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FuzzyRussianHat · 03-09-2025, 05:49 AM

The African Association of Baseball nearly followed up its historic five-player 2026 Hall of Fame class with a blank one in 2027. DH Hamad Ali barely made it across the 66% line to get in with 66.1% on his third ballot. 2B Gedeon Bukasa barely missed at 64.2% for his ninth try. Both RF Anthony Chongo (fifth ballot) and CL Deon Westerveld (second ballot) received 60.5% while SP Valentine Hategekimana (third ballot) had 55.0%. Two debuts were above 50% with SP Natnael Seyoum at 56.1% and 1B Lifa Moyo at 51.3%. No players were dropped from the ballot after ten failed attempts.

Hamad “Skull” Ali – Designated Hitter – Lusaka Lake Monsters – 66.1% Third Ballot

Hamad Ali was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed designated hitter from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s largest city. Nicknamed “Skull,” Ali was best known for excellent home run power. He was a good contact hitter at his peak with a nice eye for walks and avoiding strikeouts. Ali’s power was concentrated on dingers with 51 homers and 29 doubles per his 162 game average. His baserunning skill was decent, but poor speed limited his utility.

Ali was a true designated hitter, never starting a single game in the field. He only played nine relief innings defensively for his entire run. Ali’s durability was a mixed bag as was his consistency. He was a bit of a loudmouth dummy and at times clashed with teammates and coaches. But when he was on his game, Ali was one of AAB’s most dangerous power hitters.

Even knowing he probably had little defensive value from the jump, Ali earned plenty of attention ahead of the 2004 AAB Draft. He was picked fourth overall by Lusaka, where he spent his entire pro career. Ali was very much an unfinished and unpolished player when he was drafted, needing four years of development before being big league ready. From 2005-08, he played a whopping 11 games and went 2-12.

Ali was a part-time starter in 2009 and earned the full-time DH job from 2010-onward. He won Silver Sluggers from 2010-13 and from 2015-16. In that stretch, Ali smacked 40+ home runs each year with five seasons above 1.000 OPS, six seasons with 100+ RBI, and five seasons with 100+ runs scored. Lusaka also emerged as a contender aided by Ali’s bat, making the playoffs from 2010-13 and in 2015. From 2011-13, the Lake Monsters took first in the Southern Conference standings.

In 2010, Ali was third in MVP voting, followed by second place finishes in both 2011 and 2012. 2010 also saw Ali join the short list of players with a four home run game, ding it against Durban on August 18. In 2011, Ali was a conference leader for the first time with 140 runs, 145 RBI, 407 total bases, and 191 wRC+. Lusaka would be denied in the conference final in 2010 and 2011. The Lake Monsters would earn their first pennants going back-to-back in 2012-13, although they couldn’t claim the Africa Series crown due to the Addis Ababa dynasty.

Ali’s career playoff numbers saw 36 starts, 31 hits, 23 runs, 7 doubles, 10 home runs, 21 RBI, .233/.338/.511 slash, 123 wRC+, and 1.0 WAR. He earned conference championship MVP in the 2012 victory over Maputo, avenging their defeat to the Piranhas the prior year. He also represented his native Tanzania in seven editions of the World Baseball Championship, playing 51 games with 39 hits, 22 runs, 8 doubles, 12 homers, 21 RBI, .849 OPS, and 1.6 WAR.

In 2013, Ali won his lone MVP and set both career and conference bests in runs (153), hits (192), home runs (68), RBI (155), total bases (438), slugging (.711), OPS (1.121), wRC+ (192), and WAR (9.4). The 153 runs set a new AAB single-season record with only South Asia Baseball’s Majed Darwish having scored more prior. As of 2037, Ali’s mark ranks as the 8^th-best in world history and only finally got bested in AAB in 2028. 150+ runs have only been scored 15 times total in world history.

2014 was shortened by a broken hand and Lusaka fell to 73-89. Ali‘s pace had still be great and the Lake Monsters gave him a four-year, $33,200,000 extension in May 2015. They bounced back in 2015 at 94-68, but lost in the conference final to Johannesburg. Ali would be out from mid-August onward with a broken bone in his elbow. His production never quite reached his prior bests after that and Lusaka would fall to the bottom of the standings for the rest of the decade.

