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FuzzyRussianHat · 05-21-2024, 05:27 AM

The Japan League kept the same division winners just as in 2002 and 2001. Defending JL champ Osaka was the #1 overall seed, taking the Central Division at 109-53. Kawasaki at 101-61 earned a sixth consecutive Capital Division title. Hiroshima snagged a fifth straight West Division at 97-65. Niigata, who won 109 the prior year, was the weakest at 85-79 atop the North Division. They were the only champ with a foe remotely in striking distance with Sendai five games back.

Osaka two-way Sachiko Nara won Japan League MVP. A rare catcher/pitcher combo, the 25-year old at the plate had 114 games and 98 starts with 103 hits, 29 home runs, a 1.076 OPS, 220 wRC+, and 7.8 WAR. On the mound, he had a 14-5 record and 2.40 ERA over 169 innings with 146 strikeouts and 3.2 WAR.

The Orange Sox also had Pitcher of the Year Morikazu Ichikawa. The 32-year old righty signed a five-year, $24,200,000 deal with Osaka in the offseason after winning POTY in 1998 and 1999 for Sapporo. Ichikawa led in wins (25-4), and quality starts (27). He added a 2.43 ERA over 281 innings with 303 strikeouts and 5.7 WAR.

Niigata stunned top seed Osaka 3-2 in the first round of the playoffs, while Hiroshima swept Kawasaki. This gave the Green Dragons their second Japan League Championship Series berth in three years, while it was the Hammerheads’ first berth since 1996. Niigata’s surprise run continued as they outlasted Hiroshima 4-3 in a classic. The Green Dragons became three-time league champs, joining their 1990 and 1991 wins.

The Korea League also had the exact same four playoff teams as the prior year. Both division champions were 103-59. South Division champ Daegu officially had the #1 seed for their firth playoff berth in six years. Seongnam repeated in the North Division and earned a third straight playoff appearance. Incheon and Ulsan both were 99-63 in the wild card spots with a tiebreaker game giving the first spot to the Swallows. Ulsan’s playoff streak grew to four years and the defending EAB champ Inferno had theirs grow to three. The closest wild card contenders were both nine games back with Bucheon and Pyongyang at 90-72.

Although Jeonju was just above .500, DH Soo-Geun Yim earned his second Korea League MVP in three years. He led in home runs (62), hits (237), wRC+ (202), and WAR (11.2). Yim added 131 runs, 143 RBI, and a .359/.404/.723 slash.

Seongnam’s Dong-Hyun Jung won Pitcher of the Year in his second season as a full-time starter. He won the ERA title (1.99) and led in WHIP (0.89), K/BB (9.0), FIP- (59), and WAR (8.1). Jung added 262 strikeouts in 231 innings with a 19-8 record. Also of note, Daegu’s Hyeon-U Cho won his third straight Reliever of the Year. The 32-year old lefty had a career-best 1.31 ERA with 41 saves, 137 strikeouts in 89.1 innings and 5.1 WAR.

Wild card Incheon upset Daegu with a first round sweep, sending the defending champs back to the Korea League Championship Series. Seongnam ousted Ulsan 3-1, giving the Spiders their first KLCS appearance since 1998. Seongnam downed the reigning champs Incheon 4-2 to secure their first pennant since 1990. It was their fourth pennant overall, as they also took the crown in 1982 and 1983.

The 83^rd East Asian Championship was the second time Seongnam and Niigata had met in the final. Back in 1990, the Spiders won their second-ever title by winning in six games. 2003 had the same result with Seongnam winning 4-2 over the Green Dragons. Veteran 3B Si-Hun Lee had joined the Spiders on a five-year, $20,000,000 deal in the offseason after a decade with Yongin. Lee was finals MVP as in 16 playoff starts, he had 24 hits, 13 runs, 6 doubles, 1 homer, and 10 RBI.

Other notes: SS Hiroshage Matsunaka won his ninth Gold Glove.

