Baseball: The World's Game - Page 19

FuzzyRussianHat · 06-28-2023, 05:55 AM

The Central American Baseball Association became the first of the major leagues to expand beyond their original teams. In 1962, two teams were added to the Mexican League and two were added to the Caribbean League. The Mexican League North Division added the Torreon Tomahawks and the South Division added the Queretaro Terriers. Torreon fills a market gap in the north central part of the country west of Monterrey, but well south of Chihuahua and Hermosillo. Queretaro is roughly midway between Mexico City and Leon, adding another in the highly populated central part of the nation.

While the Mexican League additions made for two seven-team divisions, the Caribbean League expansion saw both teams into the Island Division, creating an unbalanced situation with eight in one and six in the other. With all of the major continental Central American markets covered, the Caribbean League opted to tap the island nations without teams. Thus added were the Bahamas Buccaneers and the Trinidad Trail Blazers.

With the additions also came an expanded postseason. The returning Island Division teams in particular had concern over the unbalanced division, especially when that division had often had the top two or three records in the league over the Continental Division. The change was made throughout CABA to add a single wild card, making it three playoff teams per league. The top division winner would get a bye, while the other division winner would host essentially a four game series (officially, a best-of-five with a one-game advantage to the host). The division champ would only need to win twice in four games, while the wild card would need to win three. This preserved a reward for a division title, but allowed great teams in stacked divisions a chance to power forward. The expansion draft had a chance to shake up things a bit, but was designed with the goal in mind not to damage any existing teams too strongly. Therefore, it was expected that the new squads would need a few years to grow. It would take six seasons before one of them made it to the postseason.

The addition of the wild card allowed defending CABA champion Chihuahua to make it back the playoffs in 1962. Juarez took the Mexican League North Division at 103-59, leading in both runs scored (737) and runs allowed (534). The Warriors finished 94-68, finishing one game ahead of Mexicali and five ahead of both Hermosillo and Leon to get the berth. The Lions playoff streak was snapped at four years as they finished two behind Ecatepec for the South Division title. At 91-71, the Explosion earned their first playoff berth since 1951. Torreon was the top performing expansion team at a respectable 79-83, while Queretaro was 65-97.

Leading the Jesters in their success was the legendary 1B Prometheo Garcia, who tied Kiko Velazquez by winning his eighth MVP. Guadalajara had traded their longtime hero at age 39 to Juarez for prospects and Garcia delivered as always, leading the league in average (.398), OBP (.445), OPS (1.133), wRC+ (232), WAR (9.7), and doubles (41), adding 36 home runs and 105 RBI. The .398 average was second-best ever in a CABA season, behind his own .406 from 1949. It would ultimately be the final CABA season for Garcia, who retired as the all-time leader in hits (3871), runs (1850), home runs (753), RBI (2042), and WAR (166.8). He’d leave for Major League Baseball and play six more seasons at a high level, switching the conversation from CABA’s all-time best hitter, to perhaps the best in baseball history.

Pitcher of the Year meanwhile went to Hermosillo’s Santiago Esquivel for the second time in three seasons. He was the strikeout leader with 312, adding a 2.19 ERA over 258.2 innings and 8.2 WAR. Esquivel also won his third consecutive Gold Glove.

In the Caribbean League, Santo Domingo and Honduras were again the top teams. The two-time defending league champ Dolphins won the Island Division for the fifth time in six years, while the Horsemen won their fifth straight Continental Division. Both teams with 108-54 and Santo Domingo had the tiebreaker to earn the bye. The wild card race was in the islands as Jamaica took it at 99-63, two games ahead of 97-65. Both expansion teams were at the bottom; Trinidad at 56-106 and Bahamas at 48-114. For the Jazz, they earned their first playoff berth since 1950.

Haiti’s Cipriano Masias won the league MVP. The 26-year Puerto Rican left fielder had the lead in average (.354), OBP (.396), and OPS (.990), adding 202 hits and 6.6 WAR. Diego Morales won his first Pitcher of the Year for Honduras. The Dominican lefty led in wins (21-5), posting a 2.18 ERA over 251.1 innings with 265 strikeouts and 8.2 WAR.

The first wild card to knock out a division champ was Chihuahua, who despite the one-game handicap against them, went on to sweep Ecatepec. In the Mexican League Championship Series, Juarez edged the defending champ Warriors in seven, giving the Jesters only their second-ever league title; the prior one was 1912; CABA’s second season.

The Caribbean Wild Card round had no surprises with Honduras sweeping Jamaica, setting up Horsemen versus Dolphins for the third straight season in the Caribbean League Championship Series. It was a seven game classic with game seven going 10 innings. Santo Domingo took the finale 6-5 in extras to claim the series in seven and the third-ever Caribbean League three-peat, joining Puerto Rico (1943-45) and Havana (1911-13). The Dolphins continued to roll and swept Juarez in the CABA championship, giving SD its second CABA crown in three years and fourth overall title.

Other notes: In addition to all of the other accolades mentioned earlier, Prometheo Garcia earned his 14^th Silver Slugger. He joins Kiko Velazquez (14) and Emmanuel Zavala (16) as the only CABA players with that many

FuzzyRussianHat · 06-28-2023, 11:49 AM

Toronto snapped a five season playoff drought in 1962 with the National Association’s best record at 107-55. The Timberwolves were Eastern League champs surprisingly for only the sixth time considering their relative success with it their first league title since 1929. In the Midwest League, defending NA champ Kansas City won back-to-back league titles, finishing 97-65. It is their fifth first place in franchise history. The Cougars finished two games better than Omaha at 95-67.

The Hawks were right in the mix with a number of Eastern League teams for the four wild card spots. Montreal and Pittsburgh both finished 96-66 to move forward, snapping a nine-season playoff drought for the Maples and giving the Pirates back-to-back berths. Omaha took the third spot one game behind for their first playoff spot since 1956. Boston at 94-68 took the final spot, finishing two ahead of Hartford. In the last decade, the Red Sox have made the playoffs seven times, although only once did they get beyond the second round. Ottawa (87-75) and Brooklyn (72-90) both had four year playoff streaks snapped, meaning no National Association team has longer than a two season active playoff streak.

Indianapolis was around .500, but they had the NA MVP in R.J. Clinton. It was the second MVP for the 25-year old right fielder from Wisconsin, who led in home runs (47), slugging (.640), and OPS (1.021), adding 8.5 WAR and a .326 average. Pittsburgh’s Richard Thieman won Pitcher of the Year. It was a career season for the 29-year old in his ninth season with the Pirates, leading in wins (22-7), FIP- (64) and WAR (8.7). He had a 1.87 ERA over 265 innings with 244 strikeouts.

Pittsburgh beat Omaha and Montreal topped Boston in the first round of the playoffs, both 2-0. Toronto cruised to a 3-0 sweep in round two over the Maples, while Kansas City bested the Pirates in four. In the National Association Championship Series, the Cougars toppled the Timberwolves in five games, making KC the first repeat NA champ since the Philadelphia dynasty of the 1940s. It is the third title for Kansas City, who also won it in 1937.

Major League Baseball’s top overall record belonged to Oakland in 1962. The Owls had a franchise-record 108-54 season, winning the Western League for only the second time (1942). Calgary gave chance at 101-61, easily taking the first wild card. It is both back-to-back wild cards and back-to-back 100+ win seasons for the Cheetahs. The Southern League title went to defending World Series champ Oklahoma City for the third straight season, giving them a four-year playoff streak after starting with no berths in the franchise’s first 54 seasons. The Outlaws were 93-69, four games better than both Charlotte and Miami at 89-73.

For both the Canaries and Mallards, that record put them one game away from a wild card. The remaining three spots went to three Western League teams that each finished 90-72. Denver, last year’s top record holder, and Seattle both are in the playoffs for back-to-back seasons. Portland is in for the third time in four seasons. Phoenix had a three-year streak ended as they dropped to tenth in the WL at 75-87.

Although Las Vegas was last in the Western League, slugger Ron Koehler earned his second straight MVP. The 33-year old DH had his fourth 50+ home run season, leading the AA with 56. He was also the leader in RBI (132), runs (129), walks (117), OBP (.419), slugging (.636), OPS (1.056), wRC+ (172), and WAR (8.1). It was the final season of Koehler’s three-year stay in Sin City, as he signed with Oakland in offseason.

San Diego was mid-tier, but ace Spenser Emond was certainly not. The 37-year old won his record seventh Pitcher of the Year, becoming the first MLB (and as of 2037, the only) seven-time winner. It was a remarkable comeback as he had missed nearly all of 1961 with a torn elbow ligament, seemingly putting his career in jeopardy. Emond had a career high 303.1 innings pitched, leading the AA in ERA (2.58), WHIP (1.01), K/BB (8.0), quality starts (26), and WAR (9.2). It was his swan song, as Emond suffered a torn UCL in spring training 1963. He would return for a partial season in 1964, becoming MLBs fifth 300 game winner.

In the first round of the American Association playoffs, Denver swept Seattle and Calgary creamed Portland. The Dragons stunned Oakland with n 3-2 upset, while Oklahoma City cruised to a sweep of the Cheetahs. In an AACS rematch, the Outlaws would be denied a repeat as Denver took the series in five games. It was the third American Association title for the Dragons, who won it all 1938 and 1925.

Denver added a third World Series ring to the trophy shelf, outlasting Kansas City in a seven-game classic. It was an impressive run for the Dragons, who were one game away from missing the playoffs entirely. Among the stars of the run was catcher Herbert Arredondo, who won second round and AACS MVP, posting 26 hits, 11 runs, 3 home runs, and 15 RBI in the postseason. LF Brian Fullen was the World Series MVP. In the playoffs, he hit five home runs with 10 RBI, 14 hits, and 7 runs.

Other notes: Crossing 1500 runs scored were Carson Tinker and Jaxson Bradley. Martin Medina crossed 1500 RBI.

FuzzyRussianHat · 06-28-2023, 06:31 PM

The Major League Baseball Hall of Fame inducted three players in the 1963 class. The star of the class was starting pitcher Jason Morrissey, who was a first ballot pick at an impressive 95.4%. SP Joseph Allen also made it in on the first ballot, although with a lower 71.1%. Also at 71.1% was LF John Roberts, who needed seven tries to finally get the nod. SP Alec Ebner had a solid debut at 63.2%, but was just short of the 66% threshold. Two others, closer Victoro Frajio and 2B Bodie Howard, were above the 50% mark.

One player was dropped after ten years on the ballot. Catcher Ben Mayo peaked at 28.4% on his second ballot and was down to 3.9% by the end. In 19 years with six teams, he had 2163 hits, 864 runs, 109 home runs, 887 RBI, .281 average, and 45.7 WAR. The anti-catcher bias makes it hard for the elite ones, but Mayo didn’t win any Silver Sluggers or Gold Gloves, making his “Hall of Very Good” designation most appropriate.

Jason “Miner” Morrissey – Starting Pitcher – Nashville Knights – 95.4% First Ballot

Jason Morrissey was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed starting pitcher from North Miami Beach, Florida. He reinvented himself a bit over a 21 year pro career. At his peak, he had 98-100 mph velocity with strong stuff, great movement, and good control with a fastball, slider, and changeup arsenal. His velocity and stuff waned in the back in, but he made up for it with even more impressive movement and control. Morrissey was durable and an innings eater with 15 seasons of 250+ innings.

Morrissey attended Penn State and after an excellent college career, was picked sixth overall by Nashville in the 1936 MLB Draft. He was immediately thrown into the rotation for the Knights and proved worthy of being a regular starter, although he was viewed mostly as an above average innings eater in his early 20s. In his late 20s, his ERA began to lower and he started to get consideration for the Pitcher of the Year award. Morrissey took second in 1944, third in 1945, and third in 1946. Ultimately, he never won the big award.

Nashville found success in the late 1940s with four playoff appearances from 1944-48. They were the American Association champ in 1944 and 1947. Morrissey made nine playoff starts in that run worth 0.8 WAR over 69.2 innings with a 4.13 ERA. His first run with the Knights lasted 14 seasons with a 226-183 record over 3806 innings with a 3.48 ERA, 2602 strikeouts, and 79.4 WAR.

The 35-year old Morrissey was traded for the 1951 season for three players to Dallas, where he spent one respectable season. He signed a free agent deal with New York for 1952 and picked up his 250^th career win with the Yankees. NY would trade him to Detroit in the summer and he’d finish the 1952 campaign and play 1953 with the Tigers. Morrissey had a 3.32 ERA in 38 playoff innings for Detroit as they made it to the 1953 World Series.

Morrissey was now 38-years old entering the 1954 season and although his strikeouts had gone down, he was still providing generally the same level of production. He opted to return home to Nashville and finally won a World Series ring in 1954. Fittingly, he was a part of the first-ever title for the Knights. Unfortunately for Morrissey, a torn elbow ligament at the end of August meant he was out for the postseason.

Many figured that was the end of his career, but Morrissey would pitch two more partial seasons with Nashville, still posting good ERAs when healthy. His final overall stats with Nashville was 253-199, 3.43 ERA, 4200.1 innings, 2789 strikeouts, and 89.3 WAR. Appropriately, he earned his 300^th win in his last year with the Knights, becoming the fourth player to do so. He would be the first player to see his uniform number retired by Nashville. Morrissey spent his final season of 1957 with Hartford, then retired at age 42.

The final stats: 312-246, 3.45 ERA, 5193.1 innings, 3175 strikeouts, 1413 walks, 386/660 quality starts, 277 complete games, a FIP- of 87, and 105.9 WAR. At retirement, he was fourth all-time in innings pitched and tied for third in complete games. Morrissey was rarely dominant and his strikeout tally is notably low compared to his contemporaries with similar innings pitched. Still, he was consistently reliable for two decades and a key part in the first sustained success for Nashville. Thus, Morrissey is an easy first ballot choice at 95.4%.

Joseph Allen – Starting Pitcher – Chicago Cubs – 71.1% First Ballot

Joseph Allen was a 6’0’’, 185 pound pitcher from Whitehorse, the largest town in the desolate Yukon Territory of northwest Canada. Allen threw hard with 99-101 mph velocity with consistently above average to good stuff, movement, and control. He had four equally impressive pitchers he would use; a fastball, changeup, splitter, and cutter. Allen was incredibly durably and a hard worker, making him a popular player.

Despite growing up in the relative middle of nowhere, his arm earned him a scholarship to West Virginia. After a great college career with the Mountaineers, Allen was picked 15^th overall in the 1938 MLB Draft by Calgary. His rookie year saw a few relief appearances, followed by a solid 1940 as a starter. The Cheetahs were American Association champs this year and Allen had a great postseason, posting a 1.64 ERA over 22 playoff innings. He struggled a bit in 1941 and spent a good chunk of the season in the minors. In his fourth pro season, he was back into the rotation and he would be a full-season starter for the rest of his career without fail.

His best season by WAR was 1944 with 8.5 WAR and 3.00 ERA over 273.1 innings. Allen never finished in the top three in Pitcher of the Year voting with the Cheetahs. In total in Calgary, he had a 92-83 record, 3.74 ERA, 1501.2 innings, 1130 strikeouts, and 38.6 WAR. The Cheetahs began a rebuilding period and traded the now 27-year old Allen to Denver in June for three prospects. He spent another season after with the Dragons, posting the worst stats of his career to this point with average at best production.

