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FuzzyRussianHat

12-27-2024 05:10 AM

2022 MLB Hall of Fame (Part 2)

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Joel “Music” Tournier – Shortstop/Third Base – Tampa Thunderbirds – 69.5% First Ballot

Joel Tournier was a 6’5’’, 190 pound right-handed infielder from Dormans, a commune of less than 3,000 people in northeastern France. He earned the nickname “Music” for his obsession in the clubhouse of playing and writing music. Tournier was a great contact hitter with a decent eye for walks and avoiding strikeouts. He didn’t have league-leading power, but he gave you far more than you’d expect from most shortstops.

Tournier’s 162 game average saw 34 home runs, 28 doubles, and 7 triples. He twice smacked 40+ homers as well. Tournier’s speed and baserunning chops were average at best, but he wasn’t a liability on the basepaths. Unfortunately, that translated to a lack of range defensively. While much better with his bat than the normal shortstop, Tournier was among the worst defenders to play the spot regularly. He made around 2/3s of his career starts there with most of the rest at third base. At third, Tournier did grade as reliably average.

Despite the demands of the spot, Tournier had impressive durability, starting 150+ games in all but his first and final seasons. Few players were scrappier and worked harder than Tournier, making him beloved by fans and teammates alike. The sparkplug attitude helped him endear himself to a new country and culture. Tournier would be the first French-born inductee into MLB’s Hall of Fame.

The pro baseball path for most Frenchmen is the European Baseball Federation, but Tournier left his country after high school to play college baseball at Tulane. With the Green Wave, he played 145 games in three years with 164 hits, 90 runs, 29 doubles, 40 home runs, 93 RBI, a .304/.371/.581 slash, 169 wRC+, and 7.7 WAR. Tournier was a Silver Slugger winner at shortstop his freshman year and a winner as a sophomore at third base.

This caught the attention of many teams, although the regional restrictions of the time meant Tournier wouldn’t be selectable until after the third round. Five picks into the fourth round of the 1999 MLB Draft, Tournier was grabbed 179th overall by Tampa. With that, he would go from Frenchman to Florida Man. Tournier was a starter immediately and finished second in 2000’s Rookie of the Year voting.

Tournier was a fixture for the Thunderbirds as they remarkably mid in the 2000s, averaging 81.4 wins per season over the decade with no playoff berths. Tournier did his job, winning Silver Sluggers in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011 for Tampa. He was never an MVP finalist and only led the league once, getting the most total bases in 2005 at 376. That year also had career highs in homers (49), RBI (117), and WAR (7.1). 2005 also saw Tournier hit for the cycle against Denver.

Tampa was plenty satisfied with Tournier, giving him an eight-year, $65,300,000 extension after the 2003 season. Things started to turn around for the Thunderbirds with a division title in 2010, ending a 14-year playoff drought and starting what would be a six-year streak. In five of those seasons, Tampa didn’t get beyond the second round. However, it was the 2011 campaign that made it all worth it.

As a 96-66 wild card in 2011, Tampa went on a surprise run all the way to a World Series title over Brooklyn. This ended the longest drought in world history between championship wins, as the only other title for the Thunderbirds was the inaugural 1901 season. In the playoffs, Tournier had 17 hits, 10 runs, 3 doubles, 3 triples, 2 home runs, 14 RBI, and 0.7 WAR.

That winter, Tampa also became the second-ever Baseball Grand Champion, posting the event’s best record at 15-4. In 18 starts, Tournier had 16 hits, 8 runs, 3 doubles, 2 triples, 2 homers, 7 RRI, a 117 wRC+, and 0.5 WAR. After 12 years, the beloved scrappy star had finally taken his Thunderbirds to the top of the baseball world. It was the storybook ending to his time in Florida.

With Tampa, Tournier had 2088 hits, 1023 runs, 315 doubles, 87 triples, 380 home runs, 1139 RBI, a .293/.336/.521 slash, 132 wRC+, and 59.2 WAR. While still extremely popular with fans, he soured the relationship with the ownership by leaving for free agency after the 2011 title. Many suspect that is why Tournier’s #10 uniform never was retired by the Thunderbirds despite many fans calling for it.

Tournier had plenty of options though with popularity throughout MLB and back home in France. He had played from 2000-05 in the World Baseball Championship, but focused on his MLB exploits after that. Heading towards age 33, Tournier signed a five-year, $105,200,000 deal with Denver. The Dragons had started their own playoff streak in 2010, one which carried for the remainder of Tournier’s career.

He never won a Silver Slugger with Denver, but Tournier’s production generally matched his Tampa outputs. In 2014, he saw career bests in runs scored (107) and hits (187). Tournier hit for his second cycle in 2015 against Oklahoma City, joining the small list of guys who did it multiple times. Most importantly, he was a reliable and consistent starter while Denver looked become a dynasty.

The Dragons won the 2013 World Series over Philadelphia and the 2015 World Series over St. Louis, giving Tournier three rings. On top of that, he became a two-time Grand Champion. Denver won the 2013 event at 15-4 and matched that record in 2015, although they finished second on a tiebreaker in 2015 to Johannesburg. Tournier’s playoff starts were unremarkable though with 0 WAR over his 36 BGC starts and 0.1 WAR over 42 starts in the MLB postseason.

Tournier had been a solid regular season contributor up that that point. However he regressed significantly in 2016 and was eventually benched, posting -0.4 WAR over 62 games. In total for Denver, Tournier had 739 hits, 428 runs, 122 doubles, 159 home runs, 411 RBI, a .288/.322/.545 slash, 135 wRC+, and 23.5 WAR. After going unsigned for 2017, Tournier retired that winter at age 38.

For his career, Tournier had 2827 hits, 1451 runs, 437 doubles, 117 triples, 539 home runs, 1550 RBI, 639 walks, a .292/.335/.528 slash, 133 wRC+, and 82.7 WAR. Despite his efforts, the only top 100 leaderboard spots he has as of 2037 is 95th in home runs. However, Tournier was one of only three guys at that point to have won Silver Slugger eight times in MLB. Being the best hitter at your spot for a decade goes a long way.

There were detractors who felt Tournier’s tallies weren’t high enough to overcome a lack of black ink. His awful defense also was a negative, but the majority of voters felt the very popular Tournier had more plusses than minuses. His debut ballot saw 69.5%, just enough to cross the 66% requirement and earn a spot with MLB’s 2022 Hall of Fame class.

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Murad “Animal” Doskaliev – First Base – Asgabat Alphas – 67.8% First Ballot

Murad Doskaliev was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed first baseman from Garavuti, a town of around 8,000 in southern Tajikistan. He earned the nickname “Animal” for his prolific home run power, smacking 60+ four times in his career and getting 40+ homers ten times. Doskaliev was purely about dingers, as he was a fantastic contact hitter at his peak. He was above average at drawing walks and around mid-grade at avoiding strikeouts.

Doskaliev especially tore up right-handed pitching with a career .980 OPS and 188 wRC+. He was plenty good versus lefties with a 149 wRC+ and .827 OPS. Doskaliev could find the gap too with 26 doubles and 6 triples per his 162 game average. He also wasn’t the stereotypical big oafish slugger as his baserunning speed and ability were both perfectly acceptable.

Defensively, Doskaliev never started anywhere but first base where he graded as a below average gloveman. He was serviceable enough, although he would see about 20% of his starts as a designated hitter. Those came almost exclusively during his early career in the Asian Baseball Federation, as his MLB tenure was weighted heavily in the DH-less National Association. Doskaliev was known for his intelligence and he had mostly strong durability over an 18-year pro career. He emerged as the first global baseball superstar to come out of Tajikistan.

Although a smaller nation, the success of the capital Dushanbe in Eurasian Professional Baseball helped grow the sport in Tajikistan. There had been only one Tajik EPB Hall of Famer as Doskaliev grew up in pitcher Askar Asanov. While a fine pitcher, he was far from superstardom. With the fall of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, the newly independent Tajikistan and its neighbors mulled leaving EPB for the newly minted Asian Baseball Federation.

For Doskaliev, his pro career began amidst that turmoil. After an impressive amateur run, he was picked 5th overall by the 1998 EPB Draft by Asgabat. He played 75 games and started 9 in 1999, which would be his only EPB games. The Turkmenistan-based Alphas joined the fellow ‘Stans’ in leaving for ABF starting in 2000. Doskaliev became a full-time starter with this move as well, but he hadn’t found his power stroke until his fourth full season in 2003.

Doskaliev moved from DH to first base in 2003 and won his first MVP and Silver Slugger with a masterful Triple Crown season. He led the league in runs (110), hits (201), homers (60), RBI (139), total bases (426), triple slash (.340/.405/.721), OPS (1.126), wRC+ (226), and WAR (11.8). Doskaliev repeated as MVP in 2004 and upped his homer (64), RBI (149), slugging (.738), and OPS (1.134). He had 11.6 WAR that year as well.

In 2005, Doskaliev dropped off slightly but still led in OPS (1.024), slugging (.653), and wRC+ (181). A torn labrum suffered at the end of August ending his season prematurely, but he did win his third Silver Slugger. Despite his efforts, Asgabat was exactly .500 during their ABF seasons with Doskaliev. His star was burning too bright and they knew they wouldn’t be able to match his upcoming paycheck. At age 29, Doskaliev left Asgabat and ultimately left ABF as well.

For Asgabat, Doskaliev had 996 hits, 566 runs, 195 doubles, 41 triples, 250 home runs, 598 RBI, a .298/.363/.606 slash, 180 wRC+, and 44.0 WAR. He would be forever grateful to the Alphas for the opportunity. When inducted into MLB’s Hall of Fame, Doskaliev fought to be added wearing Asgabat’s colors despite them being in a different league. Since he wasn’t with any one MLB team longer than five years, officials relented. Doskaliev did get some votes for ABF’s HOF, but wasn’t around long enough to gain too much traction, peaking at 32.8% in 2018.

Doskaliev’s time in the United States began with Philadelphia on a four-year, $42,700,000 deal. The Phillies had won the National Association title in 2005 and hoped to start a long-term run. Doskaliev had an impressive debut, leading in home runs (50) and runs scored (110). Despite that, Philadelphia struggled to 74-88. They regained their footing the next year with four consecutive 100+ win seasons.

In 2007, Doskaliev etched his name into MLB’s record books by becoming the single-season home run king with 65 dingers, passing Emmanuel Kao’s 63 from 2001. He also led in RBI (141), hits (207), runs (124), total bases (445), slugging (.697), OPS (1.068), wRC+ (222), and WAR (10.2). Doskaliev joined the short list to win MVP in MLB and another world league, getting his third overall. The Phillies earned the top seed at 104-58, but lost the NACS to Winnipeg. Doskaliev had 12 hits, 11 runs, 7 homers, 10 RBI, and a 1.199 OPS over 11 playoff starts.

Philadelphia had early playoff exits the next two years as well with Doskaliev looking pedestrian in the small sample size. His regular season dominance continued, smacking another 63 homers and 148 RBI in 2008. Doskaliev also led with a career high in runs (131) and again led in slugging, OPS, and wRC+ to repeat as MVP. In 2009, he led in homers once more with 53. Doskaliev would miss the playoffs though with a fractured ankle suffered in the final week.

In total with the Phillies (between two stints), Doskaliev had 851 hits, 517 runs, 95 doubles, 247 homers, 543 RBI, a .297/.345/.608 slash, 187 wRC+, and 35.3 WAR. Doskaliev was a free agent again heading towards age 34 and joined Detroit for 2010 at $70 million over four years. In his Tigers debut, Doskaliev won his fifth career MVP (third in MLB), and his sixth Silver Slugger. He led in homers, RBI, total bases, and doubles.

Doskaliev couldn’t quite replicate that in the next three years, but he still was a very strong power bat. The Tigers made the playoffs thrice as division champ, but couldn’t get over the hump. Their best effort in 2012 was a NACS loss to his former Philadelphia squad. His playoff stats were unremarkable with a .697 OPS and 102 wRC+ in 19 starts for Detroit. In total over four years, Doskaliev had 726 hits, 403 runs, 101 doubles, 175 home runs, 463 RBI, a .294/.347/.572 slash, 178 wRC+, and 26.5 WAR.

Philadelphia brought Doskaliev back for 2014 on a two-year, $44 million deal. However, he regressed significantly with a .636 OPS over 124 games and 78 starts. The Phillies let him go and he joined Atlanta in 2015 on a one-year, $7,900,000 deal. While a shell of the glory days, he did at least provide positive value with 2.1 WAR over 119 games for the Aces. Doskaliev then spent 2016 in a backup role mostly for San Diego. He retired that season at age 40.

For his MLB career, Doskaliev had 1710 hits, 1000 runs, 221 doubles, 454 home runs, 1091 RBI, a .292/.343/.582 slash, 177 wRC+, and 64.1 WAR. The shortness of the run prevented him from having a prominent spot on leaderboards. Still, among all batters with 3000+ plate appearances in MLB, Doskaliev’s slugging ranks 38th and his .925 OPS ranks 82nd.

In 2012, Doskaliev did lose the home run king crown to Killian Fruechte’s 67. However, his mark held the #2 spot until 2028. Doskaliev was also the first in MLB to breach 60 homers twice, although a few would join him as offensive numbers spiked from the 2020s onward. He had the very unique feat of having multiple 60+ home run seasons in two different world leagues. Doskaliev also had the distinction of an MVP in both of MLB’s Associations and in a separate world league.

For his combined career, Doskaliev had 2706 hits, 1566 runs, 416 doubles, 704 home runs, 1689 RBI, 801 walks, a .294/.350/.590 slash, 178 wRC+, and 108.1 WAR. The combined resume is a slam dunk Hall of Famer, but there were still a few MLB voters that pointed to the lack of raw numbers and some iffy playoff performances. Doskaliev’s statline coming in his 30s almost exclusively though was quite impressive.

He led in homers multiple times, broke the single-season record, and had five MVPs between two leagues (and three in MLB, which not many had done). Those facts made Doskaliev a baseball superstar despite emerging from relative obscurity in Central Asia. Doskaliev is possible the most well-known and adored Tajik in the world and was among the finest sluggers in the entire world in the 200s and early 210s. He received 67.8% to just cross the line for a first ballot induction with MLB’s three-player 2022 Hall of Fame class.

FuzzyRussianHat

12-27-2024 11:43 AM

2022 CABA Hall of Fame

FuzzyRussianHat

12-27-2024 06:53 PM

2022 EAB Hall of Fame

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East Asia Baseball’s 2022 Hall of Fame class had two no-doubt inductees with RF Shigeyoshi Taguchi at 99.1% and SP Sekien Ida at 97.6%. SP Sora Miyoshi had a nice 59.7% debut, but fell short of the 66% requirement. The best returner was SP Jong-Hyeon Chung at 53.9% on his third ballot. No one else cracked 50% and no players were removed following ten failed attempts.

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Shigeyoshi “Big Train” Taguchi – Right Field – Chiba Comets – 99.1% First Ballot.

Shigeyoshi Taguchi was a 6’2’’, 195 pound left-handed right fielder from Soka, a city with roughly 249,000 inhabitants in Japan’s Saitama Prefecture. Nicknamed “Big Train,” Taguchi was a very good contact hitter with reliable home run power, getting 40 per his 162 game average. He also had a solid eye for drawing walks with an average strikeout rate. Taguchi’s gap power was good with 29 doubles per 162. His baserunning ability was okay, but he was painfully slow and wasn’t going to get many extra bags with his legs.

Taguchi’s bat was especially potent against right-handed pitching with a career .998 OPS and 190 wRC+. He was still effective with a .830 OPS and 147 wRC+ facing lefties. Taguchi had a cannon arm, but abysmal range and glove work otherwise. He spent the vast majority of his defensive career in right field and was consistently lousy. He did run into recurring back troubles and missed some games, but still managed an 18-year career.

Additionally, Taguchi was a passable pitcher who saw some use as a starter earlier in his career. Most of the great two-way legends tended to be excellent pitchers who could bat, whereas Taguchi was the inverse. His control and movement were solid, but he never had the explosive stuff needed to thrive as a pitcher. Taguchi’s arsenal was sinker, slider, curveball, and circle change.

Taguchi had noticeable splits as a pitcher with a 3.21 ERA facing lefties and 3.74 ERA against righties. While generally considered average at best on the mound, the extra dimension increased Taguchi’s already impressive value. His intelligence and loyalty also made him a respected clubhouse figure and a very popular player over nearly two decades for Chiba.

Playing at Choshi Shogyo High School, Taguchi drew some attention as a possible two-way star. Most teams figured he’d go to college and wanted to see if he’d refine his skills first. However, Chiba took the chance and picked Taguchi early in the second round of the 1997 EAB Draft, selected 42nd overall. He spent most of four years developing in their academy. Taguchi debuted in 2000 at age 20, but he saw limited use in his first two seasons as mostly a pinch hitter or relief pitcher.

Taguchi earned a full-time outfield spot in 2002 with solid results, which earned him an eight-year, $35,600,000 extension after the 2003 season. In 2004, he led the Japan League in hits (190), doubles (42), total bases (361), and OBP (.393), taking third in MVP voting. Then in 2005, Taguchi won his lone MVP and his first Silver Slugger, leading in the triple slash (.350/.418/.674), OPS (1.093), wRC+ (226), WAR (9.4), runs (106), and homers (47). He also had a 1.10 ERA over 41 innings this year as an occasional pitcher.

Chiba ended a 15-year playoff drought in 2005, but lost in the first round to Osaka. Taguchi was 9-19 at the plate with 6 runs, 4 homers, and 9 RBI in the series. In his lone playoff start on the mound though, he gave up seven runs (six earned) in 6.1 innings. The Comets would fall below .500 for the next three years and wouldn’t make it back to the playoffs until 2011.

Taguchi won a Silver Slugger in RF in 2006, then missed much of 2007 to a torn back muscle. From 2008-10, Chiba used Taguchi as a full-time starting pitcher in addition to his outfield duties. His hitting efficiency remained strong, but the totals went down purely on fewer chances with the rest needed as a two-way guy. Taguchi won Silver Sluggers as a pitcher in 2008 and 2009. On the mound in this era, he was merely okay with a 3.87 ERA over 506.2 innings, 297 strikeouts, and 5.2 WAR.

Ultimately Chiba decided they’d get more value making Taguchi commit to hitting and ended that experimentation after the 2010 season. He wouldn’t start on the mound for the rest of his career, although he did still see occasional bullpen use. For his pitching career, Taguchi had a 49-42 record, 3.60 ERA, 782.1 innings, 466 strikeouts, 156 walks, 96 ERA+, and 10.6 WAR. He also stopped pitching in the World Baseball Championship after 2009 for Japan, posting a 4.62 ERA over 48.2 innings in the WBC.

Taguchi was an incredibly efficient WBC hitter though, playing 140 games with 109 starts for Japan from 2002-17. In that stretch, he had 122 hits, 84 runs, 21 doubles, 44 home runs, 91 RBI, a .283/.353/.643 slash, 181 wRC+, and 6.5 WAR. Japan won the 2006 World Championship with a finals win over Germany. Taguchi was 2006 Tournament MVP, leading all players with 10 homers and 18 runs. He added 22 hits, 18 RBI, and a 1.079 OPS.

Taguchi’s efforts helped Japan also take third place in both 2005 and 2012. As of 2037, he ranks 6th in WAR among Japanese position players in the WBC. He also ranks 7th in runs scored, 8th in hits, 7th in home runs, and 8th in RBI. Taguchi has the second-best OPS as well among those who have played 100 or more games. This helped make Taguchi broadly popular in Japan despite spending his whole run on largely forgettable Chiba teams.

He would stay loyal to the Comets, signing a five-year, $50 million extension in March 2011 at age 30. Back at the plate, he’d lead the league in RBI in 2012 and 2014 with 132 both years. Taguchi also smacked a career best 52 homers in 2014. He earned Silver Sluggers both years and was third in 2013’s MVP voting. Chiba would win a weak Capital Division in 2011, suffering a first round defeat. They won 90+ games in each of the next four years, but only made the playoffs once.

2013 was Taguchi’s best shot at a ring as the Comets had the #1 seed at 100-62. They were defeated in the JLCS by Hiroshima despite Taguchi’s solid .984 OPS over ten playoff games. His numbers fell slightly in his last years with Chiba, but Taguchi was still a very solid starter through the run. In 2015, he joined EAB’s 500 home run and 2000 hit clubs.

Taguchi’s contract expired after the 2016 season, making him a free agent for the first time at age 37. He still had an impressive resume and MLB’s Houston Hornets paid him handsomely on a two-year, $34,800,000 deal. Taguchi was terrible in his two MLB seasons with -0.8 WAR over 257 games, a .662 OPS, and 85 wRC+. After going unsigned in all of 2019, Taguchi retired that winter at age 40. Chiba immediately brought him home to retire his #32 uniform for his excellent service.

With Chiba and in EAB, Taguchi had 2248 hits, 1173 runs, 385 doubles, 547 home runs, 1376 RBI, 697 walks, a .318/.377/.613 slash, 191 wRC+, and 91.7 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks 55th in home runs, 86th in RBI, and 62nd in WAR among position players. Taguchi didn’t have the plate appearances to get higher on the other leaderboards, but he graded as one of EAB’s most efficient hitters.

Among all batters with 3000+ plate appearances entering 2037, Taguchi’s .990 OPS still ranks 16th best. He also sits 78th in batting average, 35th in on-base percentage, and 17th in slugging. Some think he sacrificed some potential hitting accolades by trying pitching, but his 10.6 WAR on the mound got him to a very solid 102.3 combined WAR for his EAB career.

Purely as a hitter, Taguchi likely makes the cut into the Hall of Fame but the extra pitching value removed any doubt. As of 2037, he’s 19th in WAR among two-way players in world history and he’s one of two to have 100+ WAR with the vast majority coming from his hitting. Taguchi was a near unanimous 99.1% to co-headline EAB’s 2022 Hall of Fame class.

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Sekien Ida – Starting Pitcher – Kitakyushu Kodiaks – 97.6% First Ballot

Sekien Ida was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Kochi, a city with 154,000 people on southwestern Japan’s Shikoku Island. Ida was a fireballer with incredible stuff mixed in with good-to-great movement and control. His 99-101 mph fastball was excellent and his cutter was even better. Ida also had a changeup as a third option to get whiffs.

Relative to your typical EAB ace, Ida’s stamina was below average. He also had recurring back spasms that often cost him a few starts each year, although he did avoid the major arm/elbow injuries that derail many pitchers. Ida was a great defensive pitcher but was below average at holding runners. He also could be a bit selfish and lazy. Despite Ida’s talents, he’s wasn’t the guy who was going to take on a leadership role.

Ida’s talent and potential were undeniable after his run with Rikkio University. In the 1999 EAB Draft, he was picked third overall by Kitakyushu and would spend his entire 17-year career with the Kodiaks. Ida was a reliever with respectable results in his rookie season. He was moved to the rotation in 2001, but didn’t emerge as a bonafide ace until 2003. That spring, Kitakyushu signed Ida to a six-year, $24,040,000 exnension.

From 2003-2013, all but one of Ida’s seasons were worth 6+ WAR. In 2004, he won his first Pitcher of the Year by winning the ERA title (1.61) and leading in WHIP (0.80), and quality starts (29). Ida was second in 2005’s POTY voting despite leading in WAR (9.9) and posting his career-best 339 strikeouts. He was third in 2006’s POTY voting with his second ERA title. 2007 would be his only sub-five WAR season of this run, but a forearm strain that knocked him out nearly two months played a big role.

Ida did also pitch for Japan in the World Baseball Championship first in 2003, then consistently from 2006-14. In 159.2 innings, he had a 12-5 record, 3.04 ERA, 224 strikeouts, 46 walks, 118 ERA+, and 4.6 WAR. Ida was 4-0 in seven starts with a 2.68 ERA over 47 innings and 71 strikeouts in 2006, helping the Japanese win their second-ever world championship.

2008 was an impressive bounce-back for Ida and his finest season by many metrics. He led and had career bests in ERA (1.49), WHIP (0.79), K/BB (13.0), FIP- (33), and WAR (10.0). After this, Kitakyushu gave him another six year extension worth $47,400,000. Ida won his second Pitcher of the Year, then repeated in 2009 with his fourth ERA title. He would be a finalist once more with a third place in 2011, which would be his only season leading the league in strikeouts (317). It was also his third and final time as the WARlord.

Despite his efforts, the Kodiaks were stuck in the middle of the standings largely. Ida never pitched in the postseason with Kitakyushu averaging 78 wins per season during his tenure. They had 94 wins in 2008 and 95 in 2011, but lost out in the West Division both years to 100+ win teams. Ida kept on rolling until 2014 with a career-worst 3.65 ERA and an elbow strain in September. The Kodiaks still gave the now 36-year old Ida another two-year, $19,000,000 extension.

