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FuzzyRussianHat · 08-01-2024, 12:45 PM

Ninoy “Scoops” Lumar – Starting Pitcher – Cebu Crows – 88.3% First Ballot

Ninoy Lumar was a 6’6’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Calumpit, a municipality of just under 120,000 people in the Central Luzon part of the Philippines. The nickname “Scoops” came from his tendency to grab extra scoops of ice cream after games. He was a scrappy sparkplug type with a tireless work ethic, which served him over a brief but excellent career.

Lumar had fantastic stuff with very good movement and control. He had a stellar 97-99 mph fastball and a deadly slider as his top pitches, but his curveball and changeup were also plenty effective. Lumar had outstanding stamina in his prime and always wanted to go deep into games, leading the league five times in complete games and twice in innings pitched. However, that likely exacerbated his later rotator cuff troubles.

Lumar quickly emerged as one of the premiere prospects out of the Philippines for the 1993 APB Draft. He was taken second overall by Cebu and pitched 172 in his rookie year with okay results. Lumar was a full-time starter after and tossed 270+ innings in six of the next eight seasons. He lost part of 1996 to a strained oblique.

Cebu had won three pennants and an APB title from 1990-92, but stunk in 1993 to earn the #2 pick for Lumar. They made the playoffs in 1996, but he missed it due to a finger blister. Sadly, Lumar never got to pitch in the playoffs in his career. The Crows bounced between mediocre and mid for the remaining years of Lumar’s tenure. He even led the Taiwan-Philippine Association with 20 losses in 1997 despite posting 7.5 WAR.

Lumar earned national notoriety starting in 1996, playing for his country through 2004 in the World Baseball Championship. He was excellent on the world stage with a 1.77 ERA over 122.1 innings, 5-4 record, 159 strikeouts, 31 walks, 204 ERA+, and 4.7 WAR. Lumar tossed 29.2 scoreless innings over his first two WBCs.

In 1998, Lumar was second in Pitcher of the Year voting. He then won the award three consecutive seasons from 1999-01, leading each season in WAR, WHIP, K/BB, and complete games. He also led twice in wins, strikeouts, innings pitched, and shutouts during that stretch. 2001 was the strongest by many measures with career bests in Ks (415), WHIP (0.73), WAR (11.6), FIP- (51), and shutouts (10).

In April 1998, Cebu gave Lumar a seven-year, $14,740,000 extension and had been very pleased with the individual results, although still frustrated by the lack of team success. Lumar also wanted to win and had been considering using his opt out after his 2002 campaign. The math changed after it was a poor season with a mere 2.6 WAR and 101 ERA+.

Even worse, Lumar’s year ended with a torn rotator cuff on September 1, putting his entire career future in doubt. Surprising many especially after a big injury, he opted for free agency at age 32. With Cebu, Lumar had a 136-114 record, 2.13 ERA, 2350 innings, 2892 strikeouts, 416 walks, 176 complete games, 47 shutouts, 127 ERA+, and 63.1 WAR. The Crows would later retire his #58 uniform.

Quezon signed Lumar to a four-year, $24,600,000 deal with hopes of recapturing the magic. They did briefly in 2003, as he posted a TPA and career-best 1.59 ERA and finished third in Pitcher of the Year voting. Forearm inflammation limited him to only 187.1 innings though, but he was still excellent in the short burst.

In 2004, Lumar looked awful to start the season, posting a terrible 3.90 ERA, 72 ERA+, and 0.7 WAR over 101.2 innings. Forearm inflammation in late May knocked him out for most of the summer. Lumar hoped to bounce back in 2005, but tore his rotator cuff for a second time in spring training. Doctors told him that was it and he officially retired that winter at age 35. With Quezon, he had 7.0 WAR in 289 innings with a 2.40 ERA and 303 strikeouts.

Lumar finished his career with a 154-129 record, 2.16 ERA, 2639 innings, 3195 strikeouts, 468 walks, 235/322 quality starts, 185 complete games, 126 ERA+, 73 FIP-, and 70.1 WAR. Lumar didn’t have the longevity to factor into a prominent leaderboard spot, but his rate stats certainly compared favorably to other APB Hall of Famers. Even though he never saw team success, three Pitcher of the Year awards are hard to argue against. Lumar received 88.3% for a first ballot induction with APB’s three-player 2010 class.

