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FuzzyRussianHat · 06-02-2024, 04:52 PM

Two players were first ballot selections in 2005 for the European Baseball Federation’s Hall of Fame, although neither got big vote tallies. SS Matteo Canetti made it in at 75.5% and 3B Robert Beck earned 71.0%. The next closest to the 66% requirement was LF Husnija Kojic, falling short with 59.7% on his ninth attempt. That was the highest number that Kojic had gotten yet.

Also above 50% was SP Joe Faulkner with 55.2% on his eighth ballot. 3B Thomas Indiani received 53.4% for his sixth attempt, RF Bernard Martin debuted at 52.8%, and CF Luca Wouterson earned 52.4% on his sixth try.

Only SP Udo Oppenheimer fell off the ballot following ten attempts. He had a 17-year career primarily split between Berlin and Birmingham, posting a 197-206 record, 3.33 ERA, 3578 innings, 2379 strikeouts, 106 ERA+, and 60.3 WAR. His longevity was impressive, but Oppenheimer was never more than above average. He got as high as 32.1% on his second ballot but ended at 11.0%.

Matteo “Hunter” Canetti – Shortstop – Milan Maulers – 75.5% First Ballot

Matteo Canetti was a 6’1’’, 170 pound right-handed shortstop from Modena, a city of around 184,000 in northern Italy. Canetti was a good contact hitter with a decent eye for walks, although his strikeout rate was below average. He hit the ball very hard though, averaging 43 home runs per his 162 game average. Canetti had respectable gap power too and typically got you around 30 or doubles/triples per year. On the basepaths, his speed and skills were just above average.

Where Canetti made his name though was defensively at shortstop. Many agreed he was probably a top five defensive shortstop all-time with many scouts rating him 10/10 across the board in terms of range, arm, and glovesmanship. Canetti’s unbelievable defense made him a fixture of highlight reels and one of the most popular Italian players of all-time. His tireless work ethic, intelligence, and good durability at a demanding position all made Canetti a star.

His potential quickly became well known across Italy during his teenage years. A scout from Milan would sign Canetti in January 1983 not long after his 16^th birthday. Canetti would exceed expectations quickly in the academy and became one of a very select few in pro baseball history to debut as an 18-year old. He was a part-time starter in 1985, although his skillset wasn’t quite fully formed. Still, he managed a third place in Rookie of the Year voting.

Canetti’s 1986 season was maybe the greatest season ever by a 19-year old in baseball history, posting 56 home runs, 150 RBI, a .299/.317/.640 slash, and 8.2 WAR. He became only the sixth batter in EBF history to post a 150+ RBI season. Canetti won his first Silver Slugger, but amazingly wasn’t an MVP finalist. Still, he appeared to be the next big thing in European baseball.

In the next five seasons, Canetti was the WARlord four times with a run of 9.8, 11.4, 12.2, 11.4, and 12.0. Much of this was from his incredible defense, winning five straight Gold Gloves from 1988-92. Canetti’s 1990 had a bonkers 39.0 zone rating his career best. 1989 had a career-best EFF at 1.192. Canetti had great batting stats during this time, hitting 40+ homers and 100+ RBI each year. He led in total bases in 1987 with 382 and led in RBI in 1989 with 128.

Canetti had Silver Sluggers in 1989, 90, and 91, but still wasn’t a lock in those years thanks to Hall of Famer Christophoros Zarkadis. Canetti never won MVP in the EBF either with fierce competition there as well. He was second in 1987 voting, second in 1988, third in 1989, third in 1990, and second in 1991. Also perhaps hurting him in the voting was Milan’s status.

The Maulers were typically below average in the 1970s and 1980s. Canetti did help them break a playoff drought with wild cards in 1989 and 1991, but both years they were ousted in the first round. Canetti was a huge star in Italy though from the World Baseball Championship. He made 209 starts from 1986-04, posting 201 hits, 148 runs, 30 doubles, 84 home runs, 180 RBI, a .260/.342/.630 slash, 177 wRC+, and 11.3 WAR.

