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FuzzyRussianHat · 02-17-2024, 03:58 PM

Valencia fans celebrated as two of their franchise icons earned induction with the 1994 Beisbol Sudamerica Hall of Fame class. Both were added with little argument with SP Lazaro Rodriguez at 98.7% and LF/DH A.J. Nunez at 94.3%. RF Jasper Saucedo barely missed joining them with 65.9% on his fourth ballot. The only other player above 50% was SP Robinson Moreira at 59.6% for his fifth try. No players were dropped following ten ballots in 1994.

Lazaro Rodriguez – Starting Pitcher – Valencia Velocity – 98.7% First Ballot

Lazaro Rodriguez was a 5’11’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Carayao, a town of only 3,000 people in southeastern Paraguay. Despite his humble beginnings, Rodriguez would emerge as one of the world’s most dominant pitchers of the 1970s and 1980s. He threw fire with a 99-101 mph fastball, but his stuff was electric with a remarkable mix. Rodriguez had a stellar cutter, great changeup, plus a good slider and splitter. His stuff graded out at 11/10 for many scouts for his career.

Rodriguez also had very good control for his career, much better than most other guys with similar velocity. He also had above average movement, which he improved as he aged. Rodriguez had outstanding stamina, leading the Bolivar League in complete games seven times. He was a poor defender, but didn’t have to use his glove too often with his strikeout prowess. Rodriguez was extremely popular, but also incredibly polarizing with a very outspoken nature. Either he was your favorite player, or you wanted to punch him in the face. Even those that disliked him had to admit that he was incredible.

An eagle-eyed scout for Valencia managed to notice Rodriguez at a youth camp in Paraguay. He was signed at age 15 and brought to Valencia’s developmental academy. To that point, the Velocity had been probably the least successful franchise in the Bolivar League with only one playoff appearance in their first four decades. Rodriguez would certainly be the single biggest reason that Valencia emerged as a powerhouse in the mid 1970s.

Rodriguez debuted at age 20 in 1971 and was a respectable starter in his first two seasons. By his third year, he was not only an ace, but an elite one. 1973 began an unprecedented streak of 12 seasons as the Bolivar League’s leader in pitching WAR. From 1974-84, he had 11 consecutive seasons as the BL’s strikeout leader. Eight times, he had 400+ strikeouts, a mark rarely
reached since the legendary reign of Mohamed Ramos. As of 2037, there have been only 26 seasons in Beisbol Sudamerica with 400+ Ks; 21 of those were by either Rodriguez or Ramos.

Rodriguez also would lead the league in wins five times, ERA four times, innings twice, WHIP eight times, K/BB eight times, complete games seven times, shutouts five times, and FIP- ten times. He twice earned Triple Crown honors with a 25-7 record, 2.29 ERA, and 442 strikeouts in 1975; plus a 20-8 record, 1.71 ERA, and 361 Ks in 1984. He also pitched for his native Paraguay in the World Baseball Championship from 1972-88 with a 3.06 ERA, 249.2 innings, 398 strikeouts, and 7.1 WAR.

Rodriguez won Pitcher of the Year nine times, besting even Ramos’ record of seven. At induction, the only pitcher in any world league to win nine POTYs was CABA’s Junior Vergara. As of 2037, he is one of only five pitchers in all of the world leagues to have won nine. Rodriguez won Pitcher of the Year in 1974, 75, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 83, and 84. He also took second in 1976 and third in 1982. 1981 also featured a third place in MVP voting.

Led by Rodriguez’s arm, Valencia put together a Bolivar League dynasty with five consecutive pennants from 1974-78. The Velocity fell in Copa Sudamerica in the first three seasons of the run, but came away with the cup in both 1977 and 1978. Rodriguez’s playoff numbers looked much like his regular season dominance, posting a 10-4 record over 132.1 innings with a 2.52 ERA, 194 strikeouts, only 17 walks, and 4.3 WAR.

Valencia locked him up with a seven-year, $2,372,000 contract extension after the 1975 campaign. Rodriguez’s dominance continued unabated, although the Velocity wouldn’t make the postseason again while he was there after their repeat Cup wins. They would stay consistently above .500, but a mini-dynasty from Barquisimeto kept them just outside the postseason. Rodriguez continued to have remarkable individual performances during this time.

