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FuzzyRussianHat · 01-31-2024, 05:58 AM

East Asia Baseball inducted two players into the Hall of Fame from the 1992 ballot. Both guys got in on the first ballot with SP So-Woong Hong at 83.7% and 3B Min-Hwi Eun at 80.5%. SP Ho-In Koh missed it by the slimmest possible margin on his third try at 66.0%. Generally, 66% is the threshold, but that was his number when you rounded up, so he was left out. One other pitcher was above 50% with Kunizo Tsuda receiving 55.3% on his fourth ballot.

Two players fell off the ballot after ten failed tries. SP Cheng Yang peaked at 40.8% on his third ballot before ending at a low of 11.3%. He had a 14-year career in total, but four seasons were in MLB as well. In EAB with Busan and Daegu, he had one Pitcher of the Year award, 116-94 record, 2.98 ERA, 2012 innings, 2108 strikeouts, and 45.0 WAR. He won two titles with the Blue Jays and would have been on his way had he stayed and/or had more longevity.

Another pitcher was dropped in Chae-Heui Song, who peaked at 28.7% in his second go and ended at 4.6%. In 18 seasons, he had eight EAB championship rings between Pyongyang and Daegu, posting a 210-143 record, 3.18 ERA, 3218 innings, 2776 strikeouts, and 67.8 WAR. Song was never a league leader or awards finalist, which hurt him with most voters despite decent accumulations and his many rings.

So-Woong Hong – Starting Pitcher – Kobe Blaze – 83.7% First Ballot

So-Woong Hong was a 6’3’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Wonsan, a city of around 330,000 people on the eastern coast of North Korea. Hong’s biggest strengths were solid control and movement, which made up for having merely above average stuff. His velocity only peaked in the 93-95 mph range but he had an incredible changeup that he fooled batters with between his sinker and slider offerings. Hong was also known for excellent stamina, leading the league three times in innings pitched. He was a durable and intelligent pitcher that was also effective at holding runners.

Hong was spotted as a teenage amateur by a scout from Kobe, who signed him in 1967 at age 16 and brought him from North Korea to Japan. After spending four years in their academy, he debuted in 1971 at age 21 for the Blaze, splitting time between the rotation and bullpen. Hong was a full-time starter for the rest of his career, tossing 245+ innings in all but one season over the next 15 years. He was iffy as a rookie, but delivered an excellent sophomore season with a league-best 25 quality starts, taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting.

In 1974, Hong earned his first Pitcher of the Year award with 7.0 WAR, a 21-9 record, 2.51 ERA, and 26 quality starts. He won for a second time in 1976, leading again in innings pitched and posting career bests in wins (23-10), ERA (2.36), and WAR (8.0). Kobe had five consecutive seasons with 90+ wins in this stretch, but couldn’t make the playoffs as they were stuck against Kyoto’s dynasty run. In total with the Blaze, Hong had a 102-70 record, 2.87 ERA, 1483 strikeouts, and 36.0 WAR. He decided to enter free agency after the 1977 season at age 28.

Hong wanted to return home to North Korea and both of the countries’ teams; Pyongyang and Hamhung, were very interested in grabbing him. He had returned home for the World Baseball Championship and ultimately played from 1972-85 for the DPRK. In 157 innings, he had a 3.32 ERA, 6-10 record, 168 strikeouts, and 3.6 WAR in the WBC. Hong ultimately signed with the Pythons to a six-year, $2,420,000 deal. Pyongyang had just come off of winning the EAB title in 1977 in a bounce back year.

The Pythons were good in Hong’s first two years there, but just outside of the playoffs. He took third in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1978, his last time as a finalist. Pyongyang then fell off hard and began an unprecedented streak of mediocrity. Hong wasn’t to blame, posting a 2.89 ERA and 62-47 in four seasons with 1084 innings, 917 strikeouts, and 21.5 WAR. The Pythons opted to move Hong before the 1982 season to Seongnam in exchange for two prospects.

The Spiders hoped Hong would get them over the hump, as they had narrowly missed ending a decade-long playoff drought in the prior year. Statistically, Hong had two very average years in Seongnam, but he gave them steady innings. The Spiders prevailed and won the Korea League title in both 1982 and 1983. They came up short versus Kawasaki in the 1982 EAB final, but won the 1983 championship against Sapporo. In 70 playoff innings over his run, Hong had a 4-3 record, 3.60 ERA, 50 strikeouts, and 0.3 WAR. He posted a 7.8 WAR, 3.80 ERA, 379 strikeouts, and 23-22 record for his Seongnam tenure.

