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FuzzyRussianHat · 12-29-2024, 07:12 PM

Jacob Crotchett – First Base – Auckland Avengers – 85.1% First Ballot

Jacob Crotchett was a 6’8’’, 195 pound left-handed hitting first baseman from Brisbane, Australia’s third-most populous city. Crotchett was an above average to good contact hitter with reliable home run power specifically against right-handed pitching. His overall 162 game average got 38 homers and 28 doubles. Crotchett wasn’t going to leg out extra bases as he was a very slow and clumsy baserunner. He rated as below average at drawing walks with an okay strikeout rate.

Against righties, he had a career 146 wRC+ and .921 OPS. Lefties gave Crotchett trouble though with a subpar 90 wRC+ and .683 OPS. He played exclusively at first base, which suited his long frame. Crotchett was a reliably above average gloveman and boasted impressive durability, playing 140+ games every year once he earned the starting gig. Some said his work ethic was unreliable, but Crotchett still became one of the region’s more popular players over a 17-year pro career.

Being a tall lefty earned Crotchett looks from scouts as a teenager. One of them was from Auckland and signed him to a developmental deal in January 1995. Crotchett spent most of six years in the Avengers academy, although he did officially debut in 1999 at age 20. He played 23 games that year, then had 39 games with 15 starts in 2000. Auckland won the Australasia League title in 2000, but lost to Guam in the Oceania Championship. The young Crotchett struggled in what would be his only playoff games, going 2-20 with 8 strikeouts..

Crotchett was moved into the starting job in 2001 and held it steadfastly for the next 16 years. In 2002, Crotchett led the AL in slugging (.590), OPS (.953), and wRC+ (157), winning a Silver Slugger and taking second in MVP voting. He won another Slugger and was third in 2003’s MVP voting with 47 homers and 126 RBI. Crotchett added another Slugger and his lone Gold Glove in 2005. In February 2005, Auckland gave Crotchett a six-year, $24,400,000 extension.

Crotchett’s lone MVP win and his fourth Slugger came in 2006, leading in hits (201), RBI (153), batting average (.339), slugging (.656), and wRC+ (172). These were all career bests, as was his 51 homers, 1.027 OPS, and 6.9 WAR. Crotchett’s 153 RBI was the second-most ever in an OBA season behind Vavao Brighouse’s 161 in 1995 (and still ranks 3^rd as of 2037). Crotchett missed a Triple Crown by only six homers. He won additional Sluggers in 2007 and 2008, but wasn’t a league leader beyond his 2006 effort.

Unfortunately, Crotchett played in the AL against Melbourne during their dynasty run and never won a pennant beyond 2000 as a reserve. The Avengers were often in the top half of the standings in his prime, averaging 90 wins per season from 2005-10. Crotchett did get to play some on the world stage, representing Australia in the World Baseball Championship from 2002-08. In 61 games, he had 60 hits, 38 runs, 7 doubles, 18 home runs, 44 RBI, a .261/.302/.526 slash, 139 wRC+, and 2.2 WAR.

Auckland dropped to 80-82 in 2011, then had an abysmal run of at the bottom of the standings for the rest of his tenure. Crotchett stayed on through the doldrums with a five-year, $22,200,000 extension signed in May 2011. His time as an elite starter was done, but he remained a respectable contributor to the end. Crotchett’s deal expired after the 2016 campaign and he wanted to still play, but no team signed him for 2017. He retired that winter at age 39 and had his #26 uniform immediately retired back in Auckland.

Crotchett had 2646 hits, 1310 runs, 440 doubles, 596 home runs, 1648 RBI, 567 walks, a .284/.326/.533 slash, 132 wRC+, and 61.8 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks 17^th in hits, 24^th in runs, 21^st in doubles, 14^th in home runs, 6^th in RBI, and 62^nd in WAR for position players. His .858 OPS is 70^th among all batters with 3000+ plate appearances and his slugging ranks 52^nd.

Rarely in his career was Crotchett considered the top guy, but he was a reliably consistent and steady slugger for 16 years. This made him very popular in his time in New Zealand’s largest city and made him a fairly easy choice for the Hall of Fame voters. At 85.1%, Crotchett earned a first ballot nod as the third of four in OBA’s 2022 class.

