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FuzzyRussianHat

01-09-2025 09:31 AM

2023 EAB Hall of Fame

https://i.imgur.com/1Mg0S7H.png

Two players made the East Asia Baseball 2023 Hall of Fame class upon their ballot debuts. First baseman Seung-U Lee was the no-doubt headliner at 96.7% and was joined by SP Seo-Hu Tongbang at 73.9%. LF Sang-Min Hwang debuted at 62.8%, narrowly missing the 66% requirement. The top returner was SP Sora Miyoshi at 55.6% for his second ballot. No one else cracked 50% and no players were removed after ten failed ballots.

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Seung-U Lee – First Base- Goyang Green Sox – 96.7% First Ballot

Seung-U Lee was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed first baseman from Busan, South Korea’s second-most populous city. Lee was an stellar contact hitter with a low strikeout rate, although he was average at best at drawing walks. Not only did Lee hit for a high average, but he boasted reliably solid power. His 162 game average got you 34 home runs and 33 doubles, rarely deviating from that consistency in either direction.

Lee wasn’t particularly nimble with terrible speed and baserunning skills. He exclusively played at first base and for his entire career graded as a just below average defender. Despite that, Lee did earn Gold Gloves in both 2013 and 2014. His popularity helped that out, becoming one of South Korea’s favorite ballplayers. Lee’s durability was respectable, which combined with his consistency made for an impressive 20 year career.

At Yonsei University in Seoul, Lee quickly marched up the college prospect rankings. In EAB’s 2000 draft, he was picked 6th overall by Goyang. He saw limited use initially for the Green Sox, posting -0.3 WAR over 187 games and 28 starts in his first two seasons. Lee earned a full-time role in 2003 with good results, then became elite after that.

2004 saw Lee lead the Korea League in OPS (1.021) and wRC+ (176), winning his first of six Silver Sluggers. He won again in 2005, 2008, 2010, and 2012 for Goyang. Lee had an OPS above one five times with the Green Sox and had eight seasons above 6+ WAR. He breached 200 hits in six straight years from 2005-2010. Lee also smacked 30+ homers with 100+ RBI in eight consecutive seasons for Goyang.

In 2005, Lee won his first batting title (.361) and had career bests in home runs (50), RBI (150), runs (103), OPS (1.083), wRC+ (190), and WAR (9.0). He was second in MVP voting and helped Goyang end an 11-year playoff drought, although they were a wild card with a first round loss. The Green Sox locked him up that winter on an eight-year, $74,200,000 extension.

Goyang missed the playoffs the next two years, but Lee rolled on with a second batting title in 2007 at .370. He also had a career-best 227 hits, taking second in MVP votes. Around this time, Lee’s national popularity was growing as he was a regular for South Korea in the World Baseball Championship. From 2005-17, Lee played 101 games and started 86 with 99 hits, 58 runs, 18 doubles, 27 home runs, 67 RBI, a .294/.346/.588 slash, and 4.2 WAR.

Lee was second in 2008’s MVP voting and Goyang got the second wild card at 94-68. They got hot in the playoffs and beat Seongnam for the Korea League title, falling to Niigata in the EAB Championship. In the playoffs, Lee had 20 hits, 6 runs, 2 doubles, 2 homers, and 17 RBI. The Green Sox would miss the playoffs the next two years, but Lee again rolled on.

His lone MVP win came in 2009, which had his third batting title (.367) along with a league-best 226 hits and 124 RBI. Lee would miss around a month in both 2011 and 2012, but stepped up big in the postseason. Goyang won back-to-back Korea League titles. They fell to Kyoto in the 2011 EAB Championship, but defeated Hiroshima in 2012 for their first-ever EAB title. Lee won KLCS MVP in the 2011 run. Over 50 playoff starts for the Green Sox, he had 67 hits, 27 runs, 7 doubles, 12 homers, 44 RBI, .345/.389/.588 slash, 161 wRC+, and 2.5 WAR.

Lee surprised many by opting out of the remainder of his Goyang contract after their 2012 championship season. With the Green Sox, Lee had 2036 hits, 924 runs, 333 doubles, 374 home runs, 1148 RBI, a .345/.377/.602 slash, 167 wRC+, and 68.4 WAR. He would remain beloved for his role in their pennants and his #47 uniform would later be retired. Heading towards age 34, Lee opted for free agency and the paycheck that came with that.

Gwangju inked him for $82,100,000 over five years. Lee won a Silver Slugger in 2014 and was still quite productive, although he wasn’t a league leader for the Grays. Part of that was due to minor injuries costing him a few weeks in a few seasons, but he did top 5+ WAR in three of his five Gwangju seasons. The Grays had been a playoff regular to end the 2000s, but hadn’t been able to get over the hump.

Unfortunately for them, Lee couldn’t get them across that line. The Grays lost in the 2013 wild card round and fell to Seongnam in the 2014 KLCS. They hovered around .500 for the rest of Lee’s tenure. In total, Lee finished with 863 hits, 399 runs, 133 doubles, 134 home runs, 459 RBI, a .332/.366/.548 slash, 153 wRC+, and 24.8 WAR. This marked the end of his Korea League career, although he wasn’t quite done yet with professional baseball.

Not many teams were looking for 39-year old first basemen whose power had diminished. Lee found an unlikely home in Laos, signing a three-year, $11,960,000 deal with South Asia Baseball’s Vientiane Vampires. He gave them three respectable seasons as a starter with 383 games, 458 hits, 181 runs, 80 doubles, 55 home runs, 222 RBI, .319/.355/.496 slash, 134 wRC+, and 9.6 WAR.

Vientiane was a regular playoff team at this point, but couldn’t escape from Yangon’s shadow in the Southeast Asia League. They lost to Mandalay in the 2018 SEAL Championship, then finally broke through for their first pennant in a 2019 rematch with the Mammoths. The Vampires were denied the SAB Championship by Pune.

Lee still had some of that old playoff spark even in his 40s. In 25 starts for Vientiane, Lee had 35 hits, 9 runs, 9 doubles, 6 home runs, 22 RBI, .361/.366/.639 slash, 175 wRC+, and 1.3 WAR. Vientiane lost in the first round of 2020, a year that saw Lee miss two months to an oblique strain. He became a free agent for 2021 and was eager to still play, but he couldn’t find any buyers. Lee had to retire in the winter of 2021 at age 42.

For his combined pro career, Lee had 2750 games, 3357 hits, 1504 runs, 546 doubles, 563 home runs, 1829 RBI, .338/.371/.572 slash, 159 wRC+, and 102.8 WAR. Among all of the world’s Hall of Famers as of 2037, Lee ‘s batting average ranks 35th. For his EAB tenure, he ended with 2899 hits, 1323 runs, 466 doubles, 508 home runs, 1607 RBI, a .341/.374/.585 slash, 163 wRC+, and 93.2 WAR.

On the EAB leaderboards as of 2037, Lee is 35th in hits, 90th in runs, 44th in doubles, 80th in home runs, 37th in RBI, and 56th in WAR among position players. Among all EAB batters with 3000+ plate appearances, he has the 10th-best batting average and ranks 6th among those with 10+ seasons. Lee also sits 47th in OBP, 39th in slugging, and his .959 OPS ranks 31st.

Combine those stats with Lee’s impressive playoff efforts, three Korea League titles with Goyang, and their first EAB championship ring; and you have yourself an obvious Hall of Fame headliner. Even if Lee wasn’t the most dominant bat of his era, few were more consistently effective. At 96.7%, Lee captained the two-player 2023 EAB HOF class.

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Seo-Hu Tongbang – Starting Pitcher – Suwon Snappers – 73.9% First Ballot

Seo-Hu Tongbang was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Seongnam, South Korea. Tongbang was known for having very good stuff along with above average movement and control. His 97-99 mph cutter was his strongest offering, but Tongbang also had a slider, forkball, curveball, and changeup in the arsenal. This diverse repertoire made him a tough one to face when he was on his game.

Tongbang’s stamina was considered solid and he had fairly good durability for most of his run. He was a great defensive pitcher, but did have some struggles holding runners. Tongbang was a hard worker who kept his head down, known amongst teammates as a quiet and humble pitcher. He was never one to seek out fame despite his impressive career.

Even without boasting, Tongbang emerged as a top prospect out of Chung-Ang University in Seoul. He went #1 overall in the 2003 EAB Draft to Suwon, where he spent his entire pro career. Tongbang was a full-time starter right away and tossed 200+ innings in each of his first 11 seasons. He took third in Rookie of the Year voting in 2004.

Tongbang didn’t get awards attention early in his career, but advanced stats noted how strong he was. In his 20s, Tongbang led the Korea League twice in WAR and twice in strikeouts, while posting four seasons at above 7 WAR. 2008 was his strongest season by Ks (329), WAR (9.1), and ERA (2.38). In June 2007, Suwon signed Tongbang to a four-year, $32,200,000 extension.

The Snappers ended an eight-year playoff drought in 2009, falling to Busan in the KLCS. They would suffer first round losses in 2010 and 2011, then fell towards the bottom of the standings shortly after that. Over 35.2 playoff innings, Tongbang had a 2.78 ERA, 3-1 record, 42 strikeouts, 134 ERA+, and 0.7 WAR.

In 2011, Tongbang was second in Pitcher of the Year voting. In June 2012, Suwon gave him a big extension at six years and $79,200,000. Although the team fell off, Tongbang won Pitcher of the Year in 2012 and took second in 2013, leading both seasons in WAR. However, his production dropped sharply after that as his velocity fell from the upper 90s to the lower 90s.

Tongbang had 6.8 WAR in 2012 and 8.6 WAR in 2013. In his final four years, he combined for 5.3. Tongbang did have a partially torn labrum in 2015, but otherwise was just old fashion regression. Early in 2017, he did notably hit the 200 win threshold. With his deal coming up, Tongbang retired that winter at age 35. Suwon quickly honored him for his service, retiring his #15 uniform.

In total, Tongbang had a 213-154 record, 3.26 ERA, 3264 innings, 3284 strikeouts, 656 walks, 264/425 quality starts, 108 complete games, 21 shutouts, 116 ERA+, and 75.7 WAR. As of 2037, Tongbang ranks 53rd in wins, 91st in innings, 74th in strikeouts, and 62nd in pitching WAR.

He was rarely viewed as the top guy in his time, but he quietly built up an impressive resume that stacked up favorably to other East Asia Baseball Hall of Fame inductees. Tongbang debuted at 73.9%, earning the first ballot slot as the second member of EAB’s 2023 class.

FuzzyRussianHat

01-09-2025 05:39 PM

2023 BSA Hall of Fame

Beisbol Sudamerica’s 2023 Hall of Fame class was almost empty due to a lack of impactful debuts as the best newcomer got a measly 19.6%. That did open things up enough for OF Sergio Echevarria on his ninth ballot, crossing the 66% requirement at 72.0%. Three other returners topped 50%, but fell short of 60%. 1B Izan Espinoza had 55.6% on his eighth try, 3B Artemio Reyes saw 50.7% for his seventh go, and SP Uriel Navas received 50.3% in his sixth ballot.

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

Dropped after ten failed ballots was RF Amauris Garcia, who played 13 years between Cali and Lima with two Silver Sluggers and one MVP. He peaked at 50.8% in his debut and ended at 28.7%. Garcia was best known for his 68 home run 2003 campaign, finishing his career with 1809 hits, 1023 runs, 231 doubles, 553 home runs, 1293 RBI, .288/.320/.594 slash, 144 wRC+, and 49.9 WAR. He was a great home run hitter, but wasn’t particularly great at anything else and didn’t have the longevity needed to get by just on dingers.

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Sergio Echevarria – Outfield – Lima Lobos – 72.0% Ninth Ballot

Sergio Echevarria was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed outfielder from Neuquen, a city of 224,000 people in central Argentina. Echevarria was a solid contact hitter with a decent eye for drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. He was an outstanding baserunner, getting steals at an impressive rate with merely good speed. Echevarria also had a very steady pop in his bat with a 162 game average getting you 29 home runs, 27 doubles, and 21 triples.

Echevarria played throughout the outfield, although left field was his most common spot with around half of his career starts. He graded as a below average LF, solid RF, and subpar CF. While Echevarria had some recurring knee issues, he held up fairly well for a 20 year career. He wasn’t one to be a vocal leader, but his skillset made him a popular player in his run.

Scouts fell in love with Echevarria as a prospect, earning him the #1 overall pick in BSA’s 1990 Draft by Mendoza. His skills were a bit raw though in his early 20s. Echevarria didn’t play in 1991, then put up mediocre hitting in his first three years as a starter. Some worried that Echevarria might be a bust, but he broke through in his fourth year by winning a Silver Slugger in center field.

Echevarria won his second Slugger in 1996 and helped the 1987 expansion Mutants to their first-ever playoff berth, a divisional series loss. In 1997, Mendoza fell back below .500 and Echevarria lost two months to a separated shoulder. Although he was an all-star and a good starter by this point, the Mutants weren’t sure they could afford or justify a long-term extension. Hoping to get some value, they traded Echevarria in the offseason to defending Copa Sudamerica champ Lima for two pitching prospects and a draft pick.

For a #1 overall pick, his Mendoza tenure was pretty underwhelming. Echevarria had 827 games, 763 hits, 381 runs, 109 doubles, 95 triples, 110 home runs, 362 RBI, 326 stolen bases, .248/.284/.453 slash, 119 wRC+, and 20.6 WAR. The rest of his Beisbol Sudamerica career would be in Peru, although Echevarria did return home to Argentina fairly regularly for the World Baseball Championship.

From 1996-2011, Echevarria played 107 games and started 91 for Argentina, getting 85 hits, 61 runs, 17 doubles, 24 home runs, 59 RBI, 41 stolen bases, a .231/.300/.505 slash, 131 wRC+, and 3.4 WAR. Echevarria led all players in home runs (11), RBI (21), total bases (56), and WAR (1.8) in his 2011 effort, helping Argentina to an elite eight appearances.

Echevarria found his footing right away with Lima, debuting by leading the Bolivar League in runs (122), and on-base percentage (.410); both career highs. The 9.1 WAR effort earned him a second in MVP voting. The Lobos dropped from 108-54 to 92-70, but still repeated as Copa Sudamerica champs by beating Concepcion again in the final. Echevarria had a strong postseason with 16 starts, 22 hits, 14 runs, 3 doubles, 5 homers, 16 RBI, and 11 stolen bases.

In 1999, Echevarria won a Silver Slugger in right field and took third in MVP voting., leading the league in batting average (.375), wRC+ (218), triples (28), and WAR (10.8). Those marks were each career highs. Echevarria remained quite solid the next two years, although he wouldn’t lead the league again. He finished third in MVP voting in 2000, but ultimately never won the top honor. Before the 2001 season, the soon-to-be 30-year old Echevarria signed an eight-year, $38.5 million extension with Lima.

Lima had divisional series exits in 1999 and 2000. In 2001, the Lobos made the playoffs for the 14th consecutive season and won their sixth Bolivar League pennant of the run, although they lost in their third Copa Sudamerica meeting with Concepcion.

Echevarria earned BLCS MVP and in 16 playoff starts had 26 hits, 11 runs, 6 doubles, 3 triples, 3 homers, 11 RBI, and 1.185 OPS. He also hit for the cycle in the BLCS against Bogota, joining a short list of guys to achieve the feat in a playoff game. For his career, Echevarria had excellent playoff numbers with 50 starts, 72 hits, 35 runs, 13 doubles, 7 home runs, 13 home runs, 38 RBI, 26 stolen bases, a .358/.384/.687 slash, 193 wRC+, and 3.8 WAR.

In 2003, severe shoulder inflammation required surgery and put Echevarria out nearly a calendar year. He never reached his previous career highs after this, although he was still a reliable starter good for around 3-4 WAR a season for a few more years. Various small injuries would cost Echevarria a few weeks a couple times in his mid 30s as well. Lima’s playoff streak ended in 2002 and apart from a divisional series exit in 2004, they wouldn’t make the playoffs again until the late 2020s.

With Lima, Echevarria had 1838 hits, 1072 runs, 274 doubles, 233 triples, 312 home runs, 1037 RBI, 666 stolen bases, .307/.346/.583 slash, 145 wRC+, and 63.9 WAR. He remained a popular figure for his role in the second half of their run of success and saw his #25 uniform later retired. Echevarria’s contract expired after the 2009 season and he entered free agency for the first time heading towards his age 39 season.

