Baseball: The World's Game

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The 1952 East Asia Baseball Hall of Fame class had three players inducted, each on their first ballot. SP Seung-Mo Kim was the lone no-doubter, getting the nod nearly unanimously at 99.4%. Joining him were closer Sung-Hyo Lee at 74.3% and SP Takashi Katayanagi at 69.8%. Closer Osamu Kurokawa had a nice debut at 58.3% with two others, SS Jun-Yeong Dang and 2B Sang-U Yoon crossing 50%.



Dropped after his 10^th try on the ballot was SP Ping’an Xie. The lefty from China split his 14 year career between Kobe and Saitama and had a 185-148 record, 2.60 ERA, 3299 strikeouts, and 70.1 WAR. Pretty solid, but he never won any awards and was thought of by many as a “Hall of Very Good” level guy. He peaked at 53.2% on his penultimate attempt on the ballot.



Seung-Mo Kim – Starting Pitcher – Hiroshima Hammerheads – 99.4% First Ballot

Seung-Mo Kim was a 5’9’’, 180 pound left-handed pitcher from Changwon, South Korea. Kim was known for excellent pinpoint control, which allowed him to thrive despite only having 90-92 mph velocity on his fastball. He also had a respectable slider and changeup. Kim was a solid defensive pitcher and good at holding runners. He was signed as an amateur as a teenager with Hiroshima in 1923 and made his debut in 1927.

Kim became a full-time starter in 1928 and was second in Rookie of the Year voting. He was a solid reliable starter for the Hammerheads who had seven seasons of 6+ WAR. In 1938, he won Pitcher of the Year with a league-best 1.75 ERA, 23-7 record, and 7.8 WAR. He also led in ERA in 1935, strikeouts in 1936, and WAR in 1934. Kim took second in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1935. In total with Hiroshima, he had a 193-135 record, 2.44 ERA, 3337 strikeouts, and 78.6 WAR. His #4 uniform would get retired as well.

Kim finally got a chance at the postseason at age 32 in 1939 and helped the Hammerheads win the EAB Championship. In his postseason run, he was 3-0 with a 1.23 ERA over 22 innings with 24 strikeouts. Kim was reliable health-wise generally, although he missed most of 1932 with a fractured elbow. In 1941, a torn back muscle put him out most of that season. Worried about his effectiveness and age post-injury, Kim was traded to Kyoto straight up for SS Yoo-Geol Park.

In his one year with the Kamikaze, Kim earned his 200^th career win and 3500^th strikeout. He moved back to Korea at age 36 to join Busan for the 1943 season, fresh off an EAB title. Kim had a career resurgence as in 1944, he led the league in ERA (2.27) with a 7.8 WAR, finishing second in Pitcher of the Year voting. The Blue Jays won the Korean title in both 1943 and 1944 and won the EAB title in 44. With Busan, Kim became the second EAB pitcher to reach 250 career wins and the fourth to 4000 strikeouts. At age 39, he signed with his hometown Changwon to a three-year deal, but only played in 1946 as his productivity fell off and he suffered a partially torn labrum in the summer. Kim retired at age 40.

The final statistics: 261-171, 2.47 ERA, 3994.2 innings, 4294 strikeouts, 575 walks, 409/552 quality starts, and 103.7 WAR. At retirement, he was one of three pitchers to have 100+ career WAR. It’s surprising that he only won Pitcher of the Year once considering his excellent statistics. He did this without having excellent velocity either, a master of pinpoint control and changing speeds. Seung-Mo Kim was an easy first ballot choice at 99.4%.



Sung-Hyo Lee – Closer – Chiba Comets – 74.3% First Ballot

Sung-Hyo Lee was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Seoul, South Korea. He was a fireballer with 99-101 mph velocity on a cutter that he mixed with a curveball. His movement wasn’t anything special and his control was spotty early in his career, but the speed on the cutter earned him plenty of strikeouts and groundballs. Although talented, he was considered by some to lack work ethic and intelligence. He was signed in 1929 as an amateur teenage free agent by Chiba and made his debut for the Comets in 1934 at age 21.

By his second season, Lee was the full-time closer and held that role for his entire EAB run. Chiba was a bottom-tier team, but Lee led Japan in saves twice in his Comets run, finishing second in Reliever of the Year voting in 1935 and 1937. He was traded in summer 1940 to Fukuoka and again finished second in Reliever of the Year voting. After spending 1941 with the Frogs, he signed a three-year deal for the 1942 season with Busan. Lee was second in Reliever of the year in 1942 and third in 1944, but he did finally win the award in 1943.

Although he’s inducted with Chiba as that was his longest tenure, he’s perhaps best known for the three years as the closer with Busan as this was the final part of their dynasty. The Blue Jays won the Korea League all three years Lee was there and took the EAB title in 1942 and 44. He had 13 saves in 21 postseason appearances with a 1.70 ERA over 37 innings and 58 strikeouts, certainly playing an important role. He put up 15 WAR and 113 saves with the Blue Jays, while adding 26.6 WAR and 218 saves in his six and change years with Chiba.

This marked the end of his EAB stats as with World War II ending, he was able to try his hand at Major League Baseball. He spent some time as a closer, but bounced around and had limited success over six seasons. He signed with Portland, was traded to Milwaukee, signed again with Portland, and was traded to Indianapolis. He still would return home to Korea as he played for the South Korean team on their 1947-50 World Baseball Championship squads, posting a 3.00 ERA over 42 innings with 71 strikeouts. Lee retired at age 38.

Over his whole pro career, he had 2.41 ERA, 453 saves, and 48.9 WAR. For just EAB, had ended with 378 saves, a 2.14 ERA, 1613 strikeouts over 1052.1 innings, and 44.2 WAR. He was fourth in EAB saves at retirement despite leaving in his early 30s and might have had a shot as an inner-circle EAB closer had he stayed. Still, even in just a decade of work, Lee earned a first ballot induction at 74.3%.



Takashi Katayanagi – Starting Pitcher – Yokohama Yellow Jackets – 69.8% First Ballot

Takashi Katayanagi was a 5’6’’, 185 pound left-handed pitcher from Fujieda, a small city in Japan’s Shizuoka Prefecture. His top pitch was a cutter that reached 97-99 mph and was very difficult to hit. He added a respectable slider and changeup to throw batters off balance. Katayanagi was a hard worker and a good defensive pitcher who was excellent at holding runners. He attended nearby Toaki University Junior College and was selected 13^th overall by Yokohama in the 1930 EAB Draft.

He pitched seven innings in 1931 and then was a fairly unsuccessful reliever the next two seasons. He became a regular starter in 1934 and finally hit his stride as an ace-level pitcher in 1935. In 1936 and 1937, he led Japan in ERA and WHIP. He never won Pitcher of the Year in his career, but took third in 1936 and second in 1937, 1940, and 1941. In his time with Yokohama from 1931-39, he was 95-70 with a 2.53 ERA, 1613 strikeouts, and 28.6 WAR. He also tossed a no hitter in 1938 against Kyoto with 11 strikeouts and one walk.

Katayanagi was traded for the 1940 season to Daejeon and after one strong season with the Ducks, left for free agency. Nagoya signed him for six seasons starting in 1941 at age 30. The Nightowls had won the 1940 EAB championship and got to the playoffs in 1941, but fell in the JLCS; Katayanagi’s only playoff experience. Nagoya fell off a bit as did Katayanagi, who was barely replacement level in 1944 at age 33. He spent two more seasons as a rarely used reliever who dealt with injury issues, opting to retire at the end of the 1946 season at age 35.

His final statistics: 173-114, 2.55 ERA, 2646.1 innings, 2785 strikeouts, 471 walks, 253/350 quality starts, and 54.4 WAR. He had about a nine year run as a legitimate ace, but had a relatively short and unremarkable career otherwise by the usual Hall of Fame standards. Of the starters that are in, he’s usually forgotten or pointed out as one of the weakest inductees. Still, the voters decided Katayanagi was not only deserving, but a first ballot selection, making the cut at 69.8%.

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LF Carlo Mizurado was the only player inducted in Beisbol Sudamerica’s 1952 Hall of Fame class, getting in on his first try with 76.2% of the vote. SP Rey Parisi barely was short on his fourth go as he was at 65.6%, less than a percent off the 66% threshold. Closer Diego Cabanero was the only other player above 50%. No BSA options were dropped after a 10^th ballot.



Carlo “Bats” Mizuardo – Left Fielder – Sao Paulo Padres – 76.2 First Ballot

Carlo Mizuardo was a 6’0’’, 195 pound left-handed outfielder from Florianopolis, a city on Brazil’s Santa Catarina Island Mizurado was known as a strong contact hitter with good reliable power and very solid baserunning speed. His discipline was at times lacking, as he rarely walked and struck out a decent amount, but he picked up a lot of extra base hits in the very defensive early era of Beisbol Sudamerica. He played primarily in left field, although he made a few starts sporadically in center and right. In left, he was considered an excellent fielder, winning the Gold Glove seven straight seasons from 1936-1942.

After a solid amateur career, Mizurado was taken second overall in the 1932 BSA Draft by Sao Paulo, where he played nearly his entire professional career. He was immediately successful, earning Rookie of the Year in 1933. By 1935, he was a top-tier starter, leading the Southern Cone in WAR at 10.1. He had 10.1 WAR again in 1936 and a career best 11.2 in 1941. His lone MVP season was 1941 where he also led the league in the triple slash (.326/.361/.631), wRC+ (227), home runs (39), doubles (38), and hits (190). He was second in MVP voting in 1935, 1936, third in 1937 and 1939; and won five Silver Sluggers.

The Padres finally found success as a franchise towards the end of Mizurado’s run. They made the playoffs from 1942-45, won the Southern Cone title in 1943 and 44, and took Copa Sudamerica in 1944. A severe hip strain kept him out of the 1943 playoff run and a few knee injuries kept caused him to miss some games, but he finally had a chance to experience team success after a decade with Sao Paulo. The Padres would retire his #13 jersey after he was done. After the 1945 season, the 35-year old Mizurado entered free agency and signed with Belo Horizonte, but stunk it up in his one season with the Hogs, retiring at only age 35.

His final statistics: 2038 hits, 963 runs, 294 doubles, 114 triples, 410 home runs, 1028 RBI, a .284/.319/.529 slash and 92.9 WAR. To contemporary eyes, his totals may seem underwhelming, but he played in an incredibly defensive early era. His stellar defense bumped his WAR and he was actually third on the batter leaderboard at retirement. He became very popular in Sao Paulo as a franchise high point in their early years and deserves a first ballot spot in the HOF, even at only 76.2%.

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The sixth World Baseball Championship was held in 1952 in Caracas, Venezuela. The format was adjusted again slightly with the top two teams from each 10-team division advancing to the next round. There would then be two round robin pools where each team would play the other three twice. The best two teams from each group advanced to a best-of-five semifinal, followed by a best-of-seven championship. This particular format lasted four seasons.



