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FuzzyRussianHat · 01-25-2025, 06:07 PM

West African Baseball’s 2024 Hall of Fame voting inducted two players on their first ballot, although neither were complete slam dunks. Still, 1B/DH Abdel Rahmane Padacke’s 76.3% and SP Nana Villars’ 73.1% got them across the 66% requirement. CL Christopher James barely missed joining them with a 64.0% debut. The best returner was 1B Ikechukwu Onyia at 62.5% on his fourth ballot. Two returning relievers got 56.5% with Francis Koomson in his fourth try and Emma Markson in his seventh. No players were dropped after ten failed ballots.

Abdel Rahmane Padacke – First Base/Designated Hitter – Benin City Blue Devils – 76.3% First Ballot

Abdel Rahmane Padacke was a 6’3’’, 190 pound right-handed first baseman from Lere, Chad; a city of 89,000 near the country’s southwestern border with Cameroon. He was the first (and only as of 2037) Chadian to make the WAB Hall of the Fame and only the second in any league, joining AAB Class of 2023 Negue Rouillard.

Padacke was best known for his very powerful bat with a 162 game average of 46 home runs, 41 doubles, and 4 triples. He was a solid contact hitter for most of his run, but struggled with strikeouts and rarely drew walks. Padacke’s speed was okay, but he was a very uncoordinated baserunner. The front end of his career was mostly as a designated hitter with the back end as a first baseman. Padacke had about 55% of his starts at first with the rest as a DH, grading as a mediocre defender.

He was a team captain with garnered tremendous respect amongst players and coaches. Padacke had excellent leadership, adaptability, and intelligence along with a stellar work ethic. He also stayed fairly durable in his run, playing 150+ games in all but one season from 2007-18. Although his game wasn’t multi-dimensional, having reliably strong power with great leadership will earn you a spot on most rosters.

Most fans wouldn’t realize that Padacke’s professional career started with Nouakchott. In March 1998, the Night Riders brought him from Chad to Mauritania. He spent four years in their academy, then was sent in an October 2002 trade to Benin City for two different prospects. Padacke’s entire playing career would be with the Blue Devils, where he became a very popular superstar slugger. Padacke wasn’t an overnight success, as his limited game made him a late bloomer.

Padacke didn’t fully find his power until his mid 20s and as such he had very limited utility initially. He officially debuted in 2003 at age 22, but only saw 16 at-bats in his first two-years. From 2005-06, Padacke played 126 games and started 55, but posted -0.6 WAR. Benin City didn’t give up on him though and gave him a shot as a full-time starter in 2007. Padacke had 37 home runs and 126 RBI, earning him a steady job for the next decade. He lost half of 2008 to injury, but stayed healthy after that.

In 2009, Padacke exploded with 61 home runs, 178 RBI, 437 total bases, and .690 slugging. Those would all be career highs, as would his 7.5 WAR, 175 wRC+, .324 average, and 1.043 OPS. Padacke’s RBI mark was the second-best in WAB history behind only Mo Reda’s 186 from 2003, and still ranks 15^th best in world history as of 2037. Padacke won his lone MVP and a Silver Slugger at first base. Benin City gave him a four-year, $16,360,000 extension during the season.

The Blue Devils had been consistently lousy in recent memory, but the 2009 effort ended a 26-year playoff drought and was their first winning season since 1992. They only went 85-77 for a third place finish and lost in the first round to Ibadan. Benin City returned to mediocrity after that and wouldn’t post their next winning season until 2029. They would be just below .500 mostly for the latter part of Padacke’s career, but he stayed loyal regardless.

Padacke won additional Silver Sluggers at first base in 2012, 2013, and 2015. He was second in 2012’s MVP voting, leading again in homers (54), RBI (147), total bases (428), and slugging (.667). Padacke had four seasons with an OPS above one. Each season from 2009-17 had at least 45 homers and 100 RBI. Padacke led in both homers (53) and RBI (148) again in 2013, then led in homers for a fourth and final time in 55.

