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FuzzyRussianHat · 12-31-2025, 06:07 AM

Nicolo Giotto – Shortstop – Dublin Dinos – 69.8% Eighth Ballot

Nicolo Giotto was a 6’5’’, 195 pound right-handed shortstop from Bergamo, Italy; a northern alpine city of about 120,000 inhabitants. Giotto was known for his longevity and for having an outstanding eye for drawing walks. He was an above average contact hitter against both lefties and righties, but did have a weaker strikeout rate. Giotto’s power was also limited with only 20 doubles, 4 triples, and 15 home runs per his 162 game average.

Still, his ability to get on base made him a valued leadoff man. Giotto was a very efficient base thief, but his tries were limited by having average-at-best speed. Giotto played shortstop for the vast majority of his career with reliably strong defensive metrics. He probably would’ve won a few Gold Gloves if he hadn’t shared a conference with Harvey Coyle, who was arguably the most valuable defensive player in baseball history.

In his 40s, Giotto moved to second base and still provided above average value. Few guys in baseball history had more longevity with a 24-year career, although Giotto did miss time at points mostly to back trouble. He was also appreciated for his leadership, doing a lot behind the scenes to help Dublin in multiple dynasty runs.

Giotto was drafted out of high school by the Dinos with the #9 pick in 2000. He spent two full seasons in their academy before debuting in 2003 with 127 games and 110 starts. He’d start 100+ games each of the next 15 years, only missing time to injury. Giotto wasn’t one to win many individual awards, but he provided consistent value with nine seasons worth 6+ WAR from 2005-2014. Giotto was old reliable on a franchise with many superstars.

Dublin had a few nice runs in the 20^th Century, but they emerged as a powerhouse in the 2000s. From 2005-15, they made the playoffs each year except 2007 and won a division title each year sans 2011. The Dinos initially struggled in the playoffs, failing to make the Northern Conference Championship from 2005-09. They knew they were close and were happy with Giotto’s production, giving him an eight-year, $78,880,000 extension after the 2008 season.

2009 was a big disappointment as they were upset in the second round by 87-win Kyiv despite having the top seed at 111-51. Dublin was the #2 seed in 2010, but defeated top-ranked Brussels 4-1 to claim the conference title. The Dinos downed Zurich 4-2 to claim the European Championship. To that point, it was the third for the Irish capital, having also won in 1962 and 1967.

Dublin was a 100-62 wild card in 2011, finishing two behind Birmingham in their division. The Dinos had the last laugh by sweeping the Bees in the conference final, followed by a 4-1 win over Barcelona to repeat as EBF champs. Giotto was solid with 0.7 WAR and 10 runs apiece over those two playoff runs. His numbers were more middling in the Baseball Grand Championship. The Dinos were 5-4 in the inaugural BGC which used a divisional format. 2011 switched to the modern format with Dublin at 12-7, fifth place after tiebreakers were sorted.

While his entire pro career was in Ireland, Giotto was a regular back in Italy for the World Baseball Championship. From 2004-25, he had 182 games, 112 hits, 76 runs, 27 doubles, 17 home runs, 49 RBI, .201/.351/.341 slash, and 3.3 WAR. Giotto was part of several notable runs as the Italians were quite competitive. They were the runner-up in 2005 and 2012; third in 2022, and fourth in 2006 and 2019.

Dublin was 107-55 in 2012, but their bid for the first-ever EBF three-peat was denied with a second round upset loss to Paris. The Dinos rebounded in 2013 at 115-47, one win ahead of the Poodles for the top seed. They avenged the prior year’s loss by besting Paris 4-2 for the pennant. Dublin then edged Zaragoza 4-3, becoming the first in EBF history with three European Championship rings in four years. The Dinos struggled to 7-12 in the BGC, although Giotto had a nice showing with .799 OPS and 0.6 WAR.