In Division 1, the United States advanced with a 10-1 record, just holding off North Korea by one game. In Division 2, Ecuador took first by going 9-2, two games better than both Peru and Switzerland. The Swiss advanced over the Peruvians on a tiebreaker. In Division 3, Brazil at 9-2 had the top spot with Canada second at 8-3. In Division 4, there was a three-way tie for first between China, Japan, and Mexico. The Chinese and Mexicans moved forward on the tiebreakers, eliminating last year’s runner-up Japan.

In Group A, the United States went unbeaten at 6-0 to advance to the semifinal. Mexico went 4-2 to advance as well, while Switzerland and North Korea both were knocked out at 1-5. In Group B, Canada and China both moved forward with 4-2 records, while Brazil was 3-3 and Ecuador went 1-5.

Both semifinals ended up being 3-0 sweeps as the United States downed Canada and Mexico ousted China. In a rematch of the 1950 championship, the Americans got revenge on the Mexicans, winning the series 4-2. The USA has taken four of the first six world championships.





Earning tournament MVP was American shortstop Tony Bigam. The 26-year old shortstop for Oklahoma City in 26 games had 38 hits, 33 runs, 12 home runs, 27 RBI, and 2.7 WAR. The Best Pitcher went to Mexico’s Javier Solis. The 26-year old reliever for Santiago made nine appearances with 4 saves over 17.1 scoreless innings with 17 strikeouts. It would be the peak for the promising young reliever as his career tragically ended the next spring with a torn UCL.

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Year three of the European Baseball Federation had seven of the eight playoff teams from the prior season back in the postseason field. The best record in the Northern Conference went to Stockholm, dominating the North Central Division at 105-57. Paris again won the Northwest Division and Amsterdam took the wild card with the Poodles at 104-58 and the Anacondas at 100-62. The new playoff team was London atop the weak British Isles Division at 87-75. Last year’s division champ Glasgow dropped to fourth at 71-91.

NC MVP went to Birmingham LF August Johnson. The 35-year old Swede led the conference in home runs (61), walks (101), OBP (.421), slugging (.690), OPS (1.110), and WAR (9.8). The Pitcher of the Year went to Oslo’s Cristiano Moreira. A 32-year old righty from Portugal, Moreira led the NC in wins (23) and ERA (1.63) while posting 262 strikeouts and 8.9 WAR.



The Southern Conference defending champ Munich had the best record in all of Europe in 1952, taking the Southeast Division at 111-51. Barcelona and Madrid both advanced again but switched positions with the Bengals first in the Southwest at 103-59 and the Conquistadors one back at 102-60. Lisbon at 94-68 posted a solid effort, but still short of a wild card. The South Central Division went to Milan at 98-64.

Mavericks LF Wolfgang Heinzmann was the SC’s MVP. The 30-year old German led the conference in runs (118), home runs (56), RBI (145), slugging (.655), and OPS (1.040) with 9.2 WAR. Madrid’s Mike “Horseface” Ring was Pitcher of the Year. A 28-year old Australian, Ring was the leader in strikeouts (386) and WAR (10.5) with a 2.55 ERA. Also notable was Belgrade’s Promoz Kucinic becoming the first two-time Reliever of the Year winner. The left-handed Serb had 41 saves and a 1.05 ERA with a 6.1 WAR.

In the first round of the playoffs in the Northern Conference, Stockholm swept defending European Champion Amsterdam in three and Paris swept London. In the Southern Conference, Munich defeated Madrid in four and Milan swept Barcelona. The Northern Conference Championship saw Paris sweep Stockholm 4-0 and the Southern Conference Championship had Munich down Milan in five, sending the Mavericks to back-to-back European Championships. The third finale went all seven for the first time with the home team winning each game. That favored the Mavericks over the Poodles, sending the title to Germany for the first time.





Other notes: The first EBF perfect game occurred on May 1 via London’s Zdenek Plsek. He struck out 16 in a masterful performance against Glasgowi

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A competitive Bolivar League North Division in 1952 saw Maracaibo on top at 94-68, their first playoff appearance in a decade. They held off defending champ Bogota by two games and Medellin by five. In the South Division, Cali extended its playoff streak to six seasons. The Cyclones finished 88-74, seven games better than second place Guayaquil.

Callao LF Ynilo Zapata was the Bolivar League MVP in a remarkable rookie season. The 14^th overall pick in 1950 by the Cats, the left-handed Peruvian led in home runs (53), slugging (.681), OPS (1.077), wRC+ (211), and WAR (8.6). Pitcher of the Year went to Medellin’s Ramon Olguin. The 27-year old Argentinian posted a league-best 10.1 WAR with a 21-10 record, 1.95 ERA, and 331 strikeouts over 286.1 innings.



The best record in Liga Cono Sur went to Belo Horizonte for their fifth playoff appearance in seven seasons. The Hogs claimed a strong Brazil Division with a 103-59 record, beating out Fortaleza (96-66) and Brasilia (95-67). Santiago won the South Division at 93-69, edging defending Copa Sudamerica champ Cordoba at 89-73 and Buenos Aires at 88-74.

League MVP went to Rio de Janeiro RF Silvinho Carreira. The 30-year old was the leader in home runs (52) and RBI (127) with a .611 slugging and 8.0 WAR. Buenos Aires ace Rolando Salva won his second Pitcher of the Year, having also taken it in 1948. The 32-year from Paraguay was the league leader in strikeouts (350), adding 6.8 WAR and a 2.14 ERA with a 20-8 record.

Cali won the Bolivar League Championship Series for the fourth time in five seasons as they downed Maracaibo in five games. Belo Horizonte made it three Southern Cone titles in five years by edging Santiago in seven games, the first time since 1946 that the Southern Cone final went seven. In the third Copa Sudamerica meeting between the Hogs and Cylcones, Belo Horizonte won yet again, getting their third title with a 4-2 series victory. Cali is the bridesmaid again, 0-4 in Copa Sudamerica in the last five years.





Other notes: Sao Paulo’s Amadeus Ribeiro became the third BSA player to 500 career home runs. He and Nando Gaspar both crossed 1000 RBI as well. Alexandre Bentivoglio crossed 4000 strikeouts and passing 200 wins were Alonzo Guzman and Barry Hernandez. Jamie Escoto won his 12^th Gold Glove at shortstop, the first BSA player to win 12. Meanwhile, Diego Pena expanded his Silver Slugger record to 14.

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For the first time in franchise history, Chiba picked up a playoff appearance, leaving Sendai as the only East Asia Baseball team without a single playoff berth over 32 years. The Comets took first in the North Division at 101-61 in a competitive field. The Samurai and Yokohama tied for second at 94-68, followed by defending EAB champ Sapporo at 92-70 and Tokyo at 91-71. In a weaker South Division, it was a two team race. Kyoto took it at 87-75, edging Kitakyushu by one game. It is only the second playoff berth for the Kamikaze, who made it in 1938.

Although Fukuoka struggled, RF Takashi Ishihara won his fourth Japan League MVP, his first since 1948. The 32-year old lefty was the league leader in home runs (52), RBI (117), slugging (.637), and wRC+ (193). Veteran pitcher Kiyomasu Nakano won Pitcher of the Year at age 35. A free agent who would spend just this season with Chiba, he posted a league-best 1.70 ERA, 0.76 WHIP, 13.3 K/BB and 59 FIP-; all career bests by far.



Seongnam had the best record in the Korea League at 104-58, their first North Division title since 1940. Defending league champ Seoul finished second at 92-70 with Incheon at 91-71. In the South Division, Daegu earned back-to-back division titles with an 89-73 overall mark.

Hamhung RF Young-Hwan Sha won his first MVP in what would become an all-time great career. The 24-year old lead the league in runs (127), home runs (56), RBI (124), walks (83), OBP (.397), slugging (.674), OPS (1.070), wRC+ (177) and WAR (7.0). Daegu’s Young-Hwon Shin earned EAB’s sixth pitcher Triple Crown and the first since 1940. The 24-year old had a 21-6 record, 2.08 ERA, and 380 strikeouts, also leading in WHIP (0.91), quality starts (25), and WAR (11.8).

The Japan League Championship Series was guaranteed a first time champion in 1952. Chiba swept Kyoto, while Daegu swept Seongnam in the Korea final for the Diamondbacks’ third league title and first since 1941. They would not secure their first EAB Championship as the Comets claimed the title in five games.





Other notes: The legendary Byung-Oh Tan crossed 700 home runs in his penultimate season, the first to do so. Both Ju-Han Choi and Se-Yeon Kim passed 200 career wins.

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Two-time defending Mexican League champ Mexicali won the North Division for the fourth straight season in 1952. The Maroons ended at 97-65, six games ahead of Monterrey and nine over Hermosillo. Puebla picked up the South Division at 103-59, the only team in the division with a winning record. Last year’s division champ Ecatepec fell to 77 wins.

League MVP went to Mexico City’s Emmanuel Lopez, who won Rookie of the Year the prior season. The 23-year old CF would be the next megastar for the Aztecs in the vein of Kiko Velazquez. In 1952, he led Mexico in hits (209), triples (21), average (.346), OBP (.392), and WAR (10.2). Mexicali’s Rolando Pena won his third Pitcher of the Year in four seasons. The 30-year old ace led the league in WAR at 7.8, going 17-10 with a 2.30 ERA and 268 strikeouts.



The Caribbean Island Division came down to a one-game tiebreaker after Santiago and Puerto Rico both finished at 96-66. The defending CABA champ Sailfish prevailed to advance on and continue their repeat bid. Nicaragua meanwhile firmly claimed the Continental Division at 97-65. The Navigators made it three straight division titles.

Leading Santiago with his first MVP was LF Lorenzo Rodriguez. At only age 23 in his first full-time season, the Cuban lefty led the Caribbean in runs (112), hits (200), doubles (36), RBI (115), average (.328), slugging (.614), OPS (.973) and wRC+ (184). Edgar Andunvar won his fourth Pitcher of the Year in five seasons. Guatemala traded their former ace to Nicaragua, where he’d spend one season before signing with Havana. His one season as a Navigator was impactful, leading in ERA (1.96) and wins (23-7) with 264 strikeouts, 29 quality starts, and 8.8 WAR.

The Mexican League Championship Series was a seven game thriller with Mexicali edging Puebla in seven, giving the Maroons three straight league titles. Mexicali joins 1916-19 Tijuana as the only Mexican dynasties to win three straight. Santiago made it back-to-back in the Caribbean by beating Nicaragua in six, giving the Navigators a third straight defeat. The 1952 CABA Championship was a rematch and was more competitive than the prior season’s sweep. The end result was the same as Santiago downed Mexicali 4-2. For the Sailfish, it is their fourth overall title.





Other notes: Emmanuel Zavala became the first CABA batter to 3000 career hits. It was his final season and he only started 42 games, but it got him to 3044 total over an illustrious career. He would only remain the all-time leader until getting passed in 1958 by Prometheo Garcia. At retirement, Zavala’s 131.3 career WAR is second among hitters only to Kiko Velazquez and third among all CABA players. Elsewhere, Se-Hyeon Kim became the sixth CABA hitter to 1500 RBI.

