and 167 by SAB’s Majed Darwish. Ali’s mark would hold in AAB until 2028 and still ranks second as of 2037.

The 28-year old Tanzanian lefty also led with 68 home runs, 155 RBI, 192 hits, 438 total bases, .711 slugging, 1.121 OPS, 192 wRC+, and 9.4 WAR. Ali would have a few more good years, but would decline sharply in his early 30s. Still, the 2013 effort was definitely one for the record books.

Pitcher of the Year went to Durban’s Amari Yimer. The 26-year old Ethiopian righty won the ERA title at 2.54 and had a 162 ERA+ and 58 FIP-. Yimer had 7.3 WAR over 208.2 innings with 255 strikeouts and a 14-5 record. Sadly, Yimer never had 100+ innings in any season after, falling off hard after a torn elbow ligament in early 2014.

https://i.imgur.com/W6m14Ig.jpeg

Addis Ababa at 105-57 looked to continue the dynasty in the Central Conference. The five-time defending Africa Series champs finished atop the conference standings for the eighth consecutive season. This Brahmas pitching staff was historic, setting AAB team records for ERA (2.88), runs allowed (512), earned runs (474), and WHIP (1.047). Each of those remains AAB all-time bests as of 2037. AA also allowed 1123 hits with a 6.83 H/9, both ranking third in conference history.

They would see a new challenger as Nairobi took second at 94-68, earning their first-ever playoff berth. This left Lilongwe, Brazzaville, and Kampala as the only AAB teams without a playoff appearance. The Night Hawks finished five ahead of Bujumbura (89-73) and six ahead of Kinshasa (88-74). Kigali, who had been second in the prior two seasons, dropped to eighth at 70-92.

Mwarami Tale took the Central Conference MVP to become the first (and as of 2037, only) seven-time MVP in AAB history. In his fourth season with Addis Ababa, the 32-year old Tanzanian led in runs (121), RBI (138), total bases (394), slugging (.714), OPS (1.117), wRC+ (207), and WAR (10.2). Tale also smacked 64 home runs with a .308 batting average, earning his eighth Silver Slugger.

Kinshasa’s Paulin Pongo repeated as Pitcher of the Year. The 27-year old Congolese righty led in wins (20-8), quality starts (23), shutouts (3), FIP- (63), and WAR (7.6). Pongo also had a 2.61 ERA, 148 ERA+, and 269 strikeouts over 231 innings. In the offseason, Pongo signed a five-year, $32,300,000 extension with the Sun Cats.

Lusaka repeated as Southern Conference Champion, defeating Harare 4-2. On the other side, Addis Ababa downed Nairobi 4-2 for an eighth consecutive Central Conference pennant. The Brahmas joined WAB’s Kano, SAB’s Ahmedabad and OBA’s Melbourne as the only teams in any world league to win 8+ consecutive subleague titles.

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

In the 19<sup>th</sup> Africa Series, Addis Ababa claimed their rematch with Lusaka 5-3 for an unprecedented sixth straight title. Conference MVP Mwarami Tale won Africa Series MVP for the third straight season and is believed to be the only player in any world league with three consecutive finals MVPs. In 13 playoff starts, Tale had 14 hits, 16 runs, 4 doubles, 7 home runs, 15 RBI, 12 walks, 263 wRC+, and 1.4 WAR.

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

The Brahmas became the first team in any world league to six-peat. A couple of the other great dynasties had won six in seven, including Kinshasa in AAB from 1997-2003, but AA’s six-peat stands alone in history as of 2037. It is a fair debate on if Addis Ababa or Kinshasa had the better run, since the Sun Cats also had 10 finals appearances in 11 years compared to the Brahmas’ eight straight. Regardless, it stands as one of the finest runs in baseball history.

2013 would also mark the end of their great dynasty. Addis Ababa would fall in the conference championship in 2014, then go on a decade-long streak without a playoff berth. Six-time MVP Felix Chaula left after the 2013 season for Mogadishu and Tale would leave in free agency for Johannesburg after the 2014 season.

Manager Orville Sneddon also joined former Kinshaha manager Alimayu Kiros with six championships. Only seven managers in world history have six or more titles. The Scotsman had a unique path to Ethiopia after an unremarkable pitching career from 1985-92 in Europe. Sneddon was Kigali’s bench coach from 2000-02 before taking over the Brahmas job in 2003. He won Manager of the Year seven times and would retire after the 2015 season with a 1271-835 record.

Sneddon’s .604 winning percentage is the best among any AAB manager with 1000+ games. Kiros would have him beat in total wins at 1359-909 and remained the AAB’s winngest manager until passed by Hakim Grant in 2027.

Other notes: Bujumbura 1B Luke Tembo set the AAB record for most strikeouts in a season with 241, a mark he still holds in 2037. Despite that, Tembo smacked 65 home runs in 2013, leading the conference for the seventh time. It was also his seventh 60+ homer season, which led all AAB players. It wasn’t a world record though, as the all-time home run king Nordine Soule had ten 60+ dinger seasons in his Arab League career.

Kinshasa’s Reginald Ulengo set a single-season AAB record that still holds with 4.85 hits allowed per nine innings. He allowed only 98 hits over 182 innings. However, Ulengo’s ERA+ would only be 117, since he also walked the most batters in the conference at 133.

Brazzaville’s Augustin Garba threw AAB’s second-ever perfect game. Most impressively, he did it against the champs with 14 strikeouts versus Addis Ababa on August 24. The only other perfect game had come back in 2002 by Seth Zoontjes. Ndjamena’s Simpson Ndebele had a 30-game hit streak, besting Arsenio Barroso’s record of 29 from 2004. Ndebele’s wouldn’t be passed until 2027.

Felix Chaula became the first to reach 800 career home runs. Mwarami Tale and Marlin Kimwaki both passed 1500 RBI, joining Chaula and Mohau Sibiya as the only AAB guys to do so. Chaula also became the first 12-time Silver Slugger winner. It was his first as a left fielder with the previous 11 in right field. 2B Fani Ngambi won his ninth Silver Slugger.

FuzzyRussianHat

09-11-2024 06:04 AM

2013 in ALB

https://i.imgur.com/BlgqeQH.jpeg

Alexandria had the Arab League’s best overall record at 107-55 to earn the Western Conference’s top seed. The Astronauts earned a third straight Nile Division title and had to thrive against a stacked field. They had by far the best pitching with 532 runs allowed and 3.03 ERA; the next best in the conference was 627 and 3.65. Alexandria’s 1.01 WHIP was also the third lowest in conference history.

Cairo was second in the Nile Division at 97-65 and had by far the conference’s second best record, but was thwarted by only division champs making the playoffs. Even 83-79 Khartoum and 81-81 Giza were comparable to the other two division champs.

Defending conference champ Tripoli was only 83-79, but that was enough to win the Mediterranean Division by seven games over Algiers. Beirut was the best in the Levant Division at 80-82, becoming the second-ever ALB division champ to finish below .500. The Bluebirds did end an eight-year playoff drought as Amman’s five-year hold on the division ended. The Aviators were second at 76-86, followed by 75-87 Jerusalem and 72-90 Damascus.

Western Conference MVP went to Khartoum 1B Ali Jassem, who led in home runs (66), RBI (142), total bases (422), slugging (.676), OPS (1.028), wRC+ (180), and WAR (7.5). His 66 homers was only the seventh time in ALB that 65+ had been breached. Jassem had done it himself with 65 two years prior.

Alexandria’s Amar Ratim won Pitcher of the Year in his third full season. Nicknamed “The Skull,” the 23-year old hometown favorite led in ERA (2.05), and WHIP (0.95). Ratim added 7.4 WAR and a 188 ERA+ with 238 strikeouts and a 14-5 record over 206.2 innings.

Beirut swept Tripoli in the first round, giving the Bluebirds only their second-ever Western Conference Final appearance (2004). They were no match for Alexandria, as the Astronauts cruised to a 3-0 sweep. Alexandria won its third pennant, having also taken the conference crown in 2011 and 2002.

https://i.imgur.com/GPMg2Bm.jpeg

Sulaymaniyah was a stunning #1 seed in the Eastern Conference, as the Sultans hadn’t finished above .500 in 19 years. At 106-56, they took their first Iraq Division title since winning it in ALB’s first three seasons of 1990-92. This dethroned Basra and ended their ALB-record decade-long playoff streak. The Bulldogs struggled to a lackluster 73-89 for only their third losing season in 20 years.

Jeddah won a third straight Saudi Division title at 93-69, finishing eight better than Medina and ten ahead of Mecca. Reigning Arab League champ Abu Dhabi again won the Gulf Division, although it was a tight race. The Destroyers at 87-75 beat out 83-79 efforts by both Dubai and Kuwait. AD earned its third division title in four years.

Veteran 2B Mohamed Mustafa won his second Eastern Conference MVP in three years. In his 10<sup>th</sup> season with Abu Dhabi, Mustafa led in home runs (54) and posted 10.2 WAR, a 200 wRC+, and 1.078 OPS. Mustafa also had a .348 average, 214 hits, 108 runs, and 125 RBI. He also earned his seventh Silver Slugger with the effort.

Sulaymaniyah’s Abdelmalek Kamal won Pitcher of the Year with a historic effort. The 26-year old Tunisian righty had 434 strikeouts, breaking the record of 410 held by Kamal himself and also Ahmad Abu Kabeer. As of 2037, Kamal’s 434 is still the ALB record and no one else has topped 400.

Kamal was also six points from a Triple Crown season with a 19-6 record and 2.51 ERA. He also was the leader in WHIP (0.88), innings (254.1), K/BB (14.0), FIP- (49), and WAR (10.9) with a 151 ERA+. The Sultans signed him to a seven-year, $19,640,000 extension in May 2011, although Kamal would opt out after 2015 and leave for MLB.

Jeddah swept Abu Dhabi 2-0 in round one, ousting the defending champs. It was only the third time the Jackals had been in the Eastern Conference Final, having lost in 1999 and 2001. Sulaymaniyah won pennants in 1990 and 1991 and lost in the 1992 ECF, but hadn’t been back to the playoffs since. Despite the top seed, the Sultans would get swept 3-0 by Jeddah. The Jackals were the first Saudi pennant winner since Medina in 2007.

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

The 24<sup>th</sup> Arab League Championship was guaranteed to have the 14<sup>th</sup> unique first time champ. Alexandria had been there twice before with defeats, but they were the heavy favorite at 107-55. However, Jeddah pulled off the upset 4-2 to bring the trophy back to Saudi Arabia. Pitcher Khamis Sheik had an impressive playoff run, going 4-0 over 22.1 innings with a 1.21 ERA and 24 strikeouts. Four wins remains the ALB playoff record.

https://i.imgur.com/SNnA7dN.png

Other notes: Alexandria’s Mostafa Nabil set a playoff record for K/9 with 19.01, striking out 50 over 23.2 innings with a 1.52 ERA. After winning four Pitcher of the Year awards with Medina, Nabil signed a massive seven-year, $90,300,000 deal with the Astronauts for 2013. Nabil also had a 21-strikeout game in the regular season against Beirut, tying the ALB single-game record reached by only himself in 2007 and Vladik Giorgadze in 2009.

Riyadh’s Samer Al-Mousa became the third to reach 700 career home runs, the fifth to 2500 hits, and the third to 1500 runs scored. Mosul’s offense drew 560 walks, which remains a single-season ALB record as of 2037. It didn’t do them any good though, as they had ALB’s worst record at 61-101 and the fewest hits of any team.

FuzzyRussianHat

09-11-2024 12:40 PM

2013 in ABF

https://i.imgur.com/cwhSHD7.jpeg

The top two records in the ABF East League came out of the South Division. Faisalabad took the top spot at 100-62, extending their playoff streak to four. Hyderabad was four back at 96-66, grabbing the first wild card. The Horned Frogs earned a third playoff berth in a row and their sixth in seven years.

Tashkent and Dushanbe tied for the North Division title at 91-71. No tiebreaker game was used with the formula giving the Tomcats the division title and the Dynamo the wild card. Both ended significant playoff droughts with Tashkent’s last berth in 2002 and Dushanbe’s in 2004. The next closest in the wild card race were Bishkek (83-79) and defending EL champ Lahore (82-80). Almaty’s four-year playoff streak also ended with a lackluster 70-92 season.

Fresh off a record-setting rookie campaign, Dushanbe shortstop Nizami Aghazade repeated as East League MVP. He was on pace for a truly bonkers season, but missed about two months to an oblique strain. Despite only playing 119 games, Aghazade matched his 2012 WAR total with 13.9 again. He also had an absurd 313 wRC+ and 1.302 OPS.

Even with the injury, the 25-year old Kazakh righty led in home runs (47), RBI (107), and runs (105). He just missed out on the 502 plate appearances required for league-leading status in rate stats, but in 490 PAs posted a .399/.471/.830 slash. Those would’ve all been ABF single-season records if qualifying. He also had a 30-game hit streak in the summer, a six-hit game in April, and won Batter of the Month four times.

Pitcher of the Year went to Gujranwala’s Pedram Dadashzadeh, who led in ERA (1.98), and WHIP (0.86). The 26-year old Iranian righty had a 13-11 record over 223 innings, 302 strikeouts, 155 ERA+, and 6.0 WAR. Sadly, Dadashzadeh tore his rotator cuff the following season and only tossed 42.1 innings after his 27<sup>th</sup> birthday.

Dushanbe upset Faisalabad 3-2 in a first round classic, while Hyderabad earned the road sweep over Tashkent. Despite the Horned Frogs regular playoff appearances in the last decade, they hadn’t been to the East League Championship Series since their 1999 title. They had suffered seven consecutive first round exits since the league expansion and realignment in for 2000.

The Dynamo earned their first ELCS since 2004, having won pennants that year and in 2001. In six games, Hyderabad held off Dushanbe to finally end their playoff woes. Even with the drought, the Horned Frogs’ got their sixth pennant (1986, 87, 97, 98, 99, 2013), the most among the former Pakistan League teams.

https://i.imgur.com/a5B9jTf.jpeg

The West League’s power was firmly concentrated in the Central Division. Reigning ABF champ Baku took the top seed at 105-57, extending their playoff and division title steak to five seasons. The Blackbirds fended off a very strong Tehran at 102-60, who had to settle for a third straight wild card. Mashhad at 90-72 repeated as the second wild card, finishing seven games ahead of their closest foe Isfahan.

83-79 from Ankara was enough to win a weak Turkish Division with the other five teams below .500. Still, the Alouettes were only three ahead of Adana, five better than defending winner Gaziantep and Istanbul, and six ahead of Bursa. Ankara won its third division title in five years.

Baku’s offense scored 802 runs, 142 more than second best Tehran in the West League. This was led by the one-two punch of 1B Ali Sungu and DH Fakhri Rajavi. Both split the league lead with 48 home runs with Rajavi also leading with 122 RBI, 210 wRC+, and 9.5 WAR. Sungu was just behind him with 9.4 WAR and a 207 wRC+.

It would be Sungu who repeated as WL MVP, winning his third. The 27-year old Turkish lefty led in slugging at .675 and added 104 runs and a 1.061 OPS. Rajavi was second in MVP voting, perhaps because of the DH bias. With a .338 average, Rajavi had the ninth Triple Crown season by an ABF hitter.

Tabriz lefty Gevorg Qasimov became a three-time Pitcher of the Year winner, having also won in 2008 and 2010. In 2013, the 28-year old Uzbek lefty earned his second ERA title (1.82) and had the lowest WHIP (0.86). Qasimov had 281 strikeouts over 217.1 innings with an 11-7 record, 182 ERA+, and 5.9 WAR.

Baku bested Mashhad 3-1 in the first round while Tehran survived a spirited 3-2 challenge from Ankara. It was the third West League Championship Series in four years for the Blackbirds and the second in three years for the Tarpons, although they had avoided each other in the WLCS previously. Tehran had knocked out Baku 3-2 in the first round of 2011. In a seven-game classic, the Blackbirds edged the Tarpons 4-3, giving Baku back-to-back pennants and its third in four years.

https://i.imgur.com/ssfC4te.png

The 29<sup>th</sup> Asian Baseball Federation Championship needed all seven games and in a unique quirk, all seven games were won by the road team. This favored Hyderabad over the defending champ Baku, making the Horned Frogs four-time ABF champs (1986, 1987, 1999, 2013). League MVP Ali Sungu was finals MVP in defeat for the Blackbirds, posting 18 hits 13 runs, 5 doubles, 8 home runs, and 18 RBI over 18 playoff starts.

https://i.imgur.com/gGKFa1b.png

Other notes: Ankara’s Faruk Aksoy struck out 23 in 8.1 innings against Tabriz on September 2. This was one K short of Rami Naqvi’s single-game record, but Aksoy was the first in any world league to fan 23 in fewer than nine innings. 2013 was the first time since ABF’s inaugural season that there wasn’t at least one player with 50+ home runs.

Sattar Betab became the fifth member of the 500 home run club. Petri Viskari and Abbasi Mahmud made ten members of the 2000 hit club. Shaheed Qureshi and Zahir Nasir became the fifth and sixth pitchers to 3500 career strikeouts. 3B Shaheed Abbas won his ninth consecutive Gold Glove. CF Marat Gadmaliyev won his seventh straight Gold Glove. CF Rahman Polat won his seventh Silver Slugger.

