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FuzzyRussianHat · 04-08-2025, 06:34 PM

Two first ballot picks were added for the European Baseball Federation’s Hall of Fame in 2029. SP Gianfranco Marinis led the way at 98.3% while OF Dominik Brozik had a rock solid 81.6%. Two third ballot guys were above 60%, but just short of the 66% requirement with LF Emilson Patino at 62.7% and RF Dylan Fitzpatrick at 61.5%. Three others were above 50% with CF Joris Kostic at 56.9% on his sixth ballot, CL Stefan Sedlak at 56.6% for his eighth try, and LF Marco Solis with a 52.5% debut.

SP Ebbe Arvidsson got 49.9% on his tenth and final ballot. The Swedish righty generally hovered in the 30-49% range, but fell off after ten failed tries. He had a 15-year run with Athens and posted a 131-85 record, 2.91 ERA, 2164.2 innings, 2338 strikeouts, 297 walks, 132 ERA+, and 57.6 WAR. Arvidsson’s rate stats were certainly worthy, but injuries meant he only had six full seasons in his run. The accumulations were just too low and he didn’t have big awards to make up for it.

RF Sam Connor also fell off the ballot, peaking with a 43.3% debut but ending at only 16.9%. The Irishman spent most of his 19-year career with Belfast with one Silver Slugger and no black ink. In EBF, Connor had 2636 games, 2699 hits, 1465 runs, 428 doubles, 183 triples, 506 home runs, 1504 RBI, 738 walks, 828 steals .286/.338/.530 slash, 142 wRC+, and 74.8 WAR. Connor earned impressive tallies from his steady production, but he lacked big accolades and was overlooked on some bad Brewers squads during his prime.

SS Adam Tretyak was also worth a quick mention as he fell below 5% on his ninth ballot and was dropped. He started in EPB while did lower his final EBF accumulations over a 20 year career primarily with Budapest. Tretyak won five Silver Sluggers with 1857 games, 2399 hits, 1139 runs, 402 doubles, 170 triples, 80 home runs, 781 RBI, 524 steals, .326/.355/.460 slash, 127 wRC+, and 73.3 WAR. It is always an uphill climb though for leadoff type guys without home run power. Tretyak wasn’t exceptional enough at any one thing to get much ballot traction, peaking at 27.6% n 2022.

Gianfranco Marinis – Starting Pitcher – Barcelona Bengals – 98.3% First Ballot

Gianfranco Marinis was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Lucca, a city of around 89,000 people in central Italy. His rock solid and steady control kept Marinis passable throughout a 22-year career. His stuff and movement were generally graded as above average to occasionally gold. Marinis’ fastball did top out in the 97-99 mph range and was part of a five-pitch arsenal that included a slider, forkball, changeup, and splitter. No one pitch was overpowering, but each was a respectable option.

Marinis’ stamina and durability were both outstanding and he never missed starts due to injuries. He also had an excellent pickoff move and was considered a good defensive pitcher. Marinis was highly adaptable and intelligent, traits that served him well. He was never overwhelmingly dominant, but his steadiness and consistency were hard to find.

Out of college, Marinis was very highly touted and Barcelona selected him third in the 2001 EBF Draft. He struggled with limited relief use in 2002, then was a full-time starter in 2003. Marinis was split back between starting and relief in 2004, but returned to the rotation after that. 2005 would be his best season by some metrics with a conference best 21-8 record and career best 6.9 WAR. Marinis also led in wins again in 2007, but never was a Pitcher of the Year finalist. He led in complete games and shutouts twice and innings pitched once.

After struggling to start the 21^st Century, Barcelona had a three-year division title streak from 2005-07. The Bengals lost in the first round in 2005, but earned the Southern Conference pennant the latter years. Barcelona set a franchise record in 2005 at 111-51, but fell to Kyiv in the European Championship. The Bengals were 96-66 in 2007 and got revenge over the Kings in that year’s final.

Marinis’ career playoff numbers were actually more impressive than his regular season tallies. Over the 2006-07 run, he had a 6-2 record over 73.1 innings with a 2.33 ERA, 60 strikeouts, and 1.7 WAR. After the 2006 season, Barcelona gave Marinis a six-year, $44,760,000 extension. He continued his same steady results, although the Bengals just missed the playoffs in 2008-09. They made it back with division titles in 2010 and 2011.

