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FuzzyRussianHat · 02-19-2025, 07:10 AM

The European Baseball Federation’s 2026 Hall of Fame class was an all-timer with four slam dunk inductees on their debut. While it wasn’t the first-ever class in EBF with 4+ inductees, it was the first to have all of them above 90%. 3B Ben Springer was nearly unanimous as the headliner at 99.3%. Close behind was LF/1B Murray Neilson at 96.4%, 1B Blazej Swierczewski at 96.1%, and SP Gustav Rosengren at 94.3%.

3B Kyle Evrard barely missed the 66% requirement on his eighth ballot at 65.7%. Another eighth ballot guy was above 50% with SP Johannes Jol with 57.5%. No one else was above 50% and no players were dropped from the ballot after ten failed tries.

Ben “Dump Truck” Springer – Third Base – Vienna Vultures – 99.3% First Ballot

Ben Springer was a 6’2’’, 205 pound right-handed third baseman from Eberndorf, Austria; a market town of around 5,800. At his peak, Springer was an exceptional contact hitter with reliably solid power. He was also better than most at drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. Springer’s power wasn’t prolific, but his 162 game average got you 36 home runs, 36 doubles, and 4 triples. His one real offensive flaw was terrible speed and lackluster baserunning.

Nicknamed “Dump Truck,” Springer exclusively played third base thanks to an impressively strong throwing arm. He never won a Gold Glove, but he was viewed as a consistently good-to-great defender. Few players were scrappier than Springer, who was renowned for his work ethic and adaptability. He persevered for a 21-year career despite a number of significant injuries throughout his run. Between his talent and grit, Springer became a beloved European star and the face of Austrian baseball.

Springer quickly emerged as the best prospect out of Austria in years with plenty of eyes watching his college career from the capital. Vienna was delighted he was still available for the 12^th overall pick in the 1999 EBF Draft. Springer wasn’t fully formed right away, playing only 74 games and starting 14 as a rookie. He looked quite strong in a part-time role for 2001 with 3.8 WAR over 103 games and 87 starts. Springer officially secured the starting job outright in 2002.

2002 started a four year streak as the Southern Conference’s WARlord with each season above 9+ WAR. All of his full seasons for the Vultures were above 5+ WAR and he’d top 9+ in seven years. The 2002-05 run was especially elite with 100+ runs, 100+ RBI, 30+ doubles, 30+ homers, .350+ average, and 1.000+ OPS marks throughout. Springer won MVP and Silver Slugger honors in 2002, 03, and 05 while taking third in MVP voting for 2004.

In 2003, Springer had the first Triple Crown hitting season in a decade and only the fifth-ever in EBF. He had his career best triple slash (.384/.429/.755), OPS (1.184), and wRC+ (221). Springer socked a career-best 52 homers along with 143 RBI and 10.8 WAR. He posted those tallies despite losing four weeks to a sprained ankle. 2003 also had a six-hit game against Yerevan and two different games with three home runs.

This season also marked a return to prominence for Vienna. The Vultures had been a regular contender with five pennants in the late 1960s and early 1970s, but had been largely irrelevant since. They were rarely terrible, but Vienna had only one playoff berth and 79.4 wins per season from 1975-2002. Not only did the Vultures end a two decade playoff drought in 2003, but they went on a tear at 108-54.

Vienna won their sixth Southern Conference Championship and became European Champion for the first time ever, beating Warsaw in the finale. Springer’s excellent carried into the playoffs with 21 hits, 8 runs, 3 doubles, 3 homers, 12 RBI, and .995 OPS over 16 starts. Bringing them their first-ever title immediately made Springer an Austrian baseball legend before his 26^th birthday.

Springer won a batting title in 2004, although he lost a month to a separated shoulder. 2005 was his second MVP and his career bests in WAR (11.0), hits (227), runs (115), and hits (227). Vienna won 100+ games each year from 2003-07 with four division titles. They had disappointing round two exits in 2004, 2006, and 2007. But in 2005, they earned another conference title, upsetting 110-52 Munich for the pennant.

Vienna would be denied the European Championship as Copenhagen pulled off the repeat. After the 2005 campaign, Springer inked an eight-year, $68 million extension to remain the Vultures’ superstar. 2007 had a setback with a strained groin muscle keeping him out almost two months. In 2008, Vienna’s playoff streak ended with a surprising 78-84 season. You couldn’t blame Springer for the down year, as he won a Silver Slugger and was third in MVP voting with a 9.6 WAR effort.

Springer was the WARlord for the fifth time in 2009 at 9.9 and led with 222 hits, winning his fourth MVP and fifth Slugger. Vienna bounced back for a wild card, but lost in the second round. They missed the playoffs the next two seasons as Springer lost some time to injury. He won a Silver Slugger in 2010 despite missing two months to a sprained ankle. Springer won the award again in 2011 even with two months lost between an oblique strain and torn hamstring. He posted OPS’s above one from 2009-12.

