Baseball: The World's Game - Page 53

FuzzyRussianHat · 03-08-2024, 04:37 AM

Outfielder Ping Janer was the lone inductee into the Oceania Baseball Association Hall of Fame in 1996. In his debut on the ballot, Janer narrowly reached the 66% requirement, getting in with 71.1%. Only one other player topped 50% with RF Dede Hayati at 55.0% in his fifth attempt.

SP Matthew Falefa fell off the ballot after ten tries, peaking at 24.2% in his debut but ending at only 7.0%. Injuries and a MLB excursion mid-career meant that the American Samoan lefty had only about 6 or 7 seasons worth of OBA production. He had an 85-63 record, 2.07 ERA, 1415.2 innings, 1667 strikeouts, 65 FIP-, and 43.2 WAR. The potential was certainly there, but he didn’t have anywhere near the tenure to get across the line.

Ping Janer – Left/Center Field – Guam Golden Eagles – 71.1% First Ballot

Ping Janer was a 6’2’’, 200 pound switch-hitting outfielder from Rita, an island district of the Marshall Islands. It is part of the Majuro atoll which has around 23,000 people. As of 2037, Janer is the only Marshallean OBA Hall of Famer. He was renowned as one of OBA’s fastest and most intelligent baserunners. Janer was only okay as a contact hitter and he had trouble with strikeouts. However, he was good at drawing walks to take advantage of his baserunning talents.

Janer wasn’t a prolific home run hitter, but he had a very solid pop in his bat still. He usually gave you around 25-35 home runs per season while also adding 25 doubles and 10 triples per 162 games. He made about 2/3s of his starts in left field and the rest in center. Janer was a terrific fielder in left, but below average in center. He was a very hard worker and a fan favorite, becoming one of the most popular players of his era.

Despite coming from humble origins, Janer managed to earn himself attention in his amateur career. In the 1974 OBA Draft, Guam selected Janer with the fourth overall pick. He was a full-time starter immediately and spent 12 seasons as a prominent part of the Golden Eagles lineup, playing in 140+ games all but one of those seasons. Janer’s ability to fly allowed him to lead the Pacific League in runs scored four times with Guam and stolen bases thrice,

In 1975, Janer won both the Rookie of the Year and his first of six Silver Sluggers. He won additional sluggers in 1976, 78, 79, 80, and 86. Janer also grabbed seven Gold Gloves in left field (1976, 78, 82, 87, 88, 89, 90). In 1978, he had career highs in runs (102), steals (79), and WAR (10.3); taking second in MVP voting. That winter, Guam gave him an eight-year, $2,242,000 contract extension. Janer would win the prize in 1979 with a batting title (.305) along with 9.9 WAR, 99 runs, 35 home runs, and 9.9 WAR.

Janer was also proud of 1979 as Guam won the Pacific League title, setting a wins record at 112-50. They beat defending champ Perth in the Oceania Championship, giving the Golden Eagles their first overall title. Heartbreakingly for Janer, an oblique strain would keep him out of the series. He’d be back as Guam repeated in 1980, getting 4 hits and 3 runs in their 4-1 series victory over Christchrurch.

Guam had a number of great seasons in the early 1980s, but they would be the perennial runner-up to Honolulu’s great dynasty. Janer stayed great into his 30s, even leading the PL with 8.0 WAR and 89 runs in 1986 at age 34. This would be his last season as a Golden Eagle, as the franchise entered a full rebuild the next year. Janer would remain beloved and see his #26 uniform retired once his playing days were done. With Guam, he had 1647 hits, 1000 runs, 275 doubles, 115 triples, 324 home runs, 824 RBI, 735 stolen bases, a .247/.308/.469 slash, and 79.8 WAR.

Janer signed a three-year, $2,490,000 deal with Perth, who had just won the Australasia League title and fallen in the final to Honolulu. He was okay in two seasons as a Penguin, but posted the worst offensive numbers of his career to date. A sprained ankle cost him much of 1988 and Perth finished below .500 in both 1987 and 1988. Janer didn’t meet the vesting criteria in his contract and became a free agent for 1989 at age 37.

Adelaide gave him a one year deal and he had a decent bounce-back effort at the plate. He was still a great defender, winning his sixth Gold Glove while an Aardvark. For 1990, Honolulu signed Janer and he picked up his 2000^th hit and 400^th home run with the Honu. Janer showed some of that old spark and helped Honolulu win its third consecutive OBA title, although he struggled in the final itself. The Honu didn’t bring him back for 1991 and Janer retired at age 40 after going unsigned for the year.

For his career, Janer had 2106 hits, 1290 runs, 360 doubles, 152 triples, 407 home runs, 1095 RBI, 937 stolen bases, a .242/.304/.459 slash, 142 wRC+, and 96.1 WAR. At induction, he was sixth all-time in steals, fourth in runs, and fourth in batting WAR. With that resume, it is surprising that Janer only got 71.1% of the vote considering the standards set previously in OBA. However, he was a first ballot inductee all the same and the lone member of the 1996 class.

FuzzyRussianHat · 03-08-2024, 12:18 PM

The 1996 field for the Austronesia Professional Baseball Hall of Fame was pretty weak with the best debutant being RP Gilbert Tang at 31.4%. The thin field did help RF Lin Zulkifli finally get across the line at 67.4% on his third ballot. No one else was even above 50%, although two ninth ballot guys in 1B Po-Yu Shao and CL Lee Tira were in the upper 40s.

Dropped from the ballot ws 1B Ardan Riyadi, who had a 15 year run between three teams in APB. He got as high as 47.6% on his second ballot, but ended at only 23.6%. Riyadi won four Silver Sluggers, three Gold Gloves, and helped Surabaya to the 1971 title. He had 2033 hits, 991 runs, 290 doubles, 379 home runs, 1016 RBI, a .262/.296/.454 slash, and 88.1 WAR. Riyadi had the sixth best batting WAR in APB when he fell off the ballot with pretty good stats by APB’s low offense standards. However, he just never got the support of the voters for whatever reason.

Lin “Bullet” Zulkifli – Right Field – Manila Manatees – 67.4% Third Ballot

Lin Zulkifli was a 5’9’’, 200 pound left handed hitting right fielder from the city-state of Singapore. Zulkifli earned the nickname “Bullet” for his great speed and ability to leg out extra bases from the leadoff spot. He was one of the smartest baserunners in the game and was extremely popular for his sparkplug work ethic and leadership. Zulkifli was a very good contract hitter with a solid eye and great knack for avoiding strikeouts. He lacked home run power, only hitting 11 in his career, but Zulkifli wasn’t a singles slap hitter. He averaged around 25-30 doubles and another 25-30 triples each season. Zulkifli exclusively played defensively in right field and was excellent in that spot, earning eight Gold Gloves in his career.

Zulkifli was signed out of Singapore by a scout from Manila, bringing him to the Filipino capital in 1969 at 16 years old. He debuted in 1972 at age 19 for the Manatees, although his appearances were very limited that year and the next. Zulkifli would be a full-time starter from 1974 through 1988 as a regular fixture for the Manila lineup.

With his lack of home run tallies, Zulkifli didn’t ever win a Silver Slugger or earn MVP finalist consideration. Still, he led the Taiwan-Philippine Association in hits twice, doubles twice, triples eight times, batting average thrice, OBP thrice, and WAR once. Helped by the deep alleys of the Manila Grounds, Zulkifli actually had more triples than doubles in five different seasons. This scrappiness made him a star and favorite for Manatees fans, especially as they struggled in most of the 1970s. Zulkifli was also popular back home in Singapore, playing for them from 1972-89 in the World Baseball Championship. In 123 games, he had 118 hits, 47 runs, 20 doubles, 6 triples, a .271/.338/.344 slash, and 1.3 WAR.

Manila signed Zulkifli to an eight-year, $3,292,000 contract extension in the summer of 1978. It wouldn’t be until the later years of that deal that the Manatees finally returned to prominence. Manila won the Philippine League in 1983, 1985, and 1986. In 1985 and 1986, they won the TPA pennant and in 1986, the Manatees earned their first Austronesia Championship. After being unremarkable in the first two postseason runs, Zulkifli had 12 hits, 4 runs, 2 doubles, 2 triples, and a .316/.381/.553 slash to help Manila win the crown.

In a way, that was the last hurrah for Zulkifli. 1987 would see a strained hamstring cost him the final seven weeks of the season, then knee and foot issues cost him two months of 1988. In addition, his speed and contact abilities had begun to wane a bit. After the 1988 season, Manila let him go. Zulkifli played in the 1989 WBC for Singapore, but that was his last action with no one signing him for the season. He retired in the winter at age 37 and Manila immediately brought him in to retire his #23 uniform.

Zulkifli finished with 2410 hits, 903 runs, 408 doubles, 362 triples, 11 home runs, 624 RBI, 803 stolen bases, a .298/.348/.442 slash, 139 wRC+, and 81.8 WAR. At induction, he was the all-time leader in triples and he still sits second as of 2037. Zulkifli was also third in doubles, fourth in hits, fourth in batting average, and just outside of the top ten in hitting WAR. However, a lot of voters were convinced that homers and RBI were the most critical stats, two things Zulkifli lacked. Although he did win a ring with Manila, his best individual seasons were overlooked on some mediocre teams. He just missed the cut at 56.1% and 63.0% in his first two ballots. Third time was the charm though and Zulkifli just crossed the line at 67.4%, securing his spot in the Hall of Fame as one of the great leadoff men.

FuzzyRussianHat · 03-08-2024, 05:32 PM

Chinese League Baseball had a two player Hall of Fame class with both guys receiving a first ballot addition. SP Xinyu Dai led the way at 91.9% and was joined by fellow pitcher Jianfeng Han at 81.5%. Closer Huyi Gao very nearly joined them in his third attempt, but fell just short of the 66% requirement with 64.2%. No one else was above 50% with only two even narrowly getting over the 1/3 mark.

Three players fell off the ballot after ten failed tries. Closer Yuzeng Liang was as high as 59.7% in his second ballot, but plummeted to 11.3% by the end. In 17 seasons, he won Reliever of the Year twice and had 272 saves, 366 shutdowns, 1.57 ERA, 800.1 innings, 1310 strikeouts, and 39.7 WAR. Liang’s numbers weren’t too out of place versus some other relievers that got into the CLB HOF, but bouncing around between ten teams and lower innings than many other closers hurt him.

Two starters were dropped as well. Li Jin came incredibly close at 62.1% in his third ballot, but he fell off a cliff to 8.1% at the end. In 12 seasons with three teams, he had a 142-117 record, 2.17 ERA, 2507.1 innings, 2734 strikeouts, and 77.9 WAR. His official career started at age 27, costing him a few prime years of accumulations that might have gotten him across the line. For Liao Chen, he peaked at 40.8% in 1989 and ended at 6.9%. In 11 seasons mostly with Wuhan, he had one Pitcher of the Year, a 156-114 record, 2.19 ERA, 2598 innings, 2245 strikeouts, and 62.0 WAR. Chen was another who didn’t quite have the longevity to stand out among the other pitchers in CLB’s low offense environment.

Xinyu Dai – Starting Pitcher - Shenzhen Spartans – 91.9% First Ballot

Xinyu Dai was a 5’10’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from the Chinese capital Beijing. Dai had excellent movement on his pitches with good stuff and above average control. He had a great 97-99 mph fastball that was mixed with a slider, changeup, and curveball. Dai had excellent stamina and was very durable for most of his career.

Dai was spotted as a teenage amateur in January 1973 and signed to a developmental deal with Shenzhen. His entire career in China was as a Spartan, making his debut in an opener role in 1976 at age 20. He was a full-timer for the next 11 years, although Dai would also see mixed usage out of the bullpen. He became a popular player in China for his work in the World Baseball Championship from 1979-94. He had a 17-9 record, 3.11 ERA, 237.2 innings, 304 strikeouts, and 6.6 WAR in the WBC and helped China win world titles in 1979, 1993, and 1994.

Dai emerged as an ace by 1978 and was considered by many to be China’s best pitcher soon after. From 1979-85, he led the Southern League in WAR six times, ERA twice, wins once, innings once, strikeouts twice, WHIP twice, K/BB thrice, complete games twice, and FIP- five times. Dai won Pitcher of the Year three times (1982, 83, 84), while taking second in 1979 and 1980 and third in 1985. Shenzhen gave him a seven-year, $2,218,000 extension in fall 1980.

Dai tossed a no-hitter on September 7, 1981 with 11 strikeouts and 2 walks against Kunming. He helped Shenzhen to the playoffs in 1979, but they suffered a semifinal defeat. The Spartans wouldn’t get back to the playoffs in Dai’s tenure and were at the bottom of CLB by the mid 1980s. Dai still chugged along as the only redeeming part of that era for Shenzhen. The Spartans would retire his #24 uniform once his pro career was over.

Dai’s contract ended after the 1987 season and the 32-year old had worldwide offers, although his production had dropped noticeably in his last two years as a Spartan. This ended his CLB career with a 145-125 record, 1.92 ERA, 2611 innings, 2957 strikeouts, 459 walks, 132 complete games, 60 FIP-, and 84.2 WAR. He didn’t have the longevity to be at the top of the leaderboards, but it was impressive dominance. Even being stuck on some bad Shenzhen teams, the CLB voters thought Dai was an obvious choice with a 91.9% first ballot nod.

There would still be eight more years of pro baseball for Dai. He went to America on a five-year, $7,100,000 deal with MLB’s Nashville Knights. Dai had four seasons ultimately in Nashville, who was also a bottom rung franchise. He was quite solid there though with 27.6 WAR, a 3.54 ERA, 63-65 innings, 1153.1 innings, 786 strikeouts, and 113 ERA+. The Knights voided the team option year of 1992, making Dai a free agent again at age 36.

Vancouver gave him a one year, $2,120,000 deal. Dai was decent, but the Volcanoes would trade him in late June to Atlanta for two prospects. The Aces were in the midst of a division title streak and trying to finally get over the playoff hump. They lost again in the American Association Championship Series, but Dai had a solid 2.96 ERA and 3-0 record in 24.1 playoff innings. Atlanta decided to give him a three-year extension worth $7,160,000.

Dai was excellent in 1993 at age 37, posting 7.7 WAR. He was weaker the next year, but still ate a lot of innings. Dai struggled in the 1993 playoffs, but was strong in 1994. Still, Atlanta couldn’t claim the pennant. Dai did have a 3.41 ERA, 7-1 record, 63.1 innings, and 43 strikeouts with the Aces. He would struggle in 1995 and get cut in June. Atlanta briefly brought him back on a minor league deal, but cut him again a few weeks later. Dai ended the season in Montreal’s minor league system, retiring that winter at age 39. For his Atlanta tenure, he had a 41-40 record, 4.12 ERA, 803.1 innings, 432 strikeouts, and 16.4 WAR.

The MLB career for Dai was a 112-110 record, 3.74 ERA, 2099.1 innings, 1292 strikeouts, 616 walks, 148/264 quality starts, 117 complete games, and 46.4 WAR. For his combined pro career, he had a 257-235 record, 2.73 ERA, 4710.1 innings, 4249 strikeouts, 1075 walks, 249 complete games, 123 ERA+, 70 FIP-, and 130.6 WAR. Dai was popular, but maybe not noticed as much as he should’ve been due to mostly being on weaker teams. He quietly was one of the most impressive pro pitchers of his era.

Jianfeng Han – Starting Pitcher – Dongguan Donkeys – 81.5% First Ballot

Jianfeng Han was a 6’3’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Zaozhuang, a city with just under four million people in East China’s Shandong province. Han was a fireballer who just blew you away with his great stuff and an incredible 99-101 mph fastball. He also had a good changeup and curveball, but his movement and control were both below average. Still, Han’s power alone was often enough to retire most hitters. He was also a good defensive pitcher and considered an intelligent pitcher. Work ethic concerns would by a criticism from some in the game.

Every inning of Han’s pro career came with Dongguan, but that isn’t where he started. It was Nanjing who signed him as a teenage amateur free agent in 1973. After two years in the developmental system, he was promoted to the reserve roster for the 1976 season. In spring training though, he and three other prospects were shipped off to Dongguan for veteran pitcher Haiqiang Wu. Han would make four relief appearances in 1976 to start his Donkeys career.

Han was a full-time starter and pretty good in 1977, taking second in Rookie of the Year voting. A partially torn labrum would cost him half of the 1978 season. He bounced back from that with steady innings and led the Southern League with 320 strikeouts in 1980, but he led in walks the next year. When he was on, Han was impressive. On 7/17/80, he threw a no-hitter with 10 strikeouts and two walks against Shenzhen. He tossed a second no-no on 5/22/82 with nine Ks and no walks against Xiamen. On 8/9/84, Han tied the single-game strikeout record with 19 Ks against Shenzhen. Most impressive about that was that he got his 19 Ks in only 7.1 innings; all of the other instances needed eight or more innings.

Han never won the top award, but three times was second in Pitcher of the Year voting (1982, 1986, 1987). Dongguan gave him a six-year, $3,630,000 extension before the 1984 season. Han led in ERA and WAR in 1986 and had five seasons with 300+ strikeouts. 1986 also saw the Donkeys get their first playoff berth since 1973, although they lost in the semifinal. This would be the only postseason appearances Han would see in his career.

Disaster struck in April 1988 when Han tore his ulnar collateral ligament, knocking him out 14 months. He made it back and impressive hadn’t lost his velocity in 1989, although his effectiveness was down slightly. Han really struggled in 1990 and was moved to the bullpen. At age 35, he decided to call it quits. Dongguan would honor him soon after by retiring his #3 uniform.

Han’s final stats: 168-129 record, 2.15 ERA, 2900.2 innings, 3467 strikeouts, 753 walks, 285/363 quality starts, 91 complete games, 81 FIP-, and 61.6 WAR. His stats actually weren’t too different from the two pitchers that fell off the ballot after ten seasons, but Han’s strikeouts and stellar fastball made him remembered more prominently. At induction, he was sixth all-time in strikeouts and still sits eighth as of 2037. Han’s WAR and advanced stats are at the bottom of CLB Hall of Famers, but he also had the misfortune of a big injury knocking him out early. Han received 81.5% and a first ballot induction as the second player in CLB’s 1996 Hall of Fame class.

FuzzyRussianHat · 03-09-2024, 06:16 AM

West Africa Baseball saw three additions into the Hall of Fame in 1996. SP Albert Kamara was the star with a slam dunk 97.0% first ballot nod. 3B Epule Fongang was close behind with a very solid 88.1% first ballot induction. The third player was closer Johnson Madu, who just narrowly reached the 66% requirement with 66.5% on his seventh ballot. The only other player above 50% was CF Stephen Tshukudu at 51.7% in his seventh ballot.

One player fell off after ten ballots in Souleymane Moussa. The Togolese pitcher was hurt by his “official” career starting at age 33 and only seven years’ worth of stats. He still managed an impressive 102-43 record, 2.62 ERA, 1418 innings, 1520 strikeouts, and 38.2 WAR in that short time. With a full career, Moussa might have been a no doubter. But with a small sample size, he peaked at 29.4% in 1988 and ended at 7.4%.

Albert Kamara – Starting Pitcher – Abidjan Athletes – 97.0% First Ballot

Albert Kamara was a 6’1’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from Makeni, the largest city in Sierra Leone’s Northern Province with around 85,000 inhabitants. Kamara had good stuff, great control, and above average movement on his pitches. His fastball peaked at 97-99 mph and he could fool you with a stellar changeup in its place. Kamara also had a curveball, forkball, and splitter in his potent arsenal. His stamina was merely okay even by the standard of WAB which expected fewer complete games than other leagues. Kamara was adaptable, but viewed by some as a lone wolf or mercenary type.

Kamara had odd timing where he just missed out on the earliest WAB drafts. He was 19 years old and looking to start a pro baseball career in late 1976, signing a one-year deal with Freetown. He was only under contract with the Foresters for a month, then was traded with another young pitcher Musa Momoh to Abidjan in exchange for veteran shortstop Balogun Mohamed. Kamara spent 1977 on the reserve roster and debuted in 1978 with 33 innings. He made two relief appearances as well as the Athletes fell in the WAB Championship to Lagos.

Kamara was a part-time starter in 1979 and showed a lot of potential, earning the full-time job thereafter. He would excel in the next four seasons, leading the Western League in 1980 and 1982 in wins, ERA, WHIP, quality starts, and WAR. Kamara’s 1.49 ERA in 1980 would be the single-season WAB record until 1997, and is still second best as of 2037. That won him 1980’s Pitcher of the Year AND the MVP. Kamara took second in 1981 Pitcher of the Year voting, then won the award again in 1982 with a third in MVP voting. In 1981, Kamara also tossed a perfect game on July 26 with 13 strikeouts against Accra.

He was the ace for Abidjan, who was a regular Western League contender. They won the pennant again in 1981, but yet again were denied in the championship by Lagos. The Lizards fell off in 1982, opening the door for the Athletes to win their first title against Port Harcourt. Kamara’s playoff stats were a mixed bag with Abidjan, posting a 3.78 ERA over 52.1 innings with 49 strikeouts. But he played a critical role in them getting there and finishing first in the standings repeatedly.

Abidjan would regress to 83-81 in 1983, missing the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. Kamara was now a free agent for the first time and decided to test the market at age 26. With the Athletes, he finished with a 99-39 record, 2.35 ERA, 1251 innings, 1568 strikeouts, 222 walks, 63 FIP-, and 41.3 WAR. Unsurprisingly, those numbers made him a very hot commodity. It would be Ibadan who signed Kamara on a six-year, $2,574,000 deal.

Kamara was still very good at the start of his Iguanas run, although not as dominant as his peak. He finished third in 1984 Pitcher of the Year voting and second in 1986. Kamara also led the Eastern League in WHIP and K/BB in 1984, plus quality starts in 1985. He got less attension from the WAB community, as Ibadan was middling to start his run. The Iguanas would bottom out at 57-105 in the 1988 season before becoming a regular contender in the 1990s.

In that abysmal 1988 season, Kamara himself played poorly. His numbers had weakened in the prior two seasons, but he had still been a very fine starter. In 1988 though, he posted an atrocious 5.91 ERA over 96 innings. Kamara had another year left on his contract, but Ibadan didn’t want to pay top dollar for a near six ERA. For his tenure though as an Iguana, Kamara had a 69-47 record, 2.71 ERA, 1021 innings, 1285 strikeouts, and 23.6 WAR.

In June 1988, Kamara was traded to Kano for three prospects. He would rebound with a respectable second half for the Condors and become the fourth WAB pitcher to 3000 career strikeouts. Kamara also had two good relief appearances in the playoffs, although Kano was ousted in the wild card round. In 1989, Kamara was around league average. He became a free agent after this at age 33 and it marked the end of his time in West African Baseball.

Kamara wasn’t done pitching yet, as the newly formed Arab League Baseball was recruiting veteran talent from across the hemisphere. He earned a long-term commitment from Kuwait with a four-year, $2,480,000 deal. Injuries cost him some innings in his Whales run, but he still provided some steady value in the back end of the rotation. Kamara had three seasons in Kuwait with a 27-37 record, 3.61 ERA, 581.2 innings, 645 strikeouts, and 14.2 WAR.

Now 36 years old, Kuwait traded Kamara in the last year of his deal to Cairo for prospects. He was decent in his one year in Egypt, as the Pharaohs lost in the Western Conference Final. A free agent again, this time Kamara would be bound for Europe, being a rare player to have played on three continents. Barcelona signed him for 19894 on a two-year, $3,640,000 deal.