Barcelona lost the 2010 conference final to Zurich, but beat Athens for the 2011 pennant. The Bengals were denied the European Championship by the fledgling Dublin dynasty, but Marinis had a 2.53 ERA over 32 innings in that run. He was excellent in the Baseball Grand Championship with a 1.29 ERA over 35 innings with 33 Ks. Despite his efforts, Barcelona struggled to 6-13 in the event. The following spring, Marinis inked a five-year, $53,900,000 extension The Bengals were stuck in the middle tier for the following three years.

2015 saw one last gap for Barcelona, winning the conference as a wild card and falling to Antwerp in the European Championship. This was Marinis’ best playoffs yet with a 1.30 ERA and 27 Ks in 41.2 innings. He couldn’t carry that over into the BGC with a 4.34 ERA over 33.1 innings as the Bengals finished 9-10. For his playoff career with Barcelona, Marinis had a 11-6 record, 2.56 ERA, 176 innings, 145 strikeouts, 24 walks, 153 ERA+, and 3.3 WAR.

Although he stepped up in the big games, his regular season stats had been delightfully average into his 30s. Barcelona voided the team option year of Marinis’ deal, sending him to free agency for 2017 at age 36. With the Bengals, Marinis had a 215-153 record, 3.73 ERA, 3428 innings, 2914 strikeouts, 659 walks, 104 ERA+, 89 FIP-, and 62.4 WAR. His next stop would be a three-year, $32,900,000 deal with Madrid.

Although Marinis remained in Spain, he had been a regular for his native Italy throughout his career in the World Baseball Championship. From 2005-23, Marinis had a 14-8 record, 3.34 ERA, 207.1 innings, 207 strikeouts, 66 walks, and 2.8 WAR. The Italians were quite competitive in that era with a second place in 2005, third in 2006, second in 2012, fourth in 2019, and third in 2022.

Madrid was a wild card throughout each of Marinis’ years there, but couldn’t get beyond the second round. In 22.2 playoff innings, he had a 3.97 ERA and 20 Ks. He stayed steady overall in his three seasons with a 39-32 record, 3.45 ERA, 665 innings, 555 strikeouts, 111 ERA+, and 9.9 WAR. In 2019, Marinis became the 8^th pitcher in EBF history with 250 career wins.

Now 39-years old and a free agent again, Marinis went north to Norway on a three-year, $28,900,000 deal with Oslo. He couldn’t maintain his usual steady stats in the first two years with the Octopi, although they did get a playoff berth in 2021. Marinis rebounded a bit in 2022, which led to a July trade to Lisbon for four prospects. With Oslo, Marinis had a 31-33 record, 4.35 ERA, 589.2 innings, 402 strikeouts, and 4.6 WAR.

Marinis had a decent second half with Lisbon, who made the playoffs but lost in the first round. He posted a 3.53 ERA and 1.6 WAR over 97 innings. Marinis still wanted to play and was at 291 wins, now second on the EBF all-time list. The top mark was held by Jean-Luc Roch, who finished with 300 exactly. Dublin gave Marinis a one-year, $7,500,000 deal for the 2023 campaign.

It was an okay effort as a part-time innings eater with a 3.90 ERA, 159.1 innings, 103 strikeouts, and 0 WAR. However, Marinis had a 11-4 record with the Dinos, passing Roch to become the all-time EBF leader. As of 2037, Marinis is one of only 46 pitchers in all of pro baseball history in the 300 club. The longevity also got him to 4000 strikeouts, the 10^th in EBF to do so.

Dublin was amidst another dynasty and repeated as European Champion with a 114-48 record. Marinis’ postseason contribution was one scoreless inning of relief. For his playoff career, he had a 12-9 record, 2.73 ERA, 207.2 innings, 169 strikeouts, 26 walks, 142 ERA+, and 3.3 WAR. As of 2037, Marinis is 9^th in playoff wins, 10^th in strikeouts, and 19^th in WAR among pitchers. With nothing left to prove and probably not enough juice left to stick around, Marinis retired shortly after his 43^rd birthday.