As of 2037, he’s 23^rd all-time in WBC WAR for position players. No Italian has played more WBC games and Canetti leads the nation in runs, hits, home runs, and RBI. Among all players, he’s also eighth in home runs and 11^th in RBI. Canetti still came home and proudly represented his country, even though his career in Europe came to a pretty early end.

1992 was a contract year for Canetti and was actually his weakest, missing a month to a herniated disc. The back issue made him look pedestrian batting with only 26 home runs and a 116 wRC+ WAR, but the defense still propelled him to 5.4 WAR. Still, because Canetti had debuted at such a young age, he found himself in a very unique spot. He would be entering free agency in the prime of his career at age 26.

Milan did what they could to keep him, but it was futile compared to the worldwide big money offers he was attracting. This ended his EBF career with eight seasons, 1362 hits, 759 runs, 182 doubles, 314 home runs, 872 RBI, a .308/.340/.600 slash, 155 wRC+, and 71.7 WAR. Milan and Italian fans would still cheer him on from afar and Canetti’s #19 uniform would eventually be retired by the Maulers.

Canetti became an interesting case for EBF Hall of Fame voters when he came up as his accumulations were very low due to his short stint. The WAR and advanced numbers certainly showed he was elite and some credited him for his MLB service, assuming that Canetti would’ve kept racking up big EBF numbers had he stayed. There were others though that couldn’t get over the short tenure. Canetti would get the first ballot nod in 2005, but only at 75.5%.

Some might argue his later Major League Baseball career was better due to having a big more tenure, although he didn’t hit the wacky peak numbers there. Canetti ended up coming to Canada, signing just before spring training 1993 to an eight-year, $19,260,000 deal with Montreal. He ended up playing seven years with the Maples and had 7.9 or more WAR in each of those years.

Canetti won a Silver Slugger in all seven years with Montreal and took Gold Gloves in 1998 and 1999. Each season had 30+ home runs and he led the National Association in RBI in 1998. The 1998 effort earned Canetti his lone MVP. He also took third in 1995 and 1999 and became a beloved favorite for Montreal fans as well.

The Maples ended a decade-long playoff drought with appearances in 1997, 98 and 99. They fell in the NACS to Indianapolis in 1997 and fell in the second round the other years. Canetti was great in the 1997 run, but lousy the other two years. In 24 playoff starts total, he had 28 hits, 14 runs, 4 home runs, 8 RBI, a .295/.330/.463 slash, 147 wRC+, and 0.9 WAR.

For the Montreal run in total, Canetti had 1056 hits, 564 runs, 151 doubles, 237 home runs, 639 RBI, a .274/.324/.510 slash, 150 wRC+, and 60.5 WAR. He declined the option for the last year of the contract, becoming a free agent at age 33, still quite young for a guy finishing up his first big free agent deal. New York grabbed Canetti on a five-year, $38,800,000 contract.

Canetti was strong to start with the Yankees with 7.1, 9.0, and 6.9 WAR efforts. He won Silver Sluggers in 2001 and 2002 and Gold Gloves in 2000 and 2001. For his MLB run, he had nine Silver Sluggers and four Gold Gloves, finishing with 13 and 9 for his career. New York had playoff appearances in 2000 and 2002, but were ousted both years in the first round as a wild card.

Canetti had been quite durable in his career, but he started to break down. He had lost two months of 2002 to an intercostal strain and elbow inflammation. Then in early 2003, a fractured ankle knocked him out for almost the entire season. Canetti was excited for a comeback season in 2004, but only made it six games into the year.

On April 3, 2004; Canetti’s career came to an abrupt and brutal end as a wild pitch hit him in the head, causing a fractured skull. He would later recover in his civilian life after many months of rehab, but his playing days were done immediately. With New York, Canetti finished with 431 hits, 240 runs, 47 doubles, 95 home runs, 266 RBI, a .268/.321/.498 slash, 144 wRC+, and 24.7 WAR.

For his MLB career, Canetti had 1487 hits, 804 runs, 198 doubles, 332 home runs, 905 RBI, a .272/.323/.507 slash, 148 wRC+, and 85.2 WAR. OOTP takes you out of the running for other leagues’ Halls of Fame once one inducts you, but Canetti had a case to belong in both MLB and EBF’s. His MLB odds would’ve been tougher even with a higher career WAR there, as those voters tended to be more strict on guys with shorter tenures.

