Baseball: The World's Game - Page 47

FuzzyRussianHat · 01-28-2024, 04:39 AM

Entering the 1991 season, Brisbane and Sydney were the two Australasia League teams without a single pennant over the first 32 years of the Oceania Baseball Association. The Black Bears finally came out on top, taking the first place spot at 99-63. Melbourne was second at 94-68, while two-time defending champ Gold Coast was a distant third at 86-76.
For the Snakes, they wouldn’t finally finish atop the AL until 2018.

Sydney was tied for the bottom spot at 66-96 with Auckland, but they had the Australasia League MVP Graham Chapman. It was the second MVP for the 30-year old OF, who led in 1991 in runs (91), home runs (50), walks (97), OBP (.411), OPS (1.037), wRC+ (198), and WAR (8.7). Meanwhile, Brisbane’s Danny Mallett won Pitcher of the Year in a breakout season. The 29-year old New Caledonian had a 21-12 record, 2.40 ERA, and 333 strikeouts over 304 innings with 6.3 WAR. This would be really the one standout year in an otherwise unspectacular career.

For only the third time since 1981 in the Pacific League, Honolulu wasn’t the champion. Guam came out on top at 103-59 for their first PL pennant since 1980. The Honu’s four-peat hopes were dashed despite still being a very solid 98-64. Fiji was a very distant third at 85-77. The Freedom are the lone Pacific League team without a single pennant thus far.

Leading the Golden Eagles to their title was veteran LF Adrian Delgado. Nicknamed “Skeet,” the 31-year old Cuban was in his fourth season in Guam after beginning his career for CABA’s Costa Rica Rays. Delgado led the PL In runs (98), doubles (37), average (.333), and WAR (7.9). Pitcher of the Year was fifth-year Honolulu righty Junior Fernandez. The Filipino ace led the league in wins at 22-11 as well as innings (314.1), strikeouts (352), K/BB (8.2), shutouts (7), FIP- (71) and WAR (8.6). He added a 2.46 ERA and 0.89 WHIP.

In the 32^nd Oceania Championship, Brisbane beat Guam 4-2 to become first-time champs. Finals MVP was 3B Joel Toss, a hometown hero in his eighth season with the Black Bears. He went 8-22 with three runs, 1 double, 1 home run, and 4 RBI. With the win, the only OBA teams without at least one overall title are the two teams without a finals berth at all; Sydney and Fiji.

Other notes: Christchurch’s Rex Nixon had a 31-game hit streak, setting a new OBA record. Despite the relative lowness, he’d hold the longest OBA streak until 2004. Durant Lindly became the fourth pitcher to 5000 strikeouts and the third to 250 wins. Lindly pitched one more season and finished second in the Ks leaderboard at 5220 and third in wins at 272. Neville Ryan became the third batter to 500 home runs. SS Theo Evans won his eighth Gold Glove.

FuzzyRussianHat · 01-28-2024, 11:32 AM

Minsk, the European League champion in the prior three seasons with two EPB titles in that stretch, posted the EL’s best record in 1991. The Miners tied with Warsaw at 100-62 atop the North Division standings, but Minsk won the tiebreaker gave over the Wildcats. This gave the Miners an 11^th consecutive playoff berth with nine division titles in that stretch. Warsaw extended their playoff streak to four years. St. Petersburg was third in the division at 92-70, but this kept them a few games short of the second wild card. The South Division also had a tie for the top spot with both Kyiv and Bucharest at 97-65. The Kings won the tiebreaker game to return to the postseason. Since 1978, Kyiv has 12 postseason berths and six division titles. For the Broncos, they now have nine playoff berths in 11 years.

St. Petersburg LF Daniil Huseinov picked up European League MVP in his second full season. The 23-year old Belarusian lefty led the league in runs (95), home runs (52), RBI (121), total bases (348), slugging (.616), OPS (.954), wRC+ (220), and WAR (10.1). Pitcher of the Year was Minsk’s Jaylan Harrell, getting his second honor after also winning way back in 1983. The 34-year old American led in WHIP (0.77) and posted a 14-9 record over 285.1 innings with a 1.80 ERA, 365 strikeouts, and 9.0 WAR. Harrell also had a 14 strikeout, one walk no-hitter against Warsaw in the division tiebreaker game on September 26.

Both first round playoff series went all five games with the division champs surviving against the wild card teams. Minsk edged Bucharest 3-2 and Kyiv topped Warsaw 3-2, setting up yet another European League Championship Series matchup between the Miners and Kings. It was their ninth ELCS encounter with Minsk going for their 12^th pennant and Kyiv trying for their 11^th. The Miners prevailed 4-2 over the Kings for a Minsk four-peat as EL champs. They’re the first team in EPB history to win their league’s title in four successive seasons. Kyiv still leads 5-4 over Minsk in the ELCS in what would ultimately be their final encounter for the pennant.

The Asian League’s best record and the top mark in Eurasian Professional Baseball was Novosibirsk at 102-60. This won the North Division for the Nitros for the third time in four years. Both Chelyabinsk (98-64) and Irkutsk (93-69) were wild cards for back-to-back seasons. Yekaterinburg, the division champ the prior year, fell short of the second wild card by two games. In the South Division, Almaty (96-66) ended a four year playoff drought. Defending AL champ Bishkek was 90-72, six games short of the division title and three shy of the wild card. This ended the Black Sox playoff streak at five seasons.

Asian League MVP was a repeat winner to Chelyabinsk’s Nikolay Denisov. The 26-year old Russian led in hits (227), runs (113), doubles (45), triples (39), total bases (374), stolen bases (85), average (.359), and WAR (10.7). The 39 triples was a new EPB single-season record and remains the top mark as of 2037. The 227 hits were second most in a season to date behind his own 231 from the prior year. Pitcher of the Year was Irkutsk’s Levka Khagba. The 25-year old nicknamed “Baby Bull” led in ERA (1.69) and quality starts (31). Khagba also had a 19-7 record over 277.2 innings with 266 strikeouts and 6.8 WAR.

In the first round of the playoffs, Novosibirsk survived 3-2 over Irkutsk, sending the Nitros to the Asian League Championship Series for the second time in four years. Wild card Chelyabinsk stunned Almaty with a road sweep, giving the Cadets their first ALCS berth since winning it all in 1978. Chelyabinsk would upset Novosibirsk 4-2 in the ALCS for the Cadets’ third-ever pennant, as they also won back in 1962.

The 1991 Eurasian Professional Baseball Championship was the 37^th final, although it was the first without the Soviet Series name due to the fall of the USSR. Minsk and Chelyabinsk had met once before with the Miners sweeping the Cadets in 1962. This one went all seven games, but the final result was the same. Minsk earned repeat rings and became the first EPB team to win three championships in four years. The Miners have eight titles to their name (1956, 62, 66, 69, 85, 88, 90, 91) which passes Kyiv for the most of any EPB team. A big playoff performer was American Ron Dunn, who defected in 1989 after an unremarkable MLB run. The journeyman was ELCS MVP and in 17 playoff starts had 23 hits, 7 runs, 4 doubles, 4 home runs, and 11 RBI.

Other notes: Ismo Kantelus became the 17^th batter to reach 2500 career hits.

FuzzyRussianHat · 01-28-2024, 03:56 PM

Before the 1991 season, the European Baseball Federation followed the general trend of the other leagues in the Global Baseball Alliance by extending the years of service required for free agency. EBF had been at six years, which was the second lowest behind CABA’s five years. They expanded the limit to seven years, which still wasn’t the most restrictive with a number of leagues up at eight years.

Both Birmingham and Brussels finished 100-62 in 1991, but the #1 seed in the Northern Conference went to the Bees. Birmingham won the British Isles Division after missing the postseason in the prior two years. The Beavers earned back-to-back playoff spots, but it was their first Northwest Division title since 1978. Divisional power Rotterdam was 95-67, taking the wild card by eight games over Amsterdam and Belfast. The Ravens secured a sixth playoff appearance in the last seven years. The North Central Division had Berlin back on top after missing the field the prior year. At 95-67, the Barons picked up their fifth division title in six years. Hamburg, the conference champ last year, limped to a lackluster 75-87.

Birmingham had the top awards with Sean Houston earning his record seventh Northern Conference MVP. It was the final MVP for the 32-year old Scottish right fielder, although he had another six seasons left in his run. Houston led in home runs (58), RBI (148), total bases (417), slugging (.700), and OPS (1.091) while posting 8.0 WAR. It was Houston’s seventh time as the NC home run leader and he crossed both 500 career homers and 2000 hits this season. Teammate Lindsey Brampton won his first of what would be many Pitcher of the Year awards. The 23-year old London native led in ERA (1.78), strikeouts (436), and WHIP (0.87). Brampton added a 19-7 record and 12 saves over 248.1 innings with 9.3 WAR.

In the first round of the playoffs, Birmingham survived in five games against Rotterdam while Brussels bested Berlin 3-1. This was the Bees’ first Northern Conference Championship berth since 1985 and the first for the Beavers since their 1978 title. Birmingham prevailed 4-2 in the final against Brussels to claim only their second-ever NC pennant (1974).

The race for the #1 seed in the Southern Conference was intense between Munich and Lisbon. The Mavericks took it at 108-54, earning an impressive ninth successive Southeast Division title. The Clippers won their second Southwest Division title in three years with their 106-56 mark. Defending European Champion Madrid, the division winner last year, was 87-75. This put them seven games shy of the wild card. In the South Central Division, Munich’s record division title and postseason streak increased to a remarkable 19 seasons. The Mountaineers were 100-62, finishing six ahead of 94-68 Rome. That mark was enough for the Red Wolves to end a 22-year playoff drought dating back to their 1968 EBF title season. The only EBF teams that had a longer active drought were Belfast (1961) and Malta (zero playoff appearances).

Southern Conference MVP was Munich RF Udo Gottschall. The 26-year old German righty won his third Gold Glove and led in stolen bases (122) and batting average (.361). He was only the sixth player in EBF to that point to steal 120+ bases in a season. Gottschall also had 211 hits, 107 runs, 19 home runs, 123 RBI, and 10.2 WAR. Rome’s Tommaso Notti was the Pitcher of the Year in his first full season in the rotation. The 22-year old Italian was their 14^th overall pick in the 1988 EBF Draft and had mostly been used in the bullpen for his first two seasons. Notti broke out to lead in WAR at 8.5 over 281.1 innings with 280 strikeouts, a 22-11 record and 3.20 ERA.

Munich would sweep Rome in the first round while Lisbon ousted Zurich 3-1. This gave the Mavericks their fourth consecutive Southern Conference Championship appearance and set up a rematch of 1989 with the Clippers. Munich had won in 1988, but lost in both 89 and 90. The Mavericks got back to the winner’s circle in 1991, topping Lisbon 4-2. It is the fifth conference pennant for Munich, who also won in 1951, 52, and 1971.

In the 42^nd European Championship, Birmingham won its first-ever overall title with the Bees beating Munich 4-1. NC MVP Sean Houston was also the finals MVP, posting 29 hits, 19 runs, 5 doubles, 9 home runs, and 23 RBI over 16 playoff starts. This set EBF playoff records for HR, RBI and total bases (67). The latter two marks are still all-time bests as of 2037. Led by Houston and Lindsey Brampton’s strikeout prowess, this began an impressive streak of 1990s dominance for Birmingham. It was only the third time an English team was the champ with London’s 1973 and 1953 wins.

Other notes: Lisbon’s Alvin Ospina had a 41-game hitting streak in the late summer, tying the second-longest mark in EBF history. It was still eight away from Rudjer Bosnjak’s all-time mark of 49 in 1960. Jacob Ronnberg became the seventh batter to 600 career home runs. Ronnberg also won his record 13^th Silver Slugger at RF, passing Gabriel Staudt for the most at any position. The adjacent RF Silver Slugger winner was Sean Houston, getting his 10^th. 1B Oliver Michaelsen won his ninth Gold Glove, a record for the position.

FuzzyRussianHat · 01-29-2024, 04:08 AM

Defending Bolivar League champion Lima was the only team from last year’s BL playoff field to make it back in 1991. The Lobos finished 97-65 for the league’s best record and the Peru-Bolivia Division title. Lima earned a fourth consecutive playoff berth with the result and their third division win in that stretch. Last year’s division winner La Paz was a distant second along with Callao at 85-77. Ciudad Gauyana won the Venezuela Division and Guayaquil won the Colombia-Ecuador division with both teams at 93-69. This ended a ten year playoff drought for the Golds, while the Giants earned their fourth berth in five years. Both teams won their division by two games with Maracaibo and Bogota each finishing 91-71. They met in a tiebreaker game for the wild card which went to the Bats. Bogota returns to the playoffs after a two season layoff.

Valencia was middling, but they had the Bolivar League MVP in Hernando De La Rosa. The 30-year old Venezuelan right fielder led in hits (197), total bases (385), and WAR (8.4). De La Rosa also had 38 home runs, 118 RBI, and 1.008 OPS. Pitcher of Year was Lima’s Barbaro Cardoso, who had a career year that accounted for about 1/3 of his career WAR with 7.2. He led in wins (25-5) and ERA (2.34), while adding 294 strikeouts over 281.1 innings. Cardoso would suffer radial nerve decompression surgery the next season and was out of the game by 1994.

Both divisional series matchups were sweeps as Lima rolled Bogota and Ciudad Guayana ousted Guayaquil. For the Giants, this was their third Bolivar League Championship Series appearance in five years, while the Lobos were looking for back-to-back pennants. Lima would succeed in the BLCS 4-2 over Ciudad Guayana to win their fourth pennant (1935, 68, 90, 91).

The best record in Beisbol Sudamerica was in the Southern Cone League with Rosario at 100-62. The Robins earned their third Southeast Division title in five years. The second best record in the league was in the same division with Rio de Janeiro at 94-68. This secured the wild card for the Redbirds, their first playoff appearance since 1975. Defending Copa Sudamerica winner Sao Paulo was five back on the wild card at 89-73, ending their postseason streak at five seasons. Concepcion won the South Central Division at 92-70 for their fifth appearance in six years. Santiago fell three games short at 89-73. In the North Division, Belo Horizonte won a tight field at 91-71. The Hogs were one ahead of Brasilia and three better than Recife. BH won the North Division for the third time in four years.

Rosario’s Jairo Vicente was the Southern Cone League MVP for back-to-back seasons. The 30-year old Venezuelan lefty led in home runs (59), RBI (130), runs (111), total bases (399), slugging (.677), OPS (1.059), and wRC+ (217) while adding 9.6 WAR. This was Vicente’s final season in BSA, as he’d leave for MLB’s Hartford in the offseason on a six-year, $14,580,000 deal. Santiago’s Arnau Emilio won Pitcher of the Year. The hometown veteran hero led in wins at 22-9, WHIP (0.89), and quality starts (30). Emilio added 7.7 WAR over 280.2 innings with a 2.15 ERA.

Rio de Janeiro stunned their division rival Rosario 3-1 in the divisional round, giving the Redbirds their first Southern Cone Championship appearance in 16 years. Belo Horizonte would go on the road to best Concepcion 3-1 to earn a repeat finals appearance. The Hogs would edge Rio in a seven game classic for their fifth pennant. It was Belo Horizonte’s first LCS win since all the way back in 1952.

The Hogs also took their first Copa Sudamerica since 1952, as they beat Lima 4-1. Belo Horizonte is now 4-1 in their finals appearances win with rings from 1948, 1950, 1952, and now 1991. Rookie Leo Montemayor was the finals MVP, stepping up after making only one start and 18 appearances in the regular season. In 16 games and seven playoff starts, the Ecuadoran first baseman had 11 hits, 6 runs, 2 doubles, 4 home runs, and 5 RBI.

Other notes: Two perfect games happened in 1991, brining BSA’s total to 42. On July 20, Bogota’s Lukas Espinal fanned nine against Lima. On September 28, Guayaquil’s Genesio Luis struck out eight versus Cali. Wilfredo Casacubierta became the 14^th pitcher to 4500 strikeouts and the tenth pitcher to 250 wins. Emanuel Ajanel and Tobias Condori both joined the 500 home run club, bringing it to 26 members.

FuzzyRussianHat · 01-29-2024, 12:42 PM

Defending Japan League champion Niigata set a franchise record at 106-56, posting 1991’s top overall mark in East Asia Baseball. The Green Dragons won the North Division by a 25 game margin and had 15 more wins than the next best team in the JL. That was 91-71 Yokohama, who had back-to-back Capital Division titles and their fourth in six years. The Yellow Jackets were 5.5 games ahead of Chiba. Kitakyushu claimed the West Division at 88-74 for repeat titles as well, besting Fukuoka by five games. The Central Division had Kobe first at 86-76, barely squeaking by Kyoto. The Blaze ended a six-year playoff drought, while Osaka had their six-year streak ended with a 75-87 finish.

Two-way star Makhmud Hakim of Niigata won Japan league MVP for back-to-back seasons and also won Pitcher of the Year for the first time. At the plate in 128 games, the 26-year old Chinese switch hitter had 25 home runs, 85 RBI, a .347/.401/.622 slash, 211 wRC+, and 7.0 WAR. In his first year as a full-time starting pitcher as well, he led in wins at 21-3 and posted a 2.35 ERA over 230 innings with 189 strikeouts and 6.4 WAR. The combined effort allowed him to beat Tsukasa Kato’s powerful effort in the MVP race. The 30-year old first baseman had signed with Kitakyushu after eight years with Hiroshima and smacked 66 home runs with 126 RBI and a 1.031 OPS. Kato led the JL in home runs for the sixth consecutive season.

Niigata defeated Kobe 3-1 in the first round to earn back-to-back Japan League Championship Series berths. Kitakyushu outlasted Yokohama 3-2, which set up a JLCS rematch. The Green Dragons prevailed again, becoming repeat champs by winning the series 4-2.

Defending East Asian Champion Seongnam improved their record to 105-59, a new franchise best. This won the North Division for the Spiders and gave them the top seed in the Korea League. Both wild cards were in the North with Goyang at 99-63 and Bucheon at 93-69. This gave the Bolts repeat playoff berths and was the second in four years for the Green Sox. Hamhung, the division winner four of the prior five years, fell to a middling 76-86. Gwangju was a repeat South Division champ at 101-61, finishing 17 games ahead of their closest competitor Jeonju.

Veteran Jun-Seong “Sonny” Noi had a remarkable career resurgence at age 37, winning Korea League MVP with Gwangju. It was Noi’s second MVP with the other being all the way back in 1980 with Changwon. Noi led in 1991 in hits (209), stolen bases (101), and average (.362), while adding 23 home runs, 107 RBI, and 8.2 WAR. Noi also joined the 3000 hit club this season as the 13th member. Incheon’s Ha-Ram Lee won his second Pitcher of the Year in three years and posted EAB’s 12th Triple Crown season for a pitcher. The 25-year old Lee had a 19-7 record, 1.83 ERA, and 342 strikeouts over 250.2 innings. He was also the league leader in WHIP (0.75), quality starts (27), FIP- (54), and WAR (9.6). Lee also had a no-hitter on September 10 with 16 strikeouts and one walk against Pyongyang.

Seongnam survived in a five game battle with Bucheon in the first round to earn repeat Korea League Championship Series berths. Goyang upset Gwangju on the road 3-1 for their second KLCS since 1988. The Green Sox shocked the Spiders by sweeping them in the KLCS for Goyang’s first-ever KL pennant. With the Green Sox pennant, that leaves Daejeon as the only original EAB team without a single league title over EAB’s 71 year history.

Goyang wouldn’t get their first East Asian Championship though, running into the Niigata buzzsaw. The Green Dragons swept the Green Sox to secure their first overall title, becoming the second expansion team to win the ring along with Jeonju. League MVP Makhmud Hakim was finals MVP with a 1.80 ERA on the mound over four playoff starts and 30 innings with 22 strikeouts. At the plate in 13 games, Hakim had 15 hits, 7 runs, 4 doubles, 3 home runs, and 6 RBI.

Other notes: Seung-Yu Moon and KL MVP Jun-Seong Noi both crossed 3000 career hits, making the club have 13 members. Sanetomo Hatta had a four home run game on June 25. Seizo Shinad became the 23rd EAB batter to 600 home runs. LF Yeo-Min Kwan won his 11th and final Gold Glove. 3B Sukejuro Sakamoto and CF Yuma Akasaka earned their seventh Silver Sluggers.

FuzzyRussianHat · 01-29-2024, 06:21 PM

It was a three-team race for the Mexican League’s North Division in 1991. Defending CABA champion Monterrey narrowly took first at 97-65 for their fourth consecutive playoff berth. Torreon secured back-to-back wild cards at 96-66, one behind the Matadors but one ahead of Tijuana. The only team above .500 in the South Division was 90-72 Leon. This gave the Lions their first playoff spot in five years and was their first division title since 1979. Last year’s division winner and league runner-up Guadalajara fell to 76-86.

Tijuana’s Dion Juarez won Mexican League MVP with impressive power. In his second full season, the 25-year old Mexican right fielder led the ML in runs (124), home runs (62), RBI (132), total bases (420), slugging (.687), OPS (1.046), OPS (1.046), wRC+ (214), and WAR (10.1). Torreon’s Matias Flores was Pitcher of the Year with the 24-year old lefty leading with a 1.80 ERA. He had an 18-4 record over 225 innings with 348 strikeouts and 8.9 WAR.

Leon swept Torreon in the wild card round, but they were no match for Monterrey. The Matadors swept the Lions in the Mexican League Championship Series to earn repeat pennants. This was Monterrey’s 12^th Mexican League title, tying them with Mexico City for the most.

CABA’s best record went to Santo Domingo at 106-56 to earn a third consecutive Caribbean League Island Division title. Haiti was a distant second in the division at 90-72, but this earned them the wild card by three games over Bahamas and four over Trinidad. This was the Herons’ first playoff appearance since 1980. Honduras dominated the Continental Division at 95-67 for their third playoff berth in four years. Nicaragua, who won the CL pennant the prior two seasons, dropped to third in the division at 79-83.

Santo Domingo CF Hugh Boerboom was Caribbean League MVP. The 28-year old Aruban led the league in runs (117), home runs (56), total bases (365), and slugging (.629). He added 121 RBI and 6.3 WAR. Haiti’s Marvin Ramos won Pitcher of the Year honors in his third season. The 24-year old Dominican righty won the ERA title (2.52) and led in quality starts (27), innings (274.2), and WAR (6.5). Ramos added a 19-8 record and 260 strikeouts.

Honduras and Haiti went the distance in the wild card round with the Horsemen surviving and advancing. This gave Honduras repeat appearances in the Caribbean League Championship Series berth, while Santo Domingo was making their second in three years. These were the two most successful franchises in CL history facing off again, as both had won 12 pennants. They hadn’t faced off in the finale since their four battles in five years from 1958-62. In the CLCS, the Horsemen upset the Dolphins 4-2 for their first pennant since 1963.

This was the third time that Monterrey and Honduras faced off in the CABA championship, with the Horsemen winning both the 1958 and 1963 encounters. In the 81^st Central American Baseball Association Championship, Monterrey secured back-to-back titles by besting Honduras 4-2. CF Marco Castillo was the finals MVP, getting 5 hits, 4 runs, 2 home runs, and 3 RBI over 10 playoff starts. The Matadors won their fifth CABA crown (1937, 55, 57, 90, 91).

Other notes: Honduras’ Victor Alvares threw CABA’s 30^th perfect game, striking out nine on September 12 against Haiti. Yohnny Galez won his seventh Silver Slugger and his fourth as a designated hitter.

FuzzyRussianHat · 01-30-2024, 04:30 AM

The two best records in the National Association were in a battle for the East Division title. New York secured the #1 seed at 103-59 for their second division title in three years. Defending World Series champ Virginia Beach was three back at 100-62, easily taking the first wild card. The Vikings grabbed their third division title in four years, but despite having two World Series rings, they still haven’t gotten a division title yet. Philadelphia (88-74) was also in the wild card mix from the East Division, but ended up two games short.

The Northeast Division had Ottawa narrowly take the title at 91-71, one game ahead of Toronto. The Elks secured their ninth playoff appearance in the last 12 seasons. The Timberwolves picked up the second wild card and ended a three season playoff drought. Hartford at 84-78 was unable to extend its postseason streak to three years. However, Kansas City and Chicago both extended their streaks to three as well as four in five years. The Cougars were 91-71 to take the Lower Midwest Division by nine games over Cincinnati. The Cubs at 86-76 got the Upper Midwest title by three over last year’s NACS finalist Winnipeg and by four games over Cleveland.

National Association MVP went to Ottawa veteran first baseman Noah Karla. The 30-year old switch hitter from Montreal led the NA in runs (109) and total bases (352), while adding 32 home runs, 107 RBI, a .339/.384/.560 slash and 7.8 WAR. New York’s Benjamin Justinussen won Pitcher of the Year for the second time in three years. The 28-year old righty from the Faroe Islands led in WHIP at 0.87, posting a 16-8 record over 219.1 innings with a 2.22 ERA, 211 strikeouts, and 6.4 WAR. Sadly, this was the peak for Justinussen, who suffered a torn rotator cuff in spring training the next season. He’d then tear his labrum twice and was out of the majors by 1995.

In the first round of the playoffs, Virginia Beach bested Chicago 2-1 and Ottawa ousted Toronto 2-1. New York survived a five game classic over their divisional foe Vikings, while Kansas City topped Ottawa 3-1. This gave the Yankees their second National Association Championship Series appearance in three years, while it was the first for the Cougars since winning the pennant in 1976. KC would prevail 4-2 over NY in the NACS to give the Cougars their fifth NA crown (1937, 61, 62, 76, 91).

The power in the American Association in 1991 was split between the Northwest and Southeast Divisions. Denver won the Northwest at 101-61 and took the #1 overall seed. This was the fourth consecutive playoff berth for the 1989 World Series champion Dragons. Atlanta won the Southeast at 100-62 to extend their division title streak to five seasons, the longest playoff streak active in MLB. Tampa was one back at 99-63, securing the first wild card for their second berth in three years. Edmonton was four behind Denver at 97-65, which nabbed the second wild card for the Eels. Edmonton earend a third berth in four years. Seattle (93-69), Las Vegas (91-71), Charlotte (89-73), and San Diego (89-73) were the other teams in the wild card mix who fell short. Notably for the Grizzlies, they saw an impressive improvement from 68 wins to 93, although they still missed the postseason.

Defending American Association champ Los Angeles won the Southwest Division at 97-65, topping the Vipers by six games and the Seals by eight. The Angels picked up a third straight playoff appearance. Dallas won a tight South Central Division at 87-75, edging both New Orleans and Austin by two games each. This was the Dalmatians’ first playoff appearance in a decade. Last year’s division winner Houston dropped to fourth at 78-84.

Catcher Hui-Yun Han of Atlanta won the American Association MVP. The 27-year old South Korean led the AA in doubles (55), average (.374), slugging (.646), OPS (1.063), wRC+ (185), and WAR (11.0). His 55 doubles fell one short of Isaiah Gilbert’s single-season record set in 1973. Han also had 212 hits, 101 runs, 31 home runs, and 119 RBI. Han set MLB single-season records for a catcher in slugging, OPS, hits, doubles, RBI, and WAR.

Pitcher of the Year also saw a record setting campaign from Austin’s T.J. Nakabayashi. Nicknamed “Hitman,” the 30-year old righty from the Solomon Islands posted 12.6 WAR, setting a MLB single-season record for a pitcher which still holds as of 2037. He also led in wins (24-10), strikeouts (314), quality starts (28), and shutouts (6). Although Nakabayashi won his first POTY, he led the AA in strikeouts for the sixth time. His 2.47 ERA over 295.1 innings was second by only nine points, keeping him from a Triple Crown.

Tampa swept Dallas in round one and Los Angeles outlasted Edmonton 2-1. Denver survived in a five game challenge from the Thunderbirds in round two, giving the Dragons their second American Association Championship Series appearance in three years. Atlanta edged the Angels 3-2 in a classic, sending the Aces to the AACS for the third time in five years. Yet again, Atlanta would be thwarted as Denver took the title in a seven game thriller. This gave the Dragons two pennants in three years, as well as their fifth AA crown overall (1925, 38, 62, 89, 91).

The 91^st World Series was not the first time that Denver and Kansas City had met in the Fall Classic, as the Dragons won in seven over the Cougars back in 1962. Denver was hoping to win its second ring in three years, while KC had gone 0-4 in their prior appearances. The Cougars finally secured their first-ever title with a lopsided sweep of the Dragons. RF Nathaniel Clay was both World Series MVP and NACS MVP. The 29-year old had 19 hits, 8 runs, 2 doubles, 2 home runs, and 8 RBI in 14 playoff starts.

Other notes: With Kansas City’s title, 38 of MLB’s 56 teams have a World Series, including 37 of the original 48 teams. Of the originals, the eleven teams without a ring to this point are Buffalo, Brooklyn, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Columbus, Minneapolis, Omaha, San Antonio, Portland, Seattle, and Oakland. Of those teams, five have never gotten to the World Series: Buffalo, Omaha, San Antonio, Seattle, and Oakland.

Bentley Wade and Roy Cote both reached 3000 career hits, making it 49 members of the club in MLB. Cote and Cade Parker both crossed 1500 runs scored, a feat achieved by 88 batters. Joining the 500 home run club were Jayden Slater and Armand Whipple, making that club 62 members strong. Mason Wilkinson won his eighth Silver Slugger at catcher.

FuzzyRussianHat · 01-30-2024, 11:58 AM

The 1992 Major League Baseball Hall of Fame class had two inductees. Two-way star Khaled Scott was a no-doubter at 98.6% on the first ballot. He was joined by LF Tim Morgan, who got the bump up to 76.5% for a third ballot nod. 1B Edward Torres was close to the 66% mark on his second try, but was short at 61.6%. Five others finished above 50%.