For his career, Rodriguez had 11 games with 20+ strikeouts, behind only Ramos’ 13 such games. Six of those games were 21 strikeout games, tied for the record over nine innings. On September 17, 1980; Rodriguez had BSA’s 35^th perfect game, striking out 15 against Santa Cruz. He tossed a second no-hitter with 17 strikeouts against Lima on June 9, 1982. Only a fielding error on that day kept him from a second perfecto.

Rodriguez signed a second extension just before the 1982 season worth $3,120,000 over six years. He didn’t seem to be aging with his dominance continuing into his 30s. In 1984 at age 33, Rodriguez had career bests in ERA (1.71), and WHIP (0.76), earning his second Triple Crown. This would be his last elite season. On April 19, 1985, Rodriguez would suffer a torn flexor tendon in his elbow, knocking him out for eight months.

He was determined to come back and did pitch two more full seasons with Valencia. He was still a good starter, but his velocity had dropped a couple miles per hour along with his strikeouts. This was also the first time the Velocity had won fewer than 80 games in 15 years. In his last year with Valencia, Rodriguez did earn his 300^th win, the third BSA player to do so. He was also in striking distance of 6000 Ks, something only Ramos had done prior.

However, he wouldn’t get that mark with the Velocity. Looking to rebuild, Rodriguez was traded for 2B Amado Espinoza and SS Pedro Torres to Rio de Janeiro. He did hit the 6000 strikeout mark, but was otherwise mediocre in his one season with the Redbirds. Rodriguez had career worsts across the board and was having trouble even hitting the low 90s consistently. He decided to retire after the 1988 season at age 38. Valencia immediately brought him back to retire his #46 uniform.

The final stats for Rodriguez: 309-155 record, 2.60 ERA, 4261.1 innings, 6045 strikeouts, 712 walks, 359/515 quality starts, 257 complete games, 61 FIP-, and 148 WAR. As of 2037, Rodriguez still holds many prominent spots on the BSA leaderboards. He’s still second in strikeouts, seventh in wins, third in complete games, sixth in shutouts, and fourth in pitching WAR. When you compile a “Mount Rushmore” for South American pitchers, Rodriguez very much belongs in that conversation. No one in his era could match his strikeout ability and very few across the world reached 6000 career strikeouts.

A.J. Nunez – Left Field/Designated Hitter – Valencia Velocity – 94.3% First Ballot

A.J. Nunez was a 6’4’’, 200 pound left-handed left fielder from Barranquilla, a city of around 1,200,000 on the northern coast of Colombia. Nunez was a well-rounded batter who hit well for contact and power. He also had a solid eye and could draw walks at a respectable clip. Nunez averaged around 40-45 homes and around 40 doubles/triples per 162 games. He also had much better speed than most sluggers his size, although he did get too aggressive sometimes on the basepaths. Despite his speed for his frame, Nunez didn’t have great range defensively. He was primarily a left fielder and firmly mediocre in the field. About 1/3 of his starts would come as a designated hitter.

Nunez was spotted as a teenage amateur playing in Colombia and signed by Valencia, bringing him east to Venezuela. He would debut with a few pinch hit appearances primarily in 1973 at age 20. Nunez was a full-time starter the next season and would be a starter for the next 15 years for the Velocity when healthy. His first full season came with the beginning of Valencia’s dynasty run as well. Nunez also was a star for his native Colombia in the World Baseball Championship from 1975-88, posting 115 hits over 134 games with 80 runs, 42 home runs, 90 RBI, and 5.5 WAR.

1975 was Nunez’s breakout season as he mashed 58 home runs with 151 RBI, 136 runs, and a 1.146 OPS. This broke the BSA record for runs scored and RBI, although both would get passed the next year. Both would remain top five seasons all-time until Beisbol Sudamerica’s offense exploded in the 21^st Century. This gave Nunez his lone MVP and his first Silver Slugger as a DH.

His only other season as a league leader came in 1979, again leading in total bases, OPS, and wRC+. He would post four more seasons of 40+ home runs and five more with 100+ runs. Still, Nunez would take second in MVP voting in 1976, third in 1977, and third in 1979. He won five additional Silver Sluggers, each in left field (76, 77, 81, 82, 84).