Canetti’s pro career had 2849 hits, 1563 runs, 380 doubles, 126 triples, 646 home runs, 1777 RBI, 302 stolen bases, a .288/.330/.548 slash, 151 wRC+, and 156.9 WAR. He certainly belongs in the conversations when discussing both the all-time greatest shortstops and the all-time best Italian players. The fact he debuted so impressively as a teenager also gives Canetti a unique spot in the baseball history books.

Robert Beck – Third Base – Hamburg Hammers – 71.0% First Ballot

Robert Beck was a 6’3’’, 200 pound right-handed third baseman from Hamburg, Germany. Beck was a very good contact hitter with strong home run power, hitting 40+ homers four times. His gap power was also excellent, posting 35+ doubles six times. Beck wasn’t going to get you much with his legs though with laughably slow speed. His eye and strikeout rate were considered roughly average.

Beck was a career third baseman primarily, although he did have occasional starts at first and as a designated hitter. His arm wasn’t bad, but he was otherwise a clumsy oaf, grading out as a terrible defender. Beck was adaptable and hardworking, which allowed him to thrive despite his other faults. Beck was also extremely durable and only started to miss time later in his career due to performance and not injury.

Growing up in Hamburg, the local Hammers franchise was well aware of Beck’s amateur exploits. He was the 21^st overall pick out of high school in the 1985 EBF Draft. Although Beck wanted to play for his hometown club, he wanted to go to college more and spurned their offer. He improved his game and when he was eligible again with the 1988 Draft, Hamburg was still very interested. The Hammers snagged him with the 4^th pick and he’d spend his entire EBF career in his hometown.

Beck played 135 games with 119 starts as a rookie in 1989, posting 33 home runs and 5.2 WAR for Rookie of the Year honors. The next seven seasons for Hamburg, Beck was one of the finest hitters in the game, winning Silver Slugger each year from 1990-96. Six of those years had 8+ WAR efforts.

In his sophomore season, Beck won the batting title at .360 and led the Northern Conference in wRC+ (207), and WAR (10.2), taking third in MVP voting. He finished second in 1991, third in 1992, second in 1994, second in 1995, and second in 1996. Beck would never claim the top award, but was an undisputed regular candidate. He wasn’t a conference leader much, only again leading in WAR (9.3) and slugging (.693) in 1995. Still, he hit 50 home runs twice and had six seasons with 100+ RBI, plus seven seasons with a batting average above .300.

Beck’s rookie year saw Hamburg end a nine-year playoff drought, although the wild card Hammers were ousted in the first round. In 1990, Hamburg was the Northern Conference champ, falling in the European Championship to Madrid. They missed the playoffs the next three years, then were one-and-done in 1994. In 25 playoff starts, Beck was excellent with 40 hits, 16 runs, 8 doubles, 8 home runs, 21 RBI, a .388/.406/.699 slash, 211 wRC+, and 2.0 WAR.

Beck had limited time in the World Baseball Championship for Germany. He was mostly a backup with in 1990, 2000, and 2001. He was excellent as a starter in 1991 though, leading the tournament with 30 hits, 17 runs, and 19 RBI. Beck also had 8 home runs, 218 wRC+, and 1.9 WAR, winning WBC MVP. Germany made the championship for only the second time that year, falling in the 1991 final to Canada.

Despite their efforts, Hamburg couldn’t hammer out a long-term deal with Beck, who became a free agent after the 1966 season. This ended his EBF run after eight seasons with 1615 hits, 827 runs, 291 doubles, 320 home runs, 925 RBI, a .340/.375/.616 slash, 179 wRC+, and 63.1 WAR. His hometown squad did retire his #34 uniform as well.

Like his HOF classmate Canetti, Beck shined very brightly but over a very short period in EBF. Unlike Canetti, Beck’s MLB run was unremarkable, which really soured the voters who focused on accumulations. Others argued that being a top three hitter in the conference and such a dominant stretch was worthy. Plus, being the hometown kid and winning a conference title helped. Beck picked up 71.0%, breaching the 66% requirement for a first ballot induction in the 2005 EBF class.

