[FuzzyRussianHat]

West Africa Baseball saw three additions into the Hall of Fame in 1996. SP Albert Kamara was the star with a slam dunk 97.0% first ballot nod. 3B Epule Fongang was close behind with a very solid 88.1% first ballot induction. The third player was closer Johnson Madu, who just narrowly reached the 66% requirement with 66.5% on his seventh ballot. The only other player above 50% was CF Stephen Tshukudu at 51.7% in his seventh ballot.



One player fell off after ten ballots in Souleymane Moussa. The Togolese pitcher was hurt by his “official” career starting at age 33 and only seven years’ worth of stats. He still managed an impressive 102-43 record, 2.62 ERA, 1418 innings, 1520 strikeouts, and 38.2 WAR in that short time. With a full career, Moussa might have been a no doubter. But with a small sample size, he peaked at 29.4% in 1988 and ended at 7.4%.



Albert Kamara – Starting Pitcher – Abidjan Athletes – 97.0% First Ballot

Albert Kamara was a 6’1’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from Makeni, the largest city in Sierra Leone’s Northern Province with around 85,000 inhabitants. Kamara had good stuff, great control, and above average movement on his pitches. His fastball peaked at 97-99 mph and he could fool you with a stellar changeup in its place. Kamara also had a curveball, forkball, and splitter in his potent arsenal. His stamina was merely okay even by the standard of WAB which expected fewer complete games than other leagues. Kamara was adaptable, but viewed by some as a lone wolf or mercenary type.

Kamara had odd timing where he just missed out on the earliest WAB drafts. He was 19 years old and looking to start a pro baseball career in late 1976, signing a one-year deal with Freetown. He was only under contract with the Foresters for a month, then was traded with another young pitcher Musa Momoh to Abidjan in exchange for veteran shortstop Balogun Mohamed. Kamara spent 1977 on the reserve roster and debuted in 1978 with 33 innings. He made two relief appearances as well as the Athletes fell in the WAB Championship to Lagos.

Kamara was a part-time starter in 1979 and showed a lot of potential, earning the full-time job thereafter. He would excel in the next four seasons, leading the Western League in 1980 and 1982 in wins, ERA, WHIP, quality starts, and WAR. Kamara’s 1.49 ERA in 1980 would be the single-season WAB record until 1997, and is still second best as of 2037. That won him 1980’s Pitcher of the Year AND the MVP. Kamara took second in 1981 Pitcher of the Year voting, then won the award again in 1982 with a third in MVP voting. In 1981, Kamara also tossed a perfect game on July 26 with 13 strikeouts against Accra.

He was the ace for Abidjan, who was a regular Western League contender. They won the pennant again in 1981, but yet again were denied in the championship by Lagos. The Lizards fell off in 1982, opening the door for the Athletes to win their first title against Port Harcourt. Kamara’s playoff stats were a mixed bag with Abidjan, posting a 3.78 ERA over 52.1 innings with 49 strikeouts. But he played a critical role in them getting there and finishing first in the standings repeatedly.

Abidjan would regress to 83-81 in 1983, missing the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. Kamara was now a free agent for the first time and decided to test the market at age 26. With the Athletes, he finished with a 99-39 record, 2.35 ERA, 1251 innings, 1568 strikeouts, 222 walks, 63 FIP-, and 41.3 WAR. Unsurprisingly, those numbers made him a very hot commodity. It would be Ibadan who signed Kamara on a six-year, $2,574,000 deal.

Kamara was still very good at the start of his Iguanas run, although not as dominant as his peak. He finished third in 1984 Pitcher of the Year voting and second in 1986. Kamara also led the Eastern League in WHIP and K/BB in 1984, plus quality starts in 1985. He got less attension from the WAB community, as Ibadan was middling to start his run. The Iguanas would bottom out at 57-105 in the 1988 season before becoming a regular contender in the 1990s.