Nunez played a big role in the dynasty, winning Bolivar League Championship Series MVP in 1976. The Velocity won the BLCS five consecutive years from 1974-78 and took Copa Sudamerica in 1977 and 1978. In 52 playoff starts, Nunez had 64 hits, 41 runs, 17 home runs, 41 RBI, a .318/.380/.687 slash, and 3.5 WAR. He was the star bat for the Velocity dynasty while his Hall of Fame classmate Lazaro Rodriguez was the star arm. Midway through 1976, Valencia signed Nunez to an eight-year, $2,626,000 contract extension.

In 1980, Nunez suffered a fractured ankle that put him on the shelf for five months. He was never nearly as dominant after this, but he was still a reliably solid hitter into his 30s. In May 1984, Valencia gave Nunez a five-year, $3,124,000 contract extension. Soon after, the Velocity needed to enter a rebuild as their window to compete had clearly closed.

Although he still hit 37 home runs, Nunez saw his production hit a career low in 1987. After a sluggish start to 1988, Valencia traded him and 2B Amado Espinoza in June to Cordoba for SP Ernesto Pichardo. He was only a part time starter for the remainder of the season with Cordoba. Although Nunez was still only 35 years old, it was clear finding a starting job somewhere would be difficult at this stage in his career. He decided to retire instead at the close of the 1988 season.

For his career, Nunez had 2269 hits, 1326 runs, 381 doubles, 557 home runs, 1453 RBI, 518 stolen bases, a .304/.357/.626 slash, 169 wRC+, and 73.7 WAR. His tallies aren’t as eye popping as a lot of the other sluggers of the era, but his 1975 campaign still goes down as one of the finest pure hitting seasons of the time. Nunez was very reliable in the middle of the lineup for a long while and an indispensable part of Valencia’s mid 1970s dynasty. The Velocity would retire his #1 uniform and he would take his place alongside Lazaro Rodriguez in the 1994 Hall of Fame class with 94.3% of the vote.

