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FuzzyRussianHat · 02-05-2025, 06:55 PM

A pair of first baseman were inducted upon their ballot debuts in 2025 for the European Baseball Federation Hall of Fame. Francisco Cruz was the clear headliner at 98.3%, but Yvonnick Bello got a rock solid 77.4%. SP Johannes Jol was the best returner with 57.5% on his seventh ballot, still a bit short of the 66% requirement. 3B Kyle Evrard was next at 54.5% for his seventh go. No one else cracked 50%.

Nick Hudson was dropped after ten failed ballots, but it was remarkable he made it ten ballots since his EBF career lasted only four years. Hudson started his career in MLB with Phoenix with strong hitter and okay pitching in a two-way role. He came to Europe from 2006-09 with Kyiv primarily as a RF. In that short stretch, he won four Silver Sluggers, one MVP, two championship rings, and a finals MVP. Hudson was a beast in 42 playoff starts for the Kings with 1.035 OPS and 2.4 WAR.

In four seasons, Hudson had 770 hits, 447 runs, 132 doubles, 186 homers, 455 RBI, .359/.423/.698 slash, 210 wRC+, and 37.6 WAR. He went back to MLB after that for his final six seasons, finishing his combined career with 81.0 offensive WAR and 13.7 WAR pitching. The combined resume maybe gets him in somewhere, but the separated resumes doesn’t. Hudson’s EBF run was way too short and he was never particularly elite in his MLB tenures. Still, his four years with Kyiv were so awesome that Hudson stayed on the ballot ten years, peaking at 39.6% in 2024 and ending at 9.6%.

Francisco Cruz – First Base – Brussels Beavers – 98.3% First Ballot

Francisco Cruz was a 6’3’’, 210 pound left-handed first baseman from Canidelo, Portugal; a parish of around 28,000 on the northwestern coast. Cruz was an excellent contact hitter with a penchant for extra base hits, posting a 162 game average of 34 home runs, 35 doubles, and 15 triples. He was great at putting the ball in play with a low strikeout rate, although he was average at best at drawing walks.

Despite his many doubles/triples, Cruz had merely average speed, but he was a crafty baserunner. He also surprisingly never hit for the cycle despite those averages. Cruz’s power was especially noticeable against right-handing pitching with a career 1.038 OPS and 184 wRC+. His power averages were almost cut in half against lefties for a career .765 OPS and 116 wRC+. Cruz was remarkably consistent as a hitter and had excellent durability. From 2000-17, he started 142+ games each year.

In his first few years, Cruz mostly played left field and was considered a solid defender. He moved to first base full-time by age 26 and thrived there, winning eight consecutive Gold Gloves from 2010-17. As of 2037, Cruz ranks third in EBF for accumulated zone rating at 1B. Cruz was also a team captain and was considered an excellent leader. It’s no surprise that such a well-rounded talent was one of the biggest superstars of his era for European baseball.

Although he didn’t grow up in a huge city, Cruz’s talent caught the attention of a Belgian scout visiting Portugal. They brought him to Brussels in January 1995 on a developmental deal. He’d become famous in Belgium, but Cruz did still regularly return home to Portugal for the World Baseball Championship. From 2000-19, he had 170 WBC games with 148 hits, 71 runs, 31 doubles, 34 home runs, 96 RBI, .247/.301/.477 slash, 119 wRC+, and 3.4 WAR.

Cruz spent most of three years in Brussels’ academy, although he debut in 1098 at age 20 with six plate appearances. He was a part-time starter in 1999 with a very solid 3.4 WAR and .928 OPS over 126 games and 89 starts, earning Rookie of the Year honors. Cruz spent the next 16 years starting for the Beavers and all but his final season would be worth 5.5 WAR, showing his remarkable consistency.

His lone Silver Sluggers came from 2003-05 with the first two in left field and the other at first base. Cruz’s lone MVP came in a stellar 2004 effort where he led the Northern Conference in runs (128), hits (218), total bases (422), average (.360), slugging (.698), OPS (1.105), wRC+ (198), and WAR (9.9). The runs, WAR, total bases, and his 26 triples were career bests. Cruz was second in 2005’s MVP voting with a career best 46 doubles along with 1.109 OPS and 205 wRC+.

Cruz wasn’t an MVP finalist after that as it was especially hard to get noticed against the many big boppers at first base. He led the conference four more times in doubles and led in RBI twice. Cruz also won the batting title in 2011 with a career best triple slash of .380/.424/.702 with 1.126 OPS, 213 wRC+, and 9.9 WAR. 2011 also had Cruz’s highest home run tally at 41.

