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FuzzyRussianHat · 03-25-2024, 04:51 PM

Pitcher Durant Lindly was the lone addition for the Oceania Baseball Association Hall of Fame in 1998, receiving a strong 97.9% first ballot induction. Two other long-standing guys were above 50%, but short of the 66% requirement yet again. RF Dede Hayati had 56.2% in his seventh ballot and SP Ramgopal Singh saw 50.5% in his eighth ballot. No players were removed from the ballot following ten failed tries.

Durant Lindly – Starting Pitcher - Christchurch Chinooks – 97.9% First Ballot

Durant Lindly was a 6’4’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Melbourne, Australia. Lindly had great stuff with respectable control, although his movement was lousy. He had 93-95 mph velocity, but was a master of changing speeds with his fastball, curveball, changeup arsenal. Lindly had respectable stamina and was an outstanding defensive pitcher, winning nine Gold Gloves. He was also an ironman who essentially never missed a start to injury. Lindly was humble and had a great work ethic, keeping his head down and getting the job done.

Lindly was drafted by his hometown team Melbourne in the second round of the 1976 OBA Draft. He was the 21^st overall pick, fourth in the second round. Lindly pitched 202.2 innings as a rookie, then tossed 300+ innings each year for the next 11 years. His poor movement meant he had trouble allowing home runs, giving up the most dingers in five different seasons. Lindly’s stuff though got him plenty of whiffs, striking out 300+ batters each year from 1978-87. He was viewed as an elite defensive pitcher, winning nine Gold Gloves (1977, 79-86).

The Melbourne run only lasted three seasons with middling production. He posted a 42-45 record, 3.23 ERA, 821.2 innings, 855 strikeouts, 98 ERA+, and 8.1 WAR. The Mets were a bottom tier franchise at that point and opted to trade Lindly away after the 1979 season. He was sent to Christchurch for catcher Ryder Wilber and IF Rod Stanley. This began Lindly’s signature run, as he’d spend the next 13 seasons with the Chinooks.

The timing worked out perfectly for both, as Christchurch became an Australasia League contender with Lindly. 1980 marked their second-ever AL pennant. They would also win the title in 1983, 85, 88, and 92; although they were defeated each time in the Oceania Championship. In 54 playoff innings in his career, Lindly had a 3.17 ERA, 2-4 record, 64 strikeouts, 103 ERA+, and 0.8 WAR.

Lindly tossed a no-hitter on May 27, 1981 against his hometown team Melbourne with 13 strikeouts and two walks. Christchurch gave him a four-year, $1,448,000 extension in summer 1983 and another five-year, $3,150,000 extension in early 1987. His game aged well as he wasn’t reliant on overpowering stuff. With the Chinooks, Lindly led the AL in wins twice, strikeouts twice, WHIP once, and innings once. He never won Pitcher of the Year and was a finalist only once with a third in 1990.

With his tenure, Lindly became the fourth OBA pitcher to reach 5000 career strikeouts and the third to 250 career wins both in 1991. His production was still respectable in his last two years, although age meant he wasn’t used for a full season’s worth of starts. Lindly opted to retire after the 1992 season at age 38. The Chinooks retired his #22 uniform that winter. With Christchurch, Lindly had a 230-154 record, 3.06 ERA, 3752 innings, 4365 strikeouts, 307/462 quality starts, 107 ERA+, and 63.2 WAR.

Lindly’s full career stats saw a 272-199 record, 3.09 ERA, 4573.2 innings, 5220 strikeouts, 988 walks, 375/571 quality starts, 178 complete games, 105 ERA+, 95 FIP-, and 71.3 WAR. His longevity put him in good spots on the leaderboards as at induction, he was fourth in wins, second in strikeouts, and third in innings pitched. As of 2037, he’s still sixth in wins and fourth in strikeouts.

The advanced stats aren’t kind to him with all of the home runs he allowed with his 71.3 WAR being paltry compared to others with similar inning totals. As of 2037, he’s 35^th in pitching WAR while having the second most home runs allowed. Still, Lindly’s tenure and role in Christchurch’s success in the 1980s made him a slam dunk for the OBA voters, receiving 97.9% as the lone member of the 1998 Hall of Fame class.

