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Chinese League Baseball inducted two players into the Hall of Fame in 2009. SP Momota Oichi was the headliner as a first ballot selection with 89.6%. Fellow pitcher Martin Cui narrowly crossed the 66% requirement with 67.3% on his third ballot. SP Jun Tang barely missed making it a three-man group, missing at 64.4% on his third ballot. No one else was above 50%.



Pitcher Xueming Hao was dropped after ten failed ballots. He pitched 14 years for Beijing, winning three rings and one Pitcher of the Year. Hao had a 146-105 record, 2.33 ERA, 2413 innings, 2690 strikeouts, 111 ERA+, and 44.8 WAR. A nice run, but not enough longevity or accumulations to stand out. Hao peaked with a debut at 25.4% and ended with 17.2%.

Another pitcher dropped after ten years was Jiancheng Jiao with a similar problem. He won five rings with Dalian’s dynasty and one POTY, but his CLB run lasted only nine years. He had a 138-78 record, 2.21 ERA, 2062.1 innings, 2328 strikeouts, 116 ERA+, and 42.0 WAR. Jiao peaked at 27.8% in 2001 and finished with 8.4%.

1B Yiming Sui also fell off after ten ballots, winning three Silver Sluggers and a ring with Hangzhou in 12 years. Sui led in hits five times, doubles, six times, and batting average thrice. He had 1966 hits, 779 runs, 366 doubles, 240 home runs, 834 RBI, a .288/.322/.458 slash, 165 wRC+, and 71.5 WAR.

As of 2037, Sui still ranks sixth in doubles. CLB voters are already harsh on hitters and being out of China after his age 34 season kept him from more impressive accumulations. Sui got as high as 42.1% in 2001, but fell to a measly 8.1% by the end in 2009.



Momota Oichi – Starting Pitcher – Xi’an Attack – 89.6% First Ballot

Momota Oichi was a 6’1’’, 190 pound right-handed pitcher Toyohashi, Japan; a city of around 377,000 within the Aichi Prefecture. Oichi had excellent stuff with average control and below average movement. His fastball regularly hit 97-99 mph and was complimented by a stellar changeup and good curveball.

Oichi’s ability to change speeds made him an elite strikeout pitcher during his prime. Compared to most CLB aces, Oichi’s stamina was subpar. He had great durability though, so he still gave you a full load during his peak. The lack of stamina did cause some later teams to use him more out of the bullpen.

Oichi was a very unique case as Japanese players almost never defected from the East Asia Baseball sphere as amateurs. However, after playing at Osaka Toin High School, Oichi declared for CLB’s 1989 Draft. Many Chinese teams were unfamiliar with him, as they didn’t bother scouting in Japan for obvious reasons. Xi’an was impressed with his potential though and picked him early in the second round with the 28^th overall pick.

In 1990 and 1991, Oichi was left on the developmental roster. Xi’an brought him up for 1992 as a part-time starter at age 21. After a promising showing, he earned a full-time spot in the rotation for the next eight years. Oichi already drew attention throughout CLB by taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1993.

1994 saw two no-hitters by Oichi, the first on May 1 against Jinan with 10 Ks and 1 BB, followed by a second on June 23 versus Harbin with 10 Ks and 2 BBs. He was third in Pitcher of the Year voting, leading the Northern League in WAR. Oichi was the WARlord the next three seasons, peaking with 9.0 in 1997.

From 1995-99, Oichi led five straight seasons in strikeouts. 1995 saw CLB’s second-ever pitching Triple Crown with his only ERA title at 1.66 and an 18-6 record. Oichi led in wins in 1996 and 1998 as well while leading in WHIP in 1995 and 1998. His 383 strikeouts in 1998 ranked sixth most in a season to that point and still sits eighth as of 2037.