In 2012, Springer had a mostly full load with 9.5 WAR, 1.115 OPS, and 40 home runs, taking third in MVP voting. Vienna made it back to the playoffs and beat Zurich for the Southern Conference Championship with Springer earning series MVP. The Vultures were denied in the European Championship as they were swept by Cologne.

Springer was an absolute beast in the 2012 playoffs over 17 games with 30 hits, 19 runs, 5 doubles, 10 home runs, 20 RBI, 1.485 OPS, 313 wRC+, and 2.3 WAR. He was only one homer and one run shy of the EBF postseason records while also posting top ten RBI and hit marks. He couldn’t carry it over into the Baseball Grand Championship with .788 OPS, 118 wRC+, and 0.4 WAR in 19 games. The Vultures still finished in the top half at 11-8, officially ninth. The top five all went 12-7 and four teams were 11-8 in an incredibly tight field.

Vienna won one more division title in 2013 before falling on hard times. For his playoff career, Springer started 66 games with 89 hits, 42 runs, 14 doubles, 19 home runs, 59 RBI, 26 walks, .356/.413/.664 slash, 195 wRC+, and 4.3 WAR. Springer’s run ended poorly as he missed the final months of 2013 to a concussion. Heading towards age 36, the Vultures couldn’t come to terms with their long-time superstar, sending Springer to free agency.

For the Vultures, Springer finished with 1793 games, 2322 hits, 1209 runs, 418 doubles, 427 home runs, 1327 RBI, 509 walks, .351/.398/.624 slash, 181 wRC+, and 106.5 WAR. He’d remain the franchise’s biggest icon with his #45 uniform getting retired soon after his career was over. Springer brought on the second great run of success for Vienna and their first-ever EBF title. They’d be longing for better days soon enough as the Vultures were relegated to the European Second League after an abysmal 59-103 in 2016.

Springer remained proud of his Austrian roots even after leaving Vienna and represented his country steadfastly in the World Baseball Championship. He started every year from 2000-20 with 198 games, 183 hits, 105 runs, 33 doubles, 48 home runs, 115 RBI, .256/.339/.509 slash, and 7.4 WAR. Austria earned its first-ever finals four appearance with Springer in 2017. As of 2037 among Austrians, Springer has the second-most starts and ranks 1^st in hits, 1^st in doubles, 4^th in homers, 2^nd in RBI, 3^rd in runs, and 3^rd in WAR among position players.

The next phase of Springer’s pro career was in Hungary, signing for 2014 to a three-year, $42,900,000 deal with Budapest. He missed the first half of his debut season to a torn back muscle. Various other injuries cost him some bits of 2015 and 2016, although he was still quite good when healthy. The Bombers had a first round playoff exit in 2014 and missed the field the next two years.

For Budapest, Springer played 325 games with 398 hits, 197 runs, 67 doubles, 55 home runs, 214 RBI, .328/.378/.533 slash, 149 wRC+, and 14.4 WAR. A free agent again heading towards age, Springer joined Bucharest at $28,200,000 over two years. While his power wasn’t as impressive, Springer still was a stellar contact hitter and maintained good defense. He posted 7.4 WAR in 2017 and 6.0 WAR in 2018 for the Broncos, helping them to a playoff appearance in 2018.

Over 283 games for Bucharest, Springer had 352 hits, 161 runs, 58 doubles, 51 home runs, 212 RBI, .338/.383/.550 slash, 164 wRC+, and 13.4 WAR. While there, he also reached the 3000 hit and 1500 run milestones. Springer’s stock was still quite high even in his 40s, signing next for 2019 to a two-year, $30,400,000 deal with Rotterdam.

Injuries popped up again as Springer lost about two months to a sprained elbow, but still managed 5.2 WAR and .915 OPS in 104 games for the Ravens. Rotterdam just missed the playoffs and opted to trade Springer in spring training 2020 to Hamburg for three prospects. Even at age 42, Springer still could go with 4.9 WAR and .872 OPS over 120 games. Unfortunately in August 2020, he suffered a ruptured MCL with an expected 10 month recovery time.

The scrappy Springer was determined to make it back from that injury. In December 2020, he even inked a one-year, $19 million deal with MLB’s Washington Admirals with the goal of playing by the summer. Sadly, Springer suffered a major setback in April 2021 in that right knee and his doctors told him to call it quits officially at age 43 before he could make it back.