The ballot saw a major cleaning with six players being removed following ten failed attempts. Five of those guys finished with 45% or greater on their final attempt and those guys had reasons to hold out hope. The highest finisher was 2B Bobby Davis at 59.6% in his final go. Davis started at only 39%, but got as high as 61.8% on his eighth ballot. In 20 years primarily with San Francisco, he had 3264 hits, 1533 runs, 504 doubles, 297 home runs, 1457 RBI, .a .296/.359/.429 slash, 111 wRC+, and 59.5 WAR. The low WAR total from being a poor fielder and the advanced stats suggested more sustained above averageness. 3000+ hits was a big number, but not a lock for the MLB voter. Davis’ lack of awards or big seasons ultimately kept him just on the outside.

It is very difficult for catchers to get in and both Gavin Geogham and Earl Tucker missed out, in part hurt by having to compete with each other. Geoghan got as high as 63.7% in his ninth attempt, posting 1675 hits, 831 runs, 269 doubles, 182 home runs, 880 RBI, a .300/.380/.462 slash, 146 wRC+, and 60.9 WAR. He had five Silver Sluggers and a MVP over his 15 years with Ottawa, but the demands of the position and a relatively early end to his career meant Geoghan’s accumulations were too low for many voters. Meanwhile Tucker peaked at 54.7% in 1991 and ended at 49.6%. He lacked the accolades, but had the longevity over 20 years primarily with Oakland. Tucker had 2497 hits, 947 runs, 396 doubles, 160 home runs, 1050 RBI, a .304/.347/.419 slash, 111 wRC+, and 61.6 WAR. But again, the low accumulations that come with being a catcher remains a big obstacle for perspective Hall of Famers.

Another player dropped was Elliot Fisher, who had one MVP and Silver Slugger over a 17 year career with three teams. His 50.4% finish was his highest vote total after generally hovering in the 40s. Fisher had 2365 hits, 1311 runs, 548 home runs, 1484 RBI, a .277/.347/.511 slash, 150 wRC+, and 68.1 WAR. Good power numbers in a vacuum, but still not incredible for a first baseman.

Another 1B dropped was Eloy Kolman, who finished at 45% and generally bounced around the 30-45% range. The Sint Maartener had longevity over 20 years to get 3105 hits, 1511 runs, 588 doubles, 471 home runs, 1605 RBI, a .285/.346/.476 slash, 130 wRC+, and 70.0 WAR. At retirement, he had the fourth most doubles of any MLB player and is still eighth as of 2037. But his only accolade was one Silver Slugger and his accumulations didn’t sway the voters by themselves.

The one other player dropped after ten ballots was RF Branson Burns, who ended at 5.7% and peaked only at 16.6%. He was unique in that all of his production was in his 20s, falling off hard and out of the game after his age 31 season. In only 11 years, Burns had 1820 hits, 1023 runs, 350 home runs, 1071 RBI, a .301/.370/.539 slash, 145 wRC+, and 50.7 WAR. He might have had a shot if he would have lasted a few more years, but his sudden decline doomed him.

Khaled Scott – Pitcher/Outfielder – Kansas City Cougars – 98.6% First Ballot

Khaled Scott was a 5’9’’, 185 pound two-way player from Houston, Texas. Despite his frame, Scott would be one of the most unique successes in Major League Baseball History. His best asset was his right arm and incredible stamina on the mound, as he led the National Association five times in innings pitched and eight times in complete games. Scott was a hard thrower with 99-101 mph peak velocity, but he also had very good control and solid movement. His fastball and cutter were his most impressive pitches, although his slider and changeup could beat you too.

Scott was also very athletic generally, emerging as one of the better baserunners and base stealers in the game. Most of his starts defensively were in right field, where he was considered a very good gloveman. Scott spent some time in center and a small amount at first base with less success. Scott was a switch hitter and was very much a league average batter, but rarely does one find a league average bat that is a great pitcher and defender. His durability was also incredible, allowing him to be out there almost every day contributing in some capacity.

Scott attended Arizona State and was a two-way guy even as a Sun Devil. He was second as a freshman in college MVP voting. Over three seasons at the plate, he had 98 games, 114 hits, 74 runs, 34 home runs, 78 RBI, a .348/.385/.713 slash, and 5.9 WAR. On the mound, Scott had a 22-12 record in 38 starts with a 2.07 ERA, 291 innings, 255 strikeouts, and 11.1 WAR. In the 1972 MLB Draft, Kansas City selected Scott with the seventh overall pick. Almost his entire career would be with the Cougars, where he’d become a popular player and later see his #44 uniform retired.

Scott’s arrival marked a turnaround for KC, who had five straight losing seasons prior to his debut. From 1973-81, the Cougars made the playoffs seven times. He was a full-time pitcher immediately and had 30+ starts and 245+ innings in all of his 14 pro seasons. Scott had 118 games at the plate as a rookie, then made 100+ starts each season from 1974-82. He won 11 straight Silver Sluggers from 1974-84 as a pitcher, which is a MLB record for the position. Scott had 5.6 WAR on the mound as a rookie, earning 1973 Rookie of the Year.

1975 was Scott’s finest season, winning National Association MVP and taking third in Pitcher of the Year voting. He led in wins at 22-9 and had 6.7 WAR pitching along with 3.3 WAR offensively. Scott regularly threw a lot of innings and put up positive value offensively and in the field. Kansas City couldn’t get beyond the second round in Scott’s first three seasons.

In 1976, the Cougars got over the hump and won the NA pennant. They would fall in the World Series to Las Vegas. Scott had a huge postseason, going 4-1 on the mound with a 1.74 ERA, 44 strikeouts, and 2.0 WAR. At the plate, he added 19 hits, 11 runs, and 5 RBI. Because of this run, KC signed Scott to a six-year, $3,662,000 contract extension.

Scott remained solid and Kansas City made the playoffs thrice more while he was there, but they never made another deep run during his tenure. In 1981, he would throw a no-hitter with four strikeouts and two walks against Hartford Prior to the 1982 season, the Cougars signed him on a four-year, $4,000,000 contract extension.

Scott had a brief resurgence into the spotlight in 1984 at age 32, taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting and third in MVP voting. He had a career best 25-7 record with 23 complete games, 296.2 innings, and 7.5 WAR. He also added 2.0 WAR at the plate in what would be his final full season as a hitter.

He had another great year on the mound in 1985 with 7.5 WAR, although he saw less time and success at the plate. The Cougars were stuck just outside of the playoff field and in 1986, Scott’s velocity suddenly dropped to around the 95-97 mph mark. He also no longer was used in the field with his only hitting coming with his pitching starts. His pitching numbers were still decent, but Kansas City surprised Scott and many in MLB by releasing him in June.

Ottawa signed Scott two weeks later and he finished the season with the Elks. Ottawa won the National Association pennant, falling in the World Series to Calgary. Scott made five starts in the postseason, but struggled with a 5.87 ERA. The Elks didn’t re-sign him and Scott went unsigned in 1987. He wanted to still play, but couldn’t find any suitors and opted to retire in the winter of 1987 at age 36.

Scott’s final pitching stats: 269-149 record, 3.25 ERA, 3801.1 innings, 2921 strikeouts to 799 walks, 297/467 quality starts, 248 complete games, 86 FIP-, and 78.0 WAR. There were certainly far more dominant pitchers in his era, but he offered reliable innings and probably had the resume purely on the mound. At the plate, Scott added 1376 hits, 727 runs, 209 doubles, 156 home runs, 678 RBI, 316 stolen bases, and 28.3 WAR. This put him over the top and put him in the conversation as MLB’s best-ever two-way guy. Dylan D’Ippolito was the other MLB two-way Hall of Famer and while he had a more impressive peak, he finished with lower accumulations. Scott earned his spot at 98.6% as one of MLB’s most unique inductees.

Tim Morgan – Outfield – Los Angeles Angels – 76.5% Third Ballot

Tim Morgan was a 6’4’’, 190 pound left-handed corner outfielder from Lacey, Washington; a suburb of the capital Olympia with around 53,000 people. Morgan had an incredible eye for drawing walks, leading the league eight times in walks drawn. He was merely above average at contract and middling at avoiding strikeouts, but Morgan made the most of his at bats. He had solid speed and baserunning ability and was respectable at getting extra bases. Morgan averaged around 30 home runs and around 25 doubles/triples per season. He made about 3/5 of his starts in left field with the rest in right field. Morgan was a poor defender and was criticized for a lack of hustle by detractors. He had very good durability though and his offensive value made Morgan a very popular player with most fans.

Morgan played college baseball with TCU and in 136 college games had 144 hits, 103 runs, 32 doubles, 33 home runs, 89 RBI, 100 walks, a .299/.422/.575 slash and 8.7 WAR. This made him one of the tip top prospects ahead of the 1963 MLB Draft. Los Angeles selected Morgan second overall and he made 119 starts as a rookie, finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting. He was a full-time starter for 14 seasons with the Angels, only missing a few weeks here or there to injuries.

Morgan led the American Association in OBP in 1969 and 1970 and led in walks drawn four times with LA. He picked up his two Silver Sluggers in 1968 and 1969. Morgan made five appearances from 1964-68 for the United States team in the World Baseball Championship. In 65 games and 54 starts, he had 40 hits, 43 runs, 21 home runs, 43 RBI, 48 walks, a .227/.389/.619 slash and 3.2 WAR. He won four rings with the American team (64, 65, 66, 68).

Morgan never was a MVP finalist though and had to deal with the tough competition of the position. But he was a very important part of an impressive run for the Angels, who made the playoffs six times from 1968-74. LA won three World Series titles in this stretch, taking it in 1968, 1973, and 1974. In his playoff career, Morgan had 52 starts with 41 hits, 28 runs, 13 home runs, 40 RBI, 32 walks, a .220/.339/.446 slash, and 1.1 WAR. After the 1969 season, Morgan was locked in long-term on an eight-year, $2,432,000 contract extension.

In 1975, the 32-year old Morgan led in runs for the only times with 116. After their 1973-73 titles, the Angels spent the next four years in the mid-tier just outside of the postseason. Morgan’s contract ran out after the 1977 season and he opted to try to free agency. With Los Angeles, Morgan had 1979 hits, 1221 runs, 306 doubles, 355 home runs, 1120 RBI, 1184 walks, a .285/.393/.499 slash, 140 wRC+, and 57.6 WAR.

At age 35, Morgan signed a three-year, $1,770,000 deal with Indianapolis. The Racers were fresh off a National Association pennant win, but they would be stuck in the mid-tier for Morgan’s tenure. He’d ultimately play seven seasons in Indy and had an impressive resurgence in 1981 with a career-best 40 home runs. Morgan led in walks each year from 1980-83, but he suddenly declined significantly in 1984. He was reduced to a bench role this season and retired that winter at age 42. With the Racers, Morgan had 802 hits, 557 runs, 98 doubles, 175 home runs, 484 RBI, 549 walks, a .239/.353/.442 slash, and 19.8 WAR.

In total, Morgan had 2781 hits, 1778 runs, 404 doubles, 530 triples, 1604 RBI, 1733 walks, 304 stolen bases, .270/.380/.480 slash, 138 wRC+, and 77.4 WAR. At induction, Morgan was fourth all-time in walks drawn and 18th in runs scored. He was one of a select group with 1500+ runs, 500+ home runs, and 1500+ career RBI. However, Morgan didn’t have the big awards and that, plus his poor fielding and perceived lack of hustle, cost him support with many voters. Morgan barely missed the cut on his first two attempts with 64.7% and 65.6%. His third ballot got him the bump needed to get in at 76.5% and earn a spot in the 1992 MLB Hall of Fame.

FuzzyRussianHat · 01-30-2024, 05:54 PM

Two first basemen made up the 1992 Hall of Fame Class for the Central American Baseball Association. CABA home run king and RBI leader Solomon Aragon was nearly unanimous with 99.7% and was joined by Raioby Barajas, who also received a first ballot selection with 85.8%. CF Wilmer Mora missed out narrowly with 60.4% in his fifth ballot. The only other player above 50% was catcher Hansel Morel at 53.8% in his second attempt.

One player fell off the ballot after ten failed tries. Closer Emanuel Saucedo debuted at 30.8%, but only fell and ended at 5.7%. He won three Reliever of the Year awards and was dominant in six seasons with Jamaica, leading in saves four times. But the second half of his career was unremarkable and split between MLB and CABA. He had 254 saves, 2.21 ERA, 1167 strikeouts over 729.2 innings with 28.0 WAR over a split career.

Solomon Aragon – First Base – Mexico City Aztecs – 99.7% First Ballot

Solomon Aragon was a 6’7’’, 200 pound right-handed first baseman from San Lucas Sacatepequez; a town of around 20,000 people in south central Guatemala. The tall Aragon was one of the most consistent contact and power hitters of his era, regularly hitting around 40 home runs per year with around a .300 average and 30 doubles. Despite his strengths, he was merely okay at drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. Aragon was a slow and sluggish baserunner, but was considered a steady and average defender. He was exclusively a first baseman in his career and was an ironman. Aragon had a 20 year stretch with 140+ games and 135+ starts. A very hard worker, Aragon was one of the most popular players of his era in CABA.

Aragon was spotted in his late teens as a top prospect in Central America, getting picked 27^th by Honduras in the 1962 CABA Draft. He spent two seasons in the Horsemen’s developmental system and officially debuted at age 22 in 1965 with a few pinch hit appearances. This was near the end of their dynasty run and open spots in the lineup were hard to come by. Looking to extend their short-term competitive window, Aragon was traded before the 1966 season to Mexico City with another prospect in exchange for veteran catcher Enrique Ruiz.

Aragon would become a critical part of the dynasty run for the Aztecs, who would win seven consecutive Mexican League titles from 1967-73 with CABA championship rings in each season sans 1968. He was used as a pinch hitter primarily in 1966, but became the full-time starter from 1967 onward. Aragon won a batting title in 1969 and his first Silver Slugger in 1971. Although he didn’t win many regular season accolades with Mexico City, his postseason heroics would make him beloved by Aztecs fans.

Aragon was the 1968 MLCS MVP, 1970 CABA Championship MVP, 1972 MLCS MVP, and 1972 CABA Championship MVP. In total with Mexico City in the playoffs, he played 69 games with 84 hits, 46 runs, 16 doubles, 20 home runs, 62 RBI, a .332/.388/.632 slash, 188 wRC+, and 3.5 WAR. Aragon began getting more award attention by this point, taking second in 1971 and 1972 for league MVP voting. In total with the Aztecs, he had 1184 hits, 605 runs, 223 doubles, 244 home runs, 680 RBI, a .321/.378/.593 slash, and 42.3 WAR.

Although remembered by many as a key part of the Mexico City dynasty, Aragon’s run was only seven seasons. He would be gone for their final title in 1973, as he opted for free agency at 30. Aragon signed with Puerto Rico on an eight-year, $2,360,000 contract. The Pelicans run was his most impressive for individual accolades, winning Silver Sluggers in 1973, 74, 75, 76, and 79. Aragon was second in 1974’s MVP voting, but again fell short of the top award. He led the Caribbean League with a career best 138 RBI that year and matched his career high of 46 home runs. In 1976, he led in hits with 200 and led with 38 doubles in 1977.

Puerto Rico would make the CLCS in 1974, but were otherwise a middling franchise despite Aragon’s efforts. He continued his steady reliable efforts, posting 1299 hits, 628 runs, 199 doubles, 273 home runs, 779 RBI, a .307/.348/.562 slash, 147 wRC+, and 37.8 WAR. Aragon opted out of the final year of his contract and was a free agent again before the 1980 season. Now 37 years old, Santo Domingo signed him on a three-year, $1,314,000 deal.

Aragon’s signing helped put the Dolphins over the top, as they began their own dynasty run in the 1980s. Santo Domingo won five Caribbean League titles from 1981-85 and won the CABA title in 1982, 84, and 85. Aragon won Silver Slugger in 1981 (his seventh) and was the CLCS MVP in 1984. His numbers weren’t as dominant in this later run, but he was again steady and still very reliable even into his early 40s. Aragon signed a three-year extension after the 1982 season and ultimately played seven seasons with SD.

In the playoffs with the Dolphins, he had 65 starts, 54 hits, 27 runs, 10 doubles, 12 home runs, 38 RBI, a .214/.237/.405 slash and 0.5 WAR. Although less dominant than his Mexico City heroics, this helped Aragon emerge as CABA’s most prolific playoff hitter. He had eight CABA rings and 10 league titles to his name with 152 hits, 80 runs, 27 doubles, 33 home runs, 105 RBI, a .278/.317/.512 slash, and 4.4 WAR. At retirement, Aragon was the CABA playoff leader in runs, hits, doubles, home runs, and RBI. As of 2037, he still has the most RBI and remains top four in the other stats.

In total with Santo Domingo, Aragon had 1133 hits, 546 runs, 160 doubles, 255 home runs, 676 RBI, a .285/.315/.527 slash, 138 wRC+, and 28.5 WAR. He reached a number of impressive milestones with the Dolphins, becoming the third CABA hitter to 3500 hits, the third to 700 home runs, the third to 2000 RBI, and the seventh to 1500 runs scored.

In 1985, Aragon passed Prometheo Garcia as the CABA home run king (Garcia had more when counting his MLB run, but ended with 753 in CABA). He hit 44 home runs at age 42, but notably became the all-time leader despite never leading the league or hitting 50. Aragon was the model of consistency with ten seasons of 40+ homers. He finally struggled and was a sub-par hitter for the first time in 1986, but this final season allowed him to pass Wesley Dubar for the all-time RBI mark. Aragon retired after the season at age 44.

Aragon’s final stats: 3619 hits, 1780 runs, 585 doubles, 772 home runs, 2137 RBI, a .304/.347/.559 slash, 152 wRC+, and 108.7 WAR. At induction, he was CABA’s all-time leader in home runs, RBI, games played, and at-bats. He was fourth in runs scored, second in hits, and second in doubles. Despite those tallies, he was only 12^th in batting WAR, damaged by his poor baserunning, lack of walks, and average defense at first. As of 2037, Aragon is third in homers and RBI, fourth in hits, third in games played, and fourth in doubles. He was the model of consistency and reliability, as well as a clutch performer in the postseason, but the lack of MVPs and black ink keep him out of the GOAT hitter conversations despite the tallies. A true ironman, Aragon was a Hall of Fame lock at 99.7%.

Rafioby “Wall” Barajas – First Base – Hermosillo Hyenas – 85.8% First Ballot

Rafioby Barajas was a 6’2’’, 195 pound right-handed first baseman from Tehuacan, a city of around 250,000 people in the Mexican state of Puebla. At the plate, Barajas wasn’t incredible, but he was a reliable solid contact and power hitter. His career batting average was just below .300 while averaging around 30 home runs and 30 doubles per season. Barajas was middling at drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts and was also a slow baserunner. His nickname “Wall” came from his tremendous defense at first base. Barajas spent his entire career there and is considered by many as the greatest defensive 1B in CABA history. Like his Hall of Fame classmate Solomon Aragon, Barajas was also an ironman. He made 140+ starts in every season sans his final year.

Barajas was one of the premiere Mexican prospects in the 1968 CABA Draft. He was picked 4^th overall by Hermosillo and would spend his entire 18 year pro career with the Hyenas, becoming one of the most popular players in Mexican baseball. He was a full-time starter immediately and took second in 1969’s Rookie of the Year voting.

Barajas also won his first Gold Glove in 1969. He’d miss it in 1970, but would he’d rattle off 13 straight from 1971-83. As of 2037, his 14 Gold Gloves is the most for any CABA player at any position. As of 2037, Barajas is also one of only five players across all of the world leagues to have 14+ Gold Gloves specifically at first base. His 100.7 Zone Rating is the top mark at the position in CABA history by a strong margin (next closest is 69.8) and he’s the CABA leader in assists at first base with 1729.

His defense got a lot of deserved attention, but Barajas wasn’t a scrub as a hitter. He was never a league leader, but he won three Silver Sluggers at the competitive position, coming in 1972, 1974, and 1982. Barajas did not win MVP, but was third in 1972 voting. After that season, Hermosillo locked him up long-term with an eight-year, $2,812,000 contract extension. He was beloved by Hyenas fans and one of the few reasons to come to the ballpark, as Hermosillo consistently stunk in his tenure. From 1969-79, they had no playoff appearances and only twice finished above .500.

Barajas remained a steady presence into the 1980s and into his 30s as fortunes finally changed for Hermosillo. In 1980, the Hyenas snapped a 16-year playoff drought and won their first Mexican League pennant since 1947. From 1980-86, Hermosillo earned five playoff appearances with ML titles in 1980, 83, and 85; plus a CABA Championship in 1983. Barajas was MLCS MVP in 1980 and played a big role in their postseason success. In 57 playoff games, he had 63 hits, 33 runs, 11 doubles, 9 home runs, 45 RBI, a .292/.328/.495 slash, and 2.1 WAR.

That run cemented his status as a beloved figure in Mexican baseball, helping turn a begotten franchise into a winner. In his later years, he also played for Mexico in the World Baseball Championship, earning nationwide appreciation. In 96 starts from 1978-84, Barajas had 91 hits, 64 runs, 14 doubles, 35 home runs, 74 RBI, a .269/.346/.627 slash, and 4.8 WAR. He also had a World Championship ring, helping the Mexican team to the 1978 title.

Barajas’ longevity got him to milestones late in his run, crossing 1500 RBI in 1984, 500 home runs in 1985, and 3000 hits in 1986. He ended up splitting time in the lineup in his final year of 1986 despite seemingly still having similar success to his prior years. Barajas became a free agent after the season and wanted to carry on, but he couldn’t find a suitor in 1987. He retired that winter at age 41.

Barajas final stats: 3011 hits, 1329 runs, 485 doubles, 516 home runs, 1697 RBI, a .296/.340/.507 slash, 150 wRC+, and 95.5 WAR. At induction, he was seventh all-time in hits, sixth in RBI, and 20^th in hitting WAR. Barajas took a different path to greatness than his HOF classmate Aragon, but he also had an impressive career and played a big role in the postseason. Hermosillo retired his #36 uniform and he remains the franchise leader in games played and hits as of 2037. Only a small group of voters held his lack of offensive accolades against him, as Barajas was a first ballot selection at 85.8%.

FuzzyRussianHat · 01-31-2024, 04:58 AM

East Asia Baseball inducted two players into the Hall of Fame from the 1992 ballot. Both guys got in on the first ballot with SP So-Woong Hong at 83.7% and 3B Min-Hwi Eun at 80.5%. SP Ho-In Koh missed it by the slimmest possible margin on his third try at 66.0%. Generally, 66% is the threshold, but that was his number when you rounded up, so he was left out. One other pitcher was above 50% with Kunizo Tsuda receiving 55.3% on his fourth ballot.

Two players fell off the ballot after ten failed tries. SP Cheng Yang peaked at 40.8% on his third ballot before ending at a low of 11.3%. He had a 14-year career in total, but four seasons were in MLB as well. In EAB with Busan and Daegu, he had one Pitcher of the Year award, 116-94 record, 2.98 ERA, 2012 innings, 2108 strikeouts, and 45.0 WAR. He won two titles with the Blue Jays and would have been on his way had he stayed and/or had more longevity.

Another pitcher was dropped in Chae-Heui Song, who peaked at 28.7% in his second go and ended at 4.6%. In 18 seasons, he had eight EAB championship rings between Pyongyang and Daegu, posting a 210-143 record, 3.18 ERA, 3218 innings, 2776 strikeouts, and 67.8 WAR. Song was never a league leader or awards finalist, which hurt him with most voters despite decent accumulations and his many rings.

So-Woong Hong – Starting Pitcher – Kobe Blaze – 83.7% First Ballot

So-Woong Hong was a 6’3’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Wonsan, a city of around 330,000 people on the eastern coast of North Korea. Hong’s biggest strengths were solid control and movement, which made up for having merely above average stuff. His velocity only peaked in the 93-95 mph range but he had an incredible changeup that he fooled batters with between his sinker and slider offerings. Hong was also known for excellent stamina, leading the league three times in innings pitched. He was a durable and intelligent pitcher that was also effective at holding runners.

Hong was spotted as a teenage amateur by a scout from Kobe, who signed him in 1967 at age 16 and brought him from North Korea to Japan. After spending four years in their academy, he debuted in 1971 at age 21 for the Blaze, splitting time between the rotation and bullpen. Hong was a full-time starter for the rest of his career, tossing 245+ innings in all but one season over the next 15 years. He was iffy as a rookie, but delivered an excellent sophomore season with a league-best 25 quality starts, taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting.

In 1974, Hong earned his first Pitcher of the Year award with 7.0 WAR, a 21-9 record, 2.51 ERA, and 26 quality starts. He won for a second time in 1976, leading again in innings pitched and posting career bests in wins (23-10), ERA (2.36), and WAR (8.0). Kobe had five consecutive seasons with 90+ wins in this stretch, but couldn’t make the playoffs as they were stuck against Kyoto’s dynasty run. In total with the Blaze, Hong had a 102-70 record, 2.87 ERA, 1483 strikeouts, and 36.0 WAR. He decided to enter free agency after the 1977 season at age 28.

Hong wanted to return home to North Korea and both of the countries’ teams; Pyongyang and Hamhung, were very interested in grabbing him. He had returned home for the World Baseball Championship and ultimately played from 1972-85 for the DPRK. In 157 innings, he had a 3.32 ERA, 6-10 record, 168 strikeouts, and 3.6 WAR in the WBC. Hong ultimately signed with the Pythons to a six-year, $2,420,000 deal. Pyongyang had just come off of winning the EAB title in 1977 in a bounce back year.

The Pythons were good in Hong’s first two years there, but just outside of the playoffs. He took third in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1978, his last time as a finalist. Pyongyang then fell off hard and began an unprecedented streak of mediocrity. Hong wasn’t to blame, posting a 2.89 ERA and 62-47 in four seasons with 1084 innings, 917 strikeouts, and 21.5 WAR. The Pythons opted to move Hong before the 1982 season to Seongnam in exchange for two prospects.

The Spiders hoped Hong would get them over the hump, as they had narrowly missed ending a decade-long playoff drought in the prior year. Statistically, Hong had two very average years in Seongnam, but he gave them steady innings. The Spiders prevailed and won the Korea League title in both 1982 and 1983. They came up short versus Kawasaki in the 1982 EAB final, but won the 1983 championship against Sapporo. In 70 playoff innings over his run, Hong had a 4-3 record, 3.60 ERA, 50 strikeouts, and 0.3 WAR. He posted a 7.8 WAR, 3.80 ERA, 379 strikeouts, and 23-22 record for his Seongnam tenure.

His original Pyongyang deal expired and the Spiders let him enter free agency at age 35. Hong signed a four-year, $2,760,000 deal with Hamhung. He provided league average production in three seasons with the Heat, even leading the league in innings in his final season. Hamhung made the 1986 playoffs, but were knocked out with Hong struggling in his one start. This was ultimately his final start, as he opted to retire at age 37 instead of hanging around. He had a 3.92 ERA, 39-46 record, 776 innings, 622 strikeouts, and 11.2 WAR with the Heat.

Hong’s final overall stats: 226-185 record, 3.18 ERA, 4063 innings, 3401 strikeouts to 721 walks, 309/488 quality starts, 156 complete games, 87 FIP-, and 76.6 WAR. He quietly accumulated some solid totals and Is on a short list of guys with multiple Pitcher of the Year awards. His stats don’t place him among the absolute upper echelon of Hall of Famers, but Hong didn’t look out of place compared to the standard of previously inductees. The voters were sold and gave Hong a first ballot induction with 83.7%.

Min-Hwi Eun – Third Base – Kyoto Kamikaze – 80.5 First Ballot

Min-Hwi Eun was a 5’11’’, 200 pound right-handed third baseman from Ulsan, South Korea. Eun emerged as a very good contact hitter with a solid pop in his bat. He averaged around 30 home runs and around 35 doubles/triples pet year. Eun had an average eye and decent ability at avoiding strikeouts. He wasn’t a speedster, but had decent wheels with strong baserunning instincts. Eun was a career third baseman with a strong arm, although he graded out as just below average for his career defensively. He was a scrappy and loyal player, which made him a fan favorite throughout his run.

Eun was spotted as a teenage amateur and signed in 1963 by Kyoto, spending two decades ultimately in the organization. He would be a late bloomer though despite making his official debut at age 20 with two at-bats in 1966. Eun made appearances over the next five years off-and-on, but couldn’t crack the starting lineup fulltime. He finally won the job in 1972, but missed more than half the season with knee issues.

1973 was Eun’s first full season as a starter at age 27 and he delivered a Silver Slugger winning season and their first playoff berth since 1966. This helped convince Kyoto to give him a four-year contract extension early in 1974 worth $1,294,000. Eun had an impressive 9.5 WAR campaign and won Silver Slugger again. The Kamikaze went on a tear and won their first-ever EAB Championship. Eun was finals MVP, posting 13 hits, 5 runs, 4 doubles, 3 home runs, and 6 RBI in the postseason.

1975 would be Eun’s finest season individually and the only time he was a league leader. He led in multiple stats though with the most hits (216), WAR (11.8), and bases (402) while also leading in average (.362), OBP (.402), OPS (1.075), and wRC+ (214). Eun also smacked 47 home runs with 112 RBI, both career bests. This earned him his lone MVP and his third Silver Slugger. Kyoto made the playoffs again, but fell this year in the JLCS despite Eun winning the series MVP.

Eun had made them a consistent contender though with the Kamikaze winning two more JL pennants in 1976 and 1977, along with the 1976 EAB title. Eun was a Silver Slugger winner again in both years, giving him five for his career. In the playoffs, he had 51 games with 58 hits, 21 runs, 13 doubles, 10 home runs, 31 RBI, a .314/.352/.568 slash, and 2.1 WAR. Eun also returned home to South Korea for the World Baseball Championship from 1972-85. In 70 games and 49 starts, he had 56 this, 28 runs, 8 doubles, 19 home runs, 38 RBI, a .295/.333/.647 slash, and 2.7 WAR.