His original Pyongyang deal expired and the Spiders let him enter free agency at age 35. Hong signed a four-year, $2,760,000 deal with Hamhung. He provided league average production in three seasons with the Heat, even leading the league in innings in his final season. Hamhung made the 1986 playoffs, but were knocked out with Hong struggling in his one start. This was ultimately his final start, as he opted to retire at age 37 instead of hanging around. He had a 3.92 ERA, 39-46 record, 776 innings, 622 strikeouts, and 11.2 WAR with the Heat.

Hong’s final overall stats: 226-185 record, 3.18 ERA, 4063 innings, 3401 strikeouts to 721 walks, 309/488 quality starts, 156 complete games, 87 FIP-, and 76.6 WAR. He quietly accumulated some solid totals and Is on a short list of guys with multiple Pitcher of the Year awards. His stats don’t place him among the absolute upper echelon of Hall of Famers, but Hong didn’t look out of place compared to the standard of previously inductees. The voters were sold and gave Hong a first ballot induction with 83.7%.

Min-Hwi Eun – Third Base – Kyoto Kamikaze – 80.5 First Ballot

Min-Hwi Eun was a 5’11’’, 200 pound right-handed third baseman from Ulsan, South Korea. Eun emerged as a very good contact hitter with a solid pop in his bat. He averaged around 30 home runs and around 35 doubles/triples pet year. Eun had an average eye and decent ability at avoiding strikeouts. He wasn’t a speedster, but had decent wheels with strong baserunning instincts. Eun was a career third baseman with a strong arm, although he graded out as just below average for his career defensively. He was a scrappy and loyal player, which made him a fan favorite throughout his run.

Eun was spotted as a teenage amateur and signed in 1963 by Kyoto, spending two decades ultimately in the organization. He would be a late bloomer though despite making his official debut at age 20 with two at-bats in 1966. Eun made appearances over the next five years off-and-on, but couldn’t crack the starting lineup fulltime. He finally won the job in 1972, but missed more than half the season with knee issues.

1973 was Eun’s first full season as a starter at age 27 and he delivered a Silver Slugger winning season and their first playoff berth since 1966. This helped convince Kyoto to give him a four-year contract extension early in 1974 worth $1,294,000. Eun had an impressive 9.5 WAR campaign and won Silver Slugger again. The Kamikaze went on a tear and won their first-ever EAB Championship. Eun was finals MVP, posting 13 hits, 5 runs, 4 doubles, 3 home runs, and 6 RBI in the postseason.

1975 would be Eun’s finest season individually and the only time he was a league leader. He led in multiple stats though with the most hits (216), WAR (11.8), and bases (402) while also leading in average (.362), OBP (.402), OPS (1.075), and wRC+ (214). Eun also smacked 47 home runs with 112 RBI, both career bests. This earned him his lone MVP and his third Silver Slugger. Kyoto made the playoffs again, but fell this year in the JLCS despite Eun winning the series MVP.

Eun had made them a consistent contender though with the Kamikaze winning two more JL pennants in 1976 and 1977, along with the 1976 EAB title. Eun was a Silver Slugger winner again in both years, giving him five for his career. In the playoffs, he had 51 games with 58 hits, 21 runs, 13 doubles, 10 home runs, 31 RBI, a .314/.352/.568 slash, and 2.1 WAR. Eun also returned home to South Korea for the World Baseball Championship from 1972-85. In 70 games and 49 starts, he had 56 this, 28 runs, 8 doubles, 19 home runs, 38 RBI, a .295/.333/.647 slash, and 2.7 WAR.

Eun signed another four-year extension before the 1978 season and continued to be a very solid player for Kyoto, although their competitive window ended. They finished the 1970s as an average team, then plummeted to the bottom of the standings by the early 1980s. Eun was still a solid contributor in this run and even busted out an impressive 8.0 WAR season in 1982 at age 36. In total with the Kamikaze, Eun had 2147 hits, 1043 runs, 406 doubles, 364 home runs, 1102 RBI, a .313/.352/.549 slash, and 85.0 WAR.

Eun finally left for free agency after the 1983 season, although he remained very popular with Kyoto fans for his role in their great dynasty run. The franchise would later retire his #30 uniform. He had a very solid 1984 season with Daegu, who finished in the middle of the pack. The Diamondbacks traded Eun to Changwon for three prospects. He had a decent 1985 with the middling Crabs, but struggled in 1986 and was ultimately benched. That winter, Eun retired from the game at age 40.

Eun’s final stats: 2497 hits, 1217 runs, 473 doubles, 427 home runs, 1301 RBI, a .309/.349/545 slash, 157 wRC+, and 93.5 WAR. He never dominated the leaderboards or put up massive stats, but Eun at induction had the fourth most WAR all-time in EAB at third base. He was a fan favorite and a critical player in Kyoto’s three Japan League titles in the 1970s. This earned Eun the first ballot Hall of Fame honor with 80.5% of the vote.