Marinis finished with a 302-225 record, 3.77 ERA, 4939 innings, 4053 strikeouts, 939 walks, 4053 strikeouts, 347/607 quality starts, 186 complete games, 28 shutouts, 103 ERA+, 93 FIP-, and 78.4 WAR. As of 2037, Marinis is EBF’s all-time leader in wins, starts (607), innings, and hits allowed (5269). He also is 2^nd in losses, 4^th in complete games, 31^st in shutouts, 11^th in strikeouts, 11^th in walks (939), and 34^th in WAR among pitchers. On the world leaderboards, Marinis ranks 41^st in wins and 27^th in innings.

The rate stats though grade Marinis’ production as being above average at best though. He was never a Pitcher of the Year finalist and only once finished top ten in the conference for ERA. Despite EBF’s wins leader, Marinis’ name rarely gets mentioned in the conversations for Europe’s GOAT pitcher and some wouldn’t even put him into the top ten.

However, longevity and consistency certainly have to count for something. Plus, Marinis cemented himself as an all-time great with strong playoff stats. He was a big reason Barcelona won four pennants and a European Championship. Certainly Marinis’ candidacy wasn’t in doubt, receiving 98.3% to headline the 2029 Hall of Fame class for the European Baseball Federation.

Dominik Brozik – Left/Center Field – Cologne Copperheads – 81.6% First Ballot

Dominik Brozik was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed outfielder from Policka, a small town of roughly 9,900 in the Czech Republic. Brozik was a well-rounded batter with good-to-great contract, eye, and power. He wasn’t amazing at any one thing, but he was at least decent across the board. His 162 game average got you 33 home runs, 24 doubles, and 11 triples for a steady dose of extra base hits.

Brozik’s best numbers came against right-handed pitching with a career .980 OPS and 174 wRC+. Against lefties, he had a respectable .790 OPS and 124 wRC+. Brozik’s speed was above average and he had strong baserunning skills. He had the flexibility to bounce around the outfield with about 2/3 of his starts in left field, around 1/4 in center field, and sparing starts in right or at first base. Brozik didn’t have the range for CF and had lackluster results there, but he graded as reliably solid in the corners.

Few peers or fans would have a bad word to say about Brozik as a person. He was known for his fierce loyalty, strong work ethic, and great intelligence. Brozik’s durability was mostly good over a 17-year career. Combine that with reliable and predictable production and you had one of the most popular players of the 2010s for European baseball.

In the 2006 EBF Draft, Brozik was picked 16^th overall by Cologne. The Copperheads were an expansion team in 2000 and struggled in the front end of the decade, but Brozik helped turn Cologne into a regular contender. Brozik won 2007 Rookie of the Year with his first of ten straight seasons with 6+ WAR, .300+ average, and .900+ OPS. 2007 saw a 85-77 record, the Copperheads’ first-ever winning season.

In 2008, Cologne won a division title at 102-60 and got all the way to the Northern Conference Championship where they fell to Kyiv. Brozik won his first Silver Slugger (LF) and his lone MVP, leading the conference with 132 runs. That would be a career high, as would his 211 hits, 45 homers, and 116 RBI. In his first postseason, Brozik had .913 OPS and 0.3 WAR. Cologne went 90-72 in 2009 but missed the postseason narrowly.

From 2010-17, the Copperheads rattled off an eight-year division title streak. Brozik was second in 2010’s MVP voting with a 1.050 OPS, 202 wRC+, 10.1 WAR effort. He won a Silver Slugger in 2011 (CF) and was third in MVP voting with his career best10.8 WAR and a match of his 132 runs and 211 hits from 2008. After the 2012 season, Brozik signed a seven-year, $82,740,000 extension with the Copperheads. Brozik was just outside of the awards conversations in the mid 2010s, but remained incredibly steady and productive.

Cologne’s overall playoff success was limited. From 2010-15, they were ousted in the first or second round each year sans 2012; including despite a 110-52 record in 2011 and 107-55 mark in 2013. 2012 would be the breakthrough though, winning the European Championship against Vienna. The Copperheads were 11-8 in the Baseball Grand Championship, part of a four-way tie for sixth but one game short from the five-way tie for first at 12-7. Brozik had a strong showing in the BGC with 19 hits, 14 runs, 6 doubles, 6 homers, 9 RBI, .961 OPS, and 1.0 WAR.

