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Four-time defending AAB Southern Conference champion Johannesburg took the top spot in the standings for the fourth year in a row, finishing at 105-57. They were closely trailed by Antananarivo, who earned its first playoff berth in AAB’s eight seasons to date. The Eagles were 102-60 to set a franchise record. After wild cards in the prior two seasons, Dar es Salaam dropped to third at 93-69. Durban was fourth at 91-71, setting a new high mark for the Deer.

Although Lilongwe was sixth, they had RF Felix Chaula repeat as Southern Conference MVP. The 26-year old Tanzanian righty led in home runs (57), OBP (.436), slugging (.714), OPS (1.150), wRC+ (209), and WAR (9.9). Chaula added 114 RBI and a .306 average. Pitcher of the Year was Antananarivo righty Lucas Wachira, who broke out as the leader in wins (22-7), ERA (2.39), innings (275.1), and quality starts (26). The 24-year old Kenyan added 272 strikeouts and 7.9 WAR. Also of note, Dar es Salaam’s Tewderos Tadesse became the second AAB player to win Reliever of the Year thrice.



Kinshasa returned to first place in the Central Conference standings, taking the spot at 105-57. It was their fifth time taking first, as the Sun Cats still have been in the playoffs in each season of the AAB. Defending champ Lubumbashi would fall short though, finishing third at 98-64. They were bested by Mogadishu, who snagged the second place spot at 102-60. This was the second-ever playoff berth for the Mighty Mice, who also were a wild card in 1998. There was a steep 15 game drop from third to fourth.

Fifth place Brazzaville had the Central Conference’s MVP in Mohau Sibiya. The 29-year old South African smacked 76 home runs, passing his own AAB record of 69 from 1999. Sibiya also had 158 RBI, one shy of Abebe Chekol’s record from the prior year. He’d lose the home run record in 2006, but he stands in elite company in world history. Sibayi also led the conference in runs (134), total bases (419), slugging (.754), OPS (1.121), wRC+ (193), and WAR (11.5). It would be his last year with the Blowfish, as he’d be traded across the river to Kinshasa in the offseason.

Pitcher of the Year was Kampala’s Mulumba Mwamba. He became the first-ever reliever to win the award in AAB, posting 35 saves in 87.2 innings, a 1.23 ERA, 152 strikeouts, 335 ERA+, and 5.5 WAR. Shockingly he won POTY and NOT Reliever of the Year, as the latter went to Lubumbashi’s Rajab Hamadi. The 27-year old led in saves (41) and had a 1.11 ERA, 188 strikeouts in 81 innings, 368 ERA+, and 6.9 WAR. It remains baffling to historians years later that a reliever won POTY despite not being the top reliever by many metrics.

Johannesburg’s reign atop the Southern Conference ended as Antananarivo denied them the five-peat. The Eagles upset the Jackalopes 4-1 in the Conference Championship for their first-pennant. Joahnnesburg would have to wait more than a decade for their next pennant, while Antananarivo would assume the mantle for the next few years. The Central Conference Championship was a rematch of the 1998 final. It was a seven game classic, but Kinshasa again came out on top of Mogadishu. The Sun Cats earned their sixth pennant through eight seasons.



Kinshasa was upset that Lubumbashi broke up the dynasty in 2001. They took that frustration out on Antananarivo in the eighth Africa Series, winning it 5-1. The Sun Cats earned their fifth title in six years with the win, a feat matched by few teams in any world league. 1B Matthew Roberts led the way, winning MVP of the Africa Series and the Conference final. A 32-year old Canadian who joined Kinshasa in 2000 after nine years in Montreal, Roberts had 13 hits, 9 runs, 6 home runs, and 13 RBI in 12 playoff starts.



Other notes: On April 10, Antananarivo’s Seth Zoontjes tossed the first-ever perfect game in AAB, striking out eight against Durban. The next perfecto wouldn’t come until 2013. Joel Mwasesa became the first pitcher to 2000 career strikeouts. CF Tico Samo won his sixth Gold Glove, becoming the second in AAB to win six.