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FuzzyRussianHat · 06-06-2024, 05:49 AM

West Africa Baseball had a three player Hall of Fame class for 2005, each earning solid first ballot nods. SP Ousseynou Darboe was nearly unanimous with 99.3%, while his Dakar teammate and fellow pitcher Lin Freire was close behind at 95.0%. LF Abel Alemu joined them with a very solid 83.5%. 1B Daouda Kadri on his third try had a nice showing at 57.3%, still short of the 66% requirement. No one else was above 50%.

Mokhtar Mariama was dropped after ten tries, having played 11 years for three teams between 1B, 3B, and DH. He won five Silver Sluggers and had 1603 hits, 853 runs, 273 doubles, 227 home runs, 790 RBI, a .305/.360/.511 slash, 150 wRC+, and 46.3 WAR. Mariama retired young at age 34 despite having 5.0 WAR in his final season. That kept his grand accumulations too low to have a real shot at the Hall of Fame. He peaked at 28.3% on his second try and ended at 11.1%.

Ousseynou “Tarzan” Darboe – Starting Pitcher – Dakar Dukes – 99.3% First Ballot

Ousseynou Darboe was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Jambajeli, a village in the Gambia. Darboe had outstanding stuff with good control and above average movement. His fastball peaked at 96-98 mph but was still excellent. Darboe countered it with a great slider and changeup.

He had great durability for most of his career, although his stamina was considered average by WAB standards. Darboe was considered a good defensive pitcher that was solid at holding runners. He was viewed as one of the hardest working guys in the game and was a very popular fan favorite at each of his career stops.

Darboe’s potential was very noticeable right away and he entered the 1986 WAB Draft as the top pitching prospect. Dakar picked him with the #1 overall pick, although they did ease him in with only 77 innings in his rookie season. Darboe struggled as a rookie, but looked great by his first full season in the rotation in 1988. His ascension was critical in a sudden reversal of fortune for Dakar.

From 1979-87, Dakar had nothing but losing seasons. In 1988, they stunned many by taking first in the Western League at 98-64. They took the pennant as well, although they lost the WAB Championship to Lagos. The young phenom Darboe had a 1.64 ERA over 22 playoff innings with 36 strikeouts. It was clear that Darboe had arrived as was going to be a force. He finished second in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1988, then took third in 1989.

From 1990-94, Darboe was absolutely dominant with five straight seasons leading the Western League in both ERA and strikeouts. 1991 saw a career-best 1.68 ERA, which is the sixth-best qualifying season as of 2037 in WAB. In 1993, Darboe became the third WAB pitcher to earn a Triple Crown with a 1.99 ERA, plus career bests with a 26-3 record, 381 strikeouts, and 9.2 WAR. He also led in both WAR and WHIP in 1993 and 1994, and led in quality starts from 1991-94.

Darboe won four Pitcher of the Year awards (1990, 91, 93, 94) and took second in 1992. He was also third in MVP voting in 1991, posting one of the most dominant stretches in WAB history. Dakar wisely gave Darboe a five-year, $6,180,000 extension after the 1992 season.

After missing the playoffs in 1989, Dakar had five straight berths from 1990-94. However, the Dukes were always a wild card and all five years, they were eliminated in the WLCS. Abidjan’s fledgling dynasty slayed them thrice in that stretch. Darboe did have a mixed bag in those runs, but ultimately still had great playoff numbers in total. In 69.1 postseason innings with the Dukes, Darboe had a 2.73 ERA, 112 strikeouts, 13 walks, a 137 ERA+, and 2.4 WAR.

Darboe’s dominant streak was snapped in 1995 with a surprisingly pedestrian 3.54 ERA. Dakar had their first losing season since 1987 and would ultimately enter a dark period, being stuck at the bottom of the standings to close the 1990s and enter the 2000s. They still had Darboe for two more years, but decided to try to get some value for him. Even after a weaker 1995, there were still plenty of suitors.