Brozik’s overall playoff stats with Cologne were surprisingly underwhelming. Over 59 starts, he had 55 hits, 36 runs, 7 doubles, 6 triples, 7 homers, 29 RBI, 19 walks, 12 steals, .243/.300/.420 slash, 104 wRC+, and 1.0 WAR. The Copperheads concluded their playoff streak with conference finals losses in both 2016 and 2017. Cologne hovered around the middle of the standings for the next few seasons.

However, Brozik did have good numbers as a regular for the Czech Republic in the World Baseball Championship. From 2006-23, Brozik played 163 games with 135 hits, 75 runs, 27 doubles, 36 homers, 88 RBI, 42 steals, .247/.353/.501 slash, and 5.9 WAR. The Czechs’ lone division title during Brozik’s tenure came in 2021.

A number of back and oblique injuries kept Brozik out half of 2017. He bounced back and was still rock solid in 2018, but Cologne decided to void the final year option of his deal. Brozik remained very popular and maintained a good relationship with Copperheads officials, who retired his #30 uniform at the end of his career. However, he was now to become a free agent for his age 36 season in 2019.

With Cologne, Brozik played 1706 games with 2155 hits, 1246 runs, 244 doubles, 137 triples, 374 home runs, 1091 RBI, 615 walks, 412 steals, .336/.393/.591 slash, 177 wRC+, and 89.6 WAR. Brozik had worldwide suitors and opted for Major League Baseball on a three-year, $51,200,000 deal with Salt Lake City. He had an impressive debut in the States, winning a Silver Slugger in 2019 in CF with a 6.3 WAR campaign. The Loons were a repeat wild card team, but lost in the first round.

Brozik looked merely decent in 2021 and missed their second round playoff exit on a late August sprained ankle. He regressed hard in 2021 with .642 OPS, 76 wRC+, and 0 WAR over 141 games. In total for SLC, Brozik had 414 games, 378 hits, 233 runs, 68 doubles, 19 triples, 66 home runs, 216 RBI, .247/.322/.445 slash, 113 wRC+, and 8.5 WAR. Brozik was back to free agency heading towards age 39 for 2022.

It was clear his MLB tenure was done, but Brozik hoped he could still contribute back in Europe. London gave him a shot on a two-year, $15,400,000 deal. Brozik was passable in 2022, then looked good in a smaller platoon sample size in 2023. He had 201 games, 171 hits, 88 runs, 22 doubles, 32 homers, 95 RBI, .269/.342/.473 slash, 123 wRC+, and 3.6 WAR for the Monarchs. Brozik retired after the 2023 campaign at age 40.

In the European Baseball Federation, Brozik had 1907 games, 2326 hits, 1334 runs, 266 doubles, 143 triples, 406 home runs, 1186 RBI, 685 walks, 1098 strikeouts, 437 steals, .330/.388/.581 slash, 173 wRC+, and 93.1 WAR. As of 2037, Brozik ranks 85^th in hits, 62^nd in runs, 87^th in total bases (4096), and 46^th in WAR among position players. Among batters with 3000+ plate appearances, his batting average is 56^th, OBP is 42^nd, and slugging is 92^nd. Brozik’s .969 OPS is good for 55^th.

Brozik didn’t have eye-popping accumulations, but his hitting efficiency metrics were excellent. His totals when adding the MLB stats saw 2704 hits, 1567 runs, 334 doubles, 162 triples, 472 homers, 1402 RBI, 854 walks, 473 steals, .315/.376/.557 slash, 162 wRC+, and 101.7 WAR.

He wasn’t viewed as an inner-circle level Hall of Famer, but Brozik’s resume was rock solid. He also played a huge role in turning the young Cologne franchise into a reliable contender. Brozik was the first to have his number retired by the Copperheads and joined 2028 inductee Pavel Pajitnov as those inducted in the green and gold. Brozik received 81.6% to take the second slot in the European Baseball Federation’s 2029 class.

