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FuzzyRussianHat · 05-14-2024, 04:36 AM

The European Baseball Federation added two into its Hall of Fame in 2003, although they entered with very different paths. RF Sean Houston was an absolute slam dunk with 99.3% and a first ballot nod. He was joined by SP Cornelius Danner, who finally crossed the 66% requirement with 68.2% on his tenth and final chance. Danner was the first-ever EBF inductee to make it on the final try.

Two others were just above 50% with LF Josip Stojanovic at 53.4% on his third ballot and LF Husnija Kojic at 52.4% on his seventh go. No players were dropped after ten failed attempts.

Sean Houston – Right Field – Birmingham Bees – 99.3% First Ballot

Sean Houston was a 5’10’’, 185 pound switch-hitting right fielder from Kirkcaldy, a town of 49,000 on Scotland’s east coast. Houston was THE slugger of the Northern Conference in the 1980s and 1990s, hitting 50+ home runs eight times in his career. He was an excellent contact hitter as well with great gap power, averaging 30 doubles and 13 triples per 162 game average. Houston also had an above average strikeout rate, although he drew far fewer walks than you’d expect with his power profile.

Despite his power, Houston had average to sometimes above average speed and could leg out extra bags. His only major flaw was defense. Houston played pretty much exclusively in right field and was an abysmal defender. Regardless, his bat was tremendous and he was an ironman, playing 149+ games in all but his rookie season. Houston was also a team captain and an excellent leader, becoming one of the most adored baseball figures of the United Kingdom.

Houston’s potential was spotted even out of high school in Scotland. You didn’t too often have high school draft picks in the EBF Draft, but Birmingham felt Houston was worth bucking that trend. With the 25^th pick in the 1978 EBF Draft, the Bees brought him in. It would be one of their finest-ever decisions, as he’d give them 17 excellent years. Houston trained in the academy in 1979 and 1980, officially debuting in 1981 at age 22.

Houston was primarily a pinch hitter in his rookie season, then was a full-time starter from year two onward. In his sophomore campaign, Houston posted 7.6 WAR, earning his first of 11 consecutive Silver Sluggers. As of 2037, he’s one of only four outfielders with 11 or more Sluggers and is the only one to win his consecutively. In his third season, Houston was third in MVP voting.

Houston went on an epic tear from 1984-87 with four straight Northern Conference MVPs, posting 8+ WAR in each season. In 1984, he crushed 72 home runs with 167 RBI and 144 runs scored, setting EBF records for each stat. He’d lose both the HR and RBI records to Mattias Stole in 1994 and lose the runs record by one in 2019 to Jean-Paul Lafontaine. However, his 522 total bases in 1984 is still EBF’s top mark as of 2037. Houston is one of only seven EBF sluggers with a 70+ dinger season and his 167 RBI in 1984 is still second all-time behind Stole’s 183.

Wisely after the remarkable 1984, Birmingham extended Houston for eight years and $6,530,000, During this four year stretch, Houston led in RBI, total bases, slugging, OPS, and wRC+ each season. He also led in homers thrice, hits twice, runs twice, WAR once, and batting average once. The Bees would win five British Isles Division titles from 1983-88, but they would go one-and-done four times. In 1985, they lost to Copenhagen in the conference final.

Houston was beloved at this point in Birmingham and back home in Scotland. He played in the World Baseball Championship for the Scottish team from 1982-94, playing 112 games with 109 starts. He posted 130 hits, 65 runs, 23 doubles, 32 home runs, 70 RBI, a .296/.342/.572 slash, 161 wRC+, and 5.2 WAR.

Houston had merely a good season in 1988, then got back into the MVP picture. He won the top honor in 1989, 90, and 91, becoming EBF’s first-ever seven time winner. Houston would be the only one until the eventual GOAT Harvey Coyle won nine in the 2010s and 2020s. Houston led in slugging, total bases, and home runs in all three MVP seasons, while also leading in RBI once, OPS twice, wRC+ once, and WAR once.