05-21-2024, 05:27 AM	#1263
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,795	2003 in EAB The Japan League kept the same division winners just as in 2002 and 2001. Defending JL champ Osaka was the #1 overall seed, taking the Central Division at 109-53. Kawasaki at 101-61 earned a sixth consecutive Capital Division title. Hiroshima snagged a fifth straight West Division at 97-65. Niigata, who won 109 the prior year, was the weakest at 85-79 atop the North Division. They were the only champ with a foe remotely in striking distance with Sendai five games back. Osaka two-way Sachiko Nara won Japan League MVP. A rare catcher/pitcher combo, the 25-year old at the plate had 114 games and 98 starts with 103 hits, 29 home runs, a 1.076 OPS, 220 wRC+, and 7.8 WAR. On the mound, he had a 14-5 record and 2.40 ERA over 169 innings with 146 strikeouts and 3.2 WAR. The Orange Sox also had Pitcher of the Year Morikazu Ichikawa. The 32-year old righty signed a five-year, $24,200,000 deal with Osaka in the offseason after winning POTY in 1998 and 1999 for Sapporo. Ichikawa led in wins (25-4), and quality starts (27). He added a 2.43 ERA over 281 innings with 303 strikeouts and 5.7 WAR. Niigata stunned top seed Osaka 3-2 in the first round of the playoffs, while Hiroshima swept Kawasaki. This gave the Green Dragons their second Japan League Championship Series berth in three years, while it was the Hammerheads’ first berth since 1996. Niigata’s surprise run continued as they outlasted Hiroshima 4-3 in a classic. The Green Dragons became three-time league champs, joining their 1990 and 1991 wins. The Korea League also had the exact same four playoff teams as the prior year. Both division champions were 103-59. South Division champ Daegu officially had the #1 seed for their firth playoff berth in six years. Seongnam repeated in the North Division and earned a third straight playoff appearance. Incheon and Ulsan both were 99-63 in the wild card spots with a tiebreaker game giving the first spot to the Swallows. Ulsan’s playoff streak grew to four years and the defending EAB champ Inferno had theirs grow to three. The closest wild card contenders were both nine games back with Bucheon and Pyongyang at 90-72. Although Jeonju was just above .500, DH Soo-Geun Yim earned his second Korea League MVP in three years. He led in home runs (62), hits (237), wRC+ (202), and WAR (11.2). Yim added 131 runs, 143 RBI, and a .359/.404/.723 slash. Seongnam’s Dong-Hyun Jung won Pitcher of the Year in his second season as a full-time starter. He won the ERA title (1.99) and led in WHIP (0.89), K/BB (9.0), FIP- (59), and WAR (8.1). Jung added 262 strikeouts in 231 innings with a 19-8 record. Also of note, Daegu’s Hyeon-U Cho won his third straight Reliever of the Year. The 32-year old lefty had a career-best 1.31 ERA with 41 saves, 137 strikeouts in 89.1 innings and 5.1 WAR. Wild card Incheon upset Daegu with a first round sweep, sending the defending champs back to the Korea League Championship Series. Seongnam ousted Ulsan 3-1, giving the Spiders their first KLCS appearance since 1998. Seongnam downed the reigning champs Incheon 4-2 to secure their first pennant since 1990. It was their fourth pennant overall, as they also took the crown in 1982 and 1983. The 83^rd East Asian Championship was the second time Seongnam and Niigata had met in the final. Back in 1990, the Spiders won their second-ever title by winning in six games. 2003 had the same result with Seongnam winning 4-2 over the Green Dragons. Veteran 3B Si-Hun Lee had joined the Spiders on a five-year, $20,000,000 deal in the offseason after a decade with Yongin. Lee was finals MVP as in 16 playoff starts, he had 24 hits, 13 runs, 6 doubles, 1 homer, and 10 RBI. Other notes: SS Hiroshage Matsunaka won his ninth Gold Glove. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)