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FuzzyRussianHat · 12-28-2024, 11:21 AM

Jomar “Cracker” Cardoso – Outfield – Fortaleza Foxes – 94.4% First Ballot

Jomar Cardoso was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed outfielder from Ipojuca, a municipality of around 97,000 in northeastern Brazil. Cardoso had the tools to be a traditional leadoff man as a great contact hitter with blistering speed. He was one of the most dangerous and crafty baserunners in the game’s history, stressing out pitchers with the steal always in play. Cardoso also regularly put the ball in play as he was excellent at avoiding strikeouts. He wasn’t one to draw many walks though, so he rarely was in the top ten in OBP despite regularly being a top ten guy in batting average.

Cardoso was respectable at finding the gap and often could turn singles in doubles and doubles in triples with his speed. His 162 game average got you 31 doubles, 15 triples, and 16 home runs. Cardoso had very good durability and started 130+ games in all but his first and final seasons. The nickname “Cracker,” came from the sleeves of crackers Cardoso always had waiting for a pre or post-game snack. That quirk and his exciting baserunning helped him a fan favorite in his time.

Defensively, Cardoso bounced around the outfield with about 40% of his starts in left field and the rest split roughly evenly between center and right. In the corners, he graded as reliably good to great defensively. Cardoso did rank as below average in center, but he could competently slot in there as needed. Most seasons saw him spending time in all three slots interchangeably depending on what the lineup called for, making Cardoso a solid utility man.

Cardoso’s unique skillset made him a highly ranked prospect heading into the 2003 BSA Draft. He was picked 11^th overall by Fortaleza, where he’d spend his entire South American career. The Foxes used him a part-time role as a rookie but were happy with the results, as Cardoso had 2.5 WAR and a .337 average over 82 games. He would become a full-time starter for the next decade after that and a fixture in the leadoff spot, leading the Southern Cone League seven times in at-bats.

Each of Cardoso’s Fortaleza seasons after his rookie year were worth 5+ WAR with 100+ runs scored, 200+ hits, 85+ stolen bases, and had batting averages above .315. He hit for the cycle in both 2005 and 2006, becoming only the 24^th player in Beisbol Sudamerica history to achieve the feat multiple times.

In his second season, the Foxes ended a ten-year playoff drought and won the Southern Cone League title. Fortaleza lost to Bogota in Copa Sudamerica, but Cardoso was finals MVP in defeat. Over 14 playoff games, he had 21 hits, 10 runs, 2 doubles, 2 triples, 5 homers, 15 RBI, and a 1.156 OPS. That run alone helped solidify Cardoso as a major favorite of Foxes fans.

Fortaleza would be just outside the payoffs the next two years. They were the #1 seed in 2008 and 2009 with 114-58 and 110-52 records, respectively. However, the Foxes were upset in the divisional series both years. They made it back to the LCS in 2010 at 98-64, but were denied by Santa Cruz. Fortaleza would miss the playoffs in 2011 at 86-76.

For his part from 2008-10, Cardoso led the league each year in runs scored and stolen bases. He had the most hits in 2008 and 2009, posting 8+ WAR efforts those years. 2008 also featured a 32-game hitting streak, which at the time tied for the 10^th-longest in BSA. Cardoso was third in 2008’s MVP voting and won a Silver Slugger in 2009 as a center fielder. His lack of home run power and bouncing around the outfield did limit his awards potential. Fortaleza was plenty satisfied with the results, giving Cardoso a seven-year, $35,280,000 extension after the 2008 season.

In 2012, Cardoso stole 132 bases, the second-most in BSA history behind Pascal Garcia’s then-world record of 152 from 1996. As of 2037, Cardoso’s effort is one of only 45 seasons with 130+ steals in any world league. He led again in runs and won a Silver Slugger in right field. Fortaleza got back to the playoffs as a wild card, but lost in the divisional series. This would start a four-year streak for the Foxes though.

Fortaleza would earn repeat Southern Cone League titles in 2013 and 2014. They defeated Medellin in the 2013 Copa Sudamerica, but were defeated in a 2014 rematch with the Mutiny. Cardoso won finals MVP for the second time in his career with his 2013 postseason seeing 23 hits, 18 runs, 12 steals, and a 1.032 OPS. He had strong playoff numbers for his Foxes tenure with 70 games, 103 hits, 54 runs, 21 doubles, 7 triples, 8 home runs, 35 RBI, 42 stolen bases, a .356/.377/.561 slash, 157 wRC+, and 3.2 WAR. As of 2037, Cardoso is 6^th all-time in BSA playoff steals, 10^th in runs scored, and 15^th in hits.