Eun signed another four-year extension before the 1978 season and continued to be a very solid player for Kyoto, although their competitive window ended. They finished the 1970s as an average team, then plummeted to the bottom of the standings by the early 1980s. Eun was still a solid contributor in this run and even busted out an impressive 8.0 WAR season in 1982 at age 36. In total with the Kamikaze, Eun had 2147 hits, 1043 runs, 406 doubles, 364 home runs, 1102 RBI, a .313/.352/.549 slash, and 85.0 WAR.

Eun finally left for free agency after the 1983 season, although he remained very popular with Kyoto fans for his role in their great dynasty run. The franchise would later retire his #30 uniform. He had a very solid 1984 season with Daegu, who finished in the middle of the pack. The Diamondbacks traded Eun to Changwon for three prospects. He had a decent 1985 with the middling Crabs, but struggled in 1986 and was ultimately benched. That winter, Eun retired from the game at age 40.

Eun’s final stats: 2497 hits, 1217 runs, 473 doubles, 427 home runs, 1301 RBI, a .309/.349/545 slash, 157 wRC+, and 93.5 WAR. He never dominated the leaderboards or put up massive stats, but Eun at induction had the fourth most WAR all-time in EAB at third base. He was a fan favorite and a critical player in Kyoto’s three Japan League titles in the 1970s. This earned Eun the first ballot Hall of Fame honor with 80.5% of the vote.

FuzzyRussianHat · 01-31-2024, 11:52 AM

Pitcher Eusebio Mendoza was the lone inductee into the Beisbol Sudamerica Hall of Fame in 1992. He was a first ballot nod, but by the slimmest possible margins with 66.7%. 1B Cy Cavazos was close enough on his ninth try, but still short with 62.0%. Two others were above 50% with RF Jasper Saucedo at 56.1% on his second ballot and SP Robinson Moreira at 50.6% for his third attempt.

One player was dropped after ten ballots in SP Pizarro Salinas, who had a 12-yaer career with five teams. Salinas had a 182-118 record, 2.94 ERA, 2827.2 innings, 2663 strikeouts, and 54.3 WAR. A nice career, but he lacked big stats and accolades, plus he was dinged for bouncing around in his career. Salinas debuted with 28.6% and bottomed out at 8.6%.

Eusebio Mendoza – Pitcher – Brasilia Bearcats – 66.7% First Ballot

Eusebio Mendoza was a 6’1’’, 205 pound right-handed pitcher from Comodoro Rivadavia, a city with around 180,000 people in southeastern Argentina. It is the most populous city in the world south of the 45th parallel. Mendoza had excellent stuff and very good control, although his movement was terrible. He had 96-98 mph peak velocity on his fastball and mixed it with a splitter, cutter, and changeup. Mendoza had an extreme flyball tendency and had troubles allowing home runs, allowing the most in the league four times. However, his stuff and control gave him a very good K/BB ratio and allowed him to succeed. Mendoza also had great stamina and durability along with a tireless work ethic.

As a 16-year old, he was noticed by a scout visiting Argentina from Fortaleza. Mendoza singed in late 1967 with the Foxes and made his debut in 1971 at age 20. He made a few spot starts in his first three seasons as the team didn’t think he was quite ready for a full-time spot. Mendoza received a Copa Sudamerica ring as the Foxes won the 1972 title, although he didn’t participate in the postseason. Unfortunately for Mendoza, he wouldn’t have a single playoff start in his career.

Mendoza became a full-time starter in 1974 and 1975 and was one of the best strikeout pitchers in the Southern Cone League. This also marked the start of his time with Argentina in the World Baseball Championship. From 1974-85, Mendoza had a 4.52 ERA over 71.2 innings with 108 strikeouts and 1.0 WAR. He regressed a bit in 1976 and was later split between the rotation and bullpen. In total with the Foxes, Mendoza had a 45-52 record, 3.58 ERA, 852.1 innings, 1148 strikeouts, and 13.7 WAR.

Mendoza’s woes allowing home runs made Fortaleza leery of giving him a long-term deal. After the 1976 season, he was traded straight up to Brasilia for pitcher Israel Roldan. The Bearcats made him a full-time starter again and he showed some flashes. In 1978, Mendoza had a career-best 2.43 ERA with a league-best 379 strikeouts, 8.1 WAR, and 0.86 WHIP. He took second in Pitcher of the Year voting. 1979 saw him lead in strikeouts and innings, but also in home runs allowed at 57.

In 1980, Mendoza made history with the 34th perfect game in Beisbol Sudamerica history. He did on April 22 with 16 strikeouts against Santiago. Five days later, Brasilia rewarded him with a three-year, $1,328,000 contract extension. That season saw a career and league best 393 strikeouts, but it would be his last great season. Mendoza spent two more seasons with the Bearcats as a full-time starter with the team stuck in the middle of the standings.

Mendoza stuck around three more seasons with Brasilia, but his productivity dropped significantly and he was relegated to spot starts and long relief. In total with the Bearcats, he had a 127-99 record, 3.19 ERA, 2001 innings, 2680 strikeouts to 285 walks, and 31.6 WAR. Mendoza was liked enough by Brasilia that they would later retire his #1 uniform. He signed in 1986 with Rosario and had sporadic and unremarkable use. After going unsigned in 1987, Mendoza retired at age 36.

Mendoza’s final stats: 174-158 record, 3.32 ERA, 2937.2 innings, 3910 strikeouts to 474 walks, 491 home runs allowed, 227/356 quality starts, 100 complete games, a FIP- of 93, and 45.9 WAR. As of 2037, he has the worst WAR of any starting pitcher in the BSA Hall of Fame and one of the weakest ERAs. The advanced stats are not kind to Mendoza with a career ERA+ of 101. Many modern lists cite him among the least deserving of the BSA Hall of Famers. But he had an impressive strikeout rate and came close to 4000 career Ks despite having much fewer innings than the other guys to reach that milestone. Mendoza was also well liked among his peers and the 1992 ballot had no standouts. This helped him get in on the first ballot no less, but barely at 66.7%.

FuzzyRussianHat · 01-31-2024, 04:34 PM

Jean-Luc Roch was the only member of the 1992 Hall of Fame class for the European Baseball Federation. Few guys are more worthy of being the lone member of a class than arguably the GOAT pitcher, receiving 99.6% on the first ballot. Fellow pitcher Ugo Musacci was just short again of the 66% threshold with 62.0% for his seventh ballot. Also above 50% were 1B Isak Steffensen at 57.9% in his tenth and final try, plus SP Jose Calderon at 50.8% on his second ballot.

For Steffensen, he debuted on the ballot at only 37.7%, but slowly grew to a peak of 60.3% in 1991. He was just short despite his 16 year career with all 13 seasons in EBF with Dublin and three seasons in EPB. With the Dinos, Steffensen had five Gold Gloves, 2248 hits, 975 runs, 332 doubles, 331 triples, 139 home runs, 871 RBI, 574 stolen bases, a .311/.343/.506 slash and 64.0 WAR. The lack of power numbers hurt him with some voters and another two/three years of accumulations might have gotten him across the line. But instead, the Danish righty was banished to the Hall of Very Good.

Jean-Luc Roch – Starting Pitcher – Zurich Mountaineers – 99.6% First Ballot

Jean-Luc Roch was a 5’8’’, 185 pound left-handed pitcher from Sallertaine, a small commune of around 3,000 people in western France. Roch went down as arguably the top pitcher in EBF history with incredible stuff despite only having a peak velocity in the 92-94 mph range. He had excellent control, above average movement, and an incredible knack for changing speeds with a legendary changeup. Roch had five pitches total, also using a fastball, curveball, cutter, and knuckle curve. He was great at holding runners and had excellent durability with good stamina and the ability to keep pitch counts low.

Roch was spotted at age 15 by a scout from Zurich, who signed him to a developmental contract in January 1967. After spending four years in the academy in Switzerland, he made his debut with 29 games and 194.2 innings in 1971. He was below average as a rookie, but showed flashes of potential. Roch was a full-time starter every year after with 230+ innings in all but his final season. He got noticed with a very good sophomore season, leading the Southern Conference in strikeouts.

Roch became a regular atop the strikeout lists, leading the conference 11 times in total. This was especially impressive considering he was competing with the likes of Alejandro Canas in the SC. Roch would continue to dominate, posting ten consecutive 10+ WAR seasons from 1973-82 and 12 years with 8+ WAR. He was the WARlord nine times as well. Among Roch’s other statistical successes was leading in wins six times, ERA four times, innings once, WHIP seven times, K/BB nine times, quality starts four times, and FIP- four times.

This made Roch one of the most exciting players in Europe throughout the 1970s and 1980s. He was beloved in Switzerland as Zurich’s ace and was loved as a French baseball icon. Roch pitched from 1974-85 for France in the World Baseball Championship, posting a 17-8 record over 209.2 innings with a 2.88 ERA, 350 strikeouts, 39 walks, and 6.8 WAR.

In 1973, Roch won Pitcher of the Year for the first time with a 1.95 ERA, 402 strikeouts, and 10.5 WAR. He’d have six seasons with an ERA below two and seven seasons with 400+ strikeouts. There have been 25 total seasons in EBF with 400Ks with Roch (7), Canas (4), and Lindsey Brampton (12) dominating the list. This also marked the start of Zurich’s historic postseason streak which ultimately saw 21 straight division titles. With Roch as the ace, the Mountaineers became an annual contender within the EBF’s Southern Conference. 14 of their 21 division titles came during Roch’s run, which included five conference titles and nine conference finals appearances.

Despite their success, Zurich seemed cursed during Roch’s time in the EBF Championship, going 0-5. You couldn’t blame him for their failings though, as his postseason stats were just as excellent as his regular season stats. Over 278 playoff innings, Roch had a 20-13 record, 2.40 ERA, 395 strikeouts to only 32 walks, 56 FIP-, and 10.3 WAR. At induction, he was the all-time playoff leader in wins, strikeouts, and WAR. As of 2037, Roch still has the most Ks in EBF playoff history and is second in both WAR and wins only behind 2020s-2030s star Nejc Novak. Roch was 1983’s conference finals MVP and saw pennants in 1976, 80, 82, 83, and 84.

Roch racked up an unprecedented eight Pitcher of the Year awards, winning in 1973, 75, 76, 77, 79, 81, 82, and 83. He took second in voting in 1974, third in 1978, second in 1980, and second in 84; giving him a 12 year run as either the award’s winner or a finalist. Eight remains the EBF record for the award and put him in rare company in any world league. Roch also is one of a select few in any world league with multiple Triple Crown seasons, doing it in 1975 (22-3, 1.83 ERA, 399 Ks) and then again in 1982 (24-7, 1.64 ERA, 434 Ks).

In 1977, Roch set the single-season strikeout record of 443 while Canas was at 439 the same season. Canas topped it the next year at 454 with Roch hitting 445 as a best in 1980. Brampton would top them both on five times, but Roch still holds the seventh and eighth best strikeout seasons as of 2037. Roch’s 26 wins in 1977 was one short of the single-season record and his 13.1 WAR in 1980 is the eighth best single season in EBF history. He had a career best 1.64 ERA in 1982.

Roch is also the only EBF pitcher as of 2037 to throw three no-hitters in his career. He was one of a select few in world history to throw two in one season. His first was August 23, 1975 against Naples with 12 strikeouts and one walk. A month later on September 27, he fanned nine with three walks against Seville. The next season on April 8, 1976, he struck out nine with no walks versus Milan, but narrowly missed the perfect game. During that stretch, Roch had a 39 game undefeated streak. In early 1974, Roch also posted a streak of 41 consecutive scoreless innings. Zurich locked him up long-term with a seven-year, $3,206,000 contract extension before the 1977 season.

Roch started to climb the still relatively young EBF leaderboards into his 30s. He became the third to 250 wins and the second to 5000 strikeouts both in 1983. Shortly after, he passed Pietro Ribsi and Alejandro Canas to become the career leader in both stats. Roch seemed primed to compile unreachable stats, reaching the top spots only at age 33.

Sadly, a decline came quickly despite generally being healthy. The small-framed Roch hadn’t ever relied on velocity, but it started to drop a bit in 1985. It was his worst year since his second season with under 300 strikeouts and 2.92 ERA, although he still had 6.9 WAR and was great compared to normal pitchers. That September, he suffered from forearm inflammation that kept him out of the postseason.

He was officially healthy in 1986, but not remotely the same. Roch suddenly was pedestrian with a 4.26 ERA over 192.1 innings with only 128 strikeouts. His record was 10-9, which allowed him to hit one critical milestone; 300 career wins. Roch was weak enough though by this point that Zurich didn’t use him in the playoffs, going one-and-done. He had signed a five-year, $3,950,000 extension before the 1984 season and was still a beloved figure, but he seemed completely washed in 1986. Roch still wanted that elusive ring, but he saw the writing on the wall and retired at age 36. Immediately, Zurich retired his #35 uniform.

Roch’s final stats: 300-127 record, 2.30 ERA, 4058.2 innings, 5757 strikeouts to only 625 walks, 397/515 quality starts, 116 complete games, 56 FIP, and 151.4 WAR. At induction, he was the all-time leader in wins, innings, strikeouts, and pitching WAR. As of 2037, Roch is still the WARlord and is second in both wins and strikeouts. Among EBF Hall of Fame starters, he has the fourth best ERA and second best winning percentage. Roch’s efficiency was marvelous, putting up accumulations that other all-time great pitchers needed 20+ years to hit. Any conversation about EBF’s greatest all-time pitcher features Roch mentioned prominently. His 99.6% first ballot induction was frankly too low, but he stands alone in the 1992 Hall of Fame class.

FuzzyRussianHat · 02-01-2024, 04:28 AM

The 1992 Eurasian Professional Baseball Hall of Fame class saw three starting pitchers earn first ballot inductions. Ihor Polvaliy led the way with 98.4%, joined by Viktor Paidoverov at 91.2% and Murat Muradov at 77.0%. Two others were above 50% with LF Emin Ismayilov at 59.3% on his second ballot and SP Maksim Ekstrem at 57.1% on his fourth go.

Dropped after ten failed ballots was 2B Ali Alasgarov, who won seven Silver Sluggers and a MVP in his 21-year career. Primarily with Minsk and Tashkent, Alasgarov debuted on the ballot at 60.5%, but never got closer and ended at 48.6%. He had 1983 hits, 1145 runs, 306 doubles, 209 triples, 359 home runs, 1108 RBI, 674 stolen bases, a .282/.346/.529 slash, and 79.2 WAR. Despite a long career, Alasgarov was plagued by injuries and had more partial seasons than full ones, keeping his accumulations low enough to sink his candidacy.

Also dropped was closer Elgiz Gulyamov, who won three Reliever of the Year awards over 16 seasons with Ulaanbaatar and nine other teams. He debuted at 59.0% and got to 62.8% in his second time, but plummeted after and closed at 36.3%. Gulyamov had 376 saves and 451 shutdowns, a 2.01 ERA, 1048.2 innings, 1426 strikeouts, 231 walks, and 43.0 WAR. His numbers were comparable to other Hall of Fame relievers, but he ended up on the outside.

Ihor “Fireman” Polvaliy – Starting Pitcher – Kyiv Kings – 98.4% First Ballot

Ihor Polvaliy was a 6’0’’, 205 pound left-handed pitcher from Gomel, the second largest city in Belarus with around 500,000 people. It is in the southeast of the country near the Russian and Ukrainian borders. Nicknamed “Fireman” for his offseason volunteering for the local fire station, Polvaliy had excellent control with solid movement and stuff. His primary pitch was an impressive 94-96 mph cutter that he mixed with a good changeup and okay slider. Polvaliy had solid stamina and was viewed generally as durable, throwing 250+ innings in 10 seasons and 200+ in all 12 of his pro seasons. He was also considered a very intelligent pitcher and became very popular in Eastern Europe.

He was a top prospect out of the college ranks ahead of the 1973 EPB Draft and was picked 19^th overall by Warsaw. Polvaliy and the Wildcats couldn’t come to terms and he returned for an additional collegiate season. Eligible again in 1974, Kyiv picked him 17^th overall. Polvaliy signed and moved to the Ukrainian capital, located about four and a half hours south of his home town in Belarus. He’d be a very popular player both in Ukraine for his time with the Kings and back in his home country.

Polvaliy was a full-time starter immediately and an immediate success, leading the European League with 10.5 WAR in his debut. On May 10, he tossed a 10 strikeout, two walk no-hitter against Prague. Polvaliy won Rookie of the Month four times and Pitcher of the Month in 1975. This ultimately earned him a rare distinction of not only winning Rookie of the Year, but taking Pitcher of the Year as well. The Kings bounced back from a losing season the prior year and made it to the ELCS, falling to Moscow.

Kyiv became a consistent contender during Polvaliy’s run with eight playoff appearances and five division titles over ten years. The Kings won four European League titles (1978, 79, 82, 83) and secured the Soviet Series title in 1983. In the playoffs with Kyiv, Polvaliy had a 12-8 record over 194.1 innings with a 2.45 ERA, 191 strikeouts, 21 walks, and 4.5 WAR. He also regularly pitched in the World Baseball Championship with Belarus. From 1974-86, he had a 13-5 record over 170.2 innings, 1.85 ERA, 187 strikeouts, and 6.5 WAR. Polvaliy was third in WBC Best Pitcher voting in 1980, posting a 0.32 ERA and 33 strikeouts over 28 innings.

Polvaliy led the league in WAR and FIP- in each of his first three seasons. He led in K/BB five times, WHIP four straight years from 1976-79; ERA three times from 1977-79, and wins twice. Polvaliy won Pitcher of the Year four times with Kyiv (1975, 76, 78, 80) and was second in 1977, third in 79, and second in 1985. After the 1979 season, Polvaliy signed a five-year, $1,612,000 deal with the Kings.

In total in a decade with Kyiv, Polvaliy had an 180-91 record, 1.86 ERA, 2722.2 innings, 2899 strikeouts to 284 walks, 63 FIP-, and 87.1 WAR. The Kings would later retire his #11 uniform and he’d remain a popular figure, but his time ended there after the 1984 as they couldn’t come to financial terms. At age 34, Polvaliy signed a four-year, $2,960,000 deal with Bucharest. This doubled his peak yearly salary from $362,000 in his best year with Kyiv to $740,000. The Broncos were the defending Soviet Series champ and in an arms race with the Kings for the South Division title.

The deal seemed like a winner in the first year as Polvaliy had his typical great season and took second in Pitcher of the Year voting. Bucharest won the division over Kyiv, but went one-and-done in the playoffs. But in 1986, Polvaliy had a pronounced decline despite being healthy. His ERA swelled up to 3.76, far worse than his previous worst season of 2.22. Polvaliy was moved to the bullpen for the playoffs as Bucharest again suffered a first round exit. He decided that this wasn’t satisfactory and didn’t want to hang around if he wasn’t going to be elite, retiring that winter at age 36. He had a 2.89 ERA and 11.9 WAR in his two Broncos seasons.

In total, Polvaliy had a 213-114 record, 2.02 ERA, 3214 innings, 3357 strikeouts to 353 walks, 310/379 quality starts, 160 complete games, 65 FIP-, and 99.0 WAR. Even with a relatively short career compared to most Hall of Fame pitchers, his accumulations don’t look out of place. Polvaliy had the seventh most pitching WAR among EPB inductees when he went in. He doesn’t get the attention some of his longer tenured contemporaries get, but Polvaliy was incredibly elite in his prime and a big part of Kyiv’s success. The voters certainly recognized this for a 98.4% first ballot selection as the star of the 1992 class.

Viktor Paidoverov – Starting Pitcher – Almaty Assassins – 91.2% First Ballot

Viktor Paidoverov was a 6’0’’, 195 pound left-handed pitcher Kirove, Ukraine. Renamed to Pivnichne in 2016, it is a small town of around 9,000 people in the eastern Donetsk Oblast. Paidoverov was a hard thrower with 98-100 peak velocity, using his powerful stuff to success while having above average movement and merely okay control. He had a four pitch arsenal of slider, forkball, splitter, and cutter. Paidoverov was durable with 15+ straight seasons with 200 innings and respectable stamina. He was good at holding runners and defense as well. Paidoverov was well liked in clubhouses as a smart, hardworking and honest player.

Paidoverov was spotted as a teenage amateur by a scout from Moscow, signing with the Mules at age 16 in June 1962. He never played in the Russian capital though and many fans don’t realize he started there. After a few years in the academy, Paidoverov was traded with another prospect in late 1965 to Almaty for veteran OF Eldar Vdovichenko. Paidoverov debuted with 22 innings in 1966 at age 20 for the Assassins. He earned a full-time starting gig the next year and was viewed as an ace-level guy by 1968.

Paidoverov never won Pitcher of the Year and the closest he came was a second place finish in 1970. That year, he led the Asian League in ERA with 1.67. It was really his only time as a league leader, but he stayed steady and reliable with ten seasons worth 6+ WAR, ten seasons with 300+ strikeouts, and eight seasons with an ERA at 2.25 or lower. Paidoverov also returned home to Ukraine for the World Baseball Championship from 1969-83, posting a 2.58 ERA over 132.1 innings with 153 strikeouts and 3.9 WAR.

Paidoverov was a big part in Almaty establishing a dynasty run in the 1970s that saw eight straight playoff appearances from 1971-78 and four division titles. The Assassins won the Asian League pennant in a three-peat from 1971-73, then fell in the ALCS the next three years. Almaty won back-to-back Soviet Series titles in 1972 and 1973. Paidoverov was a solid playoff pitcher, posting a 2.18 ERA and 10-8 record over 177.2 playoff innings with 193 strikeouts, 40 walks, and 4.6 WAR.

Paidoverov had signed a six-year contract extension worth $1,452,000 in mid 1975 and carried on with his consistent success. Almaty’s window ran out and they dropped to the bottom of the standings by 1981. That year was also the first time Paidoverov’s production had dipped significantly from solid to merely average. The Assassins decided to move on from Paidoverov as they began their rebuild, but he would later be honored with his #23 uniform’s retirement and remembered by fans in Kazhakstan as an important part in Almaty’s 1970s success.

EPB had recently opened up so players could explore foreign leagues and Paidoverov interestingly enough had the attention of the Mexican League. The 36-year old signed in 1982 to a one-year, $464,000 deal with Ecatepec. Paidoverov was merely okay, then went to Puebla in 1983. He was mediocre with the Pumas, becoming a free agent again. Paidoverov signed with Hermosillo and spent 1984 there as a part-time starter with again uninspiring stats.

His final stop in Mexico came in 1985 with Merida, which would be his best statistical season in CABA although over a small sample size. His season ended in July with radial nerve compression. For his CABA career, he had a 23-42 record, 3.52 ERA, 556.2 innings, 378 strikeouts, and 4.3 WAR. Paidoverov wasn’t ready to reitre yet and went back to EPB, signing with Chelyabinsk. He posted 22.2 forgettable innings in relief with the Cadets and retired that winter at age 41.

Paidoverov’s final stats in EPB (and almost exclusively with Almaty) was a 241-143 record, 2.32 ERA, 3816.2 innings, 4379 strikeouts, 835 walks, 367/475 quality starts, 140 complete games, 77 FIP-, and 91.7 WAR. At induction, he had the sixth most wins and strikeouts of any EPB Hall of Famer. Paidoverov’s stats wouldn’t be at the top of any leaderboards and he wasn’t typically a league leader, but he was very good for a long while and an indispensible part of Almaty’s 1970s dynasty. The voters were easily solid on his resume and gave him the first ballot selection with 91.2%.

Murat Muradov – Starting Pitcher – Bishkek Black Sox – 77.0% First Ballot

Murat Muradov was a 5’11’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from Turkmenabat, the second largest city in Turkmenistan with around 524,000 people in the country’s northeast. He was the second Turkmen EPB Hall of Famer along with 1979 inductee Anmam Charyyew. Muradov wasn’t outstanding at anything, but was considered above average to good in terms of stuff, movement, and control. His fastball peaked in the 96-98 mph range and was mixed with a solid splitter and changeup, along with an okay slider. He did have excellent stamina, leading the league in complete games thrice and innings pitched twice. Muradov was sometimes viewed as being a bit lazy, but he still put up a strong career regardless.

Muradov was one of the most impressive Central Asian prospects ahead of 1973’s EPB Draft. He ended up going east to Kyrgyzstan, picked seventh overall by Bishkek. The Black Sox used him primarily in the bullpen with some starts as a rookie, seeing mixed results. He was a full-time starter in year two and for the remainder of his 13 year career.

The highlight of his Bishkek tenure came with the Pitcher of the Year award in 1978. That season, he led the Asian League with 1.70 ERA and posted 7.7 WAR. Muradov wasn’t an award finalist in the rest of his Black Sox run, but did four seasons with 300+ strikeouts and three seasons worth 6+ WAR. He also made World Baseball Championship appearances in 1977-78 with Turkmenistan, who generally didn’t have the roster to qualify for the event.

Bishkek had been a mid-tier team in most of Muradov’s tenure, but they snapped an 11-year playoff drought with a wild card in 1980. The Black Sox went on a surprise run to the Asian League title, falling in the Soviet Series to Kharkiv. Muradov had an excellent postseason with a 1.41 ERA over five starts, a 3-2 record, 44.2 innings, 43 strikeouts, and 0.9 WAR. This would ultimately be his only postseason starts in his career.

Muradov had one more season with Bishkek in 1981, which missed the playoffs. They would become a regular contender throughout the 1980s, but Muradov decided to enter free agency at age 31. With the Black Sox, he had a 128-116 record, 2.57 ERA, 2156.2 innings, 2235 strikeouts, and 41.9 WAR. Bishkek would opt to retire his #18 uniform later on, largely due to his part in the 1980 AL pennant season.

Muradov signed a five-year, $2,900,000 deal with Irkutsk. The Ice Cats were terrible for much of his tenure, but he got well paid with his $580,000 annual salary looking much fatter than his $326,000 peak with Bishkek. Muradov pitched well for them, posting 8.2 WAR in both 1983 and 1984 and taking third in 1983 Pitcher of the Year voting. 1984 was one of his finer years, although his 10-21 record doesn’t reflect it. Against his former squad Bishkek on July 14, Muradov tossed a no-hitter with 12 strikeouts and no walks, only missing the perfect game because of a fielding error.

He only pitched three seasons in Irkutsk, posting a 46-46 record, 2.36 ERA, 873.1 innings, 957 strikeouts, and 21.9 WAR. The struggling Ice Cats held a fire sale after the 1984 season and traded Muradov to Ulaanbaatar for two prospects. The Boars had gotten to the ALCS in 1984 and hoped Muradov could get them across the line, but they were just above .500 and missed the playoffs in his two years. He had a respectable 1985, but saw a career-worst 3.38 ERA in 1986. Muradov’s original Irkutsk contract was ending and he decided to retire with it at age 36. He posted a 3.16 ERA, 21-28 record, 487 innings, 474 strikeouts, and 8.1 WAR with Ulaanbaatar.

For his full career, Muradov had a 195-190 record, 2.60 ERA, 3517 innings, 3666 strikeouts, 621 walks, 286/408 quality starts, 258 complete games, 84 FIP-, and 71.9 WAR. He was definitely the weakest of the three pitchers in the 1992 HOF class and was on the lower end of inductees, but his numbers didn’t look out of place by any means. The voters who cared about win-loss record held some sympathy, knowing he would’ve been a 200+ win guy easily on better teams. The EPB voters love pitchers and Muradov did enough to round out the 1992 class with a 77.0% first ballot selection.

FuzzyRussianHat · 02-01-2024, 12:45 PM

For the second time in three years, the Oceania Baseball Association didn’t elect any Hall of Famers. The top mark in the 1992 ballot was CF Kyle Jett at 53.7% on his third attempt. The only other player above 50% was the top debutant at 53.0% in RF Dede Hayati.

One player was dropped after ten ballots in American closer Parker Ryder. After a decade as a middling reliever in MLB, the Colorado native came to OBA at age 32 and had eight solid years between four times. He won two rings and two Reliever of the Year awards with Adelaide, putting up an OBA line of 204 saves, 1.93 ERA, 544.1 innings, 739 strikeouts, and 17.2 WAR. The longevity wasn’t there and his MLB mediocrity didn’t help him. Ryder debuted at 20.3% and stuck around despite being single-digits most of the time, finishing at 7.8%.

FuzzyRussianHat · 02-01-2024, 05:48 PM

Pitcher Sahid Fakhruddin was a nearly unanimous Hall of Fame selection in 1992 for Austronesia Professional Baseball, getting 99.3%. He would be the only inductee, although four others landed between 57-59%; SP Ary Mustofa (fourth ballot), SP Kai Diaz (seventh), SP Lifki Santoso (first), and 1B Po-Yu Shao (fifth).

One player was dropped after ten ballots in pitcher Dwi Aditya To. He had a solid debut with Taichung, helping them win the 1965 APB title and taking Association Finals MVP in 1966. He never won any other major awards and bounced around for the rest of his run with a 2.50 ERA, 175-169 record, 3133 innings, 2920 strikeouts, 583 walks, 107 ERA+, and 53.5 WAR. To was viewed as being solidly above average, debuting at 21.6% and finishing up at 5.0%.

Sahid Fakhruddin – Starting Pitcher – Semarang Sliders – 99.3% First Ballot

Sahid Fakhruddin was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Depok, Indonesia; a city of more than two million located just south of Jakarta. Fakhruddin had very good stuff with respectable control, although his movement was subpar. His fastball was in the 96-98 mph range and he was excellent and fooling you when he switched to either his changeup or curveball. Fakhruddin had excellent stamina, leading in complete games four times and innings pitched once. He was an ironman who missed only eight days in his entire career, both because of brief illness.

Scouts throughout Indonesia were impressed with a young Fakhruddin as a teenager. In late 1967, it was Batam who signed him to a developmental contract. He spent three years in the Blue Raiders academy, but never played a game for Batam. In November 1970, he was traded with two other prospects to Semarang in exchange for veteran RF Geng Wu. Fakhruddin debuted with 213.2 innings in 1971 with mixed results, but good enough success to earn Rookie of the Year honors.