Echevarria couldn’t find any suitors in BSA, but found work in Afghanistan of all places. In their second season post expansion, Asian Baseball Federation newcomer Kabul signed Echevarria for two years and $3,720,000. He was a decent part-time starter with 2.4 WAR for the Black Knights in 2010. Kabul would trade Echevarria in the offseason though to Adana for three prospects. In one season in Turkey, Echevarria played 114 games with 1.0 WAR and .704 OPS. After going unsigned in 2012, he retired that winter at age 41.

For his Beisbol Sudamerica run, Echevarria had 2601 hits, 1453 runs, 383 doubles, 318 triples, 422 home runs, 1399 RBI, 489 walks, 992 stolen bases, .287/.325/.539 slash, 136 wRC+, and 84.6 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks 76th in WAR among position players, 68th in hits, 36th in runs, 7th in triples, 63rd in RBI, and 20th in stolen bases.

Echevarria hit a lot of nice statistical milestones and had great playoff stats, helping Lima to a cup win and two pennants. However, he wasn’t overly dominant except in that brief peak with the Lobos in his late 20s. Many voters remembered his later years more as a reliable above average guy more so than his prime. Some dismissed him as a compiler and felt he lacked the black ink and awards needed to cross the line.

The doubters won the battle for nine ballots, but Echevarria bounced up and down. He debuted at a solid 56.2% in 2015, then fell to 39.9% in 2018. He jumped back and forth the next few years, getting 61.3% in 2021 but only 24.0% in 2022. His ninth try came with a wide open ballot and many gave his resume a fresh look. Enough realized that Echevarria’s resume was quite solid, getting him the big bump up to 72.0%. With that, Echevarria made it in as BSA’s lone Hall of Fame inductee for 2023.

FuzzyRussianHat

01-10-2025 05:04 AM

2023 EBF Hall of Fame (Part 1)

FuzzyRussianHat

01-10-2025 11:30 AM

2023 EBF Hall of Fame (Part 2)

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Andriy “Jasper” Boychuk – Left Field/First Base – Bratislava Blue Falcons – 73.5% Third Ballot

Andriy Boychuk was a 5’10’’, 200 pound switch-hitting left fielder and first baseman from Bila Tserkva, Ukraine; a city of around 200,000 inhabitants not far from Kyiv. Boychuk was a tremendous leadoff hitter who had strong contact skills, rarely struck out, and was solid at drawing walks. He was an incredibly dangerous baserunner with excellent speed. Boychuk wouldn’t hit many home runs, but his speed and gap power still gave him plenty of extra base hits. His 162 game average got you 35 doubles, 24 triples, and 9 home runs.

Boychuk made around 3/5 of his career starts in left field, grading as a reliably above average defender. About 1/5 of his starts came sporadically at first base with subpar results and he also had some time as a designated hitter. Boychuk’s durability was generally strong over a 21-year career. He was well respected in the clubhouse for his work ethic and leadership, viewed as one of the game’s good guys.

He would be only the second Ukrainian inducted into EBF’s Hall of Fame. Like with his HOF classmate Alan Dikov, Boychuk grew up in what was then Eurasian Professional Baseball territory. He was noticed and signed to a developmental deal by Bratislava in June 1997. By the time Boychuk debuted in 2000, the Slovakian capital was among the cities that left EPB in the great 2000 exodus. Boychuk was a rare teenage debut in 2000, although he wasn’t yet ready with struggles in 71 games and 22 starts.

Boychuk was a part-time starter in 2001 with more promising results, then took over a full-time job from 2002 onward. He posted a blistering 42 triples in 2002, becoming only the fourth in world history to get that many in a season to that point. Boychuk led the conference thrice in his career in triples and was a consistent three-bag threat. With the Blue Falcons, he had eight consecutive seasons worth 6.5+ WAR from 2002-09.

2007 was Boychuk’s only time as an MVP finalist, taking third, while his lone EBF Silver Slugger was 2005. 2005 saw career and conference bests in batting average (.387), OBP (.442), and OPS (1.065) and a career best 190 wRC+. 2007 was his lone time as the WARlord with a career-best 8.9, along with his stolen bases high mark at 102. Despite never hitting more than 13 home runs in a season, Boychuk had an OPS above one in four seasons for Bratislava.

Bratislava was mostly in the middle tier during Boychuk’s tenure, but they did make it to the Southern Conference Championship twice. In 2003, the Blue Falcons fell to Vienna and in 2007 they were defeated by Barcelona. In his 21 playoff starts, he had 27 hits, 14 runs, 5 doubles, 4 triples, 2 homers, 14 RBI, 8 steals, .873 OPS, and 0.7 WAR. Those would be his only playoff starts of his major league career.

Boychuk did see some starts for Ukraine from 2002-17 in the World Baseball Championship, playing 87 games and starting 60. He had 67 hits, 43 runs, 9 doubles, 7 triples, 6 homers, 20 RBI, 36 walks, 39 stolen bases, .273/.370/.441 slash, 124 wRC+, and 2.5 WAR. Almost half of his WAR came in a solid 2007 effort which earned Ukraine a divisional title.

After the 2005 season, Boychuk signed an eight-year, $70,060,000 extension with Bratislava. Despite his production, the Blue Falcons opted to trade him before the 2010 campaign to Rotterdam for two players. With Bratislava, Boychuk had 1709 hits, 900 runs, 275 doubles, 277 triples, 82 home runs, 720 RBI, 777 stolen bases, .351/.405/.572 slash, 164 wRC+, and 65.4 WAR. The franchise would later retire his #8 uniform for his efforts.

Boychuk ultimately didn’t get Rotterdam out of the mid-tier like they hoped. He would miss the entire 2010 season to a broken kneecap suffered in the WBC. A strained PCL and fractured thumb cost him about half of 2011, although Boychuk’s production was solid when healthy that year and in 2012. He dropped off significantly in 2013 with only a .725 OPS and 2.1 WAR, leading many to think his productive days were ending just after turning 33.

With Rotterdam, Boychuk had 449 hits, 223 runs, 97 doubles, 53 triples, 19 home runs, 165 RBI, 148 walks, 136 stolen bases, .299/.362/.472 slash, 138 wRC+, and 12.7 WAR. He held out to find an EBF home, but had no luck and eventually had to expand his search. Boychuk ended up in Russia and EPB, signing in spring training 2014 to a four-year, $16,320,000 deal with Irkutsk.

Boychuk had generally solid production with the Ice Cats, even winning a Silver Slugger in 2015 and leading in runs in 2016. Irkutsk was stuck in the mid-tier at this time, but Boychuk did his job. He posted 702 hits, 347 runs, 109 doubles, 70 triples, 37 homers, 234 RBI, 254 steals, .296/.352/.448 slash, 133 wRC+, and 15.8 WAR. Boychuk also got to exactly 400 triples between EBF and EPB, a mark achieved by only 11 players in world history as of 2037.

He was a free agent again for 2018 at age 37 and couldn’t find any big league offers. Boychuk did end up in the brand new African Second League, playing three seasons for Maseru with 5.5 WAR over 421 games. He retired after the 2020 campaign at age 40.

For his EBF career, Boychuk had 2158 hits, 1123 runs, 372 doubles, 330 triples, 101 home runs, 885 RBI, 598 walks, 913 stolen bases, .339/.395/.549 slash, 158 wRC+, and 78.1 WAR. As of 2037, Boychuk ranks 80th in doubles, 15th in triples, 26th in stolen bases, and 94th in WAR among position players. Among batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Boychuk’s batting average is 30th, his OBP is 24th, and his .944 OPS ranks 94th.

His overall accumulations were on the lower end since he was out of EBF by age 33. Some voters gave Boychuk some credit for his EPB tenure, which got him over 1000 stolen bases and got him close to 3000 hits, 1500 runs, and 100 WAR. However, it was always an uphill climb anyway for leadoff guys since many voters hyper-fixate on homers and RBI. Rate stats showed though how incredibly efficient of a hitter Boychuk was.

Boychuk debuted in 2021 at 57.2% and jumped to 64.7% in 2022, barely missing the 66% requirement. He got another sizeable bump to 73.5% for the third ballot induction in 2023, joining a three-player Hall of Fame class for the European Baseball Federation.

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Isaad “Stumpy” Dorgham – Third Base – Amsterdam Anacondas – 70.1% Eighth Ballot

Isaad Dorgham was a 6’1’’, 190 pound right-handed third baseman from Tilburg, Netherlands; a city of 222,000 inhabitants in the country’s south. Dorgham was a traditional leadoff man with very good contact skills and a solid strikeout rate, although he was poor at drawing walks. He had a nice pop in his bat with a 162 game average of 30 doubles, 25 triples, and 11 home runs. Dorgham was an excellent baserunner, thriving despite having merely good to occasionally great speed.

His hitting profile was somewhat unusual for a guy who played exclusively at third base. Dorgham had a strong arm and was a reliably strong defender. He wasn’t quite Gold Glove level, but he definitely provided positive defensive value. His durability was respectable for most his run as well. Dorgham was a true fan favorite and none would say a bad word about him as a man, known for his leadership, loyalty, selflessness, and work ethic.

Dorgham was quickly spotted as an up-and-coming Dutch prospect and was signed by Amsterdam to a developmental contract in June 1990. He officially debuted in 1994 at age 20 with six pinch hit appearances. Dorgham was on the roster full-time in 1995 but was primarily a backup. He then spent all of 1996 inactive before being brought back up in 1997 as a full-time starter, leading the Northern Conference with 26 triples.

1998 had a major setback in May with a severely strained hip muscle costing Dorgham much of the season. He would remain mostly healthy for the next decade with the Anacondas, posting ten seasons above 5+ WAR. Dorgham won a Silver Slugger in 2000 and 2007, but wasn’t typically in awards conversations. He led in triples in 2002 with 31 and led in stolen bases in 2003 with 85.

2000 was Dorgham’s best season by many metrics with career highs in hits (220), home runs (23), RBI (105), triple slash (.353/.374/.587), OPS (.960), wRC+ (172), and WAR (9.0). Amsterdam signed Dorgham to a four-year, $24,340,000 extension in April 2002, then gave him another four years and $31,600,000 in May 2006.

Amsterdam was generally just above .500 for most of Dorgham’s run, averaging 87.7 wins. They only made the playoffs four times with him rostered, seeing first round exits in 2001 and 2002, along with a conference finals loss in 2007. In his limited sample size, Dorgham had a .994 OPS and 173 wRC+ over 16 playoff games.

Dorgham did see more regular big game exposure in the World Baseball Championship for the Netherlands from 1996-2010. However, his WBC stats were unremarkable with 133 games, 126 hits, 68 runs, 25 doubles, 5 triples, 13 home runs, 50 RBI, 71 stolen bases, .246/.294/.391 slash, 99 wRC+, and 3.1 WAR. Dorgham was notably a starter in 2008 as the Dutch had their deepest run, falling in the World Championship to the United States.

One notable accomplishment for Dorgham was becoming the third EBF player to hit for the cycle thrice in a career, doing it in 2002, 2003, and 2007. He carried onto with the same solid production in his early 30s, even posting his second-best WAR of 8.7 in 2007 at age 33. That earned Dorgham his second Silver Slugger. Unfortunately for Dorgham, things took a sharp turn downward after suffering a broken kneecap in late August 2008.

Dorgham missed part of 2009 recovering from the injury and still looked respectable, even getting a 26-game hitting streak in the summer. However, he struggled significantly and was benched early in 2010, posting -0.3 WAR over 57 games and 17 starts. Dorgham retired from the game that winter at age 37.

The final stats for Dorgham saw 2424 hits, 1108 runs, 365 doubles, 309 triples, 139 home runs, 999 RBI, 234 walks, 819 stolen bases, .327/.348/.516 slash, 142 wRC+, and 78.8 WAR. As of 2037, Dorgham ranks 62nd in hits, 92nd in doubles, 23rd in triples, 44th in steals, and 90th in WAR among position players. His batting average ranks 73rd among all batters with 3000+ plate appearances.

Dorgham faced an upward climb for many voters, especially as a leadoff guy without big home run/RBI tallies. He had some nice tallies, but wasn’t around long enough to make a big dent on the leaderboards. Dorgham also lacked accolades and black ink, plus his teams lacked big playoff moments. However, staying with one team and being generally a well-liked guy gave him some hope of earning induction.

Debuting in 2016, Dorgham started at 45.6%. He only gained ground after that, getting up to 60.6% by 2020. Dorgham barely missed the 66% cut in 2021 at 61.6% and 63.3% in 2022. He got another small boost in 2023 to 70.1%, making it across the line for an eighth ballot induction. With that, Dorgham capped off a three-player 2023 Hall of Fame class for the European Baseball Federation.

FuzzyRussianHat

01-10-2025 05:45 PM

2023 EPB Hall of Fame

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Third baseman Ivan Mushailov stood alone for induction at 99.0% for Eurasian Professional Baseball’s 2023 Hall of Fame voting. LF Aram Sargsyan barely missed joining him with a 65.2% debut, short by less than 1% of the 66% requirement. The best returners were both on their fourth ballot with 1B Benjamin Bodnar at 53.6% and SP Nijat Statsky at 52.6%. No one else was above 50% and no players were removed after ten failed ballots.

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Ivan “Rhino” Mushailov – Third Base – Moscow Mules – 99.0% First Ballot

Ivan Mushailov was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed third baseman from Rybinsk, a city of around 200,000 in western Russia’s Yaroslavl Oblast. Mushailov was one of the strongest home run hitters in the lower-scoring EPB. He also could find the gap with a 162 game average of 33 homers, 23 doubles, and 11 triples. Unlike the typical slugger, Mushailov had great speed and was a fantastic baserunner.

While Mushailov made his contact count, his overall contact ability was mediocre. He also had a subpar eye, drawing fewer walks than you’d expect for a slugger with a high strikeout rate. Mushailov was exciting to watch though and was a true ironman, starting 142+ games in 20 seasons. He was also a respected team captain in the clubhouse. Mushailov was a career third baseman with a cannon arm, generally providing above average to good defensive value. The nickname “Rhino” came from his impressive power and durability.

Mushailov was noticed as a teenager and signed in December 1991 to a developmental deal with Moscow. His entire storied career would come in the Russian capital. Mushailov spent almost five full years in their academy, debuting in 1997 with 7 at-bats at age 21. The Mules made him a full-time starter in 1998, a role he held steadfastly for the next two decades.

2000 was Mushailov’s breakout year, leading the European League in doubles (35), total bases (303), and WAR (9.4), winning his first Silver Slugger. He would develop his home run power more in his late 20s and early 30s, but 2000 was the first of 12 straight years at 5+ WAR. Mushailov won additional Silver Sluggers in 2001, 2003, 2004, and 2005. He was second in 2004’s MVP voting, then in 2005 took third in MVP voting by leading the European League in both home runs and RBI.

After being mid in the 1990s, Moscow returned to contention in the 2000s. The Mules lost in the 2001 and 2003 ELCS to Minsk’s dynasty. 2005 would start a seven-year playoff streak that saw EL pennants in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, and 2010. Moscow took home the EPB Championship in 2006 and 2009. Mushailov earned finals MVP in the 2006 run, which saw 13 hits, 8 runs, 4 homers, and 10 RBI in 13 starts.

Mushailov was third in 2007 MVP voting as the leader in runs and RBI. In September 2008, Moscow gave Mushailov a five-year, $24,200,000 extension. 2008 saw league bests in homers (45) and RBI (125). He led in homers once more in 2010 with a career high 48. Mushailov signed an additional two-year, $16,800,000 extension after the 2013 season.

Moscow missed the playoffs in 2012 and 2013, but started another three-year streak in 2014. The Mules took the 2015 and 2016 pennants, losing the EPB Championship in the former and winning in the latter. This gave Mushailov seven pennants and three EPB rings in his impressive career. Despite that, his playoff numbers were somewhat underwhelming.

In 112 starts, Mushailov had 101 hits, 46 runs, 21 doubles, 5 triples, 20 home runs, 60 RBI, 38 steals, .227/.249/.432 slash, 108 wRC+, and 2.4 WAR. Mushailov does rank 9th in playoff homers as of 2037 and 6th in RBI. He was a bit better in the 2016 Baseball Grand Championship in 17 games with 11 hits, 7 runs, 6 homers, and 10 RBI. The Mules would finish 9-10 for a 13th place finish.

