Baseball: The World's Game - Page 16

FuzzyRussianHat · 05-31-2023, 06:07 PM

Two-time defending Mexican League champ Monterrey won the North Division for the third straight season and had the best record in the league at 99-63. Mexicali at 88-74 was a distant second. Guadalajara also made it a three-year division title repeat, taking the South Division at 91-71. Ecatepec at 84-78 and Mexico City at 83-79 were the closest competition.

Aztecs CF Emmanuel Lopez won his third league MVP and back-to-back. In 1957, Lopez was the league leader in runs (117), hits (215), stolen bases (71), average (.359), OBP (.425), OPS (1.004), wRC+ (195), and WAR (10.2). Pitcher of the Year went to 33-year old Jesus Montiel of Monterrey. His only league-leading stat was WIHP (0.96), taking the title in a weak field on a 17-8 record, 2.56 ERA, and 5.4 WAR with 233 strikeouts in 235.1 innings.

The three best records in the Caribbean League were all in the Island Division with an intense battle throughout the season. Santo Domingo and defending CABA champ Puerto Rico tied for first at 99-63 with Havana one game behind. In the one-game playoff, the Dolphins dropped the Pelicans, snapping a three decade postseason drought for the Dominican capital. The Continental Division saw Costa Rica on top at 91-71 for back-to-back division titles.

Santo Domingo LF Grant Duncan won his third MVP in four seasons. The 29-year old Jamaican had the league lead in runs (119), home runs (57), RBI (128), slugging (.758), OPS (1.157), wRC+ (201), and WAR (9.5). The slugging mark was a new CABA single-season record and the OPS mark was the third-best single season. Pitcher of the Year was Costa Rica’s Marc Cedillo. The fourth-year righty from Bogota led in complete games (16) and shutouts (5), posting a 20-12 record, 2.82 ERA, 271 innings, 244 strikeouts, and 7.2 WAR.

It was the third straight Mexican League Championship Series between Monterrey and Guadalajara and just like the prior two, it was the Matadors prevailing. Monterrey took it this time 4-2 for the sixth league title in franchise history. In the Caribbean League Championship Series, Santo Domingo defeated Costa Rica in six to give the Dolphins their fourth league title and first since 1927. The CABA Championship went to Monterrey 4-2 to give the Matadors their second overall title in three years and third overall.

Other notes: Rodger Hunter became the 14^th CABA player to reach 500 career home runs. CF Linus Williams became a 10 time Gold Glove winner, the first CABA player to get 10 at his position and seventh to get 10 at any spot. Guadalajara slugger Prometheo Garcia became a nine time Silver Slugger winner at 1B and LF Julio Hinojosa won his eighth.

FuzzyRussianHat · 06-01-2023, 05:27 AM

For the second straight year, it was the Eastern League dominating the Midwest League in the National Association with all four wild cards coming from the East. The best overall record in Major League Baseball belonged to Hartford at 107-55, earning their fourth straight playoff berth. The 107 win tally was a franchise record for the Huskies. Boston was next at 101-61 for their fourth berth in five seasons. Philadelphia was third at 100-62 for their first playoff spot since 1952.

The final two spots had five times in the mix with Pittsburgh taking the first one at 96-66. For the Pirates, it is only their fourth-ever playoff appearance and first since 1928. The final spot saw Washington and Baltimore finish tied at 94-68. The Admirals won the tiebreaker game to earn back-to-back wild cards. Brooklyn (91-71) and defending NA champ Ottawa (89-73) fell just short. Meanwhile, Indianapolis at 97-67 took the Midwest League title by 10 games with Minneapolis (87-75) the closest competitor. It is an impressive turnaround for the Races, who were an abysmal 64-98 the prior year, getting their first playoff spot since winning the NA title in 1952.

National Association MVP went to OF/SP Casen Shaw, a journeyman two-way player that had played with Houston and Kansas City prior. He was traded to Boston for the 1957 season, but the 30-year old found himself cut in mid May. Indianapolis picked him up at the end of the month and he managed to go on a tear. In 117 games, he had a .391 average, 150 hits, 71 runs, 14 home runs, 66 RBI, and 6.2 WAR. As a pitcher, he was an unremarkable 14-10, 4.38 ERA, 207.1 innings, 110 strikeouts, and 1.9 WAR. Combined, he put together enough to help the Racers to the ML title. The next year would be his last as a pitcher and he’d spend another decade as a respectable bat with five other teams. But his 1957 will be remembered as an incredibly unique case of a guy who got cut midway and apart from a solid 1954 at the plate with Kansas City, had been mid-tier even if two-way.

Indianapolis also had a notable debut in RF R.J. Clinton, the sixth overall pick in the prior draft out of Washington State. The future Hall of Famer was the Rookie of the Year and third in MVP voting with 38 home runs, a .320 average, and 7.2 WAR in 128 starts. Pitcher of the Year was more traditional in going to Brooklyn’s John Delaney. The 26-year old righty was the NA leader in wins (21), and ERA (2.21), adding 204 strikeouts over 276.2 innings with 7.6 WAR.

In the first round of the playoffs, Pittsburgh upset Philadelphia 2-0 and Washington surprised Boston 2-1. In round two, Indianapolis dispatched the Pirates in a sweep and Hartford topped the Admirals 3-1, sending the league champs to the National Association Championship Series. The Racers claimed the series in a seven-game classic over the Huskies, giving Indy its second NA title of the decade and fourth total.

The Western League yet again saw success over the Southern League in the American Association with all four wild cards out of the West. The best overall record went to Vancouver, who were the last team in last season. The Volcanoes finished 103-59, a franchise record season. Next in line were Las Vegas (99-63), Denver (96-66), and two-time defending World Series champ San Diego (96-66). For the Vipers, it was their seventh playoff berth of the 1950s, while the Dragons snapped a drought that dated back to 1944.

The final wild card spot went to Portland at 92-70, finishing one ahead of Los Angeles and four ahead of Oakland. The Pacifics had the second-longest playoff drought in MLB, having last made the playoffs in 1921. The longest drought was snapped in 1957 well with Tampa winning the Southern League title at 92-70, finishing four ahead of the three-time defending SL champ Nashville at 88-74. The Thunderbirds hadn’t been to the postseason since the Taft Administration in 1909; a nearly 50-year gap. It was the second longest drought in MLB history, the longest going to Oklahoma City’s 54 years from the franchise debut to their first wild card.

Leading the Thunderbirds to snap their streak was 1B Martin Medina, winning his third American Association MVP and first since 1953. The 30-year old lefty from Panama was the leader in RBI (137), OBP (.425), slugging (.616), OPS (1.041), and wRC+ (171), adding 40 home runs and 8.4 WAR. San Diego ace Spenser Emond won his fifth Pitcher of the Year, joining the elite company of Jeremy Frechette, Newton Persaud, and Ned Giles as the only five-time winners. The now 32-year old lefty had an AA and career best 2.32 ERA, also leading in WHIP at 0.98. He only made 24 starts because of a strained abdominal muscle, but still posted 209.2 innings, 205 strikeouts, and 7.2 WAR.

The Wild Card round had Portland defeat Las Vegas and Denver down San Diego, both in three games. Both league champs prevailed in round two in four games with Vancouver over the Pacifics and Tampa over the Dragons. The American Association Championship Series saw the Volcanoes defeat the Thunderbirds 4-2, giving Vancouver only its second-ever AA title (1939). The Volcanoes went onto add their first-ever World Series ring, defeating Indianapolis in a seven-game classic. The Racers are now 0-4 in the Fall Classic, sharing the unfortunate distinction with Dallas for most WS losses.

Other notes: Vancouver’s Dominic Lamoureux had a 37-game hitting streak, which is tied for the third-longest in MLB history. Alec Ebner became the 10^th MLB pitcher to 3500 career strikeouts. Sebastian Lunde became the 13^th hitter to 600 career home runs.

FuzzyRussianHat · 06-02-2023, 05:29 AM

The 1958 Major League Baseball Hall of Fame Class had three inductees with two on the first ballot. 2B Cash Watson crossed the threshold on his debut at 83.4%, as did CF Halton Walker at 72.2%. Meanwhile on his seventh try, SP Jacob Gosselin finally made it in with 72.2%. SP Patrick Iannazzo missed the 66% threshold by one percent on his penultimate attempt, while fellow SP Roy Cole had a solid showing but missed on his sixth go at 61.4%.

Two players were booted from the ballot after ten attempts. Reliever Jhan Lopez-Garcia had a 2.12 ERA and 251 saves with 1361 strikeouts over 893 innings and 39.7 WAR. The WAR and strikeout numbers compare decently to other relievers in the HOF, but he peaked at 38.4% on his second try having lacked any accolades. LF Sandy Rainey was also dropped, peaking at 26.3% on his debut. The 1928 NA MVP, in 17 years primarily with Detroit he had 2510 hits, 1303 runs, 478 home runs, 1421 RBI, a .298 average, and 61.7 WAR. Very respectable, but firmly in the “Hall of Very Good” range with the lone MVP season his only real standout season.

Cash Watson – Second Baseman – Charlotte Canaries – 83.4% First Ballot

Cash Watson was a 5’11’’, 200 pound right-handed second baseman from Estero, Florida; a village near the Cape Coral/Fort Myers area. Watson is the fourth 2B to earn induction into the MLB Hall and played the majority of his career there, sans the occasional start at third. Watson was a very good contact hitter, excellent baserunner, and solid at drawing walks; making him a great run-scorer. He didn’t have much home run power, but had solid gap power and used his speed to tally an impressive number of doubles and triples. Defensively he was very good, racking up a career 197.5 ZR at second. This is second-best all-time in MLB, only behind his contemporary Hunter Pride’s remkarable 284.3. Pride (who won 11 Gold Gloves) is the main reason Watson only earned Gold Glove once despite his success. On top of this, Watson was a beloved figure in the game with an incredible work ethic and intelligence.

Watson went west and played college baseball at Oregon, earning immediate attention among MLB scouts. In the 1931 MLB Draft, Charlotte selected Watson second overall. After an impressive rookie season, he won the batting title in 1933 at .358 and led the American Association with 10.8 WAR, earning his first Silver Slugger and second place in MVP voting. All five of his Silver Sluggers came with the Canaries, adding additional ones in 1935, 36, 38, and 40. In 1940, he was second in MVP voting again, thanks to an AA-best 9.9 WAR and .413 OBP.

The 1930s were successful for Charlotte and Watson played a big role. They made the playoffs five times in his tenure and in 1937, won the World Series. In that run, he had 20 hits, 13 runs, 8 doubles, and 11 RBI in 14 playoff games. Fresh off a second-place in MVP voting season in 1940, the now 29-year old Watson lived up to his first name and got him some Cash. He signed a seven-year, $212,000 deal with Atlanta.

Watson spent six seasons ultimately with the Aces and while a solid starter, he didn’t live up to the highs of the Charlotte run. Small injuries caused him to miss a month or two in his first few seasons with Atlanta and he missed his entire fifth season with Atlanta due to a torn PCL. He came back with a respectable 1946 at age 34, but was let go at the end of the season. With Atlanta, Watson had 681 hits, 403 runs, 143 doubles, and 24.4 WAR.

He returned to his baseball home of Charlotte in 1947 and showed flashes of the old Watson with a 6.3 WAR season and his lone Gold Glove. He finished in Charlotte with a total of 1733 hits, 939 runs, 313 doubles, 119 triples, 115 home runs, 749 RBI, a .313 average, and 71.8 WAR. By this point, the Canaries were a rebuilding team and didn’t bring him back the next year. But his #7 uniform would be retired once his career was up, joining fellow Hall of Famer Domingo Martinez as the only Canaries with the distinction.

Watson would play five more MLB seasons ultimately. He signed with Seattle in 1948 and 1949, Ottawa in 1950 and 1951, and finally Oklahoma City in 1952 at age 40. He still provided positive value, but began to fade like all players do. He was able to cross a major milestone in the last year with the Outlaws; 3000 career hits. Watson was the 26^th player to earn the feat. He also retired fifth in doubles and would be the 12^th hitter inducted with 100+ career WAR.

The final stats for Watson: 3007 hits, 1643 runs, 576 doubles, 210 triples, 172 home runs, 1269 RBI, 1197 walks, 692 stolen bases, a .295/.376/.444 slash and 108.4 WAR. A stellar career that is perhaps overlooked by some due to a steady but unremarkable second half. It seems like 83.4% is a bit low considering the accolades, but Watson regardless is a first ballot Hall of Famer.

Halton Walker – Center Fielder – Cincinnati Reds – 72.2% First Ballot

Halton Walker was a 6’0’’, 195 pound left-handed centerfielder from Lorain, Ohio; a smaller city located on Lake Erie. Walker was an excellent contact hitter who had solid gap power and above average speed. He wasn’t a dominant home run hitter, but averaged around 20 per season while adding a nice chunk of doubles and triples. Walker rarely drew walks, but also very rarely struck out. He played his entire career in center field and was considered a reliably good and solid defender.

Almost all of Walker’s baseball career would be in his native Ohio. He attended Kent State University and after his junior year, was picked 25^th overall in the 1935 MLB Draft by St. Louis. Walker wouldn’t sign with the college and returned for his senior year with the Golden Flashes, winning a Gold Glove. In the 1936 Draft, he was picked by Cincinnati 11^th overall and signed with the Reds. He was an immediate success, winning the National Association Rookie of the Year in 1937 with a 7.6 WAR season. He also won a Silver Slugger and finished second in MVP voting

His second year was arguably his best with a career best 9.0 WA and the NA lead and career high of 222 hits. He was third in MVP voting and won his second Silver Slugger. He won his third and final SS in 1940 with a career-best 126 RBI, taking third again in MVP voting. He never again was at the top of award lists but he would have 5+ WAR seasons in 12 of his 13 years with the Reds, only missing it in 1947 due to missing time to injury. Cincinnati made it to the playoffs six times with Walker, although they never made it to the World Series. In 34 games, he had 48 hits, 19 runs, 28 RBI, a .350 average and 1.2 WAR. In total with the Reds, Walker had 2388 hits, 1198 runs, 336 doubles, 185 triples, 223 home runs, 1163 RBI, a .317/.360/.500 slash and 85.4 WAR. His #20 uniform would be retired at the end of his career.

At the end of the 1949 season, Cincinnati traded Walker to Los Angeles for three prospects. In his one year with the Angels, he crossed 2500 career hits, although he struggled. He signed at age 36 with Dallas and spent his final two seasons with the Dalmatians, retiring at the end of the 1952 season.

The final stats for Walker: 2749 hits, 1350 runs, 381 doubles, 203 triples, 250 home runs, 1297 RBI, a .309/.352/.482 slash and 89.2 WAR. He had a great start to his career and was a reliable starter and contributor for more than a decade as the face of the Reds, earning a first-ballot induction at 72.2%.

Jacob Gosselin – Starting Pitcher – Vancouver Volcanoes – 72.2% Seventh Ballot

Jacob Gosselin was a 5’8’, 185 pound left-handed starting pitcher from Calgary, Alberta. Gosselin wasn’t outstanding at any one aspect, but was good to solid at all facets of pitching. His 92-94 mph velocity wasn’t amazing, but he had solid movement and control and was excellent at coaxing groundballs. His most dominant pitch was a changeup, mixed with a slider, curveball, and sinker. He was also known as being durable and as a solid defensive pitcher.

Gosselin left for the United States for college, playing at Notre Dame. He returned to western Canada when drafted 36^th overall in the 1927 MLB Draft by Vancouver. Gosselin spent eight seasons with the Volcanoes, peaking with an American Association-best 2.53 ERA in 1935. That year, he placed second in Pitcher of the Year voting; the closest he got to winning the big award. He put up 39.2 WAR and a 118-80 record in this run with Vancouver as an above average regular starter for a struggling franchise. Before the 1936 season, the 28-year old Gosselin was traded for prospects to Milwaukee.

After one year with the Mustangs, Gosselin signed with his hometown Calgary on a six-year, $116,400 contract. With the Cheetahs, he posted five seasons of 5.9+ WAR and helped them to a World Series appearance in 1940 and an AACS in 1941. Although he was inducted into the HOF with Vancouver, he was arguably more impressive with Calgary. In his run, he was 113-67 with a 3.25 ERA, 1191 strikeouts over 1665.1 innings, and 44.8 WAR.

Late in the 1943 season, Gosselin required elbow ligament reconstruction surgery. He returned to the minor league Edmonton affiliate in late 1944 and suffered a torn UCL, putting him out another year. He attempted another comeback and made a few minor league starts in 1945. At age 38, he was signed by Houston and made his Major League return, but struggled and was cut by the Hornets. Later that year, Vancouver brought him back and he found a brief resurgence, getting to 250 career wins exactly. Gosselin retired after the 1946 season at age 39.

The final stats for Gosselin: 250-169, 3.29 ERA, 3957 innings, 2774 strikeouts, 950 walks, 307 quality starts, 215 complete games, and 94.3 WAR. He quietly put up a solid resume, but his lack of dominance, strikeouts, and major awards made many view Gosselin as a “Hall of Very Good” type. His first four years on the ballot he was in the 40-50% range, then got a bump to 61.6% on his fifth try. He fell again on the sixth ballot, but made enough gains to join the 1958 class with 72.2%.

FuzzyRussianHat · 06-03-2023, 05:46 AM

Three players earned induction into the Central American Baseball Association in the 1958 class, each on the first ballot. SS Emmanuel Zavala was the star of the class at 93.2%, joined by SP Jeron Evans at 83.2% and 1B Ildefonso Vasquez at 74.2%. 2B Ray Reyes was close on his sixth ballot at 61.9% but ultimately short of the 66% threshold. One other player, LF Se-Hyeon Kim, was just above 50%.

Dropped after his tenth ballot was OF Willy Samuel, who peaked on his third ballot at 40.8%. In his CABA run almost exclusively with Ecatepec, he had 1587 hits, 740 runs, 287 doubles, a .335/.391/.474 slash and 56.4 WAR. Samuel was an important part of the Explosion’s title runs, but he left for MLB at age 31 and lost potential CABA accumulations. That, plus injuries in his 30s, kept Samuel down the list despite a very impressive run in his 20s.

Emmanuel “Punk” Zavala – Shortstop – Leon Lions – 93.2% First Ballot

Emmanuel Zavala was a 6’2’’ 195 pound right-handed shortstop from Nuevo Laredo on the Mexico/Texas border. Zavala was an ironman at shortstop, making 139+ starts every year in all but the final season of his 19-year professional career. He was a strong contact hitter with respectable home run power and solid baserunning skills. He didn’t draw walks very often and struck out more than you’d like, but he offered unparalleled offensive production for the position. He was a career shortstop and while not a Gold Glove winner, he was as reliably above average to good defender.

Zavala was a highly touted prospect as an amateur and earned the first overall selection in the 1933 CABA Draft by Leon. Zavala spent his entire professional career with the Lions and was an immediate success, taking second in Rookie of the Year voting. In year two, he won his first of 16 consecutive Silver Sluggers at shortstop. Zavala is the first player in professional baseball history to win the award 16 times and as of 2037, one of only three in any professional league to do it. He had 14 straight 6+ WAR seasons beginning with his third season.

In 1938, Zavala led the Mexican League with 11.5 WAR, earning his first MVP. He’d also lead in WAR in 1942 (9.7) and 1943 (8.0). Despite his accolades, he wasn’t one to lead the league in other stats other than when he led in RBI in 1944. He won his second MVP in 1942, was third in 1937, second in 1944, and third in 1949 at the ripe old age of 37.

After a rough start to the 1930s, Leon started finding success with Zavala leading the way by the end of the decade. They were the 1939 and 1941 CABA champion and were runner-up in 1942. Zavala was a beast in 1939, winning both Mexican League Championship Series MVP and CABA Championship MVP with 18 hits in 14 games, 7 runs, 4 home runs, and 11 RBI. He struggled a bit in the other two runs, but still helped the Lions to additional success. In 39 playoff games, Zavala had 37 hits, 15 runs, 5 home runs, 18 RBI, and 1.0 WAR. Leon remained a top-half of the standings team for the rest of the 1940s, but wouldn’t make the playoffs again during Zavala’s tenure.

He stayed loyal to the team, continuing to produce at a very high level well into his 30s. Zavala also played for the Mexican national team in the first five World Baseball Championship events, posting 34 hits, 25 runs, 7 home runs, and 18 RBI in 50 games. Age started to catch up to Zavala as the 1950s dawned, but he stuck around long enough to became the first CABA player to reach 3000 career hits. He was a bench player primarily in this final season, but fans nationwide were delighted to see the extremely popular Zavala reach the milestone. He retired after the 1952 season and saw his #6 uniform retired soon after.

The final stats for Zavala, 3044 hits, 1454 runs, 386 doubles, 166 triples, 497 home runs, 1486 RBI, 804 stolen bases, a .279/.314/.482 slash, and 134.1 WAR. His time as the all-time hit king would be short-lived thanks to Prometheo Garcia passing him later in the decade. He also retired with the most games played of any CABA player at 2951, which would hold until the 1960s. At retirement, he was second all-time in WAR for a CABA hitter behind only Kiko Velazquez. Zavala was a true ironman and one of the best offensive shortstops in professional baseball history, easily earning the first ballot nod. If anything, 93.2% seems too low for his resume.

Jeron Evans – Starting Pitcher – Puerto Rico Pelicans – 83.2% First Ballot

Jeron Evans was a 5’11’’, 175 pound right-handed pitcher from Maroon Town, a tiny settlement in northwest Jamaica. Evans had one of the more unique profiles of a prominent pitcher. He had excellent velocity around 99-101 mph and pinpoint control of a great fastball, mixed with a good splitter and cutter, and weak curveball. However, his movement was often terrible, ranked a 2/10 by most scouts even at his peak. He had a ton of strikeouts and very few walks, but flat pitches meant he’d allow a lot of home runs. Evans led the Caribbean League in strikeouts eight times, but also led in home runs allowed eight times. This meant Evans was very boom-or-bust.

After drawing attention as a talented teenager in Jamaica, he was picked on the second round, 32^nd overall, by Puerto Rico in the 1934 CABA Draft. He made his debut in1937 at age 22 and struggled as a rookie, but he soon began overpowering many hitters with his stuff. In his fourth season in 1940, he lead the league in strikeouts; the first of eight straight seasons doing so. Evans never won Pitcher of the Year, but took second in voting in 1943, 44, and 46.

