OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post

FuzzyRussianHat · 12-29-2024, 12:01 PM

The Oceania Baseball Association had its largest Hall of Fame class since 2005 as the 2022 group saw four inductees. Three earned first ballot honors firmly with LF Arjita Gabeja at 98.5%, SS/2B Tyler Straw at 94.4%, and 1B Jacob Crotchett at 85.1%. The one returner joining them was SP Jarome Gulavao on his fourth ballot, sliding across the 66% requirement at 66.4%. CL Nolan Gilmoon was the only other player above 50% with 51.9% on his fourth ballot.

1B Darren Lucklin was dropped after ten failed tries, peaking at 43.2% in 2021 and ending with a low of 16.0% in 2022. He had a 16-year career and won six Silver Sluggers, posting 2374 hits, 1136 runs, 470 doubles, 365 home runs, 1223 RBI, a .284/.339/.484 slash, 137 wRC+, and 61.8 WAR. Lucklin had a nice run, but voters expected much bigger power stats from a first baseman. He also had limited black ink and never made it to the playoffs, thus sending his resume into the Hall of Good pile.

Arjita “Buddha” Gabeja – Left Field/Designated Hitter – Tahiti Tropics – 98.5% First Ballot

Arjita Gabeja was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed slugger from Villa Elisa, a city of 64,099 in Fiji’s Central Division. He would be the second Fijian to make OBA’s Hall of Fame and is widely viewed as the best ever from the small island nation. Gabeja was nicknamed “Buddha” for his conversion and dedication to Buddhism later in his life. He would emerge as one of the most popular and impressive sluggers to come from the Pacific.

Gabeja was a stellar home run hitter with 50 dingers per his 162 game average. On nine occasions, he would smack more than 50 in a season and from 2001-14, he had at least 40 homers and 100 RBI each year. Gabeja had a great eye for drawing walks, although his strikeout rate was unremarkable. He was an excellent contact hitter against right-handed pitching for his whole career. Gabeja was solid against lefties in his peak, but struggled in his later years.

Specifically against righties, few batters were ever better with Gabeja posting a career 1.044 OPS and 193 wRC+. He wasn’t a bum against lefties though with a 122 wRC+ and .774 OPS. Gabeja’s power was heavily slanted towards homers, but he still got you 27 doubles per his 162 game average. His baserunning instincts were respectable, but he was still limited by subpar speed. Gabeja also wasn’t one to provide much range defensively.

Just over half of Gabeja’s career starts came in left field, where he graded as an abysmal defender. He saw occasional time at first base and was better there, albeit still quite poor. Roughly 2/3 of his starts came as a designated hitter. You absolutely had to fit his bat in somewhere and Gabeja was generally in good health, playing 139+ games each year from 2001-16. Few guys worked harder or were more adaptable, earning his rise to become one of OBA’s most beloved superstars.

Gabeja was spotted as a teenager and signed to a developmental contract in September 1995 with Tahiti. He spent most of five years in their academy and had an unusual setback in 1998 with a partially torn UCL shelving him nearly a calendar year. Such an injury wasn’t common for a non-pitcher. Gabeja officially debuted in 1999 at age 20 with one pinch hit strikeout. He played 24 games and started 6 in 2000. Gabeja would start every game in 2001 and held the full-time job for the next 16 years for the Tropics.

He officially used up his rookie status in 2000, but Gabeja essentially was a rookie in his first full year of 2001. He led the league in runs, homers, RBI, total bases, slugging, and OPS; earning Pacific League MVP and a Silver Slugger as a DH. This would be Gabeja’s first of 14 consecutive seasons with at least 5+ WAR, 40+ homers, and 100+ RBI. It also started a streak of five years leading the league in runs scored and was his first of seven times leading the PL in OPS.

For the rest of the decade, Gabeja was always in the MVP conversation. He won the award five times total (2001, 03, 05, 08, 09) with second place finishes in both 2004 and 2007 and third place finishes in 2002 and 2007. As of 2037, he’s one of eight in OBA to win 5+ MVPs. Gabeja had Silver Sluggers from 2003-08 in left field and as a DH in 2001 and 2009. Tahiti knew they struck gold, signing Gabeja to an eight-year, $29,560,000 extension after the 2003 season.