Fortaleza earned berths into the Baseball Grand Championship both years. They were near the bottom in 2013 at 7-12, then finished near the middle in 2014 at 9-10. In 37 BGC starts, Cardoso had 46 hits, 25 runs, 5 doubles, 1 triple, 6 home runs, 16 RBI, 15 stolen bases, and 1.1 WAR.

2014 was his finest season by many measures, winning his third and final Silver Slugger. Cardoso had career and league bests in hits (248) and batting average (.388). He had a career bests for triple slash (.388/.405/.577), OPS (.983), wRC+ (170), and WAR (9.0). Cardoso also led in steals for the seventh consecutive season, posting his fifth year with 100+ swipes.

With his stock seemingly at an all-time high, Cardoso declined his contract option and entered free agency at age 34. Fortaleza fans were disappointed to see him go, but he remained a very popular figure whose #42 uniform would later be retired. His departure didn’t hit as hard as he announced plans to head to Major League Baseball.

Cardoso also remained popular and in front of Brazilian baseball fans as he would return home still for the World Baseball Championship, although his role diminished in his later years. From 2006-20, Cardoso played 101 games and started 81 with 111 hits, 57 runs, 10 doubles, 3 triples, 16 home runs, 25 RBI, 59 stolen bases, a .327/.367/.517 slash, and 4.3 WAR. Cardoso played in a relatively weak for a normally strong Brazil, whose only WBC division titles came in 2006, 2014, and 2016, peaking with a third place in 2016.

In 2015, Cardoso began his MLB career on a five-year, $72,800,000 deal with Atlanta. He won his lone Gold Glove in 2015 in left field and was a generally good, but not amazing starter. He did post 5.4 WAR in his third season for the Aces, but fell to a low of 1.9 in 2018. Atlanta didn’t make the playoffs during his four year tenure, but Cardoso’s run had 731 hits, 353 runs, 89 doubles, 34 triples, 48 home runs, 227 RBI, 172 stolen bases, a .296/.328/.418 slash, 14.2 WAR, and 104 wRC+.

Cardoso was a free agent again for 2019 at age 38 and began an international search that led him to Germany. He signed a one-year, $6.7 million deal with Berlin of the European Baseball Federation. The Barons had just won the European Second League title, earning a return to the top tier. Cardoso had a very solid 2019 campaign for the Barons with 5.7 WAR and .893 OPS. Berlin even made the playoffs in their EBF return, but fell in the first round.

For 2020, Bratislava hoped he’d replicate that production with a two-year, $13,400,000 deal. Cardoso’s time in Slovakia wasn’t great with only 0.3 WAR over 83 games, missing some time to injury. The Blue Falcons were an abysmal 49-113 and suffered relegation. Cardoso used the relegation opt out to become a free agent again, but he couldn’t find any interested teams in 2021. He finally retired that winter at age 41.

For his combined pro career, Cardoso had 3352 hits, 1710 runs, 480 doubles, 237 triples, 225 home runs, 1094 RBI, 1332 stolen bases, a .332/.356/.494 slash, 135 wRC+, and 91.4 WAR. Among all world players as of 2037, Cardoso has the 38^th most steals and just misses the top 50 for batting average among all of the world’s Hall of Famers.

Just in BSA with Fortaleza, Cardoso had 2355 hits, 1223 runs, 350 doubles, 188 triples, 154 home runs, 744 RBI, 1047 stolen bases, a .348/.368/.523 slash, 149 wRC+, and 71.2 WAR. Playing his final six years elsewhere did hurt his grand totals, although Cardoso still ranks 18^th in stolen bases and 73^rd in triples. Among all batters with 3000+ plate appearances, his batting average ranks 20^th and his OBP is 98^th.

The lower grand tallies didn’t faze the voters when evaluating Cardoso. Even if advanced stats are less impressed by a high average and stolen bases, most voters still were. Cardoso was a reliably solid defender and played a big role in getting Fortaleza three pennants and a Copa Sudamerica win. Being finals MVP twice sealed the deal for Cardoso, who was inducted easily at 94.4% as part of BSA’s 2022 Hall of Fame class.