Mushailov was also a regular for Russia in the World Baseball Championship, but his tournament numbers were likewise underwhelming. In 88 games and 62 starts from 2001-17, he had 47 hits, 31 runs, 8 doubles, 14 homers, 34 RBI, 24 steals, a .204/.265/.430 slash, and 1.0 WAR.

His numbers dropped significantly in 2014 down to 1.6 WAR, but Mushailov had an impressive resurgence in 2015 at age 39 with 7.1 WAR and 36 homers. That earned him another two-year, $18 million extension with Moscow. In September 2016, Mushailov became the 9th member of the 600 home run club and the second to 1500 runs scored. He would fall 58 runs score of Zaur Kadirov’s record of 1619.

However in his final season, Mushailov did pass Konrad Mazur’s 1072 RBI to become EPB’s new RBI king, a crown he still holds as of 2037. He also joined Kadriov as the only players with 3000+ EPB games played and was on a short list in world history to play 3000+ with one team. Moscow let him go for 2018 and Mushailov went unsigned, retiring at age 43. The Mules immediately brought him home to retire his #37 uniform.

Mushailov played 3085 games with 2659 hits, 1561 runs, 430 doubles, 207 triples, 630 home runs, 1755 RBI, 585 walks, 1055 stolen bases, .234/.272/.474 slash, 132 wRC+, and 106.7 WAR. As of 2037, he’s EPB’s career leader in RBI and at-bats with 11,366. Mushailov ranks 8th in homers, 5th in runs, 21st in hits, 22nd in doubles, 35th in triples, 11th in stolen bases, and 6th in WAR for position players. He also has the 7th most strikeouts at 2877.

Conventional wisdom suggests even in a low-scoring league that a guy with such a low average and OBP shouldn’t have been so successful. Among the world’s Hall of Famers as of 2037, he has the second-lowest OBP and the 11th-worst average. However, Mushailov is one of 11 HOFers to reach 600+ home runs and 1000+ stolen bases in a career.

It makes his resume a bit tough when trying to rate EPB’s best-ever hitters. He is the career leader at third base for runs, hits, total bases, RBI, and steals. Mushailov is second just behind Boxuan Long for WAR at the spot. Still, he’s in the mix for EPB’s best-ever 3B and will make some top ten lists for position players. Mushailov’s impressive longevity helped make Moscow a perennial power to start the 21st Century. Either way, he was a clear Hall of Fame headliner, standing alone at 99.0% atop EPB’s 2023 voting.

FuzzyRussianHat

01-11-2025 04:53 AM

2023 OBA Hall of Fame (Part 1)

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2023 was an impressive year for debuts on the Oceania Baseball Association’s Hall of Fame ballot. Three newcomers earned induction while two only barely missed the 66% threshold. SP Crow Xue (97.6%) and 1B Junia Lava (93.8%) were the clear headliners, while SP Austin Jong had his own solid 76.4% to get in. Missing the cut was SP Julian Albright at 64.6% and 3B Ueli Nakamelua at 60.4%. No one else was above 50% with the best returner being CL Nolan Gilmoon at 42.0% on his fifth try. No players were dropped after ten failed ballots either.
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Crow Xue – Starting Pitcher – New Caledonia Colonels – 97.6% First Ballot

Crow Xue was a 6’5’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from Tuen Mun, a district of 506,000 people within Hong Kong. Xue was the first Hongkonger inducted into any league’s Hall of Fame. His movement was incredible and graded as a 10/10 at his peak, a rating very rarely seen. Xue also had very good stuff, although his control was average at best.

Xue‘s velocity peaked in the 94-96 mph range with his sinker. His changeup was a true all-timer and by far his deadliest pitch, although Xue’s slider and curveball could get outs. He had very good stamina and had impressive durability, tossing 245+ innings in all but two of his final three seasons. Xue ‘s defense and ability to hold runners were both lacking. He also got criticized by some teammates for being a selfish mercenary type. That could be forgiven though with such a high talent level.

Hong Kong natives were generally within Chinese League Baseball’s domain, but Xue decided to declare for OBA’s 2000 Draft. Because of regional restrictions, he wasn’t available until the fourth round. New Caledonia jumped on him though with the first pick of the round, 52nd overall. Xue immediately became their ace, starting a streak of eight consecutive seasons above 6.5 WAR. He finished second in 2001’s Rookie of the Year voting.

By his second year, Xue led the Pacific League in WAR and won his first Pitcher of the Year. He would post 10+ WAR five times after that, leading the league with a career-best 11.1 in 2006. He won ERA titles in 2003, 2006, and 2008; while leading in wins in both 2006 and 2007. Xue repeated as POTY in 2003 and won a third in 2006. He finished third in voting in 2004, 2005, 2007, and 2008. Xue‘s 2006 effort also landed him a second place in MVP voting.

New Caledonia gave Xue a six-year, $21,680,000 extension after the 2004 season. The Colonels had been historically mediocre and unfortunately Xue couldn’t fix that alone. They averaged 78.1 wins per season during his run with only two winning campaigns, peaking with a 90-72 third place in 2006. Perhaps Xue’s crowning achievement was a no-hitter on October 2, 2008 against Timor with 13 strikeouts and two walks.

Xue did get a chance to pitch on the big stage in the World Baseball Championship, as he was eligible for the squad of China proper. From 2002-15, Xue tossed 169.1 innings with an 11-2 record, 2.34 ERA, 205 strikeouts, 63 walks, and 5.0 WAR. He won a world title with the 2002 quad and was part of the 2007 runner-up season.

After the 2009 season, Xue declined his contract option to leave New Caledonia for brighter pastures and more money. With the Colonels, he had a 185-129 record, 2.64 ERA, 2816.2 innings, 2879 strikeouts, 649 walks, 138 ERA+, and 86.2 WAR. Xue was the main reason to come to the ballpark there in the 2000s and his #8 uniform would eventually be retired. At age 32, he was a free agent that got plenty of consideration from around the globe.

Toronto won the sweepstakes, signing Xue for $60,500,000 over five years. While he never reached his incredible OBA dominance, Xue was a very solid starter with the Timberwolves four years. He wouldn’t get a taste of the playoffs there, as Toronto was stuck in the middle tier. With the Timberwolves, Xue had a 64-34 record, 2.84 ERA, 1017.1 innings, 919 strikeouts, 116 ERA+, and 21.6 WAR. He declined his option for the fifth year of the deal, becoming a free agent again at age 36.

Defending World Series champ Denver was interested, giving Xue three years and $62,400,000. He maintained similar production in 2014 for the Dragons and tossed a playoff shutout, although Denver fell in the second round. In June 2015, Xue suffered his first major injury of his career, a torn labrum. While that can be a career ender or at least a full year injury, Xue remarkably rehabbed it in four months.

Xue was back by the 2015 postseason, starting five games with a 4-0 record, 39 innings, 3.46 ERA, 21 strikeouts, 18 walks, and 0.3 WAR. His innings helped Denver take the World Series over St. Louis. In the Baseball Grand Championship, the Dragons were 15-4, losing the title on a tiebreaker to Johannesburg. In four BGC starts, Xue had a 3.21 ERA over 33.2 innings, 2-2 record, 46 strikeouts, and 1.9 WAR. That comeback from injury gave him many Denver fans a fondness for Xue, even if he was only there two years.

With Denver, Xue had a 28-15 record, 2.98 ERA, 362.2 innings, 314 strikeouts, 129 ERA+, and 8.8 WAR. He didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the third year of the deal, becoming a free agent again at age 38. Xue opted to return to OBA on a three-year, $42,700,000 deal with Christchurch. His return season was off to an impressive start with a 15-1 record, 1.62 ERA, and 5.1 WAR over 155.1 innings. Unfortunately in early July, Xue tore his labrum for a second time.

That tear put Xue out eight months and tanked his control upon his return. He pitched a mostly full 2017, but led the league in walks (117) with an iffy 4.29 ERA. This return did allow Xue to reach 300 career wins combined from between OBA/MLB, a mark reached by only 46 pitchers in the world as of 2037. For the Chinooks, he had a 30-20 record, 3.26 ERA, 402.2 innings, 393 strikeouts, and 9.2 WAR. Xue retired that winter shortly after his 40th birthday.

In OBA, Xue had a 215-149 record, 2.71 ERA, 3219.1 innings, 3272 strikeouts, 804 walks, 295/414 quality starts, 139 complete games, 32 shutouts, 136 ERA+, and 95.4 WAR. As of 2037, Xue ranks 24th in wins, 44th in innings, 38th in strikeouts, and 10th in pitching WAR. Among all pitchers with 1000+ innings, his ERA ranks 64th and his .602 opponent’s OPS ranks 57th.

Some think Xue might have made it to the very top of OBA’s pitching leaderboards had he not spent six years in MLB. While it keeps him from many top five and top ten lists among OBA pitchers, Xue’s full professional numbers are quite impressive. He had a 307-198 record, 2.76 ERA, 4599.1 innings, 4505 strikeouts, 1197 walks, 197 complete games, 47 shutouts, 130 ERA+, and 125.8 WAR.

As of 2037 among all pro pitchers, Xue is 37th in wins and just misses the top 50 for WAR. Xue certainly was a no-doubt Hall of Famer anyway you sliced it and his changeup especially is still remembered as one of the best ever. At 97.6%, Xue headlined a strong three-player 2023 HOF class for the Oceania Baseball Association.

FuzzyRussianHat

01-11-2025 10:21 AM

2023 OBA Hall of Fame (Part 2)

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Junia Lava – First Base/Designated Hitter – Fiji Freedom – 93.8% First Ballot

Junia Lava was a 6’3’’, 200 pound switch-hitting first baseman from Vila, the capital of Vanuatu. He was the third inductee from the small island nation, joining great pitchers Tarzan Rao and Brad Nelson. Lava was known as a consistently strong home run hitter, topping 30+ homers in 18 seasons and 40+ homers in nine seasons. His gap power was decent with around 20-25 doubles most years. Lava was painfully slow and wasn’t going to get extra bags with his legs. Lava’s contact ability and eye were both average at best and he struggled with strikeouts.

Lava’s durability was quite good, allowing him to play more than 3000 games over 22 years. He only ever started in the field at first base and graded for his career as a subpar defender, although you could do far worse. Early in his run, Lava was viewed as a positive value defenseman. About 30% of his starts came as a designated hitter. Lava was a respected team captain, known for his loyalty, leadership, and dedication. He became one of the most popular players in the Pacific League and one of the most universally admired players of his time.

A scout for Fiji managed to discover Lava as a teenager, signing him to a developmental deal as a teenager in September 1992. He spent three years in their academy before debuting with 47 games in 1996 at age 21. Lava was a starter the next year and held the job down for the next two decades.

His best season by many metrics was 2000, leading the league with career highs in home runs (54), total bases (391), and wRC+ (197). Lava also had his bests in runs (104), hits (190), doubles (33), triple slash (.312/.372/.642), OPS (1.014), and WAR (7.6). Lava won a Silver Slugger and took second in MVP voting. Fiji would lock him up by May 2002 to a six-year, $22,360,000 extension.

Lava’s lone MVP win and his second Silver Slugger came in 2002, leading in RBI, total bases, and WAR. He also won a Gold Glove to complete the awards sweep. This effort led Fiji to their first-ever Pacific League pennant win, although they were denied in the Oceania Championship by Brisbane in a seven game classic. In the series, Lava went 10-28 with 4 runs, 3 doubles, 1 triple, 2 home runs, and 5 RBI.

Lava won a second Gold Glove in 2004, but wasn’t in awards conversations for the rest of his run. He didn’t get above 5 WAR in a season after 2002, but he still provided steady power numbers. After being a bottom-rung franchise for most of their existence, Fiji was in the mix in the mid 2000s. They fell one game short of the PL title to Tahiti in both 2003 and 2004. Then in 2006, the Freedom won their second-ever pennant, this time on the good side of a one-game margin with the Tropics.

Fiji would again be denied their first OBA crown, falling to Melbourne’s dynasty. Lava was 3-15 in the series as they got swept, but he’d be fondly remembered as the guy who got the Freedom to their first-ever finals trips. For the rest of Lava’s run after this, Fiji was in the middle of the standings and usually around .500, plus or minus a few games.

In April 2008, Lava signed another extension with the Freedom at $16,280,000 over five years. His durability remained steady into his 30s, even if his production was now merely decent. In 2012, Lava became the 5th member of the 600 home run club, the 9th to 2500 hits, and the 5th to 1500 RBI. He signed a series of one-year deals with Fiji, remaining popular in a leadership role as he chased more milestones.

In 2015, Lava was the 3rd to reach 1500 runs scored and the 3rd to 700 home runs. He also had a resurgence that year at age 40, leading the PL with 117 RBI. He also smacked 44 homers, his first 40+ season since 2008. In 2016, he became the second to reach 3000 games played. Fiji gave him a three-year, $13,600,000 extension in July 2016. One month later, Lava was the second to earn 3000 career hits. That year, Lava also became OBA’s all-time RBI leader.

Lava had still been playable to that point, but age finally caught up in 2017 as he struggled to -0.6 WAR. Fiji had no choice but to bench him, ending a chase for the all-time home run and runs scored marks. He would get 71 hits in 2017, passing Quentin Basa’s 3078 to become OBA’s all-time hits king. Lava retired that winter at age 42 and immediately had his #10 uniform retired by the Freedom. At retirement, Lava was the OBA leader in games, at-bats, hits, strikeouts, and RBI. He was 2nd in runs and 3rd in home runs.

In total, Lava played 3243 games with 3113 hits, 1611 runs, 465 doubles, 51 triples, 778 home runs, 1989 RBI, 879 walks, 3268 strikeouts, .255/.307/.492 slash, 128 wRC+, and 66.0 WAR. As of 2037, Lava is still OBA’s leader in games, at-bats (12,223), and strikeouts. He ranks 5th in runs, 5th in hits, 10th in doubles, 4th in homers, 2nd in RBI, and 15th in walks.

Despite all those marks, he only clocks in 49th in WAR among position players. Advanced stats paint Lava as an above average player with elite longevity, but that durability and his leadership are very important qualities. Among all players in world history as of 2037, Lava ranks 34th in games played and 19th in at-bats. He does also have the misfortune of having the 6th most strikeouts.

Lava doesn’t factor into many conversations for OBA’s top ten position players despite his tallies. However, he’s remembered quite fondly for bringing Fiji its first-ever sustained success and pennants. Few players of Lava’s era garnered more respect as a man, making him a slam dunk Hall of Famer. Lava received 93.8% to take the second slot in OBA’s three-player 2023 class.

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Austin Jong – Starting Pitcher – Samoa Sun Sox – 76.4% First Ballot

Austin Jong was a 6’3’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea. At his peak, Jong’s stuff was tremendous with a 10/10 grade from some scouts. He also had quite solid command with above average movement. Jong’s velocity hit 97-99 mph with his cutter, although a fantastic changeup was his biggest source of whiffs. He also had a nice curveball as a third offering.

Jong’s stamina was good initially, but took a hit like everything else with a major injury at age 25. He struggled holding runners, but was a great gloveman, winning a Gold Glove in 2014. In the 2002 OBA Draft, Jong was a rare pick selected out of the high school ranks. Samoa snagged him with the 14th pick of the second round, 33rd overall. The Sun Sox kept him in developmental for two seasons before debuting him in 2005 at age 20. Jong took second in Rookie of the Year voting with a nice effort.

By his second year, Jong had arrived. From 2006-09, he had four straight seasons as the Pacific League’s strikeout leader, topping 400+ each time. Jong also was above 10+ WAR each year, leading the league from 2007-09. He was second in 2006’s Pitcher of the Year voting, then won the award in three consecutive seasons. Jong’s 14.1 WAR in 2008 is one of only 11 seasons above 14+ WAR by an OBA pitcher as of 2037.

On August 22, 2006, Jong tossed OBA’s 10th Perfect Game in a 15 strikeout effort against Guadalcanal. He also had 20 strikeout games in both 2008 and 2009. Samoa was in the Pacific League title race, but couldn’t win it during Jong’s prime. They had second place finishes in 2008 and 2009 with 97 and 99 win seasons, respectively. The Sun Sox would be more around the third/fourth place range heading into the 2010s.

