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FuzzyRussianHat · 01-23-2024, 05:02 PM

The 1991 ballot for the European Baseball Federation Hall of Fame very nearly was a blank one. 1B Alex Zonneveld would barely cross the 66% threshold, but he would be the lone inductee with 66.3% on his fourth ballot. SP Ugo Musacci barely missed out at 64.9% on his sixth try. Two others were above 60% with SP Torger Thelin at 61.0% on his third ballot and 1B Isak Steffensen at 60.3% for his ninth attempt. The best debut was SP Jose Calderon at 49.6%. No players were dropped after ten ballots.

Alex Zonneveld – First Base – Luxembourg Lancers – 66.3% Fourth Ballot

Alex Zonneveld was a 6’2’’, 195 pound left-handed first baseman from Tilburg; a city of 222,000 people in the southern Netherlands. Zonneveld was a well-rounded bat with respectable contract skills and an above average eye. He wasn’t a prolific home run hitter, but would get you 20-25 dingers per year reliably. Zonneveld had great gap power, averaging around 25-30 doubles and another 20-25 triples per season. He was also quicker than most first basemen with around 30 stolen bases per season. Zonneveld was a career first baseman and was generally above average with his glove. He was an ironman who played 140+ games every year from 1966-81.

Zonneveld left the Netherlands for England’s University of Cambridge for his college career. In the 1962 EBF Draft, he’d get picked 13^th overall by Luxembourg. Zonneveld was used as a part-time starter in 1963 with promising results, taking third in Rookie of the Year voting. The Lancers wouldn’t use him at all surprisingly and he only played 16 games in 1965. During this time, he started playing for the Dutch national team in the World Baseball Championship. From 1964-79, Zonneveld played 110 WBC games with 73 hits, 52 runs, 15 doubles, 25 home runs, 57 RBI, and 2.2 WAR.

Zonneveld earned the full-time starter job in 1966 and would be a regular starter for the next 16 years. With Luxembourg, he had eight solid seasons of 5+ WAR each year, although he didn’t win any major awards or lead in any stats. Zonneveld forever earned a spot in the hearts of Lancers fans though in 1971, as they put together a European Championship run after stinking in the 1960s. Zonneveld was finals MVP, posting 18 hits, 7 runs, 3 doubles, 3 triples, one home run, and 15 RBI over 15 postseason starts.

In total with Luxembourg, he had 1468 hits, 725 runs, 226 doubles, 189 triples, 226 home runs, 688 RBI, a .285/.340/.533 slash, and 51.2 WAR. The Lancers fell below .500 in the two years after their title season and Zonneveld decided to try free agency at age 33. He signed for the 1974 season on a five-year, $1,590,000 contract with Rotterdam. The Ravens had been a regular playoff contender, winning the EBF title in 1969 and 1972.

Zonneveld’s best seasons statistically came with Rotterdam, leading the Northern Conference in triples thrice and total bases twice. In his first season there, Zonneveld won his lone MVP and his first Silver Slugger, leading with a .973 OPS and posting a career best 8.5 WAR. He won Silver Slugger again in 1975 and 1976. Rotterdam got to the conference finals in 1974, 76, and 77. In 1977, they won the European Championship again with Zonneveld posting 18 hits, 9 runs, 11 extra base hits, and 20 RBI in the postseason run.

In total with Rotterdam, Zonneveld had 881 hits, 497 runs, 139 doubles, 138 triples, 135 home runs, 466 RBI, a .290/.341/.561 slash, and 32.1 WAR. His Ravens deal ended and at age 38, Zonneveld signed with Amsterdam. He spent the final four years of his career with the Anacondas, posting two solid seasons to start and leading in OBP in 1980 with a career-best .383. Zonneveld fell off in 1981 and was reduced to a bench role in 1982, retiring after that season at age 41. With Amsterdam, he had 12.5 WAR with 442 hits, 242 runs, and a .269/.334/.503 slash.

Zonneveld’s final stats: 2791 hits, 1446 runs, 438 doubles, 378 triples, 431 home runs, 1418 RBI, 828 walks, 510 stolen bases, a .284/.339/.537 slash, 163 wRC+, and 95.8 WAR. At induction, he was second all-time in triples, only one behind Blaise Combes. Zonneveld was the seventh EBF batter to 2500 hits. But he didn’t have the big power numbers or awards compared to other contemporary first basemen, which hurt him with many voters despite a solid resume. Zonneveld was on the outside in his first three ballots at 63.1%, 55.0%, and 62.5%. With a weak group in 1991, he finally got his due and earned induction at 66.3% on the fourth ballot.

