[FuzzyRussianHat]

East Asia Baseball added three first-ballot selections into the Hall of Fame in 2004. SP Woo-Hong Ryu was the headliner at 98.6% and 3B/1B Sukejuro Sakamoto was close behind at 90.2%. LF Kazuharu Yonesaki narrowly made the cut with them at 68.8%. On his penultimate try, 2B Seong-Jae Kang fell painfully short of the 66.0% requirement. Kang had 65.2% in his ninth ballot, the closest he’s come. The other player above 50% was LF Jin-Uk Song at 58.0% on his second ballot.



Dropped after ten ballots was 1B Taek-Hyun Yim. Nicknamed “Big Stud,” he had a 19-year career with five teams and posted 3127 hits, 1615 runs, 412 doubles, 352 triples, 274 home runs, 1296 RBI, 1347 stolen bases, a .297/.333/.482 slash, 123 wRC+, and 64.6 WAR. Yim had one Silver Slugger and still sits third in stolen bases as of 2037 and is one of a select few with 350+ triples.

Yim didn’t have the home run power most voters want from a first baseman, although he got plenty of extra base hits and steals. Past ballots also showed that 3000 hits wasn’t a guarantee in EAB, missing the cut even though he’s 18^th in hits at of 2037. Still, you would’ve thought Yim might have gotten more of a look. He debuted at 36.1% and gradually fell to only 5.1% at the end.



Woo-Hong Ryu – Starting Pitcher – Kawasaki Killer Whales – 98.6% First Ballot

Woo-Hong Ryu was a 6’6’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Namyangju, a South Korean city of around 710,000 people located just northeast of Seoul. Ryu had solid stuff and movement with above average control. His velocity peaked in the 96-98 mph range and had five equally potent pitches with a screwball, changeup, splitter, cutter, and circle change. Ryu’s stamina was middle-tier.

Ryu was considered a respectable defensive pitcher who was great at holding runners. He was an ironman who rarely missed starts. Even with his weaker stamina, he was good for 210+ innings for 20 of his 21 pro seasons. Ryu was well respected, known as a team captain with excellent leadership skills and a sturdy work ethic. These skills allowed Ryu to consistently contribute at a high level for two decades.

Although he grew up in South Korea, Ryu earned attention as a teenager by Japanese scouts as well. At age 16, he was signed by Kawasaki in December 1973 to a developmental deal. Ryu debuted as a part-time starter in 1978 at age 20, looking mediocre at best. He was a full-time starter for every year after and emerged as a true ace quickly. In his early years, Ryu helped Kawasaki to consistent success in the Capital Division.

From 1979-85, the Killer Whales won six division titles in seven years. In 1982, Kawasaki won the East Asian Championship over Seongnam. They made the Japan League Championship Series in 1983, 84, and 85; but were ousted each time. Ryu was excellent in the playoffs for Kawasaki, posting an 8-2 record over 116.1 innings with a 2.32 ERA, 124 strikeouts, 151 ERA+, and 3.0 WAR.

In the 1982 championship run, Ryu was outstanding, forever earning a spot in the hearts of Kawasaki fans. He was 4-0 in five starts with a 0.86 ERA over 41.2 innings, 52 strikeouts, 0.43 WHIP, and 1.5 WAR. The 52 strikeouts set a playoff record at the time and it is still fourth-best as of 2037.

After the 1981 season, Ryu signed a five-year, $2,312,000 extension. He led in wins thrice with Kawasaki. In 1982, he posted a career-best 9.0 WAR, taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting. He had seven seasons worth 6+ WAR for the Killer Whales. Ryu led in ERA in 1985 at 2.29, but again was second in POTY voting. Kawasaki gave him another extension after this worth $5,700,000 over six years. He also won a Silver Slugger in 1985 with a .269/.329/.308 slash. Ryu was a career .190 hitter.

The Killer Whales remained decent for the rest of the 1980s and early 1990s, but they weren’t good enough to make the playoffs from 1986-97. Ryu remained a loyal soldier and won his second ERA title in 1989 with 2.29. He wasn’t a finalist that year, but took third in 1988 with a career-best 2.15 ERA. In this run, Ryu did make a few appearances for South Korea in the World Baseball Championship. From 1988-91, he had a 3.15 ERA over 34.1 innings with 45 strikeouts.

Now 35-years old, Ryu signed another three-year, $4,140,000 extension after the 1992 season. He maintained his steady production and became the ninth EAB pitcher to 250 career wins. Kawasaki would struggle in 1994, ultimately finishing 63-99. They decided to sell at the deadline and that included Ryu. He was moved to Daegu with a prospect for two other prospects.

In total with Kawasaki, Ryu had a 261-147 record, 2.72 ERA, 3833 innings, 3979 strikeouts, 368/517 quality starts, 124 ERA+, 78 FIP-, and 91.9 WAR. He remained a well-known figure for Kawasaki fans and would see his #39 uniform retired at the end of his career.

Ryu finished 1994 with Daegu and had a solid 1995 for the Diamondbacks. While there, he was the 13^th pitcher to 4000 career strikeouts. Daegu was solid, but couldn’t make the playoffs in his brief tenure. In a year-and-a-half, Ryu had a 26-13 record, 2.86 ERA, 368.2 innings, 335 strikeouts, 130 ERA+, and 8.3 WAR. Ryu became a free agent for the first time at age 38 and seemed to still be reliable at a high level. Tw-time defending Korea League champ Yongin snagged him with a three-year, $7,080,000 deal.

In his Gold Sox debut season, Ryu became the third pitcher to 300 wins and the fifth to 4500 strikeouts. Yongin fell in the first round of the playoffs in 1996. In 1997, Ryu had a career and league-best 26 wins with 6.9 WAR. The Gold Sox won the EAB title over Sapporo, giving Ryu his second ring. In five playoff starts for Yongin, Ryu had a 3-0 record over 37.2 innings with a 3.58 ERA, 27 strikeouts, and 108 ERA+.

In 1998, the now 40-year old Ryu’s decreasing velocity finally caught up to him. He peaked at 89-91 mph in this season and struggled to a 4.84 ERA. Ryu retired that winter at age 41. For his Yongin run, he had a 3.89 ERA, 52-32 record, 701.2 innings, 572 strikeouts, 100 ERA+, and 14.0 WAR.

Ryu’s career stats saw a 339-192 record, 2.89 ERA, 4903.1 innings, 4886 strikeouts, 987 walks, 448/658 quality starts, 106 complete games, 120 ERA+, 79 FIP-, and 114.2 WAR. He fell seven wins short of Sang-Hun Joon’s all-time mark of 346 and remains second as of 2037. Ryu was also second to Joon in strikeouts and still sits third as of 2037. His WAR mark is seventh as of 2037. Despite these tallies, he never won Pitcher of the Year. Ryu was rarely the most dominant, but he was reliably strong for 20 years and a no-doubt first-ballot pick at 98.6% in 2004.