FuzzyRussianHat

09-11-2024 06:09 PM

2013 in SAB

https://i.imgur.com/72quSc3.jpeg

Kolkata took the Indian League’s #1 seed at 111-51, matching the franchise best they set two years prior. The Cosmos earned a sixth straight playoff berth with their fifth Central Division title and fifth 100+ win season of that stretch. The Central Division also had the wild card in Delhi at 94-67. The Drillers hadn’t seen a winning record or playoff berth since 2003. Delhi scored the most runs in the IL (827) while Kolkata allowed the fewest (539).

Defending IL champ Visakhapatnam earned a third straight South Division title at 99-63. Nagpur was their closest foe at 87-75, which was still seven away in the wild card race. In the West Division, Ahmedabad (90-72) edged Mumbai (89-73). The Animals won their third straight division title, while the Meteors’ wild card streak ended at three.

Leading Delhi’s turnaround was Ratan Canduri, who won his third MVP. The 36-year old Indian righty signed a one-year deal with the Drillers right as the season started, playing for his fifth team in six years. He had won MVP in 2006 with Mandalay and in 2010 with Pune. The cost and Canduri’s preferences had kept him from long-term deals, as his talent remained stellar. This was his ninth Silver Slugger and third at first base with the prior six in left field.

Canduri’s 2013 was record-setting with a .406/.487/.817 slash line. The batting average and on-base percentage marks were both new SAB records and the slugging was fourth only behind Majed Darwish’s insane 2008-2010 pace. Canduri’s 1.304 OPS ranked third-best in SAB history, even beating one of Darwish’s monster years. Canduri broke his own OBP record from 2006 and his .487 from 2013 remains the SAB record in 2037. He was the third player to bat over .400 and his .406 remained the top mark until 2035.

Additionally, Canduri led in total bases (384) and WAR (11.8) despite suffering a broken bone in his elbow in early September, costing him the final month and the postseason. Canduri had 48 home runs, 129 RBI, 118 runs, and 191 hits. Had he not gotten hurt, he likely would’ve won a Triple Crown since he fell only two homers and four RBI short. It would be only a one-year run with Delhi, as Canduri would play with four more teams over the final eight years of his career. He wouldn’t win MVP again, but remained an elite hitter until his final year.

In a weak field, Mumbai’s Alok Hussain won Pitcher of the Year. He led in wins (19-8) and quality starts (23) while adding a 2.45 ERA, 242.1 innings, 270 strikeouts, and 4.4 WAR with a 145 ERA+. This was only the second time in SAB history that the POTY winner had less than five WAR, narrowly beating Arkakara Raja’s 4.1 from 2010.

Even without Ratan Canduri in the lineup, Delhi stunned top seed Kolkata with a 3-2 first round upset. This sent the Drillers to the Indian League Championship Series for only the second time in franchise history (1992). Defending champ Visakhapatnam swept Ahmedabad in the first round. Delhi took the Volts to the limit, but Visakhapatnam survived 4-3 to repeat as IL champs.

https://i.imgur.com/pXpHPOq.jpeg

Reigning South Asia Baseball champion Yangon narrowly took the Southeast Asia League’s #1 seed at 106-56, although they won the North Division by 12 games. The Green Dragons won the division for the third straight year and grew their playoff streak to 19 seasons, the longest active streak in the world. Yangon is still four years from matching the historic 23-year streaks of Ahmedabad and Ho Chi Minh City.

Hanoi and Dhaka both extended their very impressive streaks to nine years, tying atop the South Division at 104-58. In a one-game tiebreaker, the Hounds prevailed to repeat as division champs, leaving the Dobermans as the first wild card. Dhaka stole 472 bases offensively, falling one short of Kathmandu’s SAB record set two years prior.

For the second wild card, Vientiane and Chittagong tied at 94-68 with no one else even remotely nearby. No tiebreaker games were used for wild cards in SAB and the tiebreaker formula gave the spot to the Vampires. Thus, SEAL had the same four playoff teams as the prior year. Although they missed out, the Commandos still set a franchise record for wins.

Yangon 1B Janesvara Aryasva won his third MVP, although it was his first in SEAL. It was a resurgence for the 35-year old Indian, who won the 2003 and 2004 IL MVPs with Hyderabad. In his sixth year for the Green Dragons, Aryasva led in OBP (.431), slugging (.717), OPS (1.147), wRC+ (219), and WAR (10.1). Aryasva also had a .346 average, 54 home runs, 85 walks, and 136 RBI.

Vientiane’s Huynh Pham repeated as Pitcher of the Year in only his fourth season. The 26-year old Vietnamese lefty led in wins (20-9), ERA (1.70), and shutouts (6). Pham struck out 318 over 248.1 innings with for 7.4 WAR and a 213 ERA+. His two-way exploits gave him a second in MVP voting with his career-best two way WAR at 12.8. Playing first base, Pham had 5.4 WAR, a 1.021 OPS, and 186 wRC+ in 100 games. The Vampires wisely extended Pham with a five-year, $27,900,000 deal signed that winter.

Wild card Vientiane was easily the weakest playoff team by record, but they shocked top seed Yangon 3-2 in the first round. Right after their one-game playoff for the division title, Hanoi and Dhaka met again. The home-field advantage helped the Hounds to a 3-1 victory, sending them to the Southeast Asia League Championship for the fourth year in a row.

Hanoi was also playing in the SEAL Championship for the seventh time in nine years. For Vientiane, they had only gotten that far once before with a 1992 defeat. The Vampires were again the major underdog and gave a spirited effort, but the Hounds proved to be too strong. Hanoi won the series 4-2 to claim their fifth pennant (1985, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2013).

https://i.imgur.com/DMb9B7N.png

The 34<sup>th</sup> South Asia Baseball Championship was an intense seven game affair with Hanoi outlasting Visakhapatnam, making the Volts the runner-up in back-to-back years. The Hounds became three-time SAB champs, having also won it all in 2007 and 2008. LF Avi Mukherjee was finals MVP in his fifth season with Hanoi. The 32-year old had 17 playoff games and 15 starts with 18 hits, 8 runs, 4 doubles, 2 triples, 2 home runs, and 6 RBI.

https://i.imgur.com/3nLw04v.png

Other notes: This was the third title with Hanoi for Majed Darwish, who took third in MVP voting and led yet again in home runs (64), RBI (151), and runs (134). The Bahraini DH breached 60+ homers and 150+ RBI both for the seventh time. It was a world record for 150+ RBI seasons and there were four entire LEAGUES that didn’t have seven 150+ RBI seasons between them. The closest was all-time home run king Nordine Soule at five 150+ RBI seasons. Soule still had him beat for 60+ homer seasons with ten.

Darwish won his seventh Silver Slugger and reached the 1500 career RBI and 2000 hit milestones in 2013. Hanoi gave him a big payday at the start of the 2013 season with an eight-year, $81,300,000 extension. Darwish would only be 31-years old entering 2014 with 665 home runs, 1413 runs scored, 1555 RBI, and 98.7 WAR already in his career.

Devavesman Toppo joined Tirtha Upadhyaya in the 800 home run club and became the ninth to 1500 runs scored. Ratan Canduri also reached the 1500 run mark and became the ninth batter to 2500 hits. Janesvara Aryasva crossed 1500 RBI, making 11 players to do so total. Dhuna Itar became the fifth member of the 700 home run club. C Quoc Pham won his ninth Gold Glove. Catchers Hoang Nguyen and Lance Tong won their seventh Silver Sluggers.

SAB’s 11<sup>th</sup> Perfect Game came on June 14 by Chittagong’s Bhagirath Thapa with 16 strikeouts against Khulna. This set the SAB record for strikeouts in a perfecto and was one short of the record for Ks in any no-hitter. Viaan Govindraj and Viaan Ramakrishna both crossed 300 saves, making nine members of that club.

Mumbai had 82 triples, setting an Indian League record that held until 2029. Hai Phong set a SEAL all-time worst offensively with a team OBP of .258. That stills holds as of 2037 as the worst. Their .210 batting average and 1137 hits rank second and third worst, respectively.

FuzzyRussianHat

09-12-2024 05:29 AM

2013 in WAB

West African Baseball officials wanted to see more scoring and more balls in play and tweaked some rules prior to the 2013 season to achieve those ends. It had an immediate impact as the league average ERA went from around 3.98 in 2012 to around 4.70 in 2013. The league batting average grew from .261 to a blistering .279.

The Western League specifically in 2013 had a .285 batting average, which remains a world record as of 2037. It would settle into around .272 with a 4.46 ERA for the 2010s, but this was the highest scoring environment of any world league. WAB would become well known worldwide as the highest-scoring league through the 2020s and 2030s, a style which excited many newer and younger fans in the region.

https://i.imgur.com/J29hJyj.jpeg

Although Dakar was the defending Western League champ, 2013 was their first time atop the regular season standings since 1988. At 102-60, the Dukes set a franchise best and earned a third straight playoff berth. Dakar had 1774 hits as a team, the second-highest in Western League history to that point. The Dukes guaranteed themselves their eighth WLCS appearance in franchise history.

Expansion Bouake was a surprise second place at 98-64 in only their fifth season. The Blood Hawks’ best effort in the prior four seasons was a mere 76-86 in 2012. Bouake became the first of the 2009 expansion teams to earn a playoff spot. Kumasi repeated as a wild card at 94-68 in third.

It was a ten game drop to fourth place Freetown at 84-78, who narrowly earned a third consecutive wild card. The Foresters were only one game better than both Banjul and Monrovia. It was also the first winning season for the expansion Bucks, who set a WL record with 117 triples. That remains the WL record as of 2037.

Meanwhile, Abidjan’s eight-year playoff run came to an end with an eighth place 80-82. The Athletes had won 100+ games in four of the prior five seasons, including a 108-54 season one year prior. 2013 was Abidjan’s first losing season since 2002.

Dakar’s Edmilson Monteiro repeated as Western League MVP. The 27-year old first baseman won his second Gold Glove and led the league in hits (240), total bases (405), average (.383), OPS (1.068), wRC+ (168), and WAR (7.9). The Cape Verdean lefty also had 125 runs, 33 home runs, and 147 RBI. In May, the Dukes extended Monteiro for five years at $47,700,000.

Abidjan’s Christopher Larbi repeated as Pitcher of the Year and posted the ninth Triple Crown pitching season in WAB history with a 19-6 record, 2.93 ERA, and 258 strikeouts. The 27-year old Ghanaian lefty also led in WHIP (1.03) and FIP- (73). Larbi posted 5.7 WAR and a 161 ERA+ over 206 innings. He also earned a massive payday as the Athletes gave Larbi a six-year, $87,300,000 extension in the offseason.

#4 seed Freetown upset Kumasi 2-0 in the first round and gave #2 seed Bouake a challenge in the second round. The Blood Hawks survived 2-1, earning the first-ever Western League Championship Series appearance for the expansion squad. Dakar denied them their first pennant, winning 3-1 for the WLCS repeat. It was the Dukes’ third pennant, as they also took the Western League crown in 1988.

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It was a remarkably tight Eastern League with five teams within five games of first and four teams within two games. Cotonou managed to snag first at 95-67, setting the all-time single-season WAB record with 118 triples. It was the fourth straight playoff berth for the Copperheads, who won WAB titles in 2010 and 2011.

Reigning WAB champ Lome and Port Harcourt were both only one back at 94-68 with the Lasers taking second place on the tiebreaker. The Hillcats earned their second wild card in three years. Then at 93-69 was Ibadan, earning repeat wild cards and their fifth playoff berth in seven years.

Niamey was only five games from first place at 90-72 but alas, that was worth fifth place and a playoff miss in 2013. There was a big gap from the Big Five down to sixth place Benin City at 81-81. Ouagadougou was the #1 seed last year at 100-62, but fell to a seventh place 75-87 in 2013. This was the Osprey’s first losing season since 2004.

Lome DH Pedro Serna won Eastern League MVP in his second season in WAB. The 31-year old Mexican came to Africa after nine years as a backup in MLB. In 2013, Serna became the second WAB hitter to bat above .400. His .401 was still second-best all-time behind Kelly Ballard’s .412 from 2004.

Serna also led the league in hits (246), runs (125), doubles (59), total bases (420), OBP (.458), slugging (.685), OPS (1.143), and wRC+ (194). He added 7.2 WAR, 27 home runs, 118 RBI, and 63 stolen bases. Serna had made a quick impact in Togo, having won finals MVP for the Lasers the prior season.

Niamey’s Joseph Masuta repeated as Pitcher of the Year in only his fourth season. The 22-year old Kenyan led in ERA (2.55), wins (22-4), K/BB (12.3), shutouts (2), FIP- (53), and WAR (9.6). Masuta had a 182 ERA+ and 320 strikeouts over 239.2 innings, falling only 11 Ks shy of a Triple Crown. The Atomics would lock up their ace after the 2014 campaign to a six-year, $78,400,000 extension.

Ibadan upset the defending champs Lome 2-1 in the first round, then continued on to a second round sweep of Port Harcourt. The Iguanas set up a rematch of the 2010 Eastern League Championship Series with Cotonou. Ibadan gave them a valiant effort, but the Copperheads survived 3-2 for their third pennant in four years. The Iguanas have the misfortune of being 1-8 despite the myriad ELCS appearances since 1998.

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Cotonou officially christened a dynasty by sweeping Dakar in the 39<sup>th</sup> West African Championship. There hadn’t been a finals sweep in WAB since 1983. 1B Mohamed Elsheikh was both finals MVP and WLCS MVP for Cotonou. The 31-year old from Sudan had 15 hits, 9 runs, 5 doubles, 2 triples, 3 home runs, and 12 RBI over 9 playoff starts.

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The Copperheads joined Kano and Lagos as the only WAB franchises to win three titles in four years. Although Cotonou wouldn’t have the longevity compared to Kano’s seven titles from 1997-2005 or Lagos’ eight titles from 1978-1992, the Copperheads run deserves recognition.

Other notes: WAB’s 18<sup>th</sup> perfect game came on September 19 from Lome’s Modibo Abdourahamane with 13 strikeouts against Benin City. With the higher offense numbers in future years, there would only be two more perfect games from 2014 to 2036. WAB also would have only two no-hitters thrown period between 2015-2024, both in 2021.

Dakar’s Christian Ndiaye set the new WAB record for longest hitting streak at 40 games, besting Kelly Ballard’s record 35 from 2001. Ndiaye became the 12<sup>th</sup> player in any world league to have a 40+ game streak. Sam Pappoe became the eighth member of the 500 home run club. RF Jacob Jamil won his ninth Gold Glove.

Nouakchott’s pitching staff allowed 1861 hits with an 11.74 H/9, new WL all-time worsts that still hold in 2037. The Night Riders also had a team 5.94 ERA, 1020 runs allowed, and 941 earned runs; each still rank third-worst in Western League history.

FuzzyRussianHat

09-12-2024 02:37 PM

2013 in CLB

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Dalian dominated the Northern League field at 95-67 to end a five-year playoff drought. It was a tight race for the final three playoff spots with six teams within five games on second place. Defending China Series champ Shanghai and Hangzhou tied for second at 88-74. The Seawolves extended their playoff streak to six seasons, tying the record for the longest streak in Chinese League Ball history. The Hens ended an eight-year playoff drought with their effort.

The fourth and final playoff spot went to Harbin at 86-76, getting their first playoff berth since their 2003 title. The Hellcats were only one game better than 85-77 Shenyang, two ahead of 84-78 Jinan, three over 83-79 Nanjing, and five ahead of both Qingdao and Tianjin at 81-81. Xi’an, who had the #1 seed the prior year at 100-62, was tenth place at 80-82.

Although Shenyang barely missed the playoffs, they saw a massive breakout season for Chuchuan Cao, who many would later call the greatest two-way player of all-time. The Swans picked Cao fifth overall in the 2011 CLB Draft and he had an impressive rookie season in 2012 with 5.9 WAR pitching plus 5.0 WAR hitting. In 2013, he would win both Northern League Pitcher of the Year and MVP with arguably the greatest single-player effort in baseball history.

Cao’s pitching season alone was an all-timer as the 24-year old lefty posted only the third Triple Crown pitching season in CLB history. The previous two came back in 1975 and 1999. Cao had a 20-8 record, 1.31 ERA, and 356 strikeouts. He pitched 275.1 innings and also led in WHIP (0.70), K/BB (10.2), quality starts (29), shutouts (10), FIP- (40), and WAR (12.0) with a 186 ERA+.

Playing left field and hitting as a pitcher, Cao had 130 games and 117 starts with 9.6 WAR, a 212 wRC+ and .919 OPS, a .311/.354/.565 slash, 143 hits, 60 runs, 28 doubles, 10 triples, 23 home runs, 62 RBI, and 49 stolen bases. This gave Cao 21.6 WAR in total, the first-ever 20+ WAR season by any player in pro baseball history. The previous single-season best was legendary Beisbol Sudamerica pitcher Mohamed Ramos with 17.9 in 1936.