01-31-2024, 05:58 AM	#930
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,234	1992 EAB Hall of Fame East Asia Baseball inducted two players into the Hall of Fame from the 1992 ballot. Both guys got in on the first ballot with SP So-Woong Hong at 83.7% and 3B Min-Hwi Eun at 80.5%. SP Ho-In Koh missed it by the slimmest possible margin on his third try at 66.0%. Generally, 66% is the threshold, but that was his number when you rounded up, so he was left out. One other pitcher was above 50% with Kunizo Tsuda receiving 55.3% on his fourth ballot. Two players fell off the ballot after ten failed tries. SP Cheng Yang peaked at 40.8% on his third ballot before ending at a low of 11.3%. He had a 14-year career in total, but four seasons were in MLB as well. In EAB with Busan and Daegu, he had one Pitcher of the Year award, 116-94 record, 2.98 ERA, 2012 innings, 2108 strikeouts, and 45.0 WAR. He won two titles with the Blue Jays and would have been on his way had he stayed and/or had more longevity. Another pitcher was dropped in Chae-Heui Song, who peaked at 28.7% in his second go and ended at 4.6%. In 18 seasons, he had eight EAB championship rings between Pyongyang and Daegu, posting a 210-143 record, 3.18 ERA, 3218 innings, 2776 strikeouts, and 67.8 WAR. Song was never a league leader or awards finalist, which hurt him with most voters despite decent accumulations and his many rings. So-Woong Hong – Starting Pitcher – Kobe Blaze – 83.7% First Ballot So-Woong Hong was a 6’3’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Wonsan, a city of around 330,000 people on the eastern coast of North Korea. Hong’s biggest strengths were solid control and movement, which made up for having merely above average stuff. His velocity only peaked in the 93-95 mph range but he had an incredible changeup that he fooled batters with between his sinker and slider offerings. Hong was also known for excellent stamina, leading the league three times in innings pitched. He was a durable and intelligent pitcher that was also effective at holding runners. Hong was spotted as a teenage amateur by a scout from Kobe, who signed him in 1967 at age 16 and brought him from North Korea to Japan. After spending four years in their academy, he debuted in 1971 at age 21 for the Blaze, splitting time between the rotation and bullpen. Hong was a full-time starter for the rest of his career, tossing 245+ innings in all but one season over the next 15 years. He was iffy as a rookie, but delivered an excellent sophomore season with a league-best 25 quality starts, taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting. In 1974, Hong earned his first Pitcher of the Year award with 7.0 WAR, a 21-9 record, 2.51 ERA, and 26 quality starts. He won for a second time in 1976, leading again in innings pitched and posting career bests in wins (23-10), ERA (2.36), and WAR (8.0). Kobe had five consecutive seasons with 90+ wins in this stretch, but couldn’t make the playoffs as they were stuck against Kyoto’s dynasty run. In total with the Blaze, Hong had a 102-70 record, 2.87 ERA, 1483 strikeouts, and 36.0 WAR. He decided to enter free agency after the 1977 season at age 28. Hong wanted to return home to North Korea and both of the countries’ teams; Pyongyang and Hamhung, were very interested in grabbing him. He had returned home for the World Baseball Championship and ultimately played from 1972-85 for the DPRK. In 157 innings, he had a 3.32 ERA, 6-10 record, 168 strikeouts, and 3.6 WAR in the WBC. Hong ultimately signed with the Pythons to a six-year, $2,420,000 deal. Pyongyang had just come off of winning the EAB title in 1977 in a bounce back year. The Pythons were good in Hong’s first two years there, but just outside of the playoffs. He took third in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1978, his last time as a finalist. Pyongyang then fell off hard and began an unprecedented streak of mediocrity. Hong wasn’t to blame, posting a 2.89 ERA and 62-47 in four seasons with 1084 innings, 917 strikeouts, and 21.5 WAR. The Pythons opted to move Hong before the 1982 season to Seongnam in exchange for two prospects. The Spiders hoped Hong would get them over the hump, as they had narrowly missed ending a decade-long playoff drought in the prior year. Statistically, Hong had two very average years in Seongnam, but he gave them steady innings. The Spiders prevailed and won the Korea League title in both 1982 and 1983. They came up short versus Kawasaki in the 1982 EAB final, but won the 1983 championship against Sapporo. In 70 playoff innings over his run, Hong had a 4-3 record, 3.60 ERA, 50 strikeouts, and 0.3 WAR. He posted a 7.8 WAR, 3.80 ERA, 379 strikeouts, and 23-22 record for his Seongnam tenure. His original Pyongyang deal expired and the Spiders let him enter free agency at age 35. Hong signed a four-year, $2,760,000 deal with Hamhung. He provided league average production in three seasons