02-17-2024, 03:58 PM	#983
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,939	1994 BSA Hall of Fame Valencia fans celebrated as two of their franchise icons earned induction with the 1994 Beisbol Sudamerica Hall of Fame class. Both were added with little argument with SP Lazaro Rodriguez at 98.7% and LF/DH A.J. Nunez at 94.3%. RF Jasper Saucedo barely missed joining them with 65.9% on his fourth ballot. The only other player above 50% was SP Robinson Moreira at 59.6% for his fifth try. No players were dropped following ten ballots in 1994. Lazaro Rodriguez – Starting Pitcher – Valencia Velocity – 98.7% First Ballot Lazaro Rodriguez was a 5’11’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Carayao, a town of only 3,000 people in southeastern Paraguay. Despite his humble beginnings, Rodriguez would emerge as one of the world’s most dominant pitchers of the 1970s and 1980s. He threw fire with a 99-101 mph fastball, but his stuff was electric with a remarkable mix. Rodriguez had a stellar cutter, great changeup, plus a good slider and splitter. His stuff graded out at 11/10 for many scouts for his career. Rodriguez also had very good control for his career, much better than most other guys with similar velocity. He also had above average movement, which he improved as he aged. Rodriguez had outstanding stamina, leading the Bolivar League in complete games seven times. He was a poor defender, but didn’t have to use his glove too often with his strikeout prowess. Rodriguez was extremely popular, but also incredibly polarizing with a very outspoken nature. Either he was your favorite player, or you wanted to punch him in the face. Even those that disliked him had to admit that he was incredible. An eagle-eyed scout for Valencia managed to notice Rodriguez at a youth camp in Paraguay. He was signed at age 15 and brought to Valencia’s developmental academy. To that point, the Velocity had been probably the least successful franchise in the Bolivar League with only one playoff appearance in their first four decades. Rodriguez would certainly be the single biggest reason that Valencia emerged as a powerhouse in the mid 1970s. Rodriguez debuted at age 20 in 1971 and was a respectable starter in his first two seasons. By his third year, he was not only an ace, but an elite one. 1973 began an unprecedented streak of 12 seasons as the Bolivar League’s leader in pitching WAR. From 1974-84, he had 11 consecutive seasons as the BL’s strikeout leader. Eight times, he had 400+ strikeouts, a mark rarely reached since the legendary reign of Mohamed Ramos. As of 2037, there have been only 26 seasons in Beisbol Sudamerica with 400+ Ks; 21 of those were by either Rodriguez or Ramos. Rodriguez also would lead the league in wins five times, ERA four times, innings twice, WHIP eight times, K/BB eight times, complete games seven times, shutouts five times, and FIP- ten times. He twice earned Triple Crown honors with a 25-7 record, 2.29 ERA, and 442 strikeouts in 1975; plus a 20-8 record, 1.71 ERA, and 361 Ks in 1984. He also pitched for his native Paraguay in the World Baseball Championship from 1972-88 with a 3.06 ERA, 249.2 innings, 398 strikeouts, and 7.1 WAR. Rodriguez won Pitcher of the Year nine times, besting even Ramos’ record of seven. At induction, the only pitcher in any world league to win nine POTYs was CABA’s Junior Vergara. As of 2037, he is one of only five pitchers in all of the world leagues to have won nine. Rodriguez won Pitcher of the Year in 1974, 75, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 83, and 84. He also took second in 1976 and third in 1982. 1981 also featured a third place in MVP voting. Led by Rodriguez’s arm, Valencia put together a Bolivar League dynasty with five consecutive pennants from 1974-78. The Velocity fell in Copa Sudamerica in the first three seasons of the run, but came away with the cup in both 1977 and 1978. Rodriguez’s playoff numbers looked much like his regular season dominance, posting a 10-4 record over 132.1 innings with a 2.52 ERA, 194 strikeouts, only 17 walks, and 4.3 WAR. Valencia locked him up with a seven-year, $2,372,000 contract extension after the 1975 campaign. Rodriguez’s dominance continued unabated, although the Velocity wouldn’t make the postseason again while he was there after their repeat Cup wins. They would stay consistently above .500, but a mini-dynasty from Barquisimeto kept them just outside the postseason. Rodriguez continued to have remarkable individual performances during this time. For his career, Rodriguez had 11 games with 20+ strikeouts, behind only Ramos’ 13 such games. Six of those games were 21 strikeout games, tied for the record over nine innings. On September 17, 1980; Rodriguez had BSA’s 35^th perfect game, striking out 15 against Santa Cruz. He tossed a second no-hitter with 17 strikeouts against Lima on June 9, 1982. Only a fielding error on that day kept him from a second perfecto. Rodriguez signed a second extension just before the 1982 season worth $3,120,000 over six years. He didn’t seem to be aging with his dominance continuing into his 30s. In 1984 at age 33, Rodriguez had career bests in ERA (1.71), and WHIP (0.76), earning his second Triple Crown. This would be his last elite season. On April 19, 1985, Rodriguez would suffer a torn flexor tendon in his elbow, knocking him out for eight months. He was determined to come back and did pitch two more full seasons with Valencia. He was still a good