During those prime years, the Pelicans became a contender, winning the Island Division six straight years from 1941-46. Puerto Rico won the Caribbean League championship in 41, 43, 44, and 45; and took the overall CABA title in 1944. In 130.2 postseason innings, Evans had a 7-4 record, 3.93 ERA, 157 strikeouts, 26 home runs allowed, nine walks, and 1.9 WAR. In 1947 at age 32, he became the 11^th CABA pitcher to 3500 career strikeouts and seemed like someone who could maybe even challenge Ulices Montero’s all-time mark of 5849;, or at least become the second member of the 5K club.

Alas, late in the 1947 season, Evans suffered a torn labrum. He stuck around the league for another five seasons, but was never the same or able to put together a full season. He suffered a torn UCL at the start of 1949, had severe shoulder inflammation in 1950, and a torn back muscle in 1951 Evans was able to stick around long enough to be the 20^th CABA pitcher to 200 wins, retiring after the 1952 season at age 38. For his part in their 1940s dynasty, the career Pelican had his #24 uniform retired at the end of his career.

The final stats for Evans: 207-142 record, 3.23 ERA, 3162.2 innings, 3798 strikeouts to only 372 walks, but 514 home runs allowed, a 0.97 WHIP, 243/395 quality starts, and 56.0 WAR. His walks allowed would be among the lowest of all CABA Hall of Fame starters, but his home runs allowed would be second-worst all-time despite not having a full season after age 32. His strikeouts made him an impressive force, but the dingers meant he allowed more runs than your typical Hall of Famer and was ranked unfavorably by many advanced metrics. Still, he was the ace during a Caribbean League dynasty run for Puerto Rico, earning Evans the first ballot nod at 83.2%.

Ildefonso Vazquez – First Baseman – Puerto Rico Pelicans – 74.2% First Ballot

Ildefonso Vazquez was a 5’1’’, 200 pound right-handed first baseman from Jaguey Grande, a small city in west-central Cuba. Vazquez was a well-rounded bat with excellent contact skills and solid power in the middle of the lineup. He was middling in terms of drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts, but he made up for that easily with quality hits. He was a very slow baserunner, but considered generally a reliable defensive first baseman, which is where he spent his entire career. Vazquez was well liked and known as a prankster that caused good-natured chaos in the clubhouse.

He was spotted as a teenager in Cuba and was picked 13^th overall in the 1932 CABA Draft by Puerto Rico. Like HOF classmate Jeron Evans, Vazquez spent his entire pro career with the Pelicans. Although picked in 1932, he wasn’t a full-timer until the 1937 at age 24, although he did make sparing appearances in 1934 and 1936. He was a part-time starter in his first two years, then a full-time starter from 1939 until his final season in 1952. In each of those seasons, he made 149+ starts as an incredibly durable ironman.

1939 was the breakout year for Vazquez, earning the Caribbean League batting title with a .330 average and career/league best 207 hits. This was the first of his five Silver Slugger seasons, also earning the award in 1941, 42, 44, and 48. 1941 was his career season, leading the Caribbean in runs (110), hits (199), doubles (40), average (.336), OPS (.992), and WAR (9.2), earning his lone MVP. He was second in MVP voting in 1942 with career highs in home runs (44) and RBI (130). He never quite replicated that success in the rest of career, but was still a reliable solid presence in the lineup.

Like mentioned above with Evans, Puerto Rico became a Caribbean League power in the early 1940s. Vazquez shined in the playoffs, posting a line in 60 starts of 85 hits, 46 runs, 12 doubles, 27 home runs, 63 RBI, a .351 average, and 4.8 WAR. He was the 1944 CABA Championship MVP and his 27 playoff home runs was the CABA record until passed by Solomon Aragon about 30 years later. He remained steady as the Pelicans began to rebuild into the 1950s. After a resurgence at age 38 in 1951, he fell off noticeably the next year, retiring after the 1952 season.

The final stats for Vazquez: 2660 hits, 1282 runs, 421 doubles, 465 home runs, 1438 RBI, a .290/.335/.498 slash and 74.2 WAR. He was about as reliable as could be at first base for 15 years and stepped up big time in the postseason, playing a critical role in Puerto Rico’s 1940s success. Still, he only got 74.2% of the vote, perhaps a bit low, but still high enough to forever list Vazquez as a first-ballot CABA Hall of Famer.

FuzzyRussianHat · 06-03-2023, 02:46 PM

The East Asia Baseball Hall of Fame added two members in the 1958 class, both on the first ballot. 1B Kazushi Takano made it in at 83.7% and was joined by SP Yoshiki Yamane at 73.3%. SP Young-Gil Chyu was close on his second try but short of the 66% threshold with 59.9%. SS Soo-Hyn Choo on his fourth attempt and LF Bum-Young Ahn on his third both also were above the 50% mark.

Two players were dropped after ten tries on the ballot. LF Sang-Yun Hyun played his entire 14 year career with Goyang and peaked at 48.3% on his second ballot. He was the 1937 Korea League MVP and had 2018 hits, 1092 runs, 380 home runs, 1133 RBI, a .273/.322/.522 slash and 65.4 WAR. He fell off hard as he entered his 30s and was retired at 35, hurting his final accumulations.

Also dropped was SS Mamoru Miura, who played 18 years and almost entirely with Hiroshima. He peaked at 41.0% of the vote on his first and fifth ballots and plummeted to 10.5% at the end. He had 2435 hits, 1083 runs, 435 doubles, 347 home runs, 1146 RBI, a .264/.310/.450 slash and 94.9 WAR. He Is just behind Koson Mori (94.97 to 94.91) with the highest WAR total of someone to not make it into the EAB Hall to date and for whatever reason, never got much support.

Kazushi Takano – First Base/Center Field – Saitama Sting – 83.7% First Ballot

Kazushi Takano was a 5’10’’, 185 pound right-handed hitter from Saitama, Japan. A fan-favorite and hard-worker, Takano was a very good contact hitter who also offered home run power, hitting 40+ in five seasons and 30+ in nine seasons. He had surprisingly good speed for a power hitter and was able to turn his oddly rare doubles into uncommonly frequent triples. He wasn’t much for drawing walks and struck out more than average. Takano had an odd defensive profile, split between center field where he was viewed as below average and at first base, where he won three Gold Gloves. He made roughly 50% of his starts at 1B, 45% at CF, and 5% in LF.

Takano played college baseball at Takushoku Tokyo University and was selected by his hometown club Saitama second overall in the 1937 EAB Draft. He was an immediate success, winning Rookie of the Year in 1938 with a 4.7 WAR season. Takano would post 6+ WAR in the next 10 seasons, combining durability and reliability with strong production. Takano won Silver Sluggers in 1939, 40, 41, 43, 46, and 47; and Gold Gloves in 42, 43, and 44.

The breakout year was his fourth in 1941, where he was only the second EAB hitter to achieve a Triple Crown season. He had a .349 average, .48 home runs, and 126 RBI; all career-bests. He also led Japan in runs (122), hits (203), triples (23), OBP (.405), slugging (.723), OPS (1.128), wRC+ (262). Those were all career bests, as was the 11.6 WAR and 56 stolen bases. The Sting won 98 games that year, but fell short of the division title to Kawasaki by two games.

Unfortunately in Takano’s run, Saitama only made the playoffs once in 1946. He wasn’t to blame though, winning MVP in that 1941 season and taking second in 1942, 43, and 46. In total with the Sting, Takano had 1788 hits, 1017 runs, 406 home runs, 1017 RBI, 433 stolen bases, a .284/.340/.565 slash and 85.1 WAR. His #19 uniform would be retired upon the end of his career.

Takano’s time in Saitama ended with a trade before the 1949 season to Nagoya. The 33-year old played that winter for Japan in the World Baseball Championship; his only appearance in the tournament. His one season with the Nightowls was okay, but below his prior standards as his power and speed diminished with age. The next season, Takano signed a five-year deal with Sapporo, but struggled and was traded after one season to Kitakyushu. He spent two seasons in a bench role with the Kodiaks, retiring after the 1952 season at age 36.

The final line for Takano: 2108 hits, 1172 runs, 243 doubles, 212 triples, 452 home runs, 1184 RBI, 516 stolen bases, a .279/.335/.547, and 92.7 WAR. He didn’t have the longevity compared to some other Hall of Famers, but in the early and mid 1940s, there were few hitters better in Japan. This burst and being a fan-favorite hometown hero gave Takano the push to earn first ballot induction at 83.7%.

Yoshiki Yamane – Starting Pitcher – Osaka Orange Sox – 73.3% First Ballot

Yoshiki Yamane was a 6’1’’, 190 pound left-handed starting pitcher from Isehara, a smaller city in the Kanto region of Japan. Yamane was known for having great stuff, succeeding despite having at times poor control and average movement. He had 94-96 mph velocity on his fastball, but used an excellent slider and curveball, plus a good changeup, to retire batters and force flyballs. Yamane was viewed as a team leader and as a solid defensive pitcher.

Yamane attended Nagoya Gakuin University and caught the attention of Osaka, who picked him 11^th overall in the 1938 East Asia Baseball Draft. He had a respectable debut season and with only 22 starts, earned Rookie of the Year honors in 1939. His second and third year were both unremarkable with arguably below average production, but he was able to sort out some control issues from there. In 1944, Yamane took third in Pitcher of the Year voting and in 1948, came closer with a second place finish. In 1944, he had a no-hitter against Kobe with 13 strikeouts and two walks. 1948 had a league and career best 23 wins with a 1.97 ERA and 6.3 WAR.

Postseason success played a big role in Yamane getting the nod. The Orange Sox made the playoffs from 1943-46, winning the EAB title in 1943 and the Japan League title in 1946. In the 1943 run, he was 3-0 over 25.1 innings with a 1.07 ERA. Along with a 1951 berth, Yamane had 11 postseason starts with a 6-3 record, 2.39 ERA, 83 innings, 74 strikeouts, and 1.1 WAR. Yamane began to decline into his early 30s, an unusual early drop as he didn’t have any significant injuries as are often associated which such falls. Yamane opted to retire at age 35 after the 1952 season, playing his entire pro career in Osaka. His #7 uniform would be retired that winter.

The final stats: 190-152, 2.79 ERA, 3216 innings, 3240 strikeouts, 854 walks, 278/406 quality starts, and 45.8 WAR. A good run, but advanced metrics and an early decline make Yamane someone often cited as a “Hall of Very Good” guy instead of HOF guy. His 45.8 WAR is second worst in the EAB Hall among non-relievers and his career FIP- of 97 suggests sustained averageness more than excellence. Still, he played his entire career with one team and had a solid role in some postseason success. This was enough for Yamane to get the nod on the first ballot at 73.3%.

FuzzyRussianHat · 06-04-2023, 05:26 AM

1958 saw only one player added to Beisbol Sudamerica’s Hall of Fame. Pitcher Hernan Alatorre was a first ballot pick with an impressive 93.9%. 1B Yuri Assuncao was nearly a first ballot selection as well, but his 65.3% was barely below the 66% threshold. Only one other player, SP Aldemar Ramires, as above 50%.

One was dropped after his 10^th ballot in catcher Armando Urquides, who fell to 10.2% after peaking at 43.8% on his second try. He was hurt by having his official BSA career start at age 27, but in 13 seasons with three teams he had seven Silver Sluggers, 1387 hits, and 55.2 WAR. The general anti-catcher bias of the Hall of Fame voters didn’t help his cause either as the relatively weak offensive tallies even by elite catches gets overlooked.

Hernan Alatorre – Starting Pitcher – Lima Lobos – 93.9% First Ballot

Hernan Alatorre was a 6’2’’, 205 pound left-handed pitcher from Lima, Peru. Alatorre was known for having very good control and solid stuff, finding success despite having velocity that peaked in the 89-91 range. His fastball wasn’t his go-to though, a great slider and an outstanding changeup carried Alatorre to success. He was also a very good defensive pitcher and generally pretty durable. His skill led to a long career despite being generally viewed as a total jerk who lacked hustle. This meant Alatorre isn’t entirely remembered as fondly as you’d expect as a Hall of Famer who spent nearly his entire pro career in his hometown.

The Lima native was selected by the Lobos in the 1936 Beisbol Sudamerica Draft and finished third in Rookie of the Year voting in 1937. He became a fixture in the rotation for around 15 years, posting reliably consistent numbers for a struggling franchise that never made the playoffs in his run. He had 10 seasons of 300+ strikeouts and seven seasons of 7+ WAR. Still, he never won Pitcher of the Year and finished top three only once, taking second in 1946. That year had a career and league-best 9.4 WAR and 0.79 WHIP.

In the summer of 1944, Lima traded him to Fortaleza for three prospects. But as a free agent in the offseason, he signed back up with the Lobos for another seven seasons. He had a no-hitter against Medellin in 1942 and on April 30, 1950, had his crowning achievement with Beisbol Sudamerica’s 15^th perfect game. Alatorre struck out eight in the perfect against Valencia. He also was on the Peruvian national team in the first six World Baseball Championship tournaments, posting a 4.38 ERA over 72 innings with 82 strikeouts.

Before the 1952 season, the 38-year old Alatorre was traded to Cali, which allowed him to experience his only BSA postseason as the Cyclones were Bolivar League champ. He had two strong starts in that run with a 1.62 ERA over 16.2 innings with 14 strikeouts. His overall numbers had weakened, but Alatorre was still good enough to hang around at this point. However, he decided that the playoff run with Cali was a good place to end, retiring at age 38. He would the next year see his #16 uniform retired back home in Lima.

The final stats for Alatorre: 238-193, 2.53 ERA, 4046 innings, 4703 strikeouts, 711 walks, 375/516 quality starts, 144 complete games, and 101.6 WAR. In an odd way, he somewhat quietly built up an impressive resume. He was the fifth BSA pitcher to 4500 career strikeouts and the 12^th to 200 wins. Among the HOF leaderboard, his numbers certainly don’t look out of place. Despite rarely leading the league, being on a weak franchise, and being a bit rude, Alatorre’s credentials were undeniable and he grabbed a first ballot spot at 93.9%.

FuzzyRussianHat · 06-04-2023, 11:22 AM

The 1958 World Baseball Championship was held in Seville, Spain. In Division 1, the defending champion United States advanced to the round robin with a 7-0 record, although they had a stiff challenge from Italy at 6-1. A very competitive Division 2 went to South Korea at 5-2, finishing one game better than Bolivia, Honduras, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico. Division 3 was even tighter with the top four teams all 4-3 and the bottom four all at 3-4. Belarus, France, Romania, and Ukraine each were in the upper group and the tiebreaker went to the Ukrainians. Last year’s runner-up Canada missed at 3-4. In Division 4, Belgium and Spain both finished 6-1 and the tiebreaker sent the Belgians into the next round.

Division 5 had a four-way tie for the top spot at 5-2 between Germany, Kazakhstan, Mexico, and Poland with the Germans moving forward on the tiebreaker. Division 6 had a three-way tie at 5-2 between Brazil, the Czech Republic, and Peru; the Brazilians advanced on the tiebreaker In Division 7, North Korea won outright at 6-1, a game ahead of both Russia and Switzerland. And in Division 8, Chile and Colombia tied for first at 6-1 with the Colombians going to the Round Robin on the tiebreaker.

In the Double Round Robin Group A, the Americans and Ukrainians moved forward with 4-2 records, while Germany and Belgium both were ousted at 2-4. This sends Ukraine to the semifinal for the first time. Meanwhile, Group B had Brazil on top at 5-1 to earn their second semifinal appearance. South Korea and Colombia were 3-3 and North Korea was 1-5. The Colombians took the tiebreaker to advance to the semi for the third time.

Ukraine handled Colombia 4-1 to advance to the championship for the first time, while the United States downed Brazil in five games. The World Championship saw the Americans prevail 4-1, giving the US back-to-back titles, three in four years, and seven in the tournament’s first 12 years.

Tournament MVP went to American Ross Strickland. A 24-year old centerfielder playing for Minneapolis, he had a tournament-best 21 runs, 32 hits, 16 stolen bases, and 1.6 WAR; adding a .344 average, 8 home runs, and 21 RBI. South Korean’s Tae-Yang So was named the Best Pitcher. The 30-year old closer for Sapporo and 1955 Reliever of the Year tossed 11 scoreless innings in three appearances for two saves, 22 strikeouts, three walks, and 1.0 WAR.

FuzzyRussianHat · 06-05-2023, 05:26 AM

The European League saw both Kyiv and Minsk win their respective divisions for the third straight season. The Miners led the league overall at 104-58 atop the North Division. The Kings claimed the South Division at 103-59, edging Bucharest (102-60) by one game. The defending Eurasian Professional Baseball champion Broncos still earned their fourth straight playoff berth with the wild card. At 96-66, Kharkiv took the final wild card for their first-ever playoff berth, beating out Moscow by one game.

European League MVP went to Kharkiv’s Stepan Pavlyukovets. The 24-year old Belarusian LF was EPB’s first-ever batting Triple Crown winner with a .325 average, 52 home runs, and 122 RBI, tying the single-season home run record thus far in EPB’s four year history. He also led in hits (192), OBP (.3820, slugging (.653), OPS (1.036), and WAR (7.4). Bucharest’s Bogdan Chirita won his second Pitcher of the Year. The 31-year old Romanian was the leader in ERA (1.85), WHIP (0.85), FIP- (40), and WAR (12.6) with 301 strikeouts over 263 innings.

The best overall record in EPB narrowly went to Asian League North Division champ Novosibirsk at 108-54, getting their first division title and back-to-back playoff berths. Dushanbe at 107-55 was the South Division champ for a fourth straight berth, but their first division title. Krasnoyarsk (104-58) and Almaty (101-61) took the wild card spots with Yekaterinburg (100-62) and Irkutsk (95-67) narrowly missing. It is the second wild card in four years for the Cossacks and four straight for the Assassins.

The Asian League MVP and Pitcher of the Year both went to Baku’s Skerdi Hoxha despite the Blackbirds going .500 for the year. He was the leader in wins at 22-3 and ERA at 1.52, also leading in WHIP (0.86) and quality starts (28). He also had 10.0 WAR and 266 innings with 283 strikeouts and earned his fourth straight Gold Glove.

In the first round of the playoffs, Kharkiv upset Minsk 3-1 and Kyiv survived in five games against Bucharest in the European League. In the Asian League, Almaty upset Novosibirsk in four and Dushanbe edged Krasnoyarsk in five. The all-Ukraine ELCS saw the Kings prevail in six over the Killer Bees, while the ALCS had the Dynamo over the Assassins in a seven-game classic. The Soviet Series had two teams in it for the first time and saw Kyiv defeat Dushanbe in five games.

Other notes: Warsaw’s Dan Vaarala threw the fourth EPB perfect game with six strikeouts against Vilnius on June 9. Krasnoyarsk’s Sergei Mammedov had a 30-game hitting streak, the first EPB player to get 30+.

FuzzyRussianHat · 06-05-2023, 12:22 PM

For the ninth season of the European Baseball Federation, the mound was lowered as stats had fallen from year one to year eight. The Northern Conference went from a .227 league average and 3.12 ERA to .245 and 3.341 in 1958, while the Southern Conference went from .237 and 3.29 to .249 and 3.69.

The Northern Conference didn’t have any 100+ win teams in 1958. The best overall record went to Hamburg at 95-67, earning their first-ever playoff berth as North Central Division champ. Berlin was second at 93-69 and earned the wild card, while defending European Champion Stockholm was 91-71 and missed the playoffs. The Barons earned their third playoff berth in franchise history. The Northwest Division was a tight battle with Luxenbourg winning for the first time. The Lancers finished 92-70, finishing three better than both Amsterdam and Rotterdam and four better than Brussels. In the British Isles Division, Birmingham won a third straight title with a 88-74 mark, beating Belfast by six games and Glasgow by seven.

NC MVP went to Paris LF Gabriel Staudt. The 30-year old Swiss righty was the conference leader in home runs (54), RBI (136), runs (115), slugging (.674), OPS (1.046), wRC+ (201), and WAR (9.3). Stoudt also won his seventh Silver Slugger, the first EBF player to earn seven. Rotterdam’s Trent Addams was Pitcher of the Year, earning the EBF’s third Triple Crown pitching season. The 26-year old Scot had a 24-3 record, 1.56 ERA, and 367 strikeouts over 248.2 innings with a 30 FIP- and league-record 13.1 WAR.

The best overall record in the EBF came in the Southern Conference from Lisbon, who won the Southwest Division at 105-57 for their fourth playoff berth in five years. Milan claimed the South Central Division at 93-69 for their first playoff berth since 1953, finishing four games ahead of Zurich. Defending conference champ Naples fell to 75-87. The Southeast Division champ was Athens at 92-70, earning their first-ever playoff appearance. Zurich at 89-73 narrowly grabbed the wild card for their fourth appearance in five years. The Mountaineers were one game ahead of Seville, four better than Madrid, and five over Marseille.

Southern Conference MVP went to Munich 2B Jonathan Fossdal. The 25-year old from Norway was the conference leader in WAR (10.9) and wRC+ (191), adding a .340 average, 38 home runs, and 114 RBI. Seville’s Armando Rojas won his third straight Pitcher of the Year. The 26-year old led in ERA for the fourth time in career with 2.01 and WAR for the third straight season with a career-best 12.2. He also led in strikeouts (36), WHIP (0.83), quality starts (29), and FIP- (44).

In the first round in the Northern Conference playoffs, both series went all five games. Hamburg edged Birmingham and Berlin edged Luxembourg for an all-Germany conference final. In the Southern Conference, Zurich upset Lisbon in a sweep and Milan dropped Athens 3-1. The NCC saw the Barons beat the Hammers in five games to send Berlin to the European final for the first time. The SCC was a seven-game classic with the Mountaineers outlasting the Maulers, sending Zurich to their first European Championship. It would be a rout as Berlin swept the Mountaineers for their first title and the second title by a German team. It was the first time the European Championship series was a sweep.

Other notes; The seventh EBF perfect game was thrown on September 13 by Belfast’s Arran MacNair, who stuck out eight against Dublin. This was the only no-hitter for the entire season. Pietro Ribsi became the first pitcher to 2500 career strikeouts. CF Mercury Hand won his eighth consecutive Gold Glove.

FuzzyRussianHat · 06-06-2023, 05:33 AM

Defending Copa Sudamerica champion Callao won the Bolivar League South Division for the third straight year in 1958 and for the fourth time in five years. The Cats were 100-62, nine games better than second place Guayaquil. In the North Division, Barquisimeto took the title at 99-63 for back-to-back playoff berths, finishing two games better than Caracas.