2005 was his best season by some metrics with career bests in runs (127), homers (58), total bases (404), and WAR (9.1). In 2005, Gabeja became the fourth player in OBA history with a four home run game. That year saw a Triple Crown win with his only batting title at .342 along with 56 homers and a career best 143 RBI. 2005 also had his highs in hits (194), triple slash (.342/.421/.697), OPS (1.117), and wRC+ (213). That set a single-season OPS record at the time, although it ranks 9^th as of 2037. The OBP mark was the second-best single-season in OBA to that point and ranks 6^th still.

During the 2000s, Gabeja led the PL in runs scored six times, hits once, homers seven times, RBI four times, walks twice, total bases four times, batting average once, OBP five times, slugging five times, OPS seven times, wRC+ four times, and WAR twice. Not surprisingly, this helped turn Tahiti back into a contender, ending a pennant drought that dated back to the mid 1970s.

The Tropics began a dynasty, winning the Pacific League title in 2003, 04, 05, 07, and 08. They missed out by one game in 2006 despite 102 wins. This set up multiple wars against Melbourne, who became the Australasia League’s dynasty at the same time. Tahiti won the Oceania Championship in their 2003 and 2008 encounters, while the Mets won in 2004, 05, and 07.

Tahiti won 98 and 99 games in 2009 and 2010, but fell just short of the pennant both years. In March 2011, the now 32-year old Gabeja signed a new five-year, $26,500,000 extension. While not quite as dominant, he remained an excellent slugger in his 30s. From 2010 onward, Gabeja led twice more in home runs and runs scored. He won a 2012 Silver Slugger in LF and a DH one in 2014, giving him ten total. Gabeja was third in 2012’s MVP voting and second in 2014.

The Tropics reclaimed the Pacific League in 2011 and got one back over Melbourne, earning their third OBA title in a decade. The 2011 series was a seven game classic with the Tropics winning game seven 2-1 in ten innings. Tahiti stunned many with a great showing in the second-ever Baseball Grand Championship with a 13-6 finish. Gabeja was especially strong there with 16 starts, 17 hits, 13 runs, 2 doubles, 7 home runs, 12 RBI, 10 walks, a .298/.412/.702 slash, 219 wRC+, and 1.3 WAR. Tahiti stayed above 90 wins for the next two years, but finished third and second in the standings.

Tahiti’s great run had one last hurrah with back-to-back PL titles in 2014 and 2015. Now facing Christchurch in the Oceania Championship, the Tropics lost the 2014 finale but won in 2015. Tahiti finished in the middle of the Grand Championship standings these years, going 9-10 in 2014 and 10-9 in 2015. Gabeja had stellar numbers in the Grand Championship overall with 53 starts, 53 hits, 40 runs, 8 doubles, 25 home runs, 46 RBI, a .279/.370/.717 slash, 210 wRC+, and 3.6 WAR.

Gabeja’s numbers in the Oceania Championship were by no means bad, but they were maybe less dominant than you’d expect. In 51 games, he had 44 hits, 31 runs, 5 doubles, 3 triples, 15 home runs, 33 RBI, 23 walks, a .250/.335/.568 slash, 135 wRC+, and 1.3 WAR. Still, he’s on a very short list to have played in seven finals and earned four rings. As of 2037, Gabeja ranks 6^th in playoff hits, 4^th in runs, 4^th in home runs, and 3^rd in RBI.

As he rolled into his 30s, Gabeja started to climb OBA’s leaderboards overall. 2013 saw Gabeja become the seventh to reach 1500 career RBI. In 2014, he joined Vavao Brighouse as the only members of the 700 home run club. That year he also passed Quentin Basa’s 1506 to become OBA’s all-time leader in runs scored. In 2016, Gabeja was the 12^th to reach 2500 hits.

Tahiti finished second in 2016 at 94-68 with Gabeja sitting 18 homers away from Brighouse’s record 804 and at 1809 RBI. Gabeja and Junia Lava had currently passed the rest of the field, although Lava finished 2016 at 1935. Lava also had 757 home runs, putting him in contention to pass Brighouse’s mark. To the OBA diehards’ disappointment, neither men passed Brighouse. For Lava, he struggled in one final season. For Gabeja, his OBA run ended in 2016.

Gabeja became a free agent heading towards age 38 and although 2016 had been his weakest season, he still had a solid 36 home runs, 162 wRC+, and 3.4 WAR. Instead of chasing OBA records, he signed a two-year, $18,700,000 deal with MLB’s Tampa Thunderbirds. Gabeja had earned international acclaim and wanted to test that out on the MLB stage.