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For the prior 51 seasons in Major League Baseball, the playoff structure had been the same with the league champions and second place finishers advancing; only eight total teams out of 48. Many leaders in league felt a postseason expansion would be lucrative and entertaining, while allowing other very good teams a chance to compete for the title. Thus, with the 1952 season, the playoff setup changed to a format that would remain until the second round of expansion teams in 2021.

The new format would have 16 total teams; eight from each Association. The league champions would earn a bye, while there would be four wild cards. Unlike the previous format where the second place team from both leagues advances, the wild cards would simply be the top four records of non-champs. Therefore, all four could be from the same league (and in fact this would happen in 1952 with all four wild cards going to Western League teams over the Southern League).

The first round would be best-of-threes with the higher seeded wild card hosting all three. Round two would keep the format held previously by round one with a best-of-five hosted entirely by the league champ. The Association Championships and World Series remain best-of-seven two-three-two.



Defending World Series champ Montreal improved their record and claimed the Eastern League title for the third time in four seasons. At 109-53, the Maples had the best mark in all of MLB. Chicago also won a third title in four years over in the Midwest League with a first place 99-63. Last year’s ML champ Indianapolis was second at 96-66, taking the first wild card. EL #2 Philadelphia was the second wild card at 92-70. Columbus at 90-72 and Baltimore at 89-73 were the other qualifiers, just beating out both Boston and Louisville at 87-75, Milwaukee at 86-76, and Hartford at 85-77. The Phillies are in for the second time in three years, the Orioles for the first time since 1942, and the Chargers for the fifth time in six seasons.

Baltimore CF Adam Lewis won his first National Association MVP. Lewis led the NA in WAR (10.0) and runs (116) while adding 216 hits, a .353 average, and 31 home runs. He earned the honor despite a record tying season from Milwaukee’s L.J. Shabazz, who tied the single-season home run record of 62 previously hit in 1949 by Sebastian Lunde. 62 would remain the record until 2001. Montreal’s Oliver Guerra won back-to-back Pitcher of the Years with a stellar 11.2 WAR, 299 strikeouts, and 2.03 ERA. Sadly for the 28-year old from Spain, a torn UCL next season would derail a career that hat tremendous potential.

In the wild card round, Columbus beat Philadelphia 2-0 and Indianapolis topped Baltimore 2-1. In round two, Montreal survived in five against Columbus, while Indianapolis upset league rival Chicago in four. The repeat beat for the Maples was foiled by the Racers with the National Association Championship Series going to Indianapolis in six. It is the third NA title for Indy, joining the 1931 and 1936 campaigns.




At 100-62, Houston won their second straight Southern League title. San Antonio was second at 89-73, but that no longer guarantees a playoff spot. They’d be five games out of the last wild card spot, with all four going to the Western League. Albuquerque took first in the WL at 107-55, fending off Las Vegas at 103-59. The Vipers earned a third straight playoff berth. San Diego and San Francisco both finished 99-63 to qualify in the expanded field. Last year’s American Association champ Phoenix took the final wild card at 94-68.

Although Tampa was seventh in the Southern League, they had the league MVP in 25-year old 1B Martin Medina. The Panamanian slugger led the NA in runs (123), homers (54), and OBP (.401). San Diego ace Spenser Emond won his second Pitcher of the Year award four years apart. He was the leader in wins (21), innings (293), quality starts (29) and WAR (10.1), adding a 2.43 ERA and 263 strikeouts.

The first round saw San Francisco beat San Diego in three games and Las Vegas topping Phoenix in three. In round two, Houston outlasted the Vipers in five games while Albuquerque swept the Gold Rush in three. Despite the playoff field being five Western teams and one Southern, the American Association Championship Series would go to the South. The Hornets dropped the Isotopes in five games, giving Houston its record ninth AA title; but first since 1922. They added their first World Series ring in 30 years by defeating Indianapolis in six games. The Hornets now have seven MLB titles, tied with Philadelphia for the most.





Other notes: Rajpaul Intarawut of Boston threw MLB’s eighth perfect game on April 27 against Brooklyn. He struck out 15 in the win, setting an MLB record for most Ks in a perfect game and tying the mark for most in any no-hitter. In milestone news, Wei-ju Wwang, Jack McCoy, and Cash Watson all crossed 3000 hits, putting 26 players at the threshold. McCoy also made it to 1500 RBI. Jason Morrissey became the 19^th pitcher to 250 wins. Alfredo Ruiz made it to 3000 strikeouts.

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For the third straight season, the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame was a loaded four-person class. All four in the 1953 class were first ballot picks above 84% with two inner-circle level guys. 3B Caleb Yang had 99.1% and 1B Blake Wynn had 96.3% as no doubters. Closer Rovaldis Arvelo at 85.9% and LF Ethan Ayala at 84.2% both got in with very firm numbers as well. CF Luke Murray wasn’t too far off the 66% threshold at 60.3% on his second attempt. SP Andy Cowan and C Hernan Ortega both were above 50% as well. No players were 10^th ballot drops in 1953.




Caleb “Graveyard” Yang – Third Baseman – Baltimore Orioles – 99.1% First Ballot

Caleb Yang was a 5’10’’, 175 pound right-handed third baseman from Sint Nicolas in southeast Aruba. The first Aruban member of the MLB Hall of Fame, Yang was an excellent all-around hitter with stellar contact ability and reliably solid power despite his small frame. He wasn’t anything notable at drawing walks, but didn’t strikeout a ton. Yang was an average baserunner and generally an above average to good defender at third base, where he spent almost his entire career. He won one Gold Glove in 1935 and was considered a “sparkplug” throughout his run.

With the first three rounds of the MLB Draft limited to American and Canadian players on a regional basis, Yang wasn’t selected until the fourth round in the 1927 MLB Draft. But he was considered by many as the top prospect, having won college player of the year in both 1926 and 1927 with Miami; only the third player to win the award multiple seasons. Indianapolis had the first pick of the fourth round and scooped up Yang. He made his debut in 1928 and only played just over half the season on the big club, but he posted a 5.6 WAR season in just 88 starts and still finished second in Rookie of the Year voting. Some small injuries knocked him out for about a month of his first few seasons, but he still won Silver Sluggers with Indianapolis in 1930, 32, 33, and 35. In 1931 and 1932, the Racers had two sneaky good seasons after struggling previously. Yang established himself as a playoff performer, picking up eight home runs, 21 hits, and 18 RBI in their 1931 run that saw the franchise’s first National Association title.

In 1932, Yang was second in MVP voting with a batting title (.368), 1.092 OPS, and 9.9 WAR. In 1933, he won what would ultimately be his only MVP with a NA best 10.1 WAR, 51 home runs, and 142 RBI. In 1935, he was second in voting despite career bests in 11.2 WAR, 214 hits, and 113 runs. In total with Indy, Yang had 1341 hits, 734 runs, 266 home runs, 772 RBI, a .338 average, and 59.1 WAR. Despite that, Indianapolis wasn’t even his signature run, although his overall stats in the Circle City were comparable to his noted Baltimore run.

Yang left Indianapolis for free agency and signed an eight-year, $204,600 deal with the Orioles starting with the 1936 season. The now 29-year old Yang would play all eight years of that deal, winning four more Silver Sluggers (1936, 39, 40, 42). He was second in MVP voting in both 39 and 42, posting 9.7 and 9.6 WAR in those years, respectively. 1942 was especially impressive since he did it in only 126 starts. 1939 is the run Baltimore fans remember most fondly, as the team made it the World Series and won it all for only the second time. In the postseason, Yang had 19 hits, 11 runs, 4 home runs, and 8 RBI and earned NACS MVP. In total with the Orioles, he had 1372 hits, 795 runs, 291 home runs, 809 RBI, and 59.4 WAR. His #41 uniform would get retired by the team as well.

With his contract up at age 37, Yang signed a two-year deal with St. Louis. Injuries put him out a good chunk of the first year and his production dropped well below his prior standards. Yang signed for his final two seasons with Denver, where he crossed the 600 home run and 3000 hit thresholds. After going unsigned in 1948, Yang retired at age 41.

The final statistics: 3208 hits, 1772 runs, 456 doubles, 108 triples, 625 home runs, 1831 RBI, a .320/.363/.574 slash and 127.5 WAR. At retirement, his WAR was second best in MLB among all hitters and as of 2036 is ninth best all time and first for any 3B. He’s almost always the first name suggested when discussing the all-time greatest third baseman in MLB history. Beloved back in his home of Aruba and by MLB fans alike, Yang was truly an inner-circle level Hall of Famer and the star in a loaded 1953 group.



Blake Wynn – First Baseman – Boston Red Sox – 96.3% First Ballot

Blake Wynn was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed batting first baseman from Revere, Massachusetts; just outside of Boston. Wynn was a good contact and power hitter, reliably hitting around .300 and 35+ home runs each season. Despite his power, he very rarely walked, but didn’t strike out much either. He was a very slow baserunner, but was stellar with the glove at first and is considered by many to be the GOAT defender at 1B. He picked up 12 Gold Gloves in his career and his career ZR at first is 122.5; the highest mark of any MLB 1B. Wynn was a sparkplug and an ironman, making him one of the most popular players of his era.

Wynn played college baseball for East Carolina and was selected 14^th overall in the 1931 MLB Draft by his hometown Boston Red Sox. He spent 1932 in the minors, debuting in 1933 with a Rookie of the Year season with 6.5 WAR and 37 home runs. He was the model of consistency over nine season with the Red Sox, hitting 30+ home runs and 100+ RBI each season with around 5.5 WAR per year. He was one of the only reasons to go to Fenway in the 1930s, as Boston was consistently a bottom tier team.

1940 was Wynn’s signature season and the only time he got to play in the postseason with the Red Sox, who fell in the NACS. Wynn won his lone MVP with 59 home runs; at the time, second only to Elijah Cashman’s’ 61 for the single season record. His 171 RBI was second only to Aitor Cerda’s 175 and would remain the second most in a season until 2036. He also led the National Association in runs (119), slugging (.645) and WAR (8.5). The next year, he finished third in MVP voting with 46 home runs and 132 RBI. In total with the Red Sox, Wynn had 1747 hits, 839 runs, 369 HRs, 1129 RBI, a .313 average, and 54.7 WAR. Unsurprisingly, his #43 was the first number retired in Boston and he remained a beloved figure for decades afterward.

At age 31 in 1942, Wynn left for free agency and signed a six-year deal with Minneapolis, more than doubling his yearly salary. He continued to put up the same reliable production in his first years with the Moose, leading the NA in home runs with 50 in 1943 and 58 in 1945. The latter year he finished third in MVP voting and got his second Silver Slugger, a low number thanks to a loaded group at the position. Minneapolis made the playoffs in 1944 and 45, but Wynn never had a chance to play in the World Series. Age saw his production decline in his final two seasons with the Moose and he retired at age 37.