Eli Cheng – Outfield/Designated Hitter – Taipei Tigercats – 67.0% Second Ballot

Eli Cheng was a 6’3’’, 190 pound left-handed outfielder from Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Cheng was an impressive slugger with an excellent eye for working counts and drawing walks. He was also an above average contact hitter with a respectable strikeout rate. Cheng hit 41 home runs per his 162 game average, which was especially impressive in the low offense world of APB. His gap power was respectable also with 25 doubles per 162.

Cheng was good both ways, but notably stronger against righties (166 wRC+, .920) compared to lefties (123 wRC+, .741). He was a very smart and crafty baserunner, but was still limited by very lackluster speed. This also made it tough to find Cheng a home defensively, as his range was atrocious.

About 1/3 of his starts were in right field with around a ¼ in left field and a small bit at first base. He was a putrid defender at any spot, although RF was marginally his best. Cheng also started about 1/3 of the time as a designated hitter, which was his most effective role. His durability was respectable and he could mash, meaning Cheng was going to find a spot in spite of his deficiencies. His towering homers made him a beloved superstar for Taiwanese baseball fans.

Cheng was a stud at Gubao High School in Taipei and quickly drew scouting attention from each of the Taiwanese teams. Taipei thought it was worth snagging him early, even if it would be a few years before he’d play. Cheng was picked 6^th overall in the 1980 APB Draft and largely sat in developmental from 1981-83. He did debut in 1982 at age 20 but only saw 20 plate appearances and two starts. In 1984, Cheng was promoted to a full-time spot.

In his rookie season, Cheng was the starting designated hitter and led the Taiwan-Philippine Association with 38 doubles, earning 1984 Rookie of the Year honors. He moved to right field in 1985 and won his first Silver Slugger, leading the TPA in slugging, OPS, and wRC+. This also earned Cheng a second place finish in MVP voting. He won another Slugger in 1986 and took home his first MVP.

Cheng’s MVP season was a Triple Crown effort with a .305 average, 44 home runs, and 102 RBI. He also led in runs, walks, total bases, triple slash, OPS, wRC+, and WAR. Taipei was still stuck in the middle tier that year despite his efforts. The team improved to 96 wins in 1987, but still saw its playoff drought extend to 17 seasons. Cheng regressed a bit that year, hampered by a torn hamstring in the spring.

1988 had Cheng’s third Silver Slugger and a third place in MVP voting despite losing six weeks to a fractured wrist. Still, Taipei ended their playoff drought and Cheng was a force in the playoffs. In 11 starts, he had 11 hits, 7 runs, 2 homers, and 4 RBI, leading the Tigercats to an APB Championship win over Semarang. Cheng was the finals MVP and cemented his spot as an all-time fave for Taipei fans.

The Tigercats won another TPA pennant in 1989, but lost the final to Medan. Cheng won his second MVP and a fourth Silver Slugger (his first as a DH), posting a second Triple Crown season with a .301 average, 51 home runs, and 108 RBI. Cheng also had a career best 10.0 WAR and led again in runs, walks, total bases, triple slash, OPS, and wRC. Taipei wanted to sign him long-term, but could only get Cheng to agree to a two-year, $3,000,000 extension in spring 1990.

1990 was a fifth Silver Slugger back in right and a third place in MVP voting. Taipei won the Taiwan League in both 1990 and 1991, but lost both years to Cebu in the Association final. For his playoff career with Taipei, Cheng had 35 starts, 27 hits, 13 runs, 4 doubles, 4 homers, 9 RBI, and 16 walks with a .214/.317/.373 slash. Outside of the 1988 run, Cheng’s playoff performances weren’t good.

He also made 62 starts from 1985-90 for Taiwan in the World Baseball Championship. Cheng was strong on the world stage, posting a .287/.453/.802 slash, 5.2 WAR, 58 hits, 47 runs, 6 doubles, 32 home runs 55 RBI, 56 walks, and 227 wRC+.