In June 2013, Padacke inked a five-year, $56,400,000 extension with Benin City. He had four games with three home runs and hit for the cycle in 2017. Padacke’s production remained steady until 2018, when he had career worsts across the board in strikeouts (234), OPS (.720), wRC+ (78), and WAR (-1.4). He still had 36 homers and 106 RBI, but it wasn’t enough to make him positive. Benin City didn’t re-sign Padacke and he went unsigned in 2019, retiring that winter at age 38. The Blue Devils would retire his #28 uniform for his steadfast service.

Padacke had 2268 hits, 1216 runs, 500 doubles, 50 triples, 565 home runs, 1511 RBI, 329 walks, 2004 strikeouts, .297/.326/.598 slash, 139 wRC+, and 48.8 WAR. As of 2037, Padacke ranks 19^th in homers, 29^th in RBI, 63^rd in hits, 64^th in runs, 47^th in doubles, and 47^th in strikeouts.

He doesn’t make the top 100 in WAR among position players, losing lots of potential value as a DH. Padacke’s high strikeout/low walk rate and poor baserunning also knocked him down in many advanced metrics. A few voters also held Benin City’s lack of team success as a mark against Padacke’s value. But his power numbers were impressive, as he was the 9^th WAB slugger to 500 home runs and the 7^th to 1500 RBI.

Also in Padacke’s favor was that among all batters with 3000+ plate appearances as of 2037, his .925 OPS was 78^th and his slugging ranked 37^th. The impressive power and his leadership was enough to win over the majority of voters. Padacke received 76.3% for a first ballot selection for West African Baseball’s 2024 Hall of Fame class.

Nana Villars – Starting Pitcher – Lome Lasers – 73.1% First Ballot

Nana Villars was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Ejura, Ghana; a city of around 130,000 people. Villars had very good stuff along with solid control and average movement. His fastball peaked in the 95-97 mph range and was mixed with a slider, changeup, and cutter. Villars’s slider was generally the pitch that drew the most whiffs. He fared noticeably better against right-handed bats (144 ERA+, 3.00 ERA) compared to lefties (112 ERA+, 3.87 ERA).

Compared to other WAB aces, Villars’s stamina was average. He ran into some injury issues (usually with his back) that cost him a couple starts, but he still managed 200+ innings each year from 2009-16. Villars was subpar both defensively and at holding runners. He worked hard though and was fiercely loyal, known as one of the more humble players you’d encounter.

Villars was picked 25^th overall in the 2005 WAB Draft by Lome, taken with the fourth pick of the second round. He was only an occasional starter though early on with 33 games and 189 innings over his first three years. Villars finally earned a full-time rotation spot in 2009 at age 26, leading the Eastern League that year in WHIP.

He emerged as a true ace in 2010, leading the EL in wins (18-7), innings (256), strikeouts (364), WHIP (0.83), K/BB (9.6), quality starts (24), FIP- (60), and WAR (9.0). All of those sans the wins would be career bests, as was Villars’s 2.43 ERA. He was second in ERA, missing the Triple Crown to Ouagadougou’s Zeb Onyedika’s 2.12. Regardless, Villars won his lone Pitcher of the Year with this effort. Lome ended a seven-year playoff drought as a wild card, but lost in the first round with Villars missing his start to a bruised shin.

Lome gave Villars a five-year, $15,700,000 extension off that performance. He never was that dominant again, but he’d post six straight 5+ WAR efforts. Villars’ 6.5 in 2011 led the league, placing him third in Pitcher of the Year voting. Most importantly, the Lasers became a regular contender. After missing the 2011 playoffs, Lome earned five straight berths from 2012-16 and finished first in the 2015 standings.

Despite being a regular wild card, Lome won the West African Championship twice in this run. The Lasers defeated Dakar in the 2012 final and bested Banjul in 2014. Their lone year as the top seed saw an ELCS defeat to Port Harcourt. Lome lost in the first round of 2013 and 2016. Villars was great in the 2012 title run with a 4-1 record, 2.67 ERA, 30.1 innings, and 37 strikeouts. He’s one of only three to have 4+ wins in a WAB postseason run.

