[FuzzyRussianHat]

Two players were inducted into the East Asia Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015. Both were first ballot guys with SP/OF Morikazu Ichikawa nearly unanimous at 98.9% and 1B Yachi Ito at 81.2%. RF Jung-Sang Ryu barely missed the 66% requirement in his second ballot at 63.6%. Also with strong showings were third basemen Min-Seong Ryu with a 59.8% debut and Kazuo Shiraki at 59.0% for his third ballot. No one else was above 50%.



Dropped after ten ballots was SP Motoaki Sato, who had a 15-year career between four teams. He peaked at 43.6% in 2008 and ended at a low of 11.5%. Sato had a 186-162 record, 3.24 ERA, 3240 innings, 3269 strikeouts, 102 ERA+, and 46.3 WAR. He had a nice tenure, but was a pretty firm “Hall of Good” level guy.

Also notable was SP Han-Soo Hu falling below the 5% threshold after nine ballots. The ultimate journeyman, he peaked at 26.8% in 2008 but lost out on EAB consideration since much of his career came in MLB. The North Korean pitched with Pyongyang and Hamhung in EAB with a 183-103 record, 3.16 ERA, 2661.1 innings, 2550 strikeouts, 122 ERA+, and 64.8 WAR. However, he lacked awards and accolades, not leading in any major stats apart from a 9.6 WAR effort in 1994 at age 35. Those were also down seasons for those franchises.

Hu ended up playing for ten different MLB teams and for his combined pro career had a 319-206 record, 3.39 ERA, 4851.1 innings, 4053 strikeouts, 826 walks, 113 ERA+, and 102.6 WAR. That longevity alone probably gets him in if it was confined to one league. Not many professional pitchers can say they got to 300 wins or 100+ WAR in their career, making Hu worth a special mention.



Morikazu Ichikawa – Pitcher/Outfielder – Sapporo Swordfish – 98.9% First Ballot

Morikazu Ichikawa was a 5’10’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher and outfielder from Kumamoto on southern Japan’s island of Kyushu. The stocky Ichikawa on the mound had solid stuff and excellent control, although his movement graded as just below average. The stocky righty’s fastball only peaked in the 94-96 mph range, but he had an incredible curveball and a great circle change.

Ichikawa’s ability to change speeds made him incredibly effective. He also had outstanding stamina on the mound and was considered an excellent defensive pitcher, winning a Gold Glove in 1997. Ichikawa’s durability was excellent for most of his career, holding up incredibly well with the demands as a two-way player. From 1995-2005, he tossed 230+ innings and had 400+ plate appearances in each of those seasons.

In the field, Ichikawa split his time between center and left field. His great athleticism and instincts led to a solid grade defensively in both spots. Ichikawa was a very smart and crafty baserunner, but his top speed was merely average. Still, he provided positive baserunning metrics overall.

As a hitter, Ichikawa was below average in terms of contact and avoiding strikeouts, but was better than most at drawing walks. When he made contact, Ichikawa hit the ball hard. Over a 162 game average, Ichikawa got 27 home runs, 15 doubles, and 14 triples; making him a valuable bat even with a lower average. Getting that bat from a legit ace pitcher made Ichikawa an incredibly valuable talent in his prime. He was also a great team captain and leader, becoming a very popular figure with fans and colleagues alike throughout Japanese baseball.

By the 1992 EAB Draft, Ichikawa had earned plenty of attention playing at Tohoku University in Sendai. While his two-way potential was appreciated, most scouts fancied him as a pitcher far more. Sapporo though jumped at the possibility for the two-way star, picking Ichikawa sixth overall.

He was used as a hitter more early on with 207 plate appearances in 1993 compared to only 35.2 innings pitching. Ichikawa struggled initially pitching and only saw 24.1 innings in his second season. However, he was a full-time outfielder in 1994 with 3.4 WAR. This started a seven-year run of North Division titles for Sapporo, although they suffered a first round defeat in 1994. The Swordfish would make it to the Japan League Championship Series each year from 1995-1999.