Franco Rodriguez – Starting Pitcher – Valencia Velocity – 87.2% First Ballot

Franco Rodriguez was a 6’5’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from Concordia, a city of 179,000 in northeastern Argentina on the border with Uruguay. Rodriguez was a hard thrower with excellent stuff, along with good-to-great movement and control. His fastball was solid and regularly hit 98-100 mph, although his splitter was considered his most dangerous offering. Rodriguez also had a nice knuckle curve and a standard curve, along with a rarely used changeup. His arsenal’s diversity made him very effective in his prime.

Rodriguez’s stamina was pretty good when he was healthy, but he would be plagued by various injuries from his late 20s onward. He was decent at holding runners but was a weak defensive pitcher. As a teenager, Rodriguez had scouts watching him from across the continent. One of them from Venezuela really took a shine to him and convinced Rodriguez to head north to Valencia. He spent four full years in the Velocity’s academy before debuting in 2002 at age 21.

He was a part-time starter as a rookie with okay results, earning the full-time slot in 2003. Rodriguez would post 5+ WAR in each of the next seven seasons, but he wouldn’t be viewed as a top flight ace until his fourth season. In 2005, Rodriguez led the Bolivar League in WHIP (1.05) and posted what would be career bests in ERA (2.44) and ERA+ (164). This effort earned him Pitcher of the Year honors.

Rodriguez’s ERA dipped in 2007, but he bounced back in 2007 for a 2.76 ERA, 284 strikeouts, and 7.8 WAR to win his second Pitcher of the Year. Valencia ended a nine-year playoff drought and defeated Cali for the Bolivar League title. The Velocity fell to Salvador in Copa Sudamerica, but Rodriguez established himself as a big game pitcher. In four playoff starts, he had a 2.40 ERA over 30 innings, 3-1 record, and 30 strikeouts.

In June 2008, Valencia locked Rodriguez down with a six-year, $48,800,000 extension. He repeated and won his third Pitcher of the Year with league bests in strikeouts (318), WAR (8.7), and innings pitched (279.1). His innings, strikeouts, and complete games (16) would all be career bests, although Valencia fell to 82-80. The Velocity won their division in 2009 but lost in the divisional series. Rodriguez’s one playoff start saw four runs allowed over seven innings, which would be his only truly iffy playoff start in his career.

2009 was a banner year overall for Rodriguez despite finishing third in Pitcher of the Year voting. In the World Baseball Championship for his native Argentina, he had 11.2 scoreless innings to take second in Best Pitcher voting. 2009 also saw Rodriguez’s lone no-hitter on April 26 in an 11 strikeout effort against Ciudad Guayana.

Although most of his pro career was in Venezuela, Rodriguez was a regular for his native Argentina in the world stage. From 2003-2014, he pitched 28 games and 181.2 innings with a 16-6 record, 2.87 ERA, 262 strikeouts, 32 walks, and 6.3 WAR. As of 2037, Rodriguez has the 7^th most pitching WAR among Argentinians, the 3^rd most wins, and 6^th most strikeouts.

2010 was a rough year for the 29-year old Rodriguez, missing most of the season between a torn meniscus and a strained abdominal muscle. Valencia fell one game short of a wild card. While his ERA was iffy, Rodriguez posted 7.9 WAR in a rebound 2011. Most importantly, he led the Velocity to their first Copa Sudamerica win since their late 1970s dynasty, defeating Recife. In five playoff starts, Rodriguez had a 1.96 ERA over 36.2 innings with 47 strikeouts, a 3-0 record, and 1.8 WAR. It was the third-most WAR ever by a BSA pitcher in the playoffs.

Rodriguez was second in Pitcher of the Year voting in 2012 with a career and league best 9.0 WAR. He had a 1.80 ERA in 20 playoff innings, but Valencia fell in the divisional series. These were Rodriguez’s final postseason starts, but he finished with an excellent 2.31 ERA over 93.2 innings, 6-2 record, 114 strikeouts, 176 ERA+, 49 FIP-, and 4.2 WAR. He ranks 13^th as of 2037 in WAR among BSA postseason pitchers.