01-23-2024, 05:02 PM	#907
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,799	1991 EBF Hall of Fame The 1991 ballot for the European Baseball Federation Hall of Fame very nearly was a blank one. 1B Alex Zonneveld would barely cross the 66% threshold, but he would be the lone inductee with 66.3% on his fourth ballot. SP Ugo Musacci barely missed out at 64.9% on his sixth try. Two others were above 60% with SP Torger Thelin at 61.0% on his third ballot and 1B Isak Steffensen at 60.3% for his ninth attempt. The best debut was SP Jose Calderon at 49.6%. No players were dropped after ten ballots. Alex Zonneveld – First Base – Luxembourg Lancers – 66.3% Fourth Ballot Alex Zonneveld was a 6’2’’, 195 pound left-handed first baseman from Tilburg; a city of 222,000 people in the southern Netherlands. Zonneveld was a well-rounded bat with respectable contract skills and an above average eye. He wasn’t a prolific home run hitter, but would get you 20-25 dingers per year reliably. Zonneveld had great gap power, averaging around 25-30 doubles and another 20-25 triples per season. He was also quicker than most first basemen with around 30 stolen bases per season. Zonneveld was a career first baseman and was generally above average with his glove. He was an ironman who played 140+ games every year from 1966-81. Zonneveld left the Netherlands for England’s University of Cambridge for his college career. In the 1962 EBF Draft, he’d get picked 13^th overall by Luxembourg. Zonneveld was used as a part-time starter in 1963 with promising results, taking third in Rookie of the Year voting. The Lancers wouldn’t use him at all surprisingly and he only played 16 games in 1965. During this time, he started playing for the Dutch national team in the World Baseball Championship. From 1964-79, Zonneveld played 110 WBC games with 73 hits, 52 runs, 15 doubles, 25 home runs, 57 RBI, and 2.2 WAR. Zonneveld earned the full-time starter job in 1966 and would be a regular starter for the next 16 years. With Luxembourg, he had eight solid seasons of 5+ WAR each year, although he didn’t win any major awards or lead in any stats. Zonneveld forever earned a spot in the hearts of Lancers fans though in 1971, as they put together a European Championship run after stinking in the 1960s. Zonneveld was finals MVP, posting 18 hits, 7 runs, 3 doubles, 3 triples, one home run, and 15 RBI over 15 postseason starts. In total with Luxembourg, he had 1468 hits, 725 runs, 226 doubles, 189 triples, 226 home runs, 688 RBI, a .285/.340/.533 slash, and 51.2 WAR. The Lancers fell below .500 in the two years after their title season and Zonneveld decided to try free agency at age 33. He signed for the 1974 season on a five-year, $1,590,000 contract with Rotterdam. The Ravens had been a regular playoff contender, winning the EBF title in 1969 and 1972. Zonneveld’s best seasons statistically came with Rotterdam, leading the Northern Conference in triples thrice and total bases twice. In his first season there, Zonneveld won his lone MVP and his first Silver Slugger, leading with a .973 OPS and posting a career best 8.5 WAR. He won Silver Slugger again in 1975 and 1976. Rotterdam got to the conference finals in 1974, 76, and 77. In 1977, they won the European Championship again with Zonneveld posting 18 hits, 9 runs, 11 extra base hits, and 20 RBI in the postseason run. In total with Rotterdam, Zonneveld had 881 hits, 497 runs, 139 doubles, 138 triples, 135 home runs, 466 RBI, a .290/.341/.561 slash, and 32.1 WAR. His Ravens deal ended and at age 38, Zonneveld signed with Amsterdam. He spent the final four years of his career with the Anacondas, posting two solid seasons to start and leading in OBP in 1980 with a career-best .383. Zonneveld fell off in 1981 and was reduced to a bench role in 1982, retiring after that season at age 41. With Amsterdam, he had 12.5 WAR with 442 hits, 242 runs, and a .269/.334/.503 slash. Zonneveld’s final stats: 2791 hits, 1446 runs, 438 doubles, 378 triples, 431 home runs, 1418 RBI, 828 walks, 510 stolen bases, a .284/.339/.537 slash, 163 wRC+, and 95.8 WAR. At induction, he was second all-time in triples, only one behind Blaise Combes. Zonneveld was the seventh EBF batter to 2500 hits. But he didn’t have the big power numbers or awards compared to other contemporary first basemen, which hurt him with many voters despite a solid resume. Zonneveld was on the outside in his first three ballots at 63.1%, 55.0%, and 62.5%. With a weak group in 1991, he finally got his due and earned induction at 66.3% on the fourth ballot. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)