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FuzzyRussianHat · 03-03-2025, 07:04 PM

Mateo Ramirez – Starting Pitcher – Salvador Stallions – 69.1% Third Ballot

Mateo Ramirez was a 6’2’’, 195 pound left-handed pitcher from Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic. Ramirez was known for incredibly overpowering stuff in his prime, which made up for having often mediocre control and movement. His 99-101 mph slider was untouchable when he was dealing, plus he had a strong forkball and cutter.

Ramirez’s stamina was good compared to most CABA aces. He was solid at holding runners, but otherwise subpar defensively. Ramirez was a very hard worker, but he wasn’t one to take on a vocal leadership role. His durability was generally pretty good, especially considering the power and demands of his arsenal.

In July 1999, Ramirez was signed to a developmental deal to leave the Dominican Republic for El Salvador. He spent parts of six years in their academy before debuting in 2005 at age 22, posting mixed results over 13 starts. Ramirez wasn’t used in the playoffs, but earned a ring as Salvador won the CABA Championship over Juarez.

Ramirez was a full-time starter from 2006 onward, starting a streak of six straight seasons as the Caribbean League’s leader in strikeouts. His first full season was his best by many metrics, featuring career and league bests in WAR (9.1), innings (265.1), quality starts (21), and WHIP (0.99). Ramirez struck out 340 and had his best ERA at 2.61, earning Pitcher of the Year.

Salvador continued their playoff streak for three more years, but never went on another title run. They fell in the first round of 2006 and 2007, then had a CLCS upset loss in 2008 to Nicaragua. In his four playoff starts, Ramirez had a 3.06 ERA over 32.1 innings with 33 strikeouts.

2007 had Ramirez’s career best 353 strikeouts, although he came close with 351 in 2010. On top of his streak as the strikeout leader, Ramirez also was the WARlord from 2006-08. He took second in Pitcher of the Year voting in 2007 and 2008. Although the strikeout tallies stayed high, Ramirez’s ERA started to steadily climb as well. Salvador was happy enough to sign a four-year, $34,800,000 extension after the 2009 season.

By 2012 though, Ramirez posted a 3.87 ERA, 266 strikeouts, and 3.2 WAR; all worsts apart from his partial debut campaign in 2005. Salvador’s playoff streak ended in 2009, but they stayed around .500 before finally collapsing to 65-97 in 2012. The Stallions looked to begin a full rebuild and traded Ramirez in the offseason to Guadalajara for two prospects.

With Salvador, Ramirez had a 112-73 record, 3.33 ERA, 1861.1 innings, 2327 strikeouts, 429 walks, 121 ERA+, and 46.7 WAR. His run was memorable enough to Stallions to get his #19 uniform retired by the end of his career. Ramirez’s 2013 with the Hellhounds was a mixed bag with a 3.80 ERA in 236.2 innings, 276 strikeouts, and 4.9 WAR.

Ramirez entered free agency for the first time in 2014 heading towards age 31. He left for Major League Baseball on a three-year, $33,300,000 deal with Charlotte. However, he was used exclusively in his first year with unremarkable results. Ramirez was split between starting and relief with good marks in 2015 with a 2.68 ER over 228.1 innings and 2.4 WAR. He was a starter for early 2016, but was cut after seven unremarkable starts. For the Canaries, Ramirez had a 3.17 ERA over 338 innings, 296 strikeouts, 122 ERA+, and 3.5 WAR.

Denver picked him up with decent results as a backup-end starter, posting 3.49 ERA and 2.2 WAR in 159.2 innings. He made one start in the playoffs, allowing two runs in 8.1 innings. Ramirez would earn a championship ring though as his former Charlotte squad went onto win the World Series. Soon to be 34-years old, Ramirez opted to return to CABA for 2017 on a four-year, $36,600,000 deal with Tijuana.

While his strikeout numbers were well down from his prime, Ramirez had a strong 2.91 ERA and 269 K debut in 2017 for the Toros with 5.3 WAR. He only pitched one relief inning in the playoffs though as Tijuana was one-and-done. Ramirez fell off with a 4.21 ERA over 218 innings in 2018, but did still strike out 239 with 2.3 WAR.

Ramirez made it only three starts into 2019 when he suffered a stretched elbow ligament with an expected 11 month recovery time. Instead of trying to comeback from that, Ramirez retired in the winter at age 36. With Tijuana, he finished with a 32-18 record, 3.56 ERA, 462.1 innings, 532 strikeouts, 80 walks, 109 ERA+, and 8.4 WAR.