Things went downhill for Rodriguez in 2013 with bone chips in his elbow knocking him out most of the year. Valencia had their first losing season since 2006 and decided to rebuild. With one year left on his deal, the Velocity traded their longtime ace in the offseason to Cordoba for two prospects and a third round draft pick. One of the prospects would be 3B Herculano Bravo, who would have a Hall of Good type career as a regular starter for Valencia.

With the Velocity, Rodriguez had a 169-97 record, 3.24 ERA, 2507.2 innings, 2771 strikeouts, 423 walks, 112 complete games, 125 ERA+, and 70.1 WAR. For an excellent decade-plus of production, Valencia would retire his #5 uniform at the end of his career. While the 33-year old Rodriguez was sad to leave, he was excited to return home to Argentina. Cordoba had been around .500 and hoped Rodriguez could get them to the top.

The Chanticleers saw Rodriguez in their plans long-term and before spring training 2014, gave him a five-year, $63 million deal. It would be cursed from the start as Rodriguez suffered a torn flexor tendon in late May, although he had pitched well before that. He missed bits of 2015 to elbow and forearm troubles, but was still effective when healthy. In August 2016, Rodriguez suffered a partially torn labrum.

Cordoba remained stuck around .500 during Rodriguez’s three-year tenure, which saw a 22-14 record, 3.13 ERA, 319.1 innings, 286 strikeouts, 70 walks, 119 ERA+, and 6.8 WAR. While he wasn’t bad when healthy, the deal certainly was a disappointment for Chanticleers fans. Rodriguez decided to retire after the 2016 season at age 35.

Rodriguez finished with a 191-111 record, 3.23 ERA, 2827 innings, 3057 strikeouts, 493 walks, 117 complete games, 30 shutouts, 124 ERA+, and 76.9 WAR. As of 2037, Rodriguez rates 92^nd in wins and 62^nd in pitching WAR, although he falls outside of the top 100 in all other stats. The injuries and relatively few injuries kept him from having a more impactful spot on leaderboards.

On the surface, his totals may seem a bit low for induction, but Rodriguez had two big pieces in his favor. He had three Pitcher of the Year awards and was a stud in the playoffs, leading Valencia to two pennants and a Copa Sudamerica wins. Those factors clinched it for most voters, giving Rodriguez 87.2% on his debut for the third spot in a rock solid 2022 BSA Hall of Fame class.