Ichikawa became a full-timer both ways during this stretch. Initially, he was merely an average pitcher that could eat innings, but he was a strong outfielder. From 1995-99, Ichikawa had 4.9+ WAR or better each year in the field, posting a career-best 6.4 WAR in 1995. 1996 had his best OPS (.946) and wRC+ (188), while 1999 had his top home run tally at 35.

In both 1997 and 1999, Ichikawa had the rare distinction of winning a Silver Slugger as a pitcher and as a center fielder. He also won in 1996 and 1998 as a pitcher, getting six for his career. Ichikawa took third in 1996 and 1997’s MVP voting. Even with merely above average pitching, Ichikawa had combined WAR totals of 9.9, 10.2, and 10.5 in his first three two-way seasons.

Sapporo lost in the JLCS in both 1995 and 1996. Then in 1997, they took the Japan League title in an upset over 109-win Kitakyushu. The Swordfish would fall to Yongin in the EAB Championship. Ichikawa had a 3.13 ERA over 31.2 playoff innings and a .819 OPS and 152 wRC+ over the playoff run. Sapporo wisely gave him a five-year, $12,360,000 extension in May 1997.

1998 saw Ichikawa emerge as a true ace, leading the JL in pitching WAR (7.4), strikeouts (314), and wins (22-6) to win his first Pitcher of the Year award. His 4.9 WAR offensively gave him 12.3 WAR total, taking second in MVP voting. Sapporo took the top seed at 101-61 and repeated as JL champs. They then won their first EAB Championship since 1981, knocking off Bucheon in six games.

Ichikawa earned legendary status in Sapporo, winning finals MVP and first round MVP. Although he was 3-2, he was lights out in five starts with a 1.48 ERA over 42.2 innings, 55 strikeouts, and 1.8 WAR. At the plate in 16 games, Ichikawa had 15 hits, 12 runs, 6 home runs, 14 RBI, a .979 OPS, and 198 wRC+ with a combined 2.7 WAR for the postseason run.

That cemented Ichikawa’s reputation as a clutch playoff performer. The overall pitching results with Sapporo were more hit-or-miss with a 3.16 ERA, 9-8 record, 148 innings, 169 strikeouts, 106 ERA+, and 3.2 WAR. His playoff batting stats were more impressive in 60 games with 56 hits, 36 runs, 6 doubles, 5 triples, 15 home runs, 43 RBI, a .917 OPS, 178 wRC+, and 2.9 WAR.

Ichikawa’s World Baseball Championship stats were less dominant, making seven appearances for Japan from 1997-2006. As a pitcher, he had a lackluster 5.08 ERA over 106.1 innings, 163 strikeouts, 6-8 record, 71 ERA+, and 1.4 WAR. He had 33 games and 24 starts hitting with 20 hits, 14 runs, 8 homers, 11 RBI, a .217/.321/.511 slash, 141 wRC+, and 0.9 WAR. He did earn a world title ring in 2006 for Japan.

His 1999 saw many career and league highs, especially on the mound. Ichikawa’s 7.6 WAR, 11.1 K/BB, and 379 strikeouts were both league and career bests. He also led in wins for the third straight year at 22-7 and led in innings (278.2) and complete games (18). His 0.84 WHIP was also a career best. At the plate, he had a career-high 35 home runs and added 5.9 WAR. The combined 13.5 WAR was the fifth-best single-season in EAB history at that point. Ichikawa repeated as Pitcher of the Year, but again was second in MVP voting.

Sapporo would fall in the 1999 JLCS to Kawasaki despite Ichikawa’s 1.08 ERA in his 25 innings. They went one-and-done in 2000, which was the final year of their playoff streak and their last winning record until 2011. Ichikawa struggled to a career worst 1.1 WAR and .664 OPS at the plate while posting 5.3 WAR on the mound. Ichikawa and the Swordfish struggled in 2001 and he led in losses at 8-21 and home runs allowed at 37. His batting was only marginally better that year with a .741 OPS, 116 wRC, and 2.2 WAR.

By the summer of 2002, it was clear that the competitive window was over for Sapporo. Ichikawa looked a bit better in the first half, but he was now 31-years old in the final year of his deal. The Swordfish decided to trade him at the deadline to Ulsan for SP Do-Hyeon Kim and 2B Akira Maekawa. He would remain popular in Sapporo for his role in their success and his #24 uniform would later be retired.

