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FuzzyRussianHat · 11-20-2024, 06:38 PM

Two returners on the West African Baseball Hall of Fame ballot earned induction in 2019. Both saw big jumps beyond the 66% requirement with 3B Falaba Bah at 81.5% on his eighth ballot and OF Kely Ballard with 81.2% for his third ballot. The best debut was LF Sam Pappoe falling just short at 64.7%. 3B Awudu Haddad barely missed as well with 63.8% for his fifth attempt. RP Emma Markson also was above 50% with 54.1% for his second go.

Dropped after ten tries was 1B Mohamed Din, who had a 12-year run between Accra and Abdijan. He won two WAB Championships, four Silver Sluggers, one MVP, and two LCS MVPs. Din had 1624 hits, 840 runs, 351 doubles, 392 home runs, 1087 RBI, a .281/.325/.551 slash, 144 wRC+, and 41.5 WAR. He lacked the longevity required to get any traction, peaking with 16.0% in his debut. Din managed to survive ten ballots though, ending at 8.5%.

Falaba Bah – Third Base – Cotonou Copperheads – 81.5% Seventh Ballot

Falaba Bah was a 6’0’’, 205 pound left-handed hitting third baseman from Bamako, the capital of Mali. Bah was known for frequently putting the ball in play as a great contact hitter who avoided strikeouts, but rarely drew walks. He had excellent gap power, especially against right-handed pitching. Bah’s 162 game average got you 42 doubles and 25 triples, giving him more bases than you’d expect from a guy who hit only 26 career home runs.

His speed was merely above average, but Bah was a very skilled baserunner. With his strong arm, Bah primarily played third base and was a reliably good defender. He played shortstop in his first two seasons, but was abysmal there. In any spot, Bah had solid durability. However, his work ethic did leave something to be desired.

Bah was a top prospect for the 1993 WAB Draft and went fourth overall to Cotonou. The Copperheads were patient in developing Bah, keeping him in the developmental system for all of 1994. He only saw 49 games and 10 starts in 1995, then was a part-timer with 112 games and 80 starts in 1996. Bah took over a full-time gig in 1997 and started for Cotonou for five seasons. They were generally in the middle tier and only made the playoffs once during Bah’s tenure, losing in the first round in 2001.

With Cotonou, Bah led the Eastern League thrice in triples. In 2000, he set a new WAB single-season record with 38 triples, a mark that held until 2030. Bah led in hits in both 2000 and 2001, getting a career-best 234 in 2001. 2000 saw his career highs in WAR (8.3), OPS (.926), and wRC+ (160). 2000 also was Bah’s lone Silver Slugger season with Cotonou, although he was an all-star selection four times.

In total for the Copperheads, Bah had 1171 hits, 521 runs, 225 doubles, 145 triples, 20 home runs, 364 RBI, a .336/.356/.500 slash, 138 wRC+, and 28.8 WAR. He became a free agent after the 2001 season heading towards age 31. Bah moved to Ghana next, signing a seven-year, $22,000,000 deal with Kumasi. He would be a full-time starter for the next five years with the Monkeys.

Bah only led the league once with Kumasi (triples in 2006), but his first four seasons were each worth 5+ WAR. He picked up Silver Sluggers in 2004 and 2006 and notably had a 32-game hitting streak in between 2003-04. Kumasi became solidified as a playoff regular with four berths from 2002-06. They took first in the Western League in 2002, but were upset in the WLCS by Cape Verde. Kumasi also lost in the WLCS in 2003 and 2006.

However in 2004, Kumasi broke through despite being the #3 seed. They upset top seed Nouakchott in the WLCS and denied Kano’s four-peat bid to win their first WAB Championship. As of 2037, this is the Monkeys’ lone title. Bah was strong in the 2014 run, getting 21 hits, 9 runs, 3 doubles, 4 triples, 7 RBI, a 1.051 OPS, and 0.8 WAR in 12 starts. He was merely okay in his other playoff efforts, but Bah did earn a spot in the hearts of many Kumasi fans for his role in their title.