Giotto’s best season individually was 2013, leading the conference with a .423 on-base percentage. That was his career best, as was his 9.3 WAR, 169 wRC+, .899 OPS, and .322 average. It was his only time leading a stat apart from walks, which he did in 2012, 13, and 16. Giotto was never a Silver Slugger winner or an MVP finalist. Again, he probably would’ve gotten a Slugger or two if not for the world WARlord Harvey Coyle, who won 13 times while sharing the conference with Giotto.

2013 was the capper of the first Dublin dynasty. The Dinos won the division title twice more, but had a conference finals loss in 2014 and first round exit in 2015. Dublin spent the next four years around .500 with one wild card and first round exit in 2018. Giotto had signed a three-year, $42,600,000 extension after the 2015 season.

A sprained ankle kept him out two months in 2017. He saw diminishing batting with OPS below .700 in 2017-18. Now 38-years old, Dublin still appreciated his leadership and gave him a two-year, $22,200,000 extension in January 2019. A ruptured finger tendon in early April knocked him out almost all of 2019, only playing five games. Giotto bounced back well in 2020 with 4.1 WAR in 93 games, but lost time to a herniated disc.

2020 was a return to form for Dublin at 109-53, their first division title since 2015. Hamburg was the top seed at 115-47, but they got upset in the second round by 100-win Amsterdam. The Dinos dusted the Anacondas with a sweep for the conference title, but lost the European Championship 4-2 to Munich. Dublin finished 8-11 in the BGC. Giotto had posted negative WAR in the BGC and the playoffs, but he had the respect of the franchise, who re-signed him at a veteran-minimum qualifying offer.

Giotto was still worth around 3 WAR per season from 2021-24 even in his 40s with good defense and a passable bat. Injuries did limit him with a ruptured finger tendon in late2021, shoulder tendinitis in summer 2022, and a knee sprain in late 2024. Dublin eventually gave him a two-year, $22,200,000 extension after the 2022 season and another two-year, $16,800,000 extension after the 2024 season.

Dublin won a weak division in 2021 at 87-75, but got to the conference finals with a 4-1 loss to Hamburg. From 2022-24, the Dinos began in earnest their second dynasty run with 116, 114, and 110 wins. They were Northern Conference champs all three years with wins of Hamburg (4-1), Rotterdam (4-3), and Rotterdam again (4-1). Giotto was notably conference finals MVP in 2022, posting 0.7 WAR over the playoff run.

The Dinos swept Naples for the 2022 European Championship, then topped Munich 4-2 in 2023. They were denied the historic three-peat for the second-time in Giotto’s career, falling 4-1 to Chisinau in 2024. In the 2022 BGC, Dublin was third at 12-7, one win shy of the top spot. They were one win short again in 2023 at 13-6, officially third as they dropped a tiebreaker to Guatemala.

For 2024, Dublin, Chisinau, and Sao Paulo each were even for the top spot at 13-6. It was a rock-paper-scissors between the three, but runs allowed gave the tiebreaker and the Grand Championship to the Dinos. Dublin was the first European team to the prize. Over 102 BGC games, Giotto had 55 hits, 37 runs, 10 doubles, 9 homers, 28 RBI, .174/.324/.290 slash, and 0.8 WAR. He is one of 18 players to play 100+ games in the event.

Giotto’s EBF playoff career had 136 games, 122 hits, 61 runs, 16 doubles, 2 triples, 17 home runs, 56 RBI, 65 walks, 111 strikeouts, .260/.352/.412 slash, 123 wRC+, and 3.4 WAR. Giotto ranks 5^th in playoff games, 12^th in hits, 12^th in runs, and 1^st in walks drawn. Much like his regular season stats, Giotto was rarely exceptional, but he certainly had a notable role in two historic dynasty runs.

He had still been effective in 2024, but Giotto fell off hard in 2025 and 2026 with -0.6 WAR over 67 games and 32 starts. He was kept around out of respect and as a clubhouse guy in these last two years. Dublin won the division both years, but couldn’t get beyond the second round. Giotto retired that winter shortly after turning 46, making him one of a select few in pro baseball history with games played in their mid 40s.