Kamara was respectable in one year with the Bengals, but did miss time to an elbow strain. Barcelona made it to the European Championship, falling to Birmingham. Kamara stunk though with a 6.04 ERA in 25.1 playoff innings and was let go in the offseason. He joined Rome in 1995, again being a decent back-of-the-rotation guy. That would be his final pro season, retiring at age 39. Between WAB, ALB, and EBF, he had a 242-164 record, 2.93 ERA, 3618 innings, 4249 strikeouts, 586 walks, and 88.9 WAR.

For just his time in West Africa, Kamara had a 187-103 record, 2.62 ERA, 2580.2 innings, 3223 strikeouts, 438 walks, 248/340 quality starts, 73 FIP-, and 69.2 WAR. Few starters to later make the WAB Hall of Fame would have a better career ERA and as of 2037, he’s still ninth best in pitching WAR even with his departure after his age 32 season. Kamara was one of the most impressive pitchers in WAB’s initial days, securing the first ballot induction easily at 97.0%.

Epule “Bonkers” Fongang – Third Base – Nouakchott Night Riders – 88.1% First Ballot

Epule Fongang was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed third baseman from Mfou, a town of 10,000 citizens in southern Cameroon. He got the nickname “Bonkers” for some of the incredible hitting and running feats he’d pull off in his prime. Fongang was an excellent contact hitter in his prime with a respectable eye and a solid ability at avoiding strikeouts. He was lightning quick and an accomplished thief on the basepaths. Fongang had great gap power, averaging around 50 doubles/triples per season while also hitting around 15-25 home runs. He also had a rocket arm at third base, although he did grade out as just below average defensively for his career. Fongang was a scrappy sparkplug type, making him one of the most endearing stars in the earliest days of African baseball.

Fongang’s natural ability caught the attention of a scout from Nouakchott, who brought a 15-year old Fongang to Mauritania in 1975. The Night Riders would bring him up in 1979 at only age 19, where he’d lead the Western League in triples and stolen bases in only 116 games. Fongang took third in Rookie of the Year voting, then became a full-time starter for the next seven years in Nouakchott. His two appearances in the World Baseball Championship with his native Cameroon came in 1979 and 1980.

Fongang was good in 1980 and 1981, but was then outstanding from 1982-86; leading the latter five years in WAR. He led the league in hits seven straight seasons and led in doubles twice, triples seven times, RBI once, total bases four times, stolen bases four times, batting average four times, OBP four times, slugging twice, OPS thrice, and wRC+ four times. Fongang won MVPs in 1983, 1984, and 1986 and took second in both 1982 and 1985. He also took five straight Silver Sluggers from 1982-86.

Fongang had a streak of 22 straight successful steals in 1983 and a 33-game on base streak in 1982. When WAB started, Nouakchott was a bottom level franchise, but Fongang delivered their first-ever playoff berth in 1983 and first WAB championship in 1984. He was a beast in the 1984 title run, winning WLCS and finals MVP with 18 hits, 9 runs, 4 home runs, 12 RBI, and 8 stolen bases in 11 games. This forever earned him a spot in the hearts of Nouakchott fans and his #7 uniform would be the first retired by the franchise.

The Night Riders regressed to 79-83 after their title season, then missed the playoffs narrowly at 91-71. Fongang’s last season with Nouakchott in 1986 saw career highs at 11.3 WAR, 49 doubles, 368 total bases, and a 1.004 OPS. It was also a contract year for him and it was clear he would get big money offers from around the world. Night Riders fans were disappointed to see him leave, but continued to cheer Fongang on as he ended up off to Major League Baseball.

For his Nouakchott and WAB tenure, he had 1528 hits, 779 runs, 304 doubles, 117 triples, 129 home runs, 714 RBI, 679 stolen bases, a .320/.359/.540 slash, 163 wRC+, and 64.1 WAR. It was a remarkable stat line in only eight seasons and it is what got Fongang into the 1996 Hall of Fame class at a solid 88.1%. It’s hard to say what could have been on the leaderboards had he stayed, but he was an electric early days star and a key part of a title run for Nouakchott.

Fongang would also one of the first West African players to really cash in big time in America. Brooklyn ended up being the buyer with a massive eight-year, $12,000,000 deal. He’d be averaging $1,500,000 annually, a nice bump considering he made just under a million total over his entire time in Mauritania.

Fongang wouldn’t be a league leader or award winner with the Dodgers, but he was a very solid starter in his first three seasons, posting a .328 average and 5.8 WAR in his MLB debut at age 27. He was an ironman who didn’t see any major injuries, but Fongang would regress noticeably by his fourth season with Brooklyn. By his fifth year of 1991, he was relegated to a bench role. In total with the Dodgers, Fongang had 689 hits, 363 runs, 90 doubles, 75 home runs, 277 RBI, a .289/.338/.456 slash, and 19.8 WAR.

Brooklyn was still on the hook for three more years, but was ready to move on from Fongang. Before the 1992 season, he and prospect 1B Ermano Cortina were traded to Houston for another 1B in Juan Segura. Fongang stayed on the major league roster with the Hornets, but saw limited use over the next three seasons with only 149 games, 70 starts, and 0.0 WAR. Fongang wanted to play somewhere after his deal was up in 1995, but he had to retire after going unsigned at age 36.

For his MLB career, Fongang had 769 hits, 407 runs, 106 doubles, 88 home runs, 326 RBI, a .282/.331/.451 slash, 163 stolen bases, and 19.8 WAR. For his entire pro career, he had 2297 hits, 1186 runs, 410 doubles, 223 triples, 217 home runs, 1040 RBI, 842 stolen bases, a .306/.348/.507, a 150 wRC+, and 83.9 WAR. His grand totals are especially impressive considering he was cooked after his age 30 season. Fongang’s sudden regression was a surprise to himself and those in the game, as there didn’t seem to be a specific reason why he fell so hard. But in the 1980s, Fongang was one of the most exciting players in all of pro baseball.

Johnson “Casino” Madu – Closer – Kano Condors- 66.5% Seventh Ballot

Johnson Madu was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Buguma, a city of around 124,000 people in southern Nigeria. He was nicknamed “Casino” for his love of table games, although he was smart enough to avoid gambling on the diamond in his career. Madu had fantastic stuff with excellent movement and very good control. He had a 97-99 mph fastball and an excellent slider that was almost as fast. Madu was a good defensive pitcher and was known as a very cerebral player. His work ethic and adaptability allowed him to thrice in the big spots.

Madu was already established in Nigeria’s semi-pro ranks when West African Baseball was officially created for the 1975 season. He would sign a three-year, $213,000 deal at age 26 for the inaugural season with Kano. The Condors were the first WAB dynasty, winning the title in 1975 and 1976. Madu played a big role, winning Reliever of the Year in 1975 and taking second in 1976. He was the Eastern League leader in saves both seasons and was third in 1975 Pitcher of the Year voting. Madu had a 33 save streak from August 1975 to June 1976, including three saves in the postseason.

In 1977, a torn meniscus in his right knee cost him almost the entire season. He did make it back by the playoffs, but Kano’s three-peat bid was thwarted in the ELCS by Lagos. Still, in his short run with the Condors, Madu had 83 saves, a 1.68 ERA, 193 innings 316 strikeouts, and 11.4 WAR. He also became a regular with Nigeria in the World Baseball Championship from 1975-84. Madu started more (20) than he pitched in relief (11) in the WBC, posting an 11-4 record, 5 saves, 3.13 ERA, 103.2 innings, 164 strikeouts, and 2.9 WAR.

A free agent again at age 29, Madu signed a one-year deal with Benin City in 1978. He won his second Reliever of the Year and became the first WAB closer to have a 50 save season. As of 2037, he’s one of only three to have reached that mark. The Blue Devils won 107 games, but were third in the standings and lost in the wild card round without Madu seeing the field. A free agent again, his next stop was Lagos.

Madu had 41 saves in 1979 and earned his second ring as the Lizards earned back-to-back titles. This was his finest postseason with five saves in 17.1 innings with a 0.52 ERA, 29 strikeouts, and 1.0 WAR. Lagos didn’t bring him back though and Madu ended up with Kumasi in 1980. Shoulder inflammation knocked him out for the final part of the year, although he was still respectable.

Lagos brought Madu back in 1981 and he took second in Reliever of the Year voting. Although not as dominant in the playoffs, he had four saves and helped the Lizards claim a third title in four years. Madu also joined elite company as a four time champion. This would be his last season as a closer though, as he was never quite the same after shoulder inflammation during his 1982 stint with Bamako.

Madu bounced around mostly in middle relief for the rest of his WAB tenure. He started 1983 with Port Harcourt, but ended back with Bamako on a trade. The Bullfrogs made it to the WAB Championship, but the playoff magic was gone for Madu, who allowed 7 runs in only 1.2 postseason innings. He returned to Kumasi in 1985, who gave him a brief experiment with a few starts. That marked the end of his WAB run at age 36.

Madu would have five more seasons of professional baseball, oddly enough in the Central American Baseball Association. He went to Mexico in 1985 and 1986 with Hermosillo. 1987 started in Santo Domingo but ended in a trade to Guatemala. Madu then spent his final two seasons in Honduras. A torn back muscle in his final fall marked the end of his career at age 41 after the 1989 campaign. For his CABA excursion, he had a 3.00 ERA over 180 innings with 163 strikeouts, 113 ERA+, and 0.5 WAR.

For the WAB run, Madu had a 1.95 ERA, 246 saves and 275 shutdowns, 660 innings, 983 strikeouts, 120 walks, a 183 ERA+ and 48 FIP-, and 29.0 WAR. He was hurt by “officially” starting at age 26, but with closers not seeing as extensive use in WAB, Madu was actually the saves leader until the 2010s. His playoff excellence was worth noting, as 14 postseason saves was the WAB record until passed in the 2030s once. In his playoff career in WAB, he had 14 saves, a 2.72 ERA in 56.1 innings, 82 strikeouts, and 1.9 WAR. Madu was a big part in four championship teams, but WAB voters weren’t keen on the value of relief pitching relative to some other Halls of Fame. He debuted at 48.6% in 1990 and hovered around there before jumping to 61.6% in 1994. He fell back to 54.2% in 1995, but just barely reached the threshold with 66.5%. Madu became a seventh ballot Hall of Famer to round out the 1996 WAB class and the first pure reliever to make the cut.

FuzzyRussianHat · 03-09-2024, 11:47 AM

South Asia Baseball added SP Vannak Thai into the Hall of Fame as the lone member of the 1996 class. On his fifth attempt, he just squeezed across the 66% requirement by landing at 66.5%. Fellow Bengaluru pitcher Ramesh Kohinoor almost joined him on his third try, but was short at 63.3%. Closer Jason Mayekar was the other player above 50% at 50.3% on his fifth go. Amazingly, the best debuting player on the ballot was CB Bahuvata Mokate with 0.3%; his brother must have had a single vote.

Vannak Thai – Starting Pitcher – Bengaluru Blazers – 66.5% Fifth Ballot

Vannak Thai was a5’11’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from the capital of Cambonia, Phnom Penh. He was a well-rounded arm with above average stuff, control, and movement. Thai had a 96-98 mph fastball that was impressive that he mixed with a curveball and circle change. Despite his talent, some felt that he was lazy and uncommitted to the game.

Thai was already 27 years old when South Asia Baseball was formed in 1980 and had already gotten some attention barnstorming throughout the southeast. His first SAB deal was a two-year, $472,000 offering with Bangkok. Thai ended up spending three seasons with the Bobcats, helping them to a division title in 1980. While in Thailand, he had a 46-26 record, 3.04 ERA, 604 innings, 708 strikeouts, and 15.7 WAR. Thai was viewed as quite good, but not elite.

He became a free agent after the 1982 campaign and signed a four-year, $1,192,000 deal with Bengaluru. This was his most impressive run, winning Pitcher of the Year in 1985 and taking second in 1984. He led the Indian League in ERA both years, posting an impressive 1.69 in 1985. He also led in WHIP in 1984 and wins in 1985.

The Blazers made the playoffs in SAB’s first seven seasons and all of Thai’s tenure. He stepped up big in the postseason with a 1.66 ERA in six starts, 45.2 innings, and 48 strikeouts. Thai’s 1.57 ERA in 23 innings in 1985 was a big reason for Bengaluru winning the South Asia Baseball championship. For his Blazers four seasons, he had a 71-29 record, 2.42 ERA, 937 innings, 1074 strikeouts, 182 walks, and 24.0 WAR.

Despite still being in good health, 1986 would be Thai’s final season. He became a free agent at age 34, but wasn’t overly committed to sticking with the game. Although he had only made $2,148,000 in his career, which was plenty of money for him to live off of for years to come. Some teams put out feelers, but Thai decided to retire at only age 34.

His official SAB career was only seven years, although his pre-SAB play got him just across the 10 years of service time for Hall of Fame eligibility. Thai had a 117-55 record, 2.66 ERA, 1541 innings, 1782 strikeouts, 74 FIP-, and 39.7 WAR. They are certainly low grand totals and many voters were understandably turned off by that. The still new SAB Hall of Fame was trying to induct its initial players and many voters were anxious to avoid blank ballots. Thaw debuted at 44.5% in 1992 and was the top vote getter in 1995, but only at 52.7%. He was again the best guy out there in 1996 and by virtue of that, he just got the bump up to 66.5% to become the fourth member of SAB’s Hall of Fame.

FuzzyRussianHat · 03-09-2024, 05:05 PM

The Asian Baseball Federation was really no closer in 1996 to electing its first Hall of Famer. SP Zeyad Noori was the top vote getter in his second try, but at a mere 24.2%, down from his 26.1% the prior year. SP Abbas Nadim on his third try had 22.5%. The best debut s saw LF Mahyar Rahmani and CL Touraj Haghighat both at 18.2%.

FuzzyRussianHat · 03-10-2024, 04:33 AM

The 1996 World Baseball Championship was the 50^th edition of the event and was centered around Johannesburg, South Africa. Division 1 had Taiwan in first at 8-1, while Ukraine and Venezuela were both two games back. It is the third division title in five years for the Taiwanese, who have five division titles total. D2 saw the United States and the Philippines tie for first at 8-1. The Americans won head-to-head for the tiebreaker, sending them to the elite eight for the 42^nd time.

Division 3 had defending runner-up China and Australia both at 7-2. The Chinese had the tiebreaker for an impressive sixth consecutive division title, tying Brazil for the longest such streak by someone other than the USA. China has also moved forward 19 times. A tight Division 4 saw Russia first at 7-2, edging out 6-3 efforts by Argentina, Ghana, Haiti, and Japan. It is the second time in three years the Russians have moved forward and the 13^th overall. In Division 5, defending World Champion Canada (8-1) held off strong 7-2 challenges from the Dominican Republic and the Netherlands. The Canadians have advanced 31 times, second only behind the Americans.

Pakistan impressively swept the Division 6 field at 9-0. It is only the second division win for the Pakistanis, who took third in the 1990 WBC. D7 saw South Korea first at 7-2, while Brazil, Germany, and Portugal were all at 6-3. It was the second title in three years for the Koreans and their 17^th overall. The other unbeaten in divisional play was Indonesia atop D8. The Indonesians have an impressive four year division title streak and 13 division wins overall.

China was first in Round Robin Group A at 5-1, earning an impressive fifth straight final four appearance and their 14^th overall. Taiwan at 3-3 advanced as well, while defending champ Canada and Indonesia were both 2-4. Interestingly enough for Taiwan, all five times they won their division, they also advanced to the final four. In Group B, the United States took the top spot at 5-1 for a 36^th semifinal berth. Pakistan and Russia tied at 3-3 and South Korea was 1-5. The tiebreaker went to the Pakistanis for their second semifinal appearance.

In the semis, China outlasted Pakistan 3-2 and the US swept Taiwan. Pakistan officially was third, matching their prior best from 1990. Taiwan finished fourth for the third time in five years. The Chinese earned a fourth straight finals appearance, something only the Americans had done previously. The US made it to their 32^nd championship.

The 50^th World Championship had the United States back upon their throne, defeating China 4-2. The Americans are now a dominant 28-4 in their finals appearances, getting their first title since 1992. The Chinese were repeat runner up, moving to 4-5 all-time in the championship.

Tournament MVP was US LF Lukas Warrell, a fourth year rising star with Albuquerque. The Tucson, Arizona native had 12 home runs, 27 RBI, 27 hits, 23 runs, 17 walks, 70 total bases, and 2.2 WAR in 24 starts with a .314/.439/.814 slash. Argentina’s Cristian Saez was Best Pitcher. A two-way player with Buenos Aires, his primary value with the Atlantics was in left field while adding respectable relief pitching. In the WBC, the 28-year old tossed 13.2 scoreless innings with 30 strikeouts, allowing only three hits and three walks.

Other notes: South Korea’s Myeong-Hwan Sung was the seventh player to hit for the cycle in the WBC, going 4-4 against the US in the Round Robin. The Philippines’ Franklin Sto. Tomas had a no-hitter with 12 strikeouts and five walks against Sudan. Below are the updated all-time tournament stats through 50 editions of the WBC.

FuzzyRussianHat · 03-10-2024, 09:29 AM

In the second season of the African Association of Baseball, the Southern Conference saw two different playoff teams from the inaugural season. Cape Town, winners of 84 games in 1995, set a new record at 114-48. As of 2037, this is still the SC’s best-ever mark and it would only get bested in all of AAB by Addis Ababa in 2010. The Cowboys also had a 3.23 team ERA, which held as the conference record until 2017. For the wild card spot, defending AAB champ Johannesburg and Luanda tied at 93-69. The Landsharks won the tiebreaker game to deny the Jackalopes’ repeat hopes. Lusaka, the first place team last year, dropped to seventh at 72-90.

Captaining Cape Town’s pitching staff was Yves Munyaneza, who won both Pitcher of the Year and Southern Conference MVP. Nicknamed “Sly,” the 27-year old Rwandan led in ERA (1.59), strikeouts (282), WHIP (0.82), K/BB (5.1), FIP- (40), and WAR (9.3). He had a 21-5 record over 198.1 innings, finishing one win short of a Triple Crown. Munyaneza’s 1.59 ERA is still the AAB single-season record as of 2037. This season also holds records for lowest opponent’s batting average (.157) and OPS (.479).

The Central Conference saw repeat playoff appearances for Ndjamena and Kinshasa, although they switched positions. This time, the Magic finished first at 100-62 and the Sun Cats were second at 96-66. Kinshasa’s pitching staff allowed 1079 hits and 6.59 H/9, both of which are still single-season AAB bests as of 2037. Bujumbura at 86-76 was a distant third place.

Bighorns RF Stijn Steeneveld was the Central Conference MVP. The 31-year old Dutchman was in his second season with Bujumbura after playing in the EBF with Rotterdam previously. Steeneveld led the conference with 58 home runs, 363 total bases, and 7.2 WAR, while adding 106 runs, 128 RBI, and a .290 average. The 58 homers was a new single season record, but that would fall the next year. Pitcher of the Year was Kinshasa’s Hendrik Jongman. The 30-year old South African lefty, he led with 27 quality starts and posted a 15-9 record over 250.1 innings, 2.80 ERA, 220 strikeouts, and 7.8 WAR.

Cape Town cruised to a Southern Conference Championship sweep of Luanda. In a Central Conference Championship rematch, Ndjamena avenged their prior defeat and beat Kinshasa 4-1. It would be two newcomers in the Africa Series, but a South African team would be champ again. The Cowboys topped the Magic 5-3. At 114-48, the 1996 Cowboys would hold the AAB record for most wins by a champion until passed in 2010.

Finals MVP was 3B Almando Galan, a Chilean veteran who joined Cape Town in 1995 after playing for Santiago. In 11 starts, Galan had 13 hits, 6 runs, 3 home runs, and 6 RBI. Pitcher of the Year Yves Munyaneza also set a playoff record with 16.3 K/9. He posted a 1.53 ERA over 17.2 playoff innings with 32 strikeouts. Another still standing playoff record was set by Ndjamena’s Pasi Kalonji with an opponent’s slugging percentage of .125.

Other notes: Johannesburg’s Stefan Cejka had 71 doubles, which still stands as the AAB record as of 2037. Cejka was also the first AAB player to have a 20+ game hit streak, getting to 21 in the summer. Another still standing record was set by Lusaka’s Muktar Abdi with 291 innings pitched.

FuzzyRussianHat · 03-10-2024, 04:34 PM

Arab League Baseball elected to expand the active roster size for the 1997 season to 26 players. ALB would keep this standard until dropping back down to 25 for the 2010 season.

The Western Conference had three repeat division champions. Two-time defending Arab League champ Casablanca extended their Mediterranean Division streak to five seasons at 98-64. However, it was Cairo at 107-55 who had the top overall seed, winning the Nile Division. The Pharaohs won the division by 14 games despite solid efforts by Alexandria (93-69) and Giza (90-72). The Levant Division had Amman first at 88-74, seven better than Jerusalem. Both Cairo and Casablanca have been in the playoffs in six of ALB’s first seven seasons.

The top award winners came from non-playoff teams. Beirut LF Junoon Asghar was the Western Conference MVP, becoming the second ALB player to hit 60+ home runs. His 62 dingers was still five away from Ahmed Hassan Egeh’s 1990 record of 67. The 26-year old Palestinian also led in runs (113), RBI (135), total bases (389), slugging (.684), OPS (1.051), and wRC+ (195), while adding 8.4 WAR and a .293 average. Alexandria’s Ahmed Khandour was Pitcher of the Year as the 25-year old Egyptian lefty led in ERA (2.13) and quality starts (28). Khandour added a 20-8 record over 237 innings with 266 strikeouts and 8.1 WAR.

Amman stunned defending champ Casablanca 2-0 in the first round of the playoffs, denying the Bruins’ three-peat bid. The Aviators were no match for Cairo in the Western Conference Championship as the Pharaohs swept them 3-0. Cairo now has three pennants, having also won the WCC in 1990 and 1992.

The big change in the Eastern Conference was the fall of Medina. The Mastodons had won the EC four consecutive seasons, but they fell to 80-82 and opened up a vacancy at the top. Mosul easily got the top seed at 110-52 atop the Iraq Division. The Muskies were repeat division winners. Dubai set a franchise best at 97-65 and won a third consecutive Gulf Division. In the Saudi Division, Mecca (89-73) was one better than Jeddah (88-74), giving the Marksmen their first-ever division title.

Mosul SS Mohammed Mohamed was repeat Eastern Conference Champion and had a record setting season. He became the second Triple Crown hitter in ALB history at 42 home runs, 135 RBI, and a .389 average. That and his Gold Glove winning defense at short gave him an incredible 16.0 WAR season, which still holds as the ALB all-time record. It was nearly a world record for WAR from a pure position player, just behind the 16.07 by OBA’s Jimmy Caliw in 1976. Mohamed set a new batting average record (that he’d beat himself next year) and his .465 OBP still holds in 2037 as the top mark. His 229 hits was also an ALB record, albeit short lived. The only 22-year old Saudi righty also led the league in total bases (416), slugging (.707), OPS (1.172), and wRC+ (225).

Mosul also saw Rashid Tariq win his third consecutive Eastern Conference Pitcher of the Year. The 27-year old Iraqi led in wins (24-6), ERA (2.42), innings (282.1), WHIP (0.93), complete games (14), FIP- (52), and WAR (11.5). His 343 strikeouts were also second in the EC.