12-28-2024, 11:21 AM	#1925
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,015	2022 BSA Hall of Fame (Part 2) Jomar “Cracker” Cardoso – Outfield – Fortaleza Foxes – 94.4% First Ballot Jomar Cardoso was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed outfielder from Ipojuca, a municipality of around 97,000 in northeastern Brazil. Cardoso had the tools to be a traditional leadoff man as a great contact hitter with blistering speed. He was one of the most dangerous and crafty baserunners in the game’s history, stressing out pitchers with the steal always in play. Cardoso also regularly put the ball in play as he was excellent at avoiding strikeouts. He wasn’t one to draw many walks though, so he rarely was in the top ten in OBP despite regularly being a top ten guy in batting average. Cardoso was respectable at finding the gap and often could turn singles in doubles and doubles in triples with his speed. His 162 game average got you 31 doubles, 15 triples, and 16 home runs. Cardoso had very good durability and started 130+ games in all but his first and final seasons. The nickname “Cracker,” came from the sleeves of crackers Cardoso always had waiting for a pre or post-game snack. That quirk and his exciting baserunning helped him a fan favorite in his time. Defensively, Cardoso bounced around the outfield with about 40% of his starts in left field and the rest split roughly evenly between center and right. In the corners, he graded as reliably good to great defensively. Cardoso did rank as below average in center, but he could competently slot in there as needed. Most seasons saw him spending time in all three slots interchangeably depending on what the lineup called for, making Cardoso a solid utility man. Cardoso’s unique skillset made him a highly ranked prospect heading into the 2003 BSA Draft. He was picked 11^th overall by Fortaleza, where he’d spend his entire South American career. The Foxes used him a part-time role as a rookie but were happy with the results, as Cardoso had 2.5 WAR and a .337 average over 82 games. He would become a full-time starter for the next decade after that and a fixture in the leadoff spot, leading the Southern Cone League seven times in at-bats. Each of Cardoso’s Fortaleza seasons after his rookie year were worth 5+ WAR with 100+ runs scored, 200+ hits, 85+ stolen bases, and had batting averages above .315. He hit for the cycle in both 2005 and 2006, becoming only the 24^th player in Beisbol Sudamerica history to achieve the feat multiple times. In his second season, the Foxes ended a ten-year playoff drought and won the Southern Cone League title. Fortaleza lost to Bogota in Copa Sudamerica, but Cardoso was finals MVP in defeat. Over 14 playoff games, he had 21 hits, 10 runs, 2 doubles, 2 triples, 5 homers, 15 RBI, and a 1.156 OPS. That run alone helped solidify Cardoso as a major favorite of Foxes fans. Fortaleza would be just outside the payoffs the next two years. They were the #1 seed in 2008 and 2009 with 114-58 and 110-52 records, respectively. However, the Foxes were upset in the divisional series both years. They made it back to the LCS in 2010 at 98-64, but were denied by Santa Cruz. Fortaleza would miss the playoffs in 2011 at 86-76. For his part from 2008-10, Cardoso led the league each year in runs scored and stolen bases. He had the most hits in 2008 and 2009, posting 8+ WAR efforts those years. 2008 also featured a 32-game hitting streak, which at the time tied for the 10^th-longest in BSA. Cardoso was third in 2008’s MVP voting and won a Silver Slugger in 2009 as a center fielder. His lack of home run power and bouncing around the outfield did limit his awards potential. Fortaleza was plenty satisfied with the results, giving Cardoso a seven-year, $35,280,000 extension after the 2008 season. In 2012, Cardoso stole 132 bases, the second-most in BSA history behind Pascal Garcia’s then-world record of 152 from 1996. As of 2037, Cardoso’s effort is one of only 45 seasons with 130+ steals in any world league. He led again in runs and won a Silver Slugger in right field. Fortaleza got back to the playoffs as a wild card, but lost in the divisional series. This would start a four-year streak for the Foxes though. Fortaleza would earn repeat Southern Cone League titles in 2013 and 2014. They defeated Medellin in the 2013 Copa Sudamerica, but were defeated in a 2014 rematch with the Mutiny. Cardoso won finals MVP for the second time in his career with his 2013 postseason seeing 23 hits, 18 runs, 12 steals, and a 1.032 OPS. He had strong playoff numbers for his Foxes tenure with 70 games, 103 hits, 54 runs, 21 doubles, 7 triples, 8 home runs, 35 RBI, 42 stolen bases, a .356/.377/.561 slash, 157 wRC+, and 3.2 WAR. As of 2037, Cardoso is 6^th all-time in BSA playoff steals, 10^th in runs scored, and 15^th in hits. Fortaleza earned berths into the Baseball Grand Championship both years. They were near the bottom in 2013 at 7-12, then finished near the middle in 2014 at 9-10. In 37 BGC starts, Cardoso had 46 hits, 25 runs, 5 doubles, 1 triple, 6 home runs, 16 RBI, 15 stolen bases, and 1.1 WAR. 2014 was his finest