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FuzzyRussianHat · 01-26-2025, 09:20 AM

Devavesman Toppo – First Base – Hanoi Hounds – 97.9% First Ballot

Davavesman Toppo was a 6’5’’, 195 pound left-handed hitting first baseman from Nadiad, India; a city of 327,000 people in the Gujarat state on the western coast. Toppo was known as one of baseball’s best-ever home run hitters with his power grading as a 10/10 from some scouts at his peak. He had a 14-year run where he smacked at least 49 dingers with 100+ RBI each season. Toppo was solid at drawing walks, but his strikeout rate was subpar.

Toppo was a great contact hitter against right-handed pitching and average against lefties. Versus LHP, he was still respectable with a career .818 OPS and 130 wRC+. Toppo was a monster facing righties though with a 185 wRC+ and 1.065 OPS. His gap power was quite good with 30 doubles per his 162 game average. Toppo’s main offensive drawback was poor speed and atrocious baserunning.

Despite his clumsiness on the basepaths, Toppo actually graded as a reliably average defender at first base. Every defensive start he made was at 1B with occasional play as a designated hitter. Toppo ran into some knee troubles, but stayed generally healthy with 130+ games each year from 2000-16. Some felt his work ethic was iffy, but fans and sponsors are easily swayed by dingers. Around 32% of Toppo’s career hits went yard, making him a beloved superstar in his time. He was a high “three true outcomes” hitter as 46% of his plate appearances ended in a homer, strikeout, or walk.

Being a tally lefty from a young age will earn plenty of looks from scouts. One of them signed Toppo in July 1994 to a developmental deal with Hanoi, moving him from India to Vietnam. He spent nearly his entire pro career with the Hounds and helped turn them into a 21^st Century dynasty. Toppo spent most of five years in their academy, although he did officially debut in 1998 at age 19. He had 18 plate appearances between 1998 and 1999, then moved into a starting role beginning in 2000.

Toppo immediately delivered his signature power with 53 homers, 107 RBI, 1.018 OPS, and 7.8 WAR as the 2000 Rookie of the Year and a Silver Slugger winner. It was his first of 12 seasons with 50+ homers, 17 with 100 RBI, 14 with 100 runs, 13 worth 7+ WAR, and 12 with an OPS above one. In 2001, Toppo led in runs scored (111) and homers (59) to win his second Slugger and take second in MVP voting. Hanoi signed Toppo to an eight-year, $16,600,000 extension in August 2002.

Despite his impressive and reliable stats, Toppo never won MVP and generally wasn’t the Southeast Asia League’s leader in any stats. The only times he led a stat after 2001 was 2005, when he had the most homers (65), RBI (145), and the best slugging (.668). Toppo won a Silver Slugger as a DH and took second in 2005’s MVP voting. He won three later Sluggers at 1B in 2006, 2010, and 2016.

A big reason Toppo didn’t get more play as THE guy was because of teammate Majed Darwish, who debuted in 2003. Darwish eventually became the world’s home run, RBI, and runs scored king and posted absolutely absurd world record shattering power in the late 2000s. This made Toppo the Robin to Darwish’s Batman despite Toppo’s world class power stats in his own right. With each other’s help and a homer-friendly ballpark in Hanoi, the Vietnamese capital became one of the most electric baseball spots in the world.

Hanoi had been a fairly regular playoff team in the 1990s, but couldn’t get by the dynasty runs between Ho Chi Minh City and Yangon. With the power twins Toppo and Darwish, the Hounds started their own dynasty efforts beginning with a 13-year playoff streak starting in 2005. HCMC’s dynasty started to wind down towards the end of the decade. Most of Hanoi’s biggest playoff battles came against the Green Dragons, who were in the midst of what would be a world record 29-year playoff streak.

The Hounds won 100+ games in all but two seasons from 2005-17. Hanoi lost in the 2005 SEAL Championship to Ho Chi Minh City and had a first round exit in 2006 against Yangon. The Hounds then won their first-ever South Asia Baseball Championship in 2007, defeating Kanpur in the final. Hanoi did even better at 120-42 in 2008 and won it all versus Mumbai in the final. They had beaten the Green Dragons in the LCS both years.

