[FuzzyRussianHat]

West Africa Baseball added two pitchers into the Hall of Fame in 1993. Power Bonou was an inner-circle level guy with 98.8%, while Marcus Nyathi’s 73.8% also earned a first ballot nod. Two others were above 50%, but short of the 66% requirement. SP Adul dos Santos had 60.5% in his fifth try and SS Joseph Ambane with 54.3% for his fourth ballot. No players were dropped after ten ballots.



Power Bonou – Starting Pitcher – Lagos Lizards – 98.8% First Ballot

Power Bonou was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Cotonou, Benin’s largest city. Bonou had great movement on his pitches with above average stuff and control. He led off the repertoire with a 96-98 mph cutter and balanced it with a changeup and slider. Bonou had excellent stamina, leading the league five times in innings pitched and six times in complete games. He was also viewed as a good defender and a durable arm.

When West Africa Baseball was officially formed, Bonou was already 25 years old and considered a premiere pitcher in the semi-pro ranks of the continent. Lagos signed him to a six-year, $1,068,000 deal and he played a huge role in the Lizards being a major contender in WAB’s first decade. Lagos made the playoffs in all six of Bonou’s seasons there, winning the West African Championship in 1978 and 1979 and taking runner-up in 1977.

Bonou led the Eastern League three times in WAR, wins, and strikeouts with Lagos. He was Pitcher of the Year in both 1976 and 1978. Bonou was second in 1975, third in 1977, second in 1979, and third in 1980. Bonou had a 21 strikeout game in 1975 against Niamey. His 27-4 record in 1978 still stands in 2037 as the most wins in a season for a WAB pitcher. In the Lizards’ playoff appearances, Bonou had an 8-4 record over 103.1 innings with a 3.57 ERA, 120 strikeouts, and 2.1 WAR.

In total with Lagos, Bonou had a 128-45 record, 2.55 ERA, 1597.2 innings, 1943 strikeouts, 352 walks, 67 FIP, and 49.0 WAR. His contract was up after the 1981 season and Bonou hoped to lock down big money in the growing WAB. Many teams didn’t have the funds to commit yet to a long-term deal and Bonou wasn’t signed until spring training 1981, getting a one-year, $342,000 deal with Abidjan. The Athletes had also been a playoff regular in the early days, having fallen to Lagos in the 1978 WAB Championship.

Bonou had a fine 1981 season and posted a 2.25 ERA in 24 playoff innings as Abidjan fell in a finals rematch with Lagos. A free agent again for 1982 at age 32, Bonou signed a one-year, #338,000 deal with Benin City. He was third in Pitcher of the Year voting in his one season with the Blue Devils, falling in the ELCS to Port Harcourt. In 1983, Bonou finally got the second long-term deal he was hoping for. He returned to Abidjan on a five-year, $1,810,000 deal.

Bonou was third in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1983, his final season as a POTY finalist. He remained solid, although not as dominant as his earlier prime. The Athletes fell towards the mid-tier in this run, only making the playoffs once with a 1985 ELCS defeat. Bonou would start to hit milestones for the still young WAB. He was the first pitcher to reach 2000, 2500, 3000, and 3500 career strikeouts. Bonou was also the first to reach 200 career wins.

After being very durable for most of his run, Bonou’s first major injury came in late May 1987. He suffered radial nerve compression, taking him out eight months. At age 38, Bonou opted for retirement. For his Abidjan run, he posted an 88-69 record, 3.11 ERA, 1385.1 innings, 1421 strikeouts, 334 walks, 113/176 quality starts, 82 FIP-, and 30.7 WAR.

For his career, Bonou had a 238-123 record, 2.86 ERA, 3233.2 innings, 3639 strikeouts, 752 walks, 268/409 quality starts, 122 complete games, 74 FIP-, and 85.9 WAR. West Africa Baseball’s pitching accumulations are lower than other world leagues, as WAB pitchers aren’t asked to throw nearly as many innings. As of 2037, Bonou is still the pitching WARlord for WAB and sits second in wins, seventh in strikeouts, third in complete games, and eighth in innings pitched. Bonou was one of the first true ace pitchers in WAB history and was well deserving of a first ballot selection at 98.8%.