Birmingham fell towards the mid-tier in 1989 and 1990, but Houston brought them back to prominence in 1991. That started a stretch of seven straight playoff berths with six division titles. The Bees won their first-ever European Championship in 1991, defeating Munich in the final. Houston was finals MVP with 29 hits, 19 runs, 5 doubles, 3 triples, 9 home runs, 23 RBI, a .475/.529/1.098 slash, 342 wRC+, and 2.1 WAR in the playoff run. As of 2037, he still holds the playoff records for total bases (67), and RBI (23).

Before the 1992 season, the Bees gave Houston another five years and $7,400,000. Houston led in homes and RBI once more in 1992, taking second in MVP voting. It was his last time as a league leader, but he had a remarkable seven times leading in homers, six in RBI, eight in total bases, seven in slugging, six in OPS, and five in wRC+.

Into his mid 30s, Houston was still great even if his power started to fade some. Birmingham won the conference title in 1993, losing the EBF final to Zurich. In 1994, the Bees won it all over Barcelona with a franchise-best 110-52 season. Houston had another mammoth postseason with 34 hits, 13 runs, 6 gome runs, 12 RBI, and a .466/.387/.808 slash, winning conference finals and European Championship MVP. His 34 hits were a playoff record that held until 2015.

Birmingham lost in the 1995 conference final, but won a fourth pennant in six years in 1996. They lost the European Championship in a rematch with Barcelona, marking the end of an impressive dynasty run. Houston’s leadership and incredible bat were critical to this success, as he went down as one of the all-time clutch performers.

In 109 playoff games, Houston had 163 hits, 85 runs, 14 doubles, 14 triples, 43 home runs, 97 RBI, a .384/.419/.788 slash, 235 wRC+, and 8.9 WAR. As of 2037, he’s the EBF career postseason leader in homers and total bases (334). Houston retired as the leader in hits, runs, and RBI. As of 2037, he’s still third, fourth, and second in those stats. The rate stats show that Houston managed to get even better in the playoffs despite already having a very high bar for regular season performance.

In 1996, Houston became the fifth to reach 700 career home runs and the fifth to 3000 hits. 1997 would be the last year of his deal as his power had declined. Houston hit 30 home runs and 86 RBI, the lowest since his first full season. It ended a streak of 14 consecutive seasons with 100 RBI. Houston ended the season at 1991 RBI, falling just short of joining Jacob Ronnberg and Jack Kennedy in the 2000 club. The Bees had the last playoff berth of their streak, a wild card and a one-and-done.

Houston’s contract expired and he became a free agent for the first time at age 39. He wanted to still play somewhere, but couldn’t find a home in 1998, eventually retiring that winter. Birmingham immediately retired his #16 uniform and he would remain a beloved franchise icon for decades to come.

Houston finished with 3269 hits, 1760 runs, 500 doubles, 208 triples, 752 home runs, 1991 RBI, 374 stolen bases, a .328/.361/.646 slash, 181 wRC+, and 114.4 WAR. At induction, Houston was third all-time in hits, fourth in runs, third in doubles, fourth in home runs, third in RBI, and eighth in offensive WAR.

As of 2037, he’s still 11^th in hits, 13^th in runs, 8^th in doubles, 7^th in homers, 7^th in RBI, and 20^th in WAR. Houston’s atrocious defense hurts him compared to his contemporaries like Ronnberg and Kennedy, but he’s easily one of the finest pure hitters in EBF history. Houston has a case as the most clutch playoff hitter of all-time and led Birmingham in their 1990s dynasty run. Houston was a surefire lock at 99.3% and an impressive headliner for the 2003 EBF Hall of Fame class.

Cornelius Danner – Starting Pitcher – Athens Anchors – 68.2% Tenth Ballot

Cornelius Danner was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Klosterneuburg, a town of 27,500 people in northeastern Austria. Danner was a fireballer in his prime with excellent stuff and a fastball that peaked in the 99-101 mph range. He also had a terrific forkball, plus a good splitter, okay slider, and rarely seen changeup. Danner had average to above average control and movement. Prior to his later injury issues, Danner also was known for great stamina and the ability to go deep in games.