Mecca swept Dubai in the first round to send the Marksmen to their first-ever Eastern Conference Championship. They couldn’t stand up to the juggernaut that was Mosul, as the Muskies got the 3-0 sweep for their first pennant.

In the seventh Arab League Championship, Cairo claimed their first-ever title in a seven game classic over Mosul. Finals MVP went to LF Hicham Sow in his first season as a full-time starter. The 26-year old Mauritanian had 15 hits, 6 runs, 5 doubles, 2 home runs, and 3 RBI over 10 playoff starts. The Pharaohs were the first Egyptian team to claim the overall title.

Other notes: Ahmed Hassan Egeh and Bilal Hamdan became the first players to reach 300 career home runs. Catcher Ahmed Assi became the first six-time Gold Glove winner in ALB.

FuzzyRussianHat · 03-11-2024, 03:26 AM

The Pakistan League again had Hyderabad in first and Karachi in second. The Horned Frogs set a franchise record at 109-53 and set numerous PL records as a pitching staff. Hyderabad had a 2.00 team ERA, 923 hits allowed, 367 runs, and 331 earned runs. Each of these is still second best in the PL as of 2037, only beaten by a stronger Horned Frog staff in 1988. Their 5.58 H/9 and 65 saves remain league records at present. They earned a third straight playoff spot, while the defending PLCS winning Carp (91-71) earned back-to-back. It was a ten game drop to third place Rawalpindi.

Gujranwala was tied for fifth at 77-85, but featured the Pakistan League’s MVP in 1B Haroon Yahya. At only age 22, Yahya led in hits (195), home runs (43), total bases (357) and average (.315) while adding 8.7 WAR and 229 wRC+. Hyderabad had Pitcher of the Year Ahmad Oorzhak in his first season as a full-time starter. The 23-year old righty led in ERA (1.35) but also walks (86). He had a 16-7 record over 232.2 innings, 324 strikeouts, and 5.3 WAR.

The Turkish League was incredibly intense in 1996, but defending Asian Baseball Federation champion Adana took the TL again. At 90-72, the Axemen were only two games better than both Ankara and Istanbul, four better than Bursa, and seven ahead of Izmir. Over in the Persian League, Isfahan repeated as the top team at 88-74. Their closest competitor was an 80-82 Tehran squad.

Adana 1B Mohammed Khan was a repeat MVP in the West Asia Association. He led in home runs (58), walks (88), total bases (406), and slugging (.688). Khan added 131 RBI, a .327 average, and 9.7 WAR. It was the final ABF season for the 26-year old Indian lefty, as Khan would be lured to Brazil with an eight-year, $21,000,000 contract with Recife. He spent the remainder of a fine pro career with the Retrievers. Isfahan’s Yazeed Anwari was a repeat Pitcher of the Year winner, leading with a 1.75 ERA, 18-8 record, 0.79 WHIP, 13.4 K/BB, 20 complete games, 8 shutouts, 37 FIP-, and 12.3 WAR. The 23-year old Anwari had 246.2 innings and was second in strikeouts with 362.

The Pakistan League Championship Series was a rematch that saw the same result as last year. Despite being the road underdog, Karachi ousted Hyderabad in only five games. The West Asia Association Championship was also a rematch. Just as in 1995 over there, the favorite Adana prevailed over Isfahan, this time in five games.

In last year’s Asian Baseball Federation Championship, Adana outlasted Karachi in a seven game thriller that ended with a walk off. The 12^th edition in 1996 wouldn’t have the walkoff, but it was also a seven game classic which ended with the Axemen on top over the Carp. Adana became the third franchise to repeat as ABF champs, joining Hyderabad (1986-87) and Istanbul (1988-89). Karachi is now 0-3 in the final and joined Isfahan and Peshawar as the only franchises to lose back-to-back finals berths. These would be the glory days for Adana, as they wouldn’t be back in the final in the next 40 years. The Carp would have to wait until the late 2000s for their next shot at the cup.

Other notes: ABF had three perfect games in 1996, making it seven so far for the league. The first was May 3 by Mohammad Barlas of Rawalpindi with 9 strikeouts against Peshawar. The second was 5/25 by Suq Azam of Hyderabad, fanning 13 against Lahore. The third was 7/4 by Lahore’s Hasan Afshin with 13Ks against Karachi. Multan’s Brazi Nawaz set a single-season ABF record with nine shutouts. Gokhan Karatas became the first player to reach 1000 RBI and the second to 300 home runs.

FuzzyRussianHat · 03-11-2024, 10:50 AM

Defending South Asia Baseball Champion Ahmedabad had their worst season since 1987, unable to match their record-setting 124-win 1995. That said, the Animals were still 104-58 and the top seed out of the Indian League. Ahmedabad earned a SAB record 12th playoff berth and their 11th West Division title in that stretch. Visakhapatnam had their six-year playoff streak ended last year, but they were back atop the South Division firmly in 1996 at 101-61. In the Central Division, Jaipur (93-69) ended an 11-year playoff drought. Kanpur at 85-77 narrowly extended their playoff streak to seven years as the wild card. The Poison beat out Delhi by one game and Mumbai by three.

Bengaluru struggled to a lousy 69-93, but 2B Tirtha Upadhyaya repeated as Indian League MVP. At only age 22, the Nepali lefty became SAB’s single season home run king with 69, passing Andee Siddharth’s record 67 from 1987. He’d only hold the record two years, but his 13.58 WAR still stands as the fourth best season in SAB history as of 2037. Upadhyaya also led in runs (119), RBI (134), total bases (426), slugging (.737), OPS (1.132), and wRC+ (261). Pitcher of the Year was Jaipur’s Raj Laghari with the 28-year old leading in ERA (1.57), quality starts (29), and FIP- (59). He added 8.4 WAR, an 18-7 record, and 298 strikeouts in 247 innings.

Ahmedabad beat Kanpur 3-1 and Jaipur downed Visakhapatnam 3-1 in the first round of the playoffs. For the Jokers, it was their fourth Indian League Championship Series berth, although they had gone 0-3 in their other opportunities in the 1980s. The perennial power Animals defended their throne and rolled to a 4-1 win. Ahmedabad secured an IL three-peat and their ninth pennant in eleven years.

Ho Chi Minh City yet again had the Southeast Asia League’s best record. They didn’t match their own 124-win 1995, but were excellent at 115-47 leading the South Division. The Hedgehogs extended their playoff streak to ten seasons. Their pitching staff also allowed only 1103 hits, which remains the SEAL record as of 2037. Bangkok at 98-64 was a distant second in the division, but easily got the first wild card for their second berth in three years. In the North Division, four teams battled for the division title and second wild card. Yangon ended up a repeat division champ at 89-73. Hanoi was one back at 88-74 to earn a repeat wild card. Both Dhaka and Mandalay were 87-75, falling a game short of the postseason.

Bangor’s Keone Sayasane earned Southeast Asia League MVP. The 27-year old Lao first baseman led in hits (201), total bases (393), slugging (.628), OPS (.999), and wRC+ (183). Sayasane added 8.4 WAR, 49 home runs, and 133 RBI. Pitcher of the Year was Ansin “Godzilla” Mohammad. After six years with Pune, he had signed a six-year, $7,770,000 deal with Ho Chi Mihn City for 1996. Mohammad excelled as a Hedgehog, leading in wins (21-9), innings (270), strikeouts (391), and complete games (13). He added a 2.43 ERA and 8.8 WAR.

Ho Chi Minh City beat Vietnamese rival Hanoi 3-1 in the first round of the playoffs, while Yangon swept Bangkok. The Hedgehogs were the big favorite in the Southeast Asia League Championship, shooting for a seventh pennant in a decade. However, the Green Dragons shocked them with a sweep in the rematch. This was the fourth pennant for Yangon, who also won back in 1980, 82, and 83.

Entering the 17th South Asia Baseball Championship, the Green Dragons were hoping for their first overall title despite being the major underdog to the Ahmedabad dynasty. Yangon had gone 0-3 in their previous finals, while the Animals were 8-0 in the last decade. The series went six games as Ahmedabad’s historic run continued, earning a second three-peat and a ninth title in 11 years. Never in pro baseball history before or since had there been such sustained dominance and amazingly, the Animals run at the top still had a few more years left. For back-to-back finals, LF Deepak Rahim was the finals MVP. In 15 playoff games, the 30-year old had 19 hits, 6 runs, 3 doubles, 4 home runs, and 9 RBI.

Other notes: Zainal bin Aziz became the first pitcher to 250 career wins. He retired with 255 and still sits third as of 2037. At 131.96, bin Aziz is still the SAB pitching WARlord. His 4483 strikeouts is still fourth most and held the top spot until the late 2010s. Janapati Sara and Arvind Lal became the third and fourth to reach 3000 strikeouts. 3B Manju Abbas became the first seven-time Gold Glove winner. 2B Abdul Deepkaran won his eighth Silver Slugger.

FuzzyRussianHat · 03-11-2024, 05:24 PM

Accra earned first place in the WAB Western League standings for the first time in franchise history with a 101-61 record in 1996. It was repeat playoff berths for the Alligators and their third all-time. Freetown ended a two-year playoff ski and finished second at 90-72. Abidjan, who had won the WL pennant four consecutive years, narrowly extended their postseason streak. The Athletes at 87-75 finished third for the second wild card, topping Nouakchott by three games.

Leading Accra’s efforts was DH Seydou Badara, who fell one short of the WAB home run record with 61. The 26-year old Malian also led in RBI (135), walks (100) and total bases (346), but also led in strikeouts with 203. He had a .251 average and 5.6 WAR with nearly half of his career WAR in this one breakout season. Despite Monrovia being below .500, they saw Angelo Costa win Pitcher of the Year. At only 23-years old, the Cape Verdean lefty led in wins (21-9), innings (292.1), strikeouts (384), quality starts (28), complete games (20), FIP- (55), and WAR (11.3). He was second in ERA at 2.28. Costa’s 20 complete games also set a still-standing WAB single-season record.

Freetown survived 2-1 over Abidjan in the wild card round, ending the Athletes’ hope at a five-peat. It was only the second time the Foresters had ever made the Western League Championship Series, joining their 1977 title season. It was the second for Accra, who was runner-up the prior year. The Alligators earned their first pennant by outlasting Freetown 3-2 in the WLCS.

Ibadan had the best overall record, leading the Eastern League at 112-50. The Iguanas extended their postseason streak to seven seasons. Second place was defending WAB champ Port Harcourt at 102-60, extending their impressive playoff streak to eight. Kano, who was the ELCS runner-up last year, placed third at 99-63. Lagos came close to taking the final playoff spot from the Condors, but finished fourth at 95-67.

Two-way Ibadan star Rudy Bambara won his fourth Eastern League MVP as well as his first Pitcher of the Year. On the mound, the 30-year old Burkinabe was the leader in ERA (1.82), quality starts (29), FIP- (60), and WAR (9.4). He added a 23-3 record, 266.1 innings, and 307 strikeouts. On top of that, he had 94 games at the plate and starts at third base, smacking 35 home runs, 110 hits, 82 RBI, with a .317/.364/.677 slash and 5.3 WAR. This incredible effort made Bambara a massively sought after free agent in the offseason, leaving for MLB on a five-year, $19,000,000 deal with Edmonton.

Kano upset Port Harcourt with a 2-0 sweep in the wild card round, sending the Condors back to the Eastern League Championship Series. Ibadan was making their fourth ELCS berth in five years. The Iguanas took the series 3-1 to win their third pennant in four years (1993, 94, 96).

In the 22^nd West African Championship, Accra became a first-time champion. The Alligators bested Ibadan 4-1, making the Iguanas 1-2 in their finals appearances. With Accra’s win, 10 of WAB’s 20 teams have won it all. Leading the effort was 3B Antoine Samson, who won WLCS MVP. In 10 playoff starts, he had 10 hits, 2 runs, 1 home run, 4 RBI, and 5 walks.

Other notes: Xavi Leko, who had passed Addise Assefa for WAB’s all-time strikeout lead, became the first pitcher to fan 4500 hitters. Daouda Kadri became the sixth to 400 home runs. Abel Alemu and Arnaud Issaka became the third and fourth hitters to score 1000 runs.

FuzzyRussianHat · 03-12-2024, 03:32 AM

The CLB Northern League had a shakeup at the top in 1996. Nanjing finished first at 101-61, earning their first playoff appearance since 1989. It is only the second time the Nuggets have finished first in the standings (1973). Harbin was one back at 100-62, but snapped a playoff drought that stretched back to their 1981 title. Defending Chinese League champ Xi’an tied for third with Shenyang at 85-67. Zhengzhou, a semifinalist in 1995, took fifth at 83-79.

Northern League MVP went to Zhengzhou’s Ziming Feng. The 26-year old first basemen nicknamed “Butterball,” led in home runs (48), RBI (99), total bases (345), slugging (.583), OPS (.921), and wRC+ (196). Feng added 9.3 WAR and a .291 average. Xi’an’s Momota Oichi won back-to-back Pitcher of the Year honors, leading in wins (21-8), strikeouts (348), quality starts (29), FIP- (59), and 8.3 WAR). He had a 1.69 ERA over 255.2 innings, falling just four points short of a Triple Crown.

Four teams fought over the two postseason spots in the Southern League. Like in the Northern League, two teams ended lengthy playoff droughts. Foshan finished first at 96-66, earning their first postseason berth since their 1980 championship. Hong Kong at second at 94-68, ending a drought dating to 1985. The Champions allowed 304 earned runs, which still stands as the third lowest tally in SL history as of 2037. Kunming (93-69) and last year’s first place squad Chengdu (92-70) both narrowly missed the cut. Changsha, who was second in 1995, dropped to seventh at 79-83.

Southern League MVP went to 1B Julong Dou. The 29-year old in his ninth pro season led in hits (226), runs (75), doubles (42), average (.359), OBP (.396), and WAR (10.5). Foshan’s Jinlong Han was Pitcher of the Year, leading all pitchers with a 1.18 ERA. Han added an 18-8 record over 275 innings, 391 strikeouts, and 10.5 WAR.

The Northern League continued its dominance of the Southern League in the crossover playoff semifinals. Nanjing topped Hong Kong 4-2 and Harbin outlasted Foshan 4-3. It was the sixth time in the 1990s that both Northern League playoff teams made it to the China Series. It was the third finals berth by the Nuggets (1970, 1982) and the fourth for Harbin (1973, 80, 81).

In the 27^th China Series, Nanjing edged Harbin in a seven game classic to earn their first CLB title. With that, 13 of CLB’s 24 teams have now won the overall title. Veteran RF Zhen Luo was finals MVP as the 31-year old made 13 playoff starts with 13 hits, 9 runs, 5 home runs, and 8 RBI.

Other notes: Qingdao’s Hongbo Wan set a single-season CLB record with 35 triples. Wuhan’s Martin Cui set the single-season strikeout record with an impressive 22 Ks over nine innings on 7/22 against Macau. As of 2037, no other CLB pitcher has gotten to 22 strikeouts. Zhiming Cao became the seventh reliever to reach 300 saves. The next player to hit the mark wouldn’t do it until 2010. 2B Liang Shang Guan won his tenth and final Silver Slugger. He became the fourth batter to win the award ten times or more.

FuzzyRussianHat · 03-12-2024, 10:07 AM

For the third consecutive season, Taoyuan posted the top record in the Taiwan-Philippine Association. The Tsunami took the Taiwan League at 103-59, finishing 14 games ahead of second place Kaohsiung. In the Philippine League, Cebu had an impressive bounce back after winning only 66 games in 1965. The Crows finished 91-71 to end a three-year playoff drought. Defending Austronesia Champion Davao was tied for second at 81-81 with Manila.

Although Tainan was a terrible 69-93, third-year Titans center fielder Chen-Hua Wang won the TPA MVP. The 24-year old lefty led in runs (82), OBP (.360), slugging (.504), OPS (.864), wRC+ (175), total bases (301), and WAR (8.7). Taoyuan’s Heng-Hsiao Laio scored Pitcher of the Year, leading in ERA (1.44), WHIP (0.75), and FIP- (45). Liao added 8.3 WAR, a 13-7 record, and 261 strikeouts in 206.2 innings. Also of note, Davao’s Wei-Min Chiang won his third straight Reliever of the Year, posting a 1.10 ERA and 4.4 WAR over 65.1 innings with 26 saves and 101 strikeouts.

For only the second time in franchise history (1982), Singapore won the Malacca League. The Sharks had the Sundaland Association’s best record at 105-57, finishing 11 games ahead of Batam. For the Blue Raiders, this is only the second time they’ve missed the playoffs in seven years. Despite missing the playoffs, Batam set a team record for fewest hits allowed (956), which stood as the APB record until 2005. Defending SA champ Bandung won the Java League for the third consecutive season with their 93-69 mark. Surabaya (89-73) and Jakarta (86-76) were competitive, but just short.

Singapore 1B Gavin Loh won repeat Sundaland Association MVPs and set a single-season APB record by a hitter with 14.0 WAR. That still stands as the top mark as of 2037. He won a Gold Glove and led in runs (107), home runs (53), RBI (114), total bases (376), slugging (.649), OPS (1.031), and wRC+ (266) with a .314 average. This was the final year with the Sharks for the 32-year old Indonesian, as he left for MLB and a five-year, $19,600,000 deal with Denver in the offseason.

Batam’s Wisnu Mahmudiana was Pitcher of the Year for the fourth consecutive season. The 29-year old righty led in WAR (13.4), and WHIP (0.60), while adding a 21-6 record, 1.43 ERA, and 441 strikeouts over 227 innings. Mahmudiana also threw two no-hitters, giving him three for his career. It was a year of great pitching, as despite setting a career record in Ks, he was beaten by Surabaya’s Wen-Yang Kuo with 445 Ks. Jakarata’s Hadi Ningsih also posted an incredible 0.98 ERA and 10.6 WAR, but he didn’t have as many innings or strikeouts to get the top honor. Still, Ningsih’s ERA was the third-lowest by a qualifying starter in APB history. Also of note, Chang-Heng Chang won his fourth Reliever of the Year in a season split between Medan and Jakarta. He was the fifth APB reliever to win the award four times and used it to cash in on MLB money after the 1997 campaign.

The Taiwan-Philippine Association Championship saw Taoyuan sweep Cebu, giving the Tsunami their second title in three years. It was Taoyuan’s sixth pennant overall, which leads all TPA teams. The Sundaland Association Championship was a seven game classic that saw Singapore defeat Bandung for their first-ever title. Game seven went 11 innings with the Sharks taking it 2-1. With Singapore’s pennant, that leaves Depok as the only Sundaland Association team without at least one pennant. The only TPA team without one is Zamboanga.

The 32nd Austronesia Championship was also a seven game classic that needed extra innings in the finale. Game seven saw a 6-5 Taoyuan win over Singapore in 12 innings, ending with a walk off solo home run by SS Abdul Haris Basri. RF Fernando Reyes was the playoff hero overall, winning MVP of the TPA final and APB final. The 29-year old Filipino missed half of the regular season to injury, but in 11 playoff games had 15 hits, 10 runs, 2 doubles, 6 home runs, and 9 RBI. The Tsunami are now four time APB champs (1978, 82, 83, 96). This ties Taoyuan with Kaohsiung for the second-most titles, while Jakarta’s five rings remain the most.

Other notes: The 23rd APB perfect game came on May 5 from Jakarta’s Wahyu Toy, striking out 11 against Batam. Singapore’s Jianbua Wong set a playoff record with a .476 batting average, going 10-21 over 11 games and 4 starts. Hadi Ningsih became the fourth pitcher to 4500 strikeouts, while four other pitchers (Ronald Purnomo, Chandra Igbonefo, Mulya Dayanti, Ricky Jungao) crossed 4000 Ks in 1996. Ten APB pitchers are now in the 4k club. Ningsih also became the third to reach 250 wins. He would pitch two more years and end at 277, passing Dave Hermillo’s 269 to take the all-time lead. Ningsih stayed the wins leader until 2027. He also would be the WARlord at 144.49 until the 2020s.

FuzzyRussianHat · 03-12-2024, 05:35 PM

For the first time since their mid 1970s dynasty, Adelaide was on top of the Australasia League in 1996. The Aardvarks were 94-68, earning their seventh AL pennant (1963, 64, 66, 74, 76, 77, 96), tying them with Perth and Christchurch. The Penguins were the closest competitor at 90-72, followed by Auckland at 87-75. The defending champion Chinooks were fourth at 85-77.

Australasia League MVP went to Perth LF Ron Veditto. The 27-year old Australian led in runs (93), hits (198), RBI (103), total bases (354), triple slash (.354/.376/.632), OPS (1.009), wRC+ (204), and WAR (9.0). He also had a career best 34 home runs Venditto also had a 29-game hit streak, which was OBA’s second longest to date.. Auckland’s Sandy Montoya won Pitcher of the Year in his OBA debut. The 35-year old Peruvian had spent his entire career to that point in MLB with 12 solid seasons in Nashville and one in Tampa. With the Avengers, Montoya led in ERA (2.55), WHIP (0.94), and quality starts (32). He added a 17-14 record over 314.2 innings, 298 strikeouts, and 6.8 WAR.

Defending Oceania Champion Honolulu dominated the Pacific League at 107-55 for a historic 13^th pennant. 11 of those titles for the Honu have come in the last 16 seasons. Guam was a distant second at 95-67, 12 games back. Samoa was third at 88-74.

Pacific League MVP went to Honolulu 1B Vavao Brighouse for the seventh time. The 33-year old Samoan smacked a league best 65 home runs with 130 RBI, 105 runs, 373 total bases, a .619 slugging, and 7.3 WAR. It was Brighouse’s tenth time leading in home runs and his eighth season with 60+ dingers. No other player in any world league to this point has had as many 60+ homer seasons. His Honu teammate Zeke Decker was a repeat Pitcher of the Year winner, leading in wins at 27-6. He added a 2.00 ERA, 319.1 innings, 309 strikeouts, and 7.5 WAR.

Defending champ Honolulu was a big favorite entering the 37^th Oceania Championship against Adelaide. However, the Aardvarks not only beat the Honu, but stunned them with a sweep. Adelaide moves to an impressive 6-1 all-time in the final with their first championship since 1977. Catcher Remington Numbers was finals MVP going 7-16 with 4 runs and 2 doubles. The 30-year old Englishman had joined Adelaide that season after starting his career in EBF. The defeat also officially marked the end of Honolulu’s dominance in the Pacific League, as the Honu would have to wait more than 20 years for their next pennant.

Other notes: September 12 saw OBA’s seventh perfect game as Honolulu’s Evan Tofuola struck out 14 against Fiji. This was the first OBA perfecto since 1985. Fiji’s Asaeli Ali set a bad all-time OBA record, striking out 252 times during the season. Vavoa Brighouse joined Sione Hala as the only OBA members of the 600 home run club. Brighouse also won his eighth Silver Slugger at first base. Jonah Lois became the fourth pitcher to reach 250 career wins. He would pitch one more year and retire at 277, which is still fifth best as of 2037. Graham Chapman won his eighth Silver Slugger. Interestingly, Chapman has won five times in right field, twice in left, and once as a designated hitter.