1991 was his third and final MVP and his sixth Silver Slugger, now playing at first base. Cheng led in homers, RBI, total bases, and runs for the third time. With that, his Taipei run ended with 1149 hits, 650 runs, 182 doubles, 313 home runs, 693 RBI, 549 walks, a .278/.365/.558 slash, 180 wRC+, and 54.7 WAR. Although a relatively brief run, the Tigercats later retired Cheng’s #29 uniform.

He was a free agent for the first time at age 30 and received looks from around the world. He left his home country for nine years and ended up in Sin City. Cheng signed a seven-year, $16,960,000 deal with Major League Baseball’s Las Vegas Vipers.

Cheng lost six weeks of his debut season to a strained oblique. He was healthy in 1993 in easily his finest MLB season, leading the American Association in runs (121), home runs (54), and slugging (.627). These were all career highs, as was his 123 RBI and 1.020 OPS. Cheng earned a Silver Slugger in left field and a second place finish in MVP voting. He won a second Slugger in 1995, but wasn’t a league leader for the rest of his run.

A fractured ankle cost Cheng three months in 1996 and he was never quite the same player with Las Vegas. He was a starter for two more years, but saw his power numbers noticeably dip. The Vipers made the playoffs in 1992 and 1995 with first round exits, then lost in the 1997 AACS to Los Angeles. Cheng stunk in the playoffs with an atrocious .070/.130/.093 slash in 12 starts.

For his Las Vegas run as a whole, he was a great player. Cheng had 890 hits, 561 runs, 132 doubles, 231 home runs, 638 RBI, 462 walks, a .272/.368/.528 slash, 141 wRC+, and 27.3 WAR. He was a free agent again after the 1998 season at age 37. Seattle was interested and gave Cheng two years and $8,880,000.

He was an okay starter in 1999 and missed part of the season to a sprained ankle. A week into the 2000 season, Cheng’s MLB tenure effectively ended from a torn PCL. With Seattle, he had 129 games, 118 hits, 74 runs, 19 homers, 72 RBI, 72 walks, a .260/.367/.458 slash, 118 wRC+, and 2.3 WAR. For his entire MLB tenure, Cheng had 1008 hits, 635 runs, 161 doubles, 250 home runs, 710 RBI, 534 walks, a .2771/.368/.520 slash, 138 wRC+, and 29.3 WAR.

Cheng returned home to Taiwan and hoped he could still recapture some of that magic at age 39. He was still extremely popular and both fans and teams remembered the good ol’ days. Tainan gave Cheng a one-year, $2,640,000 deal and he delivered a Silver Slugger as a DH. It was his ninth for his pro career and seventh in APB.

He left in 2002 for Taoyuan and had a respectable effort with 3.3 WAR for them. It was a two-year, $4,560,000 deal with the Tsunami, but they traded him in the offseason to Davao. Cheng’s one year for the Devil Rays was lousy with a 99 wRC+ and 0.4 WAR over 141 games. He decided to retire with that at age 41.

For his full pro career, Cheng had 2680 games, 2469 hits, 1476 runs, 395 doubles, 646 home runs, 1611 RBI, 1267 walks, a .264/.356/.519 slash, 155 wRC+, and 92.3 WAR. Combined, that is a pretty rock solid Hall of Fame case. But his APB accumulations were lower since he had only eight great years with Taipei, plus his decent final three years in his return.

In APB, Cheng had 1461 hits, 841 runs, 234 doubles, 396 home runs, 901 RBI, 733 walks, a .259/.347/.519 slash, 167 wRC+, and 62.8 WAR. As of 2037, no APB Hall of Fame hitter would get in with fewer hits or WAR, but his OPS would rank seventh among HOF members. The rate stats were excellent, but some voters couldn’t get over the short tenure. APB voters were also notoriously tough on batters and some downed Cheng for his weaker playoff runs.

Still, he had a great run to the 1988 title for Taipei, won three MVPs, and two Triple Crowns. Cheng would miss the cut in his debut, barely falling short of the 66% requirement at 64.1%. He only got a slight bump to 67.0% in 2010, but that was enough for the second ballot induction. Cheng rounded out a very impressive 2010 APB Hall of Fame class.