season by many measures, winning his third and final Silver Slugger. Cardoso had career and league bests in hits (248) and batting average (.388). He had a career bests for triple slash (.388/.405/.577), OPS (.983), wRC+ (170), and WAR (9.0). Cardoso also led in steals for the seventh consecutive season, posting his fifth year with 100+ swipes. With his stock seemingly at an all-time high, Cardoso declined his contract option and entered free agency at age 34. Fortaleza fans were disappointed to see him go, but he remained a very popular figure whose #42 uniform would later be retired. His departure didn’t hit as hard as he announced plans to head to Major League Baseball. Cardoso also remained popular and in front of Brazilian baseball fans as he would return home still for the World Baseball Championship, although his role diminished in his later years. From 2006-20, Cardoso played 101 games and started 81 with 111 hits, 57 runs, 10 doubles, 3 triples, 16 home runs, 25 RBI, 59 stolen bases, a .327/.367/.517 slash, and 4.3 WAR. Cardoso played in a relatively weak for a normally strong Brazil, whose only WBC division titles came in 2006, 2014, and 2016, peaking with a third place in 2016. In 2015, Cardoso began his MLB career on a five-year, $72,800,000 deal with Atlanta. He won his lone Gold Glove in 2015 in left field and was a generally good, but not amazing starter. He did post 5.4 WAR in his third season for the Aces, but fell to a low of 1.9 in 2018. Atlanta didn’t make the playoffs during his four year tenure, but Cardoso’s run had 731 hits, 353 runs, 89 doubles, 34 triples, 48 home runs, 227 RBI, 172 stolen bases, a .296/.328/.418 slash, 14.2 WAR, and 104 wRC+. Cardoso was a free agent again for 2019 at age 38 and began an international search that led him to Germany. He signed a one-year, $6.7 million deal with Berlin of the European Baseball Federation. The Barons had just won the European Second League title, earning a return to the top tier. Cardoso had a very solid 2019 campaign for the Barons with 5.7 WAR and .893 OPS. Berlin even made the playoffs in their EBF return, but fell in the first round. For 2020, Bratislava hoped he’d replicate that production with a two-year, $13,400,000 deal. Cardoso’s time in Slovakia wasn’t great with only 0.3 WAR over 83 games, missing some time to injury. The Blue Falcons were an abysmal 49-113 and suffered relegation. Cardoso used the relegation opt out to become a free agent again, but he couldn’t find any interested teams in 2021. He finally retired that winter at age 41. For his combined pro career, Cardoso had 3352 hits, 1710 runs, 480 doubles, 237 triples, 225 home runs, 1094 RBI, 1332 stolen bases, a .332/.356/.494 slash, 135 wRC+, and 91.4 WAR. Among all world players as of 2037, Cardoso has the 38^th most steals and just misses the top 50 for batting average among all of the world’s Hall of Famers. Just in BSA with Fortaleza, Cardoso had 2355 hits, 1223 runs, 350 doubles, 188 triples, 154 home runs, 744 RBI, 1047 stolen bases, a .348/.368/.523 slash, 149 wRC+, and 71.2 WAR. Playing his final six years elsewhere did hurt his grand totals, although Cardoso still ranks 18^th in stolen bases and 73^rd in triples. Among all batters with 3000+ plate appearances, his batting average ranks 20^th and his OBP is 98^th. The lower grand tallies didn’t faze the voters when evaluating Cardoso. Even if advanced stats are less impressed by a high average and stolen bases, most voters still were. Cardoso was a reliably solid defender and played a big role in getting Fortaleza three pennants and a Copa Sudamerica win. Being finals MVP twice sealed the deal for Cardoso, who was inducted easily at 94.4% as part of BSA’s 2022 Hall of Fame class. Franco Rodriguez – Starting Pitcher – Valencia Velocity – 87.2% First Ballot Franco Rodriguez was a 6’5’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from Concordia, a city of 179,000 in northeastern Argentina on the border with Uruguay. Rodriguez was a hard thrower with excellent stuff, along with good-to-great movement and control. His fastball was solid and regularly hit 98-100 mph, although his splitter was considered his most dangerous offering. Rodriguez also had a nice knuckle curve and a standard curve, along with a rarely used changeup. His arsenal’s diversity made him very effective in his prime. Rodriguez’s stamina was pretty good when he was healthy, but he would be plagued by various injuries from his late 20s onward. He was decent at holding runners but was a weak defensive pitcher. As a teenager, Rodriguez had scouts watching him from across the continent. One of them from Venezuela really took a shine to him and convinced Rodriguez to head north to Valencia. He spent four full years in the Velocity’s academy before debuting in 2002 at age 21. He was a part-time starter as a rookie with okay results, earning the full-time slot in 2003. Rodriguez would post 5+ WAR in each of the next seven seasons, but he wouldn’t be viewed as a top flight ace until his fourth season. In 2005, Rodriguez led the Bolivar League in WHIP (1.05) and posted what would be career