Ida’s velocity began to dip with age, dropping into the low to mid 90s in his final years. He was decent in 2015 and reached the 200 win milestone. In 2016, Ida was reduced primarily to a relief role but was able to reach 4000 career strikeouts, the 16th EAB pitcher to hit that mark. Ida retired after the 2016 season at age 38 and Kitakyushu immediately retired his #6 uniform for his 17 years of service.

In total, Ida had a 203-158 record, 2.48 ERA, 3406.2 innings, 4012 strikeouts, 622 walks, 309/438 quality starts, 72 complete games, 16 shutouts, 135 ERA+, and 95.9 WAR. As of 2037, Ida ranks 17th in WAR among EAB pitchers, 70th in wins, 20th in strikeouts, and 61st in innings pitched. Among all pitchers with 1000+ innings, his ERA ranks 57th, his 0.95 WHIP is 47th, and his .589 opponent’s OPS ranks 73rd.

Ida didn’t have the big signature moments to make him a superstar or inner circle Hall of Famer. However, his stats proved he was one of the most consistently effective arms of his era. Ida was a slam dunk first ballot inductee with 97.6%, joining Shigeyoshi Taguchi for an impressive one-two punch with the 2022 EAB class.

FuzzyRussianHat

12-28-2024 04:56 AM

2022 BSA Hall of Fame (Part 1)

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Beisbol Sudamerica’s 2022 Hall of Fame class was a rock solid three player group, each earning a first ballot nod with more than 85% of the vote. LF Hector Correa led the way at 97.6%, joined by OF Jomar Cardoso at 94.4% and SP Franco Rodriguez at 87.2%. The top returner was 3B Artemio Reyes with 54.6% on his sixth ballot, falling again short of the 66% requirement. No other players cracked 50% and none dropped off the ballot after ten failed attempts.

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Hector Correa – Left Field – Guayaquil Golds – 97.6% First Ballot

Hector Correa was a 6’0’’, 200 pound switch-hitting left fielder from Guayaquil, Ecuador’s most populous city. Correa was a great contact hitter with very reliable home run power. He also had one of the better eyes for walks in South America, although his strikeout rate was unremarkable. Correa specifically thrived against right-handed pitching with a career 1.043 OPS and 174 wRC+. Against lefties, he was merely alright for his career with a career .762 OPS and 106 wRC+.

Correa only led the league in home runs once, but he hit 40+ in 11 seasons and was usually good for 100+ RBI. Unlike your typical slugger, Correa had pretty good speed and was a highly skilled baserunner. That and his gap power meant he gave you 30 doubles and 11 triples over his 162 game average along with 41 homers. Correa was a scrappy sparkplug type with a tireless work ethic and great adaptability, making him a force to behold.

Defensively, Correa played almost exclusively as a left fielder. On the whole he graded as being reliably average, but his stats were dragged down a bit by his final years. Correa won three Gold Gloves in his career, providing positive defensive value for a good chunk of his run. His durability was quite solid over a 21-year career, becoming one of the few to play 3000+ professional games. Correa’s skillset, longevity, and work ethic made him one of the biggest baseball superstars from South America in his era.

Correa was also one of the biggest stars to ever come out of Ecuador, where he was especially beloved. He got to live out his childhood dream of starring for his hometown Guayaquil as the Golds picked him 10th in the 1995 BSA Draft. Correa was a full-time starter immediately, but did struggle as a rookie. He had strikeout issues in his earliest years, leading in whiffs in his sophomore season at 195. Correa still had a solid 1997 campaign and by 1998 was winning his first Silver Slugger. 1998 also was Correa’s first of two times hitting for the cycle.

1999 was his first of six seasons leading the Bolivar League with an OPS above one. Correa surprisingly wasn’t an MVP finalist that year despite what would be a career best in WAR (10.6) and wRC+ (209). This was his lone year leading in walks and his first leading in OBP, slugging, and OPS. From 1999-06, Correa led in WAR four times, wRC+ five times, OPS six times, slugging five times, OBP four times, batting average twice, total bases five times, runs scored five times, and RBI twice.

Correa won MVP and Silver Slugger honors in 2000 in his only season leading in home runs with 51. This also would be his career best in total bases (434). Although he didn’t lead again in homers, he did top that mark with 54 in 2001 and 53 in 2002. 2001 also had his career best 138 runs scored. After the 2001 season, the Golds extended him for $35,380,000 over eight years. Correa was the WARlord from 2000-02, winning three consecutive MVPs and Silver Sluggers. 2002 was also his first of three Gold Gloves, winning again in 2003 and 2004.

In 2002, Correa won a batting title and led in the triple slash, posting his career bests in batting average (.376) and OBP (.436). He would drop off a bit with only 5.2 WAR in 2003, then bounced back for his fourth MVP in 2004. Correa again dipped slightly in 2005, but grabbed his fifth MVP and sixth Silver Slugger in 2006. That season was his fourth as the WARlord and had a career-best 142 RBI. Correa joined Valor Melo as the only players to win 5+ MVPs in Beisbol Sudamerica history to that point.

After struggling most of the 1990s, Guayaquil returned to the playoffs with a divisional series exit in 2001. In 2002, Correa led his hometown to their second-ever Bolivar League pennant, although they were defeated by Brasilia in Copa Sudamerica. In 13 playoff starts, Correa had 13 hits, 10 runs, 4 homers, 7 RBI, and a .977 OPS. That helped forever solidify Correa’s position as a hometown icon in Guayaquil. Despite his personal successes, the Golds remained just outside of the playoffs for the remainder of his tenure.

Correa was a national icon and represented Ecuador for his entire career, even after his pro contracts took him away from home. From 1997-2016, Correa played 177 games with 148 hits, 102 runs, 27 doubles, 47 home runs, 102 RBI, 49 stolen bases, a .229/.314/.498 slash, and 5.1 WAR. As of 2037, no one has played more games for Ecuador. Correa ranks fifth in WAR among position players, first in runs, first in hits, second in doubles, second in home runs, and second in RBI.

His professional days with Guayaquil ended after the 2006 season with the soon-to-be 34 year-old Correa opting out of the remainder of his deal. With the Golds, Correa had 2081 hits, 1207 runs, 336 doubles, 160 triples, 467 home runs, 1237 RBI, 651 walks, 670 stolen bases, a .323/.384/.643 slash, 169 wRC+, and 78.3 WAR. He likely solidified a Hall of Fame career just with that, although he had another decade of baseball left. Guayaquil retired Correa’s #18 uniform at the end of his career.

The allure of playing in Major League Baseball and the paycheck that came with that was hard to pass up for Correa. He signed a five-year, $61,500,000 deal with the Atlanta Aces. While never an awards candidate, Correa was a very good starter with 5+ WAR and 34+ homers in each of his first three years for Atlanta. They won a division title in 2007, but lost in the second round. The Aces would be above .500, but just outside of the playoffs for the rest of Correa’s tenure.

In 2010, Correa missed six weeks between a sprained thumb and intercostal strain. He failed to meet the vesting criteria for the fifth year of his deal, becoming a free agent at age 37. Still, Correa had a very strong MLB tenure with Atlanta with 585 games, 640 hits, 359 runs, 104 doubles, 128 home runs, 366 RBI, a .293/.360/.534 slash, 141 wRC+, and 21.0 WAR.

Correa came back to Beisbol Sudamerica for 2010 on a three-year, $31,200,000 deal with Bogota. He struggled in his return season with 1.3 WAR, but bounced back in 2012 was 51 home runs, 141 RBI, and 4.5 WAR. Between two seasons for the Bats, Correa had 5.8 WAR, 305 hits, 188 runs, 46 doubles, 78 homers, 219 RBI, .883 OPS, and 127 wRC+. Bogota wasn’t competitive at this point and looked for trade value with Correa still under contract for a third year. In the offseason, he was shipped to Fortaleza for two prospects.

Now in his 40s, Correa had a remarkable renaissance with the Foxes, posting a .974 OPS, 173 wRC+, and 6.5 WAR in 2013. Fortaleza was a wild card at 96-66, but went on a tear and won Copa Sudamerica over Medellin. Correa was finals MVP with 19 hits, 7 runs, 3 homers, 13 RBI, and a 1.138 OPS over 13 playoff starts. He now had a pennant in both of BSA’s leagues and a cup win to go with it. Very pleased with the results, the Foxes gave Correa a three-year, $40,600,000 extension.

In 2014, Correa was the 17th in BSA with 600 home runs and the 14th to 1500 runs scored. He had 6.9 WAR, 41 homers, and a 1.020 OPS. Fortaleza repeated as Southern Cone champs at 104-58, but lost in a Copa Sudamerica rematch with Medellin. Correa couldn’t replicate the prior year’s playoff magic, struggling to -0.1 WAR and .612 OPS in 17 playoff starts.

Correa’s power numbers started to dip, but he was still a respectable starter for two more years in his early 40s for Fortaleza. The Foxes lost in the 2015 wild card round, then fell below .500 in 2016. Correa hit more milestones in his final two seasons, becoming the 10th member of BSA’s 3000 hit club. Combined with his MLB numbers, Correa also reached 2000+ runs, 2000+ RBI, 3500+ hits, 800+ home runs, and 1000+ walks drawn.

With Fortaleza, Correa had 619 hits, 372 runs, 95 doubles, 139 home runs, 349 RBI, a .306/.365/.589 slash, 163 wRC+, and 20.7 WAR; remarkable stats considering they all came after his 40th birthday. Correa hoped to still play somewhere in 2017 and participated in that year’s WBC for Ecuador. However, he couldn’t find any interested franchise and had to retire that winter at age 44.

Just in Beisbol Sudamerica, Correa finished with 2597 games, 3005 hits, 1767 runs, 477 doubles, 204 triples, 684 home runs, 1805 RBI, 944 walks, 884 stolen bases, a .314/.374/.621 slash, 163 wRC+, and 104.8 WAR. As of 2037, Correa ranks 20th in hits, 7th in runs, 8th in total bases (5942), 25th in doubles, 60th in triples, 11th in home runs, 9th in RBI, 26th in walks, 31st in stolen bases, and 29th in WAR among position players.

Among BSA batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Correa is 65th in OBP, 20th in slugging percentage, and 23rd in OPS at .995. Those numbers were more than worthy on their own as a Hall of Fame headliner, but some wondered if Correa would’ve been in the BSA GOAT conversations had he not left for MLB. When looking at his combined totals, Correa likely would’ve had a solid shot at being BSA’s leader in runs, hits, doubles, and/or RBI.

Correa’s combined totals had 3182 games, 3645 hits, 2126 runs, 581 doubles, 223 triples, 812 home runs, 2171 RBI, 1168 walks, 980 stolen bases, a .310/.372/.604 slash, .976 OPS, 158 wRC+, and 125.8 WAR. As of 2037 among all world players, Correa ranks 44th in games played, 19th in runs scored, 32nd in hits, 49th in home runs, 31st in RBI, and 22nd in caught stealing.

Clearly, Correa was a special player who is on the short list of the true South American greats. He and fellow Guayaquil native Javier Herrera match up fairly evenly when discussing Ecuador’s greatest-ever player, although Correa has him narrowly beat in career WAR (125.8 vs 117.9). Correa was an impressive headliner at 97.6% in a strong three-player Hall of Fame class for BSA in 2022.

FuzzyRussianHat

12-28-2024 10:21 AM

2022 BSA Hall of Fame (Part 2)

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Jomar “Cracker” Cardoso – Outfield – Fortaleza Foxes – 94.4% First Ballot

Jomar Cardoso was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed outfielder from Ipojuca, a municipality of around 97,000 in northeastern Brazil. Cardoso had the tools to be a traditional leadoff man as a great contact hitter with blistering speed. He was one of the most dangerous and crafty baserunners in the game’s history, stressing out pitchers with the steal always in play. Cardoso also regularly put the ball in play as he was excellent at avoiding strikeouts. He wasn’t one to draw many walks though, so he rarely was in the top ten in OBP despite regularly being a top ten guy in batting average.

Cardoso was respectable at finding the gap and often could turn singles in doubles and doubles in triples with his speed. His 162 game average got you 31 doubles, 15 triples, and 16 home runs. Cardoso had very good durability and started 130+ games in all but his first and final seasons. The nickname “Cracker,” came from the sleeves of crackers Cardoso always had waiting for a pre or post-game snack. That quirk and his exciting baserunning helped him a fan favorite in his time.

Defensively, Cardoso bounced around the outfield with about 40% of his starts in left field and the rest split roughly evenly between center and right. In the corners, he graded as reliably good to great defensively. Cardoso did rank as below average in center, but he could competently slot in there as needed. Most seasons saw him spending time in all three slots interchangeably depending on what the lineup called for, making Cardoso a solid utility man.

Cardoso’s unique skillset made him a highly ranked prospect heading into the 2003 BSA Draft. He was picked 11th overall by Fortaleza, where he’d spend his entire South American career. The Foxes used him a part-time role as a rookie but were happy with the results, as Cardoso had 2.5 WAR and a .337 average over 82 games. He would become a full-time starter for the next decade after that and a fixture in the leadoff spot, leading the Southern Cone League seven times in at-bats.

Each of Cardoso’s Fortaleza seasons after his rookie year were worth 5+ WAR with 100+ runs scored, 200+ hits, 85+ stolen bases, and had batting averages above .315. He hit for the cycle in both 2005 and 2006, becoming only the 24th player in Beisbol Sudamerica history to achieve the feat multiple times.

In his second season, the Foxes ended a ten-year playoff drought and won the Southern Cone League title. Fortaleza lost to Bogota in Copa Sudamerica, but Cardoso was finals MVP in defeat. Over 14 playoff games, he had 21 hits, 10 runs, 2 doubles, 2 triples, 5 homers, 15 RBI, and a 1.156 OPS. That run alone helped solidify Cardoso as a major favorite of Foxes fans.

Fortaleza would be just outside the payoffs the next two years. They were the #1 seed in 2008 and 2009 with 114-58 and 110-52 records, respectively. However, the Foxes were upset in the divisional series both years. They made it back to the LCS in 2010 at 98-64, but were denied by Santa Cruz. Fortaleza would miss the playoffs in 2011 at 86-76.

For his part from 2008-10, Cardoso led the league each year in runs scored and stolen bases. He had the most hits in 2008 and 2009, posting 8+ WAR efforts those years. 2008 also featured a 32-game hitting streak, which at the time tied for the 10th-longest in BSA. Cardoso was third in 2008’s MVP voting and won a Silver Slugger in 2009 as a center fielder. His lack of home run power and bouncing around the outfield did limit his awards potential. Fortaleza was plenty satisfied with the results, giving Cardoso a seven-year, $35,280,000 extension after the 2008 season.

In 2012, Cardoso stole 132 bases, the second-most in BSA history behind Pascal Garcia’s then-world record of 152 from 1996. As of 2037, Cardoso’s effort is one of only 45 seasons with 130+ steals in any world league. He led again in runs and won a Silver Slugger in right field. Fortaleza got back to the playoffs as a wild card, but lost in the divisional series. This would start a four-year streak for the Foxes though.

Fortaleza would earn repeat Southern Cone League titles in 2013 and 2014. They defeated Medellin in the 2013 Copa Sudamerica, but were defeated in a 2014 rematch with the Mutiny. Cardoso won finals MVP for the second time in his career with his 2013 postseason seeing 23 hits, 18 runs, 12 steals, and a 1.032 OPS. He had strong playoff numbers for his Foxes tenure with 70 games, 103 hits, 54 runs, 21 doubles, 7 triples, 8 home runs, 35 RBI, 42 stolen bases, a .356/.377/.561 slash, 157 wRC+, and 3.2 WAR. As of 2037, Cardoso is 6th all-time in BSA playoff steals, 10th in runs scored, and 15th in hits.

Fortaleza earned berths into the Baseball Grand Championship both years. They were near the bottom in 2013 at 7-12, then finished near the middle in 2014 at 9-10. In 37 BGC starts, Cardoso had 46 hits, 25 runs, 5 doubles, 1 triple, 6 home runs, 16 RBI, 15 stolen bases, and 1.1 WAR.

2014 was his finest season by many measures, winning his third and final Silver Slugger. Cardoso had career and league bests in hits (248) and batting average (.388). He had a career bests for triple slash (.388/.405/.577), OPS (.983), wRC+ (170), and WAR (9.0). Cardoso also led in steals for the seventh consecutive season, posting his fifth year with 100+ swipes.

With his stock seemingly at an all-time high, Cardoso declined his contract option and entered free agency at age 34. Fortaleza fans were disappointed to see him go, but he remained a very popular figure whose #42 uniform would later be retired. His departure didn’t hit as hard as he announced plans to head to Major League Baseball.

Cardoso also remained popular and in front of Brazilian baseball fans as he would return home still for the World Baseball Championship, although his role diminished in his later years. From 2006-20, Cardoso played 101 games and started 81 with 111 hits, 57 runs, 10 doubles, 3 triples, 16 home runs, 25 RBI, 59 stolen bases, a .327/.367/.517 slash, and 4.3 WAR. Cardoso played in a relatively weak for a normally strong Brazil, whose only WBC division titles came in 2006, 2014, and 2016, peaking with a third place in 2016.

In 2015, Cardoso began his MLB career on a five-year, $72,800,000 deal with Atlanta. He won his lone Gold Glove in 2015 in left field and was a generally good, but not amazing starter. He did post 5.4 WAR in his third season for the Aces, but fell to a low of 1.9 in 2018. Atlanta didn’t make the playoffs during his four year tenure, but Cardoso’s run had 731 hits, 353 runs, 89 doubles, 34 triples, 48 home runs, 227 RBI, 172 stolen bases, a .296/.328/.418 slash, 14.2 WAR, and 104 wRC+.

Cardoso was a free agent again for 2019 at age 38 and began an international search that led him to Germany. He signed a one-year, $6.7 million deal with Berlin of the European Baseball Federation. The Barons had just won the European Second League title, earning a return to the top tier. Cardoso had a very solid 2019 campaign for the Barons with 5.7 WAR and .893 OPS. Berlin even made the playoffs in their EBF return, but fell in the first round.

For 2020, Bratislava hoped he’d replicate that production with a two-year, $13,400,000 deal. Cardoso’s time in Slovakia wasn’t great with only 0.3 WAR over 83 games, missing some time to injury. The Blue Falcons were an abysmal 49-113 and suffered relegation. Cardoso used the relegation opt out to become a free agent again, but he couldn’t find any interested teams in 2021. He finally retired that winter at age 41.

For his combined pro career, Cardoso had 3352 hits, 1710 runs, 480 doubles, 237 triples, 225 home runs, 1094 RBI, 1332 stolen bases, a .332/.356/.494 slash, 135 wRC+, and 91.4 WAR. Among all world players as of 2037, Cardoso has the 38th most steals and just misses the top 50 for batting average among all of the world’s Hall of Famers.

Just in BSA with Fortaleza, Cardoso had 2355 hits, 1223 runs, 350 doubles, 188 triples, 154 home runs, 744 RBI, 1047 stolen bases, a .348/.368/.523 slash, 149 wRC+, and 71.2 WAR. Playing his final six years elsewhere did hurt his grand totals, although Cardoso still ranks 18th in stolen bases and 73rd in triples. Among all batters with 3000+ plate appearances, his batting average ranks 20th and his OBP is 98th.

The lower grand tallies didn’t faze the voters when evaluating Cardoso. Even if advanced stats are less impressed by a high average and stolen bases, most voters still were. Cardoso was a reliably solid defender and played a big role in getting Fortaleza three pennants and a Copa Sudamerica win. Being finals MVP twice sealed the deal for Cardoso, who was inducted easily at 94.4% as part of BSA’s 2022 Hall of Fame class.

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Franco Rodriguez – Starting Pitcher – Valencia Velocity – 87.2% First Ballot

Franco Rodriguez was a 6’5’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from Concordia, a city of 179,000 in northeastern Argentina on the border with Uruguay. Rodriguez was a hard thrower with excellent stuff, along with good-to-great movement and control. His fastball was solid and regularly hit 98-100 mph, although his splitter was considered his most dangerous offering. Rodriguez also had a nice knuckle curve and a standard curve, along with a rarely used changeup. His arsenal’s diversity made him very effective in his prime.

Rodriguez’s stamina was pretty good when he was healthy, but he would be plagued by various injuries from his late 20s onward. He was decent at holding runners but was a weak defensive pitcher. As a teenager, Rodriguez had scouts watching him from across the continent. One of them from Venezuela really took a shine to him and convinced Rodriguez to head north to Valencia. He spent four full years in the Velocity’s academy before debuting in 2002 at age 21.

He was a part-time starter as a rookie with okay results, earning the full-time slot in 2003. Rodriguez would post 5+ WAR in each of the next seven seasons, but he wouldn’t be viewed as a top flight ace until his fourth season. In 2005, Rodriguez led the Bolivar League in WHIP (1.05) and posted what would be career bests in ERA (2.44) and ERA+ (164). This effort earned him Pitcher of the Year honors.

Rodriguez’s ERA dipped in 2007, but he bounced back in 2007 for a 2.76 ERA, 284 strikeouts, and 7.8 WAR to win his second Pitcher of the Year. Valencia ended a nine-year playoff drought and defeated Cali for the Bolivar League title. The Velocity fell to Salvador in Copa Sudamerica, but Rodriguez established himself as a big game pitcher. In four playoff starts, he had a 2.40 ERA over 30 innings, 3-1 record, and 30 strikeouts.

In June 2008, Valencia locked Rodriguez down with a six-year, $48,800,000 extension. He repeated and won his third Pitcher of the Year with league bests in strikeouts (318), WAR (8.7), and innings pitched (279.1). His innings, strikeouts, and complete games (16) would all be career bests, although Valencia fell to 82-80. The Velocity won their division in 2009 but lost in the divisional series. Rodriguez’s one playoff start saw four runs allowed over seven innings, which would be his only truly iffy playoff start in his career.

2009 was a banner year overall for Rodriguez despite finishing third in Pitcher of the Year voting. In the World Baseball Championship for his native Argentina, he had 11.2 scoreless innings to take second in Best Pitcher voting. 2009 also saw Rodriguez’s lone no-hitter on April 26 in an 11 strikeout effort against Ciudad Guayana.

Although most of his pro career was in Venezuela, Rodriguez was a regular for his native Argentina in the world stage. From 2003-2014, he pitched 28 games and 181.2 innings with a 16-6 record, 2.87 ERA, 262 strikeouts, 32 walks, and 6.3 WAR. As of 2037, Rodriguez has the 7th most pitching WAR among Argentinians, the 3rd most wins, and 6th most strikeouts.

2010 was a rough year for the 29-year old Rodriguez, missing most of the season between a torn meniscus and a strained abdominal muscle. Valencia fell one game short of a wild card. While his ERA was iffy, Rodriguez posted 7.9 WAR in a rebound 2011. Most importantly, he led the Velocity to their first Copa Sudamerica win since their late 1970s dynasty, defeating Recife. In five playoff starts, Rodriguez had a 1.96 ERA over 36.2 innings with 47 strikeouts, a 3-0 record, and 1.8 WAR. It was the third-most WAR ever by a BSA pitcher in the playoffs.

Rodriguez was second in Pitcher of the Year voting in 2012 with a career and league best 9.0 WAR. He had a 1.80 ERA in 20 playoff innings, but Valencia fell in the divisional series. These were Rodriguez’s final postseason starts, but he finished with an excellent 2.31 ERA over 93.2 innings, 6-2 record, 114 strikeouts, 176 ERA+, 49 FIP-, and 4.2 WAR. He ranks 13th as of 2037 in WAR among BSA postseason pitchers.

Things went downhill for Rodriguez in 2013 with bone chips in his elbow knocking him out most of the year. Valencia had their first losing season since 2006 and decided to rebuild. With one year left on his deal, the Velocity traded their longtime ace in the offseason to Cordoba for two prospects and a third round draft pick. One of the prospects would be 3B Herculano Bravo, who would have a Hall of Good type career as a regular starter for Valencia.

With the Velocity, Rodriguez had a 169-97 record, 3.24 ERA, 2507.2 innings, 2771 strikeouts, 423 walks, 112 complete games, 125 ERA+, and 70.1 WAR. For an excellent decade-plus of production, Valencia would retire his #5 uniform at the end of his career. While the 33-year old Rodriguez was sad to leave, he was excited to return home to Argentina. Cordoba had been around .500 and hoped Rodriguez could get them to the top.

The Chanticleers saw Rodriguez in their plans long-term and before spring training 2014, gave him a five-year, $63 million deal. It would be cursed from the start as Rodriguez suffered a torn flexor tendon in late May, although he had pitched well before that. He missed bits of 2015 to elbow and forearm troubles, but was still effective when healthy. In August 2016, Rodriguez suffered a partially torn labrum.