The final statistics: 2774 hits, 1327 runs, 404 doubles, 604 home runs, 1822 RBI, a .298/.322/.543 slash and 80.8 WAR. A steady performer for 15 years, an elite defender, and one of the top homer hitters of his era. It is easy to see why Wynn was extremely popular and why he earned first ballot induction at 96.3%.



Rovaldis “Cats” Arvelo – Closer – Milwaukee Mustangs – 85.9% First Ballot

Rovaldis Arvelo was a 5’10’’, 180 pound right-handed closer from Guadalajara, Mexico. He was an all-time hard thrower with regular 99-101 mph velocity on a cut fastball that was often unhittable. His only other pitch was a solid changeup, which he sprinkled in with good movement and control overall.

Arvelo came to America for college and played for Ball State. Although his limited repertoire made him a reliever in the pros, he was an elite starter in college and won Pitcher of the Year in 1926 as a sophomore. With the regional rounds limiting the first three to American and Canadian players, Arvelo ended up picked in the fourth round, 159^th overall in 1927. He was picked by New Orleans with the fifth pick of the round. Arvelo split time between closer and setup for the struggling Mudcats in his early career, putting up 89 saves, a 2.55 ERA, and 8.6 WAR in his 4.5 seasons in the Bayou.

Arvelo’s signature run began in the summer of 1932 when New Orleans traded him to Milwaukee for three players. With the Mustangs, he became an elite reliever, leading the National Association in saves five straight years from 1933-37. He won Reliever of the Year in 1934, 35, and 36, then finished third for the award in 37, 38, and 39. For about a 7-8 year stretch, Milwaukee reliably knew they were in great hands when they went to the pen.

The Mustangs made the playoffs five times in Arvelo’s run, getting to the NACS in 1933, 34, and 35. In 34 and 35, they won the association title, falling in the World Series in both years. Arvelo was an excellent postseason pitcher, finishing with a 1.62 ERA and seven saves over 33.1 innings with 45 strikeouts. In the regular season with the Mustangs, Arvelo had 309 saves, a 2.11 ERA over 690 innings, 929 strikeouts, and 35.4 WAR.

In spring 1940, Arvelo suffered a torn rotator cuff that put him out a near calendar year. He came back in 1941 at age 34, but struggled and lost the closer role. Milwaukee wouldn’t re-sign him at the end of the year, but his #90 uniform would be one of two retired by the Mustangs for his great run and role in their 1930s success.

Arvelo signed with Ottawa for 1942 In a limited role, then spent three seasons with Houston. He briefly reclaimed the magic in 1943, earning his 400^th save as a Hornet. He was only the second to pass the mark and became the all-time leader shortly after, passing Jim Klattenburger’s 401. Houston stopped using him by 1945, although he had another brief spurt of success in 1946 with Las Vegas. After one last year in 1947 for Pittsburgh, Arvelo retired at age 41.

The final statistics: 2.26 ERA, 438 saves, 1170 innings, 1430 strikeouts, 285 walks, 536 shutdowns, and 51.5 WAR. At the time, he was the WARlord for relivers and would be one of a select few at 50+. Rodrick Wisdom would pass him by three for the saves mark in the next decade and he’d be in the all-time best reliever conversation until Carson Hanford’s 1960s-70s domination. As of 2036, he’s one of only four MLB closers with 400+ saves and was the premier reliever of the 1930s, earning Arvelo a first ballot induction at 85.9%.



Ethan Ayala – Left/Right Field – Calgary Cheetahs - 84.2% First Ballot

Ethan Ayala was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed corner outfielder from the small communities of Suitland-Silver Hill, Maryland. Ayala was an excellent contact hitter and solid baserunner. He had reliable gap and home run power, good for around 30 doubles and 25-30 home runs per year on average. He didn’t draw many walks, but was solid at avoiding strikeouts. He was a corner outfielder who split his defensive career almost 50/50 between left and right field. He was generally considered a below average defender at both spots. Ayala was a hard worker and a fan favorite, extremely popular in each of his stops.

Ayala played his college baseball for South Carolina and went back home to Maryland in the 1930 MLB Draft, picked 29^th overall by Baltimore. He spent all of 1931 in minor league Annapolis, where we won a league MVP. He was called up in 1932 and had a solid rookie year, although a foot injury put him out for a good chunk. His second season was statistically the best of his career, leading the National Association in hits (225) and runs (133) with a .358 average and 8.3 WAR. He finished second in MVP voting and won his first Silver Slugger. He’d win it again in 1934 and 1937 with the Orioles, finishing in six seasons there with 1135 hits, 630 runs, 187 home runs, and 35.6 WAR.

He’d have the most WAR with Baltimore, but he’d go into the Hall and be most associated with his second stop. The Orioles traded the now 27-year old Ayala to Calgary for the 1938 season. Ayala spent eight seasons with the Cheetahs, winning one Silver Slugger in 1939 and finishing second in MVP voting in 1939 and third in 1940. He’d be integral in Calgary winning the American Association title in1 940, taking AACS MVP. They fell in the World Series, but he had 26 hits, 14 runs, and 15 RBI over the postseason. With the Cheetahs, he had 1489 hits, 779 runs, 193 homers, and 30.2 WAR. Despite the short run, he made enough of an impact for Calgary to retire his #6 jersey.

Ayala left for free agency and stayed in Canada, joining Vancouver for the 1946 season at age 35. Various injuries put him out more than half of his first year, then year two he had very limited value. Still, he was able to cross 400 career home runs and 1500 runs in his final season with the Volcanoes. He hoped to catch on somewhere in 1948 but after going unsigned, Ayala retired at age 38.

The final statistics: 2820 hits, 1512 runs, 451 doubles, 410 home runs, 1367 RBI, a .320/.358/.538 slash, and 67.1 WAR. Compared to some of the other recent inductees, he’s on the weaker side of the inductees. But Ayala was a solid popular presence in the outfield for 16 seasons, earning him a first ballot nod in 1953 at 84.2%.

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For the first time in the history of the Central American Baseball Association’s Hall of Fame, four players were inducted in one class. In the 1953 edition, 3B Jonny Lucero and SP Ward Wellman were no doubter first ballot guys at 98.3% and 94.6%, respectively. SP Hugo Aguilar made it at 73.5% on his third ballot, while C Chip Perez on his first go received 70.8%. No one else was above 50%.



Two players were dropped after their 10^th attempt at the HOF. SP Sebastian Fernandez had a 15-year career with a 191-170 record, 3.28 ERA, 3183 strikeouts, and 60.5 WAR with Haiti and five other teams. Solid, but generally a “Hall of Very Good” level guy who peaked at 31.1% on his first ballot. Another SP, Livingstone Dixon in a 10-year CABA run mostly with Santiago had a 146-88 record, 2.97 ERA, 2324 strikeouts and 54.1 WAR. A good decade, but not enough longevity or dominance to get in. He peaked at 29.6% on his debut.



Jonny “Worm” Lucero – Third Base/Shortstop – Haiti Herons – 98.3% First Ballot

Jonny Lucero was a 6’0’’, 205 pound switch-hitting infielder from Luquillo, a small northeastern coastal town in Puerto Rico. Lucero was an elite CABA hitter with great contact ability and home run power. He was excellent at drawing walks, leading the league in walks and OBP five times. Still, he struck out more than most and was at his quickest, a slightly below average baserunner. Lucero made about 2/3 of his career starts at third base and the other 1/3 at shortstop. He was generally viewed as around average defensively at 3B and below average at SS. Lucero was also a team captain and leader, well-liked by teammates and fans alike.

After amateur success in his native Puerto Rico, Lucero was picked seventh overall in the 1924 CABA Draft by Haiti. He immediately was a star, posting 7.2 WAR and earning Rookie of the Year, his first of 11 Silver Sluggers, and a second place MVP voting finish. The next year was his first MVP and a career best at 10.6 WAR. Lucero went on to win six MVPs, also taking it in 1927, 1929, 1930, 1932, and 1935. He led the Caribbean League in WAR five times, homes twice, runs twice, RBI once, and OPS four times.

Haiti was a lower-tier franchise for Lucero’s best years despite his efforts, but began to find success finally at the end of the 1930s. In 1937 and 1938, they won their first Caribbean League titles and in 1938, won the CABA Championship with Lucero earning series MVP. In that postseason, he had 21 hits, 11 runs, 3 home runs, and 11 RBI. His final Haiti stats were 2052 hits, 1138 runs, 494 home runs, 1237 RBI, a .297 average, and 103.1 WAR. His #43 uniform was retired, the first for the franchise.

After winning the CABA title at age 35, Lucero decided it was time to leave CABA as he left for the United States and signed with Miami. Back injuries put him out more than half of the year and he was done after season as a Mallard. Lucero went to Charlotte next for two seasons, then spent 1942 in Minneapolis. The Moose traded him to Hartford for 1943, followed by a free agent signing for 1944 with Montreal and for Memphis in 1945. He was never MVP level, but was still a solid starter when healthy, posting 23.5 WAR, 735 hits, 194 home runs, and 473 runs over his seven MLB seasons. Now in his 40s, he returned to CABA at age 43 with Monterrey for the 1946 season and Santo Domingo in 1947. He was able to get his 500^th career homer with the Matadors. A torn Achilles ended his 1947 and Lucero retired in the offseason at the age of 45.

For his entire professional career, he had 700 home runs, 128.7 WAR, 2852 hits, 1637 runs, and 1809 RBI. In CABA specifically, Lucero had 2098 hits, 1164 runs, 311 doubles, 506 home runs, 1271 RBI, 851 walks, a .296/.370/.571, and 105.2 WAR. At retirement, he was one of four CABA hitters with 100+ career WAR. Few hitters in the world were better than Lucero over his impressive 20+ year career and he’s an obvious first ballot choice at 98.3%.



Ward Wellman –Starting Pitcher – Mexico City Aztecs - 94.6% First Ballot

Ward Wellman was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed starting pitcher from San Francisco, California. At his peak, Wellman had 96-98 mph velocity and was known for excellent control and solid movement. He had a six pitch arsenal with a fastball, slider, curveball, changeup, knuckle curve, and splitter with the slider usually cited as the best pitch. Wellman was also considered a solid defensive pitcher and as a very durable and reliable player.

Wellman had a very unlikely path to being a CABA Hall of Famer. He attended Valley Christian High School in San Jose and was a rare high schooler picked in the MLB Draft, picked in the fourth round (185^th overall) by Ottawa in the 1928 draft. He struggled in the minor leagues, getting traded in summer 1931 to Brooklyn’s minor league. The Dodgers cut him after spring training 1932, followed by a two-day stint in Baltimore’s organization.

From there, he went south to Mexico City in late spring 1932 and was an alright reliever for the rest of that season. He was a decent starter in 1933 for the Aztecs, then it finally all clicked for him starting in 1934. For the next decade or so, he became an ace for Mexico City with 12 5+ WAR seasons and eight seasons at 6+ WAR. In 1936, he won the Pitcher of the Year, leading Mexico with a 1.72 ERA and 8.6 WAR. He won it again at age 34 in 1944. He was third in 1937 and second in 1945.

