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FuzzyRussianHat · 07-28-2023, 05:30 AM

The European Baseball Federation added one player into the Hall of Fame with the 1969 voting. Just barely crossing the line was pitcher Harald Solbach on his second attempt, finishing at exactly 2/3s of the vote with 66.7%. Closer Richard Hackl was only four points away with 62.1% on his fourth attempt. Three others were above 50% with reliever Ken Jacob (56.4%, 5^th try), 3B Orion McIntyre (55.3%, 4^th try), and CF Joe Ramet (53.8%, 7^th try). There were no players dropped after ten tries for the still young EBF, coming up on its 20^th season.

Harald Solbach – Starting Pitcher – Berlin Barons – 66.7% Second Ballot

Harald Solbach was a 5’11’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Elsfleth, a small town of around 9,000 people in the northwestern German state of Lower Saxony. Solbach was known for having very good movement on his pitches with above average stuff and control. His velocity peaked around 95-97 mph with an arsenal of a fastball, slider, forkball, and changeup. Solbach had pretty solid stamina and for a pitcher, wasn’t atrocious as a hitter with 144 hits, 53 runs, and a .177 average in his career. Solbach was also known as a prankster and a fun clubhouse presence.

Solbach and his family left Germany during World War II. He would pick up the game in England and play collegiately at University College Birmingham, emerging as one of the first touted college prospects. In the 1950 European Baseball Federation Draft, the first rookie draft in EBF history, Solbach was taken by Berlin with the second overall pick. He was used primarily as a decent reliever as a rookie, then had a respectable second season bouncing between the rotation and the bullpen. In that second year, he tossed two no-hitters. The first saw 11 strikeouts and three walks against Belfast in July, followed by a six K, three walk outing in September versus Birmingham.

Year three was his first great year, posting a career-best 8.1 WAR with 19 complete games. His next few years with the Barons were solid, although he didn’t get much attention in the Pitcher of the Year voting. Berlin won its division in 1954 and 1955, taking the Northern Conference title in the latter year. In the 1955 run, he had a 1.80 ERA over four playoff starts with 26 strikeouts. Solbach also pitched for Germany in the World Baseball Championship from 1951-62, posting a 4.04 ERA with 195 strikeouts in 205 innings.

Solbach signed a four-year, $264,000 deal with Berlin before the start of the 1957 season. However, he didn’t put up the immediate return the Barons wanted. They would trade him at the deadline to Lisbon in exchange for five prospects. Solbach’s Berlin stats saw a 89-73 record, 2.55 ERA, 1497 strikeouts in 1566.1 innings, and 34.9 WAR. The Clippers were the 1956 European Champion, although they’d fall in the conference final in 1957 and the first round in 1958. Solbach had a 4.08 ERA in 28.2 playoff innings.

Solbach stayed in Portugal through the 1960 season and was second in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1958, the closest he came to the award. 1959 saw his first major injury setback with a torn labrum in August. With Lisbon, he had a 57-28 record, 2.82 ERA, 762 innings, 682 strikeouts, and 15.3 WAR. At age 33, Solbach entered free agency and signed a two-year deal with Munich. He had a strong debut season with the Mavericks, taking third in PotY voting. Elbow issues and eventual radial nerve decompression surgery took him out for much of 1962, effectively ending his EBF tenure.

Solbach’s career wasn’t over yet as he found work as a mostly ineffective reliever. MLB’s Charlotte was willing to give him a look with a three-year, $400,000 deal for 1963, but he was cut after one year. He then went to OBA’s Port Moresby. He lasted half a year in Papua New Guinea before being cut in July. One week later, he was signed by Perth and finished the season and his career in Australia, retiring after 1964 at age 37.

The final EBF stats for Solbach: 177-114, 2.61 ERA, 2806 innings, 2569 strikeouts, 243/320 quality starts, a FIP- of 82 and 59.5 WAR. Solbach’s stats are towards the bottom of the EBF leaderboard and he lacked the dominance that got some of the other early pitchers in despite low accumulations. With fewer options on those initial ballots, Solbach fell just short on his debut at 63.7% and got just enough of a bump to get in at 66.7% on his second try. He’ll forever have the distinction of being EBF’s first German-born Hall of Famer.