Unfortunately, he picked the wrong time to come over as age caught up to him. In one year for Tampa, Gabeja had a .710 OPS, 90 wRC+, and 0.1 WAR in 117 games. They let him go and he shopped around for 2018, but most teams thought he was cooked. No OBA squads wanted to bring him on for mere record chasing and he retired that winter just past his 40^th birthday. Tahiti would immediately bring him home to retire his #32 uniform and he’d be a cherished spokesman and icon for years to come for the Tropics.

Gabeja’s OBA career had 2488 games, 2609 hits, 1683 runs, 422 doubles, 786 home runs, 1853 RBI, 1117 walks, a .292/.371/.615 slash, 179 wRC+, and 103.7 WAR. At retirement, he was the runs leader and also ranked 2^nd in homers, 8^th in hits, 2^nd in RBI, 3^rd in total bases (5497), 3^rd in walks, 2^nd in OPS (.986), and 5^th in WAR among position players.

As of 2037, Gabeja still ranks 4^th in runs, 19^th in hits, 5^th in total bases, 28^th in doubles, 3^rd in homers, 4^th in RBI, 5^th in walks, and 7^th in WAR among position players. His MLB season did get him to 804 pro homers, one of 54 members of the worldwide 800 club as of 2037. Among OBA batters with 3000+ plate appearances, he ranks 81^st in batting average, 4^th in OBP, 3^rd in slugging, and 3^rd in OPS.

Gabeja’s lack of defense value often lowers his ratings in the discussions for OBA’s greatest-ever position player. However as a pure hitter, Gabeja will be on many top five lists and on almost all top ten lists. He was a critical piece and turned Tahiti into THE Pacific League powerhouse to start the 2000s. In a loaded four-player 2022 OBA Hall of Fame class, Gabeja was the clear headliner at 98.5%.

Tyler Straw – Shortstop/Second Base – Melbourne Mets – 94.4% First Ballot

Tyler Straw was a 6’2’’, 205 pound right-handed middle infielder from Sydney, Australia’s most populous city. At his best, Straw was a solid contact hitter with an excellent pop in his bat. His 162 game average got you 36 home runs, 31 doubles, and 13 triples. Straw had a good eye for drawing walks with a decent strikeout rate. He was also one of the most skilled and adept baserunners you’d find anywhere. Straw’s speed was above average-to-good at best, but he was masterful at picking his spots for steals and extra bases.

Straw played mostly shortstop in his 20s, then moved to a split SS/2B role in his early 30s before playing mostly second base at the end. He was an excellent defender at both spots, making about 60% of his career starts at short and around 40% at 2B. Straw’s issue was durability, as he was plagued by injuries especially from his back, knees, and ankles. He still managed an 18-year career, but only played 120+ games in six seasons. Even in partial seasons, Straw provided immense value and became one of Australia’s biggest superstars of the era.

In the 1998 OBA Draft, Straw was picked third overall by Melbourne. He was a full-time starter immediately and struggled with his bat as a rookie, although he still had 2.9 WAR in 97 starts despite a .545 OPS. Injury issues began right away, as torn ankle ligaments kept him out for the second half. Even as an actively bad bat who missed time to injury, Straw finished second in Rookie of the Year voting.

Straw stayed healthy the next two years and fixed his bat to emerge as a top star, leading the Australasia League both years in WAR and OPS. He repeated as AL MVP and a Silver Slugger winner in 2000 and 2001. In 2002, more torn ankle ligaments kept Straw out more than half the season. Melbourne was still confident that he could lead them to greatness, giving Straw an eight-year, $28,920,000 extension that winter.

From 1971-02, the Mets had one pennant and averaged 78.5 wins per season. From 2003-12, they began one of the greatest dynasties in baseball history. Straw helped kick that off in 2003 with by far his finest season, winning his third MVP and Silver Slugger. He had a Triple Crown with 61 home runs, 149 RBI, and a .321 batting average. These would be by far his best power stats of his career. Straw scored 135 runs, falling one short of OBA’s single-season record.

2003 also had Straw’s career bests in total bases (421), and WAR (12.4) for his 3^rd MVP. The WAR mark was the best-ever by an OBA position player not named Jimmy Caliw (who topped it five times) and still ranks 6^th as of 2037. The OPS mark also set a new OBA record that would be beaten two years later by HOF classmate Arjita Gabeja. Straw had two higher OPS seasons, but neither had the plate appearances required to qualify as the league leader.

Straw and Gabeja became the respective stars as Melbourne and Tahiti began their epic Oceania Championship rivalry. The Tropics won the opener in 2003 in a seven-game classic, although Straw was excellent in defeat with a 1.075 OPS, 11 hits, and 6 runs. This was statistically his best finals performance with weak showings in 2004 and 2012, but good ones in 2006, 2008, and 2011.