FuzzyRussianHat · 03-13-2024, 03:44 AM

The EPB European League had the same four playoff teams as the prior year. Kharkiv again had the best overall record, dominating the South Division at 114-48. The North Division saw a swap as Minsk (100-62) took first and three-time defending EL champ Warsaw (97-65) got the first wild card. The Miners extended their impressive playoff streak to 16 seasons, while the Wildcats added their own solid streak to nine. Minsk also had historic pitching success, as their 370 runs are the fewest allowed in EPB history as of 2037. Their 1.99 ERA and 331 earned runs are second to the Miners’ 1990 campaign. The Killer Bees had their own impressive pitching record with a 0.845 team WHIP, a mark only bested by Minsk in 1999. At 92-70, Kyiv grabbed the second wild card and secured six straight playoff berths. Kazan finished one back with Sofia four games away.

European League MVP went to Minsk LF Wojciech Jezierski. The 27-year old Polish righty was the offensive WARlord (9.7) and led in OBP (.398), slugging (.579), OPS (.976), and wRC+ (211). He added 32 home runs and a .314 average. Kyiv’s Artem Makarevich won his third Pitcher of the Year in four seasons, posting a 24-8 record, 1.51 ERA, 285.1 innings, 383 strikeouts, and 11.9 WAR. It was the last season in EPB for the 33-year old Belarusian, who defected to MLB in the offseason on a four-year, $13,280,000 deal with Montreal. Also of note, Minsk’s Stefan Nesu set a single-season EPB ERA record of 1.05, which still stands as of 2037 as the lowest. He only had 163.1 innings due to injury, keeping his accumulations out of the award conversations.

Kharkiv beat their divisional and Ukrainian rival Kyiv 3-1 in the first round, sending the Killer Bees to repeat European League Championship Series appearances. Minsk swept Warsaw, ending the Wildcats’ bid for a fourth consecutive pennant. Kharkiv was the favorite again, but just like last year, they were upset. The Miners outlasted the Killer Bees in a seven game classic for Minsk’s first pennant since their 1988-91 four-peat. The Miners now have 13 pennants to their name with seven since the start of the 1980s.

In the Asian League, Almaty’s playoff streak became six years, winning the South Division and earning the top seed at 106-56. Defending EPB champ Irkutsk at 101-61 won a fifth straight North Division and improved to seven straight postseason berths. The Ice Cats had their own historic pitching staff, setting still-standing AL records for ERA (2.10), hits (995), and earned runs (346). Their 395 runs allowed and 1780 strikeouts are third-best in AL history. Interestingly enough, Omsk allowed only 1035 hits, the second-fewest ever by an AL team. Despite that, the Otters were only 82-80.

The first wild card went to Novosibirsk at 93-69. The Nitros also extended a lengthy playoff streak to six seasons. For the final spot, Tashkent and Ufa tied at 90-72 with Tbilisi at 88-74. The Tomcats won the tiebreaker game over the Fiends to earn repeat playoff bids. With that, the 1996 Eurasian Professional Baseball postseason field saw the rare occurrence of the same eight playoff teams as from the prior season.

Asian League MVP was Yerevan shortstop Iosif Kostandinov. In only his third full season, the 23-year old Russian righty led in doubles (38) and WAR (10.3), while adding a .305/.332/.473 slash. Pitcher of the Year was Irkutsk’s Temuujin Munkhuu, a big breakout for the 29-year old Mongolian righty. He had been a reliever until 1995, but broke out as a starter in 1996 with a league-best 1.39 ERA and 0.73 WHIP. Munkhuu had a 17-5 record over 252.1 innings with 357 strikeouts and 9.8 WAR.

Tashkent upset Almaty 3-2 in the first round, sending the Tomcats back to the Asian League Championship Series. The playoff yips continue for the Assassins, who have gotten knocked out six straight years in the first round. On the other side, Irkutsk swept Novosibirsk, sending the Ice Cats to a fifth straight ALCS. The Nitros have their own streak of futility with five straight first round exits. The ALCS rematch was a seven game thriller, but Irkutsk continued its’ hold on the top spot by topping Tashkent. The Ice Cats repeated and became the first team in Asian League history to win four pennants in five years. Irkutsk now has eight AL titles, second most to Bishkek’s nine.

Despite the relative successes of Irkutsk and Minsk, it was only the second time they had met for the EPB Championship. Back in 1956, the second-ever EPB season, the Miners prevailed 4-1. The 42^nd finale needed all seven games, but it was Minsk coming out on top over the defending champion Ice Cats. League MVP Wojciech Jezierski was also finals MVP, posting 20 hits, 9 runs, 3 doubles, 2 triples, 5 home runs, and 12 RBI over 17 playoff starts. The Miners are now nine-time champs (1956, 62, 66, 69, 85, 88, 90, 91, 96), passing Kyiv for the most.

Other notes: July 31 saw EPB’s 28^th perfect game and the first since 1989. Irkutsk’s Aleksandr Ghukasyan did it with 11 strikeouts against Novosibirsk. Tashkent’s Frantisek Kasa tied EPB’s single-game strikeout record, fanning 22 over 8.2 innings against Baku on July 30. Fredi Tamasi became the third pitcher to reach 300 career wins, retiring with 300 exactly. Igor Bury became the eighth to reach 250 wins. Dzmitry Kuliev became the 14^th to 500 home runs. Interestingly enough, no other player would get to 500 homers until 2010.

FuzzyRussianHat · 03-13-2024, 11:39 AM

Amsterdam won the Northwest Division for the second time in three years and took the EBF Northern Conference’s #1 seed at 102-60. Paris, last year’s division winner, was a very distant second at 83-79. The British Isles Division was intense with Birmingham earning a sixth consecutive division title at 97-65. Glasgow at 95-67 took the wild card, ending a five-year playoff drought. Defending conference champ Dublin was two back on the Highlanders at 93-69, seeing their repeat hopes dashed. After back-to-back losing seasons, Berlin returned to the North Central Division perch at 90-72. The Barons were two games ahead of Stockholm and six ahead of defending division champ Copenhagen.

Northern Conference MVP went to Amsterdam LF Kenneth Hammer. The 30-year old Dane led in total bases (383), triple slash (.368/.409/.656), OPS (1.065), and wRC+ (198). Hammer added 8.8 WAR, 41 home runs, and 122 RBI in his final year of European baseball, as he left for MLB and San Diego in the offseason. Injuries would in part cause Hammer’s MLB run to be unremarkable.

Birmingham’s Lindsey Brampton won an impressive sixth consecutive Pitcher of the Year. The 28-year old Englishman earned his second straight Triple Crown season and broke his own single-season strikeout record with 489 Ks, a 24-5 record, and 2.25 ERA over 268 innings. 489 strikeouts remains the EBF all-time record as of 2037 with the top five seasons all belonging to Brampton. He also led in WHIP (0.84), FIP- (49), and WAR (11.0). Brampton joined Jean-Luc Roch as the only two-time Triple Crown winners in EBF.

Both first round playoff series went all five games with Amsterdam outlasting Berlin and Birmingham edging Glasgow. The Anacondas got their second Northern Conference Championship appearance in three years, while the Bees earned a fourth straight and their fifth in six years. Birmingham reclaimed the top spot by taking the series 4-2 over Amsterdam, giving the Bees their fourth pennant of the 1990s (91, 93, 94, 96). It is their fifth conference title overall.

Barcelona narrowly had the Southern Conference’s best record at 95-67. The Bengals won the Southwest Division for their third playoff berth in four years. Both South Central Division champ Zurich and Southeast Division winner Zagreb finished at 94-68. The Mountaineers were repeat division winners with their 23rd playoff berth in 24 seasons. The Gulls got their second berth in three years. In the wild card race, defending European Champion Lisbon barely took the wild card to prolong their playoff streak to six seasons. At 85-77, the Clippers were two games ahead of Munich, three better than Athens, and four ahead of Naples.

Lisbon two-way start Daniel Ramires was a repeat Southern Conference MVP. On the mound, the 33-year old Portuguese righty led in wins (21-7) and strikeouts (301), posting a 2.74 ERA, 276.1 innings, and 8.4 WAR., while winning a fifth Gold Glove on the mound. At the plate and in the outfield, Ramires had 5.6 WAR in 129 games, 144 hits, 24 home runs, and a .325/.387/.589 slash. He also barely missed Pitcher of the Year, bested in that race by Barcelona’s Anders Maurstad. The 27-year old Norwegian was in his third season as a Bengal, leading in WAR (9.2), WHIP (0.93), shutouts (6), and innings pitched (289.2). Maurstad had 273 strikeouts, a 19-8 record, and 2.49 ERA.

Barcelona survived a five game challenge in the first round from divisional foe Lisbon, ending the Clippers’ repeat bid. Zagreb edged Zurich in five, setting up a rematch of the 1994 Southern Conference Championship. Just as two years ago, it was the Bengals beating the Gulls. Barcelona won the series 4-1 to become six-time conference champs (1950, 59, 64, 79, 94, 96).

The 47th European Championship would be a rematch of the 45th edition, which had Birmingham beating Barcelona 4-2. The Bengals would get revenge and take the 1996 title in a seven game showdown. It is the fourth ring for Barcelona, who also won it all in 1959, 64, and 79. CF Lucas Ortega was finals MVP, posting 20 hits, 13 runs, 8 home runs, and 20 RBI in 17 playoff starts.

Although his Bees were defeated, Lindsey Brampton set postseason records for WAR (2.23) and strikeouts (75). As of 2037, no other EBF pitcher has topped 60 strikeouts or 2+ WAR in a playoff run. Brampton didn’t have run support, going 2-3 despite a 1.96 ERA over 41.1 innings. Interestingly enough, his teammate Miroslav Pahor set a playoff record with six wins. He did this as a closer, going 6-2 with 2 saves in 12 playoff appearances with a 4.08 ERA.

Other notes: Brampton had two games with 22 strikeouts, both against Glasgow. This tied the record he set last year in 10 innings, but this year’s games were over nine and 8.1. There have been eight EBF games with 21 or more strikeouts, seven by Brampton. Sean Houston became the fifth batter to 3000 career hits and the fifth to 700 home runs. He would play one more season, ending with 3269 hits and 752 home runs. This put him fourth in homers and third in hits at retirement.

FuzzyRussianHat · 03-13-2024, 04:38 PM

Defending Bolivar League champion Bogota, who made the playoffs as a wild card last year, took the Colombia-Ecuador Division at 101-61. This gave the Bats their fifth playoff appearance in six years. The wild card race was centered in this division as well with Medellin (90-72) taking the spot over Cali (85-77) and Quito (84-78). The Mutiny grabbed a fourth playoff berth in five years. The BL’s best record was 111-11 Lima atop the Peru-Bolivia Division. It was the Lobos’ ninth consecutive playoff appearance, one short of the Beisbol Sudamerica record set by Santiago from 1964-73. Lima also won their eighth division title of that streak. Meanwhile, Caracas repeated as Venezuela Division champs and greatly improved from their 86-win 1995, ending an impressive 104-58.

Bolivar League MVP went to Lima veteran 2B Gabriel Romero. It was the final BSA season for the 33-year old Peruvian before leaving for MLB, and an impressive breakout with a league-best 10.0 WAR and 127 RBI. Romero added 47 home runs and a .334/.354/.607 slash. Bogota’s Emiliano Calleros was Pitcher of the Year, leading in ERA at 1.88. The 29-year old Colombian won the award despite only tossing 192 innings due to injury, posting a 14-6 record, 157 strikeouts, and 5.4 WAR. This was his peak, as Calleros got the yips with his control falling off a cliff, effectively ending his career after 1997.

Wild card Medellin upset Lima 3-1 in the Divisional Series, giving the Lobos repeat first round exits as the top seed. Caracas swept defending champ Bogota, sending the Colts to a repeat Bolivar League Championship Series appearance. For the Munity, this was their third time in five years in the BLCS. Caracas claimed the pennant 4-2 for their first title in a decade. With 11 Bolivar League titles, the Colts lead all teams (1932, 33, 38, 56, 59, 60, 61, 62, 72, 87, 96).

Defending Copa Sudamerica champion Recife improved and set a franchise-best at 115-47 atop the Southern Cone League’s North Division. This mark by the Retrievers was tied for the second best record in league history, only behind Cordoba’s 120-42 in 1956. Recife also won the division for the third time in four years. Brasilia, who grabbed the wild card last year at 100-62, fell to 76-86. The Southeast Division had Sao Paulo back on top at 102-60, returning to form after missing the postseason in 1995. Since 1986, the Padres have been a playoff teams in all but two seasons. Buenos Aires (90-72) was second in the division, but beat out 88-74 Rio de Janeiro for the wild card. It was the first playoff appearance in 14 years for the Atlantics. In the South Central Division, Mendoza (95-67) earned its first-ever title in the franchise’s young 10-year history. Santiago’s four-year title streak ended with the Saints falling to 80-82. With the Mutants advancing, that leaves expansion teams Santa Cruz and Arequipa as the only BSA teams without a playoff berth so far.

Southern Cone League MVP went to Fortaleza 3B Pedro Souza in only his second year as a full-time starter. The 23-year old Brazilian switch hitter led in home runs (62), RBI (135), total bases (375), and slugging (.615). He added a .275 average and 8.5 WAR. Recife’s Augusto Candido secured Pitcher of the Year honors, leading in ERA (1.40), WHIP (0.71), K/BB (14.2), quality starts (34), FIP- (48), and WAR (10.9). The 27-year old lefty also had 313 strikeouts over 263 innings with a 21-7 record.

Recife downed Buenos Aires 3-1 in the first round of the playoffs, while Sao Paulo survived in five games over Mendoza. This put the Padres back into the Southern Cone Championship for the fifth time in 15 years, while the Retrievers had a shot to repeat as champs. The series ended up being very anticlimactic as Recife swept Sao Paulo, earning back-to-back pennants and the third in franchise history.

For the first time since Valencia in 1977-78, there was a repeat Copa Sudamerica champion. Recife won a seven-game classic over Caracas in the 66^th finale. The Retrievers were the fifth franchise to grab repeat cups, also joining 1959-60 Caracas, 1941-42 Buenos Aires, and 1939-40 La Paz. RF Oliveiro Castillo was finals MVP, posting 22 hits, 13 runs, 7 home runs, and 18 RBI over 15 playoff starts.

Other notes: Caracas LF Pascal Garcia set a single-season record with 152 stolen bases, destroying the previous BSA record of 124. Not only was this a BSA record, but this set a world record for all pro leagues that wouldn’t be passed until 2028. Garcia’s mark still is the BSA record in 2037 by a healthy margin. RF Ariando Abarca won his eighth consecutive Gold Glove.

FuzzyRussianHat · 03-14-2024, 03:42 AM

For back-to-back seasons, Hiroshima had the Japan League’s best record and won the West Division at 99-63. They had to outlast a fierce challenge from Kitakyushu, who finished one back at 98-64 and missed the playoffs again. The division champs only format of the JL has crushed the Kodiaks with 101 and 98 win seasons not being enough for them. Osaka at 97-65 won the Central Division for the first time in six years. Sapporo claimed the North Division for the third consecutive season with their 93-69 finish. Tokyo, who shocked the league by winning the title despite advancing as an atrocious 74-88 Capital Division winner, improved to 88-74. The Tides finished one ahead of Kawasaki to claim a sixth straight division title; the longest active playoff streak in EAB.

Japan League MVP went to Kitakyushu two-way star Umi Kihara. The 28-year old on the mound had a 20-8 record, 2.22 ERA, and 244 strikeouts over 255 innings with 5.9 WAR. Kihara had the shocking combo of pitcher/catcher, making 69 starts behind the plate. In 114 total games offensively, he had 127 hits, 23 home runs, a .329/.375/.583 slash, and 6.7 WAR. Veteran Osaka ace Rikiya Fujiwara won his third Pitcher of the Year award and his first since 1990. The 35-year old left led in ERA (1.44) and WHIP (0.75), but only saw 199.2 innings to a late-season fractured elbow. Fujiwara had a 15-4 record, 202 strikeouts, and 6.5 WAR. Sadly, another fractured elbow four starts into 1997 would end Fujiwara’s career.

Hiroshima ousted defending JL champ Tokyo 3-1 in the first round, while Sapporo edged Osaka 3-2. This was the Hammerheads’ first Japan League Championship Series since 1987, while it was a repeat for the Swordfish. Both were looking to end title droughts with Hiroshima’s last pennant in 1972 and Sapporo’s in 1983. The Hammerheads won the JLCS 4-2 over the Swordfish, becoming seven-time Japan League champs (1939, 59, 68, 69, 70, 72, 96).

The Korea League’s South Division was very top heavy as Busan and Ulsan battled for the title and the top record in the KL. The Blue Jays prevailed at 108-54, while the Swallows were the first wild card at 105-57. Both teams extended playoff streaks to three seasons. Defending East Asian Champion Yongin also extended its streak to three, taking third in the division but grabbing the second wild card at 93-69. In the North Division, Suwon (95-67) placed first for a fourth berth in five years. Their closest competitors were Seongnam at 90-72 and Goyang at 88-74.

Busan 3B Hyeon-Seong Lim won the Korea League MVP. The 29-year old switch hitter led in hits (225), RBI (139), and total bases (392). Lim added 38 home runs, 111 runs, a .366 average, 1.014 OPS, and 8.8 WAR. Ulsan’s Kwang-Wood Ryu was Pitcher of the Year, leading in WAR (8.6), innings I296), and complete games (17). The 32-year old veteran was in his third season with the Swallows after pitching for a decade with Fukuoka. Ryu added a 20-12 record, 2.71 ERA, and 265 strikeouts.

Busan eliminated the defending EAB champ Yongin 3-1, while Ulsan survived in five over Suwon in the first round. The Blue Jays made a repeat Korea League Championship Series appearance while the Swallows had their second in three years. Like in the JL, both were trying to end decent pennant droughts with Ulsan’s last title in 1989 and Busan’s in 1980. In a seven game classic, the Swallows bested the Blue Jays in the battle of the birds. This made Ulsan four-time Korea League champs (1936, 37, 87, 96).

The 76^th East Asian Championship ended in a sweep, only the second finals sweep in 30 years. Ulsan clobbered Hiroshima for only their second overall title, joining the 1937 campaign. Two-time league MVP Byung-Tak Wie was named the finals MVP, posting 20 hits, 9 runs, 4 home runs, and 15 RBI over 16 playoff starts.

Other notes: Woo-Hong Ryu became the third pitcher to 300 wins and the fifth to 4500 strikeouts, He would pitch two more seasons and end with 339 wins, second to Sang-Hun Joon’s 346. Ryu’s 4886 Ks would also be behind Joon’s 5694 strikeouts. Seong-Jun Myong also crossed 4000 Ks, the 14^th to do so. Sukejuro Sakamoto became the 17^th member of the 3000 hit club. CF Yeon-Ho Kim won his seventh Gold Glove. CF Yuma Akasaka won his 11^th Silver Slugger, a record for the position. Tsukasa Kato won his eighth at first base.

FuzzyRussianHat · 03-14-2024, 12:38 PM

Following their historic sixth Mexican League title in six years and a record-setting 116-46 season, Monterrey very nearly saw their playoff streak snapped. The Matadors dropped to only 86-76, which tied them with Torreon for first in the North Division. Monterrey defeated the Tomahawks in the tiebreaker game to extend their playoff streak to nine, tying the CABA record set from 1966-74 by Ecatepec. Hermosillo and Juarez were both also in the division hunt at 82-80. Tijuana, who had been the wild card in four straight seasons, fell to 80-82.

The down year for Monterrey gave Ecatepec the chance to post the Mexican League’s best record. The Explosion did so emphatically at 107-55 atop the South Division, impressively bouncing back from a lousy 71 win 1995. It was their third division title in four years. In the wild card race, Guadalajara (94-68) held off Leon (92-70) to advance. This ended a five-year playoff drought for the Hellhounds.

Ecatepec swept the top awards, led by an impressive debut by RF Velasquez Saavedra. After five great seasons with Honduras, Saavedra cased in with the Explosion on an eight-year, $21,180,000 deal. The 26-year old Guatemalan righty rewarded the investment with an MVP, leading in runs (130), triples (25), walks (92), total bases (405), OBP (.433), slugging (.732), OPS (1.166), wRC+ (220), and WAR (12.2). Saavedra also had 47 home runs, 122 RBI, a .335 average, and won a Gold Glove. Pitcher of the Year went to Vincente Chung, returning to the rotation after being stuck on the reserve roster all of 1994 and 1995. The 26-year old Brazilian lefty led in wins (21-4), K/BB (8.5), quality starts (25), and FIP- (63). Chung added 7.9 WAR over 236.1 innings with a 2.67 ERA and 297 strikeouts. The Explosion also had Rookie of the Year 1B Hector Renteria, who had 41 home runs and 5.1 WAR in his debut.

Monterrey won the wild card round with a sweep of Guadalajara to earn a seventh straight Mexican League Championship Series berth. For the first time in that run, they were considered the underdog against Ecatepec. It was their third meeting in the MLCS recently with the Matadors winning in 1993 and the Explosion taking it in 1994. Despite home field and the 20-win difference in records, it was Monterrey taking the title over Ecatepec in a seven-game classic. It was the first time since 1988 that the MLCS needed all seven games. This gave the Matadors repeat ML pennants and their sixth in seven years. Monterrey became the third Mexican franchise to win six titles in seven years, joining 1913-19 Tijuana and 1967-73 Mexico City.

The Caribbean League’s Continental Division was very top heavy as both Salvador and Honduras extended playoff streaks. The Stallions won the division at 110-52 for a third consecutive berth, while the Horsemen at 105-57 were the wild card with a fourth straight playoff appearance. In the Caribbean Division, Havana (92-70) ended up on top of Santo Domingo by two games. This was the Hurricanes’ first playoff appearance in a decade and their first division title since 1977. Santiago, the league champ last year, was tied for third with Haiti at 85-77.

Santo Domingo CF Hugh Boerboom became a three-time Caribbean League MVP. The 33-year old Aruban slugger smacked a career-best 57 home runs and also led in RBI (124), total bases (380), and slugging (.634). Boerboom added a .307 average and 7.2 WAR.

Meanwhile, Salvador righty Rafael Perez won his first Pitcher of the Year and became the first Triple Crown pitcher since Junior Vergara’s 1980s dominance The 28-year old Dominican had joined the Stallions in the offseason on a seven-year, $16,020,000 deal after beginning with Panama. Perez had a 23-5 record, 2.25 ERA, and 307 strikeouts, while also leading in innings pitched (276.1), WHIP (0.92), quality starts (28), FIP- (66), and WAR (9.0). He also won a Gold Glove, his second. Salvador closer Ruy Torres also became a four-time Reliever of the Year in only six seasons. The 28-year old Panamanian would leave for MLB in the offseason with a relatively unremarkable MLB tenure.

Havana had home field advantage as the division champ and the one game handicap, but still got rolled in the wild card round 3-1 by Honduras. The Horsemen couldn’t hold up to their division rival Salvador, as the Stallions won the Caribbean League Championship Series 4-1. Salvador earned a second pennant in three years and their seventh in franchise history.

Despite the recent success for both, Monterrey and Salvador hadn’t met recently in the Central American Baseball Association Championship. It wasn’t their first encounter though, as the Stallions beat the Matadors 4-2 in the 1965 edition. In the 86^th finale, Monterrey survived a seven game classic to repeat as champs and secure their fifth ring in seven years. The Matadors are only the second team in CABA history to win five titles in seven years, joining Mexico City’s six from 1967-73. LF Pedro Nugent was both MLCS MVP and finals MVP. The 29-year old Jamaican had 16 hits, 13 runs 5 triples, 5 home runs, and 11 RBI in 16 playoff starts.