In that abysmal 1988 season, Kamara himself played poorly. His numbers had weakened in the prior two seasons, but he had still been a very fine starter. In 1988 though, he posted an atrocious 5.91 ERA over 96 innings. Kamara had another year left on his contract, but Ibadan didn’t want to pay top dollar for a near six ERA. For his tenure though as an Iguana, Kamara had a 69-47 record, 2.71 ERA, 1021 innings, 1285 strikeouts, and 23.6 WAR.

In June 1988, Kamara was traded to Kano for three prospects. He would rebound with a respectable second half for the Condors and become the fourth WAB pitcher to 3000 career strikeouts. Kamara also had two good relief appearances in the playoffs, although Kano was ousted in the wild card round. In 1989, Kamara was around league average. He became a free agent after this at age 33 and it marked the end of his time in West African Baseball.

Kamara wasn’t done pitching yet, as the newly formed Arab League Baseball was recruiting veteran talent from across the hemisphere. He earned a long-term commitment from Kuwait with a four-year, $2,480,000 deal. Injuries cost him some innings in his Whales run, but he still provided some steady value in the back end of the rotation. Kamara had three seasons in Kuwait with a 27-37 record, 3.61 ERA, 581.2 innings, 645 strikeouts, and 14.2 WAR.

Now 36 years old, Kuwait traded Kamara in the last year of his deal to Cairo for prospects. He was decent in his one year in Egypt, as the Pharaohs lost in the Western Conference Final. A free agent again, this time Kamara would be bound for Europe, being a rare player to have played on three continents. Barcelona signed him for 19894 on a two-year, $3,640,000 deal.

Kamara was respectable in one year with the Bengals, but did miss time to an elbow strain. Barcelona made it to the European Championship, falling to Birmingham. Kamara stunk though with a 6.04 ERA in 25.1 playoff innings and was let go in the offseason. He joined Rome in 1995, again being a decent back-of-the-rotation guy. That would be his final pro season, retiring at age 39. Between WAB, ALB, and EBF, he had a 242-164 record, 2.93 ERA, 3618 innings, 4249 strikeouts, 586 walks, and 88.9 WAR.

For just his time in West Africa, Kamara had a 187-103 record, 2.62 ERA, 2580.2 innings, 3223 strikeouts, 438 walks, 248/340 quality starts, 73 FIP-, and 69.2 WAR. Few starters to later make the WAB Hall of Fame would have a better career ERA and as of 2037, he’s still ninth best in pitching WAR even with his departure after his age 32 season. Kamara was one of the most impressive pitchers in WAB’s initial days, securing the first ballot induction easily at 97.0%.



Epule “Bonkers” Fongang – Third Base – Nouakchott Night Riders – 88.1% First Ballot

Epule Fongang was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed third baseman from Mfou, a town of 10,000 citizens in southern Cameroon. He got the nickname “Bonkers” for some of the incredible hitting and running feats he’d pull off in his prime. Fongang was an excellent contact hitter in his prime with a respectable eye and a solid ability at avoiding strikeouts. He was lightning quick and an accomplished thief on the basepaths. Fongang had great gap power, averaging around 50 doubles/triples per season while also hitting around 15-25 home runs. He also had a rocket arm at third base, although he did grade out as just below average defensively for his career. Fongang was a scrappy sparkplug type, making him one of the most endearing stars in the earliest days of African baseball.

Fongang’s natural ability caught the attention of a scout from Nouakchott, who brought a 15-year old Fongang to Mauritania in 1975. The Night Riders would bring him up in 1979 at only age 19, where he’d lead the Western League in triples and stolen bases in only 116 games. Fongang took third in Rookie of the Year voting, then became a full-time starter for the next seven years in Nouakchott. His two appearances in the World Baseball Championship with his native Cameroon came in 1979 and 1980.

Fongang was good in 1980 and 1981, but was then outstanding from 1982-86; leading the latter five years in WAR. He led the league in hits seven straight seasons and led in doubles twice, triples seven times, RBI once, total bases four times, stolen bases four times, batting average four times, OBP four times, slugging twice, OPS thrice, and wRC+ four times. Fongang won MVPs in 1983, 1984, and 1986 and took second in both 1982 and 1985. He also took five straight Silver Sluggers from 1982-86.