Cordoba remained stuck around .500 during Rodriguez’s three-year tenure, which saw a 22-14 record, 3.13 ERA, 319.1 innings, 286 strikeouts, 70 walks, 119 ERA+, and 6.8 WAR. While he wasn’t bad when healthy, the deal certainly was a disappointment for Chanticleers fans. Rodriguez decided to retire after the 2016 season at age 35.

Rodriguez finished with a 191-111 record, 3.23 ERA, 2827 innings, 3057 strikeouts, 493 walks, 117 complete games, 30 shutouts, 124 ERA+, and 76.9 WAR. As of 2037, Rodriguez rates 92nd in wins and 62nd in pitching WAR, although he falls outside of the top 100 in all other stats. The injuries and relatively few injuries kept him from having a more impactful spot on leaderboards.

On the surface, his totals may seem a bit low for induction, but Rodriguez had two big pieces in his favor. He had three Pitcher of the Year awards and was a stud in the playoffs, leading Valencia to two pennants and a Copa Sudamerica wins. Those factors clinched it for most voters, giving Rodriguez 87.2% on his debut for the third spot in a rock solid 2022 BSA Hall of Fame class.

FuzzyRussianHat

12-28-2024 05:08 PM

2022 EBF Hall of Fame

Two players were selected for induction with the European Baseball Federation’s Hall of Fame voting. Both grabbed first ballot selections, albeit by much different margins. RF Per Berg was a no doubter at 93.1%, while 3B/1B Fyodor Golanov narrowly crossed the finish line at 70.5%. Four other players were within striking distance of the 66% requirement on return ballots, but each came up short.

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Leading the returning crew was LF Andriy Boychuk, taking 64.7% for his second ballot. 3B Isaad Dorgham was right behind at 63.3% on his seventh go. 3B Kyle Evrard on his fourth attempt finished at 61.5% and SP Martin Kukoc received 59.6% with his eighth ballot. No other players were above 50%.

Falling from the ballot after ten tries was RP Steven Macario, who got as high as 54.8% in 2017 and ended at 41.8%. He had a Reliever of the Year win and title with Paris, although his EBF run had a brief MLB interlude. Macario had 245 saves over 700.1 innings, 2.27 ERA, 780 strikeouts, 167 ERA+, and 20.2 WAR. He also had a strong 2.18 playoff ERA over 33 innings with 10 saves. However, Macario didn’t have the longevity or accumulations needed to cross the finish line.

Another Paris teammate of his RF Patrick Laborde fell off the ballot, peaking with a 25.3% debut and ending at 9.8%. In 11 seasons, he had two Gold Gloves, a Rookie of the Year, 1957 hits, 861 runs, 318 doubles, 145 triples, 45 home runs, 533 RBI, a .344/.375/.475 slash, 140 wRC+, and 48.6 WAR. Laborde does rank 13th among all EBF hitters in batting average with 3000+ plate appearances. However, he didn’t have nearly the longevity needed to overcome low power stats.

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Per Berg – Right Field – Barcelona Bengals – 93.1% First Ballot

Per Berg was a 6’1’’, 200 pound left-handed right fielder from Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. Berg was a very solid contact hitter with a reliably strong pop in his bat. He wasn’t one to be a league leader, but his 162 game average got you 40 home runs and 31 doubles. Berg also had a good eye for drawing walks and was above average at avoiding strikeouts. He was a fairly skilled baserunner, but his speed was subpar even in his youth.

Berg’s poor speed translated into weak range, although he had a strong arm. He still graded as generally lousy in right field, where he started the vast majority of his career. Still, Berg was a fan favorite adored for his work ethic, loyalty, selflessness and intelligence. His durability was sturdy, playing 140+ games in all but two of his 16 seasons. Berg’s reliability and consistency made him well liked and respected across European baseball.

By the 1999 EBF Draft, Berg had established himself as one of the most promising prospects from the college ranks. He was picked 7th overall by Oslo, but couldn’t’ come to terms with the Octopi. After another year of college, Berg then went third overall to Barcelona in the 2000 draft. His entire professional career would be in Spain, although Berg was a regular fixture for his native Sweden in the World Baseball Championship.

From 2000-16, Berg played 161 WBC games and started 155 for Sweden, recording 125 hits, 82 runs, 25 doubles, 36 home runs, 95 RBI, a .222/.324/.459 slash, and 4.5 WAR. The Swedes would earn division titles in both 2007 and 2009. As of 2037, Berg ranks 8th in WAR among Swedish position players, 2nd in starts, 5th in runs, 6th in hits, 5th in home runs, and 3rd in RBI.

While popular back home, Berg quickly endeared himself to the Catalan fans with a stellar 2001 Rookie of the Year campaign for Barcelona. Berg had 46 homers, 1.024 OPS, and 6.8 WAR in his debut. That would be his career best in homers, which he’d match in 2004 and 2007. Over the next 11 years, Berg had 30+ homers, 100+ RBI, and 5+ WAR each season. He also had an OPS above one seven times in that stretch, topped 100+ runs six times, and 200+ hits four times.

Berg was consistently solid, but wasn’t a league leader apart from drawing the most walks in 2003 at 75. Still, he had 8.0 WAR in 2002 and 8.5 WAR in 2005. Berg earned his first Silver Slugger in the former and took second in MVP voting in the latter. He hit for the cycle in both 2001 and 2006. After the 2005 campaign, Barcelona extended Berg at eight years and $61,060,000.

After struggles to start the 21st Century, the Bengals won three straight Southwest Division titles from 2005-07. They lost in the first round of 2005, then exploded with an impressive 111-51 in 2006. Barcelona won the Southern Conference, but dropped the European Championship to Kyiv. The Bengals fell to 96-66 in 2007, but repeated as conference champs and won it all in a rematch with the Kings. Berg’s playoff numbers were unremarkable, but he was one of the smiling faces that returned Barcelona to the top spot.

Berg won additional Silver Sluggers in 2009 and 2011. Barcelona just missed the playoffs in 2008 and 2009, then posted back-to-back 100+ win seasons. The Bengals fell to Zurich in the 2010 Southern Conference Championship, then secured the 2011 pennant over Athens. However, Barcelona was denied in the European Championship against Dublin.

After the 2010 season, a 34-year old Berg opted out of his Barcelona deal, but he re-signed a month later at four years and $40 million. The Bengals would be in the mid-tier outside the playoffs from 2012-14. Berg had his first injury setback in 2012 with a strained oblique costing him nearly three months. That snapped many of his statistical streaks, but he did bounce back.

Berg was down from his peaks over the next three years, but still a reliably strong starter. He passed the 2500 hit, 500 home run, and 1500 RBI milestones. Berg again became a free agent after the 2014 season, but yet again returned to Barcelona. His new contract would be worth $16,400,000 over two more seasons, keeping him employed at age 38.

Barcelona made it back to the playoffs in 2015 as a 92-70 wild card and won their fourth pennant of Berg’s tenure, although they lost to Antwerp in the European Championship. That was Berg‘s strongest playoff run with a .970 OPS over 20 starts. For his playoff career, he was merely decent with 77 starts, 78 hits, 41 runs, 16 doubles, 17 home runs, 46 RBI, a .265/.307/.493 slash, 116 wRC+, and 4.0 WAR. Still, not many guys could say they won four conference titles with one squad.

Berg’s production noticeably dropped in early 2016 and he was reduced to a part-time role. In late July, he suffered a broken kneecap that ended his season and effectively his career. With his 40th birthday that winter, a major injury, and looming free agency, Berg wisely called it quits. Barcelona immediately retired his #20 uniform for his strong 16 years of service.

In total, Berg had 2378 games, 2740 hits, 1460 runs, 456 doubles, 585 home runs, 1642 RBI, 696 walks, .319/.372/.587 slash, 160 wRC+, and 89.8 WAR. As of 2037, Berg ranks 33rd in hits, 35th in runs, 24th in doubles, 27th in home runs, 22nd in RBI, and 54th in WAR among position players. Berg’s slugging ranks 79th among all batters with 3000 plate appearances and his .959 OPS ranks 71st.

Even without black ink, Berg impressive consistency and reliability built him a rock solid resume. He was a big reason why Barcelona was a contender more often than not to begin the new millennium. The very popular Berg was an easy choice for the Hall of Fame voters at 93.1%, headlining EBF’s 2022 class.

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Fyodor Golanov – Third/First Base – Dublin Dinos – 70.5% First Ballot

Fyodor Golanov was a 6’1’’, 190 pound right-handed corner infielder from Kaunas, Lithuania’s second-largest city with a metro population around 623,000. He would be the first Hall of Famer to come from the small Baltic nation of around three million. Golanov’s biggest strengths were great home run power and a strong eye for drawing walks. He never was the conference leader in dingers, but he had seven seasons with 40+ and 11 with 30+.

The downside is that Golanov’s contact ability was merely above average and he had some strikeout issues. His power was also very concentrated on homers with only 19 doubles and 5 triples per his 162 game average. Those numbers were quite low, especially considering Golanov was an excellent baserunner with good speed in his prime. Still, the skills he did had made for a very impactful hitter.

Golanov’s defensive career mostly oscillated between third and first bases with just over half of his starts at 3B and most of the rest at 1B. He graded as reliably above average defensively at either spot. His durability was respectable over a 14-year career. Golanov wasn’t one to take a leadership role, but he was steady and loyal. Between that and his ability to hit the ball hard and far, Golanov emerged as a popular player.

Lithuanian players were generally in the Eurasian Professional Baseball domain in the 20th Century with the country within Soviet control after World War II. With the fall of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, much of Eastern Europe’s baseball community switched into the European Baseball Federation sphere. Golanov’s amateur career was right around the switchover with the exodus of teams from EPB to EBF happening for the 2000 season. Golanov was ready to come out of college in late 2000, entering himself into the EBF Draft.

Because of his country not being a historical EBF hotbed, Golanov didn’t get a ton of attention in the draft. He ended up picked 77th overall midway through the second round by Riga. Based in neighboring Latvia, the Roosters were one of the teams that had made the jump and had been aware of Golanov as a prospect. He would be a bit of a late bloomer though, as his first two years under contract saw a grand total of eight games in 2002.

Golanov was brought up as a part-time starter in 2003 and had very solid results with 4.5 WAR, taking second in Rookie of the Year honors. This earned him the full-time gig from 2004 onward. Golanov won his first Silver Slugger at third base in 2005. Riga struggled though in the changeover, although they had been historically weak even back in EPB. 2005 marked the start of the European Second League and the promotion/relegation system. The Roosters were one of the first teams to get demoted with a 63-99 record in 2005.

Players that have surpassed the minimum service time for free agency can opt out after relegation, but Golanov wasn’t quite there yet. He was certainly much better than most E2L talent, leading in WAR, OPS, and wRC+ in his one year in the Second League. The Roosters would take runner-up honors, getting promoted right back to the EBF Elite.

However, Riga wasn’t confident they could lock Golanov down as he’d be free agency eligible in another year. Soon after their promotion, the Roosters traded the 29-year old to Dublin for a second round draft pick and four prospects. With Riga, Golanov had 580 hits, 356 runs, 60 doubles, 143 home runs, 320 RBI, a .291/.378/.555 slash, 171 wRC+, and 28.8 WAR. Although he was productive in Latvia, Golanov would become a baseball star in Ireland.

Golanov would post 6+ WAR in each of the next eight seasons for Dublin, posting consistent numbers even if he rarely was a conference leader. The Dinos narrowly missed the 2007 postseason, but knew they were on the cusp with Golanov’s help. That winter, he was signed to a seven-year, $57,280,000 extension. 2008 marked the beginning of an eight-year playoff and division title streak in Dublin. It also started a stretch of six straight years with 100+ wins.

In 2009, Golanov led the conference with a career high 130 runs and posted career bests in hits (165), and home runs (51). It would be one of three seasons for Dublin worth 8+ WAR. 2009 was also Golanov’s second Silver Slugger and his only time as an MVP finalist, finishing third. He was on pace for similar in 2010 and 2011, but lost two months in the former to a strained hamstring and one month in the latter to a strained groin.

Dublin had second round exits in 2008 and 2009 despite their success. They would put it together though with back-to-back European Championships in 2010 and 2011, beating Zurich in the 2010 final and Barcelona in 2011. Golanov was a big piece in those two title runs with 29 starts, 35 hits, 23 runs, 6 doubles, 3 triples, 5 homers, 11 RBI, 14 walks, and 1.7 WAR.

In the inaugural Baseball Grand Championship in 2010, Golanov was unremarkable with Dublin going 5-4 in a split format. Under the round robin format in 2011, the Dinos finished fifth at 12-7 with Golanov taking third in Tournament MVP voting. Over 18 starts, he had 22 hits, 17 runs, 4 doubles, 8 home runs, 22 RBI, 1.196 OPS, and 1.7 WAR.

By WAR, 2012 was Golanov’s best EBF Elite year at 8.8. He also led the conference with 133 RBI and posted career bests in OPS (.987) and wRC+ (175) to win his third Silver Slugger. Dublin earned a bye at 107-55, but took an upset second round loss against Paris. The Dinos came back angry from that loss in 2013 and dominated at 115-47. It was a tough field with three other teams in the conference at 100+ wins, but Dublin prevailed and won the European Championship over Zaragoza. The Dinos’ dynasty became the first in EBF history with three titles in four years.

Golanov again had a nice playoff run with 15 hits, 12 runs, 7 homers, 15 RBI, 10 walks, .955 OPS, and 0.8 WAR over 18 starts. The momentum didn’t carry into the Grand Championship though with a 7-12 finish near the bottom. Golanov posted an exactly mid 100 wRC+ and a .671 OPS. On the whole though, he had an impressive big game performer. In 70 EBF playoff starts for Dublin, Golanov had 68 hits, 51 runs, 7 doubles, 4 triples, 18 homers, 40 RBI, 35 walks, 25 stolen bases, a .258/.343/.519 slash, 148 wRC+, and 3.1 WAR. In 46 BGC games, he had 39 hits, 29 runs, 5 doubles, 14 homers, 30 RBI, 27 walks, 12 steals, a .244/.365/.537 slash, 154 wRC+, and 2.1 WAR.

In 2014, Dublin fell in the conference final to Paris. Golanov maintained his high level of play throughout and the Dinos gave the now 37-year old a three-year, $45,800,000 extension. Golanov had his usual strong pace in 2015, but he suffered a torn labrum in early July that knocked him out nine months. Unfortunately, that injury would severely sap Golanov’s power.

He was healthy in 2016 for a full season, but had a lackluster .674 OPS, 90 wRC+, and 0.5 WAR. Dublin was 86-76, which ended their eight-year playoff streak. Golanov met the vesting criteria for one more season, but decided to retire that winter shortly after his 39th birthday. With Dublin, Golanov had 1438 hits, 969 runs, 173 doubles, 374 home runs, 1000 RBI, 458 stolen bases, a .280/.360/.551 slash, 157 wRC+, and 67.6 WAR. For his role in the dynasty, the Dinos quickly retired Golanov’s #20 uniform.

For his EBF Elite run, Golanov had 1876 hits, 1232 runs, 218 doubles, 472 home runs, 1224 RBI, 814 walks, 581 stolen bases, a .282/.360/.548 slash, 156 wRC+, and 86.5 WAR. As of 2037, Golanov ranks 62nd in WAR among position players, 58th in walks, 70th in home runs, and 93rd in runs scored, and 97th in RBI. The final tallies were definitely on the lower end compared to many Hall of Famers and Golanov was limited in terms of awards and black ink.

However, he had very solid playoff numbers and was an important piece in arguably EBF’s best-ever dynasty to that point. Golanov’s walks and reliable defense also made him more valuable than some of the traditional counting stats might suggest. This got him a first ballot induction, albeit narrowly across the 66% requirement at 70.5%. Golanov was the second member of EBF’s 2022 Hall of Fame class and the first-ever Lithuanian to earn the honor.

FuzzyRussianHat

12-29-2024 05:05 AM

2022 EPB Hall of Fame

Eurasian Professional Baseball saw two Hall of Fame inductees on their debut ballots in 2022 with OF Jov Sakharov at 84.0% and SP Serghei Perenyi at 72.4%. Only one returner was above 50%, but still short of the 66% requirement. That was SP Nijat Statsky at 56.5% on his third attempt.

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SS Gleb Khassanov was the lone man to fall off the ballot after ten failed tries. He got as high as 53.6% in 2015 and ended at 44.6%. Khassanov had a 17-year career with Kazan and was well decorated, winning 12 Silver Sluggers, three Gold Gloves, and one MVP. He had 2085 hits, 1074 runs, 326 doubles, 120 triples, 299 home runs, 911 RBI, 687 stolen bases, a .249/.299/.424 slash, 130 wRC+, and 100.5 WAR.

Khassanov is one of only four EPB players with 12+ Silver Sluggers as of 2037 and also still ranks 16th in WAR among position players. Poor playoff numbers (.611, 95 wRC+) hurt his case and he had -0.3 WAR in Kazan’s 1997 title win. Khassnaov also wasn’t a home run hitter and was a leadoff guy, which lowered him with some voters.

Still, purely based on accolades and WAR, Khassanov has to be one of the biggest-ever snubs in EPB history. Even stranger is that the EPB voters seemingly have a bias against shortstops with none inducted as of 2037. Leonard Szuster and Javid Zaripov both notably had 100+ WAR careers from the mid 1950s to early 1970s and both missed out as well.

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Jov Sakharov – Outfield – St. Petersburg Polar Bears – 84.0% First Ballot

Jov Sakharov was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed outfielder from Nizhny Novgorod, Russia’s sixth-largest city with over 1.2 million residents. At his best, Sakharov was a rock solid contact hitter with a very strong pop in his bat. His gap power was especially potent with 29 doubles and 11 triples per his 162 game average, leading the league thrice in both stats. Sakharov also could leg out extra bases with very good speed and outstanding baserunning chops.

Sakharov didn’t have prolific home run power, but he managed 26 per his 162 game average. He was considered average to below average in terms of drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. Sakharov had solid durability for most of his career, playing 130+ games in 14 of his 17 pro seasons. His loyalty and work ethic were both top notch, making him one of Russia’s most beloved players of the era. Despite that, Sakharov wasn’t the guy to look at for vocal leadership.

Around 55% of Sakharov’s career starts came in right field, where he graded as a reliably good-to-great defender. His strong arm was his biggest asset in gunning down baserunners. About 30% of his starts were in center where he was below average, but passable. Sakharov moved to left field in his final three seasons with below average metrics. On the whole, he provided positive value defensively to go along with a great bat.

By the 1999 EPB Draft, Sakharov was arguably the top Russian prospect. He was picked second overall by St. Petersburg, where he’d play 14 years. As a rookie in 2002, Sakharov was iffy in 66 games and 46 starts for the Polar Bears. He became a full-time starter the next year and fared quite well. In 2002, Sakharov earned his first Silver Slugger in right field.

Sakharov jumped from good to great in 2003 with another Slugger and a third place in MVP voting. That would be his first of seven consecutive seasons worth 7+ WAR. Sakharov would lead the European League in WAR from 2004-09 and was above 9.5+ WAR in all but 2009. With that, he went from great to outstanding. From 2004-08, Sakharov won five consecutive MVPs and five Sluggers. As of 2037, he’s the only five-time MVP in EPB history.

During the run, Sakharov led in runs four times, hits thrice, doubles, thrice, triples thrice, home runs once, RBI once, total bases five times, stolen bases once, batting average twice, OBP once, slugging four times, OPS thrice, and wRC+ thrice. Sakharov’s 2006 was the gold standard at 14.18 WAR, setting EPB’s single-season record by a non two-way player. Even when adding Igor Bury’s two-way exploits, Sakharov’s mark still ranks fourth best in EPB history. As of 2037 among all position players in world history, Sakharov’s WAR mark ranks as the 27th-best single season.

Sakharov’s 2006 also had his career bests in runs (126), hits (207), triples (18), home runs (47), total bases (419), batting average (.329), slugging (.665), OPS (1.019), and wRC+ (219). The 126 runs were a new EPB single-season record that would only finally be passed in 2036. His 110 RBI kept him eight short of the Triple Crown behind teammate Jermija Chernogorov. Sakharov’s total bases was the third-best single season to that point and ranks fifth as of 2037. It would be one of two seasons for Sakharov with 40+ homers and 100+ RBI, joining the 2008 campaign.

Worth adding, Sakharov’s 11.93 WAR in 2004 ranks as the third-best single season by a position player in EPB as of 2037. As of 2037, he’s also one of four EPB position players to hit 10+ WAR in three or more seasons. These exploits made Sakharov arguably the biggest superstar in Russian baseball as EPB tried to rebuild following the great exodus of teams in 2000.

He also played from 2002-2014 in 97 games for Russia in the World Baseball Championship. Sakharov’s combined tournament stats had 95 hits, 57 runs, 23 doubles, 17 home runs, 48 RBI, 46 stolen bases, a .275/.349/.512 slash, 148 wRC+, and 4.3 WAR. It was a relatively down period for the Russians in the WBC with their lone division title with Sakharov coming in 2008.

Despite his efforts, St. Petersburg was generally stuck around third or fourth in the European League behind the likes of Moscow and Minsk. The Polar Bears finished first in both 2005 and 2006, but were upset by the Mules both years in the ELCS. Sakharov was notably disappointing in those playoff efforts with a .200/.208/.356 slash, 72 wRC+, and 0.0 WAR. Still, Sakharov earned an eight-year, $32,760,000 extension signed in May 2006.

Although the MVP streak stopped after 2008, Sakharov still won Silver Sluggers in 2009 and 2010. His final three Sluggers came in center field while his first six were in right. 2011 would be Sakharov’s first major setback with a concussion that kept him out from late April through the rest of the season. This also started a down period for the Polar Bears, who fell to 67-95 for their first losing season since 2002.

He bounced back for two more solid seasons as a starter for St. Petersburg, although he was now out of the awards conversations and the Polar Bears were out of the playoff hunt. Sakharov had one year left on his deal entering 2014 at age 35. With the rebuild on, St. Petersburg traded their longtime icon in spring training to Omsk for three prospects.

With the Polar Bears, Sakharov had 2001 hits, 1076 runs, 363 doubles, 141 triples, 329 home runs, 992 RBI, 419 walks, 911 stolen bases, a .277/.321/.504 slash, 159 wRC+, and 98.1 WAR. While disappointed to leave, Sakharov maintained a good relationship with St. Petersburg and his #26 uniform would remain a common sight at the ballpark for decades to come. The Polar Bears would take that number out of circulation at the end of his career.

Sakharov had a good 5.6 WAR debut for Omsk in 2014, who went all the way to the EPB Championship and defeated Rostov. This quelled some of the old criticism about Sakharov’s weak playoff runs, as he had 13 hits, 10 runs, 4 doubles, 4 homers, 8 RBI, 4 steals, .980 OPS, 193 wRC+, and 0.9 WAR in 12 starts. The trade was certainly a win for the Otters since it netted them a championship. Happy with Sakharov’s results, Omsk extended him for two years and $19 million in the offseason.

Age caught up though as Sakharov posted only 2.9 WAR in 2015, easily his lowest full-season tally. He also was terrible in the Asian League Championship Series as the Otters fell to Ufa. Even with his strong 2014 performance, Sakharov’s career playoff numbers were underwhelming over 30 starts with 24 hits, 17 runs, 9 doubles, 5 home runs, 11 RBI, 9 steals, a .218/.246/.455 slash, 112 wRC+, and 0.9 WAR.

In 2016, Sakharov was actively bad and reduced to a bench role with .592 OPS and 73 wRC+ over 80 games and 34 starts. He retired that winter at age 38, finishing his Omsk tenure with 293 hits, 165 runs, 53 doubles, 22 triples, 46 home runs, 158 RBI, 122 steals, a .248/.297/.447 slash, 122 wRC+, and 8.5 WAR. Most importantly though, he had a championship ring from 2014.

Sakharov finished at 2294 hits, 1241 runs, 416 doubles, 163 triples, 375 home runs, 1150 RBI, 492 walks, 1033 stolen bases, a .273/.318/.496 slash, 154 wRC+, and 106.6 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks 7th in WAR among position players, 69th in hits, 34th in runs, 32nd in doubles, 69th in triples, 67th in RBI, and 14th in stolen bases.

While EPB is a low scoring environment generally, Sakharov’s accumulations do rank lower than you’d expect from the only five-time MVP. That does keep him out of the GOAT-level conversations and a few sticklers voted against him between that and weak playoff stats. That said, his five year MVP run was arguably the best-ever five year run for any EPB position player. Common sense prevailed for most Hall of Fame voters, giving Sakharov a first ballot selection at 84.0% to headline the 2022 class.

