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FuzzyRussianHat · 06-29-2023, 04:30 PM

Beisbol Sudamerica saw three players added to the Hall of Fame with the 1963 class with all three earning first ballot nods. The biggest percentage by far went to pitcher A. J. Fernandez at 97.6%. 1B Amadeus Ribeiro was firmly in as well with 84.5%. Meanwhile, SP Alexandre Bentivoglio just barely made the cut of 66%, receiving 66.2%. Three others were above 50% with closer Adrian Amaro at 59.1% on his second attempt, RF Nando Gaspar at 52.7% on his debut, and LF Placido Guerrero at 51.0% on his second go.

Two players saw their HOF hopes dashed after ten failed attempts. Pitcher Gustavo Borges had 14 seasons between four teams, posting a 181-137 record, 2.39 ERA, 3010 strikeouts, and 58.3 WAR. With no major accolades, he was banished to the Hall of Very Good despite the BSA voters’ proclivities towards pitchers. Borges peaked at 54.7% on his debut ballot, dropping to 34.1% at the end. Closer Luis Albina fell off as well, peaking at 48.0% in his fourth ballot and finishing at 31.1%. In 14 seasons between Brasilia and Buenos Aires, he won Reliever of the Year three times and posted 295 saves, a 1.43 ERA, 915 strikeouts over 832.2 innings, and 25.5 WAR. Albina wouldn’t have been out of place among some of the other relievers that got in, but he needed more saves and probably more strikeouts to get a more serious look.

A.J. “Mushy” Fernandez – Starting Pitcher – Valencia Velocity – 97.6% First Ballot

A.J. Fernandez was a 6’0’’, 180 pound right-handed starting pitcher from Pereira, Colombia; the largest city of the “Coffee Axis” in the central part of the country. Fernandez was a hard thrower at 98-100 mph max velocity known for strong control along with above average stuff and movement. His pitches were fastball, slider, curveball, and changeup; and he had an extreme groundball tendency. Like many Hall of Famers, Fernandez was known as a durable arm, not really having any significant injuries until some shoulder trouble at the tail end of his career.

He was noticed as a teenage amateur by a scout for Valencia, who signed him in the summer of 1936. Fernandez made his pro debut with five innings of relief at age 20 in 1941. Fernandez remained a reliever in his first three seasons in Venezuela and even was the closer in 1943. At age 23 in 1944, he became a full-time starter and would be a starter for the remainder of his pro career. It wasn’t until 1945 that he emerged as a true ace, leading the Bolivar League with a 1.57 ERA. This earned him third place in Pitcher of the Year voting.

Fernandez continued to be reliable for a mid-tier Valencia team in the 1940s with a singular playoff appearance in 1948. In 1949, he again was third in Pitcher of the Year voting. His greatest triumph with the Velocity came on September 18, 1950 against Barquisimeto. On that day, Fernandez had the 16^th perfect game in Beisbol Sudamerica history, striking out 10. He had 34 consecutive scoreless innings around his perfect. Fernandez finished his Valencia run with a 127-100 record, 2.34 ERA, 2164 strikeouts over 2048.2 innings, and 44.1 WAR. Once his career was done, the Velocity recognized his efforts by retiring his #15 uniform.

Fernandez’s run with Valencia ended after the 1950 season as he entered free agency at age 30. His annual salary basically doubled as he inked a six-year, $229,200 deal with Cali. This sent him home to Colombia, whom he pitched for in the World Baseball Championship from 1947-54 and again in 1957. In the tournament, he had a 9-3 record and three saves with a 4.37 ERA over 92.2 innings and 94 strikeouts.

With Cali, the veteran Fernandez won his lone Pitcher of the Year award in 1953, leading the Bolivar League in wins (22-8) and innings (283.2) with 7.1 WAR. This was also the tail end of their run as perennial division champs, as they had seven straight playoff berths from 1947-53 with four Bolivar League titles. Fernandez was a part of one of those titles in 1952 and posted a 2.17 ERA over 58 playoff innings. In total with the Cyclones, Fernandez had a 95-65 record, 2.92 ERA, 1526.1 innings, 1558 strikeouts, and 31.7 WAR.

