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FuzzyRussianHat · 04-23-2024, 04:10 PM

Eurasian Professional Baseball had an impressive four-player Hall of Fame class for 2001 with each player earning a first ballot induction. All four guys were starting pitchers as well. Jaylan Harrell led the way at 98.2%, closely trailed by Pavel Bely at 94.3%. Nikolai Nikiforovich had a solid 81.0%, while Vasif Agharahimov narrowly crossed the 66% requirement at 68.2%. The only other player above 50% was another pitcher in Maxim Aivazyan, who got 59.2% on his sixth try. No players fell off the ballot after ten tries in 2001.

Jaylan Harrell – Starting Pitcher – Minsk Miners – 98.2% First Ballot

Jaylan Harrell was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Harrell was a fireballer with a fastball that regularly hit the 100+ mph mark. He had great stuff and developed excellent control with good movement. Harrell had a fastball, slider, changeup arsenal. His stamina was decent, but his great durability meant he regularly got you plenty of innings. Harrell was also a solid defensive pitcher. He was a fan favorite with a strong work ethic, ultimately becoming a beloved part of Minsk’s 1980s and early 1990s success.

Harrell took a strange career path to end up a star in Belarus. He grew up in Philadelphia and played college baseball at the University of Michigan. Harrell was unremarkable with a 4.75 ERA over 134.2 innings with a 2-12 record, 112 strikeouts, 84 walks, and a 75 ERA+. His velocity was good, but his control was terrible at this point, leading most scouts to dismiss him as a prospect. After his senior year with the Wolverines, Harrell was picked late in the 7^th round of the MLB Draft by Tampa; the 329^th overall pick.

Harrell was unimpressive in spring training and the Thunderbirds cut him. It looked like the dream may be over before it even got started. Harrell spammed his information to any and every pro baseball team he could find, hoping someone would give him a chance. A scout from Minsk managed to notice Harrell’s velocity and thought that if they could fix his control, that he could excel. The logistics of an American going to the Soviet Union were complicated, but Harrell defected to chase his baseball dream, joining Minsk on a one-year deal in May 1979.

He spent that year in development and debuted in 1980. His control was still poor, but his stuff was still good enough to show flashes as a part-time starter. That winter, Harrell finally put it all together and fixed his mechanical issues. He went from a guy graded 3/10 in control to one that was an 8/10. The better control meant better, faster stuff too. All of a sudden, Harrell had blossomed into a stud.

In his second season with Minsk, he led the European League in strikeouts, wins, and WAR; taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting. The Miners bounced back from a rare playoff miss the prior year, winning the EL pennant and falling in the championship to Dushanbe. Harrell posted a 2.18 ERA over 41.1 playoff innings with 44 strikeouts. He would get plenty of chances to prove himself in the postseason, as Minsk began would ultimately would be a 24-season playoff streak.

Harrell was second in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1982, then won it for the first time in 1983. He was also third in MVP voting in 1983, posting only the fourth Triple Crown season by an EPB pitcher with a 25-6 record, 1.44 ERA, and 354 strikeouts with 11.5 WAR. From 1981-84, he led the EL in wins thrice, strikeouts twice, WHIP thrice, and WAR twice. Minsk signed him to a six-year, $1,906,000 deal after the 1983 campaign.

The Miners won the EPB Championship in 1985, then started a new dynasty with four EL pennants in a row from 1988-91. Minsk took it all in 1988, 1990, and 1991. For his playoff career, Harrell had a 19-11 record, 2.33 ERA, 298 innings, 355 strikeouts, 32/37 quality starts, a 125 ERA+, and 8.4 WAR. As of 2037, he’s still the EPB all-time playoff leader in innings, shutouts (50), and strikeouts (335). Harrell also retired as the playoff pitching WARlord, although Matvey Ivanov would eventually catch him.

Harrell was second in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1987, leading in wins that year. He signed a five-year, $4,150,000 extension before the 1989 season. In 1990, Harrell had an all-time great season with career bests in ERA (1.35), strikeouts (383), WHIP (0.63), quality starts (31), shutouts (10), and WAR (11.8). This year also featured an incredible 46 consecutive scoreless innings in the early summer. Amazingly, he didn’t win Pitcher of the Year with this effort, taking second in both POTY and MVP voting.