After the 2004 season, Cruz signed an eight-year, $64,140,000 extension with Brussels. The Beavers were middling for Cruz’s first decade, but had a competitive window begin in with a first round loss in 2008. They barely missed the wild card in 2009, then surprised many with a 112-50 season in 2010. Brussels had home field for the Northern Conference Championship, but was ousted by Dublin in the start of the Dinos’ dynasty run. The Beavers won division titles again in 2011 and 2012, but suffered second round postseason defeats both years.

Cruz’s playoff stats were respectable with 23 starts, 27 hits, 18 runs, 6 doubles, 6 homers, 18 RBI, .303/.319/.573 slash, 153 wRC+, and 0.9 WAR. He had officially become a free agent after the 2012 season at age 35, but ended up signing a new three-year, $41,400,000 deal with Brussels. The Beavers won 98 games in both 2013 and 2014, but missed the playoffs both years narrowly. They fell to 85-77 in 2015, his final season in Belgium.

That year, Cruz’s production finally took a notable dip from his usual reliable stats. He was still worth 3.6 WAR and had been at 8.4 the year prior. In 2014, Cruz had passed Roberto Baccin’s 567 doubles to become EBF’s all-time leader. He became the first to reach 600 doubles in EBF history in 2015. Still, Brussels decided not to re-sign their long-time superstar at age 38. The split was amicable and Cruz’s #20 uniform would soon be retired.

For the Beavers, Cruz had 3299 hits, 1714 runs, 610 doubles, 262 triples, 555 home runs, 1833 RBI, 460 steals, .333/.376/.615 slash, 173 wRC+, and 118.7 WAR. He would sign a two-year, $13,700,000 deal with Sheffield, who had just earned a promotion from the European Second League. The Steelhounds narrowly escaped getting demoted right back in 2016 at 65-97 with Cruz posting a 3.9 WAR, .835 OPS season.

Cruz regained some of the old glory in 2017 at age 39 with 40 homers, .995 OPS, 170 wRC+, and 7.1 WAR. It was also the final of his eight straight Gold Gloves. Sheffield surprised many by winning a division title, although they lost in the second round of the playoffs. In two seasons in England, Cruz had 355 hits, 169 runs, 47 doubles, 18 triples, 77 home runs, 192 RBI, .305/.341/.575 slash, 153 wRC+, and 11.1 WAR.

While there, Cruz also hit some important statistical milestones. In 2017, he passed Carsten Dal’s 3633 hits to become EBF’s all-time hits king. He held the crown only briefly with Jiri Lebr passing him in 2020. Cruz also became the third to reach 2000 career RBI and seemingly was in striking distance of becoming the fourth to 2000 runs. Based on how he played in 2017 at age 39, many thought Cruz had a good shot at reaching those marks.

Cruz signed a two-year, $25,800,000 deal with Warsaw in 2018, but declined sharply. He only played 86 games and started 9 in 2018 with 115 wRC+ and 0.8 WAR. Cruz didn’t look much better in 2019 before having a severely strained hip muscle knock him out four months. As much as he wanted to stick around, Cruz appeared cooked and opted for retirement at age 42.

In total, Cruz had 3105 games, 3720 hits, 1923 runs, 665 doubles, 283 triples, 651 home runs, 2066 RBI, 749 walks, 1445 strikeouts, 521 stolen bases, .327/.370/.607 slash, .977 OPS, 169 wRC+, and 130.9 WAR. He remains EBF’s all-time doubles leader as of 2037 and ranks 2^nd in hits, 5^th in runs, 3^rd in games, 4^th in total bases (6904), 29^th in triples, 8^th in singles (2121), 14^th in homers, 5^th in RBI, 77^th in walks, and 11^th in WAR among position players.

Against EBF batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Cruz ranks 48^th in OPS, 71^st in average, and 47^th in slugging. On the world leaderboards as of 2037, Cruz is 22^nd in hits, 33^rd in doubles, and 50^th in RBI. Of all of the world’s Hall of Famers, Cruz is the only player to have 650+ doubles, 650+ home runs, and 250+ triples.

Despite these amazing tallies, Cruz was almost under-appreciated in his time. He didn’t have the jaw-dropping tallies too often, but he was incredibly consistent and well-rounded for two decades. Cruz wasn’t incredible at any one thing outside of gap power, but he was at least good at pretty much everything. Thus, you end up with one of the most impressive resumes in European Baseball Federation history.