Danner was spotted as a teenage amateur by a scout from Athens, who brought him to Greece in the summer of 1968. He spent four years and change in their academy, debuting at age 20 in 1973. Danner definitely wasn’t ready though, posting a 5.09 ERA and conference-worst 20 losses. He bounced back with a very solid sophomore campaign with 2.47 ERA, 298 strikeouts, and 5.6 WAR.

1975 was decent, but saw a lost six weeks to a biceps strain. Danner bounced back for a very good 1976, but he looked pedestrian in early 1977. His first major injury occurred in late June with a torn labrum knocking him out five months. Danner bounced back impressively in 1978, winning his lone Pitcher of the Year. He led in wins at 23-9 and had a career best 2.13 ERA.

Athens made the playoffs for the second straight year in 1978 and won the Southern Conference Championship, dropping the European Championship to Brussels. Danner had mixed results in the playoff run with a 3.23 ERA over 30.2 innings and 106 ERA+. The Anchors were still somewhat worried about injuries, so when Danner was extended, it was only for three years at $1,668,000.

His 1979 was arguably better with career highs in WAR (9.6) and strikeouts (396), although Danner was third in voting. He followed it up with a good 1980 with career highs in innings (289) and complete games (24). The Anchors won division titles both years, but both times went one-and-done. Danner wasn’t to blame with two quality starts in those efforts, finishing with a 2.47 ERA in 47.1 playoff innings for Athens.

1981 was a contact year and Danner had a great first month. Disaster struck again though on May 11 with another torn labrum, this time putting him on the shelf for 11 months. It was too much of a liability for Athens, who didn’t re-sign him. For his nine seasons with the Anchors, Danner had a 123-90 record, 2.92 ERA, 2050 innings, 2409 strikeouts, 528 walks, 117 ERA+, 79 FIP-, and 47.8 WAR. The franchise would opt to retire his #6 uniform later as well.

Although he had been in Greece for a decade, Danner still had love for his native Austria. He pitched for his country in the World Baseball Championship from 1974-88, posting a 4.18 ERA over 153 innings, 214 strikeouts, 90 ERA+, and 2.2 WAR. When he became a free agent at age 29, Danner really hoped he’d have a chance to come home. Fortunately for him, Vienna was also interested in giving him a look.

Danner signed a seven-year, $4,420,000 deal with the Vultures. He was never the same after the second labrum tear though with below average results. In his fourth season, Danner had an abysmal 5.59 ERA in 83.2 innings and was flat out benched. Vienna was still on the hook though for three more seasons.

He seemed to refine things in 1986 and looked solid again for a bit, but he partially tore his labrum again. Danner was back to mediocrity in 1987 and Vienna bought out the final year of his contract. They would bring him back in 1988 anyway with lousy results yet again. For his Vienna tenure, Danner had a 60-63 record, 4.31 ERA, 1083.2 innings, 1064 strikeouts, 435 walks, 87 ERA+, and 6.5 WAR. It went down as one of the worst free agent deals of that era. Danner wanted to still play somewhere in 1989, but went unsigned and had to retire at age 37.

Danner’s career stats had a 183-153 record, 3.40 ERA, 3133.2 innings, 3473 strikeouts, 963 walks, 231/393 quality starts, 135 complete games, 104 ERA+, 91 FIP-, and 54.4 WAR. The Vienna run got him to less borderline accumulations, but it absolutely tanked his rare stats. When inducted, he had the worst ERA of any inductee. Even his tallies though weren’t eye-popping, leading many to assume Danner was a mere Hall of Pretty Good guy.

Danner debuted at 49.0% and hovered roughly around there in his first five ballots. He jumped to a high of 60.9% in 1999, then a low of 28.2%. Danner was back to 50.9% in 2001, but plummeted to 26.4% in his ninth ballot. Most assumed that was it for him, but Danner had one of the most remarkable ballot comebacks. There were those sympathetic to injuries derailing his back end of his career. Danner managed to win just enough over in his final try to get across the line at 68.2%. He’s definitely among the weakest entries, but Danner has the ring regardless.