Fakhruddin had a very good second season with the Sliders, leading the Sundaland Association in strikeouts. His lone career no-hitter was in his sophomore season with a 13 strikeout, one walk game on August 29 against Bandung. 1972 even saw a 44 inning scoreless stream from mid July to mid August. He then emerged as an elite ace in year three with a TPA best 1.41 ERA, 424 strikeouts, and 12.2 WAR. This was the first of five straight Pitcher of the Year awards for Fakhruddin. He led in WAR four times in the stretch with each year above 9+. He would lead in strikeouts nine straight years while also leading in wins thrice, ERA twice, WHIP four times, complete games three times, and shutouts seven times.

As far as pitchers go, Fakhruddin was also a good batter. He won Silver Sluggers in 1972, 73, and 75. For his batting career, he had 3.5 WAR with a .198/.215/.237 slash, 162 hits, 49 runs, 4 home runs, and 52 RBI; good by pitcher standards in a very low scoring league. Fakhruddin was also a regular for Indonesia in the World Baseball Championship from 1974-85. He struggled though in 143.1 WBC innings with a lackluster 5.71 ERA, 2-14 record, 223 strikeouts, and -0.1 WAR. It was a far cry from the dominance he had with Semarang.

In 1975, Fakhruddin became the second APB pitcher with a Triple Crown season on a 23-5 record, 388 strikeouts, and 1.06 ERA. That ERA was a career best and the single-season record at the time. As of 2037, it is the 10^th lowest single-season ERA in APB. 1975 also saw Semarang earn its first-ever playoff berth and eventually the APB title as well. Fakhruddin had a 2.50 ERA over 18 playoff innings with 23 strikeouts.

Fakhruddin was third in Pitcher of the Year voting in both 1978 and 1979, then won for the sixth and final time in 1980. As of 2037, he’s one of only five pitchers in APB history to win the award six or more times. After missing the field in the four years after their 1975 title, Semarang took the 1980 Sundaland Association pennant. They lost in the APB Championship to Cebu, but Fakhruddin had an excellent postseason with a 0.72 ERA over 25 innings with 41 strikeouts.

That would be his final season in Austronesia Professional Baseball. With Semarang, he had a 172-111 record, 1.84 ERA, 2713 innings, 3755 strikeouts, 470 walks, 269/316 quality starts, 66 FIP-, and 78.7 WAR. It was a remarkable decade, although leaving did keep him from the top of the later leaderboards. Semarang retired his #15 uniform and that dominance couldn’t be ignored as APB’s Hall of Fame inducted him as a slam dunk at 99.3%. But ultimately, this was only the front half of his career.

Fakhruddin received MLB attention, but some teams were still weary based on his poor WBC stats. Some were afraid he was merely beating up weaker APB competition, while some didn’t want to risk spending big only for a big injury to ruin him like with Kun-Sheng Lin. His durability to that point was a major plus and Los Angeles took a chance on the 31-year old with a six-year, $5,020,000 deal.

Fakhruddin was never elite in MLB, although he did reliably eat innings. He put up average results for a then bottom-tier Angel team in his first two years in LA. Fakhruddin was lousy in 1983, but rebounded to middling stats in 1984. In total with the Angels, he had a 4.33 ERA, 57-60 record, 1046 innings, 824 strikeouts, and 9.6 WAR.

His big contract was an albatross for the Angels, who decided to straight up release him after his first five starts of 1985. St. Louis signed him and he posted a very respectable 4.0 WAR, giving some value entering free agency again at age 36. Fakhruddin signed a three-year, $4,060,000 deal with Vancouver.

He spent two years with the Volcanoes and was a respectable veteran presence with a 3.75 ERA, 29-34 record, 554 innings, 430 strikeouts, and 8.2 WAR. His 4.9 WAR and 3.59 ERA in 1986 was by far the best he had looked since leaving Indonesia. Vancouver decided to trade him in December 1987 to Kansas City for outfield prospects Jase Edgar and Fraser Gilliam.

Fakhruddin never played for the Cougars, who cut him at the end of 1988 spring training. Brooklyn would sign him where he again ate innings at the back up of the rotation. He would see his lone MLB playoff start with the Dodgers, allowing only two runs over eight innings.

His final stop would be Oklahoma City on a three-year, $4,980,000 deal, He actually led the American Association in 1989 in complete games with 23. Fakhruddin had a respectable 1989, but he struggled in 1990 with a 5.13 ERA and 7-27 record. The 27 losses tied the MLB single-season record for the most in a season. Fakhruddin had one more year on the contract in OKC, but the Outlaws cut him after spring training 1991. After going unsigned that year, he retired from professional baseball at age 42.

Fakhruddin’s MLB stats saw a 136-153 record, 4.13 ERA, 2635.1 innings, 1948 strikeouts, 798 walks, an ERA+ of 94, FIP- of 106, and 27.3 WAR. That was a respectable journeyman career, albeit far from MLB’s HOF. For his entire pro run, he had a 308-264 record, 2.97 ERA, 5348.1 innings, 5703 strikeouts, 1268 walks, 297 complete games, and 106.1 WAR. Not many guys can say they had 300+ professional wins, 5000+ innings, 5000+ strikeouts, and 100+ WAR. Fakhruddin’s spot in the APB Hall of Fame and as one of the top Indonesian pitchers ever is certainly undisputed.

FuzzyRussianHat · 02-02-2024, 04:26 AM

Chinese League Baseball had two players receive first ballot Hall of Fame inductions with the 1992 ballot. Pitcher Peng Huang led the way with 96.1% and was joined by a solid 87.3% for OF Hao Lan. Lan became the first position player inducted to CLB’s HOF after a bunch of pitchers made the cut before him. Two other position players fell just short of the 66% requirement. RF Xinze Yan had 63.1% on his third ballot and 1B Shenchao An got 62.7% on his fourth go. No players were dropped after ten failed ballots.

Peng Huang – Starting Pitcher – Changsha Cannons – 96.1% First Ballot

Peng Huang was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China’s far northwest with around four million people. Huang was known for having great control with strong movement and above average stuff. His velocity peaked in the 96-98 mph range with a three pitch arsenal of fastball, slider, and changeup. Huang had great stamina and durability, leading four times in complete games and twice in innings. He tossed 240+ innings in all but his first two seasons. Huang was a great leader and hard worker, earning the respect of his peers.

His talent and leadership was very evident coming up through the amateur ranks. In the 1972 CLB Draft, Changsha picked him with the #2 overall pick. Huang’s entire pro career came with the Cannons, although it took time to catch on. He was split between the rotation and bullpen as a rookie, then was used almost exclusively as a reliever in his second season. Year three is when Huang finally broke out as a full-time starter and a good one, leading that year in wins and quality starts.

Huang was second in Pitcher of the Year voting in both 1977 and 1978 and won the award in 1980. He had a league and career best 11.1 WAR season in 1978 and posted four seasons worth 8+ WAR. In 1976, he tossed a no-hitter with 14 strikeouts and one walk against Hong Kong on May 2. Huang also pitched from 1976-81 and in 1984 for China in the World Baseball Championship. He had a 12-1 record over 123 WBC innings with a 2.56 ERA, 153 strikeouts, 29 walks, and 2.8 WAR. Huang also earned a world title ring with China in 1979.

Despite Huang’s efforts, Changsha was generally one of CLB’s weaker teams for its first two decades. The Cannons would break through in 1977 with a second place finish in the Southern League. They upset Xi’an in the semifinal to earn a China Series berth, where they were defeated by Kunming. This was Huang’s only postseason and he had iffy results with a 3.41 ERA (79 ERA+) over 31.2 innings with a 0-3 record and 37 strikeouts. Still, his career-best 1.47 ERA in the regular season was a big reason they got there to begin with.

Huang signed a six-year contract extension worth $2,412,000 midway through the 1981 season. He wasn’t an awards finalist or league leader in his 30s, but Huang was consistently and reliably solid. The highlight of this run came on April 21, 1982. On that day, Huang tossed CLB’s 13^th perfect game, striking out 11 against Wuhan. He carried through the 1986 season with his last year seeing a noticeable drop in strikeouts and WAR. Huang considered staying to chase the 200 win milestone, but he opted to retire at age 36.

Huang’s final stats: 194-151 record, 2.10 ERA, 3398 innings, 3231 strikeouts to 572 walks, 323/403 quality starts, 171 complete games, 73 FIP- and 87.1 WAR. He was a leader and consistent contributor for a long time for Changsha, who retired his #24 uniform. At induction, he was sixth in pitching WAR and is still ninth all-time as of 2037, almost quietly putting up an excellent career. The voters certainly noticed Huang though, giving him a first ballot induction at 96.1%.

Hao Lan – Outfielder – Dalian Gold Dragons – 87.3% First Ballot

Hao Lan was a 6’3’’, 190 pound left-handed hitting outfielder from Neijiang, a city with around three million people in the southwestern Sichuan province. In his prime, Lan was a great all-around hitter with solid contact, great home run and gap power, and a solid eye. He had excellent pop in his bat, averaging around 30-35 home runs and around 30-35 doubles/triples per season. Lan was also very fast and an intelligent baserunner. His one weakness as a batter was a high strikeout rate, but he still made his plate appearances count far better than most. Lan was an outfielder who made about 2/3 of his starts in left with about 1/4 in center field and the rest in right. He was viewed as an above average defender in the corners and below average in center.

Lan’s talent was very evident as an amateur and he was picked third overall by Dalian in the 1971 CLB Draft. He was put into the lineup as a starter immediately and showed he belonged, although he’d miss two months to a strained abdominal muscle as a rookie. Despite that, Lan still was second in Rookie of the Year voting. He’d be healthy and a full-timer for the remaining six years with the Gold Dragons.

By his third season, Lan was established as the top hitter in China. He was the Northern League MVP in 1972 and led the league in runs, home runs, RBI, total bases, slugging, OPS, wRC+, and WAR. The next year, he won MVP again and led in all of those same stats minus RBI. With Dalian, Lan had Silver Sluggers in 1974, 75, and 78 with the first in center and the others in left. He took third in 1976 MVP voting and second in 1978. Lan was also a regular in the World Baseball Championship for China from 1975-86, playing 152 games with 114 hits, 87 runs, 17 doubles, 34 home runs, 75 RBI, and 4.4 WAR.

Lan’s MVP bat helped Dalian finish first in the Northern League standings in 1974 and 1975. In 1975, the Gold Dragons were CLB champions and Lan was China Series MVP. In 17 playoff starts with Dalian, he had 24 hits, 9 runs, 2 doubles, 2 home runs, 11 RBI, 11 stolen bases, and 1.3 WAR. In total with the Gold Dragons, Lan had 1078 hits, 618 runs, 180 doubles, 236 home runs, 572 RBI, 384 stolen bases, a .279/.344/.550 slash, 187 wRC+, and 61.4 WAR.

By the end of the 1970s, Dalian had fallen towards the bottom of the standings and wasn’t expecting to be able to re-sign Lan with free agency pending soon. Before the 1979 season, he was traded to Hong Kong for prospects. One of those was pitcher Baoxian He, who went onto have a 14-year Hall of Fame run with Dalian.

HK had been the league runner-up in 1978 and hoped Lan could make the Champions the champs. They actually won more games in 1979, but fell short of the playoffs in a top-heavy Southern League. Lan certainly held up his end by winning a third MVP and fourth Silver Slugger. He won his lone batting title and led the league in the triple slash, WAR, hits, runs, home runs, and wRC+. His 115 runs scored was a single season record, although it would get beat the next year. Still, that and his 114 in 1974 were the second and third most in a CLB season until the 2010s.

Lan was a huge commodity in free agency at age 30 and signed a six-year, $2,628,000 with Jinan. The Jumbos were a bottom tier team in his tenure and never made the playoffs, but Lan was still great. He took third in 1980 MVP voting and won five Silver Sluggers from 1980-84, giving him nine for his career. Lan led in stolen bases in 1981 with 70, but this would be his only time as a league leader. Still, he posted five straight seasons of 7+ WAR and crossed 100 career WAR.

In his final season with Jinan in 1985, Lan suffered a broken kneecap in late April that knocked him out almost the entire season. In total with the Jumbos, Lan had 709 hits, 386 runs, 105 doubles, 160 home runs, 390 RBI, a .256/.317/.503 slash, 177 wRC+, and 41.3 WAR. His contract expired and his future was uncertain as a 36-year old coming off a major injury. Still, his success drew attention from suitors across the globe and Lan decided to end his run in China.

MLB’s Seattle Grizzlies was the big buyer, signing Lan to a three-year, $3,960,000 deal. He started all of 1986 and was a respectable starter, but not an award winner. Injuries cost him a bit of 1987 and his production were merely average. Lan failed to meet the vesting criteria in his deal and became a free agent at age 38. He remained in MLB and signed a one-year, $1,660,000 deal with Virginia Beach.

Here, Lan became an interesting part of MLB lore. The Vikings were only in their seventh season, but the expansion squad had a Cinderella wild card run to the 1988 World Series title. Lan was a starter with below average hitting in the regular season, but he stepped up in the playoffs with 19 hits, 12 runs, 4 doubles, and 8 RBI in the postseason. Lan was named World Series MVP, holding the incredibly unique distinction of winning finals MVP in two different leagues. In total in MLB, he had 6.4 WAR, 346 hits, 216 runs, 62 home runs, 181 RBI, and a .238/.319/.436.

That would be the end of his MLB career, although Lan wasn’t done yet. He ended up signing a three-year, $2,440,000 to go to Eurasian Professional Baseball and the Almaty Assassins. He struggled in his two years in Kazakhstan and was eventually relegated to the bench, posting -0.5 WAR for the run. Lan was released after the 1990 season and hoped to catch on somewhere in 1991. After going unsigned, he retired at age 42.

For his entire pro career, Lan had 2386 hits, 1375 runs, 373 doubles, 171 triples, 518 home runs, 1276 RBI, 772 stolen bases, a .262/.332/.515 slash, 170 wRC+, and 120.8 WAR. For his China run specifically, Lan had 1971 hits, 1119 runs, 307 doubles, 147 triples, 437 home runs, 1056 RBI, 721 stolen bases, a .273/.338/.538 slash, 185 wRC+, and 114.9 WAR. Those accumulations are impressive in CLB’s very low offense environment. At induction, Lan was CLB’s home run leader as well as third in runs, 12^th in hits, fourth in RBI, ninth in stolen bases, and third in hitting WAR. As of 2037, he’s still seventh in WAR and eighth in runs. Although 437 homers is low compared to other leagues, Lan stayed CLB’s leader until the early 2000s and sits 11^th as of 2037. He was a fitting choice to be the first position player inducted into the CLB Hall of Fame, even if his 87.3% seems a bit lower than the stats might suggest.

FuzzyRussianHat · 02-02-2024, 12:58 PM

2B/SS Alberto Bissau was the lone inductee into the West African Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992, earning a first ballot induction with 89.3%. SS Joseph Ambane very nearly joined him on his third ballot, but fell just short of the 66% requirement with 63.8%. Closer Johnson Madu was also above 50%, receiving 52.0% on his third ballot. No players were dropped after ten ballots.

Alberto Bissau – Second Base/Shortstop – Benin City Blue Devils – 89.3% First Ballot

Alberto Bissau was a 5’11’’, 200 pound switch hitting middle infielder. He shared a surname with his hometown of Bissau, the capital city of Guinea-Bissau with around 500,000 people. Bissau was an excellent contact hitter that led the league in hits seven times in his career. He was the master at finding the gap, leading in doubles seven times and averaging nearly 50 doubles per season. Bissau didn’t smack many bombs, but did add around 10-15 home runs and a couple triples per year. He didn’t walk all that often with a slightly above average strikeout rate.

Bissau was a very smart base stealer with excellent speed, boasting an impressive 83.6% success rate in his career at stealing. Defensively, he made about 2/3 of his starts at second base with around ¼ at shortstop and the rest at third base. Bissau graded out as just below average at second and was actively bad at short. He viewed as an ironman by many, playing in 140+ games in 12 straight seasons. Bissau was a very popular player with fans, but he wasn’t the most popular in the clubhouse with some teammates calling him greedy and disloyal.

When West Africa Baseball officially formed for the 1975 season, Bissau was already 26 years old and established in the semi-pro ranks in the region. He came to Nigeria and Benin City on a two-year, $302,000 deal. Bissau’s entire WAB run came with the Blue Devils, who eventually inked him to a seven-year, $2,094,000 contract extension just before the 1977 season. He delivered instantly, leading in 1975 in hits, doubles, and WAR. He earned his lone Gold Glove this year at second base and took second in MVP voting.

1976 was Bissau’s first MVP and Silver Slugger, leading the league in runs (121) hits (229), average (.357), wRC+ (189), and WAR (11.2). The 229 hits was a single season record in WAB for nearly two decades. Bissau won additional Silver Sluggers in 1980 and 1982. He was MVP again in 1980 and hit 60 doubles, which stayed the single-season record for almost 20 years as well. Bissau was second in MVP voting in 1982. In 1980, he also earned All-Star Game MVP honors.

Benin City was a regular contender during Bissau’s time with five playoff appearances, although they were never able to claim the Western League title. In 18 playoff games, Bissau had 23 hits, 8 runs, 4 doubles, 3 RBI, and a .299/.333/.351 slash. In the regular season, he led in hits seven times and had 200+ hits six times. Bissau had eight seasons with 50+ doubles and hit above .300 in all but his last year with the Blue Devils.

Bissau’s last year with Benin City saw a noticeable drop in production with only a .275 average and 3.6 WAR. He had posted 5+ WAR in all of his prior seasons. The team decided to not re-sign him, but the Blue Devils would later retire his #5 uniform; the first number retired by the franchise. At age 36, Bissau decided to make a surprising move to EPB and Romania. The defending Soviet Series champion Bucharest signed him to a three-year, $2,090,000 deal, ending his African baseball career.

Bissau had a nice bounce back in 1985 with the Broncos, winning a Silver Slugger. Bucharest won the division at 110-52, but ended up one-and-done in the playoffs. He had a good 1986 as well, but the Broncos again were ousted in the first round. Injuries and iffy production cost him part of 1987. In total with Bucharest, Bissau had 442 hits, 190 runs, 79 doubles, 93 stolen bases, a .292/.329/.416 slash, and 14.2 WAR.

At age 39, Bissau still had numerous suitors and signed a hefty three-year, $4,480,000 deal with MLB’s Seattle Grizzlies. Although his overall value in 1988 wasn’t great, Bissau still managed to lead the American Association in doubles despite only playing 129 games. He lost the gap power noticeably the next year and was relegated to a bench role in his final season. With Seattle, Bissau had 269 hits, 120 runs, 70 doubles, a .270/.307/.399 slash and 1.1 WAR. He went unsigned in 1991 and retired that winter at age 43.

For his full career, Bissau had 2695 hits, 1291 runs, 665 doubles, 1001 RBI, 718 stolen bases, a .308/.343/.459 slash and 88.4 WAR. Specifically with Benin City and in WAB, he had 1984 hits, 981 runs, 516 doubles, 126 home runs, 719 RBI, 615 stolen bases, a .318/.351/.479 slash, 139 wRC+, and 73.1 WAR. Bissau was the all-time doubles leader at induction and held that title until the early 2000s, although he’d get passed by many players as WAB’s offensive environment exploded in the 21^st Century. His accumulations seem low in comparison to modern players in the high octane WAB of the future, but Bissau still put up very impressive stats despite officially starting at age 26 and only spending ten years in WAB. His resume was plenty impressive for the Hall of Fame voters to put him in on the first ballot at 89.3% as the lone 1992 inductee.

FuzzyRussianHat · 02-02-2024, 06:01 PM

South Asia Baseball had officially begun Hall of Fame voting in 1989, but the highest mark anyone got on the first three ballots was Louis Gungbissoon’s 13.6% in 1990. 1992 saw the first real contenders debut on the ballot and pitcher Sankar Sundaram earned 72.1%, becoming SAB’s first-ever Hall of Famer. 1B Yamin Thaw also had a nice showing at 57.7%, but was shy of the 66% threshold. Closer Jason Mayekar and SP Vannak Thai both debuted around 44%.

Sankar “Punchy” Sundaram – Pitcher – Pune Purple Knights – 72.1% First Ballot

Sankar Sundaram was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Chanigarh, a city of around a million people that is the shared capital of the Indian states of Punjab and Haryana. Sundaram had excellent stuff with respectable movement and decent control. His velocity peaked at 95-97 mph on his splitter and sinker and he mixed them with a strong curveball and knuckle curve, plus a rarely used changeup. Sundaram was a great defensive pitcher, winning Gold Gloves in 1984 and 1985. He was a great leader and team captain, becoming one of the most respected players in Indian baseball.

Sundaram was already a multi-year veteran of India’s semi-pro circuits when South Asia Baseball was officially established beginning with the 1980 season. The 27-year old signed a seven-year, $1,934,000 deal with Pune, which made up the entirety of his “official” pro career. Sundaram led the Indian League in ERA in 1980 at 1.73, but a fractured cheekbone cost him six weeks of the season. He led in strikeouts in 1981, 82, and 84. Sundaram led in WHIP from 1980-83 and was twice the league’s pitching WARlord.

Because of this success, Sundaram won four consecutive Pitcher of the Year awards from 1981-84. He also took third in 1985. As their ace, Pune was a consistent contender with six straight playoff berths to start their existence. The Purple Knights won the Indian League title in 1981, 83, and 84. In the latter two years, they also were South Asian Champion. Sundaram was 1984 ILCS MVP and was a stud in the postseason. He had a 9-2 record over 118.1 innings with a 1.75 ERA, 176 strikeouts, 26 walks, and 4.7 WAR.

Sundaram was also a popular player nationally, as he pitched for India in the World Baseball Championship from 1980-86. He had a 3.76 WBC ERA over 93.1 innings with 128 strikeouts, 33 walks, and 1.8 WAR. Sundaram’s numbesr dropped a little bit in his final season, but at 6.0 WAR, he was still an elite pitcher. His contact expired and he couldn’t come to terms with any teams in 1987. Still in great health, Sundaram decided to retire early at age 35.

For his seven year Pune run, Sundaram had a 97-51 record and 39 saves, a 3.47 ERA, 1476 innings, 2139 strikeouts, 136/207 quality starts, FIP- of 57, and 51.1 WAR. He presented a very interesting case for the voters with such a small sample size, albeit an impressive one. Supporters noted that his accumulations would’ve been more impressive if his “official” start didn’t begin at age 27, although he was credited for service time from his semi-pro days and thus eligible for the vote. Sundaram’s early retirement also was pointed out by both supporters and detractors when considering his candidacy. Winning three pennants and dominating in the playoffs with Pune went a long way, as he still has the fourth most pitching WAR in the postseason as of 2037. That, plus four Pitcher of the Year awards, gave Sundaram the support he needed to become SAB’s first Hall of Famer. He only received 72.1%, but that was enough for enshrinement.

FuzzyRussianHat · 02-03-2024, 03:49 AM

The 1992 World Baseball Championship was the 46^th edition of the event and was hosted for the first time in Singapore. In Division 1, Taiwan went undefeated at 9-0 with the closest competition being 7-2 Switzerland. This was the third division title for the Taiwanese, who were the 1980 runner-up and took third in 1986. In D2, the United States advanced for the 39^th time. At 8-1, the Americans beat out 7-2 Colombia and 6-3 Pakistan. China crushed the Division 3 competition at 9-0. This gave the Chinese back-to-back division titles and their 15^th overall.

France won Division 4 at 7-2, beating Ecuador by one game and four nations by two. It was back-to-back division wins for the French, who now have advanced eight times. Division 5 had a three-way tie for the top spot at 6-3 between Cuba, India, and Russia, while both Bolivia and North Korea were 5-4. The tiebreaker went to the Indians for their first-ever division title. Defending world champ Canada dominated D6 at 9-0, while last year’s runner-up Germany was a distant second at 6-3. The Canadians have moved forward 28 times now. Mexico was 5-4, extending a surprisingly long division title drought for them to seven years.

Division 7 was a mess as Brazil, Spain, and the Netherlands were each 6-3, while Algeria and South Korea were 5-4. The tiebreaker went to the Brazilians, moving them forward for the 26^th time. This extends their impressive run to six straight division titles. Only the US and Canada have advanced as often as Brazil in the history of the WBC. Lastly, Panama picked up Division 8 at 8-1, topping 6-3 efforts by Indonesia, Ireland, and Nigeria. It is only the second-ever division title for the Panamanians with the other all the way back in 1965.

In Round Robin Group A, the United States cruised to a 6-0 mark for their 34^th final four. China and India tied at 3-3, while Panama was 0-6. The tiebreaker went to the Chinese for their 10^th semifinal berth. In Group B, defending champ Canada had the top mark at 5-1 for their 22^nd semifinal appearance. Taiwan narrowly took second at 3-3, while both France and Brazil were 2-4. The Taiwanese earned a third semifinal appearance. Brazil’s impressive streak of final fours ended at five.

In the semifinal round, the United States swept Taiwan 3-0 and Canada topped China 3-1. The Chinese were officially third for the third time. This set up the two traditional powers in the finals yet again with the Americans making their 30^th appearance and the Canadians their 14^th. This also gave Canada its third finals appearance in four years. It was the sixth time they had faced off for the world title, although it was the first time since 1972. The US had led the all-time series 5-1 with Canada’s only win coming with a 3-0 rally in 1954.

The Americans finished on top yet again and denied Canada their world title repeat. The US won the series 4-2, moving to 27-3 all-time in the championship while the Canadians fell to 5-9. The Americans had missed the finals in the prior three years, tying the longest gap between finals appearances for the US (1978-80).

Quinn Iosifian became the fourth player to win Tournament MVP multiple times, having also taken it in 1988. The 29-year old Los Angeles RF made 24 starts with 28 hits, 25 runs, 13 home runs, 27 RBI, 11 walks, and 1.9 WAR. Best Pitcher was given to Belarusian Yakov Fomin, who had joined MLB’s Milwaukee in 1991. The 32-year old had 12 scoreless innings with four hits and four walks allowed and 19 strikeouts.

Other notes: Canada’s Jeremiah Farnworth had five triples to set a single-season record. After seeing zero no-hitters in the 1990 or 1991 WBCs, 1992 tied a single-tournament most with five. This included the fourth WBC perfect game from Ukraine’s Petro Mihalko, who struck out nine against Fiji. This also included a 21 strikeout, three walk no-hitter by Canada’s Christopher Fournier against France. This was the third most Ks in a WBC no-no, as two pitchers had fanned 22.

Looking at the updated all-time scoring, China’s third place finish moved them into a tie with South Korea for the fifth most all-time points.

FuzzyRussianHat · 02-03-2024, 10:33 AM

In the third season for Arab League Baseball, the best record in the Western Conference went to Cairo at 99-63. The Pharaohs won the Nile Division for the third straight year, this time needing to fend off a strong 93-65 Alexandria squad. Jerusalem was Levant Division champ for the third successive year. The Jets were 92-70, beating Damascus by eight games. Defending ALB champ Tripoli fell to 77-85, allowing Casablanca to reclaim the Mediterranean Division. The Bruins took the title at 85-77 for their second berth in three years.

Taking Western Conference MVP was Cairo DH Niral Sharett. The 27-year old Israeli lefty led in walks (100), OPS (.932), and wRC+ (176). He had a .293/.406/.525 slash with 4.6 WAR and 23 home runs. Casablanca’s Mohamed Abdelhafeed was the Pitcher of the Year. The 29-year old righty from Morocco led in wins at 22-7 and won the ERA title at 2.03. Abdelhafeed added 233 strikeouts and 7.0 WAR over 244.1 innings.

Jerusalem had home field advantage for the first round playoff matchup, but Casablanca upset them 2-1. This set up a rematch of the 1990 Western Conference final between the Bruins and Cairo, which saw the Pharaohs win in a five game thriller with the finale going extras. The 1992 edition was eerily similar, also going five games and also seeing Cairo win over Casablanca. The Pharaohs again won game five in extras, this time taking it on a walkoff 4-3 in 11 innings.

In the Eastern Conference, the Iraq Division was intense with arguably the best three teams in the conference fighting for one spot. Two-time defending EC champ Sulaymaniya prevailed again, although their 96-66 was only one better than Baghdad and five ahead of Basra. The Saudi Division was also competitive, but Medina claimed a third consecutive title. The Mastodons were 91-71, edging Jeddah by two games. Although they missed the playoffs, the Jackals’ 1082 hits allowed as a pitching staff is still the EC’s all-time best mark as of 2037. The Gulf Division was weak with 81-81 Dubai winning the crown for back-to-back seasons. The Diamonds were three ahead of their in-country rival Abu Dhabi.

Medina 1B Bilal Hamdan won the Eastern Conference MVP. The 31-year old Lebanese slugger led in home runs (52), RBI (109), total bases (.641), OPS (1.017), wRC+ (200), and WAR (9.4). Pitcher of the Year went to Basra’s Abdullah Al-Muhafazat. The 31-year old Saudi lefty was nine ERA points short of a Triple Crown, posting a 21-11 record, 2.06 ERA, and 386 strikeouts. He also led in WAR (10.0), innings (279.2), quality starts (29), and shutouts (6). Also of note was Sulaymaniya’s Paul Arfaouri, who won his third straight Reliever of the Year. This was the finest season for the 29-year old Moroccan, who had 43 saves, a 0.76 ERA, 7.1 ERA and 192 strikeouts over 106.2 innings.

Medina swept Dubai in the first round to set up a 1990 rematch in the Eastern Conference Championship. The Mastodons prevented Sulaymaniya from their three-peat, taking the series 3-1. Medina kept rolling into the third Arab League Championship, downing Cairo 4-1 to send the title to Saudi Arabia for the first time. SS Tarek Soliman was the finals MVP with the 31-year old Egyptian shortstop posting 11 hits, 6 runs, 4 home runs, and 7 RBI over 11 playoff starts.