08-01-2024, 12:45 PM	#1480
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,206	2010 APB Hall of Fame (Part 2) Ninoy “Scoops” Lumar – Starting Pitcher – Cebu Crows – 88.3% First Ballot Ninoy Lumar was a 6’6’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Calumpit, a municipality of just under 120,000 people in the Central Luzon part of the Philippines. The nickname “Scoops” came from his tendency to grab extra scoops of ice cream after games. He was a scrappy sparkplug type with a tireless work ethic, which served him over a brief but excellent career. Lumar had fantastic stuff with very good movement and control. He had a stellar 97-99 mph fastball and a deadly slider as his top pitches, but his curveball and changeup were also plenty effective. Lumar had outstanding stamina in his prime and always wanted to go deep into games, leading the league five times in complete games and twice in innings pitched. However, that likely exacerbated his later rotator cuff troubles. Lumar quickly emerged as one of the premiere prospects out of the Philippines for the 1993 APB Draft. He was taken second overall by Cebu and pitched 172 in his rookie year with okay results. Lumar was a full-time starter after and tossed 270+ innings in six of the next eight seasons. He lost part of 1996 to a strained oblique. Cebu had won three pennants and an APB title from 1990-92, but stunk in 1993 to earn the #2 pick for Lumar. They made the playoffs in 1996, but he missed it due to a finger blister. Sadly, Lumar never got to pitch in the playoffs in his career. The Crows bounced between mediocre and mid for the remaining years of Lumar’s tenure. He even led the Taiwan-Philippine Association with 20 losses in 1997 despite posting 7.5 WAR. Lumar earned national notoriety starting in 1996, playing for his country through 2004 in the World Baseball Championship. He was excellent on the world stage with a 1.77 ERA over 122.1 innings, 5-4 record, 159 strikeouts, 31 walks, 204 ERA+, and 4.7 WAR. Lumar tossed 29.2 scoreless innings over his first two WBCs. In 1998, Lumar was second in Pitcher of the Year voting. He then won the award three consecutive seasons from 1999-01, leading each season in WAR, WHIP, K/BB, and complete games. He also led twice in wins, strikeouts, innings pitched, and shutouts during that stretch. 2001 was the strongest by many measures with career bests in Ks (415), WHIP (0.73), WAR (11.6), FIP- (51), and shutouts (10). In April 1998, Cebu gave Lumar a seven-year, $14,740,000 extension and had been very pleased with the individual results, although still frustrated by the lack of team success. Lumar also wanted to win and had been considering using his opt out after his 2002 campaign. The math changed after it was a poor season with a mere 2.6 WAR and 101 ERA+. Even worse, Lumar’s year ended with a torn rotator cuff on September 1, putting his entire career future in doubt. Surprising many especially after a big injury, he opted for free agency at age 32. With Cebu, Lumar had a 136-114 record, 2.13 ERA, 2350 innings, 2892 strikeouts, 416 walks, 176 complete games, 47 shutouts, 127 ERA+, and 63.1 WAR. The Crows would later retire his #58 uniform. Quezon signed Lumar to a four-year, $24,600,000 deal with hopes of recapturing the magic. They did briefly in 2003, as he posted a TPA and career-best 1.59 ERA and finished third in Pitcher of the Year voting. Forearm inflammation limited him to only 187.1 innings though, but he was still excellent in the short burst. In 2004, Lumar looked awful to start the season, posting a terrible 3.90 ERA, 72 ERA+, and 0.7 WAR over 101.2 innings. Forearm inflammation in late May knocked him out for most of the summer. Lumar hoped to bounce back in 2005, but tore his rotator cuff for a second time in spring training. Doctors told him that was it and he officially retired that winter at age 35. With Quezon, he had 7.0 WAR in 289 innings with a 2.40 ERA and 303 strikeouts. Lumar finished his career with a 154-129 record, 2.16 ERA, 2639 innings, 3195 strikeouts, 468 walks, 235/322 quality starts, 185 complete games, 126 ERA+, 73 FIP-, and 70.1 WAR. Lumar didn’t have the longevity to factor into a prominent