05-14-2024, 04:36 AM	#1242
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,209	2003 EBF Hall of Fame The European Baseball Federation added two into its Hall of Fame in 2003, although they entered with very different paths. RF Sean Houston was an absolute slam dunk with 99.3% and a first ballot nod. He was joined by SP Cornelius Danner, who finally crossed the 66% requirement with 68.2% on his tenth and final chance. Danner was the first-ever EBF inductee to make it on the final try. Two others were just above 50% with LF Josip Stojanovic at 53.4% on his third ballot and LF Husnija Kojic at 52.4% on his seventh go. No players were dropped after ten failed attempts. Sean Houston – Right Field – Birmingham Bees – 99.3% First Ballot Sean Houston was a 5’10’’, 185 pound switch-hitting right fielder from Kirkcaldy, a town of 49,000 on Scotland’s east coast. Houston was THE slugger of the Northern Conference in the 1980s and 1990s, hitting 50+ home runs eight times in his career. He was an excellent contact hitter as well with great gap power, averaging 30 doubles and 13 triples per 162 game average. Houston also had an above average strikeout rate, although he drew far fewer walks than you’d expect with his power profile. Despite his power, Houston had average to sometimes above average speed and could leg out extra bags. His only major flaw was defense. Houston played pretty much exclusively in right field and was an abysmal defender. Regardless, his bat was tremendous and he was an ironman, playing 149+ games in all but his rookie season. Houston was also a team captain and an excellent leader, becoming one of the most adored baseball figures of the United Kingdom. Houston’s potential was spotted even out of high school in Scotland. You didn’t too often have high school draft picks in the EBF Draft, but Birmingham felt Houston was worth bucking that trend. With the 25^th pick in the 1978 EBF Draft, the Bees brought him in. It would be one of their finest-ever decisions, as he’d give them 17 excellent years. Houston trained in the academy in 1979 and 1980, officially debuting in 1981 at age 22. Houston was primarily a pinch hitter in his rookie season, then was a full-time starter from year two onward. In his sophomore campaign, Houston posted 7.6 WAR, earning his first of 11 consecutive Silver Sluggers. As of 2037, he’s one of only four outfielders with 11 or more Sluggers and is the only one to win his consecutively. In his third season, Houston was third in MVP voting. Houston went on an epic tear from 1984-87 with four straight Northern Conference MVPs, posting 8+ WAR in each season. In 1984, he crushed 72 home runs with 167 RBI and 144 runs scored, setting EBF records for each stat. He’d lose both the HR and RBI records to Mattias Stole in 1994 and lose the runs record by one in 2019 to Jean-Paul Lafontaine. However, his 522 total bases in 1984 is still EBF’s top mark as of 2037. Houston is one of only seven EBF sluggers with a 70+ dinger season and his 167 RBI in 1984 is still second all-time behind Stole’s 183. Wisely after the remarkable 1984, Birmingham extended Houston for eight years and $6,530,000, During this four year stretch, Houston led in RBI, total bases, slugging, OPS, and wRC+ each season. He also led in homers thrice, hits twice, runs twice, WAR once, and batting average once. The Bees would win five British Isles Division titles from 1983-88, but they would go one-and-done four times. In 1985, they lost to Copenhagen in the conference final. Houston was beloved at this point in Birmingham and back home in Scotland. He played in the World Baseball Championship for the Scottish team from 1982-94, playing 112 games with 109 starts. He posted 130 hits, 65 runs, 23 doubles, 32 home runs, 70 RBI, a .296/.342/.572 slash, 161 wRC+, and 5.2 WAR. Houston had merely a good season in 1988, then got back into the MVP picture. He won the top honor in 1989, 90, and 91, becoming EBF’s first-ever seven time winner. Houston would be the only one until the eventual GOAT Harvey Coyle won nine in the 2010s and 2020s. Houston led in slugging, total bases, and home runs in all three MVP seasons, while also leading in RBI once, OPS twice, wRC+ once, and WAR once. Birmingham fell towards the mid-tier in 1989 and 1990, but Houston brought them back to prominence