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FuzzyRussianHat · 05-25-2024, 05:58 PM

The 2004 Chinese League Baseball Hall of Fame ballot came very close to being a blank one. The top debut was only at 32.9%, leaving only a few returners with any real chance. Two managed to just cross the 66% requirement to earn induction. Relievers Junwei Zhu on his seventh try received 68.0% and Zhiming Cao got 66.2% in his second try. RF Zhengyu Peng came painfully close at 65.6% on his eighth go, the closest he’s gotten. Also above 50% were SP Baoxian He at 56.7% for his seventh ballot and SP Pengju Xue at 51.3% for his eighth try.

SP Huikang Yue fell off after ten ballots, peaking at 30.1% on his debut and ending at 15.1%. He was hurt by leaving for MLB after only eight years in China with Foshan. Yue was 1982 Rookie of the Year and posted a 118-78 record, 2.03 ERA, 1990 innings, 2235 strikeouts, 126 ERA+, and 49.6 WAR. He simply didn’t have the tenure needed to make it across the line.

Another pitcher, Yang He, was removed after ten ballots. He debuted at 27.6% and ended at 5.9%. The 1985 Pitcher of the Year pitched 11 years, although the final four were in EPB. In China with Chongqing and Shenzhen, He had a 131-92 record, 2.22 ERA, 2006.1 innings, 2380 strikeouts, 116 ERA+, and 49.8 WAR. Another guy with a good short run, but lacked the longevity to earn a spot.

Junwei Zhu – Relief Pitcher – Tianjin Jackrabbits – 68.0% Seventh Ballot

Junwei Zhu was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed reliever from Wuhan, the ninth most populous city in China. Zhu had fantastic stuff with a stellar 97-99 mph fastball and a great screwball. His movement was often lousy though and his control was subpar. However, Zhu’s 10/10 stuff often covered for his flaws with raw power. He had strong stamina and durability for a relief pitcher. Zhu was criticized by some teammates though as a selfish mercenary type and didn’t tend to make many friends.

Zhu was signed as a teenage amateur in September 1977 by Shenzhen. He was never called up to the Spartans squad though, as he was part of a July 1979 trade. Zhu and 2B Dalton Tay were sent to Tianjin for veteran LF Jun Zong on $306,000. The Jackrabbits kept Zhu in the developmental system until officially debuting him at age 23 in 1982. He only saw 5.2 innings that season, albeit scoreless ones.

Zhu made 24 appearances in 1983 and again looked great in his very limited action. In 1984, Tianjin moved him to the close role, which he’d thrive in for six seasons. Zhu won five Reliever of the Year awards (1984, 85, 87, 88, 89) and took second in 1986.

He led each year from 1984-87 in saves and had five straight seasons with 40+ saves. Zhu’s career best in saves was 49 in both 1984 and 1985. 1984 also had a career-best 1.00 ERA. 1987 was his best by WAR (6.1) and 1988 was his finest for strikeouts (189). 1984 also saw a 43 inning, 37 game scoreless streak from June 12 to September 8. Zhu’s best saves streak was 30 from August 30, 1985 to June 28, 1986.

Zhu was Tianjin’s closer during their dynasty run and battles for supremacy against Beijing. The Jackrabbits had six straight playoff berths from 1983-88 and made it to the China Series in 1983, 84, 86, and 88. Tianjin won it all in 1983, 86, and 88, while taking runner-up in 1984. In 30 playoff innings, Zhu had 10 saves, a 2.40 ERA, 45 strikeouts, 9 walks, and a 105 ERA+. His playoff stats were rather pedestrian compared to his regular season success, but he’s got the rings regardless.

Tianjin fell to the mid-tier in 1990 and Zhu’s use dwindled. He was only a part-time closer in 1990 and then middle relief in 1991, looking merely decent. The Jackrabbits opted not to re-sign him, making Zhu a free agent entering the 1992 season at age 33. Tianjin would thank him for his role in the dynasty by later retiring his #22 uniform.

Zhu’s career in China ended as he ended up moving to Ukraine, signing a three-year, $2,680,000 deal with EPB’s Kyiv Kings. He saw only 47 innings over two years there with a mere 3.06 ERA and 92 ERA+. Zhu wasn’t used in the playoffs, but he did earn an EPB Championship ring in 1992 with Kyiv. He was still on roster in 1994 and healthy, but the Kings didn’t use him at all.

