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FuzzyRussianHat · 05-13-2025, 09:28 AM

West African Baseball nearly had a blank Hall of Fame class for 2030, but SP Zeb Onyedika slid across the 66% line with 68.0% on his fifth ballot. 3B Joey Agboola was the next closest at 59.6% on his second go. Two guys were above 50% on their tenth and final chance with 1B Ikechukwu Onyia at 54.5% and CL Francis Koomson at 50.5%. SP Dawud bin Rahman was the top debut at 49.5%.

For Onyia, he got as close as 62.5% in 2024 and was above 50% in eight years. He had a 13-year career primarily with Freetown, notably winning a Silver Slugger and a batting title in 2005 with a 1.114 OPS and 8.8 WAR. In total, Onyia had 1731 games, 2129 hits, 898 runs, 572 doubles, 256 home runs, 1134 RBI, .325/.358/.543 slash, 142 wRC+, and 46.1 WAR.

Onyia is 21^st in the WAB doubles list as of 2037, but didn’t quite have the power or longevity needed to stand out more. He also struggled in the playoffs with a .674 OPS over 25 starts, but did help Freetown to a runner-up finish in 2011. The Foresters did later retire Onyia’s #7 uniform for his efforts, but he ended up a Hall of Pretty Good guy.

Koomson was hurt by splitting his career between WAB and MLB. He was a stud closer in his prime, winning Pitcher of the Year twice and Reliever of the Year thrice with Lagos. Koomson had the rare feat in 2007 of being the top pitcher in WAR for the entire league out of the bullpen. The Lizards run was only seven years, followed by six decent years in MLB. He came back for two iffy final WAB seasons with Lome.

The final WAB numbers for Koomson saw 260 saves, 2.05 ERA, 509 games, 681 innings, 942 strikeouts, 196 ERA+, and 27.6 WAR. The combined stats had 334 saves, 2.04 ERA, 977 innings, 1271 Ks, and 37.4 WAR. Koomson’s tenure was just too short for many voters despite being a stud at his peak. He still barely missed the cut with a peak at 64.6% in 2023 and nine ballots above 50%. Although not a Hall of Famer, Koomson has the very rare distinction in all of pro baseball history of multiple Pitcher of the Year awards as a closer.

Zeb Onyedika – Starting Pitcher – Ouagadougou Osprey – 68.0% Fifth Ballot

Zeb Onyedika was a 6’2’’, 190 pound right-handed starting pitcher from Port Harcourt, the fifth-most populous city in Nigeria with more than 3.6 million in the metro area. Onyedika was a well-rounded pitcher with good-to-great stuff, movement, and control. His velocity peaked in the 97-99 mph range with a three-pitch arsenal of slider, changeup, and cutter. Each were equally potent and led to an extreme groundball tendency.

The movement was particularly pronounced facing right-handed batters with Onyedika posting a career 3.34 ERA and 68 FIP-. Against lefties, he had a 4.36 ERA and 100 FIP-. Onyedika’s stamina was respectable compared to other WAB aces, although he didn’t go the distance in games too often. His durability was rock solid and he avoided major injuries.

Onyedika did struggle holding runners and was a poor defensive pitcher. Some teammates also viewed Onyedika as a bit of a selfish loner. Even if he was more worried about his paycheck than team success, Onyedika’s talent was undeniable. He was spotted in December 2000 as a teenage amateur and signed by Ouagadougou.

He debuted in 2005 at age 20 with 26.1 innings, showing good results in a small sample size. Onyedika struggled a bit in 45.1 relief innings the next year, but still earned a full-time rotation slot for 2007. He became a nice starter from 2007-09 as Ouagadougou entered a competitive window. The Osprey had wild card round losses in 2007-08.

In 2009, Ouagadougou took first in the Eastern League with a franchise record 111-51 season. Onyedika earned Pitcher of the Year honors with a league and career best 6.5 WAR. However, the Osprey were shocked by 84-78 Ibadan in the ELCS. Onyedika’s playoff starts were lackluster these years with 10 earned runs allowed over 18.2 innings and 20 strikeouts.