Springer played 2625 total games with 3330 hits, 1696 runs, 580 doubles, 70 triples, 579 home runs, 1882 RBI, 744 walks, .343/.391/.597 slash, 172 wRC+, and 144.4 WAR. As of 2037, Springer ranks 9^th in hits, 16^th in runs, 3^rd in doubles, 30^th in home runs, 12^th in RBI, 12^th in total bases (5787), and 4^th in WAR among position players. He managed to reach those numbers even gutting through the injuries.

Among EBF batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Springer’s .988 OPS ranks 36^th. His triple slash ranks 15^th/36^th/67^th. Specifically at third base, Springer is EBF’s leader in WAR, games, runs, hits, bases, singles, doubles, and RBI. He is widely considered EBF’s best-ever third baseman with only 2010-20s star Stefanos Emmanoulidis coming close in career WAR, but Emmanoulidis notably would make 1/3 of his starts at shortstop.

Among all players in baseball history as of 2037, Springer is 63^rd in WAR. His batting average also ranks 14^th best among the world’s Hall of Famers, showing the incredible contact skills he had. Springer ranks 3^rd in baseball history in WAR at third base behind only South Asia Baseball hits king Manju Abbas and Beisbol Sudamerica legend Niccolo Coelho. When discussing the greatest third basemen ever in baseball history, Springer makes many of the top five lists.

It’s harder to rank his exact spot in the EBF pantheon of immortals considering the legends that came before and after. When you count pitchers and two-way guys, Springer ranks 7^th in WAR as of 2037. Just about any all-time EBF team has him starting at third base and you could credibly argue he’s a top-five player in EBF history full stop.

Springer is certainly Austria’s best-ever and is in the conversation when discussing the top ten players from any league born in Europe. His career had it all; four MVPs, a Triple Crown, three finals trips, and an EBF title. Even in a loaded 2026 European Baseball Federation Hall of Fame class with four slam dunks, Springer still stood out as the clear headliner at a near unanimous 99.3%.

Murray “Crow” Neilson – Left Field/First Base – Dublin Dinos – 96.4% First Ballot

Murray Neilson was a 6’2’’, 195 pound switch-hitting left fielder and first baseman from Guildford, a town of around 77,000 people in South East England. Neilson had dual English-Scottish heritage and would play with both nations in the World Baseball Championship. Neilson’s skillset was incredibly well rounded as there really wasn’t any facet of the game he wasn’t at least above average at.

Neilson’s contact ability excellent with reliably strong home run and gap power. His 162 game average got you 44 homers, 29 doubles, and 29 triples. Neilson was also solid at drawing walks and better than most at avoiding strikeouts. His hitting was stellar against right-handed pitching with a career 1.089 OPS and 205 wRC+. Against lefties, he was still rock solid with .898 OPS and 159 wRC+. Neilson also had good speed and was one of the more efficient base stealers of his era.

Just over ¾ of his career starts came in left field, where he graded as a reliably positive value defender. Neilson did mix in starts at first base and was subpar in that spot. He durability was generally good and few players had more grit and toughness. Neilson’s work ethic was outstanding and he was renowned as one of the smartest and most loyal men in the game. Few would have a bad word to say about Neilson, who unsurprisingly emerged as one of the biggest baseball stars to come out of the United Kingdom.

Neilson played his college ball at Loughborough University and rose up the UK prospect ranks. He was picked 8^th overall in the 2006 EBF Draft by Edinburgh, who was a charter European Second League franchise. Neilson was one of the first elite players who had to start out in E2L just by circumstance. He was well beyond the skills of most E2L players, posting three straight 10+ WAR seasons to start off. Neilson won Silver Sluggers all three E2L years and took both MVP and Rookie of the Year in 2007. He finished third in 2008’s MVP voting.

Edinburgh earned their first playoff berth in 2008, but was eliminated in the Round Robin phase. In 2009, the Enforcers finished first in the Western Conference and took the pennant, falling in the E2L Championship to Leipzig. Neilson was MVP of the conference finals win over Lyon, helping Edinburgh earn its first promotion to the EBF Elite tier.

Neilson adjusted well to the top flight, posting 9+ WAR, 1.000 OPS, 100+ run efforts in his first two years. He picked up a Silver Slugger in 2011 playing first base. Edinburgh didn’t post a winning season in EBF until 2017, but they were good enough to avoid relegation for more than a decade. Between the leagues with the Enforcers, Neilson had 941 games, 1072 hits, 658 runs, 185 doubles, 242 home runs, 648 RBI, 466 walks, 274 stolen bases, .318/.401/.614 slash, 200 wRC+, and 60.1 WAR. He is remembered fondly in Edinburgh for introducing the city to big league baseball.

A player of Neilson’s caliber though was expected to soon get a big payday with free agency scheduled for after the 2013 season. The still young Edinburgh franchise didn’t have deep enough pockets for that and began shopping Neilson. Prior to 2013, they moved him across the division to Dublin for three prospects. The Dinos weren’t interested in a rental and shortly after the season started signed Neilson to a seven-year, $91,000,000.