In 2007, Bah was relegated to a platoon role with 110 games and 93 starts. He didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the seventh year of the deal, becoming a free agent for 2008. With Kumasi, Bah had 1090 hits, 481 runs, 234 doubles, 128 triples, 6 homers, 346 RBI, 251 stolen bases, a .335/.357/.491 slash, 132 wRC+, and 30.2 WAR. He went unsigned in 2008 and retired that winter at age 37.

Bah finished with 2261 hits, 1002 runs, 459 doubles, 273 triples, 26 home runs, 710 RBI, 461 stolen bases, a .335/.357/.496 slash, 135 wRC+, and 59.0 WAR. He was the WAB triples leader at retirement and ranks fifth as of 2037. Bah also sits 66^th in doubles, 64^th in hits, and 60^th in WAR among position players. Among all batters with 3000+ plate appearances, his batting average still sits 37^th. He also cracks the top 50 in batting average among all Hall of Famers worldwide.

However, it is a challenge for leadoff guys to often get Hall of Fame traction with many voters fixated on homers and RBI. Even then, Bah’s other tallies aren’t overwhelming, making him a very borderline case. Supporters noted he hit some nice milestones even with a relatively short career. In Bah’s debut ballot in 2013, he received only 49.4%.

Bah slowly worked his way into the 50s, then barely missed the cut in 2017 at 65.3%. He fell back to 57.6% the next year. Bah’s seventh try was 2019 and there weren’t many impactful debuts, allowing his resume to get another look. His high batting average and role in Kumasi’s title run swayed some doubters. Kely Ballard had a similar skillset and some voters softened on both with limited other options. Bah got the big jump to 81.5% to earn his spot with WAB’s 2019 Hall of Fame class.

Kely Ballard – Left/Right Field - Abidjan Athletes – 81.2% First Ballot

Kely Ballard was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed outfielder from Kano, Nigeria’s second-largest city. Like his Hall of Fame classmate Falaba Bah, Ballard was known for being a high contact hitter with strong gap power. He was a little better at drawing walks and boasted an impressively low 6.4% strikeout rate. Ballard got you 48 doubles, 11 triples, and 5 home runs per his 162 game average. He had solid speed and was a dangerous base stealer.

Ballard was a corner outfielder who made around 3/4s of his career starts in left field and most of the rest in right. He graded as a slightly below average defender in left and around average in right. Ballard had nice durability in his 20s, but started to have knee issues as he aged. He was adaptable to his in-game situations, but was a bit slow mentally otherwise.

His potential was spotted even out of primary school, getting picked sixth by Bamako in the 1994 WAB Draft. Ballard declined though and spent the next three years playing college baseball. He was next eligible in the 1997 WAB Draft and again went sixth, this time to Douala. The Dingos used him only in 39 games for 1998, then Ballard earned a starting gig after that. In his first full season, he led the Eastern League with a career high 88 stolen bases.

Ballard posted 7.8 WAR in that first full season, but never reached that production again with Douala. Still, he led in steals once more and topped 5+ WAR twice more. He also won his lone Silver Slugger in 2003. Ballard couldn’t drag the awful Dingos out of the cellar, as they averaged 65.8 wins per season in his tenure. The highlight of his time in Cameroon was a 35-game hitting streak in 2001, which set the WAB record and wouldn’t be topped until 2013.

In total for Douala, Ballard had 1007 hits, 453 runs, 217 doubles, 54 triples, 26 home runs, 255 RBI, a .347/.389/.485 slash, 138 wRC+, and 26.3 WAR. The Dingos knew Ballard was likely to leave after the 2004 season for free agency, thus they traded him to Nouakchott for two prospects.