with the Heat, even leading the league in innings in his final season. Hamhung made the 1986 playoffs, but were knocked out with Hong struggling in his one start. This was ultimately his final start, as he opted to retire at age 37 instead of hanging around. He had a 3.92 ERA, 39-46 record, 776 innings, 622 strikeouts, and 11.2 WAR with the Heat. Hong’s final overall stats: 226-185 record, 3.18 ERA, 4063 innings, 3401 strikeouts to 721 walks, 309/488 quality starts, 156 complete games, 87 FIP-, and 76.6 WAR. He quietly accumulated some solid totals and Is on a short list of guys with multiple Pitcher of the Year awards. His stats don’t place him among the absolute upper echelon of Hall of Famers, but Hong didn’t look out of place compared to the standard of previously inductees. The voters were sold and gave Hong a first ballot induction with 83.7%. Min-Hwi Eun – Third Base – Kyoto Kamikaze – 80.5 First Ballot Min-Hwi Eun was a 5’11’’, 200 pound right-handed third baseman from Ulsan, South Korea. Eun emerged as a very good contact hitter with a solid pop in his bat. He averaged around 30 home runs and around 35 doubles/triples pet year. Eun had an average eye and decent ability at avoiding strikeouts. He wasn’t a speedster, but had decent wheels with strong baserunning instincts. Eun was a career third baseman with a strong arm, although he graded out as just below average for his career defensively. He was a scrappy and loyal player, which made him a fan favorite throughout his run. Eun was spotted as a teenage amateur and signed in 1963 by Kyoto, spending two decades ultimately in the organization. He would be a late bloomer though despite making his official debut at age 20 with two at-bats in 1966. Eun made appearances over the next five years off-and-on, but couldn’t crack the starting lineup fulltime. He finally won the job in 1972, but missed more than half the season with knee issues. 1973 was Eun’s first full season as a starter at age 27 and he delivered a Silver Slugger winning season and their first playoff berth since 1966. This helped convince Kyoto to give him a four-year contract extension early in 1974 worth $1,294,000. Eun had an impressive 9.5 WAR campaign and won Silver Slugger again. The Kamikaze went on a tear and won their first-ever EAB Championship. Eun was finals MVP, posting 13 hits, 5 runs, 4 doubles, 3 home runs, and 6 RBI in the postseason. 1975 would be Eun’s finest season individually and the only time he was a league leader. He led in multiple stats though with the most hits (216), WAR (11.8), and bases (402) while also leading in average (.362), OBP (.402), OPS (1.075), and wRC+ (214). Eun also smacked 47 home runs with 112 RBI, both career bests. This earned him his lone MVP and his third Silver Slugger. Kyoto made the playoffs again, but fell this year in the JLCS despite Eun winning the series MVP. Eun had made them a consistent contender though with the Kamikaze winning two more JL pennants in 1976 and 1977, along with the 1976 EAB title. Eun was a Silver Slugger winner again in both years, giving him five for his career. In the playoffs, he had 51 games with 58 hits, 21 runs, 13 doubles, 10 home runs, 31 RBI, a .314/.352/.568 slash, and 2.1 WAR. Eun also returned home to South Korea for the World Baseball Championship from 1972-85. In 70 games and 49 starts, he had 56 this, 28 runs, 8 doubles, 19 home runs, 38 RBI, a .295/.333/.647 slash, and 2.7 WAR. Eun signed another four-year extension before the 1978 season and continued to be a very solid player for Kyoto, although their competitive window ended. They finished the 1970s as an average team, then plummeted to the bottom of the standings by the early 1980s. Eun was still a solid contributor in this run and even busted out an impressive 8.0 WAR season in 1982 at age 36. In total with the Kamikaze, Eun had 2147 hits, 1043 runs, 406 doubles, 364 home runs, 1102 RBI, a .313/.352/.549 slash, and 85.0 WAR. Eun finally left for free agency after the 1983 season, although he remained very popular with Kyoto fans for his role in their great dynasty run. The franchise would later retire his #30 uniform. He had a very solid 1984 season with Daegu, who finished in the middle of the pack. The Diamondbacks traded Eun to Changwon for three prospects. He had a decent 1985 with the middling Crabs, but struggled in 1986 and was ultimately benched. That winter, Eun retired from the game at age 40. Eun’s final stats: 2497 hits, 1217 runs, 473 doubles, 427 home runs, 1301 RBI, a .309/.349/545 slash, 157 wRC+, and 93.5 WAR. He never dominated the leaderboards or put up massive stats, but Eun at induction had the fourth most WAR all-time in EAB at third base. He was a fan favorite and a critical player in Kyoto’s three Japan League titles in the 1970s. This earned Eun the first ballot Hall of Fame honor with 80.5% of the vote. __________________ 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)