Giotto finished with 3007 games, 2805 hits, 1538 runs, 374 doubles, 76 triples, 285 home runs, 1196 RBI, 1360 walks, 2316 strikeouts, 482 steals, .271/.360/.404 slash, 122 wRC+, and 111.1 WAR. Giotto ranks 5^th in games, 27^th in runs, 26^th in hits, 85^th in total bases (4186), 11^th in singles (2070), 76^th in doubles, 3^rd in walks, 6^th in strikeouts, and 23^rd in WAR among position players.

His candidacy was a contentious one with Hall of Fame voters. Giotto’s biggest strengths were things that weren’t sexy like longevity, defense, walks, and leadership. He was a constant across two historic dynasty runs for Dublin and got to experience more winning than likely any player in European Baseball Federation history. Giotto had five EBF titles, seven conference pennants, and a Grand Championship to his name.

That said, his offensive metrics were admittedly unremarkable. His career slugging and .765 OPS were well below any previous EBF inductees. Only a few of the lower-end guys in the lowest-scoring world leagues had comparable stats. Other critics argued that for having 3000+ games, his accumulations were underwhelming. Some voters didn’t care about sustained above average-ness and argued he was a bit player in Dublin’s dynasties.

Those who favored WAR argued that 100+ was plenty, but those who cared more about power hitting and slugging weren’t impressed. Giotto never had the big dramatic single-season peak and lacked individual accolades as well. But you couldn’t deny that he played a part in turning Dublin into one of the world’s most successful baseball franchises.

Giotto debuted on the 2032 ballot with 45.3% and was to 50.0% and 48.6% the following two tries. He bumped up to 56.8% in 2035, but back down to 51.3% in 2036. Giotto barely missed the 66% requirement on his sixth try at 64.7% in 2037. However, he dropped back down to 52.7% in 2038.

With a strong ballot overall in 2039, Giotto wasn’t expected to pick up stragglers. However, he got the bump just across the line at 69.8%, earning induction on his eighth ballot. Giotto was the fourth of five members for EBF’s 2039 Hall of Fame class.

Zeljko Siladjdzic – Right/Left Field – Belgrade Bruisers – 67.7% Fourth Ballot

Zeljko Siladjdzic was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed corner outfielder from Arilje, Serbia; a town of around 6,000. Siladjdzic had above average-to-good contact and power numbers with fairly even results against both lefties and righties. His power wasn’t incredible, but he got a steady dose of extra base hits with 28 doubles, 10 triples, and 29 home runs per his 162 game average.

Siladjdzic was among the best in Europe at drawing walks, although his strikeout rate was middling. His speed and baserunning both graded as reliably above average. Siladjdzic was primarily a right fielder with some starts in left. In either spot, he was a mediocre defender. His durability was outstanding, playing 145+ games in all but the first and final season of a 19-year career. Siladjdzic was highly intelligent and appreciated for his team-first attitude.

He quickly emerged as one of the stronger prospects to come out of Serbia in some time. This drew plenty of attention in the capital, leading to Siladjdzic going to Belgrade with the 27^th pick in the 2010 EBF Draft. The Bruisers had him as a reserve all of 2011, then debuted him with 61 games and 21 starts in 2012. Siladjdzic struggled as a rookie, but earned a full-time job from 2013 onward. He became known as a great player by his third season in the lineup.

Siladjdzic was never a league leader and won his lone Silver Slugger in 2016. He was steady though, posting six seasons worth 5+ WAR for the Bruisers. Belgrade had been a consistently lower-mid level team with a playoff drought back to 1982. Siladjdzic helped end that with a division title in 2015 at 88-74. The Bruisers got to the Southern Conference Championship, but lost 4-2 to Barcelona.

Belgrade stayed in a similar win range for the next four years, but just missed the playoffs from 2016-18. Still, they had optimism and gave Siladjdzic a three-year, $33,900,000 extension in April 2018. The Bruisers won the division at 90-72 in 2019 and again got to the conference finals, this time defeated in six by Belgrade. They made the playoffs once more with Siladjdzic in 2021, but had a second round exit. For his part, he had a .902 OPS and 1.1 WAR over 32 playoff starts.