Naturally, this dominance allowed Oichi to rack up awards. He won four consecutive Pitcher of the Year titles from 1995-98 and took third in 1999. Oichi was the first-ever four-time POTY in CLB history and as of 2037 is one of two to win them consecutively. In 1998, he threw two more no-hitters, one against Shanghai with 12 ks and 1 BB on 6/23 and the other with 13 Ks and 1 BB versus Beijing on 7/22. Oichi was the first CLB pitcher with four no-hitters, a mark only Jinlong Han would match. He may be the only pitcher in world history to twice have two no-hitters in a single year.

Oichi’s dominance helped turn Xi’an into a contender, ending 14-year playoff drought in 1994. The Attack made it to the China Series in 1994 and 1995, losing to the Dalian dynasty in 1994 but winning it all against Zhengzhou in 1995. Xi’an missed the playoffs in 1996, but earned four straight berths from 1997-2000. They only made the semifinal once in that stretch and couldn’t get back to the final.

In the playoffs, Oichi posted very strong numbers. He had 81.2 innings over 11 starts for a 5-3 record, 1.65 ERA, 122 strikeouts, 15 walks, 155 ERA+, and 3.8 WAR. His role in Xi’an’s success led ot his #27 uniform eventually being retired.

Xi’an wanted to lock up Oichi long-term, but he was enticed by big money offers internationally. Oichi entered free agency after the 2000 season, which ended his run in China at only age 30. With the Attack, Oichi had a 147-83 record, 1.83 ERA, 2178.2 innings, 2907 strikeouts, 401 walks, 235/277 quality starts, 142 ERA+, and 65.2 WAR.

The briefness of his run meant that Oichi isn’t atop the CLB leaderboards. However, he still ranks 22^nd in strikeouts and 33^rd in pitching WAR despite only a nine-year run. Four straight Pitcher of the Year awards and a ring are impossible to overlook and Oichi received the first ballot Hall of Fame induction at 89.6% in 2009.

Oichi still pitched eight more seasons and had big expectations. MLB’s Montreal Maples gave him a six-year, $23,040,000 deal. However, his spring training performance was so lackluster that Montreal cut him without a single major league game. Tampa picked him up for the rest of the season with a mediocre 4.84 ERA over 89.1 innings.

He would bounce around between starting and relief over the next few years in MLB. Oichi played in St. Louis in 2002, Cleveland in 2003, Milwaukee in 2004, Tampa in 2005, both St. Louis and Calgary in 2006, Toronto in 2007, and Jacksonville in 2008. He never had more than average-at-best production, which made MLB officials wonder what the hype was all about.

Oichi didn’t have any steep decline or major injury either; he just didn’t transition to MLB well. His weaker stamina perhaps played a notable role. For his MLB tenure, Oichi had a 57-48 record and 11 saves, 3.97 ERA, 945.2 innings, 826 stirkeouts, 296 walks, 90 ERA+, 109 FIP-, and 6.6 WAR.

That run hurt his overall pro stats, but he still ended with a strong 204-131 record 2.47 ERA, 3124.1 innings, 3733 strikeouts, 697 walks, 121 ERA+, and 71.8 WAR. Oichi’s peak was brief, but among the strongest that Chinese baseball had seen to that point in its relatively brief history. Thus, Oichi still earns a spot in the history books.



Martin Cui – Staring Pitcher – Wuhan Wolverines – 67.3% Third Ballot

Martin Cui was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Nanyang, a prefecture-level city with nearly ten million inhabitants in China’s Henan province. Cui was a great strikeout pitcher in his prime with stellar stuff and excellent control. His fastball his 96-98 mph, but Cui’s outstanding changeup was his most dangerous pitch. He also had an okay curveball and subpar movement generally, leading to some issues with allowing home runs. Still, Cui’s ability to change speeds led to whiffs a’plenty.

Cui had solid stamina and was considered a respectable defensive pitcher. Injuries would plague him though, including a few major ones in his 30s. Cui was one of the most well respected players in Chinese baseball, known for a great work ethic, strong leadership, and impressive intelligence. He was considered truly one of the great people within the game.

