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West African Baseball had two slam dunk Hall of Famers headlining an impressive 2008 group. Two-way star Rudy Bambara received 95.6% and LF/DH Germain Tchouga got 94.7%. 1B Daouda Kadri barely missed joining them on his sixth ballot, falling short of the 66% threshold with 65.4%. No one else was above 50% and no players were dropped after ten failed ballots.



Rudy Bambara – Pitcher/Third Base – Ibadan Iguanas – 95.6% First Ballot

Rudy Bambara was a 6’1’’, 190 pound right-handed pitcher and third baseman from Yako, Burkina Faso; a town of around 39,000 in the country’s center. Bambara was the first great two-way player to come out of West Africa and statistically has a case for being a top five level two-way player all-time from any pro league. Tremendous durability played a big role as for his first 13 seasons, Bambara tossed 200+ innings an also had 250+ at-bats.

As a pitcher, Bambara had excellent control and very good movement along with good to sometimes great stuff. His fastball peaked in the 96-98 mph range and was mixed with a curveball, changeup, and cutter. Bambara was very intelligent and a master at picking his spots. His stamina was good and he was great at fielding on the mound, winning a Gold Glove in 2001.

When playing the field, Bambara was a third baseman due to his strong arm. His range and general glove work were lousy though and he graded as a weak defender. Bambara’s straight line speed was below average and he was a comically clumsy baserunner. But his bat was certainly worthy of finding a regular spot in the lineup.

Bambara had tremendous home run power and could have been a prolific slugger if he committed fully to hitting. Five times he cracked 30+ home runs in a season despite playing in around 95 games. Bambara was a quite solid contact hitter with a respectable eye for walks and an average strikeout rate. He could find the gap as well, cracking 20+ doubles five times in partial seasons at the plate.

Most scouts salivated over Bambara as he entered into the 1988 WAB Draft. Two-way guys hadn’t seen much use in WAB to that point and it was unknown how Bambara would be used. He strongly wanted to go both ways, while some teams thought he’d limit his value if he didn’t commit to one. Ibadan had the #2 overall pick and selected Bambara with two-way plans in mind.

He was immediately a full-timer on the mound, making 31+ starts in all eight seasons with the Iguanas. At the plate, he also started 80+ games in each season. Bambara was a lock for the 1989 Rookie of the Year, posting 5.2 WAR on the mound and 1.3 at the plate. He greatly improved his lot in both spots over the next seasons with Ibadan.

As a pitcher, Bambara cracked 6+ WAR six times with Ibadan. He led in pitching WAR in 1994 and 1996, peaking with 9.4 in 1996. That year also saw a career and league best 1.82 ERA with 307 strikeouts and 29 quality starts. His lone Pitcher of the Year award came from the 1996 campaign, although he took second in 1993. Bambara led in wins in 1993 and 1994.

WAB didn’t use the designated hitter, which kept Bambara from batting on pitching days. Still, he won Silver Sluggers in 1990, 1993, and 1994 at third base despite limited chances. Bambara had an OPS above one in six seasons with Ibadan and a wRC+ above 200 thrice. He finished with seven straight seasons with 5+ WAR as a hitter.

Bambara’s combined season WARs from 1990-1996 were 12.7, 10.7, 12.0, 13.5, 12.8, 12.7, and 14.7. The only other WAB player to crack 14+ in a season was 11-time MVP Darwin Morris, who did it four times. Bambara won four Eastern League MVPs (1990, 1992, 1993, 1996). He finished second in 1991, second in 1994, and third in 1995. Bambara was clearly the most electric player in West Africa.

The year Bambara was drafted, Ibadan had bottomed out at 57-105. Two years later in 1990, the Iguanas began a 12-year playoff streak. They earned their first ELCS appearance in 1992, but lost to Lagos. Then in 1993, Ibadan went 110-52 and won the WAB title; their only ring as of 2037. The Iguanas got back to the finals in 1994 and 1996, but lost to Abidjan and Accra, respectively.

Bambara’s playoff stats as a batter were stellar with 27 games and 25 starts, 35 hits, 21 runs, 6 doubles, 12 home runs, 32 RBI, a .357/.418/.806 slash, 239 wRC+, and 2.2 WAR. The pitching stats were merely okay in 15 starts with a 6-6 record, 3.98 ERA, 101.2 innings, 104 strikeouts, 95 ERA+, and 1.7 WAR. Bambara was named finals MVP in 1993 when he delivered Ibadan to the title.

