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FuzzyRussianHat · 01-13-2025, 01:05 PM

Three players were added into the Arab League Baseball Hall of Fame in 2023, although it could have easily been only one. 3B Mohammad Al-Munibi was the only slam dunk with an 84.5% debut. Two returners joined him by scraping by the 66% requirement. CL Ramy Kayat received 68.2% for his fifth ballot and 3B Salem Aldani earned 66.1% in his third go. CL Souilem Boudiaf also had a nice showing with 58.5% for his second ballot. No one else was above 50% and none were dropped after ten failed ballots.

Mohammad Al-Munibi – Third Base – Kuwait Whales – 84.5% First Ballot

Mohammad Al-Munibi was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed third baseman from Sanaa, the capital of Yemen. Al-Munibi had reliable home run and gap power with a 162 game average of 35 dingers and 43 doubles. He did grade as an average-at-best contact hitter with a decent eye for walks and subpar strikeout rate. Al-Munibi was also a sluggish and clumsy baserunner.

Al-Munibi exclusively played third base, taking advantage of a strong arm. On the whole, he graded as a reliably average defender. He would be best known as an ironman, starting 146 games each year from 2000-15. It was that steadiness that carried Al-Munibi to a rock solid 19-year professional career.

Kuwait hoped Al-Munibi would be the man to turn their franchise around after mostly struggles to begin their ALB tenure, picking him with the #1 overall pick in the 1998 ALB Draft. He started 110 games and played 127 as a rookie with decent success, taking third in Rookie of the Year voting. Al-Munibi held the full-time gig unopposed for the following 16 years, topping 4+ WAR in 14 of those seasons.

In 2000, Kuwait earned their first-ever playoff berth, winning a terrible division at 83-79. However, they pulled off one of the most shocking upsets in baseball history in the Eastern Conference Final by defeating 121-41 Mosul, the two-time defending champs. The Whales won it all by besting Cairo for the ALB crown. Al-Munibi was merely okay in the playoff run with 9 hits, 6 runs, 1 double, 3 homers, and 6 RBI in 11 starts. Still, it was a true bit of magic for Kuwait fans. The Whales would be decent for the next few years, but wouldn’t get back to the playoffs until 2008.

Al-Munibi remained incredibly steady, although he never was a conference leader or MVP finalist. He did win Silver Sluggers in 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. Kuwait gave him a seven-year, $18,120,000 extension in April 2006. The Whales earned a division title in 2008 but lost in the first round. Kuwait got back in 2009 and upset Basra for their second EC pennant, although they fell in the ALB Championship to Amman. The Whales went back into the middle tier for the rest of Al-Munibi’s run.

In the playoffs, Al-Munibi had 27 starts, 24 hits, 18 runs, 4 doubles, 7 home runs, 18 RBI, a .247/291/.505 slash, 113 wRC+, and 0.5 WAR. Although he wasn’t the unstoppable force one might expect from a #1 draft pick, Al-Munibi did bring home two pennants. His World Baseball Championship stats for his native Yemen looked similar. From 2002-17, Al-Munibi had 92 games and 74 starts with 58 hits, 37 runs, 12 doubles, 19 home runs, 36 RBI, .214/.280/.469 slash, 112 wRC+, and 1.4 WAR.

Al-Munibi signed another three-year, $27,400,000 extension after the 2012 campaign. His production remained remarkably consistent through his 30s, including a 6.4 WAR effort at age 39 in 2015. However, Al-Munibi finally hit the wall after turning 40 in 2016. He was relegated to a part-time role with only 96 games played. Out of respect, Kuwait gave him a three-year, $15,440,000 extension that winter. Al-Munibi was only used 30 games in 2017, retiring that winter at age 41. The Whales immediately made his #10 their first retired uniform number.

The final stats had 2721 games, 2685 hits, 1393 runs, 719 doubles, 581 home runs, 1752 RBI, 741 walks, .272/.322/.530 slash, 131 wRC+, and 84.3 WAR. As of 2037, Al-Munibi ranks 8^th in games played, 25^th in hits, 36^th in runs, 5^th in doubles, 24^th in home runs, 16^th in RBI, 34^th in walks, and 16^th in WAR among position players. Al-Munibi ranks second in WAR at third base and is the positional leader in games, hits, total bases, doubles, and RBI.

Al-Munibi was never dominant, but his consistency and longevity were both remarkable. He was the face of Kuwait baseball for nearly two decades and lived up to the #1 overall pick even without MVP wins or eye-popping stats. At 84.5%, Al-Munibi was a first ballot selection and the headliner for the 2023 Arab League Baseball Hall of Fame class.