In the Northern League’s double-round robin, top seed Dalian shockingly went 0-6. Hangzhou at 5-1 and Harbin at 4-2 advanced to the semifinal, while reigning champ Shanghai was ousted at 3-3. The Hens hadn’t been to the semifinal since their 1989 title, while it was the Hellcats’ first since their 2003 title. Hangzhou would cruise by Harbin 4-1, sending the Hens to the China Series for the third time in franchise history.

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For the third straight season, Shenzhen had the Southern League’s top record. The Spartans took it at 98-64, down slightly from their 105 and 101 win efforts the prior two years. It was a five game drop to Chongqing in second at 93-69. The Cavaliers ended a 13 year playoff drought, which had been the longest active drought in CLB. This shifted the longest drought to Shenyang and Kunming, both at a decade.

Chengdu and Hong Kong tied for the final two wild cards at 91-71. The Clowns grew their playoff streak to six seasons to tie the CLB record. The Champions ended a four-year stretch of losing seasons without a playoff spot. Only 86-76 Shantou really had a shot with a steep drop after. That was a franchise best for the 2009 expansion Scorpions, whose previous high mar was 70 wins in 2011.

Changsha, who had a three-year playoff streak, finished seventh place at .500. The big stunner was last year’s SL champ Guangzhou, who fell off a cliff for a last place finish at 66-96. The Gamecocks made bad history, as never before in CLB had a team finished last place after making it to the China Series the prior season.

Southern League MVP went to Chengdu 3B Baurchuk Reapuhati. In his ninth year for the Clowns, the 30-year old righty led in WAR (13.2) and runs scored (94). That was the fifth most WAR in a single-season for a CLB position player. Reapuhati also had 35 home runs, a 205 wRC+, and .272/.318/.519 slash. He had signed an eight-year deal after the 2009 season, but Reapuhati would opt out of the 2013 campaign. He left for MLB money and a mammoth five-year, $120,000,000 deal with Hartford.

Shenzhen’s Zheng Zhang repeated as Pitcher of the Year and posted an incredible 0.89 ERA over 233 innings. Even in the dead-ball environment of CLB, this was an all-timer. It was the second-lowest ERA in world history for a season with 162+ innings, only behind Zhiyuan Lai’s 0.71 in the 1975 CLB season. Zhang was the sixth qualifying pitcher in CLB history with an ERA below one.

Zhang also led the league in wins (20-4), WHIP (0.61), and shutouts (8). He posted 256 strikeouts, a 263 ERA+, and 8.7 WAR over 233 innings. Zhang’s WHIP ranked seventh-best in CLB history while his .395 opponents’ OPS ranked fourth-best.

Chongqing was the top team in the Southern League round robin at 4-2. Both Chengdu and Shenzhen were 3-3 and Hong Kong finished 2-4. The Clowns got the tiebreaker to oust the top-seed Spartans. The Cavaliers hadn’t been to the semifinal since 1999, while it was Chengdu’s fourth berth in five years. The Clowns were the road underdog, but rolled to a 4-1 series win over the Cavaliers for their second-ever China Series berth.

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In the 44<sup>th</sup> China Series, Chengdu downed Hangzhou 4-2 to give the Clowns their second title along with their 2010 win. RF Yiteng Tang was finals MVP in his ninth year starting for the Clowns. In 17 starts, Tang had 17 hits, 9 runs, 3 doubles, 1 triple, 3 RBI, and 7 stolen bases. Like league MVP Reapuhati, the Clowns would also lose Tang to MLB in the offseason, as he rode that run to a seven-year, $142,800,000 deal with Austin.

With the win, manager Vikram Anjan became the seventh CLB manager with two championships. He would retire after the 2015 season with a 775-521 record. His .598 win percentage would be the highest among any CLB manager with 1000+ games. Anjan’s eight playoff appearances would also be second most behind D.J. Morua’s nine. As a player, the Madras, India native had a brief six-year SAB run as a reliever.

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Other notes: Foshan’s Zhiyun Gao threw CLB’s 47<sup>th</sup> perfect game on June 12, striking out seven against Nanning. SS Jiyu Liu and CF Sheng-Yu Pei both became seven-time Silver Slugger winners.

FuzzyRussianHat

09-12-2024 05:46 PM

2013 in APB

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Taipei made history in 2013 at 119-43, posting the most wins in a season ever in Austronesia Professional Baseball. The Tigercats topped the previous record of 116-46 set by Manila in 1966. That Manatees squad ended up getting upset in the Taiwan-Philippine Association Championship by Taichung. For Taipei, they won the Taiwan League for the fourth time in five years and have impressively averaged 107 wins per season in that stretch.

Great pitching led the way for the Tigercats, who set TPA single-season records in ERA (1.97), fewest runs allowed (381), and saves (63). The saves mark still holds in 2037, while the other two would both be passed twice. Taipei’s 615 runs scored were also the best in APB in 2013. Taichung had the TPA’s second-best record at 95-67, but were still 24 games out of first place.

The Philippine League had a tie for first between defending TPA champ Cebu and Zamboanga at 90-72. The Zebras defeated the Crows in the tiebreaker game, ending an eight-year playoff drought for Zamboanga. Davao was a distant third at 82-80, but did post their tenth consecutive winning season.

Taiwan-Philippine Association MVP went to Taichung 3B Buwono Gunawan. The 22-year old Indonesian lefty was impressively in his fourth season as a starter already, breaking out the prior year with a Silver Slugger. In 2013, Gunawan led in WAR (8.0), RBI (102), OBP (.361), slugging (.567), OPS (.928), and wRC+ (199). Gunawan also had 30 home runs and a .311 average.

Zamboanga’s Ching-Chen Yao repeated as Pitcher of the Year. The defining moment came on April 15 against Davao as Yao tossed APB’s 35<sup>th</sup> Perfect Game, striking out 10. The 25-year old Taiwanese lefty led in strikeouts (367), WHIP (0.61), K/BB (16.7), shutouts (6), FIP- (16), and WAR (12.2). Yao also had 209.2 innings, a 1.63 ERA, 17-7 record, and 163 ERA+.

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Bandung ended a nine-year playoff drought, taking the Sundaland Association’s top seed at 98-64. The Blackhawks were seven games ahead of defending APB champ Semarang at 91-71 in the Java Sea League. Medan repeated atop the Malacca League at 93-69, edging out Singapore by one game and Pekanbaru by six.

Pekanbaru’s Ali Yusef earned Sundaland Association MVP. The 28-year old Indonesian first baseman led in WAR (10.8), walks (74), total bases (347), OBP (.380), slugging (.597), OPS (.977), and wRC+ (223). Yusef added 45 home runs, 105 RBI, and 34 doubles.

Pitcher of the Year was Bandung’s Gosner Rahmawati. The 25-year old Indonesian lefty was the WARlord at 8.4 and had the most innings at 277.1. Rahmawati saw a 1.91 ERA, 19-9 record, 290 strikeouts, and 132 ERA+. The Blackhawks rewarded him in the offseason with a five-year, $56,700,000 extension.

Despite their record-setting season, Taipei choked in the playoffs. Zamboanga beat them firmly 4-1 in the Taiwan-Philippine Association Championship, giving the Zebras their fourth pennant (2001, 2003, 2004). The Tigercats are now 0-4 in their Association finals berths over the last five years. Taipei’s lone win was notable for a playoff no-hitter by Anto Astuti with 13 strikeouts and 3 walks.

The Sundaland Association Championship lacked drama as Bandung swept Medan, giving the Blackhawks their fifth pennant (1967, 1994, 1995, 2003, 2013).

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In the 49<sup>th</sup> Austronesia Championship, Zamboanga earned their first overall title with a 4-2 victory over Bandung. The Zebras’ win leaves Tainan, Depok, Palembang, and Singapore as the only of APB’s original 20 teams without a title. The Demons are the only of that group without a single finals berth. Finals MVP was veteran LF Dias Angga Dermawan, who Zamboanga acquired the prior winter in a trade. The 31-year old had 10 playoff starts, 7 hits, 4 runs, 3 home runs, and 7 RBI.

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Other notes: Davao’s Junior Sanchez became the first APB batter to reach 3000 career hits. He also moved into second on the runs scored list at 1288 behind only Chun-Chia Lan’s 1361. Sanchez also was the stolen bases leader at 1467. His top competitor Beau Cabral retired with 1373 steals in 2013 and Hector Constanza would finish with 1292 after the 2014 campaign.

Sanchez did also set a bad record in 2013, tying Mohamad Yulianti’s 1979 for the most times caught stealing at 90. That is both the APB and world record for most times caught in a season. Despite his many successes, Sanchez would retire having been caught stealing 1227 times, the most of any player in the world.

APB’s 36<sup>th</sup> Perfect Game came on September 3 as Surabaya’s Ahmad Abdul Majid struck out seven against Johor Bahru. Taipei’s Metta Adam set the APB single-season saves record with 53. Adam and Rajwant Arhana both had the previous high of 50. LF Chang-Fa Lin won his ninth Gold Glove and RF Troy Ferra won his seventh. OF Ching-Hui Lin and 3B Nicky Abizar won their seventh Silver Sluggers.

FuzzyRussianHat

09-13-2024 05:30 AM

2013 in OBA

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Melbourne’s historic ten-year reign atop the Australasia League ended in 2013 with an impressive 110-52 effort from Christchurch. The Chinooks set a franchise record, winning their ninth pennant and their first since 1999. Christchurch set a new AL team record in slugging percentage (.495) and had the second-most homers in AL history at 260. The Chinooks also set an AL single-season pitching record with 61 saves.

Sydney was a distant second at 95-67, setting a new franchise-best for the Snakes. Sydney remains the only of OBA’s 16 original teams without a pennant. Melbourne was still strong, but third at 94-68 for their 11<sup>th</sup> straight winning season. Canberra placed fourth at 92-70, getting historic power from Merlin Megson.

In an incredibly rare twist, Megson and Roe Kaupa finished tied in Australasia League MVP voting and thus both earned the honor. Megson repeated as MVP and won his fourth MVP in five years. He set new single-season OBA records with a .801 slugging percentage, 1.201 OPS, and 472 total bases. Those broke records he set the prior year with Megson’s 2013 totals still holding as records as of 2037. He also had the eighth Triple Crown hitting season in OBA history and the first since 2005.

The 27-year old Englishman had a .370/.407/.801 slash, 230 wRC+, 11.6 WAR, 63 home runs, 145 RBI, and 218 hits. His 133 runs were also the fourth most in an OBA season, but missed the league lead by one thanks to Kaupa. Megson’s batting average as the second-best single season to that point. He also had 19 doubles, 23 triples, and 41 stolen bases. As of 2037, it is the 12<sup>th</sup>-highest WAR from a position player.

Meanwhile for Kaupa, he was a huge reason for Chirstchurch’s success, having joined them in 2013 on an eight-year, $117,400,000 deal. This was the second MVP for the 26-year old Papuan DH, who won with Timor in 2011. Kaupa led in homers (63) and runs (134) while adding 31 doubles, 126 RBI, a .333/.403/.741 slash, 212 wRC+, and 10.0 WAR. His 1.144 OPS ranked as the third-best single-season in OBA history to that point, only behind Megson’s 2013 and 2012.

Pitcher of the Year was Christchurch lefty Nathan Henderson. Nicknamed “The Bird,” the 26-year old Australian led in wins (25-7), quality starts (31), and WAR (9.9). Henderson had a 2.68 ERA over 295.1 innings, 284 strikeouts, and 141 ERA+. The Chinooks gave him a six-year, $65,400,000 extension in the offseason.

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Defending Oceania Champion Guadalcanal also had a record-setting season, besting their own 113 wins from 2010. At 115-47, the Green Jackets finished atop the Pacific League for the third time in four years. That was the second winningest season in OBA history, only behind Guam’s 119-43 from 1999.

Offensively, Guadalcanal smacked 279 home runs, tying the OBA team record they set the prior year. The Green Jackets also had a .496 slugging percentage, which ranked third-best in PL history. Guadalcanal’s bullpen recorded 67 saves, which remains the OBA single-season best as of 2037. Their closest foes were Tahiti at 94-70 and Samoa at 91-71. The Tropics notably posted their 11<sup>th</sup> straight season with 90+ wins. Honolulu, who was second last year with 96 wins, fell to fifth at 84-78.

Leading Guadalcanal’s offense was Pacific League MVP Bernard Nyikeine. The 28-year old New Caledonian first baseman led in runs (120), hits (198), doubles (35), OBP (.414), OPS (1.010), wRC+ (189), and WAR (9.0). Nikeine added 38 home runs, 110 RBI, and a .338 average. The Green Jackets wouldn’t be able to lock him up, as Nyikeine left in the offseason on a seven-year, $95,200,000 deal with Christchurch.

Fiji’s Akira Brady won his fourth straight Pitcher of the Year with another dominant outing. The 26-year old New Zealander posted his second Triple Crown with a 27-9 record, 2.03 ERA, and 507 strikeouts. The 507 Ks are behind only Tarzan Rao’s 524 from 1983. Brady becomes the fourth pitcher in world history with a 500+ season, joining Rao, BSA’s Mohamed Ramos, and APB’s Kun-Sheng Lin.

Brady also led in WHIP (0.78), innings (349.2), quality starts (33), complete games (29), shutouts (8), and WAR (14.8). The WAR mark ranks third-best by an OBA pitcher behind Rao’s 1984 (16.59) and 1983 (15.51). Brady’s 349 innings were the second most in a season behind Luther Greene’s 352 from 2004. Brady also had 21 strikeouts over 12 innings against Vanuatu in May, which was only the third 21+ K game in OBA history.

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The 54<sup>th</sup> Oceania Championship was highly hyped considering the historic seasons both Guadalcanal and Christchurch had. It was relatively anti-climactic as the Chinooks downed the defending champ Green Jackets 4-1. Christchurch finally reversed a long trend of losing in the final. The Chinooks’ lone title was back in 1963, having gone 0-7 in their appearances since.

Finals MVP was Adrian Kali, who was part of a five-player offseason trade with Port Moresby. This would be the lone season for Christchurch for the 29-year old Papuan, who went 10-18 with 5 doubles, 2 runs, 1 homer, and 4 RBI. Kali would sign a seven-year, $71,400,000 free agent deal with Gold Coast.

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Other notes: Ryder Murray became the seventh pitcher to reach 4000 career strikeouts. Julian Albright was the 18<sup>th</sup> pitcher to join the 200 win club. Arjita Gabeja was the seventh to reach 1500 career RBI. Jacob Crotchett became the 11<sup>th</sup> member of the 500 home run club.

CF Ashton Hughes won his 11<sup>th</sup> Gold Glove, CF Tory Clayton won his tenth, and LF Samson Gould won his ninth. For Hughes, he set a position record and became the fifth guy at any position with 11 GGs in OBA. Tyler Straw won his tenth Silver Slugger and his fourth as a second baseman. Straw’s other six came at shortstop.

FuzzyRussianHat

09-13-2024 11:27 AM

2013 in EPB

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Last season from the wild card spot, Rostov became the first of the 2000 expansion teams to win the European League pennant. The Rhinos took first place in the standings in 2013, improving to 103-59. They used impressive offense to do it, setting single-season EL records for hits (1585) and OBP (.333). Those marks held for around two decades. Rostov scored 792 runs in 2013 while no other Eurasian Professional Baseball team topped 700.

Kazan, who was first in 2012, took second in 2013 at 95-67 for their third playoff berth in four years. The Crusaders took the spot by three games over Moscow and seven over Samara. The big surprise was the utter collapse of Minsk down to 67-95, an all-time worst for the usual powerhouse. The Miners had good pitching and even set the all-time EPB record for fewest walks surrendered (190) and best BB/9 (1.18). However, Minsk’s 492 runs scored were the fewest of all the teams.

Leading Rostov’s efforts was European League MVP Igor Gorbatyuk. The 28-year old Russian left fielder led in runs (118), home runs (40), RBI (115), walks (83), total bases (356), OBP (.429), slugging (.645), OPS (1.074), wRC+ (210), and WAR (10.1). Gorbatyuk also had 32 doubles, 68 stolen bases, and a .341 batting average; falling 11 points from a Triple Crown. The Rhinos would gave Gorbatyuk a seven-year, $67,600,000 extension the following April.

Meanwhile, Samara’s Semyon Vankov posted the 11<sup>th</sup> Triple Crown pitching season with a 20-6 record, 1.58 ERA, and 295 strikeouts over 234 innings. This earned the fourth-year righty from Belarus the Pitcher of the Year award. Vankov also led in WHIP (0.73), quality starts (25), shutouts (5), FIP- (53), and WAR (9.0).

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Ulaanbaatar repeated as the first place finisher in the Asian League, taking the top spot at 101-61. Omsk grabbed the wild card at 96-66 for their third playoff berth in four years. The Otters took it by four games over Ufa. Reigning EPB champ Yekaterinburg was a distant fourth at 84-78, which ended their impressive playoff streak at ten seasons. This was the first time since 1998 that the Yaks didn’t win 90+ games.

Ufa RF Nikolay Kargopolcev won his second Asian League MVP in three years. The 26-year old lefty led in runs (101), homers (46), RBI (99), total bases (371), slugging (.635), OPS (.955), wRC+ (193), and WAR (7.9). Kargopolcev also had 70 stolen bases and a .307 average. It was his fifth time leading the league in homers. In May, the Fiends signed him to a hefty eight-year, $74,700,000 contract extension.