As for his MLB run, the 30-year old Beck signed a five-year, $19,440,000 deal with San Francisco. He did not adjust well at all, debuting with a -0.5 WAR effort. Beck looked decent in a part-time role in 1998, then was delightfully average as a full-time starter again in 1999. He did have a good 1999 postseason as SF fell in the American Association Championship Series. He posted 19 hits, 10 runs, 4 doubles, 3 homers, and 11 RBI in 14 playoff starts.

Beck’s power was back a bit in 2000, but the Gold Rush decided to trade him near the deadline. He went to Houston in exchange for SP Pepito Cortina, a 2004 Beisbol Sudamerica Hall of Famer, and SP Richie McColgan. For his San Francisco run, Beck had 429 hits, 232 runs, 72 doubles, 99 home runs, 269 RBI, a .247/.286/.464 slash, 108 wRC+, and 5.1 WAR.

Beck was merely okay in limited use for Houston, becoming a free agent at age 34. New Orleans gave him a big deal worth $25,200,000 over four years, but it turned out to be a poor investment. Beck was firmly below average when he played, relegated to a part-time role in two of his three seasons. With New Orleans in 307 games, he had -0.1 WAR and a 89 wRC+.

He didn’t reach the vesting criteria for the fourth year of the New Orleans deal, becoming a free agent in 2004. Beck went unsigned and retired that winter at age 38. In MLB, he had 830 games, 693 hits, 355 runs, 131 doubles, 137 home runs, 406 RBI, a .241/.286/.435 slash, 101 wRC+, and 5.1 WAR.

His final pro stats were 2308 hits, 1182 runs, 422 doubles, 457 home runs, 1331 RBI, a .303/.341/.548 slash, 150 wRC+, and 68.2 WAR. The MLB tenure hurt his rate stats and made him look even more borderline of a candidate. But his eight Hamburg seasons were stellar enough for the EBF voters to give Beck a spot with the honored greats.