Pitching for Sapporo, Ichikawa finished with a 131-91 record, 3.11 ERA, 2053.2 innings, 2353 strikeouts, 108 ERA+, and 39.1 WAR. At the plate in 1206 games, he had 1001 hits, 555 runs, 111 doubles, 110 triples, 219 home runs, 615 RBI, 336 walks, 169 stolen bases, a .250/.311/.497 slash, 141 wRC+, and 38.8 WAR.

Ichikawa saw less use at the plate with Ulsan with the Korea League using the DH, but he pitched well to finish the year with a 2.28 ERA in 83 innings and 2.3 WAR. The Swallows had the KL’s best record at 109-53, but suffered a first round upset loss to Daegu. With that, Ichikawa now entered free agency for the first time at age 32.

Osaka signed Ichikawa to a five-year, $24,200,000 deal to bring him back to Japan. He had a return to form on the mound with career highs in wins (25-4), ERA (2.43), and quality starts (27), winning his third Pitcher of the Year. Ichikawa was statistically average at the plate, but combined for 8.1 WAR and a third place MVP finish. The defending JL champ Orange Sox improved their record to 109-53, but were upset in the first round by Niigata. Ichikawa lost both of his pitching starts with a 4.97 ERA.

The Orange Sox fell to .500 in 2004 as Ichikawa had a career-high 287 innings with an unremarkable 101 ERA+. He still got 5.3 WAR with that and another 2.8 WAR at the plate. Ichikawa looked better in 2005 and led in wins for the fifth time at 21-6 with 6.3 WAR pitching. His bat got a mere 1.7 WAR and 112 wRC+ though.

However, Osaka returned to the playoffs and had surprised many by winning the 2005 Japan League pennant at 87-75. Seoul stopped them in the EAB Championship; a repeat for the Seahawks. Ichikawa had a 3-0 record and 2.88 ERA in 40.2 playoff innings while adding a 117 wRC+ at the plate. Osaka made the playoffs again in 2006, but had a first round exit.

Ichikawa wasn’t around for most of the season or the playoffs though with his first major injury; a concussion suffered in early May. He didn’t reach the vesting criteria for the fifth year, becoming a free agent at age 36. With Osaka pitching, Ichikawa had a 66-22 record, 2.85 ERA, 872.2 innings, 972 strikeouts, 117 ERA+, and 18.8 WAR. Hitting, he had 402 games, 299 hits, 177 runs, 64 home runs, 154 RBI, a .223/.277/.450 slash, 115 wRC+, and 7.6 WAR.

Tokyo gave Ichikawa a two-year, $11,200,000 deal. He became the 34^th pitcher to 3500 career strikeouts in May 2007. He led in innings pitched, but had only above average production at a 111 ERA+ and 3.6 WAR. The Tides used Ichikawa less at a hitter with 61 games, a 134 wRC+, and 1.3 WAR. However, he stepped up big come postseason time for the Tides, who repeated in a terrible Capital Division at 82-80.

Despite that, Tokyo upset 110-win Niigata and then Kyoto to claim the Japan League pennant, although they did lose the EAB Championship to Yongin. Ichikawa had an impressive 1.08 ERA over 41.2 innings with 39 strikeouts, a 307 ERA+, and 1.4 WAR. He would be less impressive in 2008 as Tokyo lost the JLCS to the Green Dragons, but Ichikawa cemented a bond in the megalopolis in only two years.

For his playoff career, Ichikawa had a 15-12 record, 259.1 innings, 2.92 ERA, 277 strikeouts, 33 walks, 115 ERA+, and 5.9 WAR pitching. As of 2037, he has the most playoff strikeouts, is tied for the most playoff wins, and ranks fourth in playoff pitching WAR. Ichikawa also has the most losses (12), starts (34), complete games (14), innings (259), and hits allowed (216).

He also had 90 games and 81 starts offensively with 80 hits, 48 runs, 14 doubles, 6 triples, 18 home runs, 52 RBI, a .275/.324/.550 slash, 162 wRC+, and 3.5 WAR. His last playoff opportunities came in 2008 for Tokyo.
Ichikawa did miss the summer of 2008 to a partially torn labrum.