Like Gabeja, Straw’s career finals numbers were surprisingly underwhelming. In 27 games, he had 31 hits, 18 runs, 6 doubles, 5 home runs, 13 RBI, 11 walks, 12 stolen bases, a .298/.362/.500 slash. 120 wRC+, and 0.9 WAR. Melbourne won ten pennants, although Straw missed four finales to injury. The Mets four-peated as OBA champ from 2004-07 with three wins over Tahiti and a 2006 win over Fiji. Melbourne’s best record was 114-48 in 2008, but that year had a loss to Tahiti. The Mets then beat Guam for the 2009 title and Guadalcanal in 2010. They were defeated in their final two berths to the Tropics in 2011 and Green Jackets in 2013.

Straw was available for three games in the 2010 Baseball Grand Championship and 13 in 2012, getting 14 runs, 17 hits, 6 doubles, 3 homers, 10 RBI, and 0.6 WAR. Melbourne was 5-4 in the inaugural divisional format, then took 6^th in 2012 at 11-8. Despite his injuries, Straw remained steadfast in playing for Australia in the World Baseball Championship, solidifying his status as a national hero. Because of the January date, he was generally healed up by the WBC and at full strength.

From 2000-15, Straw played 145 games with 129 hits, 105 runs, 21 doubles, 45 home runs, 90 RBI, 55 stolen bases, a .257/.370/.581 slash, and 8.0 WAR. In 2012, Australia made the semifinal for only the second time, placing fourth. As of 2037, Straw ranks 1^st in WAR among Australian position players and ranks 3^rd in hits, 2^nd in runs, 2^nd in homers, and 2^nd in RBI.

Straw still won Silver Sluggers in 2004 and 2005 despite injuries and even took third in 2004’s MVP voting in 2004. Repeated ankle ligament tears doomed him these years, followed by a torn calf muscle costing him most of 2006. In 2007, Straw missed the final weeks of the season and the playoffs to a torn quad. However in 124 games, he led the league with 11.2 WAR to win his 4^th MVP and 5^th Silver Slugger.

In 2008, Straw lost more than half the year between various injuries. He was healthy for most of 2009 to win his first Silver Slugger at second base. Now 33-years old, Melbourne gave Straw a five-year, $43,700,000 extension. Straw won another Slugger in 2010 despite playing 102 games.

Straw’s 2011 was finally a full season, leading in WAR for the fifth time for his fifth MVP. He also won his first Gold Glove and ninth Silver Slugger. Straw won one more Slugger and Gold Glove in 2013 and still provided strong value even if you weren’t likely to get 100+ games out of him. 2013 marked the end of Melbourne’s dynasty, although they remained competitive through 2015. Straw signed a three-year, $25,900,000 extension after the 2014 campaign to stick with the Mets.

The beloved star’s power and defensive value waned in his late 30s, holding up better than you’d expect considering his repeated ankle woes. In 2016, Melbourne fully collapsed down to 59-103 and Straw was reduced to a backup role with 0.1 WAR and 89 wRC+ over 81 games. He retired that winter at age 40 and immediately had his #2 retired for his role in the historic dynasty.

Straw finished with 2027 hits, 1211 runs, 361 doubles, 153 triples, 424 home runs, 1227 RBI, 661 walks, 648 stolen bases, a .290/.353/.568 slash, 151 wRC+, and 103.1 WAR. As of 2037, Straw is 8^th in WAR among position players in OBA. Among all position players in world baseball history, he’s notably one of only three to finish with 100+ WAR in fewer than 2000 games (1915).

The injuries kept him from getting too high on the other accumulation leaderboards. In OBA as of 2037, he is 75^th in hits, 42^nd in runs, 51^st in doubles, 43^rd in home runs, 42^nd in RBI, 42^nd in walks, and 42^nd in stolen bases. Those numbers in a vacuum of course don’t show how impactful was in his prime. Among all batters with 3000+ plate appearances, his .921 OPS ranks 15^th and his triple slash is 89^th/36^th/18^th.

Some surmise that if he could’ve stayed healthy that Straw could’ve had a career rivaling nine-time AL MVP Jimmy Caliw, the world’s first 200+ WAR position player. Even through the woes, Straw won five MVPs, ten pennants, six OBA titles, and 10 Silver Sluggers. His status as a Hall of Famer was not at all in doubt, getting 94.4% to join the impressive four-player 2022 OBA class.