Other notes: Ilwad Maxamed of Casablanca had 17 complete games, which stands as of 2037 as the ALB single season record.

01-28-2024, 04:39 AM	#921
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,602	1991 in OBA Entering the 1991 season, Brisbane and Sydney were the two Australasia League teams without a single pennant over the first 32 years of the Oceania Baseball Association. The Black Bears finally came out on top, taking the first place spot at 99-63. Melbourne was second at 94-68, while two-time defending champ Gold Coast was a distant third at 86-76. For the Snakes, they wouldn’t finally finish atop the AL until 2018. Sydney was tied for the bottom spot at 66-96 with Auckland, but they had the Australasia League MVP Graham Chapman. It was the second MVP for the 30-year old OF, who led in 1991 in runs (91), home runs (50), walks (97), OBP (.411), OPS (1.037), wRC+ (198), and WAR (8.7). Meanwhile, Brisbane’s Danny Mallett won Pitcher of the Year in a breakout season. The 29-year old New Caledonian had a 21-12 record, 2.40 ERA, and 333 strikeouts over 304 innings with 6.3 WAR. This would be really the one standout year in an otherwise unspectacular career. For only the third time since 1981 in the Pacific League, Honolulu wasn’t the champion. Guam came out on top at 103-59 for their first PL pennant since 1980. The Honu’s four-peat hopes were dashed despite still being a very solid 98-64. Fiji was a very distant third at 85-77. The Freedom are the lone Pacific League team without a single pennant thus far. Leading the Golden Eagles to their title was veteran LF Adrian Delgado. Nicknamed “Skeet,” the 31-year old Cuban was in his fourth season in Guam after beginning his career for CABA’s Costa Rica Rays. Delgado led the PL In runs (98), doubles (37), average (.333), and WAR (7.9). Pitcher of the Year was fifth-year Honolulu righty Junior Fernandez. The Filipino ace led the league in wins at 22-11 as well as innings (314.1), strikeouts (352), K/BB (8.2), shutouts (7), FIP- (71) and WAR (8.6). He added a 2.46 ERA and 0.89 WHIP. In the 32^nd Oceania Championship, Brisbane beat Guam 4-2 to become first-time champs. Finals MVP was 3B Joel Toss, a hometown hero in his eighth season with the Black Bears. He went 8-22 with three runs, 1 double, 1 home run, and 4 RBI. With the win, the only OBA teams without at least one overall title are the two teams without a finals berth at all; Sydney and Fiji. Other notes: Christchurch’s Rex Nixon had a 31-game hit streak, setting a new OBA record. Despite the relative lowness, he’d hold the longest OBA streak until 2004. Durant Lindly became the fourth pitcher to 5000 strikeouts and the third to 250 wins. Lindly pitched one more season and finished second in the Ks leaderboard at 5220 and third in wins at 272. Neville Ryan became the third batter to 500 home runs. SS Theo Evans won his eighth Gold Glove. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

01-28-2024, 11:32 AM	#922
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,602	1991 in EPB Minsk, the European League champion in the prior three seasons with two EPB titles in that stretch, posted the EL’s best record in 1991. The Miners tied with Warsaw at 100-62 atop the North Division standings, but Minsk won the tiebreaker gave over the Wildcats. This gave the Miners an 11^th consecutive playoff berth with nine division titles in that stretch. Warsaw extended their playoff streak to four years. St. Petersburg was third in the division at 92-70, but this kept them a few games short of the second wild card. The South Division also had a tie for the top spot with both Kyiv and Bucharest at 97-65. The Kings won the tiebreaker game to return to the postseason. Since 1978, Kyiv has 12 postseason berths and six division titles. For the Broncos, they now have nine playoff berths in 11 years. St. Petersburg LF Daniil Huseinov picked up European League MVP in his second full season. The 23-year old Belarusian lefty led the league in runs (95), home runs (52), RBI (121), total bases (348), slugging (.616), OPS (.954), wRC+ (220), and WAR (10.1). Pitcher of the Year was Minsk’s Jaylan Harrell, getting his second honor after also winning way back in 1983. The 34-year old American led in WHIP (0.77) and posted a 14-9 record over 285.1 innings with a 1.80 ERA, 365 strikeouts, and 9.0 WAR. Harrell also had a 14 strikeout, one walk no-hitter against Warsaw in the division tiebreaker game on September 26. Both first round playoff series went all five games with the division champs surviving against the wild card teams. Minsk edged Bucharest 3-2 and Kyiv topped Warsaw 3-2, setting up yet another European League Championship Series matchup between the Miners and Kings. It was their ninth ELCS encounter with Minsk going for their 12^th pennant and Kyiv trying for their 11^th. The Miners prevailed 4-2 over the Kings for a Minsk four-peat as EL champs. They’re the first team in EPB history to win their league’s title in four successive seasons. Kyiv still leads 5-4 over Minsk in the ELCS in what would ultimately be their final encounter for the pennant. The Asian League’s best record and the top mark in Eurasian Professional Baseball was Novosibirsk at 102-60. This won the North Division for the Nitros for the third time in four years. Both Chelyabinsk (98-64) and Irkutsk (93-69) were wild cards for back-to-back seasons. Yekaterinburg, the division champ the prior year, fell short of the second wild card by two games. In the South Division, Almaty (96-66) ended a four year playoff drought. Defending AL champ Bishkek was 90-72, six games short of the division title and three shy of the wild card. This ended the Black Sox playoff streak at five seasons. Asian League MVP was a repeat winner to Chelyabinsk’s Nikolay Denisov. The 26-year old Russian led in hits (227), runs (113), doubles (45), triples (39), total bases (374), stolen bases (85), average (.359), and WAR (10.7). The 39 triples was a new EPB single-season record and remains the top mark as of 2037. The 227 hits were second most in a season to date behind his own 231 from the prior year. Pitcher of the Year was Irkutsk’s Levka Khagba. The 25-year old nicknamed “Baby Bull” led in ERA (1.69) and quality starts (31). Khagba also had a 19-7 record over 277.2 innings with 266 strikeouts and 6.8 WAR. In the first round of the playoffs, Novosibirsk survived 3-2 over Irkutsk, sending the Nitros to the Asian League Championship Series for the second time in four years. Wild card Chelyabinsk stunned Almaty with a road sweep, giving the Cadets their first ALCS berth since winning it all in 1978. Chelyabinsk would upset Novosibirsk 4-2 in the ALCS for the Cadets’ third-ever pennant, as they also won back in 1962. The 1991 Eurasian Professional Baseball Championship was the 37^th final, although it was the first without the Soviet Series name due to the fall of the USSR. Minsk and Chelyabinsk had met once before with the Miners sweeping the Cadets in 1962. This one went all seven games, but the final result was the same. Minsk earned repeat rings and became the first EPB team to win three championships in four years. The Miners have eight titles to their name (1956, 62, 66, 69, 85, 88, 90, 91) which passes Kyiv for the most of any EPB team. A big playoff performer was American Ron Dunn, who defected in 1989 after an unremarkable MLB run. The journeyman was ELCS MVP and in 17 playoff starts had 23 hits, 7 runs, 4 doubles, 4 home runs, and 11 RBI. Other notes: Ismo Kantelus became the 17^th batter to reach 2500 career hits. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

01-28-2024, 03:56 PM	#923
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,602	1991 in EBF Before the 1991 season, the European Baseball Federation followed the general trend of the other leagues in the Global Baseball Alliance by extending the years of service required for free agency. EBF had been at six years, which was the second lowest behind CABA’s five years. They expanded the limit to seven years, which still wasn’t the most restrictive with a number of leagues up at eight years. Both Birmingham and Brussels finished 100-62 in 1991, but the #1 seed in the Northern Conference went to the Bees. Birmingham won the British Isles Division after missing the postseason in the prior two years. The Beavers earned back-to-back playoff spots, but it was their first Northwest Division title since 1978. Divisional power Rotterdam was 95-67, taking the wild card by eight games over Amsterdam and Belfast. The Ravens secured a sixth playoff appearance in the last seven years. The North Central Division had Berlin back on top after missing the field the prior year. At 95-67, the Barons picked up their fifth division title in six years. Hamburg, the conference champ last year, limped to a lackluster 75-87. Birmingham had the top awards with Sean Houston earning his record seventh Northern Conference MVP. It was the final MVP for the 32-year old Scottish right fielder, although he had another six seasons left in his run. Houston led in home runs (58), RBI (148), total bases (417), slugging (.700), and OPS (1.091) while posting 8.0 WAR. It was Houston’s seventh time as the NC home run leader and he crossed both 500 career homers and 2000 hits this season. Teammate Lindsey Brampton won his first of what would be many Pitcher of the Year awards. The 23-year old London native led in ERA (1.78), strikeouts (436), and WHIP (0.87). Brampton added a 19-7 record and 12 saves over 248.1 innings with 9.3 WAR. In the first round of the playoffs, Birmingham survived in five games against Rotterdam while Brussels bested Berlin 3-1. This was the Bees’ first Northern Conference Championship berth since 1985 and the first for the Beavers since their 1978 title. Birmingham prevailed 4-2 in the final against Brussels to claim only their second-ever NC pennant (1974). The race for the #1 seed in the Southern Conference was intense between Munich and Lisbon. The Mavericks took it at 108-54, earning an impressive ninth successive Southeast Division title. The Clippers won their second Southwest Division title in three years with their 106-56 mark. Defending European Champion Madrid, the division winner last year, was 87-75. This put them seven games shy of the wild card. In the South Central Division, Munich’s record division title and postseason streak increased to a remarkable 19 seasons. The Mountaineers were 100-62, finishing six ahead of 94-68 Rome. That mark was enough for the Red Wolves to end a 22-year playoff drought dating back to their 1968 EBF title season. The only EBF teams that had a longer active drought were Belfast (1961) and Malta (zero playoff appearances). Southern Conference MVP was Munich RF Udo Gottschall. The 26-year old German righty won his third Gold Glove and led in stolen bases (122) and batting average (.361). He was only the sixth player in EBF to that point to steal 120+ bases in a season. Gottschall also had 211 hits, 107 runs, 19 home runs, 123 RBI, and 10.2 WAR. Rome’s Tommaso Notti was the Pitcher of the Year in his first full season in the rotation. The 22-year old Italian was their 14^th overall pick in the 1988 EBF Draft and had mostly been used in the bullpen for his first two seasons. Notti broke out to lead in WAR at 8.5 over 281.1 innings with 280 strikeouts, a 22-11 record and 3.20 ERA. Munich would sweep Rome in the first round while Lisbon ousted Zurich 3-1. This gave the Mavericks their fourth consecutive Southern Conference Championship appearance and set up a rematch of 1989 with the Clippers. Munich had won in 1988, but lost in both 89 and 90. The Mavericks got back to the winner’s circle in 1991, topping Lisbon 4-2. It is the fifth conference pennant for Munich, who also won in 1951, 52, and 1971. In the 42^nd European Championship, Birmingham won its first-ever overall title with the Bees beating Munich 4-1. NC MVP Sean Houston was also the finals MVP, posting 29 hits, 19 runs, 5 doubles, 9 home runs, and 23 RBI over 16 playoff starts. This set EBF playoff records for HR, RBI and total bases (67). The latter two marks are still all-time bests as of 2037. Led by Houston and Lindsey Brampton’s strikeout prowess, this began an impressive streak of 1990s dominance for Birmingham. It was only the third time an English team was the champ with London’s 1973 and 1953 wins. Other notes: Lisbon’s Alvin Ospina had a 41-game hitting streak in the late summer, tying the second-longest mark in EBF history. It was still eight away from Rudjer Bosnjak’s all-time mark of 49 in 1960. Jacob Ronnberg became the seventh batter to 600 career home runs. Ronnberg also won his record 13^th Silver Slugger at RF, passing Gabriel Staudt for the most at any position. The adjacent RF Silver Slugger winner was Sean Houston, getting his 10^th. 1B Oliver Michaelsen won his ninth Gold Glove, a record for the position. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder) Last edited by FuzzyRussianHat; 01-29-2024 at 04:09 AM.

01-29-2024, 04:08 AM	#924
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,602	1991 in BSA Defending Bolivar League champion Lima was the only team from last year’s BL playoff field to make it back in 1991. The Lobos finished 97-65 for the league’s best record and the Peru-Bolivia Division title. Lima earned a fourth consecutive playoff berth with the result and their third division win in that stretch. Last year’s division winner La Paz was a distant second along with Callao at 85-77. Ciudad Gauyana won the Venezuela Division and Guayaquil won the Colombia-Ecuador division with both teams at 93-69. This ended a ten year playoff drought for the Golds, while the Giants earned their fourth berth in five years. Both teams won their division by two games with Maracaibo and Bogota each finishing 91-71. They met in a tiebreaker game for the wild card which went to the Bats. Bogota returns to the playoffs after a two season layoff. Valencia was middling, but they had the Bolivar League MVP in Hernando De La Rosa. The 30-year old Venezuelan right fielder led in hits (197), total bases (385), and WAR (8.4). De La Rosa also had 38 home runs, 118 RBI, and 1.008 OPS. Pitcher of Year was Lima’s Barbaro Cardoso, who had a career year that accounted for about 1/3 of his career WAR with 7.2. He led in wins (25-5) and ERA (2.34), while adding 294 strikeouts over 281.1 innings. Cardoso would suffer radial nerve decompression surgery the next season and was out of the game by 1994. Both divisional series matchups were sweeps as Lima rolled Bogota and Ciudad Guayana ousted Guayaquil. For the Giants, this was their third Bolivar League Championship Series appearance in five years, while the Lobos were looking for back-to-back pennants. Lima would succeed in the BLCS 4-2 over Ciudad Guayana to win their fourth pennant (1935, 68, 90, 91). The best record in Beisbol Sudamerica was in the Southern Cone League with Rosario at 100-62. The Robins earned their third Southeast Division title in five years. The second best record in the league was in the same division with Rio de Janeiro at 94-68. This secured the wild card for the Redbirds, their first playoff appearance since 1975. Defending Copa Sudamerica winner Sao Paulo was five back on the wild card at 89-73, ending their postseason streak at five seasons. Concepcion won the South Central Division at 92-70 for their fifth appearance in six years. Santiago fell three games short at 89-73. In the North Division, Belo Horizonte won a tight field at 91-71. The Hogs were one ahead of Brasilia and three better than Recife. BH won the North Division for the third time in four years. Rosario’s Jairo Vicente was the Southern Cone League MVP for back-to-back seasons. The 30-year old Venezuelan lefty led in home runs (59), RBI (130), runs (111), total bases (399), slugging (.677), OPS (1.059), and wRC+ (217) while adding 9.6 WAR. This was Vicente’s final season in BSA, as he’d leave for MLB’s Hartford in the offseason on a six-year, $14,580,000 deal. Santiago’s Arnau Emilio won Pitcher of the Year. The hometown veteran hero led in wins at 22-9, WHIP (0.89), and quality starts (30). Emilio added 7.7 WAR over 280.2 innings with a 2.15 ERA. Rio de Janeiro stunned their division rival Rosario 3-1 in the divisional round, giving the Redbirds their first Southern Cone Championship appearance in 16 years. Belo Horizonte would go on the road to best Concepcion 3-1 to earn a repeat finals appearance. The Hogs would edge Rio in a seven game classic for their fifth pennant. It was Belo Horizonte’s first LCS win since all the way back in 1952. The Hogs also took their first Copa Sudamerica since 1952, as they beat Lima 4-1. Belo Horizonte is now 4-1 in their finals appearances win with rings from 1948, 1950, 1952, and now 1991. Rookie Leo Montemayor was the finals MVP, stepping up after making only one start and 18 appearances in the regular season. In 16 games and seven playoff starts, the Ecuadoran first baseman had 11 hits, 6 runs, 2 doubles, 4 home runs, and 5 RBI. Other notes: Two perfect games happened in 1991, brining BSA’s total to 42. On July 20, Bogota’s Lukas Espinal fanned nine against Lima. On September 28, Guayaquil’s Genesio Luis struck out eight versus Cali. Wilfredo Casacubierta became the 14^th pitcher to 4500 strikeouts and the tenth pitcher to 250 wins. Emanuel Ajanel and Tobias Condori both joined the 500 home run club, bringing it to 26 members. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

01-29-2024, 12:42 PM	#925
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,602	1991 in EAB Defending Japan League champion Niigata set a franchise record at 106-56, posting 1991’s top overall mark in East Asia Baseball. The Green Dragons won the North Division by a 25 game margin and had 15 more wins than the next best team in the JL. That was 91-71 Yokohama, who had back-to-back Capital Division titles and their fourth in six years. The Yellow Jackets were 5.5 games ahead of Chiba. Kitakyushu claimed the West Division at 88-74 for repeat titles as well, besting Fukuoka by five games. The Central Division had Kobe first at 86-76, barely squeaking by Kyoto. The Blaze ended a six-year playoff drought, while Osaka had their six-year streak ended with a 75-87 finish. Two-way star Makhmud Hakim of Niigata won Japan league MVP for back-to-back seasons and also won Pitcher of the Year for the first time. At the plate in 128 games, the 26-year old Chinese switch hitter had 25 home runs, 85 RBI, a .347/.401/.622 slash, 211 wRC+, and 7.0 WAR. In his first year as a full-time starting pitcher as well, he led in wins at 21-3 and posted a 2.35 ERA over 230 innings with 189 strikeouts and 6.4 WAR. The combined effort allowed him to beat Tsukasa Kato’s powerful effort in the MVP race. The 30-year old first baseman had signed with Kitakyushu after eight years with Hiroshima and smacked 66 home runs with 126 RBI and a 1.031 OPS. Kato led the JL in home runs for the sixth consecutive season. Niigata defeated Kobe 3-1 in the first round to earn back-to-back Japan League Championship Series berths. Kitakyushu outlasted Yokohama 3-2, which set up a JLCS rematch. The Green Dragons prevailed again, becoming repeat champs by winning the series 4-2. Defending East Asian Champion Seongnam improved their record to 105-59, a new franchise best. This won the North Division for the Spiders and gave them the top seed in the Korea League. Both wild cards were in the North with Goyang at 99-63 and Bucheon at 93-69. This gave the Bolts repeat playoff berths and was the second in four years for the Green Sox. Hamhung, the division winner four of the prior five years, fell to a middling 76-86. Gwangju was a repeat South Division champ at 101-61, finishing 17 games ahead of their closest competitor Jeonju. Veteran Jun-Seong “Sonny” Noi had a remarkable career resurgence at age 37, winning Korea League MVP with Gwangju. It was Noi’s second MVP with the other being all the way back in 1980 with Changwon. Noi led in 1991 in hits (209), stolen bases (101), and average (.362), while adding 23 home runs, 107 RBI, and 8.2 WAR. Noi also joined the 3000 hit club this season as the 13th member. Incheon’s Ha-Ram Lee won his second Pitcher of the Year in three years and posted EAB’s 12th Triple Crown season for a pitcher. The 25-year old Lee had a 19-7 record, 1.83 ERA, and 342 strikeouts over 250.2 innings. He was also the league leader in WHIP (0.75), quality starts (27), FIP- (54), and WAR (9.6). Lee also had a no-hitter on September 10 with 16 strikeouts and one walk against Pyongyang. Seongnam survived in a five game battle with Bucheon in the first round to earn repeat Korea League Championship Series berths. Goyang upset Gwangju on the road 3-1 for their second KLCS since 1988. The Green Sox shocked the Spiders by sweeping them in the KLCS for Goyang’s first-ever KL pennant. With the Green Sox pennant, that leaves Daejeon as the only original EAB team without a single league title over EAB’s 71 year history. Goyang wouldn’t get their first East Asian Championship though, running into the Niigata buzzsaw. The Green Dragons swept the Green Sox to secure their first overall title, becoming the second expansion team to win the ring along with Jeonju. League MVP Makhmud Hakim was finals MVP with a 1.80 ERA on the mound over four playoff starts and 30 innings with 22 strikeouts. At the plate in 13 games, Hakim had 15 hits, 7 runs, 4 doubles, 3 home runs, and 6 RBI. Other notes: Seung-Yu Moon and KL MVP Jun-Seong Noi both crossed 3000 career hits, making the club have 13 members. Sanetomo Hatta had a four home run game on June 25. Seizo Shinad became the 23rd EAB batter to 600 home runs. LF Yeo-Min Kwan won his 11th and final Gold Glove. 3B Sukejuro Sakamoto and CF Yuma Akasaka earned their seventh Silver Sluggers. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

01-29-2024, 06:21 PM	#926
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,602	1991 in CABA It was a three-team race for the Mexican League’s North Division in 1991. Defending CABA champion Monterrey narrowly took first at 97-65 for their fourth consecutive playoff berth. Torreon secured back-to-back wild cards at 96-66, one behind the Matadors but one ahead of Tijuana. The only team above .500 in the South Division was 90-72 Leon. This gave the Lions their first playoff spot in five years and was their first division title since 1979. Last year’s division winner and league runner-up Guadalajara fell to 76-86. Tijuana’s Dion Juarez won Mexican League MVP with impressive power. In his second full season, the 25-year old Mexican right fielder led the ML in runs (124), home runs (62), RBI (132), total bases (420), slugging (.687), OPS (1.046), OPS (1.046), wRC+ (214), and WAR (10.1). Torreon’s Matias Flores was Pitcher of the Year with the 24-year old lefty leading with a 1.80 ERA. He had an 18-4 record over 225 innings with 348 strikeouts and 8.9 WAR. Leon swept Torreon in the wild card round, but they were no match for Monterrey. The Matadors swept the Lions in the Mexican League Championship Series to earn repeat pennants. This was Monterrey’s 12^th Mexican League title, tying them with Mexico City for the most. CABA’s best record went to Santo Domingo at 106-56 to earn a third consecutive Caribbean League Island Division title. Haiti was a distant second in the division at 90-72, but this earned them the wild card by three games over Bahamas and four over Trinidad. This was the Herons’ first playoff appearance since 1980. Honduras dominated the Continental Division at 95-67 for their third playoff berth in four years. Nicaragua, who won the CL pennant the prior two seasons, dropped to third in the division at 79-83. Santo Domingo CF Hugh Boerboom was Caribbean League MVP. The 28-year old Aruban led the league in runs (117), home runs (56), total bases (365), and slugging (.629). He added 121 RBI and 6.3 WAR. Haiti’s Marvin Ramos won Pitcher of the Year honors in his third season. The 24-year old Dominican righty won the ERA title (2.52) and led in quality starts (27), innings (274.2), and WAR (6.5). Ramos added a 19-8 record and 260 strikeouts. Honduras and Haiti went the distance in the wild card round with the Horsemen surviving and advancing. This gave Honduras repeat appearances in the Caribbean League Championship Series berth, while Santo Domingo was making their second in three years. These were the two most successful franchises in CL history facing off again, as both had won 12 pennants. They hadn’t faced off in the finale since their four battles in five years from 1958-62. In the CLCS, the Horsemen upset the Dolphins 4-2 for their first pennant since 1963. This was the third time that Monterrey and Honduras faced off in the CABA championship, with the Horsemen winning both the 1958 and 1963 encounters. In the 81^st Central American Baseball Association Championship, Monterrey secured back-to-back titles by besting Honduras 4-2. CF Marco Castillo was the finals MVP, getting 5 hits, 4 runs, 2 home runs, and 3 RBI over 10 playoff starts. The Matadors won their fifth CABA crown (1937, 55, 57, 90, 91). Other notes: Honduras’ Victor Alvares threw CABA’s 30^th perfect game, striking out nine on September 12 against Haiti. Yohnny Galez won his seventh Silver Slugger and his fourth 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)

01-30-2024, 04:30 AM	#927
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,602	1991 in MLB The two best records in the National Association were in a battle for the East Division title. New York secured the #1 seed at 103-59 for their second division title in three years. Defending World Series champ Virginia Beach was three back at 100-62, easily taking the first wild card. The Vikings grabbed their third division title in four years, but despite having two World Series rings, they still haven’t gotten a division title yet. Philadelphia (88-74) was also in the wild card mix from the East Division, but ended up two games short. The Northeast Division had Ottawa narrowly take the title at 91-71, one game ahead of Toronto. The Elks secured their ninth playoff appearance in the last 12 seasons. The Timberwolves picked up the second wild card and ended a three season playoff drought. Hartford at 84-78 was unable to extend its postseason streak to three years. However, Kansas City and Chicago both extended their streaks to three as well as four in five years. The Cougars were 91-71 to take the Lower Midwest Division by nine games over Cincinnati. The Cubs at 86-76 got the Upper Midwest title by three over last year’s NACS finalist Winnipeg and by four games over Cleveland. National Association MVP went to Ottawa veteran first baseman Noah Karla. The 30-year old switch hitter from Montreal led the NA in runs (109) and total bases (352), while adding 32 home runs, 107 RBI, a .339/.384/.560 slash and 7.8 WAR. New York’s Benjamin Justinussen won Pitcher of the Year for the second time in three years. The 28-year old righty from the Faroe Islands led in WHIP at 0.87, posting a 16-8 record over 219.1 innings with a 2.22 ERA, 211 strikeouts, and 6.4 WAR. Sadly, this was the peak for Justinussen, who suffered a torn rotator cuff in spring training the next season. He’d then tear his labrum twice and was out of the majors by 1995. In the first round of the playoffs, Virginia Beach bested Chicago 2-1 and Ottawa ousted Toronto 2-1. New York survived a five game classic over their divisional foe Vikings, while Kansas City topped Ottawa 3-1. This gave the Yankees their second National Association Championship Series appearance in three years, while it was the first for the Cougars since winning the pennant in 1976. KC would prevail 4-2 over NY in the NACS to give the Cougars their fifth NA crown (1937, 61, 62, 76, 91). The power in the American Association in 1991 was split between the Northwest and Southeast Divisions. Denver won the Northwest at 101-61 and took the #1 overall seed. This was the fourth consecutive playoff berth for the 1989 World Series champion Dragons. Atlanta won the Southeast at 100-62 to extend their division title streak to five seasons, the longest playoff streak active in MLB. Tampa was one back at 99-63, securing the first wild card for their second berth in three years. Edmonton was four behind Denver at 97-65, which nabbed the second wild card for the Eels. Edmonton earend a third berth in four years. Seattle (93-69), Las Vegas (91-71), Charlotte (89-73), and San Diego (89-73) were the other teams in the wild card mix who fell short. Notably for the Grizzlies, they saw an impressive improvement from 68 wins to 93, although they still missed the postseason. Defending American Association champ Los Angeles won the Southwest Division at 97-65, topping the Vipers by six games and the Seals by eight. The Angels picked up a third straight playoff appearance. Dallas won a tight South Central Division at 87-75, edging both New Orleans and Austin by two games each. This was the Dalmatians’ first playoff appearance in a decade. Last year’s division winner Houston dropped to fourth at 78-84. Catcher Hui-Yun Han of Atlanta won the American Association MVP. The 27-year old South Korean led the AA in doubles (55), average (.374), slugging (.646), OPS (1.063), wRC+ (185), and WAR (11.0). His 55 doubles fell one short of Isaiah Gilbert’s single-season record set in 1973. Han also had 212 hits, 101 runs, 31 home runs, and 119 RBI. Han set MLB single-season records for a catcher in slugging, OPS, hits, doubles, RBI, and WAR. Pitcher of the Year also saw a record setting campaign from Austin’s T.J. Nakabayashi. Nicknamed “Hitman,” the 30-year old righty from the Solomon Islands posted 12.6 WAR, setting a MLB single-season record for a pitcher which still holds as of 2037. He also led in wins (24-10), strikeouts (314), quality starts (28), and shutouts (6). Although Nakabayashi won his first POTY, he led the AA in strikeouts for the sixth time. His 2.47 ERA over 295.1 innings was second by only nine points, keeping him from a Triple Crown. Tampa swept Dallas in round one and Los Angeles outlasted Edmonton 2-1. Denver survived in a five game challenge from the Thunderbirds in round two, giving the Dragons their second American Association Championship Series appearance in three years. Atlanta edged the Angels 3-2 in a classic, sending the Aces to the AACS for the third time in five years. Yet again, Atlanta would be thwarted as Denver took the title in a seven game thriller. This gave the Dragons two pennants in three years, as well as their fifth AA crown overall (1925, 38, 62, 89, 91). The 91^st World Series was not the first time that Denver and Kansas City had met in the Fall Classic, as the Dragons won in seven over the Cougars back in 1962. Denver was hoping to win its second ring in three years, while KC had gone 0-4 in their prior appearances. The Cougars finally secured their first-ever title with a lopsided sweep of the Dragons. RF Nathaniel Clay was both World Series MVP and NACS MVP. The 29-year old had 19 hits, 8 runs, 2 doubles, 2 home runs, and 8 RBI in 14 playoff starts. Other notes: With Kansas City’s title, 38 of MLB’s 56 teams have a World Series, including 37 of the original 48 teams. Of the originals, the eleven teams without a ring to this point are Buffalo, Brooklyn, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Columbus, Minneapolis, Omaha, San Antonio, Portland, Seattle, and Oakland. Of those teams, five have never gotten to the World Series: Buffalo, Omaha, San Antonio, Seattle, and Oakland. Bentley Wade and Roy Cote both reached 3000 career hits, making it 49 members of the club in MLB. Cote and Cade Parker both crossed 1500 runs scored, a feat achieved by 88 batters. Joining the 500 home run club were Jayden Slater and Armand Whipple, making that club 62 members strong. Mason Wilkinson won his eighth Silver Slugger at catcher. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