Jong seemed like the guy to lead to them eventual greatness, signing a seven-year, $26,560,000 extension in October 2007. Unfortunately, disaster struck for Jong at only age 25 on July 19, 2010 with a torn rotator cuff. Not only did that knock Jong out ten months, but his stuff, control, and stamina were never the same after that. He would finish out his Samoa run as an above average starter, but was a long way from his elite dominance of his early 20s.

With Samoa, Jong had a 156-123 record, 2.92 ERA, 2637 innings, 3304 strikeouts, 475 walks, 124 ERA+, and 80.5 WAR. The Sun Sox would eventually retire his #7 uniform for his efforts. However, they opted not to re-sign him when his deal expired after the 2014 season. Still only 30 as he hit free agency for the first time, Jong snagged a big payday from Perth at $42,600,000 over six years. The Penguins hoped they could reclaim some of Jong’s past production.

Sadly, Jong regressed further with mediocre results with the Penguins. Late in his third year in Perth, Jong suffered a torn flexor tendon that effectively ended his career. He had a 16 month recovery time and wanted to come back in 2019, but the Penguins kept him on the reserve roster all year. They voided the team option in his contract that winter and Jong retired at age 35. With Perth, he had a 31-43 record, 4.56 ERA, 606.1 innings, 545 strikeouts, 127 walks, 84 ERA+ and 8.2 WAR.

Jong finished with an 187-166 record, 3.22 ERA, 3243.1 innings, 3849 strikeouts, 602 walks, 267/420 quality starts, 116 complete games, 24 shutouts, 114 ERA+, 74 FIP-, and 88.7 WAR. As of 2037, Jong is 46th in wins, 17th in strikeouts, 40th in innings, and 14th in WAR among pitchers. His 10.68 K/9 ranks 25th among all pitchers with 1000+ innings.

That 2006-09 run was so incredible to essentially carry Jong’s resume despite being done by age 32 and being merely decent after the rotator cuff tear. He hung around just long enough to hit the accumulations most voters had as prerequisites for a pitcher. Fans who were there remember that even if for only four years, Jong may have been the best pitcher in the world. Jong got 76.4% in his ballot debut to cap off a strong three-player Hall of Fame class in 2023 for the Oceania Baseball Association.

FuzzyRussianHat

01-11-2025 05:50 PM

2023 APB Hall of Fame

FuzzyRussianHat

01-12-2025 06:38 AM

2023 CLB Hall of Fame

FuzzyRussianHat

01-12-2025 10:17 AM

2023 WAB Hall of Fame

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DH/3B Zakari Emmanuel was the lone inductee for West African Baseball’s 2023 Hall of Fame class, getting in firmly with an 85.7% debut. Three returners were above 60% but just shy of the 66% requirement. CL Francis Koomson saw 64.6% on his third ballot, RP Emma Markson got 61.5% for his sixth go, and 1B Ikechukwu Onyia finished at 60.5% for his third attempt. No one else was above 50% and no players were dropped after ten failed ballots.

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Zakari “Butterball” Emmanuel – Designated Hitter/Third Base – Port Harcourt Hillcats – 85.7% First Ballot

Zakari Emmanuel was a 6’3’’, 190 pound left-handed hitting third baseman from Eruwa, a city of 118,000 in southwestern Nigeria. Emmanuel was nicknamed “Butterball” for his love of eating turkey. He was a very strong power hitter with 43 home runs and 37 doubles per his 162 game average. On the whole, Emmanuel graded as having above average to good contract and eye skills.

Against right-handed pitching, Emmanuel was especially strong with a career 1.001 OPS and 162 wRC+. Emmanuel was merely above average to good against lefties with a 119 wRC+ and .811 OPS. Against either side, he did have some strikeout woes. Unlike many sluggers, Emmanuel was a very slick baserunner and base stealer, although he was still limited by subpar speed. He wasn’t going to win many foot races, but Emmanuel picked his spots well.

Around 55% of Emmanuel’s career starts were as a designated hitter. Most of the rest came at third base, but he was an abysmal defender. Emmanuel played a small bit of first base late in his career and was merely poor there. Regardless, his bat and power meant you’d find a spot for him. Emmanuel was considered loyal and adaptable. He also was quite durable in the front end of his career.

Some scouts had Emmanuel as the best hitting prospect in some time ahead of the 2003 WAB Draft. Dakar was enamored and picked Emmanuel with the #1 overall pick. It was a rough start though as he didn’t adjust well to big league hitting. Emmanuel started 11 games and played only 107 in his first two years with subpar results. He became a full-time starter in 2006, but was terrible with -1.5 WAR and .644 OPS in his debut season.

Emmanuel figured things out in 2007 to bring positive value, although he did still lead the Western League in strikeouts. He earned Silver Sluggers in 2007 and 2009 as a DH and led the league with 50 home runs in 2009. Still, Emmanuel never quite lived up to the expectations of the #1 overall pick. Dakar remained bad at the start of his run, although they had gotten just above .500 by the end. The Dukes would be a playoff regular in the 2010s, but Emmanuel wasn’t re-signed after the 2010 season.

With Dakar, Emmanuel had 789 hits, 425 runs, 165 doubles, 184 home runs, 475 RBI, .264/.332/.512 slash, 133 wRC+, and 16.6 WAR. A free agent heading towards only age 27, Emmanuel returned to Nigeria and signed a seven-year, $34,440,000 deal with Port Harcourt. The Hillcats hoped he could still live up to some of that past potential. Ultimately, their investment paid off.

In all six seasons with PH, Emmanuel hit 40+ homers with 100+ RBI, and 5+ WAR. Now playing more third base, he won Silver Sluggers in 2012, 2013, and 2014. As he entered his 30s, Emmanuel became a legit MVP candidate. He led the Eastern League with a career-best 7.8 WAR in 2013, taking second in voting. From 2014-16, he led each year in OPS and hit 50+ homers.

In 2014, Emmanuel was second in MVP voting again despite league bests in home runs (54), RBI (162), and OPS (1.085). He was only the third WAB slugger with a 160+ RBI season. Emmanuel was third in 2015’s MVP voting and second in 2016. He ultimately never claimed the top honor, but did help Port Harcourt find their first sustained success since the mid 1990s.

The Hillcats were a wild card four times from 2011-15. In 2011, 2013, and 2014, they suffered second round defeats. They finished #2 by one game in 2015 and went on a playoff run, ultimately winning the WAB Championship against over Bamako. In that playoff run, Emmanuel had 12 hits, 8 runs, 2 doubles, 5 homers, 6 RBI, and 11 walks over 11 starts with 1.306 OPS. This earned him a fond spot in the hearts of many PH fans despite only a six-year run.

Emmanuel hit well in the 2015 Baseball Grand Championship as well, although Port Harcourt finished in the bottom half at 8-11. In 19 starts, he had 16 hits, 13 runs, 3 doubles, 10 home runs, 14 RBI, 1.077 OPS, and 1.1 WAR. Emmanuel did have limited play in the World Baseball Championship as well for his native Nigeria. From 2009-20, he appeared in 53 games and started 36 with 35 hits, 26 runs, 12 doubles, 12 homers, 29 RBI, .267/.389/.634 slash, and 2.4 WAR.

Port Harcourt fell back to 81-81 in 2016, Emmanuel’s last season. The year had a rough ending as he suffered a fractured knee in September, knocking him out six months. He surprised many by opting out of his seventh year of the deal despite the injury, betting on himself to get a big deal elsewhere. Emmanuel was going to still be only 33-years old and had just taken second in MVP voting. This marked the end of WAB career.

With the Hillcats, Emmanuel had 1103 hits, 702 runs, 235 doubles, 300 home runs, 766 RBI, .323/.391/.665 slash, 167 wRC+, and 39.5 WAR. His gamble paid off with the payday coming in Mexico, signing a five-year, $60,500,000 deal with Ecatepec. The deal got off to a sluggish start with a torn hamstring in the spring. The Explosion opted to use him after that in a platoon role, although Emmanuel did was an efficient hitter in the limited sample size. Gone were the day of MVP contention, however. Ecatepec would be stuck in the mid-tier during Emmanuel’s time in Mexico.

In four seasons with the Explosion, Emmanuel had 342 hits, 193 runs, 63 doubles, 79 home runs, 223 RBI, .304/388/.578 slash, 156 wRC+, and 11.2 WAR. He didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the fifth year, becoming a free agent again. The soon-to-be 37-year old still had options and ended up in MLB on a two-year, $18,600,000 deal with New York.

Despite the paycheck, Emmanuel saw limited use with the Yankees, playing only 65 games and starting 39 with .678 OPS, 97 wRC+, and 0.2 WAR. He was let go after one year and couldn’t find a 2022 home despite searching. Emmanuel retired that winter at age 38. For his combined pro career, he had 2271 hits, 1340 runs, 466 doubles, 567 home runs, 1479 RBI, 706 walks, 166 stolen bases, .296/.367/.586 slash, 151 wRC+, and 67.4 WAR.

Just in WAB, Emmanuel had 1892 hits, 1127 runs, 400 doubles, 484 home runs, 1241 RBI, 558 walks, 1811 strikeouts, 139 steals, .295/.364/.593 slash, 151 wRC+, and 56.1 WAR. His accumulations were limited by leaving WAB at age 32 and by a sluggish start with Dakar. As of 2037, Emmanuel ranks 35th in homers, 72nd in RBI, 82nd in runs, 87th in walks, 93rd in strikeouts, and 70th in WAR among position players.

Among WAB batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Emmanuel’s .958 OPS ranks 42nd and he ranks 41st in slugging. Hitting lots of homers will make you memorable with Emmanuel cramming a bunch into a small timeframe. That and his role in Port Harcourt’s 2015 title made him a popular player viewed favorably by most voters despite his deficiencies. Emmanuel received 85.7% to earn first ballot induction firmly as the lone member of West African Baseball’s 2023 Hall of Fame class.

FuzzyRussianHat

01-12-2025 06:36 PM

2023 SAB Hall of Fame

South Asia Baseball had two slam dunk inductees for the 2023 Hall of Fame class with 1B/DH Dhuna Itar at 98.9% and SS/2B Sameer Sheikh at 93.6%. The only other player above 50% was CL Nopporn Samornchai at 51.8% in his debut. The best returner was C Quoc Pham at 49.3% for his fourth ballot. There was one player dropped after ten failed ballots as 1B Junius Hasibuan ended at 37.1%. His peak was 42.9% in 2019.

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For Hasibuan, he won three Silver Sluggers and won four SAB Championships between Ho Chi Minh City and Yangon. He had 1688 hits, 1119 runs, 264 doubles, 512 home runs, 1333 RBI, 941 walks, .254/.348/.532 slash, 145 wRC+, and 54.9 WAR. Hasibuan was an impressive slugger, but had the misfortune of competing in an era with more impressive ones. Had he lasted a few more seasons for accumulations, he probably makes it across the line.

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Dhuna “Mr. Magnificent” Itar – First Base/Designated Hitter – Johor Bahru Blue Wings – 98.9% First Ballot

Dhuna Itar was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting first baseman from Kharsia, a town of 17,000 in central India. Nicknamed “Mr. Magnificent” for his impressive power, Itar was a stellar home run hitter at his peak. He maintained a 162 game average of 50 homers and 113 RBI. Itar was also great at drawing walks, although his strikeout rate was below average in total. In his prime, he graded as a rock solid contact hitter.

Itar definitely made better contact against right-handed pitching with a career 1.011 OPS and 172 wRC+. Against lefties, he posted a respectable .817 OPS and 130 wRC+. Itar was also good for around 25-30 doubles most years, although his power was more focused on dingers. He also was a very slow and sluggish baserunner, so you couldn’t expect him to leg out many extra bags.

Defensively, Itar only ever started at first base and was a firmly mediocre defender. He made around 70% of his career starts at 1B with the rest as a designated hitter. Itar did run into a number of notable injuries which preventing him from keeping up with his contemporaries on the leaderboards despite a 20 year run. He was beloved not just for his power, but because he was a high-character man. Itar was a team captain known for his leadership, selflessness, and intelligence.

Although coming from humble beginnings, a teenaged Itar managed to catch the attention of a scout for Johor Bahru. They brought him to Malaysia on a developmental deal in October 1993. He spent four seasons in their academy before debuting as a mostly full-time starter in 1998 at age 21. Itar struggled with strikeouts initially and had the most whiffs in the Southeast Asia League in his first two seasons.

Itar was subpar as a rookie, but found his power in year two even with the strikeouts. Itar led the league with 60 homers and 384 total bases in 1999, taking third in MVP voting. He won the top honor and a Silver Slugger in 2000 by becoming SAB’s single-season home run king with 74, besting Amoda Shah’s 70 from two years prior. Itar would be passed in 2008 by Majed Darwish’s absurd 80+ seasons, but his mark is still fifth-best as of 2037 despite broad offensive increases league wide in later years.

Johor Bahru was the second wild card in 1999 and 2000, but went one-and-done both years. They were excited by the possibilities moving forward and gave Itar an eight-year, $11,780,000 extension after the 2000 season. Unfortunately, the Blue Wings fell towards the bottom of the standings for most of Itar’s remaining years. He would miss more than half of 2001 to a torn abdominal muscle. A broken hand cost him part of 2005 while a bone marrow edema in his knee kept him out the final part of 2007.

Itar still put up strong numbers, hitting 50+ homers thrice more. He led SEAL in OPS (1.161) and wRC+ (208) in 2003 with 63 homers and a career-best 9.7 WAR. Itar led in homers in 2003 and doubles in 2004, posting six seasons total for the Blue Wings with an OPS above one. Itar earned Silver Sluggers at first base in 2002, 2003, and 2004.

Johor Bahru was struggling at this point and them and their fellow Malaysian neighbor Kuala Lumpur began looking for the exit. Both teams left SAB for Austronesia Professional Baseball starting with the 2008 season. This made for some awkwardness as their superstar Itar was entering his last year of his contract for 2008. He was less enthused about leaving SAB for APB and was likely to give free agency a shot even if they stayed. Thus, the Blue Wings traded him in December 2007 just before leaving the league to Ho Chi Minh City for three prospects.

With Johor Bahru, Itar finished with 1424 hits, 879 runs, 254 doubles, 483 home runs, 1035 RBI, 617 walks, .282/.362/.630 slash, 171 wRC+, and 60.3 WAR. He was now set to play in Vietnam, although he had being representing his native India in the World Baseball Championship. From 2000-10, Itar played 92 games with 70 starts for the Indians with 74 hits, 50 runs, 9 doubles, 26 home runs, 49 RBI, .262/.346/.571 slash, 163 wRC+, and 3.7 WAR. He was a backup in 2009, but was an important clubhouse leader that year as India earned the World Championship.

Ho Chi Minh City’s playoff streak was at 21 seasons upon Itar’s arrival. His debut saw 67 home runs and a career best 151 RBI, winning a Silver Slugger at 1B and finishing third in MVP voting. The Hedgehogs lost in the first round as a wild card. Itar at age 31 decided to test out free agency that winter and wasn’t signed until spring training. He ultimately hammered out a new five-year, $28 million deal with the Hedgehogs.

In 2009, HCMC won their final SAB Championship of the great dynasty, beating Jaipur in the final. Itar was MVP of the SEAL Championship against Yangon, starting 17 games with 22 hits, 12 runs, 7 home runs, 15 RBI, .344/.358/.688 slash, and 174 wRC+. He got his ring with a chance to prove himself finally on the big stage, although that would be his final playoff appearances.

Ho Chi Minh City’s playoff streak ended in 2010 and they spent a few years near .500 before falling to the bottom for a full rebuild by 2013. Itar’s time as an award winner was done, but he did still hit 40+ homers twice more. A fractured finger and strained knee kept him out much of 2010. More knee troubles and a concussion cost Itar time in 2013.

In total for the Hedgehogs, Itar had 765 hits, 487 runs, 135 doubles, 236 home runs, 551 RBI, .280/.363/.594 slash, 155 wRC+, and 26.8 WAR. In early 2013, he had become the 5th member of the 700 home run club, although contemporaries like Ratan Canduri, Devavesman Toppo, and Majed Darwish eclipsed his tallies. Itar was still quite popular heading towards age 37, which earned him a one year deal with Pune. For the first time, he’d be playing for a pro team in his native India.