Cali began to fall off as did Fernandez, who missed the final two months of the 1956 season with shoulder inflammation. The Cyclones didn’t re-sign Fernandez and he joined Bogota for his final pro season, retiring after the 1957 campaign at age 37.

The final career stats for Hernandez: 231-171, 2.62 ERA, 3751 innings, 3854 strikeouts, 321/446 quality starts, 185 complete games, a FIP- of 83, and 78.8 WAR. He final tallies put him more among the middle statistically of the pitchers to enter the Beisbol Sudamerica Hall of Fame. Still, it was a very strong career and his contemporaries felt he was a very easy choice, getting first ballot honors at 97.6%.

Amadeus “Hurricane” Ribeiro - First Baseman – 84.5% First Ballot

Amadeus Ribeiro was a 6’0’’, 205 pound left-handed hitting first baseman from Sapiranga, a smaller city of around 80,000 people in southern Brazil., Riberio was known as a prolific home run hitter with very solid contract ability as well. He would lead the Southern Cone League in home runs seven different times. He didn’t walk as often as you’d expect from a slugger, although his strikeout rate was more mid-range. Ribeiro was a fairly slow baserunner who spent his entire career at first base, where he was considered a terrible defender. However, with no DH in the Southern Cone League, he had to go somewhere. Critics noted that he lacked hustle as well, but the sheer power of Riberio meant he was an offensive force regardless.

The power of “Hurricane” was noticed even as a teenager as he was picked out of high school by Sao Paulo seventh overall in the 1937 Beisbol Sudamerica Draft. He was a development prospect initially, not playing in 1938 or 1940 with limited pinch hit appearances in 1939. Riberio saw a partial 1941 season at age 23, then became a full-time starter the following year.

His first full season in 1942 saw him lead the league in home runs (44), and RBI (97), for the first time. This was one of four Silver Slugger seasons at the crowded position, also winning the award in 1943, 45, and 46. In 1943, he won his first league MVP with the lead in homers (55), RBI (113), batting average (.323), runs (106), hits (195), and OPS (.995). Ribeiro had a solid pace the next year, but a severely strained hip muscle put him out six weeks midseason. In 1945, he bounced back for his second MVP, leading in homers for the third time.

Sao Paulo made the playoffs from 1942-45, winning the league title in 1943 and 44 along with Copa Sudamerica in 44. In the playoffs, Ribeiro had 34 hits, 14 runs, 9 home runs, and 15 RBI worth 1.8 over 32 starts. Little did he know that 1945 would be his final look at the postseason.

Despite the Padres going into a lull in the back-end of his run, Ribeiro still thrived. 1946 was his third MVP and by far his most impressive season. He crushed 62 home runs, tying the then single-season record. He added career bests in RBI (126), hits (204), triple slash (.332/.376/.684), OPS (1.060) and WAR (11.8). He never had a season like that again, but he led the league in homers three more times. In total with Sao Paulo, Ribeiro had 1842 hits, 935 runs, 506 home runs, 1057 RBI, a .282/.332/.559 slash and 72.0 WAR. In his final year with the Padres, he became the third player to 500 career home runs. His #20 uniform would be retired by Sao Paulo at the end of his career.

Ribeiro also became a regular for the Brazilian team in the World Baseball Championship, playing from 1947-55. In the WBC, he had 52 hits, 32 runs, 19 home runs, and 49 RBI in 76 games. Ribeiro left Sao Paulo just before the started their late 50s-early 60s dynasty. Before the 1953 season, the 35 year old was traded for two relievers to Fortaleza. After a respectable campaign with the Foxes, he signed a three-year deal with Belo Horizonte.