01-30-2024, 11:58 AM	#928
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,602	1992 MLB Hall of Fame The 1992 Major League Baseball Hall of Fame class had two inductees. Two-way star Khaled Scott was a no-doubter at 98.6% on the first ballot. He was joined by LF Tim Morgan, who got the bump up to 76.5% for a third ballot nod. 1B Edward Torres was close to the 66% mark on his second try, but was short at 61.6%. Five others finished above 50%. The ballot saw a major cleaning with six players being removed following ten failed attempts. Five of those guys finished with 45% or greater on their final attempt and those guys had reasons to hold out hope. The highest finisher was 2B Bobby Davis at 59.6% in his final go. Davis started at only 39%, but got as high as 61.8% on his eighth ballot. In 20 years primarily with San Francisco, he had 3264 hits, 1533 runs, 504 doubles, 297 home runs, 1457 RBI, .a .296/.359/.429 slash, 111 wRC+, and 59.5 WAR. The low WAR total from being a poor fielder and the advanced stats suggested more sustained above averageness. 3000+ hits was a big number, but not a lock for the MLB voter. Davis’ lack of awards or big seasons ultimately kept him just on the outside. It is very difficult for catchers to get in and both Gavin Geogham and Earl Tucker missed out, in part hurt by having to compete with each other. Geoghan got as high as 63.7% in his ninth attempt, posting 1675 hits, 831 runs, 269 doubles, 182 home runs, 880 RBI, a .300/.380/.462 slash, 146 wRC+, and 60.9 WAR. He had five Silver Sluggers and a MVP over his 15 years with Ottawa, but the demands of the position and a relatively early end to his career meant Geoghan’s accumulations were too low for many voters. Meanwhile Tucker peaked at 54.7% in 1991 and ended at 49.6%. He lacked the accolades, but had the longevity over 20 years primarily with Oakland. Tucker had 2497 hits, 947 runs, 396 doubles, 160 home runs, 1050 RBI, a .304/.347/.419 slash, 111 wRC+, and 61.6 WAR. But again, the low accumulations that come with being a catcher remains a big obstacle for perspective Hall of Famers. Another player dropped was Elliot Fisher, who had one MVP and Silver Slugger over a 17 year career with three teams. His 50.4% finish was his highest vote total after generally hovering in the 40s. Fisher had 2365 hits, 1311 runs, 548 home runs, 1484 RBI, a .277/.347/.511 slash, 150 wRC+, and 68.1 WAR. Good power numbers in a vacuum, but still not incredible for a first baseman. Another 1B dropped was Eloy Kolman, who finished at 45% and generally bounced around the 30-45% range. The Sint Maartener had longevity over 20 years to get 3105 hits, 1511 runs, 588 doubles, 471 home runs, 1605 RBI, a .285/.346/.476 slash, 130 wRC+, and 70.0 WAR. At retirement, he had the fourth most doubles of any MLB player and is still eighth as of 2037. But his only accolade was one Silver Slugger and his accumulations didn’t sway the voters by themselves. The one other player dropped after ten ballots was RF Branson Burns, who ended at 5.7% and peaked only at 16.6%. He was unique in that all of his production was in his 20s, falling off hard and out of the game after his age 31 season. In only 11 years, Burns had 1820 hits, 1023 runs, 350 home runs, 1071 RBI, a .301/.370/.539 slash, 145 wRC+, and 50.7 WAR. He might have had a shot if he would have lasted a few more years, but his sudden decline doomed him. Khaled Scott – Pitcher/Outfielder – Kansas City Cougars – 98.6% First Ballot Khaled Scott was a 5’9’’, 185 pound two-way player from Houston, Texas. Despite his frame, Scott would be one of the most unique successes in Major League Baseball History. His best asset was his right arm and incredible stamina on the mound, as he led the National Association five times in innings pitched and eight times in complete games. Scott was a hard thrower with 99-101 mph peak velocity, but he also had very good control and solid movement. His fastball and cutter were his most impressive pitches, although his slider and changeup could beat you too. Scott was also very athletic generally, emerging as one of the better baserunners and base stealers in the game. Most of his starts defensively were in right field, where he was considered a very good gloveman. Scott spent some time in center and a small amount at first base with less success. Scott was a switch hitter and was very much a league average batter, but rarely does one find a league average bat that is a great pitcher and defender. His durability was also incredible, allowing him to be out there almost every day contributing in some capacity. Scott attended Arizona State and was a two-way guy even as a Sun Devil. He was second as a freshman in college MVP voting. Over three seasons at the plate, he had 98 games, 114 hits, 74 runs, 34 home runs, 78 RBI, a .348/.385/.713 slash, and 5.9 WAR. On the mound, Scott had a 22-12 record in 38 starts with a 2.07 ERA, 291 innings, 255 strikeouts, and 11.1 WAR. In the 1972 MLB Draft, Kansas City selected Scott with the seventh overall pick. Almost his entire career would be with the Cougars, where he’d become a popular player and later see his #44 uniform retired. Scott’s arrival marked a turnaround for KC, who had five straight losing seasons prior to his debut. From 1973-81, the Cougars made the playoffs seven times. He was a full-time pitcher immediately and had 30+ starts and 245+ innings in all of his 14 pro seasons. Scott had 118 games at the plate as a rookie, then made 100+ starts each season from 1974-82. He won 11 straight Silver Sluggers from 1974-84 as a pitcher, which is a MLB record for the position. Scott had 5.6 WAR on the mound as a rookie, earning 1973 Rookie of the Year. 1975 was Scott’s finest season, winning National Association MVP and taking third in Pitcher of the Year voting. He led in wins at 22-9 and had 6.7 WAR pitching along with 3.3 WAR offensively. Scott regularly threw a lot of innings and put up positive value offensively and in the field. Kansas City couldn’t get beyond the second round in Scott’s first three seasons. In 1976, the Cougars got over the hump and won the NA pennant. They would fall in the World Series to Las Vegas. Scott had a huge postseason, going 4-1 on the mound with a 1.74 ERA, 44 strikeouts, and 2.0 WAR. At the plate, he added 19 hits, 11 runs, and 5 RBI. Because of this run, KC signed Scott to a six-year, $3,662,000 contract extension. Scott remained solid and Kansas City made the playoffs thrice more while he was there, but they never made another deep run during his tenure. In 1981, he would throw a no-hitter with four strikeouts and two walks against Hartford Prior to the 1982 season, the Cougars signed him on a four-year, $4,000,000 contract extension. Scott had a brief resurgence into the spotlight in 1984 at age 32, taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting and third in MVP voting. He had a career best 25-7 record with 23 complete games, 296.2 innings, and 7.5 WAR. He also added 2.0 WAR at the plate in what would be his final full season as a hitter. He had another great year on the mound in 1985 with 7.5 WAR, although he saw less time and success at the plate. The Cougars were stuck just outside of the playoff field and in 1986, Scott’s velocity suddenly dropped to around the 95-97 mph mark. He also no longer was used in the field with his only hitting coming with his pitching starts. His pitching numbers were still decent, but Kansas City surprised Scott and many in MLB by releasing him in June. Ottawa signed Scott two weeks later and he finished the season with the Elks. Ottawa won the National Association pennant, falling in the World Series to Calgary. Scott made five starts in the postseason, but struggled with a 5.87 ERA. The Elks didn’t re-sign him and Scott went unsigned in 1987. He wanted to still play, but couldn’t find any suitors and opted to retire in the winter of 1987 at age 36. Scott’s final pitching stats: 269-149 record, 3.25 ERA, 3801.1 innings, 2921 strikeouts to 799 walks, 297/467 quality starts, 248 complete games, 86 FIP-, and 78.0 WAR. There were certainly far more dominant pitchers in his era, but he offered reliable innings and probably had the resume purely on the mound. At the plate, Scott added 1376 hits, 727 runs, 209 doubles, 156 home runs, 678 RBI, 316 stolen bases, and 28.3 WAR. This put him over the top and put him in the conversation as MLB’s best-ever two-way guy. Dylan D’Ippolito was the other MLB two-way Hall of Famer and while he had a more impressive peak, he finished with lower accumulations. Scott earned his spot at 98.6% as one of MLB’s most unique inductees. Tim Morgan – Outfield – Los Angeles Angels – 76.5% Third Ballot Tim Morgan was a 6’4’’, 190 pound left-handed corner outfielder from Lacey, Washington; a suburb of the capital Olympia with around 53,000 people. Morgan had an incredible eye for drawing walks, leading the league eight times in walks drawn. He was merely above average at contract and middling at avoiding strikeouts, but Morgan made the most of his at bats. He had solid speed and baserunning ability and was respectable at getting extra bases. Morgan averaged around 30 home runs and around 25 doubles/triples per season. He made about 3/5 of his starts in left field with the rest in right field. Morgan was a poor defender and was criticized for a lack of hustle by detractors. He had very good durability though and his offensive value made Morgan a very popular player with most fans. Morgan played college baseball with TCU and in 136 college games had 144 hits, 103 runs, 32 doubles, 33 home runs, 89 RBI, 100 walks, a .299/.422/.575 slash and 8.7 WAR. This made him one of the tip top prospects ahead of the 1963 MLB Draft. Los Angeles selected Morgan second overall and he made 119 starts as a rookie, finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting. He was a full-time starter for 14 seasons with the Angels, only missing a few weeks here or there to injuries. Morgan led the American Association in OBP in 1969 and 1970 and led in walks drawn four times with LA. He picked up his two Silver Sluggers in 1968 and 1969. Morgan made five appearances from 1964-68 for the United States team in the World Baseball Championship. In 65 games and 54 starts, he had 40 hits, 43 runs, 21 home runs, 43 RBI, 48 walks, a .227/.389/.619 slash and 3.2 WAR. He won four rings with the American team (64, 65, 66, 68). Morgan never was a MVP finalist though and had to deal with the tough competition of the position. But he was a very important part of an impressive run for the Angels, who made the playoffs six times from 1968-74. LA won three World Series titles in this stretch, taking it in 1968, 1973, and 1974. In his playoff career, Morgan had 52 starts with 41 hits, 28 runs, 13 home runs, 40 RBI, 32 walks, a .220/.339/.446 slash, and 1.1 WAR. After the 1969 season, Morgan was locked in long-term on an eight-year, $2,432,000 contract extension. In 1975, the 32-year old Morgan led in runs for the only times with 116. After their 1973-73 titles, the Angels spent the next four years in the mid-tier just outside of the postseason. Morgan’s contract ran out after the 1977 season and he opted to try to free agency. With Los Angeles, Morgan had 1979 hits, 1221 runs, 306 doubles, 355 home runs, 1120 RBI, 1184 walks, a .285/.393/.499 slash, 140 wRC+, and 57.6 WAR. At age 35, Morgan signed a three-year, $1,770,000 deal with Indianapolis. The Racers were fresh off a National Association pennant win, but they would be stuck in the mid-tier for Morgan’s tenure. He’d ultimately play seven seasons in Indy and had an impressive resurgence in 1981 with a career-best 40 home runs. Morgan led in walks each year from 1980-83, but he suddenly declined significantly in 1984. He was reduced to a bench role this season and retired that winter at age 42. With the Racers, Morgan had 802 hits, 557 runs, 98 doubles, 175 home runs, 484 RBI, 549 walks, a .239/.353/.442 slash, and 19.8 WAR. In total, Morgan had 2781 hits, 1778 runs, 404 doubles, 530 triples, 1604 RBI, 1733 walks, 304 stolen bases, .270/.380/.480 slash, 138 wRC+, and 77.4 WAR. At induction, Morgan was fourth all-time in walks drawn and 18th in runs scored. He was one of a select group with 1500+ runs, 500+ home runs, and 1500+ career RBI. However, Morgan didn’t have the big awards and that, plus his poor fielding and perceived lack of hustle, cost him support with many voters. Morgan barely missed the cut on his first two attempts with 64.7% and 65.6%. His third ballot got him the bump needed to get in at 76.5% and earn a spot in the 1992 MLB Hall of Fame. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

01-30-2024, 05:54 PM	#929
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,602	1992 CABA Hall of Fame Two first basemen made up the 1992 Hall of Fame Class for the Central American Baseball Association. CABA home run king and RBI leader Solomon Aragon was nearly unanimous with 99.7% and was joined by Raioby Barajas, who also received a first ballot selection with 85.8%. CF Wilmer Mora missed out narrowly with 60.4% in his fifth ballot. The only other player above 50% was catcher Hansel Morel at 53.8% in his second attempt. One player fell off the ballot after ten failed tries. Closer Emanuel Saucedo debuted at 30.8%, but only fell and ended at 5.7%. He won three Reliever of the Year awards and was dominant in six seasons with Jamaica, leading in saves four times. But the second half of his career was unremarkable and split between MLB and CABA. He had 254 saves, 2.21 ERA, 1167 strikeouts over 729.2 innings with 28.0 WAR over a split career. Solomon Aragon – First Base – Mexico City Aztecs – 99.7% First Ballot Solomon Aragon was a 6’7’’, 200 pound right-handed first baseman from San Lucas Sacatepequez; a town of around 20,000 people in south central Guatemala. The tall Aragon was one of the most consistent contact and power hitters of his era, regularly hitting around 40 home runs per year with around a .300 average and 30 doubles. Despite his strengths, he was merely okay at drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. Aragon was a slow and sluggish baserunner, but was considered a steady and average defender. He was exclusively a first baseman in his career and was an ironman. Aragon had a 20 year stretch with 140+ games and 135+ starts. A very hard worker, Aragon was one of the most popular players of his era in CABA. Aragon was spotted in his late teens as a top prospect in Central America, getting picked 27^th by Honduras in the 1962 CABA Draft. He spent two seasons in the Horsemen’s developmental system and officially debuted at age 22 in 1965 with a few pinch hit appearances. This was near the end of their dynasty run and open spots in the lineup were hard to come by. Looking to extend their short-term competitive window, Aragon was traded before the 1966 season to Mexico City with another prospect in exchange for veteran catcher Enrique Ruiz. Aragon would become a critical part of the dynasty run for the Aztecs, who would win seven consecutive Mexican League titles from 1967-73 with CABA championship rings in each season sans 1968. He was used as a pinch hitter primarily in 1966, but became the full-time starter from 1967 onward. Aragon won a batting title in 1969 and his first Silver Slugger in 1971. Although he didn’t win many regular season accolades with Mexico City, his postseason heroics would make him beloved by Aztecs fans. Aragon was the 1968 MLCS MVP, 1970 CABA Championship MVP, 1972 MLCS MVP, and 1972 CABA Championship MVP. In total with Mexico City in the playoffs, he played 69 games with 84 hits, 46 runs, 16 doubles, 20 home runs, 62 RBI, a .332/.388/.632 slash, 188 wRC+, and 3.5 WAR. Aragon began getting more award attention by this point, taking second in 1971 and 1972 for league MVP voting. In total with the Aztecs, he had 1184 hits, 605 runs, 223 doubles, 244 home runs, 680 RBI, a .321/.378/.593 slash, and 42.3 WAR. Although remembered by many as a key part of the Mexico City dynasty, Aragon’s run was only seven seasons. He would be gone for their final title in 1973, as he opted for free agency at 30. Aragon signed with Puerto Rico on an eight-year, $2,360,000 contract. The Pelicans run was his most impressive for individual accolades, winning Silver Sluggers in 1973, 74, 75, 76, and 79. Aragon was second in 1974’s MVP voting, but again fell short of the top award. He led the Caribbean League with a career best 138 RBI that year and matched his career high of 46 home runs. In 1976, he led in hits with 200 and led with 38 doubles in 1977. Puerto Rico would make the CLCS in 1974, but were otherwise a middling franchise despite Aragon’s efforts. He continued his steady reliable efforts, posting 1299 hits, 628 runs, 199 doubles, 273 home runs, 779 RBI, a .307/.348/.562 slash, 147 wRC+, and 37.8 WAR. Aragon opted out of the final year of his contract and was a free agent again before the 1980 season. Now 37 years old, Santo Domingo signed him on a three-year, $1,314,000 deal. Aragon’s signing helped put the Dolphins over the top, as they began their own dynasty run in the 1980s. Santo Domingo won five Caribbean League titles from 1981-85 and won the CABA title in 1982, 84, and 85. Aragon won Silver Slugger in 1981 (his seventh) and was the CLCS MVP in 1984. His numbers weren’t as dominant in this later run, but he was again steady and still very reliable even into his early 40s. Aragon signed a three-year extension after the 1982 season and ultimately played seven seasons with SD. In the playoffs with the Dolphins, he had 65 starts, 54 hits, 27 runs, 10 doubles, 12 home runs, 38 RBI, a .214/.237/.405 slash and 0.5 WAR. Although less dominant than his Mexico City heroics, this helped Aragon emerge as CABA’s most prolific playoff hitter. He had eight CABA rings and 10 league titles to his name with 152 hits, 80 runs, 27 doubles, 33 home runs, 105 RBI, a .278/.317/.512 slash, and 4.4 WAR. At retirement, Aragon was the CABA playoff leader in runs, hits, doubles, home runs, and RBI. As of 2037, he still has the most RBI and remains top four in the other stats. In total with Santo Domingo, Aragon had 1133 hits, 546 runs, 160 doubles, 255 home runs, 676 RBI, a .285/.315/.527 slash, 138 wRC+, and 28.5 WAR. He reached a number of impressive milestones with the Dolphins, becoming the third CABA hitter to 3500 hits, the third to 700 home runs, the third to 2000 RBI, and the seventh to 1500 runs scored. In 1985, Aragon passed Prometheo Garcia as the CABA home run king (Garcia had more when counting his MLB run, but ended with 753 in CABA). He hit 44 home runs at age 42, but notably became the all-time leader despite never leading the league or hitting 50. Aragon was the model of consistency with ten seasons of 40+ homers. He finally struggled and was a sub-par hitter for the first time in 1986, but this final season allowed him to pass Wesley Dubar for the all-time RBI mark. Aragon retired after the season at age 44. Aragon’s final stats: 3619 hits, 1780 runs, 585 doubles, 772 home runs, 2137 RBI, a .304/.347/.559 slash, 152 wRC+, and 108.7 WAR. At induction, he was CABA’s all-time leader in home runs, RBI, games played, and at-bats. He was fourth in runs scored, second in hits, and second in doubles. Despite those tallies, he was only 12^th in batting WAR, damaged by his poor baserunning, lack of walks, and average defense at first. As of 2037, Aragon is third in homers and RBI, fourth in hits, third in games played, and fourth in doubles. He was the model of consistency and reliability, as well as a clutch performer in the postseason, but the lack of MVPs and black ink keep him out of the GOAT hitter conversations despite the tallies. A true ironman, Aragon was a Hall of Fame lock at 99.7%. Rafioby “Wall” Barajas – First Base – Hermosillo Hyenas – 85.8% First Ballot Rafioby Barajas was a 6’2’’, 195 pound right-handed first baseman from Tehuacan, a city of around 250,000 people in the Mexican state of Puebla. At the plate, Barajas wasn’t incredible, but he was a reliable solid contact and power hitter. His career batting average was just below .300 while averaging around 30 home runs and 30 doubles per season. Barajas was middling at drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts and was also a slow baserunner. His nickname “Wall” came from his tremendous defense at first base. Barajas spent his entire career there and is considered by many as the greatest defensive 1B in CABA history. Like his Hall of Fame classmate Solomon Aragon, Barajas was also an ironman. He made 140+ starts in every season sans his final year. Barajas was one of the premiere Mexican prospects in the 1968 CABA Draft. He was picked 4^th overall by Hermosillo and would spend his entire 18 year pro career with the Hyenas, becoming one of the most popular players in Mexican baseball. He was a full-time starter immediately and took second in 1969’s Rookie of the Year voting. Barajas also won his first Gold Glove in 1969. He’d miss it in 1970, but would he’d rattle off 13 straight from 1971-83. As of 2037, his 14 Gold Gloves is the most for any CABA player at any position. As of 2037, Barajas is also one of only five players across all of the world leagues to have 14+ Gold Gloves specifically at first base. His 100.7 Zone Rating is the top mark at the position in CABA history by a strong margin (next closest is 69.8) and he’s the CABA leader in assists at first base with 1729. His defense got a lot of deserved attention, but Barajas wasn’t a scrub as a hitter. He was never a league leader, but he won three Silver Sluggers at the competitive position, coming in 1972, 1974, and 1982. Barajas did not win MVP, but was third in 1972 voting. After that season, Hermosillo locked him up long-term with an eight-year, $2,812,000 contract extension. He was beloved by Hyenas fans and one of the few reasons to come to the ballpark, as Hermosillo consistently stunk in his tenure. From 1969-79, they had no playoff appearances and only twice finished above .500. Barajas remained a steady presence into the 1980s and into his 30s as fortunes finally changed for Hermosillo. In 1980, the Hyenas snapped a 16-year playoff drought and won their first Mexican League pennant since 1947. From 1980-86, Hermosillo earned five playoff appearances with ML titles in 1980, 83, and 85; plus a CABA Championship in 1983. Barajas was MLCS MVP in 1980 and played a big role in their postseason success. In 57 playoff games, he had 63 hits, 33 runs, 11 doubles, 9 home runs, 45 RBI, a .292/.328/.495 slash, and 2.1 WAR. That run cemented his status as a beloved figure in Mexican baseball, helping turn a begotten franchise into a winner. In his later years, he also played for Mexico in the World Baseball Championship, earning nationwide appreciation. In 96 starts from 1978-84, Barajas had 91 hits, 64 runs, 14 doubles, 35 home runs, 74 RBI, a .269/.346/.627 slash, and 4.8 WAR. He also had a World Championship ring, helping the Mexican team to the 1978 title. Barajas’ longevity got him to milestones late in his run, crossing 1500 RBI in 1984, 500 home runs in 1985, and 3000 hits in 1986. He ended up splitting time in the lineup in his final year of 1986 despite seemingly still having similar success to his prior years. Barajas became a free agent after the season and wanted to carry on, but he couldn’t find a suitor in 1987. He retired that winter at age 41. Barajas final stats: 3011 hits, 1329 runs, 485 doubles, 516 home runs, 1697 RBI, a .296/.340/.507 slash, 150 wRC+, and 95.5 WAR. At induction, he was seventh all-time in hits, sixth in RBI, and 20^th in hitting WAR. Barajas took a different path to greatness than his HOF classmate Aragon, but he also had an impressive career and played a big role in the postseason. Hermosillo retired his #36 uniform and he remains the franchise leader in games played and hits as of 2037. Only a small group of voters held his lack of offensive accolades against him, as Barajas was a first ballot selection at 85.8%. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

01-31-2024, 04:58 AM	#930
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,602	1992 EAB Hall of Fame East Asia Baseball inducted two players into the Hall of Fame from the 1992 ballot. Both guys got in on the first ballot with SP So-Woong Hong at 83.7% and 3B Min-Hwi Eun at 80.5%. SP Ho-In Koh missed it by the slimmest possible margin on his third try at 66.0%. Generally, 66% is the threshold, but that was his number when you rounded up, so he was left out. One other pitcher was above 50% with Kunizo Tsuda receiving 55.3% on his fourth ballot. Two players fell off the ballot after ten failed tries. SP Cheng Yang peaked at 40.8% on his third ballot before ending at a low of 11.3%. He had a 14-year career in total, but four seasons were in MLB as well. In EAB with Busan and Daegu, he had one Pitcher of the Year award, 116-94 record, 2.98 ERA, 2012 innings, 2108 strikeouts, and 45.0 WAR. He won two titles with the Blue Jays and would have been on his way had he stayed and/or had more longevity. Another pitcher was dropped in Chae-Heui Song, who peaked at 28.7% in his second go and ended at 4.6%. In 18 seasons, he had eight EAB championship rings between Pyongyang and Daegu, posting a 210-143 record, 3.18 ERA, 3218 innings, 2776 strikeouts, and 67.8 WAR. Song was never a league leader or awards finalist, which hurt him with most voters despite decent accumulations and his many rings. So-Woong Hong – Starting Pitcher – Kobe Blaze – 83.7% First Ballot So-Woong Hong was a 6’3’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Wonsan, a city of around 330,000 people on the eastern coast of North Korea. Hong’s biggest strengths were solid control and movement, which made up for having merely above average stuff. His velocity only peaked in the 93-95 mph range but he had an incredible changeup that he fooled batters with between his sinker and slider offerings. Hong was also known for excellent stamina, leading the league three times in innings pitched. He was a durable and intelligent pitcher that was also effective at holding runners. Hong was spotted as a teenage amateur by a scout from Kobe, who signed him in 1967 at age 16 and brought him from North Korea to Japan. After spending four years in their academy, he debuted in 1971 at age 21 for the Blaze, splitting time between the rotation and bullpen. Hong was a full-time starter for the rest of his career, tossing 245+ innings in all but one season over the next 15 years. He was iffy as a rookie, but delivered an excellent sophomore season with a league-best 25 quality starts, taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting. In 1974, Hong earned his first Pitcher of the Year award with 7.0 WAR, a 21-9 record, 2.51 ERA, and 26 quality starts. He won for a second time in 1976, leading again in innings pitched and posting career bests in wins (23-10), ERA (2.36), and WAR (8.0). Kobe had five consecutive seasons with 90+ wins in this stretch, but couldn’t make the playoffs as they were stuck against Kyoto’s dynasty run. In total with the Blaze, Hong had a 102-70 record, 2.87 ERA, 1483 strikeouts, and 36.0 WAR. He decided to enter free agency after the 1977 season at age 28. Hong wanted to return home to North Korea and both of the countries’ teams; Pyongyang and Hamhung, were very interested in grabbing him. He had returned home for the World Baseball Championship and ultimately played from 1972-85 for the DPRK. In 157 innings, he had a 3.32 ERA, 6-10 record, 168 strikeouts, and 3.6 WAR in the WBC. Hong ultimately signed with the Pythons to a six-year, $2,420,000 deal. Pyongyang had just come off of winning the EAB title in 1977 in a bounce back year. The Pythons were good in Hong’s first two years there, but just outside of the playoffs. He took third in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1978, his last time as a finalist. Pyongyang then fell off hard and began an unprecedented streak of mediocrity. Hong wasn’t to blame, posting a 2.89 ERA and 62-47 in four seasons with 1084 innings, 917 strikeouts, and 21.5 WAR. The Pythons opted to move Hong before the 1982 season to Seongnam in exchange for two prospects. The Spiders hoped Hong would get them over the hump, as they had narrowly missed ending a decade-long playoff drought in the prior year. Statistically, Hong had two very average years in Seongnam, but he gave them steady innings. The Spiders prevailed and won the Korea League title in both 1982 and 1983. They came up short versus Kawasaki in the 1982 EAB final, but won the 1983 championship against Sapporo. In 70 playoff innings over his run, Hong had a 4-3 record, 3.60 ERA, 50 strikeouts, and 0.3 WAR. He posted a 7.8 WAR, 3.80 ERA, 379 strikeouts, and 23-22 record for his Seongnam tenure. His original Pyongyang deal expired and the Spiders let him enter free agency at age 35. Hong signed a four-year, $2,760,000 deal with Hamhung. He provided league average production in three seasons with the Heat, even leading the league in innings in his final season. Hamhung made the 1986 playoffs, but were knocked out with Hong struggling in his one start. This was ultimately his final start, as he opted to retire at age 37 instead of hanging around. He had a 3.92 ERA, 39-46 record, 776 innings, 622 strikeouts, and 11.2 WAR with the Heat. Hong’s final overall stats: 226-185 record, 3.18 ERA, 4063 innings, 3401 strikeouts to 721 walks, 309/488 quality starts, 156 complete games, 87 FIP-, and 76.6 WAR. He quietly accumulated some solid totals and Is on a short list of guys with multiple Pitcher of the Year awards. His stats don’t place him among the absolute upper echelon of Hall of Famers, but Hong didn’t look out of place compared to the standard of previously inductees. The voters were sold and gave Hong a first ballot induction with 83.7%. Min-Hwi Eun – Third Base – Kyoto Kamikaze – 80.5 First Ballot Min-Hwi Eun was a 5’11’’, 200 pound right-handed third baseman from Ulsan, South Korea. Eun emerged as a very good contact hitter with a solid pop in his bat. He averaged around 30 home runs and around 35 doubles/triples pet year. Eun had an average eye and decent ability at avoiding strikeouts. He wasn’t a speedster, but had decent wheels with strong baserunning instincts. Eun was a career third baseman with a strong arm, although he graded out as just below average for his career defensively. He was a scrappy and loyal player, which made him a fan favorite throughout his run. Eun was spotted as a teenage amateur and signed in 1963 by Kyoto, spending two decades ultimately in the organization. He would be a late bloomer though despite making his official debut at age 20 with two at-bats in 1966. Eun made appearances over the next five years off-and-on, but couldn’t crack the starting lineup fulltime. He finally won the job in 1972, but missed more than half the season with knee issues. 1973 was Eun’s first full season as a starter at age 27 and he delivered a Silver Slugger winning season and their first playoff berth since 1966. This helped convince Kyoto to give him a four-year contract extension early in 1974 worth $1,294,000. Eun had an impressive 9.5 WAR campaign and won Silver Slugger again. The Kamikaze went on a tear and won their first-ever EAB Championship. Eun was finals MVP, posting 13 hits, 5 runs, 4 doubles, 3 home runs, and 6 RBI in the postseason. 1975 would be Eun’s finest season individually and the only time he was a league leader. He led in multiple stats though with the most hits (216), WAR (11.8), and bases (402) while also leading in average (.362), OBP (.402), OPS (1.075), and wRC+ (214). Eun also smacked 47 home runs with 112 RBI, both career bests. This earned him his lone MVP and his third Silver Slugger. Kyoto made the playoffs again, but fell this year in the JLCS despite Eun winning the series MVP. Eun had made them a consistent contender though with the Kamikaze winning two more JL pennants in 1976 and 1977, along with the 1976 EAB title. Eun was a Silver Slugger winner again in both years, giving him five for his career. In the playoffs, he had 51 games with 58 hits, 21 runs, 13 doubles, 10 home runs, 31 RBI, a .314/.352/.568 slash, and 2.1 WAR. Eun also returned home to South Korea for the World Baseball Championship from 1972-85. In 70 games and 49 starts, he had 56 this, 28 runs, 8 doubles, 19 home runs, 38 RBI, a .295/.333/.647 slash, and 2.7 WAR. Eun signed another four-year extension before the 1978 season and continued to be a very solid player for Kyoto, although their competitive window ended. They finished the 1970s as an average team, then plummeted to the bottom of the standings by the early 1980s. Eun was still a solid contributor in this run and even busted out an impressive 8.0 WAR season in 1982 at age 36. In total with the Kamikaze, Eun had 2147 hits, 1043 runs, 406 doubles, 364 home runs, 1102 RBI, a .313/.352/.549 slash, and 85.0 WAR. Eun finally left for free agency after the 1983 season, although he remained very popular with Kyoto fans for his role in their great dynasty run. The franchise would later retire his #30 uniform. He had a very solid 1984 season with Daegu, who finished in the middle of the pack. The Diamondbacks traded Eun to Changwon for three prospects. He had a decent 1985 with the middling Crabs, but struggled in 1986 and was ultimately benched. That winter, Eun retired from the game at age 40. Eun’s final stats: 2497 hits, 1217 runs, 473 doubles, 427 home runs, 1301 RBI, a .309/.349/545 slash, 157 wRC+, and 93.5 WAR. He never dominated the leaderboards or put up massive stats, but Eun at induction had the fourth most WAR all-time in EAB at third base. He was a fan favorite and a critical player in Kyoto’s three Japan League titles in the 1970s. This earned Eun the first ballot Hall of Fame honor with 80.5% of the vote. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