12-29-2024, 12:01 PM	#1928
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,895	2022 OBA Hall of Fame (Part 1) The Oceania Baseball Association had its largest Hall of Fame class since 2005 as the 2022 group saw four inductees. Three earned first ballot honors firmly with LF Arjita Gabeja at 98.5%, SS/2B Tyler Straw at 94.4%, and 1B Jacob Crotchett at 85.1%. The one returner joining them was SP Jarome Gulavao on his fourth ballot, sliding across the 66% requirement at 66.4%. CL Nolan Gilmoon was the only other player above 50% with 51.9% on his fourth ballot. 1B Darren Lucklin was dropped after ten failed tries, peaking at 43.2% in 2021 and ending with a low of 16.0% in 2022. He had a 16-year career and won six Silver Sluggers, posting 2374 hits, 1136 runs, 470 doubles, 365 home runs, 1223 RBI, a .284/.339/.484 slash, 137 wRC+, and 61.8 WAR. Lucklin had a nice run, but voters expected much bigger power stats from a first baseman. He also had limited black ink and never made it to the playoffs, thus sending his resume into the Hall of Good pile. Arjita “Buddha” Gabeja – Left Field/Designated Hitter – Tahiti Tropics – 98.5% First Ballot Arjita Gabeja was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed slugger from Villa Elisa, a city of 64,099 in Fiji’s Central Division. He would be the second Fijian to make OBA’s Hall of Fame and is widely viewed as the best ever from the small island nation. Gabeja was nicknamed “Buddha” for his conversion and dedication to Buddhism later in his life. He would emerge as one of the most popular and impressive sluggers to come from the Pacific. Gabeja was a stellar home run hitter with 50 dingers per his 162 game average. On nine occasions, he would smack more than 50 in a season and from 2001-14, he had at least 40 homers and 100 RBI each year. Gabeja had a great eye for drawing walks, although his strikeout rate was unremarkable. He was an excellent contact hitter against right-handed pitching for his whole career. Gabeja was solid against lefties in his peak, but struggled in his later years. Specifically against righties, few batters were ever better with Gabeja posting a career 1.044 OPS and 193 wRC+. He wasn’t a bum against lefties though with a 122 wRC+ and .774 OPS. Gabeja’s power was heavily slanted towards homers, but he still got you 27 doubles per his 162 game average. His baserunning instincts were respectable, but he was still limited by subpar speed. Gabeja also wasn’t one to provide much range defensively. Just over half of Gabeja’s career starts came in left field, where he graded as an abysmal defender. He saw occasional time at first base and was better there, albeit still quite poor. Roughly 2/3 of his starts came as a designated hitter. You absolutely had to fit his bat in somewhere and Gabeja was generally in good health, playing 139+ games each year from 2001-16. Few guys worked harder or were more adaptable, earning his rise to become one of OBA’s most beloved superstars. Gabeja was spotted as a teenager and signed to a developmental contract in September 1995 with Tahiti. He spent most of five years in their academy and had an unusual setback in 1998 with a partially torn UCL shelving him nearly a calendar year. Such an injury wasn’t common for a non-pitcher. Gabeja officially debuted in 1999 at age 20 with one pinch hit strikeout. He played 24 games and started 6 in 2000. Gabeja would start every game in 2001 and held the full-time job for the next 16 years for the Tropics. He officially used up his rookie status in 2000, but Gabeja essentially was a rookie in his first full year of 2001. He led the league in runs, homers, RBI, total bases, slugging, and OPS; earning Pacific League MVP and a Silver Slugger as a DH. This would be Gabeja’s first of 14 consecutive seasons with at least 5+ WAR, 40+ homers, and 100+ RBI. It also started a streak of five years leading the league in runs scored and was his first of seven times leading the PL in OPS. For the rest of the decade, Gabeja was always in the MVP conversation. He won the award five times total (2001, 03, 05, 08, 09) with second place finishes in both 2004 and 2007 and third place finishes in 2002 and 2007. As of 2037, he’s one of eight in OBA to win 5+ MVPs. Gabeja had Silver Sluggers from 2003-08 in left field and as a DH in 2001 and 2009. Tahiti knew they struck gold, signing Gabeja to an eight-year, $29,560,000 extension after the 2003 season. 