2010 was Onyedika’s lone ERA title at 2.12 and he led in wins at 18-6. However, Nana Villars’ 360 strikeout effort just edged him out for Pitcher of the Year. Ouagadougou also fell off to 81-81 that year. They would get back to the ELCS as a wild card in 2011, falling to a 114-win Cotonou. Onyedika’s one playoff start was strong with one run allowed over seven innings. However, he struggled that season at points with a 4.59 ERA.

Worried that he had peaked, Ouagadougou let the 27-year old Onyedika leave for free agency after the 2011 campaign. For the Osprey, he had a 69-38 record, 3.39 ERA, 1043 innings, 1246 strikeouts, 191 walks, 119 ERA+, and 25.7 WAR. He would actually pitch more innings with a slightly higher WAR in his next stop, but Onyedika would be inducted in the Osprey blue and red.

Onyedika moved to Guinea on a seven-year, $43,200,000 deal with Conakry. He ultimately spent five years with the Coyotes, leading in wins, innings, and complete games in 2014. Onyedika wasn’t a Pitcher of the Year finalist for Conakry, but he had 4.5+ WAR each season. The Coyotes were a bottom-tier team for most of his run, averaging 71.8 wins per season.

With Conakry, Onyedika had a 66-64 record, 3.66 ERA, 1102.1 innings, 1310 strikeouts, 209 walks, 120 ERA+, and 27.9 WAR. Now 32-years old after the 2016 season, Onyedika was traded to Dakar for veteran infielder Simon David and prospect Yasir Umar. The Dukes were the defending WAB champ having gone 112-50 in 2016 and hoped Onyedika would give them some solid depth to keep the run going.

Dakar was a wild card with a second round loss in 2017, then just missed the playoffs in 2018. In two seasons, Onyedika had a 4.18 ERA, 19-22 record, 407.1 innings, 483 strikeouts, 110 ERA+, and 5.8 WAR. His one playoff start was poor, allowing three runs in three innings.

Onyedika’s stats were decent on the World Baseball Championship stage for Nigeria from 2012-20 with a 3.74 ERA in 55.1 innings, 5-2 record, 60 strikeouts, 20 walks, 96 ERA+, and 0.9 WAR. He ultimately never pitched for his hometown Port Harcourt or any of the other Nigerian WAB teams.

Now 34-years old, Onyedika still commanded a five-year, $44 million deal with Cotonou. They were on a nine-year playoff streak, but the Copperheads hadn’t had any long runs in the last few years. The streak ended with back-to-back 83-79 seasons. For Onyedika, he had a 22-19 record, 4.40 ERA, 411 innings, 411 strikeouts, 106 ERA+, and 6.2 WAR. He was solid in 2019, but struggled to a 5.10 ERA in 2020. Onyedika retired that winter shortly after his 36^th birthday.

Onyedika ended with a 176-143 record, 3.74 ERA, 2963.2 innings, 3450 strikeouts, 608 walks, 204/407 quality starts, 42 complete games, 12 shutouts, 116 ERA+, 81 FIP-, and 65.6 WAR. As of 2037, Onyedika ranks 26^th in wins, 14^th in innings, 56^th in complete games, 29^th in shutouts, 12^th in strikeouts, and 15^th in WAR among pitchers.

However, he didn’t make the top 100 in rate stats and was rarely considered dominant. For some voters, this put Onyedika as a borderline candidate. Weaker playoff starts didn’t help with the doubters and they felt his tallies weren’t quite high enough to outweigh that. Supporters noted the ERA title and Pitcher of the Year win. Every WAB eligible ace with 3500+ strikeouts had made it in as well and Onyedika only just was short of that mark.

Onyedika oscillated early on with a 57.5% debut in 2026, a drop to 46.1% in 2027, bump to 60.2% in 2028, and drop back to 42.3% in 2029. 2030 lacked any slam dunk debuts and was a wide open field, allowing Onyedika’s resume to pop a bit more by comparison. He just made it across the line at 68.0% for a fifth ballot selection. Albeit barely, Onyedika was the lone selection for West African Baseball’s Hall of Fame for 2030.