In March 2022, Siladjdzic signed a four-year, $49,900,000 extension to stay with Belgrade. He was broadly popular in Serbia for also playing regularly in the World Baseball Championship. From 2014-30, Siladjdzic had 172 games with 121 hits, 90 runs, 13 doubles, 4 triples, 32 home runs, 69 RBI, .206/.330/.406 slash, and 4.1 WAR. He helped the Serbians notably finish third in 2014, the nation’s best-ever finish.

Belgrade was .500 in 2022, then spent the rest of Siladjdzic’s run with losing records. 2022 notably had Siladjdzic’s career bests for WAR (8.2), OPS (1.038), wRC+ (195), hits (200), runs (112), homers (38), and RBI (111). He had a year left on his deal entering 2026 and the Bruisers traded him in March to Munich for prospects. For the Bruisers, Siladjdzic had 2107 games, 2116 hits, 1225 runs, 385 doubles, 131 triples, 382 home runs, 1145 RBI, 922 walks, .287/.366/.530 slash, 152 wRC+, and 64.1 WAR.

Siladjdzic maintained his production in his one year with the Mavericks, posting a .946 OPS, 164 wRC+, 37 homers, and 5.6 WAR. Munich was a regular contender at this point and finished 100-62 for a sixth straight division title. They defeated Zagreb 4-2 in the Southern Conference Championship, but lost the European Championship 4-2 to Rotterdam. Siladjdzic had average results in the playoffs and Baseball Grand Championship. Munich was one of six teams at 12-7 in the BGC, officially third after tiebreakers.

Now 36-years old, Siladjdzic was a free agent for the first time. He went to Naples on a two-year, $23,200,000 deal and kept up his standard production. In 304 games, Siladjdzic had 299 hits, 172 runs, 51 doubles, 20 triples, 48 homers, 174 RBI, .282/.367/.504 slash, 148 wRC+, and 8.6 WAR. The Nobles did get a wild cardin 2027 with a first round exit.

For 2029, Siladjdzic signed a two-year, $20,100,000 deal with Birmingham, who was firmly stuck in the middle tier. Siladjdzic was a decent starter in 2029, but got benched in 2030 and saw mostly pinch hit use. Over 241 games, he started 174 with 168 hits, 99 runs, 24 doubles, 9 triples, 36 homers, 77 RBI, .249/.332/.471 slash, 122 wRC+, and 3.0 WAR. Siladjdzic retired after the 2030 season at age 40.

Siladjdzic ended with 2799 games, 2743 hits, 1606 runs, 489 doubles, 168 triples, 503 home runs, 1479 RBI, 1233 walks, 1810 strikeouts, 437 steals, .284/.364/.525 slash, 150 wRC+, and 81.3 WAR. He ranks 14^th in games, 22^nd in runs, 33^rd in hits, 26^th in total bases (5077), 13^th in doubles, 56^th in homers, 43^rd in RBI, 6^th in walks, and 83^rd in WAR among position players.

For his supporters, his accumulations certainly seemed to click the boxes for a Hall of Famer. 2500+ hits, 1500+ runs, 500+ homers, nearly 1500 RBI, and nearly 500+ doubles were all benchmarks that usually portended induction. But there were detractors who looked for dramatic peaks and were less impressed by longevity and consistency.

Siladjdzic never had that big peak season, never was a league leader, and never was in MVP conversations. Despite his tallies, his WAR was lower than you might expect thanks to poor defense. Siladjdzic was also perhaps underappreciated as Belgrade was a mostly forgettable team during his prime.

His case was borderline and he as such, Siladjdzic missed the cut at 57.2%, 61.1%, and 53.0% in his first three ballots. The fourth try saw the bump just beyond the 66% requirement at 67.7%. With that, Siladjdzic capped off an impressive five-man 2039 HOF class for the European Baseball Federation.