2005 was his best season by some metrics with career bests in runs (127), homers (58), total bases (404), and WAR (9.1). In 2005, Gabeja became the fourth player in OBA history with a four home run game. That year saw a Triple Crown win with his only batting title at .342 along with 56 homers and a career best 143 RBI. 2005 also had his highs in hits (194), triple slash (.342/.421/.697), OPS (1.117), and wRC+ (213). That set a single-season OPS record at the time, although it ranks 9^th as of 2037. The OBP mark was the second-best single-season in OBA to that point and ranks 6^th still. During the 2000s, Gabeja led the PL in runs scored six times, hits once, homers seven times, RBI four times, walks twice, total bases four times, batting average once, OBP five times, slugging five times, OPS seven times, wRC+ four times, and WAR twice. Not surprisingly, this helped turn Tahiti back into a contender, ending a pennant drought that dated back to the mid 1970s. The Tropics began a dynasty, winning the Pacific League title in 2003, 04, 05, 07, and 08. They missed out by one game in 2006 despite 102 wins. This set up multiple wars against Melbourne, who became the Australasia League’s dynasty at the same time. Tahiti won the Oceania Championship in their 2003 and 2008 encounters, while the Mets won in 2004, 05, and 07. Tahiti won 98 and 99 games in 2009 and 2010, but fell just short of the pennant both years. In March 2011, the now 32-year old Gabeja signed a new five-year, $26,500,000 extension. While not quite as dominant, he remained an excellent slugger in his 30s. From 2010 onward, Gabeja led twice more in home runs and runs scored. He won a 2012 Silver Slugger in LF and a DH one in 2014, giving him ten total. Gabeja was third in 2012’s MVP voting and second in 2014. The Tropics reclaimed the Pacific League in 2011 and got one back over Melbourne, earning their third OBA title in a decade. The 2011 series was a seven game classic with the Tropics winning game seven 2-1 in ten innings. Tahiti stunned many with a great showing in the second-ever Baseball Grand Championship with a 13-6 finish. Gabeja was especially strong there with 16 starts, 17 hits, 13 runs, 2 doubles, 7 home runs, 12 RBI, 10 walks, a .298/.412/.702 slash, 219 wRC+, and 1.3 WAR. Tahiti stayed above 90 wins for the next two years, but finished third and second in the standings. Tahiti’s great run had one last hurrah with back-to-back PL titles in 2014 and 2015. Now facing Christchurch in the Oceania Championship, the Tropics lost the 2014 finale but won in 2015. Tahiti finished in the middle of the Grand Championship standings these years, going 9-10 in 2014 and 10-9 in 2015. Gabeja had stellar numbers in the Grand Championship overall with 53 starts, 53 hits, 40 runs, 8 doubles, 25 home runs, 46 RBI, a .279/.370/.717 slash, 210 wRC+, and 3.6 WAR. Gabeja’s numbers in the Oceania Championship were by no means bad, but they were maybe less dominant than you’d expect. In 51 games, he had 44 hits, 31 runs, 5 doubles, 3 triples, 15 home runs, 33 RBI, 23 walks, a .250/.335/.568 slash, 135 wRC+, and 1.3 WAR. Still, he’s on a very short list to have played in seven finals and earned four rings. As of 2037, Gabeja ranks 6^th in playoff hits, 4^th in runs, 4^th in home runs, and 3^rd in RBI. As he rolled into his 30s, Gabeja started to climb OBA’s leaderboards overall. 2013 saw Gabeja become the seventh to reach 1500 career RBI. In 2014, he joined Vavao Brighouse as the only members of the 700 home run club. That year he also passed Quentin Basa’s 1506 to become OBA’s all-time leader in runs scored. In 2016, Gabeja was the 12^th to reach 2500 hits. Tahiti finished second in 2016 at 94-68 with Gabeja sitting 18 homers away from Brighouse’s record 804 and at 1809 RBI. Gabeja and Junia Lava had currently passed the rest of the field, although Lava finished 2016 at 1935. Lava also had 757 home runs, putting him in contention to pass Brighouse’s mark. To the OBA diehards’ disappointment, neither men passed Brighouse. For Lava, he struggled in one final season. For Gabeja, his OBA run ended in 2016. Gabeja became a free agent heading towards age 38 and although 2016 had been his weakest season, he still had a solid 36 home runs, 162 wRC+, and 3.4 WAR. Instead of chasing OBA records, he signed a two-year, $18,700,000 deal with MLB’s Tampa Thunderbirds. Gabeja had earned international acclaim and wanted to test that out on the MLB stage. Unfortunately, he picked the wrong time to come over as age caught up to him. In one year for Tampa, Gabeja had a .710 OPS, 90 wRC+, and 0.1 WAR in 117 games. They