A free agent again at age 36, Zhu signed for $830,000 with Russia’s Novosibirsk Nitros. He saw a bit more use with a 1.53 ERA in 58.2 innings, 14 saves, and 2.3 WAR; showing he could still contribute. That was it for his EPB run, but he did well enough to catch the eye of someone in Scotland. Zhu signed a two-year, $3,280,000 deal with EBF’s Glasgow Highlanders.

Zhu struggled in his limited use with a 5.34 ERA over 28.2 innings. An elbow strain in late May cost him three months and he was let go in the offseason. Lisbon gave Zhu a shot in 1997, but he only saw six mediocre innings all season. He retired that winter at age 38.

For his Tianjin and CLB career, Zhu had 295 saves and 374 shutdowns, a 1.52 ERA, 781.1 innings, 1225 strikeouts, 175 walks, 168 ERA+, 48 FIP-, and 30.9 WAR. As of 2037, he’s one of only three pitchers in CLB history to have won Reliever of the Year five times or more. Zhu was THE guy for a good six year stretch that also happened to coincide with Tianjin’s dynasty run.

However, that stretch was all Zhu had. His rate stats fit, but he had the lowest innings and WAR of any CLB Hall of Fame reliever. Zhu had already started to decline towards the end of the Tianjin run and many voters felt he simply didn’t have the tenure to be deserving, even if he briefly burned brightly.

Zhu stayed remarkably static on his first six ballots as each year was between 59.0% to 61.8%. Skeptical voters weren’t budging, but Zhu had an opportunity when there were zero notable debuts in the 2004 class. That weak group earned him just enough extra attention to cross the 66% requirement at 68.0%, receiving a seventh-ballot induction with CLB’s 2004 class.

Zhiming Cao – Relief Pitcher – Hangzhou Hens – 66.2% Third Ballot

Zhiming Cao was a 5’10’’, 180 pound left-handed relief pitcher from Guangzhou in southern China. Cao had a remarkable one-two punch of a 97-99 mph fastball and filthy slider with his stuff grading out as 13/10 in his prime. Cao had solid movement as well, but his crappy control could get him into trouble. He was a smart and adaptable pitcher who knew how to get out of most jams.

Cao was picked in the third round of the 1987 CLB Draft with the 66^th overall pick by Hangzhou. He was immediately thrown into the closer role as a rookie and had a very good debut, taking third in Reliever of the Year voting. His second season did see a setback with a fractured elbow knocking him out four months. Cao bounced back well and held down the closer role for the next six seasons for the Hens.

Cao joined his Hall of Fame classmate Junwei Zhu as one of three CLB pitchers to win Reliever of the Year five times. Cao took it in 1990, 92, 93, 94, and 95, while finishing second in 1991. 1995 also saw a third place finish in Pitcher of the Year voting with an impressive 7.2 WAR and 0.84 ERA. Cao only led in saves once (41 in 1993), but he had five seasons worth 5+ WAR; not an easy feat for a reliever.

Hangzhou was generally stuck in the middle of the standings during Cao’s tenure. However, the Hens surprised many in 1990 when they broke a nine-year playoff drought. They upset 115-win Macau and 106-win Dalian to take the China Series. Cao did his job perfectly with 7.1 scoreless and hitless innings, three saves, and 15 strikeouts. His role there was a big reason his #5 uniform was eventually retired by Hangzhou.

Cao also pitched for China from 1988-99 in the World Baseball Championship. He had 27 appearances and five starts with a 2.28 ERA over 67 innings, 140 strikeouts, 33 walks, 158 ERA+, and 2.6 WAR. Cao earned world title rings with China in 1993 and 1994. In 1995, Cao received WBC Best Pitcher honors with a 0.56 ERA and 34 strikeouts over 16 innings.

Cao looked a bit pedestrian in 1996 for Hangzhou, who would bottom out that year with only 68 wins. They were in selling mode and weren’t planning to keep Cao around anyway as his contract was coming due. The Hens traded Cao and $10,130,000 to get three prospects from Nanjing. The Nuggets were in a playoff push, trying to end a six-year drought.

Cao finished the year very strongly for Nanjing, taking second in Reliever of the Year voting. They earned that playoff spot and ended up winning their first-ever CLB title over Harbin. Cao again was an absolute beast in the postseason, tossing 12 scoreless innings. He struck out 30 with five saves, five hits, and four walks allowed. This put his stock at a high level heading into free agency at age 32.

