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FuzzyRussianHat · 10-14-2024, 07:30 PM

LF Jack Kiadii and DB/1B Mo Reda secured first ballot inductions for the 2016 West African Baseball Hall of Fame class. Kiadii was a very strong 89.0% and Reda got a respectable 77.0%. The top returner just missed the 66% requirement with 3B Yakubu Odiye’s 63.2% on his fourth attempt. Four others crossed 50% with RF Emmanuel Kao (59.1%, 3^rd ballot), RF Ada Nwankwo (59.1%, 7^th), 3B Falaba Bah (57.7%, 4^th), and 3B Aqudu Haddad (51.5%, 2^nd).

Strangely enough, OOTP decided to remove Kao from the ballot after only three tries. He likely would’ve made it eventually with 58.6% and 62.9% in his first two ballots. He only had a seven year WAB run between Dakar and Freetown, but won three straight MVPs from 1998-2000. Kao led in home runs thrice, runs twice, total bases four times, and OPS four times in WAB.

In WAB, he had 996 hits, 570 runs, 238 doubles, 250 home runs, 659 RBI, a .312/.373/.629 slash, 173 wRC+, and 38.7 WAR. As of 2037, he’s one of only 17 WAB batters with an OPS above one (1.002) and 3000+ plate appearances. He went onto win an MVP in MLB with New York and played 12 more seasons between the Yankees and Albuquerque.
In MLB, Kao had 1597 hits, 886 runs, 232 doubles, 453 home runs, 1034 RBI, a .271/.330/.545 slash, 163 wRC+, and 52.6 WAR. The combined pro totals had 2593 hits, 1456 runs, 470 doubles, 703 home runs, 1693 RBI, a .285/.346/.575 slash, 166 wRC+, and 91.3 WAR. Kao did stay on the MLB ballot and peaked at 30.5% in 2018. It is uncertain why he was removed from the WAB ballot when he was, but Kao’s career certainly deserved a spotlight as one of the finest hitters of his era.

Jack Kiadii – Left Field – Niamey Atomics – 89.0% First Ballot

Jack Kiadii was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed outfielder from the capital of Liberia, Monrovia. Kiadii was a solid contact hitter with incredible gap power and steady home run power. His 162 game average saw 48 doubles, 13 triples, and 31 home runs. Kiadii was poor at drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts, but nearly half of his hits went for extra bases. On the basepaths, he graded as slightly above average.

Kiadii played the vast majority of his starts in left field, where he was a reliably great defender that won six Gold Gloves. He made some starts in center early in his career and was perfectly adequate there. Kiadii had excellent durability, playing 140+ games each year from 1996-2007. He was intelligent and adaptable, skills that served him well over a 16-year career.

In the 1993 WAB Draft, Kiadii was picked third overall by Niamey, where he’d spend nearly his entire career. The Atomics only used him in 15 games in 1994, then started him 115 games in 1995. Kiadii was second in Rookie of the Year voting and had the full-time gig the next year.

From 1996 to 2004, Kiadii posted seven seasons worth 6+ WAR. He won his first Silver Slugger in 1996 playing center field, then won in left for his 2001 and 2003 efforts. Kiadii won three Gold Gloves from 1998-2000, then another three from 2002-2004. Niamey had been terrible to start the 1990s, but became a reliable wild card by the end of the decade. The Atomics earned three straight playoff berths from 1998-2000, but couldn’t make it beyond the first round.

Kiadii signed a three-year, $9,080,000 extension after the 2000 season. That year had seen his first time as a league leader with 50 doubles and 396 total bases. 2001 would feature a 34-game hitting streak, which fell one short of the then WAB-record. His production was slightly down though in 2001 and 2002 from the prior years. Niamey made it to the Eastern League Championship Series in 2002, but lost with Kiadii going a lousy 2-26. The Atomics had another first round exit in 2003.

2003 was THE year though for Kiadii, earning his lone MVP and the rare MVP/Slugger/Gold Glove sweep. He led the league in RBI (148), total bases (41), and slugging (.679); each career highs. Kiadii also had career highs in hits (211), runs (116), home runs (41), average (.349), OPS (1.044), wRC+ (178), and WAR (8.2). That effort promoted Niamey to give the 30-year old Kiadii a five-year, $19,600,000 in May 2003.

Kiadii followed it up with a league best 53 doubles and 381 total bases in 2004, but struggled to a 92 wRC+ and 0.9 WAR in 2005. He bounced back in 2006 by leading with 120 RBI. Niamey missed the playoffs both years, but emerged again as a contender by winning back-to-back pennants in 2006 and 2007. They lost the 2006 WAB final to Monrovia, but beat the Diplomats in the 2007 rematch.