The final CABA numbers had a 158-104 record, 3.41 ERA, 2560.1 innings, 3135 strikeouts, 557 walks, 187/321 quality starts, 87 complete games, 16 shutouts, 116 ERA+, 80 FIP-, and 59.9 WAR. As of 2037, Ramirez was 67^th in strikeouts, but outside the top 100 in the other counting stats. He did rank 38^th in K/9 at 11.02.
However apart from the strikeout numbers, Ramirez’s rate stats were definitely weak relative to other CABA Hall of Famers.

Some supporters gave him partial credit for the brief MLB tenure with his full pro stats being a 194-125 record, 3.39 ERA, 3058 innings, 3535 strikeouts, 696 walks, 116 ERA+, and 65.6 WAR. Ramirez had a Pitcher of the Year award, plus leading the league six straight years in strikeouts and four straight in WAR is something very few in baseball history can claim to have done.

Still, his dominance was brief and a mostly forgettable back end of his career hurt Ramirez’s stats. He debuted on the 2025 ballot at 62.9%, a nice effort but short of the 66% requirement. Ramirez fell to 55.7% in 2026, but got a bump up to 69.1% in 2027. That nice tally made him a third ballot selection and the third of four added to the Central American Baseball Association’s 2027 class.

Adrian Estrella – Starting Pitcher – Panama Parrots – 66.1% Third Ballot

Adrian Estrella was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Santa Ana, El Salvador’s second-largest city with around 277,000 people. Estrella was known for having impressive stuff with nice movement, although his control was often below average. His fastball was tough despite peaking in the 94-96 mph range. Estrella knew how to change speeds and had a strong changeup and forkball in the arsenal, along with an okay slider.

Estrella’s stamina was solid compared to most CABA aces, but he often missed a few starts each year to smaller injuries. He managed to avoid the big catastrophic injuries until right at the end of his run. Estrella was respectable at holding runners, but below average defensively. He was a very intelligent pitcher who knew when to pick his spots. Estrella was also quiet and humble, making him an appreciated teammate.

In the 2005 CABA Draft, Estrella was picked fifth overall by Panama and pitched 175.1 innings as a rookie with promising results. In his third year, Estrella led the Caribbean League with 25 quality starts and posted his career-best ERA at 2.38. That effort earned him Pitcher of the Year and helped end a 61-year playoff drought for the Parrots, although they lost in the first round. After decades of ineptitude, Panama hoped Estrella would be the ace to lead them to contention.

He couldn’t replicate the 2008 success though and was merely above average for the rest of his 20s. Still, Panama signed Estrella to a five-year, $37,280,000 extension after the 2009 campaign. The Parrots missed the playoffs the next three years, but made it back in 2012 with a first round exit. Then in 2013, Estrella recaptured some of that prior magic, winning his second Pitcher of the Year with a 22-7 record, 2.76 ERA, 278 Ks, and 5.4 WAR.

Panama won their division and made it to the Caribbean League Championship Series, neither of which they had done since their lone title in 1946. However, they were ousted by reigning champ Santo Domingo with Estrella posting a weak 4.91 ERA in three playoff starts. He had a 5.67 ERA over five playoff starts with the Parrots, certainly not what was needed to make the big run. Estrella posted a decent 2014, but Panama fell three games short of a wild card.

For the Parrots, Estrella had a 128-98 record, 3.35 ERA, 1996 innings, 2250 strikeouts, 530 walks, 72 complete games, 15 shutouts, 119 ERA+, and 40.1 WAR. His contract was up after the 2014 season and the soon-to-be 32-year old left for free agency. Estrella was generally appreciated still by Panama fans and officials, eventually getting his #16 uniform retired for his nine years of service.

Estrella signed a five-year, $33,500,000 deal with Havana, spending the rest of his days in Cuba. For much of his time in Panama, Estrella had still gone home to El Salvador for the World Baseball Championship. He pitched from 2007-12 with a 2-5 record, 4.59 ERA, 66.2 innings, 86 strikeouts, and 0.2 WAR. To that point, Estrella had the unfortunate reputation of struggling on the big stage.

He had his standard production in his first year for Havana, but did lose two months in the summer to a hamstring strain. Estrella posted a career and league-best 7.3 WAR in 2016, earning his third Pitcher of the Year award. The Hurricanes ended a six-year playoff drought as a wild card and went on a run, taking the Caribbean League title. Havana was defeated by Juarez’s dynasty 4-1 in the CABA Championship.