Still, Cruz falls just outside of some top ten lists as a few others had more accolades and more eye-popping tallies. He also never had the signature playoff run with Brussels. However, you’d have to call Cruz an inner-circle level Hall of Famer and few players were more universally beloved in EBF. He was a deserved headliner for the 2025 class at 98.3%.

Yvonnick Bello – First Base – Barcelona Bengals – 77.4% First Ballot

Yvonnick Bello was a 6’6’’, 200 pound left-handed first baseman from Pau, a commune of around 78,000 in southern France. On the whole, Bello was a very good contact hitter with impressive home run power and a solid eye for drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. He dominated right-handing pitching with a career .981 OPS and 181 wRC+. Bello was average at best for his career against other lefties with 103 wRC+ and .708 OPS.

Bello’s 162 game average had 40 home runs and 25 doubles. He reached 50+ homers twice and 40+ nine times. Bello’s speed was poor, but he was a decent baserunner and was deceptively good at getting occasional steals. Every start in his career came at first base where he was a consistently mediocre defender. Bello’s bat was reliable and he had good durability, leading to an impressive 22-year career. His ability to hit towering home runs made him one of the most popular sluggers of his era.

Nothing gets a scout more excited than spotting a tall lefty in the wild. Bello stood out among the prospects in southern France and drew attention south of the border in Spain. Barcelona was one of the closest franchises to Bello’s hometown and the Bengals courted him, signing Bello to a developmental contract in August 1999. He spent around four years in their academy, officially debuting in 2003 at age 20 with 36 games and 4 starts. He struggled in that small sample size, but earned a starting job for 2004.

Bello delivered in his first full season, leading the Southern Conference with 385 total bases. The 46 homer, .987 OPS, 6.4 WAR effort earned Bello the 2004 Rookie of the Year. His production remained consistent the next few years as Barcelona re-emerged as a contender. They ended a six-year playoff drought in 2005, but lost in the first round. The Bengals then were an impressive 111-51 in 2006, winning the conference title but losing in the European Championship to Kyiv. Bello was conference finals MVP, posting 22 hits, 9 runs, 3 homers, 9 RBI, and 0.6 WAR over 16 playoff starts.

Barcelona was 96-66 and repeated as conference champs, this time defeating Kyiv in a rematch for the EBF title. Bello was a playoff hero, winning MVP of the European Championship and of the Southern Conference Championship against Bratislava. In 16 playoff starts, Bello had 24 hits, 12 runs, 8 homers, 17 RBI, 1.530 OPS, 306 wRC+, and 1.6 WAR. That run forever made him a fan favorite throughout Catalonia.

Bello signed a four-year, $25,120,000 extension with Barcelona in July 2008. That year was actually the worst of his Bengals run with only 4.7 WAR. He bounced back with his four strongest seasons, each winning Silver Sluggers with 8+ WAR, 1.000+ OPS, 40+ homers, 100+ runs, and 100+ RBI. In 2009, he led the conference in runs (122) and home runs (55). That would be his highest homer tally. Barcelona narrowly missed the playoffs in 2008-09, but got back in 2010 with a conference finals loss to Zurich. Bello was the conference finals MVP despite the loss, winning it for the third time.

In 2011, Bello won his lone batting title at .355 and posted career bests in runs (123), RBI (140), and WAR (10.2). 2011 also had Bello finishing second in MVP voting, his only time as a finalist. For the third time in his run, Barcelona won the pennant in 2011. The 108-54 Bengals would fall to the fledgling Dublin dynasty in the European Championship. In the Baseball Grand Championship, Bello was strong again with .978 OPS, 14 hits, 12 runs, 8 homers, and 15 RBI over 19 starts. Barcelona struggled as a team though at 6-13.

Bello’s career playoff numbers for Barcelona were impressive with 57 starts, 81 hits, 41 runs, 8 doubles, 18 home runs, 53 RBI, .391/.445/.720 slash, 219 wRC+, and 4.1 WAR. He didn’t have enough games to soar up the counting leaderboards, but you would be hard-pressed to find many batters more efficient than Bello was over his sample size.