12-31-2025, 06:07 AM	#2652
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,214	2039 EBF Hall of Fame (Part 3) Nicolo Giotto – Shortstop – Dublin Dinos – 69.8% Eighth Ballot Nicolo Giotto was a 6’5’’, 195 pound right-handed shortstop from Bergamo, Italy; a northern alpine city of about 120,000 inhabitants. Giotto was known for his longevity and for having an outstanding eye for drawing walks. He was an above average contact hitter against both lefties and righties, but did have a weaker strikeout rate. Giotto’s power was also limited with only 20 doubles, 4 triples, and 15 home runs per his 162 game average. Still, his ability to get on base made him a valued leadoff man. Giotto was a very efficient base thief, but his tries were limited by having average-at-best speed. Giotto played shortstop for the vast majority of his career with reliably strong defensive metrics. He probably would’ve won a few Gold Gloves if he hadn’t shared a conference with Harvey Coyle, who was arguably the most valuable defensive player in baseball history. In his 40s, Giotto moved to second base and still provided above average value. Few guys in baseball history had more longevity with a 24-year career, although Giotto did miss time at points mostly to back trouble. He was also appreciated for his leadership, doing a lot behind the scenes to help Dublin in multiple dynasty runs. Giotto was drafted out of high school by the Dinos with the #9 pick in 2000. He spent two full seasons in their academy before debuting in 2003 with 127 games and 110 starts. He’d start 100+ games each of the next 15 years, only missing time to injury. Giotto wasn’t one to win many individual awards, but he provided consistent value with nine seasons worth 6+ WAR from 2005-2014. Giotto was old reliable on a franchise with many superstars. Dublin had a few nice runs in the 20^th Century, but they emerged as a powerhouse in the 2000s. From 2005-15, they made the playoffs each year except 2007 and won a division title each year sans 2011. The Dinos initially struggled in the playoffs, failing to make the Northern Conference Championship from 2005-09. They knew they were close and were happy with Giotto’s production, giving him an eight-year, $78,880,000 extension after the 2008 season. 2009 was a big disappointment as they were upset in the second round by 87-win Kyiv despite having the top seed at 111-51. Dublin was the #2 seed in 2010, but defeated top-ranked Brussels 4-1 to claim the conference title. The Dinos downed Zurich 4-2 to claim the European Championship. To that point, it was the third for the Irish capital, having also won in 1962 and 1967. Dublin was a 100-62 wild card in 2011, finishing two behind Birmingham in their division. The Dinos had the last laugh by sweeping the Bees in the conference final, followed by a 4-1 win over Barcelona to repeat as EBF champs. Giotto was solid with 0.7 WAR and 10 runs apiece over those two playoff runs. His numbers were more middling in the Baseball Grand Championship. The Dinos were 5-4 in the inaugural BGC which used a divisional format. 2011 switched to the modern format with Dublin at 12-7, fifth place after tiebreakers were sorted. While his entire pro career was in Ireland, Giotto was a regular back in Italy for the World Baseball Championship. From 2004-25, he had 182 games, 112 hits, 76 runs, 27 doubles, 17 home runs, 49 RBI, .201/.351/.341 slash, and 3.3 WAR. Giotto was part of several notable runs as the Italians were quite competitive. They were the runner-up in 2005 and 2012; third in 2022, and fourth in 2006 and 2019. Dublin was 107-55 in 2012, but their bid for the first-ever EBF three-peat was denied with a second round upset loss to Paris. The Dinos rebounded in 2013 at 115-47, one win ahead of the Poodles for the top seed. They avenged the prior year’s loss by besting Paris 4-2 for the pennant. Dublin then edged Zaragoza 4-3, becoming the first in EBF history with three European Championship rings in four years. The Dinos struggled to 7-12 in the BGC, although Giotto had a nice showing with .799 OPS and 0.6 WAR. Giotto’s best season individually was 2013, leading the conference with a .423 on-base percentage. That was his career best, as was his 9.3 WAR, 169 wRC+, .899 OPS, and .322 average. It was his only time leading a stat apart from walks, which he did in 2012, 13, and 16. Giotto was never a Silver Slugger winner or an MVP finalist. Again, he probably would’ve gotten a Slugger or two if not for the world WARlord Harvey Coyle, who won 13 times while sharing the conference with Giotto. 