A sprained thumb put him out a chunk of 1954, but he bounced back with solid 1955 and 1956 seasons with the Hogs, even posting a solid 5.8 WAR at age 38 with 47 home runs. This gave him 10 seasons with 40+ dingers and made him the third to 600 career homers. In 1957, the 39-year old signed again with Fortaleza as the Foxes felt he still could be a nice piece, paying $170,000 over a three year deal. He stunk in his half season back in Fortaleza and was ultimately benched. Ribeiro opted for retirement that winter.

The final stats: 2488 hits, 1252 runs, 360 doubles, 649 home runs, 1415 RBI, a .278/.325/.542 slash and 89.0 WAR. At retirement, he was third on the home run leaderboard. With his power and three MVPs, it is surprising Ribeiro was inducted with only 84.5%. Regardless, he rightfully joins the all-time greats as a first ballot Hall of Famer.

Alexandre Bentivoglio – Starting Pitcher – Guayaquil Golds – 66.2% First Ballot

Alexandre Bentivoglio was a 6’4’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Montevideo, Uruguay. He was a fireballer with 99-101 mph velocity and a dominant fastball. Mixed with a curveball and changeup, he was viewed as having terrific stuff with respectable movement. His weakness was control as he was often viewed as “effectively wild.” No pitcher in the Beisbol Sudamerica Hall of Fame has walked more batters, but his strikeout ability allowed him to succeed despite this and his added defensive flaws and perceived lack of hustle. He was a decent batter for a pitcher, winning a Silver Slugger in 1950.

His velocity earned attention from scouts as he was a rare draft pick out of high school, albeit a later selection. Guayaquil picked him in the fourth round, 82^nd overall, in the 1938 BSA Draft. He made one start in 1939 at age 19 and struggled. Bentivoglio was a full-time starter after that with spotty production in his first two full seasons, but began to find his rhythm after that.

He spent eight seasons total with the struggling Golds franchise and performed well enough to see his #24 retired by the franchise. He had three straight 8+ WAR seasons from 1944-46, leading the Bolivar League in strikeouts in 1945 with 355 and posting a career-best 380 the prior year. Nine times, he had 300+ strikeouts, impressive even in a whiff-heavy early days Beisbol Sudamerica. Still, he was never a top three finisher for Pitcher of the Year. His final stats in his most impressive tenure with Guayaquil was 106-85, 2.76 ERA, 2278 strikeouts in 1715.1 innings and 45.8 WAR.

In his contract year of 1947, Guayaquil traded the now 27-year old Bentivoglio to Santiago in exchange for prospects. After one year with the Saints, he signed a five-year, $88,000 deal with his hometown team Montevideo. He also would begin his appearances for his native Uruguay from 1950 to 1955 in the World Baseball Championship. He posted a 5.64 ERA over 60.2 tournament innings with 76 strikeouts.

Bentivioglio would never get to play in the postseason in his career as Montevideo was a bottom-tier team in his entire run. He never matched the dominance of his Golds peak, but still provided solid value in his first contract with the Venom, adding 18.4 WAR in four seasons. He was traded to Brasilia for the 1952 season, where he picked up his 4000^th career strikeout. After one year as a Bearcat, he signed back with Montevideo and played his final five professional seasons there. After an okay 1953, elbow troubles and age meant he was mediocre in his final four seasons. He retired after 1957 at age 38, posting a 82-99 record, 3.01 ERA, 1830 strikeouts, and 22.8 WAR in his tenure with the Venom.

The final stats for Bentivoglio; 215-206 record, 2.82 ERA, 3821 innings, 4688 strikeouts, 1196 walks, 388/523 quality starts, FIP- of 84, and 78.5 WAR. As mentioned, he retired with more walks than any other BSA pitcher, but was also the sixth to cross 4500 career strikeouts. Along with being stuck on bad teams, it made Bentivoglio’s Hall of Fame candidacy an odd case. Despite the erratic nature of his run, just enough voters felt his prowess made him worthy, barely crossing the threshold with 66.2% on the first ballot.

