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Shortstop Al-Amin Kundu became the second South Asia Baseball Hall of Famer in 1993, securing a first ballot induction at 88.1%. He was the lone inductee, although 1B Yamin Thaw had a respectable 56.1% in his second ballot. No one else was above 50% and no players were dropped after ten ballots.



Al-Amin “Furball” Kundu – Shortstop – Pune Purple Knights – 88.1% First Ballot

Al-Amin Kundu was a 6’0’’, 205 pound right-handed shortstop from Bochanganj, a city of around 160,000 people in northern Bangladesh’s Rangpur Division. Nicknamed “Furball,” Kundu was an outstanding power hitter that could also effectively draw walks. He averaged around 45-50 home runs and another 30-35 doubles per season. Kundu was viewed as slightly below average as a contact hitter and did have troublr with strikeouts. He had decent speed and baserunning instincts. Kundu was exclusively a shortstop and was a great defender. He was scrappy and worked hard, becoming one of the most popular stars in the earliest days of SAB.

Kundu was already a seasoned veteran and one of the top players in the area’s semi-pro ranks when South Asia Baseball officially started in 1980. Many of the teams courted him with the thought that he could make them an instant contender. Pune won the sweepstakes, signing Kundu on an eight-year, $2,480,000 deal. His entire SAB career would be these eight seasons with the Purple Knights.

In those seasons, Kundu led the Indian League in home runs and RBI four times, runs once, walks once, slugging twice, total bases once, OPS thrice, wRC+ thrice, and WAR four times. His 13.9 WAR in the inaugural 1980 season would be the SAB single-season record until 2006. As of 2037, it is still the third-best season. Kundu was the Indian League MVP for its first four seasons and also took second in 1984 MVP voting. Kundu was Silver Slugger winner seven straight years from 1980-86 and took Gold Gloves in 1980 and 91.

The investment paid off for Pune, as they were a playoff team for seven of Kundu’s eight seasons. They had four consecutive Indian League Championship Series appearances from 1981-84, winning the pennant in 81, 83, and 84. The Purple Knights secured the SAB Championship in 1983 and 84, becoming the first franchise to repeat as champ. Kundu delivered in the playoffs as well, winning finals MVP in 1983. In 78 playoff starts, he had 64 hits, 40 runs, 14 doubles, 23 home runs, 58 RBI, a .233/.325/.549 slash and 3.2 WAR. Pune would later retire his #1 uniform.

After seven excellent seasons, Kundu struggled with a .195 batting average in 1987. He still posted 2.9 WAR with defensive value despite being a lousy hitter for the first time in his career, hitting only 23 home runs despite hitting 39+ in his other seasons. He became a free agent after the season and was unsigned in 1988. Kundu played in one final World Baseball Championship for Bangladesh, playing 78 games from 1980-88 in the WBC with 54 hits, 39 runs, 17 home runs, 42 RBI, and 1.4 WAR. He retired in the winter of 1988 at age 37.

Kundu was credited as having more than 10 years of major service with the help of some of his semi-pro games, making him eligible for Hall of Fame voting despite only eight actual SAB seasons. In those years, he had 1185 hits, 755 runs, 269 doubles, 367 home runs, 865 RBI, a .266/.350/.583 slash, and 80.6 WAR. The grand totals look low because of the small official career, but averaging 10 WAR a season is a remarkable eight year stretch. His popularity, dominance, and role in Pune’s 1980s success made Kundu a solid HOF choice even with limited accumulations. He earned 88.1% on his debut ballot to become South Asia Baseball’s second Hall of Famer.