Still, he was only 29-years old entering 1948 and Chicago thought he had plenty to offer, signing Allen to a seven-year, $201,400 contract. He would spend the remaining 10 years of his career as a Cub in his signature run, improving on his control significantly. In his seventh Cub season at age 35 in 1954, he won his lone Pitcher of the Year, leading the National Association in ERA (2.32), wins (21-8), and complete games (17). Allen also helped Chicago to five straight playoff berths. Although they never advanced out of the second round, it wasn’t Allen’s fault; he had a 1.89 ERA in 38 playoff innings with the Cubs.

During this later run, he also represented team Canada in the World Baseball Championship from 1947-55. He had a 2.44 ERA over 180.2 tournament innings and a 12-5 record. Canada made it to the championship four times in his run and won the world title over the Americans in 1954. His final stats with the Cubs: 148-122, 3.23 ERA, 2488.1 innings, 1723 strikeouts, and 55.5 WAR. Allen’s production noticeably in his final two seasons, although he was still around league average. He opted to retire after the 1957 season at age 39. The Cubs would retire his #14 uniform at the season’s end.

The final overall stats: 259-230 record, 3.52 ERA, 4398 innings, 3129 strikeouts, 335/580 quality starts, 223 complete games, FIP- of 82, and 99.3 WAR. Like his Hall of Fame classmate Jason Morrissey, Allen was rarely dominant or a league leader, but was a consistently reliable player for a long run. Allen won’t go in the pitching Mount Rushmore, but his consistency was rewarded with a first ballot pick at 71.1%.

John “Monster” Roberts – Outfielder – Cincinnati Reds – 71.1% Seventh Ballot

John Roberts was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left-handed outfielder from Laval, Quebec; a suburb north of Montreal. Roberts was a prolific contact hitter who finished with the highest career batting average of any MLB Hall of Famer as of 2037. Roberts was unrivaled at putting the ball in play, only striking out 263 times in 7151 at bats. Additionally, he was also well adept at drawing walks. Despite the nickname “Monster,” he wasn’t at all a powerful hitter. He had respectable gap power and used his very good speed to leg out many doubles and triples. He spent roughly half of his starts in left field with about 35% in right and 15% at first base. At any spot, Roberts was viewed as a below average defender despite his speed.

Roberts attended the University of Cincinnati and was drafted in his junior season 20^th overall by Montreal in the 1934 MLB Draft. He was unable to come to terms with the Maples and returned for his senior season with the Bearcats. Roberts was again selected by Montreal, this time 21^st overall in the 1935 draft. But again, he was unable to come to financial terms with his hometown team and would never sign with the Maples. Officially a free agent as of 1936, his success with the University of Cincinnati made the Reds familiar with him. Opting to stay in his new home, Roberts would sign with Cincinnati and play almost his entire pro career there.

He would start 3/4s of his rookie season and become a full-time starter the next season, leading the National Association in OBP in both seasons. In 1937, Roberts scored 141 runs, tying the then-single season record. A torn calf muscle would put him out most of 1938, but he’d be back full-time for the next five seasons.

Roberts led the NA in hits twice, runs twice, triples thrice, batting averae twice, and OBP five times. He won the batting title with a.370 average in 1940 and a .362 average in 1942. 1939 was his top season by WAR with 7.2. He would never be a top three guy in MVP voting as that was reserved for power hitters. But Roberts remained an excellent leadoff guy throughout his run. A number of injuries put Roberts out for significant chunks of time throughout his 30s. Knee issues were his biggest concern, twice straining his ACL. Still, he put up 2224 hits, 1252 runs, a .348 average, and 59.6 WAR with the Reds.

Cincinnati made the playoffs six times in his tenure, although they never got beyond the National Association Championship Series. In 31 playoff games, he had 44 hits, 23 runs, 21 walks, and a .358 average. Roberts also played for Team Canada in the first three World Baseball Championship tournaments and again in 1951. In the initial tournament in 1947, he was named the first tournament MVP, putting up 23 hits, 13 runs, 17 stolen bases, and a .418 average in 15 games. The Canadians were runners up to the United States in the first two tournaments.

Injuries started to diminish Roberts’ value, as he played fewer than 100 games in each of his final three seasons with Cincinnati. The Reds opted to buy out his contract after the 1949 season, although he maintained a good relationship with the franchise and would have his #22 uniform later retired. He signed at age 36 to Memphis in 1950 and played his last full-length season, putting up okay numbers. Roberts was traded straight up to New Orleans for reliever A.J. Flickinger and played his final year with the Mudcats, although various injuries meant he only played 57 games. He was unsigned in 1952 despite hoping to catch on somewhere and opted to retire at age 39 in November 1952.

The final stats for Roberts: 2448 hits, 1386 runs, 325 doubles, 170 triples, 56 home runs, 668 RBI, 1045 walks, 263 strikeouts, 538 steals, a .342/.425/.459 slash and 60.9 WAR. At retirement, he was the all-time leader in OBP and remains second as of 2037. He retired second in batting average behind Owen Richardson’s .349 and would rank fourth as of 2037. Despite this, his lack of power numbers, poor defense, and time missed to injury meant that advanced stats disfavored Roberts, despite his ability to get on base. In his first four Hall of Fame ballots, he hovered in the 50% range. He bumped up to 62.8% in try #5, but fell back to 49.2% the following year, making many wonder if he’d get relegated to the forgotten pile. Roberts picked up momentum in the 1963 ballot and got the nod at 71.1% on his seventh try.

FuzzyRussianHat · 06-29-2023, 05:58 AM

The Central American Baseball Association added three players into its Hall of Fame in the 1963 class. Leading the class was starting pitcher Rolando Pena, a no-doubt first ballot pick at 96.5%. Another pitcher, Gavino Zaldana, also saw a first ballot nod with a solid 81.3%. Also getting in was third baseman Sandro Villanueba. On his fifth attempt, he crossed the 2/3 threshold with 71.2%. Two others, SP Martin Duenas (58.4%, 8^th try) and SP Sheldon Malcolm (52.5%, 4^th try) were above the 50% mark. No players made it to a tenth ballot in the 1963 voting.

Rolando Pena – Starting Pitcher – Mexicali Maroons – 96.5% First Ballot

Rolando Pena was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed starting pitcher from Villahermosa, the capital of the southern Mexico state of Tabasco. Pena had very good control, solid stuff, and decent movement. His velocity topped at 96-98 mph with an arsenal of a curveball, changeup, and cutter. Pena was also known as a solid defensive pitcher, once winning a Gold Glove. After a great amateur run, Pena was picked third overall by Mexicali in the 1942 CABA Draft and would spent his entire pro career with the Maroons.

He was a part-time starter in his rookie season then moved into the full-time role from thereafter. He had a good second and third season, then broke out in year four. From 1946-1952, he was the Mexican League leader in WAR and FIP- five times. In 1949, he led the league with a career-best 333 strikeouts. In 1947 and 1948, he was third in Pitcher of the Year voting. Pena won it in 1949, 1951, 1952, and 1953. He was widely viewed as the best pitcher in Mexico during this stretch.

During this time as well, Mexicali became the top team in the North Division. They won six straight division titles from 1949-54 and won five Mexican League titles. They were the overall CABA champ in 1953 and 1954. Pena’s playoff stats were actually somewhat underwhelming considering his regular season dominance, posting a 4.01 ERA over 123.1 innings. Still, he was a key reason they were in that position during that run. Pena also pitched for the Mexican team in the World Baseball Championship from 1952-56, including an excellent 1952 tournament with a 1.96 ERA in 41.1 innings for a runner-up squad. He fared better in the tournament with a 2.13 ERA in 80.1 innings.

1954 was the final year of the Mexicali dynasty and for Pena, shoulder inflammation and a herniated disc put him on the shelf for most of the season and the playoffs. He bounced back with a good 1955, leading the league in strikeouts for the second time. The now 34-year old would only have two more seasons left. He suffered a torn labrum in the summer of 1956. He returned in 1957 but was pedestrian in the first half of the season, then missed the second half with more back trouble. Pena opted to retire at the end of the 1957 season at only age 36. Immediately, the Maroons retired his #18 uniform.

The final stats for Pena: 218-150, 2.68 ERA, 3483.2 innings, 3624 strikeouts, 643 walks, 308/429 quality starts, a FIP- of 74, and 91.7 WAR. His final accumulations aren’t at the very top of the leaderboard, but over about an eight year stretch, Pena posted one of the most dominant stretches in Mexican League history. It is a very select group with four Pitcher of the Year awards, making Pena an easy first ballot pick at 96.5%.

Gavino Zaldana – Starting Pitcher – Honduras Horsemen – 81.3% First Ballot

Gavino Zaldana was a 6’6’’, 200 pound left-handed starting pitcher from Jiguani, a small city in eastern Cuba. Despite his height, he wasn’t a fireballer with velocity peaking at 94-96 mph. He threw five pitches and had strong stuff and control, but his movement was lousy. He mixed up a fastball, curveball, forkball, changeup, and circle change. Zaldana was great at changing speeds, but his poor movement meant he was an “extreme flyball” pitcher who could give up a lot of home runs. He allowed the most homers in six different seasons in his career. Fortunately for him, he also led in strikeouts five times to make up for it. Zaldana was a good defensive pitcher, but was chastised by some for a poor work ethic.

Zaldana was discovered as a teenage amateur and skipped the draft, signing a developmental deal in the summer of 1937 with Honduras. He wouldn’t debut until 1943 with four starts at age 22. He started part of the 1944 season, then became a full-time starter from then on. Because of the home runs allowed, he never had a season above 6 WAR. However, he did strike out 290+ batters in seven consecutive seasons.

Honduras was in a dry spell during Zaldana’s 20s, but emerged again with three straight 100+ win seasons from 1953-55. In 1953, they were the Caribbean League champ. In 36 postseason innings, Zaldana was solid with a 2.00 ERA and 50 strikeouts. Arguably his best season was 1955 at age 34, leading the league in WHIP (0.90), strikeouts (291), and wins (22-4). This was his only season in the top three for Pitcher of the Year, taking second. In total with Honduras, he had a 173-137 record, 3.13 ERA, 3009 innings, 3420 strikeouts, and 45.5 WAR.

Coming off that season, Zaldana opted for free agency and secured the bag with Guadalajara, seeing his salary go from a peak of $35,800 to $70,000. He fell off hard and was marginal at best and struggled in the playoffs. He was still on roster but was a healthy scratch in 1957 with only 40 innings, opting for retirement at season’s end at age 37. He did also pitch for the Cuban national team in the World Baseball Championship from 1954-56, posting a 2.00 ERA and 50 strikeouts in 36 innings. The Horsemen would go on to retire his #6 uniform soon after.

Zaldana’s final stats: 189-148, 3.17 ERA, 3322.2 innings, 3696 strikeouts, 585 walks, 274/419 quality starts, a FIP- of 98, and 47.1 WAR. The advanced stats are not kind to him with the home runs allowed and sabremetric-minded people point to Zaldana as one of the weakest CABA Hall of Famers. Strikeouts are sexy though and the voters of his era were wowed by that, not only inducting Zaldana, but as a first ballot guy at 81.3%.

Sandro Villanueba – Third Baseman – Ecatepec Explosion – 71.2% Fifth Ballot

Sandro Villanueba was a 6’2’’, 195 pound right-handed third baseman from Salama, a small town of fewer than 10,000 people in central Honduras. Villanueba was perhaps best known for having a very good eye, becoming only the fourth CABA Hall of Famer at the time with 1000+ walks drawn. He had a few good years in his 20s hitting for average, but was generally viewed as an average at best contact hitter with below average speed. Villanueba had respectable pop in his bat, reliable for around 25 home runs and 25-30 doubles most years. He was exclusively a third baseman in his career and was viewed as slightly above average defensively. Villanueba had a regular spot a lineup for 20 years, but was considered by many to be greedy and disloyal.

Villanueba was spotted as a teenage amateur by a scout from Guadalajara and was signed by the Hellhounds in late 1926. He spent four years on their developmental roster, but never saw the field with Guadalajara. He was shipped in the summer of 1930 to Ecatepec in a five player trade. Villanueba would spend nearly his entire pro career with the Explosion, making his debut at age 22 in 1932. He caught the tail end of the Ecatepec dynasty, earning a CABA Championship ring despite a limited bench role. He was a backup again the next year, then became a full-time starter in 1934. From there, he started 130+ games in all of his remaining 18 CABA seasons.

Villanueba wasn’t one to lead the league in many stats, leading in doubles (44) in 1937 and walks (76) in 1943. Still, he put up four straight 7+ WAR seasons in his late 20s. He won seven Silver Sluggers at third base, coming in 1936, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, and 47. Villanueba never did finish top three in MVP voting, but he gave you good starter production consistently for two decades.

His peak seasons were lean years for Ecatepec, but they had another run of success in 1943 and 1944. They won the Mexican League title both seasons and the CABA title in 1943. Villanueba did bat under .200 in his playoff career with the Explosion, but did add 21 hits, 17 runs, 8 home runs, and 17 RBI in 25 starts. In total with Ecatepec, he had 2308 hits, 1219 runs, 360 home runs, 1163 RBI, a .276/.345/.465 slash and 90.3 WAR. Despite this production and longevity, the Explosion would not retire his number and he would have an icy relationship post-career with the team.

Villaneuba continued to provide his same yearly production well into his 30s, getting his last Silver Slugger at age 37. For the 1949 season, the 39-year old signed with Puerto Rico and gave the Pelicans two seasons with slightly diminished, but still playable numbers. He also started for the Honduras National Team in the first three editions of the World Baseball Championship from 1947-49. In 33 starts, he had 10 home runs, 26 hits, and 16 runs. At age 41, he left for America and signed with Major League Baseball’s Boston Red Sox, seeing his paycheck rise from $25,000 to $44,000. He still was good enough to provide positive value in his year in Boston, despite missing a month to a herniated disc. The Red Sox traded him to Chicago and he put up similar production with the Cubs in 1952. Villanueba returned for one final CABA season with Havana in 1953, although this was easily his weakest season. He would retire after this season at age 43, one of a select few to hang around that long.

Villanueba’s final stats in CABA saw 2692 hits, 1410 runs, 485 doubles, 427 home runs, 1367 RBI, 1045 walks, 196 stolen bases, a .269/.339/.454 slash and 99.4 WAR. His numbers look like they belong on the surface, but for whatever reason, the voters were underwhelmed by Villanueba’s resume. He hovered in the 60% range for his first four times on the ballot. Then on try #5 in 1963, he got the push to 71.2%, earning his spot in the CABA Hall of Fame.

FuzzyRussianHat · 06-29-2023, 11:50 AM

Two players were added on their first ballot in East Asia Baseball’s 1963 Hall of Fame class. Pitcher Fumio Fujino was a nearly unanimous pick at 99.2%, while fellow pitcher Han-Soo Jung got the nod at 75.7%. Three others were above 50%; SP Min-Chin Park at 56.9% on his debut, CF Ha-Min Park at 52.2% on his fourth try, and RP Kantaro Kobayashi at 51.0% on his second ballot. No players were dropped from the EAB ballot after ten attempts in the 1963 group.