Ali still had a good 2016 with 53 home runs and 4.9 WAR, although his overall batting production was down from prior years. He was outright bad in 2017 with .708 OPS, 95 wRC+, and a .193 average. Ali bounced back in 2018 with .908 OPS, 150 wRC+, and 4.0 WAR.

The righting of the ship was temporary though as Lusaka had no choice but to bench him in 2019. That year, Ali had a putrid .490 OPS, 31 wRC+, and -1.7 WAR over 118 games and 50 starts. He became a free agent for 2020, but a DH who now stinks at hitting understandably didn’t get much interest. Ali retired that winter at age 35 and Lusaka brought him back to retire his #45 uniform.

Ali played 1553 games with 1430 hits, 1030 runs, 282 doubles, 488 home runs, 1083 RBI, 685 walks, 1228 strikeouts, .267/.360/.598 slash, 155 wRC+, and 48.6 WAR. Because of a short career, Ali isn’t high on the counting stats. As of 2037, he does still make 27^th in homers, 52^nd in RBI, 62^nd in runs, 70^th in total bases (3202), 77^th in walks, and 58^th in WAR among position players. It is notable he even got that high on the WAR chart considering he was a career DH and was outside the top 100 in hits.

Among AAB hitters with 3000+ plate appearances, Ali’s .957 OPS ranks 33^rd. He also ranks 29^th in slugging and 92^nd in OBP. Ali’s resume was a tough one for voters with his lack of longevity and no defensive value being big minuses. On the plus side, his power stats were fantastic, plus he had an MVP and the single-season runs record. Spending his whole career with Lusaka and helping them to their first two pennants also worked in Ali’s favor.

Ali debuted with a nice 58.3% in 2025. He fell to 46.6% in 2026, but the loaded five-player class that year certainly played a role. With a weaker group in 2027, Ali’s resume looked better by comparison. He just scraped by the 66% requirement with 66.1%, but it was enough to get him in on his third ballot. With that, Ali was the lone selection for the 2027 Hall of Fame for the African Association of Baseball.