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Serghei “The Tornado” Perenyi – Starting Pitcher – Samara Steelers – 72.4% First Ballot

Serghei Perenyi was a 5’11’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from Arad, a city of 145,000 in western Romania. He earned the nickname “The Tornado” for his unusual spinning windup. Perenyi was well rounded with good-to-great stuff, movement, and control. His fastball was excellent with 97-99 mph peak velocity and was mixed in with a good forkball, along with a decent screwball and slider.

Compared to most EPB aces of the era, Perenyi’s stamina was average. He often had lingering smaller injuries that cost him innings, although he avoided the big season-enders for most of his run. Perenyi was good at holding runners but weak defensively. He was viewed as a very adaptable and intelligent pitcher and was appreciated in the clubhouse for his loyalty.

Perenyi was viewed as the top pitching prospect by many for the 2001 EPB Draft and was selected accordingly. He went #1 overall to Samara and inked a six-year, $11,460,000 deal from the start. The Steelers were one of the four expansion franchises chartered in 2000 to fill the void of the departing teams in the exodus. Perenyi was thrown into the rotation full-time immediately in the ace role. Although he had the most losses in the league in his debut, Perenyi still had a respectable showing and took third in Rookie of the Year voting.

In 2004, Perenyi tossed his lone no-hitter on May 15, striking out 14 with one walk versus Volgograd. 2004 would be the first of 11 consecutive seasons worth 5+ WAR. He had three 300+ strikeout seasons for Samara, peaking with a career and league best 332 in 2006. That season earned a third place in Pitcher of the Year voting, Perenyi’s only time as a finalist for the Steelers. It was hard to get attention for a new and struggling franchise, as Samara averaged 71 wins per season during his tenure.

Samara didn’t expect to be able to keep Perenyi once he was due free agency. Thus shortly after the 2008 season, he was traded to Minsk for five prospects and a third round draft pick. With Samara, Perenyi had a 97-83 record, 2.45 ERA, 1735.1 innings, 1902 strikeouts, 349 walks, 113 ERA+, 76 FIP-, and 42.1 WAR. He would be the first-ever player inducted in Steelers colors and the second inducted representing an expansion team.

Perenyi had more innings and games with Samara, although his Minsk tenure was arguably more impactful. They wanted him long-term and not as a rental, giving Perenyi a four-year, $22,940,000 in late April. In his Miners debut, the now 30-year old Perenyi won his lone ERA title at 1.98 and had career and league bests in WHIP (0.89), and K/BB (12.3).

He won his lone Pitcher of the Year and Minsk had the top seed at 106-56, although they were ousted in the European League Championship Series by Moscow. Perenyi was 0-2 in his ELCS starts, allowing 11 runs (8 earned) in 15 innings. He wasn’t an awards finalist for the rest of his career despite his next two seasons being his best by WAR, getting league bests in 2010 at 8.0 and 9.9 in 2011. Perenyi had garbage run support in 2011 with an 8-11 record even with a 47 FIP- and 139 ERA+.

Minsk missed the playoffs narrowly in 2010 but got back as a wild card in 2011 with 96 wins. The Miners got revenge on Moscow in the ELCS and won the EPB Championship over Omsk. Perenyi got his ring, although he was merely decent in his three playoff starts with a 3.00 ERA over 24 innings with 22 strikeouts. In the Baseball Grand Championship, Perenyi had a 3.06 ERA over 32.1 innings with 39 strikeouts, a 1-3 record, 134 ERA+, and 0.8 WAR. The Miners would take last place in the event at 5-14.

While Perenyi’s playoff stats were underwhelming, he did post quite solid numbers for his native Romania in the World Baseball Championship. From 2002-2015, he had 194.1 innings with an 11-9 record, 2.22 ERA, 249 strikeouts, and 5.5 WAR. Perenyi was third in 2005’s Best Pitcher voting with 11.1 scoreless innings. Then in 2012, he was outstanding as the Romanians stunned many by winning the World Championship over Italy. In 35 innings, Perenyi had a 4-0 record, 0.51 ERA, 42 strikeouts, 718 ERA+, and 1.2 WAR. Romania was the second smallest country by population to win the title at that point behind only the Czech Republic (1980).

2011’s title marked the end of Minsk’s seemingly unending EPB dominance. They fell to 86-76 in 2012, then started a seven year run of losing seasons. Still, Perenyi got a four-year, $41 million extension after the 2012 season. He remained a solid piece in 2013 and 2014, then struggled for parts of 2015. That season ended with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in early September, putting Perenyi’s future in doubt.

He was determined to make it back and succeeded in 2016, although he had to retool his game with his velocity down to the 92-94 mph range. Perenyi had eight respectable starts, but suffered bone chips in his elbow in June. An August setback caused doctors to pull the plug on any further comeback hopes and Perenyi retired just after his 38th birthday. With Minsk, he had a 77-80 record, 2.74 ERA, 1537.1 innings, 1548 strikeouts, 197 walks, 118 ERA+, and 44.4 WAR.

In total, Perenyi had a 174-163 record, 2.59 ERA, 3272.2 innings, 3450 strikeouts, 546 walks, 182 complete games, 39 shutouts, 115 ERA+, 73 FIP-, and 86.6 WAR. As of 2037, Perenyi is 42nd in pitching WAR, 65th in strikeouts, 75th in innings pitched, 49th in complete games, and 38th in shutouts. Even by the pitcher-friendly voting standards of EPB, Perenyi’s tallies were on the lower end.

His excellent FIP- made those who favored newer metrics argue that Perenyi was stronger than the older metrics would suggest. Supporters also said he was underappreciated due to being on some poor Samara teams. Those supporters outweighed the detractors for 72.4% of the vote, narrowly crossing the 66% requirement for induction. Perenyi was the second member of EPB’s 2022 Hall of Fame class and continued the tradition of strong Romanian pitchers. He was the seventh to make EPB’s HOF (and as of 2037, the last one).

FuzzyRussianHat

12-29-2024 12:01 PM

2022 OBA Hall of Fame (Part 1)

The Oceania Baseball Association had its largest Hall of Fame class since 2005 as the 2022 group saw four inductees. Three earned first ballot honors firmly with LF Arjita Gabeja at 98.5%, SS/2B Tyler Straw at 94.4%, and 1B Jacob Crotchett at 85.1%. The one returner joining them was SP Jarome Gulavao on his fourth ballot, sliding across the 66% requirement at 66.4%. CL Nolan Gilmoon was the only other player above 50% with 51.9% on his fourth ballot.

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1B Darren Lucklin was dropped after ten failed tries, peaking at 43.2% in 2021 and ending with a low of 16.0% in 2022. He had a 16-year career and won six Silver Sluggers, posting 2374 hits, 1136 runs, 470 doubles, 365 home runs, 1223 RBI, a .284/.339/.484 slash, 137 wRC+, and 61.8 WAR. Lucklin had a nice run, but voters expected much bigger power stats from a first baseman. He also had limited black ink and never made it to the playoffs, thus sending his resume into the Hall of Good pile.

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Arjita “Buddha” Gabeja – Left Field/Designated Hitter – Tahiti Tropics – 98.5% First Ballot

Arjita Gabeja was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed slugger from Villa Elisa, a city of 64,099 in Fiji’s Central Division. He would be the second Fijian to make OBA’s Hall of Fame and is widely viewed as the best ever from the small island nation. Gabeja was nicknamed “Buddha” for his conversion and dedication to Buddhism later in his life. He would emerge as one of the most popular and impressive sluggers to come from the Pacific.

Gabeja was a stellar home run hitter with 50 dingers per his 162 game average. On nine occasions, he would smack more than 50 in a season and from 2001-14, he had at least 40 homers and 100 RBI each year. Gabeja had a great eye for drawing walks, although his strikeout rate was unremarkable. He was an excellent contact hitter against right-handed pitching for his whole career. Gabeja was solid against lefties in his peak, but struggled in his later years.

Specifically against righties, few batters were ever better with Gabeja posting a career 1.044 OPS and 193 wRC+. He wasn’t a bum against lefties though with a 122 wRC+ and .774 OPS. Gabeja’s power was heavily slanted towards homers, but he still got you 27 doubles per his 162 game average. His baserunning instincts were respectable, but he was still limited by subpar speed. Gabeja also wasn’t one to provide much range defensively.

Just over half of Gabeja’s career starts came in left field, where he graded as an abysmal defender. He saw occasional time at first base and was better there, albeit still quite poor. Roughly 2/3 of his starts came as a designated hitter. You absolutely had to fit his bat in somewhere and Gabeja was generally in good health, playing 139+ games each year from 2001-16. Few guys worked harder or were more adaptable, earning his rise to become one of OBA’s most beloved superstars.

Gabeja was spotted as a teenager and signed to a developmental contract in September 1995 with Tahiti. He spent most of five years in their academy and had an unusual setback in 1998 with a partially torn UCL shelving him nearly a calendar year. Such an injury wasn’t common for a non-pitcher. Gabeja officially debuted in 1999 at age 20 with one pinch hit strikeout. He played 24 games and started 6 in 2000. Gabeja would start every game in 2001 and held the full-time job for the next 16 years for the Tropics.

He officially used up his rookie status in 2000, but Gabeja essentially was a rookie in his first full year of 2001. He led the league in runs, homers, RBI, total bases, slugging, and OPS; earning Pacific League MVP and a Silver Slugger as a DH. This would be Gabeja’s first of 14 consecutive seasons with at least 5+ WAR, 40+ homers, and 100+ RBI. It also started a streak of five years leading the league in runs scored and was his first of seven times leading the PL in OPS.

For the rest of the decade, Gabeja was always in the MVP conversation. He won the award five times total (2001, 03, 05, 08, 09) with second place finishes in both 2004 and 2007 and third place finishes in 2002 and 2007. As of 2037, he’s one of eight in OBA to win 5+ MVPs. Gabeja had Silver Sluggers from 2003-08 in left field and as a DH in 2001 and 2009. Tahiti knew they struck gold, signing Gabeja to an eight-year, $29,560,000 extension after the 2003 season.

2005 was his best season by some metrics with career bests in runs (127), homers (58), total bases (404), and WAR (9.1). In 2005, Gabeja became the fourth player in OBA history with a four home run game. That year saw a Triple Crown win with his only batting title at .342 along with 56 homers and a career best 143 RBI. 2005 also had his highs in hits (194), triple slash (.342/.421/.697), OPS (1.117), and wRC+ (213). That set a single-season OPS record at the time, although it ranks 9th as of 2037. The OBP mark was the second-best single-season in OBA to that point and ranks 6th still.

During the 2000s, Gabeja led the PL in runs scored six times, hits once, homers seven times, RBI four times, walks twice, total bases four times, batting average once, OBP five times, slugging five times, OPS seven times, wRC+ four times, and WAR twice. Not surprisingly, this helped turn Tahiti back into a contender, ending a pennant drought that dated back to the mid 1970s.

The Tropics began a dynasty, winning the Pacific League title in 2003, 04, 05, 07, and 08. They missed out by one game in 2006 despite 102 wins. This set up multiple wars against Melbourne, who became the Australasia League’s dynasty at the same time. Tahiti won the Oceania Championship in their 2003 and 2008 encounters, while the Mets won in 2004, 05, and 07.

Tahiti won 98 and 99 games in 2009 and 2010, but fell just short of the pennant both years. In March 2011, the now 32-year old Gabeja signed a new five-year, $26,500,000 extension. While not quite as dominant, he remained an excellent slugger in his 30s. From 2010 onward, Gabeja led twice more in home runs and runs scored. He won a 2012 Silver Slugger in LF and a DH one in 2014, giving him ten total. Gabeja was third in 2012’s MVP voting and second in 2014.

The Tropics reclaimed the Pacific League in 2011 and got one back over Melbourne, earning their third OBA title in a decade. The 2011 series was a seven game classic with the Tropics winning game seven 2-1 in ten innings. Tahiti stunned many with a great showing in the second-ever Baseball Grand Championship with a 13-6 finish. Gabeja was especially strong there with 16 starts, 17 hits, 13 runs, 2 doubles, 7 home runs, 12 RBI, 10 walks, a .298/.412/.702 slash, 219 wRC+, and 1.3 WAR. Tahiti stayed above 90 wins for the next two years, but finished third and second in the standings.

Tahiti’s great run had one last hurrah with back-to-back PL titles in 2014 and 2015. Now facing Christchurch in the Oceania Championship, the Tropics lost the 2014 finale but won in 2015. Tahiti finished in the middle of the Grand Championship standings these years, going 9-10 in 2014 and 10-9 in 2015. Gabeja had stellar numbers in the Grand Championship overall with 53 starts, 53 hits, 40 runs, 8 doubles, 25 home runs, 46 RBI, a .279/.370/.717 slash, 210 wRC+, and 3.6 WAR.

Gabeja’s numbers in the Oceania Championship were by no means bad, but they were maybe less dominant than you’d expect. In 51 games, he had 44 hits, 31 runs, 5 doubles, 3 triples, 15 home runs, 33 RBI, 23 walks, a .250/.335/.568 slash, 135 wRC+, and 1.3 WAR. Still, he’s on a very short list to have played in seven finals and earned four rings. As of 2037, Gabeja ranks 6th in playoff hits, 4th in runs, 4th in home runs, and 3rd in RBI.

As he rolled into his 30s, Gabeja started to climb OBA’s leaderboards overall. 2013 saw Gabeja become the seventh to reach 1500 career RBI. In 2014, he joined Vavao Brighouse as the only members of the 700 home run club. That year he also passed Quentin Basa’s 1506 to become OBA’s all-time leader in runs scored. In 2016, Gabeja was the 12th to reach 2500 hits.

Tahiti finished second in 2016 at 94-68 with Gabeja sitting 18 homers away from Brighouse’s record 804 and at 1809 RBI. Gabeja and Junia Lava had currently passed the rest of the field, although Lava finished 2016 at 1935. Lava also had 757 home runs, putting him in contention to pass Brighouse’s mark. To the OBA diehards’ disappointment, neither men passed Brighouse. For Lava, he struggled in one final season. For Gabeja, his OBA run ended in 2016.

Gabeja became a free agent heading towards age 38 and although 2016 had been his weakest season, he still had a solid 36 home runs, 162 wRC+, and 3.4 WAR. Instead of chasing OBA records, he signed a two-year, $18,700,000 deal with MLB’s Tampa Thunderbirds. Gabeja had earned international acclaim and wanted to test that out on the MLB stage.

Unfortunately, he picked the wrong time to come over as age caught up to him. In one year for Tampa, Gabeja had a .710 OPS, 90 wRC+, and 0.1 WAR in 117 games. They let him go and he shopped around for 2018, but most teams thought he was cooked. No OBA squads wanted to bring him on for mere record chasing and he retired that winter just past his 40th birthday. Tahiti would immediately bring him home to retire his #32 uniform and he’d be a cherished spokesman and icon for years to come for the Tropics.

Gabeja’s OBA career had 2488 games, 2609 hits, 1683 runs, 422 doubles, 786 home runs, 1853 RBI, 1117 walks, a .292/.371/.615 slash, 179 wRC+, and 103.7 WAR. At retirement, he was the runs leader and also ranked 2nd in homers, 8th in hits, 2nd in RBI, 3rd in total bases (5497), 3rd in walks, 2nd in OPS (.986), and 5th in WAR among position players.

As of 2037, Gabeja still ranks 4th in runs, 19th in hits, 5th in total bases, 28th in doubles, 3rd in homers, 4th in RBI, 5th in walks, and 7th in WAR among position players. His MLB season did get him to 804 pro homers, one of 54 members of the worldwide 800 club as of 2037. Among OBA batters with 3000+ plate appearances, he ranks 81st in batting average, 4th in OBP, 3rd in slugging, and 3rd in OPS.

Gabeja’s lack of defense value often lowers his ratings in the discussions for OBA’s greatest-ever position player. However as a pure hitter, Gabeja will be on many top five lists and on almost all top ten lists. He was a critical piece and turned Tahiti into THE Pacific League powerhouse to start the 2000s. In a loaded four-player 2022 OBA Hall of Fame class, Gabeja was the clear headliner at 98.5%.

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Tyler Straw – Shortstop/Second Base – Melbourne Mets – 94.4% First Ballot

Tyler Straw was a 6’2’’, 205 pound right-handed middle infielder from Sydney, Australia’s most populous city. At his best, Straw was a solid contact hitter with an excellent pop in his bat. His 162 game average got you 36 home runs, 31 doubles, and 13 triples. Straw had a good eye for drawing walks with a decent strikeout rate. He was also one of the most skilled and adept baserunners you’d find anywhere. Straw’s speed was above average-to-good at best, but he was masterful at picking his spots for steals and extra bases.

Straw played mostly shortstop in his 20s, then moved to a split SS/2B role in his early 30s before playing mostly second base at the end. He was an excellent defender at both spots, making about 60% of his career starts at short and around 40% at 2B. Straw’s issue was durability, as he was plagued by injuries especially from his back, knees, and ankles. He still managed an 18-year career, but only played 120+ games in six seasons. Even in partial seasons, Straw provided immense value and became one of Australia’s biggest superstars of the era.

In the 1998 OBA Draft, Straw was picked third overall by Melbourne. He was a full-time starter immediately and struggled with his bat as a rookie, although he still had 2.9 WAR in 97 starts despite a .545 OPS. Injury issues began right away, as torn ankle ligaments kept him out for the second half. Even as an actively bad bat who missed time to injury, Straw finished second in Rookie of the Year voting.

Straw stayed healthy the next two years and fixed his bat to emerge as a top star, leading the Australasia League both years in WAR and OPS. He repeated as AL MVP and a Silver Slugger winner in 2000 and 2001. In 2002, more torn ankle ligaments kept Straw out more than half the season. Melbourne was still confident that he could lead them to greatness, giving Straw an eight-year, $28,920,000 extension that winter.

From 1971-02, the Mets had one pennant and averaged 78.5 wins per season. From 2003-12, they began one of the greatest dynasties in baseball history. Straw helped kick that off in 2003 with by far his finest season, winning his third MVP and Silver Slugger. He had a Triple Crown with 61 home runs, 149 RBI, and a .321 batting average. These would be by far his best power stats of his career. Straw scored 135 runs, falling one short of OBA’s single-season record.

2003 also had Straw’s career bests in total bases (421), and WAR (12.4) for his 3rd MVP. The WAR mark was the best-ever by an OBA position player not named Jimmy Caliw (who topped it five times) and still ranks 6th as of 2037. The OPS mark also set a new OBA record that would be beaten two years later by HOF classmate Arjita Gabeja. Straw had two higher OPS seasons, but neither had the plate appearances required to qualify as the league leader.

Straw and Gabeja became the respective stars as Melbourne and Tahiti began their epic Oceania Championship rivalry. The Tropics won the opener in 2003 in a seven-game classic, although Straw was excellent in defeat with a 1.075 OPS, 11 hits, and 6 runs. This was statistically his best finals performance with weak showings in 2004 and 2012, but good ones in 2006, 2008, and 2011.

Like Gabeja, Straw’s career finals numbers were surprisingly underwhelming. In 27 games, he had 31 hits, 18 runs, 6 doubles, 5 home runs, 13 RBI, 11 walks, 12 stolen bases, a .298/.362/.500 slash. 120 wRC+, and 0.9 WAR. Melbourne won ten pennants, although Straw missed four finales to injury. The Mets four-peated as OBA champ from 2004-07 with three wins over Tahiti and a 2006 win over Fiji. Melbourne’s best record was 114-48 in 2008, but that year had a loss to Tahiti. The Mets then beat Guam for the 2009 title and Guadalcanal in 2010. They were defeated in their final two berths to the Tropics in 2011 and Green Jackets in 2013.

Straw was available for three games in the 2010 Baseball Grand Championship and 13 in 2012, getting 14 runs, 17 hits, 6 doubles, 3 homers, 10 RBI, and 0.6 WAR. Melbourne was 5-4 in the inaugural divisional format, then took 6th in 2012 at 11-8. Despite his injuries, Straw remained steadfast in playing for Australia in the World Baseball Championship, solidifying his status as a national hero. Because of the January date, he was generally healed up by the WBC and at full strength.

From 2000-15, Straw played 145 games with 129 hits, 105 runs, 21 doubles, 45 home runs, 90 RBI, 55 stolen bases, a .257/.370/.581 slash, and 8.0 WAR. In 2012, Australia made the semifinal for only the second time, placing fourth. As of 2037, Straw ranks 1st in WAR among Australian position players and ranks 3rd in hits, 2nd in runs, 2nd in homers, and 2nd in RBI.

Straw still won Silver Sluggers in 2004 and 2005 despite injuries and even took third in 2004’s MVP voting in 2004. Repeated ankle ligament tears doomed him these years, followed by a torn calf muscle costing him most of 2006. In 2007, Straw missed the final weeks of the season and the playoffs to a torn quad. However in 124 games, he led the league with 11.2 WAR to win his 4th MVP and 5th Silver Slugger.

In 2008, Straw lost more than half the year between various injuries. He was healthy for most of 2009 to win his first Silver Slugger at second base. Now 33-years old, Melbourne gave Straw a five-year, $43,700,000 extension. Straw won another Slugger in 2010 despite playing 102 games.

Straw’s 2011 was finally a full season, leading in WAR for the fifth time for his fifth MVP. He also won his first Gold Glove and ninth Silver Slugger. Straw won one more Slugger and Gold Glove in 2013 and still provided strong value even if you weren’t likely to get 100+ games out of him. 2013 marked the end of Melbourne’s dynasty, although they remained competitive through 2015. Straw signed a three-year, $25,900,000 extension after the 2014 campaign to stick with the Mets.

The beloved star’s power and defensive value waned in his late 30s, holding up better than you’d expect considering his repeated ankle woes. In 2016, Melbourne fully collapsed down to 59-103 and Straw was reduced to a backup role with 0.1 WAR and 89 wRC+ over 81 games. He retired that winter at age 40 and immediately had his #2 retired for his role in the historic dynasty.

Straw finished with 2027 hits, 1211 runs, 361 doubles, 153 triples, 424 home runs, 1227 RBI, 661 walks, 648 stolen bases, a .290/.353/.568 slash, 151 wRC+, and 103.1 WAR. As of 2037, Straw is 8th in WAR among position players in OBA. Among all position players in world baseball history, he’s notably one of only three to finish with 100+ WAR in fewer than 2000 games (1915).

The injuries kept him from getting too high on the other accumulation leaderboards. In OBA as of 2037, he is 75th in hits, 42nd in runs, 51st in doubles, 43rd in home runs, 42nd in RBI, 42nd in walks, and 42nd in stolen bases. Those numbers in a vacuum of course don’t show how impactful was in his prime. Among all batters with 3000+ plate appearances, his .921 OPS ranks 15th and his triple slash is 89th/36th/18th.

Some surmise that if he could’ve stayed healthy that Straw could’ve had a career rivaling nine-time AL MVP Jimmy Caliw, the world’s first 200+ WAR position player. Even through the woes, Straw won five MVPs, ten pennants, six OBA titles, and 10 Silver Sluggers. His status as a Hall of Famer was not at all in doubt, getting 94.4% to join the impressive four-player 2022 OBA class.

FuzzyRussianHat

12-29-2024 07:12 PM

2022 OBA Hall of Fame (Part 2)

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Jacob Crotchett – First Base – Auckland Avengers – 85.1% First Ballot

Jacob Crotchett was a 6’8’’, 195 pound left-handed hitting first baseman from Brisbane, Australia’s third-most populous city. Crotchett was an above average to good contact hitter with reliable home run power specifically against right-handed pitching. His overall 162 game average got 38 homers and 28 doubles. Crotchett wasn’t going to leg out extra bases as he was a very slow and clumsy baserunner. He rated as below average at drawing walks with an okay strikeout rate.

Against righties, he had a career 146 wRC+ and .921 OPS. Lefties gave Crotchett trouble though with a subpar 90 wRC+ and .683 OPS. He played exclusively at first base, which suited his long frame. Crotchett was a reliably above average gloveman and boasted impressive durability, playing 140+ games every year once he earned the starting gig. Some said his work ethic was unreliable, but Crotchett still became one of the region’s more popular players over a 17-year pro career.

Being a tall lefty earned Crotchett looks from scouts as a teenager. One of them was from Auckland and signed him to a developmental deal in January 1995. Crotchett spent most of six years in the Avengers academy, although he did officially debut in 1999 at age 20. He played 23 games that year, then had 39 games with 15 starts in 2000. Auckland won the Australasia League title in 2000, but lost to Guam in the Oceania Championship. The young Crotchett struggled in what would be his only playoff games, going 2-20 with 8 strikeouts..

Crotchett was moved into the starting job in 2001 and held it steadfastly for the next 16 years. In 2002, Crotchett led the AL in slugging (.590), OPS (.953), and wRC+ (157), winning a Silver Slugger and taking second in MVP voting. He won another Slugger and was third in 2003’s MVP voting with 47 homers and 126 RBI. Crotchett added another Slugger and his lone Gold Glove in 2005. In February 2005, Auckland gave Crotchett a six-year, $24,400,000 extension.