Estrella finally had a strong playoff run, posting a 2.70 ERA over 33.1 innings, a 3-1 record, and 38 strikeouts. He was then dominant in his four Baseball Grand Championship starts with a 1.32 ERA in 34 innings, 2-1 record, and 35 strikeouts. Havana finished 11-8, part of a five-way tie for the fifth-best record. Estrella followed it up with a career-best 286 strikeouts in 2017, although his ERA spiked back to 3.84. The Hurricanes had a first round exit with Estrella making only one relief appearance.

In 2018, Estrella was third in Pitcher of the Year voting despite missing the last month to bone chips in his elbow. Havana was the top seed at 104-58, but was upset in the first round and missed having Estrella in the rotation. He was never the same after the bone chips, as it had absolutely tanked his control and stuff. Estrella was used for only 26 innings in 2019 and was left off the playoff roster, although he did earn a championship ring as the Hurricanes won it all.

With his deal expiring and his ability dwindling, Estrella retired after the 2019 campaign at age 36. With Havana, he posted a 59-30 record, 3.36 ERA, 910.2 innings, 1045 strikeouts, 202 walks, 33 complete games, 7 shutouts, 120 ERA+, and 24.6 WAR.

Estrella ended with a 187-128 record, 3.36 ERA, 2906.2 innings, 3295 strikeouts, 732 walks, 225/379 quality starts, 105 complete games, 22 shutouts, 119 ERA+, 82 FIP-, and 64.8 WAR. As of 2037, Estrella was 82^nd in wins, 52^nd in strikeouts, and 81^st in WAR among pitchers. Like his Hall of Fame classmate Mateo Ramirez, Estrella’s totals were definitely borderline.

Working in Estrella’s favor was the three Pitcher of the Year wins, an accolade shared with only 20 other Central American Baseball Association aces. His role in Havana’s 2016 pennant was a big plus too. Still, many voters were underwhelmed by his overall tallies. Estrella debuted at 65.0% in 2025, missing the cut by one percent. He fell to 56.4% in 2026, but bounced back to 66.1% in 2027. By a very slim margin, Estrella snagged a third ballot induction as part of CABA’s four-player class for 2027.