Itar had a nice resurgence for the Purple Knights, leading the league in walks and OBP with a 5.2 WAR season. That earned him a three-year, $21,600,000 deal with Ahmedabad. Unfortunately, that run was marred by a torn ACL suffered in June 2015. Itar played two years and 171 games for the Animals with 3.2 WAR and .807 OPS. He didn’t make the vesting criteria for the third year of the Ahmedabad deal.

He wanted to keep going and spent 2017 with Visakhapatnam, playing 118 games with .707 OPS and 0.5 WAR. That final run did allow Itar to reach the 2500 hit and 450 double milestones, but he fell three dingers short of the 800 home club, a mark met by only four in SAB history. Itar retired after the 2017 campaign at age 40.

Itar finished with 2593 games, 2531 hits, 1572 runs, 453 doubles, 797 home runs, 1810 RBI, 1214 walks, .276/.362/.595 slash, 161 wRC+, and 96.0 WAR. As of 2037, Itar ranks 5th in homers, 9th in RBI, 37th in hits, 18th in runs, 65th in doubles, 7th in walks, 20th in games played, 19th in strikeouts, and 23rd in WAR among position players. Among all batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Itar’s .957 OPS ranks 33rd. He also ranks 72nd in OBP and 30th in slugging.

He may have been overshadowed somewhat by having so many epic sluggers playing alongside him, but Itar’s power stats in any era certainly earned that “Mr. Magnificent” moniker. He became a megastar despite playing a large chunk of his career with losing teams. Itar was an obvious Hall of Fame headliner and was a near unanimous 98.9% to captain South Asia Baseball’s 2023 class.

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Sameer “Burger” Sheikh – Shortstop/Second Base/Designated Hitter – Dhaka Dobermans – 93.6% First Ballot

Sameer Sheikh was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed middle infielder from Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city. At his best, Sheikh was a well-rounded bat with strong contact and power skills. He had an average to above average eye for walks, but was merely okay at avoiding strikeouts. Sheikh didn’t have prolific power, but he got 43 home runs per his 162 game average. That average also got 27 doubles and 7 triples, making him quite adept at extra base hits. Sheikh had good speed and was a fantastic baserunner.

Sheikh lacked range though despite spending his time defensively between shortstop and second base. He was an abysmal defender at either spot, but his offensive value was so strong especially compared to most SS/2Bs. Sheikh had around 45% of his starts at short and around 25% at second, spending most of the rest of his time as a designated hitter.

In his 20s, Sheikh had fairly good durability, but he rarely made it more than half the season in his 30s due to numerous ailments. His tireless work ethic and drive allowed him to still stick around for a 21-year career despite that. Sheikh was an excellent leader and was one of the smarter guys in the game. He garnered great respect and popularity throughout his run.

Sheikh is the only Pakistani in the SAB Hall of Fame, as his countrymen almost exclusively played in the Asian Baseball Hall of Fame. Most SAB scouts don’t even bother looking that far west despite Pakistan’s proximity, but one from Bangladesh caught wind of Sheikh at a camp in Karachi. They convinced him to join Dhaka’s academy in September 1993. Sheikh spent most of four years in developmental, but did debut in 1996 at age 19. He played 47 games and started 10 from 1996-97.

1998 marked the full-time Dhaka debut for Sheikh with merely okay results. He fared better in 1999, but did lose a month to a sprained ankle. Sheikh put it all together in 2000, winning a Silver Slugger at shortstop and getting third in MVP voting. That year, he led the Southeast Asia League in OPS (1.087), wRC+ (200), and WAR (10.5). 2001 would have setbacks though with a concussion and sore shoulder keeping him out more than half the season.

Sheikh’s signature season was 2002, winning his lone MVP and his second Silver Slugger. He posted a league and career-best 11.8 WAR, won a batting title at .333, and added a 1.120 OPS, 53 homers, and 121 RBI. Dhaka also had a surprise playoff berth to end a six-year drought, winning the Southeast Asia League title. They were ultimately defeated by Ahmedabad in the SAB Championship. Sheikh posted an okay .710 OPS and 105 wRC+ over 13 playoff starts.

Either way, Dhaka was satisfied and gave Sheikh an eight-year, $26,240,000 extension that winter. He only led the league once more with a .362 batting average in 2007, but Sheikh hit 40+ homers with 7+ WAR each year from 2003-07. He won Silver Sluggers at SS in 2003, 2004, and 2005, then won a Sluggers at second base in 2006, 2007, and 2008. Sheikh also placed third in 2007’s MVP voting.

After missing the playoffs in 2003 and 2004, Dhaka began a nine year playoff streak in 2005. They were almost always a wild card and only twice got beyond the first round due to the dueling dominance of Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Yangon. The Dobermans were 110-52 in 2009, but still lost the division to a 122-win Hanoi and got upset in the first round. Dhaka made it to 2010 SEAL Championship, but lost to the 121-win Hounds.

From 2008 onward, Sheikh only had a full season in 2010 as injuries began to really pile up. Still, Dhaka gave the popular slugger a five-year, $43,500,000 extension before the 2011 campaign. That year, the Dobermans finally broke through and won the SAB Championship over defending champ Kolkata, knocking off Hanoi along the way. In the playoffs, Sheikh started 18 games with 14 hits, 11 runs, 7 home runs, and 16 RBI. Dhaka went 10-9 in the second Baseball Grand Championship with Sheikh getting 17 hits, 13 runs, 3 doubles, 6 homers, 15 RBI, .873 OPS, and 0.8 WAR over 18 starts.

For his career, Sheikh’s playoff stats weren’t bad, but were somewhat underwhelming. He started 66 games with 58 hits, 40 runs, 10 doubles, 19 home runs, 46 RBI, 17 steals, .234/.296/.520 slash, 120 wRC+, and 2.1 WAR. His World Baseball Championship stats were closer to his career averages. Sheikh regularly returned home to Pakistan from 1999-2014 for the WBC with 144 games and 125 starts.

For Pakistan, Sheikh played 144 games with 125 starts, posting 130 hits, 75 runs, 27 doubles, 32 homers, 75 RBI, 42 stolen bases, .264/.325/.518, and 5.2 WAR. As of 2037, he has the 5th most WAR among Pakistani position players and ranks 6th in hits, homers, and runs. Pakistan earned semifinal appearances in 2007 and 2010.

Dhaka’s playoff run ended in 2014, although Sheikh stuck around for a few one-year deals after that. Among his litany of injuries in his 30s were a broken bone in his elbow, strained groin, oblique strain, high ankle sprain, calf strain, and hamstring strain. Sheikh was still relatively productive when healthy most of the run, although he did end up on the bench by the end. He was on roster in 2018, but didn’t see the field, holding mostly a mentorship role. Sheikh retired that winter at age 41 and Dhaka immediately retired his #14 uniform.

Sheikh had 2216 games, 2350 hits, 1419 runs, 372 doubles, 99 triples, 595 home runs, 1523 RBI, 735 walks, 753 stolen bases, .303/.369/.607 slash, 160 wRC+, and 99.2 WAR. The accumulations aren’t as high as you might think a 21-year vet would have because of the injuries, but they’re still impressive. As of 2037, Sheikh ranks 55th in hits, 35th in runs, 22nd in home runs, 25th in RBI, 44th in walks, and 21st in WAR among position players.

Among all batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Sheikh’s .976 OPS ranks 20th best. His triple slash ranks 95th/46th/19th on the all-time leaderboards. Sheikh may have fell short of the inner-circle level, but the injuries might have been what kept him out. Sheikh’s induction qualifications though weren’t in doubt, receiving 93.6% to co-captain an excellent two-player Hall of Fame class for South Asia Baseball in 2023.

FuzzyRussianHat

01-13-2025 05:13 AM

2023 ABF Hall of Fame

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Two returners to the ballot earned induction into the Asian Baseball Federation’s Hall of Fame in 2023. SP Omar Ma’mur got a hefty bump up to 81.5% on his fifth ballot while CF Rahman Polat narrowly crossed the 66% requirement with a 70.8% third ballot. The best debut was CL Muqtadir Mehmood at 52.9%. 3B Tomas Pataki also cracked 50% on his seventh go at 51.2%. No players were dropped after ten failed ballots; in fact no returners at all were dropped as none fell below the 5% cut line either.

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Omar Ma’mur – Starting Pitcher – Multan Mighty Cocks – 81.5% Fifth Ballot

Omar Ma’mur was a 5’10’’, 180 pound right-handed starting pitcher from Herat, Afghanistan’s third-largest city with around 574,000 inhabitants. Ma’mur was the first Afghani to earn a Hall of Fame nod. Despite having a more compact frame than your typical ace, Ma’mur was a fireballer with great stuff. His fastball regularly hit 99-101 mph and was mixed with a sinker, circle change, and standard changeup.

The downside was that Ma’mur’s control was average at best and his movement was below average. His stamina was average compared to most ABF aces and he was a weak defensive pitcher. Injuries would also limit his longevity, especially in his 30s. Still, Ma’mur’s raw stuff was impressive enough to make him an elite strikeout pitcher at his peak.

Afghanistan’s baseball scene was quite limited as Ma’mur was growing up and scouts for the relatively new ABF generally spent little time looking there for talent. Ma’mur rose to the top quickly though and caught the attention of Multan, who brought him to Pakistan on a developmental deal in January 1995. Ma’mur spent five full years in their academy, then debuted in 2000 at age 22 as a part-time starter. The Mighty Cocks moved him into the rotation full-time after that.

In his first full season in 2001, Ma’mur tossed a no-hitter with eight strikeouts and three walks against Lahore on September 13. From 2002-06 for Multan, Ma’mur had five straight 300+ strikeout seasons and topped 350+ four times. He was the East League leader in 2002 (370) and 2004 (390). Ma’mur also led in wins at 21-7 in 2003, a season that also had his best full season ERA at 2.30. However, he would never be a Pitcher of the Year finalist in his career.

Multan was competitive at this point, starting with first round wild card exits in 2001 and 2002. The Mighty Cocks exploded to 113-49 and won the ABF Championship over Ankara in 2003. To that point, that was the best-ever record by an ABF champ. In his two playoff starts, Ma’mur allowed two runs over 15 innings with 14 strikeouts. He had a three-hit shutout in the ELCS against Almaty Multan missed the playoffs in 2004, then lost the 2005 ELCS to Lahore. Ma’mur had a 2.31 ERA over 23.1 innings in the 2005 run.

The Mighty Cocks fell towards .500 after that and couldn’t come to terms with Ma’mur, who left for free agency heading towards his age 29 season. With Multan, Ma’mur had a 99-62 record, 2.75 ERA, 1530.2 innings, 2110 strikeouts, 335 walks, 109 ERA+, and 27.2 WAR. He stayed in Pakistan, inking a three-year, $9,520,000 deal with Karachi.

Ma’mur maintained the same production level in his first few years with the Carp, but injuries would begin to limit him. In July 2008, he suffered a ruptured finger tendon. Still, Karachi was happy with his results and gave him a seven-year, $35,080,000 extension in the winter. The Carp were a contender at this point with four straight 100+ win seasons from 2006-09. They lost the 2007 ELCS to Bishkek with Ma’mur struggling in his three starts to a 5.00 ERA. He missed the 2008 postseason, but Karachi won the EL pennant, falling in the ABF Championship to Istanbul.

A herniated disc cost Ma’mur the final months of 2009, including the playoff run. Karachi claimed the ABF Championship over Ankara, earning Ma’mur his second ring. The Carp barely missed the playoffs in 2010, then had a first round exit in 2011. Back and shoulder issues plagued Ma’mur in 2010 with a strained hamstring in the summer of 2011. 2012 would see the big one, a torn UCL in June that put Ma’mur out 12 months. By this point, Karachi’s run as a contender had ended, starting a decade-plus playoff drought.

Even before the UCL tear, Ma’mur’s production had dropped noticeably in 2012. He attempted a 2013 comeback but had a lousy 4.58 ERA over four starts. Shortly after coming back, a strained hamstring put Ma’mur back on the shelf. He retired that winter at age 35, ending his Carp run with a 62-34 record, 2.89 ERA, 945.1 innings, 1250 strikeouts, 219 walks, 110 ERA+, and 19.4 WAR.

Ma’mur finished with a 161-96 record, 2.80 ERA, 2476 innings, 3360 strikeouts, 554 walks, 218/327 quality starts, 78 complete games, 27 shutouts, 109 ERA+, and 46.6 WAR. As of 2037, Ma’mur ranks 47th in wins, 55th in innings, 34th in strikeouts, 61st in complete games, 22nd in shutouts, and 59th in pitching WAR. Among all pitchers with 1000+ innings, his 12.21 K/9 ranks 22nd and his ERA is 93rd. Ma’mur’s 6.63 H/9 ranks 34th and his 0.96 WHIP is 43rd.

Because of his injuries, Ma’mur’s accumulations are certainly lower than most Hall of Fame level aces. He also didn’t have the big awards, but he did get some credit for Multan’s 2003 title run especially. While detractors thought his resume was underwhelming, supporters pointed to his impressive strikeout totals. They argued that without the injuries, Ma’mur would’ve easily landed in a prominent spot on the strikeout leaderboards.

Ma’mur debuted at 55.3% in 2019 and slowly climbed, reaching 63.1% in 2021 and 64.8% in 2022. With few impressive debuts for the 2023 group, Ma’mur earned an impressive bump up to 81.5%. Many scholars argue he’s one of the weaker adds in the Asian Baseball Federation’s Hall of Fame, but Ma’mur secured his 5th ballot slot regardless in 2023.

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Rahman Polat – Center/Left Field – Shiraz Suns – 70.8% Third Ballot

Rahman Polat was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed outfielder from Ankara, the capital of Turkey. Polat was a well-rounded batter with good to great contact, power, and eye ratings; although his strikeout rate was subpar. He had a notably better time against right-handed pitching with .918 OPS and 157 wRC+, although he still found success versus lefties at .800 OPS and 132 wRC+.

Polat’s power was never prolific, but his 162 game average got you plenty of extra base hits with 34 home runs, 27 doubles, and 8 triples. He was a rock solid baserunner and base stealer with nice speed for most of his run. Center field was his primary spot with about 2/3s of his starts there. Most of Polat’s remaining starts were in LF with a few in RF. He graded as below average defensively overall, but he was perfectly serviceable considering his bat’s value.

He managed a 19-year career, but Polat did run into some injury issues, especially with his knees. He was a popular player with fans, but many teammates and coaches were frustrated by Polat. He wasn’t the brightest bulb and was considered to be lazy and unmotivated for most of run. While that may have kept him from reaching his full potential, Polat posted a fine run regardless.

Polat was ranked near the top of the prospect rankings entering ABF’s 2000 Draft. He was picked 3rd overall by Shiraz, who made him a full-time starter immediately. Polat provided 3.5 WAR as a rookie, but did lead the West League in strikeouts at 228. He cut that down significantly after that and would lead the league in walks drawn thrice. From 2003-2006, Polat posted four straight seasons above 8.5 WAR. Those years and 2002 each saw Silver Slugger wins.

In 2005 and 2006, Polat earned MVP honors as he led both years in WAR. 2004 was actually his WAR best at 10.6, but he surprisingly wasn’t an MVP finalist. Polat did take third in 2003’s voting. 2006 had his bests in runs (114), homers (44), RBI (123), walks (84), OPS (1.004), and wRC+ (177). Shiraz had quickly given Polat an eight-year, $24,400,000 extension after the 2003 campaign.

The Suns had been generally awful in their first 15 years, but Polat helped turn them into a contender in the 2000s. They had playoff berths in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, and 2010. Shiraz broke through in 2005 for their first ABF Championship, beating Lahore in the final. The Suns got back to the finale in 2006, but lost in a rematch with the Longhorns. They fell to Istanbul in the 2010 WLCS with first round losses in 2004 and 2008.

Polat was a playoff stud in 2005, winning MVP of the WLCS and the ABF Championship. In 15 starts, he had 20 hits, 8 runs, 5 doubles, 4 homers, 13 RBI, 9 steals, and 1.130 OPS. Polat did even better in 2006 statistically even though he didn’t win the hardware, starting 17 games with 20 hits, 15 runs, 7 doubles, 6 home runs, 15 RBI, 8 walks, 6 steals, and 1.146 OPS. His critical role in Shiraz’s title seasons earned Polat a fondness with many Suns fans and helped get his #22 uniform later retired. Polat’s playoff career with Shiraz had 49 starts, 51 hits, 33 runs, 12 doubles, 14 homers, 37 RBI, 20 walks, 22 steals, .288/.371/.593 slash, 169 wRC+, and 2.9 WAR.