2008 marked the start of the truly absurd stats by Darwish, setting world records with 85 homers, 220 RBI, and 167 runs that year. Toppo meanwhile had 61 homers and 173 RBI; his RBI mark would’ve been the new SAB record if not for Darwish. Toppo’s mark remains the 22^nd most RBI in a season by any pro as of 2037. The 2008 Hounds are the only SAB team to score more than one thousand runs in a season (1006).

While Darwish’s jaw-dropping numbers got the worldwide publicity, Toppo was the star of that postseason run. He won both LCS and finals MVP, starting 16 games with 23 hits, 12 runs, 4 doubles, 10 home runs, 20 RBI, a .411/.484/1.018 slash, 1.502 OPS, 270 wRC+, and 1.8 WAR.

Hanoi went 122-40 in 2009 and 121-41 in 2010, setting a world record for most wins a three-year stretch at 363-123. They were shocked by Yangon in the first round in 2009, but got revenge in 2010. The Hounds took the SEAL title over Dhaka in 2010, but lost to Kolkata for the SAB title. Toppo signed a six-year, $27,400,000 extension in June 2010. He was second in 2010’s MVP voting with career bests in runs (130), homers (66), OPS (1.135), wRC+ (199), and WAR (9.8). That year, Darwish had posted 85 homers, 172 runs, and 200 RBI with Toppo’s help.

Darwish’s numbers were a bit more mortal after that, while Toppo remained steady. Toppo smacked 63 homers in 2011 and 60 in 2012, giving him six seasons of 60+ dingers. He was third in 2011’s MVP voting and ultimately never won the top honor despite being a 16-time all-star. Hanoi’s success continued as they made the SEAL Championship each year from 2011-17. The Hounds would go 2-4 in that stretch, but would win additional SAB Championships in 2013 against Visakhapatnam and 2016 against Mumbai. Toppo would be LCS MVP in 2010 and first round MVP in 2011, 2014, and 2016.

On the whole, Toppo’s playoff numbers were excellent over 157 games and 144 starts with 158 hits, 90 runs, 31 doubles, 48 home runs, 107 RBI, 50 walks, .290/.361/.615 slash, .975 OPS, 162 wRC+, and 7.4 WAR. In 47 Baseball Grand Championship games, Toppo had 35 hits, 26 runs, 4 doubles, 16 homers, 28 RBI, .208/.320/.518 slash, .838 OPS, and 1.6 WAR. Hanoi was 3-6 in the inaugural divisional BGC format in 2010. They finished 10-9 in 2013 and 12-7 in 2016. The Hounds officially were third in 2016 as part of a three-way tie with Kansas City and Zurich, while 13-6 Guam took the top spot.

As of 2037, Toppo ranks 4^th in playoff homers in SAB, 3^rd in RBI, 5^th in hits, 4^th in runs, and 4^th in games played. His OPS ranks 47^th among all batters with 40 plate appearances and his slugging ranks 42^nd. Toppo’s big game performances also carried into the World Baseball Championship, as he regularly represented his native India. This helped him remain a megastar back home even as his exploits came in Vietnam.

In the WBC, Toppo had 124 games, 82 starts, 78 hits, 65 runs, 12 doubles, 34 home runs, 64 RBI, .239/.346/.589 slash, .935 OPS, and 4.5 WAR. Toppo was surprisingly a backup in 2009 as India won its first-ever World Championship over the United States. The Indians also notably finished fourth in 2010 and had division titles in 2004 and 2007 with Toppo on the club.

Toppo began approaching key milestones in his 30s, becoming SAB’s second to 800 home runs in 2013 and the second to 2000 RBI in 2015; both only reached to that point by Tirtha Upadhyaya. Toppo’s deal expired after the 2015 season and he was a free agent for the first time at age 37. After some time on the market, he went back to Hanoi for two more years at $19,800,000.

He never caught Upadhyaya’s home run mark, but did pass his RBI record in 2017. Toppo’s reign as the RBI leader lasted one year with both Darwish and Ratan Canduri surpassing him soon after. Canduri was another whose own remarkable stats would overshadow Toppo’s efforts. Toppo was reduced to a platoon role though by 2017 and started only 98 games with 23 home runs and 58 RBI. That marked the end of an incredible two decade odyssey with Hanoi, whose playoff streak would end the next year.