06-02-2024, 04:52 PM	#1301
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,444	2005 EBF Hall of Fame Two players were first ballot selections in 2005 for the European Baseball Federation’s Hall of Fame, although neither got big vote tallies. SS Matteo Canetti made it in at 75.5% and 3B Robert Beck earned 71.0%. The next closest to the 66% requirement was LF Husnija Kojic, falling short with 59.7% on his ninth attempt. That was the highest number that Kojic had gotten yet. Also above 50% was SP Joe Faulkner with 55.2% on his eighth ballot. 3B Thomas Indiani received 53.4% for his sixth attempt, RF Bernard Martin debuted at 52.8%, and CF Luca Wouterson earned 52.4% on his sixth try. Only SP Udo Oppenheimer fell off the ballot following ten attempts. He had a 17-year career primarily split between Berlin and Birmingham, posting a 197-206 record, 3.33 ERA, 3578 innings, 2379 strikeouts, 106 ERA+, and 60.3 WAR. His longevity was impressive, but Oppenheimer was never more than above average. He got as high as 32.1% on his second ballot but ended at 11.0%. Matteo “Hunter” Canetti – Shortstop – Milan Maulers – 75.5% First Ballot Matteo Canetti was a 6’1’’, 170 pound right-handed shortstop from Modena, a city of around 184,000 in northern Italy. Canetti was a good contact hitter with a decent eye for walks, although his strikeout rate was below average. He hit the ball very hard though, averaging 43 home runs per his 162 game average. Canetti had respectable gap power too and typically got you around 30 or doubles/triples per year. On the basepaths, his speed and skills were just above average. Where Canetti made his name though was defensively at shortstop. Many agreed he was probably a top five defensive shortstop all-time with many scouts rating him 10/10 across the board in terms of range, arm, and glovesmanship. Canetti’s unbelievable defense made him a fixture of highlight reels and one of the most popular Italian players of all-time. His tireless work ethic, intelligence, and good durability at a demanding position all made Canetti a star. His potential quickly became well known across Italy during his teenage years. A scout from Milan would sign Canetti in January 1983 not long after his 16^th birthday. Canetti would exceed expectations quickly in the academy and became one of a very select few in pro baseball history to debut as an 18-year old. He was a part-time starter in 1985, although his skillset wasn’t quite fully formed. Still, he managed a third place in Rookie of the Year voting. Canetti’s 1986 season was maybe the greatest season ever by a 19-year old in baseball history, posting 56 home runs, 150 RBI, a .299/.317/.640 slash, and 8.2 WAR. He became only the sixth batter in EBF history to post a 150+ RBI season. Canetti won his first Silver Slugger, but amazingly wasn’t an MVP finalist. Still, he appeared to be the next big thing in European baseball. In the next five seasons, Canetti was the WARlord four times with a run of 9.8, 11.4, 12.2, 11.4, and 12.0. Much of this was from his incredible defense, winning five straight Gold Gloves from 1988-92. Canetti’s 1990 had a bonkers 39.0 zone rating his career best. 1989 had a career-best EFF at 1.192. Canetti had great batting stats during this time, hitting 40+ homers and 100+ RBI each year. He led in total bases in 1987 with 382 and led in RBI in 1989 with 128. Canetti had Silver Sluggers in 1989, 90, and 91, but still wasn’t a lock in those years thanks to Hall of Famer Christophoros Zarkadis. Canetti never won MVP in the EBF either with fierce competition there as well. He was second in 1987 voting, second in 1988, third in 1989, third in 1990, and second in 1991. Also perhaps hurting him in the voting was Milan’s status. The Maulers were typically below average in the 1970s and 1980s. Canetti did help them break a playoff drought with wild cards in 1989 and 1991, but both years they were ousted in the first round. Canetti was a huge star in Italy though from the World Baseball Championship. He made 209 starts from 1986-04, posting 201 hits, 148 runs, 30 doubles, 84 home runs, 180 RBI, a .260/.342/.630 slash, 177 wRC+, and 11.3 WAR. As of 2037, he’s 23^rd all-time in WBC WAR for position players. No Italian has played more WBC games and Canetti leads the nation in runs, hits, home runs, and RBI. Among all players, he’s also eighth in home runs and 11^th in RBI. Canetti still came home and proudly represented his country, even though his career in Europe came to a pretty early end. 1992 was a contract year for Canetti and was actually his weakest, missing a month to a herniated disc. The back issue made him look pedestrian batting with only 26 home runs and a 116 wRC+ WAR, but the defense still propelled him to 5.4 WAR. Still, because Canetti had debuted at such a young age, he found himself in a very unique spot. He would be entering free agency in the prime of his career at age 26. Milan did what they