Crotchett’s lone MVP win and his fourth Slugger came in 2006, leading in hits (201), RBI (153), batting average (.339), slugging (.656), and wRC+ (172). These were all career bests, as was his 51 homers, 1.027 OPS, and 6.9 WAR. Crotchett’s 153 RBI was the second-most ever in an OBA season behind Vavao Brighouse’s 161 in 1995 (and still ranks 3rd as of 2037). Crotchett missed a Triple Crown by only six homers. He won additional Sluggers in 2007 and 2008, but wasn’t a league leader beyond his 2006 effort.

Unfortunately, Crotchett played in the AL against Melbourne during their dynasty run and never won a pennant beyond 2000 as a reserve. The Avengers were often in the top half of the standings in his prime, averaging 90 wins per season from 2005-10. Crotchett did get to play some on the world stage, representing Australia in the World Baseball Championship from 2002-08. In 61 games, he had 60 hits, 38 runs, 7 doubles, 18 home runs, 44 RBI, a .261/.302/.526 slash, 139 wRC+, and 2.2 WAR.

Auckland dropped to 80-82 in 2011, then had an abysmal run of at the bottom of the standings for the rest of his tenure. Crotchett stayed on through the doldrums with a five-year, $22,200,000 extension signed in May 2011. His time as an elite starter was done, but he remained a respectable contributor to the end. Crotchett’s deal expired after the 2016 campaign and he wanted to still play, but no team signed him for 2017. He retired that winter at age 39 and had his #26 uniform immediately retired back in Auckland.

Crotchett had 2646 hits, 1310 runs, 440 doubles, 596 home runs, 1648 RBI, 567 walks, a .284/.326/.533 slash, 132 wRC+, and 61.8 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks 17th in hits, 24th in runs, 21st in doubles, 14th in home runs, 6th in RBI, and 62nd in WAR for position players. His .858 OPS is 70th among all batters with 3000+ plate appearances and his slugging ranks 52nd.

Rarely in his career was Crotchett considered the top guy, but he was a reliably consistent and steady slugger for 16 years. This made him very popular in his time in New Zealand’s largest city and made him a fairly easy choice for the Hall of Fame voters. At 85.1%, Crotchett earned a first ballot nod as the third of four in OBA’s 2022 class.

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Jarome Galuvao – Starting Pitcher – Adelaide Aardvarks – 66.4% Fourth Ballot

Jarome Galuvao was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Pava’ia’I, a village of 2,000 people in American Samoa. He joined Class of 1986 LF Alapati Tatupu as the only OBA Hall of Famers from the territory. Galuvao had excellent movement on his pitches with above average stuff, but his control could be shaky at times. His velocity peaked in the 97-99 mph range with a five-pitch arsenal headlined by a strong sinker. Galuvao also had a changeup, slider, forkball, and curveball as quality options.

Compared to most aces in the four-man rotations of OBA, Galuvao’s stamina was below average and his durability was merely okay. He was solid at holding runners, but weaker defensively overall. In spite of his flaws, Galuvao always gave it his all with a sparkplug work ethic and adaptability. He managed to post some excellent seasons over the course of a 13-year run.

Despite coming from very humble origins, word of Galuvao’s potential as a teenager reached the shores of Australia. He signed a developmental deal with Adelaide in November 1994 and spent five full years in their academy. The Aardvarks debuted him as a reliever with respectable results over 33.1 innings in 2000. He spent most of 2001 back on the reserve roster, coming back up only in the final month. Galuvao had five solid starts to end the season as Adelaide rolled to the Australasia League title at 100-62.

The 23-year old Galuvao earned a starting spot in the Oceania Championship and thrived as the Aardvarks won the series and title against Guam. He won both starts, allowing three runs over 16 innings with 11 strikeouts and 4 walks. Galuvao had a shutout in the series, helping set the tone for the 4-2 series victory. This earned him a spot in Adelaide’s lore even before pitching a single full season.

It would be his only postseason innings though as the Aardvarks were mostly stuck in the middle of the standings during his career. They took second in both 2003 and 2004, but fell to Melbourne’s fledgling dynasty. Adelaide wouldn’t have another winning record in Galuvao’s run, generally finishing just below .500. Galuvao would be a full-time starter though and a fixture for the next decade.

After a decent 2002 for his first full season, Galuvao won his lone Pitcher of the Year in 2003. He had league and career bests in wins (26-6), ERA (2.13), WHIP (1.02), quality starts (32), FIP- (64), and WAR (10.1). Galuvao led in wins again in 2004 at 25-7, but a much weaker ERA left him third in POTY voting. In August 2005, Adelaide extended him at $15,080,000 over four years. Galuvao led in WAR for the second time with 7.9 in 2005 and had a career-best 291 strikeouts, although he wasn’t a POTY finalist.

Galuvao regressed a bit and was taken out of the full-time rotation for part of 2006, but was back in the spot in 2007. In 2008, he flashed that old potential by winning his second ERA title at 2.48, finishing second in Pitcher of the Year voting. That effort convinced Adelaide to extend Galuvao again in mid 2009 at age 31 to a five-year, $25,120,000 extension. He never reached his prior peaks, but he still had nice efforts from 2009-11.

In September 2011, Galuvao suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament, putting him out 12 months. He made it back for ten starts late in 2012 and still posted similar production from prior to the injury. Unfortunately, a torn labrum befell Galuvao in spring training 2013. When he returned in the summer, his control was shot and he posted a career-worst 3.94 ERA. Galuvao retired in the winter at age 35 and Adelaide honored him by retiring his #9 uniform.

Galuvao had a 178-121 record, 3.10 ERA, 2713.1 innings, 2322 strikeouts, 762 walks, 246/380 quality starts, 50 complete games, 16 shutouts, 127 ERA+, and 63.0 WAR. As of 2037, Galuvao ranks 44th in pitching WAR, 91st in strikeouts, 72nd in innings, and 56th in wins. He doesn’t crack the top 100 in any rate stats, although his ERA+ and FIP- (81) are certainly in line with several other Hall of Fame OBA aces.

He didn’t have the longevity for the big totals, but OBA voters were typically generous towards starters. The tallies and raw dominance were lacking, but a POTY win and two ERA titles were major plusses. Voters liked guys who stayed loyal to one team and Galuvao’s playoff heroics back in Adelaide’s 2001 title win resonated with many voers.

Galuvao debuted on the 2019 ballot at 46.6%, but worked his way up to 55.2% and 59.6% in the next two tries. With many impressive newcomers in 2022, most supporters figured Galuvao would be left waiting. However, he managed to get the bump barely across the 66% requirement at 66.4%. As a fourth ballot inductee, Galuvao was the fourth and final member of an impressive 2022 class for OBA.

FuzzyRussianHat

12-30-2024 04:56 AM

2022 APB Hall of Fame

Two players were added upon their ballot debut into Austronesia Professional Baseball’s 2022 Hall of Fame class. SP Bima Idris was close to unanimous at 98.2% and OF/DH Ching-Hui Lin earned a solid 80.6%. On his tenth and final try, RF Sutanto Mangkoepradja missed the 66% requirement again at 61.5%. Three others were above 50% with SP Bagus Ranga debuting at 57.0%, SP Dwi Aditya Supandi getting 55.8% on his fourth ballot, and LF Beau Cabral at 52.1% for his fourth go.

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For Mangkoepradja, he had gotten as close as 64.2% in 2020 and 63.4% in 2019 and never was below 47%. He had an 18-year APB run mostly with Depok, winning five Silver Sluggers and finishing with 1801 hits, 997 runs, 269 doubles, 470 home runs, 1011 RBI, 636 walks, 407 stolen bases, a .254/.321/.517 slash, 186 wRC+, and 81.2 WAR.

Even in the very low scoring APB, Magnkoepradja was clearly one of the most efficient hitters of his era. Despite his advanced stats, he was rarely a league leader apart from a strong 1991, played terrible defense, and was on mostly forgettable Depok teams. Still as of 2037, Mangkoepradja is 27th in OPS among those with 3000+ plate appearances, 16th in homers, and 45th in WAR among position players. He typically is cited amongst APB’s biggest snubs, but the dividing line has to be drawn somewhere. Depok fans remember him fondly as his #5 uniform is retired there.

Another snub was 1B Gavin Loh, who was above 60% twice and never was below 44%. He was hurt by leaving for MLB for seven years in his 30s, as his combined pro tallies saw 2847 hits, 1439 runs, 402 doubles, 660 home runs, 1579 RBI, 975 walks, a .258/.321/.486 slash, 157 wRC+, and 105.6 WAR. With Singapore, Loh won two MVPs, one Gold Glove, and three Silver Sluggers. His 1996 season was epic with 53 homers, 114 RBI, a 1.031 OPS, and 14.0 WAR.

Loh’s APB tallies had 1734 hits, 814 runs, 249 doubles, 366 home runs, 876 RBI, 584 walks, a .256/.317/.467 slash, 174 wRC+, and 74.0 WAR. The MLB departure just kept the overall totals too low for many voters’ likings, even if he too was one of the more efficient batters of his era. Loh’s #35 is retired by Singapore, as he helped them to a pennant in 1996 and he remains a very popular figure with Sharks fans.

SS Alif Aris also fell off the ballot, although he never got quite as close. He ended at only 6.4%, but was as high as 43.5% in the beginning. Aris statistically is a major snub, finishing with 109.2 WAR, 2120 hits, 846 runs, 432 doubles, 276 home runs, 992 RBI, a .252/.287/.421 slash, and 141 wRC+. He won nine Silver Sluggers, one MVP, and helped Jakarta to the APB Championship in 2004.

For whatever reason, APB voters have been harsh towards shortstops with none inducted as of 2037. Aris is the most deserving by many metrics, still leading all shortstops in WAR, runs, total bases, doubles, homers, and RBI. He still ranks 13th among all position players in WAR, but Aris’s great defensive value at SS didn’t move the needle. If he wasn’t good enough, one wonders what it would take for an APB shortstop to make the cut.

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Bima Idris – Starting Pitcher – Davao Devil Rays – 98.2% First Ballot

Bima Idris was a 6’1’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Jakarta, Indonesia’s largest city. Idris had incredible stuff that graded as a 10/10 at his peak from some scouts. He had good movement as well, although his control was merely average at best. Idris had a three-pitch arsenal of a 99-101 mph fastball, slider, and changeup. He was a master at making all three look the same out of his hand until it was too late for a hitter to adjust.

Idris’s stamina was good and managed to avoid major arm injuries throughout his 14 year career, tossing 200+ innings in 12 seasons. His windup style did lead to very poor defense, but his strikeout rate often kept the ball out of play anyhow. Idris was appreciated by teammates for his loyalty and he emerged as one of his era’s most impactful aces.

Being a hard throwing lefty in a metropolis quickly gets scouts banging down your door as a teenager. One of them convinced Idris to leave Indonesia for the Philippines, signing a developmental deal in May 1995 with Davao. Idris wasn’t an overnight success though with his control issues, spending the better part of seven years in the Devil Rays developmental system. Idris debuted in 2002 at age 23 but was terrible over 63.2 innings. He only saw seven starts in 2003, but thrived in that small sample to earn the rotation spot for 2004 onward.

By his second full season, Idris had his first of nine 8+ WAR seasons and first of seven 350+ strikeout efforts. His rise coincided with the rise of Davao as an APB dynasty. The Devil Rays would win seven consecutive Philippine League titles from 2005-11. Davao won their first Austronesia Championship of this run in 2005 over Palembang. Idris had an excellent postseason run, allowing one run over 17.2 innings with 22 strikeouts.

Davao repeated in 2006 by beating Surabaya for the APB title. Idris led the Taiwan-Philippine Association in strikeouts at 380 and had a 2.18 ERA over 33 playoff innings. Idris also struck out 56 in the playoffs, falling three short of APB’s postseason record. He led again in strikeouts in 2006 and 2007 while also leading in wins for the first time. Idris also had his first sub-two ERA seasons, taking Pitcher of the Year in 2007. He was second in 2008’s POTY and was also second in 2007’s MVP voting. However, the Devil Rays fell in the TPA Championship both seasons.

The dynasty resumed with two more APB titles, beating Singapore in the 2009 final and Medan in 2010. Davao got their fifth TPA pennant of the run in 2011, but fell to Pekanbaru for the APB crown. Idris was especially dominant in the 2010 run with a 0.84 ERA and 38 strikeouts over 32.1 innings. His 2011 was also great with a 1.14 ERA over 23.2 innings. For his playoff career with the Devil Rays, Idris had an 11-4 record, 1.68 ERA, 155.1 innings, 204 strikeouts, 29 walks, 168 ERA+, and 6.2 WAR.

Despite being an APB playoff beast, Idris’s stats were surprisingly lackluster in the Baseball Grand Championship with Davao. He had a 6.23 ERA in 8.2 innings in 2010 and a 4.15 ERA over 30.1 innings in 2011, which were iffy even accounting for a much higher-scoring overall environment. Davao went 2-7 in the inaugural 2010 divisional BGC, then was 8-11 in the round robin format in 2011.

Idris was second in POTY voting in 2009 and that winter signed a five-year, $58 million extension with Davao. He won the top award for the second time in 2010 with career bests in ERA (1.17) and WHIP (0.66). 2010 was also notable for a no-hitter on April 26 against Hsinchu with 9 strikeouts and 2 walks. Idris would see his first major injury in 2011, missing two months to a strained hamstring.

In 2012 and 2013, Idris placed third both years in Pitcher of the Year votung. By WAR, 2012 was actually his finest season narrowly at 10.0. Davao’s run at the top had ended by this point, finishing 84-78 in 2012 to snap their PL title streak. They stayed competitive with 82 wins in 2013 and 91 in 2014. On July 8, 2013, Idris notably tossed his second no-hitter with 14 strikeouts and 5 walks over Tainan.

2015 was to be the final year of Idris’s big extension, but he was surprised as Davao voided the team option year with a $1,100,000 buyout. Thus at age 36, Idris was a free agent for the first time at age 36. With Davao, he had a 208-80 record, 1.89 ERA, 2811.1 innings, 3790 strikeouts, 575 walks, 149 ERA+, and 94.8 WAR. For his indispensible role in the Devil Rays dynasty, Idris’s #13 uniform would later be retired.

Idris returned to his home country on a three-year, $44,800,000 deal with Bandung. Despite having his best years in the Philippines, Idris did represent Indonesia regularly in the World Baseball Championship. From 2006-13, he tossed 135 innings with an 11-3 record, 3.00 ERA, 222 strikeouts, and 5.0 WAR. Indonesia’s best finish with Idris was a third place in 2008.

In his Bandung debut, Idris led in wins and maintained a strong ERA, although his velocity and strikeouts had both dipped noticeably. The Blackhawks would win the APB Championship over Taipei, giving Idris his 5th title ring. It was statistically his weakest postseason effort though with a 3.09 ERA over 23.1 innings. On the whole though, Idris is widely viewed as one of the all-time playoff greats in APB.

For his playoff career, Idris had a 12-4 record, 1.86 ERA, 178.2 innings, 226 strikeouts, 29 walks, 20 quality starts, 5 complete games, 3 shutouts, 146 ERA+, 57 FIP-, and 6.4 WAR. As of 2037, Idris has more playoff innings than anyone else and ranks 3rd in WAR, 2nd in wins, and 3rd in strikeouts. He ranked 1st in all of those stats at retirement.

Idris had still been effective in 2015 despite his once triple-digit velocity falling into the 95-97 mph range. It plummeted further to 90-92 mph in 2016, leading to zero WAR for Idris despite throwing 226.1 innings. With this drop, he realized it was time to retire that winter shortly after his 38th birthday. In two years for Bandung, Idris had a 2.28 ERA, 33-20 record, 481.2 innings, 383 strikeouts, 109 ERA+, and 5.2 WAR.

In total, Idris saw a 241-100 record, 1.94 ERA, 3293 innings, 4173 strikeouts, 656 walks, 328/396 quality starts, 161 complete games, 56 shutouts, 142 ERA+, 66 FIP-, and 100.0 WAR. Despite raw dominance, his control issues meant he often threw a lot of pitches and didn’t have as many innings as you might expect, ranking 43rd as of 2037.

Idris does still rank 16th in pitching WAR, 9th in wins, 17th in strikeouts, 30th in complete games, and 12th in shutouts. Among all pitchers with 1000+ innings, his ERA ranks 32nd, his 0.85 WHIP is 38th, and his .524 opponent’s OPS is 29th. Idris also ranks 47th in K/9 at 11.41 and has the 39th most walks at 656. While APB’s extremely low offense environment helps this a lot, Idris does have the 20th best ERA of all world Hall of Fame starters as of 2037. His ERA+ only narrowly misses the top 50 though.

With so many great pitchers in APB history, Idris doesn’t often get ranked higher than the top 10 or top 15. However, he has an important place in history as a stellar playoff ace for one of APB’s best-ever dynasty runs with Davao. Idris was an undisputed Hall of Fame headliner, leading the 2022 class at 98.2%.

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Ching-Hui Lin – Outfield/Designated Hitter – Taipei Tigercats – 80.6% First Ballot

Ching-Hui Lin was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed corner outfielder from Yuanlin, a city of 122,000 in western Taiwan. Lin was an excellent power hitter with very good contact skills and a respectable eye for drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. He was especially dominant against right-handed pitching with a career 189 wRC+ and .954 OPS. Lin was plenty strong against lefties too with a 151 wRC+ and .796 OPS.

Nine times in his career, Lin had 40+ home runs and he had 30+ in 13 seasons. His gap power was quite solid as well with 27 doubles and 9 triples per his 162 game average. Lin was remarkably average as a baserunner, but average speed was better than you often got from your top slugger. The lack of speed did weigh Lin down though defensively.

Around 2/3s of his career starts were split between right field and left field with a slight preference towards right. In either spot, Lin was a poor defender, leading to most of his remaining starts as a designated hitter. At any spot, Lin was always ready as an ironman who played 155+ games in all but his first and final seasons. His reliability, loyalty, and impressive bat turned Lin into one of the most popular baseball stars to ever come out of Taiwan.

Lin attended National Taitung University and it was clear that he was a superstar in the making. With the first pick in the 2004 APB Draft, Lin was selected by Taipei, where he’d spend his entire APB career. He was only used for 61 games and 5 starts in his rookie year, then was a full-time starter for the rest of his Tigercats run. Lin’s second season was his first of six with Taipei leading the Taiwan-Philippine Association in home runs and the first of six as the RBI leader.

From 2007-15, Lin had 7+ WAR each season. He led the TPA in runs scored five times, homers six times, doubles once, RBI six times, total bases seven times, OBP twice, slugging five times, OPS five times, wRC+ four times, and WAR four times. Lin won Silver Sluggers each year in this run, getting five as a DH (2007-10, 15), three as a right fielder (2011-12, 14) and one in left field (2013). By the end of the 2009 season, Taipei had locked him up on an eight-year, $98,400,000 extension.

Lin became only the fourth player to that point in APB to win 5+ MVP awards, taking the top honor in 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, and 2015. He also finished third in 2009 and 2012, second in 2013, and third again in 2014. 2010 was Lin’s finest season in APB by WAR (10.4), homers (52), total bases (383), runs (107), and wRC+ (227). His best OPS (1.006), batting average (.324), OBP (.384), and RBI tallies (112) came in 2008.

With Lin’s bat, Taipei emerged as a contender again and ended a decade-long playoff drought in 2009. The Tigercats took first in the Taiwan League with Lin in 2009, 10, 12, 13, 14, and 15. They won 107+ games in five of those seasons, but Taipei couldn’t get over the playoff hump. The Tigercats finished 0-6 in the Taiwan-Philippine Association Championship in that run. Taipei would eventually get a few pennants later in the decade, but that would be after Lin was gone.

While Lin’s playoff numbers weren’t bad with Taipei, they were much weaker than his usual dominant production. In 32 starts, he had 27 hits, 10 runs, 6 homers, 2 doubles, 3 triples, 18 RBI, a .220/.248/.431 slash, 122 wRC+, and 0.8 WAR. Few blamed Lin for their playoff failings, but it was a great regret for him that Taipei never won a title while he was there.

Lin remained a massive superstar in Taiwan’s capital and across the island regardless. He was a regular for his country in the World Baseball Championship, where his numbers were quite impressive. From 2007-21, Lin had 152 games and 140 starts, 140 hits, 87 runs, 27 doubles, 41 home runs, 99 RBI, 64 walks, a .268/.357/.563 slash, 158 wRC+, and 6.9 WAR. In 2017, Lin helped Taiwan to a runner-up finish to the United States. In that run, he started 25 games with 25 hits, 15 runs, 4 doubles, 5 homers, 14 RBI, 19 walks, a .911 OPS, and 1.1 WAR.

As of 2037, Lin ranks 2nd in WAR among Taiwanese position players in the WBC, 2nd in runs, 2nd in hits, 2nd in doubles, 4th in home runs, and 1st in RBI. He would continue to come home to Taiwan for the WBC even after his Taipei days ended. Lin remained a hugely popular star who still had a strong following even as he moved to the other side of the world. He did disappoint many with the Tigercats as he opted out of the remainder of his deal after the 2015 season, becoming a free agent at age 32.

With Taipei, Lin finished with 1762 hits, 962 runs, 266 doubles, 103 triples, 431 home runs, 1003 RBI, 478 walks, a .292/.345/.585 slash, 192 wRC+, and 84.1 WAR. Despite his early departure, Lin still ranks as of 2037 38th in WAR among position players, 26th in home runs, 47th in RBI, 57th in runs scored, and 65th in total bases (3527).

When he left, Lin had the best OPS (.930) of any APB batter with 3000+ plate appearances. He maintained that mark until passed by the undisputed APB GOAT Binh Tang. Lin also still ranks second in slugging behind only Tang and ranks 28th in batting average. Many speculate if Lin would’ve ended up at the top of APB’s power leaderboards had he stayed around.

There were a couple stuffy voters that marked Lin down for not staying long enough and a few that dinged him for not winning it all with Taipei. However, Lin was a consistent MVP candidate and top slugger for a decade, making him an obvious choice even without the top-end accumulations. His 80.6% debut ballot seems low, but Lin earned his first ballot spot regardless with APB’s 2022 Hall of Fame class.

Lin’s career continued for six years after leaving Taiwan as he wanted to prove himself in Major League Baseball. The paycheck wasn’t bad either, signing with Toronto at $87,200,000 over four years. Lin immediately showed he was world class, leading the National Association in his Timberwolves debut in runs (122), homers (51), RBI (143), and total bases (388). Lin had his career best triple slash (.325/.378/.658) and OPS (1.035) while adding 9.1 WAR. With that, Lin joined the very short list to win an MVP in MLB and another world league, as well as the short list of having 6+ total MVPs. He also won a Silver Slugger in RF, the tenth total Slugger of his combined career.

Toronto finished 100-62 to win the Northeast Division and they got back to the National Association Championship Series, although they fell to top seed Kansas City. Like in Taipei, Lin’s playoff stats were merely decent with 14 hits, 5 runs, 4 doubles, 3 homers, 9 RBI, a .750 OPS, and 123 wRC+. Toronto would surprisingly fall to 69-93 the next year, then finished 80-82 in 2018.

Lin wouldn’t match his MVP production, but he remained a very good starter in the next two seasons. In three years for Toronto, Lin had 527 hits, 321 runs, 82 doubles, 132 home runs, 351 RBI, a .302/.353/.592 slash, 186 wRC+, and 21.5 WAR. He declined the contract option for a fourth season with the Timberwolves, returning to free agency at age 35. Lin’s stock was still quite high and he found a three-year, $63 million deal with Salt Lake City.

His production and power specifically notably dipped with age, although Lin was still a capable starter in his first two seasons with the Loons. They were a wild card in 2019 and 2020, but couldn’t get beyond the second round. Notably in 2019 with SLC, Lin hit for the cycle in an August game against Jacksonville. Unfortunately, Lin fell off a cliff in 2021 with a terrible .621 OPS, 77 wRC+, and -1.6 WAR. He retired that winter shortly after his 38th birthday. In Utah, Lin had 448 hits, 235 runs, 76 doubles, 68 home runs, 241 RBI, a .265/.320/.452 slash, 115 wRC+, and 6.2 WAR.

In MLB, Lin finished with 975 hits, 556 runs, 158 doubles, 200 home runs, 592 RBI, a .284/.337/.525 slash, 151 wRC+, and 27.6 WAR. For his combined pro career, Lin had 2737 hits, 1518 runs, 424 doubles, 135 triples, 631 home runs, 1595 RBI, 763 walks, a .289/.342/.562 slash, 177 wRC+, and 111.7 WAR. They’re especially impressive numbers considering the low baseline that comes from a very low scoring APB. Lin proved himself in both APB and MLB as one of the finest power hitters of his generation. He was a megastar in Taiwan for good reason and has a case as being the best-ever hitter to come out of the country.