Ballard’s one year with the Night Riders was the strongest of his career, taking third in MVP voting. He set a WAB single-season record with a .412 batting average, which was the second-highest in world history to that point. As of 2037, it ranks third in WAB and ninth in pro baseball history. Ballard also had 258 hits with him and Ibrahima Bah both setting the WAB record in the same year. That was the world record to that point and ranks 15^th best as of 2037. Ballard also had a career high and league best 9.4 WAR and .459 OBP, as well as career bests in OPS (1.028), and wRC+ (175).

Nouakchott took first in the Western League standings at 100-62, but was upset in the WLCS by Kumasi. Ballard went 9-24 with 6 runs in his playoff debut. Now soon to be 30-years old, his stock was at a high as he entered free agency. Ballard signed a seven-year, $27,720,000 deal with Abidjan, starting his most famous run. The Athletes had missed the playoffs in three straight seasons after posting a dynasty run in the prior decade.

Ballard helped Abidjan begin a new eight-year playoff streak, although they were one-and-done in the first three years. In 2006, Ballard led in hits (218), runs (125), and doubles (58). He hit for the cycle in 2007 and had three seasons worth 5+ WAR. Ballard started to miss time as he aged, usually to knee issues such as strained MCLs and PCLs.

Abidjan took first in the 2008 standings at 106-56, but were upset in the WLCS by Monrovia. A strained PCL kept Ballard out for that postseason run. Ballard was healthy for the 2009 postseason run though and stepped up big. Abidjan had the #2 seed, but got revenge on Monrovia in the WLCS to win the pennant. The Athletes then defeated Ibadan in the WAB Championship.

Ballard was the star of that postseason, winning LCS and finals MVP. In 14 starts, he had 26 hits, 12 runs, 6 doubles, 8 RBI, and 6 stolen bases. The 26 hits set a new WAB playoff record which still holds as of 2037. PCL troubles kept him out more than half of 2010, but he again was solid in the playoffs with 21 hits and 6 runs over 12 starts. Abidjan again won the WL pennant, but this time lost to Cotonou in the WAB Championship. The Athletes lost in the WLCS in the next two seasons despite being the #1 seed.

For his playoff career, Ballard had 41 games, 39 starts, 68 hits, 31 runs, 11 doubles, 4 triples, 1 homer, 21 RBI, 19 steals, a .384/408/.508 slash, and 2.5 WAR. He also sporadically played for his native Nigeria in the World Baseball Championship, although he struggled in a small sample size with 25 games, 12 starts, and a .224/.250/.259 slash.

Ballard’s production dropped in 2011 and he was moved to a part-time role, posting 1.3 WAR and a 110 wRC+ over 96 games and 82 starts. His contract expired that winter and he went unsigned in 2012, retiring that winter at age 37. With Abidjan, Ballard had 1111 hits, 572 runs, 246 doubles, 50 triples, 17 home runs, 307 RBI, 303 stolen bases, a .336/.378/.455 slash, 133 wRC+, and 26.7 WAR.

In total, Ballard had 2376 hits, 1149 runs, 513 doubles, 119 triples, 49 home runs, 632 RBI, 751 stolen bases, a .347/.390/.478 sash, 139 wRC+, and 62.5 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks 58^th in hits, 75^th in runs, 42^nd in doubles, 26^th in stolen bases, and 49^th in WAR among position players. Among all batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Ballard’s batting average ranks 13^th. Among all Hall of Famers as of 2037 in the world, his average ranks 12^th.

Ballard ran into similar problems with some voters as Bah and other leadoff guys due to the lack of home run power. Ballard’s finally tallies also weren’t overwhelmingly high and he didn’t have many awards. However, he had the record-setting 2004 season, plus was instrumental in Abidjan’s 2009 championship. Still, those more sabermetrically-minded were underwhelmed by his metrics.