Surprisingly, Villars was lousy in his remaining playoff starts with an ERA at six or worse each year. For his career, Villars had a 5-5 playoff record, 64 innings, 4.78 ERA, 73 strikeouts, 12 walks, 93 ERA+, and 1.1 WAR. He fared even worse in the Baseball Grand Championship with a 5.55 ERA in 61.2 innings, 2-5 record, 72 strikeouts, and 0.1 WAR. Lome was 9-10 in the 2012 BGC and 10-9 in 2014. Villars also sporadically pitched for his native Ghana in the World Baseball Championship with a 4.04 over 42.1 innings.

Even if his big game numbers were lacking, Villars’s regular season production was elite. He won his second Pitcher of the Year in 2014 and his third in 2015. As of 2037, Villars is one of only 14 WAB aces to win the award thrice. In March 2015, the now 32-year old Villars signed a five-year, $58 million extension to stay with Lome for the long haul.

Lome’s playoff run ended with 2017 and Villars struggled with a 4.43 ERA over 142.1 innings, missing the fall months to a herniated disc. He was reduced to occasional use with a 5.17 ERA over 76.2 innings in 2018. With the quick decline, Villars decided to retire that winter at age 35. The Lasers immediately retired his #26 uniform.

Villars finished with a 157-71 record, 3.34 ERA, 2230.2 innings, 2802 strikeouts, 437 walks, 183/298 quality starts, 34 complete games, 8 shutouts, 130 ERA+, and 52.1 WAR. As of 2037, Villars ranks 48^th in wins, 68^th in innings, 38^th in strikeouts, and 50^th in pitching WAR. Amongst all pitchers with 1000+ innings, Villars’s ERA ranks 91^st, his 1.05 WHIP is 45^th, and his .658 opponent’s OPS is 70^th. He also ranks 10^th in winning percentage at .689.

Because of relatively fewer innings, Villars’s final accumulations are fairly unremarkable. A few detractors held that against him along with his generally weak playoff numbers and lack of an ERA title. But those detractors were outweighed by supporters that pointed at three Pitcher of the Year awards and two WAB championship rings. Villars got 73.1% on his debut, just enough for the first ballot induction with WAB’s 2024 Hall of Fame class.