In two seasons for Tokyo, he had a 23-17 record, 3.25 ERA, 384.2 innings, 363 strikeouts, 103 ERA+, and 5.5 WAR. He also had 1.7 WAR, a .691 OPS, and 103 WRC+ in 106 games offensively. Ichikawa was now a free agent again at age 38. Niigata still thought he had plenty of value left and gave him a sizeable investment at three years and $16,800,000.

Unfortunately the prior labrum injury sank Ichikawa’s pitching effectiveness, posting career worsts in ERA (4.26) and home runs allowed (38) in 203 innings. He did still at least provide positive value offensively with 2.6 WAR and a 130 wRC+. In early September, Ichikawa suffered another partial labrum tear. Instead of trying to rehab back, he opted for retirement at age 39.

For his pitching career, Ichikawa had a 236-147 record, 3.12 ERA, 3597 innings, 3981 strikeouts, 625 walks, 287/454 quality starts, 166 complete games, 108 ERA+, and 66.7 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks 22^nd in strikeouts and 26^th in wins, although his pitching WAR is merely 92^nd. Despite his accolades, the rate stats suggest he was more above average in total with excellent longevity. Ichikawa’s playoff ERA+ of 115 is a similar story, but he did notably step up in the pennant runs of three franchises.

Offensively in 1826 games and 1580 starts, Ichikawa had 1431 hits, 803 runs, 165 doubles, 160 triples, 308 home runs, 843 RBI, 262 stolen bases, 495 walks, a .241/.303/.479 slash, 132 wRC, and 50.8 WAR. He wasn’t a Hall of Famer purely on his bat, but he provided a solid starter quality bat and more than held his own with his glove in the outfield.

The combined WAR of 117.5 as of 2037 ranks eighth among all two-way players in all world leagues. Ichikawa also narrowly beats fellow EAB two-way guys Umi Kihara (116.7), Tadasumi Tanabe (116.0), Totaro Uchiyama (106.7), and Junichi Muto (106.6). It is hard to rank which was the most impactful, but certainly a strong case exists for Ichikawa.

While he wasn’t the absolute most dominant pitcher or hitter, Ichikawa’s combined efforts made him one of the most important guys of his era. It is no surprise that he had so many playoff appearances, leading Sapporo, Tokyo, and Osaka each to Japan League pennants. Ichikawa is a deserving 2015 Hall of Fame headliner at 98.9%.



Yachi Ito – First Base – Osaka Orange Sox – 81.2% First Ballot

Yachi Ito was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed hitting first baseman from Toyama, a city with around 415,000 people on the west central coast of Honshu. Ito wasn’t viewed as incredible at one thing, but he was an all-around solid batter. He was good to occasionally great in terms of both contact and power with an above average eye and decent strikeout rate. Ito was especially strong against left-handed pitching (188 wRC+, .956 OPS) but was no bum against righties (158 wRC+, .850 OPS).

Ito never led the league in home runs, but he topped 30+ in 12 seasons and hit 40+ six times. He also had 25 doubles per his 162 game average. You wouldn’t get extra bases with his legs, as Ito was a painfully slow and clumsy baserunner. He played every inning of his career at first base and was a terrible defender. Still, Ito’s impressive work ethic, bat, and loyalty made him a fan favorite throughout Japan.

In 1988, Ito was one of the rare draft picks to come straight out of high school, as he wowed scouts at Chukyodai Chukyo High in Nagoya. Kobe picked him ninth overall and took their time developing him. He officially debuted in 1991 at age 20, but only saw eight plate appearances that year. Ito had 78 games and 9 starts in 1992, then had 120 games and 33 starts in 1993.

With a nice outing in 1993, the Blaze promoted him to the full-time gig. Ito was an ironman who almost never missed games and would play 145+ games in all but one season from 1994-2009. He posted 4.9 WAR, a .874 OPS, and 172 wRC+ in his first full season starting. Kobe made it to the Japan League Championship Series for the first time in a decade, but fell to Hiroshima’s dynasty.