2013 was the capper of the first Dublin dynasty. The Dinos won the division title twice more, but had a conference finals loss in 2014 and first round exit in 2015. Dublin spent the next four years around .500 with one wild card and first round exit in 2018. Giotto had signed a three-year, $42,600,000 extension after the 2015 season. A sprained ankle kept him out two months in 2017. He saw diminishing batting with OPS below .700 in 2017-18. Now 38-years old, Dublin still appreciated his leadership and gave him a two-year, $22,200,000 extension in January 2019. A ruptured finger tendon in early April knocked him out almost all of 2019, only playing five games. Giotto bounced back well in 2020 with 4.1 WAR in 93 games, but lost time to a herniated disc. 2020 was a return to form for Dublin at 109-53, their first division title since 2015. Hamburg was the top seed at 115-47, but they got upset in the second round by 100-win Amsterdam. The Dinos dusted the Anacondas with a sweep for the conference title, but lost the European Championship 4-2 to Munich. Dublin finished 8-11 in the BGC. Giotto had posted negative WAR in the BGC and the playoffs, but he had the respect of the franchise, who re-signed him at a veteran-minimum qualifying offer. Giotto was still worth around 3 WAR per season from 2021-24 even in his 40s with good defense and a passable bat. Injuries did limit him with a ruptured finger tendon in late2021, shoulder tendinitis in summer 2022, and a knee sprain in late 2024. Dublin eventually gave him a two-year, $22,200,000 extension after the 2022 season and another two-year, $16,800,000 extension after the 2024 season. Dublin won a weak division in 2021 at 87-75, but got to the conference finals with a 4-1 loss to Hamburg. From 2022-24, the Dinos began in earnest their second dynasty run with 116, 114, and 110 wins. They were Northern Conference champs all three years with wins of Hamburg (4-1), Rotterdam (4-3), and Rotterdam again (4-1). Giotto was notably conference finals MVP in 2022, posting 0.7 WAR over the playoff run. The Dinos swept Naples for the 2022 European Championship, then topped Munich 4-2 in 2023. They were denied the historic three-peat for the second-time in Giotto’s career, falling 4-1 to Chisinau in 2024. In the 2022 BGC, Dublin was third at 12-7, one win shy of the top spot. They were one win short again in 2023 at 13-6, officially third as they dropped a tiebreaker to Guatemala. For 2024, Dublin, Chisinau, and Sao Paulo each were even for the top spot at 13-6. It was a rock-paper-scissors between the three, but runs allowed gave the tiebreaker and the Grand Championship to the Dinos. Dublin was the first European team to the prize. Over 102 BGC games, Giotto had 55 hits, 37 runs, 10 doubles, 9 homers, 28 RBI, .174/.324/.290 slash, and 0.8 WAR. He is one of 18 players to play 100+ games in the event. Giotto’s EBF playoff career had 136 games, 122 hits, 61 runs, 16 doubles, 2 triples, 17 home runs, 56 RBI, 65 walks, 111 strikeouts, .260/.352/.412 slash, 123 wRC+, and 3.4 WAR. Giotto ranks 5^th in playoff games, 12^th in hits, 12^th in runs, and 1^st in walks drawn. Much like his regular season stats, Giotto was rarely exceptional, but he certainly had a notable role in two historic dynasty runs. He had still been effective in 2024, but Giotto fell off hard in 2025 and 2026 with -0.6 WAR over 67 games and 32 starts. He was kept around out of respect and as a clubhouse guy in these last two years. Dublin won the division both years, but couldn’t get beyond the second