Fumio Fujino – Starting Pitcher – Sapporo Swordfish – 99.2% First Ballot

Fumio Fujino was a 6’2’’, 190 pound left-handed pitcher from Saitama, Japan. At his peak, Fujino topped out in the 98-100 mph range with solid stuff, good control, and decent movement. He had a great fastball and changeup that he mixed with a forkball, splitter, and slider; making it difficult for batters to guess what was coming next. Fujino was also considered an excellent defensive pitcher, winning Gold Glove five times in his career. He was also thought of as a strong leader, making him very popular with fans and teammates alike.

Fujino pitched in college at Chuo University in Tachikawa and was picked fourth overall in the 1938 East Asia Baseball Draft by Sapporo. He’d spent the majority of his career with the Swordfish and was thrown into the rotation immediately. His debut season was strong enough to earn Rookie of the Year honors in 1939. His Gold Gloves came consecutively from 1939-43. Fujino was solid in his first three years, including a no-hitter in 1941 against Hiroshima with 14 strikeouts and one walk. Fujino then became an ace in year #4, leading Japan in strikeouts in 1942 and 1943. In 1943, he won Pitcher of the Year for the first time and was third in MVP voting. He had a career-best 8.9 WAR and 1.67 ERA the next season, but finished second in PotY voting.

1945 saw his first major injury with ulnar nerve entrapment in his throwing elbow putting him out the second half of the season. Shoulder inflammation put him out much of 1948, followed by a partially torn UCL in 1951 and bone chips in his elbow in 1952. When he was healthy though, Fujino was still excellent. He led Japan in ERA in 1949 and 1950. He placed second in Pitcher of the Year in 1947 and won it for the second time in 1949.

During this time, Sapporo started up a dynasty that saw eight division titles from 1943-51. The Swordfish won the Japan League crown in 1944, 45, 47, 49, 50, and 51; and were the overall EAB champ in 47, 49, and 51. Fujino was an excellent postseason pitcher, posting a 1.84 ERA over 102.2 playoff innings with Sapporo with 115 strikeouts and 3.3 WAR. Fujino was a critical part in this dynasty.

After the 1952 season, Fujino was 36-years old and coming off back-to-back seasons with major injuries. Sapporo opted not to re-sign him and Fujino entered free agency for the first time. He signed a one-year deal with Nagoya and put up respectable numbers. However, the Nightowls thought his best value was as trade bait, as he was moved midway through 1953 to Daegu. The Diamondbacks were a contender and Fujino put them over the top as they won the Korea League title and the EAB title. In the postseason with the Diamondbacks, Fujino had a 1.29 ERA in 14 innings. This gave Fujino his fourth EAB finals ring, one of a select few to get four.

In the offseason, Fujino returned to Sapporo and spent two more seasons with the Swordfish. His numbers and innings were down with age, but he still had some value as a fan favorite. He finished his Sapporo run with a 198-113 record, 2.43 ERA, 3308 strikeouts, and 74.8 WAR. At age 39, he signed with his hometown squad Saitama and spent his final two seasons with the Sting. He was a back-end starter by this point and had more injury issues, including a partially torn labrum in the summer of 1957. That ultimately ended his career at age 40 following the 1957 campaign. That winter, Sapporo officially retired his #14 uniform.
The final stats saw a 220-131 record, 2.44 ERA, 3368 innings, 3640 strikeouts, 542 walks, 316/455 quality starts, FIP- of 76 and 81.9 WAR. Fujino’s tallies aren’t at the tip-top of the EAB Hall of Fame leaderboard, but still firmly belong. He was a great tenured pitcher who was a critical part of multiple league titles, making Fujino an obvious HOF pick at 99.2%.

Han-Soo Jung – Staring Pitcher – Seongnam Spiders – 75.7% First Ballot

Han-Soo Jung was a 6’1’’, 195 pound right-handed starting pitcher from Kaesong, a city in the southern part of North Korea near the border. Jung wasn’t considered great at any one thing, but was viewed as above average to good in all facets. His velocity topped out at 97-99 mph with four pitches, highlighted by an excellent slider. That was mixed with a good fastball and splitter, plus a rarely used changeup. He had an extreme groundball tendency. Jung was considered a hard-working “sparkplug” type and was known as incredibly durable, never suffering any significant injuries in his career.

Jung left North Korea for Japan’s Kyoto University to play baseball in college. He wasn’t a highly touted prospect, as he wasn’t selected until the late fourth round of the 1940 East Asia Baseball Draft. Jung was the 118^th overall pick by Seongnam, which would be his longest tenure and the team he was inducted with. At induction, Jung was the second-latest draft pick to earn the HOF nod with only Danzu Min picked later at #128.

Jung was thrown into the rotation immediately by the Spiders and had a solid rookie season, taking second in Rookie of the Year voting. He spent five seasons with Seongnam, posting a 72-53 record, 3.16 ERA, 1210 strikeouts, and 25.5 WAR. He wasn’t viewed as elite, but became known as a reliable arm. After five seasons with the struggling franchise, he was traded for three prospects to Incheon for the 1946 season.

Jung spent three seasons with the Inferno, who were then a mid-tier franchise. In his third season, he was used mostly out of the bullpen. He posted a 3.16 ERA, 34-30 record, 573 strikeouts, and 10.5 WAR with Incheon. Jung opted for free agency ahead of the 1949 season and at age 29, signed with Pyongyang. He pitched two years for the Pythons, then they traded him for the 1951 campaign to Sendai. Jung had one season with the Samurai, then re-entered free agency.

During this time, Jung became a regular for the North Korea team in the first 11 editions of the World Baseball Championship from 1947-57. In that stretch, he had a 3.02 ERA in 113.1 innings with a 10-3 record, 147 strikeouts, and 3.1 WAR. The remainder of his career would be in North Korea, as he joined up with Hamhung from 1952-55 and back to Pyongyang in his final two seasons of 1956-57.

At age 35 in 1955, Jung had arguably his best season with a career-high 6.8 WAR, 21-9 record, 2.77 ERA, and 27 quality starts. This earned him second in Pitcher of the Year voting, the only time he was in the top three. This season also was his only playoff appearance as it marked the start of Hamhung’s 1950s dynasty. In three playoff starts for the Heat, he had a 2.91 ERA over 21.2 innings with 22 strikeouts, helping Hamhung to the EAB Championship. Fresh off this big season, Jung opted to take a bigger payout and signed with Pyongyang. His production dropped noticeably in his 1956 return to the Pythons. He bounced back a bit the following year, opting to retire after the 1958 season at age 38.

Jung’s final stats: a 252-177 record, 3.31 ERA, 3785 innings, 3710 strikeouts, 673 walks, 338/531 quality starts, FIP- of 84, and 78.6 WAR. He was hardly ever mentioned as a top five pitcher in the league, but he quietly built up totals that don’t look out of place among the Hall of Fame pitchers. He was the third pitcher to reach 250 career wins. Voters who prefer a dominant peak over longevity, or prefer a long run with single team, weren’t wowed by Jung’s resume. Enough voters respected his tenure however to induct Jung at 75.7% on the first ballot in 1963.

FuzzyRussianHat · 06-29-2023, 04:30 PM

Beisbol Sudamerica saw three players added to the Hall of Fame with the 1963 class with all three earning first ballot nods. The biggest percentage by far went to pitcher A. J. Fernandez at 97.6%. 1B Amadeus Ribeiro was firmly in as well with 84.5%. Meanwhile, SP Alexandre Bentivoglio just barely made the cut of 66%, receiving 66.2%. Three others were above 50% with closer Adrian Amaro at 59.1% on his second attempt, RF Nando Gaspar at 52.7% on his debut, and LF Placido Guerrero at 51.0% on his second go.

Two players saw their HOF hopes dashed after ten failed attempts. Pitcher Gustavo Borges had 14 seasons between four teams, posting a 181-137 record, 2.39 ERA, 3010 strikeouts, and 58.3 WAR. With no major accolades, he was banished to the Hall of Very Good despite the BSA voters’ proclivities towards pitchers. Borges peaked at 54.7% on his debut ballot, dropping to 34.1% at the end. Closer Luis Albina fell off as well, peaking at 48.0% in his fourth ballot and finishing at 31.1%. In 14 seasons between Brasilia and Buenos Aires, he won Reliever of the Year three times and posted 295 saves, a 1.43 ERA, 915 strikeouts over 832.2 innings, and 25.5 WAR. Albina wouldn’t have been out of place among some of the other relievers that got in, but he needed more saves and probably more strikeouts to get a more serious look.

A.J. “Mushy” Fernandez – Starting Pitcher – Valencia Velocity – 97.6% First Ballot

A.J. Fernandez was a 6’0’’, 180 pound right-handed starting pitcher from Pereira, Colombia; the largest city of the “Coffee Axis” in the central part of the country. Fernandez was a hard thrower at 98-100 mph max velocity known for strong control along with above average stuff and movement. His pitches were fastball, slider, curveball, and changeup; and he had an extreme groundball tendency. Like many Hall of Famers, Fernandez was known as a durable arm, not really having any significant injuries until some shoulder trouble at the tail end of his career.

He was noticed as a teenage amateur by a scout for Valencia, who signed him in the summer of 1936. Fernandez made his pro debut with five innings of relief at age 20 in 1941. Fernandez remained a reliever in his first three seasons in Venezuela and even was the closer in 1943. At age 23 in 1944, he became a full-time starter and would be a starter for the remainder of his pro career. It wasn’t until 1945 that he emerged as a true ace, leading the Bolivar League with a 1.57 ERA. This earned him third place in Pitcher of the Year voting.

Fernandez continued to be reliable for a mid-tier Valencia team in the 1940s with a singular playoff appearance in 1948. In 1949, he again was third in Pitcher of the Year voting. His greatest triumph with the Velocity came on September 18, 1950 against Barquisimeto. On that day, Fernandez had the 16^th perfect game in Beisbol Sudamerica history, striking out 10. He had 34 consecutive scoreless innings around his perfect. Fernandez finished his Valencia run with a 127-100 record, 2.34 ERA, 2164 strikeouts over 2048.2 innings, and 44.1 WAR. Once his career was done, the Velocity recognized his efforts by retiring his #15 uniform.

Fernandez’s run with Valencia ended after the 1950 season as he entered free agency at age 30. His annual salary basically doubled as he inked a six-year, $229,200 deal with Cali. This sent him home to Colombia, whom he pitched for in the World Baseball Championship from 1947-54 and again in 1957. In the tournament, he had a 9-3 record and three saves with a 4.37 ERA over 92.2 innings and 94 strikeouts.

With Cali, the veteran Fernandez won his lone Pitcher of the Year award in 1953, leading the Bolivar League in wins (22-8) and innings (283.2) with 7.1 WAR. This was also the tail end of their run as perennial division champs, as they had seven straight playoff berths from 1947-53 with four Bolivar League titles. Fernandez was a part of one of those titles in 1952 and posted a 2.17 ERA over 58 playoff innings. In total with the Cyclones, Fernandez had a 95-65 record, 2.92 ERA, 1526.1 innings, 1558 strikeouts, and 31.7 WAR.

Cali began to fall off as did Fernandez, who missed the final two months of the 1956 season with shoulder inflammation. The Cyclones didn’t re-sign Fernandez and he joined Bogota for his final pro season, retiring after the 1957 campaign at age 37.

The final career stats for Hernandez: 231-171, 2.62 ERA, 3751 innings, 3854 strikeouts, 321/446 quality starts, 185 complete games, a FIP- of 83, and 78.8 WAR. He final tallies put him more among the middle statistically of the pitchers to enter the Beisbol Sudamerica Hall of Fame. Still, it was a very strong career and his contemporaries felt he was a very easy choice, getting first ballot honors at 97.6%.

Amadeus “Hurricane” Ribeiro - First Baseman – 84.5% First Ballot

Amadeus Ribeiro was a 6’0’’, 205 pound left-handed hitting first baseman from Sapiranga, a smaller city of around 80,000 people in southern Brazil., Riberio was known as a prolific home run hitter with very solid contract ability as well. He would lead the Southern Cone League in home runs seven different times. He didn’t walk as often as you’d expect from a slugger, although his strikeout rate was more mid-range. Ribeiro was a fairly slow baserunner who spent his entire career at first base, where he was considered a terrible defender. However, with no DH in the Southern Cone League, he had to go somewhere. Critics noted that he lacked hustle as well, but the sheer power of Riberio meant he was an offensive force regardless.

The power of “Hurricane” was noticed even as a teenager as he was picked out of high school by Sao Paulo seventh overall in the 1937 Beisbol Sudamerica Draft. He was a development prospect initially, not playing in 1938 or 1940 with limited pinch hit appearances in 1939. Riberio saw a partial 1941 season at age 23, then became a full-time starter the following year.

His first full season in 1942 saw him lead the league in home runs (44), and RBI (97), for the first time. This was one of four Silver Slugger seasons at the crowded position, also winning the award in 1943, 45, and 46. In 1943, he won his first league MVP with the lead in homers (55), RBI (113), batting average (.323), runs (106), hits (195), and OPS (.995). Ribeiro had a solid pace the next year, but a severely strained hip muscle put him out six weeks midseason. In 1945, he bounced back for his second MVP, leading in homers for the third time.

Sao Paulo made the playoffs from 1942-45, winning the league title in 1943 and 44 along with Copa Sudamerica in 44. In the playoffs, Ribeiro had 34 hits, 14 runs, 9 home runs, and 15 RBI worth 1.8 over 32 starts. Little did he know that 1945 would be his final look at the postseason.

Despite the Padres going into a lull in the back-end of his run, Ribeiro still thrived. 1946 was his third MVP and by far his most impressive season. He crushed 62 home runs, tying the then single-season record. He added career bests in RBI (126), hits (204), triple slash (.332/.376/.684), OPS (1.060) and WAR (11.8). He never had a season like that again, but he led the league in homers three more times. In total with Sao Paulo, Ribeiro had 1842 hits, 935 runs, 506 home runs, 1057 RBI, a .282/.332/.559 slash and 72.0 WAR. In his final year with the Padres, he became the third player to 500 career home runs. His #20 uniform would be retired by Sao Paulo at the end of his career.

Ribeiro also became a regular for the Brazilian team in the World Baseball Championship, playing from 1947-55. In the WBC, he had 52 hits, 32 runs, 19 home runs, and 49 RBI in 76 games. Ribeiro left Sao Paulo just before the started their late 50s-early 60s dynasty. Before the 1953 season, the 35 year old was traded for two relievers to Fortaleza. After a respectable campaign with the Foxes, he signed a three-year deal with Belo Horizonte.

A sprained thumb put him out a chunk of 1954, but he bounced back with solid 1955 and 1956 seasons with the Hogs, even posting a solid 5.8 WAR at age 38 with 47 home runs. This gave him 10 seasons with 40+ dingers and made him the third to 600 career homers. In 1957, the 39-year old signed again with Fortaleza as the Foxes felt he still could be a nice piece, paying $170,000 over a three year deal. He stunk in his half season back in Fortaleza and was ultimately benched. Ribeiro opted for retirement that winter.