Marcus Nyathi – Pitcher – Port Harcourt Hillcats – 73.8% First Ballot

Marcus Nyathi was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Gaborone, the capital and largest city in Botswana. Nyathi was a hard thrower with 99-101 mph on his fastball. He had great control mixed with solid stuff and movement. Nyathi’s fastball was his calling card, but he had a five pitch arsenal that included a forkball, curveball, slider, and changeup. He was also a good defender who was very adaptable.

The career timing worked out for Nyathi, as he was 23 years old when WAB was formed, giving him a full length career and a start with free agency. However, his profile was fairly low when auditioning for his first job in pro baseball, especially as someone from the other side of the continent in Botswana. Nyathi signed a two-year, $86,200 deal with Port Harcourt and was a fairly ineffective reliever as a rookie. He found his way into the rotation in his sophomore season and thrived from there.

After a successful 1976 and good start to 1977, Nyathi signed a five-year, $908,000 extension. He won Pitcher of the Year in 1979, leading the Eastern League in wins, ERA, and WAR. Nyathi looked even better by some measure in 1980, winning his second Pitcher of the Year. The Hillcats were a contender in the late 1970s, but couldn’t get past Lagos in the playoffs. Nyathi struggled in his first three postseason runs with ERA of 6.23, 6.39, and 8.38.

In 1980, Port Harcourt and Nyathi both got over the hump. He had a 3.10 ERA over 20.1 playoff innings, helping the Hillcats win their first WAB Championship over Monrovia. He and PH both had a setback in 1981 as in Nyathi’s second start of the season, he suffered a torn UCL. This knocked him out for the season and Port Harcourt fell below .500.

Nyathi had an impressive bounce back season in 1982, leading the league in ERA for the second time. He won his third Pitcher of the Year and Port Harcourt got back to the championship, falling to Abidjan in the final. His playoff career with PH saw a 5.05 ERA over 71.1 innings and 12 starts with 76 strikeouts. But for his regular season career, Nyathi had an impressive 113-47 record, 2.68 ERA, 1424.1 innings, 1665 strikeouts, 260 walks, 67 FIP-, and 42.8 WAR. The Hillcats would later retire his #8 uniform for his contributions.

At age 31, Nyathi became a free agent and signed a six-year, $2,006,000 with Port Harcourt’s league rival Lagos. He ended up with three respectable seasons for the Lizards, although he wasn’t a league leader at this point. Nyathi had a no-hitter in 1984 with 10 strikeouts against Niamey.

Nyathi earned two rings with Lagos with the 1983 and 1985 championships. He had an excellent 1983 postseason to redeem previously weak playoff stats, posting a 0.77 ERA over 23.1 innings with 21 strikeouts. Nyathi would miss the postseason run in 1985 with a catastrophic torn UCL that knocked him out for 17 months. After missing the 1986 season, he came back with 143 innings in 1987, although he had subpar production .

Lagos bought out the final year of his contract, making Nyathi a free agent at age 36. For the Lagos run, he had a 45-39 record, 3.42 ERA, 822 innings, 791 strikeouts, and 13.3 WAR. Nyathi found an unusual buyer as he was signed by the Mexican League’s Ecatepec to a two-year, $1,840,000 deal. He stunk with a 5.96 ERA in 25.2 relief innings in 1988. Nyathi opted to retire after that campaign at age 37.

For his WAB career, Nyathi had a 158-86 record, 2.98 ERA, 2272 innings, 2474 strikeouts, 381 walks, 194/314 quality starts, 77 FIP-, and 55.8 WAR. Compared to later WAB Hall of Famers, his totals are towards the lower end. Still, Nyathi was in rare company as a three-time Pitcher of the Year winner and some voters had sympathy for his major injuries costing him bigger accumulations. He doesn’t get mentioned nearly as often as his HOF classmate Power Bonou, but Nyathi joined him as a first ballot induction with 73.8%.