In 2012, he led in on-base percentage (.439) and had his career best triple slash (.369/.439/.680), OPS (1.118), and wRC+ (211). However, the Bengals struggled to 77-85. This also marked the end of Bello’s time in Europe, as he entered free agency at age 30. While he remained extremely popular with fans, some in the Barcelona organization were frustrated that he didn’t commit longer. The Bengals would win one more pennant in 2015, but then fall into mediocrity for the rest of the 2010s, eventually getting relegated in 2021.

With Barcelona, Bello had 1449 games, 1728 hits, 980 runs, 283 doubles, 380 home runs, 1023 RBI, 464 walks, 746 strikeouts, 151 stolen bases, .334/.394/.620 slash, 1.014 OPS, 178 wRC+, and 66.9 WAR. He wasn’t around long enough to climb up the leaderboards for counting stats. However as of 2037, Bello’s OPS ranks 13^th among all EBF batters with 3000+ plate appearances. His triple slash ranks 42^nd/25^th/27^th.

That efficiency, plus Bello’s impressive playoff numbers won over most voters even if he was gone before his 30^th birthday. Few players had a better nine-year run and a lot of voters gave him partial credit for his later MLB tenure; arguing that he easily would’ve hit the pre-requisite counting milestones had he stayed. Bello received 77.4%, enough for the first ballot selection into the European Baseball Federation’s Hall of Fame in 2025.

However, Bello actually played 108 more Major League Baseball games than he did EBF games. Even after leaving, he still returned home each year to represent France in the World Baseball Championship. From 2005-22, Bello played 115 games with 104 hits, 68 runs, 9 doubles, 42 home runs, 75 RBI, .309/.399/.721 slash, 1.121 OPS, and 6.6 WAR. His big game excellence carried onto the world stage. Among all batters with 250+ plate appearances in the WBC as of 2037, Bello’s OPS ranks 20^th. France had limited success in this era, but they did win a division title in 2011.

Bello’s MLB career began in Canada’s largest city on a big six-year, $149,200,000 deal with Toronto. He was never an award winner or league leader in MLB, but he was a reliably strong starter with five seasons above 4+ WAR for the Timberwolves. He flashed some of the elite greatness in 2015 with 43 homers, 108 RBI, .998 OPS, and 7.1 WAR; each career bests for his MLB career. His down year was 2017, but that was because he missed almost the entire season to torn ankle ligaments.

In 2015, Toronto ended a 14-year playoff drought. The Timberwolves would fall in the 2015 National Association Championship Series to St. Louis, then fall again in the 2016 AACS to Kansas City. Bello’s playoff dominance from EBF didn’t transfer to MLB with 0.4 WAR, .673 OPS, and 96 wRC+ over 26 starts. He certainly delivered solid value in total for Toronto with 758 games, 696 hits, 447 runs, 87 doubles, 213 home runs, 508 RBI, .263/.341/.542 slash, 170 wRC+, and 26.8 WAR.

A free agent again at age 36, Bello joined Detroit on a two-year, $40,800,000 deal. He maintained his same steady production with a .263/.361/.508 slash, 159 wRC+, and 9.0 WAR. The Tigers won a division title in 2019 and Bello had a nice postseason, but they lost in the second round. Bello still had value even at age 38, especially facing righties. For 2021, signed a two-year, $32,800,000 deal with Brooklyn.

Bello was starting to struggle some versus lefties, but he was again a positive value starter for the Dodgers over two years with .800 OPS, 57 home runs, 139 wRC+, and 7.1 WAR. Now 40-years, old, Bello joined Montreal for two years at $19,400,000. He was more in a platoon role and somewhat diminished, but still had a role to play over 232 games with .749 OPS, 126 wRC+, and 4.0 WAR. Bello retired after the 2024 season shortly after his 42^nd birthday.

In MLB, Bello had 1557 games, 1318 hits, 817 runs, 183 doubles, 368 home runs, 926 RBI, 637 walks, .253/.343/.506 slash, 157 wRC+, and 46.9 WAR. If he maintained a similar pace and played in MLB in his 20s, Bello probably would’ve been good enough to make their Hall of Fame. It was a rock solid career though for a guy who came over in his 30s.

For his combined pro career, Bello had 3006 games, 3046 hits, 1797 runs, 466 doubles, 748 home runs, 1949 RBI, 1101 walks, .294/.368/.563 slash, 167 wRC+, and 113.8 WAR. Bello wasn’t at the tip-top of players in his era, but there weren’t many with more reliably hitting prowess. He was beloved everywhere he went and his playoff exploits make Bello a favorite in Barcelona years later. Certainly his run was one worthy of recognition.