In the 2007 postseason, Kiadii was the ELCS MVP and posted 8 hits, 6 runs, 4 homers, and 7 RBI in 10 playoff starts. For his career, he wasn’t great in the playoffs with 39 starts, 39 hits, 22 runs, 8 doubles, 3 triples, 6 home runs, 17 RBI, 11 stolen bases, a .245/.269/.447 slash, 92 wRC+, and 0.5 WAR. He had a less prominent role by this point, but Niamey’s 1993 draft pick proved a successful one overall. Kiadii would see his #1 uniform eventually retired by the Atomics.

2008 was his last year in Niger and saw him reach the 2500 hit, 400 home run, and 1500 RBI milestones. Although his production had dropped, Niamey was still happy to have him. Kiadii signed a three-year, $7,360,000 extension in October 2008. Two months later, he was packing for Gabon. Kiadii wasn’t protected in the 2008 expansion draft and the newly formed Libreville Lakers grabbed him with the fourth overall pick.

Kiadii was only a part-time starter with unremarkable results in 2009 for Libreville, then only played 41 games in all of 2010 with 17 starts. He had 1.6 WAR and a .280/.310/.493 slash in a forgettable tenure there. Kiadii retired that winter at age 37 and returned to his adopted home of Niamey, where he remains a popular media figure for the Atomics.

The final stats had 2677 hits, 1243 runs, 659 doubles, 183 triples, 434 home runs, 1570 RBI, 309 stolen bases, a .304/.324/.568 slash, 144 wRC+, and 72.2 WAR. As of 2037, Kiadii ranks 22^nd in WAR among position players, 30^th in hits, 59^th in runs, 9^th in doubles, 30^th in triples, 52^nd in home runs, and 23^rd in RBI. Kiadii certainly had an impressive run and received the first ballot induction easily at 89.0% to headline WAB’s 2016 Hall of Fame class.

Mo Reda – Designated Hitter/First Base – Kumasi Monkeys – 77.0% First Ballot

Mo Reda was a 6’1’’, 200 pound left-handed slugger from Giza, Egypt. Especially against right-handed pitching, Reda had great contact skills with impressive home run power. He had a career 169 wRC+ and 1.009 OPS against RHP, while posting a more pedestrian 107 wRC+ and .752 OPS against lefties. Still, Reda’s strength got him 42 home runs and 34 doubles per his 162 game average. His eye for walks and avoiding strikeouts were both considered average at best.

Reda was actually a very intelligent and crafty baserunner who knew how to pick his spots despite his lackluster speed. He started about 3/5 of games as a designated hitter and spent the rest as a first baseman, grading as a mediocre defender. Reda’s durability was respectable, but he later fell victim to a sudden decline.

Arab League Baseball had formed when Reda was a teenager, but was still a fairly new thing as he entered high school. A scout from Kumasi noticed him while visiting Egypt and convinced him to join their academy and the more established WAB. Reda signed in June 1994 and spent most of five years in their developmental system. He did officially debut with a lone at-bat in 1998 at age 20, then had 40 games and 8 starts in 1999.

Reda earned a starting gig in 2000 and showed power potential. He then emerged as WAB’s top slugger from 2001-2004, winning Silver Sluggers each year. During this run, he led the Western League in runs scored thrice, home runs thrice, RBI four times, total bases four times, slugging thrice, OPS thrice, wRC+ thrice, and WAR twice. Reda won three straight MVPs from 2001-2003 and finished second in 2004.

In 2001, he broke WAB’s single-season RBI record with 156, then obliterated it with 186 in 2003. That set a new world record at the time, although SAB’s Majed Darwish would best that mark thrice later in the decade. Still, Reda’s mark is still the WAB record as of 2037 and is tied for the fifth-most in a season for any pro league.

2003 also saw 64 home runs to beat the old WAB record by two, although Reda’s mark would fall three years later. His 461 total bases stood as the WAB record until 2015 and still ranks fifth as of 2037. These efforts helped return Kumasi to contention after hovering around .500 from 1999-2001. The Monkeys lost in the Western League Championship Series in both 2002 and 2003. Then in 2004, they won their first WAB Championship and upended the Kano dynasty.

Reda was the MVP of the 2004 WLCS, posting 23 hits, 12 runs, 6 doubles, 2 home runs, and 22 RBI over 12 playoff starts that year. The 22 RBI tied the WAB playoff record and hasn’t been topped yet. For his playoff career, Reda had 31 games and 30 starts with 42 hits, 22 runs, 10 doubles, 5 home runs, 37 RBI, a .333/.383/.532 slash, 135 wRC+, and 1.1 WAR.