Cao’s Chinese League career came to close with this as he received international suitors. He ended up in MLB and Canada with a three-year, $8,280,000 deal with Toronto. Cao wasn’t able to overpower the MLB hitters though like he did the CLB ones. He looked very unremarkable in middle relief in 1997. After two poor games to start 1998, the Timberwolves cut Cao. Nine days later, he found a new home in Houston.

Cao wasn’t much better with the Hornets in 15.2 innings. They traded him to New York along with $17,600,000 to get three prospects. The Yankees gave him closing opportunities and he got 16 saves. However, he also had a 4.97 ERA. There were still other MLB teams willing to give him a shot to fill out the back of the bullpen though, as he signed for 1999 with Phoenix.

The Firebirds traded Cao to Seattle in July as he had only 18.2 innings the whole season with a 4.34 ERA. Chicago grabbed Cao in 2000 and he saw some sustained use with decent results, posting a 2.86 ERA in 50.1 innings. Ottawa signed him to a minor league deal in 2001. He got rocked in only two Major League appearances with the Elks, getting cut in early July.

Cincinnati gave Cao a minor league deal two weeks later, but he never made an appearance for the Reds. Shoulder inflammation popped up and required surgery, knocking him out eight months. Cao retired that winter at age 37. His MLB stints saw 20 saves and a 4.08 ERA over 176.2 innings, 209 strikeouts, a 85 ERA+, and 3.1 WAR.

In China though, Cao had 301 saves and 376 shutdowns, a 1.30 ERA, 726.2 innings, 1351 strikeouts, 188 walks, 201 ERA+, 25 FIP-, and 42.0 WAR. The rate stats were excellent and having five ROTYs and two rings with scoreless postseasons all worked in his favor. However, there were still the voters that were generally harsh on relievers and/or wanted far more accumulations and innings to give you the nod.

Because of that, Cao debuted on the 2002 ballot with 52.3%. He dropped slightly in 2003 to 48.8%. 2004 came up and had no strong front runners, which made Cao’s resume pop a bit more. Many of the voters who gave Junwei Zhu the thumbs up realized that Cao was as good or better, and that if one was deserving, both had to be. Cao crossed the line at 66.2% to earn a third ballot addition in the 2004 CLB Hall of Fame class.