02-05-2025, 06:55 PM	#2042
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,222	2025 EBF Hall of Fame A pair of first baseman were inducted upon their ballot debuts in 2025 for the European Baseball Federation Hall of Fame. Francisco Cruz was the clear headliner at 98.3%, but Yvonnick Bello got a rock solid 77.4%. SP Johannes Jol was the best returner with 57.5% on his seventh ballot, still a bit short of the 66% requirement. 3B Kyle Evrard was next at 54.5% for his seventh go. No one else cracked 50%. Nick Hudson was dropped after ten failed ballots, but it was remarkable he made it ten ballots since his EBF career lasted only four years. Hudson started his career in MLB with Phoenix with strong hitter and okay pitching in a two-way role. He came to Europe from 2006-09 with Kyiv primarily as a RF. In that short stretch, he won four Silver Sluggers, one MVP, two championship rings, and a finals MVP. Hudson was a beast in 42 playoff starts for the Kings with 1.035 OPS and 2.4 WAR. In four seasons, Hudson had 770 hits, 447 runs, 132 doubles, 186 homers, 455 RBI, .359/.423/.698 slash, 210 wRC+, and 37.6 WAR. He went back to MLB after that for his final six seasons, finishing his combined career with 81.0 offensive WAR and 13.7 WAR pitching. The combined resume maybe gets him in somewhere, but the separated resumes doesn’t. Hudson’s EBF run was way too short and he was never particularly elite in his MLB tenures. Still, his four years with Kyiv were so awesome that Hudson stayed on the ballot ten years, peaking at 39.6% in 2024 and ending at 9.6%. Francisco Cruz – First Base – Brussels Beavers – 98.3% First Ballot Francisco Cruz was a 6’3’’, 210 pound left-handed first baseman from Canidelo, Portugal; a parish of around 28,000 on the northwestern coast. Cruz was an excellent contact hitter with a penchant for extra base hits, posting a 162 game average of 34 home runs, 35 doubles, and 15 triples. He was great at putting the ball in play with a low strikeout rate, although he was average at best at drawing walks. Despite his many doubles/triples, Cruz had merely average speed, but he was a crafty baserunner. He also surprisingly never hit for the cycle despite those averages. Cruz’s power was especially noticeable against right-handing pitching with a career 1.038 OPS and 184 wRC+. His power averages were almost cut in half against lefties for a career .765 OPS and 116 wRC+. Cruz was remarkably consistent as a hitter and had excellent durability. From 2000-17, he started 142+ games each year. In his first few years, Cruz mostly played left field and was considered a solid defender. He moved to first base full-time by age 26 and thrived there, winning eight consecutive Gold Gloves from 2010-17. As of 2037, Cruz ranks third in EBF for accumulated zone rating at 1B. Cruz was also a team captain and was considered an excellent leader. It’s no surprise that such a well-rounded talent was one of the biggest superstars of his era for European baseball. Although he didn’t grow up in a huge city, Cruz’s talent caught the attention of a Belgian scout visiting Portugal. They brought him to Brussels in January 1995 on a developmental deal. He’d become famous in Belgium, but Cruz did still regularly return home to Portugal for the World Baseball Championship. From 2000-19, he had 170 WBC games with 148 hits, 71 runs, 31 doubles, 34 home runs, 96 RBI, .247/.301/.477 slash, 119 wRC+, and 3.4 WAR. Cruz spent most of three years in Brussels’ academy, although he debut in 1098 at age 20 with six plate appearances. He was a part-time starter in 1999 with a very solid 3.4 WAR and .928 OPS over 126 games and 89 starts, earning Rookie of the Year honors. Cruz spent the next 16 years starting for the Beavers and all but his final season would be worth 5.5 WAR, showing his remarkable consistency. His lone Silver Sluggers came from 2003-05 with the first two in left field and the other at first base. Cruz’s lone MVP came in a stellar 2004 effort where he led the Northern Conference in runs (128), hits (218), total bases (422), average (.360), slugging (.698), OPS (1.105), wRC+ (198), and WAR (9.9). The runs, WAR, total bases, and his 26 triples were career bests. Cruz was second in 2005’s MVP voting with a career best 46 doubles along with 1.109 OPS and 205 wRC+. Cruz wasn’t an MVP finalist after that as it was especially hard to get noticed against the many big boppers at first base. He led the conference four more times in doubles