Although Irkutsk was just below .500, they had the Pitcher of the Year Kamil Domanski. The 26-year old Polish righty led in ERA (1.94), strikeouts (342), WHIP (0.80), K/BB (14.2), FIP- (54), and WAR (9.3). Domanski had a 160 ERA+ over 250 innings and a 15-8 record.

The European League Championship Series rematch was a seven game classic, but Rostov repeated as champs over Kazan. On the other side, Ulaanbaatar rolled Omsk 4-1 in the Asian League Championship Series. This was only the second-ever pennant for the Mongolian capital, joining the 1976 campaign.

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Ulaanbaatar would be denied its second EPB title. Rostov rolled 4-1 in the 59<sup>th</sup> EPB Championship, becoming the 19<sup>th</sup> different franchise to win the EPB title and the first non-charter squad to do so. League MVP Igor Gorbatyuk was also finals MVP, posting 11 hits, 10 runs, 3 homers, 6 RBI, 6 walks, and 5 stolen bases in his 12 playoff starts.

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Other notes: 11-time Pitcher of the Year winner Matvey Ivanov became the fifth EPB ace to 300 career wins and the sixth to 5000 strikeouts, marks no one else has reached since. It would be his penultimate season with only 60 innings in 2014 before injury. Ivanov would retire fourth in wins at 313 and sixth in Ks at 5040. His 149.8 WAR would rank third best among EPB pitchers. Ivanov had a 1.84 ERA as well as the only EPB pitcher to toss 4000+ innings with a sub-two ERA.

In other milestones, Ivan Mushailov became the 16<sup>th</sup> member of the 500 home run club. CF Khuday Kakimow won his seventh Gold Glove.

FuzzyRussianHat

09-13-2024 05:37 PM

2013 in EBF

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The EBF Elite Northern Conference was incredibly top heavy with five teams winning 100+ games. Dublin narrowly took the #1 seed at 115-47 for a sixth consecutive British Isles Division title. It was also the sixth straight 100+ win season for the Dinos and broke their franchise wins record of 111 from 2009. Birmingham was still 14 games away in the division, but 101-61 landed a wild card for the Bees, extending their playoff streak to four seasons.

In the Northwest Division, 114-48 Paris fell one game short of the #1 seed. The Poodles got the second bye for repeat playoff berths, although it was their first division title since 2004. They had to fend off a fierce 109-53 Amsterdam squad, who had to settle for a wild card. That ended a five-year playoff drought for the Anacondas. Brussels was third in the division at 98-64, a record that almost always gets you into the playoffs. However, the Beavers were three short of Birmingham for the second wild card. That ended Brussels’ playoff streak at three seasons.

Defending European Champion Cologne matched their 107-55 record from the prior year, but this time it only got them the #3 seed. The Copperheads won their fourth consecutive division title. Antwerp had their own solid showing in the North Central Division at 96-66, but ended up 11 shy of Cologne and five away in the wild card race. Still, that was a franchise record for the Airedales, who won the Second League Championship only two years prior. Antwerp smacked 304 home runs, setting a conference record that still holds as of 2037.

The one division that wasn’t top heavy was the Baltic Sea Division. Oslo claimed it for the fifth straight season with their 89-73 finish. Their closest foes were Stockholm at 81-81 and Copenhagen at 80-82. With the top-heavy nature of the Northern Conference, the bottom was loaded with bad teams as well. Four different squads lost 100+ games, dooming each of them to relegation.

Three teams tied for the worst record at 55-107; Kharkiv, Helsinki, and Gothenburg. The Killer Bees had entered the European Baseball Federation with a dynasty run in 2000, but saw their sixth straight losing season. The Honkers were relegated in 2009, but made it right back after one year. However, the Finnish capital fared little better in their three-year return. The Gales were the 2012 E2L champ, but stunk it up in their debut in the top tier.

London also was relegated with a 59-103 finish. The Monarchs had gotten dropped after the 2007 season, but made it back after only two years. They narrowly escaped demotion again in 2010 and 2012 at 63-99, but couldn’t avoid it in 2013. Belfast (64-98) and Vilnius (66-96) also were in danger, but survived to fight another year.

Oslo shortstop Harvey Coyle won his fifth straight Northern Conference MVP. The 26-year old switch-hitting Englishman led in home runs (61), RBI (138), total bases (420), slugging (.722), OPS (1.099), wRC+ (215), and WAR (13.7). This was his sixth straight season worth 12+ WAR. Coyle also won his sixth Gold Glove, posting a 24.1 zone rating and 1.109 EFF. The Octopi secured their superstar in the offseason with one of Europe’s richest deals to date at eight years and $142,200,000, keeping him in Norway for the long haul.

Oslo also got a Pitcher of the Year season from Lorenzo Rotella. The 27-year old Italian righty led in ERA (1.63), WHIP (0.88), quality starts (25), shutouts (6), FIP- (59), and WAR (8.4). Rotella was the first qualifying starter with an ERA below 1.65 since 1982 and ranks 17<sup>th</sup> all-time as of 2037. He also had a 217 ERA+, 272 strikeouts, and 19-9 record over 243.2 innings. The Octopi would also open up the coffers for him with a seven-year, $95,900,000 deal after the 2014 season.

Although Oslo had the weakest record of the playoff teams, those two helped them upset Amsterdam 2-0 in the first round of the playoffs. They finally won a playoff series after going 0-4 in the prior four years, although Dublin would prove too tough with the Dinos escaping 3-2 in the second round.

Birmingham ousted reigning champ Cologne 2-1 in the first round, but got rolled 3-0 in round two by Paris to set up a Northern Conference Championship rematch. For their fifth straight appearance, the Poodles were defeated. Dublin won it 4-2 to continue a dynasty run with their third pennant in four years. They joined Amsterdam, Birmingham, and Kyiv as the only teams to do that in the Northern Conference.

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The Southern Conference had far more parity with no teams winning or losing 100+ games. Only four games separated the #1 seed from the second wild card. At 99-63, Southeast Division champ Athens had the top mark barely. The Anchors earned a fifth straight division title and sixth consecutive playoff berth. They fended off a 94-68 Yerevan squad in the division, which was their best record since joining EBF.

The #2 seed was South Central Division champ Prague at 98-64, giving the Pilots three straight playoff berths since winning the 2010 Second League title. Prague was only one game better than last year’s SC runner-up Zurich at 97-65. The Mountaineers earned the first wild card for their third berth in four years.

In the Southwest Division, Zaragoza and Lisbon tied for first place at 94-68 with Marseille one game back at 93-69. The loaded division also had Barcelona and Madrid both at 88-74. That created a tricky tiebreaker scenario since Yerevan was also 94-68 with the second wild card spot up for grab. Regardless, the Musketeers were out by one game, ending their playoff streak at four seasons.

For the division, the Gold Hawks defeated the Clippers in a one-game playoff to become only the second team to begin in the Second League and win a top-tier division title. It was especially impressive since Zaragoza had been the E2L finalist only the prior year after posting seven straight losing seasons to start their existence.

Lisbon still found their way into the playoffs, beating Yerevan in a second play-in game to grab the second wild card. The one division without drama was the East Central, won by defending conference champ Vienna at 87-75. The Vultures were ten games ahead of Budapest, who had been a wild card the prior year.

With no teams losing 100+ games, the only relegated team from the Southern Conference would be the one with the worst record. That distinction went to 63-99 Skopje, who ended up four worse than Sofia and five worse than Seville. The Stags EBF Elite run ended after four seasons, although it was a surprising drop since they had won 85 games the prior year. Skopje’s pitching was historically bad as their 897 runs allowed was an all-time SC worst that held until 2018.

Southern Conference MVP went to third-year Lisbon 1B Sisto Contreras. The 24-year old Spaniard led in home runs (56), runs (123), and total bases (394). Contreras added 114 RBI, 64 stolen bases, a .301/.368/.669 slash, 175 wRC+, and 9.1 WAR.

Marseille righty Mitja Kovacic won his second Pitcher of the Year in three seasons. The 30-year old Slovene righty led in ERA (1.85), wins (20-6), quality starts (24), and WAR (8.1). He had a 208 ERA+, 245 strikeouts, and 239 innings. The Musketeers had given Kovacic a seven-year, $92,400,000 extension after the 2012 season.

Zurich edged Vienna 2-1 in the first round while Zaragoza won 2-0 in a rematch with Lisbon. The top seed Athens outlasted the Mountaineers in a fierce 3-2 second round battle, sending the Anchors to their third Southern Conference Championship in five years. Meanwhile, the Gold Hawks stunned Prague with a road sweep to earn their first conference finals shot.

Zaragoza’s stunning run continued, taking the SCC 4-2 over Athens. Since the Second League debuted in 2005, the Gold Hawks became the first team to start there and earn a top-tier pennant. They were also the first team to appear in the E2L Championship and EBF Elite Championship in consecutive seasons. Meanwhile, bad playoff luck continued for the Anchors. That was the sixth straight Southern Conference Championship appearance to end in defeat for the Greek capital.

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The 64<sup>th</sup> European Championship was a seven game classic with Zaragoza nearly capping off their historic run on top. However, the Dublin dynasty survived 4-3 for their historic third title in four years. With EBF’s parity, the Dinos became the first-ever team to win three in four, earning a special place in history. They would be the only team with that distinction until Rotterdam’s 2025-27 three-peat.

The Irish capital also earned its fifth European title (1962, 1967, 2010, 2011, 2013). That tied them for the most along with Amsterdam, Barcelona, and Rotterdam. Finals MVP went to LF Murray Neilson, who joined Dublin in a trade after six seasons with Edinburgh. The Dinos signed him to a seven-year, $91,000,000 extension in April and were rewarded in the playoffs. The 29-year old Englishman had 28 hits, 15 runs, 3 doubles, 2 triples, 7 home runs, and 15 RBI over 18 playoff starts.

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Manager Marti Salazar became the third EBF manager with three championships and retired with the 2013 win. He posted a 1518-1217 record for his career and led Dublin to their success from 2004-2013. He also had unremarkable runs with Rome (1993-95) and London (1999-01). A Maracaibo, Venezuela native, Salazar as a player was a decent outfielder from 1969-81 with Buenos Aires.

Other notes: EBF’s 33<sup>rd</sup> Perfect Game came on June 17 from Prague’s Sam Kuiper, striking out ten against Milan. The atmosphere was electric all season in Paris, who had a season attendance of 2,620,621. This would be the EBF record until topped in 2029 by Hamburg.

Carsten Dal joined Jacob Ronnberg and Jack Kennedy as the only EBF players with 2000 runs scored. He also passed Ronnberg’s 436 for the EBF career record in triples. At 443, Dal is only six short of the world record of 449 set by the Korea League’s Yoon-Soo Hyoun from 1951-68. Dal also made world history as the first player in any league to reach 1900+ career stolen bases.

Francisco Cruz became the 14<sup>th</sup> to reach 1500 runs scored. Blazej Swierczewksi became the 19<sup>th</sup> to reach 1500 RBI and the 29<sup>th</sup> to 2500 hits. LF Alessandro Surina and CF Walter Dumouchel both won their seventh Gold Gloves. MVP Harvey Coyle won his seventh Silver Slugger.

Promotion/Relegation: With five teams up and five teams down, sorting out who goes where was a bit of a mess, especially with the Northern Conference seeing four relegated teams. The five demoted were London, Kharkiv, Gothenburg, Helsinki, and Skopje. The promoted teams from the Second League would be Valencia, Brno, Tirana, Rome, and Tbilisi.

The fact that the top tier uses a North/South split while the Second League uses West/East made it more complicated. Four of the relegated teams were from the Northern Conference, but four of the five promoted made more geographic sense in the Southern Conference. Ultimately, every EBF Elite division had a change. Prague, Leipzig, and Krakow each ended up switching conferences as well. See the photo below for the summary.

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FuzzyRussianHat

09-14-2024 07:20 AM

2013 in BSA

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The top two squads in the Bolivar League came from the Colombia-Ecuador Division. Medellin at 105-57 took the #1 seed and their third straight division title. The Mutiny offense hit 302 doubles, the second-most in Beisbol Sudamerica history behind only Maracaibo’s 306 from 1977. Medellin’s 880 runs were the most by any BL team in the last decade. Guayaquil was close behind at 103-59 for the first wild card, returning to the playoffs after having their four-year streak snapped in 2012.

In the Venezuela Division, Maracaibo saw a surprise turnaround after winning 66 and 63 in the prior two seasons. At 92-70, the Mariners earned their first playoff spot and division title since 1994. Barquisimeto was close behind at 88-74, which was good for the second wild card. The Black Cats grew their playoff streak to six seasons, finishing three games ahead of Ciudad Guayana. 2011 Copa Sudamerica winner Valencia dropped to 77-85, denying a third consecutive playoff berth.

In the Peru-Bolivia Division, Arequipa ended up on top at 88-74, winning the division for only the second time in franchise history (2003). They were three ahead of reigning Copa Sudamerica winner Callao at 85-77. The Cats were three short of Barquisimeto for the second wild card as well. Santa Cruz dropped to 82-80, which ended their seven-year playoff streak.

Medellin had the top two home run and RBI guys between Homer Torres and Manuel Marquez. Torres won Bolivar League MVP, appropriately leading in homers (53), RBI (149), and total bases (432). The 31-year old Colombian DH had 213 hits, 121 runs, a .326/.377/.661 slash, 168 wRC+, and 7.1 WAR. In his ninth year with the Mutiny, Torres signed a five-year, $63,100,000 extension in July.

For the fourth time in five years, Barquisimeto’s Sebastian Marquez won Pitcher of the Year. The 27-year old Venezuelan righty led in WAR (8.6) and FIP- (64) while posting a 138 ERA+. Marquez tossed 258.2 innings with a 2.89 ERA, 20-10 record, and 295 strikeouts. The Black Cats would ink their ace to a six-year, $68,200,000 extension the following April.

Arequipa edged Barquisimeto 2-1 in the first round playoff season, then promptly got swept by Medellin 3-0. The Mutiny earned back-to-back Bolivar League Championship Series appearances, hoping to finally end their playoff woes as they have lost their last seven BLCS berths. On the other side, Maracaibo outlasted Guayaquil 3-2 in a classic.

For the Mariners, they hadn’t gotten that far since 1990. Maracaibo had also only won the Bolivar League title once way back in 1941. Medellin denied the end to that streak, cruising to a 4-1 victory. Although it was the Mutiny’s 11th pennant, this ended a 41-year drought back to 1971. Only Caracas (13) has won the Bolivar League crown more times.

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Recife won the Southern Cone League title in 2010 and 2011, but missed the playoffs by two games in 2012. In 2013, the Retrievers earned the #1 overall seed and the North Division at 101-61, allowing the fewest runs in BSA at 569. Fortaleza was second at 96-66 to repeat as a wild card. Last year’s LCS runner-up Brasilia dropped to 86-76, which kept them four short of the second wild card slot.

Defending league champ Concepcion repeated as South Central Division champs at 97-65. The Chiefs set a league record with 291 doubles and they led the league with 822 runs scored. Santiago was ten back at 87-75 and ultimately three back in the wild card race, ending their hopes for a third straight playoff berth.

Rosario won the Southeast Division at 94-68, which ended a playoff drought back to their 1992 Copa Sudamerica win. That 20-year gap for the Robins was the longest active drought in BSA. The new longest active drought went to Montevideo at 15 seasons. Sao Paulo, who had won the division three straight years, took the second wild card at 90-72. The Padres edged out Santiago by three games and Brasilia by four.

Expansion Manaus was 75-87, a new-best in the franchise’s fifth season. They had reason for optimism with Southern Cone League MVP Daniel Schafer. The Brazilian second baseman was the #2 overall pick in BSA’s 2010 Draft. In 2013, he led in the triple slash (.380/.435/.693), OPS (1.128), wRC+ (222), and WAR (11.7). Schafer added 222 hits, 108 runs, 30 doubles, 18 triples, 39 home runs, and 99 RBI.

Pitcher of the Year was Rosario’s Preston Delgado. The 31-year old Argentinian lefty had a 2.37 ERA over 204.2 innings, 16-6 record, 212 strikeouts, 154 ERA+, and 5.8 WAR. Delgado had signed a four-year, $27,600,000 extension the prior September. This would be the only time in his career in the POTY conversation.

Sao Paulo edged Rosario in the first round of the playoffs 2-1, but the Padres would fall 3-1 to Recife in the Divisional Series. On the other side, Fortaleza outlasted the defending league champ Concepcion 3-2. This set up a rematch of the 2010 Southern Cone League Championship, which the Retrievers won. Recife was making their fourth LCS appearance in five years.

The Foxes would take their revenge against their division rival with a shocking sweep. This was Fortaleza’s ninth pennant, having last done it in 2005. That season started their current nine-year streak of winning seasons, although the Foxes hadn’t seen any playoff success since.

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Although Medellin and Fortaleza were both historically successful franchises, it had been a long time since either won Copa Sudamerica. The Foxes’ last Cup came in 1972 and the Mutiny’s last was 1967. In 1969, Fortaleza defeated Medellin 4-2 in their lone prior finals meeting. In the 83<sup>rd</sup> Copa Sudamerica, it was the Foxes taking it firmly 4-1 over the Mutiny. This was their fourth title, as they also won back in 1932.