06-29-2023, 04:30 PM	#366
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,785	1963 BSA Hall of Fame Beisbol Sudamerica saw three players added to the Hall of Fame with the 1963 class with all three earning first ballot nods. The biggest percentage by far went to pitcher A. J. Fernandez at 97.6%. 1B Amadeus Ribeiro was firmly in as well with 84.5%. Meanwhile, SP Alexandre Bentivoglio just barely made the cut of 66%, receiving 66.2%. Three others were above 50% with closer Adrian Amaro at 59.1% on his second attempt, RF Nando Gaspar at 52.7% on his debut, and LF Placido Guerrero at 51.0% on his second go. Two players saw their HOF hopes dashed after ten failed attempts. Pitcher Gustavo Borges had 14 seasons between four teams, posting a 181-137 record, 2.39 ERA, 3010 strikeouts, and 58.3 WAR. With no major accolades, he was banished to the Hall of Very Good despite the BSA voters’ proclivities towards pitchers. Borges peaked at 54.7% on his debut ballot, dropping to 34.1% at the end. Closer Luis Albina fell off as well, peaking at 48.0% in his fourth ballot and finishing at 31.1%. In 14 seasons between Brasilia and Buenos Aires, he won Reliever of the Year three times and posted 295 saves, a 1.43 ERA, 915 strikeouts over 832.2 innings, and 25.5 WAR. Albina wouldn’t have been out of place among some of the other relievers that got in, but he needed more saves and probably more strikeouts to get a more serious look. A.J. “Mushy” Fernandez – Starting Pitcher – Valencia Velocity – 97.6% First Ballot A.J. Fernandez was a 6’0’’, 180 pound right-handed starting pitcher from Pereira, Colombia; the largest city of the “Coffee Axis” in the central part of the country. Fernandez was a hard thrower at 98-100 mph max velocity known for strong control along with above average stuff and movement. His pitches were fastball, slider, curveball, and changeup; and he had an extreme groundball tendency. Like many Hall of Famers, Fernandez was known as a durable arm, not really having any significant injuries until some shoulder trouble at the tail end of his career. He was noticed as a teenage amateur by a scout for Valencia, who signed him in the summer of 1936. Fernandez made his pro debut with five innings of relief at age 20 in 1941. Fernandez remained a reliever in his first three seasons in Venezuela and even was the closer in 1943. At age 23 in 1944, he became a full-time starter and would be a starter for the remainder of his pro career. It wasn’t until 1945 that he emerged as a true ace, leading the Bolivar League with a 1.57 ERA. This earned him third place in Pitcher of the Year voting. Fernandez continued to be reliable for a mid-tier Valencia team in the 1940s with a singular playoff appearance in 1948. In 1949, he again was third in Pitcher of the Year voting. His greatest triumph with the Velocity came on September 18, 1950 against Barquisimeto. On that day, Fernandez had the 16^th perfect game in Beisbol Sudamerica history, striking out 10. He had 34 consecutive scoreless innings around his perfect. Fernandez finished his Valencia run with a 127-100 record, 2.34 ERA, 2164 strikeouts over 2048.2 innings, and 44.1 WAR. Once his career was done, the Velocity recognized his efforts by retiring his #15 uniform. Fernandez’s run with Valencia ended after the 1950 season as he entered free agency at age 30. His annual salary basically doubled as he inked a six-year, $229,200 deal with Cali. This sent him home to Colombia, whom he pitched for in the World Baseball Championship from 1947-54 and again in 1957. In the tournament, he had a 9-3 record and three saves with a 4.37 ERA over 92.2 innings and 94 strikeouts. With Cali, the veteran Fernandez won his lone Pitcher of the Year award in 1953, leading the Bolivar League in wins (22-8) and innings (283.2) with 7.1 WAR. This was also the tail end of their run as perennial division champs, as they had seven straight playoff berths from 1947-53 with four Bolivar League titles. Fernandez was a part of one of those titles in 1952 and posted a 2.17 ERA over 58 playoff innings. In total with the Cyclones, Fernandez