In total with Dakar, Darboe had a 145-66 record, 2.46 ERA, 2012 innings, 2689 strikeouts, 402 walks, 203 complete games, 152 ERA+, and 54.8 WAR. As of 2037, he’s one of only five WAB pitchers to win four or more Pitcher of the Year awards. That dominance forever made him beloved by Dakar fans and the franchise would retire his #21 uniform once his playing career was over.

The trade was made for the 1996 season, sending the 30-year old Darboe to Lagos with a prospect to get four other prospects. The Lizards had been one of WAB’s most successful teams, but had just been outside the playoffs the prior year. They barely missed again in 1996, then got to the Eastern League Championship Series in 1997. Darboe was iffy in his two playoff starts in Lagos with six runs allowed in 11.1 innings.

However, his two years were still very good with 8.0 WAR and 6.2 WAR. In 1996, he led in strikeouts, WHIP, and K/BB. He surprisingly wasn’t a Pitcher of the Year finalist that year, but did take third in 1997’s voting. In two years with Lagos, Darboe had a 36-17 record, 2.62 ERA, 481 innings, 740 strikeouts, 140 ERA+, and 14.2 WAR. That would ultimately mark the end of his WAB career at only age 32.

In just over a decade in West Africa, Darboe had a 181-83 record, 2.49 ERA, 2493 innings, 3429 strikeouts, 490 walks, 244 quality starts, 46 complete games, 150 ERA+, 71 FIP-, and a nice 69.0 WAR. Even in a shorter career, as of 2037 Darboe is 10^th in pitching WAR, 14^th in strikeouts, and fourth in ERA. Had he stuck around to rack up some more accumulations, Darboe may have had a shot at being WAB’s all-time greatest pitcher. He was still a slam dunk first ballot inductee in 2005, getting 99.3% of the vote.

Darboe’s pro career did continue in 1998 with big-time Major League Baseball money, signing a five-year, $20,800,000 deal with San Francisco. His stats were below average though with the Gold Rush. He did still strike out guys at a strong rate, but his ERA was above four in all four seasons with the Gold Rush. Darboe did see a 3.41 ERA over 31.2 playoff innings in 1999 as SF fell in the American Association Championship Series.

In total in the Bay Area, he had a 4.46 ERA over 716.2 innings, 41-37 record, 635 strikeouts, 87 ERA+, and 7.9 WAR. Darboe also saw his first major injury setback in 2000. He suffered a rotator cuff strain in May that knocked him out a month. Then in August, he tore the rotator cuff and went on the shelf for 14 months. This cost him the end of the 2000 campaign and much of 2001. San Francisco bought out the final year of his contract, making Darboe a free agent at age 36 for the 2006 season.

Seattle gave Darboe a one year deal and he had his most efficient season in MLB with a 3.85 ERA, 19-9 record, 188 strikeouts, and 3.3 WAR. Las Vegas was impressed and signed him for 2003, but a partially torn UCL cost him most of that season. Darboe also stunk with a 5.59 ERA in the 48.1 innings he did see. For his MLB run, he had a 63-49 record, 4.37 ERA, 1024.1 innings, 868 strikeouts, 90 ERA+, and 11.2 WAR.

Darboe was determined to make a comeback and found a home in 2004 in England, signing with Manchester of the European Baseball Federation. His stuff was greatly diminished from the injuries and he had a lousy 4.70 ERA over 162.2 innings for -0.3 WAR. Darboe retired that winter at age 39.

For his entire career, Darboe had a 251-143 record, 3.11 ERA, 3680 innings, 4416 strikeouts, 321/479 quality starts, 108 complete games, 122 ERA+, and 80.0 WAR. He was one of the most electric pitchers of his era and the first major star from the Gambia. As of 2037, he’s the country’s lone Hall of Famer. Darboe also would play a big role in getting his country its own pro team with the capital Banjul joining WAB in a 2009 expansion.