in 1991. That started a stretch of seven straight playoff berths with six division titles. The Bees won their first-ever European Championship in 1991, defeating Munich in the final. Houston was finals MVP with 29 hits, 19 runs, 5 doubles, 3 triples, 9 home runs, 23 RBI, a .475/.529/1.098 slash, 342 wRC+, and 2.1 WAR in the playoff run. As of 2037, he still holds the playoff records for total bases (67), and RBI (23). Before the 1992 season, the Bees gave Houston another five years and $7,400,000. Houston led in homes and RBI once more in 1992, taking second in MVP voting. It was his last time as a league leader, but he had a remarkable seven times leading in homers, six in RBI, eight in total bases, seven in slugging, six in OPS, and five in wRC+. Into his mid 30s, Houston was still great even if his power started to fade some. Birmingham won the conference title in 1993, losing the EBF final to Zurich. In 1994, the Bees won it all over Barcelona with a franchise-best 110-52 season. Houston had another mammoth postseason with 34 hits, 13 runs, 6 gome runs, 12 RBI, and a .466/.387/.808 slash, winning conference finals and European Championship MVP. His 34 hits were a playoff record that held until 2015. Birmingham lost in the 1995 conference final, but won a fourth pennant in six years in 1996. They lost the European Championship in a rematch with Barcelona, marking the end of an impressive dynasty run. Houston’s leadership and incredible bat were critical to this success, as he went down as one of the all-time clutch performers. In 109 playoff games, Houston had 163 hits, 85 runs, 14 doubles, 14 triples, 43 home runs, 97 RBI, a .384/.419/.788 slash, 235 wRC+, and 8.9 WAR. As of 2037, he’s the EBF career postseason leader in homers and total bases (334). Houston retired as the leader in hits, runs, and RBI. As of 2037, he’s still third, fourth, and second in those stats. The rate stats show that Houston managed to get even better in the playoffs despite already having a very high bar for regular season performance. In 1996, Houston became the fifth to reach 700 career home runs and the fifth to 3000 hits. 1997 would be the last year of his deal as his power had declined. Houston hit 30 home runs and 86 RBI, the lowest since his first full season. It ended a streak of 14 consecutive seasons with 100 RBI. Houston ended the season at 1991 RBI, falling just short of joining Jacob Ronnberg and Jack Kennedy in the 2000 club. The Bees had the last playoff berth of their streak, a wild card and a one-and-done. Houston’s contract expired and he became a free agent for the first time at age 39. He wanted to still play somewhere, but couldn’t find a home in 1998, eventually retiring that winter. Birmingham immediately retired his #16 uniform and he would remain a beloved franchise icon for decades to come. Houston finished with 3269 hits, 1760 runs, 500 doubles, 208 triples, 752 home runs, 1991 RBI, 374 stolen bases, a .328/.361/.646 slash, 181 wRC+, and 114.4 WAR. At induction, Houston was third all-time in hits, fourth in runs, third in doubles, fourth in home runs, third in RBI, and eighth in offensive WAR. As of 2037, he’s still 11^th in hits, 13^th in runs, 8^th in doubles, 7^th in homers, 7^th in RBI, and 20^th in WAR. Houston’s atrocious defense hurts him compared to his contemporaries like Ronnberg and Kennedy, but he’s easily one of the finest pure hitters in EBF history. Houston has a case as the most clutch playoff hitter of all-time and led Birmingham in their 1990s dynasty run. Houston was a surefire lock at 99.3% and an impressive headliner for the 2003 EBF Hall of Fame class. Cornelius Danner – Starting Pitcher – Athens Anchors – 68.2% Tenth Ballot Cornelius Danner was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Klosterneuburg, a town of 27,500 people in northeastern Austria. Danner was a fireballer in his prime with excellent stuff and a fastball that peaked in the 99-101 mph range. He also had a terrific forkball, plus a good splitter, okay slider, and rarely seen changeup. Danner had average to above average control and movement. Prior to his later injury issues, Danner also was known for great stamina and the ability to go deep in games. Danner was spotted as a teenage amateur by a scout from Athens, who brought him to Greece in the summer