Toppo still wanted to play and Kolkata gave him a chance in spring training for one year and $2,760,000. He was a part-timer with 115 games and 75 starts, but his power was gone with only seven homers all year. Toppo did join the 950 homer club, only the fifth member in any world league to that point. He was unsigned in 2019 and finally retired that winter at age 41. Hanoi quickly brought him back to his second home and retired his #7 uniform.

The final tallies for Toppo: 2869 games, 2967 hits, 1918 runs, 523 doubles, 44 triples, 953 home runs, 2226 RBI, 1177 walks, 2557 strikeouts, .292/.368/.633 slash, 1.001 OPS, 171 wRC+, and 129.3 WAR. As of 2037, Toppo ranks 4^th in homers in SAB, 3^rd in RBI, 5^th in runs, 9^th in hits, 9^th in walks, 12^th in strikeouts, 5^th in games played, and 9^th in WAR among position players. Among all SAB batters with 3000+ plate appearances, his OPS is 11^th, OBP is 51^st, and slugging is 8^th.

Compared to all world players as of 2037, Toppo is 11^th in home runs, 25^th in RBI, and narrowly misses the top 50 for runs. Among Hall of Famers, his slugging is 33^rd and his OPS is 44^th. Toppo is still overshadowed though in conversations for the world’s best-ever home run hitters between South Asia Baseball’s relatively inflated numbers and because his contemporaries Darwish, Canduri, and Upadhyaya had Toppo beat in many categories.

It’s hard to believe a guy with Toppo’s tallies could be underappreciated, but he was to a degree as the Scottie Pippen to Darwish’s Michael Jordan. Like those 1990s Chicago Bulls, their pairing created an impressive run of dominance for Hanoi. From 2005-17, the Hounds averaged 107.3 wins per season with four SAB titles, five SEAL titles, 11 LCS trips, and 10 division titles.

Toppo is easily on SAB’s Mount Rushmore in terms of raw power, although his ranking among the top five or top ten players in SAB history varies depending on who you ask. He was a Hall of Fame lock and superstar by any measure and frankly his 97.9% was too low. Toppo was actually just behind SP Ariffin Sapri’s 98.8% as a co-headliner for the three-player 2024 class for SAB.

Kumar Clark – First/Third Base – Hyderabad Hippos – 79.2% First Ballot

Kumar Clark was a 6’0’’, 200 pound switch-hitting corner infielder from Sheikhupura, India; a city of 62,900 in the eastern Bihar state. Clark didn’t have the record-shattering power of some of his contemporaries, but he was a reliably strong power hitter in his time. His 162 game average got you 31 homers, 23 doubles, and 10 triples. Clark graded as a good contact hitter, but he was average-at-best at drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts.

Clark’s speed was merely above average, but he was one of the most skilled and crafty baserunners in the game. Roughly the first third of his career came at third base, where he graded as a lousy defender as he lacked the arm or range needed for the spot. Clark moved to first base at age 32 and thrived there defensively, winning seven consecutive Gold Gloves from 2011-17. He was an ironman with an impressive scrappy work ethic and adaptability. Clark would start 145+ games each year from 2005-18, helping him become of India’s most popular baseball fixtures.

In October 1995, Clark signed a developmental contract with Hyderabad. He spent four full years in their academy before debuting in 2000 at age 22. Clark’s use was limited initially with only 23 starts and 99 games in his first two years. He had a full-time roster spot for the following three years, but only started a combined 88 games. Despite 33 starts in 2004, Clark posted 3.4 WAR and .913 OPS over 136 games. That impressive bat earned him a starting gig from 2005 onward with Hyderabad. Clark also signed an eight-year, $17,140,000 extension after the 2004 season.

Each of the next seven seasons with the Hippos earned Clark 5.9+ WAR, winning Silver Sluggers in 2006, 2007, and 2008 at third base. He wasn’t generally a league leader, but he did lead the Indian League with 16 triples in 2008. Clark’s bests for Hyderabad with his career highs for WAR (8.8), and wRC+ (8.8). He twice hit 40+ homers and thrice had 100+ RBI.

Hyderabad was typically below average in Clark’s tenure, averaging 76 wins per season. They peaked with an impressive 101-61 in 2007, their first playoff berth in a decade. The Hippos would get upset by Kanpur in the ILCS, although Clark had a strong showing with .930 OPS, 14 hits, 10 runs, and 6 extra base hits in 11 starts. Hyderabad won a weak division at 81-81 in 2008 and lost in the first round. They were back at the bottom of the standings by the 2010s.