Harrell’s 1991 was weaker, but still statistically very excellent with a 1.80 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, 365 strikeouts, and 9.0 WAR. He tossed a no-hitter on September 26 in the playoffs against Warsaw with 14 strikeouts and 1 walk. Minsk won the title and Harrell earned his second Pitcher of the Year. That was his last award winning campaign ultimately. Harrell was on his way with an excellent 1992, but he missed the final two months and the playoffs due to a fractured elbow.

Harrell’s velocity dropped significantly after this injury, going from triple digits to mid 90s. He looked very average in 1993, which was ultimately his final year with Minsk. Harrell became a free agent for the first time at age 37. He would remain a very popular figure in Belarus and his #9 uniform would get retired. Harrell would return to the United States for the first time in 15 years, signing a two-year, $5,920,000 deal with MLB’s Brooklyn.

Harrell’s one year with the Dodgers was unremarkable, split between starting and the bullpen. He posted a 4.10 ERA and ended up cut in spring training 1995. EPB teams were willing to give him another shot based on his prior success and he went to Russia with Irkutsk. He saw very limited use with only 35.1 total innings. Harrell wasn’t used in the postseason, but did earn his fifth EPB Championship ring as the Ice Cats won it all. He retired that winter at age 39.

Harrell’s EPB statistics saw a 253-124 record, 2.02 ERA, 3714 innings, 4422 strikeouts, 499 walks, 369/443 quality starts, 154 complete games, 144 ERA+, 65 FIP- and 114.5 WAR. As of 2037, he’s ninth in pitching WAR, 19^th in strikeouts, and 12^th in wins. Harrell’s ERA is among the lowest of any starting pitcher in the EPB Hall. Becoming a legend in Belarus isn’t what he would’ve expected when he was struggling in his 20s at the University of Michigan, but Harrell posted an all-time EPB career. He was the first member of the impressive 2001 Hall of Fame class with 98.2%.

Pavel Bely – Starting Pitcher – Minsk Miners – 94.3% First Ballot

Pavel Bely was a 5’11’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from the capital of Belarus, Minsk. Bely had great stuff with 98-100 mph peak velocity with a cutter, slider, changeup arsenal. He had good movement and developed strong control especially later in his career. Bely had decent stamina and was a good defensive pitcher, although he was weak at holding runners. He was hard working and adaptable while also boasting terrific durability.

Bely stood out as an amateur in Belarus and his hometown team Minsk selected him 28^th overall in the 1979 EPB Draft. He was called up part-way through the 1980 season and was iffy in his rookie campaign. Bely was a full-time starter for the next 14 years and looked great from year two onward, beginning a streak of ten years of 6+ WAR seasons. With Minsk, he was third in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1982 and second in 1983. in 1982, Bely tossed a 10 strikeout, two walk no-hitter against Riga.

Bely was also a regular for Belarus in the World Baseball Championship, splitting time between starting and relief. He tossed 135.2 innings from 1981-95 with a 3.58 ERA, 194 strikeouts, 102 ERA+, and 3.5 WAR. Bely made history in the 1984 WBC, tossing the second-ever WBC Perfect Game with 16 strikeouts against Honduras.

With Minsk, Bely was part of their 1981 and 1985 European League pennants with the EPB title in 1985. In the playoffs with the Miners, he had an 8-3 record, 2.11 ERA, 111 innings, 116 strikeouts, and 139 ERA+. He ultimately played six seasons with his hometown squad with a 2.44 ERA in 1521.1 innings, 91-58 record, 1753 strikeouts, 121 ERA+, and 44.1 WAR.

The Minsk run came to a surprising end as just before the 1986 season started, Bely was traded. The Miners sent him to Krasnoyarsk for first baseman Igor Portnyagin and 2B Denys Bakay. Bely had three seasons with the Cossacks, taking second in 1988 Pitcher of the Year voting. 1988 saw career bests in wins (26-6), WAR (10.5), and strikeouts (368).

Krasnoyarsk made the playoffs in 1987 and 1988, falling in the Asian League final to Omsk in 1987. Bely had a 0.87 ERA in 31 playoff innings with the Cossacks. For his Krasnoyarsk run, he had a 66-23 record, 2.34 ERA, 825.1 innings, 1048 strikeouts, 130 ERA+, and 25.0 WAR. He left for free agency after his outstanding 1988 season, becoming a hot commodity at age 31. Bely signed a six-year, $6,960,000 deal with Yekaterinburg.