The Aztecs would become a dynasty in the 1930s and Wellman was a big part of that run. Mexico City won the Mexican League in 1934, 36, 40, and 45; and won the overall CABA title in 34, 36, and 45. In 17 postseason starts, Wellman was 10-4 with a 3.00 ERA over 114 innings with 103 strikeouts, only 14 walks, and 2.6 WAR. In 1945, he won the MLCS MVP and was seeing some of his best stats in his mid 30s. His #15 uniform would be retired after his career was over.

Wellman decided to return to the United States and give MLB another shot. With his CABA resume, Las Vegas gave the 37-year old Wellman a two-year deal. He wasn’t elite by any stretch, but was able to keep a spot in a rotation over five MLB seasons. He was with Las Vegas in 1947-48, Oakland in 1949, Cincinnati in 1950, and Oakland once more in 1951. In 1952, he was set to pitch for Cleveland, but a torn rotator cuff in spring training would end his career.

For his entire pro career, Wellman had a 299-180 record, 3.03 ERA, and 99.0 WAR. For his CABA run, he had a 247-126 record, 2.66 ERA, 3441 innings, 3356 strikeouts, 469 walks, 351 quality starts, and 88.4 WAR. He was able to become a legit ace for a decade and was the lead pitcher during Mexico City’s 1930s dynasty. Thus, Wellman deserves the first ballot induction he received at 94.6%.



Hugo Aguilar – Starting Pitcher – Tijuana Toros – 73.5% Third Ballot

Hugo Aguilar was a 5’11’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from Victoria, a city in the northeastern Mexican city of Tamaulipas. Aguilar had 97-99 mph velocity and an impressive five-pitch arsenal led by a strong fastball. He added a curveball, forkball, changeup, and splitter and boasted respectable movement and control. Aguilar was also a good defensive pitcher, winning two Gold Gloves and was also known as a hard worker,

Aguilar was a highly sought-out prospect and would be picked first overall in the 1932 CABA Draft by Chihuahua. The Warriors were an abysmal franchise in the 1930s and Aguilar led the league in losses his first two seasons, but would start to show some promise. Before the 1937 season, Aguilar was traded to Tijuana for three prospects. This would be his most known run, playing six seasons with the Toros.

Aguilar finished second in Pitcher of the Year voting three straight seasons from 1938-40. He was one of the few redeeming parts for a struggling franchise, They finally ended a nearly two-decade playoff drought in 1940, but were one and done. Aguilar struggled in his one career postseason start, allowing five runs in three innings. He left for Haiti in free agency at age 33 for the 1943 season. He spent three seasons with the Herons, retiring after the 1945 campaign.

The final stats for Aguilar: 184-187, 3.01 ERA, 3422 innings, 3177 strikeouts, 698 walks, 281 quality starts, 136 complete games, and 63.9 WAR. He’d be the first and only starter in the CABA HOF with a losing record, although his lack of run support could be blamed for a lot of that. Despite that, there were enough voters who liked him and thought his resume was still solid enough. He barely missed the cut in his first two ballots and got over the hump at 73.5% on his third attempt. Aguilar isn’t at the top of the Hall of Fame leaderboards, but he’s in.



Chip Perez – Catcher – Juarez Jesters – 70.8% First Ballot

Chip Perez was a 5’11’’, 200 pound right-handed catcher from San Juan, Puerto Rico. As a hitter, Perez had solid contact ability and strong pop in his bat. He was excellent at hitting doubles despite his slow speed and a reliable 20+ home run guy in his peak. He was okay at drawing walks and had some trouble with strike outs. At a very difficult position physically, he was a reliable 120-130 game starter for most of his run. Defensively, he was also considered elite, winning five Gold Gloves. A hard working intelligent guy, Perez was a fan favorite in his career.

Perez was signed as an amateur free agent by Juarez in 1925, making his professional debut at age 20 in 1929. Starting in 1931, he’d be the Jesters’ full-time starting catcher through 1944. He was consistently the best hitting catcher in Mexico, winning the Silver Slugger 11 times along with his five Gold Gloves. In 1931, he finished third in league MVP voting and in 1936, he finished second. He was a consistent all-star selection and twice was all-star game MVP. Apart from a fractured knee in 1938 and torn abdominal in 1944, he was consistently in the lineup, making 1748 starts with the Jesters. With Juarez, Perez had 2012 hits, 948 runs, 289 home runs, 966 RBI, and 90.4 WAR. He only got to play in the postseason four seasons and the Jesters never claimed a league title.

Perez returned home in 1945 as he was traded Puerto Rico at age 36. His home-country Pelicans were fresh off the CABA Championship and made it back in 1945, falling in the final to Mexico City. Still, Perez finally was able to play in the championship, getting 12 hits in the postseason. His production starting falling and he was moved to the bench for much of 1946 and 1947. Perez retired after the 1947 season at age 39.

His final statistics: 2220 hits, 1048 runs, 476 doubles, 319 home runs, 1102 RBI, a .279/.332/.475 slash and 93.9 WAR. Solid numbers at any position, but especially at the underappreciated catcher spot. His 93.9 WAR is first all-time among CABA catchers and he was rightfully elected on the first ballot, even at a surprisingly low 70.8%.

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One player made it into the 1953 East Asia Baseball Hall of Fame as SS Jun-Yeong Dang made it at 73.9% on his third ballot. Three others had 60% plus, but were just short of the 66% threshold. Closer Osamu Kurokawa barely missed it at 65.7% on his second try. 2B Sang-U Yoon was at 62.9% on his second try and SP Toshihiro Tsukahara was 62.5% on his third try. SP Kazuo Udagawa at 55.1% on his fourth try was the only other player above 50%. No one was dropped after their 10^th ballot.



Jun-Yeong “Juggernaut” Dang – Shortstop – Gwangju Grays – 73.9% Third Ballot

Jun-Yeong Dang was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed shortstop from Nampo, a city in North Korea about 50 kilometers southwest of Pyongyang. Dang was a terrific contact hitter with remarkable speed and baserunning ability. He didn’t have much home run power, but his speed allowed him to pick up a lot of triples. He was great at avoid strikeouts, but poor at drawing walks; his at bats typically ended with the ball in play somewhere. Dang was a career shortstop and was generally an average defender.

Dang was signed as an amateur as a teenager by Gwangju in 1931, where he’d spend his entire East Asia Baseball career. He spent a few years in training, making his debut at age 19 in 1934 as a bench player. He became the starting shortstop in 1936 and would hold that role for a decade. The Grays were a dynasty in the 1920s, but fell off in the 1930s and 1940s with Dang never getting a chance to play in the postseason.

While they struggled, Dang was a bright spot with his #36 uniform getting retired ultimately. He was a team leader and important captain for the franchise. He led Korea in hits thrice, triples four times, stolen bases five times, and batting average twice. He won Silver Sluggers In 1944 and 1945 and was second in MVP voting in 1944. That season, he had a .343 average, 205 hits, 27 triples, and 8.2 WAR.

With World War II over, Dang left for the United States and Major League Baseball, signing at age 31 with Cincinnati for the 1946 season. The big money deal would quadruple his yearly earnings from his time in Gwangju. He wasn’t elite with the Reds, but was a solid starter in the first two years. A ruptured disc in his back took him out for most of the 1948 season. He returned in 1949 but struggled and after a bench role in 1950, Dang retired at age 35.

For his entire pro career, Dang has 2544 hits, 1101 runs, 319 doubles, 238 triples, 126 home runs, 905 RBI, a .310 average, and 59.2 WAR. With Gwangju, had had 2016 hits, 869 runs, 251 doubles, 213 triples, 100 home runs, 712 RBI, a .321/.344/.476 slash and 53.6 WAR. An excellent decade of production, but leaving for Cincinnati lowered his overall totals and led some voters to disfavor him. Being on a struggling Gwangju squad hurt him as well. He came close on his first ballot at 65.1%, but dropped to 52.9% on his second try, making it unclear that he’d ever get another solid look. However, year three got Dang above the threshold at 73.9%, placing him into the EAB Hall of Fame.

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In the 1953 Beisbol Sudamerica Hall of Fame class, two starting pitchers earned induction. Oscar Blanco got in on the first ballot with 80.1%, while Rey Parisi crossed the line on his fifth attempt at 72.7%. Another pitcher, Daniel Rosado, was the only other player above 50% with a 53.1% for his first attempt. No player was dropped after a 10^th ballot.



Oscar Blanco – Starting Pitcher – Asuncion Archers – 80.1% First Ballot

Oscar Blanco was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed starting pitcher from Montevideo, Uruguay. He was a hard throwing pitcher with 98-100 mph velocity, extremely adept at drawing groundballs with a splitter, sinker, changeup, and curveball. He had solid control and movement, making him a very difficult pitcher to get on base against. After his college career, Blanco was picked seventh overall in the 1933 Beisbol Sudamerica Draft by Asuncion.

Blanco had a strong debut for a terrible 50-win Archers squad, finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting. In year two, he had a career best 9.7 WAR, finishing third in Pitcher of the Year voting. That would be his highest finish, although he remained solid over seven years with Asuncion. Blanco threw two no-hitters as an Archer, on 6/10/37 against Rio de Janeiro and 4/2/40 against Rosario. He had 44.2 WAR, 89-93 record, 2.37 ERA, and 2026 strikeouts. They made one playoff appearance in1939 with Blanco struggling in his two starts.

For the 1941 season, the now 30-year old Blanco was traded straight up to Maracaibo for RF RJ Chapa. He had his third no-hitter on 4/16/45 against Callao. Blanco was a big part in Maracaibo winning the 1941 Bolivar League title, posting a 0.96 ERA over 18.2 playoff innings. He spent five seasons with the Mariners, posting 36.4 WAR, 79-58 record, 2.44 ERA, and 1586 strikeouts. At age 35, Blanco entered free agency and signed with his hometown Montevideo, where he played his final two seasons before retiring at age 36.

The final statistics; 184-175, 2.38 ERA, 3597.1 innings, 4045 strikeouts, 369/475 quality starts and 88.0 WAR. He was the fourth BSA pitcher to 4000 career strikeouts and he very quietly put together a very solid and consistent resume. Blanco was ultimately a first ballot Hall of Fame selection at 80.1%.



Rey Parisi – Starting Pitcher – Brasilia Bearcats – 72.7% Fifth Ballot

Rey Parisi was a 5’9’’, 185 pound right-handed starting pitcher from Uba, a city in the southeastern Brazilian state Minas Gerais. Parisi had 96-98 mph velocity with strong movement and respectable control with a fastball, cutter, and changeup. He played in the early semi-professional leagues of Brazil prior to Beisbol Sudamerica forming in 1931. At age 27, he signed with Brasilia to start his BSA career. He’d ultimately spent his entire pro career with the Bearcats.