Clark moved to first base in 2010 and won his first of seven consecutive Gold Gloves in 2011. That was his only GG for Hyderabad, who traded their long-time superstar that winter. Clark was in the last year of his deal and the Hippos were in full rebuild mode after repeat 100+ loss campaigns. Clark was sent to Mumbai for three prospects, although none of them amounted to anything.

For Hyderabad, Clark had 1471 hits, 755 runs, 221 doubles, 96 triples, 265 home runs, 780 RBI, 380 stolen bases, .297/.351/.541 slash, 166 wRC+, and 55.6 WAR. He was a franchise icon whose #33 uniform would be the first retired by the Hippos. Clark would also be the first Hall of Famer wearing Hyderabad’s pink and black.

At age 34 though, he now was with Mumbai. The Meteors were hoping to get over the hump after back-to-back first round playoff losses. Mumbai was again a wild card and first round loser in 2012, although Clark certainly delivered. He posted career bests in home runs (55) and RBI (135) while scoring 110 runs with 8.2 WAR. They couldn’t come to terms for a long-term deal and Clark entered free agency for the first time at age 35.

Hoping for playoff success, Clark signed with the defending Indian League champ Visakhapatnam at $44,500,000 over four years. He won Gold Gloves all four years for the Volts, although his overall production did drop a bit in after the first year. Clark’s 2013 though saw a league-best 133 RBI along with a career best 1.009 OPS, plus 8.4 WAR and 46 home runs.

That effort helped Visakhapatnam repeat as IL champs in 2013, although they were defeated for the SAB Championship by Hanoi. The Volts lost to Kolkata in the 2014 ILCS, then began an eight-year playoff drought after that. Clark in 26 playoff starts had 23 hits, 19 runs, 3 doubles, 3 triples, 7 home runs, 13 RBI, .250/.352/.576 slash, 141 wRC+, and 1.1 WAR.

Clark never won it all, although his overall playoff stats were rock solid with 49 starts, 48 hits, 36 runs, 9 doubles, 4 triples, 14 home runs, 26 RBI, 18 walks, .264/.330/.588 slash, 151 wRC+, and 2.1 WAR. Clark also played for India from 2005-14 in the World Baseball Championship, although his role was limited with 50 games and 13 starts, posting .658 OPS and 0.6 WAR.

For Visakhapatnam, Clark had 654 hits, 335 runs, 95 doubles, 37 triples, 133 home runs, 440 RBI, .280/.336/.524 slash, 149 wRC+, and 21.4 WAR. A free agent again at age 39, Clark signed a two-year, $9,040,000 deal with Colombo. He won his final Gold Glove in 2017 with a 5.1 WAR season. Clark’s overall production fell to 2.4 WAR in 2018, but he still hit 39 home runs. The 2008 expansion Catfish earned their first-ever playoff berth in 2018, but lost in the first round.

In 2018, Clark reached the 2500 hit, 1500 RBI, and 500 home run milestones. For Colombo, Clark had 333 hits, 185 runs, 51 doubles, 22 triples, 67 home runs, 217 RBI, .273/.318/.515 slash, 126 wRC+, and 7.5 WAR. Clark was still healthy and seemingly could contribute, but no teams grabbed him for 2019. He officially retired that winter at age 41.

Clark finished with 2700 games, 2625 hits, 1385 runs, 387 doubles, 167 triples, 520 home runs, 1572 RBI, 667 walks, 606 stolen bases, .289/.342/.540 slash, 158 wRC+, and 92.7 WAR. As of 2037, Clark is 13^th in games played, 25^th in hits, 40^th in runs, 22^nd in total bases (4906), 20^th in triples, 36^th in home runs, 20^th in RBI, 79^th in steals, 69^th in walks, and 28^th in WAR among position players.

He never had the huge eye-popping numbers of some of his contemporaries, but hard work and longevity gave Clark a rock solid resume. He won’t be mentioned in the inner circle, but not many voters had any objections for Clark’s induction. At 79.2%, Clark was a first ballot pick to cap off an impressive three-player 2024 Hall of Fame class for South Asia Baseball.