Jarome Galuvao – Starting Pitcher – Adelaide Aardvarks – 66.4% Fourth Ballot

Jarome Galuvao was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Pava’ia’I, a village of 2,000 people in American Samoa. He joined Class of 1986 LF Alapati Tatupu as the only OBA Hall of Famers from the territory. Galuvao had excellent movement on his pitches with above average stuff, but his control could be shaky at times. His velocity peaked in the 97-99 mph range with a five-pitch arsenal headlined by a strong sinker. Galuvao also had a changeup, slider, forkball, and curveball as quality options.

Compared to most aces in the four-man rotations of OBA, Galuvao’s stamina was below average and his durability was merely okay. He was solid at holding runners, but weaker defensively overall. In spite of his flaws, Galuvao always gave it his all with a sparkplug work ethic and adaptability. He managed to post some excellent seasons over the course of a 13-year run.

Despite coming from very humble origins, word of Galuvao’s potential as a teenager reached the shores of Australia. He signed a developmental deal with Adelaide in November 1994 and spent five full years in their academy. The Aardvarks debuted him as a reliever with respectable results over 33.1 innings in 2000. He spent most of 2001 back on the reserve roster, coming back up only in the final month. Galuvao had five solid starts to end the season as Adelaide rolled to the Australasia League title at 100-62.

The 23-year old Galuvao earned a starting spot in the Oceania Championship and thrived as the Aardvarks won the series and title against Guam. He won both starts, allowing three runs over 16 innings with 11 strikeouts and 4 walks. Galuvao had a shutout in the series, helping set the tone for the 4-2 series victory. This earned him a spot in Adelaide’s lore even before pitching a single full season.

It would be his only postseason innings though as the Aardvarks were mostly stuck in the middle of the standings during his career. They took second in both 2003 and 2004, but fell to Melbourne’s fledgling dynasty. Adelaide wouldn’t have another winning record in Galuvao’s run, generally finishing just below .500. Galuvao would be a full-time starter though and a fixture for the next decade.

After a decent 2002 for his first full season, Galuvao won his lone Pitcher of the Year in 2003. He had league and career bests in wins (26-6), ERA (2.13), WHIP (1.02), quality starts (32), FIP- (64), and WAR (10.1). Galuvao led in wins again in 2004 at 25-7, but a much weaker ERA left him third in POTY voting. In August 2005, Adelaide extended him at $15,080,000 over four years. Galuvao led in WAR for the second time with 7.9 in 2005 and had a career-best 291 strikeouts, although he wasn’t a POTY finalist.

Galuvao regressed a bit and was taken out of the full-time rotation for part of 2006, but was back in the spot in 2007. In 2008, he flashed that old potential by winning his second ERA title at 2.48, finishing second in Pitcher of the Year voting. That effort convinced Adelaide to extend Galuvao again in mid 2009 at age 31 to a five-year, $25,120,000 extension. He never reached his prior peaks, but he still had nice efforts from 2009-11.

In September 2011, Galuvao suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament, putting him out 12 months. He made it back for ten starts late in 2012 and still posted similar production from prior to the injury. Unfortunately, a torn labrum befell Galuvao in spring training 2013. When he returned in the summer, his control was shot and he posted a career-worst 3.94 ERA. Galuvao retired in the winter at age 35 and Adelaide honored him by retiring his #9 uniform.

Galuvao had a 178-121 record, 3.10 ERA, 2713.1 innings, 2322 strikeouts, 762 walks, 246/380 quality starts, 50 complete games, 16 shutouts, 127 ERA+, and 63.0 WAR. As of 2037, Galuvao ranks 44^th in pitching WAR, 91^st in strikeouts, 72^nd in innings, and 56^th in wins. He doesn’t crack the top 100 in any rate stats, although his ERA+ and FIP- (81) are certainly in line with several other Hall of Fame OBA aces.

He didn’t have the longevity for the big totals, but OBA voters were typically generous towards starters. The tallies and raw dominance were lacking, but a POTY win and two ERA titles were major plusses. Voters liked guys who stayed loyal to one team and Galuvao’s playoff heroics back in Adelaide’s 2001 title win resonated with many voers.

Galuvao debuted on the 2019 ballot at 46.6%, but worked his way up to 55.2% and 59.6% in the next two tries. With many impressive newcomers in 2022, most supporters figured Galuvao would be left waiting. However, he managed to get the bump barely across the 66% requirement at 66.4%. As a fourth ballot inductee, Galuvao was the fourth and final member of an impressive 2022 class for OBA.