05-13-2025, 09:28 AM	#2246
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,170	2030 WAB Hall of Fame West African Baseball nearly had a blank Hall of Fame class for 2030, but SP Zeb Onyedika slid across the 66% line with 68.0% on his fifth ballot. 3B Joey Agboola was the next closest at 59.6% on his second go. Two guys were above 50% on their tenth and final chance with 1B Ikechukwu Onyia at 54.5% and CL Francis Koomson at 50.5%. SP Dawud bin Rahman was the top debut at 49.5%. For Onyia, he got as close as 62.5% in 2024 and was above 50% in eight years. He had a 13-year career primarily with Freetown, notably winning a Silver Slugger and a batting title in 2005 with a 1.114 OPS and 8.8 WAR. In total, Onyia had 1731 games, 2129 hits, 898 runs, 572 doubles, 256 home runs, 1134 RBI, .325/.358/.543 slash, 142 wRC+, and 46.1 WAR. Onyia is 21^st in the WAB doubles list as of 2037, but didn’t quite have the power or longevity needed to stand out more. He also struggled in the playoffs with a .674 OPS over 25 starts, but did help Freetown to a runner-up finish in 2011. The Foresters did later retire Onyia’s #7 uniform for his efforts, but he ended up a Hall of Pretty Good guy. Koomson was hurt by splitting his career between WAB and MLB. He was a stud closer in his prime, winning Pitcher of the Year twice and Reliever of the Year thrice with Lagos. Koomson had the rare feat in 2007 of being the top pitcher in WAR for the entire league out of the bullpen. The Lizards run was only seven years, followed by six decent years in MLB. He came back for two iffy final WAB seasons with Lome. The final WAB numbers for Koomson saw 260 saves, 2.05 ERA, 509 games, 681 innings, 942 strikeouts, 196 ERA+, and 27.6 WAR. The combined stats had 334 saves, 2.04 ERA, 977 innings, 1271 Ks, and 37.4 WAR. Koomson’s tenure was just too short for many voters despite being a stud at his peak. He still barely missed the cut with a peak at 64.6% in 2023 and nine ballots above 50%. Although not a Hall of Famer, Koomson has the very rare distinction in all of pro baseball history of multiple Pitcher of the Year awards as a closer. Zeb Onyedika – Starting Pitcher – Ouagadougou Osprey – 68.0% Fifth Ballot Zeb Onyedika was a 6’2’’, 190 pound right-handed starting pitcher from Port Harcourt, the fifth-most populous city in Nigeria with more than 3.6 million in the metro area. Onyedika was a well-rounded pitcher with good-to-great stuff, movement, and control. His velocity peaked in the 97-99 mph range with a three-pitch arsenal of slider, changeup, and cutter. Each were equally potent and led to an extreme groundball tendency. The movement was particularly pronounced facing right-handed batters with Onyedika posting a career 3.34 ERA and 68 FIP-. Against lefties, he had a 4.36 ERA and 100 FIP-. Onyedika’s stamina was respectable compared to other WAB aces, although he didn’t go the distance in games too often. His durability was rock solid and he avoided major injuries. Onyedika did struggle holding runners and was a poor defensive pitcher. Some teammates also viewed Onyedika as a bit of a selfish loner. Even if he was more worried about his paycheck than team success, Onyedika’s talent was undeniable. He was spotted in December 2000 as a teenage amateur and signed by Ouagadougou. He debuted in 2005 at age 20 with 26.1 innings, showing good results in a small sample size. Onyedika struggled a bit in 45.1 relief innings the next year, but still earned a full-time rotation slot for 2007. He became a nice starter from 2007-09 as Ouagadougou entered a competitive window. The Osprey had wild card round losses in 2007-08. In 2009, Ouagadougou took first in the Eastern League with a franchise record 111-51 season. Onyedika earned Pitcher of the Year honors with a league and career best 6.5 WAR. However, the Osprey were shocked by 84-78 Ibadan in the ELCS. Onyedika’s playoff starts were lackluster these years with 10 earned runs allowed over 18.2 innings and 20 strikeouts. 