Debuting in 2017, Ballard narrowly missed the 66% requirement at 63.7%. He dropped slightly to 55.6% in 2018. 2019 gave Ballard an opening with his and Bah’s resumes looking stronger against a relatively weak field. Ballard received the big boost to 81.2% and earned a third ballot Hall of Fame induction with WAB’s 2019 class

11-20-2024, 06:38 PM	#1813
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,456	2019 WAB Hall of Fame Two returners on the West African Baseball Hall of Fame ballot earned induction in 2019. Both saw big jumps beyond the 66% requirement with 3B Falaba Bah at 81.5% on his eighth ballot and OF Kely Ballard with 81.2% for his third ballot. The best debut was LF Sam Pappoe falling just short at 64.7%. 3B Awudu Haddad barely missed as well with 63.8% for his fifth attempt. RP Emma Markson also was above 50% with 54.1% for his second go. Dropped after ten tries was 1B Mohamed Din, who had a 12-year run between Accra and Abdijan. He won two WAB Championships, four Silver Sluggers, one MVP, and two LCS MVPs. Din had 1624 hits, 840 runs, 351 doubles, 392 home runs, 1087 RBI, a .281/.325/.551 slash, 144 wRC+, and 41.5 WAR. He lacked the longevity required to get any traction, peaking with 16.0% in his debut. Din managed to survive ten ballots though, ending at 8.5%. Falaba Bah – Third Base – Cotonou Copperheads – 81.5% Seventh Ballot Falaba Bah was a 6’0’’, 205 pound left-handed hitting third baseman from Bamako, the capital of Mali. Bah was known for frequently putting the ball in play as a great contact hitter who avoided strikeouts, but rarely drew walks. He had excellent gap power, especially against right-handed pitching. Bah’s 162 game average got you 42 doubles and 25 triples, giving him more bases than you’d expect from a guy who hit only 26 career home runs. His speed was merely above average, but Bah was a very skilled baserunner. With his strong arm, Bah primarily played third base and was a reliably good defender. He played shortstop in his first two seasons, but was abysmal there. In any spot, Bah had solid durability. However, his work ethic did leave something to be desired. Bah was a top prospect for the 1993 WAB Draft and went fourth overall to Cotonou. The Copperheads were patient in developing Bah, keeping him in the developmental system for all of 1994. He only saw 49 games and 10 starts in 1995, then was a part-timer with 112 games and 80 starts in 1996. Bah took over a full-time gig in 1997 and started for Cotonou for five seasons. They were generally in the middle tier and only made the playoffs once during Bah’s tenure, losing in the first round in 2001. With Cotonou, Bah led the Eastern League thrice in triples. In 2000, he set a new WAB single-season record with 38 triples, a mark that held until 2030. Bah led in hits in both 2000 and 2001, getting a career-best 234 in 2001. 2000 saw his career highs in WAR (8.3), OPS (.926), and wRC+ (160). 2000 also was Bah’s lone Silver Slugger season with Cotonou, although he was an all-star selection four times. In total for the Copperheads, Bah had 1171 hits, 521 runs, 225 doubles, 145 triples, 20 home runs, 364 RBI, a .336/.356/.500 slash, 138 wRC+, and 28.8 WAR. He became a free agent after the 2001 season heading towards age 31. Bah moved to Ghana next, signing a seven-year, $22,000,000 deal with Kumasi. He would be a full-time starter for the next five years with the Monkeys. Bah only led the league once with Kumasi (triples in 2006), but his first four seasons were each worth 5+ WAR. He picked up Silver Sluggers in 2004 and 2006 and notably had a 32-game hitting streak in between 2003-04. Kumasi became solidified as a playoff regular with four berths from 2002-06. They took first in the Western League in 2002, but were upset in the WLCS by Cape Verde. Kumasi also lost in the WLCS in 2003 and 2006. However in 2004, Kumasi broke through despite being the #3 seed. They upset top seed Nouakchott in the WLCS and denied Kano’s four-peat bid to win their first WAB Championship. As of 2037, this is the Monkeys’ lone title. Bah was strong in the 2014 run, getting 21 hits, 9 runs, 3 doubles, 