Fongang had a streak of 22 straight successful steals in 1983 and a 33-game on base streak in 1982. When WAB started, Nouakchott was a bottom level franchise, but Fongang delivered their first-ever playoff berth in 1983 and first WAB championship in 1984. He was a beast in the 1984 title run, winning WLCS and finals MVP with 18 hits, 9 runs, 4 home runs, 12 RBI, and 8 stolen bases in 11 games. This forever earned him a spot in the hearts of Nouakchott fans and his #7 uniform would be the first retired by the franchise.

The Night Riders regressed to 79-83 after their title season, then missed the playoffs narrowly at 91-71. Fongang’s last season with Nouakchott in 1986 saw career highs at 11.3 WAR, 49 doubles, 368 total bases, and a 1.004 OPS. It was also a contract year for him and it was clear he would get big money offers from around the world. Night Riders fans were disappointed to see him leave, but continued to cheer Fongang on as he ended up off to Major League Baseball.

For his Nouakchott and WAB tenure, he had 1528 hits, 779 runs, 304 doubles, 117 triples, 129 home runs, 714 RBI, 679 stolen bases, a .320/.359/.540 slash, 163 wRC+, and 64.1 WAR. It was a remarkable stat line in only eight seasons and it is what got Fongang into the 1996 Hall of Fame class at a solid 88.1%. It’s hard to say what could have been on the leaderboards had he stayed, but he was an electric early days star and a key part of a title run for Nouakchott.

Fongang would also one of the first West African players to really cash in big time in America. Brooklyn ended up being the buyer with a massive eight-year, $12,000,000 deal. He’d be averaging $1,500,000 annually, a nice bump considering he made just under a million total over his entire time in Mauritania.

Fongang wouldn’t be a league leader or award winner with the Dodgers, but he was a very solid starter in his first three seasons, posting a .328 average and 5.8 WAR in his MLB debut at age 27. He was an ironman who didn’t see any major injuries, but Fongang would regress noticeably by his fourth season with Brooklyn. By his fifth year of 1991, he was relegated to a bench role. In total with the Dodgers, Fongang had 689 hits, 363 runs, 90 doubles, 75 home runs, 277 RBI, a .289/.338/.456 slash, and 19.8 WAR.

Brooklyn was still on the hook for three more years, but was ready to move on from Fongang. Before the 1992 season, he and prospect 1B Ermano Cortina were traded to Houston for another 1B in Juan Segura. Fongang stayed on the major league roster with the Hornets, but saw limited use over the next three seasons with only 149 games, 70 starts, and 0.0 WAR. Fongang wanted to play somewhere after his deal was up in 1995, but he had to retire after going unsigned at age 36.

For his MLB career, Fongang had 769 hits, 407 runs, 106 doubles, 88 home runs, 326 RBI, a .282/.331/.451 slash, 163 stolen bases, and 19.8 WAR. For his entire pro career, he had 2297 hits, 1186 runs, 410 doubles, 223 triples, 217 home runs, 1040 RBI, 842 stolen bases, a .306/.348/.507, a 150 wRC+, and 83.9 WAR. His grand totals are especially impressive considering he was cooked after his age 30 season. Fongang’s sudden regression was a surprise to himself and those in the game, as there didn’t seem to be a specific reason why he fell so hard. But in the 1980s, Fongang was one of the most exciting players in all of pro baseball.



Johnson “Casino” Madu – Closer – Kano Condors- 66.5% Seventh Ballot

Johnson Madu was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Buguma, a city of around 124,000 people in southern Nigeria. He was nicknamed “Casino” for his love of table games, although he was smart enough to avoid gambling on the diamond in his career. Madu had fantastic stuff with excellent movement and very good control. He had a 97-99 mph fastball and an excellent slider that was almost as fast. Madu was a good defensive pitcher and was known as a very cerebral player. His work ethic and adaptability allowed him to thrice in the big spots.