12-29-2024, 07:12 PM	#1929
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,895	2022 OBA Hall of Fame (Part 2) Jacob Crotchett – First Base – Auckland Avengers – 85.1% First Ballot Jacob Crotchett was a 6’8’’, 195 pound left-handed hitting first baseman from Brisbane, Australia’s third-most populous city. Crotchett was an above average to good contact hitter with reliable home run power specifically against right-handed pitching. His overall 162 game average got 38 homers and 28 doubles. Crotchett wasn’t going to leg out extra bases as he was a very slow and clumsy baserunner. He rated as below average at drawing walks with an okay strikeout rate. Against righties, he had a career 146 wRC+ and .921 OPS. Lefties gave Crotchett trouble though with a subpar 90 wRC+ and .683 OPS. He played exclusively at first base, which suited his long frame. Crotchett was a reliably above average gloveman and boasted impressive durability, playing 140+ games every year once he earned the starting gig. Some said his work ethic was unreliable, but Crotchett still became one of the region’s more popular players over a 17-year pro career. Being a tall lefty earned Crotchett looks from scouts as a teenager. One of them was from Auckland and signed him to a developmental deal in January 1995. Crotchett spent most of six years in the Avengers academy, although he did officially debut in 1999 at age 20. He played 23 games that year, then had 39 games with 15 starts in 2000. Auckland won the Australasia League title in 2000, but lost to Guam in the Oceania Championship. The young Crotchett struggled in what would be his only playoff games, going 2-20 with 8 strikeouts.. Crotchett was moved into the starting job in 2001 and held it steadfastly for the next 16 years. In 2002, Crotchett led the AL in slugging (.590), OPS (.953), and wRC+ (157), winning a Silver Slugger and taking second in MVP voting. He won another Slugger and was third in 2003’s MVP voting with 47 homers and 126 RBI. Crotchett added another Slugger and his lone Gold Glove in 2005. In February 2005, Auckland gave Crotchett a six-year, $24,400,000 extension. Crotchett’s lone MVP win and his fourth Slugger came in 2006, leading in hits (201), RBI (153), batting average (.339), slugging (.656), and wRC+ (172). These were all career bests, as was his 51 homers, 1.027 OPS, and 6.9 WAR. Crotchett’s 153 RBI was the second-most ever in an OBA season behind Vavao Brighouse’s 161 in 1995 (and still ranks 3^rd as of 2037). Crotchett missed a Triple Crown by only six homers. He won additional Sluggers in 2007 and 2008, but wasn’t a league leader beyond his 2006 effort. Unfortunately, Crotchett played in the AL against Melbourne during their dynasty run and never won a pennant beyond 2000 as a reserve. The Avengers were often in the top half of the standings in his prime, averaging 90 wins per season from 2005-10. Crotchett did get to play some on the world stage, representing Australia in the World Baseball Championship from 2002-08. In 61 games, he had 60 hits, 38 runs, 7 doubles, 18 home runs, 44 RBI, a .261/.302/.526 slash, 139 wRC+, and 2.2 WAR. Auckland dropped to 80-82 in 2011, then had an abysmal run of at the bottom of the standings for the rest of his tenure. Crotchett stayed on through the doldrums with a five-year, $22,200,000 extension signed in May 2011. His time as an elite starter was done, but he remained a respectable contributor to the end. Crotchett’s deal expired after the 2016 campaign and he wanted to still play, but no team signed him for 2017. He retired that winter at age 39 and had his #26 uniform immediately retired back in Auckland. Crotchett had 2646 hits, 1310 runs, 440 doubles, 596 home runs, 1648 RBI, 567 walks, a .284/.326/.533 slash, 132 wRC+, and 61.8 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks 17^th in hits, 24^th in runs, 21^st in doubles, 14^th in home runs, 6^th in RBI, and 62^nd in WAR for position players. His .858 OPS is 70^th among all batters with 3000+ plate appearances and his slugging ranks 52^nd. Rarely in his career was Crotchett considered the top guy, but he was a reliably consistent and steady slugger for 16 years. This made him very popular in his time in New Zealand’s largest city and made him a fairly easy choice for the Hall of Fame voters. At 85.1%, Crotchett earned a first ballot nod as the third of four in OBA’s 2022 class. Jarome Galuvao – Starting Pitcher – Adelaide Aardvarks – 66.4% Fourth Ballot Jarome Galuvao was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Pava’ia’I, a village of 2,000 people in American Samoa. He joined Class of 1986 LF Alapati Tatupu