03-25-2024, 04:51 PM	#1094
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,635	1998 OBA Hall of Fame Pitcher Durant Lindly was the lone addition for the Oceania Baseball Association Hall of Fame in 1998, receiving a strong 97.9% first ballot induction. Two other long-standing guys were above 50%, but short of the 66% requirement yet again. RF Dede Hayati had 56.2% in his seventh ballot and SP Ramgopal Singh saw 50.5% in his eighth ballot. No players were removed from the ballot following ten failed tries. Durant Lindly – Starting Pitcher - Christchurch Chinooks – 97.9% First Ballot Durant Lindly was a 6’4’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Melbourne, Australia. Lindly had great stuff with respectable control, although his movement was lousy. He had 93-95 mph velocity, but was a master of changing speeds with his fastball, curveball, changeup arsenal. Lindly had respectable stamina and was an outstanding defensive pitcher, winning nine Gold Gloves. He was also an ironman who essentially never missed a start to injury. Lindly was humble and had a great work ethic, keeping his head down and getting the job done. Lindly was drafted by his hometown team Melbourne in the second round of the 1976 OBA Draft. He was the 21^st overall pick, fourth in the second round. Lindly pitched 202.2 innings as a rookie, then tossed 300+ innings each year for the next 11 years. His poor movement meant he had trouble allowing home runs, giving up the most dingers in five different seasons. Lindly’s stuff though got him plenty of whiffs, striking out 300+ batters each year from 1978-87. He was viewed as an elite defensive pitcher, winning nine Gold Gloves (1977, 79-86). The Melbourne run only lasted three seasons with middling production. He posted a 42-45 record, 3.23 ERA, 821.2 innings, 855 strikeouts, 98 ERA+, and 8.1 WAR. The Mets were a bottom tier franchise at that point and opted to trade Lindly away after the 1979 season. He was sent to Christchurch for catcher Ryder Wilber and IF Rod Stanley. This began Lindly’s signature run, as he’d spend the next 13 seasons with the Chinooks. The timing worked out perfectly for both, as Christchurch became an Australasia League contender with Lindly. 1980 marked their second-ever AL pennant. They would also win the title in 1983, 85, 88, and 92; although they were defeated each time in the Oceania Championship. In 54 playoff innings in his career, Lindly had a 3.17 ERA, 2-4 record, 64 strikeouts, 103 ERA+, and 0.8 WAR. Lindly tossed a no-hitter on May 27, 1981 against his hometown team Melbourne with 13 strikeouts and two walks. Christchurch gave him a four-year, $1,448,000 extension in summer 1983 and another five-year, $3,150,000 extension in early 1987. His game aged well as he wasn’t reliant on overpowering stuff. With the Chinooks, Lindly led the AL in wins twice, strikeouts twice, WHIP once, and innings once. He never won Pitcher of the Year and was a finalist only once with a third in 1990. With his tenure, Lindly became the fourth OBA pitcher to reach 5000 career strikeouts and the third to 250 career wins both in 1991. His production was still respectable in his last two years, although age meant he wasn’t used for a full season’s worth of starts. Lindly opted to retire after the 1992 season at age 38. The Chinooks retired his #22 uniform that winter. With Christchurch, Lindly had a 230-154 record, 3.06 ERA, 3752 innings, 4365 strikeouts, 307/462 quality starts, 107 ERA+, and 63.2 WAR. Lindly’s full career stats saw a 272-199 record, 3.09 ERA, 4573.2 innings, 5220 strikeouts, 988 walks, 375/571 quality starts, 178 complete games, 105 ERA+, 95 FIP-, and 71.3 WAR. His longevity put him in good spots on the leaderboards as at induction, he was fourth in wins, second in strikeouts, and third in innings pitched. As of 2037, he’s still sixth in wins and fourth in strikeouts. The advanced stats aren’t kind to him with all of the home runs he allowed with his 71.3 WAR being paltry compared to others with similar inning totals. As of 2037, he’s 35^th in pitching WAR while having the second most home runs allowed. Still, Lindly’s tenure and role in Christchurch’s success in the 1980s made him a slam dunk for the OBA voters, receiving 97.9% as the lone member of the 1998 Hall of Fame class. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)