The Iguanas quickly realized they struck gold and gave Bambara a five-year, $2,914,000 extension after the 1991 season. They desperately wanted to keep him after that, but Bambara was wanted by teams across the globe. He ultimately became a free agent after his all-time best season in 1996 heading towards his age 31 season. This marked the end of his WAB tenure.

With Ibadan as a pitcher, Bambara had a 141-77 record, 2.92 ERA, 1993.1 innings, 2179 strikeouts, 279 walks, 186 quality starts, 129 ERA+, and 54.2 WAR. At the plate, he had 907 hits, 535 runs, 162 doubles, 247 home runs, 653 RBI, a .318/.373/.647 slash, 187 wRC+, and 41.3 WAR. As of 2037, the combined 95.5 WAR ranks him 10^th best in WAB history.

Had he stayed in WAB, some feel Bambara might have battled with Darwin Morris for the GOAT slot. Either way, his eight years were phenomenal, helping Ibadan to their first success as a franchise. The Iguanas retired his #2 uniform once his playing days were done. Bambara was an easy first ballot choice for the WAB voters at 95.6% to headline the 2008 class.

Although he spent his next nine pro seasons in Major League Baseball, Bambara still represented Burkina Faso in the World Baseball Championship. From 1988-2000, he had 168 innings on the mound with a 3.43 ERA, 177 strikeouts, 104 ERA+, and 3.1 WAR. At the plate, he had 66 games, 65 hits, 50 runs, 9 doubles, 24 home runs, 54 RBI, a .288/.383/.646 slash, 187 wRC+, and 4.1 WAR.

Bambara’s MLB career began with a five-year, $19,000,000 deal with Edmonton. The Eels were the defending World Series champs when they signed Bambara. He was excellent on the mound in his first two seasons with 8.1 WAR and 7.3 WAR. Bambara still ate up innings the next two years, but saw more league-average production. He didn’t take to hitting as well in MLB, but still provided positive value and cracked 2+ twice. His 1997 debut saw a combined 10.7 WAR effort.

Edmonton was above .500, but missed the playoffs in Bambara’s first two seasons. They bounced back in 1999 with a franchise-best 108-54 season, ultimately winning the World Series over Indianapolis. Bambara was the MVP of the American Association Championship Series win over San Francisco. He had a 1.04 ERA over 26 innings on the mound and a .268/318/.488 slash in 44 plate appearances. Helping them to that title justified the signing for most Eels fans.

In 2000, Bambara tossed a no-hitter with 5 strikeouts and no walks against Portland. However in 2001, Bambara’s batting was mediocre and his pitching value was looking merely average. It was the last year of his Edmonton deal and the Eels opted to trade him in July to Columbus for two prospects.

With the Eels, Bambara had an 86-57 pitching record, 3.58 ERA, 1288.2 innings, 871 strikeouts, 201 walks, 109 ERA+, and 29.0 WAR. Batting, he had 425 hits, 229 runs, 67 doubles, 86 home runs, 277 RBI, a .270/.322/.482 slash, 121 wRC+, and 8.0 WAR.

Bambara had limited batting with the Chargers and okay production on the mound, although he did win his lone Gold Glove this season. They earned a wild card, but fell in the first round of the playoffs. Bambara was now a free agent heading into 2002 and his age 36 season. In March 2002, he inked a one-year, $3,280,000 deal with Virginia Beach.

In his brief Vikings tenure, Bambara had solid batting stats (172 wRC+ in 112 plate appearances) but lousy pitching ones (4.21 ERA in 136.2 innings). VB traded him in July to reigning MLB champ Nashville, where he posted a 3.57 ERA in 80.2 innings. He only had 34 plate appearances, but a 1.375 OPS in the small sample.

The Knights got back to the AACS and lost to Albuquerque. Bambara had a 2.19 ERA in 24.2 playoff innings though, leading Nashville to give him a two-year, $8,000,000 extension. After a poor spring training though, Bambara was straight up released. He was unemployed for about a month before signing in late April with Los Angeles for $6,800,000.

Bambara had a decent bat for the Angels and ate innings with below average pitching. In 2004, Winnipeg gave him a one-year, $5,900,000 deal. A rotator cuff strain knocked him out two months, but his pitching looked quite solid over 134.1 innings with a 2.68 ERA. That would mark the end of his MLB tenure.

Between six teams, Bambara’s pitching stats in MLB saw a 122-91 record, 3.61 ERA, 1928.1 innings, 1221 strikeouts, 320 walks, 106 ERA+, and 35.8 WAR. At the plate, he had 565 hits, 302 runs, 91 doubles, 117 home runs, 370 RBI, a .272/.326/.489 slash, 125 wRC+, and 12.0 WAR.