2013 was a huge year for Neilson for many reasons. It started out with an excellent performance for England in the World Baseball Championship, helping them defeat Ukraine in the final for their first-ever world title. In 25 games, Neilson had 29 hits, 20 runs, 4 doubles, 12 home runs, 21 RBI, .290/.343/.690 slash, and 1.7 WAR.

With his duel heritage, Neilson bounced back and forth between England and Scotland in the WBC from 2007-20. He played ten events with the English team and four with the Scots. Neilson was also a starter for England in 2019 as they won their second world title with a finals win against Uzbekistan. In total, Neilson played 172 games with 167 hits, 100 runs, 27 doubles, 45 home runs, 114 RBI, .267/.364/.533 slash, and 8.1 WAR.

Neilson joined a Dublin squad that was already a top contender, having won the European Championship in 2010 and 2011. The Dinos had won their seventh division title in eight years in 2012, but were upset in the second round. Neilson’s arrival helped Dublin have its best team of the early 2010s dynasty. The Dinos finished 115-47 and eventually beat Zaragoza in the European Championship.

His 2013 debut season was worth 8.5 WAR, but Neilson shined most in the playoffs as he won finals MVP. In 18 playoff starts, Neilson had 28 hits, 15 runs, 3 doubles, 2 triples, 7 homers, 15 RBI, 5 steals, 1.159 OPS, and 1.7 WAR. Dublin was a surprising 7-12 in the fourth Baseball Grand Championship with Neilson posting 0.7 WAR and .840 OPS over 19 starts.

Neilson’s 2014 saw conference and career bests in home runs (58), and RBI (130), taking third in MVP voting and a Silver Slugger in LF. He won additional Sluggers from 2015-18 and earned a Gold Glove in 2019. Neilson placed third in MVP voting in both 2018 and 2019. He led with a career high 1.084 OPS in 2015 and 10.1 WAR in 2018. All eight of his Dublin seasons had an OPS above one, 7+ WAR, 35+ home runs, and a batting average above .320. Neilson was also one of a select few to hit for the cycle twice in his career.

This Dublin run peaked with the 2013 title. The Dinos lost the 2014 conference final to Valencia and had a second round exit in 2015. From 2016-19, they were mostly stuck around .500 with one first round wild card exit in 2018. Neilson never replicated his 2013 playoff magic, but that run was strong enough to carry his overall stats to .890 OPS and 1.8 WAR over 36 starts, 45 hits, 28 runs, 5 doubles, 2 triples, 9 home runs, 21 RBI, and 164 wRC+.

Neilson signed a three-year, $51,800,000 extension in January 2020 at age 36 as Dublin geared up for what would become another dynasty run to start the decade. The Dinos went 109-53 in 2020, falling in the European Championship to Munich. Neilson missed the playoff run with a fractured elbow suffered on September 26. This injury was expected just to be a season-ender with a 4-5 month recovery time.

Tragically in December, Neilson had a significant catastrophic setback in the elbow recovery, forcing an abrupt and sudden retirement. Dublin immediately retired his #16 uniform and would give him honorary championship rings for their later 2022 and 2023 titles. For the Dinos, Neilson had 1203 games, 1442 hits, 859 runs, 193 doubles, 82 triples, 344 home runs, 946 RBI, 491 walks, 354 stolen bases, .334/.401/.656 slash, 188 wRC+, and 71.8 WAR.

Within the EBF Elite Tier play, Neilson finished with 1681 games, 2020 hits, 1189 runs, 283 doubles, 115 triples, 460 home runs, 1283 RBI, 669 walks, 551 stolen bases, .334/.399/.647 slash, 1.046 OPS, 188 wRC+, and 99.0 WAR. Neilson’s final accumulations ended up on the lower end between his abrupt retirement and his first three years being in E2L. Still as of 2037, he ranks 32^nd in WAR among position players, 81^st in home runs, and 79^th in RBI.

Among EBF batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Neilson’s 1.046 OPS ranks 7^th with his triple slash ranking 47^th/19^th/8^th. Among all world Hall of Famers as of 2037, Neilson is tied for 47^th in batting average, 39^th in OBP, 14^th in slugging, 15^th in OPS, and tied for 16^th in wRC+.

Even over just 11 years in the top tier, Neilson’s effectiveness made him a Hall of Fame lock at 96.4% within the four-player 2026 Hall of Fame class for the European Baseball Federation. Still, he goes down as a “what if?” type player as his diversified skillset probably would’ve aged quite well without the elbow injury. Dublin’s early 2020s dynasty might have been even more dominant and Neilson may have landed among the inner circle of inductees.