had a 95-65 record, 2.92 ERA, 1526.1 innings, 1558 strikeouts, and 31.7 WAR. Cali began to fall off as did Fernandez, who missed the final two months of the 1956 season with shoulder inflammation. The Cyclones didn’t re-sign Fernandez and he joined Bogota for his final pro season, retiring after the 1957 campaign at age 37. The final career stats for Hernandez: 231-171, 2.62 ERA, 3751 innings, 3854 strikeouts, 321/446 quality starts, 185 complete games, a FIP- of 83, and 78.8 WAR. He final tallies put him more among the middle statistically of the pitchers to enter the Beisbol Sudamerica Hall of Fame. Still, it was a very strong career and his contemporaries felt he was a very easy choice, getting first ballot honors at 97.6%. Amadeus “Hurricane” Ribeiro - First Baseman – 84.5% First Ballot Amadeus Ribeiro was a 6’0’’, 205 pound left-handed hitting first baseman from Sapiranga, a smaller city of around 80,000 people in southern Brazil., Riberio was known as a prolific home run hitter with very solid contract ability as well. He would lead the Southern Cone League in home runs seven different times. He didn’t walk as often as you’d expect from a slugger, although his strikeout rate was more mid-range. Ribeiro was a fairly slow baserunner who spent his entire career at first base, where he was considered a terrible defender. However, with no DH in the Southern Cone League, he had to go somewhere. Critics noted that he lacked hustle as well, but the sheer power of Riberio meant he was an offensive force regardless. The power of “Hurricane” was noticed even as a teenager as he was picked out of high school by Sao Paulo seventh overall in the 1937 Beisbol Sudamerica Draft. He was a development prospect initially, not playing in 1938 or 1940 with limited pinch hit appearances in 1939. Riberio saw a partial 1941 season at age 23, then became a full-time starter the following year. His first full season in 1942 saw him lead the league in home runs (44), and RBI (97), for the first time. This was one of four Silver Slugger seasons at the crowded position, also winning the award in 1943, 45, and 46. In 1943, he won his first league MVP with the lead in homers (55), RBI (113), batting average (.323), runs (106), hits (195), and OPS (.995). Ribeiro had a solid pace the next year, but a severely strained hip muscle put him out six weeks midseason. In 1945, he bounced back for his second MVP, leading in homers for the third time. Sao Paulo made the playoffs from 1942-45, winning the league title in 1943 and 44 along with Copa Sudamerica in 44. In the playoffs, Ribeiro had 34 hits, 14 runs, 9 home runs, and 15 RBI worth 1.8 over 32 starts. Little did he know that 1945 would be his final look at the postseason. Despite the Padres going into a lull in the back-end of his run, Ribeiro still thrived. 1946 was his third MVP and by far his most impressive season. He crushed 62 home runs, tying the then single-season record. He added career bests in RBI (126), hits (204), triple slash (.332/.376/.684), OPS (1.060) and WAR (11.8). He never had a season like that again, but he led the league in homers three more times. In total with Sao Paulo, Ribeiro had 1842 hits, 935 runs, 506 home runs, 1057 RBI, a .282/.332/.559 slash and 72.0 WAR. In his final year with the Padres, he became the third player to 500 career home runs. His #20 uniform would be retired by Sao Paulo at the end of his career. Ribeiro also became a regular for the Brazilian team in the World Baseball Championship, playing from 1947-55. In the WBC, he had 52 hits, 32 runs, 19 home runs, and 49 RBI in 76 games. Ribeiro left Sao Paulo just before the started their late 50s-early 60s dynasty. Before the 1953 season, the 35 year old was traded for two relievers to Fortaleza. After a respectable campaign with the Foxes, he signed a three-year deal with Belo Horizonte. A sprained thumb put him out a chunk of 1954, but he bounced back with solid 1955 and 1956 seasons with the Hogs, even posting a solid 5.8 WAR at age 38 with 47 home runs. This gave him 10 seasons with 40+ dingers and made him