Bolivar League MVP went to 2B Remberto Borja of Barquisimeto, earning his second career MVP. The 28-year old Venezuelan was the league leader in WAR (10.5), OBP (.427), and triples (24), adding a .356 average, 101 runs, and 208 hits. Guayaquil righty Laurenco Cedillo won his first of what would be seven Pitcher of the Year awards. In his second full season, the 23-year old Chilean led the league in WAR (8.4), strikeouts (352), and wins (20), posting a 2.47 ERA over 265.2 with 29 quality starts.

Defending Southern Cone champ Sao Paulo won the Brazil Division for the sixth straight season, but had to win a war to do so. The Padres finished 104-58, outracing Rio de Janeiro at 103-59. Salvador (95-67) and Fortaleza (92-70) were both in the race for much of the year as well. Santiago won back-to-back South Division titles, 12 games better than Buenos Aires with a 97-65 mark.

Santiago two-way player Jay Carrizales was the league MVP. The 26-year old left-handed Santiago native as a pitcher had 8.4 WAR, a 19-11 record, 2.61 ERA, 308 strikeouts, and 272.2 innings. As a right fielder, Carrizales had 6.3 WAR with a .307 average, 21 home runs, 126 hits, and 53 runs. He also earned Gold Glove at pitcher. Sao Paulo’s Angel Souza won his third Pitcher of the Year in four years. The 28-year old Brazilian righty led the league with 25 wins, adding a 1.74 ERA, 284.2 innings, 339 strikeouts, and 7.3 WAR.

The Bolivar League Championship Series was a rematch and this time, Barquisimeto reversed the script on Callao. The Black Cats earned a sweep for their first-ever league title. The Southern Cone Championship was also a rematch and was a seven-game thriller. Game seven went 11 innings with Sao Paulo winning it 7-6, taking the series over Santiago for back-to-back league titles and their fifth title. The Padres kept that momentum into Copa Sudamerica, defeating Barquisimeto in five games. This is Sao Paulo’s second cup win, joining the 1942 campaign.

Other notes: Slugger Diego Pena became the first BSA hitter to reach 700 career home runs. Pena added five more the next year at age 44, finishing with a career tally of 725. He also finished with 1754 RBI and 1596 runs, both all-time records at retirement and his 153.6 WAR was the all-time mark for a batter. R.J. Correa became the fourth hitter to 1500 career RBI and the eighth to 500 home runs. Diego Mena became the 15^th pitcher to 4000 strikeouts. CF Loury Nova won his 13^th Gold Glove, a Beisbol Sudamerica record.

FuzzyRussianHat · 06-06-2023, 12:12 PM

Japan’s best record in 1958 with to Saitama, as the Sting earned their first playoff berth since 1946. They finished at 103-59, defeating the last two North Division division champs in a tight race as Sapporo was 100-62 and Sendai was 97-65. Meanwhile, the South Division was a two-team battle between Osaka and Kobe. The Orange Sox prevailed at 94-68, two games better than the defending league champion Blaze. For Osaka, it is their first division title since 1951.

Saitama’s two-way star Tadasumi Tanbae won league MVP for the third straight season AND Pitcher of the Year for the second straight. On the mound, the 27-year old from Akita was the league leader in wins (23), K/BB (9.8), FIP- (68), and WAR (7.8), adding a 2.32 ERA over 259.2 innings with 255 strikeouts. In the outfielder, Tanabe smacked 41 home runs in only 122 games at the plate with 8.2 WAR, a .353/.403/.694 slash, 84 RBI, and 85 runs. The combined WAR total was an East Asia Baseball single-season record which wouldn’t get passed until the 21^st Century. In another notable, the Rookie of the Year and Reliever of the Year went to the same player for the first time. Yokohama’s Song-Il Chae had a 1.48 ERA over 97.1 innings with 113 strikeouts.

Defending EAB champ Hamhung took the Korea League North Division for the fourth straight season, cruising to the title at 99-63. Changwon earned back-to-back in the South Division but had to face a much tougher field. The Crabs at 98-64 were just one game ahead of Ulsan and eight better than Busan.

For the third straight season, Changwon had the league MVP. For the second time, that was LF Lei Meng. The 27-year old slugger fell one dinger short of the EAB single-season record with 63. Meng also was the league leader in RBI (146) and WAR (10.6) while adding a .319 average, 191 hits, and 124 runs. Pitcher of the Year went to Jae-Ha Pak of Ulsan, his third time winning the award. The 30-year old won it in 1953 and 1955 and left Incheon for the Swallows in free agency for the 1958 season. Pak was the league leader in strikeouts (311), K/BB (14.1), FIP- (52), and WAR (11.0), recognized as the top pitcher despite a 14-15 record. He had a 2.82 ERA over 271 innings.

The Japan League Championship Series ended up being a dud as Osaka surprisingly swept Saitama. This gave the Orange Sox their fifth league title and first since 1945. The Korea League Championship Series was more competitive, but still saw Hamhung prevail in the rematch with Changwon in six games. For the Heat, that gives them three titles in four years and seven overall. The Heat added their third East Asian Championship ring in four years as well, defeating Osaka 4-2. The Hamhung dynasty is the first in EAB history to win three overall titles in a four year stretch. They’re also the second to repeat, joining Yokohama (1926-27).

Other notes: on June 15, Hamhung’s Hongnan Zheng had the first EAB perfect game since 1950, striking out eight against Daejeon. Haruo Matsuzaki became the 16^th pitcher to 3500 career strikeouts. Ju-An Pak became the 10^th hitter to 500 home runs. Takashi Ishihara became the ninth to 2500 hits and sixth to 1500 runs scored. Seong-Jun Han crossed 1500 runs scored six days after Ishihara. Nariyuki Yanagisawa won his 10^th Silver Slugger at third base, only the third player to win the award 10 times.

FuzzyRussianHat · 06-07-2023, 05:19 AM

Defending CABA champion Monterrey won a fourth consecutive Mexican League North Division in 1958, although the Matadors faced a strong challenge. Monterrey finished at 97-65, while both Chihuahua and Tijuana were two back at 95-67. The best overall record in the league went to South Division champ Leon at 102-60. Defending division champ Guadalajara was second at 12 games back. For the Lions, it is their first playoff berth since the 1942 season.

Guadalajara slugger Prometheo Garcia won his sixth league MVP and first since 1955. The 35-year old 1B still hasn’t lost a step, leading the league in batting average (.375), hits (232), and runs (119), while adding 46 home runs, 122 RBI, and 9.6 WAR. In the season, he also became the second CABA hitter to reach 3000 career hits and the sixth to get 1500 RBI. Monterrey’s Wily Orantes won his third Pitcher of the Year in four seasons. He led in ERA for the fourth straight year at 1.85 and led in WHIP at 0.89. He had a 17-5 record, 148 strikeouts over 204 innings and 4.4 WAR. It would be the last great season for the 32-year old as a torn rotator cuff midway through 1959 effectively ended his run.

Defending Caribbean League champ Santo Domingo had the best record in CABA at 106-56, outracing 99-63 Puerto Rico for the Island Division title. After missing the last two years, Honduras was back atop the Continental Division in 1958 at 88-64. The Horsemen were four games ahead of last year’s winner Costa Rica.

MVP went to Nicaragua first baseman Jonathan Suarez. It is the second for the 33-year old Honduran, who also took the award in 1951. Suarez led the league in home runs (52) and WAR (7.0), adding a .315 average and 124 RBI. Pitcher of the Year went to Santo Domingo’s Wilner Christian. The 28-year old Haitian lefty was the ERA leader at 2.11, also leading in WHIP (0.95), quality starts (26), FIP- (64), and WAR (8.0). He had a 20-6 record over 243 innings with 255 strikeouts.

Monterrey made it a Mexican League Championship Series four-peat, defeating Leon in the final in six games. They’re the third team in league history to win four straight. The Mexican League has had only two champs in the 1950s thanks to the Matador four-peat and the prior Mexicali five-peat. In the Caribbean League Championship Series, Honduras upset Santo Domingo in six games for their record 10^th league title. The Horsemen picked up their fourth CABA Championship, defeating Monterrey 4-2.

Other notes: Costa Rica’s Marc Cedillo threw a perfect game on May 29 against Guatemala with five strikeouts. 1B Salvador Islas earned his 12^th and final Gold Glove. CF Linus Williams became an 11 time Gold Glove winner. MVP winner Prometheo Garcia won his 10^th Silver Slugger.

FuzzyRussianHat · 06-07-2023, 12:12 PM

Hartford had the best record in the National Association and won the Eastern League for back-to-back seasons. The Huskies expanded their postseason streak to five years with a 102-60 record. Second was Brooklyn at 99-63, allowing an MLB-fewest 474 runs. The wild card gives the Dodgers their second-ever playoff berth (1934). The second wild card went to Pittsburgh at 98-64, giving the Pirates back-to-back wild card spots.

In the Midwest League, Louisville at 99-63 took first for only the second time in franchise history (1936). It is the first playoff berth for the Lynx since 1941. Defending NA champ Indianapolis was second at 96-66 and picked up the third wild card. The fourth and final wild card was back in the EL with Ottawa, Boston, Washington, and Philadelphia all in the mix. The Elks and Red Sox tied for the final spot at 92-70 with Ottawa advancing in a one-game playoff. This puts the 1956 National Association champ back in the postseason after just missing the prior year.

NA MVP went to Pittsburgh 3B Victor Pettit. In his first full season as a starter, the 22-year old led the National Association in runs with 106. He also posted 211 hits, 37 home runs, 111 RBI, a .339 average, and 8.0 WAR. Brooklyn’s John Delaney won back-to-back Pitcher of the Year awards. He led in innings (284) and quality starts (32). He posted a 24-9 record, 1.90 ERA, 223 strikeouts, and 7.9 WAR.

In the first round of the National Association playoffs, Pittsburgh beat Indianapolis 2-0 and Brooklyn downed Ottawa 2-0. In round two, the Pirates upset Hartford in four games and the Dodgers surprised Louisville in four. This setup an NACS final between Brooklyn, who had never gotten this far, and Pittsburgh, who only make it once back in 1913. The Dodgers swept the Pirates in the first NACS sweep since 1944, sending Brooklyn to the World Series for the first time.

The top mark in the American Association in 1958 went to San Diego, who won the Western League at 100-62. This gives the Seals a fourth straight playoff berth and sixth in seven years. They were seven games ahead of second place Las Vegas, who at 93-69 were the third wild card team. The Vipers earned their eighth playoff berth in the last nine seasons.

San Antonio at 99-63 won the Southern League for their first playoff spot since 1954. Defending SL champ Tampa was second at 96-66 and Nashville was third at 95-67, both getting in as wild cards. The Knights are back in for their fourth berth in five seasons. The battle for the final wild card was out west with defending World Series champ Vancouver and Los Angeles tying at 90-72, while four other teams were within four games. The Volcanoes won the one-game playoff to advance to the playoffs.

The American Association MVP and Pitcher of the Year both went to Tampa Thunderbirds. Martin Medina won back-to-back MVPs and his fourth of his career. The 31-year old 1B led in RB I (129), OBP (.425), and OPS (1.053). He had 45 home runs, 206 hits, 111 runs, and 8.5 WAR. Medina also picked up his eighth Silver Slugger. Meanwhile, veteran pitcher Trevor Brown got his second Pitcher of the Year. In his second year with the Thunderbirds, he led in innings with 301.1, posting a 21-11 record, 2.45 ERA, 179 strikeouts, and 8.1 WAR.

Nashville downed Las Vegas in two and Tampa eliminated Vancouver in three for the first round playoff matchups. San Diego defeated the Knights 3-1 and San Antonio beat the Thunderbirds 3-1, sending both league champs to the American Association Championship Series. The Seals downed the Oilers in five, winning their third AA title in four years and their fourth total. In the 1958 World Series, San Diego capped off a dynasty by defeating Brooklyn in five games. With that, the Seals become only the third franchise in MLB to win three World Series titles in a four year stretch. This would be the final ring of the run, but San Diego established themselves as a great dynasty.

Other notes: Hartford’s Jess Lewis became the sixth MLB player to 3500 career hits. He’d play one more year and would finish with 3714 hits, second all-time on the leaderboard behind only Stan Provost. He ended with 1918 runs, fourth all-time. Chance Warren became the 28^th to 3000 hits. Spenser Emond got to 250 career wins, the 21^st to do so. Madaleno Anziani won his 10^th Gold Glove at RF.

FuzzyRussianHat · 06-08-2023, 05:31 AM

Only one player was inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in the 1959 class. SP Juwan Oliver was a first ballot selection at 90.3%. Another first pitcher on his first ballot, Brentley Suka, came close at 62.8% but was just short of the 66% threshold. Four others were above 50%.

One of those was SP Patrick Iannazzo, who was dropped after his 10^th ballot. He finished at 57.8% after barely missing the prior year at 65.0%. In 19 years between Portland, Atlanta, and Seattle, Iannazzo had a 261-185 record, 3.37 ERA, 2660 strikeouts, and 92.2 WAR. It was surprising considering the accumulated numbers and the 1937 Pitcher of the Year that Iannazzo didn’t get more support. But low strikeout numbers and being on weak teams in his run meant he ultimately was stuck as a “Hall of Very Good” guy.

Two others were dropped after a 10^th ballot, although neither got as close. Cam Sherburne won two Pitcher of the Year with Ottawa and had a 165-98 record, 3.04 ERA, and 60.4 WAR. A torn UCL at age 31 derailed his career and kept him from the final tallies needed, peaking at 35.8% on his first ballot. Closer Mo Eckerle was also dropped, peaking at 41.0% on his debut. He won two Reliever of the Year awards over 17 years with 285 saves, 2.03 ERA, and 39.9 WAR.

Juwan Oliver – Starting Pitcher – Dallas Dalmatians – 90.3% First Ballot

Juwan Oliver was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left-handed starting pitcher from Arlington, Texas. Oliver was known for having excellent control along with 98-100 mph velocity. His movement wasn’t known for being more than average at best, but he was expert at changing speeds between a fastball, circle change, and curveball. Oliver was also an ironman, who didn’t miss a start between 1938 to 1951. Oliver was a rare high school draft pick, coming out of Marcus High School; home of the Marauders. Having grown up in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, he was fittingly picked by the Dallas Dalmatians seventh overall in the 1934 MLB Draft.

Oliver spent two seasons in the minor league Fort Worth affiliate, making his MLB debut in 1937 at age 21. He slowly found his footing, eventually becoming the Dalmatians ace with four straight 7+ WAR seasons from 1941-44. He was the American Association leader in strikeouts in both 1941 (362) and 1943 (290).

Dallas grew from a bottom tier team to a contender during that stretch, making it to the World Series in 1942 and 1943. In nine playoff starts with the Dalmatians, Oliver had a 6-2 record, 3.42 ERA over 69.1 innings with 58 strikeouts. In eight seasons with Dallas, he had a 110-116 record, 3.82 ERA, 1686 strikeouts, and 43.1 WAR. He played enough of a role in their playoff success and was a hometown guy for his #6 uniform to be retired at the end of his career.

After spending his whole life in the area, Oliver left for free agency in 1945 and signed a five-year deal with Brooklyn. He spent three seasons with the Dodgers as a solid contributor, but not a dominant pitcher. Ultimately, he was never in the top three in Pitcher of the Year voting at any point in his career. With Brooklyn, he was 46-31 with a 3.23 ERA and 17.8 WAR. At the end of the 1947 season, the 32-year old Oliver was trade to Las Vegas.

Oliver spent the next five seasons with the Vipers and was a reliable starter for them. They became a playoff contender as the 1950s dawned, although Oliver’s postseason luck was limited. Still, in five years he had a 93-50 record, 3.40 ERA, and 26.0 WAR with 1110 strikeouts. He was released by Las Vegas and signed in 1953 with Denver in his final season. He struggled with the Dragons, but hit a few milestones, including becoming the eighth to 3500 career strikeouts and 19^th to 250 wins. Oliver retired after the 1953 season at age 37.

The final stats for Oliver; 259-220, 3.66 ERA, 4311.1 innings, 3568 strikeouts, 826 walks, 304/554 quality starts, 264 complete games, and 86.4 WAR. It is interesting to compare his line with Patrick Iannazzo, who was dropped after a 10^th ballot in the same year. But Oliver’s high strikeout total and lower walk total, plus having some playoff success with Dallas, gave Oliver the nod despite the lack of major accolades. Oliver not only got in, but was an impressive first ballot pick at 90.3%.

FuzzyRussianHat · 06-08-2023, 05:54 PM

The 1959 Central American Baseball Association Hall of Fame ballot was relatively unimpressive with only one inductee getting in after seven tries. Second baseman Ray Reyes got the bump on his seventh attempt at 77.5%. Closer Leroy Morillo was close on his eighth try, but fell short of the 66% mark at 63.5%. 3B Sandro Villanueba had a respectable debut at 604% and LE Se-Hyeon Kim at 56.5% on his second try was the others above 50%.

One player was dropped after the tenth go in RF Gabriel Tuitt. In his 14 seasons between Santiago, Haiti, and Guadalajara, he had 2110 hits, 1075 runs, 444 home runs, 1296 RBI, a .273 average, and 49.8 WAR. He won six Silver Sluggers, but didn’t have high enough accumulations to get the nod, peaking at 45.1% on his seventh try.

Ray “Ferret” Reyes – Second Baseman – Santo Domingo Dolphins – 77.3% Seventh Ballot

Ray Reyes was a 5’9’’, 200 pound right-handed second baseman from Santiago de Cuba, the second largest city in the country. Reyes was a terrific leadoff man who was a great contact hitter that could effectively draw walks. Reyes was a quick baserunner and solid base stealer as well, making him dangerous when he got on. Reyes didn’t have home run power at all, but was solid at finding the gap and getting extra bases with his speed. He was a career second baseman and considered a solid to good defender with a reliable glove at the position.

Reyes was drafted 14^th overall by Santo Domingo in the 1930 CABA Draft and would spend his entire professional career with the Dolphins. He made an unremarkable debut in 1931 and had some injuries. After an okay year two and a partial year three because a torn labrum, Reyes found his rhythm in year four. He won his lone Gold Glove in 1935 and picked up three Silver Sluggers in 1937, 1938, and 1946. Reyes led the Caribbean League in triples thrice, runs twice, walks twice, OBP four times, and stolen bases one.

He never was a top three MVP finisher, but posted 6+ seasons in 1937, 1938, and 1940; an impressive feat with only 25 career home runs. The Dolphins never made the playoffs in his run, but could rely on a solid presence at second base over the 1930s and 1940s. He was the eighth CABA player to 2500 career hits and became the second to 1000 career stolen bases, retiring second all-time at 1003. In 1945, a broken bone in his elbow put Reyes out for most of the season. He returned the next year at age 37 and was still solid, but struggled the next year. He did represent his native Cuba in the first World Baseball Championship and played his final game with the Cuban national team in 1948 at age 39, retiring after the tournament.

The final statistics for Reyes; 2530 hits, 1224 runs, 373 doubles, 283 triples, 25 home runs, 606 RBI, 905 walks, 1003 stolen bases, a .293/.362/.410 slash and 63.7 WAR. A solid career, but the lack of home runs and Santo Domingo struggling in that stretch meant Reyes wasn’t at the top of the list for many Hall of Fame voters. His debut at 44.0% made many think he wasn’t going to get in, although he steadily climbed in the coming attempts. In 1957, he barely missed at 65.3%, then dropped to 61.9%. Try number seven in 1959 was finally when he got the bump, making the cut at 77.5%.

FuzzyRussianHat · 06-09-2023, 05:15 AM

Two players were inducted in 1959 to the East Asia Baseball Hall of Fame, both on the first ballot. All-time hit king Byung-Oh Tan was added at 97.7% and SS Si-U Gim was in at 89.1%. At retirement, these two were the top two EAB players all-time in WAR. Three others were just above the 50% mark; SP Young-Gil Chyu, LF Bum-Young Ahn, and 1B Sung-Heun Park.

One player was dropped after a tenth ballot. Starting pitcher Kazuo Udagawa spent his entire 16-year career with Nagoya with a 207-127 record, 2.66 ERA, 2880 strikeouts, and 55.6 WAR. He won three rings with the Nightowls, but wasn’t considered dominant enough to get the nod. He peaked at 55.1% on his fourth attempt.

Byung-Oh Tan – Left Field/First Base – Goyang Green Sox – 97.7% First Ballot

Byugn-Oh Tan was a 5’9’’, 200 pound left-handed hitter from Jinju, a city in southern South Korea just west of Changwon. Tan is viewed by many as the greatest pure hitter in Korean baseball history with generational contact ability and great power to match. He was also a solid baserunner and was excellent at avoiding strikeouts, although he wasn’t one to draw many walks. In his career, he had a strikeout percentage of 7%, remarkably having under 1000 career Ks over a 21 year career.

In his 20s, he was either in left field or at designated hitter; then switched to first base and DH in his later years. Tan was viewed as a below average to poor defender. He was an ironman who very rarely missed a start to injury, starting 140+ games in every year but one from his age 21 season to age 39. With his incredible bat, Tan was a fan favorite and was an icon and symbol of Korean baseball throughout the peninsula.

His talent was noticed while at Woosung High School in Uiwang, becoming one of the rare players picked out of high school. Tan was the 11^th overall pick in the 1930 EAB Draft by Suwon. Many people have no idea he started his career in the Snappers system, as he was traded in December 1931 to Goyang along with three other prospects for closer Ho-Seong Na. While Na did win Reliever of the Year twice in three years with Suwon, it is easy to say the Green Sox won the trade in the end.

Tan had 26 at bats in 1932 at age 19 and started half of the next season with unremarkable results. He became a full-time starter in 1934 at age 21 and from there was excellent, getting 6+ WAR in the next 12 seasons. In 1934, he won his first Silver Slugger in LF. He’d win the award 13 times total; six times at LF, six times as a DH, and once at 1B. Tan won the award in 1934, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 42, 43, 44, 45, 47, and 49.

In 1935, the 22-year old Tan led the Korea League in runs (104), hits (214), and home runs (38), finishing second in MVP voting. The next year, he had career bests in runs (123), hits (235), and average (.371); setting the single-season record for hits in a season. He again finished second in MVP voting and was second again in 1937 and 1938. He led the league five straight years from 1935-39 and led seven times in his career. Tan led in hits five times, home runs twice, RBI three times, average four times, OBP three times, slugging and OPS both twice, and WAR five times.