The final stats: 2488 hits, 1252 runs, 360 doubles, 649 home runs, 1415 RBI, a .278/.325/.542 slash and 89.0 WAR. At retirement, he was third on the home run leaderboard. With his power and three MVPs, it is surprising Ribeiro was inducted with only 84.5%. Regardless, he rightfully joins the all-time greats as a first ballot Hall of Famer.

Alexandre Bentivoglio – Starting Pitcher – Guayaquil Golds – 66.2% First Ballot

Alexandre Bentivoglio was a 6’4’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Montevideo, Uruguay. He was a fireballer with 99-101 mph velocity and a dominant fastball. Mixed with a curveball and changeup, he was viewed as having terrific stuff with respectable movement. His weakness was control as he was often viewed as “effectively wild.” No pitcher in the Beisbol Sudamerica Hall of Fame has walked more batters, but his strikeout ability allowed him to succeed despite this and his added defensive flaws and perceived lack of hustle. He was a decent batter for a pitcher, winning a Silver Slugger in 1950.

His velocity earned attention from scouts as he was a rare draft pick out of high school, albeit a later selection. Guayaquil picked him in the fourth round, 82^nd overall, in the 1938 BSA Draft. He made one start in 1939 at age 19 and struggled. Bentivoglio was a full-time starter after that with spotty production in his first two full seasons, but began to find his rhythm after that.

He spent eight seasons total with the struggling Golds franchise and performed well enough to see his #24 retired by the franchise. He had three straight 8+ WAR seasons from 1944-46, leading the Bolivar League in strikeouts in 1945 with 355 and posting a career-best 380 the prior year. Nine times, he had 300+ strikeouts, impressive even in a whiff-heavy early days Beisbol Sudamerica. Still, he was never a top three finisher for Pitcher of the Year. His final stats in his most impressive tenure with Guayaquil was 106-85, 2.76 ERA, 2278 strikeouts in 1715.1 innings and 45.8 WAR.

In his contract year of 1947, Guayaquil traded the now 27-year old Bentivoglio to Santiago in exchange for prospects. After one year with the Saints, he signed a five-year, $88,000 deal with his hometown team Montevideo. He also would begin his appearances for his native Uruguay from 1950 to 1955 in the World Baseball Championship. He posted a 5.64 ERA over 60.2 tournament innings with 76 strikeouts.

Bentivioglio would never get to play in the postseason in his career as Montevideo was a bottom-tier team in his entire run. He never matched the dominance of his Golds peak, but still provided solid value in his first contract with the Venom, adding 18.4 WAR in four seasons. He was traded to Brasilia for the 1952 season, where he picked up his 4000^th career strikeout. After one year as a Bearcat, he signed back with Montevideo and played his final five professional seasons there. After an okay 1953, elbow troubles and age meant he was mediocre in his final four seasons. He retired after 1957 at age 38, posting a 82-99 record, 3.01 ERA, 1830 strikeouts, and 22.8 WAR in his tenure with the Venom.

The final stats for Bentivoglio; 215-206 record, 2.82 ERA, 3821 innings, 4688 strikeouts, 1196 walks, 388/523 quality starts, FIP- of 84, and 78.5 WAR. As mentioned, he retired with more walks than any other BSA pitcher, but was also the sixth to cross 4500 career strikeouts. Along with being stuck on bad teams, it made Bentivoglio’s Hall of Fame candidacy an odd case. Despite the erratic nature of his run, just enough voters felt his prowess made him worthy, barely crossing the threshold with 66.2% on the first ballot.

FuzzyRussianHat · 06-30-2023, 04:27 AM

Although Hall of Fame voting had begun in the European Baseball Federation a few years prior, no one had gotten above 15% until 1963. French centerfielder Joe Ramet debuted on the ballot with a to-date highest mark of 58.6%, but was still shy of the required 66%. SP Mike Ring also had a decent debut at 32.0%, although that didn’t fare well for any future induction chances. It wouldn’t be until 1965 that someone would finally make the cut for the EBF Hall.

FuzzyRussianHat · 06-30-2023, 11:15 AM

The 1963 World Baseball Championship was the 17^th edition of the tournament, this time held in the capital of Honduras; Tegucigalpa. Hoping for a championship four-peat, the United States again was unbeaten in Division 1 at 7-0, holding off a scrappy 6-1 Kazakhstan. Division 2 had Italy and South Korea tie for first at 5-2 with three teams at 4-3. The tiebreaker moved the 1962 runner-up Koreans forward. Division 3 saw Canada and the Philippines tie at 5-2 with two others behind; the Canadians moved forward on the tiebreaker. In Division 4, Argentina, Japan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan all finished at 5-2. The tiebreaker system sent the Uzbeks forward for the first time as an underdog to the Double Round Robin.

Division 5 had Mexico claim first at 6-1, edging out Germany by one game. Division 6 went to England at 6-1, finishing one ahead of Brazil. Scotland made it two United Kingdom squads in the elite eight by going 6-1 in Division 7, topping Russia by one. And Division 8 saw an unbeaten France at 7-0 prevail over 5-2 efforts by China and Guatemala.

In Round Robin Group A, Canada was the top team at 5-1. England and the United States both went 3-3 and Scotland was 1-5. The tiebreaker went to the English, placing the Americans outside the final four for the first time in the tournament’s history. In Group B, Mexico and France advanced at 4-2 each, while South Korea was 3-3 and Uzbekistan was 1-5.

For both England and France, it was their first time to the semifinal going up against seasoned squads from Canada and Mexico. The Canadians won their semifinal series in five games over the French, while the Mexicans topped the English in six. This advanced Mexico to the World Championship for the fifth time and Canada for the eighth time. England officially was the third place finisher with France fourth. The finale was a seven-game classic with Mexico outlasting Canada, giving the Mexicans their third world title, joining the 1949 and 1950 trophies.

Tournament MVP went to Mexico’s Dalier Rosas. A 25-year old right fielder for MLB’s Atlanta Aces, Rosas was the tournament leader in home runs (15), RBI (25), doubles (6), and WAR (2.3), adding 32 hits, 19 runs, and a .320 average over 26 games. The Best Pitcher went to Russia’s Mikhail Marakhovsky. A 26-year old closer for St. Petersburg, he made two starts with four hits allowed over 17.1 shutout innings, striking out 32.

FuzzyRussianHat · 06-30-2023, 05:25 PM

The fourth season of the Oceania Baseball Association saw a very tight battle in the Australasia League. Christchurch and Adelaide ultimately finished tied for first at 90-92 with Perth only one behind and Brisbane five back. In a one-game tiebreaker, the Chinooks ousted the defending OBA champ Aardvarks, giving Christchurch its first league title.

Leading the Chinooks was Jacob Kelly, winning his second Pitcher of the Year. He had been traded in the summer of 1962 to Christchurch and his arrival paid off, posting a 22-10 record, 2.25 ERA, 268 strikeouts, and 8.7 WAR. The 33-year old left for Sydney the next year, but sadly saw shoulder inflammation effectively end his relevance. League MVP meanwhile went to Adelaide shortstop Fineasi Hausia. The 28-year old Tongan was the league leader in hits (184), average (.308) and WAR (10.0), adding Gold Glove winning defense with a 22.0 zone rating.

The Pacific League was a two-team race between Honolulu and Tahiti. Ultimately, the Honu repeated as champs as they finished 101-61 and the Tropics ended 99-63.

Honolulu had both the MVP and Pitcher of the Year. The former was 38-year old first baseman Buzzy Servello, an American journeyman who joined OBA after a decade-plus as an MLB backup. He led the Pacific League in hits (185), runs (96), average (.321), OBP (.392) and WAR (7.8). Kent Di Piazza won both Pitcher of the Year and his second Reliever of the Year. Another American who had come over after a forgettable decade in MLB, the 33-year old had 44 saves, 0.74 ERA over 97 innings, 146 strikeouts, and 7.1 WAR.

In the Oceania Championship, Christchurch defeated Honolulu in six games, making the Honu the runner-up in back-to-back years. It was the first title for the Chinooks and the first for a New Zealand-based team. Ji-Wan Pyong was the series MVP. A 32-year old South Korean castoff from EAB, he had 4 home runs, 6 RBI, 7 runs, and 8 hits in the series.

Other notes: Auckland’s Te Paoro Rangi threw the second perfect game in OBA history, striking out 11 on April 28 against Gold Coast.

FuzzyRussianHat · 07-01-2023, 07:17 AM

Three of the four teams that made the postseason the prior year in the EPB European League earned another berth in 1963. Moscow had the best overall record at 111-53 to win the North Division, giving the Mules a third straight playoff berth. Kyiv claimed the South Division at 107-55, making it seven in eight years for the Kings. Kazan was the first wild card at 108-54 with the 1961 Soviet Series champs back in after missing the prior year. The final wild card went to defending champion Minsk at 103-59, continuing their streak as the only team to make the playoffs each of EPB’s first nine seasons. Prague had a franchise best 98-64, but couldn’t keep up ultimately in the wild card race.

Moscow had the league MVP and the Pitcher of the Year in 1963. 2B Anton Kirilenko won back-to-back MVPs as the 35-year old Belarusian was again the WARlord, this time at 10.3. He added 43 home runs, 101 RBI, and a .302 average. Taleh Ismailov was Pitcher of the Year for the second time, having won it with Irkutsk back in 1956. The 35-year old Kazakh righty had the best ERA at 1.73, 10.1 WAR, and 281 strikeouts over 260 innings.

A competitive Asian League had Omsk with the best record, earning their first-ever playoff berth with a 101-61 mark atop the North Division. Bishkek edged Almaty for the South Division title with the Black Sox earning their first playoff berth at 97-65. The Assassins were one back at 96-66, taking the first wild card for back-to-back playoff berths. The second wild card went to Ufa, another team getting its first taste of the postseason. The Fiends finished at 95-67. Last year’s Asian League champ Chelyabinsk dropped to 85-77 and started a decade-long playoff drought.

Despite being last in their division, Ulaanbaatar had the league MVP in a breakout season for CF Amam Charyyew. A 25-year old Turkmen nicknamed “Mad Dog,” Charyyew had the second-ever EPB Triple Crown season for a hitter with a .318 average, 55 home runs, and 122 RBI. The 55 dingers was one shy of the single-season mark. He added 112 runs, a league-best .713 slugging, 1.077 OPS, 220 wRC+, and 9.8 WAR. Omsk had the Pitcher of the Year Arutyun Lezjov. A 29-year old Russian, he was the leader in wins at 28-4, plus had the most innings (302.2), and complete games (28). He added a 1.81 ERA, 350 strikeouts, and 11.6 WAR. The 28 wins tied a single-season EPB record (Taleh Ismailov, 1956) which held until Haxhi Maho got 29 in 1990.

Both European League first round playoff series went all five games with the division champs surviving challenges from wild cards; Moscow beat Minsk and Kyiv topped Kazan. The Kings then rolled to a sweep of the Mules in the ELCS, giving Kyiv its third league title. In the Asian League, Ufa upset Omsk in four in the first round and Almaty knocked off Bishkek 3-1. The Assassins bested the Fiends 4-2 in the ALCS for Almaty’s second league title. In the 1963 Soviet Series, the Kings clobbered the Assassins in five games, making the Ukrainian capital the first team to win three overall titles (1958, 1959). 3B Paul Stelea was the Soviet Series MVP with the 35-year old having joined the Kings that offseason as a free agent. In 14 playoff games, he had 15 hits, 6 runs, 3 home runs, and 9 RBI.

Other notes: Sebastian Weiss had the eighth EPB perfect game on June 24 for Bratislava, striking out 10 against Kazan. It was his second no-hitter of the year, having K’d eight and walked one against Prague in April. Theo Siitonen became the first closer in EPB to reach 300 career saves. SS Leonard Szuster of Minsk won his seventh and final Gold Glove. MVP Anton Kirilenko at 2B and 3B Pavlo Kolesnik became seven time Silver Slugger winners, joining catcher Lassi Luhta as the only to do so to date.

FuzzyRussianHat · 07-01-2023, 11:15 AM

The best record in the entire European Baseball Federation in 1963 belonged to the Northern Conference’s Hamburg. The Hammers finished 105-57 atop the North Central Division with the fewest runs allowed at 499. They earned a fourth division title in six seasons, while last year’s winner Berlin dropped to below .500. Last year’s wild card Paris picked up the Northwest Division at 98-64 and Birmingham secured the British Isles Division at 95-67, snapping a two-year drought. In a weak wild card field, Brussels was able to extend their playoff streak to five years with an 85-77 record, two games ahead of Stockholm and three over London. The 1962 European Champion Dublin limped to a 75-87 season.

For the third consecutive season, both the MVP and Pitcher of the Year belonged to Hamburg Hammers. It was a new MVP in Hartwig Werner, the 32-year left fielder. In his 11^th year with the team, he exploded for a career-best 10.9 WAR and a league leading .676 slugging, adding 36 doubles, 22 triples, 43 home runs, 128 RBI, and a .340 average. Werner also picked up the sixth Gold Glove of his career. Hermann Hoffman won back-to-back Pitcher of the Year honors. The 27-year old Austrian had the most wins (21-10), innings (291.2), and complete games (21), adding 7.6 WAR, a 2.75 ERA, and 283 strikeouts.

Three of the four playoff teams from the prior season in the Southern Conference made it back in 1963. Belgrade was the exception, as the 1961 conference champ bounced back after finishing below .500 the prior year. The Bruisers had the SC’s best mark at 98-64, cruising to the Southeast Division title. Defending conference champ Rome won the South Central Division again with a 95-67 record and Seville secured the Southwest at 97-65. In the wild card race, Barcelona come out on top at 85-77, finishing two games ahead of Marseille, three over Naples, and four over Zurich. The Bengals now have four playoff berths in the last five seasons.

Zurich slugger Gabriel Staudt won his third conference MVP. The 35-year old Swiss left fielder was the leader in home runs (51), runs (122), RBI (120), walks (94), slugging (.713), OPS (1.141), wRC+ (211), and WAR (10.7). Pitcher of the Year went to 28-year old German Christian Michel. He began the season in his sixth year with Vienna, but was traded to Seville in the summer. He finished with a conference-best 12.0 WAR, 344 strikeouts, 16 complete games, and 46 FIP-, adding a 24-11 record and 2.31 ERA. It was Michel’s final season in Europe, as he left for Major League Baseball and signed with Hartford the next season.

In the first round playoff matchups, Hamburg outlasted a feisty five-game challenge from Brussels, Paris swept Birmingham, Barcelona upset Belgrade 3-1, and Rome defeated Seville 3-1. In the Northern Conference Championship, the Poodles prevailed over the Hammers 4-1, giving Paris its third conference title (1952, 1956). The Red Wolves repeated as Southern Conference champs, although it came down to extras in a seven-game classic with the Bengals. Rome won the finale 3-2 with a walkoff in 10 innings to advance.

The Red Wolves carried that momentum to claim their first-ever European Championship, defeating the Poodles in six. Paris is now 0-3 in the finale, while Rome’s win sends the title to Italy for the first time. 30-year old 2B Pete Habberstad was perhaps the playoff hero, winning SCC MVP. The Norwegian had 17 hits, 6 runs, 2 home runs, and 11 RBI over 17 postseason games.

