[FuzzyRussianHat]

Fabian Mullner – Starting Pitcher – Oslo Octopi – 77.1% First Ballot

Fabian Mullner was a 6’0’’, 175 pound right-handed pitcher from the capital of Austria, Vienna. He threw hard with 99-101 mph peak velocity, but also had solid control and movement on his pitches. Mullner’s stuff was three pitches with a curveball, changeup, and cutter. He had pretty good durability in his career with perfectly respectable stamina and defense. Mullner was a very hard worker and loyal, which endeared him to many teammates and coaches in his career.

Mullner was a scouting discovery as he was spotted by a keen eye from Oslo in 1960. At age 16, Mullner made his way north to Norway, where he’d play his entire professional career. He debuted as a reliever in 1965 at age 20 and got his first starts the next year. Mullner was a full-time starter for the next decade after that for the Octopi. He would return home to Austria for the World Baseball Championship, pitching 136.2 innings between 1967-79. In the WBC, he had a 10-9 record, 4.21 ERA, 163 strikeouts, and 2.1 WAR.

Mullner’s standout season came in 1969, leading the Northern Conference with a 1.55 ERA, 31 quality starts, 8 shutouts, and 9.8 WAR. This earned him his lone Pitcher of the Year, as he never was a finalist or league leader in any other season. Mullner remained reliable and steady though for about another decade for Oslo, helping them to their first-ever playoff appearances. In 1975, the Octopi won their first Northern Conference title, falling to Zagreb in the championship. Mullner had a 1.95 ERA over 37 innings in that playoff run and posted a 2.31 ERA over 70 career postseason innings with a nice 69 strikeouts and 1.9 WAR.

After their 1975 season, Oslo fell hard with three straight seasons below 70 wins. Mullner stayed loyal to the team, but his stats regressed to around league average levels in his final few seasons. In 1979, he had been reduced to only a part time role in the rotation. He still had a year left on the big contact extension he signed in the summer of 1973, but Mullner decided to call it a career at only age 35.

Mullner’s final stats, 191-149 record, 2.54 ERA, 3347.2 innings, 3201 strikeouts to 610 walks, 295/413 quality starts, 83 FIP-, and 69.1 WAR. His numbers really aren’t too dissimilar from Callum Docker’s, although Mullner didn’t have quite as many people campaigning for his induction. He still had enough though to earn himself a first ballot nod with 77.1%.



Tobias Sigmarsson – First Baseman – Belfast Brewers – 68.6% First Ballot

Tobias Sigmarsson was a 6’0’’’, 205 pound right-handed first baseman from the capital of Iceland, Reykjavik. The first Icelandic Hall of Famer, Sigmarsson was a terrific power hitter who had 10 seasons with 40+ home runs and 16 straight with 30+. He also was a solid contact hitter also gave you around 25-30 doubles per year and a few triples. Sigmarsson could draw walks fairly effectively, but was still a free swinger who struck out more than you’d like. He was a slow baserunner and never played in the field anywhere but first base, although he was a perfectly passable defender. Sigmarsson was very intelligent and was considered an ironman, making 148+ starts in 15 straight seasons.

Sigmarsson left the limited baseball scene at the time in Iceland to play college baseball at England’s University of Sheffield. At the time, there were some regional restrictions in the draft which left the few Icelandic players from early consideration. Sigmarsson wouldn’t get picked until early round five, 133rd overall, by Belfast in the 1963 EBF Draft. His entire European career would ultimately be spent in Northern Ireland.

He didn’t crack the lineup regularly until his third season, mainly used as a pinch hitter. But once in the cleanup spot, Sigmarsson delivered with six consecutive 40+ home run seasons and eight straight with 100+ RBI. He won Silver Sluggers in 1968, 69, 71, and 72. He led the Northern Conference thrice in both home runs and RBI, peaking with 49 dingers in 1967. 1968 was his finest season, leading in WAR (9.5), OPS (1.005), and total bases (387), all career bests. Sigmarsson finished second in MVP voting, the only time he was a finalist.

Despite his efforts, he didn’t get a ton of notice on the wider stage as Belfast generally stunk. The Brewers had only one playoff berth in their first 50 years of existence and typically hovered near the bottom of the standings. Sigmarsson’s slugging was one of the only redeeming things of the era and they’d retire his #9 uniform. After a decade with the Brewers, Sigmarsson became a free agent at age 33. He had international suitors and decided to leave European baseball, signing a five-year, $2,330,000 deal with MLB’s Louisville Lynx starting with the 1975 season.

He carried over his production to Kentucky in five strong seasons with Louisville, winning a Silver Slugger in 1978. The Lynx had a 16-year playoff drought prior to his arrival, but made it four straight years while Sigmarsson was there. After early exits in 1975-77, Louisville broke through and won the 1978 World Series. In that playoff run, Sigmarsson had 16 hits, 11 runs, 4 home runs, and 8 RBI in 16 playoff games. In total with the Lynx, he had 27.7 WAR, 850 hits, 468 runs, 189 home runs, 527 RBI, and a .293/.355/.544 slash.

Sigmarsson’s contract expired after the 1979 season and the 38-year old signed a two-year deal with Detroit. His production dropped a bit, but he still put up 6.7 WAR and 66 home runs in his two seasons with the Tigers. Sigmarsson spent his final two seasons with Omaha, although his role was reduced with the Hawks, posting 1.2 WAR while there. After going unsigned in 1984, Sigmarsson retired at age 43. For his MLB career, he had 1244 hits, 703 runs, 284 home runs, 767 RBI, a .276/.341/.517 slash and 35.6 WAR.

For his entire pro career, Sigmarsson had 106.3 WAR, 2922 hits, 1606 runs, 457 doubles, 693 home runs, 1820 RBI, a .286/.348/.550 slash and 165 wRC+. That would be a lock in any league, but his EBF candidacy was based primarily on his time in Belfast. With the Brewers, he had 1678 hits, 903 runs, 273 doubles, 409 home runs, 1053 RBI, a .294/.353/.577 slash, 180 wRC+, and 70.7 WAR. Still impressive over a shorter stretch, but lower accumulations due to his exit to MLB. Many voters held that and being stuck on a terrible Belfast team against him, but enough were wowed by the dingers and his popularity. Sigmarsson earned a first ballot nod as the fourth member of the 1985 class, just barely crossing the 66% requirement at 68.6%.