Other notes: For back-to-back seasons, CABA had zero no-hitters. Romeo Verguet had a notable year for milestones, crossing 500 home runs, 1500 RBI, and 2500 hits.

03-08-2024, 04:37 AM	#1041
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,603	1996 OBA Hall of Fame Outfielder Ping Janer was the lone inductee into the Oceania Baseball Association Hall of Fame in 1996. In his debut on the ballot, Janer narrowly reached the 66% requirement, getting in with 71.1%. Only one other player topped 50% with RF Dede Hayati at 55.0% in his fifth attempt. SP Matthew Falefa fell off the ballot after ten tries, peaking at 24.2% in his debut but ending at only 7.0%. Injuries and a MLB excursion mid-career meant that the American Samoan lefty had only about 6 or 7 seasons worth of OBA production. He had an 85-63 record, 2.07 ERA, 1415.2 innings, 1667 strikeouts, 65 FIP-, and 43.2 WAR. The potential was certainly there, but he didn’t have anywhere near the tenure to get across the line. Ping Janer – Left/Center Field – Guam Golden Eagles – 71.1% First Ballot Ping Janer was a 6’2’’, 200 pound switch-hitting outfielder from Rita, an island district of the Marshall Islands. It is part of the Majuro atoll which has around 23,000 people. As of 2037, Janer is the only Marshallean OBA Hall of Famer. He was renowned as one of OBA’s fastest and most intelligent baserunners. Janer was only okay as a contact hitter and he had trouble with strikeouts. However, he was good at drawing walks to take advantage of his baserunning talents. Janer wasn’t a prolific home run hitter, but he had a very solid pop in his bat still. He usually gave you around 25-35 home runs per season while also adding 25 doubles and 10 triples per 162 games. He made about 2/3s of his starts in left field and the rest in center. Janer was a terrific fielder in left, but below average in center. He was a very hard worker and a fan favorite, becoming one of the most popular players of his era. Despite coming from humble origins, Janer managed to earn himself attention in his amateur career. In the 1974 OBA Draft, Guam selected Janer with the fourth overall pick. He was a full-time starter immediately and spent 12 seasons as a prominent part of the Golden Eagles lineup, playing in 140+ games all but one of those seasons. Janer’s ability to fly allowed him to lead the Pacific League in runs scored four times with Guam and stolen bases thrice, In 1975, Janer won both the Rookie of the Year and his first of six Silver Sluggers. He won additional sluggers in 1976, 78, 79, 80, and 86. Janer also grabbed seven Gold Gloves in left field (1976, 78, 82, 87, 88, 89, 90). In 1978, he had career highs in runs (102), steals (79), and WAR (10.3); taking second in MVP voting. That winter, Guam gave him an eight-year, $2,242,000 contract extension. Janer would win the prize in 1979 with a batting title (.305) along with 9.9 WAR, 99 runs, 35 home runs, and 9.9 WAR. Janer was also proud of 1979 as Guam won the Pacific League title, setting a wins record at 112-50. They beat defending champ Perth in the Oceania Championship, giving the Golden Eagles their first overall title. Heartbreakingly for Janer, an oblique strain would keep him out of the series. He’d be back as Guam repeated in 1980, getting 4 hits and 3 runs in their 4-1 series victory over Christchrurch. Guam had a number of great seasons in the early 1980s, but they would be the perennial runner-up to Honolulu’s great dynasty. Janer stayed great into his 30s, even leading the PL with 8.0 WAR and 89 runs in 1986 at age 34. This would be his last season as a Golden Eagle, as the franchise entered a full rebuild the next year. Janer would remain beloved and see his #26 uniform retired once his playing days were done. With Guam, he had 1647 hits, 1000 runs, 275 doubles, 115 triples, 324 home runs, 824 RBI, 735 stolen bases, a .247/.308/.469 slash, and 79.8 WAR. Janer signed a three-year, $2,490,000 deal with Perth, who had just won the Australasia League title and fallen in the final to Honolulu. He was okay in two seasons as a Penguin, but posted the worst offensive numbers of his career to date. A sprained ankle cost him much of 1988 and Perth finished below .500 in both 1987 and 1988. Janer didn’t meet the vesting criteria in his contract and became a free agent for 1989 at age 37. Adelaide gave him a one year deal and he had a decent bounce-back effort at the plate. He was still a great defender, winning his sixth Gold Glove while an Aardvark. For 1990, Honolulu signed Janer and he picked up his 2000^th hit and 400^th home run with the Honu. Janer showed some of that old spark and helped Honolulu win its third consecutive OBA title, although he struggled in the final itself. The Honu didn’t bring him back for 1991 and Janer retired at age 40 after going unsigned for the year. For his career, Janer had 2106 hits, 1290 runs, 360 doubles, 152 triples, 407 home runs, 1095 RBI, 937 stolen bases, a .242/.304/.459 slash, 142 wRC+, and 96.1 WAR. At induction, he was sixth all-time in steals, fourth in runs, and fourth in batting WAR. With that resume, it is surprising that Janer only got 71.1% of the vote considering the standards set previously in OBA. However, he was a first ballot inductee all the same and the lone member of the 1996 class. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

03-08-2024, 12:18 PM	#1042
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,603	1996 APB Hall of Fame The 1996 field for the Austronesia Professional Baseball Hall of Fame was pretty weak with the best debutant being RP Gilbert Tang at 31.4%. The thin field did help RF Lin Zulkifli finally get across the line at 67.4% on his third ballot. No one else was even above 50%, although two ninth ballot guys in 1B Po-Yu Shao and CL Lee Tira were in the upper 40s. Dropped from the ballot ws 1B Ardan Riyadi, who had a 15 year run between three teams in APB. He got as high as 47.6% on his second ballot, but ended at only 23.6%. Riyadi won four Silver Sluggers, three Gold Gloves, and helped Surabaya to the 1971 title. He had 2033 hits, 991 runs, 290 doubles, 379 home runs, 1016 RBI, a .262/.296/.454 slash, and 88.1 WAR. Riyadi had the sixth best batting WAR in APB when he fell off the ballot with pretty good stats by APB’s low offense standards. However, he just never got the support of the voters for whatever reason. Lin “Bullet” Zulkifli – Right Field – Manila Manatees – 67.4% Third Ballot Lin Zulkifli was a 5’9’’, 200 pound left handed hitting right fielder from the city-state of Singapore. Zulkifli earned the nickname “Bullet” for his great speed and ability to leg out extra bases from the leadoff spot. He was one of the smartest baserunners in the game and was extremely popular for his sparkplug work ethic and leadership. Zulkifli was a very good contract hitter with a solid eye and great knack for avoiding strikeouts. He lacked home run power, only hitting 11 in his career, but Zulkifli wasn’t a singles slap hitter. He averaged around 25-30 doubles and another 25-30 triples each season. Zulkifli exclusively played defensively in right field and was excellent in that spot, earning eight Gold Gloves in his career. Zulkifli was signed out of Singapore by a scout from Manila, bringing him to the Filipino capital in 1969 at 16 years old. He debuted in 1972 at age 19 for the Manatees, although his appearances were very limited that year and the next. Zulkifli would be a full-time starter from 1974 through 1988 as a regular fixture for the Manila lineup. With his lack of home run tallies, Zulkifli didn’t ever win a Silver Slugger or earn MVP finalist consideration. Still, he led the Taiwan-Philippine Association in hits twice, doubles twice, triples eight times, batting average thrice, OBP thrice, and WAR once. Helped by the deep alleys of the Manila Grounds, Zulkifli actually had more triples than doubles in five different seasons. This scrappiness made him a star and favorite for Manatees fans, especially as they struggled in most of the 1970s. Zulkifli was also popular back home in Singapore, playing for them from 1972-89 in the World Baseball Championship. In 123 games, he had 118 hits, 47 runs, 20 doubles, 6 triples, a .271/.338/.344 slash, and 1.3 WAR. Manila signed Zulkifli to an eight-year, $3,292,000 contract extension in the summer of 1978. It wouldn’t be until the later years of that deal that the Manatees finally returned to prominence. Manila won the Philippine League in 1983, 1985, and 1986. In 1985 and 1986, they won the TPA pennant and in 1986, the Manatees earned their first Austronesia Championship. After being unremarkable in the first two postseason runs, Zulkifli had 12 hits, 4 runs, 2 doubles, 2 triples, and a .316/.381/.553 slash to help Manila win the crown. In a way, that was the last hurrah for Zulkifli. 1987 would see a strained hamstring cost him the final seven weeks of the season, then knee and foot issues cost him two months of 1988. In addition, his speed and contact abilities had begun to wane a bit. After the 1988 season, Manila let him go. Zulkifli played in the 1989 WBC for Singapore, but that was his last action with no one signing him for the season. He retired in the winter at age 37 and Manila immediately brought him in to retire his #23 uniform. Zulkifli finished with 2410 hits, 903 runs, 408 doubles, 362 triples, 11 home runs, 624 RBI, 803 stolen bases, a .298/.348/.442 slash, 139 wRC+, and 81.8 WAR. At induction, he was the all-time leader in triples and he still sits second as of 2037. Zulkifli was also third in doubles, fourth in hits, fourth in batting average, and just outside of the top ten in hitting WAR. However, a lot of voters were convinced that homers and RBI were the most critical stats, two things Zulkifli lacked. Although he did win a ring with Manila, his best individual seasons were overlooked on some mediocre teams. He just missed the cut at 56.1% and 63.0% in his first two ballots. Third time was the charm though and Zulkifli just crossed the line at 67.4%, securing his spot in the Hall of Fame as one of the great leadoff men. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

03-08-2024, 05:32 PM	#1043
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,603	1996 CLB Hall of Fame Chinese League Baseball had a two player Hall of Fame class with both guys receiving a first ballot addition. SP Xinyu Dai led the way at 91.9% and was joined by fellow pitcher Jianfeng Han at 81.5%. Closer Huyi Gao very nearly joined them in his third attempt, but fell just short of the 66% requirement with 64.2%. No one else was above 50% with only two even narrowly getting over the 1/3 mark. Three players fell off the ballot after ten failed tries. Closer Yuzeng Liang was as high as 59.7% in his second ballot, but plummeted to 11.3% by the end. In 17 seasons, he won Reliever of the Year twice and had 272 saves, 366 shutdowns, 1.57 ERA, 800.1 innings, 1310 strikeouts, and 39.7 WAR. Liang’s numbers weren’t too out of place versus some other relievers that got into the CLB HOF, but bouncing around between ten teams and lower innings than many other closers hurt him. Two starters were dropped as well. Li Jin came incredibly close at 62.1% in his third ballot, but he fell off a cliff to 8.1% at the end. In 12 seasons with three teams, he had a 142-117 record, 2.17 ERA, 2507.1 innings, 2734 strikeouts, and 77.9 WAR. His official career started at age 27, costing him a few prime years of accumulations that might have gotten him across the line. For Liao Chen, he peaked at 40.8% in 1989 and ended at 6.9%. In 11 seasons mostly with Wuhan, he had one Pitcher of the Year, a 156-114 record, 2.19 ERA, 2598 innings, 2245 strikeouts, and 62.0 WAR. Chen was another who didn’t quite have the longevity to stand out among the other pitchers in CLB’s low offense environment. Xinyu Dai – Starting Pitcher - Shenzhen Spartans – 91.9% First Ballot Xinyu Dai was a 5’10’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from the Chinese capital Beijing. Dai had excellent movement on his pitches with good stuff and above average control. He had a great 97-99 mph fastball that was mixed with a slider, changeup, and curveball. Dai had excellent stamina and was very durable for most of his career. Dai was spotted as a teenage amateur in January 1973 and signed to a developmental deal with Shenzhen. His entire career in China was as a Spartan, making his debut in an opener role in 1976 at age 20. He was a full-timer for the next 11 years, although Dai would also see mixed usage out of the bullpen. He became a popular player in China for his work in the World Baseball Championship from 1979-94. He had a 17-9 record, 3.11 ERA, 237.2 innings, 304 strikeouts, and 6.6 WAR in the WBC and helped China win world titles in 1979, 1993, and 1994. Dai emerged as an ace by 1978 and was considered by many to be China’s best pitcher soon after. From 1979-85, he led the Southern League in WAR six times, ERA twice, wins once, innings once, strikeouts twice, WHIP twice, K/BB thrice, complete games twice, and FIP- five times. Dai won Pitcher of the Year three times (1982, 83, 84), while taking second in 1979 and 1980 and third in 1985. Shenzhen gave him a seven-year, $2,218,000 extension in fall 1980. Dai tossed a no-hitter on September 7, 1981 with 11 strikeouts and 2 walks against Kunming. He helped Shenzhen to the playoffs in 1979, but they suffered a semifinal defeat. The Spartans wouldn’t get back to the playoffs in Dai’s tenure and were at the bottom of CLB by the mid 1980s. Dai still chugged along as the only redeeming part of that era for Shenzhen. The Spartans would retire his #24 uniform once his pro career was over. Dai’s contract ended after the 1987 season and the 32-year old had worldwide offers, although his production had dropped noticeably in his last two years as a Spartan. This ended his CLB career with a 145-125 record, 1.92 ERA, 2611 innings, 2957 strikeouts, 459 walks, 132 complete games, 60 FIP-, and 84.2 WAR. He didn’t have the longevity to be at the top of the leaderboards, but it was impressive dominance. Even being stuck on some bad Shenzhen teams, the CLB voters thought Dai was an obvious choice with a 91.9% first ballot nod. There would still be eight more years of pro baseball for Dai. He went to America on a five-year, $7,100,000 deal with MLB’s Nashville Knights. Dai had four seasons ultimately in Nashville, who was also a bottom rung franchise. He was quite solid there though with 27.6 WAR, a 3.54 ERA, 63-65 innings, 1153.1 innings, 786 strikeouts, and 113 ERA+. The Knights voided the team option year of 1992, making Dai a free agent again at age 36. Vancouver gave him a one year, $2,120,000 deal. Dai was decent, but the Volcanoes would trade him in late June to Atlanta for two prospects. The Aces were in the midst of a division title streak and trying to finally get over the playoff hump. They lost again in the American Association Championship Series, but Dai had a solid 2.96 ERA and 3-0 record in 24.1 playoff innings. Atlanta decided to give him a three-year extension worth $7,160,000. Dai was excellent in 1993 at age 37, posting 7.7 WAR. He was weaker the next year, but still ate a lot of innings. Dai struggled in the 1993 playoffs, but was strong in 1994. Still, Atlanta couldn’t claim the pennant. Dai did have a 3.41 ERA, 7-1 record, 63.1 innings, and 43 strikeouts with the Aces. He would struggle in 1995 and get cut in June. Atlanta briefly brought him back on a minor league deal, but cut him again a few weeks later. Dai ended the season in Montreal’s minor league system, retiring that winter at age 39. For his Atlanta tenure, he had a 41-40 record, 4.12 ERA, 803.1 innings, 432 strikeouts, and 16.4 WAR. The MLB career for Dai was a 112-110 record, 3.74 ERA, 2099.1 innings, 1292 strikeouts, 616 walks, 148/264 quality starts, 117 complete games, and 46.4 WAR. For his combined pro career, he had a 257-235 record, 2.73 ERA, 4710.1 innings, 4249 strikeouts, 1075 walks, 249 complete games, 123 ERA+, 70 FIP-, and 130.6 WAR. Dai was popular, but maybe not noticed as much as he should’ve been due to mostly being on weaker teams. He quietly was one of the most impressive pro pitchers of his era. Jianfeng Han – Starting Pitcher – Dongguan Donkeys – 81.5% First Ballot Jianfeng Han was a 6’3’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Zaozhuang, a city with just under four million people in East China’s Shandong province. Han was a fireballer who just blew you away with his great stuff and an incredible 99-101 mph fastball. He also had a good changeup and curveball, but his movement and control were both below average. Still, Han’s power alone was often enough to retire most hitters. He was also a good defensive pitcher and considered an intelligent pitcher. Work ethic concerns would by a criticism from some in the game. Every inning of Han’s pro career came with Dongguan, but that isn’t where he started. It was Nanjing who signed him as a teenage amateur free agent in 1973. After two years in the developmental system, he was promoted to the reserve roster for the 1976 season. In spring training though, he and three other prospects were shipped off to Dongguan for veteran pitcher Haiqiang Wu. Han would make four relief appearances in 1976 to start his Donkeys career. Han was a full-time starter and pretty good in 1977, taking second in Rookie of the Year voting. A partially torn labrum would cost him half of the 1978 season. He bounced back from that with steady innings and led the Southern League with 320 strikeouts in 1980, but he led in walks the next year. When he was on, Han was impressive. On 7/17/80, he threw a no-hitter with 10 strikeouts and two walks against Shenzhen. He tossed a second no-no on 5/22/82 with nine Ks and no walks against Xiamen. On 8/9/84, Han tied the single-game strikeout record with 19 Ks against Shenzhen. Most impressive about that was that he got his 19 Ks in only 7.1 innings; all of the other instances needed eight or more innings. Han never won the top award, but three times was second in Pitcher of the Year voting (1982, 1986, 1987). Dongguan gave him a six-year, $3,630,000 extension before the 1984 season. Han led in ERA and WAR in 1986 and had five seasons with 300+ strikeouts. 1986 also saw the Donkeys get their first playoff berth since 1973, although they lost in the semifinal. This would be the only postseason appearances Han would see in his career. Disaster struck in April 1988 when Han tore his ulnar collateral ligament, knocking him out 14 months. He made it back and impressive hadn’t lost his velocity in 1989, although his effectiveness was down slightly. Han really struggled in 1990 and was moved to the bullpen. At age 35, he decided to call it quits. Dongguan would honor him soon after by retiring his #3 uniform. Han’s final stats: 168-129 record, 2.15 ERA, 2900.2 innings, 3467 strikeouts, 753 walks, 285/363 quality starts, 91 complete games, 81 FIP-, and 61.6 WAR. His stats actually weren’t too different from the two pitchers that fell off the ballot after ten seasons, but Han’s strikeouts and stellar fastball made him remembered more prominently. At induction, he was sixth all-time in strikeouts and still sits eighth as of 2037. Han’s WAR and advanced stats are at the bottom of CLB Hall of Famers, but he also had the misfortune of a big injury knocking him out early. Han received 81.5% and a first ballot induction as the second player in CLB’s 1996 Hall of Fame class. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