Ghana had become an adopted home for Reda with Kumasi, but he did go back to Egypt from 2001-2007 for the World Baseball Championship. He had an impressive 2003 with 11 home runs, 23 hits, 19 runs, and 15 RBI, helping the Egyptians to their second-ever elite eight. In 68 games, Reda had 82 hits, 53 runs, 15 doubles, 29 home runs, 51 RBI, a .323/.378/.732 slash, 215 wRC+, and 5.2 WAR.

After the 2002 season, Kumasi locked him up to an eight-year, $19,240,000 extension. Reda’s production dropped a bit in 2005, but a fractured hand in the early summer played a big part in that. He had hit decently in the prime years against lefties, but became actively bad against them from 2006 onward. Reda still was strong enough against righties to lead with 46 home runs in 2007. Kumasi missed the playoffs narrowly in 2005, then lost in the 2006 WLCS. The Monkeys fell to the bottom of the standings for the next five years.

Plantar fasciitis cost Reda part of 2008, but his overall value was dwindling quickly. In 2010, even his power against righties seemed to be gone, hitting only 18 homers despite a full season. He posted -0.5 WAR for the season as his contract expired. Reda wanted to still play somewhere in 2011, but most teams agreed that he was cooked. Thus, he retired at only age 33. Kumasi did quickly honor him by retiring his #12 uniform for an impressive decade of service.

Reda had 1984 hits, 1047 runs, 362 doubles, 445 home runs, 1377 RBI, 515 walks, 118 stolen bases, a .309/.359/.582 slash, 153 wRC+, and 55.8 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks 46^th in RBI, 44^th in home runs, 71^st in WAR among position players, and 99^th in hits. Among all batters with 3000+ plate appearances, his .941 OPS is 57^th and his slugging percentage is 51^st.

His accumulations are definitely on the lower end due to a short career, but his brief peak was as impressive as any WAB slugger had been. Three MVPs, the RBI record, and a championship ring with Kumasi was enough for most voters to overlook his sudden decline. At 77.0%, Reda earned a first ballot induction with WAB’s 2016 Hall of Fame class.