Other notes: In addition to his MVP, Gabriel Staudt became the first EBF batter to 600 career home runs and 1500 RBI. Staudt also became the first ten-time Silver Slugger winner, while SS Paolo Gigliotti earned his eighth. Julien Olivier joined Staudt, Gigliotti, and Pietro Ribsi as the lone 2000 hit club members thus far. Loris Eichelberger became the second 200 win pitcher and Armando Rojas the third 3000 strikeout pitcher.

FuzzyRussianHat · 07-01-2023, 04:04 PM

After failing to make the playoffs in its first 32 seasons, Quito finally finished on top of the Bolivar League South Division. The Thunderbolts were a league-best 103-59, edging out defending division champ Guayaquil at 101-61 and Lima at 95-67. This leaves Montevideo as the only Beisbol Sudamerica team without a single playoff appearance, an unfortunate streak that continued until 1981 for the Venom. Meanwhile in the North Division, the Caracas dynasty continued as the four-time defending Bolivar League champ and defending Copa Sudamerica winner finished first at 97-65.

Leading the charge for Quito was league MVP Javier Herrera. The 25-year old Ecuadoran first baseman led the league in runs (113), hits (217), doubles (44), triples (20), walks (76), stolen bases (101), batting average (.372), OBP (.445), slugging (.609), OPS (1.054), wRC+ (191), and WAR (9.4). Lima’s Roberto Gonzalez was Pitcher of the Year and the sixth in BSA to have a Triple Crown season. The 27-year old Peruvian righty had a 25-5 record, 1.37 ERA, and 324 strikeouts, also leading with 0.82 WHIP, 30 quality starts, a 10.1 K/BB, FIP- of 46, and 12.1 WAR. He was the first BSA pitcher to have a 12+ WAR season since the 1940s.

Buenos Aires finished with the Southern Cone League’s best record at 100-62, snapping a 14-year playoff drought. The Atlantics finished seven games better than second place Santiago, while Cordoba went from 106 wins the prior year to only 71. Brasilia snapped their own 11-year postseason skid by winning the Brazil Division at 98-64. Defending league champ Salvador took second at 94-68. Sao Paulo, the dynasty only two seasons earlier, hit rock bottom at 60-102.

League MVP went to Buenos Aires 1B Marco Angeles. The 31-year old Argentine led in home runs (41), slugging (.594), OPS (.984), and wRC+ (202), adding 8.4 WAR, 104 RBI, and 183 hits. It was the last season of his nine-year run with the Atlantics, as he left for America and signed with Oklahoma City in the offseason. Argel Souza became only the second BSA pitcher to win Pitcher of the Year five times, joining the legendary Mohamed Ramos. The 33-year old had joined Salvador in March after being traded by longtime home Sao Paulo in a rebuilding effort. Souza was the WARlord at 8.1 and the wins leader with a 23-7 record, adding a 2.28 ERA and 301 strikeouts in 265 innings. This was the last good year for Souza, as an elbow strain led to a steep fall off a cliff, retiring after posting a -2.0 WAR season in 1965. Also of note for the Storm was Gustavo Telhados, winning his third straight Reliever of the Year. He posted 45 saves, a 0.77 ERA, and 5.1 WAR.

In the Bolivar League Championship Series, Quito denied the five-peat bid from Caracas, winning their first league title in six games. In the Southern Cone Championship, Buenos Aires defeated Brasilia 4-2, giving the Atlantics their sixth league title and first since the 1940s dynasty. Copa Sudamerica went all seven games with Buenos Aires stopping Quito short of their first title. RF William Duran was the series MVP with the 28-year old getting 18 hits, 4 runs 6 doubles, and 9 RBI over 13 playoff games. The Atlantics are now four time winners of the Cup, joining the 1941, 42, and 45 campaigns. It is also the first title for an Argentine team since Cordoba in 1956.

Other notes: Ralph Jung became the seventh BSA pitcher to 250 career wins and also became the 16^th to 4000 strikeouts. Miseal Sanchez became the 12^th hitter to 2500 hits. Sebastiao Navarijo became the 10^th member of the 500 home run club and sixth to 1500 career RBI. Ishmael Perla became a ten-time Silver Slugger winner in LF.

FuzzyRussianHat · 07-02-2023, 05:15 AM

Two-time defending Japan League champ Chiba won the North Division for the third straight season, finishing at 97-65. Meanwhile, the best two records in the league were in the South Division. Nagoya snapped a 14-year playoff berth with a 109-53, outlasting defending division champ Kyoto who went 105-57.

Kawasaki’s Kakuzo Yokoyama won back-to-back league MVPs. The 26-year old first baseman became the first player to hit 60+ home runs in consecutive seasons as he led Japan with 62 dingers, 142 RBI, 113 runs, .705 slugging, 1.100 OPS, a WRC+ of 213 and a 9.8 WAR. Pitcher of the Year was Nagoya’s Chun-Ho Kim. The 25-year old lefty was the ERA leader at 2.03 and also led Japan with a 0.89 WHIP, 26 quality starts, 55 FIP-, and 8.6 WAR. He added 252 strikeouts over 230.1 innings.

Pyongyang continued to roll in the Korea League. The two-time defending East Asian Champion had their third straight season with 112+ wins with a 112-50 mark atop the North Division. The Pythons were uncatchable despite solid efforts by Seoul (99-63) and Hamhung (93-69). Changwon won the South Division title with a 95-67, making the playoffs for the fifth time in seven years. Last year’s division champ Ulsan was a distant second at 86-76.

MVP went to 27-year old Seoul second baseman Min-Hyeok Shin. He was the Korean WARlord at 10.0 and also led in hits (202), .OBP (.431), slugging (.679), OPS (1.110) and wRC+ (194). He added 47 home runs and 139 RBI. Pitcher of the Year was Pyongyang’s Jun-Hui Ahn. The 25-year old righty was the leader in wins at 26-7 and innings (289) with a league-best 27 complete games. Ahn added 9.1 WAR, a 2.24 ERA, and 265 strikeouts.

In the Japan League Championship Series, Chiba made it a three-peat, outlasting Nagoya in a seven game classic. The Comets now have four league titles, having also won in 1952. In the Korea League Championship Series, Pyongyang was denied their three-peat by Changwon. The Pythons seemed on their way by winning the first three games, but the Crabs rallied from the 3-0 hole to take the series in seven games. The final game went 10 innings with Changwon taking it5-4, giving the Crabs four league titles (1959, 1945, 1923).

The East Asian Championship also was a seven game classic, although not as dramatic as the KLCS rally. Changwon edged Chiba, giving the Crabs their second-ever overall title, joining the 1945 campaign. RF Yeqing Zhao was the series MVP, posting 16 hits, 10 runs, 4 homers, and 7 RBI in 14 playoff games. The Comets suffer defeat in the championship for the third straight season, joining 1925-27 Gwangju as the only team to fall in three straight finals.

Other notes: It was the final season for Ju-An Pak, who smacked 49 home runs at age 39. This allowed him to pass Byung-Oh Tan as the all-time home run king with 760 for his career. Pak also finished with 3493 strikeouts, the most whiffs all-time. He’d be an interesting debate in the future as despite his prolific power, he posted only 47.4 WAR career WAR due to stinking at all other aspects of the game. His hold of the home run king title lasted only a few years with Lei Meng taking the title later in the decade.

1963 saw both Young-Hwan Sha and Ki-Wook Ahn cross 600 career home runs, becoming the fifth and sixth EAB players to do so. Sha also crossed 1500 runs scored, the fifth to accomplish that. Jae-Ha Pak became only the fourth pitcher to reach 250 career wins. Hirotaka Mizutani became a ten time Gold Glove winner at third base.

FuzzyRussianHat · 07-02-2023, 11:47 AM

A competitive Mexican League in 1963 saw three different playoff teams advance then from the prior year. Monterrey came away with the North Division title at 99-63, putting the Matadors back in the playoffs after a four year break. Second was Hermosillo at 96-66, who finished three ahead of Mexicali to secure the wild card spot. For the Hyenas, this is their first playoff berth since winning it all back in 1947. Defending league champ Juarez was fourth in the division at 88-74, while last year’s wild card Chihuahua fell to 79-83. In the South Division, Leon ran away with the title at 99-63 while defending division champ Ecatepec was a distant second at 86-76. The Lions are back in the field after just missing out last year on a fifth straight appearance. Monterrey had the tiebreaker over Leon, making the Lions have to play in the wild card round against Hermosillo.

League MVP went to Tijuana outfielder Vicente Gutierrez. The 30-year old lefty in his tenth year with the Toros led the league for the second straight year in home runs (51), RBI (124), runs (118), and walks (89), while also leading in WAR (10.7), OBP (.434), slugging (.668), OPS (1.103), and wRC+ (232). Juarez veteran Jaime Rivas won Pitcher of the Year for the second time, joining his 1956 honor with Puerto Rico. In his sixth and final season with the Jesters, the 33-year old Costa Rican led in wins at 19-8, as well as ERA (1.94), K/BB (13.1) FIP- (60), and WAR (8.9). He struck out 248 over 206.1 innings. Rivas would leave for MLB in the offseason and sign with Louisville.

The best record in the Caribbean League went to Honduras atop the Continental Division at 107-55, giving the Horsemen six straight division titles. Puerto Rico won the Island Division at 100-62, earning their first berth since taking the CABA title in 1956. Defending overall champ Santo Domingo and Haiti finished 93-69, while last year’s wild card Jamaica fell to 86-76. The Dolphins and Herons both were three games behind Salvador in the wild card race with the Stallions at 96-66. Salvador snaps a 13 season playoff drought with the result.

Winning Caribbean League MVP was Emmanuel Lopez, winning his fifth MVP and first in the Caribbean League after being traded mid-1962 from Mexico City to Honduras. In his first full season with the Horsemen, the 34-year old centerfielder led the league in RBI (114) and WAR (9.8), adding 43 home runs and a .318 average. Honduras also had Pitcher of the Year as Diego Morales made it back-to-back. The 30-year old Dominican lefty had the most wins at 22-6 and also led in ERA (1.95), WHIP (0.92), quality starts (26), FIP- (56), and WAR (9.2). Morales struck out 262 over 244.1 innings.

In the wild card round, Leon cruised to a sweep of Hermosillo, while wild card Salvador went the distance to upset Puerto Rico. The Mexican League Championship Series saw Monterrey defeat the Lions in six games, giving the Matadors eight titles and their first since the late 1950s dynasty. They also now stand alone with the most Mexican League titles. In the Caribbean League, Honduras edged Salvador in a seven game thriller, allowing the Horsemen to get over the hump after being runner-up to Santo Domingo the prior three seasons. Honduras now has a record 12 league titles.

Despite the successes of both franchises, it was only the second time they had met in the CABA Championship, with Honduras taking it in six back in 1958. The 1963 final had the same result; the Horsemen winning in six over Monterrey. League MVP Emmanuel Lopez was an absolute beast in this run, winning both CABA Championship and CLCS MVP. In 13 games, he had 22 hits, 10 runs, 4 home runs, 12 RBI, and a .407 average for 1.2 WAR. It was their first CABA title since that 1958 meeting and the fifth in franchise history, also winning in 1942, 1940, and 1927.

Other notes: On top of all of the other accolades, Emmanuel Lopez won his 10^th Silver Slugger. 2B Luis Miranda became a 10-time Silver Slugger winner, a record for the position. Grant Duncan became the 16^th CABA batter to 500 career home runs. Kendri Quinones won his eighth Gold Glove at shortstop.

FuzzyRussianHat · 07-02-2023, 04:30 PM

1963 saw perhaps the most impressive turnaround season in baseball history from the St. Louis Cardinals. The prior season, they had the worst record in the entire National Association at 54-108. In 1963, they had the best record at 101-61, winning the Midwest League title and ending a 32 season playoff drought. Meanwhile, the Eastern League battle had three teams right in the mix until the end with Pittsburgh, Montreal, and Hartford. The Pirates and Maples tied for the top spot at 97-65, while the Huskies finished one game back at 96-66. In the one-game tiebreaker, Pittsburgh prevailed for their second EL title in a three-year playoff streak.

For the Maples, they were the first wild card and earned back-to-back playoff berths. Hartford had the second spot for their second berth in three years. The third wild card belonged to Boston at 92-70, giving the Red Sox four appearances in five years. The final spot required a tiebreaker game over in the Midwest League with Omaha and Indianapolis tied at 89-73, both two ahead of Detroit and three ahead of Cincinnati and Ottawa. The Hawks defeated the Racers to advance with back-to-back wild cards. Last year’s NACS teams both missed the cut. Two-time defending National Association champ Kansas City fell to 80-82, while Toronto dropped from 107 wins in 1962 to only 77 in 1963.

Indianapolis outfielder R.J. Clinton won his third NA MVP and back-to-back MVPs. It was only the sixth season to that point in MLB that a hitter was above 11 WAR, as Clinton posted 11.3. He was the leader in runs (124), home runs (52), RBI (138), slugging (.753), OPS (1.175) and wRC+ (242). His batting average of .363 was second to Easton Poropat’s .372. St. Louis’s Poropat and Garland Mulholland both had outstanding 10+ WAR seasons in their own right with Poropat getting 237 hits, five short of the single-season record. St. Louis’s Jerry Addison was Pitcher of the Year and Rookie of the Year, helping the Cardinal tournament. The second overall pick in the prior draft, Addison was the WARlord at 7.3 and led with a 2.13 ERA and 0.96 WHIP. He had a 17-5 record and 205 strikeouts in 220 innings.

The wild card round saw Boston edge Hartford in three and Montreal top Omaha in two. The second round had St. Louis top the Red Sox and Pittsburgh over the Maples, both in four games. The Pirates were back in the National Association Championship Series for only the third time (1958, 1913) and sixth for the Cardinals, but first since their 1908-1910 dynasty. In the NACS, St. Louis defeated Pittsburgh in six games, culminating the miracle turnaround with the team’s fourth National Association title.

Seattle won the Western League title for the first time in the franchise’s 63 year history. The Grizzlies earned a third straight playoff berth with their American Association best 104-58 record. Calgary was the top wild card for the third straight year with a 99-63 record. San Francisco was third at 95-67 and were the second wild card, giving them two wild cards in three seasons.

In the Southern League, Oklahoma City finished first at 99-63, giving them four straight league titles and the longest active playoff streak at five seasons. Second was Charlotte at 91-71, followed by Houston at 90-72. The Hornets would finish one game shy of a wild card, as both the Canaries and defending World Series champ Denver took the final two spots at 91-71. For Charlotte, it is their first playoff appearance since 1943. The Dragons are on a three-year streak. Oakland, who had the best record in the American Association the prior season at 108-54, fell to a lackluster 71-91.

The AA MVP was Prometheo Garcia in his MLB debut for San Francisco at age 40. It was the ninth overall MVP for the CABA legend and cemented his claim as not only perhaps CABA’s best-ever hitter, but professional baseball’s best. The ageless slugger as a DH led the American Association in runs (117), hits (224), RBI (136), slugging (.626), and OPS (1.008), adding 7.6 WAR, 52 home runs, and a .345 average. Calgary’s Parker Harpaz won his second Pitcher of the Year, having won prior with Miami in 1960. In his third year with the Cheetahs, the 31-year old lefty had the most wins with a 22-8 record, adding a 3.07 ERA over 296.1 innings, 256 strikeouts, and 8.2 WAR.