Tan’s first MVP finally came in 1939. He won it again in 1940, 1942, 1943, and 1945. He was second in 1941 and posted 43 home runs and 121 RBI despite missing a month of the season to injury. 1942 was arguably his best season with a career-best 47 home runs, 121 RBI, 1.091 OPS, and 10.7 WAR. He hit 47 homers again in 1945, hitting 40+ seven times and 30+ 11 times. Goyang started to contend in the late 1930s, making the playoffs six times over an eight year stretch from 1936-43. Tan had a .318 average, 48 hits, 19 runs, 8 home runs, 17 RBI, and 1.8 WAR over 38 starts. Unfortunately, the Green Sox never won a playoff series in his tenure, one of the few things missing from Tan’s resume.

Goyang began to rebuild as the 1940s ended. Tan stopped being an MVP candidate, but was still an excellent hitter into his 30s. In 1947 and 1948, he was on the first two South Korea national teams at the World Baseball Championship. At age 38, he had a 45 home run season in his last year with the Green Sox and also became the first EAB hitter to 3500 career hits. Although beloved by the Green Sox faithful, he wouldn’t be re-signed for the 1952 season. His #18 would be retired as his career ended.

He signed with Busan for his last two season, playing okay in 1952 and below average in 1953. However, he was able to set a number of huge milestones with the Blue Jays. He became the first EAB player to 700 home runs, the first cross 2000 runs scored and the first to 2000 RBI. Tan retired after the 1953 season at age 41.

The final stats for Tan: 3871 hits, 2010 runs, 575 doubles, 120 triples, 718 home runs, 2023 RBI, a .321/.359/.567 slash and 131.3 WAR. At retirement, he was the all-time hit king and leader in home runs, runs, RBI, doubles. He was second in all-time WAR only behind his 1959 Hall of Fame classmate Si-U Gim. As of 2037, Tan is still the EAB hit king and runs leader, although he’d get passed in the other categories. He remains prominent in the conversation for EAB’s all-time best hitter for good reason and is a no-doubt Hall of Famer.

Si-U “Clapper” Gim – Shortstop – Nagoya Nightowls – 89.1% First Ballot

Si-U Gim was a 6’2’’,2 00 pound left-handed hitting shortstop from Gwangju, South Korea. He had an unusual profile for a career shortstop as he was a solid power hitter with average at best speed. Gim was an above average contact hitter, but he very rarely drew walks and was around average at avoiding strikeouts. A lot of his value came from being an excellent defensive shortstop who was generally quite durable. Gim was also a team captain known for excellent leadership and work ethic, making him one of the most popular players of his era.

Gim was signed as an amateur free agent in September 1931 with Nagoya and would spend his entire professional career with the Nightowls. He debuted with 27 at-bats in 1934 at age 19. He was a reserve in five playoff games, earning a ring as Nagoya won the East Asian Championship. He was a bench piece the next year, then a full-time starter at age 21 in 1936. This year was his first of 11 Silver Sluggers, also winning the award in 37, 38, 40, 41, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, and 50. In 1937, he won his first of five Gold Gloves, also getting it in 38, 39, 40, and 41.

Combining his stellar defense at shortstop and strong hitting gave him massive WAR totals. He was the WARlord six different seasons in the Japan League and posted 12+ five times. As of 2037, there have been only 15 seasons of 12+ WAR by an EAB hitter; Gim has 1.3 of those. His 1938 mark of 13.6 was the single-season record at the time. That year, he also led Japan in home runs (43), RBI (113), and OPS (.971). His first MVP came in 1937, followed by additional ones in 1938, 40, and 43. He was second in 1941.

Nagoya was an off-and-on contender in the late 1930s and early 40s. In 1937, they were Japan League champ and in 1940, the overall EAB champ. In 1948, a now 33-year old Gim earned another Japan League ring, although he missed that postseason due to injury. From 1948-51, he was part of the South Korean team in the World Baseball Championship, posting 43 hits, 30 runs, 18 home runs, and 38 RBI over 48 tournament appearances. In his EAB playoff career, Gim had 31 hits, 13 runs, 4 homers, 17 RBI, and 1.1 WAR over 30 games.

A torn meniscus knocked him out most of 1942 and various injuries into his 30s caused Gim to start to miss notable time after being pretty durable prior. A torn calf muscle knocked him out almost all of 1951. He came back in 1952 and was still good enough to start, but no longer elite. In 1953, Gim was retired to an elder-statesman bench role and he retired after the season at age 38. Immediately upon retirement, Nagoya retired his #20 uniform.

The final stats for Gim: 2403 hits, 1141 runs, 373 doubles, 518 home runs, 1347 RBI, a .272/.309/.500 slash and 138.8 WAR. At retirement, he was EAB’s all-time WARlord and kept that crown until passed in the 1980s by Sosuke Hoshizawa. His defense was so stellar at short that he was seven points better than Byung-Oh Tan in WAR, despite Tan’s far superior hitting totals and longevity. It is still a debate by fans of the time that Gim may have been a more valuable player on account of his defensive value and leadership. Regardless, the 1959 Hall of Fame class has easily the two most impressive hitters of the 1930s-1940s and two of the greatest position players in EAB history.
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FuzzyRussianHat · 06-09-2023, 05:43 PM

The 1959 Beisbol Sudamerica Hall of Fame class was a banner one for great pitchers of the 1930s and 1940s. Three were inducted on the first ballot and all three were above 97%. SP Evan Yho had 98.7%, CL Jonathan Iglesia had 98.4%, and SP Luisao Capucho had 97.7%. Only one other player, 1B Yuri Assuncao, was above 50% with a 55.9% on his second attempt. No players were dumped after a tenth ballot in 1959.

Evan “Bull” Yho – Starting Pitcher – Buenos Aires Atlantics – 98.7% First Ballot

Evan Yho was a 6’4”, 200 pound left-handed starting pitcher from Melo, a town in northeastern Uruguay. Yho was known for strong stuff and excellent control later in his career, balanced with respectable movement and great durability. His fastball was in the 96-98 mph, although his best pitch was a filthy changeup. Yho also had a strong curveball and decent splitter. In addition to being a master at changing speeds, he was known as a good defensive pitcher.

Yho was discovered by a scout from Buenos Aires as a teenager and signed as an amateur free agent in 1931. He would spend his entire pro career with the Atlantics, making his debut at age 20 in 1935. He had a limited bullpen role in his first two years, making his full-time debut as a starter at age 22 in 1937. He posted 8.0 WAR in that season, the first of 12 straight seasons with 8+ WAR. “Bull” was a fitting nickname for a big guy who was so dominant. Over his career, Yho led the Southern Cone League in ERA twice, wins thrice, innings pitched thrice, strikeouts thrice, WAR thrice, K/BB six times, quality starts four times, and WAR four times.

In 1939, Yho placed second in Pitcher of the Year voting. He took third In 1940, second in 1941, then finally won it in 1942 while also taking second in MVP voting. Yho was second again for PotY in 1943 and third in 1944. He won his second in 1945 and was again the MVP runner-up as well. Yho made it back-to-back in 1946, then took second again in 1947 and 1950. He was in the top three in Pitcher of the Year voting nine times from 1939-50. He threw two no-hitters, the first in 1939 with 11 strikeouts against Montevideo and the second against Medellin in 1947 with 10 strikeouts. Both games saw only one walk against him.

Yho’s success brought along success for Buenos Aires, who became the top team in the Southern Cone League in the 1940s. They won eight division titles from 1941-48, winning Copa Sudamerica in 1941, 42, and 45; while taking runner-up in 46 and 47. Naturally, Yho was a terrific playoff performer with a 2.17 ERA over 178.2 innings with 218 strikeouts, only 32 walks, 19/23 quality starts, and 6.1 WAR. He also pitched for Uruguay’s national team in the World Baseball Championship from 1950-53.

Yho’s consistent excellence was a thing to marvel at and he began racking up accumulated accolades. He became the second pitcher to cross 5000 strikeouts behind only the legendary Mohamed Ramos. He was the third to 250 career wins and at retirement was second only to Ramos. He posted 10+ WAR seasons eight times, including a 10.5 WAR effort in 1951 at age 36. He declined slightly as he aged, but in his final year at age 38 in 1953, he was still a very good starting pitcher. Some wondered if he’d take a shot at 300 career wins, but Yho called it a career, not wanting to overstay his welcome. Naturally, he’ll forever be very welcomed and beloved in Buenos Aires, where his #14 uniform is retired.

Yho’s final statistics: 289-168, 1.96 ERA, 4478.1 innings, 5591 strikeouts to only 624 walks, a 9.0 K/BB, 456/540 quality starts, a FIP- of 56 and 155.0 WAR. At retirement, he was behind only Ramos in career WAR and wins, although he had him slightly beat on ERA (1.96 to 1.98). Yho was consistently great for a prolonged stretch and has a case to be made as the best Beisbol Sudamerica pitcher of the 1940s. Even as of 2037, he is third in all-time pitching WAR and strikeouts, giving Yho a very strong case as a Mount Rushmore level pitcher in BSA.

Jonathan Iglesias – Closer – Caracas Colts – 98.4% First Ballot

Jonathan Iglesias was a 5’11’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Ciudad Ojeda, a small city on the northeastern shore of Lake Maracaibo in western Venezuela. He was a fireballer as a closer with a 98-100 mph dominant fastball, mixed with an excellent splitter. This one-two punch made him dominant at his peak. As he aged, his control went from good to great as well, keeping him a threat into his late 30s and 40s. Iglesias was also the rare hard-throwing pitcher to do so without ever suffering any major injury, allowing him to appear in 60+ games in all of his 19 professional seasons sans his rookie year. He was viewed though as a bit of a mercenary though, especially as he bounced around the Bolivar League in his later career.

Iglesias was picked 33^rd overall in supplemental round one of the 1934 Beisbol Sudamerica Draft by Caracas; which would be the team he’d be most associated with. He took over the closer role as a rookie in 1935 and held it for the next seven seasons with the Colts. In 1938, he won his first Reliever of the Year with 78 games, 109 innings, 33 saves, a 1.32 ERA, 194 strikeouts, and a blistering 7.7 WAR, which is tied for the most in a season by a closer. That same season, Caracas made it to Copa Sudamerica with Iglesias picking up five saves in the postseason run.

In his first run with Caracas, Igelsias also was second in Reliever of the Year in 1936 and third in 1940. The Colts started to struggle soon after and was traded to Cordoba in the summer of 1942. He signed as a free agent with Maracaibo in 1943, but was traded to La Paz in the summer. With the Pump Jacks though, he pitched 14 scoreless postseason innings, helping La Paz win Copa Sudamerica. In 1944, the now 32-year old Iglesias returned to Caracas for a season, taking third in Reliever of the Year voting. He signed again with Maracaibo in 1945 and this time got through the entire year with the Mariners, taking second in Reliever of the Year voting.

Iglesias signed with Valencia in 1946 and won his second Reliever of the Year award. In 1947, the 35-year old signed for a third tour with Maracaibo. He was traded again in the summer, this time to Medellin. Iglesias won his third Reliever of the Year and earned his second ring, helping the Mutiny claim the 1947 Copa Sudamerica crown. He stuck around with Medellin for the next two seasons, becoming the third BSA closer to 400 career saves. He also played the first of seven World Baseball Championship tournaments for the Venezuelan team.

At age 38 in 1950, he signed for the third time with Caracas and spent two more seasons with the Colts, finishing second in Reliever of the Year in both seasons. On August 3, 1951, he became the first (and as of 2037, the only) BSA closer with 500 career saves. Before the 1952 season, Iglesias was traded to Cordoba and spent his final two seasons there. In 1953, he earned his third Copa Sudamerica ring, although he didn’t appear in the postseason. He retired after the 1953 season at age 42. His #49 jersey would be retired by Caracas in 1953.

His final stats: 123-146, 579 saves, 1.85 ERA, 1609.2 innings, 2331 strikeouts, 350 walks, 705 shutdowns, and 75.9 WAR. As of 2037, his 579 saves is not only the Beisbol Sudamerica career record, but the most by any professional player in any league. Historically, even great closers have trouble maintaining the role for their entire career, but Iglesias was the man for the job for 19 seasons, making him an easy first-ballot Hall of Fame choice.

Luisao “Redeye” Capucho – Starting Pitcher – Sao Paulo Padres – 97.7% First Ballot

Luisao Capucho was a 5’10’’, 185 pound right-handed starting pitcher from Cascavel, a city in the southern Brazilian state of Parana. Capucho was known for excellent stuff with 97-99 mph velocity, adding good movement and decent control. He had a four pitch arsenal with a solid fastball, forkball, and cutter, plus a rarely-used changeup. Capucho was considered a very intelligent and cerebral pitcher and also had solid durability.

Capucho was selected 10^th overall in the 1940 Beisbol Sudamerica Draft by Sao Paulo. He had an impressive debut season in 1941, taking second in Rookie of the Year voting despite earning Rookie of the Month three times. He became an ace for the Padres, taking third in Pitcher of the Year in 1943 and winning it in 1947. That year saw a dominant season with a 1.26 ERA over 278.2 innings, 396 strikeouts, and a dominant 14.2 WAR. He also led the Southern Cone League in strikeouts three times with Sao Paulo. Capucho tossed no-hitters in 1945 against Montevideo and 1947 against Salvador, getting 20 Ks in the former. This was the record for strikeouts in a no-hitter until 2023.

The Padres made it to the playoffs from 1942-45, making It to Copa Sudamerica in 1943 and 44, winning it all in 1944. In 57.1 career playoff innings, Capucho had a 1.73 ERA, 87 strikeouts, and 2.2 WAR. He had six seasons of 7+ WAR with Sao Paulo, finishing his time there with a 151-80 record, 2.03 ERA, 2920 strikeouts, and 74.5 WAR. He also began playing for the Brazilian national team as the World Baseball Championship was formed, making 17 appearances over 1947-52 with a 3.73 ERA, 94 innings, and 3.0 WAR.

Before the 1950 season, a rebuilding Sao Paulo traded Capucho to Valencia for four prospects. He had an excellent debut for the struggling Velocity squad, leading the Bolivar League with 9.5 WAR. He was third in Pitcher of the Year voting and third again the next year at age 33. He had two more years with Valencia, beginning to see his productivity drop a bit. Although still effective, Capucho decided to retire after the 1953 season at age 36.

His final statistics: 210-128, 2.18 ERA, 3236.1 innings, 4057 strikeouts, 712 walks, 324 quality starts, and 102.4 WAR. They are impressive numbers considering he only had a 13-year career. Capucho was at times overshadowed by some of the other great pitchers of early Beisbol Sudamerica, but he still was noticed for his achievements. Sao Paulo retired his #2 uniform and he was a first ballot Hall of Famer at 97.7%, rounding out a stellar 1959 Hall of Fame class.

FuzzyRussianHat · 06-10-2023, 06:17 AM

The 1959 World Baseball Championship was held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. In Division 1, the defending champion United States advanced with a 6-1 mark, finishing one game ahead of Italy. Division 2 saw South Korea go unbeaten at 7-0, beating the DR and Hungary by two games. Division 3 had Canada on top at 6-1, edging France by one game. Meanwhile, Division 4 had a three-way tie between Germany, Japan, and Switzerland at 5-2. The tiebreaker moved the Germans onto the Double Round Robin.

Division 5 had a tie between Poland and Mexico at 5-2 with three others only one game back. The Poles moved on via the tiebreaker. Division 6 went to Venezuela at 6-1, finishing a game ahead of both Serbia and Slovakia. In Division 7, Russia and Northern Ireland both went 6-1, while the Czech Republic and North Korea were both 5-2. The tiebreaker moved the Northern Irish onto the elite eight. And in Division 8, Argentina prevailed at 6-1, one better than Peru.

In the Double Round Robin Group A, Poland was the top team with a 5-1 run. Canada and South Korea both finished 3-3 with the Canadians moving on via the tiebreaker, while Venezuela was 1-5. Group B had a three-way tie at 4-2 between the Americans, Argentina, and Germany, while Northern Ireland was 0-6. The tiebreaker moved the US and Germany forward and ousted Argentina.

One semifinal had the usual suspects with the United States facing Canada, while the other had a first-time semifinalist in Poland and a second-time one in Germany. The Poles edged their neighbor in a seven-game classic, while the Canadians upset the Americans in six games. The World Championship went the distance with Canada defeating Poland 4-3, giving the Canadians their second-ever world title.

Tournament MVP went to Canada’s Herve Bouchard. The 27-year old 1B for Ottawa had a WBC record 15 home runs, while adding 32 hits, 23 runs, 25 RBI, 18 walks, a .372/.476/.919 slash and 2.7 WAR. The Top Pitcher went to Argentina’s Ramon Olguin. The 34-year old lefty for Medellin had a perfect ERA in 12 innings with three saves, three hits allowed, 14 strikeouts, and 0.6 WAR.

FuzzyRussianHat · 06-10-2023, 12:56 PM

Defending Soviet Series champ Kyiv had the top record in Eurasian Professional Baseball in 1959, taking the European League South Division at 113-49. This gives the Kings four straight division titles. Bucharest finished behind them at 107-55, earning a fifth straight playoff berth. Minsk at 105-57 won the North Division and also earned a fifth straight postseason berth. Moscow at 99-63 took the final wild card spot, beating Kharkiv by three games. For the Mules, it is their first-ever postseason berth.

The league MVP and Pitcher of the Year both went to Bucharest ace Bogdan Chirita. He won his third Pitcher of the Year and first MVP. The 32-year old righty became the second EPB pitcher to earn a Triple Crown, posting a 21- 6 record, 1.84 ERA, and 311 strikeouts. He had a 13.9 WAR and FIP- of 34 over 264 innings.

Almaty secured a fifth straight playoff berth by taking the Asian League South Division at 106-56. The Assassins have taken the division title thrice now. Krasnoyarsk won the North Division at 105-57 for back-ot-back playoff appearances. Irkutsk was second at 102-60, getting the first wild card. The second spot went to Dushanbe at 99-63, defeating Chelyabinsk (95-67) and Yekaterinburg (93-69). The defending Asian League champ Dynamo have now also made the playoffs in each of EPB’s first five seasons.

MVP went to Chelyabinsk SS Javid Zaripov. The 28-year old switch-hitter was the leader in hits (193), doubles (45), and WAR (9.3), adding a .316 average and a Gold Glove defensively. Dushanbe’s Sergei Filatov won Pitcher of the Year for the third time in his career. He was the leader in WAR (11.2) and FIP- (51), adding a 16-11 record, 2.55 ERA, and 342 strikeouts over 271.1 innings.

In the first round of the playoffs, Kyiv topped Moscow 3-1, Minsk held off Bucharest 3-2, Dushanbe upset Almaty with a 3-0 sweep, and Krasnoyarsk survived 3-2 against Irkutsk. In the European League Championship Series, the Kings dropped the Miners in six, sending Kyiv to the Soviet Series for back-to-back seasons. In the Asian League Championship Series, the Cossacks earned their first league title by taking a seven-game classic over the Dynamo. The fifth Soviet Series went to the Kings in five over Krasnoyarsk, making Kyiv the first repeat EPB champion.

Other notes: 1B Vait Sherov, P Skerdi Hoxha, and 2B Mher Harutyunyan became the first five-time Gold Glove winners. DH Pavlo Kolesnik became the first five-time Silver Slugger winner.

FuzzyRussianHat · 06-11-2023, 05:30 AM

In the European Baseball Federation’s Northern Conference, none of the 1958 playoff teams made it back. The British Isles Division went to Dublin at 94-68 for their second-ever playoff berth, defeating Birmingham by six games. In the Northwest Division, Brussels earned their first-ever playoff berth by narrowly taking the title at 95-67. They were one ahead of 94-68 Amsterdam, who took the wild card for their eight playoff berth. In the North Central Division, Stockholm was first at 95-67, giving them eight playoff berths as well. Hamburg was second at 90-72 and defending European Champ Berlin was 88-74, both missing out on the division title and a wild card.

Rotterdam at 88-74 also missed out of the postseason, but the Ravens had both the conference MVP and Pitcher of the Year. 1B Troy “Knuckles” Bataille was MVP with the 26-year old Frenchman leading the conference in home runs (50), OBP (.410), slugging (.652), OPS (1.063) and wRC+ (222), while adding 10.1 WAR and 108 RBI. Trent Addams won Pitcher of the Year for the second straight year. The 27-year old Scot was one win short of back-to-back Triple Crown seasons, posting a 19-3 record with 14 saves as well, 1.49 ERA over 223 innings, 342 strikeouts, a 31 FIP- and 11.1 WAR.

The best record overall in the EBF came from Zagreb, winning the Southern Conference’s Southeast Division at 102-60 for their second-ever playoff berth. Defending conference champion Zurich at 89-73 won the South Central Division for their fifth playoff berth in six years.

Meanwhile, the Southwest Division and wild card race was a tight one. Barcelona and Lisbon finished tied at 91-71 atop the division, both four games better than Madrid and Marseille. Athens in the Southeast Division also finished 91-71, requiring a Bengals/Clippers tiebreaker game for the division title, followed by the loser against the Anchors for the wild card. Barcelona beat Lisbon to earn the division and their first playoff spot since 1953. Then in the wild card tiebreaker, Athens ousted the Clippers, giving the Anchors back-to-back playoff appearances.

Southern Conference MVP went to Zagreb 3B Fragiskos Fakas. The 28-year old Greek was the SC leader in runs (126), hits (214), average (.343), slugging (.675), OPS (1.044), wRC+ (197), and WAR (11.7). Pitcher of the Year went to 25-year old Athens ace Mijusko Popovic. The right-handed Serbian was the SC lead in wins (24), innings (290.2), and quality starts (27). He also had a 2.69 ERA, 266 strikeouts, and 6.3 WAR.

In the first round of the EBF playoffs, Stockholm topped Amsterdam in four games, Brussels swept Dublin, Zurich upset Zagreb 3-2, and Barcelona bested Athens in five. The Northern Conference Championship saw the Swordsmen prevail in six games over the Beavers, giving Stockholm a second conference crown in three years. The Southern Conference Championship had the Bengals beat the Mountaineers 4-2, giving Barcelona their second conference title (1950). The Bengals earned their first European Championship ring, dropping the Swordsmen in five games. This is the second time the title has gone to a Spanish team with Madrid taking it in 1955.

Other notes: Gabriel Staudt became the first EBF hitter to 1000 career RBI. Ken Jacob and Richard Hackl were the first to 300 career saves. Orion McIntyre became the first to 400 home runs and Elih Cruz became the second to 2500 strikeouts. CF Mercury Hand won his ninth and final Gold Glove.