01-31-2024, 11:52 AM	#931
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,602	1992 BSA Hall of Fame Pitcher Eusebio Mendoza was the lone inductee into the Beisbol Sudamerica Hall of Fame in 1992. He was a first ballot nod, but by the slimmest possible margins with 66.7%. 1B Cy Cavazos was close enough on his ninth try, but still short with 62.0%. Two others were above 50% with RF Jasper Saucedo at 56.1% on his second ballot and SP Robinson Moreira at 50.6% for his third attempt. One player was dropped after ten ballots in SP Pizarro Salinas, who had a 12-yaer career with five teams. Salinas had a 182-118 record, 2.94 ERA, 2827.2 innings, 2663 strikeouts, and 54.3 WAR. A nice career, but he lacked big stats and accolades, plus he was dinged for bouncing around in his career. Salinas debuted with 28.6% and bottomed out at 8.6%. Eusebio Mendoza – Pitcher – Brasilia Bearcats – 66.7% First Ballot Eusebio Mendoza was a 6’1’’, 205 pound right-handed pitcher from Comodoro Rivadavia, a city with around 180,000 people in southeastern Argentina. It is the most populous city in the world south of the 45th parallel. Mendoza had excellent stuff and very good control, although his movement was terrible. He had 96-98 mph peak velocity on his fastball and mixed it with a splitter, cutter, and changeup. Mendoza had an extreme flyball tendency and had troubles allowing home runs, allowing the most in the league four times. However, his stuff and control gave him a very good K/BB ratio and allowed him to succeed. Mendoza also had great stamina and durability along with a tireless work ethic. As a 16-year old, he was noticed by a scout visiting Argentina from Fortaleza. Mendoza singed in late 1967 with the Foxes and made his debut in 1971 at age 20. He made a few spot starts in his first three seasons as the team didn’t think he was quite ready for a full-time spot. Mendoza received a Copa Sudamerica ring as the Foxes won the 1972 title, although he didn’t participate in the postseason. Unfortunately for Mendoza, he wouldn’t have a single playoff start in his career. Mendoza became a full-time starter in 1974 and 1975 and was one of the best strikeout pitchers in the Southern Cone League. This also marked the start of his time with Argentina in the World Baseball Championship. From 1974-85, Mendoza had a 4.52 ERA over 71.2 innings with 108 strikeouts and 1.0 WAR. He regressed a bit in 1976 and was later split between the rotation and bullpen. In total with the Foxes, Mendoza had a 45-52 record, 3.58 ERA, 852.1 innings, 1148 strikeouts, and 13.7 WAR. Mendoza’s woes allowing home runs made Fortaleza leery of giving him a long-term deal. After the 1976 season, he was traded straight up to Brasilia for pitcher Israel Roldan. The Bearcats made him a full-time starter again and he showed some flashes. In 1978, Mendoza had a career-best 2.43 ERA with a league-best 379 strikeouts, 8.1 WAR, and 0.86 WHIP. He took second in Pitcher of the Year voting. 1979 saw him lead in strikeouts and innings, but also in home runs allowed at 57. In 1980, Mendoza made history with the 34th perfect game in Beisbol Sudamerica history. He did on April 22 with 16 strikeouts against Santiago. Five days later, Brasilia rewarded him with a three-year, $1,328,000 contract extension. That season saw a career and league best 393 strikeouts, but it would be his last great season. Mendoza spent two more seasons with the Bearcats as a full-time starter with the team stuck in the middle of the standings. Mendoza stuck around three more seasons with Brasilia, but his productivity dropped significantly and he was relegated to spot starts and long relief. In total with the Bearcats, he had a 127-99 record, 3.19 ERA, 2001 innings, 2680 strikeouts to 285 walks, and 31.6 WAR. Mendoza was liked enough by Brasilia that they would later retire his #1 uniform. He signed in 1986 with Rosario and had sporadic and unremarkable use. After going unsigned in 1987, Mendoza retired at age 36. Mendoza’s final stats: 174-158 record, 3.32 ERA, 2937.2 innings, 3910 strikeouts to 474 walks, 491 home runs allowed, 227/356 quality starts, 100 complete games, a FIP- of 93, and 45.9 WAR. As of 2037, he has the worst WAR of any starting pitcher in the BSA Hall of Fame and one of the weakest ERAs. The advanced stats are not kind to Mendoza with a career ERA+ of 101. Many modern lists cite him among the least deserving of the BSA Hall of Famers. But he had an impressive strikeout rate and came close to 4000 career Ks despite having much fewer innings than the other guys to reach that milestone. Mendoza was also well liked among his peers and the 1992 ballot had no standouts. This helped him get in on the first ballot no less, but barely at 66.7%. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

01-31-2024, 04:34 PM	#932
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,602	1992 EBF Hall of Fame Jean-Luc Roch was the only member of the 1992 Hall of Fame class for the European Baseball Federation. Few guys are more worthy of being the lone member of a class than arguably the GOAT pitcher, receiving 99.6% on the first ballot. Fellow pitcher Ugo Musacci was just short again of the 66% threshold with 62.0% for his seventh ballot. Also above 50% were 1B Isak Steffensen at 57.9% in his tenth and final try, plus SP Jose Calderon at 50.8% on his second ballot. For Steffensen, he debuted on the ballot at only 37.7%, but slowly grew to a peak of 60.3% in 1991. He was just short despite his 16 year career with all 13 seasons in EBF with Dublin and three seasons in EPB. With the Dinos, Steffensen had five Gold Gloves, 2248 hits, 975 runs, 332 doubles, 331 triples, 139 home runs, 871 RBI, 574 stolen bases, a .311/.343/.506 slash and 64.0 WAR. The lack of power numbers hurt him with some voters and another two/three years of accumulations might have gotten him across the line. But instead, the Danish righty was banished to the Hall of Very Good. Jean-Luc Roch – Starting Pitcher – Zurich Mountaineers – 99.6% First Ballot Jean-Luc Roch was a 5’8’’, 185 pound left-handed pitcher from Sallertaine, a small commune of around 3,000 people in western France. Roch went down as arguably the top pitcher in EBF history with incredible stuff despite only having a peak velocity in the 92-94 mph range. He had excellent control, above average movement, and an incredible knack for changing speeds with a legendary changeup. Roch had five pitches total, also using a fastball, curveball, cutter, and knuckle curve. He was great at holding runners and had excellent durability with good stamina and the ability to keep pitch counts low. Roch was spotted at age 15 by a scout from Zurich, who signed him to a developmental contract in January 1967. After spending four years in the academy in Switzerland, he made his debut with 29 games and 194.2 innings in 1971. He was below average as a rookie, but showed flashes of potential. Roch was a full-time starter every year after with 230+ innings in all but his final season. He got noticed with a very good sophomore season, leading the Southern Conference in strikeouts. Roch became a regular atop the strikeout lists, leading the conference 11 times in total. This was especially impressive considering he was competing with the likes of Alejandro Canas in the SC. Roch would continue to dominate, posting ten consecutive 10+ WAR seasons from 1973-82 and 12 years with 8+ WAR. He was the WARlord nine times as well. Among Roch’s other statistical successes was leading in wins six times, ERA four times, innings once, WHIP seven times, K/BB nine times, quality starts four times, and FIP- four times. This made Roch one of the most exciting players in Europe throughout the 1970s and 1980s. He was beloved in Switzerland as Zurich’s ace and was loved as a French baseball icon. Roch pitched from 1974-85 for France in the World Baseball Championship, posting a 17-8 record over 209.2 innings with a 2.88 ERA, 350 strikeouts, 39 walks, and 6.8 WAR. In 1973, Roch won Pitcher of the Year for the first time with a 1.95 ERA, 402 strikeouts, and 10.5 WAR. He’d have six seasons with an ERA below two and seven seasons with 400+ strikeouts. There have been 25 total seasons in EBF with 400Ks with Roch (7), Canas (4), and Lindsey Brampton (12) dominating the list. This also marked the start of Zurich’s historic postseason streak which ultimately saw 21 straight division titles. With Roch as the ace, the Mountaineers became an annual contender within the EBF’s Southern Conference. 14 of their 21 division titles came during Roch’s run, which included five conference titles and nine conference finals appearances. Despite their success, Zurich seemed cursed during Roch’s time in the EBF Championship, going 0-5. You couldn’t blame him for their failings though, as his postseason stats were just as excellent as his regular season stats. Over 278 playoff innings, Roch had a 20-13 record, 2.40 ERA, 395 strikeouts to only 32 walks, 56 FIP-, and 10.3 WAR. At induction, he was the all-time playoff leader in wins, strikeouts, and WAR. As of 2037, Roch still has the most Ks in EBF playoff history and is second in both WAR and wins only behind 2020s-2030s star Nejc Novak. Roch was 1983’s conference finals MVP and saw pennants in 1976, 80, 82, 83, and 84. Roch racked up an unprecedented eight Pitcher of the Year awards, winning in 1973, 75, 76, 77, 79, 81, 82, and 83. He took second in voting in 1974, third in 1978, second in 1980, and second in 84; giving him a 12 year run as either the award’s winner or a finalist. Eight remains the EBF record for the award and put him in rare company in any world league. Roch also is one of a select few in any world league with multiple Triple Crown seasons, doing it in 1975 (22-3, 1.83 ERA, 399 Ks) and then again in 1982 (24-7, 1.64 ERA, 434 Ks). In 1977, Roch set the single-season strikeout record of 443 while Canas was at 439 the same season. Canas topped it the next year at 454 with Roch hitting 445 as a best in 1980. Brampton would top them both on five times, but Roch still holds the seventh and eighth best strikeout seasons as of 2037. Roch’s 26 wins in 1977 was one short of the single-season record and his 13.1 WAR in 1980 is the eighth best single season in EBF history. He had a career best 1.64 ERA in 1982. Roch is also the only EBF pitcher as of 2037 to throw three no-hitters in his career. He was one of a select few in world history to throw two in one season. His first was August 23, 1975 against Naples with 12 strikeouts and one walk. A month later on September 27, he fanned nine with three walks against Seville. The next season on April 8, 1976, he struck out nine with no walks versus Milan, but narrowly missed the perfect game. During that stretch, Roch had a 39 game undefeated streak. In early 1974, Roch also posted a streak of 41 consecutive scoreless innings. Zurich locked him up long-term with a seven-year, $3,206,000 contract extension before the 1977 season. Roch started to climb the still relatively young EBF leaderboards into his 30s. He became the third to 250 wins and the second to 5000 strikeouts both in 1983. Shortly after, he passed Pietro Ribsi and Alejandro Canas to become the career leader in both stats. Roch seemed primed to compile unreachable stats, reaching the top spots only at age 33. Sadly, a decline came quickly despite generally being healthy. The small-framed Roch hadn’t ever relied on velocity, but it started to drop a bit in 1985. It was his worst year since his second season with under 300 strikeouts and 2.92 ERA, although he still had 6.9 WAR and was great compared to normal pitchers. That September, he suffered from forearm inflammation that kept him out of the postseason. He was officially healthy in 1986, but not remotely the same. Roch suddenly was pedestrian with a 4.26 ERA over 192.1 innings with only 128 strikeouts. His record was 10-9, which allowed him to hit one critical milestone; 300 career wins. Roch was weak enough though by this point that Zurich didn’t use him in the playoffs, going one-and-done. He had signed a five-year, $3,950,000 extension before the 1984 season and was still a beloved figure, but he seemed completely washed in 1986. Roch still wanted that elusive ring, but he saw the writing on the wall and retired at age 36. Immediately, Zurich retired his #35 uniform. Roch’s final stats: 300-127 record, 2.30 ERA, 4058.2 innings, 5757 strikeouts to only 625 walks, 397/515 quality starts, 116 complete games, 56 FIP, and 151.4 WAR. At induction, he was the all-time leader in wins, innings, strikeouts, and pitching WAR. As of 2037, Roch is still the WARlord and is second in both wins and strikeouts. Among EBF Hall of Fame starters, he has the fourth best ERA and second best winning percentage. Roch’s efficiency was marvelous, putting up accumulations that other all-time great pitchers needed 20+ years to hit. Any conversation about EBF’s greatest all-time pitcher features Roch mentioned prominently. His 99.6% first ballot induction was frankly too low, but he stands alone in the 1992 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)

02-01-2024, 04:28 AM	#933
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,602	1992 EPB Hall of Fame The 1992 Eurasian Professional Baseball Hall of Fame class saw three starting pitchers earn first ballot inductions. Ihor Polvaliy led the way with 98.4%, joined by Viktor Paidoverov at 91.2% and Murat Muradov at 77.0%. Two others were above 50% with LF Emin Ismayilov at 59.3% on his second ballot and SP Maksim Ekstrem at 57.1% on his fourth go. Dropped after ten failed ballots was 2B Ali Alasgarov, who won seven Silver Sluggers and a MVP in his 21-year career. Primarily with Minsk and Tashkent, Alasgarov debuted on the ballot at 60.5%, but never got closer and ended at 48.6%. He had 1983 hits, 1145 runs, 306 doubles, 209 triples, 359 home runs, 1108 RBI, 674 stolen bases, a .282/.346/.529 slash, and 79.2 WAR. Despite a long career, Alasgarov was plagued by injuries and had more partial seasons than full ones, keeping his accumulations low enough to sink his candidacy. Also dropped was closer Elgiz Gulyamov, who won three Reliever of the Year awards over 16 seasons with Ulaanbaatar and nine other teams. He debuted at 59.0% and got to 62.8% in his second time, but plummeted after and closed at 36.3%. Gulyamov had 376 saves and 451 shutdowns, a 2.01 ERA, 1048.2 innings, 1426 strikeouts, 231 walks, and 43.0 WAR. His numbers were comparable to other Hall of Fame relievers, but he ended up on the outside. Ihor “Fireman” Polvaliy – Starting Pitcher – Kyiv Kings – 98.4% First Ballot Ihor Polvaliy was a 6’0’’, 205 pound left-handed pitcher from Gomel, the second largest city in Belarus with around 500,000 people. It is in the southeast of the country near the Russian and Ukrainian borders. Nicknamed “Fireman” for his offseason volunteering for the local fire station, Polvaliy had excellent control with solid movement and stuff. His primary pitch was an impressive 94-96 mph cutter that he mixed with a good changeup and okay slider. Polvaliy had solid stamina and was viewed generally as durable, throwing 250+ innings in 10 seasons and 200+ in all 12 of his pro seasons. He was also considered a very intelligent pitcher and became very popular in Eastern Europe. He was a top prospect out of the college ranks ahead of the 1973 EPB Draft and was picked 19^th overall by Warsaw. Polvaliy and the Wildcats couldn’t come to terms and he returned for an additional collegiate season. Eligible again in 1974, Kyiv picked him 17^th overall. Polvaliy signed and moved to the Ukrainian capital, located about four and a half hours south of his home town in Belarus. He’d be a very popular player both in Ukraine for his time with the Kings and back in his home country. Polvaliy was a full-time starter immediately and an immediate success, leading the European League with 10.5 WAR in his debut. On May 10, he tossed a 10 strikeout, two walk no-hitter against Prague. Polvaliy won Rookie of the Month four times and Pitcher of the Month in 1975. This ultimately earned him a rare distinction of not only winning Rookie of the Year, but taking Pitcher of the Year as well. The Kings bounced back from a losing season the prior year and made it to the ELCS, falling to Moscow. Kyiv became a consistent contender during Polvaliy’s run with eight playoff appearances and five division titles over ten years. The Kings won four European League titles (1978, 79, 82, 83) and secured the Soviet Series title in 1983. In the playoffs with Kyiv, Polvaliy had a 12-8 record over 194.1 innings with a 2.45 ERA, 191 strikeouts, 21 walks, and 4.5 WAR. He also regularly pitched in the World Baseball Championship with Belarus. From 1974-86, he had a 13-5 record over 170.2 innings, 1.85 ERA, 187 strikeouts, and 6.5 WAR. Polvaliy was third in WBC Best Pitcher voting in 1980, posting a 0.32 ERA and 33 strikeouts over 28 innings. Polvaliy led the league in WAR and FIP- in each of his first three seasons. He led in K/BB five times, WHIP four straight years from 1976-79; ERA three times from 1977-79, and wins twice. Polvaliy won Pitcher of the Year four times with Kyiv (1975, 76, 78, 80) and was second in 1977, third in 79, and second in 1985. After the 1979 season, Polvaliy signed a five-year, $1,612,000 deal with the Kings. In total in a decade with Kyiv, Polvaliy had an 180-91 record, 1.86 ERA, 2722.2 innings, 2899 strikeouts to 284 walks, 63 FIP-, and 87.1 WAR. The Kings would later retire his #11 uniform and he’d remain a popular figure, but his time ended there after the 1984 as they couldn’t come to financial terms. At age 34, Polvaliy signed a four-year, $2,960,000 deal with Bucharest. This doubled his peak yearly salary from $362,000 in his best year with Kyiv to $740,000. The Broncos were the defending Soviet Series champ and in an arms race with the Kings for the South Division title. The deal seemed like a winner in the first year as Polvaliy had his typical great season and took second in Pitcher of the Year voting. Bucharest won the division over Kyiv, but went one-and-done in the playoffs. But in 1986, Polvaliy had a pronounced decline despite being healthy. His ERA swelled up to 3.76, far worse than his previous worst season of 2.22. Polvaliy was moved to the bullpen for the playoffs as Bucharest again suffered a first round exit. He decided that this wasn’t satisfactory and didn’t want to hang around if he wasn’t going to be elite, retiring that winter at age 36. He had a 2.89 ERA and 11.9 WAR in his two Broncos seasons. In total, Polvaliy had a 213-114 record, 2.02 ERA, 3214 innings, 3357 strikeouts to 353 walks, 310/379 quality starts, 160 complete games, 65 FIP-, and 99.0 WAR. Even with a relatively short career compared to most Hall of Fame pitchers, his accumulations don’t look out of place. Polvaliy had the seventh most pitching WAR among EPB inductees when he went in. He doesn’t get the attention some of his longer tenured contemporaries get, but Polvaliy was incredibly elite in his prime and a big part of Kyiv’s success. The voters certainly recognized this for a 98.4% first ballot selection as the star of the 1992 class. Viktor Paidoverov – Starting Pitcher – Almaty Assassins – 91.2% First Ballot Viktor Paidoverov was a 6’0’’, 195 pound left-handed pitcher Kirove, Ukraine. Renamed to Pivnichne in 2016, it is a small town of around 9,000 people in the eastern Donetsk Oblast. Paidoverov was a hard thrower with 98-100 peak velocity, using his powerful stuff to success while having above average movement and merely okay control. He had a four pitch arsenal of slider, forkball, splitter, and cutter. Paidoverov was durable with 15+ straight seasons with 200 innings and respectable stamina. He was good at holding runners and defense as well. Paidoverov was well liked in clubhouses as a smart, hardworking and honest player. Paidoverov was spotted as a teenage amateur by a scout from Moscow, signing with the Mules at age 16 in June 1962. He never played in the Russian capital though and many fans don’t realize he started there. After a few years in the academy, Paidoverov was traded with another prospect in late 1965 to Almaty for veteran OF Eldar Vdovichenko. Paidoverov debuted with 22 innings in 1966 at age 20 for the Assassins. He earned a full-time starting gig the next year and was viewed as an ace-level guy by 1968. Paidoverov never won Pitcher of the Year and the closest he came was a second place finish in 1970. That year, he led the Asian League in ERA with 1.67. It was really his only time as a league leader, but he stayed steady and reliable with ten seasons worth 6+ WAR, ten seasons with 300+ strikeouts, and eight seasons with an ERA at 2.25 or lower. Paidoverov also returned home to Ukraine for the World Baseball Championship from 1969-83, posting a 2.58 ERA over 132.1 innings with 153 strikeouts and 3.9 WAR. Paidoverov was a big part in Almaty establishing a dynasty run in the 1970s that saw eight straight playoff appearances from 1971-78 and four division titles. The Assassins won the Asian League pennant in a three-peat from 1971-73, then fell in the ALCS the next three years. Almaty won back-to-back Soviet Series titles in 1972 and 1973. Paidoverov was a solid playoff pitcher, posting a 2.18 ERA and 10-8 record over 177.2 playoff innings with 193 strikeouts, 40 walks, and 4.6 WAR. Paidoverov had signed a six-year contract extension worth $1,452,000 in mid 1975 and carried on with his consistent success. Almaty’s window ran out and they dropped to the bottom of the standings by 1981. That year was also the first time Paidoverov’s production had dipped significantly from solid to merely average. The Assassins decided to move on from Paidoverov as they began their rebuild, but he would later be honored with his #23 uniform’s retirement and remembered by fans in Kazhakstan as an important part in Almaty’s 1970s success. EPB had recently opened up so players could explore foreign leagues and Paidoverov interestingly enough had the attention of the Mexican League. The 36-year old signed in 1982 to a one-year, $464,000 deal with Ecatepec. Paidoverov was merely okay, then went to Puebla in 1983. He was mediocre with the Pumas, becoming a free agent again. Paidoverov signed with Hermosillo and spent 1984 there as a part-time starter with again uninspiring stats. His final stop in Mexico came in 1985 with Merida, which would be his best statistical season in CABA although over a small sample size. His season ended in July with radial nerve compression. For his CABA career, he had a 23-42 record, 3.52 ERA, 556.2 innings, 378 strikeouts, and 4.3 WAR. Paidoverov wasn’t ready to reitre yet and went back to EPB, signing with Chelyabinsk. He posted 22.2 forgettable innings in relief with the Cadets and retired that winter at age 41. Paidoverov’s final stats in EPB (and almost exclusively with Almaty) was a 241-143 record, 2.32 ERA, 3816.2 innings, 4379 strikeouts, 835 walks, 367/475 quality starts, 140 complete games, 77 FIP-, and 91.7 WAR. At induction, he had the sixth most wins and strikeouts of any EPB Hall of Famer. Paidoverov’s stats wouldn’t be at the top of any leaderboards and he wasn’t typically a league leader, but he was very good for a long while and an indispensible part of Almaty’s 1970s dynasty. The voters were easily solid on his resume and gave him the first ballot selection with 91.2%. Murat Muradov – Starting Pitcher – Bishkek Black Sox – 77.0% First Ballot Murat Muradov was a 5’11’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from Turkmenabat, the second largest city in Turkmenistan with around 524,000 people in the country’s northeast. He was the second Turkmen EPB Hall of Famer along with 1979 inductee Anmam Charyyew. Muradov wasn’t outstanding at anything, but was considered above average to good in terms of stuff, movement, and control. His fastball peaked in the 96-98 mph range and was mixed with a solid splitter and changeup, along with an okay slider. He did have excellent stamina, leading the league in complete games thrice and innings pitched twice. Muradov was sometimes viewed as being a bit lazy, but he still put up a strong career regardless. Muradov was one of the most impressive Central Asian prospects ahead of 1973’s EPB Draft. He ended up going east to Kyrgyzstan, picked seventh overall by Bishkek. The Black Sox used him primarily in the bullpen with some starts as a rookie, seeing mixed results. He was a full-time starter in year two and for the remainder of his 13 year career. The highlight of his Bishkek tenure came with the Pitcher of the Year award in 1978. That season, he led the Asian League with 1.70 ERA and posted 7.7 WAR. Muradov wasn’t an award finalist in the rest of his Black Sox run, but did four seasons with 300+ strikeouts and three seasons worth 6+ WAR. He also made World Baseball Championship appearances in 1977-78 with Turkmenistan, who generally didn’t have the roster to qualify for the event. Bishkek had been a mid-tier team in most of Muradov’s tenure, but they snapped an 11-year playoff drought with a wild card in 1980. The Black Sox went on a surprise run to the Asian League title, falling in the Soviet Series to Kharkiv. Muradov had an excellent postseason with a 1.41 ERA over five starts, a 3-2 record, 44.2 innings, 43 strikeouts, and 0.9 WAR. This would ultimately be his only postseason starts in his career. Muradov had one more season with Bishkek in 1981, which missed the playoffs. They would become a regular contender throughout the 1980s, but Muradov decided to enter free agency at age 31. With the Black Sox, he had a 128-116 record, 2.57 ERA, 2156.2 innings, 2235 strikeouts, and 41.9 WAR. Bishkek would opt to retire his #18 uniform later on, largely due to his part in the 1980 AL pennant season. Muradov signed a five-year, $2,900,000 deal with Irkutsk. The Ice Cats were terrible for much of his tenure, but he got well paid with his $580,000 annual salary looking much fatter than his $326,000 peak with Bishkek. Muradov pitched well for them, posting 8.2 WAR in both 1983 and 1984 and taking third in 1983 Pitcher of the Year voting. 1984 was one of his finer years, although his 10-21 record doesn’t reflect it. Against his former squad Bishkek on July 14, Muradov tossed a no-hitter with 12 strikeouts and no walks, only missing the perfect game because of a fielding error. He only pitched three seasons in Irkutsk, posting a 46-46 record, 2.36 ERA, 873.1 innings, 957 strikeouts, and 21.9 WAR. The struggling Ice Cats held a fire sale after the 1984 season and traded Muradov to Ulaanbaatar for two prospects. The Boars had gotten to the ALCS in 1984 and hoped Muradov could get them across the line, but they were just above .500 and missed the playoffs in his two years. He had a respectable 1985, but saw a career-worst 3.38 ERA in 1986. Muradov’s original Irkutsk contract was ending and he decided to retire with it at age 36. He posted a 3.16 ERA, 21-28 record, 487 innings, 474 strikeouts, and 8.1 WAR with Ulaanbaatar. For his full career, Muradov had a 195-190 record, 2.60 ERA, 3517 innings, 3666 strikeouts, 621 walks, 286/408 quality starts, 258 complete games, 84 FIP-, and 71.9 WAR. He was definitely the weakest of the three pitchers in the 1992 HOF class and was on the lower end of inductees, but his numbers didn’t look out of place by any means. The voters who cared about win-loss record held some sympathy, knowing he would’ve been a 200+ win guy easily on better teams. The EPB voters love pitchers and Muradov did enough to round out the 1992 class with a 77.0% first ballot selection. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

02-01-2024, 12:45 PM	#934
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,602	1992 OBA Hall of Fame For the second time in three years, the Oceania Baseball Association didn’t elect any Hall of Famers. The top mark in the 1992 ballot was CF Kyle Jett at 53.7% on his third attempt. The only other player above 50% was the top debutant at 53.0% in RF Dede Hayati. One player was dropped after ten ballots in American closer Parker Ryder. After a decade as a middling reliever in MLB, the Colorado native came to OBA at age 32 and had eight solid years between four times. He won two rings and two Reliever of the Year awards with Adelaide, putting up an OBA line of 204 saves, 1.93 ERA, 544.1 innings, 739 strikeouts, and 17.2 WAR. The longevity wasn’t there and his MLB mediocrity didn’t help him. Ryder debuted at 20.3% and stuck around despite being single-digits most of the time, finishing at 7.8%. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