He barely played in his first season and was a part-time starter in year two, notably throwing a no-hitter in 1932 against Belo Horizonte. In season three, Parisi became an ace, leading the Southern Cone in ERA (1.49) and wins (19). He finished second in Pitcher of the Year in 1933, then won the award in 1935 with a league-best 1.76 ERA. He’d end up with three additional no-hitters, two in 1938 and one in 1939.

Brasilia was an early powerhouse in the Brazil division in the 1930s, winning Copa Sudamerica in 1935 and 1938, as well as the Cono Sur title in 1937. Parisi in his postseason career had a 2.87 ERA over 59.2 innings with 54 strikeouts and 12 walks. Parisi started to struggle into his late 30s, eventually moved to the bullpen for his final two seasons. He retired at age 40 after the 1943 season.

The final statistics: 159-84, 2.22 ERA, 2205 innings, 2106 strikeouts, 367 walks, 237/295 quality starts and 45.9 WAR. His career WAR would be the lowest of any HOF starter in BSA, but his totals were hurt a bit by his BSA career starting at age 27. It took Parisi five times on the ballot, but his integral role in Brasilia’s early success was enough to get him in at 72.7%.

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The 1953 World Baseball Championship was held in Managua, Nicaragua. In Division 1, the United States went unbeaten at 11-0, advancing to the round robin stage along with 9-2 Argentina. In Division 2, Spain and Sweden both advanced, tying for first at 9-2. South Korea at 8-3 fell just short. In Division 3, Canada took first at 10-1, moving on along with 9-2 Brazil. And in Division 4, Cuba took first at 10-1, advancing with 9-2 Japan.

In the Round Robin Stage, the US went unbeaten at 6-0 to advance to the semifinal. Sweden was the other team to advance at 4-2, while Brazil and Spain both went 1-5. In the other group, Canada at 5-1 and Japan at 4-2 advanced to the semifinal. Cuba (2-4) and Argentina (1-5) were eliminated.

In the best-of-five semifinals, Japan edged the United States 3-2, denying the Americans a shot at a three-peat and sending the Japanese to their second championship. On the other side, Canada beat Sweden 3-2, sending the Canadians to their third final and first since 1948. The Swedes finish in the final four for the first tie, officially taking four with the US getting the bronze. The championship best-of-seven went the distance for the first time with Japan taking world champ honors for the first time, edging Canada 4-3.





The tournament MVP went to Japan’s Kazuo Koike. A 27-year old 2B for Kawasaki, in 29 tournament games Koike had 31 hits, 21 runs, 7 home runs, 11 RBI, and 1.5 WAR. The Best Pitcher went to Canada’s Nolan Bisson. The 28-year old reliever for Columbus had a perfect 0.00 ERA over 14.2 innings with 26 strikeouts. Unfortunately for Bisson, he’d miss the 1953 season with a torn UCL

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The fourth season of the European Baseball Federation saw Stockholm with the best record in the Northern Conference at 111-51, easily taking the North Central Division for the third straight season. Close behind in record were the Northwest Division’s Paris and Amsterdam, each making it into the playoff field for the fourth time. The defending conference champ Poodles narrowly took the division at 110-52, while the Anacondas were the wild card at 108-54. The British Isles Division went to London, bringing the same four teams from last year’s playoffs back into the field. The Monarchs at 90-72 finished two games better than Birmingham.

The NC MVP went to Paris’s Brainslav Mikusiak. The 27-year old Slovakian CF had the conference lead in WAR (9.5) and slugging (.597), posting 40 home runs and 132 RBI with a .300 average. Amsterdam had the Pitcher of the Year in Elih Cruz. The 31-year old Spaniard led the conference with a 1.88 ERA, posting a 22-5 record, 287 strikeouts, and 10.5 WAR.



The best overall record in Europe was the Southern Conference’s Madrid at 124-38. They were only one game behind the 125-win league record they had set back in 1951. At 98-64, Southwest Division foe Barcelona earned the wild card. Defending European Champion Munich at 11-51 won the Southeast Division for their third straight playoff berth, while Milan won their fourth straight South Central Division title at 96-66. With that, the 1953 playoff field is the exact same eight teams as the prior season.

Maulers CF Danijel Cindric was the SC MVP with an all-time great season, having joined Milan in an offseason trade from Copenhagen. The 30-year Croatian CF had the EBF’s first hitting Triple Crown with 54 home runs, 132 RBI, and .322 average. His incredible 15.4 WAR would be the single-season record for any EBF player until 2010 and would be third-best all-time as of 2036. He also led the Southern Conference in runs (131), OBP (.423), slugging (.730), OPS (1.153), and wRC+ (227). Pitcher of the Year went to Barcelona’s Sergio Flores. The 30-year old Spaniard led in WAR (12.9), wins (24), and innings pitched (297.1), posting a 1.94 ERA and 308 strikeouts.

In the first round of the 1953 postseason in the Northern Conference, Amsterdam won in four games at Stockholm and London upset Paris in five. The NCC saw the Monarchs prevail over the Anacondas 4-2, sending London to the European Championship for the first time. In the Southern Conference, Madrid bested Barcelona in four and Munich swept Milan. The SCC had the Conquistadors over the Mavericks in six, giving Madrid its first conference title despite 450 wins in their first four seasons. By record, the Conquistadors (124) were the big favorite over the Monarchs (90), but the scrappy London squad claimed the European Championship in six games. It is the first title for an English team.





Other notes: The second and third EBF perfect games were thrown in 1953. On March 22, Munich’s Todd Sandstrom struck out 12 against Belgrade. Then on May 29, Belgrade’s Domagoj Brankovic had nine Ks in a perfect versus Zagreb. Elsewhere, Madrid’s Fernando Quiztapa had a 29-game hitting streak, which would hold as the record in EBF until 1960.

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The best mark in the Bolivar League in 1953 went to Maracaibo at 97-63, winning their second straight North Division title. The Mariners finished nine games better than second place Bogota. In the South, defending league champ Cali was the top team at 92-70, seven better than Callao. For the Cyclones, it is seven straight playoff berths. It would ultimately be their final playoff appearance until the 1970s.

Cali had the league MVP and Pitcher of the Year for the 1953 season. 33-year old RJ Correa won his second MVP with the 33-year old Colombian leading the league with a .403 OBP and 1.029 OPS, adding 8.9 WAR, 43 home runs, and 122 RBI. AJ Fernandez won Pitcher of the Year as “Mushy” in his age 32 season had a 22-8 record, 2.51 ERA, and 7.1 WAR over 283.2 innings with 300 strikeouts. The Cyclones also had the Reliever of the Year as Alvaro Fernandez won it for the second straight season. The 23-year old closer had 42 saves and a 1.18 ERA.



In the Southern Cone League, the best overall record went to Cordoba. The 1951 Copa Sudamerica winner bounced back after missing the playoffs last year to take the South Division at 102-60, eight games ahead of Buenos Aires. Sao Paulo won the Brazil Division at 96-66 for their first playoff berth since 1945, beginning what would become a nine-year playoff streak. Brasilia was second at 90 wins while last year’s Copa Sudamerica champ Belo Horizonte dropped to third at 86-76.

Although Asuncion struggled as a team, 1B Adrian Calvo earned his second MVP. The 28-year old Paraguayan socked a league-best 54 home runs and .601 slugging percentage, adding 8.3 WAR and 102 RBI. Cordoba’s Nono Louciero picked up his second Pitcher of the Year in three seasons. The 29-year old Argentinian led in WAR (10.4), and strikeouts (336), posting a 20-9 record, 1.98 ERA, and 31 quality starts.

In the Bolivar League Championship Series, Maracaibo downed Cali in six games, giving the Mariners their second league title (1941). Cordoba bested Sao Paulo in five games for the Southern Cone title, the second for the Chanticleers in three years. Cordoba added a second Copa Sudamerica win by sweeping Maracaibo for the title. It is the fifth time that the overall championship has gone to a team in Argentina with two for the Chanticleers and three for Buenos Aires.





Other notes: Evan Yho made it to 5500 strikeouts, the second to ever reach the mark. Barry Hernandez and Luisao Capucho both crossed 4000 career strikeouts. Capucho and Lincoln Parra both crossed 200 wins. Angel Gabriel Cornejo and Adrian Yannoni became the third and fourth BSA hitters to 2500 career hits. Eduardo Santana became the fourth to reach 500 home runs. In award notables, Mesquito Vignali won his eighth Gold Glove at 3B and Loury Nova won his eighth at CF. SS Diego Pena won his record 15^th and final Silver Slugger, a total yet to be matched.

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Entering the 1953 season, Sendai was the only franchise in East Asia Baseball left without a playoff appearance. The Samurai changed that with the best record in Japan at 105-57, outracing 101-61 Yokohama in a strong North Division. Last year’s EAB champ Chiba was third at 89-73. In the South, Kitakyushu took first at 94-68, five games ahead of Fukuoka. It is only the third playoff berth for the Kodiaks, who also won the division in 1950 and 1924.

Sendai 3B Kyuji Saida won the league MVP at age 31. He won the batting title with a .335 average and had a 183 wRC+, posting 7.0 WAR in only 120 starts. Yokohama ace Haruo Matsuzaki won his second Pitcher of the Year in three seasons. The 30-year old lefty had a league-best 1.77 ERA and 300 strikeouts for 8.2 WAR. He was just two wins shy of a Triple Crown.



In the Korea League, the best overall record in a very competitive field went to Pyongyang at 96-66; their first North Division title since 1944. The Pythons beat Incheon and Seoul both by three games and Seongnam by eight. Defending Korean champ Daegu won the South Division for the third straight season. The Diamondbacks at 93-69 ended five games better than Yongin and eight ahead of Gwangju.

Korea’s MVP for the second straight season was Hamhung RF Young-Hwan Sha. Still only 25-years old, Sha led in WAR (7.1), OBP (.415), slugging (.646), OPS (1.061), and wRC+ (178). He added 42 home runs and 100 RBI. Incheon’s Jae-Ha Pak was the Pitcher of the Year, also only at age 25. The lefty had a league-best 10.3 WAR with 24 complete games, a 15.1 K//BB ration, a 2.35 ERA, and 271 strikeouts.

The Japan League Championship Series went seven games for the first time since 1942 with two teams shooting for their first-ever title. Sendai prevailed over Kitakyushu in their first-ever shot at the final. The Korea League Championship Series went to Daegu over Pyongyang 4-1, giving the Diamondbacks back-to-back Korean titles. Daegu earned its first East Asian Championship as well by stopping the Samurai in five games.





Other notes: In his final season, the legendary Byung-Oh Tan became the first player to cross both 2000 runs scored and 2000 runs batted in. He’d finish with all-time records at retirement in runs (2010), RBI (2023), home runs (718), and hits (3871). Changwon’s Sung-Ki Hong had a 31-game hitting streak, becoming the fifth player to have a streak above 30. Ju-Han Choi became the seventh EAB pitcher to 4000 career strikeouts.