02-19-2025, 07:10 AM	#2084
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,799	2026 EBF Hall of Fame (Part 1) The European Baseball Federation’s 2026 Hall of Fame class was an all-timer with four slam dunk inductees on their debut. While it wasn’t the first-ever class in EBF with 4+ inductees, it was the first to have all of them above 90%. 3B Ben Springer was nearly unanimous as the headliner at 99.3%. Close behind was LF/1B Murray Neilson at 96.4%, 1B Blazej Swierczewski at 96.1%, and SP Gustav Rosengren at 94.3%. 3B Kyle Evrard barely missed the 66% requirement on his eighth ballot at 65.7%. Another eighth ballot guy was above 50% with SP Johannes Jol with 57.5%. No one else was above 50% and no players were dropped from the ballot after ten failed tries. Ben “Dump Truck” Springer – Third Base – Vienna Vultures – 99.3% First Ballot Ben Springer was a 6’2’’, 205 pound right-handed third baseman from Eberndorf, Austria; a market town of around 5,800. At his peak, Springer was an exceptional contact hitter with reliably solid power. He was also better than most at drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. Springer’s power wasn’t prolific, but his 162 game average got you 36 home runs, 36 doubles, and 4 triples. His one real offensive flaw was terrible speed and lackluster baserunning. Nicknamed “Dump Truck,” Springer exclusively played third base thanks to an impressively strong throwing arm. He never won a Gold Glove, but he was viewed as a consistently good-to-great defender. Few players were scrappier than Springer, who was renowned for his work ethic and adaptability. He persevered for a 21-year career despite a number of significant injuries throughout his run. Between his talent and grit, Springer became a beloved European star and the face of Austrian baseball. Springer quickly emerged as the best prospect out of Austria in years with plenty of eyes watching his college career from the capital. Vienna was delighted he was still available for the 12^th overall pick in the 1999 EBF Draft. Springer wasn’t fully formed right away, playing only 74 games and starting 14 as a rookie. He looked quite strong in a part-time role for 2001 with 3.8 WAR over 103 games and 87 starts. Springer officially secured the starting job outright in 2002. 2002 started a four year streak as the Southern Conference’s WARlord with each season above 9+ WAR. All of his full seasons for the Vultures were above 5+ WAR and he’d top 9+ in seven years. The 2002-05 run was especially elite with 100+ runs, 100+ RBI, 30+ doubles, 30+ homers, .350+ average, and 1.000+ OPS marks throughout. Springer won MVP and Silver Slugger honors in 2002, 03, and 05 while taking third in MVP voting for 2004. In 2003, Springer had the first Triple Crown hitting season in a decade and only the fifth-ever in EBF. He had his career best triple slash (.384/.429/.755), OPS (1.184), and wRC+ (221). Springer socked a career-best 52 homers along with 143 RBI and 10.8 WAR. He posted those tallies despite losing four weeks to a sprained ankle. 2003 also had a six-hit game against Yerevan and two different games with three home runs. This season also marked a return to prominence for Vienna. The Vultures had been a regular contender with five pennants in the late 1960s and early 1970s, but had been largely irrelevant since. They were rarely terrible, but Vienna had only one playoff berth and 79.4 wins per season from 1975-2002. Not only did the Vultures end a two decade playoff drought in 2003, but they went on a tear at 108-54. Vienna won their sixth Southern Conference Championship and became European Champion for the first time ever, beating Warsaw in the finale. Springer’s excellent carried into the playoffs with 21 hits, 8 runs, 3 doubles, 3 homers, 12 RBI, and .995 OPS over 16 starts. Bringing them their first-ever title immediately made Springer an Austrian baseball legend before his 26^th birthday. Springer won a batting title in 2004, although he lost a month to a separated shoulder. 2005 was his second MVP and his career bests in WAR (11.0), hits (227), runs (115), and hits (227). Vienna won 100+ games each year from 2003-07 with four division titles. They had disappointing round two exits in 2004, 2006, and 2007. But in 2005, they earned another conference title, upsetting 110-52 Munich for the pennant. Vienna would be denied the European Championship as Copenhagen pulled off the repeat. After the 2005 campaign, Springer inked an eight-year, $68 million extension to remain the Vultures’ superstar. 