40-year old Hector Correa was the finals MVP in his debut with Fortaleza. He won five Bolivar League MVPs during his 1996-2006 run with Guayaquil, then left for MLB from 2007-2010 with Atlanta. Correa came back to BSA for 2011-12 with Bogota, who traded him to the Foxes in the winter. Correa’s timeless bat paid off over 13 playoff games and 10 starts with 19 hits, 7 runs, 3 homers, 13 RBI, 1 double, and 1 triple.

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Other notes: In his return, Correa also crossed 1500 career RBI and 2500 hits. Owen Arcia also reached 1500 RBI in 2013, making 25 batters to do so. More importantly for Arcia, he got his 3500 hit on July 29. Only all-time hit king Javier Herrera had reached the mark previously. The 39-year old Arcia finished the season at 3560, within striking distance of Herrera’s 3597. He also finished the year at 586 doubles, second only to Herrera’s 618.

Fernan Murillo became the 17<sup>th</sup> pitcher to reach 4500 strikeouts and would be the last guy to cross that mark until 2033. Samuel Andrade and Luis Bustos made it 28 relievers to reach 300 career saves. Hugo Flores-Garcia set a BSA single-season record with 0.33 walks per nine innings. The 37-year old journeyman with Fortaleza walked only six batters over 165.1 innings. 3B Oliver Mejia won his eighth Gold Glove.

FuzzyRussianHat

09-14-2024 01:12 PM

2013 in EAB

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Chiba had the Japan League’s best record by a nine-game margin with their 100-62 finish. This gave the Comets their second Capital Division title in three years. Yokohama (91-71) and Kawasaki (89-73) also had good seasons, but miss out with only division winners advancing in the JL. Notably for the Yellow Jackets, this was their first winning season in 13 years. The Killer Whales dropped from what was a league-best 103 wins the prior year. Defending JL champ Hiroshima repeated in the West Division at 90-72, taking it by 12 games.

90-72 also won the Central Division for Kyoto, who had missed out by one game in 2012. It was the third division title in four years for the Kamikaze, who were the East Asia Baseball champs in 2010 and 2011. Osaka was a close second at 87-75 to end a five-year run of losing seasons. Last year’s division winner Nagoya fell from 96 wins to 79. The North Division had Sendai (86-76) outlast Sapporo (84-78). The Samurai ended a 19-year playoff drought back to 1993 and denied the Swordfish a chance for a third straight JLCS appearance.

Hiroshima LF Hitoshi Kubota joined elite company as the fifth EAB player to win five MVP honors. The 30-year old switch hitter repeated in the Japan League, leading in home runs (51), total bases (358), slugging (.634), OPS (1.025), wRC+ (205), and WAR (8.8). Kubota also had 102 runs, 111 RBI, and a .320 average. He committed to stay with the Hammerheads, signing a six-year, $128,200,000 extension in July. 2013 also saw Kubota’s seventh Silver Slugger.

Pitcher of the Year was Yokohama’s Moromao Sunagawa. The 26-year old righty led in wins at 19-8 and quality starts at 26. Sunagawa had a 2.20 ERA over 250 innings, 24 strikeouts, 151 ERA+, and 6.0 WAR. He would sign a seven-year, $87,000,000 extension the following June, but ultimately was merely above average for the next few years before being essentially out of baseball by age 32.

Chiba beat Sendai 3-1 and Hiroshima swept Kyoto 3-0 in the first round of the playoffs. This gave the Comets their first Japan League Championship Series berth since 1989. Chiba had home field advantage, but the defending champ Hammerheads pulled off the repeat in six games. Hiroshima became nine-time Japanese champs with the victory.

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Daegu had EAB’s best overall record atop the Korea League’s South Division at 109-53. It was the Diamondbacks’ first playoff berth since 2009 and their first division title since 2003. They had to fend off a fierce effort by Ulsan, who had EAB’s second-best record at 103-59. This gave the Swallows repeat playoff berths, as they won the division in 2012.

The second wild card also came from the South with Gwangju and Jeonju tying at 91-71. No tiebreaker game is used in EAB and the formula favored the Grays. Gwangju earned its fifth playoff berth in six years. Over in the North, Pyongyang cruised at 96-66 to end a 17-year playoff drought. Reigning Grand Champion Goyang was a distant second at 84-78. Bucheon (83-79) and Incheon (72-90) were also 2012 playoff teams that missed the cut in 2013.

Daegu’s Sang-Jun Gang became a three-time Korea League MVP. The 31-year old left fielder had won it in 2010 and 2011 with Kumamoto. Gang joined the Diamondbacks for 2013 on a five-year, $90,800,000 free agent deal and led in home runs (49), RBI (139), total bases (388), slugging (.670), and OPS (1.057). He also had 7.4 WAR and a 181 wRC+.

Seoul’s Do-Kyun Lee won Pitcher of the Year in only his third season. The 24-year old lefty led in strikeouts (321) and K/BB (10.4). Lee added 7.7 WAR and a 152 ERA+ over 265.2 innings with a 2.47 ERA and 17-8 record.

Daegu downed Gwangju 3-1 and Pyongyang outlasted Ulsan 3-2 in the first round of the playoffs. The Diamondbacks hadn’t been to the Korea League Championship Series since 2002 with their last pennants coming with their 1999-2000 repeat. The Pythons KCLS and title drought stretched all the way back to 1977.

Despite the droughts, these were the two teams with the most Korean titles with both entering with 13 apiece. The KLCS went all seven games for the first time since 2005. Top-seed Daegu survived in a thriller that saw a 14-inning game seven. In a pinch hit spot, 1B Sae-Wan Lee had the walkoff RBI single for a 2-1 victory.

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Daegu carried that momentum into the 93<sup>rd</sup> East Asian Championship, defeating Hiroshima 4-2. This made the Diamondbacks six-time EAB champs (1953, 1956, 1973, 1975, 1999, 2013). 30-year old RF Dong-Min Sin was finals MVP in the only playoff games of his career. In 17 starts, Sin had 20 hits, 13 runs, 3 doubles, 2 triples, 2 home runs, 9 RBI, and 12 stolen bases. The Hammerheads lost back-to-back EAB finals, extending that title drought to 41 years.

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Other notes: Soo-Geun Yim became the 12<sup>th</sup> member of the 700 home run club. Yim and Koji Iwasaki both scored their 1500<sup>th</sup> run in 2013, making 28 batters to do so. Dong-Uk Choi became the 30<sup>th</sup> to 600 homers and the 20<sup>th</sup> to 3000 career hits, reaching the marks one day apart.

Niigata had EAB’s worst record at 55-107 and posted a 1.443 team WHIP; the worst in Japan League history. That wouldn’t be topped until 2032. Sekien Ida became the 36<sup>th</sup> pitcher to 3500 strikeouts. SS Do-Hyeon Ju won his seventh Gold Glove.

FuzzyRussianHat

09-14-2024 07:42 PM

2013 in CABA

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The Mexican League’s South Division saw a major shakeup with Ecatepec NOT winning the division for only the third time in 21 years. The Explosion repeated their 87-75 record from the prior year, but that left them five games short in the wild card race. Ecatepec had been in the Mexican League Championship Series 14 times in the prior 15 years.

Taking over the throne was Leon at 101-61 for their first division title since 1992. It was the second playoff berth in four years for the Lions, who were a wild card in 2010. Leon also notably had the #1 seed, which hadn’t been done by a South Division team other than Ecatepec since Puebla in 1987. This was also the first 100+ win season for the Lions since 1965.

Torreon won a competitive North Division at 95-67. Although it was their third playoff berth in six years, the Tomahawks hadn’t won the division since 2004. They were one ahead of San Luis Potosi at 94-68, earning the first wild card. Not only was this the first playoff berth for the 2003 expansion Potros, but it was their first winning season. SLP’s previous best was 76-86 in 2011.

Monterrey was third in the division at 92-70, taking the second wild card. This was the third year in-a-row as a wild card for the Matadors, who finished five games ahead of both Hermosillo and Ecatepec. Monterrey also increased its impressive streak of winning seasons to 27, a CABA record. Last year’s Mexican League champ Juarez dropped to 80-82. They and Chihuahua both had their bids for a third straight playoff berth thwarted. The Warriors struggled to 74-88, their first losing season since 2007.

Leon right fielder Max Valentin earned Mexican League MVP in his fourth year as a starter. The 29-year old Mexican lefty led in home runs (57), total bases (382), slugging (.728), OPS (1.106), and wRC+ (211). Valentin also had 7.9 WAR, a .335 average, 123 RBI, and 107 runs. He was a late bloomer for the Lions, having been drafted #2 overall in 2006. This MVP effort played a big role in Valentin’s six-year, $79,200,000 extension signed in March 2015.

Hermosillo’s Jamarca Akim repeated as Pitcher of the Year and repeated as the WARlord at 8.4. The 24-year old Jamaican righty also led in wins (22-8), and complete games (21) and was second in ERA at 2.33. Akim had 272 strikeouts and a 161 ERA+ over 239 innings.

Despite the #1 seed, Leon got upset 3-1 by Monterrey in the first round of the playoffs. On the other side, Torreon swept San Luis Potosi. The Matadors earned their first Mexican League Championship Series berth since their 2009 pennant, while the Tomahawks hadn’t gotten that far since 2004. Torreon prevailed 4-2 in the MLCS for their third pennant, joining the 1987 and 1979 banners.

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Defending CABA champion Santo Domingo got even better, earning the Caribbean League’s top seed at 105-57. The Dolphins won the Island Division for the third straight year and grew their playoff streak to five. It was also SD’s first 100+ win effort since 1991. The Dolphins scored 863 runs, more than 100 above their closest competitor.

Both wild cards came out of the Island Division as well. Haiti took the first spot easily at 98-64 for repeat wild cards and their 16<sup>th</sup> playoff berth in 17 years. The Herons also posted a 20<sup>th</sup> consecutive winning season. Puerto Rico took the second wild card at 89-73, beating Nicaragua by two, Guatemala, Jamaica, and Honduras by three, and Costa Rica by four. That ended a five-year playoff drought for the Pelicans.

Panama won the Continental Division for the first time since their 1946 championship. A wild card last year, the Parrots went 92-70 in 2013, which was five better than their closest foe Nicaragua. The Navigators at 87-75 still posted an eight straight winning record. Honduras went from 105 wins in 2012 to only 85-77 in 2013.

Bahamas was a lousy 67-95, but the historically downtrodden franchise seemed to have some hope with LF Clayton Morgan winning Caribbean League MVP. The 26-year old Jamaican lefty led in total bases (429), OBP (.432), wRC+ (209), and WAR (10.0). Morgan added 56 home runs, 108 RBI, 116 runs, a .372 average, and 1.160 OPS. Unfortunately for the Buccaneers, Morgan eventually left for Puebla in free agency.

Morgan managed to just edge out Santo Domingo’s Noah Breton, who at age 23 led in home runs (65), RBI (129), walks (97), slugging (.737), and OPS (1.164). The Puerto Rican first baseman also had a .328 average and 9.9 WAR. He’d ultimately go on a postseason tear for the Dolphins with 21 hits, 13 runs, 8 home runs, and 14 RBI in 15 starts.

Panama’s Adrian Estrella won his second Pitcher of the Year, having previously taken it back in 2008. In 2013, the Salvadoran righty led in wins at 22-7 and had four shutouts. Estralla had a 2.76 ERA over 251.1 innings, 278 strikeouts, 140 ERA+, and 5.4 WAR.

Santo Domingo survived a five-game war with division rival Puerto Rico in the first round. Meanwhile, Panama swept Haiti to give the Parrots their first Caribbean League Championship Series appearance in 66 years. Panama gave a solid effort, but the Dolphins repeated as champs with a 4-2 win. This gave SD 14 Caribbean pennants, second only to Honduras’ 17.

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In the 103<sup>rd</sup> Central American Baseball Association Championship, Santo Domingo’s repeat bid was denied. Torreon was dominant, winning 4-1 for their first-ever overall title. The Tomahawks are the second of the 1962 expansion teams to win it all, joining Trinidad. They’re also the 25<sup>th</sup> CABA franchise to win the CABA title at least once. Nicaragua is the only charter franchise to remain ringless.

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Finals MVP was 2B Timmy Asher, who had an odd path to the Mexican League. An English-Irish dual national, he refused to sign with Manchester after being picked by them in EBF’s 2008 and 2009 Drafts. He was granted free agency and joined Torreon in 2010, becoming a full-time starter by 2013. The 25-year old had 13 playoff starts with 17 hits, 7 runs, 4 extra base hits, 7 RBI, and 8 stolen bases.

Other notes: Juan Castro became the 45<sup>th</sup> member of the 500 home run club. Casimiro Salceda became the 16<sup>th</sup> to reach 1500 runs scored.

FuzzyRussianHat

09-15-2024 07:15 AM

2013 in MLB

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The National Association’s four division winners were separated by only four wins in a competitive 2013 season. Montreal narrowly ended up with the #1 seed at 97-65 atop the Northeast Division. It was the second playoff berth in three years for the Maples, but their first division title since 1998. They were 11 games better than last year’s division winner Ottawa.

The #2 seed went to Brooklyn at 96-66, giving the Dodgers their third straight East Division and fourth straight playoff berth. Defending World Series champ Philadelphia again grabbed a wild card with their 91-71 finish. The Phillies have been in the playoffs 11 times in the last 15 years.

Omaha claimed the Upper Midwest Division at 94-66, topping Detroit by eight games. The Hawks ended a 26-year playoff drought, which was tied with Louisville for the longest active drought in the National Association. For the Tigers, their three year division streak ended. Although they only have one NACS appearance to show from it, Detroit posted its 17<sup>th</sup> straight season with a winning record, the longest streak running in all of Major League Baseball.

Indianapolis claimed the Lower Midwest for the fourth consecutive season. The Racers were 93-69, besting St. Louis by five games. The Cardinals at 88-74 got the second wild card, ending a seven-year playoff drought. They edged out Washington by one game, Ottawa and Detroit by two, Milwaukee by three, and both Winnipeg and Boston by five.

National Association MVP went to Montreal’s Ezekiel Thomas for the second time. He won in 2011 with Virginia Beach, but signed in 2012 on an eight-year, $177,600,000 deal with the Maples. The 29-year old New Yorker led in hits (202), total bases (357), and batting average (.357). Thomas had 103 runs, 43 home runs, 119 RBI, a 1.059 OPS, 235 wRC+, and 8.7 WAR.

St. Louis’s Vincent Lepp repeated as Pitcher of the Year and fell only two wins short of being MLB’s seventh Triple Crown pitcher. Lepp’s 1.75 ERA was the seventh-lowest ever by a qualifying starter in MLB history. Incidentally, he officially tied for the ERA title with teammate Jedi Armijos. Lepp did slightly edge him at 1.747 compared to 1.749.

Still only 24-years old, Lepp led in strikeouts (293), innings (273), quality starts (28), shutouts (9), FIP- (55), and WAR (10.3). He had a 188 ERA+ and 20-9 record. Lepp became the seventh MLB pitcher to have 9+ shutouts in a season. The Cardinals locked him up long-term that winter with a seven-year, $107,700,000 extension.

Philadelphia got the road upset 2-1 over Indianapolis and Omaha swept St. Louis in the first round. The defending World Series champ Phillies then knocked off top seed Montreal 3-2 in round two, earning their third National Association Championship Series appearance in four years. Omaha kept the momentum rolling as well with the road upset 3-2 over Brooklyn.

For the Hawks, this was their first NACS since their last playoff berth way back in 1986. Omaha was one of the very few charter MLB franchises left without at least one pennant to their name. They had home field advantage, but Philadelphia prevailed 4-2 for their third pennant in four years and fourth in the last decade. The Phillies have 14 pennants, more than any other team in MLB.

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Los Angeles made history in the American Association at 119-43, which extended their playoff streak to four and gave them the Southwest Division title. That was the second-most wins ever by any MLB team, behind only Phoenix’s 120-42 from 1906. That Firebirds squad was infamous for getting upset by a 94-win Houston squad, which helped kickoff the Hornets’ early days dynasty run. The atmosphere was electric for the Angels, who had a season attendance of 3,426,361. This set a world record that would finally be topped in 2028.

LA led MLB with 875 runs scored and led the AA with 538 runs allowed. The Angels had a 2.85 team ERA, the second-lowest mark in Association history only behind Albuquerque’s 2.84 from 1972. Meanwhile, their division foe Phoenix had a similarly potent pitching staff, allowing 560 runs for a 106-56 record. The defending AA champs easily took the first wild card, setting an AA record for team WHIP at 1.035. That remains the top mark as of 2037. The Firebirds also had a 7.13 H/9, the second-lowest in AA history.

Denver at 97-65 had a distant record from either LA or Phoenix, but earned the other first round bye regardless. The Dragons won a fourth straight Northwest Division at 97-65. Seattle gave them a good run at 92-70, giving the Grizzlies the second wild card. Their closest foes in the wild card race were San Diego at 88-74 and both Las Vegas and Salt Lake City at 86-76. Seattle ended a five-year playoff drought. Although the Seals missed the playoffs, they posted a 13<sup>th</sup> straight winning season.