of 1968. He spent four years and change in their academy, debuting at age 20 in 1973. Danner definitely wasn’t ready though, posting a 5.09 ERA and conference-worst 20 losses. He bounced back with a very solid sophomore campaign with 2.47 ERA, 298 strikeouts, and 5.6 WAR. 1975 was decent, but saw a lost six weeks to a biceps strain. Danner bounced back for a very good 1976, but he looked pedestrian in early 1977. His first major injury occurred in late June with a torn labrum knocking him out five months. Danner bounced back impressively in 1978, winning his lone Pitcher of the Year. He led in wins at 23-9 and had a career best 2.13 ERA. Athens made the playoffs for the second straight year in 1978 and won the Southern Conference Championship, dropping the European Championship to Brussels. Danner had mixed results in the playoff run with a 3.23 ERA over 30.2 innings and 106 ERA+. The Anchors were still somewhat worried about injuries, so when Danner was extended, it was only for three years at $1,668,000. His 1979 was arguably better with career highs in WAR (9.6) and strikeouts (396), although Danner was third in voting. He followed it up with a good 1980 with career highs in innings (289) and complete games (24). The Anchors won division titles both years, but both times went one-and-done. Danner wasn’t to blame with two quality starts in those efforts, finishing with a 2.47 ERA in 47.1 playoff innings for Athens. 1981 was a contact year and Danner had a great first month. Disaster struck again though on May 11 with another torn labrum, this time putting him on the shelf for 11 months. It was too much of a liability for Athens, who didn’t re-sign him. For his nine seasons with the Anchors, Danner had a 123-90 record, 2.92 ERA, 2050 innings, 2409 strikeouts, 528 walks, 117 ERA+, 79 FIP-, and 47.8 WAR. The franchise would opt to retire his #6 uniform later as well. Although he had been in Greece for a decade, Danner still had love for his native Austria. He pitched for his country in the World Baseball Championship from 1974-88, posting a 4.18 ERA over 153 innings, 214 strikeouts, 90 ERA+, and 2.2 WAR. When he became a free agent at age 29, Danner really hoped he’d have a chance to come home. Fortunately for him, Vienna was also interested in giving him a look. Danner signed a seven-year, $4,420,000 deal with the Vultures. He was never the same after the second labrum tear though with below average results. In his fourth season, Danner had an abysmal 5.59 ERA in 83.2 innings and was flat out benched. Vienna was still on the hook though for three more seasons. He seemed to refine things in 1986 and looked solid again for a bit, but he partially tore his labrum again. Danner was back to mediocrity in 1987 and Vienna bought out the final year of his contract. They would bring him back in 1988 anyway with lousy results yet again. For his Vienna tenure, Danner had a 60-63 record, 4.31 ERA, 1083.2 innings, 1064 strikeouts, 435 walks, 87 ERA+, and 6.5 WAR. It went down as one of the worst free agent deals of that era. Danner wanted to still play somewhere in 1989, but went unsigned and had to retire at age 37. Danner’s career stats had a 183-153 record, 3.40 ERA, 3133.2 innings, 3473 strikeouts, 963 walks, 231/393 quality starts, 135 complete games, 104 ERA+, 91 FIP-, and 54.4 WAR. The Vienna run got him to less borderline accumulations, but it absolutely tanked his rare stats. When inducted, he had the worst ERA of any inductee. Even his tallies though weren’t eye-popping, leading many to assume Danner was a mere Hall of Pretty Good guy. Danner debuted at 49.0% and hovered roughly around there in his first five ballots. He jumped to a high of 60.9% in 1999, then a low of 28.2%. Danner was back to 50.9% in 2001, but plummeted to 26.4% in his ninth ballot. Most assumed that was it for him, but Danner had one of the most remarkable ballot comebacks. There were those sympathetic to injuries derailing his back end of his career. Danner managed to win just enough over in his final try to get across the line at 68.2%. He’s definitely among the weakest entries, but Danner has the ring regardless. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports The Level Playing Field: Alternate MLB History From 1884-Onward Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)