let him go and he shopped around for 2018, but most teams thought he was cooked. No OBA squads wanted to bring him on for mere record chasing and he retired that winter just past his 40^th birthday. Tahiti would immediately bring him home to retire his #32 uniform and he’d be a cherished spokesman and icon for years to come for the Tropics. Gabeja’s OBA career had 2488 games, 2609 hits, 1683 runs, 422 doubles, 786 home runs, 1853 RBI, 1117 walks, a .292/.371/.615 slash, 179 wRC+, and 103.7 WAR. At retirement, he was the runs leader and also ranked 2^nd in homers, 8^th in hits, 2^nd in RBI, 3^rd in total bases (5497), 3^rd in walks, 2^nd in OPS (.986), and 5^th in WAR among position players. As of 2037, Gabeja still ranks 4^th in runs, 19^th in hits, 5^th in total bases, 28^th in doubles, 3^rd in homers, 4^th in RBI, 5^th in walks, and 7^th in WAR among position players. His MLB season did get him to 804 pro homers, one of 54 members of the worldwide 800 club as of 2037. Among OBA batters with 3000+ plate appearances, he ranks 81^st in batting average, 4^th in OBP, 3^rd in slugging, and 3^rd in OPS. Gabeja’s lack of defense value often lowers his ratings in the discussions for OBA’s greatest-ever position player. However as a pure hitter, Gabeja will be on many top five lists and on almost all top ten lists. He was a critical piece and turned Tahiti into THE Pacific League powerhouse to start the 2000s. In a loaded four-player 2022 OBA Hall of Fame class, Gabeja was the clear headliner at 98.5%. Tyler Straw – Shortstop/Second Base – Melbourne Mets – 94.4% First Ballot Tyler Straw was a 6’2’’, 205 pound right-handed middle infielder from Sydney, Australia’s most populous city. At his best, Straw was a solid contact hitter with an excellent pop in his bat. His 162 game average got you 36 home runs, 31 doubles, and 13 triples. Straw had a good eye for drawing walks with a decent strikeout rate. He was also one of the most skilled and adept baserunners you’d find anywhere. Straw’s speed was above average-to-good at best, but he was masterful at picking his spots for steals and extra bases. Straw played mostly shortstop in his 20s, then moved to a split SS/2B role in his early 30s before playing mostly second base at the end. He was an excellent defender at both spots, making about 60% of his career starts at short and around 40% at 2B. Straw’s issue was durability, as he was plagued by injuries especially from his back, knees, and ankles. He still managed an 18-year career, but only played 120+ games in six seasons. Even in partial seasons, Straw provided immense value and became one of Australia’s biggest superstars of the era. In the 1998 OBA Draft, Straw was picked third overall by Melbourne. He was a full-time starter immediately and struggled with his bat as a rookie, although he still had 2.9 WAR in 97 starts despite a .545 OPS. Injury issues began right away, as torn ankle ligaments kept him out for the second half. Even as an actively bad bat who missed time to injury, Straw finished second in Rookie of the Year voting. Straw stayed healthy the next two years and fixed his bat to emerge as a top star, leading the Australasia League both years in WAR and OPS. He repeated as AL MVP and a Silver Slugger winner in 2000 and 2001. In 2002, more torn ankle ligaments kept Straw out more than half the season. Melbourne was still confident that he could lead them to greatness, giving Straw an eight-year, $28,920,000 extension that winter. From 1971-02, the Mets had one pennant and averaged 78.5 wins per season. From 2003-12, they began one of the greatest dynasties in baseball history. Straw helped kick that off in 2003 with by far his finest season, winning his third MVP and Silver Slugger. He had a Triple Crown with 61 home runs, 149 RBI, and a .321 batting average. These would be by far his best power stats of his career. Straw scored 135 runs, falling one short of OBA’s single-season record. 2003 also had Straw’s career bests in total bases (421), and WAR (12.4) for his 3^rd MVP. The WAR mark was the best-ever by an OBA position player not named Jimmy Caliw (who topped it five times) and still ranks 6^th as of 2037. The OPS mark also set a new OBA record that would be beaten two years later by HOF classmate Arjita Gabeja. Straw had two higher OPS seasons, but neither had the plate appearances required to qualify as the league leader. Straw and Gabeja became the respective stars as Melbourne and Tahiti began their epic Oceania Championship rivalry. The Tropics won the opener in 2003 in a seven-game classic, although Straw was excellent in defeat with a 1.075 OPS, 11 hits, and 6 runs. This was statistically his best finals performance with weak showings in 2004 and 2012, but good ones in 2006, 2008, and 2011. Like Gabeja, Straw’s career finals numbers were surprisingly underwhelming. In 27 games, he had 31 hits, 18 runs, 6 doubles, 5 home runs, 13 RBI, 11 walks, 12 stolen bases, a .298/.362/.500 slash. 