He had missed some time in 2007 and 2008 to injury and did see his production drop noticeably from his peak. 2007 was his final Silver Slugger with Shiraz. Then in 2009, a ruptured finger tendon and a knee sprain together kept Polat out almost the entire season. Another knee sprain bothered him in 2010 with a fractured rib in 2011. Polat still had good starter numbers, but was no longer the MVP-level talent that he had previously been.

Polat’s contract ended after the 2011 campaign, making him a free agent heading towards age 32. With Shiraz, he had 1363 hits, 843 runs, 258 doubles, 70 triples, 299 home runs, 817 RBI, 601 walks, 461 stolen bases, .274/.360/.534 slash, 153 wRC+, and 67.4 WAR. Polat ended up staying in Iran as he signed a four-year, $31,600,000 deal with Isfahan, who had seen WLCS losses thrice in the prior four years.

Despite never playing for one of the Turkish franchises, Polat did regularly represent his country in the World Baseball Championship. From 2002-19, he played 143 games and started 129 with 108 hits, 73 runs, 14 doubles, 6 triples, 27 homers, 63 RBI, 55 stolen bases, 82 walks, .233/.364/.464 slash, and 4.3 WAR. As of 2037, Polat ranks 4th in WAR among Turkish position players. Turkey would earn division titles in both 2006 and 2008.

Isfahan had hoped to get over the hump with Polat, but they spent his tenure generally stuck in the middle tier with no playoff berths. Polat did have a bit of a resurgence when healthy, winning Silver Sluggers in 2013 (CF) and 2015 (LF). 2013 was on a great pace until losing six weeks to a broken collarbone. He struggled in 2014 and had an oblique strain plague him, but Polat bounced back with a 7.7 WAR, .979 OPS in 2015 at age 35. That was his best effort since his 2006 MVP season.

With the Imperials, Polat had 464 hits, 256 runs, 86 doubles, 25 triples, 105 home runs, 289 RBI, 183 walks, 96 steals, .275/.353/.542 slash, 157 wRC+, and 20.6 WAR. His strong contract year greatly increased his value heading back into free agency. Polat decided to leave ABF for the European Baseball Championship, securing $39 million over three years with Birmingham.

Polat was a reliably solid starter for the Bees and really earned his keep in 2018. Birmingham went on a surprise run to the European Championship, besting Munich for the title. Polat was finals MVP, starting 17 games with 20 hits, 12 runs, 2 doubles, 4 home runs, 8 RBI, and .875 OPS. He became one of a very select few to win a finals MVP in multiple leagues.

That effort earned him one more year in England, although age caught up with subpar production and multiple knee sprains in 2019. In four seasons for the Bees, Polat had 550 hits, 326 runs, 58 doubles, 26 triples, 105 home runs, 282 RBI, .281/.352/.499 slash, 135 wRC+, and 13.2 WAR. Polat hoped to still play in 2020, but couldn’t find anyone interested. He officially retired that winter at age 40.

For his combined pro career, Polat had 2377 hits, 1425 runs, 402 doubles, 121 triples, 509 home runs, 1388 RBI, 975 walks, 662 steals, .276/.357/.528 slash, 150 wRC+, and 101.2 WAR. However, most ABF voters didn’t care about his Birmingham run. In ABF, Polat had 1827 hits, 1099 runs, 344 doubles, 95 triples, 404 home runs, 1106 RBI, 784 walks, 557 stolen bases, .274/.358/.536 slash, 154 wRC+, and 88.0 WAR.

As of 2037, Polat ranks 57th in runs, 49th in home runs, 58th in RBI, 29th in walks, 56th in stolen bases, and 30th in WAR among position players. He certainly had accolades with two MVPS and eight Silver Sluggers. Polat’s playoff stats were also impressive, playing a huge role in helping make Shiraz a contender for the first time. However, his grand accumulations were deceptively low in the counting stats. Some voters were especially turned off by the lack of 2000 hits. Polat’s lazy reputation also weighed on some.

Polat missed the cut in his first two ballots with 59.7% and 59.4%. For 2023, a fairly open field allowed his resume to get another pass with a bump up to 70.8%. That earned Polat the third ballot induction as the second member of the Asian Baseball Federation’s 2023 Hall of Fame class.

FuzzyRussianHat

01-13-2025 12:05 PM

2023 ALB Hall of Fame (Part 1)

FuzzyRussianHat

01-13-2025 05:40 PM

2023 ALB Hall of Fame (Part 2)

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Ramy “Bucky” Kayat – Relief Pitcher – Amman Aviators – 68.2% Fifth Ballot

Ramy Kayat was a 6’8’’, 190 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Boumalne Dades, a town of 12,000 in central Morocco. The gangly Kayat was nicknamed “Bucky” and had excellent stuff along with great movement and good control. His one-two punch was sinker/splitter both hitting around 96-98 mph. This gave Kayat an extreme groundball tendency. As relievers go, he had great stamina and impressive durability. Kayat also graded as a good defensive pitcher.

In the 1998 ALB Draft, a teenaged Kayat was picked 21st overall by Casablanca. The Bruins hoped he might fill out a bit more with his long frame, but no luck there. He spent three full seasons in their developmental before debuting in 2002 at age 22. Kayat saw limited use in a year and change for the Bruins with a 2.25 ERA over 32 innings and 20 strikeouts.

Displeased with his developmental, Casablanca traded Kayat to Amman at the deadline in a four-player deal. He did officially earn a ring as the Bruins won it all without him. Kayat finished the year with decent production and was moved into the full-time closer role in 2004 for the Aviators. He struggled that year, but settled into the role after that. Kayat would post eight straight seasons with above 30 saves for Amman.

Kayat became the go-to-guy, leading the Western Conference in games pitched thrice. He led the conference thrice in saves, setting a world record with 58 in 2010. That remains the most in a season in any league as of 2037. The Aviators went a remarkable 116-46 that year with Kayat closing the door in close games. Kayat also had an ALB-record 81 games pitched that season with a 1.66 ERA over 103 innings and 160 strikeouts. His best ERA and WAR were 1.51 and 5.1 in 2009. In 2008, Kayat had his strikeout best at 164.

In 2008 and 2010, Kayat earned Reliever of the Year honors. He finished second in ROTY and Pitcher of the Year in 2009. Most importantly, Kayat was helping Amman win close games and become a contender. The Aviators earned five straight playoff berths from 2008-12. They lost the 2008 conference final to Casablanca, then beat the Bruins for back-to-back pennants in 2009 and 2010. Amman won it all both years, beating Kuwait in 2009 and Basra in 2010. The 2010 title win tied the Aviators for the most wins ever by an ALB champ to that point at 116-46.

Kayat had 20 appearances and 37.2 innings in the playoffs for Amman with 11 saves, 15 shutdowns, a 4-1 record, 2.15 ERA, 54 strikeouts, 6 walks, 171 ERA+, and 0.8 WAR. Kayat did struggle though in the inaugural 2010 Baseball Grand Championship, allowing six runs in only four innings of work. Still, his role in their back-to-back titles wasn’t overlooked and his #22 uniform would be retired at the end of his pro career.

After the 2011 season, Kayat opted to try free agency for the first time at age 32. This marked the end of his Arab League run, although he did regularly come home to Morocco for the World Baseball Championship. Kayat was split between relief and starting in the WBC from 2002-18 with 39 games, 15 starts, 141.2 innings, 2.60 ERA, 7-8 record, 3 saves, 209 strikeouts, 54 walks, and 3.8 WAR. As of 2037, Kayat ranks third in pitching WAR among Moroccans and third in strikeouts.

Kayat got a big MLB payday with a three-year, $25,200,000 deal with Phoenix. He’d be making almost thrice as much as he made in his best year for Amman. Kayat saw very limited use with the Firebirds, although he was very efficient when used with a 0.92 ERA over 49 innings. Kayat had a three-inning scoreless save in the 2012 playoffs as the Firebirds won the World Series. He had one BGC appearance as the Firebirds were among five teams tied for the top spot at 12-7.

Despite pitching well, Kayat couldn’t crack the bullpen and Phoenix cut him in April 2013. He was picked up by Quebec City and again was respectable in limited use with a 2.09 ERA and 19 saves in 47.1 innings. Kayat spent two more years in MLB in mid relief for Seattle with a 2.86 ERA over 100.2 innings, 77 strikeouts, and 1.4 WAR. In total in MLB, he had 24 saves, 52 shutdowns, 2.19 ERA, 197 innings, 163 strikeouts, 171 ERA+, and 4.1 WAR.

Now in his mid 30s, Kayat ended up in Europe on a two-year deal with Prague. He fared poorly for the Pilots with a 4.39 ERA over 139.1 innings, 37 saves, 10-12 record, and -0.2 WAR. Kayat was traded at the deadline in 2017 to the European Second League’s Naples, posting a 3.09 ERA in 23.1 innings. In 2018, Kayat spent time in Charlotte and Las Vegas’s minor league systems, but never made it back to the big time. He retired after the 2018 season at age 39.

For his combined pro career, Kayat had 395 saves and 455 shutdowns, an 83-88 record, 2.57 ERA, 1107.2 innings, 1369 strikeouts, 324 walks, 146 ERA+, and 30.3 WAR. Just in ALB though, Kayat had a 58-69 record, 333 saves, 2.31 ERA, 610 games, 748 innings, 1085 strikeouts, 222 walks, 161 ERA+, and 26.1 WAR. As of 2037, Kayat ranks 6th in saves

Because he left, his accumulations were a bit low compared to some of the other notable ALB relievers, although his stats were somewhat similar to inductee Adlen Sharif. Detractors thought Kayat didn’t play long enough and didn’t have enough raw dominance to belong in the Hall of Fame. Supporters pointed to the 58-save 2010 season, two Reliever of the Year wins, and Kayat’s role in Amman’s back-to-back titles.

Kayat debuted at 57.5% in 2019 and hovered around that mark going to 55.1%, 61.4%, and 54.6%. He managed to get a sizeable bump in 2023 to 68.2%, which was just enough to cross the 66% requirement. With that, Kayat was a fifth ballot inductee and the second of three in ALB’s 2023 HOF class.

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Salem “Goldie” Aldani – Third Base – Dubai Diamonds – 66.1% Third Ballot

Salem Aldani was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed third baseman from Sur, a coastal city around 122,000 in northeast Oman. Aldani was a traditional leadoff man that was stellar at putting the ball in play with great contact skills and a low strikeout rate, although he did rarely walk. He also had blistering speed and great baserunning, becoming a force on the basepaths. Aldani’s gap power was phenomenal and combined with his speed got him 35 doubles and 23 triples per 162 games. You wouldn’t get many home runs from him though, topping 10+ only twice.

Speedy contact hitters aren’t usually third basemen, but that’s where Aldani played in around 80% of games. He was a weak defender overall and didn’t have the cannon arm needed to thrive there. Aldani played some shortstop in his first three years and was awful there. His durability was rock solid with 135+ games in each of his first 16 seasons. Aldani’s exciting play style on the basepaths made him very popular in Dubai, where he spent his signature run.

In the 1996 ALB Draft, the Diamonds picked Aldani 21st overall and made him a starter immediately. He was third in 1997’s Rookie of the Year voting and was a strong starter by year three, which started a streak of eight straight 5+ WAR seasons. Aldani first became an Eastern Conference leader in 2002, topping the EC in hits (214), triples (17), and stolen bases (108) to win a Silver Slugger. That would be his career best for steals.

2002 was also a breakthrough year for Dubai, who had seven division titles in the prior years but nothing to show for it. They began a seven-year playoff streak in 2001 and won their first-ever Arab League Championship in 2002 at 95-67, beating Alexandria in the final. The Diamonds had a franchise record 109-53 in 2003 and won the conference again, but fell to 108-win Casablanca in the final. Dubai would suffer first round exits in the following four years.

In 35 playoff starts for Dubai, Aldani had 42 hits, 20 runs, 14 doubles, 7 triples, 13 RBI, 8 walks, 14 steals, .318/.366/.553 slash, 152 wRC+, and 1.0 WAR. They were excited for the future, giving Aldani a five-year, $9,420,000 extension in June 2003. He won three straight Silver Sluggers from 2003-05 and took third in 2003’s MVP voting. 2003 was Aldani’s lone batting title at .363 and had career bests in WAR (7.2) and the triple slash (.363/.399/.571) and OPS (.970). He also led in triples each year from 2002-05.

To Dubai’s great disappointment, Aldani opted out of his deal after the 2005 season, becoming a free agent at 31. For the Diamonds, he had 1795 hits, 855 runs, 345 doubles, 163 triples, 78 home runs, 593 RBI, 769 steals, .329/.363/.495 slash, 138 wRC+, and 45.5 WAR. He remained very popular for his role in Dubai’s first pennants and his #11 uniform would eventually be retired. However, Aldani wouldn’t be back in the Arab World for around a decade.

Aldani opened up a worldwide search for his next gig and ended up in Spain, signing with the European Baseball Federation’s Barcelona Bengals at $29,520,000 over six years. Aldani wouldn’t be an award winner with Barcelona, but he was a reliable 4-5 WAR starter each year in his run. He did win a batting title there in 2009 at .365, his only time as a league leader.

Most importantly for Barcelona, Aldani helped them sustain team success. They went 111-51 in 2006 and won the Southern Conference, falling to Kyiv in the European Championship. The Bengals went 96-66 in 2007 and got to the finals again, this time winning in a rematch with the Kings. Barcelona narrowly missed the 2007 and 2008 playoffs. The Bengals lost the 2010 conference finals, but won the 2011 pennant. They were denied the 2011 EBF title by Cologne.

Over 43 playoff starts, Aldani had 61 hits, 25 runs, 6 doubles, 9 triples, 4 home runs, 20 RBI, 7 walks, 20 steals, .355/.383/.564 slash, 160 wRC+, and 1.7 WAR. Aldani did struggle in the 2011 Baseball Grand Championship as Barcelona went 6-13. Still, got the deserved reputation as a clutch playoff performer and earned plenty of respect in Spain for his role in Barcelona’s late 2000s/early 2010s success.

With the Bengals, Aldani had 1203 hits, 609 runs, 160 doubles, 168 triples, 33 homers, 334 RBI, 480 stolen bases, .330/.368/.493 slash, 135 wRC+, and 27.0 WAR. He was a free agent again at age 37 and again cast a wide net for his next home. Aldani ended up in Peru on a two-year, $11,800,000 deal with Callao of Beisbol Sudamerica.

In his 2012 debut, Aldani won a Silver Slugger and led the Bolivar League with 222 hits. The Cats finished 103-59 and defeated Concepcion in Copa Sudamerica, although Aldani missed the playoffs to a late September knee sprain. Still, this gave him a very unique feat of having three championship rings from three different world leagues. He regressed a bit in 2013 and was moved to a part-time role with only 1.8 WAR. For Callao, he had 6.8 WAR total and .870 OPS.

Now 39-years old, Aldani made his return to ALB on a two-year deal with Baghdad. He was respectable in 69 games, but missed much of the season to a concussion. The Brown Bears let him go and he joined Medina for 2015. Aldani was unimpressive in 114 games for the Mastodons with .746 OPS and 0.8 WAR and missed part of the fall to a sprained ankle. Aldani was unsigned in 2016 and retired that winter at age 42.

For his combined pro career, Aldani had 2760 games, 3589 hits, 1723 runs, 594 doubles, 381 triples, 127 home runs, 1094 RBI, 526 walks, 9.0% strikeout rate, 1465 stolen bases, .331/.366/.491 slash, 135 wRC+, and 82.1 WAR. Among all world players as of 2037, that ranked him 42nd in hits, 19th in triples, and 22nd in stolen bases. Aldani did also have the unfortunate stat of 1007 times caught stealing, one of only three in world history to be nailed 1000+ times.

However, his ALB tallies were much lower since it was just nine years with Dubai, plus his final two seasons. Aldani had 2011 hits, 942 runs, 389 doubles, 172 triples, 84 home runs, 651 RBI, 835 stolen bases, .328/.363/.489 slash, 136 wRC+, and 48.4 WAR. As of 2037, Aldani was 92nd in hits, 11th in triples, 33rd in steals, 9th in caught stealing, and 99th in WAR for position players. Aldani’s batting average did rank 30th among those with 3000+ plate appearances.