starter, but his velocity had dropped a couple miles per hour along with his strikeouts. This was also the first time the Velocity had won fewer than 80 games in 15 years. In his last year with Valencia, Rodriguez did earn his 300^th win, the third BSA player to do so. He was also in striking distance of 6000 Ks, something only Ramos had done prior. However, he wouldn’t get that mark with the Velocity. Looking to rebuild, Rodriguez was traded for 2B Amado Espinoza and SS Pedro Torres to Rio de Janeiro. He did hit the 6000 strikeout mark, but was otherwise mediocre in his one season with the Redbirds. Rodriguez had career worsts across the board and was having trouble even hitting the low 90s consistently. He decided to retire after the 1988 season at age 38. Valencia immediately brought him back to retire his #46 uniform. The final stats for Rodriguez: 309-155 record, 2.60 ERA, 4261.1 innings, 6045 strikeouts, 712 walks, 359/515 quality starts, 257 complete games, 61 FIP-, and 148 WAR. As of 2037, Rodriguez still holds many prominent spots on the BSA leaderboards. He’s still second in strikeouts, seventh in wins, third in complete games, sixth in shutouts, and fourth in pitching WAR. When you compile a “Mount Rushmore” for South American pitchers, Rodriguez very much belongs in that conversation. No one in his era could match his strikeout ability and very few across the world reached 6000 career strikeouts. A.J. Nunez – Left Field/Designated Hitter – Valencia Velocity – 94.3% First Ballot A.J. Nunez was a 6’4’’, 200 pound left-handed left fielder from Barranquilla, a city of around 1,200,000 on the northern coast of Colombia. Nunez was a well-rounded batter who hit well for contact and power. He also had a solid eye and could draw walks at a respectable clip. Nunez averaged around 40-45 homes and around 40 doubles/triples per 162 games. He also had much better speed than most sluggers his size, although he did get too aggressive sometimes on the basepaths. Despite his speed for his frame, Nunez didn’t have great range defensively. He was primarily a left fielder and firmly mediocre in the field. About 1/3 of his starts would come as a designated hitter. Nunez was spotted as a teenage amateur playing in Colombia and signed by Valencia, bringing him east to Venezuela. He would debut with a few pinch hit appearances primarily in 1973 at age 20. Nunez was a full-time starter the next season and would be a starter for the next 15 years for the Velocity when healthy. His first full season came with the beginning of Valencia’s dynasty run as well. Nunez also was a star for his native Colombia in the World Baseball Championship from 1975-88, posting 115 hits over 134 games with 80 runs, 42 home runs, 90 RBI, and 5.5 WAR. 1975 was Nunez’s breakout season as he mashed 58 home runs with 151 RBI, 136 runs, and a 1.146 OPS. This broke the BSA record for runs scored and RBI, although both would get passed the next year. Both would remain top five seasons all-time until Beisbol Sudamerica’s offense exploded in the 21^st Century. This gave Nunez his lone MVP and his first Silver Slugger as a DH. His only other season as a league leader came in 1979, again leading in total bases, OPS, and wRC+. He would post four more seasons of 40+ home runs and five more with 100+ runs. Still, Nunez would take second in MVP voting in 1976, third in 1977, and third in 1979. He won five additional Silver Sluggers, each in left field (76, 77, 81, 82, 84). Nunez played a big role in the dynasty, winning Bolivar League Championship Series MVP in 1976. The Velocity won the BLCS five consecutive years from 1974-78 and took Copa Sudamerica in 1977 and 1978. In 52 playoff starts, Nunez had 64 hits, 41 runs, 17 home runs, 41 RBI, a .318/.380/.687 slash, and 3.5 WAR. He was the star bat for the Velocity dynasty while his Hall of Fame classmate Lazaro Rodriguez was the star arm. Midway through 1976, Valencia signed Nunez to an eight-year, $2,626,000 contract extension. In 1980, Nunez suffered a fractured ankle that put him on the shelf for five months. He was never nearly as dominant after this, but he was still a reliably solid hitter into his 30s. In May 1984, Valencia gave Nunez a five-year, $3,124,000 contract extension. Soon after, the Velocity needed to enter a rebuild as their window to compete had clearly closed. Although he still hit 37 home runs, Nunez saw his production hit a career low in 1987. After a sluggish start to 1988, Valencia traded him and 2B Amado Espinoza in June to Cordoba for SP Ernesto Pichardo. He was only a part time starter for the remainder of the season with Cordoba. Although Nunez was still only 35 years old, it was clear finding a starting job somewhere would be difficult at this stage in his career. He decided to retire instead at the close of the 1988 season. For his career, Nunez had 2269 hits, 1326 runs, 381 doubles, 557 home runs, 1453 RBI, 518 stolen bases, a .304/.357/.626 slash, 169 wRC+, and 73.7 WAR. His tallies aren’t as eye popping as a lot of the other sluggers of the era, but his 1975 campaign still goes down as one of the finest pure hitting seasons of the time. Nunez was very reliable in the middle of the lineup for a long while and an indispensable part of Valencia’s mid 1970s dynasty. The Velocity would retire his #1 uniform and he would take his place alongside Lazaro Rodriguez in the 1994 Hall of Fame class with 94.3% of the vote. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)