03-03-2025, 07:04 PM	#2121
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,807	2027 CABA Hall of Fame (Part 2) Mateo Ramirez – Starting Pitcher – Salvador Stallions – 69.1% Third Ballot Mateo Ramirez was a 6’2’’, 195 pound left-handed pitcher from Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic. Ramirez was known for incredibly overpowering stuff in his prime, which made up for having often mediocre control and movement. His 99-101 mph slider was untouchable when he was dealing, plus he had a strong forkball and cutter. Ramirez’s stamina was good compared to most CABA aces. He was solid at holding runners, but otherwise subpar defensively. Ramirez was a very hard worker, but he wasn’t one to take on a vocal leadership role. His durability was generally pretty good, especially considering the power and demands of his arsenal. In July 1999, Ramirez was signed to a developmental deal to leave the Dominican Republic for El Salvador. He spent parts of six years in their academy before debuting in 2005 at age 22, posting mixed results over 13 starts. Ramirez wasn’t used in the playoffs, but earned a ring as Salvador won the CABA Championship over Juarez. Ramirez was a full-time starter from 2006 onward, starting a streak of six straight seasons as the Caribbean League’s leader in strikeouts. His first full season was his best by many metrics, featuring career and league bests in WAR (9.1), innings (265.1), quality starts (21), and WHIP (0.99). Ramirez struck out 340 and had his best ERA at 2.61, earning Pitcher of the Year. Salvador continued their playoff streak for three more years, but never went on another title run. They fell in the first round of 2006 and 2007, then had a CLCS upset loss in 2008 to Nicaragua. In his four playoff starts, Ramirez had a 3.06 ERA over 32.1 innings with 33 strikeouts. 2007 had Ramirez’s career best 353 strikeouts, although he came close with 351 in 2010. On top of his streak as the strikeout leader, Ramirez also was the WARlord from 2006-08. He took second in Pitcher of the Year voting in 2007 and 2008. Although the strikeout tallies stayed high, Ramirez’s ERA started to steadily climb as well. Salvador was happy enough to sign a four-year, $34,800,000 extension after the 2009 season. By 2012 though, Ramirez posted a 3.87 ERA, 266 strikeouts, and 3.2 WAR; all worsts apart from his partial debut campaign in 2005. Salvador’s playoff streak ended in 2009, but they stayed around .500 before finally collapsing to 65-97 in 2012. The Stallions looked to begin a full rebuild and traded Ramirez in the offseason to Guadalajara for two prospects. With Salvador, Ramirez had a 112-73 record, 3.33 ERA, 1861.1 innings, 2327 strikeouts, 429 walks, 121 ERA+, and 46.7 WAR. His run was memorable enough to Stallions to get his #19 uniform retired by the end of his career. Ramirez’s 2013 with the Hellhounds was a mixed bag with a 3.80 ERA in 236.2 innings, 276 strikeouts, and 4.9 WAR. Ramirez entered free agency for the first time in 2014 heading towards age 31. He left for Major League Baseball on a three-year, $33,300,000 deal with Charlotte. However, he was used exclusively in his first year with unremarkable results. Ramirez was split between starting and relief with good marks in 2015 with a 2.68 ER over 228.1 innings and 2.4 WAR. He was a starter for early 2016, but was cut after seven unremarkable starts. For the Canaries, Ramirez had a 3.17 ERA over 338 innings, 296 strikeouts, 122 ERA+, and 3.5 WAR. Denver picked him up with decent results as a backup-end starter, posting 3.49 ERA and 2.2 WAR in 159.2 innings. He made one start in the playoffs, allowing two runs in 8.1 innings. Ramirez would earn a championship ring though as his former Charlotte squad went onto win the World Series. Soon to be 34-years old, Ramirez opted to return to CABA for 2017 on a four-year, $36,600,000 deal with Tijuana. While his strikeout numbers were well down from his prime, Ramirez had a strong 2.91 ERA and 269 K debut in 2017 for the Toros with 5.3 WAR. He only pitched one relief inning in the playoffs though as Tijuana was one-and-done. Ramirez fell off with a 4.21 ERA over 218 innings in 2018, but did still strike out 239 with 2.3 WAR. Ramirez made it only three starts into 2019 when he suffered a stretched elbow ligament with an expected 11 month recovery time. Instead of trying to comeback from that, Ramirez retired in the winter at age 36. With Tijuana, he finished with a 32-18 record, 3.56 ERA, 462.1 innings, 532 strikeouts, 80 walks, 109 ERA+, and 8.4 WAR. The final CABA numbers had a 158-104 record, 3.41 ERA, 2560.1 innings, 3135 strikeouts, 557 walks, 187/321 quality starts, 87 complete games, 16 shutouts, 116 ERA+, 80 FIP-, and 59.9 WAR. As of 2037, Ramirez was 67^th in strikeouts, but outside the top 100 in the other counting stats. He did rank 38^th in K/9 at 11.02. However apart from the strikeout numbers, Ramirez’s rate stats were definitely weak relative to other CABA Hall of Famers. Some supporters gave him partial credit for the brief MLB tenure with his full pro stats being a 194-125 record, 3.39 ERA, 3058 innings, 3535 strikeouts, 696 walks, 116 ERA+, and 65.6 WAR. Ramirez had a Pitcher of the Year award, plus leading the league six straight years in strikeouts and four straight in WAR is something very few in baseball history can claim to have done. Still, his dominance was brief and a mostly forgettable back end of his career hurt Ramirez’s stats. He debuted on the 2025 ballot at 62.9%, a nice effort but short of the 66% requirement. Ramirez fell to 55.7% in 2026, but got a bump up to 69.1% in 2027. That nice tally made him a third ballot selection and the third of four added to the Central