Tampa earned a fourth straight playoff berth, winning the Southeast Division at 91-71. Nashville and Orlando were both seven games back. Charlotte, winners of 101 in 2012, dropped to .500. Meanwhile, San Antonio ended a lengthy playoff drought at 86-76 atop the South Central Division. The Oilers hadn’t been a playoff team since 1985 and had only posted three winning seasons in that 27-year drought. SA was two ahead of Oklahoma City. Houston, who had been a playoff regular in the 2000s, fell to 71-91. San Antonio’s drought was the second-longest in MLB entering the season with Miami’s awful stretch growing to 41 years.

Denver’s Isaac Cox won his second American Association MVP in three years. The 26-year old left fielder from Idaho led in total bases (388) and slugging (.658). He was third in homers with 55 and had 8.4 WAR, a 1.032 OPS, 121 RBI, 112 runs, and a .312 average. Through six seasons, Cox has six 40+ home run efforts and has scored 100+ runs each year as well.

Los Angeles’ pitching staff had many options for Pitcher of the Year between WAR leader Florian Kiss, strikeout leader Omari Green, and ERA leader Steffen Neumann. It was Neumann who earned his first MLB trophy, but it was his fifth Pitcher of the Year overall. The 34-year old German had won it four times in the European Baseball Federation with Vienna. He came to LA in 2008 on a seven-year, $86,600,000 deal.

Neumann led in ERA (2.18) and wins (25-5) while posting 9.9 WAR, 251 strikeouts, and a 178 ERA+ over 276.1 innings. His teammate Kiss would best him in WAR (10.8) and finish second in strikeouts (281). Green had the most Ks at 289.

Phoenix survived a nice challenge from San Antonio 2-1 and Tampa swept Seattle 2-0. Since division champs are seeded higher, that sent the 106-win Firebirds as a wild card to Los Angeles. It was fitting that the defending champ Phoenix would upset the 119-win Angels 3-1 in the second round.

It was arguably a worse fate for LA than the 1906 Firebirds, as the Phoenix squad at least got to the American Association Championship Series. The Firebirds also would win 114 the next year and the World Series. The 2013 Angels squad goes down as one of the great busts in MLB history. The all-time winningest National Association team had a similar fate with 115-win Ottawa going one-and-done in 1982. New York in 1906 notably also went one-and-done with a 114-48 season.

Denver easily swept Tampa in the second round, giving the Dragons their third AACS in four years. As the division champ, the Dragons had home field advantage even if Phoenix was favored to repeat. Denver would prevail though in six games for their first pennant since 1995 and seventh overall.

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The 113rd World Series was the first to need all seven games since 1998. Denver denied Philadelphia’s repeat bid, making the Dragons 6-1 all-time in the World Series with wins in 1925, 1938, 1962, 1989, 1995, and 2013. The Phillies moved to 8-6 all-time in the Fall Classic. CF Isaiah Burke was World Series MVP in his eighth year with Denver, posting 15 hits, 10 runs, 2 doubles, 2 homers, and 8 RBI in 16 playoff starts.

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Other notes: Columbus’ Trevor Ford tossed MLB’s 25<sup>th</sup> Perfect Game on June 24, striking out 10 against Cleveland. Washington’s pitching staff allowed 1104 hits with a 6.72 H/9, setting MLB single-season records. The H/9 remains the all-time mark, while the hits allowed would be topped once.

Jeanpaul Vick became the 58<sup>th</sup> member of the 3000 hit club. Jeremiah Hayes became the 76<sup>th</sup> member of the 500 home run club. Abdul Karim Hussein became the 75<sup>th</sup> pitcher with 3000 strikeouts. 3B Daniel Hecker won his ninth Silver Slugger, joining Hall of Famer Will Miller as the only players with 9+ at the position.

FuzzyRussianHat

09-15-2024 12:52 PM

2013 Baseball Grand Championship

FuzzyRussianHat

09-15-2024 08:12 PM

2014 MLB Hall of Fame (Part 1)

Three players were inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014, headlined by first baseman Bryson Wightman at a nearly unanimous 99.7%. Catcher Luca Adams also earned a first ballot nod with 79.2%. CF Will Kemme was the third player, getting in on his tenth and final chance at 72.0%. Kemme became the third player in MLB history to make it in as a tenth ballot guy, joining 1B Tiger Novak and SP Richard Thieman.

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Closer Brendan Gordon narrowly missed the 66% requirement with 63.8% on his ninth ballot. CF Tyler Ryabenko was also close with a 60.4% debut. Also topping 50% were C Elliott McKay with 58.5% for his seventh ballot, SP Bob Gallagher at 51.9% on his fourth try, and SP Keifer Bobbins with a 50.9% debut.

Reliever Isaac Porter was dropped after ten failed ballots, debuting at a solid 52.2% but ending at only 19.5.%. He was the ultimate journeyman over a 21 year career, playing with ten MLB franchises, two EBF ones, and one in EPB. Porter’s MLB tenure had 272 saves and 396 shutdowns, a 2.44 ERA, 1014 innings, 1285 strikeouts, 160 ERA+, and 33.6 WAR. He didn’t have the save accumulations or raw dominance usually expected from Hall of Fame relievers. Porter also never won Reliever of the Year, taking third twice. That confined him to the Hall of Pretty Good.

Pitcher Connor Rauer also was dropped after ten ballots, peaking at 30.4% in 2006 and ending at 4.1%. He was a starter for the front end of his career, but moved to the bullpen after injury issues. In 15 years between San Diego and Brooklyn, Rauer had a 123-75 record, 104 saves, 2.79 ERA, 1719.1 innings, 1663 strikeouts, 141 ERA+, and 48.3 WAR. He had good rate stats, but nowhere near the longevity or accolades to have a shot.

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Bryson “Seaweed” Wightman – First Baseman – Seattle Grizzlies – 99.7% First Ballot

Bryson Wightman was a 6’3’’, 200 pound right-handed first baseman from Seattle, Washington. He earned the nickname “Seaweed” as a kid for often playing in it around the Puget Sound area. Few guys were as well-rounded of a hitter, as Wightman had very good contact, power, and eye talent. He regularly hit above .300 with a solid helping of walks and a respectable strikeout rate considering his power.

Wightman never was a league leader in home runs, but he topped 30+ in 13 seasons and breached 40 homers five times. He also was good for around 30-40 doubles each year as well. Wightman wasn’t going to leg out extra bases though, as he was a painfully slow and sluggish baserunner. He never started anywhere in the field outside of first base, although he did play designated hitter a bit. Wightman was a bit below average defensively, but not a liability by any stretch.

He was one of the true ironmen of the game, starting 150+ games in all but the rookie season of his 18-year MLB odyssey. Wightman was respected as a team leader and became one of the game’s most beloved players of his era. He was one of the few who got to play his entire MLB run with his hometown, becoming a true Seattle icon and ambassador.

Wightman did leave the Pacific Northwest to play college baseball at Oklahoma State, winning Silver Sluggers as a DH in his freshman and junior seasons. He also took second in college MVP voting his freshman year. With the Cowboys, Wightman had 144 starts, 191 hits, 105 runs, 36 doubles, 57 home runs, 141 RBI, a .325/.395/.677 slash, 210 wRC+, and 11.2 WAR.

His childhood dream came true with the 1990 MLB Draft as his hometown Seattle Grizzlies picked him 12<sup>th</sup> overall. Wightman was a part-time starter as a rookie, but still posted an impressive 4.9 WAR and 1.007 OPS over 116 games, taking third in Rookie of the Year voting. He would be a fixture in the Seattle lineup for the next 17 years.

The Grizzlies ended a 16-year playoff drought in 1992 as a wild card, but lost in the second round with Wightman going a lackluster 3-20 in the playoffs. They would be stuck in the middle tier for the next five years. Wightman would lead the American Association in hits (203) and had a career and AA best 42 doubles in 1994.

In 1995, Wightman led in runs (135), hits (206), and RBI (135) while adding 42 doubles, 39 homers, .985 OPS, and 7.5 WAR. His 135 runs is one of only 25 seasons in MLB history with 135+ runs scored. This earned Wightman MVP honors and his first Silver Slugger. It also got him paid, signing an eight-year, $23,240,000 extension that winter.

He bested his homer total (46), WAR (7.9), and OPS (1.005) in 1996, taking second in MVP voting with his second Slugger. Wightman would surprisingly regress in 1997, but bounced back with a nice 1998. That year saw Seattle back in the playoffs, starting a six-year streak. They would be wild cards in 1998 and 1999, falling short of the AACS both seasons. A 29-year old Wightman re-entered the MVP chat in 1999 with an AA-best 209 hits, taking third and winning his third Slugger.

Although Wightman hadn’t had many playoff chances early in his career, he did see the big stage in the World Baseball Championship. From 1992-2007, he had 173 games and 153 starts for the United States team with 158 hits, 97 runs, 32 doubles, 41 home runs, 123 RBI, a .268/.354/.534 slash, 160 wRC+, and 7.0 WAR. Wightman ended up with eight world champion rings during this dynasty run for the Americans (1992, 96, 97, 98, 2000, 01, 03, 07).

Wightman won his second MVP in 2000, leading with a career best 217 hits along with 390 total bases, 40 doubles, 41 homers, 133 RBI, 1.001 OPS, and 8.3 WAR. Seattle earned the top seed and finally won their first American Association pennant in 100 years of trying, although Cleveland upset them in the World Series. Wightman was AACS MVP and had 12 hits, 10 runs, 2 doubles, 2 homers, and 11 RBI in 11 playoff starts.

He repeated as MVP in 2001, leading again in hits and total bases while also leading for the first time in OPS and wRC+. Seattle again had the top seed, but suffered an AACS upset loss to Nashville. The Grizzlies would again have the AA’s best record in 2002 and 2003, but couldn’t cut it in the playoffs. They went one-and-done in 2002 and lost in the 2003 AACS to Phoenix.

Wightman kept rolling on, winning another Silver Slugger in 2002 and 2003 with second place MVP finishes both years. The Grizzlies gave him a five-year, $59,500,000 extension in February 2003 at age 33. He led in RBI again both years and in 2003 had career and AA bests in total bases (395), OPS (1.060), and wRC+ (178). 2003 also had Wightman’s career highs in WAR (9.3), and the triple slash (.350/.420/.640). He had a career-best 49 homers in 2004.

As the leader and star of the team, Wightman got some flack for Seattle’s playoff failures post 2000. Their playoff streak ended in 2004 as they fell two games short of a wild card. The Grizzlies bounced back for their fifth Northwest Division title and #1 seed in six years in 2005. This season would see Wightman’s eighth and final Silver Slugger.

Most importantly, Seattle got over the hump and won their first World Series, defeating Philadelphia in the Fall Classic. The hometown hero Wightman was World Series MVP, finalizing a childhood dream of bringing the trophy to his city. In that playoff run, he had 20 hits, 10 runs, 2 doubles, 1 homer, 9 RBI, and a .323/.400/.403 slash.

Wightman’s playoff career numbers were somewhat underwhelming compared to his regular season stats. In 78 starts, he had 87 hits, 36 runs, 13 doubles, 8 home runs, 42 RBI, 32 walks, a .282/.353/.401 slash, 112 wRC+, and 1.8 WAR. While a few critics point out how Seattle underperformed, Wightman still got them their first AA pennant in 2000 and their first World Series ring in 2005. That would forever make him a hero and icon in their books.

Seattle surprisingly dropped to 82-80 in 2006, but bounced back with another #1 seed in 2007. That was their sixth 100+ win season in an eight year stretch, although they were upset in the AACS by San Diego. Wightman was subpar in the playoff run and 2007 had been his lowest season by WAR to that point, although he was still worth a very solid 4.6.

2007 did allow Wightman to reach two major milestones, crossing 600 home runs and 2000 RBI. He became the 20<sup>th</sup> to reach 600 homers and only the fifth to 2000 RBI. Many thought he had a legit shot at Stan Provost’s career RBI record of 2271. But Wightman fell off hard in 2008 at age 38 with a mere 1.1 WAR, .748 OPS, and 111 wRC+ over a full season. Seattle plummeted to 71-91, their first losing season in more than a decade. That signaled the end of their run as a contender and the end of Wightman’s MLB career.

The ironman was still in good health heading towards age 39, but his bat was significantly diminished at this point. Wightman’s defense also regressed with age, meaning his only options were a weak 1B or DH. Thus, he didn’t have a chance to chase any final milestones as MLB teams felt he wasn’t worth the big paycheck. Wightman wasn’t ready to end his career yet and set his sights elsewhere.

2009 saw a six-team expansion in Beisbol Sudamerica, which included the Peru-based Trujillo Thoroughbreds. The ownership thought a famous American star would be a boon, Trujillo gave Wightman a three-year, $19,960,000 deal. Unfortunately, he was cooked in his time there with below average production as a DH in 2009 and 2010. In 2011, he was reduced to a bench role with only 30 games and 10 starts.

With Trujillo, Wightman finished with 305 games, 231 hits, 111 runs, 49 doubles, 45 home runs, 141 RBI, a .239/.287/.433 slash, 93 wRC+, and -0.8 WAR. Wightman retired at age 41 after the 2011 season and immediately had his #38 retired back in Seattle. For his combined pro career, Wightman had 3683 hits, 1936 runs, 657 doubles, 41 triples, 671 home runs, 2308 RBI, 1221 walks, a .310/.375/.542 slash, 149 wRC+ , and 112 WAR.

Just in MLB with Seattle, Wightman ended with 3452 hits, 1825 runs, 608 doubles, 626 home runs, 2167 RBI, 39 triples, 1158 walks, a .317/.382/.552 slash, 154 wRC+, and 112.7 WAR. At retirement, he ranked second all-time in RBI, fourth in doubles, 14<sup>th</sup> in runs scored, 12<sup>th</sup> in hits, 16<sup>th</sup> in home runs, and 11<sup>th</sup> in WAR among position players.

Even with later high-offense numbers, Wightman as of 2037 still is 23<sup>rd</sup> in WAR, fourth in RBI, fifth in doubles, 18<sup>th</sup> in hits, 23<sup>rd</sup> in runs scored, and 41<sup>st</sup> in homers. His .934 OPS ranks 59<sup>th</sup> among all MLB players with 3000+ plate appearances. Wightman’s numbers alone make him a lock, but being a hometown hero who brought Seattle their first-ever title pushed him into the inner-circle. He was nearly unanimous at 99.7% to headline the 2014 MLB Hall of Fame class.

FuzzyRussianHat

09-16-2024 06:27 AM

2014 MLB Hall of Fame (Part 2)

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Luca Adams – Catcher – San Francisco Gold Rush – 79.2% First Ballot

Luca Adams was a 6’4’’, 200 pound right-handed catcher from San Leandro, California; a city of 91,000 in the East Bay. Adams was a very good contact hitter with a solid eye for walks and a low strikeout rate. He was an especially well-rounded bat for a catcher. Adams didn’t have prolific power, but he was still good for 28 doubles and 22 home runs per his 162 game average. He was a laughably poor and slow baserunner trying to lug his big frame around the basepaths.

Defensively, Adams was considered average to above average behind the dish. Combining that with his bat made him arguably MLB’s best catcher for much of his career. He had pretty good durability especially considering the demands of the position over a 20 year career. Adams had a stellar work ethic and was very loyal, which made him one of MLB’s most popular players of the 1990s and 2000s.

Adams left the Bay Area to play collegiately at Texas Tech, winning a NCAA Silver Slugger in his junior season. In 132 games and 120 starts for the Red Raiders, Adams had 134 hits, 94 runs, 22 doubles, 22 home runs, 80 RBI, 92 walks, a .287/.412/.484 slash, 171 wRC+, and 7.3 WAR. This made him one of the highest rated catching prospects of recent memory ahead of the 1988 MLB Draft.

Growing up in the East Bay, Adams was an Oakland Owls fan as a child. However, he’d become an icon on the other side of the bridge, picked 20<sup>th</sup> overall by San Francisco. He would spend his entire career with the Gold Rush, but would become a beloved superstar throughout the entire region. Adams had an impressive debut with 3.4 WAR over only 89 games and 55 starts as a rookie. He was SF’s starting catcher for the 19 years following except for when out with injury.

Adams’ third season saw statistical bests in WAR (7.4), OPS (.921), and wRC+ (151). He topped 5+ WAR in 12 different seasons, but surprisingly didn’t earn his first Silver Slugger until 1997. Adams won the Slugger six times total, also getting it in 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004, and 2006. In 1997, he had a rare distinction as a catcher with a batting title, posting a .340 batting average.

The Gold Rush gave Adams an eight-year, $22,340,000 extension after the 1993 season. It was 1994 where Adams cemented himself in San Francisco lore, helping a wild card Gold Rush team to World Series win over Cleveland. Adams was World Series MVP and in 18 playoff starts had 27 hits, 12 runs, 6 doubles, 3 home runs, 10 RBI, and a .397/.461/.618 slash. He had a setback in late August 1995 with a broken bone in his elbow, ultimately shelving Adams about 10 months.

Adams played well in the 1993 and 1996 postseasons, but struggled in 1999. San Francisco had four straight playoff berths from 1993-96, but suffered second round defeated in all but their championship season. After missing the field in 1997 and 1998, they lost in the 1999 American Association Championship Series to Edmonton. The Gold Rush then began a decade-plus playoff drought entering the 21<sup>st</sup> Century.