leaderboard spot, but his rate stats certainly compared favorably to other APB Hall of Famers. Even though he never saw team success, three Pitcher of the Year awards are hard to argue against. Lumar received 88.3% for a first ballot induction with APB’s three-player 2010 class. Eli Cheng – Outfield/Designated Hitter – Taipei Tigercats – 67.0% Second Ballot Eli Cheng was a 6’3’’, 190 pound left-handed outfielder from Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Cheng was an impressive slugger with an excellent eye for working counts and drawing walks. He was also an above average contact hitter with a respectable strikeout rate. Cheng hit 41 home runs per his 162 game average, which was especially impressive in the low offense world of APB. His gap power was respectable also with 25 doubles per 162. Cheng was good both ways, but notably stronger against righties (166 wRC+, .920) compared to lefties (123 wRC+, .741). He was a very smart and crafty baserunner, but was still limited by very lackluster speed. This also made it tough to find Cheng a home defensively, as his range was atrocious. About 1/3 of his starts were in right field with around a ¼ in left field and a small bit at first base. He was a putrid defender at any spot, although RF was marginally his best. Cheng also started about 1/3 of the time as a designated hitter, which was his most effective role. His durability was respectable and he could mash, meaning Cheng was going to find a spot in spite of his deficiencies. His towering homers made him a beloved superstar for Taiwanese baseball fans. Cheng was a stud at Gubao High School in Taipei and quickly drew scouting attention from each of the Taiwanese teams. Taipei thought it was worth snagging him early, even if it would be a few years before he’d play. Cheng was picked 6^th overall in the 1980 APB Draft and largely sat in developmental from 1981-83. He did debut in 1982 at age 20 but only saw 20 plate appearances and two starts. In 1984, Cheng was promoted to a full-time spot. In his rookie season, Cheng was the starting designated hitter and led the Taiwan-Philippine Association with 38 doubles, earning 1984 Rookie of the Year honors. He moved to right field in 1985 and won his first Silver Slugger, leading the TPA in slugging, OPS, and wRC+. This also earned Cheng a second place finish in MVP voting. He won another Slugger in 1986 and took home his first MVP. Cheng’s MVP season was a Triple Crown effort with a .305 average, 44 home runs, and 102 RBI. He also led in runs, walks, total bases, triple slash, OPS, wRC+, and WAR. Taipei was still stuck in the middle tier that year despite his efforts. The team improved to 96 wins in 1987, but still saw its playoff drought extend to 17 seasons. Cheng regressed a bit that year, hampered by a torn hamstring in the spring. 1988 had Cheng’s third Silver Slugger and a third place in MVP voting despite losing six weeks to a fractured wrist. Still, Taipei ended their playoff drought and Cheng was a force in the playoffs. In 11 starts, he had 11 hits, 7 runs, 2 homers, and 4 RBI, leading the Tigercats to an APB Championship win over Semarang. Cheng was the finals MVP and cemented his spot as an all-time fave for Taipei fans. The Tigercats won another TPA pennant in 1989, but lost the final to Medan. Cheng won his second MVP and a fourth Silver Slugger (his first as a DH), posting a second Triple Crown season with a .301 average, 51 home runs, and 108 RBI. Cheng also had a career best 10.0 WAR and led again in runs, walks, total bases, triple slash, OPS, and wRC. Taipei wanted to sign him long-term, but could only get Cheng to agree to a two-year, $3,000,000 extension in spring 1990. 1990 was a fifth Silver Slugger back in right and a third place in MVP voting. Taipei won the Taiwan League in both 1990 and 1991, but lost both years to Cebu in the Association final. For his playoff career with Taipei, Cheng had 35 starts, 27 hits, 13 runs, 4 doubles, 4 homers, 9 RBI, and 16 walks with a .214/.317/.373 slash. Outside of the 1988 run, Cheng’s playoff performances weren’t good. He also made 62 starts from 1985-90 for Taiwan in the World Baseball Championship. Cheng was strong on the world stage, posting a .287/.453/.802 slash, 5.2 WAR, 58 hits, 47 runs, 6 doubles, 32 home runs 55 RBI, 56 walks, and 227 wRC+. 