05-31-2023, 06:07 PM	#301
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,635	1957 in CABA Two-time defending Mexican League champ Monterrey won the North Division for the third straight season and had the best record in the league at 99-63. Mexicali at 88-74 was a distant second. Guadalajara also made it a three-year division title repeat, taking the South Division at 91-71. Ecatepec at 84-78 and Mexico City at 83-79 were the closest competition. Aztecs CF Emmanuel Lopez won his third league MVP and back-to-back. In 1957, Lopez was the league leader in runs (117), hits (215), stolen bases (71), average (.359), OBP (.425), OPS (1.004), wRC+ (195), and WAR (10.2). Pitcher of the Year went to 33-year old Jesus Montiel of Monterrey. His only league-leading stat was WIHP (0.96), taking the title in a weak field on a 17-8 record, 2.56 ERA, and 5.4 WAR with 233 strikeouts in 235.1 innings. The three best records in the Caribbean League were all in the Island Division with an intense battle throughout the season. Santo Domingo and defending CABA champ Puerto Rico tied for first at 99-63 with Havana one game behind. In the one-game playoff, the Dolphins dropped the Pelicans, snapping a three decade postseason drought for the Dominican capital. The Continental Division saw Costa Rica on top at 91-71 for back-to-back division titles. Santo Domingo LF Grant Duncan won his third MVP in four seasons. The 29-year old Jamaican had the league lead in runs (119), home runs (57), RBI (128), slugging (.758), OPS (1.157), wRC+ (201), and WAR (9.5). The slugging mark was a new CABA single-season record and the OPS mark was the third-best single season. Pitcher of the Year was Costa Rica’s Marc Cedillo. The fourth-year righty from Bogota led in complete games (16) and shutouts (5), posting a 20-12 record, 2.82 ERA, 271 innings, 244 strikeouts, and 7.2 WAR. It was the third straight Mexican League Championship Series between Monterrey and Guadalajara and just like the prior two, it was the Matadors prevailing. Monterrey took it this time 4-2 for the sixth league title in franchise history. In the Caribbean League Championship Series, Santo Domingo defeated Costa Rica in six to give the Dolphins their fourth league title and first since 1927. The CABA Championship went to Monterrey 4-2 to give the Matadors their second overall title in three years and third overall. Other notes: Rodger Hunter became the 14^th CABA player to reach 500 career home runs. CF Linus Williams became a 10 time Gold Glove winner, the first CABA player to get 10 at his position and seventh to get 10 at any spot. Guadalajara slugger Prometheo Garcia became a nine time Silver Slugger winner at 1B and LF Julio Hinojosa won his eighth. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

06-01-2023, 05:27 AM	#302
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,635	1957 in MLB For the second straight year, it was the Eastern League dominating the Midwest League in the National Association with all four wild cards coming from the East. The best overall record in Major League Baseball belonged to Hartford at 107-55, earning their fourth straight playoff berth. The 107 win tally was a franchise record for the Huskies. Boston was next at 101-61 for their fourth berth in five seasons. Philadelphia was third at 100-62 for their first playoff spot since 1952. The final two spots had five times in the mix with Pittsburgh taking the first one at 96-66. For the Pirates, it is only their fourth-ever playoff appearance and first since 1928. The final spot saw Washington and Baltimore finish tied at 94-68. The Admirals won the tiebreaker game to earn back-to-back wild cards. Brooklyn (91-71) and defending NA champ Ottawa (89-73) fell just short. Meanwhile, Indianapolis at 97-67 took the Midwest League title by 10 games with Minneapolis (87-75) the closest competitor. It is an impressive turnaround for the Races, who were an abysmal 64-98 the prior year, getting their first playoff spot since winning the NA title in 1952. National Association MVP went to OF/SP Casen Shaw, a journeyman two-way player that had played with Houston and Kansas City prior. He was traded to Boston for the 1957 season, but the 30-year old found himself cut in mid May. Indianapolis picked him up at the end of the month and he managed to go on a tear. In 117 games, he had a .391 average, 150 hits, 71 runs, 14 home runs, 66 RBI, and 6.2 WAR. As a pitcher, he was an unremarkable 14-10, 4.38 ERA, 207.1 innings, 110 strikeouts, and 1.9 WAR. Combined, he put together enough to help the Racers to the ML title. The next year would be his last as a pitcher and he’d spend another decade as a respectable bat with five other teams. But his 1957 will be remembered as an incredibly unique case of a guy who got cut midway and apart from a solid 1954 at the plate with Kansas City, had been mid-tier even if two-way. Indianapolis also had a notable debut in RF R.J. Clinton, the sixth overall pick in the prior draft out of Washington State. The future Hall of Famer was the Rookie of the Year and third in MVP voting with 38 home runs, a .320 average, and 7.2 WAR in 128 starts. Pitcher of the Year was more traditional in going to Brooklyn’s John Delaney. The 26-year old righty was the NA leader in wins (21), and ERA (2.21), adding 204 strikeouts over 276.2 innings with 7.6 WAR. In the first round of the playoffs, Pittsburgh upset Philadelphia 2-0 and Washington surprised Boston 2-1. In round two, Indianapolis dispatched the Pirates in a sweep and Hartford topped the Admirals 3-1, sending the league champs to the National Association Championship Series. The Racers claimed the series in a seven-game classic over the Huskies, giving Indy its second NA title of the decade and fourth total. The Western League yet again saw success over the Southern League in the American Association with all four wild cards out of the West. The best overall record went to Vancouver, who were the last team in last season. The Volcanoes finished 103-59, a franchise record season. Next in line were Las Vegas (99-63), Denver (96-66), and two-time defending World Series champ San Diego (96-66). For the Vipers, it was their seventh playoff berth of the 1950s, while the Dragons snapped a drought that dated back to 1944. The final wild card spot went to Portland at 92-70, finishing one ahead of Los Angeles and four ahead of Oakland. The Pacifics had the second-longest playoff drought in MLB, having last made the playoffs in 1921. The longest drought was snapped in 1957 well with Tampa winning the Southern League title at 92-70, finishing four ahead of the three-time defending SL champ Nashville at 88-74. The Thunderbirds hadn’t been to the postseason since the Taft Administration in 1909; a nearly 50-year gap. It was the second longest drought in MLB history, the longest going to Oklahoma City’s 54 years from the franchise debut to their first wild card. Leading the Thunderbirds to snap their streak was 1B Martin Medina, winning his third American Association MVP and first since 1953. The 30-year old lefty from Panama was the leader in RBI (137), OBP (.425), slugging (.616), OPS (1.041), and wRC+ (171), adding 40 home runs and 8.4 WAR. San Diego ace Spenser Emond won his fifth Pitcher of the Year, joining the elite company of Jeremy Frechette, Newton Persaud, and Ned Giles as the only five-time winners. The now 32-year old lefty had an AA and career best 2.32 ERA, also leading in WHIP at 0.98. He only made 24 starts because of a strained abdominal muscle, but still posted 209.2 innings, 205 strikeouts, and 7.2 WAR. The Wild Card round had Portland defeat Las Vegas and Denver down San Diego, both in three games. Both league champs prevailed in round two in four games with Vancouver over the Pacifics and Tampa over the Dragons. The American Association Championship Series saw the Volcanoes defeat the Thunderbirds 4-2, giving Vancouver only its second-ever AA title (1939). The Volcanoes went onto add their first-ever World Series ring, defeating Indianapolis in a seven-game classic. The Racers are now 0-4 in the Fall Classic, sharing the unfortunate distinction with Dallas for most WS losses. Other notes: Vancouver’s Dominic Lamoureux had a 37-game hitting streak, which is tied for the third-longest in MLB history. Alec Ebner became the 10^th MLB pitcher to 3500 career strikeouts. Sebastian Lunde became the 13^th hitter to 600 career home runs. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

06-02-2023, 05:29 AM	#303
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,635	1958 MLB Hall of Fame The 1958 Major League Baseball Hall of Fame Class had three inductees with two on the first ballot. 2B Cash Watson crossed the threshold on his debut at 83.4%, as did CF Halton Walker at 72.2%. Meanwhile on his seventh try, SP Jacob Gosselin finally made it in with 72.2%. SP Patrick Iannazzo missed the 66% threshold by one percent on his penultimate attempt, while fellow SP Roy Cole had a solid showing but missed on his sixth go at 61.4%. Two players were booted from the ballot after ten attempts. Reliever Jhan Lopez-Garcia had a 2.12 ERA and 251 saves with 1361 strikeouts over 893 innings and 39.7 WAR. The WAR and strikeout numbers compare decently to other relievers in the HOF, but he peaked at 38.4% on his second try having lacked any accolades. LF Sandy Rainey was also dropped, peaking at 26.3% on his debut. The 1928 NA MVP, in 17 years primarily with Detroit he had 2510 hits, 1303 runs, 478 home runs, 1421 RBI, a .298 average, and 61.7 WAR. Very respectable, but firmly in the “Hall of Very Good” range with the lone MVP season his only real standout season. Cash Watson – Second Baseman – Charlotte Canaries – 83.4% First Ballot Cash Watson was a 5’11’’, 200 pound right-handed second baseman from Estero, Florida; a village near the Cape Coral/Fort Myers area. Watson is the fourth 2B to earn induction into the MLB Hall and played the majority of his career there, sans the occasional start at third. Watson was a very good contact hitter, excellent baserunner, and solid at drawing walks; making him a great run-scorer. He didn’t have much home run power, but had solid gap power and used his speed to tally an impressive number of doubles and triples. Defensively he was very good, racking up a career 197.5 ZR at second. This is second-best all-time in MLB, only behind his contemporary Hunter Pride’s remkarable 284.3. Pride (who won 11 Gold Gloves) is the main reason Watson only earned Gold Glove once despite his success. On top of this, Watson was a beloved figure in the game with an incredible work ethic and intelligence. Watson went west and played college baseball at Oregon, earning immediate attention among MLB scouts. In the 1931 MLB Draft, Charlotte selected Watson second overall. After an impressive rookie season, he won the batting title in 1933 at .358 and led the American Association with 10.8 WAR, earning his first Silver Slugger and second place in MVP voting. All five of his Silver Sluggers came with the Canaries, adding additional ones in 1935, 36, 38, and 40. In 1940, he was second in MVP voting again, thanks to an AA-best 9.9 WAR and .413 OBP. The 1930s were successful for Charlotte and Watson played a big role. They made the playoffs five times in his tenure and in 1937, won the World Series. In that run, he had 20 hits, 13 runs, 8 doubles, and 11 RBI in 14 playoff games. Fresh off a second-place in MVP voting season in 1940, the now 29-year old Watson lived up to his first name and got him some Cash. He signed a seven-year, $212,000 deal with Atlanta. Watson spent six seasons ultimately with the Aces and while a solid starter, he didn’t live up to the highs of the Charlotte run. Small injuries caused him to miss a month or two in his first few seasons with Atlanta and he missed his entire fifth season with Atlanta due to a torn PCL. He came back with a respectable 1946 at age 34, but was let go at the end of the season. With Atlanta, Watson had 681 hits, 403 runs, 143 doubles, and 24.4 WAR. He returned to his baseball home of Charlotte in 1947 and showed flashes of the old Watson with a 6.3 WAR season and his lone Gold Glove. He finished in Charlotte with a total of 1733 hits, 939 runs, 313 doubles, 119 triples, 115 home runs, 749 RBI, a .313 average, and 71.8 WAR. By this point, the Canaries were a rebuilding team and didn’t bring him back the next year. But his #7 uniform would be retired once his career was up, joining fellow Hall of Famer Domingo Martinez as the only Canaries with the distinction. Watson would play five more MLB seasons ultimately. He signed with Seattle in 1948 and 1949, Ottawa in 1950 and 1951, and finally Oklahoma City in 1952 at age 40. He still provided positive value, but began to fade like all players do. He was able to cross a major milestone in the last year with the Outlaws; 3000 career hits. Watson was the 26^th player to earn the feat. He also retired fifth in doubles and would be the 12^th hitter inducted with 100+ career WAR. The final stats for Watson: 3007 hits, 1643 runs, 576 doubles, 210 triples, 172 home runs, 1269 RBI, 1197 walks, 692 stolen bases, a .295/.376/.444 slash and 108.4 WAR. A stellar career that is perhaps overlooked by some due to a steady but unremarkable second half. It seems like 83.4% is a bit low considering the accolades, but Watson regardless is a first ballot Hall of Famer. Halton Walker – Center Fielder – Cincinnati Reds – 72.2% First Ballot Halton Walker was a 6’0’’, 195 pound left-handed centerfielder from Lorain, Ohio; a smaller city located on Lake Erie. Walker was an excellent contact hitter who had solid gap power and above average speed. He wasn’t a dominant home run hitter, but averaged around 20 per season while adding a nice chunk of doubles and triples. Walker rarely drew walks, but also very rarely struck out. He played his entire career in center field and was considered a reliably good and solid defender. Almost all of Walker’s baseball career would be in his native Ohio. He attended Kent State University and after his junior year, was picked 25^th overall in the 1935 MLB Draft by St. Louis. Walker wouldn’t sign with the college and returned for his senior year with the Golden Flashes, winning a Gold Glove. In the 1936 Draft, he was picked by Cincinnati 11^th overall and signed with the Reds. He was an immediate success, winning the National Association Rookie of the Year in 1937 with a 7.6 WAR season. He also won a Silver Slugger and finished second in MVP voting His second year was arguably his best with a career best 9.0 WA and the NA lead and career high of 222 hits. He was third in MVP voting and won his second Silver Slugger. He won his third and final SS in 1940 with a career-best 126 RBI, taking third again in MVP voting. He never again was at the top of award lists but he would have 5+ WAR seasons in 12 of his 13 years with the Reds, only missing it in 1947 due to missing time to injury. Cincinnati made it to the playoffs six times with Walker, although they never made it to the World Series. In 34 games, he had 48 hits, 19 runs, 28 RBI, a .350 average and 1.2 WAR. In total with the Reds, Walker had 2388 hits, 1198 runs, 336 doubles, 185 triples, 223 home runs, 1163 RBI, a .317/.360/.500 slash and 85.4 WAR. His #20 uniform would be retired at the end of his career. At the end of the 1949 season, Cincinnati traded Walker to Los Angeles for three prospects. In his one year with the Angels, he crossed 2500 career hits, although he struggled. He signed at age 36 with Dallas and spent his final two seasons with the Dalmatians, retiring at the end of the 1952 season. The final stats for Walker: 2749 hits, 1350 runs, 381 doubles, 203 triples, 250 home runs, 1297 RBI, a .309/.352/.482 slash and 89.2 WAR. He had a great start to his career and was a reliable starter and contributor for more than a decade as the face of the Reds, earning a first-ballot induction at 72.2%. Jacob Gosselin – Starting Pitcher – Vancouver Volcanoes – 72.2% Seventh Ballot Jacob Gosselin was a 5’8’, 185 pound left-handed starting pitcher from Calgary, Alberta. Gosselin wasn’t outstanding at any one aspect, but was good to solid at all facets of pitching. His 92-94 mph velocity wasn’t amazing, but he had solid movement and control and was excellent at coaxing groundballs. His most dominant pitch was a changeup, mixed with a slider, curveball, and sinker. He was also known as being durable and as a solid defensive pitcher. Gosselin left for the United States for college, playing at Notre Dame. He returned to western Canada when drafted 36^th overall in the 1927 MLB Draft by Vancouver. Gosselin spent eight seasons with the Volcanoes, peaking with an American Association-best 2.53 ERA in 1935. That year, he placed second in Pitcher of the Year voting; the closest he got to winning the big award. He put up 39.2 WAR and a 118-80 record in this run with Vancouver as an above average regular starter for a struggling franchise. Before the 1936 season, the 28-year old Gosselin was traded for prospects to Milwaukee. After one year with the Mustangs, Gosselin signed with his hometown Calgary on a six-year, $116,400 contract. With the Cheetahs, he posted five seasons of 5.9+ WAR and helped them to a World Series appearance in 1940 and an AACS in 1941. Although he was inducted into the HOF with Vancouver, he was arguably more impressive with Calgary. In his run, he was 113-67 with a 3.25 ERA, 1191 strikeouts over 1665.1 innings, and 44.8 WAR. Late in the 1943 season, Gosselin required elbow ligament reconstruction surgery. He returned to the minor league Edmonton affiliate in late 1944 and suffered a torn UCL, putting him out another year. He attempted another comeback and made a few minor league starts in 1945. At age 38, he was signed by Houston and made his Major League return, but struggled and was cut by the Hornets. Later that year, Vancouver brought him back and he found a brief resurgence, getting to 250 career wins exactly. Gosselin retired after the 1946 season at age 39. The final stats for Gosselin: 250-169, 3.29 ERA, 3957 innings, 2774 strikeouts, 950 walks, 307 quality starts, 215 complete games, and 94.3 WAR. He quietly put up a solid resume, but his lack of dominance, strikeouts, and major awards made many view Gosselin as a “Hall of Very Good” type. His first four years on the ballot he was in the 40-50% range, then got a bump to 61.6% on his fifth try. He fell again on the sixth ballot, but made enough gains to join the 1958 class with 72.2%. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

06-03-2023, 05:46 AM	#304
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,635	1958 CABA Hall of Fame Three players earned induction into the Central American Baseball Association in the 1958 class, each on the first ballot. SS Emmanuel Zavala was the star of the class at 93.2%, joined by SP Jeron Evans at 83.2% and 1B Ildefonso Vasquez at 74.2%. 2B Ray Reyes was close on his sixth ballot at 61.9% but ultimately short of the 66% threshold. One other player, LF Se-Hyeon Kim, was just above 50%. Dropped after his tenth ballot was OF Willy Samuel, who peaked on his third ballot at 40.8%. In his CABA run almost exclusively with Ecatepec, he had 1587 hits, 740 runs, 287 doubles, a .335/.391/.474 slash and 56.4 WAR. Samuel was an important part of the Explosion’s title runs, but he left for MLB at age 31 and lost potential CABA accumulations. That, plus injuries in his 30s, kept Samuel down the list despite a very impressive run in his 20s. Emmanuel “Punk” Zavala – Shortstop – Leon Lions – 93.2% First Ballot Emmanuel Zavala was a 6’2’’ 195 pound right-handed shortstop from Nuevo Laredo on the Mexico/Texas border. Zavala was an ironman at shortstop, making 139+ starts every year in all but the final season of his 19-year professional career. He was a strong contact hitter with respectable home run power and solid baserunning skills. He didn’t draw walks very often and struck out more than you’d like, but he offered unparalleled offensive production for the position. He was a career shortstop and while not a Gold Glove winner, he was as reliably above average to good defender. Zavala was a highly touted prospect as an amateur and earned the first overall selection in the 1933 CABA Draft by Leon. Zavala spent his entire professional career with the Lions and was an immediate success, taking second in Rookie of the Year voting. In year two, he won his first of 16 consecutive Silver Sluggers at shortstop. Zavala is the first player in professional baseball history to win the award 16 times and as of 2037, one of only three in any professional league to do it. He had 14 straight 6+ WAR seasons beginning with his third season. In 1938, Zavala led the Mexican League with 11.5 WAR, earning his first MVP. He’d also lead in WAR in 1942 (9.7) and 1943 (8.0). Despite his accolades, he wasn’t one to lead the league in other stats other than when he led in RBI in 1944. He won his second MVP in 1942, was third in 1937, second in 1944, and third in 1949 at the ripe old age of 37. After a rough start to the 1930s, Leon started finding success with Zavala leading the way by the end of the decade. They were the 1939 and 1941 CABA champion and were runner-up in 1942. Zavala was a beast in 1939, winning both Mexican League Championship Series MVP and CABA Championship MVP with 18 hits in 14 games, 7 runs, 4 home runs, and 11 RBI. He struggled a bit in the other two runs, but still helped the Lions to additional success. In 39 playoff games, Zavala had 37 hits, 15 runs, 5 home runs, 18 RBI, and 1.0 WAR. Leon remained a top-half of the standings team for the rest of the 1940s, but wouldn’t make the playoffs again during Zavala’s tenure. He stayed loyal to the team, continuing to produce at a very high level well into his 30s. Zavala also played for the Mexican national team in the first five World Baseball Championship events, posting 34 hits, 25 runs, 7 home runs, and 18 RBI in 50 games. Age started to catch up to Zavala as the 1950s dawned, but he stuck around long enough to became the first CABA player to reach 3000 career hits. He was a bench player primarily in this final season, but fans nationwide were delighted to see the extremely popular Zavala reach the milestone. He retired after the 1952 season and saw his #6 uniform retired soon after. The final stats for Zavala, 3044 hits, 1454 runs, 386 doubles, 166 triples, 497 home runs, 1486 RBI, 804 stolen bases, a .279/.314/.482 slash, and 134.1 WAR. His time as the all-time hit king would be short-lived thanks to Prometheo Garcia passing him later in the decade. He also retired with the most games played of any CABA player at 2951, which would hold until the 1960s. At retirement, he was second all-time in WAR for a CABA hitter behind only Kiko Velazquez. Zavala was a true ironman and one of the best offensive shortstops in professional baseball history, easily earning the first ballot nod. If anything, 93.2% seems too low for his resume. Jeron Evans – Starting Pitcher – Puerto Rico Pelicans – 83.2% First Ballot Jeron Evans was a 5’11’’, 175 pound right-handed pitcher from Maroon Town, a tiny settlement in northwest Jamaica. Evans had one of the more unique profiles of a prominent pitcher. He had excellent velocity around 99-101 mph and pinpoint control of a great fastball, mixed with a good splitter and cutter, and weak curveball. However, his movement was often terrible, ranked a 2/10 by most scouts even at his peak. He had a ton of strikeouts and very few walks, but flat pitches meant he’d allow a lot of home runs. Evans led the Caribbean League in strikeouts eight times, but also led in home runs allowed eight times. This meant Evans was very boom-or-bust. After drawing attention as a talented teenager in Jamaica, he was picked on the second round, 32^nd overall, by Puerto Rico in the 1934 CABA Draft. He made his debut in1937 at age 22 and struggled as a rookie, but he soon began overpowering many hitters with his stuff. In his fourth season in 1940, he lead the league in strikeouts; the first of eight straight seasons doing so. Evans never won Pitcher of the Year, but took second in voting in 1943, 44, and 46. During those prime years, the Pelicans became a contender, winning the Island Division six straight years from 1941-46. Puerto Rico won the Caribbean League championship in 41, 43, 44, and 45; and took the overall CABA title in 1944. In 130.2 postseason innings, Evans had a 7-4 record, 3.93 ERA, 157 strikeouts, 26 home runs allowed, nine walks, and 1.9 WAR. In 1947 at age 32, he became the 11^th CABA pitcher to 3500 career strikeouts and seemed like someone who could maybe even challenge Ulices Montero’s all-time mark of 5849;, or at least become the second member of the 5K club. Alas, late in the 1947 season, Evans suffered a torn labrum. He stuck around the league for another five seasons, but was never the same or able to put together a full season. He suffered a torn UCL at the start of 1949, had severe shoulder inflammation in 1950, and a torn back muscle in 1951 Evans was able to stick around long enough to be the 20^th CABA pitcher to 200 wins, retiring after the 1952 season at age 38. For his part in their 1940s dynasty, the career Pelican had his #24 uniform retired at the end of his career. The final stats for Evans: 207-142 record, 3.23 ERA, 3162.2 innings, 3798 strikeouts to only 372 walks, but 514 home runs allowed, a 0.97 WHIP, 243/395 quality starts, and 56.0 WAR. His walks allowed would be among the lowest of all CABA Hall of Fame starters, but his home runs allowed would be second-worst all-time despite not having a full season after age 32. His strikeouts made him an impressive force, but the dingers meant he allowed more runs than your typical Hall of Famer and was ranked unfavorably by many advanced metrics. Still, he was the ace during a Caribbean League dynasty run for Puerto Rico, earning Evans the first ballot nod at 83.2%. Ildefonso Vazquez – First Baseman – Puerto Rico Pelicans – 74.2% First Ballot Ildefonso Vazquez was a 5’1’’, 200 pound right-handed first baseman from Jaguey Grande, a small city in west-central Cuba. Vazquez was a well-rounded bat with excellent contact skills and solid power in the middle of the lineup. He was middling in terms of drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts, but he made up for that easily with quality hits. He was a very slow baserunner, but considered generally a reliable defensive first baseman, which is where he spent his entire career. Vazquez was well liked and known as a prankster that caused good-natured chaos in the clubhouse. He was spotted as a teenager in Cuba and was picked 13^th overall in the 1932 CABA Draft by Puerto Rico. Like HOF classmate Jeron Evans, Vazquez spent his entire pro career with the Pelicans. Although picked in 1932, he wasn’t a full-timer until the 1937 at age 24, although he did make sparing appearances in 1934 and 1936. He was a part-time starter in his first two years, then a full-time starter from 1939 until his final season in 1952. In each of those seasons, he made 149+ starts as an incredibly durable ironman. 1939 was the breakout year for Vazquez, earning the Caribbean League batting title with a .330 average and career/league best 207 hits. This was the first of his five Silver Slugger seasons, also earning the award in 1941, 42, 44, and 48. 1941 was his career season, leading the Caribbean in runs (110), hits (199), doubles (40), average (.336), OPS (.992), and WAR (9.2), earning his lone MVP. He was second in MVP voting in 1942 with career highs in home runs (44) and RBI (130). He never quite replicated that success in the rest of career, but was still a reliable solid presence in the lineup. Like mentioned above with Evans, Puerto Rico became a Caribbean League power in the early 1940s. Vazquez shined in the playoffs, posting a line in 60 starts of 85 hits, 46 runs, 12 doubles, 27 home runs, 63 RBI, a .351 average, and 4.8 WAR. He was the 1944 CABA Championship MVP and his 27 playoff home runs was the CABA record until passed by Solomon Aragon about 30 years later. He remained steady as the Pelicans began to rebuild into the 1950s. After a resurgence at age 38 in 1951, he fell off noticeably the next year, retiring after the 1952 season. The final stats for Vazquez: 2660 hits, 1282 runs, 421 doubles, 465 home runs, 1438 RBI, a .290/.335/.498 slash and 74.2 WAR. He was about as reliable as could be at first base for 15 years and stepped up big time in the postseason, playing a critical role in Puerto Rico’s 1940s success. Still, he only got 74.2% of the vote, perhaps a bit low, but still high enough to forever list Vazquez as a first-ballot CABA Hall of Famer. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