01-26-2025, 09:20 AM	#2011
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,418	2024 SAB Hall of Fame (Part 2) Devavesman Toppo – First Base – Hanoi Hounds – 97.9% First Ballot Davavesman Toppo was a 6’5’’, 195 pound left-handed hitting first baseman from Nadiad, India; a city of 327,000 people in the Gujarat state on the western coast. Toppo was known as one of baseball’s best-ever home run hitters with his power grading as a 10/10 from some scouts at his peak. He had a 14-year run where he smacked at least 49 dingers with 100+ RBI each season. Toppo was solid at drawing walks, but his strikeout rate was subpar. Toppo was a great contact hitter against right-handed pitching and average against lefties. Versus LHP, he was still respectable with a career .818 OPS and 130 wRC+. Toppo was a monster facing righties though with a 185 wRC+ and 1.065 OPS. His gap power was quite good with 30 doubles per his 162 game average. Toppo’s main offensive drawback was poor speed and atrocious baserunning. Despite his clumsiness on the basepaths, Toppo actually graded as a reliably average defender at first base. Every defensive start he made was at 1B with occasional play as a designated hitter. Toppo ran into some knee troubles, but stayed generally healthy with 130+ games each year from 2000-16. Some felt his work ethic was iffy, but fans and sponsors are easily swayed by dingers. Around 32% of Toppo’s career hits went yard, making him a beloved superstar in his time. He was a high “three true outcomes” hitter as 46% of his plate appearances ended in a homer, strikeout, or walk. Being a tally lefty from a young age will earn plenty of looks from scouts. One of them signed Toppo in July 1994 to a developmental deal with Hanoi, moving him from India to Vietnam. He spent nearly his entire pro career with the Hounds and helped turn them into a 21^st Century dynasty. Toppo spent most of five years in their academy, although he did officially debut in 1998 at age 19. He had 18 plate appearances between 1998 and 1999, then moved into a starting role beginning in 2000. Toppo immediately delivered his signature power with 53 homers, 107 RBI, 1.018 OPS, and 7.8 WAR as the 2000 Rookie of the Year and a Silver Slugger winner. It was his first of 12 seasons with 50+ homers, 17 with 100 RBI, 14 with 100 runs, 13 worth 7+ WAR, and 12 with an OPS above one. In 2001, Toppo led in runs scored (111) and homers (59) to win his second Slugger and take second in MVP voting. Hanoi signed Toppo to an eight-year, $16,600,000 extension in August 2002. Despite his impressive and reliable stats, Toppo never won MVP and generally wasn’t the Southeast Asia League’s leader in any stats. The only times he led a stat after 2001 was 2005, when he had the most homers (65), RBI (145), and the best slugging (.668). Toppo won a Silver Slugger as a DH and took second in 2005’s MVP voting. He won three later Sluggers at 1B in 2006, 2010, and 2016. A big reason Toppo didn’t get more play as THE guy was because of teammate Majed Darwish, who debuted in 2003. Darwish eventually became the world’s home run, RBI, and runs scored king and posted absolutely absurd world record shattering power in the late 2000s. This made Toppo the Robin to Darwish’s Batman despite Toppo’s world class power stats in his own right. With each other’s help and a homer-friendly ballpark in Hanoi, the Vietnamese capital became one of the most electric baseball spots in the world. Hanoi had been a fairly regular playoff team in the 1990s, but couldn’t get by the dynasty runs between Ho Chi Minh City and Yangon. With the power twins Toppo and Darwish, the Hounds started their own dynasty efforts beginning with a 13-year playoff streak starting in 2005. HCMC’s dynasty started to wind down towards the end of the decade. Most of Hanoi’s biggest playoff battles came against the Green Dragons, who were in the midst of what would be a world record 29-year playoff streak. The Hounds won 100+ games in all but two seasons from 2005-17. Hanoi lost in the 2005 SEAL Championship to Ho Chi Minh City and had a first round exit in 2006 against Yangon. The Hounds then won their first-ever South Asia Baseball Championship in 2007, defeating Kanpur in the final. Hanoi did even better at 120-42 in 2008 and won it all versus Mumbai in the final. They had beaten the Green Dragons in the LCS both years. 