as the only OBA Hall of Famers from the territory. Galuvao had excellent movement on his pitches with above average stuff, but his control could be shaky at times. His velocity peaked in the 97-99 mph range with a five-pitch arsenal headlined by a strong sinker. Galuvao also had a changeup, slider, forkball, and curveball as quality options. Compared to most aces in the four-man rotations of OBA, Galuvao’s stamina was below average and his durability was merely okay. He was solid at holding runners, but weaker defensively overall. In spite of his flaws, Galuvao always gave it his all with a sparkplug work ethic and adaptability. He managed to post some excellent seasons over the course of a 13-year run. Despite coming from very humble origins, word of Galuvao’s potential as a teenager reached the shores of Australia. He signed a developmental deal with Adelaide in November 1994 and spent five full years in their academy. The Aardvarks debuted him as a reliever with respectable results over 33.1 innings in 2000. He spent most of 2001 back on the reserve roster, coming back up only in the final month. Galuvao had five solid starts to end the season as Adelaide rolled to the Australasia League title at 100-62. The 23-year old Galuvao earned a starting spot in the Oceania Championship and thrived as the Aardvarks won the series and title against Guam. He won both starts, allowing three runs over 16 innings with 11 strikeouts and 4 walks. Galuvao had a shutout in the series, helping set the tone for the 4-2 series victory. This earned him a spot in Adelaide’s lore even before pitching a single full season. It would be his only postseason innings though as the Aardvarks were mostly stuck in the middle of the standings during his career. They took second in both 2003 and 2004, but fell to Melbourne’s fledgling dynasty. Adelaide wouldn’t have another winning record in Galuvao’s run, generally finishing just below .500. Galuvao would be a full-time starter though and a fixture for the next decade. After a decent 2002 for his first full season, Galuvao won his lone Pitcher of the Year in 2003. He had league and career bests in wins (26-6), ERA (2.13), WHIP (1.02), quality starts (32), FIP- (64), and WAR (10.1). Galuvao led in wins again in 2004 at 25-7, but a much weaker ERA left him third in POTY voting. In August 2005, Adelaide extended him at $15,080,000 over four years. Galuvao led in WAR for the second time with 7.9 in 2005 and had a career-best 291 strikeouts, although he wasn’t a POTY finalist. Galuvao regressed a bit and was taken out of the full-time rotation for part of 2006, but was back in the spot in 2007. In 2008, he flashed that old potential by winning his second ERA title at 2.48, finishing second in Pitcher of the Year voting. That effort convinced Adelaide to extend Galuvao again in mid 2009 at age 31 to a five-year, $25,120,000 extension. He never reached his prior peaks, but he still had nice efforts from 2009-11. In September 2011, Galuvao suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament, putting him out 12 months. He made it back for ten starts late in 2012 and still posted similar production from prior to the injury. Unfortunately, a torn labrum befell Galuvao in spring training 2013. When he returned in the summer, his control was shot and he posted a career-worst 3.94 ERA. Galuvao retired in the winter at age 35 and Adelaide honored him by retiring his #9 uniform. Galuvao had a 178-121 record, 3.10 ERA, 2713.1 innings, 2322 strikeouts, 762 walks, 246/380 quality starts, 50 complete games, 16 shutouts, 127 ERA+, and 63.0 WAR. As of 2037, Galuvao ranks 44^th in pitching WAR, 91^st in strikeouts, 72^nd in innings, and 56^th in wins. He doesn’t crack the top 100 in any rate stats, although his ERA+ and FIP- (81) are certainly in line with several other Hall of Fame OBA aces. He didn’t have the longevity for the big totals, but OBA voters were typically generous towards starters. The tallies and raw dominance were lacking, but a POTY win and two ERA titles were major plusses. Voters liked guys who stayed loyal to one team and Galuvao’s playoff heroics back in Adelaide’s 2001 title win resonated with many voers. Galuvao debuted on the 2019 ballot at 46.6%, but worked his way up to 55.2% and 59.6% in the next two tries. With many impressive newcomers in 2022, most supporters figured Galuvao would be left waiting. However, he managed to get the bump barely across the 66% requirement at 66.4%. As a fourth ballot inductee, Galuvao was the fourth and final member of an impressive 2022 class for OBA. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)