4 triples, 7 RBI, a 1.051 OPS, and 0.8 WAR in 12 starts. He was merely okay in his other playoff efforts, but Bah did earn a spot in the hearts of many Kumasi fans for his role in their title. In 2007, Bah was relegated to a platoon role with 110 games and 93 starts. He didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the seventh year of the deal, becoming a free agent for 2008. With Kumasi, Bah had 1090 hits, 481 runs, 234 doubles, 128 triples, 6 homers, 346 RBI, 251 stolen bases, a .335/.357/.491 slash, 132 wRC+, and 30.2 WAR. He went unsigned in 2008 and retired that winter at age 37. Bah finished with 2261 hits, 1002 runs, 459 doubles, 273 triples, 26 home runs, 710 RBI, 461 stolen bases, a .335/.357/.496 slash, 135 wRC+, and 59.0 WAR. He was the WAB triples leader at retirement and ranks fifth as of 2037. Bah also sits 66^th in doubles, 64^th in hits, and 60^th in WAR among position players. Among all batters with 3000+ plate appearances, his batting average still sits 37^th. He also cracks the top 50 in batting average among all Hall of Famers worldwide. However, it is a challenge for leadoff guys to often get Hall of Fame traction with many voters fixated on homers and RBI. Even then, Bah’s other tallies aren’t overwhelming, making him a very borderline case. Supporters noted he hit some nice milestones even with a relatively short career. In Bah’s debut ballot in 2013, he received only 49.4%. Bah slowly worked his way into the 50s, then barely missed the cut in 2017 at 65.3%. He fell back to 57.6% the next year. Bah’s seventh try was 2019 and there weren’t many impactful debuts, allowing his resume to get another look. His high batting average and role in Kumasi’s title run swayed some doubters. Kely Ballard had a similar skillset and some voters softened on both with limited other options. Bah got the big jump to 81.5% to earn his spot with WAB’s 2019 Hall of Fame class. Kely Ballard – Left/Right Field - Abidjan Athletes – 81.2% First Ballot Kely Ballard was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed outfielder from Kano, Nigeria’s second-largest city. Like his Hall of Fame classmate Falaba Bah, Ballard was known for being a high contact hitter with strong gap power. He was a little better at drawing walks and boasted an impressively low 6.4% strikeout rate. Ballard got you 48 doubles, 11 triples, and 5 home runs per his 162 game average. He had solid speed and was a dangerous base stealer. Ballard was a corner outfielder who made around 3/4s of his career starts in left field and most of the rest in right. He graded as a slightly below average defender in left and around average in right. Ballard had nice durability in his 20s, but started to have knee issues as he aged. He was adaptable to his in-game situations, but was a bit slow mentally otherwise. His potential was spotted even out of primary school, getting picked sixth by Bamako in the 1994 WAB Draft. Ballard declined though and spent the next three years playing college baseball. He was next eligible in the 1997 WAB Draft and again went sixth, this time to Douala. The Dingos used him only in 39 games for 1998, then Ballard earned a starting gig after that. In his first full season, he led the Eastern League with a career high 88 stolen bases. Ballard posted 7.8 WAR in that first full season, but never reached that production again with Douala. Still, he led in steals once more and topped 5+ WAR twice more. He also won his lone Silver Slugger in 2003. Ballard couldn’t drag the awful Dingos out of the cellar, as they averaged 65.8 wins per season in his tenure. The highlight of his time in Cameroon was a 35-game hitting streak in 2001, which set the WAB record and wouldn’t be topped until 2013. In total for Douala, Ballard had 1007 hits, 453 runs, 217 doubles, 54 triples, 26 home runs, 255 RBI, a .347/.389/.485 slash, 138 wRC+, and 26.3 WAR. The Dingos knew Ballard was likely to leave after the 2004 season for free agency, thus they traded him to Nouakchott for two prospects. Ballard’s one year with the Night Riders was the strongest of his career, taking third in MVP voting. He set a