Purely on ALB stats, Aldani’s totals were way too low for many voters, especially for a leadoff guy without power stats. Supporters gave Aldani some credit for his EBF/BSA tallies, arguing that had he stayed that he would’ve been in the mix for the top spot in hits, steals, runs, and triples. But detractors noted that he didn’t stay and thus didn’t belong. Aldani’s ALB WAR would be the lowest amongst all position players to get in.

Also working in Aldani’s favor though were strong playoff stats that outperformed his regular season stats. He was a crucial part of Dubai’s back-to-back conference titles and their 2002 ALB ring. The mythical “clutchiness” was enduring in his popularity and helped Aldani overcome accumulation deficiencies for many supporters. He debuted at 55.4% in 2021 and fell slightly to 52.6% in 2022. In 2023, Aldani boosted barely across the line at 66.1%. Regardless, that was enough to earn a third ballot induction to cap off ALB’s 2023 Hall of Fame class.

FuzzyRussianHat

01-14-2025 04:57 AM

2023 AAB Hall of Fame (Part 1)

The African Association of Baseball’s 2023 Hall of Fame class was an impressive one with three players added and each getting above 92% of the vote. RF Felix Chaula (99.3%), 3B/DH Marlin Kimwaki (97.1%), and OF Negue Rouillard (92.8%) were each important superstars in the early years for AAB. The best returner was 2B Gedeon Bukasa, who missed the cut at 51.6% on his fifth ballot. No one else was above 50%.

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Two players were dropped from the ballot after ten failed tries. SP Siyabonga Zongo peaked with his 26.7% debut and was down at 8.2% by the end. He was hurt by leaving AAB after only eight years with Durban, but he had three ERA titles and three Pitcher of the Year wins in that short time. A torn rotator cuff ultimately derailed Zongo’s hopes of MLB glory after leaving South Africa.

For Durban, Zongo had a 114-64 record, 2.85 ERA, 1634.1 innings, 1745 strikeouts, 319 walks, 141 ERA+, and 44.4 WAR. He helped the Deer win the Africa Series twice and certainly seemed well on his way to HOF glory had he remained in AAB and stayed healthy. It’s rare for a three-time Pitcher of the Year to miss the cut, but Zongo just wasn’t around long enough even for those voters who valued big peaks over longevity.

Catcher Robbie Lenihan also dropped after ten ballots, peaking at 27.9% in his debut and ending at 7.2%. The Scottish lefty played his first seven seasons in London, then had a 14-year tenure between five times in AAB. He won four Gold Gloves and was part of championship teams in 2004 for Dar es Salaam and 2005 for Antananarivo.

Lenihan had 1120 AAB hits, 747 runs, 268 doubles, 200 home runs, 669 RBI, 1242 walks, .224/.389/.401 slash, 123 wRC+, and 51.8 WAR. He was fantastic at drawing walks and finished with 1717 for his entire pro career, which ranks 12th among all players ever. Few catchers as long as Lenihan, retiring at age 43.

If his EBF tallies were with his AAB ones, he might have made it on longevity. However, it was hard for catchers in the best of times to get HOF notice with the lower accumulations that come naturally with the position. Plus, many see the low batting average and high strikeout rate before they notice the high walk tally and OBP. Lenihan certainly goes down as one of the more unique figures from early AAB as a Scotsman that became a favorite throughout Africa.

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Felix Chaula – Right Field – Lilongwe Lightning – 99.3% First Ballot

Felix Chaula was a 6’1’’, 190 pound right-handed right fielder from Lindi, a city of 95,000 on Tanzania’s southeastern coast. It is nicknamed as Tanzania’s coconut capital. Chaula had stellar home run power and an excellent eye for drawing walks. He was a good contact hitter, although his strikeout rate was below average. Chaula’s incredible power gave him 55 homers per his 162 game average, becoming one of the most impressive sluggers in world history.

His power was homer-centric, but Chaula’s 162 game average still got you 29 doubles per well. His baserunning skills were decent, but his speed was mediocre at best. Chaula’s defensive range was iffy, but he had a very strong arm to offset it somewhat. He spent the vast majority of his time in right field with below average results on the whole, but he was far from a liability. Despite the career metrics, he won Gold Gloves in 2002 and 2003. Chaula played some left later in his career with weaker results.

Chaula had good durability along with a tireless work ethic and toughness. He wasn’t the smartest, but his drive and natural talent were both overwhelming. Despite bouncing around throughout his career, Chaula was beloved everywhere he went by fans. He was one of the first true massive global baseball superstars to come out of AAB and would be one of the most popular African stars.

Very quickly Chaula rose through the amateur ranks and was almost universally considered the top prospect for the 1997 AAB Draft. Lilongwe picked him with the #1 pick and made him a full-time starter, immediately, although he missed more than half of his rookie season between a hamstring strain and strained oblique. Chaula started to look elite in his second and third seasons, although he did lose over a month both seasons to injuries. He would mostly avoid notable injuries for roughly the next decade.

By 2001, Chaula was fully living up to the hype. From 2001-2003, he led the Southern Conference each year in WAR, home runs, OPS, wRC+, and slugging. Chaula won MVP and Silver Slugger all three years and had Gold Gloves in 2002 and 2003. By WAR, 2003 was the best season of his career at 10.1. From 2002-06, he led each season in on-base percentage as well. Chaula dropped from his 9+ WAR MVP peaks in 2004 and 2005, but added two additional Silver Sluggers.

Despite Chaula’s efforts, Lilongwe generally stunk and only averaged 76.5 wins per season during his run. The Lightning would be the last original AAB team to earn a playoff spot, finally doing it in 2021. It was Chaula’s longest tenure and he’d be inducted wearing the Lilongwe L hat. He would have arguably more memorable tenures elsewhere, as he’d leave for contenders after his time in Malawi. Chaula was beloved in Lilongwe for trying so hard for a bad team and his #28 uniform would later be retired.

With Lilongwe, Chaula had 1075 hits, 721 runs, 200 doubles, 367 home runs, 807 RBI, 575 walks, .297/.407/.666 slash, 187 wRC+, and 55.8 WAR. He left for free agency after the 2005 campaign at age 30 and didn’t come to terms with anyone until spring training. Chaula ended up with a one-year, $3,560,000 deal with Kinshasa. The Sun Cats had been AAB’s first dynasty, having won nine Central Conference titles and six Africa Series rings in AAB’s first 11 years.

Oddly enough, Chaula’s one year in Kinshasa was their first season outside of the playoffs. The Sun Cats finished 86-76, vacating the throne to what would be a dynasty run for Addis Ababa. Chaula held up his end though, winning his fourth MVP and another Silver Slugger. He led in runs, homers, RBI, total bases, OBP, slugging, OPS, wRC+, and WAR. That year had Chaula’s career highs for OBP (.466), slugging (.782), OPS (1.248), and wRC+ (221). As of 2037, his OPS mark ranks as the 8th best single season in AAB history and the OBP ranks 3rd best.

With a possible rebuild coming, Kinshasa couldn’t lock up Chaula long-term. Back in free agency, he signed a three-year, $11,360,000 deal with Durban, the defending AAB champ. The Deer finished second in the Southern Conference in 93-69, but got hot and repeated as champs in an Africa Series rematch with Addis Ababa. Chaula won his seventh Silver Slugger and was third in MVP voting.

2007 was his first taste of the playoffs and Chaula went ham, earning conference championship MVP and his first ring. In 14 starts, he had 19 hits, 17 runs, 6 doubles, 7 homers, 8 RBI, 1.294, and 1.3 WAR. Chaula’s 17 runs were a new AAB playoff record and would only get topped once in the next 30 years. In the regular season, he had 7.1 WAR and .993 OPS. That was actually the first time since his rookie year that his OPS was below one.

Although it was Chaula’s first playoff experience, he had been participating on the World Baseball Championship stage for his native Tanzania. He kept coming home for the WBC even as he moved across Africa for his pro career. From 2001-19, Chaula started 126 games with 100 hits, 68 runs, 23 doubles, 38 home runs, 88 RBI, .235/.373/.556 slash, and 6.3 WAR. As of 2037, he leads all Tanzanian position players in WAR and ranks 2nd in homers, 3rd in runs, 4th in hits, and 2nd in RBI.

Chaula’s Durban run lasted only the one championship season, as he opted out of his deal and was again a free agent at age 32. He’d be headed to his fourth team in as many years, although this one would stick for a bit. Chaula missed spring training and finally signed a one-year, $3,400,000 deal with Addis Ababa on April 9. He would ink a five-year, $18 million extension with the Brahmas by July. AA had won back-to-back conference titles before he arrived, but Chaula would help turn the Brahmas into an all-time dynasty.

From 2008-13, Addis Ababa became the first team in any professional league to six-peat as overall champion. Chaula had career highs in 2009 in runs (135), homers (68), and RBI (136) to win his fifth MVP. He led in OPS, OBP, and wRC+ thrice in the run and won his six MVP in 2012, joining his teammate Mwarami Tale as the only six-time MVP winners in AAB history.

Tale had gotten his fifth and sixth in 2010 and 2011 and would earn his seventh in 2013. Chaula was third in 2008 and 2010’s MVP voting and second in 2011. From 2009-13, Chaula won Silver Sluggers each year. He and Tale raced up the leaderboards and both reached 600 home runs and 1500 RBI while in Ethiopia. Chaula got to 1500 runs scored as well in 2012, becoming the second to reach all three marks behind Mohau Sibiya.

With arguably AAB’s two greatest players together and with fellow Class of 2023 Hall of Famer Marlin Kimwaki, Addis Ababa was utterly unstoppable. Not only did they six-peat, but they won the 2010 Africa Series with a 120-42 record. That is AAB’s winningest-ever season and is considered by many as the league’s greatest ever team. As of 2037, it is one of only ten teams in world history to win it all with 120+ victories.

Chaula was a playoff force as well, winning Central Conference Finals MVP and Africa Series MVP in 2009. He was the conference final MVP again in 2010 and 2013. Over 63 playoff starts, Chaula had 71 hits, 42 runs, 14 doubles, 22 home runs, 46 RBI, 39 walks, .314/.427/.668 slash, 197 wRC+, 1.095 OPS, and 4.2 WAR. Adding his Durban run, Chaula had career playoff marks of 1.133 OPS, 206 wRC+, and 5.5 WAR. Few players ever boasted such incredible offensive efficiency in the postseason. As of 2037, Chaula ranks 3rd in AAB playoff hits, 2nd in runs, 2nd in homers, and 4th in RBI. His teammate Mwarami Tale was the only guy ahead of him in all four stats.

The Baseball Grand Championship began in 2010 and with their dynasty, Addis Ababa got to participate in the first four. The Brahmas were 6-3 in the initial divisional format in 2010. In the later round robin formats, AA was 10-9 in 2011, 11-8 in 2012, and 10-9 in 2013. Although Addis Ababa didn’t get the top spot, they were quite competitive with the world’s best despite AAB being the newest of the major leagues.

Chaula’s impressive play carried onto the grandest stage. Over 65 BGC games, Chaula had 63 hits, 44 runs, 15 doubles, 24 home runs, 42 RBI, 44 walks, .280/.415/.667 slash, 1.082 OPS, and 4.3 WAR. Even if he was inducted in Lilongwe’s colors, the world remembered Chaula’s greatness in Brahmas blue. Their six-peat by any measure is one of the absolute top dynasties in baseball history.

For Addis Ababa, Chaula had 805 hits, 641 runs, 134 doubles, 329 home runs, 708 RBI, 611 walks, .281/.421/.677 slash, 1.098 OPS, 193 wRC+, and 46.0 WAR. In his final year there in 2013, he missed almost half the season to a strained back and oblique strain. Still, that year Chaula became the first AAB slugger to 800 career home runs. He had also taken over the top spots for runs and RBI, although Tale was on his tail.

Chaula’s Brahmas deal expired after the 2013 season and he was now a 38-year old free agent. He ended up next in Mogadishu on a two-year, $22,600,000 deal. It showed how quickly AAB and its salaries had grown, as his two year Mighty Mice deal would pay him slightly more than he got all six years for the Brahmas. Chaula won two more Silver Sluggers and took third in 2015’s MVP voting. Chaula finished on an absolute tear in 2015 with 1.158 OPS, 208 wRC+, and 7.3 WAR, but he only played 116 games because of early season injuries.

Mogadishu was in the middle of the standings in his run, but he was able to add to his impressive tallies. While in Somalia, Chaula had 13.0 WAR over 270 games, 238 hits, 196 runs, 56 doubles, 85 home runs, 198 RBI, 186 walks, .274/.412/.635 slash, 184 wRC+, and 13.0 WAR. He was still clearly elite as he returned to free agency as a 40-year old. Chaula next signed a two-year, $21,200,000 deal with Brazzaville.

The Blowfish run was sadly brief as Chaula suffered a severe concussion in May that kept him out nine months. He only played 27 games for Brazzaville, but he joined the very short list of players to have eight championship rings as the Blowfish won it all. Chaula was also one of a select few to have championship rings from three different franchises. He wouldn’t meet the criteria for the second year of his Brazzaville contract.

Chaula was determined to play again and signed for 2017 with Kampala. His production was down noticeably from his prime, but he still was a solid starter for the Peacocks. While there, Chaula reached the 900 home run, 2500 hit, and 2000 RBI milestones. He was the first in AAB to reach 900 homers or 2000 RBI and was one of a very small group in any league to get there. This would mark the final year of AAB run. His former teammate Mwarami Tale would stick around for another three years and usurp Chaula’s #1 spots on the leaderboards.

He wasn’t done with pro baseball quite yet, as the beloved megastar received a three-year, $24,700,000 deal to play for MLB’s Atlanta Aces. He was merely okay in 2018 with 1.4 WAR and .803 OPS over 138 games. Chaula played only four games in 2019 before getting cut by Atlanta in April. He spent the rest of the year in the minor leagues for Toronto’s affiliate in Hamilton. Chaula retired from the game that winter at age 44.

Chaula’s final AAB numbers saw 2636 games, 2565 hits, 1874 runs, 481 doubles, 925 home runs, 2021 RBI, 1647 walks, 2192 strikeouts, 104 stolen bases, .288/.412/.659 slash, 1.071 OPS, 187 wRC+, and 135.5 WAR. As of 2037, Chaula is 2nd behind only Tale in homers, runs, RBI, and WAR. He also ranks 2nd in walks (behind Luke Tembo), 13th in hits, 30th in doubles, 10th in strikeouts, and 6th in games played.

Among all AAB batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Chaula’s OPS still ranks 4th. His triple slash ranks 92nd/4th/7th. Most conversations for AAB’s greatest ever player are merely Chaula versus Tale debates with most giving the edge to Tale for his higher stat totals. It should be no surprise that when they were teammates, they put together one of baseball’s greatest-ever dynasties.

Adding his Atlanta totals, Chaula’s pro career had 2778 games, 2687 hits, 1936 runs, 501 doubles, 948 home runs, 2092 RBI, 1690 walks, 2318 strikeouts, .286/.409/.649 slash, 1.057 OPS, 184 wRC+, and 136.7 WAR. As of 2037 among all pros, Chaula ranks 12th in homers, 45th in RBI, and 14th in walks drawn. Among all Hall of Famers, Chaula is 7th in OPS, 24th in OBP, 9th in slugging, and 45th in wRC+.

Chaula is clearly one of baseball’s best-ever bats, although the higher-scoring AAB environment did help him out in raw totals. He’s one of only 21 in world history to win 14 or more Silver Sluggers. Chaula narrowly missed the top 50 for WAR among position players, losing some ground for unremarkable defense and baserunning. However, few stepped up more in the playoffs as Chaula’s OPS (1.113) and wRC+ (206) were shockingly higher in the postseason than his gaudy regular season marks.

Regardless of his exact ranking among the world’s greats, Chaula was a huge reason why the African Association of Baseball was such an immediate success. His efforts quickly legitimized AAB as an equal or better than many of the more tenured world leagues. Chaula and his fellow Tanzanian Mwarami Tale sit atop AAB’s Mount Rushmore as legends of African baseball. Somehow Chaula only got 99.3%, but deservedly was the headliner even in a loaded three-player 2023 Hall of Fame class for AAB.