Despite his eventual success, Cui wasn’t a tip-top prospect. In the 1990 CLB Draft, he wasn’t picked until early in the third round, going 55^th overall to Wuhan. Cui’s entire Chinese run was with thte Wolverines, who made him a part-time starter in 1991. It was a surprise success for Wuhan, winning 105 games to end a 14-year playoff drought. They lost in the semifinal to Beijing, but Cui’s one playoff start saw one run allowed in seven innings with 10 strikeouts.

Cui earned a full-time gig after that and held it for the next decade. In his second season, he exploded for a Southern League best 409 strikeouts, 9.8 WAR, and 20-12 record. Cui was the first CLB pitcher to fan 400+ in a season, topping the previous high-mark of 382 by Robin Kwan. Despite that, Cui wasn’t even a finalist for Pitcher of the Year voting and Wuhan narrowly missed the playoffs.

The Wolverines got back in 1993 and made it to the China Series, losing in the final to Dalian’s dynasty. Cui had a 2.25 ERA over 28 playoff innings. Elbow tendinitis had cost him a chunk of the season. In 1994, Cui again led in strikeouts with 406, three off his all-time record. But he allowed a league-worst 30 home runs and again wasn’t a POTY finalist.

Cui never was a finalist for Pitcher of the Year, despite having three great seasons from 1995-97. Each had 10+ WAR, including a career and league best 12.9 and 21 FIP- in 1996. That effort is the ninth-best WAR by a CLB pitcher as of 2037. 199 also saw Cui set the CLB single-game record with 22 strikeouts against Macau on 7/22; a mark no-one else has reached in China. Cui still holds the top three strikeout seasons in CLB history with only Jinlong Han eventually crossing 400+ with 403 in 2000.

Wuhan missed the playoffs from 1994-2000, but Cui kept trucking along. After the 1996 season, he signed a five-year, $10,340,000 contract extension. In 1999, biceps tendinitis knocked him out two months. Then in spring training 2000, Cui suffered a torn flexor tendon. He missed the entire season and had his career in doubt.

Cui made it back in 2001 and looked respectable, but not dominant. He stepped up big in the playoffs as Wuhan ended their drought. Cui allowed only one run over 22.1 innings with 25 strikeouts, helping the Wolverines win their first-ever China Series over Beijing. As of 2037, this is Wuhan’s only title.

This also marked the end of Cui’s run in China, as he entered free agency at age 34. With the Wolverines, he had a 126-102 record, 1.95 ERA, 2249 innings, 3247 strikeouts, 368 walks, 223/272 quality starts, 122 ERA+, 57 FIP-, and 75.3 WAR. The advanced stats are quite kind to Cui, who in 2037 ranks 12^th in strikeouts and 20^th in WAR. Many scholars expressed disbelief that he was never even a finalist for Pitcher of the Year in his prime.

Cui continued to seemingly be overlooked as he entered the Hall of Fame ballot. Some felt he didn’t stick around long enough and others thought big strikeout numbers were over-rated. Cui missed the cut at 59.2% and 52.3% in his first two ballots. Third time was the charm, barely crossing the line at 67.3% to join CLB’s 2009 Hall of Fame class.

Like his HOF classmate Oichi, Cui’s post-CLB career was unremarkable. He went to Mexico and signed a one-year deal worth $2,880,000 with Toreeon. Cui was firmly mediocre, then looked no better in 2003 with Haiti. He joined Salvador in 2004, where he suffered a stretched elbow ligament that summer, missing ten months.

Cui made it back in 2005 with Monterrey, but looked forgettable over 74 innings. Tijuana gave him a chance for 2006 and he was off to a good start with a 2.76 ERA in five starts. Sadly, he suffered a torn labrum in that fifth start, effectively ending his career at age 39. In CABA, Cui had a 26-26 record, 4.10 ERA, 476.1 innings, 455 strikeouts, 93 ERA+, and 4.9 WAR.

For his entire pro career, Cui had a 152-128 record, 2.32 ERA, 2725.1 innings, 3702 strikeouts, 434 walks, 116 ERA+, 65 FIP-, and 80.2 WAR. He posted a unique career and forever holds an important spot on China’s leaderboards with his three 400+ strikeout seasons.