2008 marked the start of the truly absurd stats by Darwish, setting world records with 85 homers, 220 RBI, and 167 runs that year. Toppo meanwhile had 61 homers and 173 RBI; his RBI mark would’ve been the new SAB record if not for Darwish. Toppo’s mark remains the 22^nd most RBI in a season by any pro as of 2037. The 2008 Hounds are the only SAB team to score more than one thousand runs in a season (1006). While Darwish’s jaw-dropping numbers got the worldwide publicity, Toppo was the star of that postseason run. He won both LCS and finals MVP, starting 16 games with 23 hits, 12 runs, 4 doubles, 10 home runs, 20 RBI, a .411/.484/1.018 slash, 1.502 OPS, 270 wRC+, and 1.8 WAR. Hanoi went 122-40 in 2009 and 121-41 in 2010, setting a world record for most wins a three-year stretch at 363-123. They were shocked by Yangon in the first round in 2009, but got revenge in 2010. The Hounds took the SEAL title over Dhaka in 2010, but lost to Kolkata for the SAB title. Toppo signed a six-year, $27,400,000 extension in June 2010. He was second in 2010’s MVP voting with career bests in runs (130), homers (66), OPS (1.135), wRC+ (199), and WAR (9.8). That year, Darwish had posted 85 homers, 172 runs, and 200 RBI with Toppo’s help. Darwish’s numbers were a bit more mortal after that, while Toppo remained steady. Toppo smacked 63 homers in 2011 and 60 in 2012, giving him six seasons of 60+ dingers. He was third in 2011’s MVP voting and ultimately never won the top honor despite being a 16-time all-star. Hanoi’s success continued as they made the SEAL Championship each year from 2011-17. The Hounds would go 2-4 in that stretch, but would win additional SAB Championships in 2013 against Visakhapatnam and 2016 against Mumbai. Toppo would be LCS MVP in 2010 and first round MVP in 2011, 2014, and 2016. On the whole, Toppo’s playoff numbers were excellent over 157 games and 144 starts with 158 hits, 90 runs, 31 doubles, 48 home runs, 107 RBI, 50 walks, .290/.361/.615 slash, .975 OPS, 162 wRC+, and 7.4 WAR. In 47 Baseball Grand Championship games, Toppo had 35 hits, 26 runs, 4 doubles, 16 homers, 28 RBI, .208/.320/.518 slash, .838 OPS, and 1.6 WAR. Hanoi was 3-6 in the inaugural divisional BGC format in 2010. They finished 10-9 in 2013 and 12-7 in 2016. The Hounds officially were third in 2016 as part of a three-way tie with Kansas City and Zurich, while 13-6 Guam took the top spot. As of 2037, Toppo ranks 4^th in playoff homers in SAB, 3^rd in RBI, 5^th in hits, 4^th in runs, and 4^th in games played. His OPS ranks 47^th among all batters with 40 plate appearances and his slugging ranks 42^nd. Toppo’s big game performances also carried into the World Baseball Championship, as he regularly represented his native India. This helped him remain a megastar back home even as his exploits came in Vietnam. In the WBC, Toppo had 124 games, 82 starts, 78 hits, 65 runs, 12 doubles, 34 home runs, 64 RBI, .239/.346/.589 slash, .935 OPS, and 4.5 WAR. Toppo was surprisingly a backup in 2009 as India won its first-ever World Championship over the United States. The Indians also notably finished fourth in 2010 and had division titles in 2004 and 2007 with Toppo on the club. Toppo began approaching key milestones in his 30s, becoming SAB’s second to 800 home runs in 2013 and the second to 2000 RBI in 2015; both only reached to that point by Tirtha Upadhyaya. Toppo’s deal expired after the 2015 season and he was a free agent for the first time at age 37. After some time on the market, he went back to Hanoi for two more years at $19,800,000. He never caught Upadhyaya’s home run mark, but did pass his RBI record in 2017. Toppo’s reign as the RBI leader lasted one year with both Darwish and Ratan Canduri surpassing him soon after. Canduri was another whose own remarkable stats would overshadow Toppo’s efforts. Toppo was reduced to a platoon role though by 2017 and started only 98 games with 23 home runs and 58 RBI. That marked the end of an incredible two decade odyssey with Hanoi, whose playoff streak would end the next year. Toppo still wanted to play and Kolkata gave