Madu was already established in Nigeria’s semi-pro ranks when West African Baseball was officially created for the 1975 season. He would sign a three-year, $213,000 deal at age 26 for the inaugural season with Kano. The Condors were the first WAB dynasty, winning the title in 1975 and 1976. Madu played a big role, winning Reliever of the Year in 1975 and taking second in 1976. He was the Eastern League leader in saves both seasons and was third in 1975 Pitcher of the Year voting. Madu had a 33 save streak from August 1975 to June 1976, including three saves in the postseason.

In 1977, a torn meniscus in his right knee cost him almost the entire season. He did make it back by the playoffs, but Kano’s three-peat bid was thwarted in the ELCS by Lagos. Still, in his short run with the Condors, Madu had 83 saves, a 1.68 ERA, 193 innings 316 strikeouts, and 11.4 WAR. He also became a regular with Nigeria in the World Baseball Championship from 1975-84. Madu started more (20) than he pitched in relief (11) in the WBC, posting an 11-4 record, 5 saves, 3.13 ERA, 103.2 innings, 164 strikeouts, and 2.9 WAR.

A free agent again at age 29, Madu signed a one-year deal with Benin City in 1978. He won his second Reliever of the Year and became the first WAB closer to have a 50 save season. As of 2037, he’s one of only three to have reached that mark. The Blue Devils won 107 games, but were third in the standings and lost in the wild card round without Madu seeing the field. A free agent again, his next stop was Lagos.

Madu had 41 saves in 1979 and earned his second ring as the Lizards earned back-to-back titles. This was his finest postseason with five saves in 17.1 innings with a 0.52 ERA, 29 strikeouts, and 1.0 WAR. Lagos didn’t bring him back though and Madu ended up with Kumasi in 1980. Shoulder inflammation knocked him out for the final part of the year, although he was still respectable.

Lagos brought Madu back in 1981 and he took second in Reliever of the Year voting. Although not as dominant in the playoffs, he had four saves and helped the Lizards claim a third title in four years. Madu also joined elite company as a four time champion. This would be his last season as a closer though, as he was never quite the same after shoulder inflammation during his 1982 stint with Bamako.

Madu bounced around mostly in middle relief for the rest of his WAB tenure. He started 1983 with Port Harcourt, but ended back with Bamako on a trade. The Bullfrogs made it to the WAB Championship, but the playoff magic was gone for Madu, who allowed 7 runs in only 1.2 postseason innings. He returned to Kumasi in 1985, who gave him a brief experiment with a few starts. That marked the end of his WAB run at age 36.

Madu would have five more seasons of professional baseball, oddly enough in the Central American Baseball Association. He went to Mexico in 1985 and 1986 with Hermosillo. 1987 started in Santo Domingo but ended in a trade to Guatemala. Madu then spent his final two seasons in Honduras. A torn back muscle in his final fall marked the end of his career at age 41 after the 1989 campaign. For his CABA excursion, he had a 3.00 ERA over 180 innings with 163 strikeouts, 113 ERA+, and 0.5 WAR.

For the WAB run, Madu had a 1.95 ERA, 246 saves and 275 shutdowns, 660 innings, 983 strikeouts, 120 walks, a 183 ERA+ and 48 FIP-, and 29.0 WAR. He was hurt by “officially” starting at age 26, but with closers not seeing as extensive use in WAB, Madu was actually the saves leader until the 2010s. His playoff excellence was worth noting, as 14 postseason saves was the WAB record until passed in the 2030s once. In his playoff career in WAB, he had 14 saves, a 2.72 ERA in 56.1 innings, 82 strikeouts, and 1.9 WAR. Madu was a big part in four championship teams, but WAB voters weren’t keen on the value of relief pitching relative to some other Halls of Fame. He debuted at 48.6% in 1990 and hovered around there before jumping to 61.6% in 1994. He fell back to 54.2% in 1995, but just barely reached the threshold with 66.5%. Madu became a seventh ballot Hall of Famer to round out the 1996 WAB class and the first pure reliever to make the cut.