10-14-2024, 07:30 PM	#1701
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,192	2016 WAB Hall of Fame LF Jack Kiadii and DB/1B Mo Reda secured first ballot inductions for the 2016 West African Baseball Hall of Fame class. Kiadii was a very strong 89.0% and Reda got a respectable 77.0%. The top returner just missed the 66% requirement with 3B Yakubu Odiye’s 63.2% on his fourth attempt. Four others crossed 50% with RF Emmanuel Kao (59.1%, 3^rd ballot), RF Ada Nwankwo (59.1%, 7^th), 3B Falaba Bah (57.7%, 4^th), and 3B Aqudu Haddad (51.5%, 2^nd). Strangely enough, OOTP decided to remove Kao from the ballot after only three tries. He likely would’ve made it eventually with 58.6% and 62.9% in his first two ballots. He only had a seven year WAB run between Dakar and Freetown, but won three straight MVPs from 1998-2000. Kao led in home runs thrice, runs twice, total bases four times, and OPS four times in WAB. In WAB, he had 996 hits, 570 runs, 238 doubles, 250 home runs, 659 RBI, a .312/.373/.629 slash, 173 wRC+, and 38.7 WAR. As of 2037, he’s one of only 17 WAB batters with an OPS above one (1.002) and 3000+ plate appearances. He went onto win an MVP in MLB with New York and played 12 more seasons between the Yankees and Albuquerque. In MLB, Kao had 1597 hits, 886 runs, 232 doubles, 453 home runs, 1034 RBI, a .271/.330/.545 slash, 163 wRC+, and 52.6 WAR. The combined pro totals had 2593 hits, 1456 runs, 470 doubles, 703 home runs, 1693 RBI, a .285/.346/.575 slash, 166 wRC+, and 91.3 WAR. Kao did stay on the MLB ballot and peaked at 30.5% in 2018. It is uncertain why he was removed from the WAB ballot when he was, but Kao’s career certainly deserved a spotlight as one of the finest hitters of his era. Jack Kiadii – Left Field – Niamey Atomics – 89.0% First Ballot Jack Kiadii was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed outfielder from the capital of Liberia, Monrovia. Kiadii was a solid contact hitter with incredible gap power and steady home run power. His 162 game average saw 48 doubles, 13 triples, and 31 home runs. Kiadii was poor at drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts, but nearly half of his hits went for extra bases. On the basepaths, he graded as slightly above average. Kiadii played the vast majority of his starts in left field, where he was a reliably great defender that won six Gold Gloves. He made some starts in center early in his career and was perfectly adequate there. Kiadii had excellent durability, playing 140+ games each year from 1996-2007. He was intelligent and adaptable, skills that served him well over a 16-year career. In the 1993 WAB Draft, Kiadii was picked third overall by Niamey, where he’d spend nearly his entire career. The Atomics only used him in 15 games in 1994, then started him 115 games in 1995. Kiadii was second in Rookie of the Year voting and had the full-time gig the next year. From 1996 to 2004, Kiadii posted seven seasons worth 6+ WAR. He won his first Silver Slugger in 1996 playing center field, then won in left for his 2001 and 2003 efforts. Kiadii won three Gold Gloves from 1998-2000, then another three from 2002-2004. Niamey had been terrible to start the 1990s, but became a reliable wild card by the end of the decade. The Atomics earned three straight playoff berths from 1998-2000, but couldn’t make it beyond the first round. Kiadii signed a three-year, $9,080,000 extension after the 2000 season. That year had seen his first time as a league leader with 50 doubles and 396 total bases. 2001 would feature a 34-game hitting streak, which fell one short of the then WAB-record. His production was slightly down though in 2001 and 2002 from the prior years. Niamey made it to the Eastern League Championship Series in 2002, but lost with Kiadii going a lousy 2-26. The Atomics had another first round exit in 2003. 2003 was THE year though for Kiadii, earning his lone MVP and the rare MVP/Slugger/Gold Glove sweep. He led the league in RBI (148), total bases (41), and slugging (.679); each career highs. Kiadii also had career highs in hits (211), runs (116), home runs (41), average (.349), OPS (1.044), wRC+ (178), and WAR (8.2). That effort promoted Niamey to give the 30-year old Kiadii a five-year, $19,600,000 in May 2003. Kiadii followed it up with a league best 53 doubles and 381 total bases in 2004, but struggled to a 92 wRC+ and 0.9 WAR in 2005. He bounced back in 2006 by leading with 120 RBI. Niamey missed the playoffs both years, but emerged again as a contender by winning back-to-back pennants in 2006 and 2007. They lost the 2006 WAB final to Monrovia, but beat the Diplomats in the 2007 rematch. In the 2007 postseason, Kiadii was the ELCS MVP and posted 8 hits, 6 runs, 4 homers, and 7 RBI in 10 playoff starts. For his career, he wasn’t great in the playoffs with 39 starts, 39 hits, 22 runs, 8 doubles, 3 triples, 6 home runs, 17 RBI, 11 stolen bases, a .245/.269/.447 slash, 92 wRC+, and 0.5 WAR. He had a less prominent role by this point, but Niamey’s 1993 draft pick proved a successful one overall. Kiadii would see his #1 uniform eventually retired by the Atomics. 