American Baseball Association’s 2027 class. Adrian Estrella – Starting Pitcher – Panama Parrots – 66.1% Third Ballot Adrian Estrella was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Santa Ana, El Salvador’s second-largest city with around 277,000 people. Estrella was known for having impressive stuff with nice movement, although his control was often below average. His fastball was tough despite peaking in the 94-96 mph range. Estrella knew how to change speeds and had a strong changeup and forkball in the arsenal, along with an okay slider. Estrella’s stamina was solid compared to most CABA aces, but he often missed a few starts each year to smaller injuries. He managed to avoid the big catastrophic injuries until right at the end of his run. Estrella was respectable at holding runners, but below average defensively. He was a very intelligent pitcher who knew when to pick his spots. Estrella was also quiet and humble, making him an appreciated teammate. In the 2005 CABA Draft, Estrella was picked fifth overall by Panama and pitched 175.1 innings as a rookie with promising results. In his third year, Estrella led the Caribbean League with 25 quality starts and posted his career-best ERA at 2.38. That effort earned him Pitcher of the Year and helped end a 61-year playoff drought for the Parrots, although they lost in the first round. After decades of ineptitude, Panama hoped Estrella would be the ace to lead them to contention. He couldn’t replicate the 2008 success though and was merely above average for the rest of his 20s. Still, Panama signed Estrella to a five-year, $37,280,000 extension after the 2009 campaign. The Parrots missed the playoffs the next three years, but made it back in 2012 with a first round exit. Then in 2013, Estrella recaptured some of that prior magic, winning his second Pitcher of the Year with a 22-7 record, 2.76 ERA, 278 Ks, and 5.4 WAR. Panama won their division and made it to the Caribbean League Championship Series, neither of which they had done since their lone title in 1946. However, they were ousted by reigning champ Santo Domingo with Estrella posting a weak 4.91 ERA in three playoff starts. He had a 5.67 ERA over five playoff starts with the Parrots, certainly not what was needed to make the big run. Estrella posted a decent 2014, but Panama fell three games short of a wild card. For the Parrots, Estrella had a 128-98 record, 3.35 ERA, 1996 innings, 2250 strikeouts, 530 walks, 72 complete games, 15 shutouts, 119 ERA+, and 40.1 WAR. His contract was up after the 2014 season and the soon-to-be 32-year old left for free agency. Estrella was generally appreciated still by Panama fans and officials, eventually getting his #16 uniform retired for his nine years of service. Estrella signed a five-year, $33,500,000 deal with Havana, spending the rest of his days in Cuba. For much of his time in Panama, Estrella had still gone home to El Salvador for the World Baseball Championship. He pitched from 2007-12 with a 2-5 record, 4.59 ERA, 66.2 innings, 86 strikeouts, and 0.2 WAR. To that point, Estrella had the unfortunate reputation of struggling on the big stage. He had his standard production in his first year for Havana, but did lose two months in the summer to a hamstring strain. Estrella posted a career and league-best 7.3 WAR in 2016, earning his third Pitcher of the Year award. The Hurricanes ended a six-year playoff drought as a wild card and went on a run, taking the Caribbean League title. Havana was defeated by Juarez’s dynasty 4-1 in the CABA Championship. Estrella finally had a strong playoff run, posting a 2.70 ERA over 33.1 innings, a 3-1 record, and 38 strikeouts. He was then dominant in his four Baseball Grand Championship starts with a 1.32 ERA in 34 innings, 2-1 record, and 35 strikeouts. Havana finished 11-8, part of a five-way tie for the fifth-best record. Estrella followed it up with a career-best 286 strikeouts in 2017, although his ERA spiked back to 3.84. The Hurricanes had a first round exit with Estrella making only one relief appearance. In 2018, Estrella was third in Pitcher of the Year voting despite missing the last month to bone chips in his elbow. Havana was the top seed at 104-58, but was upset in the first round and missed having Estrella in the rotation. He was never the same after the bone chips, as it had absolutely tanked his control and stuff. Estrella was used for only 26 innings in 2019 and was left off the playoff roster, although he did earn a championship ring as the Hurricanes won it all. With his deal expiring and his ability dwindling, Estrella retired after the 2019 campaign at age 36. With Havana, he posted a 59-30 record, 3.36 ERA, 910.2 innings, 1045 strikeouts, 202 walks, 33 complete games, 7 shutouts, 120 ERA+, and 24.6 WAR. Estrella ended with a 187-128 record, 3.36 ERA, 2906.2 innings, 3295 strikeouts, 732 walks, 225/379 quality starts, 105 complete games, 22 shutouts, 119 ERA+, 82 FIP-, and 64.8 WAR. As of 2037, Estrella was 82^nd in wins, 52^nd in strikeouts, and 81^st in WAR among pitchers. Like his Hall of Fame classmate Mateo Ramirez, Estrella’s totals were definitely borderline. Working in Estrella’s favor was the three Pitcher of the Year wins, an accolade shared with only 20 other Central American Baseball Association aces. His role in Havana’s 2016 pennant was a big plus too. Still, many voters were underwhelmed by his overall tallies. Estrella debuted at 65.0% in 2025, missing the cut by one percent. He fell to 56.4% in 2026, but bounced back to 66.1% in 2027. By a very slim margin, Estrella snagged a third ballot induction as part of CABA’s four-player class for 2027. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)