Soon to be 39 years old, Bambara still wanted to play baseball. He packed his bags for Colombia, signing a two-year, $4,480,000 deal with Beisbol Sudamerica’s Cali. In 2005, he posted a 4.28 ERA over 195.2 innings and a .312/.365/.548 slash over 203 plate appearances for a combined 2.6 WAR.

Bambara was ready to go for 2006, but suffered shoulder inflammation at the end of spring training. This ultimately knocked him out eight months, missing the entire 2006 campaign for Cali. Bambara was a free agent again in 2007 and wasn’t ready to quit, but he couldn’t find a home. He finally had to retire that winter at age 41.

For his entire pitching career, Bambara had a 275-178 record, 3.31 ERA, 4117.1 innings, 3495 strikeouts, 635 walks, 342/543 quality starts, 155 complete games, 115 ERA+, 83 FIP-, and 91.1 WAR. That pitching resume alone looks like a Hall of Famer in pretty much any context.

At the plate, Bambara had 1473 games and 1263 starts with 1530 hits, 865 runs, 263 doubles, 374 home runs, 1048 RBI, 418 walks, a .299/.354/.579 slash, 160 wRC+, and 54.9 WAR. Had he focused exclusively at the plate, Bambara might have gotten to Hall of Fame levels there as well.

When looking at all two-way guys at induction, Bambara ranked fourth in the world in total WAR with 146.0, sitting behind EPB’s Igor Bury (180.0), EBF’s Edgar Miranda (157.6), and EBF’s Daniel Ramirez (154.5). Only one other player would pass them between 2008 and 2037, ranking Bambara fifth still in career WAR. Any conversation about baseball’s all-time best two-way players will have Bambara’s name come up quickly. He’s still easily the most dominant two-way guy out of one of the African leagues.



Germain Tchouga – Left Field/Designated Hitter – Abidjan Athletes – 94.7% First Ballot

Germain Tchouga was a 6’0’’, 195 pound right-handed slugger from Garoua, Cameroon; a port city with around 1,285,000 in the country’s north region. Tchouga had a very strong bat, averaging 40 home runs, 31 doubles, and 6 triples per his 162 game average. He was an above average contact hitter who could draw walks respectably, especially later in his career. Tchouga’s strikeout rate was subpar, but he was great at making his contact count.

Tchouga was a very crafty and savvy base runner. His speed was good in his younger years, but he still provided positive value even as he slowed with age. Nagging injuries cost Tchouga a lot of playing time, but he still was tough enough and sturdy enough for a 24-year career.

Defensively, left field was Tchouga’s most common spot. He made about 2/5 of his career starts there, 1/5 at first base, and the rest as a designated hitter. Tchouga graded out as mediocre defensively in LF and terrible at 1B, making DH his strongest spot when available. His bat was impressive enough though to make Tchouga an extremely popular figure in his time, emerging as the face of a dynasty run.

Only two weeks before his 16^th birthday, Tchouga was signed by Abidjan as an amateur prospect. He picked up and moved to the Ivory Coast and became a rare player to officially debut at age 18, although he only saw two games in 1982. This was the tail end of Abidjan’s first big run and Tchouga picked up a WAB championship ring for his brief participation.

Tchouga played in 1983 and 1984, but only saw 51 games and 36 starts. The Athletes deemed him ready in 1985 for the full-time left field gig at age 21. Abidjan missed the playoffs in the prior two seasons, but took the top seed in 1985. Tchouga had a 5.9 WAR debut effort and a respectable postseason, but the Athletes lost the Western League Championship Series to Kumasi. They would spend the next six seasons out of the playoffs stuck right around .500.

Only a few weeks into the 1986 season, Tchouga suffered a fractured knee that knocked him out for six months. He’d miss a couple weeks in 1988, 1991, and 1992; but the next decade or so saw Tchouga as a regular starter. He posted six seasons worth 5+ WAR and topped 30+ home runs in 12 consecutive seasons. Abidjan locked him up after the 1988 season on a five-year, $3,120,000 deal.

Tchouga’s first Silver Slugger came in 1989 with a 42 home run effort. He had 44 homers and 105 RBI in 1990, taking third in MVP voting. Tchouga was second in 1992 MVP voting despite a knee strain costing him two months. He posted 7.4 WAR and a career best .359/.403/.706 slash and 201 wRC+ in 114 games. Abidjan locked him up after that for another seven years and $10,040,000.