04-08-2025, 06:34 PM	#2197
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,822	2029 EBF Hall of Fame Two first ballot picks were added for the European Baseball Federation’s Hall of Fame in 2029. SP Gianfranco Marinis led the way at 98.3% while OF Dominik Brozik had a rock solid 81.6%. Two third ballot guys were above 60%, but just short of the 66% requirement with LF Emilson Patino at 62.7% and RF Dylan Fitzpatrick at 61.5%. Three others were above 50% with CF Joris Kostic at 56.9% on his sixth ballot, CL Stefan Sedlak at 56.6% for his eighth try, and LF Marco Solis with a 52.5% debut. SP Ebbe Arvidsson got 49.9% on his tenth and final ballot. The Swedish righty generally hovered in the 30-49% range, but fell off after ten failed tries. He had a 15-year run with Athens and posted a 131-85 record, 2.91 ERA, 2164.2 innings, 2338 strikeouts, 297 walks, 132 ERA+, and 57.6 WAR. Arvidsson’s rate stats were certainly worthy, but injuries meant he only had six full seasons in his run. The accumulations were just too low and he didn’t have big awards to make up for it. RF Sam Connor also fell off the ballot, peaking with a 43.3% debut but ending at only 16.9%. The Irishman spent most of his 19-year career with Belfast with one Silver Slugger and no black ink. In EBF, Connor had 2636 games, 2699 hits, 1465 runs, 428 doubles, 183 triples, 506 home runs, 1504 RBI, 738 walks, 828 steals .286/.338/.530 slash, 142 wRC+, and 74.8 WAR. Connor earned impressive tallies from his steady production, but he lacked big accolades and was overlooked on some bad Brewers squads during his prime. SS Adam Tretyak was also worth a quick mention as he fell below 5% on his ninth ballot and was dropped. He started in EPB while did lower his final EBF accumulations over a 20 year career primarily with Budapest. Tretyak won five Silver Sluggers with 1857 games, 2399 hits, 1139 runs, 402 doubles, 170 triples, 80 home runs, 781 RBI, 524 steals, .326/.355/.460 slash, 127 wRC+, and 73.3 WAR. It is always an uphill climb though for leadoff type guys without home run power. Tretyak wasn’t exceptional enough at any one thing to get much ballot traction, peaking at 27.6% n 2022. Gianfranco Marinis – Starting Pitcher – Barcelona Bengals – 98.3% First Ballot Gianfranco Marinis was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Lucca, a city of around 89,000 people in central Italy. His rock solid and steady control kept Marinis passable throughout a 22-year career. His stuff and movement were generally graded as above average to occasionally gold. Marinis’ fastball did top out in the 97-99 mph range and was part of a five-pitch arsenal that included a slider, forkball, changeup, and splitter. No one pitch was overpowering, but each was a respectable option. Marinis’ stamina and durability were both outstanding and he never missed starts due to injuries. He also had an excellent pickoff move and was considered a good defensive pitcher. Marinis was highly adaptable and intelligent, traits that served him well. He was never overwhelmingly dominant, but his steadiness and consistency were hard to find. Out of college, Marinis was very highly touted and Barcelona selected him third in the 2001 EBF Draft. He struggled with limited relief use in 2002, then was a full-time starter in 2003. Marinis was split back between starting and relief in 2004, but returned to the rotation after that. 2005 would be his best season by some metrics with a conference best 21-8 record and career best 6.9 WAR. Marinis also led in wins again in 2007, but never was a Pitcher of the Year finalist. He led in complete games and shutouts twice and innings pitched once. After struggling to start the 21^st Century, Barcelona had a three-year division title streak from 2005-07. The Bengals lost in the first round in 2005, but earned the Southern Conference pennant the latter years. Barcelona set a franchise record in 2005 at 111-51, but fell to Kyiv in the European Championship. The Bengals were 96-66 in 2007 and got revenge over the Kings in that year’s final. Marinis’ career playoff numbers were actually more impressive