FuzzyRussianHat

01-14-2025 09:27 AM

2023 AAB Hall of Fame (Part 2)

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Marlin “Kiwi” Kimwaki – Third Base/Designated Hitter – Addis Ababa Brahmas – 97.1% First Ballot

Marlin Kimwaki was a 6’1’’, 205 pound left-handed hitting third baseman from Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He was nicknamed “Kiwi” as a shortened form of his last name. Kimwaki was known for having reliably solid power with a 162 game average of 39 home runs, 29 doubles, and 5 triples. He was an above average contact hitter with a respectable strikeout rate for the league, although he drew walks less often than you might expect.

Kimwaki was a very smart and crafty baserunner, making the most of having merely above average speed. He was a much better bat against right-handed pitching with a career .906 OPS and 140 wRC+. Kimwaki was just above average versus lefties at a 105 wRC+ and .755 OPS. He had impressive durability and an excellent work ethic over an 19-year career.

Defensively, almost all of his starts came at third base. Kimwaki graded as a mediocre defender, leading to around 40% of his starts coming as a designated hitter. Kimwaki’s powerful bat and work ethic made him extremely popular as a part of what would become an epic dynasty for Addis Ababa. His entire pro career came with the Brahmas, who snagged him from the DR Congo in April 1996 with a teenage amateur developmental deal.

Kimwaki was a rare debut as a teenager, playing 70 games and starting 59 in 1999 at age 19. He was similarly a part-timer in 2000, then secured a full-time gig from 2001 onward. Although Addis Ababa became a powerhouse, they were a mid-tier team in Kimwaki’s early years. His bat certainly wasn’t mid, leading the Central Conference from 2003-05 in total bases. Kimwaki led in RBI in both 2003 and 2004. He also led in hits in 2001 and in homers and slugging in 2004.

He never won MVP honors, in part for playing a lot of DH and because of such strong competition for the spot. Kimwaki was second in voting in 2003 and 2004, then took third in 2005 and 2011. He won Silver Sluggers as a DH from 2003-05. Kimwaki then won six more at third base from 2006-08 and 2010-12. He became a popular face of the franchise and signed a seven-year, $26,360,000 extension in May 2007.

Kinshasa was the Central Conference’s original powerhouse, but they ceded the crown to Addis Ababa in 2006. That started a run of eight straight conference titles for the Brahmas, although they lost the 2006 and 2007 Africa Series to Durban. The run though showed that AA was cooking something special, leading to the signing of Felix Chaula in 2008 and Mwarami Tale in 2010.

From there, Addis Ababa had the first-ever six-peat by any world franchise, winning the Africa Series each year from 2008-2013. That included a 120-42 mark in 2010, which is widely viewed as AAB’s best-ever team. Kimwaki maintained steady regular season production through the dynasty, although his role as the franchise’s icon was usurped by Chaula and Tale. Part of that was also due to Kimwaki’s playoff performances.

Despite the team’s success, Kimwaki’s postseason stats were incredibly underwhelming. In 100 games, he had 90 hits, 54 runs, 15 doubles, 20 home runs, 57 RBI, 17 steals, .241/.285/.457 slash, .742 OPS, 99 wRC+, and 1.5 WAR. Kimwaki wasn’t much better in the Baseball Grand Championship appearances with 65 games, 56 hits, 33 runs, 9 doubles, 16 home runs, 40 RBI, .225/.281/.454 slash, .735 OPS, and 1.2 WAR. He wasn’t bad per se, but his big game tallies were far from elite. Still purely based on longevity, Kimwaki ranks 3rd in playoff hits and runs as of 2037 behind Tale and Chaula. He also is 5th in playoff homers and 3rd in RBI.

Kimwaki’s stats were similarly pedestrian playing for the DR Congo in the World Baseball Championship. From 2001-17, he played 72 games and started 55 with 50 hits, 27 runs, 4 doubles, 13 homers, 33 RBI, .229/.289/.427 slash, .715 OPS, and 1.0 WAR.

Addis Ababa’s reign ended in 2014 as they were upset by Nairobi in the conference championship. The Brahmas missed the playoffs in 2015, then entered a period at the bottom after that. Kimwaki stuck around as the other stars bolted, inking a four-year, $25,800,000 extension after the 2014 season. He was soon to be 35-years old by this point and had seen his numbers drop from his previous reliable tallies.

Kimwaki was a part-time platoon starter in 2014, 2015, and 2017 with one last full-time starting year in 2016. He regressed to actively bad by 2017 and was let go after the season. Kimwaki was unsigned in 2018 and retired that winter at age 38. Addis Ababa quickly brought him back in to retire his #13 uniform for an impressive 19 years of service. He retired as AAB’s all-time hits leader, but held that spot very briefly with Tale and Fani Ngambi passing him by the end of the 2010s.

In total, Kimwaki had 2684 games, 2737 hits, 1532 runs, 483 doubles, 77 triples, 648 home runs, 1765 RBI, 565 walks, 512 steals, .278/.329/.540 slash, 132 wRC+, and 65.6 WAR. As of 2037, Kimwaki is 7th in hits, 14th in runs, 28th in doubles, 13th in home runs, 9th in RBI, and 22nd in WAR among position players. His slugging percentage is 87th among batters with 3000+ plate appearances.

Kimwaki was certainly overshadowed by some teammates during the peak dynasty run, but his tallies were easily deserving on their own merit. He was equally beloved in Ethiopia and remains the Addis Ababa franchise leader in games and hits. Kimwaki would be a Hall of Fame headliner in most classes, taking the #2 spot in the loaded 2023 AAB crew at 97.1%.

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Negue Rouillard – Center Field – Lusaka Lake Monsters – 92.8% First Ballot

Negue Rouillard was a 6’3’’, 200 pound right-handed center fielder from Moundou, Chad’s second-largest city with around 138,000 inhabitants. As of 2037, Rouillard is the only Chadian member of AAB’s Hall of Fame. He was a solid contact hitter with an impressively reliable pop in his bat. Rouillard was especially good at finding the gap with 43 doubles and 6 triples per his 162 game average. He could go yard though with 32 homers per 162, including two 40+ seasons.

Rouillard had a fairly low strikeout rate for a guy of his power, although he was below average at drawing walks compared to other AAB bats. He was one of the slickest and craftiest baserunners in the game. Rouillard’s speed was above average to good, but not incredible. Still, few guys knew how to infuriate opposing pitchers more once he got on.

His speed wasn’t good enough to thrive in center field, although he played almost his entire career there. Rouillard’s iffy range made him a well below average defender, but his offensive ability was strong enough to make coaches put up with his lacking glove work. Rouillard also stayed impressively durable at a demanding position, starting 145+ games in all but one season from 2002-17. He was a popular baseball figure throughout Zambia, playing most of his career with Lusaka.

The Lake Monsters caught wind of Rouillard as a teenage amateur in Chad and signed him to a developmental deal in January 1997. Rouillard debuted in 2001 at age 21 with 20 games and 1 start. He earned the full-time role for 2002 and held it steadfastly for the next 14 seasons. Rouillard posted a conference-best 46 doubles and had 7.7 WAR and 42 homers in 2002 to earn Rookie of the Year and a Silver Slugger.

Rouillard didn’t win his next Slugger until 2010, although that was due to stiff competition. He won again in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014. Rouillard placed third in MVP voting in 2006 and 2008. 2008 had his career best WAR, leading the Southern Conference at 8.7. It was also his lone season with an OPS above one at 1.005. Rouillard led in hits twice, runs once, doubles thrice, and triples once. He scored 100+ runs in seven different seasons.

He remained steadfast to Lusaka, who didn’t have a winning season from 1998-2007. Rouillard signed a four-year, $8,070,000 extension after the 2007 season, followed by a six-year, $23,600,000 extension in June 2011. He helped the Lake Monsters to their first-ever sustained success, earning four consecutive playoff berths from 2010-13.

Lusaka lost in the 2010 conference final to Harare and in 2011 to Maputo. They broke through though for back-to-back pennants in 2012-13, although they couldn’t get by the Addis Ababa dynasty in the Africa Series. Rouillard was solid in the 2012 run, but was terrible in his other postseason tries. He finished with 42 starts, 41 hits, 24 runs, 8 doubles, 3 triples, 4 homers, 23 RBI, .229/.254/.374 slash, 66 wRC+, and 0.3 WAR.

While some fans derided him as a playoff choker, most realized that Lusaka wouldn’t have become a contender without him. The Lake Monsters fell to 73-89 in 2014, then got back to the playoffs with a conference finals loss to Johannesburg in 2015. That marked the end of their competitive window. Now in his mid 30s, Rouillard’s production and power started to wane with age. In his final year of 2016, he was reduced to a backup role with only 90 games and 59 starts.

For Lusaka, Rouillard had 2555 hits, 1399 runs, 578 doubles, 83 triples, 466 home runs, 1368 RBI, 688 walks, 768 stolen bases, .295/.348/.542 slash, 140 wRC+, and 77.2 WAR. The Lake Monsters later retired his #1 uniform for his impressive effort. Rouillard felt he could still go and Kigali gave him a shot for 2017 on a one-year, $720,000 deal.

Rouillard notably led in doubles with 47 in 2017, but posted only 2.8 WAR and .805 OPS over the season. He had become the second to 2500 hits, one year after his Hall of Fame classmate Marlin Kimwaki did it. Rouillard wanted to chase 3000, but 2017 would be his final season in the top tier, finishing just behind Kimwaki. Rouillard played one final year in the newly formed African Second League in 2018 for Bulawayo. He was unsigned in 2019 and retired that winter at age 39.

For his AAB run, Rouillard had 2409 games, 2720 hits, 1490 runs, 625 doubles, 87 triples, 487 home runs, 1441 RBI, 726 walks, 823 stolen bases, .294/.347/.537 slash, 139 wRC+, and 80.0 WAR. As of 2037, Rouillard ranks 10th in hits, 18th in runs, 5th in doubles, 28th in home runs, 18th in RBI, and 14th in WAR among position players. His .885 OPS is 96th among AAB batters with 3000+ plate appearances.

Rouillard was never THE guy in his career, but he was a reliably solid starter for a long time and one of AAB’s early stars. He helped Lusaka find its footing and earn its first pennants in the early 2010s. Rouillard’s Hall of Fame case was easy and he got 92.8%, capping off a stellar three-player 2023 class for the African Association of Baseball.

FuzzyRussianHat

01-14-2025 06:35 PM

2023 World Baseball Championship

FuzzyRussianHat

01-15-2025 05:05 AM

2023 in A2L

FuzzyRussianHat

01-15-2025 03:51 PM

2023 in E2L

FuzzyRussianHat

01-15-2025 07:07 PM

2023 in AAB

https://i.imgur.com/VB2SxiM.jpeg

Defending Southern Conference champ Antananarivo finished first in the standings again with a franchise-best 107-55 mark. The Eagles earned their third straight playoff berth, leading the conference with 847 runs. Harare was a strong second at 100-62 to set up a conference finals rematch. Lilongwe was third at 94-68 and Cape Town was fourth at 90-72.

The gap between the new teams of the African Second League and the African Association’s top tier were still evident. In their first year in the big time, Nampula finished at the bottom at 61-101 to get relegated right back. The Pheasants’ pitching staff had only 957 strikeouts and a 5.96 K/9, setting new AAB lows. Durban only narrowly escaped relegation at 65-97, beating Nampula by four games.

Harare designated hitter Maninho Magaia won his second Southern Conference MVP in three years. The 28-year old Mozambican led in homers for the third straight year, this time smacking 72. This was five short of the single-season record and one behind Magaia’s only 73 from the prior year. He also led in runs (129), total bases (398) and slugging (.689) while adding 127 RBI, 1.058 OPS, 183 wRC+, and 7.0 WAR. Magaia would eventually get his long-term deal with the Hustlers in August 2025 at $151.8 million over six years.

Lilongwe righty Julian Ndaya repeated as Pitcher of the Year, leading in wins (21-6) and WAR (7.0). The Congolese 29-year old had a 2.99 ERA over 243.2 innings, 270 strikeouts, and 137 ERA+. Ndaya also picked up his sixth Gold Glove. He stayed one more year with the Lightning before inking a big free agent deal with Lubumbashi at $118.8 million over six years.

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In the top-heavy Central Conference, three-time defending Africa Series champ Kampala (105-57) outraced Ndjamena (102-60) for the top spot. The Peacocks took first for the fifth time in six years, leading all of AAB in scoring at 882 runs. Kampala’s offense had 63 triples, setting a new conference record. Their pitching staff also had a 1.102 WHIP, which was the third-lowest in conference history. The Peacocks dynasty had become wildly popular throughout Uganda, setting a new AAB season attendance record at 2,091,156. That mark would only finally be passed in 2034.

The Magic took second again to set up the conference finals rematch, allowing the fewest runs at 608. There was a big 14 game gap to third place with both Lubumbashi and Nairobi at 88-74. At the bottom, Bangui failed miserably in their first year in the top tier at 52-110, getting relegated right back down. They had the second worst record in AAB history to that point with only 2019 Addis Ababa worse at 48-114.

Taking Central Conference MVP was Kampala right fielder Menzi Maketa. The 27-year old South African led in RBI (135) while posting 42 homers, 108 runs, 1.011 OPS, 173 wRC+, and 6.4 WAR. This effort earned Maketa a seven-year, $169.4 million extension the following spring. His Peacocks teammate Djibrilla Ousseini notably had 222 hits and 7.9 WAR as the leadoff guy, falling six hits short of the AAB single-season record.

Kampala also had the Pitcher of the Year as Ermias Tadele won it for the third time (2018, 2021, 2023). In his sixth year with the Peacocks, the 35-year old Ethiopian lefty led in wins (23-1), WHIP (0.87), K/BB (8.5), quality starts (24), FIP- (50), and WAR (10.0). Tadele had a 2.47 ERA and 263 strikeouts over 240.2 innings with a 165 ERA+. He posted the third-highest single-season WAR for an AAB pitcher to that point, narrowly missing Mobutu Kandol’s top mark of 10.17 from 2001. Tadele’s .958 winning percentage also set a new AAB record.

In 2023, Tadele became the third AAB pitcher to 200 career wins and the fifth to 3000 strikeouts. He finished the year at 215 wins, passing Franklin Goagoseb (208) and Henry Kibirige (203) for the #1 spot. Tadele led in WAR for the seventh straight year and became the only AAB pitcher with 100+ for his career. He pitched one more year for the Peacocks, then had his final season with Bujumbura in 2025.

For the second time in AAB history (2011-12), both conference finals saw rematches. They both had the same end result as well with Antananarivo defeating Harare 4-2 to repeat as Southern Conference champs and with Kampala sweeping Ndjamena in the Central Conference final. The Eagles secured their sixth pennant (2002, 03, 05, 08, 22, 23) while the Peacocks won their fourth in a row and fifth in six years.

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The 29th Africa Series did see a reversed result from the prior season. Antananarivo broke up the dynasty and denied Kampala’s four-peat, taking the series 5-3. It was the second title for the Eagles, joining their 2005 championship win. 1B Helmi Yousif was their top performer, winning conference finals MVP and posting 13 hits, 8 runs, 4 doubles, 5 homers, and 14 RBI in 13 playoff starts. Kampala 1B Relebogile Matima won finals MVP in defeat with 14 hits, 9 runs, 7 homers, and 12 RBI over 11 playoff starts.

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This did mark the end of the great Kampala dynasty, as they wouldn’t be back in the AAB playoffs for a decade-plus. With four titles and a runner-up over a six year run; along with two second place finishes in the Baseball Grand Championship; they certainly go down as an all-timer. Many fans still rate Addis Ababa’s 2008-13 six-peat and Kinshasa’s six titles and nine pennants from 1995-05 higher. Still, the Peacocks’ showings in Africa and on the world stage greatly raised AAB’s stock internationally as a top flight league.

Other notes: Finals MVP Relebogile Matima became the 6th member of the 700 home run club while Patrick Babila became the 8th to 600 homers. Matima also was the 8th to score 1500 runs. Babila had the 12th four home run game in AAB history, doing it against the champs on 7/21. Babila also earned his 8th Gold Glove at first base and his 7th Silver Slugger. C Destin Kette and 2B Sphamandla Madinane both earned their 7th Gold Gloves.

Promotion/Relegation: Bangui and Nampula were both relegated after one season. Maputo gets promoted back to the top tier after one year in A2L, while Mombasa will get its first shot at the top tier in 2024.

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