While beloved in the Bay Area, Adams earned international stardom through the World Baseball Championship. He won Tournament MVP honors for the United States in 2001 with a 1.5 WAR, 1.117 OPS effort over 20 starts. Adams was a part of eight world champion American teams (1992, 97, 98, 2000, 01, 03, 05, 07). In 229 games and 215 starts, he had 214 hits, 133 runs, 49 doubles, 36 home runs, 134 RBI, 96 walks, a .273/.356/.476 slash, 144 wRC+, and 8.7 WAR.

Adams signed a four-year extension with San Francisco worth $39,000,000 after the 2000 season at age 31. He missed almost all of 2002 to a torn labrum, but otherwise kept playing at a very high level in his 30s even as the Gold Rush struggled. Adams declined his contract option after the 2004 season, but stayed loyal with a new three-year, $35,300,000 deal with SF. He inked another three-year, $36,800,000 extension after the 2006 campaign.

Age finally caught up to Adams in 2007 with merely average batting, plus a knee sprain that cost him six weeks. His 1.9 WAR was his first time with a WAR below three apart from his six-game 2002. Adams was a full-time starter out of deference in 2008, but struggled to -0.6 WAR. He decided to retire that winter at age 40 and immediately San Francisco retired his #20 uniform.

Adams finished with 2684 hits, 1249 runs, 412 doubles, 329 home runs, 1169 RBI, 818 walks, a .303/.366/.469 slash, 132 wRC+, and 96.2 WAR. He’s second in MLB history in WAR among catchers, only behind Mason Wilkinson. As of 2037 among catchers, Adams is fourth in hits, eighth in home runs, fourth in runs, and sixth in RBI. Among all position players, he sits 65<sup>th</sup>.

Still, the anti-catcher bias that often plagues Hall of Fame voters loomed. Adams’ contemporary Elliott McKay was only one WAR point lower than him, but hadn’t gotten in by his seventh try in 2014 (and ultimately would get left out). Adams’ immense popularity and role in San Francisco’s 1994 World Series win was enough for most anti-catcher voters that point at the low totals that come with the position. He received 79.2% for a first ballot nod with the 2014 MLB Hall of Fame class.

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Will “Blur” Kemme – Center Field – Austin Amigos – 72.0% Tenth Ballot

Will Kemme was a 6’4’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting center fielder from Lamesa, Texas; a small rural town of around 9,000 people located about an hour south of Lubbock. Kemme was a traditional leadoff hitter with tremendous contact ability and an incredible 3.7% strikeout rate for his career. In his prime, scouts gave him a 10/10 for his contact skills. Kemme was also decent at drawing walks.

Kemme had excellent gap power, getting 34 doubles and 11 triples per his 162 game average. He wasn’t going to go deep often, only hitting 10+ home runs once. The nickname “Blur” was appropriate considering Kemme’s blistering speed and stellar baserunning ability. Few MLB players were more frustrating for pitchers to hold.

Defensively, Kemme played almost exclusively in center field and was considered an excellent defender. Sharing the American Association with nine-time Gold Glover Jonathan Valenzuela ultimately kept Kemme from his own Gold Glove, but he provided excellent value there. He had great durability early on with 150+ starts in all but one season from 1988-97. Kemme did receive some criticism for perceived laziness, but his play style and loyalty made him a popular player in his time.

Kemme left for Oregon for college and in 143 games with the Ducks had 150 hits, 77 runs, 31 doubles, 12 home runs, 64 RBI, a .259/.321/.375 slash, 104 wRC+, and 3.1 WAR. He wasn’t quite fully formed as a contact hitter in college, but scouts felt his potential was high. Kemme was picked 28<sup>th</sup> overall in the 1985 MLB Draft by Austin. The Amigos were still a new franchise at this point, having come in with the 1982 expansion. Kemme would be a part-time starter in his first two seasons.

After a .366 average in his sophomore season, Kemme would be the full-time starter in center field for the next decade with Austin. In 1989, he led the American Association in doubles (48), stolen bases (61), and WAR (8.8). The WAR and doubles would be career bests, as were his 106 runs, 220 hits, his triple slash (.373/.406/.525) OPS (.931), and wRC+ (150). Kemme was second in MVP voting and won his first Silver Slugger.

Austin won division titles in 1988 and 1989 and made it to the AACS both years, although they were defeated each time. They won another division title in 1992, but had a second round playoff exit. The Amigos would fall towards the bottom of the standings by the end of the 1990s, but Kemme helped them see their first legit contention in franchise history. In 31 playoff starts, he had a mixed bag with 39 hits, 9 runs, 3 doubles, 12 RBI, 13 stolen bases, a .351/.400/.396 slash, 124 wRC+, and 0.5 WAR.

Kemme also played for the United States from 1988-1996 in the World Baseball Championship with 129 games and 125 starts. He posted 157 hits, 73 runs, 30 doubles, 42 RBI, 81 stolen bases, a .310/.346/.400 slash, 115 wRC+, and 3.0 WAR. He earned world champion rings with the 1988, 1992, and 1996 American teams.

In 1992, Kemme took third in MVP voting by winning his lone batting title at .354. He also had an AA-best 74 stolen bases, especially impressive with 70+ seasons far less common in MLB compared to other world leagues. Kemme led in hits in 1991 and 1992 with 217 both years. He also had seven straight 5+ WAR seasons and topped 7+ four times from 1989-92. That stretch earned him his four Silver Sluggers.

Austin gave Kemme an eight-year, $22,760,000 extension in June 1991. He would lead in triples in 1994 and stayed remarkably consistent until a weak 1996 effort with only 1.9 WAR. A fractured hand cost him some time and plagued him. Kemme bounced back in 1997, leading in hits for the third times and posted 5.0 WAR at age 32.

By 1997, Austin had plummeted to 60-102. Kemme still had a few years on his big contract and the Amigos opted to trade him to Edmonton for prospects. He remained very popular with Austin fans and his #8 uniform would get later retired by the franchise. Kemme finished with 2202 hits, 905 runs, 378 doubles, 125 triples, 45 homers, 681 RBI, 525 stolen bases, a .332/.369/.447 slash, 120 wRC+, and 62.0 WAR.

Kemme’s first two months with Edmonton were unremarkable with zero WAR and 84 wRC+ over 54 games. He would suffer a catastrophe with a broken kneecap in early June, knocking him out nine months. This significantly hampered him defensively, limiting Kemme’s utility and speed. He still hit well for contact in a limited role trying to come back in 1999 with a .365 average and 1.3 WAR over 54 games.

Edmonton would win the World Series in 1999, but Kemme only had two playoff games, going 1-7. In 108 games with the Eels, he had 1.2 WAR and a 109 wRC+. His deal expired that year and Kemme was unsigned almost all of 2000. Minor league Tulsa gave him a brief look in September, but Kemme’s major league prospects were cooked. He retired that winter at age 36.

Kemme had 2317 hits, 952 runs, 396 doubles, 130 triples, 47 home runs, 716 RBI, 539 stolen bases, a .331/.368/.445 slash, 119 wRC+, and 63.2 WAR. As of 2037 among all batters with 3000 plate appearances, he has the 19<sup>th</sup> best batting average all-time. He ranked ninth best when he retired. However, Kemme’s accumulations were very low compared to other Hall of Famers, hurt by his abrupt exit shortly after the broken kneecap.

He was a popular player and few argued against Kemme as an all-time contact guy. But it wasn’t always easy for tenured leadoff guys to get noticed without the big power numbers. Kemme had the added misfortune of lower accumulations. Still, his 59.0% ballot debut in 2005 made many think he’d get across the line. He slightly bumped up to 61.1% in 2006.

Kemme couldn’t win any voters over, hovering in the 50s for the next five years. He came tantalizingly close in 2012 at 64.1%, just shy of the 66% mark. However, that was a ballot with new debuting players above 25% and after not getting in, he figured that was it. Kemme fell back to 56.6% in 2013, but found some support in his tenth and final chance in 2014. At 72.0%, Kemme’s long wait finally ended with Hall of Fame glory as only the third tenth-ballot pick in MLB’s history.

FuzzyRussianHat

09-16-2024 05:19 PM

2014 CABA Hall of Fame (Part 1)

Pitcher Daniel Fontan was a no-doubt headliner at 99.3% atop a three-player Hall of Fame class in 2014 for the Central American Baseball Association. Shortstop David Davila and OF/1B Alfred Wooster joined him as first ballot inductees at 76.1% and 70.7%, respectively. No one else was above 50% with the top returner being 1B Gonzalo Juarez at 38.8% on his sixth ballot.

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Dropped after ten failed tries was SP Bengie Beltran, the 1992 Pitcher of the Year with Torreon. He was hurt by having only a 12-year run, posting a 162-97 record, 3.02 ERA, 2318.2 innings, 2440 strikeouts, 118 ERA+, and 54.2 WAR. Beltran didn’t have the longevity to get the accumulations needed for more attention. He peaked at 29.1% in 2008 and ended with 6.9% in 2014.

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Daniel Fontan – Pitcher – Monterrey Matadors – 99.3% First Ballot

Daniel Fontan was a 6’2’’, 190 pound left-handed pitcher from the capital of Honduras, Tegucigalpa. Fontan’s stuff was incredible and some scouts graded it as a 10/10 in his prime. He also had good control and average movement. Fontan’s excellent fastball regularly hit the 99-101 mph range. He had a five pitch arsenal that included a great curveball, slider, splitter, and changeup.

Five great pitches usually made for a strong starter, but Fontan’s stamina was terrible, leading to a split career between the rotation and relief. Although he couldn’t go deep in games, Fontan boasted excellent durability and rarely missed time to injury. He was a strong defensive pitcher and was very good at holding runners. Fontan was a fan favorite known for his intelligence, work ethic, and loyalty.

A visiting Mexican scout from Monterrey spotted Fontan as a teenager at a camp in Tegucigalpa. In January 1987, they signed Fontan to a developmental deal. He spent six years in the Matadors’ academy, debuting with 15 excellent starts in 1993 with a 1.56 ERA over 109.2 innings. This earned him second place in Rookie of the Year voting.

Fontan again was a part-time starter in 1994 and wasn’t as dominant, but was still very good. Monterrey was in the midst of their dynasty run, having won three straight CABA Championships from 1990-92 with a runner-up in 1993. Fontan’s first playoff starts came in 1994 with a lackluster 4.66 ERA over 9.2 innings. The Matadors were defeated by Ecatepec in the Mexican League Championship Series.

1995 saw Fontan with a full season of starts, leading the league in strikeouts (305), WHIP (0.88), quality starts (27), and wins (21-4). He had a 2.44 ERA and 7.2 WAR over 221 innings, winning Pitcher of the Year honors and helping the Matadors to a historic 116-46 record. Fontan stepped up this time in the playoffs with a 1.40 ERA over 19.1 innings, helping Monterrey win the CABA Championship over Santiago.

Monterrey signed Fontan to a five-year, $10,080,000 extension that winter. With a loaded roster and Fontan’s stamina woes, many were shocked that the reigning Pitcher of the Year was moved to the bullpen for 1996. Fontan was a team player and got 33 saves in 1996, but had a pedestrian 3.60 ERA. He would tie the then-CABA playoff record with seven saves over 15.1 postseason innings with 22 strikeouts and a 2.93 ERA. The Matadors dropped down to 87-75 that year, but got hot and repeated as CABA Champions with a victory over Salvador.

Fontan looked more comfortable in relief in 1997, taking second in Reliever of the Year voting with a league-best 44 saves and a 2.02 ERA over 80.1 innings. Fontan surprisingly only saw one batter for the entire postseason despite being healthy. Monterrey’s playoff streak grew to a decade and their won the Mexican League for the seventh time in eight years, although the 113-win Matadors were upset in a CABA Championship rematch with Salvador.

Regardless of his role, Fontan remained a fan favorite both with Monterrey and back home in Honduras. He pitched regularly for his country in the World Baseball Championship from 1993-2008, also splitting between the bullpen and rotation. Fontan had unremarkable results with a 3.83 ERA, 9-11 record, 14 saves, 129.1 innings, 193 strikeouts, 38 walks, 94 ERA+, and 3.3 WAR.

Fontan was demoted from the closer role and only pitched 49 innings with a 3.49 ERA in 1998. He did toss 8.1 scoreless innings in the playoffs as Monterrey lost in the MLCS to Tijuana. The dynasty would be over, although their playoff streak continued through 2005. The Matadors were ousted in the 1999 MLCS by Ecatepec. They would lose in the first round for the next six years.

For his playoff career, Fontan’s numbers were pretty strong in his various roles. In total for Monterrey, he had 29 appearances with eight starts, 85 innings, a 2.33 ERA, 5-4 record, 8 saves, 120 strikeouts, 13 walks, 156 ERA+, and 2.7 WAR. He played a big role in their historic 18-year playoff streak and his #34 uniform would later be retired by the squad.

Fontan was split between starting and relief in 1999 and returned to his previous dominant form, leading the league with a 0.85 WHIP. He posted a 2.34 ERA over 196.1 innings, 303 strikeouts, and 7.6 WAR. Fontan would be moved back to the closer role for the next four seasons, signing a three-year, $7,560,000 extension in June 2000.

He took better to the role this time, winning Reliever of the Year in 2000 and 2002 while finishing second in both 2001 and 2003. Fontan led in saves with 44 in 2003 and had a career-best 1.16 ERA and 0.67 WHIP over 85.2 innings in 2002. His 4.8 WAR would be his best season in relief. Fontan signed another three-year, $8,480,000 extension in March 2003.

Now 33 years old for 2004, Fontan was moved back to the rotation and excelled. He posted a league-best 1.83 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, and 25 quality starts in 2004 over 216.2 innings with 7.1 WAR. Fontan won his second Pitcher of the Year award and is believed to be the only pitcher in any world league with two POTYs as a starter as well as two Reliever of the Year awards.

Fontan wasn’t a finalist in 2005 despite posting a career-best 8.7 WAR and leading in both WHIP and quality starts again. In 2006, Fontan fell off from the elite pace, but still had 4.7 WAR over 184 innings. The Matadors still won 92 games in 2006, but their 18-year playoff streak ended. Monterrey opted not to re-sign him, making Fontan a free agent for the first time at age 36.

With the Matadors, Fontan had a 132-82 record, 226 saves, 2.28 ERA, 1842.1 innings, 2574 strikeouts, 311 walks, 158 ERA+, and 63.7 WAR. He ended up signing with their great playoff rival of the era with a two-year, $5,760,000 deal with Ecatepec. Fontan had an excellent debut with the Explosion, finishing third in POTY voting. He posted 8.0 WAR, his only time leading the league and the second-highest of his career. Fontan also led the ML in WHIP for the fifth time in his career.

Fontan was merely okay over three playoff starts, allowing 8 runs in 18 innings with 22 strikeouts. Ecatepec’s own playoff streak had also ended in 2006, but they lost in the MLCS in 2007 to Mexicali. When he reported for 2008, his velocity had plummeted. After regularly hitting triple-digits his whole career, Fontan was now topping out in the low 90s. He struggled in only 19.2 innings in 2008 and retired that winter at age 38.

The final stats saw a 150-90 record, 226 saves, 2.34 ERA, 2065 innings, 2870 strikeouts, 340 walks, 0.90 WHIP, 155 ERA+, 6 complete games, and 72.2 WAR. His split career means he didn’t tally up big accumulations in terms of wins or strikeouts that voters wanted from starters, or the big save tallies for a reliever. However, Fontan’s trophy case and role in a dynasty spoke for themselves.

In terms of rate stats, among all pitchers with 1000+ career innings as of 2037, Fontan’s ERA ranks 21<sup>st</sup> best, his WHIP ranks 11<sup>th</sup>, and his opponent’s OPS of .564 ranks 21<sup>st</sup>. Of the Hall of Famers with 70+ WAR, Fontan also did it with the fewest innings. The CABA voters felt this made Fontan a headliner for the 2014 class with a near unanimous 99.3%.

FuzzyRussianHat

09-16-2024 08:22 PM

2014 CABA Hall of Fame (Part 2)

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David Davila – Shortstop – Honduras Horsemen – 76.1% First Ballot

David Davila was a 6’0’’, 195 pound right-handed shortstop from San Nicolas, a municipality of nearly 15,000 in western Honduras. Davila was a well-rounded hitter with good contact skills as well as a solid knack for drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. He had a reliable pop in his bat with 33 doubles and 21 home runs per his 162 game average. Davila’s speed was below average, but he was still a crafty baserunner that could pick his spots.

Finding reliable bats that could play shortstop wasn’t the easiest. Davila played almost exclusively at short and graded as reliably average on the whole. He was above average to good in his earlier years with some struggles at the end. Davila was a hard worker and had respectable durability at a demanding position, leading to a 19-year career. He was never considered the best at any one thing, but being above average to good across the board made him an invaluable piece for Honduras for nearly two decades.

Davila’s entire pro career came with his home country team, taken by Honduras seventh overall in the 1989 CABA Draft. He was a full-time starter immediately, but did miss part of his rookie year to injury. Davila quickly became one of the most popular figures in Tegucigalpa and the entire country.