1992 also marked the end of a playoff drought and started a new dynasty for the Athletes. They won four consecutive Western League titles from 1992-95 and won the WAB title in 1994 over Ibadan. In 1993, Tchouga led in RBI for the first time with 104. He won WLCS MVP that year with 16 hits, 8 runs, 5 homers, and 13 RBI in the postseason run.

Tchouga won his lone MVP in 1994 and a Silver Slugger as a DH, posting league and career bests in runs (136), homers (60), RBI (139), total bases (437), and WAR (8.8). The 136 runs were a new single-season WAB record, although Darwin Morris beat it the next year with 142. Tchouga was the finals MVP as Abidjan won it all, posting 14 hits, 7 runs, 3 homers, and 9 RBI in the playoffs.

Tchouga led in runs again in 1995, winning his third Silver Slugger and taking second in MVP voting. His career peaked there, although he still had good offense numbers into his early 30s. Abidjan lost in the wild card round in 1996, then narrowly missed the playoffs in 1997. A rib cage injury knocked Tchouga out for two months as it lingered.

His final three years with Abidjan were plagued with injuries. 1998 had a sprained knee and fractured wrist, 1999 ended with a ruptured MCL in the summer, and it was a sprained hamstring causing troubles in 2000. Tchouga was still a beloved figure, but the Athletes had diversified to be able to thrice in his absence.

Abidjan won the WL pennant again in 1999, but lost the final to the Kano dynasty. Tchouga missed that postseason, but was back for 2000 to help the Athletes upset the 125-win Condors in the final. He posted 4 home runs, 10 hits, and 6 runs over 10 games in that run. For his playoff career with Abidjan, Tchouga had 60 starts, 72 hits, 37 runs, 9 doubles, 6 triples, 17 home runs, 51 RBI, a .306/.348/.613 slash, 166 wRC+, and 2.8 WAR. In 2037, Tchouga ranks 11^th in both playoff homers and RBI.

Tchouga was now 37 years old and hadn’t played a full season in a few years. Abidjan let his contract expire, making him a free agent for the first time. This ended his WAB career, but he remained a beloved figure for Athletes fans as a critical part of their second run of dominance. His #26 uniform would eventually get retired.

In WAB, Tchouga had 2238 hits, 1388 runs, 416 doubles, 86 triples, 541 home runs, 1487 RBI, 622 stolen bases, a .283/.340/.563 slash, 152 wRC+, and 73.7 WAR. He was the second to reach 500 career homers and still ranks 19^th in WAR among position players, despite losing value from being a DH. Tchouga also was the all-time runs leader when he left, although he lost that mantle five years later.

Later guys in a more high-octane WAB would dwarf his accumulations, but Tchouga was one of the strongest bats of his era. The voters didn’t need much time to ponder, giving him a first ballot induction at 94.7%. He joined Rudy Bambara for an impressive two-player 2008 Hall of Fame class.

Although he left WAB after the 2000 season, Tchouga still played baseball for another seven years. He went to Iraq and signed with Mosul for three years and $2,630,000. A fractured finger kept him out a chunk of the season, but Tchouga earned a championship ring with the Muskies. He stayed mostly healthy in 2002 and posted 31 home runs and 4.0 WAR, showing he could still go.

Mosul traded him after the 2002 season to Algiers for three prospects. A strained hamstring and a broken bone in his elbow kept Tchouga out almost the whole year. Arab League teams still had some interest and he joined Basra for 2004. At age 40, he stayed healthy enough for 135 games and posted 2.6 WAR. If his body allowed it, Tchouga could still contribute.

Now 41 years old, Tchouga ended up in Russia with Kazan in 2005. He posted 1.6 WAR over 115 games. Tchouga stayed in Russia with St. Petersburg in 2006 and posted 2.8 WAR and 162 wRC+ in only 92 games. A knee strain would keep him out for the entire summer. This ended his brief stint in Russia.

At age 43, Mosul brought Tchouga back and he again showed he could still go. In 129 games and 110 starts, he had 29 home runs and 3.1 WAR. The Muskies were impressed enough to give Tchouga a three-year, $4,700,000 extension in the summer. However, he decided to retire after the 2007 season at age 44.

For his ALB run, Tchouga had 461 hits, 268 runs, 86 doubles, 108 home runs, 326 RBI, a .272/.340/.530 slash, 139 wRC+, and 12.3 WAR. For his entire pro career, Tchouga ended up with 2875 hits in 2789 games, 1742 runs, 527 doubles, 104 triples, 687 home runs, 1914 RBI, 791 walks, 732 stolen bases, a .278/.337/.549 slash, 149 wRC+, and 90.4 WAR. Tchouga stands out as one of the finest West African sluggers of his generation.