WAB single-season record with a .412 batting average, which was the second-highest in world history to that point. As of 2037, it ranks third in WAB and ninth in pro baseball history. Ballard also had 258 hits with him and Ibrahima Bah both setting the WAB record in the same year. That was the world record to that point and ranks 15^th best as of 2037. Ballard also had a career high and league best 9.4 WAR and .459 OBP, as well as career bests in OPS (1.028), and wRC+ (175). Nouakchott took first in the Western League standings at 100-62, but was upset in the WLCS by Kumasi. Ballard went 9-24 with 6 runs in his playoff debut. Now soon to be 30-years old, his stock was at a high as he entered free agency. Ballard signed a seven-year, $27,720,000 deal with Abidjan, starting his most famous run. The Athletes had missed the playoffs in three straight seasons after posting a dynasty run in the prior decade. Ballard helped Abidjan begin a new eight-year playoff streak, although they were one-and-done in the first three years. In 2006, Ballard led in hits (218), runs (125), and doubles (58). He hit for the cycle in 2007 and had three seasons worth 5+ WAR. Ballard started to miss time as he aged, usually to knee issues such as strained MCLs and PCLs. Abidjan took first in the 2008 standings at 106-56, but were upset in the WLCS by Monrovia. A strained PCL kept Ballard out for that postseason run. Ballard was healthy for the 2009 postseason run though and stepped up big. Abidjan had the #2 seed, but got revenge on Monrovia in the WLCS to win the pennant. The Athletes then defeated Ibadan in the WAB Championship. Ballard was the star of that postseason, winning LCS and finals MVP. In 14 starts, he had 26 hits, 12 runs, 6 doubles, 8 RBI, and 6 stolen bases. The 26 hits set a new WAB playoff record which still holds as of 2037. PCL troubles kept him out more than half of 2010, but he again was solid in the playoffs with 21 hits and 6 runs over 12 starts. Abidjan again won the WL pennant, but this time lost to Cotonou in the WAB Championship. The Athletes lost in the WLCS in the next two seasons despite being the #1 seed. For his playoff career, Ballard had 41 games, 39 starts, 68 hits, 31 runs, 11 doubles, 4 triples, 1 homer, 21 RBI, 19 steals, a .384/408/.508 slash, and 2.5 WAR. He also sporadically played for his native Nigeria in the World Baseball Championship, although he struggled in a small sample size with 25 games, 12 starts, and a .224/.250/.259 slash. Ballard’s production dropped in 2011 and he was moved to a part-time role, posting 1.3 WAR and a 110 wRC+ over 96 games and 82 starts. His contract expired that winter and he went unsigned in 2012, retiring that winter at age 37. With Abidjan, Ballard had 1111 hits, 572 runs, 246 doubles, 50 triples, 17 home runs, 307 RBI, 303 stolen bases, a .336/.378/.455 slash, 133 wRC+, and 26.7 WAR. In total, Ballard had 2376 hits, 1149 runs, 513 doubles, 119 triples, 49 home runs, 632 RBI, 751 stolen bases, a .347/.390/.478 sash, 139 wRC+, and 62.5 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks 58^th in hits, 75^th in runs, 42^nd in doubles, 26^th in stolen bases, and 49^th in WAR among position players. Among all batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Ballard’s batting average ranks 13^th. Among all Hall of Famers as of 2037 in the world, his average ranks 12^th. Ballard ran into similar problems with some voters as Bah and other leadoff guys due to the lack of home run power. Ballard’s finally tallies also weren’t overwhelmingly high and he didn’t have many awards. However, he had the record-setting 2004 season, plus was instrumental in Abidjan’s 2009 championship. Still, those more sabermetrically-minded were underwhelmed by his metrics. Debuting in 2017, Ballard narrowly missed the 66% requirement at 63.7%. He dropped slightly to 55.6% in 2018. 2019 gave Ballard an opening with his and Bah’s resumes looking stronger against a relatively weak field. Ballard received the big boost to 81.2% and earned a third ballot Hall of Fame induction with WAB’s 2019 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)