the third to 600 career homers. In 1957, the 39-year old signed again with Fortaleza as the Foxes felt he still could be a nice piece, paying $170,000 over a three year deal. He stunk in his half season back in Fortaleza and was ultimately benched. Ribeiro opted for retirement that winter. The final stats: 2488 hits, 1252 runs, 360 doubles, 649 home runs, 1415 RBI, a .278/.325/.542 slash and 89.0 WAR. At retirement, he was third on the home run leaderboard. With his power and three MVPs, it is surprising Ribeiro was inducted with only 84.5%. Regardless, he rightfully joins the all-time greats as a first ballot Hall of Famer. Alexandre Bentivoglio – Starting Pitcher – Guayaquil Golds – 66.2% First Ballot Alexandre Bentivoglio was a 6’4’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Montevideo, Uruguay. He was a fireballer with 99-101 mph velocity and a dominant fastball. Mixed with a curveball and changeup, he was viewed as having terrific stuff with respectable movement. His weakness was control as he was often viewed as “effectively wild.” No pitcher in the Beisbol Sudamerica Hall of Fame has walked more batters, but his strikeout ability allowed him to succeed despite this and his added defensive flaws and perceived lack of hustle. He was a decent batter for a pitcher, winning a Silver Slugger in 1950. His velocity earned attention from scouts as he was a rare draft pick out of high school, albeit a later selection. Guayaquil picked him in the fourth round, 82^nd overall, in the 1938 BSA Draft. He made one start in 1939 at age 19 and struggled. Bentivoglio was a full-time starter after that with spotty production in his first two full seasons, but began to find his rhythm after that. He spent eight seasons total with the struggling Golds franchise and performed well enough to see his #24 retired by the franchise. He had three straight 8+ WAR seasons from 1944-46, leading the Bolivar League in strikeouts in 1945 with 355 and posting a career-best 380 the prior year. Nine times, he had 300+ strikeouts, impressive even in a whiff-heavy early days Beisbol Sudamerica. Still, he was never a top three finisher for Pitcher of the Year. His final stats in his most impressive tenure with Guayaquil was 106-85, 2.76 ERA, 2278 strikeouts in 1715.1 innings and 45.8 WAR. In his contract year of 1947, Guayaquil traded the now 27-year old Bentivoglio to Santiago in exchange for prospects. After one year with the Saints, he signed a five-year, $88,000 deal with his hometown team Montevideo. He also would begin his appearances for his native Uruguay from 1950 to 1955 in the World Baseball Championship. He posted a 5.64 ERA over 60.2 tournament innings with 76 strikeouts. Bentivioglio would never get to play in the postseason in his career as Montevideo was a bottom-tier team in his entire run. He never matched the dominance of his Golds peak, but still provided solid value in his first contract with the Venom, adding 18.4 WAR in four seasons. He was traded to Brasilia for the 1952 season, where he picked up his 4000^th career strikeout. After one year as a Bearcat, he signed back with Montevideo and played his final five professional seasons there. After an okay 1953, elbow troubles and age meant he was mediocre in his final four seasons. He retired after 1957 at age 38, posting a 82-99 record, 3.01 ERA, 1830 strikeouts, and 22.8 WAR in his tenure with the Venom. The final stats for Bentivoglio; 215-206 record, 2.82 ERA, 3821 innings, 4688 strikeouts, 1196 walks, 388/523 quality starts, FIP- of 84, and 78.5 WAR. As mentioned, he retired with more walks than any other BSA pitcher, but was also the sixth to cross 4500 career strikeouts. Along with being stuck on bad teams, it made Bentivoglio’s Hall of Fame candidacy an odd case. Despite the erratic nature of his run, just enough voters felt his prowess made him worthy, barely crossing the threshold with 66.2% on the first ballot. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports The Level Playing Field: Alternate MLB History From 1884-Onward Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)