01-25-2025, 06:07 PM	#2009
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,539	2024 WAB Hall of Fame West African Baseball’s 2024 Hall of Fame voting inducted two players on their first ballot, although neither were complete slam dunks. Still, 1B/DH Abdel Rahmane Padacke’s 76.3% and SP Nana Villars’ 73.1% got them across the 66% requirement. CL Christopher James barely missed joining them with a 64.0% debut. The best returner was 1B Ikechukwu Onyia at 62.5% on his fourth ballot. Two returning relievers got 56.5% with Francis Koomson in his fourth try and Emma Markson in his seventh. No players were dropped after ten failed ballots. Abdel Rahmane Padacke – First Base/Designated Hitter – Benin City Blue Devils – 76.3% First Ballot Abdel Rahmane Padacke was a 6’3’’, 190 pound right-handed first baseman from Lere, Chad; a city of 89,000 near the country’s southwestern border with Cameroon. He was the first (and only as of 2037) Chadian to make the WAB Hall of the Fame and only the second in any league, joining AAB Class of 2023 Negue Rouillard. Padacke was best known for his very powerful bat with a 162 game average of 46 home runs, 41 doubles, and 4 triples. He was a solid contact hitter for most of his run, but struggled with strikeouts and rarely drew walks. Padacke’s speed was okay, but he was a very uncoordinated baserunner. The front end of his career was mostly as a designated hitter with the back end as a first baseman. Padacke had about 55% of his starts at first with the rest as a DH, grading as a mediocre defender. He was a team captain with garnered tremendous respect amongst players and coaches. Padacke had excellent leadership, adaptability, and intelligence along with a stellar work ethic. He also stayed fairly durable in his run, playing 150+ games in all but one season from 2007-18. Although his game wasn’t multi-dimensional, having reliably strong power with great leadership will earn you a spot on most rosters. Most fans wouldn’t realize that Padacke’s professional career started with Nouakchott. In March 1998, the Night Riders brought him from Chad to Mauritania. He spent four years in their academy, then was sent in an October 2002 trade to Benin City for two different prospects. Padacke’s entire playing career would be with the Blue Devils, where he became a very popular superstar slugger. Padacke wasn’t an overnight success, as his limited game made him a late bloomer. Padacke didn’t fully find his power until his mid 20s and as such he had very limited utility initially. He officially debuted in 2003 at age 22, but only saw 16 at-bats in his first two-years. From 2005-06, Padacke played 126 games and started 55, but posted -0.6 WAR. Benin City didn’t give up on him though and gave him a shot as a full-time starter in 2007. Padacke had 37 home runs and 126 RBI, earning him a steady job for the next decade. He lost half of 2008 to injury, but stayed healthy after that. In 2009, Padacke exploded with 61 home runs, 178 RBI, 437 total bases, and .690 slugging. Those would all be career highs, as would his 7.5 WAR, 175 wRC+, .324 average, and 1.043 OPS. Padacke’s RBI mark was the second-best in WAB history behind only Mo Reda’s 186 from 2003, and still ranks 15^th best in world history as of 2037. Padacke won his lone MVP and a Silver Slugger at first base. Benin City gave him a four-year, $16,360,000 extension during the season. The Blue Devils had been consistently lousy in recent memory, but the 2009 effort ended a 26-year playoff drought and was their first winning season since 1992. They only went 85-77 for a third place finish and lost in the first round to Ibadan. Benin City returned to mediocrity after that and wouldn’t post their next winning season until 2029. They would be just below .500 mostly for the latter part of Padacke’s career, but he stayed loyal regardless. Padacke won additional Silver Sluggers at first base in 2012, 2013, and 2015. He was second in 2012’s MVP voting, leading again in homers (54), RBI (147), total bases (428), and slugging (.667). Padacke had four seasons with an OPS above one. Each season from 2009-17 had at least 45 homers and 100 RBI. Padacke led in both homers (53) and RBI (148) again in 2013, then led in homers for a fourth and final time in 55. In June 2013, Padacke inked a five-year, $56,400,000 extension with Benin City. He had four games with three home runs and hit for the cycle in 2017. Padacke’s production remained steady until 2018, when he had career worsts across the board in strikeouts (234), OPS (.720), wRC+ (78), and WAR (-1.4). He still had 36 homers and 106 RBI, but it wasn’t enough to make him positive. Benin City didn’t re-sign Padacke and he went unsigned in 2019, retiring that winter at age 38. The Blue Devils would retire his #28 uniform for his steadfast service. Padacke had 2268 hits, 1216 runs, 500 doubles, 50 triples, 565 home runs, 1511 RBI, 329 walks, 2004 strikeouts, .297/.326/.598 slash, 139 wRC+, and 48.8 WAR. As of 2037, Padacke ranks 19^th in homers, 29^th in RBI, 63^rd in hits, 64^th in runs, 47^th in doubles, and 47^th in strikeouts. He doesn’t make the top 100 in WAR among position players, losing lots of potential value as a DH. Padacke’s high strikeout/low walk rate and poor baserunning also knocked him down in many advanced