2007 had a setback with a strained groin muscle keeping him out almost two months. In 2008, Vienna’s playoff streak ended with a surprising 78-84 season. You couldn’t blame Springer for the down year, as he won a Silver Slugger and was third in MVP voting with a 9.6 WAR effort. Springer was the WARlord for the fifth time in 2009 at 9.9 and led with 222 hits, winning his fourth MVP and fifth Slugger. Vienna bounced back for a wild card, but lost in the second round. They missed the playoffs the next two seasons as Springer lost some time to injury. He won a Silver Slugger in 2010 despite missing two months to a sprained ankle. Springer won the award again in 2011 even with two months lost between an oblique strain and torn hamstring. He posted OPS’s above one from 2009-12. In 2012, Springer had a mostly full load with 9.5 WAR, 1.115 OPS, and 40 home runs, taking third in MVP voting. Vienna made it back to the playoffs and beat Zurich for the Southern Conference Championship with Springer earning series MVP. The Vultures were denied in the European Championship as they were swept by Cologne. Springer was an absolute beast in the 2012 playoffs over 17 games with 30 hits, 19 runs, 5 doubles, 10 home runs, 20 RBI, 1.485 OPS, 313 wRC+, and 2.3 WAR. He was only one homer and one run shy of the EBF postseason records while also posting top ten RBI and hit marks. He couldn’t carry it over into the Baseball Grand Championship with .788 OPS, 118 wRC+, and 0.4 WAR in 19 games. The Vultures still finished in the top half at 11-8, officially ninth. The top five all went 12-7 and four teams were 11-8 in an incredibly tight field. Vienna won one more division title in 2013 before falling on hard times. For his playoff career, Springer started 66 games with 89 hits, 42 runs, 14 doubles, 19 home runs, 59 RBI, 26 walks, .356/.413/.664 slash, 195 wRC+, and 4.3 WAR. Springer’s run ended poorly as he missed the final months of 2013 to a concussion. Heading towards age 36, the Vultures couldn’t come to terms with their long-time superstar, sending Springer to free agency. For the Vultures, Springer finished with 1793 games, 2322 hits, 1209 runs, 418 doubles, 427 home runs, 1327 RBI, 509 walks, .351/.398/.624 slash, 181 wRC+, and 106.5 WAR. He’d remain the franchise’s biggest icon with his #45 uniform getting retired soon after his career was over. Springer brought on the second great run of success for Vienna and their first-ever EBF title. They’d be longing for better days soon enough as the Vultures were relegated to the European Second League after an abysmal 59-103 in 2016. Springer remained proud of his Austrian roots even after leaving Vienna and represented his country steadfastly in the World Baseball Championship. He started every year from 2000-20 with 198 games, 183 hits, 105 runs, 33 doubles, 48 home runs, 115 RBI, .256/.339/.509 slash, and 7.4 WAR. Austria earned its first-ever finals four appearance with Springer in 2017. As of 2037 among Austrians, Springer has the second-most starts and ranks 1^st in hits, 1^st in doubles, 4^th in homers, 2^nd in RBI, 3^rd in runs, and 3^rd in WAR among position players. The next phase of Springer’s pro career was in Hungary, signing for 2014 to a three-year, $42,900,000 deal with Budapest. He missed the first half of his debut season to a torn back muscle. Various other injuries cost him some bits of 2015 and 2016, although he was still quite good when healthy. The Bombers had a first round playoff exit in 2014 and missed the field the next two years. For Budapest, Springer played 325 games with 398 hits, 197 runs, 67 doubles, 55 home runs, 214 RBI, .328/.378/.533 slash, 149 wRC+, and 14.4 WAR. A free agent again heading towards age, Springer joined Bucharest at $28,200,000 over two years. While his power wasn’t as impressive, Springer still was a stellar contact hitter and maintained good defense. He posted 7.4 WAR in 2017 and 6.0 WAR in 2018 for the Broncos, helping them to a playoff appearance in 2018. Over 283 games for Bucharest, Springer had 352 hits, 161 runs, 58 doubles, 51 home runs, 212 RBI, .338/.383/.550 slash, 164 wRC+, and 13.4 WAR. While there, he also reached the 3000 hit and 1500 run milestones. Springer’s stock was still quite high even in his 40s, signing next for 2019 to a two-year, $30,400,000 deal with Rotterdam. Injuries popped up again as Springer lost about two months to a sprained elbow, but still managed 5.2 WAR and .915 OPS in 104 games for the Ravens. Rotterdam just missed the playoffs and opted to trade Springer in spring training 2020 to Hamburg for three prospects. Even at age 42, Springer still could go with 4.9 WAR and .872 OPS over 120 games. Unfortunately in August 2020, he suffered a ruptured MCL with an expected 10 month recovery time. The scrappy Springer was determined to make it back from that injury. In December 2020, he even inked a one-year, $19 million deal with MLB’s Washington Admirals with the goal of playing by the summer. Sadly, Springer suffered a major setback in April 2021 in that right knee and his doctors told him to call it quits officially at age 43 before he could make it back. Springer played 2625 total games with 3330 hits, 1696 runs, 580 doubles, 70 triples, 579 home runs, 1882 RBI, 744 walks, .343/.391/.597 slash, 172 wRC+, and 144.4 