03-09-2024, 06:16 AM	#1044
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,603	1996 WAB Hall of Fame West Africa Baseball saw three additions into the Hall of Fame in 1996. SP Albert Kamara was the star with a slam dunk 97.0% first ballot nod. 3B Epule Fongang was close behind with a very solid 88.1% first ballot induction. The third player was closer Johnson Madu, who just narrowly reached the 66% requirement with 66.5% on his seventh ballot. The only other player above 50% was CF Stephen Tshukudu at 51.7% in his seventh ballot. One player fell off after ten ballots in Souleymane Moussa. The Togolese pitcher was hurt by his “official” career starting at age 33 and only seven years’ worth of stats. He still managed an impressive 102-43 record, 2.62 ERA, 1418 innings, 1520 strikeouts, and 38.2 WAR in that short time. With a full career, Moussa might have been a no doubter. But with a small sample size, he peaked at 29.4% in 1988 and ended at 7.4%. Albert Kamara – Starting Pitcher – Abidjan Athletes – 97.0% First Ballot Albert Kamara was a 6’1’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from Makeni, the largest city in Sierra Leone’s Northern Province with around 85,000 inhabitants. Kamara had good stuff, great control, and above average movement on his pitches. His fastball peaked at 97-99 mph and he could fool you with a stellar changeup in its place. Kamara also had a curveball, forkball, and splitter in his potent arsenal. His stamina was merely okay even by the standard of WAB which expected fewer complete games than other leagues. Kamara was adaptable, but viewed by some as a lone wolf or mercenary type. Kamara had odd timing where he just missed out on the earliest WAB drafts. He was 19 years old and looking to start a pro baseball career in late 1976, signing a one-year deal with Freetown. He was only under contract with the Foresters for a month, then was traded with another young pitcher Musa Momoh to Abidjan in exchange for veteran shortstop Balogun Mohamed. Kamara spent 1977 on the reserve roster and debuted in 1978 with 33 innings. He made two relief appearances as well as the Athletes fell in the WAB Championship to Lagos. Kamara was a part-time starter in 1979 and showed a lot of potential, earning the full-time job thereafter. He would excel in the next four seasons, leading the Western League in 1980 and 1982 in wins, ERA, WHIP, quality starts, and WAR. Kamara’s 1.49 ERA in 1980 would be the single-season WAB record until 1997, and is still second best as of 2037. That won him 1980’s Pitcher of the Year AND the MVP. Kamara took second in 1981 Pitcher of the Year voting, then won the award again in 1982 with a third in MVP voting. In 1981, Kamara also tossed a perfect game on July 26 with 13 strikeouts against Accra. He was the ace for Abidjan, who was a regular Western League contender. They won the pennant again in 1981, but yet again were denied in the championship by Lagos. The Lizards fell off in 1982, opening the door for the Athletes to win their first title against Port Harcourt. Kamara’s playoff stats were a mixed bag with Abidjan, posting a 3.78 ERA over 52.1 innings with 49 strikeouts. But he played a critical role in them getting there and finishing first in the standings repeatedly. Abidjan would regress to 83-81 in 1983, missing the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. Kamara was now a free agent for the first time and decided to test the market at age 26. With the Athletes, he finished with a 99-39 record, 2.35 ERA, 1251 innings, 1568 strikeouts, 222 walks, 63 FIP-, and 41.3 WAR. Unsurprisingly, those numbers made him a very hot commodity. It would be Ibadan who signed Kamara on a six-year, $2,574,000 deal. Kamara was still very good at the start of his Iguanas run, although not as dominant as his peak. He finished third in 1984 Pitcher of the Year voting and second in 1986. Kamara also led the Eastern League in WHIP and K/BB in 1984, plus quality starts in 1985. He got less attension from the WAB community, as Ibadan was middling to start his run. The Iguanas would bottom out at 57-105 in the 1988 season before becoming a regular contender in the 1990s. In that abysmal 1988 season, Kamara himself played poorly. His numbers had weakened in the prior two seasons, but he had still been a very fine starter. In 1988 though, he posted an atrocious 5.91 ERA over 96 innings. Kamara had another year left on his contract, but Ibadan didn’t want to pay top dollar for a near six ERA. For his tenure though as an Iguana, Kamara had a 69-47 record, 2.71 ERA, 1021 innings, 1285 strikeouts, and 23.6 WAR. In June 1988, Kamara was traded to Kano for three prospects. He would rebound with a respectable second half for the Condors and become the fourth WAB pitcher to 3000 career strikeouts. Kamara also had two good relief appearances in the playoffs, although Kano was ousted in the wild card round. In 1989, Kamara was around league average. He became a free agent after this at age 33 and it marked the end of his time in West African Baseball. Kamara wasn’t done pitching yet, as the newly formed Arab League Baseball was recruiting veteran talent from across the hemisphere. He earned a long-term commitment from Kuwait with a four-year, $2,480,000 deal. Injuries cost him some innings in his Whales run, but he still provided some steady value in the back end of the rotation. Kamara had three seasons in Kuwait with a 27-37 record, 3.61 ERA, 581.2 innings, 645 strikeouts, and 14.2 WAR. Now 36 years old, Kuwait traded Kamara in the last year of his deal to Cairo for prospects. He was decent in his one year in Egypt, as the Pharaohs lost in the Western Conference Final. A free agent again, this time Kamara would be bound for Europe, being a rare player to have played on three continents. Barcelona signed him for 19894 on a two-year, $3,640,000 deal. Kamara was respectable in one year with the Bengals, but did miss time to an elbow strain. Barcelona made it to the European Championship, falling to Birmingham. Kamara stunk though with a 6.04 ERA in 25.1 playoff innings and was let go in the offseason. He joined Rome in 1995, again being a decent back-of-the-rotation guy. That would be his final pro season, retiring at age 39. Between WAB, ALB, and EBF, he had a 242-164 record, 2.93 ERA, 3618 innings, 4249 strikeouts, 586 walks, and 88.9 WAR. For just his time in West Africa, Kamara had a 187-103 record, 2.62 ERA, 2580.2 innings, 3223 strikeouts, 438 walks, 248/340 quality starts, 73 FIP-, and 69.2 WAR. Few starters to later make the WAB Hall of Fame would have a better career ERA and as of 2037, he’s still ninth best in pitching WAR even with his departure after his age 32 season. Kamara was one of the most impressive pitchers in WAB’s initial days, securing the first ballot induction easily at 97.0%. Epule “Bonkers” Fongang – Third Base – Nouakchott Night Riders – 88.1% First Ballot Epule Fongang was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed third baseman from Mfou, a town of 10,000 citizens in southern Cameroon. He got the nickname “Bonkers” for some of the incredible hitting and running feats he’d pull off in his prime. Fongang was an excellent contact hitter in his prime with a respectable eye and a solid ability at avoiding strikeouts. He was lightning quick and an accomplished thief on the basepaths. Fongang had great gap power, averaging around 50 doubles/triples per season while also hitting around 15-25 home runs. He also had a rocket arm at third base, although he did grade out as just below average defensively for his career. Fongang was a scrappy sparkplug type, making him one of the most endearing stars in the earliest days of African baseball. Fongang’s natural ability caught the attention of a scout from Nouakchott, who brought a 15-year old Fongang to Mauritania in 1975. The Night Riders would bring him up in 1979 at only age 19, where he’d lead the Western League in triples and stolen bases in only 116 games. Fongang took third in Rookie of the Year voting, then became a full-time starter for the next seven years in Nouakchott. His two appearances in the World Baseball Championship with his native Cameroon came in 1979 and 1980. Fongang was good in 1980 and 1981, but was then outstanding from 1982-86; leading the latter five years in WAR. He led the league in hits seven straight seasons and led in doubles twice, triples seven times, RBI once, total bases four times, stolen bases four times, batting average four times, OBP four times, slugging twice, OPS thrice, and wRC+ four times. Fongang won MVPs in 1983, 1984, and 1986 and took second in both 1982 and 1985. He also took five straight Silver Sluggers from 1982-86. Fongang had a streak of 22 straight successful steals in 1983 and a 33-game on base streak in 1982. When WAB started, Nouakchott was a bottom level franchise, but Fongang delivered their first-ever playoff berth in 1983 and first WAB championship in 1984. He was a beast in the 1984 title run, winning WLCS and finals MVP with 18 hits, 9 runs, 4 home runs, 12 RBI, and 8 stolen bases in 11 games. This forever earned him a spot in the hearts of Nouakchott fans and his #7 uniform would be the first retired by the franchise. The Night Riders regressed to 79-83 after their title season, then missed the playoffs narrowly at 91-71. Fongang’s last season with Nouakchott in 1986 saw career highs at 11.3 WAR, 49 doubles, 368 total bases, and a 1.004 OPS. It was also a contract year for him and it was clear he would get big money offers from around the world. Night Riders fans were disappointed to see him leave, but continued to cheer Fongang on as he ended up off to Major League Baseball. For his Nouakchott and WAB tenure, he had 1528 hits, 779 runs, 304 doubles, 117 triples, 129 home runs, 714 RBI, 679 stolen bases, a .320/.359/.540 slash, 163 wRC+, and 64.1 WAR. It was a remarkable stat line in only eight seasons and it is what got Fongang into the 1996 Hall of Fame class at a solid 88.1%. It’s hard to say what could have been on the leaderboards had he stayed, but he was an electric early days star and a key part of a title run for Nouakchott. Fongang would also one of the first West African players to really cash in big time in America. Brooklyn ended up being the buyer with a massive eight-year, $12,000,000 deal. He’d be averaging $1,500,000 annually, a nice bump considering he made just under a million total over his entire time in Mauritania. Fongang wouldn’t be a league leader or award winner with the Dodgers, but he was a very solid starter in his first three seasons, posting a .328 average and 5.8 WAR in his MLB debut at age 27. He was an ironman who didn’t see any major injuries, but Fongang would regress noticeably by his fourth season with Brooklyn. By his fifth year of 1991, he was relegated to a bench role. In total with the Dodgers, Fongang had 689 hits, 363 runs, 90 doubles, 75 home runs, 277 RBI, a .289/.338/.456 slash, and 19.8 WAR. Brooklyn was still on the hook for three more years, but was ready to move on from Fongang. Before the 1992 season, he and prospect 1B Ermano Cortina were traded to Houston for another 1B in Juan Segura. Fongang stayed on the major league roster with the Hornets, but saw limited use over the next three seasons with only 149 games, 70 starts, and 0.0 WAR. Fongang wanted to play somewhere after his deal was up in 1995, but he had to retire after going unsigned at age 36. For his MLB career, Fongang had 769 hits, 407 runs, 106 doubles, 88 home runs, 326 RBI, a .282/.331/.451 slash, 163 stolen bases, and 19.8 WAR. For his entire pro career, he had 2297 hits, 1186 runs, 410 doubles, 223 triples, 217 home runs, 1040 RBI, 842 stolen bases, a .306/.348/.507, a 150 wRC+, and 83.9 WAR. His grand totals are especially impressive considering he was cooked after his age 30 season. Fongang’s sudden regression was a surprise to himself and those in the game, as there didn’t seem to be a specific reason why he fell so hard. But in the 1980s, Fongang was one of the most exciting players in all of pro baseball. Johnson “Casino” Madu – Closer – Kano Condors- 66.5% Seventh Ballot Johnson Madu was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Buguma, a city of around 124,000 people in southern Nigeria. He was nicknamed “Casino” for his love of table games, although he was smart enough to avoid gambling on the diamond in his career. Madu had fantastic stuff with excellent movement and very good control. He had a 97-99 mph fastball and an excellent slider that was almost as fast. Madu was a good defensive pitcher and was known as a very cerebral player. His work ethic and adaptability allowed him to thrice in the big spots. Madu was already established in Nigeria’s semi-pro ranks when West African Baseball was officially created for the 1975 season. He would sign a three-year, $213,000 deal at age 26 for the inaugural season with Kano. The Condors were the first WAB dynasty, winning the title in 1975 and 1976. Madu played a big role, winning Reliever of the Year in 1975 and taking second in 1976. He was the Eastern League leader in saves both seasons and was third in 1975 Pitcher of the Year voting. Madu had a 33 save streak from August 1975 to June 1976, including three saves in the postseason. In 1977, a torn meniscus in his right knee cost him almost the entire season. He did make it back by the playoffs, but Kano’s three-peat bid was thwarted in the ELCS by Lagos. Still, in his short run with the Condors, Madu had 83 saves, a 1.68 ERA, 193 innings 316 strikeouts, and 11.4 WAR. He also became a regular with Nigeria in the World Baseball Championship from 1975-84. Madu started more (20) than he pitched in relief (11) in the WBC, posting an 11-4 record, 5 saves, 3.13 ERA, 103.2 innings, 164 strikeouts, and 2.9 WAR. A free agent again at age 29, Madu signed a one-year deal with Benin City in 1978. He won his second Reliever of the Year and became the first WAB closer to have a 50 save season. As of 2037, he’s one of only three to have reached that mark. The Blue Devils won 107 games, but were third in the standings and lost in the wild card round without Madu seeing the field. A free agent again, his next stop was Lagos. Madu had 41 saves in 1979 and earned his second ring as the Lizards earned back-to-back titles. This was his finest postseason with five saves in 17.1 innings with a 0.52 ERA, 29 strikeouts, and 1.0 WAR. Lagos didn’t bring him back though and Madu ended up with Kumasi in 1980. Shoulder inflammation knocked him out for the final part of the year, although he was still respectable. Lagos brought Madu back in 1981 and he took second in Reliever of the Year voting. Although not as dominant in the playoffs, he had four saves and helped the Lizards claim a third title in four years. Madu also joined elite company as a four time champion. This would be his last season as a closer though, as he was never quite the same after shoulder inflammation during his 1982 stint with Bamako. Madu bounced around mostly in middle relief for the rest of his WAB tenure. He started 1983 with Port Harcourt, but ended back with Bamako on a trade. The Bullfrogs made it to the WAB Championship, but the playoff magic was gone for Madu, who allowed 7 runs in only 1.2 postseason innings. He returned to Kumasi in 1985, who gave him a brief experiment with a few starts. That marked the end of his WAB run at age 36. Madu would have five more seasons of professional baseball, oddly enough in the Central American Baseball Association. He went to Mexico in 1985 and 1986 with Hermosillo. 1987 started in Santo Domingo but ended in a trade to Guatemala. Madu then spent his final two seasons in Honduras. A torn back muscle in his final fall marked the end of his career at age 41 after the 1989 campaign. For his CABA excursion, he had a 3.00 ERA over 180 innings with 163 strikeouts, 113 ERA+, and 0.5 WAR. For the WAB run, Madu had a 1.95 ERA, 246 saves and 275 shutdowns, 660 innings, 983 strikeouts, 120 walks, a 183 ERA+ and 48 FIP-, and 29.0 WAR. He was hurt by “officially” starting at age 26, but with closers not seeing as extensive use in WAB, Madu was actually the saves leader until the 2010s. His playoff excellence was worth noting, as 14 postseason saves was the WAB record until passed in the 2030s once. In his playoff career in WAB, he had 14 saves, a 2.72 ERA in 56.1 innings, 82 strikeouts, and 1.9 WAR. Madu was a big part in four championship teams, but WAB voters weren’t keen on the value of relief pitching relative to some other Halls of Fame. He debuted at 48.6% in 1990 and hovered around there before jumping to 61.6% in 1994. He fell back to 54.2% in 1995, but just barely reached the threshold with 66.5%. Madu became a seventh ballot Hall of Famer to round out the 1996 WAB class and the first pure reliever to make the cut. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

03-09-2024, 11:47 AM	#1045
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,603	1996 SAB Hall of Fame South Asia Baseball added SP Vannak Thai into the Hall of Fame as the lone member of the 1996 class. On his fifth attempt, he just squeezed across the 66% requirement by landing at 66.5%. Fellow Bengaluru pitcher Ramesh Kohinoor almost joined him on his third try, but was short at 63.3%. Closer Jason Mayekar was the other player above 50% at 50.3% on his fifth go. Amazingly, the best debuting player on the ballot was CB Bahuvata Mokate with 0.3%; his brother must have had a single vote. Vannak Thai – Starting Pitcher – Bengaluru Blazers – 66.5% Fifth Ballot Vannak Thai was a5’11’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from the capital of Cambonia, Phnom Penh. He was a well-rounded arm with above average stuff, control, and movement. Thai had a 96-98 mph fastball that was impressive that he mixed with a curveball and circle change. Despite his talent, some felt that he was lazy and uncommitted to the game. Thai was already 27 years old when South Asia Baseball was formed in 1980 and had already gotten some attention barnstorming throughout the southeast. His first SAB deal was a two-year, $472,000 offering with Bangkok. Thai ended up spending three seasons with the Bobcats, helping them to a division title in 1980. While in Thailand, he had a 46-26 record, 3.04 ERA, 604 innings, 708 strikeouts, and 15.7 WAR. Thai was viewed as quite good, but not elite. He became a free agent after the 1982 campaign and signed a four-year, $1,192,000 deal with Bengaluru. This was his most impressive run, winning Pitcher of the Year in 1985 and taking second in 1984. He led the Indian League in ERA both years, posting an impressive 1.69 in 1985. He also led in WHIP in 1984 and wins in 1985. The Blazers made the playoffs in SAB’s first seven seasons and all of Thai’s tenure. He stepped up big in the postseason with a 1.66 ERA in six starts, 45.2 innings, and 48 strikeouts. Thai’s 1.57 ERA in 23 innings in 1985 was a big reason for Bengaluru winning the South Asia Baseball championship. For his Blazers four seasons, he had a 71-29 record, 2.42 ERA, 937 innings, 1074 strikeouts, 182 walks, and 24.0 WAR. Despite still being in good health, 1986 would be Thai’s final season. He became a free agent at age 34, but wasn’t overly committed to sticking with the game. Although he had only made $2,148,000 in his career, which was plenty of money for him to live off of for years to come. Some teams put out feelers, but Thai decided to retire at only age 34. His official SAB career was only seven years, although his pre-SAB play got him just across the 10 years of service time for Hall of Fame eligibility. Thai had a 117-55 record, 2.66 ERA, 1541 innings, 1782 strikeouts, 74 FIP-, and 39.7 WAR. They are certainly low grand totals and many voters were understandably turned off by that. The still new SAB Hall of Fame was trying to induct its initial players and many voters were anxious to avoid blank ballots. Thaw debuted at 44.5% in 1992 and was the top vote getter in 1995, but only at 52.7%. He was again the best guy out there in 1996 and by virtue of that, he just got the bump up to 66.5% to become the fourth member of SAB’s Hall of Fame. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

03-09-2024, 05:05 PM	#1046
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,603	1996 ABF Hall of Fame The Asian Baseball Federation was really no closer in 1996 to electing its first Hall of Famer. SP Zeyad Noori was the top vote getter in his second try, but at a mere 24.2%, down from his 26.1% the prior year. SP Abbas Nadim on his third try had 22.5%. The best debut s saw LF Mahyar Rahmani and CL Touraj Haghighat both at 18.2%. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

03-10-2024, 04:33 AM	#1047
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,603	1996 World Baseball Championship The 1996 World Baseball Championship was the 50^th edition of the event and was centered around Johannesburg, South Africa. Division 1 had Taiwan in first at 8-1, while Ukraine and Venezuela were both two games back. It is the third division title in five years for the Taiwanese, who have five division titles total. D2 saw the United States and the Philippines tie for first at 8-1. The Americans won head-to-head for the tiebreaker, sending them to the elite eight for the 42^nd time. Division 3 had defending runner-up China and Australia both at 7-2. The Chinese had the tiebreaker for an impressive sixth consecutive division title, tying Brazil for the longest such streak by someone other than the USA. China has also moved forward 19 times. A tight Division 4 saw Russia first at 7-2, edging out 6-3 efforts by Argentina, Ghana, Haiti, and Japan. It is the second time in three years the Russians have moved forward and the 13^th overall. In Division 5, defending World Champion Canada (8-1) held off strong 7-2 challenges from the Dominican Republic and the Netherlands. The Canadians have advanced 31 times, second only behind the Americans. Pakistan impressively swept the Division 6 field at 9-0. It is only the second division win for the Pakistanis, who took third in the 1990 WBC. D7 saw South Korea first at 7-2, while Brazil, Germany, and Portugal were all at 6-3. It was the second title in three years for the Koreans and their 17^th overall. The other unbeaten in divisional play was Indonesia atop D8. The Indonesians have an impressive four year division title streak and 13 division wins overall. China was first in Round Robin Group A at 5-1, earning an impressive fifth straight final four appearance and their 14^th overall. Taiwan at 3-3 advanced as well, while defending champ Canada and Indonesia were both 2-4. Interestingly enough for Taiwan, all five times they won their division, they also advanced to the final four. In Group B, the United States took the top spot at 5-1 for a 36^th semifinal berth. Pakistan and Russia tied at 3-3 and South Korea was 1-5. The tiebreaker went to the Pakistanis for their second semifinal appearance. In the semis, China outlasted Pakistan 3-2 and the US swept Taiwan. Pakistan officially was third, matching their prior best from 1990. Taiwan finished fourth for the third time in five years. The Chinese earned a fourth straight finals appearance, something only the Americans had done previously. The US made it to their 32^nd championship. The 50^th World Championship had the United States back upon their throne, defeating China 4-2. The Americans are now a dominant 28-4 in their finals appearances, getting their first title since 1992. The Chinese were repeat runner up, moving to 4-5 all-time in the championship. Tournament MVP was US LF Lukas Warrell, a fourth year rising star with Albuquerque. The Tucson, Arizona native had 12 home runs, 27 RBI, 27 hits, 23 runs, 17 walks, 70 total bases, and 2.2 WAR in 24 starts with a .314/.439/.814 slash. Argentina’s Cristian Saez was Best Pitcher. A two-way player with Buenos Aires, his primary value with the Atlantics was in left field while adding respectable relief pitching. In the WBC, the 28-year old tossed 13.2 scoreless innings with 30 strikeouts, allowing only three hits and three walks. Other notes: South Korea’s Myeong-Hwan Sung was the seventh player to hit for the cycle in the WBC, going 4-4 against the US in the Round Robin. The Philippines’ Franklin Sto. Tomas had a no-hitter with 12 strikeouts and five walks against Sudan. Below are the updated all-time tournament stats through 50 editions of the WBC. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

03-10-2024, 09:29 AM	#1048
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,603	1996 in AAB In the second season of the African Association of Baseball, the Southern Conference saw two different playoff teams from the inaugural season. Cape Town, winners of 84 games in 1995, set a new record at 114-48. As of 2037, this is still the SC’s best-ever mark and it would only get bested in all of AAB by Addis Ababa in 2010. The Cowboys also had a 3.23 team ERA, which held as the conference record until 2017. For the wild card spot, defending AAB champ Johannesburg and Luanda tied at 93-69. The Landsharks won the tiebreaker game to deny the Jackalopes’ repeat hopes. Lusaka, the first place team last year, dropped to seventh at 72-90. Captaining Cape Town’s pitching staff was Yves Munyaneza, who won both Pitcher of the Year and Southern Conference MVP. Nicknamed “Sly,” the 27-year old Rwandan led in ERA (1.59), strikeouts (282), WHIP (0.82), K/BB (5.1), FIP- (40), and WAR (9.3). He had a 21-5 record over 198.1 innings, finishing one win short of a Triple Crown. Munyaneza’s 1.59 ERA is still the AAB single-season record as of 2037. This season also holds records for lowest opponent’s batting average (.157) and OPS (.479). The Central Conference saw repeat playoff appearances for Ndjamena and Kinshasa, although they switched positions. This time, the Magic finished first at 100-62 and the Sun Cats were second at 96-66. Kinshasa’s pitching staff allowed 1079 hits and 6.59 H/9, both of which are still single-season AAB bests as of 2037. Bujumbura at 86-76 was a distant third place. Bighorns RF Stijn Steeneveld was the Central Conference MVP. The 31-year old Dutchman was in his second season with Bujumbura after playing in the EBF with Rotterdam previously. Steeneveld led the conference with 58 home runs, 363 total bases, and 7.2 WAR, while adding 106 runs, 128 RBI, and a .290 average. The 58 homers was a new single season record, but that would fall the next year. Pitcher of the Year was Kinshasa’s Hendrik Jongman. The 30-year old South African lefty, he led with 27 quality starts and posted a 15-9 record over 250.1 innings, 2.80 ERA, 220 strikeouts, and 7.8 WAR. Cape Town cruised to a Southern Conference Championship sweep of Luanda. In a Central Conference Championship rematch, Ndjamena avenged their prior defeat and beat Kinshasa 4-1. It would be two newcomers in the Africa Series, but a South African team would be champ again. The Cowboys topped the Magic 5-3. At 114-48, the 1996 Cowboys would hold the AAB record for most wins by a champion until passed in 2010. Finals MVP was 3B Almando Galan, a Chilean veteran who joined Cape Town in 1995 after playing for Santiago. In 11 starts, Galan had 13 hits, 6 runs, 3 home runs, and 6 RBI. Pitcher of the Year Yves Munyaneza also set a playoff record with 16.3 K/9. He posted a 1.53 ERA over 17.2 playoff innings with 32 strikeouts. Another still standing playoff record was set by Ndjamena’s Pasi Kalonji with an opponent’s slugging percentage of .125. Other notes: Johannesburg’s Stefan Cejka had 71 doubles, which still stands as the AAB record as of 2037. Cejka was also the first AAB player to have a 20+ game hit streak, getting to 21 in the summer. Another still standing record was set by Lusaka’s Muktar Abdi with 291 innings pitched. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

03-10-2024, 04:34 PM	#1049
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,603	1996 in ALB Arab League Baseball elected to expand the active roster size for the 1997 season to 26 players. ALB would keep this standard until dropping back down to 25 for the 2010 season. The Western Conference had three repeat division champions. Two-time defending Arab League champ Casablanca extended their Mediterranean Division streak to five seasons at 98-64. However, it was Cairo at 107-55 who had the top overall seed, winning the Nile Division. The Pharaohs won the division by 14 games despite solid efforts by Alexandria (93-69) and Giza (90-72). The Levant Division had Amman first at 88-74, seven better than Jerusalem. Both Cairo and Casablanca have been in the playoffs in six of ALB’s first seven seasons. The top award winners came from non-playoff teams. Beirut LF Junoon Asghar was the Western Conference MVP, becoming the second ALB player to hit 60+ home runs. His 62 dingers was still five away from Ahmed Hassan Egeh’s 1990 record of 67. The 26-year old Palestinian also led in runs (113), RBI (135), total bases (389), slugging (.684), OPS (1.051), and wRC+ (195), while adding 8.4 WAR and a .293 average. Alexandria’s Ahmed Khandour was Pitcher of the Year as the 25-year old Egyptian lefty led in ERA (2.13) and quality starts (28). Khandour added a 20-8 record over 237 innings with 266 strikeouts and 8.1 WAR. Amman stunned defending champ Casablanca 2-0 in the first round of the playoffs, denying the Bruins’ three-peat bid. The Aviators were no match for Cairo in the Western Conference Championship as the Pharaohs swept them 3-0. Cairo now has three pennants, having also won the WCC in 1990 and 1992. The big change in the Eastern Conference was the fall of Medina. The Mastodons had won the EC four consecutive seasons, but they fell to 80-82 and opened up a vacancy at the top. Mosul easily got the top seed at 110-52 atop the Iraq Division. The Muskies were repeat division winners. Dubai set a franchise best at 97-65 and won a third consecutive Gulf Division. In the Saudi Division, Mecca (89-73) was one better than Jeddah (88-74), giving the Marksmen their first-ever division title. Mosul SS Mohammed Mohamed was repeat Eastern Conference Champion and had a record setting season. He became the second Triple Crown hitter in ALB history at 42 home runs, 135 RBI, and a .389 average. That and his Gold Glove winning defense at short gave him an incredible 16.0 WAR season, which still holds as the ALB all-time record. It was nearly a world record for WAR from a pure position player, just behind the 16.07 by OBA’s Jimmy Caliw in 1976. Mohamed set a new batting average record (that he’d beat himself next year) and his .465 OBP still holds in 2037 as the top mark. His 229 hits was also an ALB record, albeit short lived. The only 22-year old Saudi righty also led the league in total bases (416), slugging (.707), OPS (1.172), and wRC+ (225). Mosul also saw Rashid Tariq win his third consecutive Eastern Conference Pitcher of the Year. The 27-year old Iraqi led in wins (24-6), ERA (2.42), innings (282.1), WHIP (0.93), complete games (14), FIP- (52), and WAR (11.5). His 343 strikeouts were also second in the EC. Mecca swept Dubai in the first round to send the Marksmen to their first-ever Eastern Conference Championship. They couldn’t stand up to the juggernaut that was Mosul, as the Muskies got the 3-0 sweep for their first pennant. In the seventh Arab League Championship, Cairo claimed their first-ever title in a seven game classic over Mosul. Finals MVP went to LF Hicham Sow in his first season as a full-time starter. The 26-year old Mauritanian had 15 hits, 6 runs, 5 doubles, 2 home runs, and 3 RBI over 10 playoff starts. The Pharaohs were the first Egyptian team to claim the overall title. Other notes: Ahmed Hassan Egeh and Bilal Hamdan became the first players to reach 300 career home runs. Catcher Ahmed Assi became the first six-time Gold Glove winner in ALB. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