and led in RBI twice. Cruz also won the batting title in 2011 with a career best triple slash of .380/.424/.702 with 1.126 OPS, 213 wRC+, and 9.9 WAR. 2011 also had Cruz’s highest home run tally at 41. After the 2004 season, Cruz signed an eight-year, $64,140,000 extension with Brussels. The Beavers were middling for Cruz’s first decade, but had a competitive window begin in with a first round loss in 2008. They barely missed the wild card in 2009, then surprised many with a 112-50 season in 2010. Brussels had home field for the Northern Conference Championship, but was ousted by Dublin in the start of the Dinos’ dynasty run. The Beavers won division titles again in 2011 and 2012, but suffered second round postseason defeats both years. Cruz’s playoff stats were respectable with 23 starts, 27 hits, 18 runs, 6 doubles, 6 homers, 18 RBI, .303/.319/.573 slash, 153 wRC+, and 0.9 WAR. He had officially become a free agent after the 2012 season at age 35, but ended up signing a new three-year, $41,400,000 deal with Brussels. The Beavers won 98 games in both 2013 and 2014, but missed the playoffs both years narrowly. They fell to 85-77 in 2015, his final season in Belgium. That year, Cruz’s production finally took a notable dip from his usual reliable stats. He was still worth 3.6 WAR and had been at 8.4 the year prior. In 2014, Cruz had passed Roberto Baccin’s 567 doubles to become EBF’s all-time leader. He became the first to reach 600 doubles in EBF history in 2015. Still, Brussels decided not to re-sign their long-time superstar at age 38. The split was amicable and Cruz’s #20 uniform would soon be retired. For the Beavers, Cruz had 3299 hits, 1714 runs, 610 doubles, 262 triples, 555 home runs, 1833 RBI, 460 steals, .333/.376/.615 slash, 173 wRC+, and 118.7 WAR. He would sign a two-year, $13,700,000 deal with Sheffield, who had just earned a promotion from the European Second League. The Steelhounds narrowly escaped getting demoted right back in 2016 at 65-97 with Cruz posting a 3.9 WAR, .835 OPS season. Cruz regained some of the old glory in 2017 at age 39 with 40 homers, .995 OPS, 170 wRC+, and 7.1 WAR. It was also the final of his eight straight Gold Gloves. Sheffield surprised many by winning a division title, although they lost in the second round of the playoffs. In two seasons in England, Cruz had 355 hits, 169 runs, 47 doubles, 18 triples, 77 home runs, 192 RBI, .305/.341/.575 slash, 153 wRC+, and 11.1 WAR. While there, Cruz also hit some important statistical milestones. In 2017, he passed Carsten Dal’s 3633 hits to become EBF’s all-time hits king. He held the crown only briefly with Jiri Lebr passing him in 2020. Cruz also became the third to reach 2000 career RBI and seemingly was in striking distance of becoming the fourth to 2000 runs. Based on how he played in 2017 at age 39, many thought Cruz had a good shot at reaching those marks. Cruz signed a two-year, $25,800,000 deal with Warsaw in 2018, but declined sharply. He only played 86 games and started 9 in 2018 with 115 wRC+ and 0.8 WAR. Cruz didn’t look much better in 2019 before having a severely strained hip muscle knock him out four months. As much as he wanted to stick around, Cruz appeared cooked and opted for retirement at age 42. In total, Cruz had 3105 games, 3720 hits, 1923 runs, 665 doubles, 283 triples, 651 home runs, 2066 RBI, 749 walks, 1445 strikeouts, 521 stolen bases, .327/.370/.607 slash, .977 OPS, 169 wRC+, and 130.9 WAR. He remains EBF’s all-time doubles leader as of 2037 and ranks 2^nd in hits, 5^th in runs, 3^rd in games, 4^th in total bases (6904), 29^th in triples, 8^th in singles (2121), 14^th in homers, 5^th in RBI, 77^th in walks, and 11^th in WAR among position players. Against EBF batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Cruz ranks 48^th in OPS, 71^st in average, and 47^th in slugging. On the world leaderboards as of 2037, Cruz is 22^nd in hits, 33^rd in doubles, and 50^th in RBI. Of all of the world’s Hall of Famers, Cruz is the only player to have 650+ doubles, 650+ home runs, and 250+ triples. Despite these amazing tallies, Cruz was almost under-appreciated in his time. He didn’t have the jaw-dropping tallies too often, but he was incredibly consistent and well-rounded for two decades. Cruz wasn’t incredible at any one thing outside of gap power, but he was at least good at pretty much everything. Thus, you end up with one of the most impressive resumes in European Baseball Federation history. Still, Cruz