FuzzyRussianHat

12-30-2024 12:15 PM

2022 CLB Hall of Fame

FuzzyRussianHat

12-30-2024 07:10 PM

2022 CLB Hall of Fame (Part 2)

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Boyang Cao – Closer – Harbin Hellcats – 69.0% Third Ballot

Boyang Cao was a 6’5’’, 200 pound left-handed relief pitcher from Huicheng, a district of around two million in south China’s Guangdong Province. Cao was a very hard thrower with outstanding stuff along with solid control and above average movement. His 97-99 mph cut fastball and his curveball were both equally potent at drawing whiffs.

Compared to most relievers, Cao had excellent stamina and durability and was seemingly always available. Despite that, he did receive criticism for a lackluster work ethic. Cao graded as an excellent defensive pitcher and was among the best at holding runners, making him a reliable choice to get you out of jams.

Guys who project as career relievers often aren’t the highest draft pick, but being a hard-throwing tall lefty goes a long way. Cao was picked 21st overall by Harbin in CLB’s 2001 Draft and was the Hellcats closer immediately. He thrived right away, winning Reliever of the Year as a rookie with a third place in Rookie of the Year voting. Cao also had four scoreless playoff innings and two saves in 2002, although the Hellcats were defeated by Shenyang in the semifinal.

In 2003, Harbin went 101-61 and won it all, defeating Kunming in the China Series. Cao led the league with 52 saves and 81 games, but took second in Reliever of the Year voting. In the playoffs, he allowed one run over 4.1 innings and earned three saves. That would be his last playoff appearance for Harbin, as they would go on a nine-year playoff drought after. From 2004-09, the Hellcats would only once finish above .500.

Cao kept rolling though, winning Reliever of the Year again in 2004, 2005, and 2008. He became the fifth closer in CLB history to win the award four times. Cao took third in 2006 and second in 2009 as well. By WAR, 2004 was his best at 6.3, while his best strikeout total was 175 as a rookie. Cao’s best ERA of 0.92 in 2008, which also saw him lead in saves for the second time. In 2010, he was the eighth in CLB history to earn 300 career saves.

In addition, from 2003-12 Cao was a regular for China in the World Baseball Championship. He was especially potent in China’s fourth place 2005 effort, tossing 9.1 scoreless innings with 7 saves and 20 strikeouts. Over 62 innings, he had a 1.45 ERA, 12 saves, 117 strikeouts, 21 walks, 250 ERA+, and 2.8 WAR.

With Harbin, Cao had 329 saves, a 1.42 ERA, 64-47 record, 800 innings, 1338 strikeouts, 142 walks, 177 ERA+, and 40.5 WAR. Among CLB Hall of Famers as of 2037, he has the 7th-best WAR and ranks 5th in saves. He didn’t reach the innings requirement to qualify on the rate stat leaderboards, but his ERA would be 4th and WHIP would be 3rd best if he qualified.

Of course, departing early did hurt his grand tallies and had some voters skeptical. While he was excellent in nine CLB seasons, that just wasn’t enough for many voters. Some would give Cao partial credit for his post-China career, while others didn’t. Thus, he barely missed the 66% induction requirement at 64.6% and 63.0% initially. Cao got the slight bump to 69.3% on his third try, earning his spot in Chinese League Baseball’s 2022 Hall of Fame class.

Cao left Harbin after the 2010 season as a soon-to-be 32-year old free agent. His CLB and WBC dominance earned worldwide suitors, leading to a one-year, $6,900,000 deal with MLB’s Tampa Thunderbirds. Cao saw limited use in middle relief with a 4.02 ERA over 47 innings. He did notably toss 7.1 scoreless playoff innings, playing a small role in a World Series win for Tampa. The Thunderbirds wouldn’t keep Cao around however.

Charlotte signed him next with a three-year, $23,700,000 deal. Still, Cao only had limited use with a 4.63 ERA over 44.2 innings for the Canaries. He was cut in May 2013 and picked up two weeks later by Quebec City. After struggling to a 6.39 ERA over 25.1 innings, the Nordiques cut Cao in August. Seattle picked him up later that month for one appearance. His MLB career lasted three seasons with a 4.72 ERA over 120 innings, 127 strikeouts, and zero WAR.

Cao ended up in Spain for 2014 with Zaragoza of the European Baseball Federation, where he was again unremarkable in middle relief. He then joined Birmingham in 2015 and had an impressive resurgence. The 36-year old Cao reclaimed the closer role and led in games pitched (77) with a 2.28 ERA, 120 strikeouts, and 3.7 WAR. He won Reliever of the Year, his fifth counting the CLB days. Cao remained the closer in 2016 for the Bees, but saw notable struggles with a 4.45 ERA over 83 innings.

In 2017, Cao was a part-time closer for Oslo with a 3.34 ERA over 67.1 innings and 1.6 WAR. Tirana signed him for 2018, but cut him in the summer after 21.1 decent innings. Cao finished the year with Cologne for 14 innings, then retired at age 40 after going unsigned in 2019. For his EBF run, Cao had 89 saves, a 3.41 ERA, 319.1 innings, 356 strikeouts, 69 walks, 111 ERA+, and 7.8 WAR.

For his combined pro career, Cao had 421 saves and 522 shutdowns, 98-68 record, 2.25 ERA, 1239.1 innings, 1820 strikeouts, 251 walks, 139 ERA+, and 48.3 WAR. The Harbin run does the heavy lifting, but Cao managed to make a couple top 50s when looking at combined numbers in pro baseball history.

Among all relievers. He ranks 47th in saves, 34th in strikeouts, 47th in shutdowns, 50th in WAR, and his .475 opponent’s OPS is 16th. He managed that between dominance early in his career and longevity despite being largely forgettable in his 30s. Cao isn’t in the inner circle of all-time relief pitchers, but he was certainly impressive in his prime and worthy of recognition.

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Seok-Hyeon So – Left Field – Shenyang Swans – 67.6% Ninth Ballot

Seok-Hyeon So was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed left fielder from Haenam, a county of 63,000 inhabitants in southwestern South Korea. As of 2037, So is the only Korean-born inductee into Chinese League Baseball’s Hall of Fame and one of only four born outside of mainland China or Hong Kong. So was known for having strong home run power along with an excellent eye for drawing walks.

On the downside, So was a subpar contact hitter with a terrible strikeout rate. Still, he drew enough walks and made his hits count to be an effective hitter regardless. More than half of his career hits went for extra bases with a 162 game average of 29 homers, 16 doubles, and 14 triples. So also had very good speed and was an adept base stealer.

So played left field exclusively and graded out as just below average in total. He was considered solid early in his career and even won a Gold Glove in 2002, but he was firmly weak in his later years. So maintained excellent durability, starting 146+ games in all but his first and final seasons. His personality was unassuming, but So ended up a popular figure with his entire CLB career coming with Shenyang.

South Korean players almost exclusively played in East Asia Baseball, but a teenaged So ended up striking up a relationship with a scout from Shenyang. They eventually convinced him to move to China, joining the Swans’ academy in September 1988. He wasn’t an overnight success, spending most of seven years in the developmental system. So debuted in 1994 at age 22 with 35 games and seven starts, but struggled in the small sample size. He then spent all of 1995 back on the reserve roseter.

In 1996, So was given the full-time starting gig and immediately found his footing. Each season for the next 13 years for Shenyang was worth 6+ WAR. He won a Silver Slugger in 1997 and led in runs scored in 1998. The Swans hadn’t been a playoff team in their history until taking the final slot in 1998. Shenyang went on a surprise run to the China Series, falling in the final to Harbin.So had an excellent showing in 14 playoff starts with 13h hits, 9 runs, 5 triples, 4 homers, 9 RBI, 7 walks, and 5 steals.

Shenyang missed the playoffs the next three years, but So chugged along and signed an eight-year, $23,960,000 extension after the 2000 season. In 2002, the Swans made the China Series from the #3 seed. The Swans would again be defeated in the final, this time by Kunming. So again was a strong playoff performer with 12 hits, 9 runs, 2 doubles, 3 triples, 3 homers, and 9 RBI in 16 starts. The Swans would lose in the first round in 2003 and wouldn’t get back to the playoffs for the rest of So’s run.

So rarely was a league leader early in his career, but began posting up even stronger stats in his 30s. From 2002-07, he led the Northern League six straight seasons in walks drawn. He led in runs scored each year from 2004-07. So led in homers from 2003-05 and in RBI in 2005. In 2004 and 2005, So led in total bases, slugging, OPS, and wRC+. So won four consecutive Silver Sluggers from 2003-06.

His lone MVP win came in 2004 at age 32 with his lone WARlord title with a career best 10.5. This year also had his highest homer total at 44 and most runs scored at 106. The next year saw his best in RBI (98), total bases (314), triple slash (.262/.355/.572), OPS (.927), and wRC+ (212). So was third in 2002’s MVP voting, second in 2003, and second in 2005.

During that peak run, he did also return home to South Korea for the World Baseball Championship, playing from 2003-05 and in 2009. In 58 games, So had 43 hits, 40 runs, 7 doubles, 24 home runs, 38 RBI, 38 walks, 18 stolen bases, a .230/.364/.652 slash, 180 wRC+, and 3.4 WAR.

In 2003, South Korea took runner-up to the United States with So posting 0.9 WAR over 26 games despite 43 strikeouts and a 39.8% strikeout rate. He still whiffed a lot for 2004’s fourth place finish, but he led all players in homers (10), RBI (17), walks (15), and WAR (1.5).

In his final year with Shenyang in 2008, So still posted a strong 6.6 WAR effort. However, his sub-.200 batting average concerned some officials who opted to let him leave as his deal ran out. So remained a popular figure in Shenyang and his #11 uniform would later be retired. He became a free agent for the first time at age 37 and started a worldwide search for his next gig.

So signed a two-year, $9,680,000 with Rawalpindi of the Asian Baseball Federation. He was a solid starter in his debut with 4.3 WAR and a league-best 115 walks. So struggled in his second year and was relegated to a part-time starting role. However, he did earn a championship ring as the Red Wings beat Baku for the ABF Championship. So retired that winter, getting 156 hits, 128 runs, 19 doubles, 45 homers, 97 RBI, 176 walks, 110 steals, a .180/.321/.372 slash, 117 wRC+, and 4.7 WAR with Rawalpindi.

For his Shenyang tenure, So had 1584 hits, 1080 runs, 216 doubles, 207 triples, 387 home runs, 925 RBI, 1018 walks, 2335 strikeouts, 670 stolen bases, a .224/.322/.476 slash, 168 wRC+, and 99.8 WAR. As of 2037, So ranks 10th in runs, 30th in total bases (3375), 14th in triples, 26th in home runs, 36th in RBI, 24th in stolen bases, 1st in walks, 3rd in strikeouts, and 17th in WAR among position players.

So’s case was a tricky one for many voters. Even with CLB having an extremely low scoring environment, his batting average and hit tally was too low for many voters and his strikeout rate was way too high. So was the all-time walks leader in CLB, but that wasn’t the most prized stat. Working in his favor were two strong playoff runs and leading the league multiple times in homers and runs scored.

Advanced stats showed that between walks, extra base hits, and great baserunning, So was a very valuable offensive player in spite of his flaws. He never got less than 56% of the vote, but many of his detractors were incredibly stubborn. He barely budged from 2014-19 on the ballot, although he got to 61.0% in 2015. So got close in 2020 at 64.0% and 62.3% in 2021.

2022 would be his ninth opportunity to make the cut and this time So narrowly did. At 67.6%, he inched across the 66% line to secure his spot with CLB’s three-player 2022 Hall of Fame class. So became the fifth player to be inducted on his ninth ballot or later.

FuzzyRussianHat

12-31-2024 04:43 AM

2022 WAB Hall of Fame

FuzzyRussianHat

12-31-2024 09:22 AM

2022 SAB Hall of Fame (Part 1)

South Asia Baseball had an impressive three player Hall of Fame class for 2022 with each player getting above 90% on their ballot debut. First basemen Janesvara Aryasva (99.3%) and Basava Sanjahay (98.3%) were both close to unanimous while pitcher Sarthak Patil (90.6%) was a no doubter in his own right. Two catchers on their third ballots both cracked 50% but fell short of the 66% requirement with Trung Lai at 54.8% and Quoc Pham at 50.8%.

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LF J.V. Munshi was dropped after ten failed ballots, peaking with his debut at 482% and ending at only 10.7%. He had a 14 year career mostly with Yangon with two Silver Sluggers while also winning finals MVP in the Green Dragons’ 2001 title. Munshi had 1922 hits, 1115 runs, 285 doubles, 189 triples, 160 home runs, 803 RBI, 985 stolen bases, a .328/.388/.524 slash, 155 wRC+, and 72.3 WAR. It is always tougher for leadoff type guys to get traction without big home run and RBI tallies, plus Munshi was effectively cooked from injuries by age 32. With a bit more longevity, he probably makes the cut.

SS Dhruv Sanjay also fell off after ten tries, peaking with a 30.7% debut and ending at 6.0%. He won eight Silver Sluggers in a 13 year career between Ahmedabad and Hyderabad, posting 2128 hits, 1044 runs, 488 doubles, 105 triples, 121 home runs, 730 RBI, 488 steals, a .281/.334/.420 slash, 137 wRC+, and 77.6 WAR. Sanjay was another guy hurt from a lack of power numbers despite being one of SAB’s best-ever offensive shortstops.

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Janesvara Aryasva – First Base – Yangon Green Dragons – 99.3% First Ballot

Janesvara Aryasva was a 6’3’’, 200 pound right-handed first baseman from Bhilai, a city of 624,000 in east central India. Aryasva was one of the most well rounded hitters of his era with excellent contact, power, and eye ratings in his prime. He gave you a high average, plenty of walks, and fewer strikeouts than most sluggers. Nearly half of Aryasva’s hits went for extra bases with a 162 game average of 47 home runs, 40 doubles, and 3 triples. His lone flaw offensively was incredibly slow and clumsy baserunning.

Although he was sluggish on the basepaths, Aryasva graded as a reliably solid defensive first baseman. His durability was very strong for most of his career, starting 144+ games in all but his final two seasons. Aryasva wasn’t a troublemaker in the clubhouse, but he wasn’t going to take a leadership role. He was one of the most efficient hitters of all time, making Aryasva one of SAB’s biggest baseball superstars.

Coming out of college, it was immediately clear that Aryasva was the real deal. Kanpur thought they had their franchise savior, picking Aryasva with the first overall pick in the 2000 SAB Draft. However, the Poison weren’t willing to give him the money he wanted and Aryasva returned for another year of college. He went #1 again in 2001 to Hyderabad, signing with the Hippos as they gave him a three-year, $2,880,000 starter deal instead of the standard rookie scale money.

Aryasva was an immediate beast as 2002 Rookie of the Year, earning Rookie of the Month five times over a 7.8 WAR, 41 home run, .960 OPS campaign. His sophomore season was an absolute all-timer with career and Indian League bests in home runs (61), walks (101), OBP (.443), OPS (1.175), wRC+ (277), and WAR (13.6). Aryasva also led in runs (122), RBI (130), total bases (402), and slugging (.732). He obviously won MVP and his first Silver Slugger with the 2003 effort. His WAR mark ranks as the fifth-best single-season by an SAB position player as of 2037. He was also second in batting average (.342), missing the Triple Crown by .015.

In 2004, Aryasva repeated as the MVP and won his second Slugger despite his home run power dropping to only 35. He still led in RBI, total bases, triple slash, OPS, wRC+, and WAR. He remained above 9.5 WAR in the next three seasons for the Hippos, taking third in 2005’s MVP voting and second in both 2006 and 2007. Aryasva’s lone Gold Glove came in 2006, a year which also saw career bests in hits (207), and batting average (.363). He had a blistering 264 wRC+ and 12.9 WAR, but lost out on the MVP to his 2022 Hall of Fame classmate Basava Sanjahay. Aryasva lost out on Sluggers these years as well thanks to Sanjahay’s adjacent dominance.

In 2003, Aryasva helped end a 14-year streak of losing seasons by Hyderabad. They fell back down to 69-93 in 2006, but bounced back with a 101-61 mark in 2007. The Hippos got to the ILCS, but fell to Kanpur. Aryasva in his lone playoff games for Hyderabad had 16 hits, 7 runs, 2 doubles, 3 homers, and 8 RBI with a 1.164 OPS in 11 starts. He was a beloved superstar by this point, but was eyeing free agency for a stronger franchise and a bigger paycheck. Thus Aryasva left after the 2007 campaign heading towards age 30.

With Hyderabad, Aryasva had 1104 hits, 613 runs, 248 doubles, 273 home runs, 708 RBI, 504 walks, a .328/414/.656 slash, 232 wRC+, and 63.4 WAR. This marked the end of his Indian League run until his final season, although he remained one of the country’s most famous baseball icons. Helping Aryasva’s national popularity was strong performances in the World Baseball Championship.

From 2002-15, Aryasva played 133 games and started 120 for India, posting 124 hits, 91 runs, 18 doubles, 50 home runs, 102 RBI, 69 walks, a .279/.376/.662 slash, and 7.6 WAR. In 2009, Aryasva led the Indians to their first-ever World Championship over the United States, getting 20 hits, 19 runs, 11 homers, 19 RBI, 14 walks, and 1.5 WAR over 22 starts. India also earned a 4th place in 2010 and elite eight tries in 2004 and 2008.

As of 2037 among Indians in the WBC, Aryasva ranks 5th in WAR for position players, 8th in runs, 6th in home runs, and 7th in RBI. He also has the second-best OPS of anyone with at least 100 at-bats. Amongst all players with 250+ plate appearances in WBC history, Aryasva’s OPS ranks 74th.

Aryasva became a beloved star in Myanmar as well as his most famous run came with Yangon. He signed an eight-year, $28,880,000 deal with the Green Dragons starting in 2008. Yangon was already 13 years into what would be a world record 29 season playoff streak, but they had been in an arms race with the likes of Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi throughout the run. The hope was Aryasva could finally get them consistently to the Southeast Asia League pennant.

He certainly lived up to his end of the bargain from 2008-14 as in that run he scored 100+ runs with 100+ RBI each year, topped 50+ homers five times, and had six seasons at 7.9+ WAR. Aryasva was the WARlord and OPS leader from 2011-13, winning his third career MVP in 2013. He finished third in 2009’s MVP voting, second in 2011, and second in 2012. Aryasva won Silver Sluggers in 2009, 11, 12, and 13. However, it was tough to break through in MVP races with the likes of Majed Darwish setting world records and Huynh Pham’s two-way exploits.

The tough competition made kept Yangon from the pennant in Aryasva’s initial years. They lost in the SEAL Championship in 2008 and 2009, then suffered first round losses in 2010 and 2011. The Green Dragons broke through in 2012 and defeated Visakhapatnam in the SAB Championship. In that playoff run, Aryasva had 21 hits, 7 runs, 8 doubles, 2 homers, and 6 RBI. Yangon was 10th in the Baseball Grand Championship at 10-9 with Aryasva getting 24 hits, 13 runs, 7 doubles, 4 homers, and 19 RBI.

Yangon had a first round exit in 2013 despite having the top seed. The Green Dragons rebounded for back-to-back SEAL titles after that. They were upset by Kolkata in the 2014 SAB Championship with Aryasva looking mid at a .720 OPS and 99 wRC+ in the playoff run. His postseason stats were strong on the whole with Yangon over 73 games with 81 hits, 37 runs, 20 doubles, 17 home runs, 52 RBI, 24 walks, .319/.381/.606 slash, 164 wRC+, and 3.5 WAR.

In 2015, Aryasva missed part of the year to an oblique strain. His production had dropped steeply even when healthy and he had lost the full-time starter job by late season. Yangon won the SAB Championship over Mumbai, but Aryasva only played 9 postseason games with 4 starts, struggling to a .351 OPS. He was only used for 10 plate appearances in the Baseball Grand Championship with the Green Dragons near the bottom at 6-13.

For his Yangon run, Aryasva had 1391 hits, 859 runs, 304 doubles, 374 home runs, 978 RBI, 603 walks, a .326/.407/.673 slash, 186 wRC+, and 66.1 WAR. He became a beloved icon there as well and saw his #11 uniform retired. Aryasva also would be inducted in Green Dragons colors.

As his deal expired with the 2015 season, Yangon was ready to move on. Chennai hoped Aryasva could bounce back, giving him a two-year, $13,200,000 deal. He was unremarkable though as a backup, getting 0.2 WAR and a .722 OPS over 79 games and 25 starts. Aryasva retired after the 2016 campaign at age 38.

Aryasva finished with 2531 hits, 1486 runs, 558 doubles, 652 home runs, 1705 RBI, 1119 walks, a .326/.408/.661 slash, 205 wRC+, and 129.7 WAR. As of 2037, Aryasva ranks 37th in hits, 24th in runs, 18th in doubles, 13th in home runs, 13th in RBI, 12th in walks, 20th in total bases (5135), and 8th in WAR among position players. Despite his remarkable efficiency, Aryasva’s 15 years kept him lower on the accumulation lists compared to a number of elite contemporaries that played 20+ years.

Among all SAB hitters with 3000+ plate appearances, Aryasva still has the best OPS at 1.069, even beating world home run king Majed Darwish. Aryasva ranks 21st in batting average, 3rd in on-base percentage, and 2nd in slugging. He also stacks up impressively well against all of world’s Hall of Famers, ranking 2nd in OPS only to EBF’s Jacob Ronnberg at 1.070. Aryasva also is 16th in OBP and 6th in slugging among world HOFers. His 205 wRC+ ranks 7th and he’s one of only ten world Hall of Famers to be at 200 or better.

By any metrics, Aryasva was one of the most effective batters in all of baseball history. However, he almost ends up being somehow underrated surrounded by some of the gaudy accumulations of his peers. Some leave Aryasva out when discussing SAB’s top five or top ten position players. His Hall of Fame candidacy wasn’t in doubt though, getting 99.3% to stand atop a loaded three-player 2022 class.

FuzzyRussianHat

12-31-2024 07:51 PM

2022 SAB Hall of Fame (Part 2)

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Basava “The Comet” Sanjahay – First Base – Mumbai Meteors – 98.3% First Ballot

Basava Sanjahay was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed first baseman from Agra, a city of 1.6 million in northern India. As he became a superstar with the Mumbai Meteors, the nickname “The Comet” made logical sense. Sanjahay was a power home run hitter in his prime while also boasting solid contact and eye skills with a decent strikeout rate relative to other SAB sluggers.

Sanjahay knew how to find the gap as well, in total posting 40 home runs, 23 doubles, and 12 triples per his 162 game average. In five different season, he smacked 50+ dingers. Unlike the prototypical first baseman, Sanjahay was an outstanding baserunner. His speed was good-to-great at his peak, but few knew how to pick their spots better for steals and extra bases.

He came up as a shortstop and played there at the very start of his career, but was terrible in that role. Sanjahay was shifted to first base quickly and spent essentially his entire career there was great defensive results, winning four Gold Gloves. He was also blessed with outstanding durability, playing 150+ games each year from 2003-15. Sanjahay’s downside was his personality, as he was considered selfish and lazy by many peers. Even if he sometimes coasted on his natural gifts, that incredible talent still made for an all-time great career.

Mumbai noticed Sanjahay and signed him as a teenager in August 1995 to a developmental deal. He officially debuted in 1999 at age 19, but Sanjahay wasn’t yet ready for the big time. He had only nine-at bats that year, then saw 53 games and 38 starts in 2000. Sanjahay was a part-time starter in 2001 with awful results, posting -1.9 WAR over 122 games and 61 starts. This was during the brief shortstop experiment, although his bat stunk at that point too. He looked more passable in 2002 in 108 games and 17 starts, but he was a negative value player to this point.

Sanjahay figured it out in 2003, his first full season as a starter. This started a streak of 12 seasons worth 7+ WAR. He finished third in 2003 MVP voting and second in 2004 while winning his first Gold Glove. Sanjahay hadn’t found his power stroke yet, but he had arrived as a great starter. Mumbai continued their run of wild card appearances, but 2004 marked a fourth consecutive round one playoff exit. It was hard to make ground in the West Division when it was shared with Ahmedabad’s historic dynasty.

In 2005, Sanjahay had the awards sweep of MVP, Silver Slugger, and Gold Glove. He found that power stroke and led in homers for the first time with 54. He also led in slugging, OPS, wRC+, and WAR. Mumbai again was a wild card, but they went on a shocking playoff tear. The Meteors upset the Animals to win the Indian League Championship Series for the first time, although they fell to a 121-win Ho Chi Minh City in the SAB Championship.