03-11-2024, 03:26 AM	#1050
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,603	1996 in ABF The Pakistan League again had Hyderabad in first and Karachi in second. The Horned Frogs set a franchise record at 109-53 and set numerous PL records as a pitching staff. Hyderabad had a 2.00 team ERA, 923 hits allowed, 367 runs, and 331 earned runs. Each of these is still second best in the PL as of 2037, only beaten by a stronger Horned Frog staff in 1988. Their 5.58 H/9 and 65 saves remain league records at present. They earned a third straight playoff spot, while the defending PLCS winning Carp (91-71) earned back-to-back. It was a ten game drop to third place Rawalpindi. Gujranwala was tied for fifth at 77-85, but featured the Pakistan League’s MVP in 1B Haroon Yahya. At only age 22, Yahya led in hits (195), home runs (43), total bases (357) and average (.315) while adding 8.7 WAR and 229 wRC+. Hyderabad had Pitcher of the Year Ahmad Oorzhak in his first season as a full-time starter. The 23-year old righty led in ERA (1.35) but also walks (86). He had a 16-7 record over 232.2 innings, 324 strikeouts, and 5.3 WAR. The Turkish League was incredibly intense in 1996, but defending Asian Baseball Federation champion Adana took the TL again. At 90-72, the Axemen were only two games better than both Ankara and Istanbul, four better than Bursa, and seven ahead of Izmir. Over in the Persian League, Isfahan repeated as the top team at 88-74. Their closest competitor was an 80-82 Tehran squad. Adana 1B Mohammed Khan was a repeat MVP in the West Asia Association. He led in home runs (58), walks (88), total bases (406), and slugging (.688). Khan added 131 RBI, a .327 average, and 9.7 WAR. It was the final ABF season for the 26-year old Indian lefty, as Khan would be lured to Brazil with an eight-year, $21,000,000 contract with Recife. He spent the remainder of a fine pro career with the Retrievers. Isfahan’s Yazeed Anwari was a repeat Pitcher of the Year winner, leading with a 1.75 ERA, 18-8 record, 0.79 WHIP, 13.4 K/BB, 20 complete games, 8 shutouts, 37 FIP-, and 12.3 WAR. The 23-year old Anwari had 246.2 innings and was second in strikeouts with 362. The Pakistan League Championship Series was a rematch that saw the same result as last year. Despite being the road underdog, Karachi ousted Hyderabad in only five games. The West Asia Association Championship was also a rematch. Just as in 1995 over there, the favorite Adana prevailed over Isfahan, this time in five games. In last year’s Asian Baseball Federation Championship, Adana outlasted Karachi in a seven game thriller that ended with a walk off. The 12^th edition in 1996 wouldn’t have the walkoff, but it was also a seven game classic which ended with the Axemen on top over the Carp. Adana became the third franchise to repeat as ABF champs, joining Hyderabad (1986-87) and Istanbul (1988-89). Karachi is now 0-3 in the final and joined Isfahan and Peshawar as the only franchises to lose back-to-back finals berths. These would be the glory days for Adana, as they wouldn’t be back in the final in the next 40 years. The Carp would have to wait until the late 2000s for their next shot at the cup. Other notes: ABF had three perfect games in 1996, making it seven so far for the league. The first was May 3 by Mohammad Barlas of Rawalpindi with 9 strikeouts against Peshawar. The second was 5/25 by Suq Azam of Hyderabad, fanning 13 against Lahore. The third was 7/4 by Lahore’s Hasan Afshin with 13Ks against Karachi. Multan’s Brazi Nawaz set a single-season ABF record with nine shutouts. Gokhan Karatas became the first player to reach 1000 RBI and the second to 300 home runs. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

03-11-2024, 10:50 AM	#1051
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,603	1996 in SAB Defending South Asia Baseball Champion Ahmedabad had their worst season since 1987, unable to match their record-setting 124-win 1995. That said, the Animals were still 104-58 and the top seed out of the Indian League. Ahmedabad earned a SAB record 12th playoff berth and their 11th West Division title in that stretch. Visakhapatnam had their six-year playoff streak ended last year, but they were back atop the South Division firmly in 1996 at 101-61. In the Central Division, Jaipur (93-69) ended an 11-year playoff drought. Kanpur at 85-77 narrowly extended their playoff streak to seven years as the wild card. The Poison beat out Delhi by one game and Mumbai by three. Bengaluru struggled to a lousy 69-93, but 2B Tirtha Upadhyaya repeated as Indian League MVP. At only age 22, the Nepali lefty became SAB’s single season home run king with 69, passing Andee Siddharth’s record 67 from 1987. He’d only hold the record two years, but his 13.58 WAR still stands as the fourth best season in SAB history as of 2037. Upadhyaya also led in runs (119), RBI (134), total bases (426), slugging (.737), OPS (1.132), and wRC+ (261). Pitcher of the Year was Jaipur’s Raj Laghari with the 28-year old leading in ERA (1.57), quality starts (29), and FIP- (59). He added 8.4 WAR, an 18-7 record, and 298 strikeouts in 247 innings. Ahmedabad beat Kanpur 3-1 and Jaipur downed Visakhapatnam 3-1 in the first round of the playoffs. For the Jokers, it was their fourth Indian League Championship Series berth, although they had gone 0-3 in their other opportunities in the 1980s. The perennial power Animals defended their throne and rolled to a 4-1 win. Ahmedabad secured an IL three-peat and their ninth pennant in eleven years. Ho Chi Minh City yet again had the Southeast Asia League’s best record. They didn’t match their own 124-win 1995, but were excellent at 115-47 leading the South Division. The Hedgehogs extended their playoff streak to ten seasons. Their pitching staff also allowed only 1103 hits, which remains the SEAL record as of 2037. Bangkok at 98-64 was a distant second in the division, but easily got the first wild card for their second berth in three years. In the North Division, four teams battled for the division title and second wild card. Yangon ended up a repeat division champ at 89-73. Hanoi was one back at 88-74 to earn a repeat wild card. Both Dhaka and Mandalay were 87-75, falling a game short of the postseason. Bangor’s Keone Sayasane earned Southeast Asia League MVP. The 27-year old Lao first baseman led in hits (201), total bases (393), slugging (.628), OPS (.999), and wRC+ (183). Sayasane added 8.4 WAR, 49 home runs, and 133 RBI. Pitcher of the Year was Ansin “Godzilla” Mohammad. After six years with Pune, he had signed a six-year, $7,770,000 deal with Ho Chi Mihn City for 1996. Mohammad excelled as a Hedgehog, leading in wins (21-9), innings (270), strikeouts (391), and complete games (13). He added a 2.43 ERA and 8.8 WAR. Ho Chi Minh City beat Vietnamese rival Hanoi 3-1 in the first round of the playoffs, while Yangon swept Bangkok. The Hedgehogs were the big favorite in the Southeast Asia League Championship, shooting for a seventh pennant in a decade. However, the Green Dragons shocked them with a sweep in the rematch. This was the fourth pennant for Yangon, who also won back in 1980, 82, and 83. Entering the 17th South Asia Baseball Championship, the Green Dragons were hoping for their first overall title despite being the major underdog to the Ahmedabad dynasty. Yangon had gone 0-3 in their previous finals, while the Animals were 8-0 in the last decade. The series went six games as Ahmedabad’s historic run continued, earning a second three-peat and a ninth title in 11 years. Never in pro baseball history before or since had there been such sustained dominance and amazingly, the Animals run at the top still had a few more years left. For back-to-back finals, LF Deepak Rahim was the finals MVP. In 15 playoff games, the 30-year old had 19 hits, 6 runs, 3 doubles, 4 home runs, and 9 RBI. Other notes: Zainal bin Aziz became the first pitcher to 250 career wins. He retired with 255 and still sits third as of 2037. At 131.96, bin Aziz is still the SAB pitching WARlord. His 4483 strikeouts is still fourth most and held the top spot until the late 2010s. Janapati Sara and Arvind Lal became the third and fourth to reach 3000 strikeouts. 3B Manju Abbas became the first seven-time Gold Glove winner. 2B Abdul Deepkaran won his eighth Silver Slugger. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

03-11-2024, 05:24 PM	#1052
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,603	1996 in WAB Accra earned first place in the WAB Western League standings for the first time in franchise history with a 101-61 record in 1996. It was repeat playoff berths for the Alligators and their third all-time. Freetown ended a two-year playoff ski and finished second at 90-72. Abidjan, who had won the WL pennant four consecutive years, narrowly extended their postseason streak. The Athletes at 87-75 finished third for the second wild card, topping Nouakchott by three games. Leading Accra’s efforts was DH Seydou Badara, who fell one short of the WAB home run record with 61. The 26-year old Malian also led in RBI (135), walks (100) and total bases (346), but also led in strikeouts with 203. He had a .251 average and 5.6 WAR with nearly half of his career WAR in this one breakout season. Despite Monrovia being below .500, they saw Angelo Costa win Pitcher of the Year. At only 23-years old, the Cape Verdean lefty led in wins (21-9), innings (292.1), strikeouts (384), quality starts (28), complete games (20), FIP- (55), and WAR (11.3). He was second in ERA at 2.28. Costa’s 20 complete games also set a still-standing WAB single-season record. Freetown survived 2-1 over Abidjan in the wild card round, ending the Athletes’ hope at a five-peat. It was only the second time the Foresters had ever made the Western League Championship Series, joining their 1977 title season. It was the second for Accra, who was runner-up the prior year. The Alligators earned their first pennant by outlasting Freetown 3-2 in the WLCS. Ibadan had the best overall record, leading the Eastern League at 112-50. The Iguanas extended their postseason streak to seven seasons. Second place was defending WAB champ Port Harcourt at 102-60, extending their impressive playoff streak to eight. Kano, who was the ELCS runner-up last year, placed third at 99-63. Lagos came close to taking the final playoff spot from the Condors, but finished fourth at 95-67. Two-way Ibadan star Rudy Bambara won his fourth Eastern League MVP as well as his first Pitcher of the Year. On the mound, the 30-year old Burkinabe was the leader in ERA (1.82), quality starts (29), FIP- (60), and WAR (9.4). He added a 23-3 record, 266.1 innings, and 307 strikeouts. On top of that, he had 94 games at the plate and starts at third base, smacking 35 home runs, 110 hits, 82 RBI, with a .317/.364/.677 slash and 5.3 WAR. This incredible effort made Bambara a massively sought after free agent in the offseason, leaving for MLB on a five-year, $19,000,000 deal with Edmonton. Kano upset Port Harcourt with a 2-0 sweep in the wild card round, sending the Condors back to the Eastern League Championship Series. Ibadan was making their fourth ELCS berth in five years. The Iguanas took the series 3-1 to win their third pennant in four years (1993, 94, 96). In the 22^nd West African Championship, Accra became a first-time champion. The Alligators bested Ibadan 4-1, making the Iguanas 1-2 in their finals appearances. With Accra’s win, 10 of WAB’s 20 teams have won it all. Leading the effort was 3B Antoine Samson, who won WLCS MVP. In 10 playoff starts, he had 10 hits, 2 runs, 1 home run, 4 RBI, and 5 walks. Other notes: Xavi Leko, who had passed Addise Assefa for WAB’s all-time strikeout lead, became the first pitcher to fan 4500 hitters. Daouda Kadri became the sixth to 400 home runs. Abel Alemu and Arnaud Issaka became the third and fourth hitters to score 1000 runs. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

03-12-2024, 03:32 AM	#1053
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,603	1996 in CLB The CLB Northern League had a shakeup at the top in 1996. Nanjing finished first at 101-61, earning their first playoff appearance since 1989. It is only the second time the Nuggets have finished first in the standings (1973). Harbin was one back at 100-62, but snapped a playoff drought that stretched back to their 1981 title. Defending Chinese League champ Xi’an tied for third with Shenyang at 85-67. Zhengzhou, a semifinalist in 1995, took fifth at 83-79. Northern League MVP went to Zhengzhou’s Ziming Feng. The 26-year old first basemen nicknamed “Butterball,” led in home runs (48), RBI (99), total bases (345), slugging (.583), OPS (.921), and wRC+ (196). Feng added 9.3 WAR and a .291 average. Xi’an’s Momota Oichi won back-to-back Pitcher of the Year honors, leading in wins (21-8), strikeouts (348), quality starts (29), FIP- (59), and 8.3 WAR). He had a 1.69 ERA over 255.2 innings, falling just four points short of a Triple Crown. Four teams fought over the two postseason spots in the Southern League. Like in the Northern League, two teams ended lengthy playoff droughts. Foshan finished first at 96-66, earning their first postseason berth since their 1980 championship. Hong Kong at second at 94-68, ending a drought dating to 1985. The Champions allowed 304 earned runs, which still stands as the third lowest tally in SL history as of 2037. Kunming (93-69) and last year’s first place squad Chengdu (92-70) both narrowly missed the cut. Changsha, who was second in 1995, dropped to seventh at 79-83. Southern League MVP went to 1B Julong Dou. The 29-year old in his ninth pro season led in hits (226), runs (75), doubles (42), average (.359), OBP (.396), and WAR (10.5). Foshan’s Jinlong Han was Pitcher of the Year, leading all pitchers with a 1.18 ERA. Han added an 18-8 record over 275 innings, 391 strikeouts, and 10.5 WAR. The Northern League continued its dominance of the Southern League in the crossover playoff semifinals. Nanjing topped Hong Kong 4-2 and Harbin outlasted Foshan 4-3. It was the sixth time in the 1990s that both Northern League playoff teams made it to the China Series. It was the third finals berth by the Nuggets (1970, 1982) and the fourth for Harbin (1973, 80, 81). In the 27^th China Series, Nanjing edged Harbin in a seven game classic to earn their first CLB title. With that, 13 of CLB’s 24 teams have now won the overall title. Veteran RF Zhen Luo was finals MVP as the 31-year old made 13 playoff starts with 13 hits, 9 runs, 5 home runs, and 8 RBI. Other notes: Qingdao’s Hongbo Wan set a single-season CLB record with 35 triples. Wuhan’s Martin Cui set the single-season strikeout record with an impressive 22 Ks over nine innings on 7/22 against Macau. As of 2037, no other CLB pitcher has gotten to 22 strikeouts. Zhiming Cao became the seventh reliever to reach 300 saves. The next player to hit the mark wouldn’t do it until 2010. 2B Liang Shang Guan won his tenth and final Silver Slugger. He became the fourth batter to win the award ten times or more. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

03-12-2024, 10:07 AM	#1054
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,603	1996 in APB For the third consecutive season, Taoyuan posted the top record in the Taiwan-Philippine Association. The Tsunami took the Taiwan League at 103-59, finishing 14 games ahead of second place Kaohsiung. In the Philippine League, Cebu had an impressive bounce back after winning only 66 games in 1965. The Crows finished 91-71 to end a three-year playoff drought. Defending Austronesia Champion Davao was tied for second at 81-81 with Manila. Although Tainan was a terrible 69-93, third-year Titans center fielder Chen-Hua Wang won the TPA MVP. The 24-year old lefty led in runs (82), OBP (.360), slugging (.504), OPS (.864), wRC+ (175), total bases (301), and WAR (8.7). Taoyuan’s Heng-Hsiao Laio scored Pitcher of the Year, leading in ERA (1.44), WHIP (0.75), and FIP- (45). Liao added 8.3 WAR, a 13-7 record, and 261 strikeouts in 206.2 innings. Also of note, Davao’s Wei-Min Chiang won his third straight Reliever of the Year, posting a 1.10 ERA and 4.4 WAR over 65.1 innings with 26 saves and 101 strikeouts. For only the second time in franchise history (1982), Singapore won the Malacca League. The Sharks had the Sundaland Association’s best record at 105-57, finishing 11 games ahead of Batam. For the Blue Raiders, this is only the second time they’ve missed the playoffs in seven years. Despite missing the playoffs, Batam set a team record for fewest hits allowed (956), which stood as the APB record until 2005. Defending SA champ Bandung won the Java League for the third consecutive season with their 93-69 mark. Surabaya (89-73) and Jakarta (86-76) were competitive, but just short. Singapore 1B Gavin Loh won repeat Sundaland Association MVPs and set a single-season APB record by a hitter with 14.0 WAR. That still stands as the top mark as of 2037. He won a Gold Glove and led in runs (107), home runs (53), RBI (114), total bases (376), slugging (.649), OPS (1.031), and wRC+ (266) with a .314 average. This was the final year with the Sharks for the 32-year old Indonesian, as he left for MLB and a five-year, $19,600,000 deal with Denver in the offseason. Batam’s Wisnu Mahmudiana was Pitcher of the Year for the fourth consecutive season. The 29-year old righty led in WAR (13.4), and WHIP (0.60), while adding a 21-6 record, 1.43 ERA, and 441 strikeouts over 227 innings. Mahmudiana also threw two no-hitters, giving him three for his career. It was a year of great pitching, as despite setting a career record in Ks, he was beaten by Surabaya’s Wen-Yang Kuo with 445 Ks. Jakarata’s Hadi Ningsih also posted an incredible 0.98 ERA and 10.6 WAR, but he didn’t have as many innings or strikeouts to get the top honor. Still, Ningsih’s ERA was the third-lowest by a qualifying starter in APB history. Also of note, Chang-Heng Chang won his fourth Reliever of the Year in a season split between Medan and Jakarta. He was the fifth APB reliever to win the award four times and used it to cash in on MLB money after the 1997 campaign. The Taiwan-Philippine Association Championship saw Taoyuan sweep Cebu, giving the Tsunami their second title in three years. It was Taoyuan’s sixth pennant overall, which leads all TPA teams. The Sundaland Association Championship was a seven game classic that saw Singapore defeat Bandung for their first-ever title. Game seven went 11 innings with the Sharks taking it 2-1. With Singapore’s pennant, that leaves Depok as the only Sundaland Association team without at least one pennant. The only TPA team without one is Zamboanga. The 32nd Austronesia Championship was also a seven game classic that needed extra innings in the finale. Game seven saw a 6-5 Taoyuan win over Singapore in 12 innings, ending with a walk off solo home run by SS Abdul Haris Basri. RF Fernando Reyes was the playoff hero overall, winning MVP of the TPA final and APB final. The 29-year old Filipino missed half of the regular season to injury, but in 11 playoff games had 15 hits, 10 runs, 2 doubles, 6 home runs, and 9 RBI. The Tsunami are now four time APB champs (1978, 82, 83, 96). This ties Taoyuan with Kaohsiung for the second-most titles, while Jakarta’s five rings remain the most. Other notes: The 23rd APB perfect game came on May 5 from Jakarta’s Wahyu Toy, striking out 11 against Batam. Singapore’s Jianbua Wong set a playoff record with a .476 batting average, going 10-21 over 11 games and 4 starts. Hadi Ningsih became the fourth pitcher to 4500 strikeouts, while four other pitchers (Ronald Purnomo, Chandra Igbonefo, Mulya Dayanti, Ricky Jungao) crossed 4000 Ks in 1996. Ten APB pitchers are now in the 4k club. Ningsih also became the third to reach 250 wins. He would pitch two more years and end at 277, passing Dave Hermillo’s 269 to take the all-time lead. Ningsih stayed the wins leader until 2027. He also would be the WARlord at 144.49 until the 2020s. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

03-12-2024, 05:35 PM	#1055
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,603	1996 in OBA For the first time since their mid 1970s dynasty, Adelaide was on top of the Australasia League in 1996. The Aardvarks were 94-68, earning their seventh AL pennant (1963, 64, 66, 74, 76, 77, 96), tying them with Perth and Christchurch. The Penguins were the closest competitor at 90-72, followed by Auckland at 87-75. The defending champion Chinooks were fourth at 85-77. Australasia League MVP went to Perth LF Ron Veditto. The 27-year old Australian led in runs (93), hits (198), RBI (103), total bases (354), triple slash (.354/.376/.632), OPS (1.009), wRC+ (204), and WAR (9.0). He also had a career best 34 home runs Venditto also had a 29-game hit streak, which was OBA’s second longest to date.. Auckland’s Sandy Montoya won Pitcher of the Year in his OBA debut. The 35-year old Peruvian had spent his entire career to that point in MLB with 12 solid seasons in Nashville and one in Tampa. With the Avengers, Montoya led in ERA (2.55), WHIP (0.94), and quality starts (32). He added a 17-14 record over 314.2 innings, 298 strikeouts, and 6.8 WAR. Defending Oceania Champion Honolulu dominated the Pacific League at 107-55 for a historic 13^th pennant. 11 of those titles for the Honu have come in the last 16 seasons. Guam was a distant second at 95-67, 12 games back. Samoa was third at 88-74. Pacific League MVP went to Honolulu 1B Vavao Brighouse for the seventh time. The 33-year old Samoan smacked a league best 65 home runs with 130 RBI, 105 runs, 373 total bases, a .619 slugging, and 7.3 WAR. It was Brighouse’s tenth time leading in home runs and his eighth season with 60+ dingers. No other player in any world league to this point has had as many 60+ homer seasons. His Honu teammate Zeke Decker was a repeat Pitcher of the Year winner, leading in wins at 27-6. He added a 2.00 ERA, 319.1 innings, 309 strikeouts, and 7.5 WAR. Defending champ Honolulu was a big favorite entering the 37^th Oceania Championship against Adelaide. However, the Aardvarks not only beat the Honu, but stunned them with a sweep. Adelaide moves to an impressive 6-1 all-time in the final with their first championship since 1977. Catcher Remington Numbers was finals MVP going 7-16 with 4 runs and 2 doubles. The 30-year old Englishman had joined Adelaide that season after starting his career in EBF. The defeat also officially marked the end of Honolulu’s dominance in the Pacific League, as the Honu would have to wait more than 20 years for their next pennant. Other notes: September 12 saw OBA’s seventh perfect game as Honolulu’s Evan Tofuola struck out 14 against Fiji. This was the first OBA perfecto since 1985. Fiji’s Asaeli Ali set a bad all-time OBA record, striking out 252 times during the season. Vavoa Brighouse joined Sione Hala as the only OBA members of the 600 home run club. Brighouse also won his eighth Silver Slugger at first base. Jonah Lois became the fourth pitcher to reach 250 career wins. He would pitch one more year and retire at 277, which is still fifth best as of 2037. Graham Chapman won his eighth Silver Slugger. Interestingly, Chapman has won five times in right field, twice in left, and once as a designated hitter. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