03-09-2025, 05:49 AM	#2136
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,788	2027 AAB Hall of Fame The African Association of Baseball nearly followed up its historic five-player 2026 Hall of Fame class with a blank one in 2027. DH Hamad Ali barely made it across the 66% line to get in with 66.1% on his third ballot. 2B Gedeon Bukasa barely missed at 64.2% for his ninth try. Both RF Anthony Chongo (fifth ballot) and CL Deon Westerveld (second ballot) received 60.5% while SP Valentine Hategekimana (third ballot) had 55.0%. Two debuts were above 50% with SP Natnael Seyoum at 56.1% and 1B Lifa Moyo at 51.3%. No players were dropped from the ballot after ten failed attempts. Hamad “Skull” Ali – Designated Hitter – Lusaka Lake Monsters – 66.1% Third Ballot Hamad Ali was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed designated hitter from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s largest city. Nicknamed “Skull,” Ali was best known for excellent home run power. He was a good contact hitter at his peak with a nice eye for walks and avoiding strikeouts. Ali’s power was concentrated on dingers with 51 homers and 29 doubles per his 162 game average. His baserunning skill was decent, but poor speed limited his utility. Ali was a true designated hitter, never starting a single game in the field. He only played nine relief innings defensively for his entire run. Ali’s durability was a mixed bag as was his consistency. He was a bit of a loudmouth dummy and at times clashed with teammates and coaches. But when he was on his game, Ali was one of AAB’s most dangerous power hitters. Even knowing he probably had little defensive value from the jump, Ali earned plenty of attention ahead of the 2004 AAB Draft. He was picked fourth overall by Lusaka, where he spent his entire pro career. Ali was very much an unfinished and unpolished player when he was drafted, needing four years of development before being big league ready. From 2005-08, he played a whopping 11 games and went 2-12. Ali was a part-time starter in 2009 and earned the full-time DH job from 2010-onward. He won Silver Sluggers from 2010-13 and from 2015-16. In that stretch, Ali smacked 40+ home runs each year with five seasons above 1.000 OPS, six seasons with 100+ RBI, and five seasons with 100+ runs scored. Lusaka also emerged as a contender aided by Ali’s bat, making the playoffs from 2010-13 and in 2015. From 2011-13, the Lake Monsters took first in the Southern Conference standings. In 2010, Ali was third in MVP voting, followed by second place finishes in both 2011 and 2012. 2010 also saw Ali join the short list of players with a four home run game, ding it against Durban on August 18. In 2011, Ali was a conference leader for the first time with 140 runs, 145 RBI, 407 total bases, and 191 wRC+. Lusaka would be denied in the conference final in 2010 and 2011. The Lake Monsters would earn their first pennants going back-to-back in 2012-13, although they couldn’t claim the Africa Series crown due to the Addis Ababa dynasty. Ali’s career playoff numbers saw 36 starts, 31 hits, 23 runs, 7 doubles, 10 home runs, 21 RBI, .233/.338/.511 slash, 123 wRC+, and 1.0 WAR. He earned conference championship MVP in the 2012 victory over Maputo, avenging their defeat to the Piranhas the prior year. He also represented his native Tanzania in seven editions of the World Baseball Championship, playing 51 games with 39 hits, 22 runs, 8 doubles, 12 homers, 21 RBI, .849 OPS, and 1.6 WAR. In 2013, Ali won his lone MVP and set both career and conference bests in runs (153), hits (192), home runs (68), RBI (155), total bases (438), slugging (.711), OPS (1.121), wRC+ (192), and WAR (9.4). The 153 runs set a new AAB single-season record with only South Asia Baseball’s Majed Darwish having scored more prior. As of 2037, Ali’s mark ranks as the 8^th-best in world history and only finally got bested in AAB in 2028. 150+ runs have only been scored 15 times total in world history. 2014 was shortened by a broken hand and Lusaka fell to 73-89. Ali‘s pace had still be great and the Lake Monsters gave him a four-year, $33,200,000 extension in May 2015. They bounced back in 2015 at 94-68, but lost in the conference final to Johannesburg. Ali would be out from mid-August onward with a broken bone in his elbow. His production never quite reached his prior bests after that and Lusaka would fall to the bottom of the standings for the rest of the decade. Ali still had a good 2016 with 53 home runs and 4.9 WAR, although his overall batting production was down from prior years. He was outright bad in 2017 with .708 OPS, 95 wRC+, and a .193 average. Ali bounced back in 2018 with .908 OPS, 150 wRC+, and 4.0 WAR. The righting of the ship was temporary though as Lusaka had no choice but to bench him in 2019. That year, Ali had a putrid .490 OPS, 31 wRC+, and -1.7 WAR over 118 games and 50 starts. He became a free agent for 2020, but a DH who now stinks at hitting understandably didn’t get much interest. Ali retired that winter at age 35 and Lusaka brought him back to retire his #45 uniform. Ali played 1553 games with 1430 hits, 1030 runs, 282 doubles, 488 home runs, 1083 RBI, 685 walks, 1228 strikeouts, .267/.360/.598 slash, 155 wRC+, and 48.6 WAR. Because of a short career, Ali isn’t high on the counting stats. As of 2037, he does still make 27^th in homers, 52^nd in RBI, 62^nd in runs, 70^th in total bases (3202), 77^th in walks, and 58^th in WAR among position players. It is notable he even got that high on the WAR chart considering he was a career DH and was outside the top 100 in hits. Among AAB hitters with 3000+ plate appearances, Ali’s .957 OPS ranks 33^rd. He also ranks 29^th in slugging and 92^nd in OBP. Ali’s resume was a tough one for voters with his lack of longevity and no defensive value being big minuses. On the plus side, his power stats were fantastic, plus he had an MVP and the single-season runs record. Spending his whole career with Lusaka and helping them to their first two pennants also worked in Ali’s favor. Ali debuted with a nice 58.3% in 2025. He fell to 46.6% in 2026, but the loaded five-player class that year certainly played a role. With a weaker group in 2027, Ali’s resume looked better by comparison. He just scraped by the 66% requirement with 66.1%, but it was enough to get him in on his third ballot. With that, Ali was the lone selection for the 2027 Hall of Fame for the African Association of Baseball. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)