bests in ERA (2.44) and ERA+ (164). This effort earned him Pitcher of the Year honors. Rodriguez’s ERA dipped in 2007, but he bounced back in 2007 for a 2.76 ERA, 284 strikeouts, and 7.8 WAR to win his second Pitcher of the Year. Valencia ended a nine-year playoff drought and defeated Cali for the Bolivar League title. The Velocity fell to Salvador in Copa Sudamerica, but Rodriguez established himself as a big game pitcher. In four playoff starts, he had a 2.40 ERA over 30 innings, 3-1 record, and 30 strikeouts. In June 2008, Valencia locked Rodriguez down with a six-year, $48,800,000 extension. He repeated and won his third Pitcher of the Year with league bests in strikeouts (318), WAR (8.7), and innings pitched (279.1). His innings, strikeouts, and complete games (16) would all be career bests, although Valencia fell to 82-80. The Velocity won their division in 2009 but lost in the divisional series. Rodriguez’s one playoff start saw four runs allowed over seven innings, which would be his only truly iffy playoff start in his career. 2009 was a banner year overall for Rodriguez despite finishing third in Pitcher of the Year voting. In the World Baseball Championship for his native Argentina, he had 11.2 scoreless innings to take second in Best Pitcher voting. 2009 also saw Rodriguez’s lone no-hitter on April 26 in an 11 strikeout effort against Ciudad Guayana. Although most of his pro career was in Venezuela, Rodriguez was a regular for his native Argentina in the world stage. From 2003-2014, he pitched 28 games and 181.2 innings with a 16-6 record, 2.87 ERA, 262 strikeouts, 32 walks, and 6.3 WAR. As of 2037, Rodriguez has the 7^th most pitching WAR among Argentinians, the 3^rd most wins, and 6^th most strikeouts. 2010 was a rough year for the 29-year old Rodriguez, missing most of the season between a torn meniscus and a strained abdominal muscle. Valencia fell one game short of a wild card. While his ERA was iffy, Rodriguez posted 7.9 WAR in a rebound 2011. Most importantly, he led the Velocity to their first Copa Sudamerica win since their late 1970s dynasty, defeating Recife. In five playoff starts, Rodriguez had a 1.96 ERA over 36.2 innings with 47 strikeouts, a 3-0 record, and 1.8 WAR. It was the third-most WAR ever by a BSA pitcher in the playoffs. Rodriguez was second in Pitcher of the Year voting in 2012 with a career and league best 9.0 WAR. He had a 1.80 ERA in 20 playoff innings, but Valencia fell in the divisional series. These were Rodriguez’s final postseason starts, but he finished with an excellent 2.31 ERA over 93.2 innings, 6-2 record, 114 strikeouts, 176 ERA+, 49 FIP-, and 4.2 WAR. He ranks 13^th as of 2037 in WAR among BSA postseason pitchers. Things went downhill for Rodriguez in 2013 with bone chips in his elbow knocking him out most of the year. Valencia had their first losing season since 2006 and decided to rebuild. With one year left on his deal, the Velocity traded their longtime ace in the offseason to Cordoba for two prospects and a third round draft pick. One of the prospects would be 3B Herculano Bravo, who would have a Hall of Good type career as a regular starter for Valencia. With the Velocity, Rodriguez had a 169-97 record, 3.24 ERA, 2507.2 innings, 2771 strikeouts, 423 walks, 112 complete games, 125 ERA+, and 70.1 WAR. For an excellent decade-plus of production, Valencia would retire his #5 uniform at the end of his career. While the 33-year old Rodriguez was sad to leave, he was excited to return home to Argentina. Cordoba had been around .500 and hoped Rodriguez could get them to the top. The Chanticleers saw Rodriguez in their plans long-term and before spring training 2014, gave him a five-year, $63 million deal. It would be cursed from the start as Rodriguez suffered a torn flexor tendon in late May, although he had pitched well before that. He missed bits of 2015 to elbow and forearm troubles, but was still effective when healthy. In August 2016, Rodriguez suffered a partially torn labrum. Cordoba remained stuck around .500 during Rodriguez’s three-year tenure, which saw a 22-14 record, 3.13 ERA, 319.1 innings, 286 strikeouts, 70 walks, 119 ERA+, and 6.8 WAR. While he wasn’t bad when healthy, the deal certainly was a disappointment for Chanticleers fans. Rodriguez decided to retire after the 2016 season at age 35. Rodriguez finished with a 191-111 record, 3.23 ERA, 2827 innings, 3057 strikeouts, 493 walks, 117 complete games, 30 shutouts, 124 ERA+, and 76.9 WAR. As of 2037, Rodriguez rates 92^nd in wins and 62^nd in pitching WAR, although he falls outside of the top 100 in all other stats. The injuries and relatively few injuries kept him from having a more impactful spot on leaderboards. On the surface, his totals may seem a bit low for induction, but Rodriguez had two big pieces in his favor. He had three Pitcher of the Year awards and was a stud in the playoffs, leading Valencia to two pennants and a Copa Sudamerica wins. Those factors clinched it for most voters, giving Rodriguez 87.2% on his debut for the third spot in a rock solid 2022 BSA Hall of Fame class. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)