than his regular season tallies. Over the 2006-07 run, he had a 6-2 record over 73.1 innings with a 2.33 ERA, 60 strikeouts, and 1.7 WAR. After the 2006 season, Barcelona gave Marinis a six-year, $44,760,000 extension. He continued his same steady results, although the Bengals just missed the playoffs in 2008-09. They made it back with division titles in 2010 and 2011. Barcelona lost the 2010 conference final to Zurich, but beat Athens for the 2011 pennant. The Bengals were denied the European Championship by the fledgling Dublin dynasty, but Marinis had a 2.53 ERA over 32 innings in that run. He was excellent in the Baseball Grand Championship with a 1.29 ERA over 35 innings with 33 Ks. Despite his efforts, Barcelona struggled to 6-13 in the event. The following spring, Marinis inked a five-year, $53,900,000 extension The Bengals were stuck in the middle tier for the following three years. 2015 saw one last gap for Barcelona, winning the conference as a wild card and falling to Antwerp in the European Championship. This was Marinis’ best playoffs yet with a 1.30 ERA and 27 Ks in 41.2 innings. He couldn’t carry that over into the BGC with a 4.34 ERA over 33.1 innings as the Bengals finished 9-10. For his playoff career with Barcelona, Marinis had a 11-6 record, 2.56 ERA, 176 innings, 145 strikeouts, 24 walks, 153 ERA+, and 3.3 WAR. Although he stepped up in the big games, his regular season stats had been delightfully average into his 30s. Barcelona voided the team option year of Marinis’ deal, sending him to free agency for 2017 at age 36. With the Bengals, Marinis had a 215-153 record, 3.73 ERA, 3428 innings, 2914 strikeouts, 659 walks, 104 ERA+, 89 FIP-, and 62.4 WAR. His next stop would be a three-year, $32,900,000 deal with Madrid. Although Marinis remained in Spain, he had been a regular for his native Italy throughout his career in the World Baseball Championship. From 2005-23, Marinis had a 14-8 record, 3.34 ERA, 207.1 innings, 207 strikeouts, 66 walks, and 2.8 WAR. The Italians were quite competitive in that era with a second place in 2005, third in 2006, second in 2012, fourth in 2019, and third in 2022. Madrid was a wild card throughout each of Marinis’ years there, but couldn’t get beyond the second round. In 22.2 playoff innings, he had a 3.97 ERA and 20 Ks. He stayed steady overall in his three seasons with a 39-32 record, 3.45 ERA, 665 innings, 555 strikeouts, 111 ERA+, and 9.9 WAR. In 2019, Marinis became the 8^th pitcher in EBF history with 250 career wins. Now 39-years old and a free agent again, Marinis went north to Norway on a three-year, $28,900,000 deal with Oslo. He couldn’t maintain his usual steady stats in the first two years with the Octopi, although they did get a playoff berth in 2021. Marinis rebounded a bit in 2022, which led to a July trade to Lisbon for four prospects. With Oslo, Marinis had a 31-33 record, 4.35 ERA, 589.2 innings, 402 strikeouts, and 4.6 WAR. Marinis had a decent second half with Lisbon, who made the playoffs but lost in the first round. He posted a 3.53 ERA and 1.6 WAR over 97 innings. Marinis still wanted to play and was at 291 wins, now second on the EBF all-time list. The top mark was held by Jean-Luc Roch, who finished with 300 exactly. Dublin gave Marinis a one-year, $7,500,000 deal for the 2023 campaign. It was an okay effort as a part-time innings eater with a 3.90 ERA, 159.1 innings, 103 strikeouts, and 0 WAR. However, Marinis had a 11-4 record with the Dinos, passing Roch to become the all-time EBF leader. As of 2037, Marinis is one of only 46 pitchers in all of pro baseball history in the 300 club. The longevity also got him to 4000 strikeouts, the 10^th in EBF to do so. Dublin was amidst another dynasty and repeated as European Champion with a 114-48 record. Marinis’ postseason contribution was one scoreless inning of relief. For his playoff career, he had a 12-9 record, 2.73 ERA, 207.2 innings, 169 strikeouts, 26 walks, 142 ERA+, and 3.3 WAR. As of 2037, Marinis is 9^th in playoff wins, 10^th in strikeouts, and 19^th in WAR among pitchers. With nothing left to prove and probably not enough