round. Giotto retired that winter shortly after turning 46, making him one of a select few in pro baseball history with games played in their mid 40s. Giotto finished with 3007 games, 2805 hits, 1538 runs, 374 doubles, 76 triples, 285 home runs, 1196 RBI, 1360 walks, 2316 strikeouts, 482 steals, .271/.360/.404 slash, 122 wRC+, and 111.1 WAR. Giotto ranks 5^th in games, 27^th in runs, 26^th in hits, 85^th in total bases (4186), 11^th in singles (2070), 76^th in doubles, 3^rd in walks, 6^th in strikeouts, and 23^rd in WAR among position players. His candidacy was a contentious one with Hall of Fame voters. Giotto’s biggest strengths were things that weren’t sexy like longevity, defense, walks, and leadership. He was a constant across two historic dynasty runs for Dublin and got to experience more winning than likely any player in European Baseball Federation history. Giotto had five EBF titles, seven conference pennants, and a Grand Championship to his name. That said, his offensive metrics were admittedly unremarkable. His career slugging and .765 OPS were well below any previous EBF inductees. Only a few of the lower-end guys in the lowest-scoring world leagues had comparable stats. Other critics argued that for having 3000+ games, his accumulations were underwhelming. Some voters didn’t care about sustained above average-ness and argued he was a bit player in Dublin’s dynasties. Those who favored WAR argued that 100+ was plenty, but those who cared more about power hitting and slugging weren’t impressed. Giotto never had the big dramatic single-season peak and lacked individual accolades as well. But you couldn’t deny that he played a part in turning Dublin into one of the world’s most successful baseball franchises. Giotto debuted on the 2032 ballot with 45.3% and was to 50.0% and 48.6% the following two tries. He bumped up to 56.8% in 2035, but back down to 51.3% in 2036. Giotto barely missed the 66% requirement on his sixth try at 64.7% in 2037. However, he dropped back down to 52.7% in 2038. With a strong ballot overall in 2039, Giotto wasn’t expected to pick up stragglers. However, he got the bump just across the line at 69.8%, earning induction on his eighth ballot. Giotto was the fourth of five members for EBF’s 2039 Hall of Fame class. Zeljko Siladjdzic – Right/Left Field – Belgrade Bruisers – 67.7% Fourth Ballot Zeljko Siladjdzic was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed corner outfielder from Arilje, Serbia; a town of around 6,000. Siladjdzic had above average-to-good contact and power numbers with fairly even results against both lefties and righties. His power wasn’t incredible, but he got a steady dose of extra base hits with 28 doubles, 10 triples, and 29 home runs per his 162 game average. Siladjdzic was among the best in Europe at drawing walks, although his strikeout rate was middling. His speed and baserunning both graded as reliably above average. Siladjdzic was primarily a right fielder with some starts in left. In either spot, he was a mediocre defender. His durability was outstanding, playing 145+ games in all but the first and final season of a 19-year career. Siladjdzic was highly intelligent and appreciated for his team-first attitude. He quickly emerged as one of the stronger prospects to come out of Serbia in some time. This drew plenty of attention in the capital, leading to Siladjdzic going to Belgrade with the 27^th pick in the 2010 EBF Draft. The Bruisers had him as a reserve all of 2011, then debuted him with 61 games and 21 starts in 2012. Siladjdzic struggled as a rookie, but earned a full-time job from 2013 onward. He became known as a great player by his third season in the lineup. Siladjdzic was never a league leader and won his lone Silver Slugger in 2016. He was steady though, posting six seasons worth 5+ WAR for the Bruisers. Belgrade had been a consistently lower-mid level team with a playoff drought back to 1982. Siladjdzic helped end that with a division title in 2015 at 88-74. The Bruisers got to the Southern Conference Championship, but lost 