Bely continued to pitch at a high level for the Yaks, helping them win the EPB Championship in 1989. In the playoff run, he was 3-1 in 40 innings with a 2.02 ERA and 46 strikeouts. Bely also took second in 1990’s Pitcher of the Year voting. He ended up pitching five years in Yekaterinburg with an 84-47 record, 2.30 ERA, 1378 innings, 1672 strikeouts, 128 ERA+, and 35.5 WAR. The Yaks would buy out the final year of his deal after the 1993 season, making Bely a free agent again at age 36.

Bely signed a three-year, $4,400,000 contract for Irkutsk. While there, he crossed the 250 win and 4500 career strikeout milestones. Bely won his third EPB Championship ring as the Ice Cats won the 1995 title. For his playoff career, Bely had a 15-5 record, 1.97 ERA, 219.1 innings, 250 strikeouts, 23/27 quality starts, a 151 ERA+, and 6.5 WAR.

In two seasons with Irkutsk, Bely had a 28-17 record, 2.74 ERA, 407.1 innings, 435 strikeouts, and 8.2 WAR. He had a good first year with the Ice Cats with 6.5 WAR, but was below average in 1995. Bely was moved out of the full-time rotation towards the end of the season and made only three relief appearances in the playoff run. Bely retired after the season ended at age 38.

Bely retired with a 269-145 record, 2.40 ERA, 4132 innings, 4908 strikeouts, 703 walks, 391/515 quality starts, 141 complete games, 123 ERA+, and 112.8 WAR. He was perhaps overshadowed by the many great contemporaries and because he bounced around between teams. Still, Bely as of 2037 is still tenth all-time in EPB pitching WAR, tenth in wins, and ninth in strikeouts. He’s also sixth in WAR and seventh in strikeouts in the postseason. Bely was an easy choice even with many other great pitchers on the ballot, joining the 2001 class at 94.3%.