could to keep him, but it was futile compared to the worldwide big money offers he was attracting. This ended his EBF career with eight seasons, 1362 hits, 759 runs, 182 doubles, 314 home runs, 872 RBI, a .308/.340/.600 slash, 155 wRC+, and 71.7 WAR. Milan and Italian fans would still cheer him on from afar and Canetti’s #19 uniform would eventually be retired by the Maulers. Canetti became an interesting case for EBF Hall of Fame voters when he came up as his accumulations were very low due to his short stint. The WAR and advanced numbers certainly showed he was elite and some credited him for his MLB service, assuming that Canetti would’ve kept racking up big EBF numbers had he stayed. There were others though that couldn’t get over the short tenure. Canetti would get the first ballot nod in 2005, but only at 75.5%. Some might argue his later Major League Baseball career was better due to having a big more tenure, although he didn’t hit the wacky peak numbers there. Canetti ended up coming to Canada, signing just before spring training 1993 to an eight-year, $19,260,000 deal with Montreal. He ended up playing seven years with the Maples and had 7.9 or more WAR in each of those years. Canetti won a Silver Slugger in all seven years with Montreal and took Gold Gloves in 1998 and 1999. Each season had 30+ home runs and he led the National Association in RBI in 1998. The 1998 effort earned Canetti his lone MVP. He also took third in 1995 and 1999 and became a beloved favorite for Montreal fans as well. The Maples ended a decade-long playoff drought with appearances in 1997, 98 and 99. They fell in the NACS to Indianapolis in 1997 and fell in the second round the other years. Canetti was great in the 1997 run, but lousy the other two years. In 24 playoff starts total, he had 28 hits, 14 runs, 4 home runs, 8 RBI, a .295/.330/.463 slash, 147 wRC+, and 0.9 WAR. For the Montreal run in total, Canetti had 1056 hits, 564 runs, 151 doubles, 237 home runs, 639 RBI, a .274/.324/.510 slash, 150 wRC+, and 60.5 WAR. He declined the option for the last year of the contract, becoming a free agent at age 33, still quite young for a guy finishing up his first big free agent deal. New York grabbed Canetti on a five-year, $38,800,000 contract. Canetti was strong to start with the Yankees with 7.1, 9.0, and 6.9 WAR efforts. He won Silver Sluggers in 2001 and 2002 and Gold Gloves in 2000 and 2001. For his MLB run, he had nine Silver Sluggers and four Gold Gloves, finishing with 13 and 9 for his career. New York had playoff appearances in 2000 and 2002, but were ousted both years in the first round as a wild card. Canetti had been quite durable in his career, but he started to break down. He had lost two months of 2002 to an intercostal strain and elbow inflammation. Then in early 2003, a fractured ankle knocked him out for almost the entire season. Canetti was excited for a comeback season in 2004, but only made it six games into the year. On April 3, 2004; Canetti’s career came to an abrupt and brutal end as a wild pitch hit him in the head, causing a fractured skull. He would later recover in his civilian life after many months of rehab, but his playing days were done immediately. With New York, Canetti finished with 431 hits, 240 runs, 47 doubles, 95 home runs, 266 RBI, a .268/.321/.498 slash, 144 wRC+, and 24.7 WAR. For his MLB career, Canetti had 1487 hits, 804 runs, 198 doubles, 332 home runs, 905 RBI, a .272/.323/.507 slash, 148 wRC+, and 85.2 WAR. OOTP takes you out of the running for other leagues’ Halls of Fame once one inducts you, but Canetti had a case to belong in both MLB and EBF’s. His MLB odds would’ve been tougher even with a higher career WAR there, as those voters tended to be more strict on guys with shorter tenures. Canetti’s pro career had 2849 hits, 1563 runs, 380 doubles, 126 triples, 646 home runs, 1777 RBI, 302 stolen bases, a .288/.330/.548 slash, 151 wRC+, and 156.9 WAR. He certainly belongs in the conversations when discussing both the all-time greatest shortstops and the all-time best Italian players. The fact he debuted so impressively as a teenager also gives Canetti a unique spot in the baseball history books. Robert Beck – Third Base – Hamburg Hammers – 71.0% First Ballot Robert Beck was a 6’3’’, 200 pound right-handed third baseman from Hamburg, Germany. Beck was a very good contact hitter with strong home run power, hitting 40+ homers four times. His gap power was also excellent, posting 35+ doubles six times. Beck wasn’t going to get you much with his legs though with laughably slow speed. His eye and strikeout rate were considered roughly average. Beck was a career third baseman primarily, although he did have occasional starts at first and as a designated hitter. His arm wasn’t bad, but he was otherwise a clumsy oaf, grading out as a terrible defender. Beck was adaptable and hardworking, which allowed him to thrive despite his other faults. Beck was