01-13-2025, 01:05 PM	#1973
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,301	2023 ALB Hall of Fame (Part 1) Three players were added into the Arab League Baseball Hall of Fame in 2023, although it could have easily been only one. 3B Mohammad Al-Munibi was the only slam dunk with an 84.5% debut. Two returners joined him by scraping by the 66% requirement. CL Ramy Kayat received 68.2% for his fifth ballot and 3B Salem Aldani earned 66.1% in his third go. CL Souilem Boudiaf also had a nice showing with 58.5% for his second ballot. No one else was above 50% and none were dropped after ten failed ballots. Mohammad Al-Munibi – Third Base – Kuwait Whales – 84.5% First Ballot Mohammad Al-Munibi was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed third baseman from Sanaa, the capital of Yemen. Al-Munibi had reliable home run and gap power with a 162 game average of 35 dingers and 43 doubles. He did grade as an average-at-best contact hitter with a decent eye for walks and subpar strikeout rate. Al-Munibi was also a sluggish and clumsy baserunner. Al-Munibi exclusively played third base, taking advantage of a strong arm. On the whole, he graded as a reliably average defender. He would be best known as an ironman, starting 146 games each year from 2000-15. It was that steadiness that carried Al-Munibi to a rock solid 19-year professional career. Kuwait hoped Al-Munibi would be the man to turn their franchise around after mostly struggles to begin their ALB tenure, picking him with the #1 overall pick in the 1998 ALB Draft. He started 110 games and played 127 as a rookie with decent success, taking third in Rookie of the Year voting. Al-Munibi held the full-time gig unopposed for the following 16 years, topping 4+ WAR in 14 of those seasons. In 2000, Kuwait earned their first-ever playoff berth, winning a terrible division at 83-79. However, they pulled off one of the most shocking upsets in baseball history in the Eastern Conference Final by defeating 121-41 Mosul, the two-time defending champs. The Whales won it all by besting Cairo for the ALB crown. Al-Munibi was merely okay in the playoff run with 9 hits, 6 runs, 1 double, 3 homers, and 6 RBI in 11 starts. Still, it was a true bit of magic for Kuwait fans. The Whales would be decent for the next few years, but wouldn’t get back to the playoffs until 2008. Al-Munibi remained incredibly steady, although he never was a conference leader or MVP finalist. He did win Silver Sluggers in 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. Kuwait gave him a seven-year, $18,120,000 extension in April 2006. The Whales earned a division title in 2008 but lost in the first round. Kuwait got back in 2009 and upset Basra for their second EC pennant, although they fell in the ALB Championship to Amman. The Whales went back into the middle tier for the rest of Al-Munibi’s run. In the playoffs, Al-Munibi had 27 starts, 24 hits, 18 runs, 4 doubles, 7 home runs, 18 RBI, a .247/291/.505 slash, 113 wRC+, and 0.5 WAR. Although he wasn’t the unstoppable force one might expect from a #1 draft pick, Al-Munibi did bring home two pennants. His World Baseball Championship stats for his native Yemen looked similar. From 2002-17, Al-Munibi had 92 games and 74 starts with 58 hits, 37 runs, 12 doubles, 19 home runs, 36 RBI, .214/.280/.469 slash, 112 wRC+, and 1.4 WAR. Al-Munibi signed another three-year, $27,400,000 extension after the 2012 campaign. His production remained remarkably consistent through his 30s, including a 6.4 WAR effort at age 39 in 2015. However, Al-Munibi finally hit the wall after turning 40 in 2016. He was relegated to a part-time role with only 96 games played. Out of respect, Kuwait gave him a three-year, $15,440,000 extension that winter. Al-Munibi was only used 30 games in 2017, retiring that winter at age 41. The Whales immediately made his #10 their first retired uniform number. The final stats had 2721 games, 2685 hits, 1393 runs, 719 doubles, 581 home runs, 1752 RBI, 741 walks, .272/.322/.530 slash, 131 wRC+, and 84.3 WAR. As of 2037, Al-Munibi ranks 8^th in games played, 25^th in hits, 36^th in runs, 5^th in doubles, 24^th in home runs, 16^th in RBI, 34^th in walks, and 16^th in WAR among position players. Al-Munibi ranks second in WAR at third base and is the positional leader in games, hits, total bases, doubles, and RBI. Al-Munibi was never dominant, but his consistency and longevity were both remarkable. He was the face of Kuwait baseball for nearly two decades and lived up to the #1 overall pick even without MVP wins or eye-popping stats. At 84.5%, Al-Munibi was a first ballot selection and the headliner for the 2023 Arab League Baseball Hall of Fame class. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports The Level Playing Field: Alternate MLB History From 1884-Onward Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)