06-06-2024, 05:49 AM	#1311
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,819	2005 WAB Hall of Fame (Part 1) West Africa Baseball had a three player Hall of Fame class for 2005, each earning solid first ballot nods. SP Ousseynou Darboe was nearly unanimous with 99.3%, while his Dakar teammate and fellow pitcher Lin Freire was close behind at 95.0%. LF Abel Alemu joined them with a very solid 83.5%. 1B Daouda Kadri on his third try had a nice showing at 57.3%, still short of the 66% requirement. No one else was above 50%. Mokhtar Mariama was dropped after ten tries, having played 11 years for three teams between 1B, 3B, and DH. He won five Silver Sluggers and had 1603 hits, 853 runs, 273 doubles, 227 home runs, 790 RBI, a .305/.360/.511 slash, 150 wRC+, and 46.3 WAR. Mariama retired young at age 34 despite having 5.0 WAR in his final season. That kept his grand accumulations too low to have a real shot at the Hall of Fame. He peaked at 28.3% on his second try and ended at 11.1%. Ousseynou “Tarzan” Darboe – Starting Pitcher – Dakar Dukes – 99.3% First Ballot Ousseynou Darboe was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Jambajeli, a village in the Gambia. Darboe had outstanding stuff with good control and above average movement. His fastball peaked at 96-98 mph but was still excellent. Darboe countered it with a great slider and changeup. He had great durability for most of his career, although his stamina was considered average by WAB standards. Darboe was considered a good defensive pitcher that was solid at holding runners. He was viewed as one of the hardest working guys in the game and was a very popular fan favorite at each of his career stops. Darboe’s potential was very noticeable right away and he entered the 1986 WAB Draft as the top pitching prospect. Dakar picked him with the #1 overall pick, although they did ease him in with only 77 innings in his rookie season. Darboe struggled as a rookie, but looked great by his first full season in the rotation in 1988. His ascension was critical in a sudden reversal of fortune for Dakar. From 1979-87, Dakar had nothing but losing seasons. In 1988, they stunned many by taking first in the Western League at 98-64. They took the pennant as well, although they lost the WAB Championship to Lagos. The young phenom Darboe had a 1.64 ERA over 22 playoff innings with 36 strikeouts. It was clear that Darboe had arrived as was going to be a force. He finished second in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1988, then took third in 1989. From 1990-94, Darboe was absolutely dominant with five straight seasons leading the Western League in both ERA and strikeouts. 1991 saw a career-best 1.68 ERA, which is the sixth-best qualifying season as of 2037 in WAB. In 1993, Darboe became the third WAB pitcher to earn a Triple Crown with a 1.99 ERA, plus career bests with a 26-3 record, 381 strikeouts, and 9.2 WAR. He also led in both WAR and WHIP in 1993 and 1994, and led in quality starts from 1991-94. Darboe won four Pitcher of the Year awards (1990, 91, 93, 94) and took second in 1992. He was also third in MVP voting in 1991, posting one of the most dominant stretches in WAB history. Dakar wisely gave Darboe a five-year, $6,180,000 extension after the 1992 season. After missing the playoffs in 1989, Dakar had five straight berths from 1990-94. However, the Dukes were always a wild card and all five years, they were eliminated in the WLCS. Abidjan’s fledgling dynasty slayed them thrice in that stretch. Darboe did have a mixed bag in those runs, but ultimately still had great playoff numbers in total. In 69.1 postseason innings with the Dukes, Darboe had a 2.73 ERA, 112 strikeouts, 13 walks, a 137 ERA+, and 2.4 WAR. Darboe’s dominant streak was snapped in 1995 with a surprisingly pedestrian 3.54 ERA. Dakar had their first losing season since 1987 and would ultimately enter a dark period, being stuck at the bottom of the standings to close the 1990s and enter the 