1991 was his third and final MVP and his sixth Silver Slugger, now playing at first base. Cheng led in homers, RBI, total bases, and runs for the third time. With that, his Taipei run ended with 1149 hits, 650 runs, 182 doubles, 313 home runs, 693 RBI, 549 walks, a .278/.365/.558 slash, 180 wRC+, and 54.7 WAR. Although a relatively brief run, the Tigercats later retired Cheng’s #29 uniform. He was a free agent for the first time at age 30 and received looks from around the world. He left his home country for nine years and ended up in Sin City. Cheng signed a seven-year, $16,960,000 deal with Major League Baseball’s Las Vegas Vipers. Cheng lost six weeks of his debut season to a strained oblique. He was healthy in 1993 in easily his finest MLB season, leading the American Association in runs (121), home runs (54), and slugging (.627). These were all career highs, as was his 123 RBI and 1.020 OPS. Cheng earned a Silver Slugger in left field and a second place finish in MVP voting. He won a second Slugger in 1995, but wasn’t a league leader for the rest of his run. A fractured ankle cost Cheng three months in 1996 and he was never quite the same player with Las Vegas. He was a starter for two more years, but saw his power numbers noticeably dip. The Vipers made the playoffs in 1992 and 1995 with first round exits, then lost in the 1997 AACS to Los Angeles. Cheng stunk in the playoffs with an atrocious .070/.130/.093 slash in 12 starts. For his Las Vegas run as a whole, he was a great player. Cheng had 890 hits, 561 runs, 132 doubles, 231 home runs, 638 RBI, 462 walks, a .272/.368/.528 slash, 141 wRC+, and 27.3 WAR. He was a free agent again after the 1998 season at age 37. Seattle was interested and gave Cheng two years and $8,880,000. He was an okay starter in 1999 and missed part of the season to a sprained ankle. A week into the 2000 season, Cheng’s MLB tenure effectively ended from a torn PCL. With Seattle, he had 129 games, 118 hits, 74 runs, 19 homers, 72 RBI, 72 walks, a .260/.367/.458 slash, 118 wRC+, and 2.3 WAR. For his entire MLB tenure, Cheng had 1008 hits, 635 runs, 161 doubles, 250 home runs, 710 RBI, 534 walks, a .2771/.368/.520 slash, 138 wRC+, and 29.3 WAR. Cheng returned home to Taiwan and hoped he could still recapture some of that magic at age 39. He was still extremely popular and both fans and teams remembered the good ol’ days. Tainan gave Cheng a one-year, $2,640,000 deal and he delivered a Silver Slugger as a DH. It was his ninth for his pro career and seventh in APB. He left in 2002 for Taoyuan and had a respectable effort with 3.3 WAR for them. It was a two-year, $4,560,000 deal with the Tsunami, but they traded him in the offseason to Davao. Cheng’s one year for the Devil Rays was lousy with a 99 wRC+ and 0.4 WAR over 141 games. He decided to retire with that at age 41. For his full pro career, Cheng had 2680 games, 2469 hits, 1476 runs, 395 doubles, 646 home runs, 1611 RBI, 1267 walks, a .264/.356/.519 slash, 155 wRC+, and 92.3 WAR. Combined, that is a pretty rock solid Hall of Fame case. But his APB accumulations were lower since he had only eight great years with Taipei, plus his decent final three years in his return. In APB, Cheng had 1461 hits, 841 runs, 234 doubles, 396 home runs, 901 RBI, 733 walks, a .259/.347/.519 slash, 167 wRC+, and 62.8 WAR. As of 2037, no APB Hall of Fame hitter would get in with fewer hits or WAR, but his OPS would rank seventh among HOF members. The rate stats were excellent, but some voters couldn’t get over the short tenure. APB voters were also notoriously tough on batters and some downed Cheng for his weaker playoff runs. Still, he had a great run to the 1988 title for Taipei, won three MVPs, and two Triple Crowns. Cheng would miss the cut in his debut, barely falling short of the 66% requirement at 64.1%. He only got a slight bump to 67.0% in 2010, but that was enough for the second ballot induction. Cheng rounded out a very impressive 2010 APB Hall of Fame class. __________________ 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)