Kobe signed Ito to a five-year, $9,160,000 extension in late July 1995. They were competitive during his run, averaging 84.8 wins per season. The Blaze would win three straight division titles from 1997-99, but lost in the first round each year. Ito held up his end in 43 playoff games with 47 hits, 22 runs, 11 doubles, 8 homers, 27 RBI, a .307/.339/.549 slash, 161 wRC+, and 1.5 WAR.

Ito was a reliably strong bat for Kobe, but wasn’t often in awards conversations with the stacked competition at first base. His finest year there came in 1997, leading the league with career highs in runs (112) and total bases (389). This year also had career bests in homers (54), OPS (.992), wRC+ (206), and WAR (8.1). Ito also led with 115 RBI in 1995 and topped 5+ WAR in four seasons.

In total with Kobe, Ito had 1181 games, 1175 hits, 586 runs, 181 doubles, 254 home runs, 652 RBI, a .295/.337/.543 slash, 169 wRC+, and 37.8 WAR. He’d remain popular there, although his signature run came elsewhere. It seemed like the Blaze wanted Ito long-term, giving him a four-year, $12,240,000 extension in March 2000. However, they surprised many by trading Ito away only two months later.

In May, Ito was sent to Osaka for three prospects. It was an especially surprising trade not only because of Ito’s popularity, but because it was within the same division. He helped Osaka to 100-62 in 2000, but that still fell short of the playoffs thanks to a 104-58 Nagoya. The trade paid off for the Orange Sox ultimately, earning five division titles from 2001-06.

Ito’s lone Silver Slugger came in 2002 with career bests in hits (204), batting average (.337), and OBP (.381). He was also third in MVP voting, his only time as a finalist. 2002 also saw Osaka win the Japan league crown, falling to Incheon for the EAB title. In 17 playoff starts, Ito had 20 hits, 8 runs, 4 doubles, 3 homers, and 11 RBI.

Osaka won 109 games in 2003, but had a stunning first-round upset loss to Niigata. Ito was moved to a surprise platoon role that season with only 65 starts, but regained the full-time job after that. They missed the playoffs in 2004, but won the Japan League title again in 2005, falling to Seoul in the EAB final. They were one-and-done in 2006 before finishing the decade towards the bottom of the standings.

Still, two pennants was an impressive haul for Ito. With the Orange Sox in the playoffs, Ito had 47 hits, 22 runs, 11 doubles, 8 homers, 27 RBI, a .307/.339/.549 slash, and 161 wRC+ over 43 games with 1.5 WAR. In the 2005 playoff run specifically, Ito had 20 hits, 11 runs, 5 doubles, 4 homers, and 13 RBI in 15 starts.

Osaka gave Ito a five-year, $34,500,000 extension in March 2004. He aged quite well, matching his career-best WAR total in 2006 at age 35 with 8.1. He posted 46 homers, 116 RBI, a .978 OPS, and 195 wRC+ that year. After a strong 2007, Ito did regress with a middling 1.3 WAR and 20 homers in 2008. He looked better in 2009 with 33 homers, a 148 wRC+, and 3.5 WAR.

After back-to-back losing seasons, Ito’s contract was up and Osaka wasn’t likely to re-sign him. While he felt he could still contribute, Ito opted to retire that winter at age 39. The Orange Sox quickly retired his #20 uniform and he remained a popular ambassador for many years after. In 1526 games there, Ito had 1533 hits, 781 runs, 237 doubles, 331 home runs, 826 RBI, a .290/.349/.533 slash, 164 wRC, and 49.3 WAR.

Ito ended with 2708 hits, 1367 runs, 418 doubles, 585 home runs, 1478 RBI, 715 walks, a .292/.344/.537 slash, 166 wRC+, and 87.1 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks 86^th in WAR among position players, 39^th in homers, 57^th in hits, and 55^th in RBI.

Ito was never a tip-top level guy, but he was reliably quite solid for a long time. Plus, he was a beloved fan favorite for two franchises and helped Osaka win two pennants. That was enough for most voters to overlook the lack of big awards and black ink, making Ito a first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee at 81.2% for the 2015 class.