06-03-2023, 02:46 PM	#305
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,635	1958 EAB Hall of Fame The East Asia Baseball Hall of Fame added two members in the 1958 class, both on the first ballot. 1B Kazushi Takano made it in at 83.7% and was joined by SP Yoshiki Yamane at 73.3%. SP Young-Gil Chyu was close on his second try but short of the 66% threshold with 59.9%. SS Soo-Hyn Choo on his fourth attempt and LF Bum-Young Ahn on his third both also were above the 50% mark. Two players were dropped after ten tries on the ballot. LF Sang-Yun Hyun played his entire 14 year career with Goyang and peaked at 48.3% on his second ballot. He was the 1937 Korea League MVP and had 2018 hits, 1092 runs, 380 home runs, 1133 RBI, a .273/.322/.522 slash and 65.4 WAR. He fell off hard as he entered his 30s and was retired at 35, hurting his final accumulations. Also dropped was SS Mamoru Miura, who played 18 years and almost entirely with Hiroshima. He peaked at 41.0% of the vote on his first and fifth ballots and plummeted to 10.5% at the end. He had 2435 hits, 1083 runs, 435 doubles, 347 home runs, 1146 RBI, a .264/.310/.450 slash and 94.9 WAR. He Is just behind Koson Mori (94.97 to 94.91) with the highest WAR total of someone to not make it into the EAB Hall to date and for whatever reason, never got much support. Kazushi Takano – First Base/Center Field – Saitama Sting – 83.7% First Ballot Kazushi Takano was a 5’10’’, 185 pound right-handed hitter from Saitama, Japan. A fan-favorite and hard-worker, Takano was a very good contact hitter who also offered home run power, hitting 40+ in five seasons and 30+ in nine seasons. He had surprisingly good speed for a power hitter and was able to turn his oddly rare doubles into uncommonly frequent triples. He wasn’t much for drawing walks and struck out more than average. Takano had an odd defensive profile, split between center field where he was viewed as below average and at first base, where he won three Gold Gloves. He made roughly 50% of his starts at 1B, 45% at CF, and 5% in LF. Takano played college baseball at Takushoku Tokyo University and was selected by his hometown club Saitama second overall in the 1937 EAB Draft. He was an immediate success, winning Rookie of the Year in 1938 with a 4.7 WAR season. Takano would post 6+ WAR in the next 10 seasons, combining durability and reliability with strong production. Takano won Silver Sluggers in 1939, 40, 41, 43, 46, and 47; and Gold Gloves in 42, 43, and 44. The breakout year was his fourth in 1941, where he was only the second EAB hitter to achieve a Triple Crown season. He had a .349 average, .48 home runs, and 126 RBI; all career-bests. He also led Japan in runs (122), hits (203), triples (23), OBP (.405), slugging (.723), OPS (1.128), wRC+ (262). Those were all career bests, as was the 11.6 WAR and 56 stolen bases. The Sting won 98 games that year, but fell short of the division title to Kawasaki by two games. Unfortunately in Takano’s run, Saitama only made the playoffs once in 1946. He wasn’t to blame though, winning MVP in that 1941 season and taking second in 1942, 43, and 46. In total with the Sting, Takano had 1788 hits, 1017 runs, 406 home runs, 1017 RBI, 433 stolen bases, a .284/.340/.565 slash and 85.1 WAR. His #19 uniform would be retired upon the end of his career. Takano’s time in Saitama ended with a trade before the 1949 season to Nagoya. The 33-year old played that winter for Japan in the World Baseball Championship; his only appearance in the tournament. His one season with the Nightowls was okay, but below his prior standards as his power and speed diminished with age. The next season, Takano signed a five-year deal with Sapporo, but struggled and was traded after one season to Kitakyushu. He spent two seasons in a bench role with the Kodiaks, retiring after the 1952 season at age 36. The final line for Takano: 2108 hits, 1172 runs, 243 doubles, 212 triples, 452 home runs, 1184 RBI, 516 stolen bases, a .279/.335/.547, and 92.7 WAR. He didn’t have the longevity compared to some other Hall of Famers, but in the early and mid 1940s, there were few hitters better in Japan. This burst and being a fan-favorite hometown hero gave Takano the push to earn first ballot induction at 83.7%. Yoshiki Yamane – Starting Pitcher – Osaka Orange Sox – 73.3% First Ballot Yoshiki Yamane was a 6’1’’, 190 pound left-handed starting pitcher from Isehara, a smaller city in the Kanto region of Japan. Yamane was known for having great stuff, succeeding despite having at times poor control and average movement. He had 94-96 mph velocity on his fastball, but used an excellent slider and curveball, plus a good changeup, to retire batters and force flyballs. Yamane was viewed as a team leader and as a solid defensive pitcher. Yamane attended Nagoya Gakuin University and caught the attention of Osaka, who picked him 11^th overall in the 1938 East Asia Baseball Draft. He had a respectable debut season and with only 22 starts, earned Rookie of the Year honors in 1939. His second and third year were both unremarkable with arguably below average production, but he was able to sort out some control issues from there. In 1944, Yamane took third in Pitcher of the Year voting and in 1948, came closer with a second place finish. In 1944, he had a no-hitter against Kobe with 13 strikeouts and two walks. 1948 had a league and career best 23 wins with a 1.97 ERA and 6.3 WAR. Postseason success played a big role in Yamane getting the nod. The Orange Sox made the playoffs from 1943-46, winning the EAB title in 1943 and the Japan League title in 1946. In the 1943 run, he was 3-0 over 25.1 innings with a 1.07 ERA. Along with a 1951 berth, Yamane had 11 postseason starts with a 6-3 record, 2.39 ERA, 83 innings, 74 strikeouts, and 1.1 WAR. Yamane began to decline into his early 30s, an unusual early drop as he didn’t have any significant injuries as are often associated which such falls. Yamane opted to retire at age 35 after the 1952 season, playing his entire pro career in Osaka. His #7 uniform would be retired that winter. The final stats: 190-152, 2.79 ERA, 3216 innings, 3240 strikeouts, 854 walks, 278/406 quality starts, and 45.8 WAR. A good run, but advanced metrics and an early decline make Yamane someone often cited as a “Hall of Very Good” guy instead of HOF guy. His 45.8 WAR is second worst in the EAB Hall among non-relievers and his career FIP- of 97 suggests sustained averageness more than excellence. Still, he played his entire career with one team and had a solid role in some postseason success. This was enough for Yamane to get the nod on the first ballot at 73.3%. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

06-04-2023, 05:26 AM	#306
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,635	1958 BSA Hall of Fame 1958 saw only one player added to Beisbol Sudamerica’s Hall of Fame. Pitcher Hernan Alatorre was a first ballot pick with an impressive 93.9%. 1B Yuri Assuncao was nearly a first ballot selection as well, but his 65.3% was barely below the 66% threshold. Only one other player, SP Aldemar Ramires, as above 50%. One was dropped after his 10^th ballot in catcher Armando Urquides, who fell to 10.2% after peaking at 43.8% on his second try. He was hurt by having his official BSA career start at age 27, but in 13 seasons with three teams he had seven Silver Sluggers, 1387 hits, and 55.2 WAR. The general anti-catcher bias of the Hall of Fame voters didn’t help his cause either as the relatively weak offensive tallies even by elite catches gets overlooked. Hernan Alatorre – Starting Pitcher – Lima Lobos – 93.9% First Ballot Hernan Alatorre was a 6’2’’, 205 pound left-handed pitcher from Lima, Peru. Alatorre was known for having very good control and solid stuff, finding success despite having velocity that peaked in the 89-91 range. His fastball wasn’t his go-to though, a great slider and an outstanding changeup carried Alatorre to success. He was also a very good defensive pitcher and generally pretty durable. His skill led to a long career despite being generally viewed as a total jerk who lacked hustle. This meant Alatorre isn’t entirely remembered as fondly as you’d expect as a Hall of Famer who spent nearly his entire pro career in his hometown. The Lima native was selected by the Lobos in the 1936 Beisbol Sudamerica Draft and finished third in Rookie of the Year voting in 1937. He became a fixture in the rotation for around 15 years, posting reliably consistent numbers for a struggling franchise that never made the playoffs in his run. He had 10 seasons of 300+ strikeouts and seven seasons of 7+ WAR. Still, he never won Pitcher of the Year and finished top three only once, taking second in 1946. That year had a career and league-best 9.4 WAR and 0.79 WHIP. In the summer of 1944, Lima traded him to Fortaleza for three prospects. But as a free agent in the offseason, he signed back up with the Lobos for another seven seasons. He had a no-hitter against Medellin in 1942 and on April 30, 1950, had his crowning achievement with Beisbol Sudamerica’s 15^th perfect game. Alatorre struck out eight in the perfect against Valencia. He also was on the Peruvian national team in the first six World Baseball Championship tournaments, posting a 4.38 ERA over 72 innings with 82 strikeouts. Before the 1952 season, the 38-year old Alatorre was traded to Cali, which allowed him to experience his only BSA postseason as the Cyclones were Bolivar League champ. He had two strong starts in that run with a 1.62 ERA over 16.2 innings with 14 strikeouts. His overall numbers had weakened, but Alatorre was still good enough to hang around at this point. However, he decided that the playoff run with Cali was a good place to end, retiring at age 38. He would the next year see his #16 uniform retired back home in Lima. The final stats for Alatorre: 238-193, 2.53 ERA, 4046 innings, 4703 strikeouts, 711 walks, 375/516 quality starts, 144 complete games, and 101.6 WAR. In an odd way, he somewhat quietly built up an impressive resume. He was the fifth BSA pitcher to 4500 career strikeouts and the 12^th to 200 wins. Among the HOF leaderboard, his numbers certainly don’t look out of place. Despite rarely leading the league, being on a weak franchise, and being a bit rude, Alatorre’s credentials were undeniable and he grabbed a first ballot spot at 93.9%. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

06-04-2023, 11:22 AM	#307
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,635	1958 World Baseball Championship The 1958 World Baseball Championship was held in Seville, Spain. In Division 1, the defending champion United States advanced to the round robin with a 7-0 record, although they had a stiff challenge from Italy at 6-1. A very competitive Division 2 went to South Korea at 5-2, finishing one game better than Bolivia, Honduras, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico. Division 3 was even tighter with the top four teams all 4-3 and the bottom four all at 3-4. Belarus, France, Romania, and Ukraine each were in the upper group and the tiebreaker went to the Ukrainians. Last year’s runner-up Canada missed at 3-4. In Division 4, Belgium and Spain both finished 6-1 and the tiebreaker sent the Belgians into the next round. Division 5 had a four-way tie for the top spot at 5-2 between Germany, Kazakhstan, Mexico, and Poland with the Germans moving forward on the tiebreaker. Division 6 had a three-way tie at 5-2 between Brazil, the Czech Republic, and Peru; the Brazilians advanced on the tiebreaker In Division 7, North Korea won outright at 6-1, a game ahead of both Russia and Switzerland. And in Division 8, Chile and Colombia tied for first at 6-1 with the Colombians going to the Round Robin on the tiebreaker. In the Double Round Robin Group A, the Americans and Ukrainians moved forward with 4-2 records, while Germany and Belgium both were ousted at 2-4. This sends Ukraine to the semifinal for the first time. Meanwhile, Group B had Brazil on top at 5-1 to earn their second semifinal appearance. South Korea and Colombia were 3-3 and North Korea was 1-5. The Colombians took the tiebreaker to advance to the semi for the third time. Ukraine handled Colombia 4-1 to advance to the championship for the first time, while the United States downed Brazil in five games. The World Championship saw the Americans prevail 4-1, giving the US back-to-back titles, three in four years, and seven in the tournament’s first 12 years. Tournament MVP went to American Ross Strickland. A 24-year old centerfielder playing for Minneapolis, he had a tournament-best 21 runs, 32 hits, 16 stolen bases, and 1.6 WAR; adding a .344 average, 8 home runs, and 21 RBI. South Korean’s Tae-Yang So was named the Best Pitcher. The 30-year old closer for Sapporo and 1955 Reliever of the Year tossed 11 scoreless innings in three appearances for two saves, 22 strikeouts, three walks, and 1.0 WAR. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

06-05-2023, 05:26 AM	#308
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,635	1958 in EPB The European League saw both Kyiv and Minsk win their respective divisions for the third straight season. The Miners led the league overall at 104-58 atop the North Division. The Kings claimed the South Division at 103-59, edging Bucharest (102-60) by one game. The defending Eurasian Professional Baseball champion Broncos still earned their fourth straight playoff berth with the wild card. At 96-66, Kharkiv took the final wild card for their first-ever playoff berth, beating out Moscow by one game. European League MVP went to Kharkiv’s Stepan Pavlyukovets. The 24-year old Belarusian LF was EPB’s first-ever batting Triple Crown winner with a .325 average, 52 home runs, and 122 RBI, tying the single-season home run record thus far in EPB’s four year history. He also led in hits (192), OBP (.3820, slugging (.653), OPS (1.036), and WAR (7.4). Bucharest’s Bogdan Chirita won his second Pitcher of the Year. The 31-year old Romanian was the leader in ERA (1.85), WHIP (0.85), FIP- (40), and WAR (12.6) with 301 strikeouts over 263 innings. The best overall record in EPB narrowly went to Asian League North Division champ Novosibirsk at 108-54, getting their first division title and back-to-back playoff berths. Dushanbe at 107-55 was the South Division champ for a fourth straight berth, but their first division title. Krasnoyarsk (104-58) and Almaty (101-61) took the wild card spots with Yekaterinburg (100-62) and Irkutsk (95-67) narrowly missing. It is the second wild card in four years for the Cossacks and four straight for the Assassins. The Asian League MVP and Pitcher of the Year both went to Baku’s Skerdi Hoxha despite the Blackbirds going .500 for the year. He was the leader in wins at 22-3 and ERA at 1.52, also leading in WHIP (0.86) and quality starts (28). He also had 10.0 WAR and 266 innings with 283 strikeouts and earned his fourth straight Gold Glove. In the first round of the playoffs, Kharkiv upset Minsk 3-1 and Kyiv survived in five games against Bucharest in the European League. In the Asian League, Almaty upset Novosibirsk in four and Dushanbe edged Krasnoyarsk in five. The all-Ukraine ELCS saw the Kings prevail in six over the Killer Bees, while the ALCS had the Dynamo over the Assassins in a seven-game classic. The Soviet Series had two teams in it for the first time and saw Kyiv defeat Dushanbe in five games. Other notes: Warsaw’s Dan Vaarala threw the fourth EPB perfect game with six strikeouts against Vilnius on June 9. Krasnoyarsk’s Sergei Mammedov had a 30-game hitting streak, the first EPB player to get 30+. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

06-05-2023, 12:22 PM	#309
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,635	1958 in EBF For the ninth season of the European Baseball Federation, the mound was lowered as stats had fallen from year one to year eight. The Northern Conference went from a .227 league average and 3.12 ERA to .245 and 3.341 in 1958, while the Southern Conference went from .237 and 3.29 to .249 and 3.69. The Northern Conference didn’t have any 100+ win teams in 1958. The best overall record went to Hamburg at 95-67, earning their first-ever playoff berth as North Central Division champ. Berlin was second at 93-69 and earned the wild card, while defending European Champion Stockholm was 91-71 and missed the playoffs. The Barons earned their third playoff berth in franchise history. The Northwest Division was a tight battle with Luxenbourg winning for the first time. The Lancers finished 92-70, finishing three better than both Amsterdam and Rotterdam and four better than Brussels. In the British Isles Division, Birmingham won a third straight title with a 88-74 mark, beating Belfast by six games and Glasgow by seven. NC MVP went to Paris LF Gabriel Staudt. The 30-year old Swiss righty was the conference leader in home runs (54), RBI (136), runs (115), slugging (.674), OPS (1.046), wRC+ (201), and WAR (9.3). Stoudt also won his seventh Silver Slugger, the first EBF player to earn seven. Rotterdam’s Trent Addams was Pitcher of the Year, earning the EBF’s third Triple Crown pitching season. The 26-year old Scot had a 24-3 record, 1.56 ERA, and 367 strikeouts over 248.2 innings with a 30 FIP- and league-record 13.1 WAR. The best overall record in the EBF came in the Southern Conference from Lisbon, who won the Southwest Division at 105-57 for their fourth playoff berth in five years. Milan claimed the South Central Division at 93-69 for their first playoff berth since 1953, finishing four games ahead of Zurich. Defending conference champ Naples fell to 75-87. The Southeast Division champ was Athens at 92-70, earning their first-ever playoff appearance. Zurich at 89-73 narrowly grabbed the wild card for their fourth appearance in five years. The Mountaineers were one game ahead of Seville, four better than Madrid, and five over Marseille. Southern Conference MVP went to Munich 2B Jonathan Fossdal. The 25-year old from Norway was the conference leader in WAR (10.9) and wRC+ (191), adding a .340 average, 38 home runs, and 114 RBI. Seville’s Armando Rojas won his third straight Pitcher of the Year. The 26-year old led in ERA for the fourth time in career with 2.01 and WAR for the third straight season with a career-best 12.2. He also led in strikeouts (36), WHIP (0.83), quality starts (29), and FIP- (44). In the first round in the Northern Conference playoffs, both series went all five games. Hamburg edged Birmingham and Berlin edged Luxembourg for an all-Germany conference final. In the Southern Conference, Zurich upset Lisbon in a sweep and Milan dropped Athens 3-1. The NCC saw the Barons beat the Hammers in five games to send Berlin to the European final for the first time. The SCC was a seven-game classic with the Mountaineers outlasting the Maulers, sending Zurich to their first European Championship. It would be a rout as Berlin swept the Mountaineers for their first title and the second title by a German team. It was the first time the European Championship series was a sweep. Other notes; The seventh EBF perfect game was thrown on September 13 by Belfast’s Arran MacNair, who stuck out eight against Dublin. This was the only no-hitter for the entire season. Pietro Ribsi became the first pitcher to 2500 career strikeouts. CF Mercury Hand won his eighth consecutive Gold Glove. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