In addition to his run with the Horsemen, Davila played from 1990-2008 reliably in the World Baseball Championship for Honduras’ national team with 161 games and 151 starts. He posted 118 hits, 65 runs, 31 doubles, 21 home runs, 53 RBI, a .226/.327/.413 slash, 117 wRC+, and 3.3 WAR in his WBC career.

The Horsemen would be a playoff regular during Davila’s tenure, making the postseason 16 times with ten Continental Division titles, 11 appearances in the Caribbean League Championship Series, four pennants, and two CABA titles. Honduras won the CLCS in Davila’s second season of 1991, falling in the CABA finale to Monterrey’s dynasty. Their only losing season from 1990-2007 would come in 1992, Davila’s third year.

Although he missed some time to injury, 1993 saw Davila’s career best in home runs (28, and was his first of nine seasons worth 5+ WAR. He won his first Silver Slugger and got his first CABA title with Honduras getting revenge on Monterrey. The Horsemen remained a playoff regular, but would go the next nine seasons without a pennant due to eventual dynasty runs by both Salvador (1996-99) and Haiti (2000-02).

Davila kept on chugging along, leading in doubles in 1994 with 41 for his second Silver Slugger. He signed a two-year, $4,960,000 extension in April 1994, then a five-year, $16,600,000 add-on in May 1996. 1998 would see a career best in WAR (8.9), triple slash (.340/.411/.569), OPS (.980), runs (100), and RBI (93).

Davila would never be an MVP finalist in his career, but did win 11 Silver Sluggers (1993, 94, 96, 97, 98, 99, 2000, 02, 04, 05, 06). As of 2037, he’s one of only three in CABA history with 11+ Sluggers specifically at shortstop. While Honduras had early playoff exits though, Davila’s numbers were relatively underwhelming with only 0.1 WAR over 35 starts from 1994-2002.

Still, Davila was popular and reliable and few pointed the finger at him for the disappointments. After the 2000 campaign, the now 33-year old Davila signed another five years for $19,000,000. 2002 would be one of his finest seasons with a career high 42 doubles along with a .905 OPS and 7.8 WAR.

In 2003, Honduras took the top seed at 110-52 and finally slayed their divisional foe Salvador on the way to a CABA Championship win over Ecatepec. Davila stepped up and earned finals MVP, posting 13 hits, 3 runs, 3 doubles, 2 homers, and 3 RBI over 12 playoff starts. The Horsemen won the Caribbean crown again in 2004, but lost in a CABA finals rematch with the Explosion.

Honduras would lose in the first round in 2005, then had CLCS defeats in 2006 and 2007 to wrap up a ten-year playoff stretch. For his playoff career, Davila had 111 starts, 112 hits, 42 runs, 21 doubles, 14 home runs, 49 RBI, a .286/.334/.457 slash, 115 wRC+, and 2.1 WAR. His reliable presence in the lineup was greatly appreciated by Honduras and their fans, leading to his #29 uniform’s retirement at the end of his career.

Davila signed a three-year, $18,400,000 extension after the 2005 season. He won his final Silver Slugger in 2006, then was shuffled to a platoon role in 2007. Davila was notably stronger in his career against lefties (.953 OPS, 153 wRC+) compared to righties (.815 OPS, 122 wRC+). Age caught up and he was largely a bench piece with middling results in 2008. He also no longer had the athleticism needed to play shortstop defensively. Davila would retire from the game after the 2008 campaign at age 40.

The final stats saw 2737 hits, 1325 runs, 517 doubles, 331 home runs, 1246 RBI, 747 walks, 116 stolen bases, a .306/.365/.486 slash, 130 wRC+, and 89.3 WAR. Despite almost never leading the league in stats, as of 2037 Davila ranks 32<sup>nd</sup> in hits, 12<sup>th</sup> in doubles, and 54<sup>th</sup> in WAR among position players.

Specifically playing shortstop, Davila has the third-most WAR of any CABA player. There were still a few voters that thought he merely sustained above averageness, but you really couldn’t find a better shortstop in CABA in the 1990s or early 2000s than Davila. He was a big piece to Honduras’ consistent contention and earned the first ballot induction into the Hall of Fame in 2014. While the 76.1% may not be the biggest number, it secured Davila’s spot with the greats.

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Alfred “Horseface” Wooster – Outfield/First Base – Torreon Tomahawks – 70.7% First Ballot

Alfred Wooster was a 6’2’’, 205 pound switch-hitting outfielder and first baseman from Road Town, the capital and largest city of the British Virgin Islands. With only around 30,000 for the entire island group, Wooster is unsurprisingly the only Hall of Famer from the British Virgin Islands and one of a small few to play pro baseball from there. He was once insulted by a fan as “horseface,” despite being a fairly average looking guy. The absurdity of the insult was hilarious for his teammates and stuck as Wooster’s career moniker.

On the whole, Wooster graded as a pretty good contact hitter with a respectable eye and average strikeout rate. He had great power, topping 30+ home runs in 11 seasons and 40+ in five seasons. Wooster could find the gap decently with a 162 game average of 24 doubles and 9 triples. He had good quickness and was considered a very crafty baserunner. Wooster was much stronger against right-handed pitching (.974 OPS, 167 wRC+) compared to lefties (.775 OPS, 120 wRC+).

Wooster’s great baserunning speed didn’t translate to great defensive range. He played right field the most with around 2/5s of his starts, while also seeing time at first base, left field, and designated hitter. Wooster graded as a mediocre defender in the outfield, but had good stats at first. He had respectable durability and didn’t miss too many starts over an 18-year career.

He thrived in the very limited amateur scene in the British Virgin Islands, eventually playing elsewhere in the Caribbean in college. Wooster’s induction is believed to make BVI the smallest country by population with an inductee in any league. Wooster got attention ahead of the 1990 CABA Draft and ended up in the Dominican Republic, picked 14<sup>th</sup> overall by Santiago.

Wooster was mostly a pinch hitter as a rookie and struggled initially. He became a full-time starter with decent results in year two, then figured it out in his third season. A fractured finger cost him a month of 1993, but Wooster still posted a career best 6.6 WAR and led the Caribbean League with a .406 OBP. This would be his only season as a league leader, although he would top 6+ WAR in six different seasons.

Santiago was terrible in the 1980s and into the early 1990s. The Sailfish went 68-94 in 1994, but stunned everyone with a 98-64 mark in 1995. Santiago won the Caribbean League title, falling to Monterrey in the CABA Championship. Wooster had 15 hits, 11 runs, 2 homers, 3 triples, and 8 RBI over the 17 playoff starts.

The Sailfish regressed back to 85-77 in 1996 and a now 28-year old Wooster was headed towards free agency. He couldn’t come to terms with Santiago, who ended up back at the bottom of the standings shortly after. In total for his original squad, Wooster had 884 hits, 442 runs, 112 doubles, 57 triples, 165 home runs, 501 RBI, 212 stolen bases, a .299/.363/.543 slash, 141 wRC+, and 23.5 WAR.

Wooster ended up in Mexico, signing a seven-year, $16,760,000 deal with Torreon. This would become his signature run, becoming very popular with Tomahawks fans and eventually seeing his #35 uniform retired. It wasn’t an immediate success as he only hit 24 home runs in his debut 1997 season. Wooster then missed all of 1998 to a torn ACL suffered in spring training, which made his future prospects murky.

He bounced back impressively and hit 40+ homers and 100+ RBI each year from 1999-2002. 2003 was well on pace for it with 37 homers and a career best 196 wRC+ in 123 games, but shoulder bursitis cost him a month. Torreon would become a contender to start the new Millennium, winning North Division titles in 2001, 2003, and 2004. Each year, they won 100+ games, but each time they lost to Ecatepec in the Mexican League Championship Series.

Wooster held up his end in the postseason for Torreon. In 27 playoff starts, he had 36 hits, 20 runs, 3 doubles, 6 triples, 5 home runs, 17 RBI, 12 walks, a .364/.429/.667 slash, 218 wRC+, and 2.0 WAR. 2003 would be his lone Silver Slugger season in a contract year. The Tomahawks would re-sign a 35-year old Wooster on a three-year, $13,520,000 deal.

In his 30s, Wooster also put up stellar numbers in the World Baseball Championship. With the British Virgin Islands as a territory of the United Kingdom, Wooster was eligible and accepted a spot with England’s team from 2000-2005. Over 60 starts, Wooster had 67 hits, 44 runs, 12 doubles, 20 home runs, 55 RBI, 27 walks, 27 stolen bases, a .338/.450/.722 slash, 235 wRC+, and 5.1 WAR.

A fractured wrist cost Wooster a month in 2004, then a concussion knocked him out most of 2005. When he returned in 2006, Wooster moved him primarily to a platoon starter. He was back in the full-time role in 2007 with solid results at age 38. Torreon would lose in the first round of the 2005 playoffs as a wild card, then just miss the field in 2006 and 2007.

Wooster signed a one-year, $3,920,000 deal for 2007, but Torreon didn’t bring him back after that. Over 11 years, Wooster had 1398 hits, 844 runs, 207 doubles, 62 triples, 329 home runs, 884 RBI, 336 stolen bases, a .299/.357/.581 slash, 164 wRC+, and 47.0 WAR. He stayed a popular figure for Tomahawks fans for years to come, regularly appearing at events for the franchise.

For 2008, Wooster signed a one-year, $4,600,000 deal with Ecatepec, where he became the 40<sup>th</sup> member of the 500 home run club. He had a solid 3.0 WAR and .863 OPS over 116 starts and 148 games for the Explosion. Wooster also had 15 hits, 8 runs, and 5 extra base hits with 1.0 WAR and 241 wRC+ in only 9 playoff starts as Ecatepec lost to Hermosillo in the MLCS. Wooster was a free agent again for 2009 and surprisingly was unsigned despite still looking solid in 2008. He retired in the winter of 2009 at age 41.

Wooster finished with 2411 hits, 1355 runs, 346 doubles, 124 triples, 519 home runs, 1457 RBI, 678 walks, 571 stolen bases, a .298/.358/.563 slash, 154 wRC+, and 73.5 WAR. As of 2037, he’s 62<sup>nd</sup> in home runs, 54<sup>th</sup> in RBI, 57<sup>th</sup> in runs scored, 100<sup>th</sup> in WAR among position players, and 85<sup>th</sup> in hits.

He was steady, but never particularly dominant. Wooster lacked black ink or big awards, which made his resume a bit borderline. He was popular though and had just enough accumulations to win over 70.7% of the voters. Wooster earned the first ballot nod to cap off CABA’s 2014 Hall of Fame class.

FuzzyRussianHat

09-17-2024 06:56 AM

2014 EAB Hall of Fame

Pitcher Soo Moon was East Asia Baseball’s lone Hall of Fame inductee in 2014, earning a nearly unanimous 98.1%. RF Jung-Sang Ryu came very close to the 66% requirement in his debut, but just missed at 63.3%. Three returners cracked 50% with 3B Kazuo Shiraki at 54.4% on his second ballot, SP Nazonokusa Mori at 53.3% for his third ballot, and SP Kachi Ishii at 52.5% on his third ballot.

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The one player dropped after ten failed ballots was LF Atsushi Ishida. He was hurt by playing his final six seasons in MLB. Between Sendai and Gwangju, Ishida had three Silver Sluggers, 1998 hits, 972 runs, 405 doubles, 369 home runs, 1157 RBI, a .296/.341/.535 slash, 152 wRC+, and 67.2 WAR. Counting MLB, he had 500 home runs, 2595 hits, 1534 RBI, and 72.7 WAR; totals that might have gotten him across the line. Just in EAB, the accumulations weren’t there, leading to a peak at 27.4% and finish at 9.7% for Ishida.

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Soo Moon – Starting Pitcher - Kawasaki Killer Whales – 98.1% First Ballot

Soo Moon was a 6’1’’, 205 pound right-handed pitcher from Suwon, South Korea. Moon had both incredible stuff and tremendous control, both grading at 9/10 from many scouts in his prime. His movement was below average, but he picked his spots and changed speeds expertly. Moon’s fastball regularly hit 99-101 mph and was complimented with a great cutter, strong knuckle curve, and okay regular curveball.

He was especially strong against right-handed bats with a career 140 ERA+ compared to a 116 ERA+ against lefties. Moon had fantastic stamina and led the Japan League six times in complete games. He had good durability early in his career, although a major injury would limit his longevity. Moon was a good teammate and became one of the most popular pitchers of the 2000s in Japan.

Moon attended Woosung High School and was getting some attention even then. Players in EAB usually went to college as opposed to being drafted out of high school, but Changwon took a flier on Moon. Midway through the second round of the 1994 EAB Draft, the Crabs picked Moon with the 47<sup>th</sup> overall pick. Many fans don’t realize he began his pro career with Changwon, since he never pitched an inning for them.

He spent 1995 in Changwon’s developmental system, then was part of a big offseason trade. Kawasaki got Moon and four other prospects, including 2019 Hall of Fame inductee RF Hyun-Jun Nahm. In exchange, Changwon got 2004 Hall of Famer LF Kazuharu Yonesaki and $32,550,000. The Killer Whales certainly won the deal with two later HOF prospects. Yonesaki only played for the Crabs in 1996 and while he was fine, Changwon went 73-89. Had they kept their prospects, perhaps the Crabs wouldn’t have had only two winning seasons from 1990 to 2013.

Moon was still a raw prospect and spent three years in development for Kawasaki. He debuted as a full-time starter with respectable results in 1999 at age 22. Moon was second in Rookie of the Year voting and had a solid postseason with a 3.00 ERA and 3-1 record over four starts and 33 innings. The Killer Whales won the Japan League title, falling to Daegu for the EAB title.

Kawasaki started a brief dynasty run here, winning it all in both 2000 and 2001. They lost in the 2002 JLCS to Osaka and had a first round loss in 2003 to Hiroshima. During this stretch, Moon emerged as an ace. His playoff numbers weren’t overly dominant, but he had an 11-5 record over 131.2 innings, 3.49 ERA, 161 strikeouts, 97 ERA+, and 2.6 WAR. In the regular season though, Moon was an absolute boost.

His second season in 2000 saw a Triple Crown with a 23-5 record, 1.74 ERA, and 334 strikeouts for 9.7 WAR. Moon had another Triple Crown in 2001 with a 19-8 record, 2.05 ERA, and 395 strikeouts. He was two Ks short of the then-single season record with his 2001 effort still ranking 11<sup>th</sup> as of 2037. 2001 also had career and league-bests in WHIP (0.72), K/BB (24.7), innings (276.1), and WAR (11.2). Naturally, this earned back-to-back Pitcher of the Year awards.

Moon made it three straight by leading again in ERA, WHIP, K/BB, complete games, and WAR in 2002. He had three seasons worth 10+ WAR and nine straight worth 6.9 WAR or better. Moon’s ERA numbers went up after 2002, but he led in strikeouts five times from 2003-2008. Moon led in WAR six times in his career, K/BB seven times, WHIP five times, and strikeouts seven times. In 2002, he joined the shortlist with a 20 strikeout game in a two-hitter against Kyoto.

Kawasaki signed Moon to a seven-year, $64,500,000 extension in May 2005. Despite his efforts, the Killer Whales narrowly missed the playoffs in 2004 and 2005, then posted losing records from 2006-2009. Moon won his fourth Pitcher of the Year in 2006, leading wins for the third time and posted a 2.23 ERA and 10.3 WAR. He placed third in 2007’s POTY voting. Moon was only the third in Japan League history with 4+ POTYs and one of eight in all of EAB history to that point.

With Kawasaki falling to 69-93 in 2008, Moon decided to opt out of the remainder of his contract. While this disappointed Killer Whales fans, he remained a popular figure and his #36 uniform would eventually be retired. Moon was a free agent for the first time at age 32 and his resume garnered worldwide offers. He ended up taking big MLB money on a five-year, $63,000,000 deal with Toronto.

Moon’s time in Canada ended up being a bit disappointing. He had a decent full debut season in 2009, but was merely above average. After a subpar start to 2010, Moon suffered a stretched elbow ligament that put him out 11 months.

He tried a comeback in 2011, but his velocity had plummeted post-injury to the low 90s. Moon was awful in 37 innings with a 8.27 ERA and retired that winter at age 35. In only three seasons for Toronto, Moon mustered a 21-25 record, 3.69 ERA, 390 innings, 382 strikeouts, 92 ERA+, and 4.1 WAR.

With Kawasaki, Moon finished with a 179-99 record, 2.45 ERA, 2465.2 innings, 3377 strikeouts, 230 walks, 207/281 quality starts, 169 complete games, 137 ERA+, and 84.0 WAR. Even with a relatively short tenure, Moon ranks 36<sup>th</sup> in pitching WAR as of 2037. Among all pitchers with 1000+ innings, Moon’s ERA is 50<sup>th</sup> best. His 0.84 BB/9 is 4<sup>th</sup> best and his 12.33 K/9 ranks 10<sup>th</sup>. Moon also had an opponent’s OPS of .570, which sits 32<sup>nd</sup>.

Certainly he was one of the most dominant pitchers in the game in his prime. While Moon’s accumulations are on the lower end, his rate stats were absolutely elite. He was a no-doubter for the voters with 98.1% to headline and stand alone for EAB’s 2014 Hall of Fame class.

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