07-28-2023, 05:30 AM	#453
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,617	1969 EBF Hall of Fame The European Baseball Federation added one player into the Hall of Fame with the 1969 voting. Just barely crossing the line was pitcher Harald Solbach on his second attempt, finishing at exactly 2/3s of the vote with 66.7%. Closer Richard Hackl was only four points away with 62.1% on his fourth attempt. Three others were above 50% with reliever Ken Jacob (56.4%, 5^th try), 3B Orion McIntyre (55.3%, 4^th try), and CF Joe Ramet (53.8%, 7^th try). There were no players dropped after ten tries for the still young EBF, coming up on its 20^th season. Harald Solbach – Starting Pitcher – Berlin Barons – 66.7% Second Ballot Harald Solbach was a 5’11’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Elsfleth, a small town of around 9,000 people in the northwestern German state of Lower Saxony. Solbach was known for having very good movement on his pitches with above average stuff and control. His velocity peaked around 95-97 mph with an arsenal of a fastball, slider, forkball, and changeup. Solbach had pretty solid stamina and for a pitcher, wasn’t atrocious as a hitter with 144 hits, 53 runs, and a .177 average in his career. Solbach was also known as a prankster and a fun clubhouse presence. Solbach and his family left Germany during World War II. He would pick up the game in England and play collegiately at University College Birmingham, emerging as one of the first touted college prospects. In the 1950 European Baseball Federation Draft, the first rookie draft in EBF history, Solbach was taken by Berlin with the second overall pick. He was used primarily as a decent reliever as a rookie, then had a respectable second season bouncing between the rotation and the bullpen. In that second year, he tossed two no-hitters. The first saw 11 strikeouts and three walks against Belfast in July, followed by a six K, three walk outing in September versus Birmingham. Year three was his first great year, posting a career-best 8.1 WAR with 19 complete games. His next few years with the Barons were solid, although he didn’t get much attention in the Pitcher of the Year voting. Berlin won its division in 1954 and 1955, taking the Northern Conference title in the latter year. In the 1955 run, he had a 1.80 ERA over four playoff starts with 26 strikeouts. Solbach also pitched for Germany in the World Baseball Championship from 1951-62, posting a 4.04 ERA with 195 strikeouts in 205 innings. Solbach signed a four-year, $264,000 deal with Berlin before the start of the 1957 season. However, he didn’t put up the immediate return the Barons wanted. They would trade him at the deadline to Lisbon in exchange for five prospects. Solbach’s Berlin stats saw a 89-73 record, 2.55 ERA, 1497 strikeouts in 1566.1 innings, and 34.9 WAR. The Clippers were the 1956 European Champion, although they’d fall in the conference final in 1957 and the first round in 1958. Solbach had a 4.08 ERA in 28.2 playoff innings. Solbach stayed in Portugal through the 1960 season and was second in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1958, the closest he came to the award. 1959 saw his first major injury setback with a torn labrum in August. With Lisbon, he had a 57-28 record, 2.82 ERA, 762 innings, 682 strikeouts, and 15.3 WAR. At age 33, Solbach entered free agency and signed a two-year deal with Munich. He had a strong debut season with the Mavericks, taking third in PotY voting. Elbow issues and eventual radial nerve decompression surgery took him out for much of 1962, effectively ending his EBF tenure. Solbach’s career wasn’t over yet as he found work as a mostly ineffective reliever. MLB’s Charlotte was willing to give him a look with a three-year, $400,000 deal for 1963, but he was cut after one year. He then went to OBA’s Port Moresby. He lasted half a year in Papua New Guinea before being cut in July. One week later, he was signed by Perth and finished the season and his career in Australia, retiring after 1964 at age 37. The final EBF stats for Solbach: 177-114, 2.61 ERA, 2806 innings, 2569 strikeouts, 243/320 quality starts, a FIP- of 82 and 59.5 WAR. Solbach’s stats are towards the bottom of the EBF leaderboard and he lacked the dominance that got some of the other early pitchers in despite low accumulations. With fewer options on those initial ballots, Solbach fell just short on his debut at 63.7% and got just enough of a bump to get in at 66.7% on his second try. He’ll forever have the distinction of being EBF’s first German-born Hall of Famer. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)