falls just outside of some top ten lists as a few others had more accolades and more eye-popping tallies. He also never had the signature playoff run with Brussels. However, you’d have to call Cruz an inner-circle level Hall of Famer and few players were more universally beloved in EBF. He was a deserved headliner for the 2025 class at 98.3%. Yvonnick Bello – First Base – Barcelona Bengals – 77.4% First Ballot Yvonnick Bello was a 6’6’’, 200 pound left-handed first baseman from Pau, a commune of around 78,000 in southern France. On the whole, Bello was a very good contact hitter with impressive home run power and a solid eye for drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. He dominated right-handing pitching with a career .981 OPS and 181 wRC+. Bello was average at best for his career against other lefties with 103 wRC+ and .708 OPS. Bello’s 162 game average had 40 home runs and 25 doubles. He reached 50+ homers twice and 40+ nine times. Bello’s speed was poor, but he was a decent baserunner and was deceptively good at getting occasional steals. Every start in his career came at first base where he was a consistently mediocre defender. Bello’s bat was reliable and he had good durability, leading to an impressive 22-year career. His ability to hit towering home runs made him one of the most popular sluggers of his era. Nothing gets a scout more excited than spotting a tall lefty in the wild. Bello stood out among the prospects in southern France and drew attention south of the border in Spain. Barcelona was one of the closest franchises to Bello’s hometown and the Bengals courted him, signing Bello to a developmental contract in August 1999. He spent around four years in their academy, officially debuting in 2003 at age 20 with 36 games and 4 starts. He struggled in that small sample size, but earned a starting job for 2004. Bello delivered in his first full season, leading the Southern Conference with 385 total bases. The 46 homer, .987 OPS, 6.4 WAR effort earned Bello the 2004 Rookie of the Year. His production remained consistent the next few years as Barcelona re-emerged as a contender. They ended a six-year playoff drought in 2005, but lost in the first round. The Bengals then were an impressive 111-51 in 2006, winning the conference title but losing in the European Championship to Kyiv. Bello was conference finals MVP, posting 22 hits, 9 runs, 3 homers, 9 RBI, and 0.6 WAR over 16 playoff starts. Barcelona was 96-66 and repeated as conference champs, this time defeating Kyiv in a rematch for the EBF title. Bello was a playoff hero, winning MVP of the European Championship and of the Southern Conference Championship against Bratislava. In 16 playoff starts, Bello had 24 hits, 12 runs, 8 homers, 17 RBI, 1.530 OPS, 306 wRC+, and 1.6 WAR. That run forever made him a fan favorite throughout Catalonia. Bello signed a four-year, $25,120,000 extension with Barcelona in July 2008. That year was actually the worst of his Bengals run with only 4.7 WAR. He bounced back with his four strongest seasons, each winning Silver Sluggers with 8+ WAR, 1.000+ OPS, 40+ homers, 100+ runs, and 100+ RBI. In 2009, he led the conference in runs (122) and home runs (55). That would be his highest homer tally. Barcelona narrowly missed the playoffs in 2008-09, but got back in 2010 with a conference finals loss to Zurich. Bello was the conference finals MVP despite the loss, winning it for the third time. In 2011, Bello won his lone batting title at .355 and posted career bests in runs (123), RBI (140), and WAR (10.2). 2011 also had Bello finishing second in MVP voting, his only time as a finalist. For the third time in his run, Barcelona won the pennant in 2011. The 108-54 Bengals would fall to the fledgling Dublin dynasty in the European Championship. In the Baseball Grand Championship, Bello was strong again with .978 OPS, 14 hits, 12 runs, 8 homers, and 15 RBI over 19 starts. Barcelona struggled as a team though at 6-13. Bello’s career playoff numbers for Barcelona were impressive with 57 starts, 81 hits, 41 runs, 8 doubles, 18 home runs, 53 RBI, .391/.445/.720 slash, 219 wRC+, and 4.1 WAR. He didn’t have enough games to soar up the counting leaderboards, but you would be hard-pressed to find many batters more efficient than Bello was over his sample size. In 2012, he led in on-base percentage (.439) and had his career best triple slash (.369/.439/.680), OPS (1.118), and wRC+ (211). However, the Bengals