also extremely durable and only started to miss time later in his career due to performance and not injury. Growing up in Hamburg, the local Hammers franchise was well aware of Beck’s amateur exploits. He was the 21^st overall pick out of high school in the 1985 EBF Draft. Although Beck wanted to play for his hometown club, he wanted to go to college more and spurned their offer. He improved his game and when he was eligible again with the 1988 Draft, Hamburg was still very interested. The Hammers snagged him with the 4^th pick and he’d spend his entire EBF career in his hometown. Beck played 135 games with 119 starts as a rookie in 1989, posting 33 home runs and 5.2 WAR for Rookie of the Year honors. The next seven seasons for Hamburg, Beck was one of the finest hitters in the game, winning Silver Slugger each year from 1990-96. Six of those years had 8+ WAR efforts. In his sophomore season, Beck won the batting title at .360 and led the Northern Conference in wRC+ (207), and WAR (10.2), taking third in MVP voting. He finished second in 1991, third in 1992, second in 1994, second in 1995, and second in 1996. Beck would never claim the top award, but was an undisputed regular candidate. He wasn’t a conference leader much, only again leading in WAR (9.3) and slugging (.693) in 1995. Still, he hit 50 home runs twice and had six seasons with 100+ RBI, plus seven seasons with a batting average above .300. Beck’s rookie year saw Hamburg end a nine-year playoff drought, although the wild card Hammers were ousted in the first round. In 1990, Hamburg was the Northern Conference champ, falling in the European Championship to Madrid. They missed the playoffs the next three years, then were one-and-done in 1994. In 25 playoff starts, Beck was excellent with 40 hits, 16 runs, 8 doubles, 8 home runs, 21 RBI, a .388/.406/.699 slash, 211 wRC+, and 2.0 WAR. Beck had limited time in the World Baseball Championship for Germany. He was mostly a backup with in 1990, 2000, and 2001. He was excellent as a starter in 1991 though, leading the tournament with 30 hits, 17 runs, and 19 RBI. Beck also had 8 home runs, 218 wRC+, and 1.9 WAR, winning WBC MVP. Germany made the championship for only the second time that year, falling in the 1991 final to Canada. Despite their efforts, Hamburg couldn’t hammer out a long-term deal with Beck, who became a free agent after the 1966 season. This ended his EBF run after eight seasons with 1615 hits, 827 runs, 291 doubles, 320 home runs, 925 RBI, a .340/.375/.616 slash, 179 wRC+, and 63.1 WAR. His hometown squad did retire his #34 uniform as well. Like his HOF classmate Canetti, Beck shined very brightly but over a very short period in EBF. Unlike Canetti, Beck’s MLB run was unremarkable, which really soured the voters who focused on accumulations. Others argued that being a top three hitter in the conference and such a dominant stretch was worthy. Plus, being the hometown kid and winning a conference title helped. Beck picked up 71.0%, breaching the 66% requirement for a first ballot induction in the 2005 EBF class. As for his MLB run, the 30-year old Beck signed a five-year, $19,440,000 deal with San Francisco. He did not adjust well at all, debuting with a -0.5 WAR effort. Beck looked decent in a part-time role in 1998, then was delightfully average as a full-time starter again in 1999. He did have a good 1999 postseason as SF fell in the American Association Championship Series. He posted 19 hits, 10 runs, 4 doubles, 3 homers, and 11 RBI in 14 playoff starts. Beck’s power was back a bit in 2000, but the Gold Rush decided to trade him near the deadline. He went to Houston in exchange for SP Pepito Cortina, a 2004 Beisbol Sudamerica Hall of Famer, and SP Richie McColgan. For his San Francisco run, Beck had 429 hits, 232 runs, 72 doubles, 99 home runs, 269 RBI, a .247/.286/.464 slash, 108 wRC+, and 5.1 WAR. Beck was merely okay in limited use for Houston, becoming a free agent at age 34. New Orleans gave him a big deal worth $25,200,000 over four years, but it turned out to be a poor investment. Beck was firmly below average when he played, relegated to a part-time role in two of his three seasons. With New Orleans in 307 games, he had -0.1 WAR and a 89 wRC+. He didn’t reach the vesting criteria for the fourth year of the New Orleans deal, becoming a free agent in 2004. Beck went unsigned and retired that winter at age 38. In MLB, he had 830 games, 693 hits, 355 runs, 131 doubles, 137 home runs, 406 RBI, a .241/.286/.435 slash, 101 wRC+, and 5.1 WAR. His final pro stats were 2308 hits, 1182 runs, 422 doubles, 457 home runs, 1331 RBI, a .303/.341/.548 slash, 150 wRC+, and 68.2 WAR. The MLB tenure hurt his rate stats and made him look even more borderline of a candidate. But his eight Hamburg seasons were stellar enough for the EBF voters to give Beck a spot with the honored greats. __________________ 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)