him a chance in spring training for one year and $2,760,000. He was a part-timer with 115 games and 75 starts, but his power was gone with only seven homers all year. Toppo did join the 950 homer club, only the fifth member in any world league to that point. He was unsigned in 2019 and finally retired that winter at age 41. Hanoi quickly brought him back to his second home and retired his #7 uniform. The final tallies for Toppo: 2869 games, 2967 hits, 1918 runs, 523 doubles, 44 triples, 953 home runs, 2226 RBI, 1177 walks, 2557 strikeouts, .292/.368/.633 slash, 1.001 OPS, 171 wRC+, and 129.3 WAR. As of 2037, Toppo ranks 4^th in homers in SAB, 3^rd in RBI, 5^th in runs, 9^th in hits, 9^th in walks, 12^th in strikeouts, 5^th in games played, and 9^th in WAR among position players. Among all SAB batters with 3000+ plate appearances, his OPS is 11^th, OBP is 51^st, and slugging is 8^th. Compared to all world players as of 2037, Toppo is 11^th in home runs, 25^th in RBI, and narrowly misses the top 50 for runs. Among Hall of Famers, his slugging is 33^rd and his OPS is 44^th. Toppo is still overshadowed though in conversations for the world’s best-ever home run hitters between South Asia Baseball’s relatively inflated numbers and because his contemporaries Darwish, Canduri, and Upadhyaya had Toppo beat in many categories. It’s hard to believe a guy with Toppo’s tallies could be underappreciated, but he was to a degree as the Scottie Pippen to Darwish’s Michael Jordan. Like those 1990s Chicago Bulls, their pairing created an impressive run of dominance for Hanoi. From 2005-17, the Hounds averaged 107.3 wins per season with four SAB titles, five SEAL titles, 11 LCS trips, and 10 division titles. Toppo is easily on SAB’s Mount Rushmore in terms of raw power, although his ranking among the top five or top ten players in SAB history varies depending on who you ask. He was a Hall of Fame lock and superstar by any measure and frankly his 97.9% was too low. Toppo was actually just behind SP Ariffin Sapri’s 98.8% as a co-headliner for the three-player 2024 class for SAB. Kumar Clark – First/Third Base – Hyderabad Hippos – 79.2% First Ballot Kumar Clark was a 6’0’’, 200 pound switch-hitting corner infielder from Sheikhupura, India; a city of 62,900 in the eastern Bihar state. Clark didn’t have the record-shattering power of some of his contemporaries, but he was a reliably strong power hitter in his time. His 162 game average got you 31 homers, 23 doubles, and 10 triples. Clark graded as a good contact hitter, but he was average-at-best at drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. Clark’s speed was merely above average, but he was one of the most skilled and crafty baserunners in the game. Roughly the first third of his career came at third base, where he graded as a lousy defender as he lacked the arm or range needed for the spot. Clark moved to first base at age 32 and thrived there defensively, winning seven consecutive Gold Gloves from 2011-17. He was an ironman with an impressive scrappy work ethic and adaptability. Clark would start 145+ games each year from 2005-18, helping him become of India’s most popular baseball fixtures. In October 1995, Clark signed a developmental contract with Hyderabad. He spent four full years in their academy before debuting in 2000 at age 22. Clark’s use was limited initially with only 23 starts and 99 games in his first two years. He had a full-time roster spot for the following three years, but only started a combined 88 games. Despite 33 starts in 2004, Clark posted 3.4 WAR and .913 OPS over 136 games. That impressive bat earned him a starting gig from 2005 onward with Hyderabad. Clark also signed an eight-year, $17,140,000 extension after the 2004 season. Each of the next seven seasons with the Hippos earned Clark 5.9+ WAR, winning Silver Sluggers in 2006, 2007, and 2008 at third base. He wasn’t generally a league leader, but he did lead the Indian League with 16 triples in 2008. Clark’s bests for Hyderabad with his career highs for WAR (8.8), and wRC+ (8.8). He twice hit 40+ homers and thrice had 100+ RBI. Hyderabad was typically below average in Clark’s tenure, averaging 76 wins per season. They peaked with an impressive 