2008 was his last year in Niger and saw him reach the 2500 hit, 400 home run, and 1500 RBI milestones. Although his production had dropped, Niamey was still happy to have him. Kiadii signed a three-year, $7,360,000 extension in October 2008. Two months later, he was packing for Gabon. Kiadii wasn’t protected in the 2008 expansion draft and the newly formed Libreville Lakers grabbed him with the fourth overall pick. Kiadii was only a part-time starter with unremarkable results in 2009 for Libreville, then only played 41 games in all of 2010 with 17 starts. He had 1.6 WAR and a .280/.310/.493 slash in a forgettable tenure there. Kiadii retired that winter at age 37 and returned to his adopted home of Niamey, where he remains a popular media figure for the Atomics. The final stats had 2677 hits, 1243 runs, 659 doubles, 183 triples, 434 home runs, 1570 RBI, 309 stolen bases, a .304/.324/.568 slash, 144 wRC+, and 72.2 WAR. As of 2037, Kiadii ranks 22^nd in WAR among position players, 30^th in hits, 59^th in runs, 9^th in doubles, 30^th in triples, 52^nd in home runs, and 23^rd in RBI. Kiadii certainly had an impressive run and received the first ballot induction easily at 89.0% to headline WAB’s 2016 Hall of Fame class. Mo Reda – Designated Hitter/First Base – Kumasi Monkeys – 77.0% First Ballot Mo Reda was a 6’1’’, 200 pound left-handed slugger from Giza, Egypt. Especially against right-handed pitching, Reda had great contact skills with impressive home run power. He had a career 169 wRC+ and 1.009 OPS against RHP, while posting a more pedestrian 107 wRC+ and .752 OPS against lefties. Still, Reda’s strength got him 42 home runs and 34 doubles per his 162 game average. His eye for walks and avoiding strikeouts were both considered average at best. Reda was actually a very intelligent and crafty baserunner who knew how to pick his spots despite his lackluster speed. He started about 3/5 of games as a designated hitter and spent the rest as a first baseman, grading as a mediocre defender. Reda’s durability was respectable, but he later fell victim to a sudden decline. Arab League Baseball had formed when Reda was a teenager, but was still a fairly new thing as he entered high school. A scout from Kumasi noticed him while visiting Egypt and convinced him to join their academy and the more established WAB. Reda signed in June 1994 and spent most of five years in their developmental system. He did officially debut with a lone at-bat in 1998 at age 20, then had 40 games and 8 starts in 1999. Reda earned a starting gig in 2000 and showed power potential. He then emerged as WAB’s top slugger from 2001-2004, winning Silver Sluggers each year. During this run, he led the Western League in runs scored thrice, home runs thrice, RBI four times, total bases four times, slugging thrice, OPS thrice, wRC+ thrice, and WAR twice. Reda won three straight MVPs from 2001-2003 and finished second in 2004. In 2001, he broke WAB’s single-season RBI record with 156, then obliterated it with 186 in 2003. That set a new world record at the time, although SAB’s Majed Darwish would best that mark thrice later in the decade. Still, Reda’s mark is still the WAB record as of 2037 and is tied for the fifth-most in a season for any pro league. 2003 also saw 64 home runs to beat the old WAB record by two, although Reda’s mark would fall three years later. His 461 total bases stood as the WAB record until 2015 and still ranks fifth as of 2037. These efforts helped return Kumasi to contention after hovering around .500 from 1999-2001. The Monkeys lost in the Western League Championship Series in both 2002 and 2003. Then in 2004, they won their first WAB Championship and upended the Kano dynasty. Reda was the MVP of the 2004 WLCS, posting 23 hits, 12 runs, 6 doubles, 2 home runs, and 22 RBI over 12 playoff starts that year. The 22 RBI tied the WAB playoff record and hasn’t been topped yet. For his playoff career, Reda had 31 games and 30 starts with 42 hits, 22 runs, 10 doubles, 5 home runs, 37 RBI, a .333/.383/.532 slash, 135 wRC+, and 1.1 WAR. Ghana had become an adopted home for Reda with Kumasi, but he did go back to Egypt from 2001-2007 for the World Baseball Championship. He had an impressive 2003 with 11 home runs, 23 hits, 19 runs, and 15 RBI, helping the Egyptians to their second-ever elite eight. In 68 games, Reda had 82 hits, 53 runs, 15 doubles, 29 home runs, 51 RBI, a .323/.378/.732 slash, 215 wRC+, and 5.2 WAR. After the 2002 season, Kumasi locked him up to an eight-year, $19,240,000 extension. Reda’s production dropped a bit in 2005, but a fractured hand in the early summer played a big part in that. He had hit decently in the prime years against lefties, but became actively bad against them from 2006 onward. Reda still was strong enough against righties to lead with 46 home runs in 2007. Kumasi missed the playoffs narrowly in 2005, then lost in the 2006 WLCS. The Monkeys fell to the bottom of the standings for the next five years. Plantar fasciitis cost Reda part of 2008, but his overall value was dwindling quickly. In 2010, even his power against righties seemed to be gone, hitting only 18 homers despite a full season. He posted -0.5 WAR for the season as his contract expired. Reda wanted to still play somewhere in 2011, but most teams agreed that he was cooked. Thus, he retired at only age 33. Kumasi did quickly honor him by retiring his #12 uniform for an impressive decade of service. Reda had 1984 hits, 1047 runs, 362 doubles, 445 home runs, 1377 RBI, 515 walks, 118 stolen bases, a .309/.359/.582 slash, 153 wRC+, and 55.8 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks 46^th in RBI, 44^th in home runs, 71^st in WAR among position players, and 99^th in hits. Among all batters with 3000+ plate appearances, his .941 OPS is 57^th and his slugging percentage is 51^st. His accumulations are definitely on the lower end due to a short career, but his brief peak was as impressive as any WAB slugger had been. Three MVPs, the RBI record, and a championship ring with Kumasi was enough for most voters to overlook his sudden decline. At 77.0%, Reda earned a first ballot induction with WAB’s 2016 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)