In the first round of the playoffs, Charlotte won in three over San Francisco and Calgary swept Denver. In round two, the Canaries stunned Seattle in four games, while Oklahoma City cruised to a sweep of the Cheetahs. This gave OKC its fourth straight American Association Championship Series appearance, while it was the fifth for Charlotte and first since 1941. In the AACS, the Outlaws defeated the Canaries in six, giving Oklahoma City two titles in three seasons.

In the 1963 World Series, St. Louis capped off the remarkable turnaround with a ring, joining the 1909 campaign as their only overall championships. The Cardinals clobbered Oklahoma City in five games, snapping what was an 11-season streak of titles for the American Association. Montreal in 1951 was the last National Association team to take the Fall Classic. World Series MVP was pitcher Sammy Talbert. In four postseason starts, the 32-year old journeyman lefty had a 2.48 ERA over 29 innings for a 3-1 record and 19 strikeouts.

Other notes: Ted Henderson and Robert Pimental both crossed 3000 career hits, making it 33 MLB batters to have reached the mark. Walter Brechler became only the 13^th pitcher to 3500 career strikeouts. Nathaniel Maxwell became a 10-time Gold Glover at first base.

FuzzyRussianHat · 07-03-2023, 05:59 AM

For the first time since 1939, Major League Baseball didn’t induct a single player into its Hall of Fame. The leading vote getter on the 1964 ballot missed by the thinnest possible margin as pitcher Alec Ebner was at 65.9% on his second ballot, barely missing the 66% threshold. Four others finished above 50%; closer Victoro Fraijo at 57.9% on his sixth attempt, 2B Matthew Verdery at 55.0% on his second, 1B Tiger Novak at 51.3% in his debut, and closer Hunter Walsh at 50.4% on his second go.

One player was dropped after ten tries in closer Jason Boychuk. In 20 years with 10 teams, he had 220 saves and 302 shutdowns, a 2.33 ERA, 1193 strikeouts in 925.2 innings, and 31.4 WAR. A steady career, but hardly Hall of Fame worthy and almost a surprise he made it ten ballots. Boychuk peaked at 37.4% on his debut and was at 10.6% at the end.

FuzzyRussianHat · 07-03-2023, 01:24 PM

For the second time in three seasons, the Central American Baseball Association didn’t induct a single player into the Hall of Fame. Like MLB’s 1964 class, there was a player who missed by the thinnest margin. Pitcher Sheldon Malcolm on his fifth ballot received 65.9%, barely under the 66.0% mark required for induction. Only two others finished above 50% with 1B Alejandro Encinas at 54.3% on his debut and LF Curtis Velazquez at 51.5% on his fifth attempt.

One player was cut following ten unsuccessful bids. Pitcher Sandalio Lopez spent his entire 16 year career as a starter with Leon, finishing with a 156-127 record, 2.98 ERA, 2637.2 innings, 2696 strikeouts, and 40.9 WAR. A respectable career, but definitely a “Hall of Very Good” guy. He managed to hang on despite his peak being 17.6% on his second ballot.

FuzzyRussianHat · 07-03-2023, 07:48 PM

East Asia Baseball elected two players into the Hall of Fame with its 1964 class. Both received no-doubt first ballot nods with pitcher Haruo Matsuzaki at 96.7% and pitcher Yeon-U Choo at 95.0%. Another pitcher, Min-Chin Park, came close on his second ballot, but was a few notches short at 63.8%. Two others, CF Ha-Min Park (51.2%, 5^th ballot) and LF Dong-Hee Cho (50.5%, 2^nd ballot) were above the 50% mark.

Dropped after ten attempts included shortstop Soo-Hyun Choo, a seven-time Silver Slugger winner and 1941 MVP. He had 90.7 WAR and 2572 hits for his entire pro career, but played his age 33-37 seasons in Oakland; limiting his EAB totals. With Seongnam and Kobe, he had 1997 hits, 906 runs, 267 home runs, 934 RBI, a .307/.341/.517 slash and 81.9 WAR; still very much worthy of strong consideration. He peaked at 58.1% on his fourth ballot before ending at 43.5%. Had his entire career been in EAB, that probably gets him across the line.

Also dropped was closer Masaji Toguchi, who ended at 7.3% after peaking at 42.2%. A two time Reliever of the Year, in 14 years almost entirely in Kobe, he had 348 saves, 2.19 ERA, 1158 strikeouts in 882 innings, and 26.1 WAR. Guys with similar resumes have gotten in with 300 saves often being the magic number, but Toguchi didn’t have the support. Also notably dropped after nine attempts with a somewhat similar story was Jun-Yeong Lee. He had 319 saves, a 2.32 ERA, 832.1 innings, 799 strikeouts, 19.1 WAR, and two Reliever of the Year awards. But he also lacked the longevity and true dominance required for strong consideration. Lee peaked at 31.1%.

Haruo Matsuzaki – Starting Pitcher – Yokohama Yellow Jackets – 96.7% First Ballot

Haruo Matsuzaki was a 5’11’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Tokyo, Japan. He wasn’t considered amazing at anything, but had very consistently solid stuff and movement with average to above average control. Matsuzaki’s velocity peaked in the 96-98 mph range and he mixed five pitches in the arsenal; a fastball, curveball, forkball, splitter, and changeup. Apart for the changeup, the other four pitches were considered equally effective. Matsuzaki was also considered a very intelligent pitcher who knew how to pick his spots.

Matsuzaki attended the University of Tokyo and posted a 2.52 ERA over 314.2 innings with 376 strikeouts in his college career. This made him a highly touted prospect and he was picked second overall in the 1944 EAB Draft by Yokohama. Matsuzaki’s entire pro career came with the Yellow Jackets. He was a popular player and one of the few redeeming things about the franchise in his run, as they were mid to bottom tier his entire tenure with no playoff appearances.

After a primarily relief role in his rookie year, Matsuzaki became a full time starter in year two with respectable production. He emerged as a true ace a few years later, leading Japan in WAR in five straight seasons from 1950-54. Matsuzaki also led in strikeouts four times in five years from 1951-55 and led in ERA with 1.77 in 1953. He won the 1951 Pitcher of the Year, took third in 1952, then won it again in 1953 while also taking third in MVP voting that year.

Matsuzaki was also considered very durable, not suffering a single injury of not until a biceps strain put him out a month in 1957. That would be his final season of note, as in 1958 at age 35, his production fell hard off a cliff. He went from 2.24 ERA and 6.3 WAR the prior year to a lousy 4.01 ERA and 0.8 WAR. He opted to retire after this season at age 36. Also of note, Matsuzaki pitched for Japan in the World Baseball Championship tournaments of 1949 through 1957. He had a 3.83 ERA in 160 innings with 192 strikeouts and 2.9 WAR.

His final EAB stats: 195-153, 2.49 ERA, 3362.2 innings, 3595 strikeouts, 304/416 quality starts, FIP- of 76, and 81.7 WAR. A very solid and steady career that perhaps was overlooked by some due to being stuck throughout on a lousy Yokohama squad. The Yellow Jackets didn’t overlook him, retiring his #21 uniform. The Hall of Fame voters didn’t either ultimately, giving him first ballot induction status at 96.7%.

Yeon-U Choo – Pitcher – Tokyo Tides – 95.0% First Ballot

Yeon-U Choo was a 5’9’, 180 pound right-handed Pitcher from Sinch’ang, a small North Korean town located about an hour east of Pyongyang. Choo was known as an incredibly hard thrower with a 99-101 mph fastball. This with his curveball, changeup, and sinker meant he was considered to have great stuff. His movement was viewed as below average though at times with average to above average control. A questionable work ethic worked against him at times. Choo was also notable as the first East Asia Baseball Hall of Famer to have significant runs as both a starting pitcher and a closer, moving to the bullpen in his 30s.

A Tokyo scout discovered Choo as a teenage amateur in his small North Korean home, signing him in 1938 at age 16. Choo made his debut at age 20 in 1942 and struggled in a partial season, then saw some improvement in year two. The entirety of his 10 year Tokyo run was in the rotation and by year four, he had emerged as a premiere strikeout pitcher. Choo had five straight 300+ strikeout seasons and led Japan from 1946-49. He also led the league in WAR five straight years from 1945-49.

In 1945, Choo won his first Pitcher of the Year award. He took it again in 1947 with a blistering 11.5 WAR season with career bests in strikeouts (364), ERA (1.56), and wins (21). Choo took second for the award in 1949. In total with Tokyo, he had a 117-94 record, 2.50 ERA, 1976.2 innings, 2672 strikeouts, and 57.0 WAR. He was the best thing for a generally low-tier Tides squad in that era, never making the playoffs. They would go on to retire his #12 uniform.

In 1951 at age 29, Tokyo traded Choo to Sendai in a deal for five prospects. He finished that year as a starter, but the Samurai thought he would be better suited to the bullpen for most of his run. Despite his successes as a starter, Choo’s main knock was a lack of stamina and inability to go deep in games. His 10 career complete games is well below the majority of EAB Hall of Fame starters who typically had triple digits. He picked up 40 saves in his relief debut in 1952. Sendai moved him back to a starter role in 1953 and he had a strong 7.1 WAR season that earned him second in Pitcher of the Year voting, but the rest of his career after was in the bullpen.

He was a good closer, finishing second in Reliever of the Year in 1957. Choo got his first playoff experience with Sendai, who won the Japan League title in 1953 and made berths in 1954 and 57. A ruptured disc put him out a big chunk of 1956, but he bounced back to lead Japan in saves the next year. In total, he had 169 saves and a 47-27 record with the Samurai, posting a 2.20 ERA, 961 strikeouts in 675 innings, and 18.3 WAR.

Choo was also a regular for the North Korean team in the World Baseball Championship, playing the event 11 times. He had a 4.59 ERA over 104 innings with 161 strikeouts. Choo returned to North Korea in his final pro year signing with Hamhung at age 36. He was a decent bullpen piece in the regular season, but shined in the playoffs en route to the EAB title with the Heat. In the postseason, he had a 0.61 ERA and six saves in eight appearances, striking out 17 in 14.2 innings. Choo opted to retire on this high.

The final stats: 168-128, 211 saves and 235 shutdowns, 2.44 ERA, 2705 innings, 3703 strikeouts, 466 walks, FIP- of 69, and 76.3 WAR. He has a peculiar stat line with the split career, but still notably was the 14^th pitcher to 3500 strikeouts despite that. At his peak, he was among the most dominant starters in the game and still had respectable tallies despite the lack of innings relative to other HOF starters. Thus, Choo’s peers put him into the Hall on his first ballot at 95.0%.

FuzzyRussianHat · 07-04-2023, 06:10 AM

Beisbol Sudamerica saw two first ballot selections in the 1964 Hall of Fame class. 1B Adrian Calvo received 94.4% of the vote and pitcher Lincoln Parra earned 91.4%. Three others were above 50%, but short of the 66% requirement for selection. RF Nando Gaspar led this group at 61.7% on his second attempt. LF Martyn Jarava received 55.2% on his debut and closer Adrian Amaro was at 54.6% on his third look.

Starting pitcher Aldemar Ramires was dropped following ten failed attempts at election. He generally hovered in the 40% range, although he made it as high as 60.3% in 1960. The 1938 Bolivar League Pitcher of the Year, in 13 seasons with primarily Quito he had a 177-142 record, 2.43 ERA, 2993 innings, 3371 strikeouts, FIP- of 70 and 83.4 WAR. Had he not been stuck on such a lousy franchise for his career, Ramires might have gotten a stronger look, especially among the typically pitcher-friendly BSA voters.

Another pitcher made it to ten ballots in Ruben Metzler, although he peaked at 23.5% and finished at 5.2%. In 18 seasons with Buenos Aires and Cordoba, Metzler had a 161-144 record, 2.46 ERA, 3094 strikeouts over 3063 innings, a FIP- of 85 and 58.6 WAR. Not bad, but more firmly a Hall of Very Good type compared to Ramires.

Adrian Calvo – First Baseman – Asuncion Archers – 94.4% First Ballot

Adrian Calvo was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left-handed first baseman from Filadelfia, a town of fewer than 20,000 people in west central Paraguay. Calvo was an impressive home run hitter that could also reliably hit for good contact. He also was solid at drawing walks and in his prime years was a low strikeout guy in a strikeout-heavy Beisbol Sudamerica. Incredibly durable, he was a hard working ironman who was beloved by fans and players alike. Calvo was a slow baserunner and a career first baseman, viewed generally as an average to above average defender.

Calvo was quickly viewed as the best prospect in Paraguay and was picked by his home-nation team Asuncion first overall in the 1944 BSA Draft. He made sparse appearances in 1945, then earned Rookie of the Year in his first full season in 1946. From there after, Calvo was an absolute beast with nine 8+ WAR seasons in 10 years. He had 40+ home runs 11 times, 50+ four times, and was the Southern Cone leader in dingers six times. Calvo led the league in RBI four times, OBP three times, average twice, and WAR twice.

Calvo won his first MVP in 1948, his most impressive year with career bests in homers (56), RBI (118), OPS (1.026), wRC+ (253), and WAR (11.9). Calvo won his second MVP in 1953 and third in 1956. He was second in 1949, 1950, 1951, and 1954. He won Silver Slugger nine times from 1947-51, then from 1953-56. In 13 seasons with Asuncion, he had 2017 hits, 1041 runs, 535 home runs, 1177 RBI, a .294/.360/.579 slash, and 99.6 WAR. Calvo was viewed by many in this stretch as the overall best hitter in South American baseball. His #29 uniform would be retired by the Archers and he served as a team ambassador once his playing career ended.

Despite his efforts, Asuncion not only never made the playoffs in his run, but only once even were above .500 (at 82-80, no less). He was beloved by the fans throughout Paraguay, and was captain of their World Baseball Championship teams from 1947-63. In 148 tournament games, he hit 56 home runs, 120 RBI, 125 hits, 91 runs for 7.1 WAR.

He stayed loyal to his team and country, but his Asuncion run ended in a trade for the 1958 season to Salvador. He had one great year with the Storm, leading yet again in home runs. Now a free agent though, Calvo had become well known in the world as an elite power hitter and he garnered attention from Major League Baseball teams. He ultimately signed with Denver to a five-year, $510,000 deal. Calvo would make $102,000 per season with the Dragons, far more than his peak salary of $40,100 with Asuncion.

Calvo was a decent starter in three seasons with the Dragons, still putting up 30+ homers, but he was nowhere near the MVP anymore as age and new pitchers lowered his production. He did finally get to play In the playoffs in 1961 with Denver. He was released in April of 1962, although he still received a ring as the Dragons went onto the World Series title. He played one last WBC in 1963 and went unsigned that season, opting to then retire at age 38.

For Calvo’s full pro career, he had 2599 hits, 1405 runs, 688 home runs, 1583 RBI, and 114.1 WAR. In just BSA, he had 2176 hits, 1143 runs, 582 home runs, 334 doubles, 1285 RBI, a .293/.358/.578 slash, 200 wRC+, and 107.5 WAR. To that point, he was one of only seven BSA batters to finish above 100+ WAR. He wasn’t as high up the final BSA leaderboards as he could have been since he left at age 34, but Calvo was as feared as any hitter in South America in the late 1940s to mid 1950s. Although he officially retired from baseball in 1963, since he had been out of BSA for more than five years, Calvo was immediately eligible for voting. Unsurprisingly, he was a first ballot pick at 94.4%.