struggled to 77-85. This also marked the end of Bello’s time in Europe, as he entered free agency at age 30. While he remained extremely popular with fans, some in the Barcelona organization were frustrated that he didn’t commit longer. The Bengals would win one more pennant in 2015, but then fall into mediocrity for the rest of the 2010s, eventually getting relegated in 2021. With Barcelona, Bello had 1449 games, 1728 hits, 980 runs, 283 doubles, 380 home runs, 1023 RBI, 464 walks, 746 strikeouts, 151 stolen bases, .334/.394/.620 slash, 1.014 OPS, 178 wRC+, and 66.9 WAR. He wasn’t around long enough to climb up the leaderboards for counting stats. However as of 2037, Bello’s OPS ranks 13^th among all EBF batters with 3000+ plate appearances. His triple slash ranks 42^nd/25^th/27^th. That efficiency, plus Bello’s impressive playoff numbers won over most voters even if he was gone before his 30^th birthday. Few players had a better nine-year run and a lot of voters gave him partial credit for his later MLB tenure; arguing that he easily would’ve hit the pre-requisite counting milestones had he stayed. Bello received 77.4%, enough for the first ballot selection into the European Baseball Federation’s Hall of Fame in 2025. However, Bello actually played 108 more Major League Baseball games than he did EBF games. Even after leaving, he still returned home each year to represent France in the World Baseball Championship. From 2005-22, Bello played 115 games with 104 hits, 68 runs, 9 doubles, 42 home runs, 75 RBI, .309/.399/.721 slash, 1.121 OPS, and 6.6 WAR. His big game excellence carried onto the world stage. Among all batters with 250+ plate appearances in the WBC as of 2037, Bello’s OPS ranks 20^th. France had limited success in this era, but they did win a division title in 2011. Bello’s MLB career began in Canada’s largest city on a big six-year, $149,200,000 deal with Toronto. He was never an award winner or league leader in MLB, but he was a reliably strong starter with five seasons above 4+ WAR for the Timberwolves. He flashed some of the elite greatness in 2015 with 43 homers, 108 RBI, .998 OPS, and 7.1 WAR; each career bests for his MLB career. His down year was 2017, but that was because he missed almost the entire season to torn ankle ligaments. In 2015, Toronto ended a 14-year playoff drought. The Timberwolves would fall in the 2015 National Association Championship Series to St. Louis, then fall again in the 2016 AACS to Kansas City. Bello’s playoff dominance from EBF didn’t transfer to MLB with 0.4 WAR, .673 OPS, and 96 wRC+ over 26 starts. He certainly delivered solid value in total for Toronto with 758 games, 696 hits, 447 runs, 87 doubles, 213 home runs, 508 RBI, .263/.341/.542 slash, 170 wRC+, and 26.8 WAR. A free agent again at age 36, Bello joined Detroit on a two-year, $40,800,000 deal. He maintained his same steady production with a .263/.361/.508 slash, 159 wRC+, and 9.0 WAR. The Tigers won a division title in 2019 and Bello had a nice postseason, but they lost in the second round. Bello still had value even at age 38, especially facing righties. For 2021, signed a two-year, $32,800,000 deal with Brooklyn. Bello was starting to struggle some versus lefties, but he was again a positive value starter for the Dodgers over two years with .800 OPS, 57 home runs, 139 wRC+, and 7.1 WAR. Now 40-years, old, Bello joined Montreal for two years at $19,400,000. He was more in a platoon role and somewhat diminished, but still had a role to play over 232 games with .749 OPS, 126 wRC+, and 4.0 WAR. Bello retired after the 2024 season shortly after his 42^nd birthday. In MLB, Bello had 1557 games, 1318 hits, 817 runs, 183 doubles, 368 home runs, 926 RBI, 637 walks, .253/.343/.506 slash, 157 wRC+, and 46.9 WAR. If he maintained a similar pace and played in MLB in his 20s, Bello probably would’ve been good enough to make their Hall of Fame. It was a rock solid career though for a guy who came over in his 30s. For his combined pro career, Bello had 3006 games, 3046 hits, 1797 runs, 466 doubles, 748 home runs, 1949 RBI, 1101 walks, .294/.368/.563 slash, 167 wRC+, and 113.8 WAR. Bello wasn’t at the tip-top of players in his era, but there weren’t many with more reliably hitting prowess. He was beloved everywhere he went and his playoff exploits make Bello a favorite in Barcelona years later. Certainly his run was one worthy of recognition. __________________ 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)