101-61 in 2007, their first playoff berth in a decade. The Hippos would get upset by Kanpur in the ILCS, although Clark had a strong showing with .930 OPS, 14 hits, 10 runs, and 6 extra base hits in 11 starts. Hyderabad won a weak division at 81-81 in 2008 and lost in the first round. They were back at the bottom of the standings by the 2010s. Clark moved to first base in 2010 and won his first of seven consecutive Gold Gloves in 2011. That was his only GG for Hyderabad, who traded their long-time superstar that winter. Clark was in the last year of his deal and the Hippos were in full rebuild mode after repeat 100+ loss campaigns. Clark was sent to Mumbai for three prospects, although none of them amounted to anything. For Hyderabad, Clark had 1471 hits, 755 runs, 221 doubles, 96 triples, 265 home runs, 780 RBI, 380 stolen bases, .297/.351/.541 slash, 166 wRC+, and 55.6 WAR. He was a franchise icon whose #33 uniform would be the first retired by the Hippos. Clark would also be the first Hall of Famer wearing Hyderabad’s pink and black. At age 34 though, he now was with Mumbai. The Meteors were hoping to get over the hump after back-to-back first round playoff losses. Mumbai was again a wild card and first round loser in 2012, although Clark certainly delivered. He posted career bests in home runs (55) and RBI (135) while scoring 110 runs with 8.2 WAR. They couldn’t come to terms for a long-term deal and Clark entered free agency for the first time at age 35. Hoping for playoff success, Clark signed with the defending Indian League champ Visakhapatnam at $44,500,000 over four years. He won Gold Gloves all four years for the Volts, although his overall production did drop a bit in after the first year. Clark’s 2013 though saw a league-best 133 RBI along with a career best 1.009 OPS, plus 8.4 WAR and 46 home runs. That effort helped Visakhapatnam repeat as IL champs in 2013, although they were defeated for the SAB Championship by Hanoi. The Volts lost to Kolkata in the 2014 ILCS, then began an eight-year playoff drought after that. Clark in 26 playoff starts had 23 hits, 19 runs, 3 doubles, 3 triples, 7 home runs, 13 RBI, .250/.352/.576 slash, 141 wRC+, and 1.1 WAR. Clark never won it all, although his overall playoff stats were rock solid with 49 starts, 48 hits, 36 runs, 9 doubles, 4 triples, 14 home runs, 26 RBI, 18 walks, .264/.330/.588 slash, 151 wRC+, and 2.1 WAR. Clark also played for India from 2005-14 in the World Baseball Championship, although his role was limited with 50 games and 13 starts, posting .658 OPS and 0.6 WAR. For Visakhapatnam, Clark had 654 hits, 335 runs, 95 doubles, 37 triples, 133 home runs, 440 RBI, .280/.336/.524 slash, 149 wRC+, and 21.4 WAR. A free agent again at age 39, Clark signed a two-year, $9,040,000 deal with Colombo. He won his final Gold Glove in 2017 with a 5.1 WAR season. Clark’s overall production fell to 2.4 WAR in 2018, but he still hit 39 home runs. The 2008 expansion Catfish earned their first-ever playoff berth in 2018, but lost in the first round. In 2018, Clark reached the 2500 hit, 1500 RBI, and 500 home run milestones. For Colombo, Clark had 333 hits, 185 runs, 51 doubles, 22 triples, 67 home runs, 217 RBI, .273/.318/.515 slash, 126 wRC+, and 7.5 WAR. Clark was still healthy and seemingly could contribute, but no teams grabbed him for 2019. He officially retired that winter at age 41. Clark finished with 2700 games, 2625 hits, 1385 runs, 387 doubles, 167 triples, 520 home runs, 1572 RBI, 667 walks, 606 stolen bases, .289/.342/.540 slash, 158 wRC+, and 92.7 WAR. As of 2037, Clark is 13^th in games played, 25^th in hits, 40^th in runs, 22^nd in total bases (4906), 20^th in triples, 36^th in home runs, 20^th in RBI, 79^th in steals, 69^th in walks, and 28^th in WAR among position players. He never had the huge eye-popping numbers of some of his contemporaries, but hard work and longevity gave Clark a rock solid resume. He won’t be mentioned in the inner circle, but not many voters had any objections for Clark’s induction. At 79.2%, Clark was a first ballot pick to cap off an impressive three-player 2024 Hall of Fame class for South Asia Baseball. __________________ 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)