04-23-2024, 04:10 PM	#1181
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,821	2001 EPB Hall of Fame (Part 1) Eurasian Professional Baseball had an impressive four-player Hall of Fame class for 2001 with each player earning a first ballot induction. All four guys were starting pitchers as well. Jaylan Harrell led the way at 98.2%, closely trailed by Pavel Bely at 94.3%. Nikolai Nikiforovich had a solid 81.0%, while Vasif Agharahimov narrowly crossed the 66% requirement at 68.2%. The only other player above 50% was another pitcher in Maxim Aivazyan, who got 59.2% on his sixth try. No players fell off the ballot after ten tries in 2001. Jaylan Harrell – Starting Pitcher – Minsk Miners – 98.2% First Ballot Jaylan Harrell was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Harrell was a fireballer with a fastball that regularly hit the 100+ mph mark. He had great stuff and developed excellent control with good movement. Harrell had a fastball, slider, changeup arsenal. His stamina was decent, but his great durability meant he regularly got you plenty of innings. Harrell was also a solid defensive pitcher. He was a fan favorite with a strong work ethic, ultimately becoming a beloved part of Minsk’s 1980s and early 1990s success. Harrell took a strange career path to end up a star in Belarus. He grew up in Philadelphia and played college baseball at the University of Michigan. Harrell was unremarkable with a 4.75 ERA over 134.2 innings with a 2-12 record, 112 strikeouts, 84 walks, and a 75 ERA+. His velocity was good, but his control was terrible at this point, leading most scouts to dismiss him as a prospect. After his senior year with the Wolverines, Harrell was picked late in the 7^th round of the MLB Draft by Tampa; the 329^th overall pick. Harrell was unimpressive in spring training and the Thunderbirds cut him. It looked like the dream may be over before it even got started. Harrell spammed his information to any and every pro baseball team he could find, hoping someone would give him a chance. A scout from Minsk managed to notice Harrell’s velocity and thought that if they could fix his control, that he could excel. The logistics of an American going to the Soviet Union were complicated, but Harrell defected to chase his baseball dream, joining Minsk on a one-year deal in May 1979. He spent that year in development and debuted in 1980. His control was still poor, but his stuff was still good enough to show flashes as a part-time starter. That winter, Harrell finally put it all together and fixed his mechanical issues. He went from a guy graded 3/10 in control to one that was an 8/10. The better control meant better, faster stuff too. All of a sudden, Harrell had blossomed into a stud. In his second season with Minsk, he led the European League in strikeouts, wins, and WAR; taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting. The Miners bounced back from a rare playoff miss the prior year, winning the EL pennant and falling in the championship to Dushanbe. Harrell posted a 2.18 ERA over 41.1 playoff innings with 44 strikeouts. He would get plenty of chances to prove himself in the postseason, as Minsk began would ultimately would be a 24-season playoff streak. Harrell was second in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1982, then won it for the first time in 1983. He was also third in MVP voting in 1983, posting only the fourth Triple Crown season by an EPB pitcher with a 25-6 record, 1.44 ERA, and 354 strikeouts with 11.5 WAR. From 1981-84, he led the EL in wins thrice, strikeouts twice, WHIP thrice, and WAR twice. Minsk signed him to a six-year, $1,906,000 deal after the 1983 campaign. The Miners won the EPB Championship in 1985, then started a new dynasty with four EL pennants in a row from 1988-91. Minsk took it all in 1988, 1990, and 1991. For his playoff career, Harrell had a 19-11 record, 2.33 ERA, 298 innings, 355 strikeouts, 32/37 quality starts, a 125 ERA+, and 8.4 WAR. As of 2037, he’s still the EPB all-time playoff leader in innings, shutouts (50), and strikeouts (335). Harrell also retired as the playoff pitching WARlord, although Matvey Ivanov would eventually catch him. Harrell was second in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1987, leading in wins that year. He signed a five-year, $4,150,000 extension before the 1989 season. In 1990, Harrell had an all-time great season with career bests in ERA (1.35), strikeouts (383), WHIP (0.63), quality starts (31), shutouts (10), and WAR (11.8). This year also featured an incredible 46 consecutive scoreless innings in the early summer. Amazingly, he didn’t win Pitcher of the Year with this effort, taking second in both POTY and MVP voting. Harrell’s 1991 was weaker, but still statistically very excellent with a 1.80 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, 365 strikeouts, and 9.0 WAR. He tossed a no-hitter on September 26 in the playoffs against Warsaw with 14 strikeouts and 1 walk. Minsk won the title and Harrell earned his second Pitcher of the Year. That was his last award winning campaign ultimately. Harrell was on his way with an excellent 1992, but he missed the final two months and the playoffs due to a fractured elbow. Harrell’s velocity dropped significantly after this injury, going from triple digits to mid 90s. He looked very average in 1993, which was ultimately his final year with Minsk. Harrell became a free agent for the first time at age 37. He would remain a very popular figure in Belarus and