02-01-2024, 05:48 PM	#935
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,602	1992 APB Hall of Fame Pitcher Sahid Fakhruddin was a nearly unanimous Hall of Fame selection in 1992 for Austronesia Professional Baseball, getting 99.3%. He would be the only inductee, although four others landed between 57-59%; SP Ary Mustofa (fourth ballot), SP Kai Diaz (seventh), SP Lifki Santoso (first), and 1B Po-Yu Shao (fifth). One player was dropped after ten ballots in pitcher Dwi Aditya To. He had a solid debut with Taichung, helping them win the 1965 APB title and taking Association Finals MVP in 1966. He never won any other major awards and bounced around for the rest of his run with a 2.50 ERA, 175-169 record, 3133 innings, 2920 strikeouts, 583 walks, 107 ERA+, and 53.5 WAR. To was viewed as being solidly above average, debuting at 21.6% and finishing up at 5.0%. Sahid Fakhruddin – Starting Pitcher – Semarang Sliders – 99.3% First Ballot Sahid Fakhruddin was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Depok, Indonesia; a city of more than two million located just south of Jakarta. Fakhruddin had very good stuff with respectable control, although his movement was subpar. His fastball was in the 96-98 mph range and he was excellent and fooling you when he switched to either his changeup or curveball. Fakhruddin had excellent stamina, leading in complete games four times and innings pitched once. He was an ironman who missed only eight days in his entire career, both because of brief illness. Scouts throughout Indonesia were impressed with a young Fakhruddin as a teenager. In late 1967, it was Batam who signed him to a developmental contract. He spent three years in the Blue Raiders academy, but never played a game for Batam. In November 1970, he was traded with two other prospects to Semarang in exchange for veteran RF Geng Wu. Fakhruddin debuted with 213.2 innings in 1971 with mixed results, but good enough success to earn Rookie of the Year honors. Fakhruddin had a very good second season with the Sliders, leading the Sundaland Association in strikeouts. His lone career no-hitter was in his sophomore season with a 13 strikeout, one walk game on August 29 against Bandung. 1972 even saw a 44 inning scoreless stream from mid July to mid August. He then emerged as an elite ace in year three with a TPA best 1.41 ERA, 424 strikeouts, and 12.2 WAR. This was the first of five straight Pitcher of the Year awards for Fakhruddin. He led in WAR four times in the stretch with each year above 9+. He would lead in strikeouts nine straight years while also leading in wins thrice, ERA twice, WHIP four times, complete games three times, and shutouts seven times. As far as pitchers go, Fakhruddin was also a good batter. He won Silver Sluggers in 1972, 73, and 75. For his batting career, he had 3.5 WAR with a .198/.215/.237 slash, 162 hits, 49 runs, 4 home runs, and 52 RBI; good by pitcher standards in a very low scoring league. Fakhruddin was also a regular for Indonesia in the World Baseball Championship from 1974-85. He struggled though in 143.1 WBC innings with a lackluster 5.71 ERA, 2-14 record, 223 strikeouts, and -0.1 WAR. It was a far cry from the dominance he had with Semarang. In 1975, Fakhruddin became the second APB pitcher with a Triple Crown season on a 23-5 record, 388 strikeouts, and 1.06 ERA. That ERA was a career best and the single-season record at the time. As of 2037, it is the 10^th lowest single-season ERA in APB. 1975 also saw Semarang earn its first-ever playoff berth and eventually the APB title as well. Fakhruddin had a 2.50 ERA over 18 playoff innings with 23 strikeouts. Fakhruddin was third in Pitcher of the Year voting in both 1978 and 1979, then won for the sixth and final time in 1980. As of 2037, he’s one of only five pitchers in APB history to win the award six or more times. After missing the field in the four years after their 1975 title, Semarang took the 1980 Sundaland Association pennant. They lost in the APB Championship to Cebu, but Fakhruddin had an excellent postseason with a 0.72 ERA over 25 innings with 41 strikeouts. That would be his final season in Austronesia Professional Baseball. With Semarang, he had a 172-111 record, 1.84 ERA, 2713 innings, 3755 strikeouts, 470 walks, 269/316 quality starts, 66 FIP-, and 78.7 WAR. It was a remarkable decade, although leaving did keep him from the top of the later leaderboards. Semarang retired his #15 uniform and that dominance couldn’t be ignored as APB’s Hall of Fame inducted him as a slam dunk at 99.3%. But ultimately, this was only the front half of his career. Fakhruddin received MLB attention, but some teams were still weary based on his poor WBC stats. Some were afraid he was merely beating up weaker APB competition, while some didn’t want to risk spending big only for a big injury to ruin him like with Kun-Sheng Lin. His durability to that point was a major plus and Los Angeles took a chance on the 31-year old with a six-year, $5,020,000 deal. Fakhruddin was never elite in MLB, although he did reliably eat innings. He put up average results for a then bottom-tier Angel team in his first two years in LA. Fakhruddin was lousy in 1983, but rebounded to middling stats in 1984. In total with the Angels, he had a 4.33 ERA, 57-60 record, 1046 innings, 824 strikeouts, and 9.6 WAR. His big contract was an albatross for the Angels, who decided to straight up release him after his first five starts of 1985. St. Louis signed him and he posted a very respectable 4.0 WAR, giving some value entering free agency again at age 36. Fakhruddin signed a three-year, $4,060,000 deal with Vancouver. He spent two years with the Volcanoes and was a respectable veteran presence with a 3.75 ERA, 29-34 record, 554 innings, 430 strikeouts, and 8.2 WAR. His 4.9 WAR and 3.59 ERA in 1986 was by far the best he had looked since leaving Indonesia. Vancouver decided to trade him in December 1987 to Kansas City for outfield prospects Jase Edgar and Fraser Gilliam. Fakhruddin never played for the Cougars, who cut him at the end of 1988 spring training. Brooklyn would sign him where he again ate innings at the back up of the rotation. He would see his lone MLB playoff start with the Dodgers, allowing only two runs over eight innings. His final stop would be Oklahoma City on a three-year, $4,980,000 deal, He actually led the American Association in 1989 in complete games with 23. Fakhruddin had a respectable 1989, but he struggled in 1990 with a 5.13 ERA and 7-27 record. The 27 losses tied the MLB single-season record for the most in a season. Fakhruddin had one more year on the contract in OKC, but the Outlaws cut him after spring training 1991. After going unsigned that year, he retired from professional baseball at age 42. Fakhruddin’s MLB stats saw a 136-153 record, 4.13 ERA, 2635.1 innings, 1948 strikeouts, 798 walks, an ERA+ of 94, FIP- of 106, and 27.3 WAR. That was a respectable journeyman career, albeit far from MLB’s HOF. For his entire pro run, he had a 308-264 record, 2.97 ERA, 5348.1 innings, 5703 strikeouts, 1268 walks, 297 complete games, and 106.1 WAR. Not many guys can say they had 300+ professional wins, 5000+ innings, 5000+ strikeouts, and 100+ WAR. Fakhruddin’s spot in the APB Hall of Fame and as one of the top Indonesian pitchers ever is certainly undisputed. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

02-02-2024, 04:26 AM	#936
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,602	1992 CLB Hall of Fame Chinese League Baseball had two players receive first ballot Hall of Fame inductions with the 1992 ballot. Pitcher Peng Huang led the way with 96.1% and was joined by a solid 87.3% for OF Hao Lan. Lan became the first position player inducted to CLB’s HOF after a bunch of pitchers made the cut before him. Two other position players fell just short of the 66% requirement. RF Xinze Yan had 63.1% on his third ballot and 1B Shenchao An got 62.7% on his fourth go. No players were dropped after ten failed ballots. Peng Huang – Starting Pitcher – Changsha Cannons – 96.1% First Ballot Peng Huang was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China’s far northwest with around four million people. Huang was known for having great control with strong movement and above average stuff. His velocity peaked in the 96-98 mph range with a three pitch arsenal of fastball, slider, and changeup. Huang had great stamina and durability, leading four times in complete games and twice in innings. He tossed 240+ innings in all but his first two seasons. Huang was a great leader and hard worker, earning the respect of his peers. His talent and leadership was very evident coming up through the amateur ranks. In the 1972 CLB Draft, Changsha picked him with the #2 overall pick. Huang’s entire pro career came with the Cannons, although it took time to catch on. He was split between the rotation and bullpen as a rookie, then was used almost exclusively as a reliever in his second season. Year three is when Huang finally broke out as a full-time starter and a good one, leading that year in wins and quality starts. Huang was second in Pitcher of the Year voting in both 1977 and 1978 and won the award in 1980. He had a league and career best 11.1 WAR season in 1978 and posted four seasons worth 8+ WAR. In 1976, he tossed a no-hitter with 14 strikeouts and one walk against Hong Kong on May 2. Huang also pitched from 1976-81 and in 1984 for China in the World Baseball Championship. He had a 12-1 record over 123 WBC innings with a 2.56 ERA, 153 strikeouts, 29 walks, and 2.8 WAR. Huang also earned a world title ring with China in 1979. Despite Huang’s efforts, Changsha was generally one of CLB’s weaker teams for its first two decades. The Cannons would break through in 1977 with a second place finish in the Southern League. They upset Xi’an in the semifinal to earn a China Series berth, where they were defeated by Kunming. This was Huang’s only postseason and he had iffy results with a 3.41 ERA (79 ERA+) over 31.2 innings with a 0-3 record and 37 strikeouts. Still, his career-best 1.47 ERA in the regular season was a big reason they got there to begin with. Huang signed a six-year contract extension worth $2,412,000 midway through the 1981 season. He wasn’t an awards finalist or league leader in his 30s, but Huang was consistently and reliably solid. The highlight of this run came on April 21, 1982. On that day, Huang tossed CLB’s 13^th perfect game, striking out 11 against Wuhan. He carried through the 1986 season with his last year seeing a noticeable drop in strikeouts and WAR. Huang considered staying to chase the 200 win milestone, but he opted to retire at age 36. Huang’s final stats: 194-151 record, 2.10 ERA, 3398 innings, 3231 strikeouts to 572 walks, 323/403 quality starts, 171 complete games, 73 FIP- and 87.1 WAR. He was a leader and consistent contributor for a long time for Changsha, who retired his #24 uniform. At induction, he was sixth in pitching WAR and is still ninth all-time as of 2037, almost quietly putting up an excellent career. The voters certainly noticed Huang though, giving him a first ballot induction at 96.1%. Hao Lan – Outfielder – Dalian Gold Dragons – 87.3% First Ballot Hao Lan was a 6’3’’, 190 pound left-handed hitting outfielder from Neijiang, a city with around three million people in the southwestern Sichuan province. In his prime, Lan was a great all-around hitter with solid contact, great home run and gap power, and a solid eye. He had excellent pop in his bat, averaging around 30-35 home runs and around 30-35 doubles/triples per season. Lan was also very fast and an intelligent baserunner. His one weakness as a batter was a high strikeout rate, but he still made his plate appearances count far better than most. Lan was an outfielder who made about 2/3 of his starts in left with about 1/4 in center field and the rest in right. He was viewed as an above average defender in the corners and below average in center. Lan’s talent was very evident as an amateur and he was picked third overall by Dalian in the 1971 CLB Draft. He was put into the lineup as a starter immediately and showed he belonged, although he’d miss two months to a strained abdominal muscle as a rookie. Despite that, Lan still was second in Rookie of the Year voting. He’d be healthy and a full-timer for the remaining six years with the Gold Dragons. By his third season, Lan was established as the top hitter in China. He was the Northern League MVP in 1972 and led the league in runs, home runs, RBI, total bases, slugging, OPS, wRC+, and WAR. The next year, he won MVP again and led in all of those same stats minus RBI. With Dalian, Lan had Silver Sluggers in 1974, 75, and 78 with the first in center and the others in left. He took third in 1976 MVP voting and second in 1978. Lan was also a regular in the World Baseball Championship for China from 1975-86, playing 152 games with 114 hits, 87 runs, 17 doubles, 34 home runs, 75 RBI, and 4.4 WAR. Lan’s MVP bat helped Dalian finish first in the Northern League standings in 1974 and 1975. In 1975, the Gold Dragons were CLB champions and Lan was China Series MVP. In 17 playoff starts with Dalian, he had 24 hits, 9 runs, 2 doubles, 2 home runs, 11 RBI, 11 stolen bases, and 1.3 WAR. In total with the Gold Dragons, Lan had 1078 hits, 618 runs, 180 doubles, 236 home runs, 572 RBI, 384 stolen bases, a .279/.344/.550 slash, 187 wRC+, and 61.4 WAR. By the end of the 1970s, Dalian had fallen towards the bottom of the standings and wasn’t expecting to be able to re-sign Lan with free agency pending soon. Before the 1979 season, he was traded to Hong Kong for prospects. One of those was pitcher Baoxian He, who went onto have a 14-year Hall of Fame run with Dalian. HK had been the league runner-up in 1978 and hoped Lan could make the Champions the champs. They actually won more games in 1979, but fell short of the playoffs in a top-heavy Southern League. Lan certainly held up his end by winning a third MVP and fourth Silver Slugger. He won his lone batting title and led the league in the triple slash, WAR, hits, runs, home runs, and wRC+. His 115 runs scored was a single season record, although it would get beat the next year. Still, that and his 114 in 1974 were the second and third most in a CLB season until the 2010s. Lan was a huge commodity in free agency at age 30 and signed a six-year, $2,628,000 with Jinan. The Jumbos were a bottom tier team in his tenure and never made the playoffs, but Lan was still great. He took third in 1980 MVP voting and won five Silver Sluggers from 1980-84, giving him nine for his career. Lan led in stolen bases in 1981 with 70, but this would be his only time as a league leader. Still, he posted five straight seasons of 7+ WAR and crossed 100 career WAR. In his final season with Jinan in 1985, Lan suffered a broken kneecap in late April that knocked him out almost the entire season. In total with the Jumbos, Lan had 709 hits, 386 runs, 105 doubles, 160 home runs, 390 RBI, a .256/.317/.503 slash, 177 wRC+, and 41.3 WAR. His contract expired and his future was uncertain as a 36-year old coming off a major injury. Still, his success drew attention from suitors across the globe and Lan decided to end his run in China. MLB’s Seattle Grizzlies was the big buyer, signing Lan to a three-year, $3,960,000 deal. He started all of 1986 and was a respectable starter, but not an award winner. Injuries cost him a bit of 1987 and his production were merely average. Lan failed to meet the vesting criteria in his deal and became a free agent at age 38. He remained in MLB and signed a one-year, $1,660,000 deal with Virginia Beach. Here, Lan became an interesting part of MLB lore. The Vikings were only in their seventh season, but the expansion squad had a Cinderella wild card run to the 1988 World Series title. Lan was a starter with below average hitting in the regular season, but he stepped up in the playoffs with 19 hits, 12 runs, 4 doubles, and 8 RBI in the postseason. Lan was named World Series MVP, holding the incredibly unique distinction of winning finals MVP in two different leagues. In total in MLB, he had 6.4 WAR, 346 hits, 216 runs, 62 home runs, 181 RBI, and a .238/.319/.436. That would be the end of his MLB career, although Lan wasn’t done yet. He ended up signing a three-year, $2,440,000 to go to Eurasian Professional Baseball and the Almaty Assassins. He struggled in his two years in Kazakhstan and was eventually relegated to the bench, posting -0.5 WAR for the run. Lan was released after the 1990 season and hoped to catch on somewhere in 1991. After going unsigned, he retired at age 42. For his entire pro career, Lan had 2386 hits, 1375 runs, 373 doubles, 171 triples, 518 home runs, 1276 RBI, 772 stolen bases, a .262/.332/.515 slash, 170 wRC+, and 120.8 WAR. For his China run specifically, Lan had 1971 hits, 1119 runs, 307 doubles, 147 triples, 437 home runs, 1056 RBI, 721 stolen bases, a .273/.338/.538 slash, 185 wRC+, and 114.9 WAR. Those accumulations are impressive in CLB’s very low offense environment. At induction, Lan was CLB’s home run leader as well as third in runs, 12^th in hits, fourth in RBI, ninth in stolen bases, and third in hitting WAR. As of 2037, he’s still seventh in WAR and eighth in runs. Although 437 homers is low compared to other leagues, Lan stayed CLB’s leader until the early 2000s and sits 11^th as of 2037. He was a fitting choice to be the first position player inducted into the CLB Hall of Fame, even if his 87.3% seems a bit lower than the stats might suggest. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

02-02-2024, 12:58 PM	#937
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,602	1992 WAB Hall of Fame 2B/SS Alberto Bissau was the lone inductee into the West African Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992, earning a first ballot induction with 89.3%. SS Joseph Ambane very nearly joined him on his third ballot, but fell just short of the 66% requirement with 63.8%. Closer Johnson Madu was also above 50%, receiving 52.0% on his third ballot. No players were dropped after ten ballots. Alberto Bissau – Second Base/Shortstop – Benin City Blue Devils – 89.3% First Ballot Alberto Bissau was a 5’11’’, 200 pound switch hitting middle infielder. He shared a surname with his hometown of Bissau, the capital city of Guinea-Bissau with around 500,000 people. Bissau was an excellent contact hitter that led the league in hits seven times in his career. He was the master at finding the gap, leading in doubles seven times and averaging nearly 50 doubles per season. Bissau didn’t smack many bombs, but did add around 10-15 home runs and a couple triples per year. He didn’t walk all that often with a slightly above average strikeout rate. Bissau was a very smart base stealer with excellent speed, boasting an impressive 83.6% success rate in his career at stealing. Defensively, he made about 2/3 of his starts at second base with around ¼ at shortstop and the rest at third base. Bissau graded out as just below average at second and was actively bad at short. He viewed as an ironman by many, playing in 140+ games in 12 straight seasons. Bissau was a very popular player with fans, but he wasn’t the most popular in the clubhouse with some teammates calling him greedy and disloyal. When West Africa Baseball officially formed for the 1975 season, Bissau was already 26 years old and established in the semi-pro ranks in the region. He came to Nigeria and Benin City on a two-year, $302,000 deal. Bissau’s entire WAB run came with the Blue Devils, who eventually inked him to a seven-year, $2,094,000 contract extension just before the 1977 season. He delivered instantly, leading in 1975 in hits, doubles, and WAR. He earned his lone Gold Glove this year at second base and took second in MVP voting. 1976 was Bissau’s first MVP and Silver Slugger, leading the league in runs (121) hits (229), average (.357), wRC+ (189), and WAR (11.2). The 229 hits was a single season record in WAB for nearly two decades. Bissau won additional Silver Sluggers in 1980 and 1982. He was MVP again in 1980 and hit 60 doubles, which stayed the single-season record for almost 20 years as well. Bissau was second in MVP voting in 1982. In 1980, he also earned All-Star Game MVP honors. Benin City was a regular contender during Bissau’s time with five playoff appearances, although they were never able to claim the Western League title. In 18 playoff games, Bissau had 23 hits, 8 runs, 4 doubles, 3 RBI, and a .299/.333/.351 slash. In the regular season, he led in hits seven times and had 200+ hits six times. Bissau had eight seasons with 50+ doubles and hit above .300 in all but his last year with the Blue Devils. Bissau’s last year with Benin City saw a noticeable drop in production with only a .275 average and 3.6 WAR. He had posted 5+ WAR in all of his prior seasons. The team decided to not re-sign him, but the Blue Devils would later retire his #5 uniform; the first number retired by the franchise. At age 36, Bissau decided to make a surprising move to EPB and Romania. The defending Soviet Series champion Bucharest signed him to a three-year, $2,090,000 deal, ending his African baseball career. Bissau had a nice bounce back in 1985 with the Broncos, winning a Silver Slugger. Bucharest won the division at 110-52, but ended up one-and-done in the playoffs. He had a good 1986 as well, but the Broncos again were ousted in the first round. Injuries and iffy production cost him part of 1987. In total with Bucharest, Bissau had 442 hits, 190 runs, 79 doubles, 93 stolen bases, a .292/.329/.416 slash, and 14.2 WAR. At age 39, Bissau still had numerous suitors and signed a hefty three-year, $4,480,000 deal with MLB’s Seattle Grizzlies. Although his overall value in 1988 wasn’t great, Bissau still managed to lead the American Association in doubles despite only playing 129 games. He lost the gap power noticeably the next year and was relegated to a bench role in his final season. With Seattle, Bissau had 269 hits, 120 runs, 70 doubles, a .270/.307/.399 slash and 1.1 WAR. He went unsigned in 1991 and retired that winter at age 43. For his full career, Bissau had 2695 hits, 1291 runs, 665 doubles, 1001 RBI, 718 stolen bases, a .308/.343/.459 slash and 88.4 WAR. Specifically with Benin City and in WAB, he had 1984 hits, 981 runs, 516 doubles, 126 home runs, 719 RBI, 615 stolen bases, a .318/.351/.479 slash, 139 wRC+, and 73.1 WAR. Bissau was the all-time doubles leader at induction and held that title until the early 2000s, although he’d get passed by many players as WAB’s offensive environment exploded in the 21^st Century. His accumulations seem low in comparison to modern players in the high octane WAB of the future, but Bissau still put up very impressive stats despite officially starting at age 26 and only spending ten years in WAB. His resume was plenty impressive for the Hall of Fame voters to put him in on the first ballot at 89.3% as the lone 1992 inductee. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

02-02-2024, 06:01 PM	#938
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,602	1992 SAB Hall of Fame South Asia Baseball had officially begun Hall of Fame voting in 1989, but the highest mark anyone got on the first three ballots was Louis Gungbissoon’s 13.6% in 1990. 1992 saw the first real contenders debut on the ballot and pitcher Sankar Sundaram earned 72.1%, becoming SAB’s first-ever Hall of Famer. 1B Yamin Thaw also had a nice showing at 57.7%, but was shy of the 66% threshold. Closer Jason Mayekar and SP Vannak Thai both debuted around 44%. Sankar “Punchy” Sundaram – Pitcher – Pune Purple Knights – 72.1% First Ballot Sankar Sundaram was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Chanigarh, a city of around a million people that is the shared capital of the Indian states of Punjab and Haryana. Sundaram had excellent stuff with respectable movement and decent control. His velocity peaked at 95-97 mph on his splitter and sinker and he mixed them with a strong curveball and knuckle curve, plus a rarely used changeup. Sundaram was a great defensive pitcher, winning Gold Gloves in 1984 and 1985. He was a great leader and team captain, becoming one of the most respected players in Indian baseball. Sundaram was already a multi-year veteran of India’s semi-pro circuits when South Asia Baseball was officially established beginning with the 1980 season. The 27-year old signed a seven-year, $1,934,000 deal with Pune, which made up the entirety of his “official” pro career. Sundaram led the Indian League in ERA in 1980 at 1.73, but a fractured cheekbone cost him six weeks of the season. He led in strikeouts in 1981, 82, and 84. Sundaram led in WHIP from 1980-83 and was twice the league’s pitching WARlord. Because of this success, Sundaram won four consecutive Pitcher of the Year awards from 1981-84. He also took third in 1985. As their ace, Pune was a consistent contender with six straight playoff berths to start their existence. The Purple Knights won the Indian League title in 1981, 83, and 84. In the latter two years, they also were South Asian Champion. Sundaram was 1984 ILCS MVP and was a stud in the postseason. He had a 9-2 record over 118.1 innings with a 1.75 ERA, 176 strikeouts, 26 walks, and 4.7 WAR. Sundaram was also a popular player nationally, as he pitched for India in the World Baseball Championship from 1980-86. He had a 3.76 WBC ERA over 93.1 innings with 128 strikeouts, 33 walks, and 1.8 WAR. Sundaram’s numbesr dropped a little bit in his final season, but at 6.0 WAR, he was still an elite pitcher. His contact expired and he couldn’t come to terms with any teams in 1987. Still in great health, Sundaram decided to retire early at age 35. For his seven year Pune run, Sundaram had a 97-51 record and 39 saves, a 3.47 ERA, 1476 innings, 2139 strikeouts, 136/207 quality starts, FIP- of 57, and 51.1 WAR. He presented a very interesting case for the voters with such a small sample size, albeit an impressive one. Supporters noted that his accumulations would’ve been more impressive if his “official” start didn’t begin at age 27, although he was credited for service time from his semi-pro days and thus eligible for the vote. Sundaram’s early retirement also was pointed out by both supporters and detractors when considering his candidacy. Winning three pennants and dominating in the playoffs with Pune went a long way, as he still has the fourth most pitching WAR in the postseason as of 2037. That, plus four Pitcher of the Year awards, gave Sundaram the support he needed to become SAB’s first Hall of Famer. He only received 72.1%, but that was enough for enshrinement. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

02-03-2024, 03:49 AM	#939
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,602	1992 World Baseball Championship The 1992 World Baseball Championship was the 46^th edition of the event and was hosted for the first time in Singapore. In Division 1, Taiwan went undefeated at 9-0 with the closest competition being 7-2 Switzerland. This was the third division title for the Taiwanese, who were the 1980 runner-up and took third in 1986. In D2, the United States advanced for the 39^th time. At 8-1, the Americans beat out 7-2 Colombia and 6-3 Pakistan. China crushed the Division 3 competition at 9-0. This gave the Chinese back-to-back division titles and their 15^th overall. France won Division 4 at 7-2, beating Ecuador by one game and four nations by two. It was back-to-back division wins for the French, who now have advanced eight times. Division 5 had a three-way tie for the top spot at 6-3 between Cuba, India, and Russia, while both Bolivia and North Korea were 5-4. The tiebreaker went to the Indians for their first-ever division title. Defending world champ Canada dominated D6 at 9-0, while last year’s runner-up Germany was a distant second at 6-3. The Canadians have moved forward 28 times now. Mexico was 5-4, extending a surprisingly long division title drought for them to seven years. Division 7 was a mess as Brazil, Spain, and the Netherlands were each 6-3, while Algeria and South Korea were 5-4. The tiebreaker went to the Brazilians, moving them forward for the 26^th time. This extends their impressive run to six straight division titles. Only the US and Canada have advanced as often as Brazil in the history of the WBC. Lastly, Panama picked up Division 8 at 8-1, topping 6-3 efforts by Indonesia, Ireland, and Nigeria. It is only the second-ever division title for the Panamanians with the other all the way back in 1965. In Round Robin Group A, the United States cruised to a 6-0 mark for their 34^th final four. China and India tied at 3-3, while Panama was 0-6. The tiebreaker went to the Chinese for their 10^th semifinal berth. In Group B, defending champ Canada had the top mark at 5-1 for their 22^nd semifinal appearance. Taiwan narrowly took second at 3-3, while both France and Brazil were 2-4. The Taiwanese earned a third semifinal appearance. Brazil’s impressive streak of final fours ended at five. In the semifinal round, the United States swept Taiwan 3-0 and Canada topped China 3-1. The Chinese were officially third for the third time. This set up the two traditional powers in the finals yet again with the Americans making their 30^th appearance and the Canadians their 14^th. This also gave Canada its third finals appearance in four years. It was the sixth time they had faced off for the world title, although it was the first time since 1972. The US had led the all-time series 5-1 with Canada’s only win coming with a 3-0 rally in 1954. The Americans finished on top yet again and denied Canada their world title repeat. The US won the series 4-2, moving to 27-3 all-time in the championship while the Canadians fell to 5-9. The Americans had missed the finals in the prior three years, tying the longest gap between finals appearances for the US (1978-80). Quinn Iosifian became the fourth player to win Tournament MVP multiple times, having also taken it in 1988. The 29-year old Los Angeles RF made 24 starts with 28 hits, 25 runs, 13 home runs, 27 RBI, 11 walks, and 1.9 WAR. Best Pitcher was given to Belarusian Yakov Fomin, who had joined MLB’s Milwaukee in 1991. The 32-year old had 12 scoreless innings with four hits and four walks allowed and 19 strikeouts. Other notes: Canada’s Jeremiah Farnworth had five triples to set a single-season record. After seeing zero no-hitters in the 1990 or 1991 WBCs, 1992 tied a single-tournament most with five. This included the fourth WBC perfect game from Ukraine’s Petro Mihalko, who struck out nine against Fiji. This also included a 21 strikeout, three walk no-hitter by Canada’s Christopher Fournier against France. This was the third most Ks in a WBC no-no, as two pitchers had fanned 22. Looking at the updated all-time scoring, China’s third place finish moved them into a tie with South Korea for the fifth most all-time points. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

02-03-2024, 10:33 AM	#940
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,602	1992 in ALB In the third season for Arab League Baseball, the best record in the Western Conference went to Cairo at 99-63. The Pharaohs won the Nile Division for the third straight year, this time needing to fend off a strong 93-65 Alexandria squad. Jerusalem was Levant Division champ for the third successive year. The Jets were 92-70, beating Damascus by eight games. Defending ALB champ Tripoli fell to 77-85, allowing Casablanca to reclaim the Mediterranean Division. The Bruins took the title at 85-77 for their second berth in three years. Taking Western Conference MVP was Cairo DH Niral Sharett. The 27-year old Israeli lefty led in walks (100), OPS (.932), and wRC+ (176). He had a .293/.406/.525 slash with 4.6 WAR and 23 home runs. Casablanca’s Mohamed Abdelhafeed was the Pitcher of the Year. The 29-year old righty from Morocco led in wins at 22-7 and won the ERA title at 2.03. Abdelhafeed added 233 strikeouts and 7.0 WAR over 244.1 innings. Jerusalem had home field advantage for the first round playoff matchup, but Casablanca upset them 2-1. This set up a rematch of the 1990 Western Conference final between the Bruins and Cairo, which saw the Pharaohs win in a five game thriller with the finale going extras. The 1992 edition was eerily similar, also going five games and also seeing Cairo win over Casablanca. The Pharaohs again won game five in extras, this time taking it on a walkoff 4-3 in 11 innings. In the Eastern Conference, the Iraq Division was intense with arguably the best three teams in the conference fighting for one spot. Two-time defending EC champ Sulaymaniya prevailed again, although their 96-66 was only one better than Baghdad and five ahead of Basra. The Saudi Division was also competitive, but Medina claimed a third consecutive title. The Mastodons were 91-71, edging Jeddah by two games. Although they missed the playoffs, the Jackals’ 1082 hits allowed as a pitching staff is still the EC’s all-time best mark as of 2037. The Gulf Division was weak with 81-81 Dubai winning the crown for back-to-back seasons. The Diamonds were three ahead of their in-country rival Abu Dhabi. Medina 1B Bilal Hamdan won the Eastern Conference MVP. The 31-year old Lebanese slugger led in home runs (52), RBI (109), total bases (.641), OPS (1.017), wRC+ (200), and WAR (9.4). Pitcher of the Year went to Basra’s Abdullah Al-Muhafazat. The 31-year old Saudi lefty was nine ERA points short of a Triple Crown, posting a 21-11 record, 2.06 ERA, and 386 strikeouts. He also led in WAR (10.0), innings (279.2), quality starts (29), and shutouts (6). Also of note was Sulaymaniya’s Paul Arfaouri, who won his third straight Reliever of the Year. This was the finest season for the 29-year old Moroccan, who had 43 saves, a 0.76 ERA, 7.1 ERA and 192 strikeouts over 106.2 innings. Medina swept Dubai in the first round to set up a 1990 rematch in the Eastern Conference Championship. The Mastodons prevented Sulaymaniya from their three-peat, taking the series 3-1. Medina kept rolling into the third Arab League Championship, downing Cairo 4-1 to send the title to Saudi Arabia for the first time. SS Tarek Soliman was the finals MVP with the 31-year old Egyptian shortstop posting 11 hits, 6 runs, 4 home runs, and 7 RBI over 11 playoff starts. Other notes: Ilwad Maxamed of Casablanca had 17 complete games, which stands as of 2037 as the ALB single season record. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)