juice left to stick around, Marinis retired shortly after his 43^rd birthday. Marinis finished with a 302-225 record, 3.77 ERA, 4939 innings, 4053 strikeouts, 939 walks, 4053 strikeouts, 347/607 quality starts, 186 complete games, 28 shutouts, 103 ERA+, 93 FIP-, and 78.4 WAR. As of 2037, Marinis is EBF’s all-time leader in wins, starts (607), innings, and hits allowed (5269). He also is 2^nd in losses, 4^th in complete games, 31^st in shutouts, 11^th in strikeouts, 11^th in walks (939), and 34^th in WAR among pitchers. On the world leaderboards, Marinis ranks 41^st in wins and 27^th in innings. The rate stats though grade Marinis’ production as being above average at best though. He was never a Pitcher of the Year finalist and only once finished top ten in the conference for ERA. Despite EBF’s wins leader, Marinis’ name rarely gets mentioned in the conversations for Europe’s GOAT pitcher and some wouldn’t even put him into the top ten. However, longevity and consistency certainly have to count for something. Plus, Marinis cemented himself as an all-time great with strong playoff stats. He was a big reason Barcelona won four pennants and a European Championship. Certainly Marinis’ candidacy wasn’t in doubt, receiving 98.3% to headline the 2029 Hall of Fame class for the European Baseball Federation. Dominik Brozik – Left/Center Field – Cologne Copperheads – 81.6% First Ballot Dominik Brozik was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed outfielder from Policka, a small town of roughly 9,900 in the Czech Republic. Brozik was a well-rounded batter with good-to-great contract, eye, and power. He wasn’t amazing at any one thing, but he was at least decent across the board. His 162 game average got you 33 home runs, 24 doubles, and 11 triples for a steady dose of extra base hits. Brozik’s best numbers came against right-handed pitching with a career .980 OPS and 174 wRC+. Against lefties, he had a respectable .790 OPS and 124 wRC+. Brozik’s speed was above average and he had strong baserunning skills. He had the flexibility to bounce around the outfield with about 2/3 of his starts in left field, around 1/4 in center field, and sparing starts in right or at first base. Brozik didn’t have the range for CF and had lackluster results there, but he graded as reliably solid in the corners. Few peers or fans would have a bad word to say about Brozik as a person. He was known for his fierce loyalty, strong work ethic, and great intelligence. Brozik’s durability was mostly good over a 17-year career. Combine that with reliable and predictable production and you had one of the most popular players of the 2010s for European baseball. In the 2006 EBF Draft, Brozik was picked 16^th overall by Cologne. The Copperheads were an expansion team in 2000 and struggled in the front end of the decade, but Brozik helped turn Cologne into a regular contender. Brozik won 2007 Rookie of the Year with his first of ten straight seasons with 6+ WAR, .300+ average, and .900+ OPS. 2007 saw a 85-77 record, the Copperheads’ first-ever winning season. In 2008, Cologne won a division title at 102-60 and got all the way to the Northern Conference Championship where they fell to Kyiv. Brozik won his first Silver Slugger (LF) and his lone MVP, leading the conference with 132 runs. That would be a career high, as would his 211 hits, 45 homers, and 116 RBI. In his first postseason, Brozik had .913 OPS and 0.3 WAR. Cologne went 90-72 in 2009 but missed the postseason narrowly. From 2010-17, the Copperheads rattled off an eight-year division title streak. Brozik was second in 2010’s MVP voting with a 1.050 OPS, 202 wRC+, 10.1 WAR effort. He won a Silver Slugger in 2011 (CF) and was third in MVP voting with his career best10.8 WAR and a match of his 132 runs and 211 hits from 2008. After the 2012 season, Brozik signed a seven-year, $82,740,000 extension with the Copperheads. Brozik was just outside of the awards conversations in the mid 2010s, but remained incredibly steady and productive. Cologne’s overall playoff success was limited. From 2010-15, they were ousted in the first or second round each year sans 2012; including despite a 110-52 record in 2011 and 107-55 mark in 2013. 