06-06-2023, 05:33 AM	#310
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,635	1958 in BSA Defending Copa Sudamerica champion Callao won the Bolivar League South Division for the third straight year in 1958 and for the fourth time in five years. The Cats were 100-62, nine games better than second place Guayaquil. In the North Division, Barquisimeto took the title at 99-63 for back-to-back playoff berths, finishing two games better than Caracas. Bolivar League MVP went to 2B Remberto Borja of Barquisimeto, earning his second career MVP. The 28-year old Venezuelan was the league leader in WAR (10.5), OBP (.427), and triples (24), adding a .356 average, 101 runs, and 208 hits. Guayaquil righty Laurenco Cedillo won his first of what would be seven Pitcher of the Year awards. In his second full season, the 23-year old Chilean led the league in WAR (8.4), strikeouts (352), and wins (20), posting a 2.47 ERA over 265.2 with 29 quality starts. Defending Southern Cone champ Sao Paulo won the Brazil Division for the sixth straight season, but had to win a war to do so. The Padres finished 104-58, outracing Rio de Janeiro at 103-59. Salvador (95-67) and Fortaleza (92-70) were both in the race for much of the year as well. Santiago won back-to-back South Division titles, 12 games better than Buenos Aires with a 97-65 mark. Santiago two-way player Jay Carrizales was the league MVP. The 26-year old left-handed Santiago native as a pitcher had 8.4 WAR, a 19-11 record, 2.61 ERA, 308 strikeouts, and 272.2 innings. As a right fielder, Carrizales had 6.3 WAR with a .307 average, 21 home runs, 126 hits, and 53 runs. He also earned Gold Glove at pitcher. Sao Paulo’s Angel Souza won his third Pitcher of the Year in four years. The 28-year old Brazilian righty led the league with 25 wins, adding a 1.74 ERA, 284.2 innings, 339 strikeouts, and 7.3 WAR. The Bolivar League Championship Series was a rematch and this time, Barquisimeto reversed the script on Callao. The Black Cats earned a sweep for their first-ever league title. The Southern Cone Championship was also a rematch and was a seven-game thriller. Game seven went 11 innings with Sao Paulo winning it 7-6, taking the series over Santiago for back-to-back league titles and their fifth title. The Padres kept that momentum into Copa Sudamerica, defeating Barquisimeto in five games. This is Sao Paulo’s second cup win, joining the 1942 campaign. Other notes: Slugger Diego Pena became the first BSA hitter to reach 700 career home runs. Pena added five more the next year at age 44, finishing with a career tally of 725. He also finished with 1754 RBI and 1596 runs, both all-time records at retirement and his 153.6 WAR was the all-time mark for a batter. R.J. Correa became the fourth hitter to 1500 career RBI and the eighth to 500 home runs. Diego Mena became the 15^th pitcher to 4000 strikeouts. CF Loury Nova won his 13^th Gold Glove, a Beisbol Sudamerica record. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

06-06-2023, 12:12 PM	#311
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,635	1958 in EAB Japan’s best record in 1958 with to Saitama, as the Sting earned their first playoff berth since 1946. They finished at 103-59, defeating the last two North Division division champs in a tight race as Sapporo was 100-62 and Sendai was 97-65. Meanwhile, the South Division was a two-team battle between Osaka and Kobe. The Orange Sox prevailed at 94-68, two games better than the defending league champion Blaze. For Osaka, it is their first division title since 1951. Saitama’s two-way star Tadasumi Tanbae won league MVP for the third straight season AND Pitcher of the Year for the second straight. On the mound, the 27-year old from Akita was the league leader in wins (23), K/BB (9.8), FIP- (68), and WAR (7.8), adding a 2.32 ERA over 259.2 innings with 255 strikeouts. In the outfielder, Tanabe smacked 41 home runs in only 122 games at the plate with 8.2 WAR, a .353/.403/.694 slash, 84 RBI, and 85 runs. The combined WAR total was an East Asia Baseball single-season record which wouldn’t get passed until the 21^st Century. In another notable, the Rookie of the Year and Reliever of the Year went to the same player for the first time. Yokohama’s Song-Il Chae had a 1.48 ERA over 97.1 innings with 113 strikeouts. Defending EAB champ Hamhung took the Korea League North Division for the fourth straight season, cruising to the title at 99-63. Changwon earned back-to-back in the South Division but had to face a much tougher field. The Crabs at 98-64 were just one game ahead of Ulsan and eight better than Busan. For the third straight season, Changwon had the league MVP. For the second time, that was LF Lei Meng. The 27-year old slugger fell one dinger short of the EAB single-season record with 63. Meng also was the league leader in RBI (146) and WAR (10.6) while adding a .319 average, 191 hits, and 124 runs. Pitcher of the Year went to Jae-Ha Pak of Ulsan, his third time winning the award. The 30-year old won it in 1953 and 1955 and left Incheon for the Swallows in free agency for the 1958 season. Pak was the league leader in strikeouts (311), K/BB (14.1), FIP- (52), and WAR (11.0), recognized as the top pitcher despite a 14-15 record. He had a 2.82 ERA over 271 innings. The Japan League Championship Series ended up being a dud as Osaka surprisingly swept Saitama. This gave the Orange Sox their fifth league title and first since 1945. The Korea League Championship Series was more competitive, but still saw Hamhung prevail in the rematch with Changwon in six games. For the Heat, that gives them three titles in four years and seven overall. The Heat added their third East Asian Championship ring in four years as well, defeating Osaka 4-2. The Hamhung dynasty is the first in EAB history to win three overall titles in a four year stretch. They’re also the second to repeat, joining Yokohama (1926-27). Other notes: on June 15, Hamhung’s Hongnan Zheng had the first EAB perfect game since 1950, striking out eight against Daejeon. Haruo Matsuzaki became the 16^th pitcher to 3500 career strikeouts. Ju-An Pak became the 10^th hitter to 500 home runs. Takashi Ishihara became the ninth to 2500 hits and sixth to 1500 runs scored. Seong-Jun Han crossed 1500 runs scored six days after Ishihara. Nariyuki Yanagisawa won his 10^th Silver Slugger at third base, only the third player to win the award 10 times. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

06-07-2023, 05:19 AM	#312
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,635	1958 in CABA Defending CABA champion Monterrey won a fourth consecutive Mexican League North Division in 1958, although the Matadors faced a strong challenge. Monterrey finished at 97-65, while both Chihuahua and Tijuana were two back at 95-67. The best overall record in the league went to South Division champ Leon at 102-60. Defending division champ Guadalajara was second at 12 games back. For the Lions, it is their first playoff berth since the 1942 season. Guadalajara slugger Prometheo Garcia won his sixth league MVP and first since 1955. The 35-year old 1B still hasn’t lost a step, leading the league in batting average (.375), hits (232), and runs (119), while adding 46 home runs, 122 RBI, and 9.6 WAR. In the season, he also became the second CABA hitter to reach 3000 career hits and the sixth to get 1500 RBI. Monterrey’s Wily Orantes won his third Pitcher of the Year in four seasons. He led in ERA for the fourth straight year at 1.85 and led in WHIP at 0.89. He had a 17-5 record, 148 strikeouts over 204 innings and 4.4 WAR. It would be the last great season for the 32-year old as a torn rotator cuff midway through 1959 effectively ended his run. Defending Caribbean League champ Santo Domingo had the best record in CABA at 106-56, outracing 99-63 Puerto Rico for the Island Division title. After missing the last two years, Honduras was back atop the Continental Division in 1958 at 88-64. The Horsemen were four games ahead of last year’s winner Costa Rica. MVP went to Nicaragua first baseman Jonathan Suarez. It is the second for the 33-year old Honduran, who also took the award in 1951. Suarez led the league in home runs (52) and WAR (7.0), adding a .315 average and 124 RBI. Pitcher of the Year went to Santo Domingo’s Wilner Christian. The 28-year old Haitian lefty was the ERA leader at 2.11, also leading in WHIP (0.95), quality starts (26), FIP- (64), and WAR (8.0). He had a 20-6 record over 243 innings with 255 strikeouts. Monterrey made it a Mexican League Championship Series four-peat, defeating Leon in the final in six games. They’re the third team in league history to win four straight. The Mexican League has had only two champs in the 1950s thanks to the Matador four-peat and the prior Mexicali five-peat. In the Caribbean League Championship Series, Honduras upset Santo Domingo in six games for their record 10^th league title. The Horsemen picked up their fourth CABA Championship, defeating Monterrey 4-2. Other notes: Costa Rica’s Marc Cedillo threw a perfect game on May 29 against Guatemala with five strikeouts. 1B Salvador Islas earned his 12^th and final Gold Glove. CF Linus Williams became an 11 time Gold Glove winner. MVP winner Prometheo Garcia won his 10^th Silver Slugger. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

06-07-2023, 12:12 PM	#313
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,635	1958 in MLB Hartford had the best record in the National Association and won the Eastern League for back-to-back seasons. The Huskies expanded their postseason streak to five years with a 102-60 record. Second was Brooklyn at 99-63, allowing an MLB-fewest 474 runs. The wild card gives the Dodgers their second-ever playoff berth (1934). The second wild card went to Pittsburgh at 98-64, giving the Pirates back-to-back wild card spots. In the Midwest League, Louisville at 99-63 took first for only the second time in franchise history (1936). It is the first playoff berth for the Lynx since 1941. Defending NA champ Indianapolis was second at 96-66 and picked up the third wild card. The fourth and final wild card was back in the EL with Ottawa, Boston, Washington, and Philadelphia all in the mix. The Elks and Red Sox tied for the final spot at 92-70 with Ottawa advancing in a one-game playoff. This puts the 1956 National Association champ back in the postseason after just missing the prior year. NA MVP went to Pittsburgh 3B Victor Pettit. In his first full season as a starter, the 22-year old led the National Association in runs with 106. He also posted 211 hits, 37 home runs, 111 RBI, a .339 average, and 8.0 WAR. Brooklyn’s John Delaney won back-to-back Pitcher of the Year awards. He led in innings (284) and quality starts (32). He posted a 24-9 record, 1.90 ERA, 223 strikeouts, and 7.9 WAR. In the first round of the National Association playoffs, Pittsburgh beat Indianapolis 2-0 and Brooklyn downed Ottawa 2-0. In round two, the Pirates upset Hartford in four games and the Dodgers surprised Louisville in four. This setup an NACS final between Brooklyn, who had never gotten this far, and Pittsburgh, who only make it once back in 1913. The Dodgers swept the Pirates in the first NACS sweep since 1944, sending Brooklyn to the World Series for the first time. The top mark in the American Association in 1958 went to San Diego, who won the Western League at 100-62. This gives the Seals a fourth straight playoff berth and sixth in seven years. They were seven games ahead of second place Las Vegas, who at 93-69 were the third wild card team. The Vipers earned their eighth playoff berth in the last nine seasons. San Antonio at 99-63 won the Southern League for their first playoff spot since 1954. Defending SL champ Tampa was second at 96-66 and Nashville was third at 95-67, both getting in as wild cards. The Knights are back in for their fourth berth in five seasons. The battle for the final wild card was out west with defending World Series champ Vancouver and Los Angeles tying at 90-72, while four other teams were within four games. The Volcanoes won the one-game playoff to advance to the playoffs. The American Association MVP and Pitcher of the Year both went to Tampa Thunderbirds. Martin Medina won back-to-back MVPs and his fourth of his career. The 31-year old 1B led in RB I (129), OBP (.425), and OPS (1.053). He had 45 home runs, 206 hits, 111 runs, and 8.5 WAR. Medina also picked up his eighth Silver Slugger. Meanwhile, veteran pitcher Trevor Brown got his second Pitcher of the Year. In his second year with the Thunderbirds, he led in innings with 301.1, posting a 21-11 record, 2.45 ERA, 179 strikeouts, and 8.1 WAR. Nashville downed Las Vegas in two and Tampa eliminated Vancouver in three for the first round playoff matchups. San Diego defeated the Knights 3-1 and San Antonio beat the Thunderbirds 3-1, sending both league champs to the American Association Championship Series. The Seals downed the Oilers in five, winning their third AA title in four years and their fourth total. In the 1958 World Series, San Diego capped off a dynasty by defeating Brooklyn in five games. With that, the Seals become only the third franchise in MLB to win three World Series titles in a four year stretch. This would be the final ring of the run, but San Diego established themselves as a great dynasty. Other notes: Hartford’s Jess Lewis became the sixth MLB player to 3500 career hits. He’d play one more year and would finish with 3714 hits, second all-time on the leaderboard behind only Stan Provost. He ended with 1918 runs, fourth all-time. Chance Warren became the 28^th to 3000 hits. Spenser Emond got to 250 career wins, the 21^st to do so. Madaleno Anziani won his 10^th Gold Glove at RF. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

06-08-2023, 05:31 AM	#314
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,635	1959 MLB Hall of Fame Only one player was inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in the 1959 class. SP Juwan Oliver was a first ballot selection at 90.3%. Another first pitcher on his first ballot, Brentley Suka, came close at 62.8% but was just short of the 66% threshold. Four others were above 50%. One of those was SP Patrick Iannazzo, who was dropped after his 10^th ballot. He finished at 57.8% after barely missing the prior year at 65.0%. In 19 years between Portland, Atlanta, and Seattle, Iannazzo had a 261-185 record, 3.37 ERA, 2660 strikeouts, and 92.2 WAR. It was surprising considering the accumulated numbers and the 1937 Pitcher of the Year that Iannazzo didn’t get more support. But low strikeout numbers and being on weak teams in his run meant he ultimately was stuck as a “Hall of Very Good” guy. Two others were dropped after a 10^th ballot, although neither got as close. Cam Sherburne won two Pitcher of the Year with Ottawa and had a 165-98 record, 3.04 ERA, and 60.4 WAR. A torn UCL at age 31 derailed his career and kept him from the final tallies needed, peaking at 35.8% on his first ballot. Closer Mo Eckerle was also dropped, peaking at 41.0% on his debut. He won two Reliever of the Year awards over 17 years with 285 saves, 2.03 ERA, and 39.9 WAR. Juwan Oliver – Starting Pitcher – Dallas Dalmatians – 90.3% First Ballot Juwan Oliver was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left-handed starting pitcher from Arlington, Texas. Oliver was known for having excellent control along with 98-100 mph velocity. His movement wasn’t known for being more than average at best, but he was expert at changing speeds between a fastball, circle change, and curveball. Oliver was also an ironman, who didn’t miss a start between 1938 to 1951. Oliver was a rare high school draft pick, coming out of Marcus High School; home of the Marauders. Having grown up in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, he was fittingly picked by the Dallas Dalmatians seventh overall in the 1934 MLB Draft. Oliver spent two seasons in the minor league Fort Worth affiliate, making his MLB debut in 1937 at age 21. He slowly found his footing, eventually becoming the Dalmatians ace with four straight 7+ WAR seasons from 1941-44. He was the American Association leader in strikeouts in both 1941 (362) and 1943 (290). Dallas grew from a bottom tier team to a contender during that stretch, making it to the World Series in 1942 and 1943. In nine playoff starts with the Dalmatians, Oliver had a 6-2 record, 3.42 ERA over 69.1 innings with 58 strikeouts. In eight seasons with Dallas, he had a 110-116 record, 3.82 ERA, 1686 strikeouts, and 43.1 WAR. He played enough of a role in their playoff success and was a hometown guy for his #6 uniform to be retired at the end of his career. After spending his whole life in the area, Oliver left for free agency in 1945 and signed a five-year deal with Brooklyn. He spent three seasons with the Dodgers as a solid contributor, but not a dominant pitcher. Ultimately, he was never in the top three in Pitcher of the Year voting at any point in his career. With Brooklyn, he was 46-31 with a 3.23 ERA and 17.8 WAR. At the end of the 1947 season, the 32-year old Oliver was trade to Las Vegas. Oliver spent the next five seasons with the Vipers and was a reliable starter for them. They became a playoff contender as the 1950s dawned, although Oliver’s postseason luck was limited. Still, in five years he had a 93-50 record, 3.40 ERA, and 26.0 WAR with 1110 strikeouts. He was released by Las Vegas and signed in 1953 with Denver in his final season. He struggled with the Dragons, but hit a few milestones, including becoming the eighth to 3500 career strikeouts and 19^th to 250 wins. Oliver retired after the 1953 season at age 37. The final stats for Oliver; 259-220, 3.66 ERA, 4311.1 innings, 3568 strikeouts, 826 walks, 304/554 quality starts, 264 complete games, and 86.4 WAR. It is interesting to compare his line with Patrick Iannazzo, who was dropped after a 10^th ballot in the same year. But Oliver’s high strikeout total and lower walk total, plus having some playoff success with Dallas, gave Oliver the nod despite the lack of major accolades. Oliver not only got in, but was an impressive first ballot pick at 90.3%. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

06-08-2023, 05:54 PM	#315
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,635	1959 CABA Hall of Fame The 1959 Central American Baseball Association Hall of Fame ballot was relatively unimpressive with only one inductee getting in after seven tries. Second baseman Ray Reyes got the bump on his seventh attempt at 77.5%. Closer Leroy Morillo was close on his eighth try, but fell short of the 66% mark at 63.5%. 3B Sandro Villanueba had a respectable debut at 604% and LE Se-Hyeon Kim at 56.5% on his second try was the others above 50%. One player was dropped after the tenth go in RF Gabriel Tuitt. In his 14 seasons between Santiago, Haiti, and Guadalajara, he had 2110 hits, 1075 runs, 444 home runs, 1296 RBI, a .273 average, and 49.8 WAR. He won six Silver Sluggers, but didn’t have high enough accumulations to get the nod, peaking at 45.1% on his seventh try. Ray “Ferret” Reyes – Second Baseman – Santo Domingo Dolphins – 77.3% Seventh Ballot Ray Reyes was a 5’9’’, 200 pound right-handed second baseman from Santiago de Cuba, the second largest city in the country. Reyes was a terrific leadoff man who was a great contact hitter that could effectively draw walks. Reyes was a quick baserunner and solid base stealer as well, making him dangerous when he got on. Reyes didn’t have home run power at all, but was solid at finding the gap and getting extra bases with his speed. He was a career second baseman and considered a solid to good defender with a reliable glove at the position. Reyes was drafted 14^th overall by Santo Domingo in the 1930 CABA Draft and would spend his entire professional career with the Dolphins. He made an unremarkable debut in 1931 and had some injuries. After an okay year two and a partial year three because a torn labrum, Reyes found his rhythm in year four. He won his lone Gold Glove in 1935 and picked up three Silver Sluggers in 1937, 1938, and 1946. Reyes led the Caribbean League in triples thrice, runs twice, walks twice, OBP four times, and stolen bases one. He never was a top three MVP finisher, but posted 6+ seasons in 1937, 1938, and 1940; an impressive feat with only 25 career home runs. The Dolphins never made the playoffs in his run, but could rely on a solid presence at second base over the 1930s and 1940s. He was the eighth CABA player to 2500 career hits and became the second to 1000 career stolen bases, retiring second all-time at 1003. In 1945, a broken bone in his elbow put Reyes out for most of the season. He returned the next year at age 37 and was still solid, but struggled the next year. He did represent his native Cuba in the first World Baseball Championship and played his final game with the Cuban national team in 1948 at age 39, retiring after the tournament. The final statistics for Reyes; 2530 hits, 1224 runs, 373 doubles, 283 triples, 25 home runs, 606 RBI, 905 walks, 1003 stolen bases, a .293/.362/.410 slash and 63.7 WAR. A solid career, but the lack of home runs and Santo Domingo struggling in that stretch meant Reyes wasn’t at the top of the list for many Hall of Fame voters. His debut at 44.0% made many think he wasn’t going to get in, although he steadily climbed in the coming attempts. In 1957, he barely missed at 65.3%, then dropped to 61.9%. Try number seven in 1959 was finally when he got the bump, making the cut at 77.5%. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