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A very competitive Mexican League in 1953 saw three-time defending champ Mexicali with the best overall mark at only 94-68. The Maroons finished one better than Monterrey and four games ahead of Hermosillo in a tight North Division field. Puebla at 93-69 took the South Division with an eight-game gap to Mexico City. It’s back-to-back division titles for the Pumas and five straight for Mexicali.

Maroons 1B Timmy Ramirez won his fourth league MVP and first since 1950. The 31-year old nicknamed “Flipper” led in home runs (46) and RBI (12), as well as OPS (1.022). Ramirez had 8.6 WAR and a .332 average with 203 hits and 97 runs. Mexicali also saw Rolando Pena won his fourth Pitcher of the Year and third consecutive. The 31-year old righty had the most innings at 286.1, posting an 18-13 record and 2.48 ERA with 259 strikeouts and 6.3 WAR. Statistically, actually a weaker year than usual for him, but still good enough for the honor.



The best overall record in CABA came from Caribbean League Continental Division champ Honduras at 100-62. For the Horsemen, it is their first playoff appearance in a decade, while last year’s winner Nicaragua was a distant second at 83 wins. Santiago’s hope for a CABA championship three-peat was thwarted by Havana. The Hurricanes won the Island Division at 90-72, just one game better than the Sailfish and five ahead of Jamaica.

Although just shy of the playoffs, Santiago’s Lorenzo Rodriguez won back-to-back league MVPs. The 24-yeaer old Cuban left fielder led the Caribbean in homers (37), RBI (107), and average (.346) to take the Triple Crown. He also led in WAR (7.9), OBP (.392), slugging (.645), OPS (1.037), and wRC+ (187). Pitcher of the Year went to 27-year old lefty Tirso Sepulveda of Honduras. “Nails” had the league’s best K/BB at 10.0, posting an 18-9 record, 2.42 ERA, 280 strikeouts, and 7.7 WAR.

Both League Championship Series went seven games in 1953. In a rematch of the prior year in Mexico, Mexicali prevailed again over Puebla, giving the Maroons their fourth straight title. In the Caribbean, Honduras edged Havana, giving the Horsemen their first title since 1942 and record ninth league title overall. The CABA Championship also was a seven game classic. After taking runner-up the prior three seasons, Mexicali finally broke through, beating Honduras 4-3 and winning their first overall title.





Other notes: Salvador Islas won his ninth Gold Glove at first base, while Randy Alberty won his eighth in center field.

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For only the second time in franchise history, Boston won the Eastern League in 1953. It was only their third playoff berth as well with the last one in 1940. The Red Sox finished 100-62 for the best record in the National Association, two games ahead of New York. The Yankees picked up their second wild card in three seasons with their 98-64 record. In the Midwest League, Chicago narrowly took first at 99-63 for their fifth straight playoff berth. Detroit at 98-64 grabbed a wild card for their first playoff spot since 1932. The remaining wild cards went to Minneapolis and defending NA champ Baltimore, both at 94 wins. For the Moose, it is their first playoff berth since 1945. Just missing the field was Montreal at 92-70 and Toronto at 91-71.

Orioles LF Taffarel Gomes won the league MVP at age 28. A native of the Azores, mid-Atlantic islands owned by Portugal, Gomes had big numbers despite only playing 118 games because of injury. Still, he had 42 home runs, 105 RBI, a .329 average, and 7.5 WAR. Toronto’s Erik Henry was Pitcher of the Year with an NA best 2.16 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, and 8.3 WAR. He added 219 strikeouts with a 5.3 K/BB ratio.

In the Wild Card Round, Minneapolis beat New York and Detroit downed Baltimore, both in three games. In the Second Round, the Moose upset Boston in four games and the Tigers knocked out Chicago in four. In the National Association Championship Series, Detroit dropped Minneapolis in five games. For the Tigers, this is their fourth NA title and first since 1932.



The top marks in the American Association came from the Western League. Las Vegas at 114-48 had the best overall record in MLB, giving the Vipers a fourth straight playoff berth. San Diego had a stellar season for a second straight playoff berth, but were second at 108-54. For the second year under the expanded playoff format, each wild card came out of the WL. Los Angeles (96-66), Albuquerque (94-68), and Phoenix (93-69) each qualified. Over in the Southern League, San Antonio was first at 89-73 to give the Oilers a third playoff appearance in four years. New Orleans was second five back, followed by Jacksonville six back and defending World Series champ Houston seven back at 82-80.

Tampa was at 63 wins, second worst in the American Association. Despite this, Thunderbirds 1B Martin Medina won his second straight MVP. The 26-year old Panamanian led the AA in hits (223), OBP (.423), slugging (.645), OPS (1.069), wRC+ (184) and WAR (8.0). San Diego lefty ace Spenser Emond won his third Pitcher of the Year and back-to-back. The 28-year old Emond had a career best 11.6 WAR, at the time the season-best single pitching season in MLB history behind Domingo Martinez’s 11.7 WAR in 1940. Emond also led the AA in strikeouts (301), FIP- (55), and wins (24) with a 2.72 ERA.

Both Wild Card round matchups were sweeps with Albuquerque over Los Angeles and Phoenix over San Diego. San Antonio swept the Isotopes 3-0 in the second round, while Phoenix stunned Las Vegas 3-1. This set up an American Association Championship Series between the two worst records in the playoff field. The final wild card Firebirds won it in five over the Oilers in a repeat of their 1951 encounter, giving Phoenix five AA titles. The Firebirds would win the World Series in five games against Detroit for Phoenix’s second MLB title, joining the 1907 campaign.





Other notes: Stan Provost and J.R. Osborn would become the fourth and fifth MLB hitters to cross 3500 career hits. Provost finished the season with 3658 to pass Jax Sanders (3609) as the all-time hit king while Osborn got to 3556 and retired after next season with 3703. Provost also became the all-time leader in runs scored and the first to 2000+. No one else would cross 2000 runs until 2027 and as of 2036, Provost would remain the all-time leader.

Provost also became the first to 600+ doubles, passing Dale Brooks’ record of 595. Osborn would also cross the 600 mark next season to end with 601. Adding to his accolades, the 40-year old Provost won his eighth Silver Slugger; he had won his first 15 years prior. Erich Fleischmann became the 11^th member of the 600 home run club. Juwan Oliver made it to both 250 wins and 3500 strikeouts.

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The 1954 Major League Baseball Hall of Fame had three players earn induction. 3B Feris Adam and RF Rodrigo Reta were both first ballot selections with Adam at 89.4% and Reta at 85.4%. SP Andy Cowan was the third inductee, crossing the threshold on his fifth attempt with a big boost up to 79.1%. C Hernan Ortega and CF Luke Murray each just missed the 66% threshold on their third tries at 63.1% and 60.1%, respectively. Five others finished above 50%.



One of those above 50% was closer Otto Thurston at 53.5%, dropped after his 10^th ballot. Over 21 seasons with 11 teams, he had 332 saves, a 2.84 ERA, and 38.4 WAR; but he never won Reliever of the Year or had a signature run with a team. His best percentage on the ballot was 58.6% on his fifth try. 2B/SS Jim Hernandez also was dropped after a 10^th attempt, peaking at 43.1% on his second attempt. He was a five-time Gold Glover and had 2880 hits, 1366 runs, 381 home runs, 1497 RBI, and 88.2 WAR with Vancouver, Milwaukee, and Memphis. Advanced stats give him a bump as someone perhaps unfairly overlooked, but such is the plight of someone with great defensive numbers to boost the WAR.



Feris “Stump” Adam – Third Baseman – Toronto Timberwolves – 89.4% First Ballot

Feris Adam was a 5’10’’, 180 pound right-handed third baseman from Toronto. Nicknamed “Stump,” Adam was known for being a great contact hitter with incredible durability. He was not a prolific power hitter, but had solid pop in his bat, reliably putting him around roughly 25 home runs and 30 doubles each ear for around 15 years. He had a respectable eye for drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. Adam was a very slow baserunner who played defensively exclusively at third base, thought of as around average in his best years. He was sometimes thought of as lazy, but you could count on steady production from him year in and out, putting up 12 seasons of 6+ WAR.

After growing up in Toronto, Adam went to the University of Georgia for his collegiate career. He returned back home when the Timberwolves picked him 42^nd overall in the 1928 MLB Draft. Adam spent 1929 in minor league Hamilton and was a bench player for Toronto in 1930 and 1931. It was 1932 where he became a full-time starter and he’d start 140+ games every year from then through to 1947.

The Timberwolves were largely forgettable in the 1930s and early 1940s, but Adam was an incredibly popular local guy. He was a Silver Slugger winner in 1934 and 1941. He was a five-time all-star and helped Toronto to playoff appearances in 1932 and 1936. His #18 uniform would be retired and to date, he’s the only player to have his jersey retired by the Timberwolves franchise. In total from 1930-41, Adam had 1948 hits, 953 runs, 322 doubles, 274 home runs, 987 RBI, a .316/.372/.510 slash and 68.2 WAR.

After being the reliable hometown favorite, Adam finally entered free agency and signed a five-year, $148,000 deal to more than double his yearly salary. The 34-year old joined up with Philadelphia for the 1942 season with the Phillies fresh off the World Series title. For the next six seasons, he was the consistent starter at 3B as Philadelphia put together their dynasty. Adam earned his third Silver Slugger in 1943 with a career best 8.0 WAR. The next year, he placed third in MVP voting.

The Phillies rolled in the 1940s, making it to the World Series seven straight years from 1941-47 and winning it all in 41, 42, 43, 44, and 47. In the playoffs, Adam had a .302/.360/.462 slash in 87 games for Philadelphia, posting 100 hist, 54 runs, 58 RBI, 15 doubles, and 12 home runs. In 1943, Adam was the World Series MVP, putting up 20 hits and 13 runs in that postseason. The dynasty ended after 1947 as did Adam’s run, as his production dropped at age 40 in 1948. Adam retired with 37.1 WAR, 1181 hits, 598 runs, 209 doubles, 192 homers, and 673 RBI with the Phillies.

For his entire career, Adam had 3129 hits, 1551 runs, 531 doubles, 466 home runs, 1660 RBI, a .312/.366/.512 slash and 105.3 WAR. He was as reliable and consistent as you can be, playing a key role in Philly’s dynasty and being a reason to visit the ballpark for a decade in his native Toronto. One of only an elite few with 3000+ hits, 1500+ runs, and 1500+ RBI for a career and at the time, only the ninth MLB hitter with 100+ career WAR. It’s somewhat surprising that Adam got in on the first ballot at only 89.4%.



Rodrigo Reta – Right Fielder – Columbus Chargers – 85.4% First Ballot

Rodrigo Reta was a 6’2’’, 195 pound left-handed outfielder from the small southern Wisconsin town of Lake Mills. Reta was a solid slugger with good contact and power ability, smacking 30+ home runs in 12 different seasons. He had a good eye and drew 1000+ walks in his career, although he still struck out 2000+ times. He was a poor baserunner who spent almost his entire defensive career in right field, where he was considered a mediocre defender.