2012 would be the breakthrough though, winning the European Championship against Vienna. The Copperheads were 11-8 in the Baseball Grand Championship, part of a four-way tie for sixth but one game short from the five-way tie for first at 12-7. Brozik had a strong showing in the BGC with 19 hits, 14 runs, 6 doubles, 6 homers, 9 RBI, .961 OPS, and 1.0 WAR. Brozik’s overall playoff stats with Cologne were surprisingly underwhelming. Over 59 starts, he had 55 hits, 36 runs, 7 doubles, 6 triples, 7 homers, 29 RBI, 19 walks, 12 steals, .243/.300/.420 slash, 104 wRC+, and 1.0 WAR. The Copperheads concluded their playoff streak with conference finals losses in both 2016 and 2017. Cologne hovered around the middle of the standings for the next few seasons. However, Brozik did have good numbers as a regular for the Czech Republic in the World Baseball Championship. From 2006-23, Brozik played 163 games with 135 hits, 75 runs, 27 doubles, 36 homers, 88 RBI, 42 steals, .247/.353/.501 slash, and 5.9 WAR. The Czechs’ lone division title during Brozik’s tenure came in 2021. A number of back and oblique injuries kept Brozik out half of 2017. He bounced back and was still rock solid in 2018, but Cologne decided to void the final year option of his deal. Brozik remained very popular and maintained a good relationship with Copperheads officials, who retired his #30 uniform at the end of his career. However, he was now to become a free agent for his age 36 season in 2019. With Cologne, Brozik played 1706 games with 2155 hits, 1246 runs, 244 doubles, 137 triples, 374 home runs, 1091 RBI, 615 walks, 412 steals, .336/.393/.591 slash, 177 wRC+, and 89.6 WAR. Brozik had worldwide suitors and opted for Major League Baseball on a three-year, $51,200,000 deal with Salt Lake City. He had an impressive debut in the States, winning a Silver Slugger in 2019 in CF with a 6.3 WAR campaign. The Loons were a repeat wild card team, but lost in the first round. Brozik looked merely decent in 2021 and missed their second round playoff exit on a late August sprained ankle. He regressed hard in 2021 with .642 OPS, 76 wRC+, and 0 WAR over 141 games. In total for SLC, Brozik had 414 games, 378 hits, 233 runs, 68 doubles, 19 triples, 66 home runs, 216 RBI, .247/.322/.445 slash, 113 wRC+, and 8.5 WAR. Brozik was back to free agency heading towards age 39 for 2022. It was clear his MLB tenure was done, but Brozik hoped he could still contribute back in Europe. London gave him a shot on a two-year, $15,400,000 deal. Brozik was passable in 2022, then looked good in a smaller platoon sample size in 2023. He had 201 games, 171 hits, 88 runs, 22 doubles, 32 homers, 95 RBI, .269/.342/.473 slash, 123 wRC+, and 3.6 WAR for the Monarchs. Brozik retired after the 2023 campaign at age 40. In the European Baseball Federation, Brozik had 1907 games, 2326 hits, 1334 runs, 266 doubles, 143 triples, 406 home runs, 1186 RBI, 685 walks, 1098 strikeouts, 437 steals, .330/.388/.581 slash, 173 wRC+, and 93.1 WAR. As of 2037, Brozik ranks 85^th in hits, 62^nd in runs, 87^th in total bases (4096), and 46^th in WAR among position players. Among batters with 3000+ plate appearances, his batting average is 56^th, OBP is 42^nd, and slugging is 92^nd. Brozik’s .969 OPS is good for 55^th. Brozik didn’t have eye-popping accumulations, but his hitting efficiency metrics were excellent. His totals when adding the MLB stats saw 2704 hits, 1567 runs, 334 doubles, 162 triples, 472 homers, 1402 RBI, 854 walks, 473 steals, .315/.376/.557 slash, 162 wRC+, and 101.7 WAR. He wasn’t viewed as an inner-circle level Hall of Famer, but Brozik’s resume was rock solid. He also played a huge role in turning the young Cologne franchise into a reliable contender. Brozik was the first to have his number retired by the Copperheads and joined 2028 inductee Pavel Pajitnov as those inducted in the green and gold. Brozik received 81.6% to take the second slot in the European Baseball Federation’s 2029 class. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)