metrics. A few voters also held Benin City’s lack of team success as a mark against Padacke’s value. But his power numbers were impressive, as he was the 9^th WAB slugger to 500 home runs and the 7^th to 1500 RBI. Also in Padacke’s favor was that among all batters with 3000+ plate appearances as of 2037, his .925 OPS was 78^th and his slugging ranked 37^th. The impressive power and his leadership was enough to win over the majority of voters. Padacke received 76.3% for a first ballot selection for West African Baseball’s 2024 Hall of Fame class. Nana Villars – Starting Pitcher – Lome Lasers – 73.1% First Ballot Nana Villars was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Ejura, Ghana; a city of around 130,000 people. Villars had very good stuff along with solid control and average movement. His fastball peaked in the 95-97 mph range and was mixed with a slider, changeup, and cutter. Villars’s slider was generally the pitch that drew the most whiffs. He fared noticeably better against right-handed bats (144 ERA+, 3.00 ERA) compared to lefties (112 ERA+, 3.87 ERA). Compared to other WAB aces, Villars’s stamina was average. He ran into some injury issues (usually with his back) that cost him a couple starts, but he still managed 200+ innings each year from 2009-16. Villars was subpar both defensively and at holding runners. He worked hard though and was fiercely loyal, known as one of the more humble players you’d encounter. Villars was picked 25^th overall in the 2005 WAB Draft by Lome, taken with the fourth pick of the second round. He was only an occasional starter though early on with 33 games and 189 innings over his first three years. Villars finally earned a full-time rotation spot in 2009 at age 26, leading the Eastern League that year in WHIP. He emerged as a true ace in 2010, leading the EL in wins (18-7), innings (256), strikeouts (364), WHIP (0.83), K/BB (9.6), quality starts (24), FIP- (60), and WAR (9.0). All of those sans the wins would be career bests, as was Villars’s 2.43 ERA. He was second in ERA, missing the Triple Crown to Ouagadougou’s Zeb Onyedika’s 2.12. Regardless, Villars won his lone Pitcher of the Year with this effort. Lome ended a seven-year playoff drought as a wild card, but lost in the first round with Villars missing his start to a bruised shin. Lome gave Villars a five-year, $15,700,000 extension off that performance. He never was that dominant again, but he’d post six straight 5+ WAR efforts. Villars’ 6.5 in 2011 led the league, placing him third in Pitcher of the Year voting. Most importantly, the Lasers became a regular contender. After missing the 2011 playoffs, Lome earned five straight berths from 2012-16 and finished first in the 2015 standings. Despite being a regular wild card, Lome won the West African Championship twice in this run. The Lasers defeated Dakar in the 2012 final and bested Banjul in 2014. Their lone year as the top seed saw an ELCS defeat to Port Harcourt. Lome lost in the first round of 2013 and 2016. Villars was great in the 2012 title run with a 4-1 record, 2.67 ERA, 30.1 innings, and 37 strikeouts. He’s one of only three to have 4+ wins in a WAB postseason run. Surprisingly, Villars was lousy in his remaining playoff starts with an ERA at six or worse each year. For his career, Villars had a 5-5 playoff record, 64 innings, 4.78 ERA, 73 strikeouts, 12 walks, 93 ERA+, and 1.1 WAR. He fared even worse in the Baseball Grand Championship with a 5.55 ERA in 61.2 innings, 2-5 record, 72 strikeouts, and 0.1 WAR. Lome was 9-10 in the 2012 BGC and 10-9 in 2014. Villars also sporadically pitched for his native Ghana in the World Baseball Championship with a 4.04 over 42.1 innings. Even if his big game numbers were lacking, Villars’s regular season production was elite. He won his second Pitcher of the Year in 2014 and his third in 2015. As of 2037, Villars is one of only 14 WAB aces to win the award thrice. In March 2015, the now 32-year old Villars signed a five-year, $58 million extension to stay with Lome for the long haul. Lome’s playoff run ended with 2017 and Villars struggled with a 4.43 ERA over 142.1 innings, missing the fall months to a herniated disc. He was reduced to occasional use with a 5.17 ERA over 76.2 innings in 2018. With the quick decline, Villars decided to retire that winter at age 35. The Lasers immediately retired his #26 uniform. Villars finished with a 157-71 record, 3.34 ERA, 2230.2 innings, 2802 strikeouts, 437 walks, 183/298 quality starts, 34 complete games, 8 shutouts, 130 ERA+, and 52.1 WAR. As of 2037, Villars ranks 48^th in wins, 68^th in innings, 38^th in strikeouts, and 50^th in pitching WAR. Amongst all pitchers with 1000+ innings, Villars’s ERA ranks 91^st, his 1.05 WHIP is 45^th, and his .658 opponent’s OPS is 70^th. He also ranks 10^th in winning percentage at .689. Because of relatively fewer innings, Villars’s final accumulations are fairly unremarkable. A few detractors held that against him along with his generally weak playoff numbers and lack of an ERA title. But those detractors were outweighed by supporters that pointed at three Pitcher of the Year awards and two WAB championship rings. Villars got 73.1% on his debut, just enough for the first ballot induction with WAB’s 2024 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)