120 wRC+, and 0.9 WAR. Melbourne won ten pennants, although Straw missed four finales to injury. The Mets four-peated as OBA champ from 2004-07 with three wins over Tahiti and a 2006 win over Fiji. Melbourne’s best record was 114-48 in 2008, but that year had a loss to Tahiti. The Mets then beat Guam for the 2009 title and Guadalcanal in 2010. They were defeated in their final two berths to the Tropics in 2011 and Green Jackets in 2013. Straw was available for three games in the 2010 Baseball Grand Championship and 13 in 2012, getting 14 runs, 17 hits, 6 doubles, 3 homers, 10 RBI, and 0.6 WAR. Melbourne was 5-4 in the inaugural divisional format, then took 6^th in 2012 at 11-8. Despite his injuries, Straw remained steadfast in playing for Australia in the World Baseball Championship, solidifying his status as a national hero. Because of the January date, he was generally healed up by the WBC and at full strength. From 2000-15, Straw played 145 games with 129 hits, 105 runs, 21 doubles, 45 home runs, 90 RBI, 55 stolen bases, a .257/.370/.581 slash, and 8.0 WAR. In 2012, Australia made the semifinal for only the second time, placing fourth. As of 2037, Straw ranks 1^st in WAR among Australian position players and ranks 3^rd in hits, 2^nd in runs, 2^nd in homers, and 2^nd in RBI. Straw still won Silver Sluggers in 2004 and 2005 despite injuries and even took third in 2004’s MVP voting in 2004. Repeated ankle ligament tears doomed him these years, followed by a torn calf muscle costing him most of 2006. In 2007, Straw missed the final weeks of the season and the playoffs to a torn quad. However in 124 games, he led the league with 11.2 WAR to win his 4^th MVP and 5^th Silver Slugger. In 2008, Straw lost more than half the year between various injuries. He was healthy for most of 2009 to win his first Silver Slugger at second base. Now 33-years old, Melbourne gave Straw a five-year, $43,700,000 extension. Straw won another Slugger in 2010 despite playing 102 games. Straw’s 2011 was finally a full season, leading in WAR for the fifth time for his fifth MVP. He also won his first Gold Glove and ninth Silver Slugger. Straw won one more Slugger and Gold Glove in 2013 and still provided strong value even if you weren’t likely to get 100+ games out of him. 2013 marked the end of Melbourne’s dynasty, although they remained competitive through 2015. Straw signed a three-year, $25,900,000 extension after the 2014 campaign to stick with the Mets. The beloved star’s power and defensive value waned in his late 30s, holding up better than you’d expect considering his repeated ankle woes. In 2016, Melbourne fully collapsed down to 59-103 and Straw was reduced to a backup role with 0.1 WAR and 89 wRC+ over 81 games. He retired that winter at age 40 and immediately had his #2 retired for his role in the historic dynasty. Straw finished with 2027 hits, 1211 runs, 361 doubles, 153 triples, 424 home runs, 1227 RBI, 661 walks, 648 stolen bases, a .290/.353/.568 slash, 151 wRC+, and 103.1 WAR. As of 2037, Straw is 8^th in WAR among position players in OBA. Among all position players in world baseball history, he’s notably one of only three to finish with 100+ WAR in fewer than 2000 games (1915). The injuries kept him from getting too high on the other accumulation leaderboards. In OBA as of 2037, he is 75^th in hits, 42^nd in runs, 51^st in doubles, 43^rd in home runs, 42^nd in RBI, 42^nd in walks, and 42^nd in stolen bases. Those numbers in a vacuum of course don’t show how impactful was in his prime. Among all batters with 3000+ plate appearances, his .921 OPS ranks 15^th and his triple slash is 89^th/36^th/18^th. Some surmise that if he could’ve stayed healthy that Straw could’ve had a career rivaling nine-time AL MVP Jimmy Caliw, the world’s first 200+ WAR position player. Even through the woes, Straw won five MVPs, ten pennants, six OBA titles, and 10 Silver Sluggers. His status as a Hall of Famer was not at all in doubt, getting 94.4% to join the impressive four-player 2022 OBA class. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)