his #9 uniform would get retired. Harrell would return to the United States for the first time in 15 years, signing a two-year, $5,920,000 deal with MLB’s Brooklyn. Harrell’s one year with the Dodgers was unremarkable, split between starting and the bullpen. He posted a 4.10 ERA and ended up cut in spring training 1995. EPB teams were willing to give him another shot based on his prior success and he went to Russia with Irkutsk. He saw very limited use with only 35.1 total innings. Harrell wasn’t used in the postseason, but did earn his fifth EPB Championship ring as the Ice Cats won it all. He retired that winter at age 39. Harrell’s EPB statistics saw a 253-124 record, 2.02 ERA, 3714 innings, 4422 strikeouts, 499 walks, 369/443 quality starts, 154 complete games, 144 ERA+, 65 FIP- and 114.5 WAR. As of 2037, he’s ninth in pitching WAR, 19^th in strikeouts, and 12^th in wins. Harrell’s ERA is among the lowest of any starting pitcher in the EPB Hall. Becoming a legend in Belarus isn’t what he would’ve expected when he was struggling in his 20s at the University of Michigan, but Harrell posted an all-time EPB career. He was the first member of the impressive 2001 Hall of Fame class with 98.2%. Pavel Bely – Starting Pitcher – Minsk Miners – 94.3% First Ballot Pavel Bely was a 5’11’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from the capital of Belarus, Minsk. Bely had great stuff with 98-100 mph peak velocity with a cutter, slider, changeup arsenal. He had good movement and developed strong control especially later in his career. Bely had decent stamina and was a good defensive pitcher, although he was weak at holding runners. He was hard working and adaptable while also boasting terrific durability. Bely stood out as an amateur in Belarus and his hometown team Minsk selected him 28^th overall in the 1979 EPB Draft. He was called up part-way through the 1980 season and was iffy in his rookie campaign. Bely was a full-time starter for the next 14 years and looked great from year two onward, beginning a streak of ten years of 6+ WAR seasons. With Minsk, he was third in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1982 and second in 1983. in 1982, Bely tossed a 10 strikeout, two walk no-hitter against Riga. Bely was also a regular for Belarus in the World Baseball Championship, splitting time between starting and relief. He tossed 135.2 innings from 1981-95 with a 3.58 ERA, 194 strikeouts, 102 ERA+, and 3.5 WAR. Bely made history in the 1984 WBC, tossing the second-ever WBC Perfect Game with 16 strikeouts against Honduras. With Minsk, Bely was part of their 1981 and 1985 European League pennants with the EPB title in 1985. In the playoffs with the Miners, he had an 8-3 record, 2.11 ERA, 111 innings, 116 strikeouts, and 139 ERA+. He ultimately played six seasons with his hometown squad with a 2.44 ERA in 1521.1 innings, 91-58 record, 1753 strikeouts, 121 ERA+, and 44.1 WAR. The Minsk run came to a surprising end as just before the 1986 season started, Bely was traded. The Miners sent him to Krasnoyarsk for first baseman Igor Portnyagin and 2B Denys Bakay. Bely had three seasons with the Cossacks, taking second in 1988 Pitcher of the Year voting. 1988 saw career bests in wins (26-6), WAR (10.5), and strikeouts (368). Krasnoyarsk made the playoffs in 1987 and 1988, falling in the Asian League final to Omsk in 1987. Bely had a 0.87 ERA in 31 playoff innings with the Cossacks. For his Krasnoyarsk run, he had a 66-23 record, 2.34 ERA, 825.1 innings, 1048 strikeouts, 130 ERA+, and 25.0 WAR. He left for free agency after his outstanding 1988 season, becoming a hot commodity at age 31. Bely signed a six-year, $6,960,000 deal with Yekaterinburg. Bely continued to pitch at a high level for the Yaks, helping them win the EPB Championship in 1989. In the playoff run, he was 3-1 in 40 innings with a 2.02 ERA and 46 strikeouts. Bely also took second in 1990’s Pitcher of the Year voting. He ended up pitching five years in Yekaterinburg with an 84-47 record, 2.30 ERA, 1378 innings, 1672 strikeouts, 128 ERA+, and 35.5 WAR. The Yaks would buy out the final year of his deal after the 1993 season, making Bely a free agent again at age 36. Bely signed a three-year, $4,400,000 contract for Irkutsk. While there, he crossed the 250 win and 4500 career strikeout milestones. Bely won his third EPB Championship ring as the Ice Cats won the 1995 title. For his playoff career, Bely had a 15-5 record, 1.97 ERA, 219.1 innings, 250 strikeouts, 23/27 quality starts, a 151 ERA+, and 6.5 WAR. In two seasons with Irkutsk, Bely had a 28-17 record, 2.74 ERA, 407.1 innings, 435 strikeouts, and 8.2 WAR. He had a good first year with the Ice Cats with 6.5 WAR, but was below average in 1995. Bely was moved out of the full-time rotation towards the end of the season and made only three relief appearances in the playoff run. Bely retired after the season ended at age 38. Bely retired with a 269-145 record, 2.40 ERA, 4132 innings, 4908 strikeouts, 703 walks, 391/515 quality starts, 141 complete games, 123 ERA+, and 112.8 WAR. He was perhaps overshadowed by the many great contemporaries and because he bounced around between teams. Still, Bely as of 2037 is still tenth all-time in EPB pitching WAR, tenth in wins, and ninth in strikeouts. He’s also sixth in WAR and seventh in strikeouts in the postseason. Bely was an easy choice even with many other great pitchers on the ballot, joining the 2001 class at 94.3%. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)