2000s. They still had Darboe for two more years, but decided to try to get some value for him. Even after a weaker 1995, there were still plenty of suitors. In total with Dakar, Darboe had a 145-66 record, 2.46 ERA, 2012 innings, 2689 strikeouts, 402 walks, 203 complete games, 152 ERA+, and 54.8 WAR. As of 2037, he’s one of only five WAB pitchers to win four or more Pitcher of the Year awards. That dominance forever made him beloved by Dakar fans and the franchise would retire his #21 uniform once his playing career was over. The trade was made for the 1996 season, sending the 30-year old Darboe to Lagos with a prospect to get four other prospects. The Lizards had been one of WAB’s most successful teams, but had just been outside the playoffs the prior year. They barely missed again in 1996, then got to the Eastern League Championship Series in 1997. Darboe was iffy in his two playoff starts in Lagos with six runs allowed in 11.1 innings. However, his two years were still very good with 8.0 WAR and 6.2 WAR. In 1996, he led in strikeouts, WHIP, and K/BB. He surprisingly wasn’t a Pitcher of the Year finalist that year, but did take third in 1997’s voting. In two years with Lagos, Darboe had a 36-17 record, 2.62 ERA, 481 innings, 740 strikeouts, 140 ERA+, and 14.2 WAR. That would ultimately mark the end of his WAB career at only age 32. In just over a decade in West Africa, Darboe had a 181-83 record, 2.49 ERA, 2493 innings, 3429 strikeouts, 490 walks, 244 quality starts, 46 complete games, 150 ERA+, 71 FIP-, and a nice 69.0 WAR. Even in a shorter career, as of 2037 Darboe is 10^th in pitching WAR, 14^th in strikeouts, and fourth in ERA. Had he stuck around to rack up some more accumulations, Darboe may have had a shot at being WAB’s all-time greatest pitcher. He was still a slam dunk first ballot inductee in 2005, getting 99.3% of the vote. Darboe’s pro career did continue in 1998 with big-time Major League Baseball money, signing a five-year, $20,800,000 deal with San Francisco. His stats were below average though with the Gold Rush. He did still strike out guys at a strong rate, but his ERA was above four in all four seasons with the Gold Rush. Darboe did see a 3.41 ERA over 31.2 playoff innings in 1999 as SF fell in the American Association Championship Series. In total in the Bay Area, he had a 4.46 ERA over 716.2 innings, 41-37 record, 635 strikeouts, 87 ERA+, and 7.9 WAR. Darboe also saw his first major injury setback in 2000. He suffered a rotator cuff strain in May that knocked him out a month. Then in August, he tore the rotator cuff and went on the shelf for 14 months. This cost him the end of the 2000 campaign and much of 2001. San Francisco bought out the final year of his contract, making Darboe a free agent at age 36 for the 2006 season. Seattle gave Darboe a one year deal and he had his most efficient season in MLB with a 3.85 ERA, 19-9 record, 188 strikeouts, and 3.3 WAR. Las Vegas was impressed and signed him for 2003, but a partially torn UCL cost him most of that season. Darboe also stunk with a 5.59 ERA in the 48.1 innings he did see. For his MLB run, he had a 63-49 record, 4.37 ERA, 1024.1 innings, 868 strikeouts, 90 ERA+, and 11.2 WAR. Darboe was determined to make a comeback and found a home in 2004 in England, signing with Manchester of the European Baseball Federation. His stuff was greatly diminished from the injuries and he had a lousy 4.70 ERA over 162.2 innings for -0.3 WAR. Darboe retired that winter at age 39. For his entire career, Darboe had a 251-143 record, 3.11 ERA, 3680 innings, 4416 strikeouts, 321/479 quality starts, 108 complete games, 122 ERA+, and 80.0 WAR. He was one of the most electric pitchers of his era and the first major star from the Gambia. As of 2037, he’s the country’s lone Hall of Famer. Darboe also would play a big role in getting his country its own pro team with the capital Banjul joining WAB in a 2009 expansion. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)