Reta went to Arizona State and had a tremendous college career. The Sun Devils were the 1925 and 1927 national champions with Reta winning a Silver Slugger in 1926 and 1927, as well as a second place finish in college MVP voting. With this success, Reta was a highly touted prospect and was picked fifth overall in the 1927 MLB Draft by Columbus. Reta was part-time starter in his first two seasons, then became a full-time starter in RF for the Chargers throughout the entire 1930s.

Reta won his two Silver Sluggers with Columbus in 1930 and 1937. He wasn’t a league leading guy, but was a solid spot in the lineup for a decade. He had a career best 119 runs in 1931, 142 RBI in 1933, and 7.0 WAR in 1937. He had more than 50+ WAR in his first run with the Chargers and was very popular in an era that saw only one playoff berth in 1931. Reta left for free agency and signed with Jacksonville for the 1940 season at age 32.

In three years and change with the Gators, Reta had 468 hits, 104 home runs, and 7.0 WAR. In the early summer of 1943, he was traded to Omaha as they tried for a playoff push. They made it but were one-and-done, Reta’s second and final chance at the postseason. He spent 1944 with the Hawks, then returned to Columbus for 1945 and 46. He went back to Omaha for 1947 and 1948, then played his final season in CABA for Ecatepec at age 41. After going unsigned in 1950, Reta retired at age 43.

His final MLB stats: 3073 hits, 1744 runs, 485 doubles, 653 home runs, 1887 RBI, 1002 walks, a .285/.348/.522 slash and 77.2 WAR. He quietly made his way up the leaderboards as a consistent performer, At retirement, he was third all-time in home runs, 10^th in runs scored, and fourth in RBI. His #25 uniform was the third retired by Columbus. These totals led to Reta earning first ballot induction at 85.4%.



Andy Cowan – Starting Pitcher – Montreal Maples – 79.1% Fifth Ballot

Andy Cowan was a 6’1’’, 200 pound left-handed starting pitcher from Toronto. Cowan was a hard thrower with 98-100 mph velocity on his fastball, while also boasting very good movement on a changeup and curveball. He had respectable control by the end of his career and was known as a good defensive pitcher. Among pitchers, he was a decent batter as well, winning one Silver Slugger and posting 330 hits, a .238 average, and 109 runs in his career.

Cowan played college baseball at Kentucky and like his HOF classmate Feris Adam, he was drafted by his hometown Toronto Timberwolves. Cowan went 21^st overall in the 1924 MLB Draft and had a solid rookie season split between starting and the bullpen. He not only finished third in Rookie of the Year voting, but third in Pitcher of the Year voting. Cowan never won the top award, but was a solid full-time starting pitcher from 1926 through 1941, posting 11 seasons of 5+ WAR.

The Timberwolves had some success in the mid to late 1920s with Cowan helping them get to the National Association Championship Series in his first two years and winning it in 1926. In 8 career playoff starts, he had a 2.98 ERA with 48 strikeouts over 63.1 innings. Unfortunately for Cowan, his 1929 playoff start would be the last of his career. In seven seasons with Toronto, he had a 117-62 record, 3.02 ERA, 1344 strikeouts, and 40.6 WAR.

In February 1932, Toronto traded Cowan to Montreal for three players. The now 27-year old Cowan would play the rest of his career with the Maples. He was a reliable starting pitcher for many years, although rarely considered elite. He had a 148-132 record, 3.74 ERA, 1767 strikeouts, and 55.9 WAR. In 1942, Cowan suffered a torn meniscus in his knee, knocking out the durable lefty for most of the season. He struggled over the next two years in limited action, retiring after the 1944 season at age 40.

The final stats for Cowan: 265-194, 3.45 ERA, 4420 innings, 3111 strikeouts, 1171 walks, 359/591 quality starts, 163 complete games, and 96.6 WAR. He ended up with nice totals in a lot of spots, but wasn’t thought of as a Hall of Fame guy to many and more of a compiler. Still, having close to 96.6 WAR is hard to ignore and longevity has value. Cowan fell short in his first four tries on the ballot, being above 60% in the first three. In his fifth go, he received a solid boost with a thinner field and earned his spot at 79.1%.

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The 1954 Central American Baseball Association Hall of Fame class had three first ballot selections. Two of them were nearly unanimous picks with SP Samuel Valadez at 98.8% and SP Felipe Morales at 97.9%. Another pitcher, Pablo Hernandez, made the cut at 70.9%. Two other first ballot guys had solid debuts, but were just shy of the 66% threshold. 1B Egor Guzman had 64.1% and SP Jovan Williams got 58.8%.



One player was dropped after his 10^th ballot. Vasquez Ortegon peaked at 28.7% on his first try. He won four straight Reliever of the Year awards for Ecatepec from 1928-31, but left for MLB and was completely forgettable beyond that short burst. He had a 2.02 ERA, 252 saves, and 22.5 WAR in CABA.



Samuel Valadez – Starting Pitcher – Tijuana Toros – 98.8% First Ballot

Samuel Valadez was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Cruces, a small town in the central Cuban province Cienfuegos. Valadez didn’t throw hard with velocity topping out around 93-95 mph, but he became known at his peak for phenomenal movement and very good control. He had a five pitch arsenal of a fastball, slider, curveball, splitter, and circle change. Valadez was originally not a highly touted prospect, picked 96^th overall by Tijuana in the fourth round of the 1930 CABA Draft.

Valadez debuted in 1932 and developed his great movement, becoming Tijuana’s ace for more than a decade. He won his first Pitcher of the Year at age 32 in 1940 and won his second at age 37 in 1945. He finished second in 1936 and 1942. He led Mexico in ERA four times, hitting a career best of 1.63 at age 37. He led in WAR twice and complete games four times. Valadez was one of the only reasons to watch the Toros, who struggled in the 1930s and 40s. He only got to play in the postseason once in 1940 with Tijuana. His #9 uniform would be retired after his career ended.

In 1946, Valadez was traded before the deadline to Chihuahua for pitcher Emmanuel Gomez. In 1947, he played for the Cuban team in the first World Baseball Championship, but missed that season with a damaged elbow ligament. He came back to play for Cuba again in 1948, then made five poor starts for Chihuahua, retiring after the 1948 season at age 41.

The final statistics: 225-171, 2.47 ERA, 3760.2 innings, 3262 strikeouts, 654 walks, 347/473 quality starts, 135 complete games, and 82.0 WAR. Valadez was consistently a top-end starting pitcher for 15+ seasons, posting 5+ WAR in 10 different seasons. He was a team captain and leader, well respected throughout the Mexican League, earning a 98.8% first ballot induction into the Hall of Fame.



Felipe Morales – Starting Pitcher – Haiti Herons – 97.9% First Ballot

Felipe Morales was a 5’9’’, 175 pound right-handed starting pitcher from Camaguey in central Cuba, the third largest city in the nation. Morales became renowned for having incredible pinpoint control. This was his key attribute, as he only had 92-94 mph velocity and unremarkable movement. Still, Morales had five pitches; a fastball, curveball, forkball, changeup, and splitter. His ability to mix these pitches and put them exactly where he wanted to put them made him elite.

Morales was selected third overall by Haiti in the 1931 CABA Draft. He was third in Rookie of the Year voting in 1932 and would post seven straight 5+ WAR seasons from 1934-40 for the Herons. He led the Caribbean in strikeouts in 1938 and 1939 and led in both WHIP and K/BB from 1938-40. Morales won the Pitcher of the Year in 1937 and 1938 and took second in 1939.

Haiti became successful in the late 1930s, winning the Caribbean League title in 1937 and 1938 and the CABA Championship in 1938. In 11 postseason starts, Moralez went 5-4 with a 2.81 ERA, 75 strikeouts to 12 walks over 86.1 innings. In his entire run with the Herons, Morales had a 159-96 record, 3.06 ERA, 2499 strikeouts, 6.3 K/BB, and 46.6 WAR. His #9 uniform would be retired, the second retired by the franchise.

Morales left Haiti for free agency for the 1941 season and signed a big deal with Monterrey. He wasn’t as dominant with the Matadors in his mid 30s, but was still a reliable starter and contributor. He had a 63-59 record, 3.14 ERA, 1183 strikeouts, and 18.6 WAR with Monterrey. In the early summer of 1945, Morales was traded to Juarez, where he finished 1945 and played in 1946. With the Jesters, he crossed 250 career wins and 4000 strikeouts. Morales signed with Santo Domingo in 1947 and played his final two seasons with the Dolphins, retiring at age 39 after the 1948 season.

The final statistics: 274-207, 3.13 ERA, 4509 innings, 4614 strikeouts, 634 walks, a 1.01 WHIP, 7.3 K/BB, 393/582 quality starts, and 84.6 WAR. His 274 wins was second-most all-time only to Ulices Montero with his 4614 strikeouts also second all-time at retirement. He led the league in WHIP seven times and K/BB seven times with his incredible control making him unhittable when he was on his game. Morales was an easy first-ballot pick at 97.9%.



Pablo Hernandez – Starting Pitcher – Honduras Horsemen – 70.9 First Ballot

Pablo Hernandez was a 5’10’’, 195 pound right-handed starting pitcher from Jalapa, a town on the northern border in Nicaragua. Hernandez had 97-99 mph velocity with good movement and control with a mix between a fastball and sinker, along with the occasional changeup. Hernandez was highly touted from his amateur career, earning the #1 overall draft pick in the 1935 CABA Draft by Honduras.

Hernandez spent his first three seasons with the Horsemen primarily as a reliever and was moved into a starting role in 1939 at age 26. In 1940, he won Pitcher of the Year with the league lead of 2.39 ERA and 8.6 WAR. Hernandez won it again in 1941 and took third in 1943. Honduras became a dynasty at this time with Hernandez playing a key role. The Horsemen won the Caribbean League title in 1939, 40, and 42; and won the CABA title in 1940 and 42. In the postseason, Hernandez had a 2.90 ERA over 90 innings with 99 strikeouts for 2.8 WAR. Overall, he finished his Honduras run with a 111-81 record, 2.70 ERA, 1816 strikeouts, and 44.0 WAR. His #8 uniform would be retired for his role in their dynasty.

The dynasty ended after the 1943 season, as did his tenure with Honduras. Hernandez entered free agency and signed with Santo Domingo at age 32. He finished third in Pitcher of the Year voting in his second season with the Dolphins. Hernandez also made starts in the first two World Baseball Championship tournaments for his native Nicaragua. He spent four seasons with Santo Domingo with his 1948 season cut short by elbow soreness. Hernandez opted to retire after the 1948 season at only age 36.

The final stats: 171-122, 2.81 ERA, 2636.1 innings, 2618 strikeouts, 551 walks, 231/328 quality starts, and 69.9 WAR. His totals are a bit lower on the Hall of Fame leaderboards with how early he retired, but Hernandez was a critical pitcher during a dynasty run for Honduras. He got maybe a lower percentage than expected, but still found first ballot induction at 70.9%.