Sanjahay was the ILCS MVP with a beastly playoff run over 17 starts, getting 20 hits, 15 runs, 4 doubles, 7 home runs, 13 RBI, 11 walks, 8 steals, 1.243 OPS, and 1.9 WAR. Shortly after the finals, Mumbai gave Sanjahay an eight-year, $36,800,000 extension to remain their star. The Meteors narrowly missed the playoffs the next two years, but Sanjahay lived up to his deal.

2006 and 2007 saw repeat MVP and Silver Slugger wins and a second Gold Glove in 2007. Both seasons Sanjahay led in runs scored, homers, RBI, total bases, slugging, OPS, wRC+, and WAR. 2006 was an absolute all-timer at 14.7 WAR, which remains SAB’s single-season record by any player, even beating out some of Majed Darwish’s later bonkers power seasons. It also ranks as the 56th-most WAR by any player in any single season ever. Sanjahay also had career highs that year in homers (68), RBI (156), total bases (452), slugging (.804), OPS (.1226), and wRC+ (279). His 2007 had his bests for runs (128), hits (202), doubles (32), average (.345), and OBP (.424).

Sanjahay was the WARlord in 2008 for another Slugger and a second place in MVP voting. Mumbai had their first-ever division title and won the Indian League again, falling to 120-win Hanoi in the SAB Championship. Sanjahay had another strong playoff run over 15 starts with 15 hits, 14 runs, 8 homers, and 17 RBI. The Meteors would miss the cut in 2009, then had a first round loss as a wild card in 2010.

2009 and 2010 were both 8+ WAR, 45+ homer, 100+ run, 100+ RBI efforts for Sanjahay, although his only award was his fourth Gold Glove in 2009. He still had a few more years left on his original extension, but Sanjahay knew he could get a big bump up on the open market. He opted out of his deal after the 2010 campaign, becoming a free agent at age 31. Sanjahay found that payday for five years and $33,500,000 with Kanpur.

Sanjahay won his fourth MVP in 2011 in his Poison debut, leading in WAR for the fifth time and OPS for the fourth. He was still strong in 2012 at 7.5 WAR, but his power dropped sharply down to only 31 home runs. In 2011, Sanjahay had only the fifth four home run game in SAB history, doing it against Pune on April 27. In May 2012, he had a six-hit game versus Chennai. As of 2037, Sanjahay and Xuan Hung are the only SAB players to achieve both a four homer and a six hit game.

Kanpur was 82-80 in Sanjahay’s first year, then fell off a cliff to 63-99 in 2012. Annoyed by that and also wanting more money, Sanjahay opted out of his deal and was a free agent again at age 33. With Kanpur, Sanjahay had 349 hits, 200 runs, 42 doubles, 34 triples, 75 home runs, 197 RBI, 97 stolen bases, a .311/.382/.610 slash, 194 wRC+, and 17.9 WAR.

By popular demand, the Comet became a Meteor once again, returning to Mumbai on a five-year, $63 million deal. Sanjahay had a good 2013, then in 2014 led in homers for the fourth time, runs for the sixth, and in OPS and wRC+ for the fifth time. He won his fifth MVP and sixth Silver Slugger and as of 2037 is one of only five SAB players to win 5+ MVPs in their career.

Mumbai lost in the first round of the 2014 playoffs, then won back-to-back IL pennants despite being the lowest ranked division champ both years. Sanjahay got them four pennants, but they still couldn’t take down the Southeast Asia League’s best in the SAB Championship. The Meteors were defeated in 2015 by Yangon and in 2016 by Hanoi. For these final two titles, Sanjahay’s production had fallen off sharply. He had only 24 homers and 2.8 WAR in 2015, then posted 0.5 WAR in 2016 as he was reduced to a part-time role with 104 games and 58 starts.

Sanjahay still had nice playoff stats in both runs and for his career was an excellent postseason performer. He played 83 games and started 68 with 72 hits, 48 runs, 9 doubles, 7 triples, 23 home runs, 51 RBI, 31 walks, 24 stolen bases, a .270/.349/.614 slash, 187 wRC+, and 4.4 WAR. He made sporadic appearances for India in the World Baseball Championship as well with 46 games and 24 starts, landing a .841 OPS, 146 wRC+, and 1.5 WAR.

With his sharp decline in his final two seasons, Sanjahay retired after the 2016 campaign at age 37. Between Mumbai stints, he had 1960 hits, 1243 runs, 306 doubles, 153 triples, 530 home runs, 1327 RBI, 770 walks, 615 stolen bases, a .279/.355/.593 slash, 186 wRC+, and 98.2 WAR. Sanjahay remains the franchise leader in games played (2145) and home runs and immediately had his #11 uniform retired. He was the first Hall of Fame inductee wearing Mumbai’s orange and red.

Sanjahay finished with 2309 hits, 1443 runs, 348 doubles, 187 triples, 605 home runs, 1524 RBI, 884 walks, 712 stolen bases, a .283/.358/.595 slash, 187 wRC+, and 116.2 WAR. Like HOF classmate Janesvara Aryasva, Sanjahay didn’t hang around as long as some of his contemporaries to reach huge accumulations. Regardless, he like Aryasva also was one of the most efficient hitters of his era.

As of 2037, Sanjahay ranks 61st in hits, 31st in runs, 12th in triples, 19th in home runs, 24th in RBI, 23rd in total bases (4846), 50th in stolen bases, 23rd in walks, and 15th in WAR among position players. Against all SAB batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Sanjahay’s .953 OPS ranks 35th. His OBP ranks 90th and his slugging is 29th.

Sanjahay might not factor into the top 10 level conversations with SAB’s inner-circle being quite loaded. But he was a surefire Hall of Famer and would be the clear headliner in most years. Sanjahay had the second-best percentage in 2022’s loaded three-player crew at 98.3%, earning his rightful spot among India’s best-ever to do it.

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Sarthak Patil – Starting Pitcher – Pune Purple Knights – 90.6% First Ballot

Sarthak Patil was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Nashik, a city with 2.2 million people in west Central India located about 100 miles northeast of Mumbai. Patil had very good control with solid stuff and average movement. His fastball was good despite peaking in the 92-94 mph range and he had a nice changeup. Patil’s curveball though was an all-timer and his main source of whiffs. Even without overwhelming power, he emerged as one of SAB’s best-ever strikeout pitchers.

Patil also had tremendous stamina, leading the lead seven times in his career for innings pitched. He also maintained solid durability over his 14 year career. Patil was good at holding runners and fielded the position quite well, winning Gold Gloves in 2012 and 2013. On top of all that, Patil was a team captain and one of the classiest men to play the game. Teammates and foes alike complimented his leadership, loyalty, work ethic, and intelligence.

Pune discovered a teenaged Patil and inked him to a developmental deal in July 1998. He spent roughly four years in their academy, debuting with four starts in 2002 at age 21. Patil had part-time use in 2003 with merely okay results, but progressed enough to earn a full-time rotation slot for 2004. That started a streak of nine seasons with 300+ strikeouts. Patil would breach 6+ WAR in four seasons and was above 5 WAR seven times.

In 2006, Patil won his lone Pitcher of the Year award, leading the league in wins at 22-6 and innings at 248.1. His wins was a career best as was his 2.07 ERA. Patil also had 336 strikeouts and 7.0 WAR. Pune ended an eight year playoff drought, but lost in the first round with Patil allowing four runs in seven innings. The Purple Knights would be just above .500 and out of the playoffs for almost all of Patil’s tenure there.

Pune was happy with his production though, signing Patil to a five-year, $10,220,000 extension in September 2006. He would finish second in 2007’s Pitcher of the Year voting and took third in both 2010 and 2011. Patil’s Gold Gloves came in 2012 and 2013. He was remarkably consistent and led the Indian League thrice in strikeouts. Patil’s top season wasn’t as the league leader with 350 Ks in 2009. That year also had his highest WAR total at 7.2.

In 2010, Pune surprised the field with a 109-53 record for the top seed, although they were upset by Kolkata in the ILCS. Patil fared better in his second playoff opportunity with a 2.05 ERA over 22 innings and 34 strikeouts. He seemed committed to being the Purple Knights captain and signed a six-year, $23,200,000 extension in March 2011. 2013 would see a major career high light with a seven strikeout, one walk no-hitter against Visakhapatnam on May 12.

Pune was 79-83 in 2014, their first losing season since 2004. They surprised many by trading the 34-year old Patil to Hanoi two prospects in the offseason. He maintained a good relationship with the Purple Knights and his #44 uniform would later be retired. With Pune, Patil had a 171-127 record, 2.79 ERA, 2876.2 innings, 3625 strikeouts, 543 walks, 125 ERA+, and 59.8 WAR.

Patil’s production had dropped to 3.6 WAR in his last year, which was his weakest full season to that point. He had similar results in his Hounds debut in 2015. Patil allowed two runs in five innings in his lone playoff appearance as Hanoi fell in the Southeast Asia League Championship to Yangon. Patil was reduced to a back-end starter in 2016 and posted a 4.32 ERA over 168.2 innings.

In two playoff starts in 2016, Patil was lousy with a 6.23 ERA over 13 innings. Despite that, Hanoi would win it all and defeat Mumbai in the SAB Championship. The Hounds voided the option year on Patil’s deal and with his skill dropping, he decided to retire with Hanoi’s title win in 2016 just after turning 36. For the Hounds, Patil had a 24-16 record, 4.00 ERA, 360 innings, 325 strikeouts, 43 walks, 95 ERA+, and 5.9 WAR. His weak finish left him just short of becoming the fourth member of the 4000 strikeout club or the fifth member of the 200 win club.

Patil ended with a 195-143 record, 2.92 ERA, 3236.2 innings, 3950 strikeouts, 586 walks, 290/409 quality starts, 100 complete games, 28 shutouts, 121 ERA+, and 65.7 WAR. As of 2037, Patil is 19th in wins, 9th in strikeouts, 11th in innings, 4th in complete games, 5th in shutouts, and 21st in pitching WAR. Among all arms with 1000+ innings, Patil’s ERA ranks 83rd and his 1.03 WHIP is 55th.

He won’t figure into any of the conversations for SAB’s top five or top ten pitchers, but Patil was a steady and reliable ace for more than a decade. On top of that, he was one of the most respected captains of his generation. Patil made the cut easily with a 90.6% debut ballot, rounding out the impressive three-player 2022 Hall of Fame class for South Asia Baseball.

FuzzyRussianHat

01-01-2025 06:13 AM

2022 ABF Hall of Fame

FuzzyRussianHat

01-01-2025 12:21 PM

2022 ALB Hall of Fame (Part 1)

Arab League Baseball’s 2022 Hall of Fame class had three players, co-headlined by SS Mohammed Mohamed and SP Abdullah Al-Tamtami who both were near unanimous at 99.1%. 2B/DH Ivan Smirnov joined them on his debut with a solid 75.7%. Three others were above 50%, but short of the 66% requirement. CL Souilem Boudiaf debuted at 54.6% and fellow reliever Ramy Kayat had the same on his fourth try. 3B Salem Aldani saw 52.6% in his second ballot.

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Pitcher Osmar Yare was removed after ten failed ballots, peaking with a 26.5% debut and ending at only 6.6%. He regressed too quickly to get big accumulation as he was done after his age 31 season. Yare had 11 years with Mosul and won three ALB titles with the Muskies, posting a 143-93 record, 3.47 ERA, 2277.2 innings, 2607 strikeouts, 782 walks, 113 ERA+, and 44.0 WAR. Yare had a nice Hall of Good type career, but was correctly excluded from the HOF.

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Mohammed “Demo” Mohamed – Shortstop – Mosul Muskies – 99.1% First Ballot

Mohammed Mohamed was a 6’3’’, 200 pound right-handed shortstop from Al-Kharj, a city of 376,000 in central Saudi Arabia. Mohamed was an incredible contact hitter at his peak who also hit for impressive power. He was also better than most at drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. Mohamed’s 162 game average had 43 home runs, 34 doubles, and 4 triples and he showed equal potency against righties and lefties. Mohamed’s baserunning skills were above average and he had respectable speed in his 20s, but later injuries slowed him down considerably.

In his prime, Mohamed was a fantastic defensive shortstop who earned nine Gold Gloves. His range decreased as he aged, but Mohamed still could field the position adequately even into his late 30s with strong glove work and instincts. His body began to fall apart in the second half of his career, especially his knees. Still, Mohamed managed to be one of the very few in baseball history to play in 25 seasons through sheer will and skill. His work ethic and intelligence was both top notch, although he wasn’t the vocal leader of the clubhouse.

Rarely could someone with Mohamed’s build play a strong defensive shortstop and hit effectively. Mosul spotted that potential early on, giving him a developmental deal in April 1990. Mohamed didn’t spend long in the academy, becoming one of the very select few to make a pro debut at age 18. He played 47 games and started 13 in 1992 with promising results.

At only 19, he was a full-time starter in 1993 and led the Eastern Conference with 50 doubles. Mohamed won a Silver Slugger as a teenager and it was immediately clear that he was destined for superstardom in the still fledgling Arab League. 1994 would see a setback as he missed almost the entire season between a torn back muscle and strained hip muscle.

While Mohamed would miss a few weeks in 1999, 2001, and 2002, he stayed largely healthy for the rest of his Mosul run. With that, he became the face of Arab League baseball, leading the conference in WAR from 1995-2003. Mohamed won Silver Sluggers and Gold Gloves each season and each year but 2003 was worth 10+ WAR. Mohamed led in hits four times, runs twice, homers twice, RBI thrice, total bases twice, batting average five times, OBP five times, slugging thrice, OPS thrice, and wRC+ thrice.

Mosul realized they struck gold and gave Mohamed an eight-year, $7,220,000 extension in June 1996. He won five MVPs (1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000), while taking second in 1998, 2001, and 2002. At only 22 years old, Mohamed’s 1996 earned a Triple Crown with 42 homers, 135 RBI, and a .389 average.

It was a true all-timer at 15.99 WAR, which not only set the ALB record. It was the second-best WAR mark by any position player in world history to that point. As of 2037, this still ranks 4th among all position players in baseball history and ranks 27th including all players. This season had Mohamed’s career bests in hits (229), walks (80), stolen bases (59), and on-base percentage. It also had his best defensive stats with a 20.7 zone rating and 1.114 EFF.

Mohamed’s 1997 was comparable with another Triple Crown at 51 homers, 141 RBI, and a .390 batting average. This was his best batting average and wRC+ (242) of his career with 14.5 WAR. Mohamed had a career best 129 runs in 1998. His 1999 was on pace for his best-ever OPS (1.276) and slugging (.827), but he just missed the cut off due to injury to qualify as the league leader.

In 2002, Mohamed had his best power stats with 62 home runs and 162 RBI. Eventual home run king Nordine Soule had him beat in the conference for dingers, but Mohamed’s RBI mark was a single season record to that point. With higher offense in later eras, his tallies fell down the leaderboards. However, Mohamed’s rate stats still stand prominently as of 2037.

With 15.99, 14.47, 13.80, and 13.06, Mohamed still has ALB’s top four seasons in WAR for a position player. His .465 OBP from 1996 remains #1 and he has four of the top six OBP seasons. Mohamed’s .390 batting average in 1997 was the top mark for a decade. He also holds the #5 and #9 ranked seasons by OPS. His early exploits helped explode baseball’s popularity in the region and specifically in Iraq with Mosul and back in his native Saudi Arabia.

Mohamed’s dominance helped turn Mosul one of ALB’s first great dynasties. They had eight straight division titles from 1995-2002 with Eastern Conference finals appearances each year sans 2002. The Muskies won their first pennant in 1996, but fell to Cairo in the ALB Championship. Mohamed was the conference finals MVP in both 1995 and 1996.

In 1998 and 1999, Mosul repeated as ALB Champion, beating Khartoum in 98 and Amman in 99. In both finals, Mohamed was named MVP to further cement his status as a legend. 2000 saw Mosul go 121-41, the winningest season in ALB history, although they suffered a shocking conference finals loss to 83-79 Kuwait. The Muskies bounced back and won the 2001 ALB title over Casablanca. As of 2037, Mosul is the only ALB franchise to win three titles in a four year stretch.

Amazingly, you could argue that Mohamed was even more statistically impressive in the playoffs than the regular season. Over 58 starts with Mosul, he had 76 hits, 45 runs, 13 doubles, 27 home runs, 60 RBI, 17 walks, 12 stolen bases, a .339/.390/.777 slash, 220 wRC+, and 4.4 WAR. Mohamed held a number of playoff records until the 2030s and as of 2037, still ranks 4th in playoff homers, 12th in hits, 7th in runs, and 3rd in RBI.

Mohamed also put up strong numbers in the World Baseball Championship for Saudi Arabia. He regularly represented his country from 1994-2016 despite never playing for one of the Saudi pro teams. Over 188 WBC games, Mohamed had 185 hits, 113 runs, 35 doubles, 50 home runs, 104 RBI, 98 walks, a .276/.378/.560 slash, 169 wRC+, and 9.3 WAR.

As of 2037 among all world players, Mohamed ranks 60th in WAR for position players, 53rd in hits and 79th in runs. Amongst Saudis, he has the most WAR, games, runs, hits, doubles, homers, RBI, and walks. Mohamed also has by far the best OPS among anyone with more than 10 at-bats, as well as the best OBP and best slugging percentage.

In 2003, Mosul’s playoff run ended with a 77-83 finish. This broke Mohamed’s 10+ WAR streak, although he still led the conference at 8.9. The Muskies thought a rebuild may soon be in order and Mohamed’s contract would be up after the 2004 campaign. Thus they made the shocking decision to trade the now 30-year old superstar to reigning ALB champ Casablanca for two prospects and a second round draft pick.

With Mosul, Mohamed had 1946 hits, 1082 runs, 396 doubles, 432 home runs, 1231 RBI, 558 walks, 263 stolen bases, a .359/.422/.689 slash, 206 wRC+, and 119.0 WAR. Mohamed had about as good of a decade for the Muskies that any player has posted ever. He remained a beloved hero for Muskies fans for decades after and his #8 uniform would eventually get retired.

Mohamed’s Casablanca tenure would only last 18 teams. In mid-April, he lost five weeks to a strained groin muscle. Shortly after returning in late May, Mohamed suffered a torn PCL in his right knee, knocking him out 9-10 months. It was an abrupt and unfortunate end to his historic first ALB run. Mohamed would soon turn 31 and his next step was unknown. Some teams were leery about such an injury, but Mohamed still received attention and offers from all around the world.

He ended up making the jump to Major League Baseball in 2005 on a six year, $67 million deal with Nashville. It looked like it might be cursed from the start, as Mohamed tore the PCL in his left knee on May 1, ending his MLB debut season after 30 games. Despite two bad knees, Mohamed returned in 2006 and delivered in a full season with 8.7 WAR and a .931 OPS, winning a Silver Slugger.

Nashville finished 101-61 and went all the way to the World Series, defeating Winnipeg in the finale. Mohamed won World Series MVP, joining a very select group in world history to win finals MVP three times and to win it in multiple world leagues. In 14 playoff starts, he had 17 hits, 10 runs, 3 homers, 7 RBI, and .954 OPS. In the minds of many, this alone fully justified Mohamed’s big price tag and solidified him as a true legend of the game.

Unfortunately, Mohamed had only 15 games in 2007 thanks a torn labrum that saw a setback and required surgery. He managed to stay healthy the next two years for the Knights and although his stats were well down from his prime, he was still 9.8 WAR over the two seasons. Nashville lost in the first round of 2008’s playoffs, but went on another World Series run in 2009, beating defending champ Cincinnati for the title.

Mohamed again won World Series MVP and was the American Association Championship Series MVP. He had 15 playoff starts with 26 hits, 15 runs, 4 doubles, 5 homers, 20 RBI, a 1.184 OPS, 230 wRC+, and 1.5 WAR. This gave Mohamed two World Series MVPs and including his ALB days gave him four finals MVPs and three subleague finals MVPs.

You could make a case for Mohamed as the greatest ever playoff hitter in all of baseball history. For his combined career, he had 104 playoff starts, 132 hits, 76 runs, 21 doubles, 36 home runs, 91 RBI, a .334/.379/.676 slash, 1.055 OPS, 192 wRC+, and 6.5 WAR. He posted incredible numbers consistently in the big games, winning five championship rings. Mohamed also had the very rare feat of having multiple rings in multiple leagues.

Despite Mohamed’s 2009 heroics, Nashville bought out the final year of his contract at $2,400,000, making him a free agent heading towards age 36. With the Knights, Mohamed had 493 games, 509 hits, 273 runs, 61 doubles, 104 home runs, 314 RBI, a .282/.353/.493 slash, 134 wRC+, and 20.4 WAR. Mohamed quickly found his next home, inking a three-year, $50,600,000 deal with Houston.

Mohamed was still a solid starter at 4.3 WAR in 2010 in 133 games, although his bat had started to decline. Houston would make the 2010 playoffs, but lose in the first round. Mohamed would miss almost all of 2011 with another torn PCL and didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the third year of his deal.

Detroit gave the now 38-year old Mohamed a shot in 2012 and he showed flashes of his old greatness with .924 OPS, 180 wRC+, and 4.7 WAR in only 91 games. He won a Silver Slugger with the small sample size, but missed much of the summer to injury. Houston brought him back in 2013 at $22,200,000, but a torn meniscus among other injures kept him out almost all year. Between the runs with the Hornets, Mohamed had 213 games, a .792 OPS, 119 wRC+, and 6.2 WAR.

This ended Mohamed’s MLB run with 797 games, 800 hits, 431 runs, 100 doubles, 170 home runs, 501 RBI, 288 walks, a .276/.346/.494 slash, 135 wRC+, and 31.2 WAR. He wanted to still play somewhere and looked towards an ALB return, signing a one-year, $13,400,000 deal with Khartoum. In 101 games, he had 4.6 WAR, a .932 OPS, and 169 wRC+, showing he could still contribute when healthy.

Doha gave Mohamed a three-year, $31,300,000 deal after that. Groin injuries kept him out more than half of 2015, while a ruptured finger tendon cost him almost all of 2016. Mohamed also was starting to decline even when healthy, posting .7 WAR, a .810 OPS, and 120 wRC+ in 116 starts for the Dash. He was let go for 2017 and went unsigned, eventually conceding retirement at age 43.

For his ALB career, Mohamed had 2174 hits, 1196 runs, 434 doubles, 493 home runs, 1371 RBI, 615 walks, 279 stolen bases, a .346/.409/.668 slash, 197 wRC+, and 126.6 WAR. His rate stats are incredible and he remains ALB’s all-time OPS leader as of 2037. Mohamed’s triple slash ranks 8th/4th/5th among ALB batters with 3000+ plate appearances and he ranks 4th in WAR among position players.

Because of his MLB run and injuries, he didn’t soar up the accumulation lists. Still, Mohamed ranks 68th in hits, 68th in runs, 49th in homers, and 61st in RBI. He also has the 8th best zone rating among ALB shortstops at 94.3. Mohamed is one of three to win 5+ MVPs and has 9 ALB Gold Gloves and 10 Silver Sluggers.

Even with his gaps, Mohamed quickly ranks among most lists on the top ten or top five ALB players. Some posit that he would’ve ended up ALB’s undisputed GOAT had he stuck around between his individual accolades, stellar playoff numbers, and title runs with Mosul.

For his full pro career, Mohamed had 2974 hits, 1627 runs, 534 doubles, 663 home runs, 1872 RBI, 903 walks, a .324/.389/.613 slash, 1.002 OPS, 177 wRC+, and 157.8 WAR. As of 2037, he’s one of only 48 Hall of Famers or HOF locks to finish with an OPS above one. Mohamed ranks 22nd in WAR amongst position players and 30th among all players. He has a case as the best-ever player to come from the Arab World all together and is pretty much undisputed as the GOAT from Saudi Arabia.

Had his knees not constantly gone boom, some think Mohamed could’ve posted totals rivaling the other legendary shortstops like Jimmy Caliw, Harvey Coyle, and Darwin Morris. Few if any players could match Mohamed’s incredible playoff production as well. He’s definitely one of the true immortals of pro baseball and somehow only got 99.1% for his Hall of Fame induction in 2022.

FuzzyRussianHat

01-01-2025 06:14 PM

2022 ALB Hall of Fame (Part 2)

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Abdullah Al-Tamtami – Starting Pitcher – Casablanca Bruins – 99.1% First Ballot

Abdullah Al-Tamtami was a 6’2’’, 205 pound right-handed pitcher from Muscat, the capital of Oman. Al-Tamtami was a hard thrower with excellent stuff, but he also had terrific control and good movement. His strongest offering was a 98-100 mph cutter, but he also had a rock solid slider and curveball in the arsenal along with a rarely used changeup. Al-Tamtami was also great at holding runners and a respectable defender.