03-13-2024, 03:44 AM	#1056
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,603	1996 in EPB The EPB European League had the same four playoff teams as the prior year. Kharkiv again had the best overall record, dominating the South Division at 114-48. The North Division saw a swap as Minsk (100-62) took first and three-time defending EL champ Warsaw (97-65) got the first wild card. The Miners extended their impressive playoff streak to 16 seasons, while the Wildcats added their own solid streak to nine. Minsk also had historic pitching success, as their 370 runs are the fewest allowed in EPB history as of 2037. Their 1.99 ERA and 331 earned runs are second to the Miners’ 1990 campaign. The Killer Bees had their own impressive pitching record with a 0.845 team WHIP, a mark only bested by Minsk in 1999. At 92-70, Kyiv grabbed the second wild card and secured six straight playoff berths. Kazan finished one back with Sofia four games away. European League MVP went to Minsk LF Wojciech Jezierski. The 27-year old Polish righty was the offensive WARlord (9.7) and led in OBP (.398), slugging (.579), OPS (.976), and wRC+ (211). He added 32 home runs and a .314 average. Kyiv’s Artem Makarevich won his third Pitcher of the Year in four seasons, posting a 24-8 record, 1.51 ERA, 285.1 innings, 383 strikeouts, and 11.9 WAR. It was the last season in EPB for the 33-year old Belarusian, who defected to MLB in the offseason on a four-year, $13,280,000 deal with Montreal. Also of note, Minsk’s Stefan Nesu set a single-season EPB ERA record of 1.05, which still stands as of 2037 as the lowest. He only had 163.1 innings due to injury, keeping his accumulations out of the award conversations. Kharkiv beat their divisional and Ukrainian rival Kyiv 3-1 in the first round, sending the Killer Bees to repeat European League Championship Series appearances. Minsk swept Warsaw, ending the Wildcats’ bid for a fourth consecutive pennant. Kharkiv was the favorite again, but just like last year, they were upset. The Miners outlasted the Killer Bees in a seven game classic for Minsk’s first pennant since their 1988-91 four-peat. The Miners now have 13 pennants to their name with seven since the start of the 1980s. In the Asian League, Almaty’s playoff streak became six years, winning the South Division and earning the top seed at 106-56. Defending EPB champ Irkutsk at 101-61 won a fifth straight North Division and improved to seven straight postseason berths. The Ice Cats had their own historic pitching staff, setting still-standing AL records for ERA (2.10), hits (995), and earned runs (346). Their 395 runs allowed and 1780 strikeouts are third-best in AL history. Interestingly enough, Omsk allowed only 1035 hits, the second-fewest ever by an AL team. Despite that, the Otters were only 82-80. The first wild card went to Novosibirsk at 93-69. The Nitros also extended a lengthy playoff streak to six seasons. For the final spot, Tashkent and Ufa tied at 90-72 with Tbilisi at 88-74. The Tomcats won the tiebreaker game over the Fiends to earn repeat playoff bids. With that, the 1996 Eurasian Professional Baseball postseason field saw the rare occurrence of the same eight playoff teams as from the prior season. Asian League MVP was Yerevan shortstop Iosif Kostandinov. In only his third full season, the 23-year old Russian righty led in doubles (38) and WAR (10.3), while adding a .305/.332/.473 slash. Pitcher of the Year was Irkutsk’s Temuujin Munkhuu, a big breakout for the 29-year old Mongolian righty. He had been a reliever until 1995, but broke out as a starter in 1996 with a league-best 1.39 ERA and 0.73 WHIP. Munkhuu had a 17-5 record over 252.1 innings with 357 strikeouts and 9.8 WAR. Tashkent upset Almaty 3-2 in the first round, sending the Tomcats back to the Asian League Championship Series. The playoff yips continue for the Assassins, who have gotten knocked out six straight years in the first round. On the other side, Irkutsk swept Novosibirsk, sending the Ice Cats to a fifth straight ALCS. The Nitros have their own streak of futility with five straight first round exits. The ALCS rematch was a seven game thriller, but Irkutsk continued its’ hold on the top spot by topping Tashkent. The Ice Cats repeated and became the first team in Asian League history to win four pennants in five years. Irkutsk now has eight AL titles, second most to Bishkek’s nine. Despite the relative successes of Irkutsk and Minsk, it was only the second time they had met for the EPB Championship. Back in 1956, the second-ever EPB season, the Miners prevailed 4-1. The 42^nd finale needed all seven games, but it was Minsk coming out on top over the defending champion Ice Cats. League MVP Wojciech Jezierski was also finals MVP, posting 20 hits, 9 runs, 3 doubles, 2 triples, 5 home runs, and 12 RBI over 17 playoff starts. The Miners are now nine-time champs (1956, 62, 66, 69, 85, 88, 90, 91, 96), passing Kyiv for the most. Other notes: July 31 saw EPB’s 28^th perfect game and the first since 1989. Irkutsk’s Aleksandr Ghukasyan did it with 11 strikeouts against Novosibirsk. Tashkent’s Frantisek Kasa tied EPB’s single-game strikeout record, fanning 22 over 8.2 innings against Baku on July 30. Fredi Tamasi became the third pitcher to reach 300 career wins, retiring with 300 exactly. Igor Bury became the eighth to reach 250 wins. Dzmitry Kuliev became the 14^th to 500 home runs. Interestingly enough, no other player would get to 500 homers until 2010. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

03-13-2024, 11:39 AM	#1057
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,603	1996 in EBF Amsterdam won the Northwest Division for the second time in three years and took the EBF Northern Conference’s #1 seed at 102-60. Paris, last year’s division winner, was a very distant second at 83-79. The British Isles Division was intense with Birmingham earning a sixth consecutive division title at 97-65. Glasgow at 95-67 took the wild card, ending a five-year playoff drought. Defending conference champ Dublin was two back on the Highlanders at 93-69, seeing their repeat hopes dashed. After back-to-back losing seasons, Berlin returned to the North Central Division perch at 90-72. The Barons were two games ahead of Stockholm and six ahead of defending division champ Copenhagen. Northern Conference MVP went to Amsterdam LF Kenneth Hammer. The 30-year old Dane led in total bases (383), triple slash (.368/.409/.656), OPS (1.065), and wRC+ (198). Hammer added 8.8 WAR, 41 home runs, and 122 RBI in his final year of European baseball, as he left for MLB and San Diego in the offseason. Injuries would in part cause Hammer’s MLB run to be unremarkable. Birmingham’s Lindsey Brampton won an impressive sixth consecutive Pitcher of the Year. The 28-year old Englishman earned his second straight Triple Crown season and broke his own single-season strikeout record with 489 Ks, a 24-5 record, and 2.25 ERA over 268 innings. 489 strikeouts remains the EBF all-time record as of 2037 with the top five seasons all belonging to Brampton. He also led in WHIP (0.84), FIP- (49), and WAR (11.0). Brampton joined Jean-Luc Roch as the only two-time Triple Crown winners in EBF. Both first round playoff series went all five games with Amsterdam outlasting Berlin and Birmingham edging Glasgow. The Anacondas got their second Northern Conference Championship appearance in three years, while the Bees earned a fourth straight and their fifth in six years. Birmingham reclaimed the top spot by taking the series 4-2 over Amsterdam, giving the Bees their fourth pennant of the 1990s (91, 93, 94, 96). It is their fifth conference title overall. Barcelona narrowly had the Southern Conference’s best record at 95-67. The Bengals won the Southwest Division for their third playoff berth in four years. Both South Central Division champ Zurich and Southeast Division winner Zagreb finished at 94-68. The Mountaineers were repeat division winners with their 23rd playoff berth in 24 seasons. The Gulls got their second berth in three years. In the wild card race, defending European Champion Lisbon barely took the wild card to prolong their playoff streak to six seasons. At 85-77, the Clippers were two games ahead of Munich, three better than Athens, and four ahead of Naples. Lisbon two-way start Daniel Ramires was a repeat Southern Conference MVP. On the mound, the 33-year old Portuguese righty led in wins (21-7) and strikeouts (301), posting a 2.74 ERA, 276.1 innings, and 8.4 WAR., while winning a fifth Gold Glove on the mound. At the plate and in the outfield, Ramires had 5.6 WAR in 129 games, 144 hits, 24 home runs, and a .325/.387/.589 slash. He also barely missed Pitcher of the Year, bested in that race by Barcelona’s Anders Maurstad. The 27-year old Norwegian was in his third season as a Bengal, leading in WAR (9.2), WHIP (0.93), shutouts (6), and innings pitched (289.2). Maurstad had 273 strikeouts, a 19-8 record, and 2.49 ERA. Barcelona survived a five game challenge in the first round from divisional foe Lisbon, ending the Clippers’ repeat bid. Zagreb edged Zurich in five, setting up a rematch of the 1994 Southern Conference Championship. Just as two years ago, it was the Bengals beating the Gulls. Barcelona won the series 4-1 to become six-time conference champs (1950, 59, 64, 79, 94, 96). The 47th European Championship would be a rematch of the 45th edition, which had Birmingham beating Barcelona 4-2. The Bengals would get revenge and take the 1996 title in a seven game showdown. It is the fourth ring for Barcelona, who also won it all in 1959, 64, and 79. CF Lucas Ortega was finals MVP, posting 20 hits, 13 runs, 8 home runs, and 20 RBI in 17 playoff starts. Although his Bees were defeated, Lindsey Brampton set postseason records for WAR (2.23) and strikeouts (75). As of 2037, no other EBF pitcher has topped 60 strikeouts or 2+ WAR in a playoff run. Brampton didn’t have run support, going 2-3 despite a 1.96 ERA over 41.1 innings. Interestingly enough, his teammate Miroslav Pahor set a playoff record with six wins. He did this as a closer, going 6-2 with 2 saves in 12 playoff appearances with a 4.08 ERA. Other notes: Brampton had two games with 22 strikeouts, both against Glasgow. This tied the record he set last year in 10 innings, but this year’s games were over nine and 8.1. There have been eight EBF games with 21 or more strikeouts, seven by Brampton. Sean Houston became the fifth batter to 3000 career hits and the fifth to 700 home runs. He would play one more season, ending with 3269 hits and 752 home runs. This put him fourth in homers and third in hits at retirement. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

03-13-2024, 04:38 PM	#1058
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,603	1996 in BSA Defending Bolivar League champion Bogota, who made the playoffs as a wild card last year, took the Colombia-Ecuador Division at 101-61. This gave the Bats their fifth playoff appearance in six years. The wild card race was centered in this division as well with Medellin (90-72) taking the spot over Cali (85-77) and Quito (84-78). The Mutiny grabbed a fourth playoff berth in five years. The BL’s best record was 111-11 Lima atop the Peru-Bolivia Division. It was the Lobos’ ninth consecutive playoff appearance, one short of the Beisbol Sudamerica record set by Santiago from 1964-73. Lima also won their eighth division title of that streak. Meanwhile, Caracas repeated as Venezuela Division champs and greatly improved from their 86-win 1995, ending an impressive 104-58. Bolivar League MVP went to Lima veteran 2B Gabriel Romero. It was the final BSA season for the 33-year old Peruvian before leaving for MLB, and an impressive breakout with a league-best 10.0 WAR and 127 RBI. Romero added 47 home runs and a .334/.354/.607 slash. Bogota’s Emiliano Calleros was Pitcher of the Year, leading in ERA at 1.88. The 29-year old Colombian won the award despite only tossing 192 innings due to injury, posting a 14-6 record, 157 strikeouts, and 5.4 WAR. This was his peak, as Calleros got the yips with his control falling off a cliff, effectively ending his career after 1997. Wild card Medellin upset Lima 3-1 in the Divisional Series, giving the Lobos repeat first round exits as the top seed. Caracas swept defending champ Bogota, sending the Colts to a repeat Bolivar League Championship Series appearance. For the Munity, this was their third time in five years in the BLCS. Caracas claimed the pennant 4-2 for their first title in a decade. With 11 Bolivar League titles, the Colts lead all teams (1932, 33, 38, 56, 59, 60, 61, 62, 72, 87, 96). Defending Copa Sudamerica champion Recife improved and set a franchise-best at 115-47 atop the Southern Cone League’s North Division. This mark by the Retrievers was tied for the second best record in league history, only behind Cordoba’s 120-42 in 1956. Recife also won the division for the third time in four years. Brasilia, who grabbed the wild card last year at 100-62, fell to 76-86. The Southeast Division had Sao Paulo back on top at 102-60, returning to form after missing the postseason in 1995. Since 1986, the Padres have been a playoff teams in all but two seasons. Buenos Aires (90-72) was second in the division, but beat out 88-74 Rio de Janeiro for the wild card. It was the first playoff appearance in 14 years for the Atlantics. In the South Central Division, Mendoza (95-67) earned its first-ever title in the franchise’s young 10-year history. Santiago’s four-year title streak ended with the Saints falling to 80-82. With the Mutants advancing, that leaves expansion teams Santa Cruz and Arequipa as the only BSA teams without a playoff berth so far. Southern Cone League MVP went to Fortaleza 3B Pedro Souza in only his second year as a full-time starter. The 23-year old Brazilian switch hitter led in home runs (62), RBI (135), total bases (375), and slugging (.615). He added a .275 average and 8.5 WAR. Recife’s Augusto Candido secured Pitcher of the Year honors, leading in ERA (1.40), WHIP (0.71), K/BB (14.2), quality starts (34), FIP- (48), and WAR (10.9). The 27-year old lefty also had 313 strikeouts over 263 innings with a 21-7 record. Recife downed Buenos Aires 3-1 in the first round of the playoffs, while Sao Paulo survived in five games over Mendoza. This put the Padres back into the Southern Cone Championship for the fifth time in 15 years, while the Retrievers had a shot to repeat as champs. The series ended up being very anticlimactic as Recife swept Sao Paulo, earning back-to-back pennants and the third in franchise history. For the first time since Valencia in 1977-78, there was a repeat Copa Sudamerica champion. Recife won a seven-game classic over Caracas in the 66^th finale. The Retrievers were the fifth franchise to grab repeat cups, also joining 1959-60 Caracas, 1941-42 Buenos Aires, and 1939-40 La Paz. RF Oliveiro Castillo was finals MVP, posting 22 hits, 13 runs, 7 home runs, and 18 RBI over 15 playoff starts. Other notes: Caracas LF Pascal Garcia set a single-season record with 152 stolen bases, destroying the previous BSA record of 124. Not only was this a BSA record, but this set a world record for all pro leagues that wouldn’t be passed until 2028. Garcia’s mark still is the BSA record in 2037 by a healthy margin. RF Ariando Abarca won his eighth consecutive Gold Glove. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

03-14-2024, 03:42 AM	#1059
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,603	1996 in EAB For back-to-back seasons, Hiroshima had the Japan League’s best record and won the West Division at 99-63. They had to outlast a fierce challenge from Kitakyushu, who finished one back at 98-64 and missed the playoffs again. The division champs only format of the JL has crushed the Kodiaks with 101 and 98 win seasons not being enough for them. Osaka at 97-65 won the Central Division for the first time in six years. Sapporo claimed the North Division for the third consecutive season with their 93-69 finish. Tokyo, who shocked the league by winning the title despite advancing as an atrocious 74-88 Capital Division winner, improved to 88-74. The Tides finished one ahead of Kawasaki to claim a sixth straight division title; the longest active playoff streak in EAB. Japan League MVP went to Kitakyushu two-way star Umi Kihara. The 28-year old on the mound had a 20-8 record, 2.22 ERA, and 244 strikeouts over 255 innings with 5.9 WAR. Kihara had the shocking combo of pitcher/catcher, making 69 starts behind the plate. In 114 total games offensively, he had 127 hits, 23 home runs, a .329/.375/.583 slash, and 6.7 WAR. Veteran Osaka ace Rikiya Fujiwara won his third Pitcher of the Year award and his first since 1990. The 35-year old left led in ERA (1.44) and WHIP (0.75), but only saw 199.2 innings to a late-season fractured elbow. Fujiwara had a 15-4 record, 202 strikeouts, and 6.5 WAR. Sadly, another fractured elbow four starts into 1997 would end Fujiwara’s career. Hiroshima ousted defending JL champ Tokyo 3-1 in the first round, while Sapporo edged Osaka 3-2. This was the Hammerheads’ first Japan League Championship Series since 1987, while it was a repeat for the Swordfish. Both were looking to end title droughts with Hiroshima’s last pennant in 1972 and Sapporo’s in 1983. The Hammerheads won the JLCS 4-2 over the Swordfish, becoming seven-time Japan League champs (1939, 59, 68, 69, 70, 72, 96). The Korea League’s South Division was very top heavy as Busan and Ulsan battled for the title and the top record in the KL. The Blue Jays prevailed at 108-54, while the Swallows were the first wild card at 105-57. Both teams extended playoff streaks to three seasons. Defending East Asian Champion Yongin also extended its streak to three, taking third in the division but grabbing the second wild card at 93-69. In the North Division, Suwon (95-67) placed first for a fourth berth in five years. Their closest competitors were Seongnam at 90-72 and Goyang at 88-74. Busan 3B Hyeon-Seong Lim won the Korea League MVP. The 29-year old switch hitter led in hits (225), RBI (139), and total bases (392). Lim added 38 home runs, 111 runs, a .366 average, 1.014 OPS, and 8.8 WAR. Ulsan’s Kwang-Wood Ryu was Pitcher of the Year, leading in WAR (8.6), innings I296), and complete games (17). The 32-year old veteran was in his third season with the Swallows after pitching for a decade with Fukuoka. Ryu added a 20-12 record, 2.71 ERA, and 265 strikeouts. Busan eliminated the defending EAB champ Yongin 3-1, while Ulsan survived in five over Suwon in the first round. The Blue Jays made a repeat Korea League Championship Series appearance while the Swallows had their second in three years. Like in the JL, both were trying to end decent pennant droughts with Ulsan’s last title in 1989 and Busan’s in 1980. In a seven game classic, the Swallows bested the Blue Jays in the battle of the birds. This made Ulsan four-time Korea League champs (1936, 37, 87, 96). The 76^th East Asian Championship ended in a sweep, only the second finals sweep in 30 years. Ulsan clobbered Hiroshima for only their second overall title, joining the 1937 campaign. Two-time league MVP Byung-Tak Wie was named the finals MVP, posting 20 hits, 9 runs, 4 home runs, and 15 RBI over 16 playoff starts. Other notes: Woo-Hong Ryu became the third pitcher to 300 wins and the fifth to 4500 strikeouts, He would pitch two more seasons and end with 339 wins, second to Sang-Hun Joon’s 346. Ryu’s 4886 Ks would also be behind Joon’s 5694 strikeouts. Seong-Jun Myong also crossed 4000 Ks, the 14^th to do so. Sukejuro Sakamoto became the 17^th member of the 3000 hit club. CF Yeon-Ho Kim won his seventh Gold Glove. CF Yuma Akasaka won his 11^th Silver Slugger, a record for the position. Tsukasa Kato won his eighth at first base. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

03-14-2024, 12:38 PM	#1060
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,603	1996 in CABA Following their historic sixth Mexican League title in six years and a record-setting 116-46 season, Monterrey very nearly saw their playoff streak snapped. The Matadors dropped to only 86-76, which tied them with Torreon for first in the North Division. Monterrey defeated the Tomahawks in the tiebreaker game to extend their playoff streak to nine, tying the CABA record set from 1966-74 by Ecatepec. Hermosillo and Juarez were both also in the division hunt at 82-80. Tijuana, who had been the wild card in four straight seasons, fell to 80-82. The down year for Monterrey gave Ecatepec the chance to post the Mexican League’s best record. The Explosion did so emphatically at 107-55 atop the South Division, impressively bouncing back from a lousy 71 win 1995. It was their third division title in four years. In the wild card race, Guadalajara (94-68) held off Leon (92-70) to advance. This ended a five-year playoff drought for the Hellhounds. Ecatepec swept the top awards, led by an impressive debut by RF Velasquez Saavedra. After five great seasons with Honduras, Saavedra cased in with the Explosion on an eight-year, $21,180,000 deal. The 26-year old Guatemalan righty rewarded the investment with an MVP, leading in runs (130), triples (25), walks (92), total bases (405), OBP (.433), slugging (.732), OPS (1.166), wRC+ (220), and WAR (12.2). Saavedra also had 47 home runs, 122 RBI, a .335 average, and won a Gold Glove. Pitcher of the Year went to Vincente Chung, returning to the rotation after being stuck on the reserve roster all of 1994 and 1995. The 26-year old Brazilian lefty led in wins (21-4), K/BB (8.5), quality starts (25), and FIP- (63). Chung added 7.9 WAR over 236.1 innings with a 2.67 ERA and 297 strikeouts. The Explosion also had Rookie of the Year 1B Hector Renteria, who had 41 home runs and 5.1 WAR in his debut. Monterrey won the wild card round with a sweep of Guadalajara to earn a seventh straight Mexican League Championship Series berth. For the first time in that run, they were considered the underdog against Ecatepec. It was their third meeting in the MLCS recently with the Matadors winning in 1993 and the Explosion taking it in 1994. Despite home field and the 20-win difference in records, it was Monterrey taking the title over Ecatepec in a seven-game classic. It was the first time since 1988 that the MLCS needed all seven games. This gave the Matadors repeat ML pennants and their sixth in seven years. Monterrey became the third Mexican franchise to win six titles in seven years, joining 1913-19 Tijuana and 1967-73 Mexico City. The Caribbean League’s Continental Division was very top heavy as both Salvador and Honduras extended playoff streaks. The Stallions won the division at 110-52 for a third consecutive berth, while the Horsemen at 105-57 were the wild card with a fourth straight playoff appearance. In the Caribbean Division, Havana (92-70) ended up on top of Santo Domingo by two games. This was the Hurricanes’ first playoff appearance in a decade and their first division title since 1977. Santiago, the league champ last year, was tied for third with Haiti at 85-77. Santo Domingo CF Hugh Boerboom became a three-time Caribbean League MVP. The 33-year old Aruban slugger smacked a career-best 57 home runs and also led in RBI (124), total bases (380), and slugging (.634). Boerboom added a .307 average and 7.2 WAR. Meanwhile, Salvador righty Rafael Perez won his first Pitcher of the Year and became the first Triple Crown pitcher since Junior Vergara’s 1980s dominance The 28-year old Dominican had joined the Stallions in the offseason on a seven-year, $16,020,000 deal after beginning with Panama. Perez had a 23-5 record, 2.25 ERA, and 307 strikeouts, while also leading in innings pitched (276.1), WHIP (0.92), quality starts (28), FIP- (66), and WAR (9.0). He also won a Gold Glove, his second. Salvador closer Ruy Torres also became a four-time Reliever of the Year in only six seasons. The 28-year old Panamanian would leave for MLB in the offseason with a relatively unremarkable MLB tenure. Havana had home field advantage as the division champ and the one game handicap, but still got rolled in the wild card round 3-1 by Honduras. The Horsemen couldn’t hold up to their division rival Salvador, as the Stallions won the Caribbean League Championship Series 4-1. Salvador earned a second pennant in three years and their seventh in franchise history. Despite the recent success for both, Monterrey and Salvador hadn’t met recently in the Central American Baseball Association Championship. It wasn’t their first encounter though, as the Stallions beat the Matadors 4-2 in the 1965 edition. In the 86^th finale, Monterrey survived a seven game classic to repeat as champs and secure their fifth ring in seven years. The Matadors are only the second team in CABA history to win five titles in seven years, joining Mexico City’s six from 1967-73. LF Pedro Nugent was both MLCS MVP and finals MVP. The 29-year old Jamaican had 16 hits, 13 runs 5 triples, 5 home runs, and 11 RBI in 16 playoff starts. Other notes: For back-to-back seasons, CABA had zero no-hitters. Romeo Verguet had a notable year for milestones, crossing 500 home runs, 1500 RBI, and 2500 hits. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)