Lincoln Parra – Starting Pitcher – Buenos Aires Atlantics – 91.4% First Ballot

Lincoln Parra was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left-handed starting pitcher from Santa Rosa, a small city that is the capital of the La Pampa province in central Argentina. Parra was known for having terrific movement on his pitches, which made up for what was often viewed as average-at-best stuff and control. His velocity peaked at 94-96 mph with a repertoire of a fastball, curveball, slider, and changeup; the curve being his most feared pitch. Parra was viewed as a good defensive pitcher who was outstanding at holding runners and preventing steals.

In his college career, Parra had a 2.46 ERA over 45 starts, 304 innings, and 375 strikeouts. This earned him the 18^th overall pick by Buenos Aires in the 1940 Beisbol Sudamerica Draft. He was an immediate starter and an immediate success, winning Rookie of the Year in 1941 with a 1.66 ERA, 6.6 WAR season. In a scary moment, he suffered a torn flexor tendon in his elbow in late September. He still received a ring as the Atlantics won Copa Sudamerica, their first of the 1940s dynasty, but there were fears the injury could jeopardize Parra’s career.

He missed the start of 1942 but bounced back with a respectable effort. On August 28, he had the ninth BSA perfect game, striking out nine against Rosario. Parra starred in the postseason with a 1.17 ERA in three starts and 23 innings, helping Buenos Aires to back-to-back Copa Sudamerica crowns. For his efforts, he earned Copa Sudamerica MVP, a rarely achieved award by a pitcher. Parra had a career-best 10.3 WAR, 24 wins, and 298 strikeouts in 1944. This season also had a no-hitter in May against Brasilia. Yet, Parra finished second in Pitcher of the Year voting. He never won the big award, also taking second in 1945.

But he was essential in getting rings as the Atlantics had eight straight playoff berths, five Southern Cone League titles, and three Copa Sudamerica titles. In 75.1 playoff innings with Buenos Aires, Parra had a 179 ERA, 85 strikeouts, and 1.3 WAR. In total with BA, Parra pitched to a 141-82 record, 2.24 ERA, 2049.1 innings, 2085 strikeouts, 411 walks, and 54.5 WAR. The #1 jersey he wore would also be retired once his career ended, honoring a key cog in the 1940s dynasty.

The dynasty ended as the 1940s came to a close and it was time to rebuild for Buenos Aires. In late June 1949, Parra was traded to Quito. He pitched the rest of that season and 1950 with the Thunderbolts before opting for free agency at age 33. With Quito, he had a 2.78 ERA in 365.2 innings, 326 strikeouts, and 7.3 WAR.

Parra remained committed to his native Argentina, pitching in the World Baseball Championship from 1948-55 with a 3.83 ERA over 91.2 innings, 81 strikeouts, and 1.4 WAR. In 1949, Parra was named the tournament’s Best Pitcher with one run allowed over 16.2 innings. When his Quito days were done, Parra wanted to head back to Argentina and he ultimately signed a five-year, $161,000 deal with Rosario.

Parra wasn’t dominant with the Robins, but consistently and reliably very solid. He had a 67-53 record, 2.39 ERA, 1173 innings, 1117 strikeouts, and 27.9 WAR. That contract expired after the 1955 season and the now 38-year old Parra moved on, but stayed again in Argentina, signing with Cordoba. The Chanticleers had become the Southern Cone dynasty of the 1950s, winning four league titles and Copa Sudamerica thrice from 1951-56.

A forearm strain put Parra out the first three months of his Chanticleers debut, but he bounced back for a solid season. He had a 1.88 ERA in 14.1 playoff innings, helping Cordoba win its third and final Copa Sudamerica of their 50s run. Parra had a respectable 1957, but saw his 1958 plagued by a partial torn labrum and a partially torn UCL. These injuries caused him to close his career at the end of the season at age 40.

Parra’s final career numbers: 260-160, 2.31 ERA, 3979.2 innings, 3898 strikeouts, 383/517 quality starts, and 97.0 WAR. He was the sixth pitche to 250 career wins and the 18^th to 3500 strikeouts despite not being viewed as a big strikeout guy. Parra was rarely viewed as the most dominant pitcher in the game, but he was reliably solid in the 1940s and 50s and a key contributor in Buenos Aires’ dynasty run. It didn’t take much convincing for the voters to make him a first ballot choice at 91.4%.

FuzzyRussianHat · 07-04-2023, 10:56 AM

The first European Baseball Federation Hall of Fame selections wouldn’t come in 1964, but two players would get above 50%. CF Joe Ramet would do it for the second time, leading the group at 54.7%. Joining him was LF Joel Ullmark at 51.1% on his first attempt. SP Mike Ring at 33.9% was the only other above 1/3s of the votes. Next year’s ballot would be the first for EBF to actually vote anyone in.

06-28-2023, 05:55 AM	#361
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,639	1962 in CABA - League expands The Central American Baseball Association became the first of the major leagues to expand beyond their original teams. In 1962, two teams were added to the Mexican League and two were added to the Caribbean League. The Mexican League North Division added the Torreon Tomahawks and the South Division added the Queretaro Terriers. Torreon fills a market gap in the north central part of the country west of Monterrey, but well south of Chihuahua and Hermosillo. Queretaro is roughly midway between Mexico City and Leon, adding another in the highly populated central part of the nation. While the Mexican League additions made for two seven-team divisions, the Caribbean League expansion saw both teams into the Island Division, creating an unbalanced situation with eight in one and six in the other. With all of the major continental Central American markets covered, the Caribbean League opted to tap the island nations without teams. Thus added were the Bahamas Buccaneers and the Trinidad Trail Blazers. With the additions also came an expanded postseason. The returning Island Division teams in particular had concern over the unbalanced division, especially when that division had often had the top two or three records in the league over the Continental Division. The change was made throughout CABA to add a single wild card, making it three playoff teams per league. The top division winner would get a bye, while the other division winner would host essentially a four game series (officially, a best-of-five with a one-game advantage to the host). The division champ would only need to win twice in four games, while the wild card would need to win three. This preserved a reward for a division title, but allowed great teams in stacked divisions a chance to power forward. The expansion draft had a chance to shake up things a bit, but was designed with the goal in mind not to damage any existing teams too strongly. Therefore, it was expected that the new squads would need a few years to grow. It would take six seasons before one of them made it to the postseason. The addition of the wild card allowed defending CABA champion Chihuahua to make it back the playoffs in 1962. Juarez took the Mexican League North Division at 103-59, leading in both runs scored (737) and runs allowed (534). The Warriors finished 94-68, finishing one game ahead of Mexicali and five ahead of both Hermosillo and Leon to get the berth. The Lions playoff streak was snapped at four years as they finished two behind Ecatepec for the South Division title. At 91-71, the Explosion earned their first playoff berth since 1951. Torreon was the top performing expansion team at a respectable 79-83, while Queretaro was 65-97. Leading the Jesters in their success was the legendary 1B Prometheo Garcia, who tied Kiko Velazquez by winning his eighth MVP. Guadalajara had traded their longtime hero at age 39 to Juarez for prospects and Garcia delivered as always, leading the league in average (.398), OBP (.445), OPS (1.133), wRC+ (232), WAR (9.7), and doubles (41), adding 36 home runs and 105 RBI. The .398 average was second-best ever in a CABA season, behind his own .406 from 1949. It would ultimately be the final CABA season for Garcia, who retired as the all-time leader in hits (3871), runs (1850), home runs (753), RBI (2042), and WAR (166.8). He’d leave for Major League Baseball and play six more seasons at a high level, switching the conversation from CABA’s all-time best hitter, to perhaps the best in baseball history. Pitcher of the Year meanwhile went to Hermosillo’s Santiago Esquivel for the second time in three seasons. He was the strikeout leader with 312, adding a 2.19 ERA over 258.2 innings and 8.2 WAR. Esquivel also won his third consecutive Gold Glove. In the Caribbean League, Santo Domingo and Honduras were again the top teams. The two-time defending league champ Dolphins won the Island Division for the fifth time in six years, while the Horsemen won their fifth straight Continental Division. Both teams with 108-54 and Santo Domingo had the tiebreaker to earn the bye. The wild card race was in the islands as Jamaica took it at 99-63, two games ahead of 97-65. Both expansion teams were at the bottom; Trinidad at 56-106 and Bahamas at 48-114. For the Jazz, they earned their first playoff berth since 1950. Haiti’s Cipriano Masias won the league MVP. The 26-year Puerto Rican left fielder had the lead in average (.354), OBP (.396), and OPS (.990), adding 202 hits and 6.6 WAR. Diego Morales won his first Pitcher of the Year for Honduras. The Dominican lefty led in wins (21-5), posting a 2.18 ERA over 251.1 innings with 265 strikeouts and 8.2 WAR. The first wild card to knock out a division champ was Chihuahua, who despite the one-game handicap against them, went on to sweep Ecatepec. In the Mexican League Championship Series, Juarez edged the defending champ Warriors in seven, giving the Jesters only their second-ever league title; the prior one was 1912; CABA’s second season. The Caribbean Wild Card round had no surprises with Honduras sweeping Jamaica, setting up Horsemen versus Dolphins for the third straight season in the Caribbean League Championship Series. It was a seven game classic with game seven going 10 innings. Santo Domingo took the finale 6-5 in extras to claim the series in seven and the third-ever Caribbean League three-peat, joining Puerto Rico (1943-45) and Havana (1911-13). The Dolphins continued to roll and swept Juarez in the CABA championship, giving SD its second CABA crown in three years and fourth overall title. Other notes: In addition to all of the other accolades mentioned earlier, Prometheo Garcia earned his 14^th Silver Slugger. He joins Kiko Velazquez (14) and Emmanuel Zavala (16) as the only CABA players with that many __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

06-28-2023, 11:49 AM	#362
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,639	1962 in MLB Toronto snapped a five season playoff drought in 1962 with the National Association’s best record at 107-55. The Timberwolves were Eastern League champs surprisingly for only the sixth time considering their relative success with it their first league title since 1929. In the Midwest League, defending NA champ Kansas City won back-to-back league titles, finishing 97-65. It is their fifth first place in franchise history. The Cougars finished two games better than Omaha at 95-67. The Hawks were right in the mix with a number of Eastern League teams for the four wild card spots. Montreal and Pittsburgh both finished 96-66 to move forward, snapping a nine-season playoff drought for the Maples and giving the Pirates back-to-back berths. Omaha took the third spot one game behind for their first playoff spot since 1956. Boston at 94-68 took the final spot, finishing two ahead of Hartford. In the last decade, the Red Sox have made the playoffs seven times, although only once did they get beyond the second round. Ottawa (87-75) and Brooklyn (72-90) both had four year playoff streaks snapped, meaning no National Association team has longer than a two season active playoff streak. Indianapolis was around .500, but they had the NA MVP in R.J. Clinton. It was the second MVP for the 25-year old right fielder from Wisconsin, who led in home runs (47), slugging (.640), and OPS (1.021), adding 8.5 WAR and a .326 average. Pittsburgh’s Richard Thieman won Pitcher of the Year. It was a career season for the 29-year old in his ninth season with the Pirates, leading in wins (22-7), FIP- (64) and WAR (8.7). He had a 1.87 ERA over 265 innings with 244 strikeouts. Pittsburgh beat Omaha and Montreal topped Boston in the first round of the playoffs, both 2-0. Toronto cruised to a 3-0 sweep in round two over the Maples, while Kansas City bested the Pirates in four. In the National Association Championship Series, the Cougars toppled the Timberwolves in five games, making KC the first repeat NA champ since the Philadelphia dynasty of the 1940s. It is the third title for Kansas City, who also won it in 1937. Major League Baseball’s top overall record belonged to Oakland in 1962. The Owls had a franchise-record 108-54 season, winning the Western League for only the second time (1942). Calgary gave chance at 101-61, easily taking the first wild card. It is both back-to-back wild cards and back-to-back 100+ win seasons for the Cheetahs. The Southern League title went to defending World Series champ Oklahoma City for the third straight season, giving them a four-year playoff streak after starting with no berths in the franchise’s first 54 seasons. The Outlaws were 93-69, four games better than both Charlotte and Miami at 89-73. For both the Canaries and Mallards, that record put them one game away from a wild card. The remaining three spots went to three Western League teams that each finished 90-72. Denver, last year’s top record holder, and Seattle both are in the playoffs for back-to-back seasons. Portland is in for the third time in four seasons. Phoenix had a three-year streak ended as they dropped to tenth in the WL at 75-87. Although Las Vegas was last in the Western League, slugger Ron Koehler earned his second straight MVP. The 33-year old DH had his fourth 50+ home run season, leading the AA with 56. He was also the leader in RBI (132), runs (129), walks (117), OBP (.419), slugging (.636), OPS (1.056), wRC+ (172), and WAR (8.1). It was the final season of Koehler’s three-year stay in Sin City, as he signed with Oakland in offseason. San Diego was mid-tier, but ace Spenser Emond was certainly not. The 37-year old won his record seventh Pitcher of the Year, becoming the first MLB (and as of 2037, the only) seven-time winner. It was a remarkable comeback as he had missed nearly all of 1961 with a torn elbow ligament, seemingly putting his career in jeopardy. Emond had a career high 303.1 innings pitched, leading the AA in ERA (2.58), WHIP (1.01), K/BB (8.0), quality starts (26), and WAR (9.2). It was his swan song, as Emond suffered a torn UCL in spring training 1963. He would return for a partial season in 1964, becoming MLBs fifth 300 game winner. In the first round of the American Association playoffs, Denver swept Seattle and Calgary creamed Portland. The Dragons stunned Oakland with n 3-2 upset, while Oklahoma City cruised to a sweep of the Cheetahs. In an AACS rematch, the Outlaws would be denied a repeat as Denver took the series in five games. It was the third American Association title for the Dragons, who won it all 1938 and 1925. Denver added a third World Series ring to the trophy shelf, outlasting Kansas City in a seven-game classic. It was an impressive run for the Dragons, who were one game away from missing the playoffs entirely. Among the stars of the run was catcher Herbert Arredondo, who won second round and AACS MVP, posting 26 hits, 11 runs, 3 home runs, and 15 RBI in the postseason. LF Brian Fullen was the World Series MVP. In the playoffs, he hit five home runs with 10 RBI, 14 hits, and 7 runs. Other notes: Crossing 1500 runs scored were Carson Tinker and Jaxson Bradley. Martin Medina crossed 1500 RBI. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