WAR. As of 2037, Springer ranks 9^th in hits, 16^th in runs, 3^rd in doubles, 30^th in home runs, 12^th in RBI, 12^th in total bases (5787), and 4^th in WAR among position players. He managed to reach those numbers even gutting through the injuries. Among EBF batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Springer’s .988 OPS ranks 36^th. His triple slash ranks 15^th/36^th/67^th. Specifically at third base, Springer is EBF’s leader in WAR, games, runs, hits, bases, singles, doubles, and RBI. He is widely considered EBF’s best-ever third baseman with only 2010-20s star Stefanos Emmanoulidis coming close in career WAR, but Emmanoulidis notably would make 1/3 of his starts at shortstop. Among all players in baseball history as of 2037, Springer is 63^rd in WAR. His batting average also ranks 14^th best among the world’s Hall of Famers, showing the incredible contact skills he had. Springer ranks 3^rd in baseball history in WAR at third base behind only South Asia Baseball hits king Manju Abbas and Beisbol Sudamerica legend Niccolo Coelho. When discussing the greatest third basemen ever in baseball history, Springer makes many of the top five lists. It’s harder to rank his exact spot in the EBF pantheon of immortals considering the legends that came before and after. When you count pitchers and two-way guys, Springer ranks 7^th in WAR as of 2037. Just about any all-time EBF team has him starting at third base and you could credibly argue he’s a top-five player in EBF history full stop. Springer is certainly Austria’s best-ever and is in the conversation when discussing the top ten players from any league born in Europe. His career had it all; four MVPs, a Triple Crown, three finals trips, and an EBF title. Even in a loaded 2026 European Baseball Federation Hall of Fame class with four slam dunks, Springer still stood out as the clear headliner at a near unanimous 99.3%. Murray “Crow” Neilson – Left Field/First Base – Dublin Dinos – 96.4% First Ballot Murray Neilson was a 6’2’’, 195 pound switch-hitting left fielder and first baseman from Guildford, a town of around 77,000 people in South East England. Neilson had dual English-Scottish heritage and would play with both nations in the World Baseball Championship. Neilson’s skillset was incredibly well rounded as there really wasn’t any facet of the game he wasn’t at least above average at. Neilson’s contact ability excellent with reliably strong home run and gap power. His 162 game average got you 44 homers, 29 doubles, and 29 triples. Neilson was also solid at drawing walks and better than most at avoiding strikeouts. His hitting was stellar against right-handed pitching with a career 1.089 OPS and 205 wRC+. Against lefties, he was still rock solid with .898 OPS and 159 wRC+. Neilson also had good speed and was one of the more efficient base stealers of his era. Just over ¾ of his career starts came in left field, where he graded as a reliably positive value defender. Neilson did mix in starts at first base and was subpar in that spot. He durability was generally good and few players had more grit and toughness. Neilson’s work ethic was outstanding and he was renowned as one of the smartest and most loyal men in the game. Few would have a bad word to say about Neilson, who unsurprisingly emerged as one of the biggest baseball stars to come out of the United Kingdom. Neilson played his college ball at Loughborough University and rose up the UK prospect ranks. He was picked 8^th overall in the 2006 EBF Draft by Edinburgh, who was a charter European Second League franchise. Neilson was one of the first elite players who had to start out in E2L just by circumstance. He was well beyond the skills of most E2L players, posting three straight 10+ WAR seasons to start off. Neilson won Silver Sluggers all three E2L years and took both MVP and Rookie of the Year in 2007. He finished third in 2008’s MVP voting. Edinburgh earned their first playoff berth in 2008, but was eliminated in the Round Robin phase. In 2009, the Enforcers finished first in the Western Conference and took the pennant, falling in the E2L Championship to Leipzig. Neilson was MVP of the conference finals win over Lyon, helping Edinburgh earn its first promotion to the EBF Elite tier. Neilson adjusted well to the top flight, posting 9+ WAR, 1.000 OPS, 100+ run efforts in his first two years. He picked up a Silver Slugger in 2011 playing first base. Edinburgh didn’t post a winning season in EBF until 2017, but they were good enough to avoid relegation for more than a decade. Between the leagues with the Enforcers, Neilson had 941 games, 1072 hits, 658 runs, 185 doubles, 242 home runs, 648 RBI, 466 walks, 274 stolen bases, .318/.401/.614 slash, 200 wRC+, and 60.1 WAR. He is remembered fondly in Edinburgh for introducing the city to big league baseball. A player of Neilson’s caliber though was expected to soon get a big payday with free agency scheduled for after the 2013 season. The still young Edinburgh franchise didn’t have deep enough pockets for that and began shopping Neilson. Prior to 2013, they moved him across the division to Dublin for three prospects. The Dinos weren’t interested in a rental and shortly after the season started signed Neilson to a seven-year, $91,000,000. 