2010 was Onyedika’s lone ERA title at 2.12 and he led in wins at 18-6. However, Nana Villars’ 360 strikeout effort just edged him out for Pitcher of the Year. Ouagadougou also fell off to 81-81 that year. They would get back to the ELCS as a wild card in 2011, falling to a 114-win Cotonou. Onyedika’s one playoff start was strong with one run allowed over seven innings. However, he struggled that season at points with a 4.59 ERA. Worried that he had peaked, Ouagadougou let the 27-year old Onyedika leave for free agency after the 2011 campaign. For the Osprey, he had a 69-38 record, 3.39 ERA, 1043 innings, 1246 strikeouts, 191 walks, 119 ERA+, and 25.7 WAR. He would actually pitch more innings with a slightly higher WAR in his next stop, but Onyedika would be inducted in the Osprey blue and red. Onyedika moved to Guinea on a seven-year, $43,200,000 deal with Conakry. He ultimately spent five years with the Coyotes, leading in wins, innings, and complete games in 2014. Onyedika wasn’t a Pitcher of the Year finalist for Conakry, but he had 4.5+ WAR each season. The Coyotes were a bottom-tier team for most of his run, averaging 71.8 wins per season. With Conakry, Onyedika had a 66-64 record, 3.66 ERA, 1102.1 innings, 1310 strikeouts, 209 walks, 120 ERA+, and 27.9 WAR. Now 32-years old after the 2016 season, Onyedika was traded to Dakar for veteran infielder Simon David and prospect Yasir Umar. The Dukes were the defending WAB champ having gone 112-50 in 2016 and hoped Onyedika would give them some solid depth to keep the run going. Dakar was a wild card with a second round loss in 2017, then just missed the playoffs in 2018. In two seasons, Onyedika had a 4.18 ERA, 19-22 record, 407.1 innings, 483 strikeouts, 110 ERA+, and 5.8 WAR. His one playoff start was poor, allowing three runs in three innings. Onyedika’s stats were decent on the World Baseball Championship stage for Nigeria from 2012-20 with a 3.74 ERA in 55.1 innings, 5-2 record, 60 strikeouts, 20 walks, 96 ERA+, and 0.9 WAR. He ultimately never pitched for his hometown Port Harcourt or any of the other Nigerian WAB teams. Now 34-years old, Onyedika still commanded a five-year, $44 million deal with Cotonou. They were on a nine-year playoff streak, but the Copperheads hadn’t had any long runs in the last few years. The streak ended with back-to-back 83-79 seasons. For Onyedika, he had a 22-19 record, 4.40 ERA, 411 innings, 411 strikeouts, 106 ERA+, and 6.2 WAR. He was solid in 2019, but struggled to a 5.10 ERA in 2020. Onyedika retired that winter shortly after his 36^th birthday. Onyedika ended with a 176-143 record, 3.74 ERA, 2963.2 innings, 3450 strikeouts, 608 walks, 204/407 quality starts, 42 complete games, 12 shutouts, 116 ERA+, 81 FIP-, and 65.6 WAR. As of 2037, Onyedika ranks 26^th in wins, 14^th in innings, 56^th in complete games, 29^th in shutouts, 12^th in strikeouts, and 15^th in WAR among pitchers. However, he didn’t make the top 100 in rate stats and was rarely considered dominant. For some voters, this put Onyedika as a borderline candidate. Weaker playoff starts didn’t help with the doubters and they felt his tallies weren’t quite high enough to outweigh that. Supporters noted the ERA title and Pitcher of the Year win. Every WAB eligible ace with 3500+ strikeouts had made it in as well and Onyedika only just was short of that mark. Onyedika oscillated early on with a 57.5% debut in 2026, a drop to 46.1% in 2027, bump to 60.2% in 2028, and drop back to 42.3% in 2029. 2030 lacked any slam dunk debuts and was a wide open field, allowing Onyedika’s resume to pop a bit more by comparison. He just made it across the line at 68.0% for a fifth ballot selection. Albeit barely, Onyedika was the lone selection for West African Baseball’s Hall of Fame for 2030. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports The Level Playing Field: Alternate MLB History From 1884-Onward Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)