05-25-2024, 05:58 PM	#1277
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,952	2004 CLB Hall of Fame The 2004 Chinese League Baseball Hall of Fame ballot came very close to being a blank one. The top debut was only at 32.9%, leaving only a few returners with any real chance. Two managed to just cross the 66% requirement to earn induction. Relievers Junwei Zhu on his seventh try received 68.0% and Zhiming Cao got 66.2% in his second try. RF Zhengyu Peng came painfully close at 65.6% on his eighth go, the closest he’s gotten. Also above 50% were SP Baoxian He at 56.7% for his seventh ballot and SP Pengju Xue at 51.3% for his eighth try. SP Huikang Yue fell off after ten ballots, peaking at 30.1% on his debut and ending at 15.1%. He was hurt by leaving for MLB after only eight years in China with Foshan. Yue was 1982 Rookie of the Year and posted a 118-78 record, 2.03 ERA, 1990 innings, 2235 strikeouts, 126 ERA+, and 49.6 WAR. He simply didn’t have the tenure needed to make it across the line. Another pitcher, Yang He, was removed after ten ballots. He debuted at 27.6% and ended at 5.9%. The 1985 Pitcher of the Year pitched 11 years, although the final four were in EPB. In China with Chongqing and Shenzhen, He had a 131-92 record, 2.22 ERA, 2006.1 innings, 2380 strikeouts, 116 ERA+, and 49.8 WAR. Another guy with a good short run, but lacked the longevity to earn a spot. Junwei Zhu – Relief Pitcher – Tianjin Jackrabbits – 68.0% Seventh Ballot Junwei Zhu was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed reliever from Wuhan, the ninth most populous city in China. Zhu had fantastic stuff with a stellar 97-99 mph fastball and a great screwball. His movement was often lousy though and his control was subpar. However, Zhu’s 10/10 stuff often covered for his flaws with raw power. He had strong stamina and durability for a relief pitcher. Zhu was criticized by some teammates though as a selfish mercenary type and didn’t tend to make many friends. Zhu was signed as a teenage amateur in September 1977 by Shenzhen. He was never called up to the Spartans squad though, as he was part of a July 1979 trade. Zhu and 2B Dalton Tay were sent to Tianjin for veteran LF Jun Zong on $306,000. The Jackrabbits kept Zhu in the developmental system until officially debuting him at age 23 in 1982. He only saw 5.2 innings that season, albeit scoreless ones. Zhu made 24 appearances in 1983 and again looked great in his very limited action. In 1984, Tianjin moved him to the close role, which he’d thrive in for six seasons. Zhu won five Reliever of the Year awards (1984, 85, 87, 88, 89) and took second in 1986. He led each year from 1984-87 in saves and had five straight seasons with 40+ saves. Zhu’s career best in saves was 49 in both 1984 and 1985. 1984 also had a career-best 1.00 ERA. 1987 was his best by WAR (6.1) and 1988 was his finest for strikeouts (189). 1984 also saw a 43 inning, 37 game scoreless streak from June 12 to September 8. Zhu’s best saves streak was 30 from August 30, 1985 to June 28, 1986. Zhu was Tianjin’s closer during their dynasty run and battles for supremacy against Beijing. The Jackrabbits had six straight playoff berths from 1983-88 and made it to the China Series in 1983, 84, 86, and 88. Tianjin won it all in 1983, 86, and 88, while taking runner-up in 1984. In 30 playoff innings, Zhu had 10 saves, a 2.40 ERA, 45 strikeouts, 9 walks, and a 105 ERA+. His playoff stats were rather pedestrian compared to his regular season success, but he’s got the rings regardless. Tianjin fell to the mid-tier in 1990 and Zhu’s use dwindled. He was only a part-time closer in 1990 and then middle relief in 1991, looking merely decent. The Jackrabbits opted not to re-sign him, making Zhu a free agent entering the 1992 season at age 33. Tianjin would thank him for his role in the dynasty by later retiring his #22 uniform. Zhu’s career in China ended as he ended up moving to Ukraine, signing a three-year, $2,680,000 deal with EPB’s Kyiv Kings. He saw only 47 innings over two years there with a mere 3.06 ERA and 92 ERA+. Zhu wasn’t used in the playoffs, but he did earn an EPB Championship ring in 1992 with Kyiv. He was still on roster in 1994 and healthy, but the Kings didn’t use him at all. A free agent again at age 36, Zhu signed for $830,000 with Russia’s Novosibirsk Nitros. He saw a bit more use with a 1.53 ERA in 58.2 innings, 14 saves, and 2.3 WAR; showing he could still contribute. That was it for his EPB run, but he did well enough to catch the eye of someone in Scotland. Zhu signed a two-year, $3,280,000 deal with EBF’s Glasgow Highlanders. Zhu struggled in his limited use with a 5.34 ERA over 28.2 innings. An elbow strain in late May cost him three months and he was let go in the offseason. Lisbon gave Zhu a shot in 1997, but he only saw six mediocre innings all season. He retired that winter at age 38. For his Tianjin and CLB career, Zhu had 295 saves and 374 shutdowns, a 1.52 ERA, 781.1 innings, 1225 strikeouts, 175 walks, 168 ERA+, 48 FIP-, and 30.9 WAR. As of 2037, he’s one of only three pitchers in CLB history to have won Reliever of the Year five times or more. Zhu was THE guy for a good six year stretch that also happened to coincide with Tianjin’s dynasty run. However, that stretch was all Zhu had. His rate stats fit, but he had the lowest innings and WAR of any CLB Hall of Fame reliever. Zhu had already started to decline towards the end of the Tianjin run and many voters felt he simply didn’t have the tenure to be deserving, even