4-2 to Barcelona. Belgrade stayed in a similar win range for the next four years, but just missed the playoffs from 2016-18. Still, they had optimism and gave Siladjdzic a three-year, $33,900,000 extension in April 2018. The Bruisers won the division at 90-72 in 2019 and again got to the conference finals, this time defeated in six by Belgrade. They made the playoffs once more with Siladjdzic in 2021, but had a second round exit. For his part, he had a .902 OPS and 1.1 WAR over 32 playoff starts. In March 2022, Siladjdzic signed a four-year, $49,900,000 extension to stay with Belgrade. He was broadly popular in Serbia for also playing regularly in the World Baseball Championship. From 2014-30, Siladjdzic had 172 games with 121 hits, 90 runs, 13 doubles, 4 triples, 32 home runs, 69 RBI, .206/.330/.406 slash, and 4.1 WAR. He helped the Serbians notably finish third in 2014, the nation’s best-ever finish. Belgrade was .500 in 2022, then spent the rest of Siladjdzic’s run with losing records. 2022 notably had Siladjdzic’s career bests for WAR (8.2), OPS (1.038), wRC+ (195), hits (200), runs (112), homers (38), and RBI (111). He had a year left on his deal entering 2026 and the Bruisers traded him in March to Munich for prospects. For the Bruisers, Siladjdzic had 2107 games, 2116 hits, 1225 runs, 385 doubles, 131 triples, 382 home runs, 1145 RBI, 922 walks, .287/.366/.530 slash, 152 wRC+, and 64.1 WAR. Siladjdzic maintained his production in his one year with the Mavericks, posting a .946 OPS, 164 wRC+, 37 homers, and 5.6 WAR. Munich was a regular contender at this point and finished 100-62 for a sixth straight division title. They defeated Zagreb 4-2 in the Southern Conference Championship, but lost the European Championship 4-2 to Rotterdam. Siladjdzic had average results in the playoffs and Baseball Grand Championship. Munich was one of six teams at 12-7 in the BGC, officially third after tiebreakers. Now 36-years old, Siladjdzic was a free agent for the first time. He went to Naples on a two-year, $23,200,000 deal and kept up his standard production. In 304 games, Siladjdzic had 299 hits, 172 runs, 51 doubles, 20 triples, 48 homers, 174 RBI, .282/.367/.504 slash, 148 wRC+, and 8.6 WAR. The Nobles did get a wild cardin 2027 with a first round exit. For 2029, Siladjdzic signed a two-year, $20,100,000 deal with Birmingham, who was firmly stuck in the middle tier. Siladjdzic was a decent starter in 2029, but got benched in 2030 and saw mostly pinch hit use. Over 241 games, he started 174 with 168 hits, 99 runs, 24 doubles, 9 triples, 36 homers, 77 RBI, .249/.332/.471 slash, 122 wRC+, and 3.0 WAR. Siladjdzic retired after the 2030 season at age 40. Siladjdzic ended with 2799 games, 2743 hits, 1606 runs, 489 doubles, 168 triples, 503 home runs, 1479 RBI, 1233 walks, 1810 strikeouts, 437 steals, .284/.364/.525 slash, 150 wRC+, and 81.3 WAR. He ranks 14^th in games, 22^nd in runs, 33^rd in hits, 26^th in total bases (5077), 13^th in doubles, 56^th in homers, 43^rd in RBI, 6^th in walks, and 83^rd in WAR among position players. For his supporters, his accumulations certainly seemed to click the boxes for a Hall of Famer. 2500+ hits, 1500+ runs, 500+ homers, nearly 1500 RBI, and nearly 500+ doubles were all benchmarks that usually portended induction. But there were detractors who looked for dramatic peaks and were less impressed by longevity and consistency. Siladjdzic never had that big peak season, never was a league leader, and never was in MVP conversations. Despite his tallies, his WAR was lower than you might expect thanks to poor defense. Siladjdzic was also perhaps underappreciated as Belgrade was a mostly forgettable team during his prime. His case was borderline and he as such, Siladjdzic missed the cut at 57.2%, 61.1%, and 53.0% in his first three ballots. The fourth try saw the bump just beyond the 66% requirement at 67.7%. With that, Siladjdzic capped off an impressive five-man 2039 HOF class for the European Baseball Federation. __________________ 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)