The heat of the Arab League meant pitchers don’t go the distance nearly as often as in other leagues. Al-Tamtami though had great stamina and had more innings annually than most. He had pretty good durability in his 20s, but did run into issues in his early 30s. Al-Tamtami was a scrappy sparkplug type, known for his adaptability, work ethic, and intelligence.

Al-Tamtami was also one of the best pure athletes to be a full-time pitcher. He had incredible baserunning speed and stealing instincts, although his Casablanca coaches were adamently against any two-way use. With ALB having a universal DH, Al-Tamtami didn’t get a chance to flash his bat from the pitcher slot either. Dubai gave him a smattering of plate appearances late in his career with decent results. Some scouts still think that Al-Tamtami could’ve been a solid starting infielder in a two-way role had he gotten the chance in his prime.

His overall package of skills drew Casablanca’s attention for a developmental deal signed in February 1998. They had him focus on pitching and debuted Al-Tamtami in 2001 with four relief appearances at age 20. He also had one relief appearance in the playoffs as the Bruins won the Western Conference title, but lost the ALB Championship to Mosul. Al-Tamtami was split between full time relief and starting in 2002 with okay results. He got the go-ahead to be a full-time starter in 2003.

In his first full season, Al-Tamtami won Pitcher of the Year honors with 6.5 WAR, a 21-11 record, 2.92 ERA, and 268 strikeouts. He had a stellar postseason for the 108-54 Bruins with a 1.66 ERA and 29 strikeouts over 21.2 innings, helping Casablanca win the ALB title against Dubai. Forearm inflammation kept him out a chunk of 2004 and the Bruins surprisingly fell to 78-84, only their second losing season in franchise history to that point.

2005 was a banner year with Al-Tamtami’s second Pitcher of the Year win, leading the conference in strikeouts (364), K/BB (12.6), complete games (9), shutouts (4), and WAR (10.6). He tossed ALB’s third-ever perfect game on July 12, striking out 15 against Alexandria. Casablanca won another conference title, but dropped the ALB finale to Medina. Al-Tamtami again had a good playoff showing with a 2.37 ERA and 41 strikeouts over 30.1 innings.

Casablanca knew they had their ace, giving Al-Tamtami a seven-year, $12,180,000 extension in May 2005. He would go onto lead the conference four more times in WAR and strikeouts, twice more in WHIP and quality starts, and twice in both wins and ERA. He had seven total seasons worth 7+ WAR. Al-Tamtami was third in 2006’s Pitcher of the Year voting and second in 2007. The Bruins missed the 2006 playoffs, then had a conference finals loss in 2007.

2008 was Al-Tamtami’s third Pitcher of the Year win and saw his most dominant postseason run. He went 3-0 over 24.2 innings with a 0.73 ERA with 35 strikeouts and 1 walk. Casablanca won another conference title, but couldn’t beat 109-win Basra in the ALB final. Salaries had started to go up in the growing league and Al-Tamtami opted out of his extension with the goal of signing a new bigger one. Casablanca acquiesced with a seven-year, $24,640,000 extension.

With Pitcher of the Year wins in 2009 and 2010, Al-Tamtami pulled off the three-peat and joined Rashid Tariq as the only five-time winners to that point. He won back-to-back ERA titles and posted his finest season in 2012 with career bests in wins (22-5), ERA (2.02), strikeouts (367), WHIP (0.83), and WAR (11.6). Amman’s Tarek Samy denied his Triple Crown bid by only four strikeouts.

Casablanca had three more division titles from 2009-11, but lost in the conference final each year. They fell to a fledgling Aviators dynasty in 2009-10, then had a stunning upset to 81-81 Alexandria in 2011. Al-Tamtami was a bit shakier in these playoff starts, but still finished his career with excellent playoff numbers. In 122 innings, he had an 8-3 record, 2.58 ERA, 166 strikeouts, 21 walks, 145 ERA+, and 3.6 WAR. As of 2037, he is 8th in playoff WAR and 3rd in strikeouts.

Al-Tamtami was third in 2011’s Pitcher of the Year voting. He wasn’t a finalist in 2012 but he again had 7+ WAR and 300+ strikeouts. However, Casablanca fell below .500 and seemed to be possibly entering a rebuild. Al-Tamtami decided to opt out of his remaining contract, becoming a free agent for the first time heading into his age 32 season.

For Casablanca, Al-Tamtami had a 176-92 record, 2.68 ERA, 2539.2 innings, 3309 strikeouts, 407 walks, 56 complete games, 23 shutouts, 140 ERA+, and 83.9 WAR. His dominance made him one of the franchise’s most popular figures and got his #3 uniform eventually retired. It was hard though to turn down the six-year, $81,400,000 deal Al-Tamtami got from Dubai, which more than tripled his best year’s salary with the Bruins.

He didn’t live up to the price tag, although a chunk of that wasn’t his fault. On June 1, 2013, Al-Tamtami suffered a torn rotator cuff that put him out an entire calendar year. He was still effective when he returned in summer 2014, but the injury greatly damaged his movement and he started to have trouble allowing home runs. Al-Tamtami still posted a solid 5.4 WAR season in 2015, but his ERA was above three for the first time in a full season starting.

Despite his efforts, Dubai remained stuck in the middle tier as well. In 2016, Al-Tamtami was awful with a 5.79 ERA and conference-worst 37 homers allowed. The year did at least allow him to pass Rashid Tariq’s 4008 to become ALB’s career strikeouts leader. Al-Tamtami retired the winter at age 35 with his final Diamonds numbers seeing a 37-31 record, 3.89 ERA, 634.1 innings, 726 strikeouts, 103 ERA+, and 12.4 WAR.

Al-Tamtami ended at a 213-123 record, 2.92 ERA, 3174 innings, 4035 strikeouts, 508 walks, 307/429 quality starts, 72 complete games, 26 shutouts, 131 ERA+, and 96.3 WAR. He held the strikeout king crown for 11 years and still ranks 5th as of 2037. Al-Tamtami also ranks 12th in wins, 12th in innings, and 6th in pitching WAR.

Among all pitchers with 1000+ innings, Al-Tamtami is 24th in ERA and his 0.99 WHIP is 11th. His .632 opponent’s OPS ranks 25th, his 1.44 BB/9 is 42nd, his 7.45 H/9 is 33rd, and his 11.44 K/9 is 27th. Al-Tamtami’s opponent slash line was .223/.258/.374, which ranks 32nd/7th/54th.

Without the rotator cuff injury and quick decline, Al-Tamtami probably gets more consideration for ALB’s GOAT pitcher. He still makes most scholar’s top ten lists and cracks the top five for some. Few guys were strong enough to co-headline a Hall of Fame class with a legend like Mohammed Mohamed, but Al-Tamtami fit the bill. He and Mohamed both had 99.1% atop an impressive three-player Arab League Baseball 2022 class.

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Ivan “Cushion” Smirnov – Second/First Base/Designated Hitter – Baghdad Brown Bears – 75.7% First Ballot

Ivan Smirnov was a 5’11’’, 185 pound right-handed infielder from Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel’s most populous city. The nickname “Cushion” came from his ample posterior. Smirnov was an excellent contact hitter with solid home run and gap power. He had a decent eye for drawing walks, but was overall subpar at avoiding strikeouts. Smirnov wasn’t one to be a league leader, but he got you 32 home runs, 29 doubles, and 8 triples per his 162 game average. He did also have tremendous baserunning chops and very good speed, a definite threat anytime he was on base.

That baserunning speed didn’t translate to defensive range unfortunately. Smirnov made around 2/5 of his starts at second base and was a putrid defender. He spent four seasons in his early 30s at first base and was serviceable there. Around 1/3 of Smirnov’s career starts came as a designated hitter. His durability was great, playing 145+ games in 16 different seasons. Smirnov was also a team captain, garnering great respect for his leadership, work ethic, loyalty, and intelligence. This helped him achieve significant popularity in a career that spanned three continents.

Smirnov was noticed by a scout from Baghdad who brought him to Iraq on a developmental deal in March 1999. He spent three years in their academy, then debuted at age 19 in 2002 with 55 games and 19 starts. Smirnov was a full-time starter the next year and held a spot in the lineup for the next eight years. He was good in his first two full seasons, but became elite by his third year.

From 2005-09, Smirnov had five consecutive seasons worth 8+ WAR. He also scored 100+ runs with 200+ hits and 30+ homers each year of that run and four times had an OPS above one. Smirnov won Silver Sluggers each year with the first two as a DH and the next three at second base. He was third in 2005 and 2007’s MVP voting and took second in 2006. It was tough to get noticed though as Baghdad was terrible during this time despite his efforts. The Brown Bears never had a winning season during Smirnov’s tenure, averaging 70.67 wins per season.

Smirnov wasn’t a conference leader apart from his 2007 season, which saw a batting title at .360 along with the best WAR (10.0) and wRC+ (194). The average and WAR were single-season bests for Smirnov along with his 219 hits and 130 RBI. In 2006, he had his career best for home runs (54), OPS (1.081), and wRC+ (197). Smirnov’s best runs mark was 121 in 2009 while 2005 saw his high marks in doubles (45) and stolen bases (102). 2003 saw only the sixth six-hit game in ALB history to that point against Abu Dhabi.

With Baghdad’s struggles, they weren’t going to be able to match the free market offers for Smirnov. He left for free agency after the 2010 season at only age 28, which ended his Arab League run. For the Brown Bears, Smirnov had 1597 hits, 894 runs, 284 doubles, 56 triples, 327 home runs, 859 RBI, 654 stolen bases, a .324/.369/.604 slash, 165 wRC+, and 59.2 WAR. He was remembered fondly in the Iraqi capital as a great player in a lousy era, getting his #14 uniform eventually retired.

It made for a tricky Hall of Fame candidacy as Smirnov’s short run meant low accumulations. As of 2037, he’s outside the top 100 in counting stats apart from being 62nd in stolen bases and 63rd in WAR for position players. Smirnov’s rate stats though are strong as his .974 OPS is 32nd amongst ALB batters with 3000+ plate appearances. His triple slash ranks 39th/46th/38th.

Smirnov would play another decade of solid baseball elsewhere with many voters giving him at least partial credit for non-ALB stats. Supporters figured he’d have been prominently ranked on the leaderboards had he stayed. Plus, he was a well-respected and well-liked captain, which goes a long way. Even with the lower ALB specific totals, Smirnov received 75.7% in his ballot debut to cap off an impressive three-player 2022 Hall of Fame class for the Arab League.

Most of the time, international free agents didn’t come onto the market until their 30s. With Smirnov only at age 28, many MLB teams had strong interest. He ended up moving to Kentucky on a seven-year, $112 million deal with Louisville, becoming one of baseball’s highest paid players. Smirnov’s debut season was excellent with a Silver Slugger at second base, posting 7.7 WAR, 37 homers, and a .900 OPS.

Smirnov didn’t reach those highs again, but he was a reliably strong hitter over the life of the deal. Yet again, he’d be cursed by being on bad teams. The Lynx were around .500 when he arrived, but had fallen to the bottom by the time he was done. Sadly for Smirnov, he never played a single playoff game in his career. He only made a few World Baseball Championship appearances either for his native Israel in his final years, ending up as one of the better players to lack big game opportunities.

With Louisville, Smirnov had 1231 hits, 599 runs, 166 doubles, 47 triples, 182 homers, 595 RBI, 295 steals, a .294/.333/.487 slash, 150 wRC+, and 35.9 WAR. He was a free agent again in 2018 at age 35, but MLB teams at this point were searching for younger and cheaper talent. Smirnov would find his next him in Australia on a three-year, $25,200,000 deal with Melbourne of the Oceania Baseball Association.

Smirnov would fall off significantly with the Mets, leading the Australasia League in strikeouts in both 2018 and 2019. This was Melbourne’s rebuild following their early 2000s dynasty run. Smirnov was benched eventually in 2020 after struggling, finishing his three Mets years with 419 hits, 205 runs, 65 doubles, 61 home runs, 173 RBI, 133 steals, a .248/.281/.435 slash and 0.9 WAR. After going unsigned in 2021, Smirnov retired at age 39.

For his combined pro career, Smirnov had 3247 hits, 1698 runs, 515 doubles, 137 triples, 570 home runs, 1627 RBI, 673 walks, 1082 stolen bases, a .301/.342/.532 slash, 148 wRC+, and 96.1 WAR. Certainly getting to 3000+ hits, 1500+ runs, 500+ doubles, 500+ homers, 1500+ RBI, 1000+ steals, and holding a .301 batting average shows Smirnov was a Hall of Fame level talent. He was in ALB just long enough and strong enough to get the HOF nod there despite only playing nine seasons with bad Baghdad teams. Smirnov also was arguably the best-ever Israeli born pro, posting the most career WAR from the nation.

FuzzyRussianHat

01-02-2025 07:21 AM

2022 AAB Hall of Fame

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The 2022 African Association of Baseball Hall of Fame ballot was unusual in having no debuts of any note with all five newcomers finishing below 9%. That opened up a chance for a few returners to breach the 66% threshold. Two long-standing candidates did just that. RP Abba Abdul on his ninth ballot led the way at 72.0%, while 1B Abebe Chekol got exactly enough with 66% on his tenth and final chance. 2B Gedeon Bukasa was the only other player above 50% with 51.3% for his fourth try. No players were cut after ten failed ballots.

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Abba Abdul – Relief Pitcher – Kigali Guardians – 72.0% Ninth Ballot

Abba Abdul was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Zanzibar, an island group off Tanzania’s eastern coast with 1.9 million people. Abdul had very good powerful stuff, although his movement and stuff both graded as above average at best. He had a 98-100 mph fastball and a nearly equally quick splitter for his one-two punch. Compared to most relievers, Abdul had excellent stamina and durability. Along with his strong work ethic, he was ready to step up in any situation. He was also a strong defensive pitcher when he needed to field the position.

Despite his stamina, Abdul didn’t have a diverse enough arsenal to be projected as more than a reliever. That was still good enough for Kigali to pick him 21st overall in the 1995 AAB Draft. This was the inaugural rookie draft and that was the first pick of round two. The Guardians made him the full-time closer immediately, although he stunk in his debut with a 5.58 ERA as a rookie.

He fared better in the next four seasons, although saves were hard to come by as Kigali was firmly AAB’s worst team in the initial years. In his first five seasons, Abdul managed 145 saves over 416.1 innings, a 3.24 ERA, 498 strikeouts, and 12.5 WAR. After the 2000 season, the Guardians traded the 27-year old Abdul to Johannesburg for three prospects. The Jackalopes wanted to shore up the bullpen and had won three straight Southern Conference titles.

Johannesburg won the pennant again in 2001 at 108-54, but still couldn’t win the Africa Series with a loss to Lubumbashi. They would lose in the 2002 conference final and just miss the playoffs in 2003. Abdul was mostly in a setup role with respectable results, although his limited playoff sample size had 4 runs allowed in 9 innings. For the Jackalopes, Abdul had 53 saves, a 2.95 ERA, 165 innings, 255 strikeouts, 141 ERA+, and 5.7 WAR.

Abdul was a free agent for the first time at age 30 and returned to his home country of Tanzania with Dar es Salaam in 2004, posting a 1.52 ERA over 53.1 innings. He allowed 4 runs in 7 playoff innings, but the Sabercats were a powerhouse this year despite that, going 114-48 to dethrone Kinshasa in the Africa Series.

His time back in Tanzania lasted one year, but Abdul did regularly represent his nation in the World Baseball Championship. He pitched from 2001-09 and in 2012, splitting between starting and relief. Abdul had a 2.29 ERA over 106 innings, 8-5 record, 6 saves, 145 strikeouts, 37 walks, 156 ERA+, and 2.1 WAR.

Abdul signed with Addis Ababa in 2005, but was traded in late June to Ndjamena for four prospects. This would be his only season as the saves leader, combining for a career best 41. This was also Abdul’s only time as a Reliever of the Year finalist, taking second. He would get rocked in his one playoff relief appearance as the Magic fell in the conference final.

For 2006, Abdul returned where he started with Kigali giving him a three-year, $4,440,000 deal. He had three respectable years as the Guardians closer and helped them to a 2008 playoff berth, although they lost to Addis Ababa in the conference final. Between the Kigali stints, Abdul had a 3.33 ERA over 660.1 innings, 243 saves, 845 strikeouts, 123 ERA+, and 22.0 WAR. The Guardians appreciated him enough to retire his #32 uniform at the end of his playing career.

Abdul’s AAB career ended in spring training 2009, as he was traded to Cardiff of the European Second League. He bounced around in middle relief from here, going to Beisbol Sudamerica in 2010 with Bogota and with Callao in 2011. Abdul ended up in Russia with Irkutsk in 2012. He was under contract with the Ice Cats in 2013 but wasn’t used all season, retiring that winter at age 40.

For his AAB run, Abdul had 340 saves and 390 shutdowns, a 77-82 record, 3.05 ERA, 755 games, 966.1 innings, 1296 strikeouts, 337 walks, 135 ERA+, and 32.7 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks 6th in saves and was the second to reach 300 saves. Abdul’s resume was highly predicated on the save tally, as his other stats were well below the other relievers that had already gotten in before him. Three of them had 50+ WAR and one had 40 by comparison.

AAB’s Hall of Fame voters were very pro reliever and more forgiving than most, but even many of them felt Abdul didn’t make the cut. He wasn’t particularly dominant, never won Reliever of the Year, and was underwhelming in the playoffs. He really was rarely even viewed as a top five closer in his prime, although in his defense he did have some strong contemporaries.

Abdul debuted at 47.8% in 2014 and held around there until getting to 57.2% in 2018. He bumped to 59.4% by 2020 and barely missed the cut in 2021 at 64.6%. With terrible debuts in 2022, Abdul got the bump he needed to 72.0% for a ninth ballot induction. Most scholars agree that he’s one of the weakest inductees in any world league, but Abdul has his spot in AAB’s 2022 class regardless.

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Abebe Chekol – First Base – Lubumbashi Loggerheads – 66.0% Tenth Ballot

Abebe Chekol was a 6’4’’, 200 pound left-handed first baseman from Alem Maya, a town of 15,000 in eastern Ethiopia. At his prime, Chekol graded out as having very good contact and power skills along with a decent eye for drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. He was especially stronger against right-handed pitching with a career 162 wRC+ and .971. Chekol was merely average versus lefties for his career with a 99 wRC+ and .721 OPS.

Chekol’s power extended to the gap and over the fence with 37 home runs and 39 doubles for his 162 game average. It was impressive he got as many doubles as he did considering his abysmal baserunning speed and instincts. Chekol was a career first baseman with occasional starts as a designated hitter. He was a firmly below average defender, but he wasn’t a total liability.

Another positive was ironman durability with Chekol spending a grand total of three days on the injured list in his career for illnesses. However, he would get benched at various points due to laziness. Chekol was selfish and unmotivated, traits that limited his final production notably. His personality also played a role in having to wait ten ballots to barely make the Hall of Fame cut.

As a prospect, teams were very interested in Chekol ahead of the 1997 AAB Draft. He was picked 7th overall by Lubumbashi, who used him mostly as a backup in his debut 1998 season. Chekol was a full-time starter for eight years after that with the Loggerheads. He drew plenty of attention in his first year starting, leading the Central Conference with 52 doubles.

In 2000, Chekol posted the first-ever hitting Triple Crown season in AAB history with 60 home runs, 159 RBI, and a .352 average. His RBI mark briefly was the single-season league record, pushing him to the MVP and a Silver Slugger. Chekol also had career bests in runs (126), hits (210), total bases (431), OBP (.428), slugging (723), OPS (1.151), wRC+ (199), and WAR (8.7). Lubumbashi earned its first-ever playoff berth, but couldn’t get around Kinshasa in the conference finals as the Sun Cats rolled to a four-peat.

Chekol repeated as MVP and a Slugger winner, leading the conference in runs, average, slugging, OPS, and wRC+. Lubumbashi took the top seed at 105-57 and dethroned Kinshasa in the conference final, then won their first Africa Series over Johannesburg. Chekol was named finals MVP, getting 11 hits, 9 runs, 3 homers, 5 RBI, and .942 OPS in 11 playoff starts. His efforts here cemented him in Loggerheads lore and was the main reason Chekol’s #30 uniform was eventually retired.

In 2002, Chekol won a Slugger as a DH and took second in MVP voting, leading in hits and doubles. Lubumbashi rewarded him that winter with an eight-year, $11,420,000 extension. Chekol remained solid for the next few years, but was never again a league leader or award winner. Some argued that he stopped trying as hard once he secured the bag. The Loggerheads would lose to Kinshasa in the 2004 conference final, but wouldn’t be back in the playoffs until 2021.

Chekol did also play for his native Ethiopia from 1999-2010 in the World Baseball Championship. In 86 games, he had 70 hits, 38 runs, 17 doubles, 17 homers, 38 RBI, 29 walks, a .236/.306/.465 slash, 120 wRC+, and 1.9 WAR. In 2006, Chekol helped the Ethiopians to their first-ever division title. He’d be on the 2008 squad that finished fourth as a reserve with only two pinch hit at-bats.

After the 2006 season, Chekol opted out of his remaining Lubumbashi contract, becoming a free agent at age 31. With the Loggerheads, he had 1461 hits, 796 runs, 364 doubles, 343 home runs, 1007 RBI, 534 walks, a .306/.377/.602 slash, 161 wRC+, and 47.2 WAR. Chekol had a complicated legacy as some criticized his effort, but others praised him for two MVPs and his role in their title win.

Chekol wanted to find big money, but teams weren’t willing to give him the long-term deal he wanted. He settled on a two-year, $4,480,000 deal with Johannesburg but immediately clashed with Jackalopes officials. By August 2007, they traded him away to Thessaloniki of the European Second League. Back then, AAB had trade agreements possible with the E2L and EBF. Johannesburg got three prospects and sent over $4,750,000 along with Chekol.

He wasn’t pleased to be traded to a ‘”second-rate” league, but Chekol stepped up in the 2007 playoffs, helping Thessaloniki win the championship and earn promotion to the European Baseball Federation’s Elite tier. In 17 playoff starts, Chekol had 24 hits, 11 runs, 4 doubles, 6 home runs, 16 RBI, and 1.036 OPS. He had a respectable 2008 season for the Tritons, finishing with 4.8 WAR over 187 games in Greece.

That effort got the attention of other European clubs, leading to a one-year, $3,960,000 deal for 2009 with Hamburg. Chekol had 5.0 WAR, 38 home runs, 110 RBI, and .929 OPS for a solid effort with the Hammers. He returned to free agency for 2010, but couldn’t find the money he wanted from big league teams. Chekol settled for an E2L deal with Toulouse, but got $10,080,000 over four years.

Chekol stunk as a part-time starter with the Toads, posting -0.4 WAR and a .580 OPS. In the offseason, Toulouse sent him back to Hamburg in a three-player deal. He was an okay starter in 2011 for the Hammers, finishing with 6.1 WAR, .841 OPS, and 137 wRC+ between the two stints in Germany. Chekol went unsigned in 2012 and retired that winter at age 37.

For his combined career, Chekol had 2117 hits, 1114 runs, 497 doubles, 467 home runs, 1374 RBI, a .294/.359/.566 slash, 151 wRC+, and 60.4 WAR. Those tallies are admittedly borderline and Chekol was to be mostly graded just on the AAB stint. That saw 1581 hits, 861 runs, 395 doubles, 367 home runs, 1063 RBI, 563 walks, .304/.374/.598 slash, 160 wRC+, and 49.8 WAR.

As of 2037, Chekol ranks 95th in hits, 64th in doubles, 69th in homers, 55th in RBI, and 55th in WAR among position players. Among batters with 3000+ plate appearances, his .972 OPS ranks 28th. His triple slash ranks 32nd/46th/28th. Chekol was certainly a very efficient batter in his prime, but many voters couldn’t get over the lower totals. Making it in with only a decade of play would require dominance more extreme than Chekol posted. Plus, some voters held a grudge over perceived attitude issues.

Supporters pointed out that Chekol had two MVPs, the first-ever Triple Crown for an AAB hitter, and was finals MVP for Lubumbashi’s first title. His rate stats also were clearly elite, but that wasn’t enough to get voters to budge for a long time. Chekol debuted at 60.7% and never fell below 52%, but he stayed stubbornly short of the 66% requirement.

In 2021, Chekol missed by one point at 65.0% for his penultimate try. 2022 was wide open with no notable debuts, but still almost all voters had their minds made up on Chekol. However, a tiny fraction changed their mind to get him to exactly 66.0%. It was the bare minimum, but it secured Chekol his Hall of Fame spot in the 2022 class. He joined Boubacar Mavinga from the prior year as the only tenth ballot inductees ever into AAB’s HOF.

FuzzyRussianHat

01-02-2025 11:12 AM

2022 World Baseball Championship

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