if he briefly burned brightly. Zhu stayed remarkably static on his first six ballots as each year was between 59.0% to 61.8%. Skeptical voters weren’t budging, but Zhu had an opportunity when there were zero notable debuts in the 2004 class. That weak group earned him just enough extra attention to cross the 66% requirement at 68.0%, receiving a seventh-ballot induction with CLB’s 2004 class. Zhiming Cao – Relief Pitcher – Hangzhou Hens – 66.2% Third Ballot Zhiming Cao was a 5’10’’, 180 pound left-handed relief pitcher from Guangzhou in southern China. Cao had a remarkable one-two punch of a 97-99 mph fastball and filthy slider with his stuff grading out as 13/10 in his prime. Cao had solid movement as well, but his crappy control could get him into trouble. He was a smart and adaptable pitcher who knew how to get out of most jams. Cao was picked in the third round of the 1987 CLB Draft with the 66^th overall pick by Hangzhou. He was immediately thrown into the closer role as a rookie and had a very good debut, taking third in Reliever of the Year voting. His second season did see a setback with a fractured elbow knocking him out four months. Cao bounced back well and held down the closer role for the next six seasons for the Hens. Cao joined his Hall of Fame classmate Junwei Zhu as one of three CLB pitchers to win Reliever of the Year five times. Cao took it in 1990, 92, 93, 94, and 95, while finishing second in 1991. 1995 also saw a third place finish in Pitcher of the Year voting with an impressive 7.2 WAR and 0.84 ERA. Cao only led in saves once (41 in 1993), but he had five seasons worth 5+ WAR; not an easy feat for a reliever. Hangzhou was generally stuck in the middle of the standings during Cao’s tenure. However, the Hens surprised many in 1990 when they broke a nine-year playoff drought. They upset 115-win Macau and 106-win Dalian to take the China Series. Cao did his job perfectly with 7.1 scoreless and hitless innings, three saves, and 15 strikeouts. His role there was a big reason his #5 uniform was eventually retired by Hangzhou. Cao also pitched for China from 1988-99 in the World Baseball Championship. He had 27 appearances and five starts with a 2.28 ERA over 67 innings, 140 strikeouts, 33 walks, 158 ERA+, and 2.6 WAR. Cao earned world title rings with China in 1993 and 1994. In 1995, Cao received WBC Best Pitcher honors with a 0.56 ERA and 34 strikeouts over 16 innings. Cao looked a bit pedestrian in 1996 for Hangzhou, who would bottom out that year with only 68 wins. They were in selling mode and weren’t planning to keep Cao around anyway as his contract was coming due. The Hens traded Cao and $10,130,000 to get three prospects from Nanjing. The Nuggets were in a playoff push, trying to end a six-year drought. Cao finished the year very strongly for Nanjing, taking second in Reliever of the Year voting. They earned that playoff spot and ended up winning their first-ever CLB title over Harbin. Cao again was an absolute beast in the postseason, tossing 12 scoreless innings. He struck out 30 with five saves, five hits, and four walks allowed. This put his stock at a high level heading into free agency at age 32. Cao’s Chinese League career came to close with this as he received international suitors. He ended up in MLB and Canada with a three-year, $8,280,000 deal with Toronto. Cao wasn’t able to overpower the MLB hitters though like he did the CLB ones. He looked very unremarkable in middle relief in 1997. After two poor games to start 1998, the Timberwolves cut Cao. Nine days later, he found a new home in Houston. Cao wasn’t much better with the Hornets in 15.2 innings. They traded him to New York along with $17,600,000 to get three prospects. The Yankees gave him closing opportunities and he got 16 saves. However, he also had a 4.97 ERA. There were still other MLB teams willing to give him a shot to fill out the back of the bullpen though, as he signed for 1999 with Phoenix. The Firebirds traded Cao to Seattle in July as he had only 18.2 innings the whole season with a 4.34 ERA. Chicago grabbed Cao in 2000 and he saw some sustained use with decent results, posting a 2.86 ERA in 50.1 innings. Ottawa signed him to a minor league deal in 2001. He got rocked in only two Major League appearances with the Elks, getting cut in early July. Cincinnati gave Cao a minor league deal two weeks later, but he never made an appearance for the Reds. Shoulder inflammation popped up and required surgery, knocking him out eight months. Cao retired that winter at age 37. His MLB stints saw 20 saves and a 4.08 ERA over 176.2 innings, 209 strikeouts, a 85 ERA+, and 3.1 WAR. In China though, Cao had 301 saves and 376 shutdowns, a 1.30 ERA, 726.2 innings, 1351 strikeouts, 188 walks, 201 ERA+, 25 FIP-, and 42.0 WAR. The rate stats were excellent and having five ROTYs and two rings with scoreless postseasons all worked in his favor. However, there were still the voters that were generally harsh on relievers and/or wanted far more accumulations and innings to give you the nod. Because of that, Cao debuted on the 2002 ballot with 52.3%. He dropped slightly in 2003 to 48.8%. 2004 came up and had no strong front runners, which made Cao’s resume pop a bit more. Many of the voters who gave Junwei Zhu the thumbs up realized that Cao was as good or better, and that if one was deserving, both had to be. Cao crossed the line at 66.2% to earn a third ballot addition in the 2004 CLB Hall of Fame class. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)