06-09-2023, 05:15 AM	#316
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,635	1959 EAB Hall of Fame Two players were inducted in 1959 to the East Asia Baseball Hall of Fame, both on the first ballot. All-time hit king Byung-Oh Tan was added at 97.7% and SS Si-U Gim was in at 89.1%. At retirement, these two were the top two EAB players all-time in WAR. Three others were just above the 50% mark; SP Young-Gil Chyu, LF Bum-Young Ahn, and 1B Sung-Heun Park. One player was dropped after a tenth ballot. Starting pitcher Kazuo Udagawa spent his entire 16-year career with Nagoya with a 207-127 record, 2.66 ERA, 2880 strikeouts, and 55.6 WAR. He won three rings with the Nightowls, but wasn’t considered dominant enough to get the nod. He peaked at 55.1% on his fourth attempt. Byung-Oh Tan – Left Field/First Base – Goyang Green Sox – 97.7% First Ballot Byugn-Oh Tan was a 5’9’’, 200 pound left-handed hitter from Jinju, a city in southern South Korea just west of Changwon. Tan is viewed by many as the greatest pure hitter in Korean baseball history with generational contact ability and great power to match. He was also a solid baserunner and was excellent at avoiding strikeouts, although he wasn’t one to draw many walks. In his career, he had a strikeout percentage of 7%, remarkably having under 1000 career Ks over a 21 year career. In his 20s, he was either in left field or at designated hitter; then switched to first base and DH in his later years. Tan was viewed as a below average to poor defender. He was an ironman who very rarely missed a start to injury, starting 140+ games in every year but one from his age 21 season to age 39. With his incredible bat, Tan was a fan favorite and was an icon and symbol of Korean baseball throughout the peninsula. His talent was noticed while at Woosung High School in Uiwang, becoming one of the rare players picked out of high school. Tan was the 11^th overall pick in the 1930 EAB Draft by Suwon. Many people have no idea he started his career in the Snappers system, as he was traded in December 1931 to Goyang along with three other prospects for closer Ho-Seong Na. While Na did win Reliever of the Year twice in three years with Suwon, it is easy to say the Green Sox won the trade in the end. Tan had 26 at bats in 1932 at age 19 and started half of the next season with unremarkable results. He became a full-time starter in 1934 at age 21 and from there was excellent, getting 6+ WAR in the next 12 seasons. In 1934, he won his first Silver Slugger in LF. He’d win the award 13 times total; six times at LF, six times as a DH, and once at 1B. Tan won the award in 1934, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 42, 43, 44, 45, 47, and 49. In 1935, the 22-year old Tan led the Korea League in runs (104), hits (214), and home runs (38), finishing second in MVP voting. The next year, he had career bests in runs (123), hits (235), and average (.371); setting the single-season record for hits in a season. He again finished second in MVP voting and was second again in 1937 and 1938. He led the league five straight years from 1935-39 and led seven times in his career. Tan led in hits five times, home runs twice, RBI three times, average four times, OBP three times, slugging and OPS both twice, and WAR five times. Tan’s first MVP finally came in 1939. He won it again in 1940, 1942, 1943, and 1945. He was second in 1941 and posted 43 home runs and 121 RBI despite missing a month of the season to injury. 1942 was arguably his best season with a career-best 47 home runs, 121 RBI, 1.091 OPS, and 10.7 WAR. He hit 47 homers again in 1945, hitting 40+ seven times and 30+ 11 times. Goyang started to contend in the late 1930s, making the playoffs six times over an eight year stretch from 1936-43. Tan had a .318 average, 48 hits, 19 runs, 8 home runs, 17 RBI, and 1.8 WAR over 38 starts. Unfortunately, the Green Sox never won a playoff series in his tenure, one of the few things missing from Tan’s resume. Goyang began to rebuild as the 1940s ended. Tan stopped being an MVP candidate, but was still an excellent hitter into his 30s. In 1947 and 1948, he was on the first two South Korea national teams at the World Baseball Championship. At age 38, he had a 45 home run season in his last year with the Green Sox and also became the first EAB hitter to 3500 career hits. Although beloved by the Green Sox faithful, he wouldn’t be re-signed for the 1952 season. His #18 would be retired as his career ended. He signed with Busan for his last two season, playing okay in 1952 and below average in 1953. However, he was able to set a number of huge milestones with the Blue Jays. He became the first EAB player to 700 home runs, the first cross 2000 runs scored and the first to 2000 RBI. Tan retired after the 1953 season at age 41. The final stats for Tan: 3871 hits, 2010 runs, 575 doubles, 120 triples, 718 home runs, 2023 RBI, a .321/.359/.567 slash and 131.3 WAR. At retirement, he was the all-time hit king and leader in home runs, runs, RBI, doubles. He was second in all-time WAR only behind his 1959 Hall of Fame classmate Si-U Gim. As of 2037, Tan is still the EAB hit king and runs leader, although he’d get passed in the other categories. He remains prominent in the conversation for EAB’s all-time best hitter for good reason and is a no-doubt Hall of Famer. Si-U “Clapper” Gim – Shortstop – Nagoya Nightowls – 89.1% First Ballot Si-U Gim was a 6’2’’,2 00 pound left-handed hitting shortstop from Gwangju, South Korea. He had an unusual profile for a career shortstop as he was a solid power hitter with average at best speed. Gim was an above average contact hitter, but he very rarely drew walks and was around average at avoiding strikeouts. A lot of his value came from being an excellent defensive shortstop who was generally quite durable. Gim was also a team captain known for excellent leadership and work ethic, making him one of the most popular players of his era. Gim was signed as an amateur free agent in September 1931 with Nagoya and would spend his entire professional career with the Nightowls. He debuted with 27 at-bats in 1934 at age 19. He was a reserve in five playoff games, earning a ring as Nagoya won the East Asian Championship. He was a bench piece the next year, then a full-time starter at age 21 in 1936. This year was his first of 11 Silver Sluggers, also winning the award in 37, 38, 40, 41, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, and 50. In 1937, he won his first of five Gold Gloves, also getting it in 38, 39, 40, and 41. Combining his stellar defense at shortstop and strong hitting gave him massive WAR totals. He was the WARlord six different seasons in the Japan League and posted 12+ five times. As of 2037, there have been only 15 seasons of 12+ WAR by an EAB hitter; Gim has 1.3 of those. His 1938 mark of 13.6 was the single-season record at the time. That year, he also led Japan in home runs (43), RBI (113), and OPS (.971). His first MVP came in 1937, followed by additional ones in 1938, 40, and 43. He was second in 1941. Nagoya was an off-and-on contender in the late 1930s and early 40s. In 1937, they were Japan League champ and in 1940, the overall EAB champ. In 1948, a now 33-year old Gim earned another Japan League ring, although he missed that postseason due to injury. From 1948-51, he was part of the South Korean team in the World Baseball Championship, posting 43 hits, 30 runs, 18 home runs, and 38 RBI over 48 tournament appearances. In his EAB playoff career, Gim had 31 hits, 13 runs, 4 homers, 17 RBI, and 1.1 WAR over 30 games. A torn meniscus knocked him out most of 1942 and various injuries into his 30s caused Gim to start to miss notable time after being pretty durable prior. A torn calf muscle knocked him out almost all of 1951. He came back in 1952 and was still good enough to start, but no longer elite. In 1953, Gim was retired to an elder-statesman bench role and he retired after the season at age 38. Immediately upon retirement, Nagoya retired his #20 uniform. The final stats for Gim: 2403 hits, 1141 runs, 373 doubles, 518 home runs, 1347 RBI, a .272/.309/.500 slash and 138.8 WAR. At retirement, he was EAB’s all-time WARlord and kept that crown until passed in the 1980s by Sosuke Hoshizawa. His defense was so stellar at short that he was seven points better than Byung-Oh Tan in WAR, despite Tan’s far superior hitting totals and longevity. It is still a debate by fans of the time that Gim may have been a more valuable player on account of his defensive value and leadership. Regardless, the 1959 Hall of Fame class has easily the two most impressive hitters of the 1930s-1940s and two of the greatest position players in EAB history. i __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

06-09-2023, 05:43 PM	#317
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,635	1959 BSA Hall of Fame The 1959 Beisbol Sudamerica Hall of Fame class was a banner one for great pitchers of the 1930s and 1940s. Three were inducted on the first ballot and all three were above 97%. SP Evan Yho had 98.7%, CL Jonathan Iglesia had 98.4%, and SP Luisao Capucho had 97.7%. Only one other player, 1B Yuri Assuncao, was above 50% with a 55.9% on his second attempt. No players were dumped after a tenth ballot in 1959. Evan “Bull” Yho – Starting Pitcher – Buenos Aires Atlantics – 98.7% First Ballot Evan Yho was a 6’4”, 200 pound left-handed starting pitcher from Melo, a town in northeastern Uruguay. Yho was known for strong stuff and excellent control later in his career, balanced with respectable movement and great durability. His fastball was in the 96-98 mph, although his best pitch was a filthy changeup. Yho also had a strong curveball and decent splitter. In addition to being a master at changing speeds, he was known as a good defensive pitcher. Yho was discovered by a scout from Buenos Aires as a teenager and signed as an amateur free agent in 1931. He would spend his entire pro career with the Atlantics, making his debut at age 20 in 1935. He had a limited bullpen role in his first two years, making his full-time debut as a starter at age 22 in 1937. He posted 8.0 WAR in that season, the first of 12 straight seasons with 8+ WAR. “Bull” was a fitting nickname for a big guy who was so dominant. Over his career, Yho led the Southern Cone League in ERA twice, wins thrice, innings pitched thrice, strikeouts thrice, WAR thrice, K/BB six times, quality starts four times, and WAR four times. In 1939, Yho placed second in Pitcher of the Year voting. He took third In 1940, second in 1941, then finally won it in 1942 while also taking second in MVP voting. Yho was second again for PotY in 1943 and third in 1944. He won his second in 1945 and was again the MVP runner-up as well. Yho made it back-to-back in 1946, then took second again in 1947 and 1950. He was in the top three in Pitcher of the Year voting nine times from 1939-50. He threw two no-hitters, the first in 1939 with 11 strikeouts against Montevideo and the second against Medellin in 1947 with 10 strikeouts. Both games saw only one walk against him. Yho’s success brought along success for Buenos Aires, who became the top team in the Southern Cone League in the 1940s. They won eight division titles from 1941-48, winning Copa Sudamerica in 1941, 42, and 45; while taking runner-up in 46 and 47. Naturally, Yho was a terrific playoff performer with a 2.17 ERA over 178.2 innings with 218 strikeouts, only 32 walks, 19/23 quality starts, and 6.1 WAR. He also pitched for Uruguay’s national team in the World Baseball Championship from 1950-53. Yho’s consistent excellence was a thing to marvel at and he began racking up accumulated accolades. He became the second pitcher to cross 5000 strikeouts behind only the legendary Mohamed Ramos. He was the third to 250 career wins and at retirement was second only to Ramos. He posted 10+ WAR seasons eight times, including a 10.5 WAR effort in 1951 at age 36. He declined slightly as he aged, but in his final year at age 38 in 1953, he was still a very good starting pitcher. Some wondered if he’d take a shot at 300 career wins, but Yho called it a career, not wanting to overstay his welcome. Naturally, he’ll forever be very welcomed and beloved in Buenos Aires, where his #14 uniform is retired. Yho’s final statistics: 289-168, 1.96 ERA, 4478.1 innings, 5591 strikeouts to only 624 walks, a 9.0 K/BB, 456/540 quality starts, a FIP- of 56 and 155.0 WAR. At retirement, he was behind only Ramos in career WAR and wins, although he had him slightly beat on ERA (1.96 to 1.98). Yho was consistently great for a prolonged stretch and has a case to be made as the best Beisbol Sudamerica pitcher of the 1940s. Even as of 2037, he is third in all-time pitching WAR and strikeouts, giving Yho a very strong case as a Mount Rushmore level pitcher in BSA. Jonathan Iglesias – Closer – Caracas Colts – 98.4% First Ballot Jonathan Iglesias was a 5’11’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Ciudad Ojeda, a small city on the northeastern shore of Lake Maracaibo in western Venezuela. He was a fireballer as a closer with a 98-100 mph dominant fastball, mixed with an excellent splitter. This one-two punch made him dominant at his peak. As he aged, his control went from good to great as well, keeping him a threat into his late 30s and 40s. Iglesias was also the rare hard-throwing pitcher to do so without ever suffering any major injury, allowing him to appear in 60+ games in all of his 19 professional seasons sans his rookie year. He was viewed though as a bit of a mercenary though, especially as he bounced around the Bolivar League in his later career. Iglesias was picked 33^rd overall in supplemental round one of the 1934 Beisbol Sudamerica Draft by Caracas; which would be the team he’d be most associated with. He took over the closer role as a rookie in 1935 and held it for the next seven seasons with the Colts. In 1938, he won his first Reliever of the Year with 78 games, 109 innings, 33 saves, a 1.32 ERA, 194 strikeouts, and a blistering 7.7 WAR, which is tied for the most in a season by a closer. That same season, Caracas made it to Copa Sudamerica with Iglesias picking up five saves in the postseason run. In his first run with Caracas, Igelsias also was second in Reliever of the Year in 1936 and third in 1940. The Colts started to struggle soon after and was traded to Cordoba in the summer of 1942. He signed as a free agent with Maracaibo in 1943, but was traded to La Paz in the summer. With the Pump Jacks though, he pitched 14 scoreless postseason innings, helping La Paz win Copa Sudamerica. In 1944, the now 32-year old Iglesias returned to Caracas for a season, taking third in Reliever of the Year voting. He signed again with Maracaibo in 1945 and this time got through the entire year with the Mariners, taking second in Reliever of the Year voting. Iglesias signed with Valencia in 1946 and won his second Reliever of the Year award. In 1947, the 35-year old signed for a third tour with Maracaibo. He was traded again in the summer, this time to Medellin. Iglesias won his third Reliever of the Year and earned his second ring, helping the Mutiny claim the 1947 Copa Sudamerica crown. He stuck around with Medellin for the next two seasons, becoming the third BSA closer to 400 career saves. He also played the first of seven World Baseball Championship tournaments for the Venezuelan team. At age 38 in 1950, he signed for the third time with Caracas and spent two more seasons with the Colts, finishing second in Reliever of the Year in both seasons. On August 3, 1951, he became the first (and as of 2037, the only) BSA closer with 500 career saves. Before the 1952 season, Iglesias was traded to Cordoba and spent his final two seasons there. In 1953, he earned his third Copa Sudamerica ring, although he didn’t appear in the postseason. He retired after the 1953 season at age 42. His #49 jersey would be retired by Caracas in 1953. His final stats: 123-146, 579 saves, 1.85 ERA, 1609.2 innings, 2331 strikeouts, 350 walks, 705 shutdowns, and 75.9 WAR. As of 2037, his 579 saves is not only the Beisbol Sudamerica career record, but the most by any professional player in any league. Historically, even great closers have trouble maintaining the role for their entire career, but Iglesias was the man for the job for 19 seasons, making him an easy first-ballot Hall of Fame choice. Luisao “Redeye” Capucho – Starting Pitcher – Sao Paulo Padres – 97.7% First Ballot Luisao Capucho was a 5’10’’, 185 pound right-handed starting pitcher from Cascavel, a city in the southern Brazilian state of Parana. Capucho was known for excellent stuff with 97-99 mph velocity, adding good movement and decent control. He had a four pitch arsenal with a solid fastball, forkball, and cutter, plus a rarely-used changeup. Capucho was considered a very intelligent and cerebral pitcher and also had solid durability. Capucho was selected 10^th overall in the 1940 Beisbol Sudamerica Draft by Sao Paulo. He had an impressive debut season in 1941, taking second in Rookie of the Year voting despite earning Rookie of the Month three times. He became an ace for the Padres, taking third in Pitcher of the Year in 1943 and winning it in 1947. That year saw a dominant season with a 1.26 ERA over 278.2 innings, 396 strikeouts, and a dominant 14.2 WAR. He also led the Southern Cone League in strikeouts three times with Sao Paulo. Capucho tossed no-hitters in 1945 against Montevideo and 1947 against Salvador, getting 20 Ks in the former. This was the record for strikeouts in a no-hitter until 2023. The Padres made it to the playoffs from 1942-45, making It to Copa Sudamerica in 1943 and 44, winning it all in 1944. In 57.1 career playoff innings, Capucho had a 1.73 ERA, 87 strikeouts, and 2.2 WAR. He had six seasons of 7+ WAR with Sao Paulo, finishing his time there with a 151-80 record, 2.03 ERA, 2920 strikeouts, and 74.5 WAR. He also began playing for the Brazilian national team as the World Baseball Championship was formed, making 17 appearances over 1947-52 with a 3.73 ERA, 94 innings, and 3.0 WAR. Before the 1950 season, a rebuilding Sao Paulo traded Capucho to Valencia for four prospects. He had an excellent debut for the struggling Velocity squad, leading the Bolivar League with 9.5 WAR. He was third in Pitcher of the Year voting and third again the next year at age 33. He had two more years with Valencia, beginning to see his productivity drop a bit. Although still effective, Capucho decided to retire after the 1953 season at age 36. His final statistics: 210-128, 2.18 ERA, 3236.1 innings, 4057 strikeouts, 712 walks, 324 quality starts, and 102.4 WAR. They are impressive numbers considering he only had a 13-year career. Capucho was at times overshadowed by some of the other great pitchers of early Beisbol Sudamerica, but he still was noticed for his achievements. Sao Paulo retired his #2 uniform and he was a first ballot Hall of Famer at 97.7%, rounding out a stellar 1959 Hall of Fame class. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

06-10-2023, 06:17 AM	#318
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,635	1959 World Baseball Championship The 1959 World Baseball Championship was held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. In Division 1, the defending champion United States advanced with a 6-1 mark, finishing one game ahead of Italy. Division 2 saw South Korea go unbeaten at 7-0, beating the DR and Hungary by two games. Division 3 had Canada on top at 6-1, edging France by one game. Meanwhile, Division 4 had a three-way tie between Germany, Japan, and Switzerland at 5-2. The tiebreaker moved the Germans onto the Double Round Robin. Division 5 had a tie between Poland and Mexico at 5-2 with three others only one game back. The Poles moved on via the tiebreaker. Division 6 went to Venezuela at 6-1, finishing a game ahead of both Serbia and Slovakia. In Division 7, Russia and Northern Ireland both went 6-1, while the Czech Republic and North Korea were both 5-2. The tiebreaker moved the Northern Irish onto the elite eight. And in Division 8, Argentina prevailed at 6-1, one better than Peru. In the Double Round Robin Group A, Poland was the top team with a 5-1 run. Canada and South Korea both finished 3-3 with the Canadians moving on via the tiebreaker, while Venezuela was 1-5. Group B had a three-way tie at 4-2 between the Americans, Argentina, and Germany, while Northern Ireland was 0-6. The tiebreaker moved the US and Germany forward and ousted Argentina. One semifinal had the usual suspects with the United States facing Canada, while the other had a first-time semifinalist in Poland and a second-time one in Germany. The Poles edged their neighbor in a seven-game classic, while the Canadians upset the Americans in six games. The World Championship went the distance with Canada defeating Poland 4-3, giving the Canadians their second-ever world title. Tournament MVP went to Canada’s Herve Bouchard. The 27-year old 1B for Ottawa had a WBC record 15 home runs, while adding 32 hits, 23 runs, 25 RBI, 18 walks, a .372/.476/.919 slash and 2.7 WAR. The Top Pitcher went to Argentina’s Ramon Olguin. The 34-year old lefty for Medellin had a perfect ERA in 12 innings with three saves, three hits allowed, 14 strikeouts, and 0.6 WAR. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

06-10-2023, 12:56 PM	#319
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,635	1959 in EPB Defending Soviet Series champ Kyiv had the top record in Eurasian Professional Baseball in 1959, taking the European League South Division at 113-49. This gives the Kings four straight division titles. Bucharest finished behind them at 107-55, earning a fifth straight playoff berth. Minsk at 105-57 won the North Division and also earned a fifth straight postseason berth. Moscow at 99-63 took the final wild card spot, beating Kharkiv by three games. For the Mules, it is their first-ever postseason berth. The league MVP and Pitcher of the Year both went to Bucharest ace Bogdan Chirita. He won his third Pitcher of the Year and first MVP. The 32-year old righty became the second EPB pitcher to earn a Triple Crown, posting a 21- 6 record, 1.84 ERA, and 311 strikeouts. He had a 13.9 WAR and FIP- of 34 over 264 innings. Almaty secured a fifth straight playoff berth by taking the Asian League South Division at 106-56. The Assassins have taken the division title thrice now. Krasnoyarsk won the North Division at 105-57 for back-ot-back playoff appearances. Irkutsk was second at 102-60, getting the first wild card. The second spot went to Dushanbe at 99-63, defeating Chelyabinsk (95-67) and Yekaterinburg (93-69). The defending Asian League champ Dynamo have now also made the playoffs in each of EPB’s first five seasons. MVP went to Chelyabinsk SS Javid Zaripov. The 28-year old switch-hitter was the leader in hits (193), doubles (45), and WAR (9.3), adding a .316 average and a Gold Glove defensively. Dushanbe’s Sergei Filatov won Pitcher of the Year for the third time in his career. He was the leader in WAR (11.2) and FIP- (51), adding a 16-11 record, 2.55 ERA, and 342 strikeouts over 271.1 innings. In the first round of the playoffs, Kyiv topped Moscow 3-1, Minsk held off Bucharest 3-2, Dushanbe upset Almaty with a 3-0 sweep, and Krasnoyarsk survived 3-2 against Irkutsk. In the European League Championship Series, the Kings dropped the Miners in six, sending Kyiv to the Soviet Series for back-to-back seasons. In the Asian League Championship Series, the Cossacks earned their first league title by taking a seven-game classic over the Dynamo. The fifth Soviet Series went to the Kings in five over Krasnoyarsk, making Kyiv the first repeat EPB champion. Other notes: 1B Vait Sherov, P Skerdi Hoxha, and 2B Mher Harutyunyan became the first five-time Gold Glove winners. DH Pavlo Kolesnik became the first five-time Silver Slugger winner. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

06-11-2023, 05:30 AM	#320
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,635	1959 in EBF In the European Baseball Federation’s Northern Conference, none of the 1958 playoff teams made it back. The British Isles Division went to Dublin at 94-68 for their second-ever playoff berth, defeating Birmingham by six games. In the Northwest Division, Brussels earned their first-ever playoff berth by narrowly taking the title at 95-67. They were one ahead of 94-68 Amsterdam, who took the wild card for their eight playoff berth. In the North Central Division, Stockholm was first at 95-67, giving them eight playoff berths as well. Hamburg was second at 90-72 and defending European Champ Berlin was 88-74, both missing out on the division title and a wild card. Rotterdam at 88-74 also missed out of the postseason, but the Ravens had both the conference MVP and Pitcher of the Year. 1B Troy “Knuckles” Bataille was MVP with the 26-year old Frenchman leading the conference in home runs (50), OBP (.410), slugging (.652), OPS (1.063) and wRC+ (222), while adding 10.1 WAR and 108 RBI. Trent Addams won Pitcher of the Year for the second straight year. The 27-year old Scot was one win short of back-to-back Triple Crown seasons, posting a 19-3 record with 14 saves as well, 1.49 ERA over 223 innings, 342 strikeouts, a 31 FIP- and 11.1 WAR. The best record overall in the EBF came from Zagreb, winning the Southern Conference’s Southeast Division at 102-60 for their second-ever playoff berth. Defending conference champion Zurich at 89-73 won the South Central Division for their fifth playoff berth in six years. Meanwhile, the Southwest Division and wild card race was a tight one. Barcelona and Lisbon finished tied at 91-71 atop the division, both four games better than Madrid and Marseille. Athens in the Southeast Division also finished 91-71, requiring a Bengals/Clippers tiebreaker game for the division title, followed by the loser against the Anchors for the wild card. Barcelona beat Lisbon to earn the division and their first playoff spot since 1953. Then in the wild card tiebreaker, Athens ousted the Clippers, giving the Anchors back-to-back playoff appearances. Southern Conference MVP went to Zagreb 3B Fragiskos Fakas. The 28-year old Greek was the SC leader in runs (126), hits (214), average (.343), slugging (.675), OPS (1.044), wRC+ (197), and WAR (11.7). Pitcher of the Year went to 25-year old Athens ace Mijusko Popovic. The right-handed Serbian was the SC lead in wins (24), innings (290.2), and quality starts (27). He also had a 2.69 ERA, 266 strikeouts, and 6.3 WAR. In the first round of the EBF playoffs, Stockholm topped Amsterdam in four games, Brussels swept Dublin, Zurich upset Zagreb 3-2, and Barcelona bested Athens in five. The Northern Conference Championship saw the Swordsmen prevail in six games over the Beavers, giving Stockholm a second conference crown in three years. The Southern Conference Championship had the Bengals beat the Mountaineers 4-2, giving Barcelona their second conference title (1950). The Bengals earned their first European Championship ring, dropping the Swordsmen in five games. This is the second time the title has gone to a Spanish team with Madrid taking it in 1955. Other notes: Gabriel Staudt became the first EBF hitter to 1000 career RBI. Ken Jacob and Richard Hackl were the first to 300 career saves. Orion McIntyre became the first to 400 home runs and Elih Cruz became the second to 2500 strikeouts. CF Mercury Hand won his ninth and final Gold Glove. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)