2013 was a huge year for Neilson for many reasons. It started out with an excellent performance for England in the World Baseball Championship, helping them defeat Ukraine in the final for their first-ever world title. In 25 games, Neilson had 29 hits, 20 runs, 4 doubles, 12 home runs, 21 RBI, .290/.343/.690 slash, and 1.7 WAR. With his duel heritage, Neilson bounced back and forth between England and Scotland in the WBC from 2007-20. He played ten events with the English team and four with the Scots. Neilson was also a starter for England in 2019 as they won their second world title with a finals win against Uzbekistan. In total, Neilson played 172 games with 167 hits, 100 runs, 27 doubles, 45 home runs, 114 RBI, .267/.364/.533 slash, and 8.1 WAR. Neilson joined a Dublin squad that was already a top contender, having won the European Championship in 2010 and 2011. The Dinos had won their seventh division title in eight years in 2012, but were upset in the second round. Neilson’s arrival helped Dublin have its best team of the early 2010s dynasty. The Dinos finished 115-47 and eventually beat Zaragoza in the European Championship. His 2013 debut season was worth 8.5 WAR, but Neilson shined most in the playoffs as he won finals MVP. In 18 playoff starts, Neilson had 28 hits, 15 runs, 3 doubles, 2 triples, 7 homers, 15 RBI, 5 steals, 1.159 OPS, and 1.7 WAR. Dublin was a surprising 7-12 in the fourth Baseball Grand Championship with Neilson posting 0.7 WAR and .840 OPS over 19 starts. Neilson’s 2014 saw conference and career bests in home runs (58), and RBI (130), taking third in MVP voting and a Silver Slugger in LF. He won additional Sluggers from 2015-18 and earned a Gold Glove in 2019. Neilson placed third in MVP voting in both 2018 and 2019. He led with a career high 1.084 OPS in 2015 and 10.1 WAR in 2018. All eight of his Dublin seasons had an OPS above one, 7+ WAR, 35+ home runs, and a batting average above .320. Neilson was also one of a select few to hit for the cycle twice in his career. This Dublin run peaked with the 2013 title. The Dinos lost the 2014 conference final to Valencia and had a second round exit in 2015. From 2016-19, they were mostly stuck around .500 with one first round wild card exit in 2018. Neilson never replicated his 2013 playoff magic, but that run was strong enough to carry his overall stats to .890 OPS and 1.8 WAR over 36 starts, 45 hits, 28 runs, 5 doubles, 2 triples, 9 home runs, 21 RBI, and 164 wRC+. Neilson signed a three-year, $51,800,000 extension in January 2020 at age 36 as Dublin geared up for what would become another dynasty run to start the decade. The Dinos went 109-53 in 2020, falling in the European Championship to Munich. Neilson missed the playoff run with a fractured elbow suffered on September 26. This injury was expected just to be a season-ender with a 4-5 month recovery time. Tragically in December, Neilson had a significant catastrophic setback in the elbow recovery, forcing an abrupt and sudden retirement. Dublin immediately retired his #16 uniform and would give him honorary championship rings for their later 2022 and 2023 titles. For the Dinos, Neilson had 1203 games, 1442 hits, 859 runs, 193 doubles, 82 triples, 344 home runs, 946 RBI, 491 walks, 354 stolen bases, .334/.401/.656 slash, 188 wRC+, and 71.8 WAR. Within the EBF Elite Tier play, Neilson finished with 1681 games, 2020 hits, 1189 runs, 283 doubles, 115 triples, 460 home runs, 1283 RBI, 669 walks, 551 stolen bases, .334/.399/.647 slash, 1.046 OPS, 188 wRC+, and 99.0 WAR. Neilson’s final accumulations ended up on the lower end between his abrupt retirement and his first three years being in E2L. Still as of 2037, he ranks 32^nd in WAR among position players, 81^st in home runs, and 79^th in RBI. Among EBF batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Neilson’s 1.046 OPS ranks 7^th with his triple slash ranking 47^th/19^th/8^th. Among all world Hall of Famers as of 2037, Neilson is tied for 47^th in batting average, 39^th in OBP, 14^th in slugging, 15^th in OPS, and tied for 16^th in wRC+. Even over just 11 years in the top tier, Neilson’s effectiveness made him a Hall of Fame lock at 96.4% within the four-player 2026 Hall of Fame class for the European Baseball Federation. Still, he goes down as a “what if?” type player as his diversified skillset probably would’ve aged quite well without the elbow injury. Dublin’s early 2020s dynasty might have been even more dominant and Neilson may have landed among the inner circle of inductees. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)