06-28-2023, 06:31 PM	#363
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,639	1963 MLB Hall of Fame The Major League Baseball Hall of Fame inducted three players in the 1963 class. The star of the class was starting pitcher Jason Morrissey, who was a first ballot pick at an impressive 95.4%. SP Joseph Allen also made it in on the first ballot, although with a lower 71.1%. Also at 71.1% was LF John Roberts, who needed seven tries to finally get the nod. SP Alec Ebner had a solid debut at 63.2%, but was just short of the 66% threshold. Two others, closer Victoro Frajio and 2B Bodie Howard, were above the 50% mark. One player was dropped after ten years on the ballot. Catcher Ben Mayo peaked at 28.4% on his second ballot and was down to 3.9% by the end. In 19 years with six teams, he had 2163 hits, 864 runs, 109 home runs, 887 RBI, .281 average, and 45.7 WAR. The anti-catcher bias makes it hard for the elite ones, but Mayo didn’t win any Silver Sluggers or Gold Gloves, making his “Hall of Very Good” designation most appropriate. Jason “Miner” Morrissey – Starting Pitcher – Nashville Knights – 95.4% First Ballot Jason Morrissey was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed starting pitcher from North Miami Beach, Florida. He reinvented himself a bit over a 21 year pro career. At his peak, he had 98-100 mph velocity with strong stuff, great movement, and good control with a fastball, slider, and changeup arsenal. His velocity and stuff waned in the back in, but he made up for it with even more impressive movement and control. Morrissey was durable and an innings eater with 15 seasons of 250+ innings. Morrissey attended Penn State and after an excellent college career, was picked sixth overall by Nashville in the 1936 MLB Draft. He was immediately thrown into the rotation for the Knights and proved worthy of being a regular starter, although he was viewed mostly as an above average innings eater in his early 20s. In his late 20s, his ERA began to lower and he started to get consideration for the Pitcher of the Year award. Morrissey took second in 1944, third in 1945, and third in 1946. Ultimately, he never won the big award. Nashville found success in the late 1940s with four playoff appearances from 1944-48. They were the American Association champ in 1944 and 1947. Morrissey made nine playoff starts in that run worth 0.8 WAR over 69.2 innings with a 4.13 ERA. His first run with the Knights lasted 14 seasons with a 226-183 record over 3806 innings with a 3.48 ERA, 2602 strikeouts, and 79.4 WAR. The 35-year old Morrissey was traded for the 1951 season for three players to Dallas, where he spent one respectable season. He signed a free agent deal with New York for 1952 and picked up his 250^th career win with the Yankees. NY would trade him to Detroit in the summer and he’d finish the 1952 campaign and play 1953 with the Tigers. Morrissey had a 3.32 ERA in 38 playoff innings for Detroit as they made it to the 1953 World Series. Morrissey was now 38-years old entering the 1954 season and although his strikeouts had gone down, he was still providing generally the same level of production. He opted to return home to Nashville and finally won a World Series ring in 1954. Fittingly, he was a part of the first-ever title for the Knights. Unfortunately for Morrissey, a torn elbow ligament at the end of August meant he was out for the postseason. Many figured that was the end of his career, but Morrissey would pitch two more partial seasons with Nashville, still posting good ERAs when healthy. His final overall stats with Nashville was 253-199, 3.43 ERA, 4200.1 innings, 2789 strikeouts, and 89.3 WAR. Appropriately, he earned his 300^th win in his last year with the Knights, becoming the fourth player to do so. He would be the first player to see his uniform number retired by Nashville. Morrissey spent his final season of 1957 with Hartford, then retired at age 42. The final stats: 312-246, 3.45 ERA, 5193.1 innings, 3175 strikeouts, 1413 walks, 386/660 quality starts, 277 complete games, a FIP- of 87, and 105.9 WAR. At retirement, he was fourth all-time in innings pitched and tied for third in complete games. Morrissey was rarely dominant and his strikeout tally is notably low compared to his contemporaries with similar innings pitched. Still, he was consistently reliable for two decades and a key part in the first sustained success for Nashville. Thus, Morrissey is an easy first ballot choice at 95.4%. Joseph Allen – Starting Pitcher – Chicago Cubs – 71.1% First Ballot Joseph Allen was a 6’0’’, 185 pound pitcher from Whitehorse, the largest town in the desolate Yukon Territory of northwest Canada. Allen threw hard with 99-101 mph velocity with consistently above average to good stuff, movement, and control. He had four equally impressive pitchers he would use; a fastball, changeup, splitter, and cutter. Allen was incredibly durably and a hard worker, making him a popular player. Despite growing up in the relative middle of nowhere, his arm earned him a scholarship to West Virginia. After a great college career with the Mountaineers, Allen was picked 15^th overall in the 1938 MLB Draft by Calgary. His rookie year saw a few relief appearances, followed by a solid 1940 as a starter. The Cheetahs were American Association champs this year and Allen had a great postseason, posting a 1.64 ERA over 22 playoff innings. He struggled a bit in 1941 and spent a good chunk of the season in the minors. In his fourth pro season, he was back into the rotation and he would be a full-season starter for the rest of his career without fail. His best season by WAR was 1944 with 8.5 WAR and 3.00 ERA over 273.1 innings. Allen never finished in the top three in Pitcher of the Year voting with the Cheetahs. In total in Calgary, he had a 92-83 record, 3.74 ERA, 1501.2 innings, 1130 strikeouts, and 38.6 WAR. The Cheetahs began a rebuilding period and traded the now 27-year old Allen to Denver in June for three prospects. He spent another season after with the Dragons, posting the worst stats of his career to this point with average at best production. Still, he was only 29-years old entering 1948 and Chicago thought he had plenty to offer, signing Allen to a seven-year, $201,400 contract. He would spend the remaining 10 years of his career as a Cub in his signature run, improving on his control significantly. In his seventh Cub season at age 35 in 1954, he won his lone Pitcher of the Year, leading the National Association in ERA (2.32), wins (21-8), and complete games (17). Allen also helped Chicago to five straight playoff berths. Although they never advanced out of the second round, it wasn’t Allen’s fault; he had a 1.89 ERA in 38 playoff innings with the Cubs. During this later run, he also represented team Canada in the World Baseball Championship from 1947-55. He had a 2.44 ERA over 180.2 tournament innings and a 12-5 record. Canada made it to the championship four times in his run and won the world title over the Americans in 1954. His final stats with the Cubs: 148-122, 3.23 ERA, 2488.1 innings, 1723 strikeouts, and 55.5 WAR. Allen’s production noticeably in his final two seasons, although he was still around league average. He opted to retire after the 1957 season at age 39. The Cubs would retire his #14 uniform at the season’s end. The final overall stats: 259-230 record, 3.52 ERA, 4398 innings, 3129 strikeouts, 335/580 quality starts, 223 complete games, FIP- of 82, and 99.3 WAR. Like his Hall of Fame classmate Jason Morrissey, Allen was rarely dominant or a league leader, but was a consistently reliable player for a long run. Allen won’t go in the pitching Mount Rushmore, but his consistency was rewarded with a first ballot pick at 71.1%. John “Monster” Roberts – Outfielder – Cincinnati Reds – 71.1% Seventh Ballot John Roberts was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left-handed outfielder from Laval, Quebec; a suburb north of Montreal. Roberts was a prolific contact hitter who finished with the highest career batting average of any MLB Hall of Famer as of 2037. Roberts was unrivaled at putting the ball in play, only striking out 263 times in 7151 at bats. Additionally, he was also well adept at drawing walks. Despite the nickname “Monster,” he wasn’t at all a powerful hitter. He had respectable gap power and used his very good speed to leg out many doubles and triples. He spent roughly half of his starts in left field with about 35% in right and 15% at first base. At any spot, Roberts was viewed as a below average defender despite his speed. Roberts attended the University of Cincinnati and was drafted in his junior season 20^th overall by Montreal in the 1934 MLB Draft. He was unable to come to terms with the Maples and returned for his senior season with the Bearcats. Roberts was again selected by Montreal, this time 21^st overall in the 1935 draft. But again, he was unable to come to financial terms with his hometown team and would never sign with the Maples. Officially a free agent as of 1936, his success with the University of Cincinnati made the Reds familiar with him. Opting to stay in his new home, Roberts would sign with Cincinnati and play almost his entire pro career there. He would start 3/4s of his rookie season and become a full-time starter the next season, leading the National Association in OBP in both seasons. In 1937, Roberts scored 141 runs, tying the then-single season record. A torn calf muscle would put him out most of 1938, but he’d be back full-time for the next five seasons. Roberts led the NA in hits twice, runs twice, triples thrice, batting averae twice, and OBP five times. He won the batting title with a.370 average in 1940 and a .362 average in 1942. 1939 was his top season by WAR with 7.2. He would never be a top three guy in MVP voting as that was reserved for power hitters. But Roberts remained an excellent leadoff guy throughout his run. A number of injuries put Roberts out for significant chunks of time throughout his 30s. Knee issues were his biggest concern, twice straining his ACL. Still, he put up 2224 hits, 1252 runs, a .348 average, and 59.6 WAR with the Reds. Cincinnati made the playoffs six times in his tenure, although they never got beyond the National Association Championship Series. In 31 playoff games, he had 44 hits, 23 runs, 21 walks, and a .358 average. Roberts also played for Team Canada in the first three World Baseball Championship tournaments and again in 1951. In the initial tournament in 1947, he was named the first tournament MVP, putting up 23 hits, 13 runs, 17 stolen bases, and a .418 average in 15 games. The Canadians were runners up to the United States in the first two tournaments. Injuries started to diminish Roberts’ value, as he played fewer than 100 games in each of his final three seasons with Cincinnati. The Reds opted to buy out his contract after the 1949 season, although he maintained a good relationship with the franchise and would have his #22 uniform later retired. He signed at age 36 to Memphis in 1950 and played his last full-length season, putting up okay numbers. Roberts was traded straight up to New Orleans for reliever A.J. Flickinger and played his final year with the Mudcats, although various injuries meant he only played 57 games. He was unsigned in 1952 despite hoping to catch on somewhere and opted to retire at age 39 in November 1952. The final stats for Roberts: 2448 hits, 1386 runs, 325 doubles, 170 triples, 56 home runs, 668 RBI, 1045 walks, 263 strikeouts, 538 steals, a .342/.425/.459 slash and 60.9 WAR. At retirement, he was the all-time leader in OBP and remains second as of 2037. He retired second in batting average behind Owen Richardson’s .349 and would rank fourth as of 2037. Despite this, his lack of power numbers, poor defense, and time missed to injury meant that advanced stats disfavored Roberts, despite his ability to get on base. In his first four Hall of Fame ballots, he hovered in the 50% range. He bumped up to 62.8% in try #5, but fell back to 49.2% the following year, making many wonder if he’d get relegated to the forgotten pile. Roberts picked up momentum in the 1963 ballot and got the nod at 71.1% on his seventh try. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

06-29-2023, 05:58 AM	#364
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,639	1963 CABA Hall of Fame The Central American Baseball Association added three players into its Hall of Fame in the 1963 class. Leading the class was starting pitcher Rolando Pena, a no-doubt first ballot pick at 96.5%. Another pitcher, Gavino Zaldana, also saw a first ballot nod with a solid 81.3%. Also getting in was third baseman Sandro Villanueba. On his fifth attempt, he crossed the 2/3 threshold with 71.2%. Two others, SP Martin Duenas (58.4%, 8^th try) and SP Sheldon Malcolm (52.5%, 4^th try) were above the 50% mark. No players made it to a tenth ballot in the 1963 voting. Rolando Pena – Starting Pitcher – Mexicali Maroons – 96.5% First Ballot Rolando Pena was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed starting pitcher from Villahermosa, the capital of the southern Mexico state of Tabasco. Pena had very good control, solid stuff, and decent movement. His velocity topped at 96-98 mph with an arsenal of a curveball, changeup, and cutter. Pena was also known as a solid defensive pitcher, once winning a Gold Glove. After a great amateur run, Pena was picked third overall by Mexicali in the 1942 CABA Draft and would spent his entire pro career with the Maroons. He was a part-time starter in his rookie season then moved into the full-time role from thereafter. He had a good second and third season, then broke out in year four. From 1946-1952, he was the Mexican League leader in WAR and FIP- five times. In 1949, he led the league with a career-best 333 strikeouts. In 1947 and 1948, he was third in Pitcher of the Year voting. Pena won it in 1949, 1951, 1952, and 1953. He was widely viewed as the best pitcher in Mexico during this stretch. During this time as well, Mexicali became the top team in the North Division. They won six straight division titles from 1949-54 and won five Mexican League titles. They were the overall CABA champ in 1953 and 1954. Pena’s playoff stats were actually somewhat underwhelming considering his regular season dominance, posting a 4.01 ERA over 123.1 innings. Still, he was a key reason they were in that position during that run. Pena also pitched for the Mexican team in the World Baseball Championship from 1952-56, including an excellent 1952 tournament with a 1.96 ERA in 41.1 innings for a runner-up squad. He fared better in the tournament with a 2.13 ERA in 80.1 innings. 1954 was the final year of the Mexicali dynasty and for Pena, shoulder inflammation and a herniated disc put him on the shelf for most of the season and the playoffs. He bounced back with a good 1955, leading the league in strikeouts for the second time. The now 34-year old would only have two more seasons left. He suffered a torn labrum in the summer of 1956. He returned in 1957 but was pedestrian in the first half of the season, then missed the second half with more back trouble. Pena opted to retire at the end of the 1957 season at only age 36. Immediately, the Maroons retired his #18 uniform. The final stats for Pena: 218-150, 2.68 ERA, 3483.2 innings, 3624 strikeouts, 643 walks, 308/429 quality starts, a FIP- of 74, and 91.7 WAR. His final accumulations aren’t at the very top of the leaderboard, but over about an eight year stretch, Pena posted one of the most dominant stretches in Mexican League history. It is a very select group with four Pitcher of the Year awards, making Pena an easy first ballot pick at 96.5%. Gavino Zaldana – Starting Pitcher – Honduras Horsemen – 81.3% First Ballot Gavino Zaldana was a 6’6’’, 200 pound left-handed starting pitcher from Jiguani, a small city in eastern Cuba. Despite his height, he wasn’t a fireballer with velocity peaking at 94-96 mph. He threw five pitches and had strong stuff and control, but his movement was lousy. He mixed up a fastball, curveball, forkball, changeup, and circle change. Zaldana was great at changing speeds, but his poor movement meant he was an “extreme flyball” pitcher who could give up a lot of home runs. He allowed the most homers in six different seasons in his career. Fortunately for him, he also led in strikeouts five times to make up for it. Zaldana was a good defensive pitcher, but was chastised by some for a poor work ethic. Zaldana was discovered as a teenage amateur and skipped the draft, signing a developmental deal in the summer of 1937 with Honduras. He wouldn’t debut until 1943 with four starts at age 22. He started part of the 1944 season, then became a full-time starter from then on. Because of the home runs allowed, he never had a season above 6 WAR. However, he did strike out 290+ batters in seven consecutive seasons. Honduras was in a dry spell during Zaldana’s 20s, but emerged again with three straight 100+ win seasons from 1953-55. In 1953, they were the Caribbean League champ. In 36 postseason innings, Zaldana was solid with a 2.00 ERA and 50 strikeouts. Arguably his best season was 1955 at age 34, leading the league in WHIP (0.90), strikeouts (291), and wins (22-4). This was his only season in the top three for Pitcher of the Year, taking second. In total with Honduras, he had a 173-137 record, 3.13 ERA, 3009 innings, 3420 strikeouts, and 45.5 WAR. Coming off that season, Zaldana opted for free agency and secured the bag with Guadalajara, seeing his salary go from a peak of $35,800 to $70,000. He fell off hard and was marginal at best and struggled in the playoffs. He was still on roster but was a healthy scratch in 1957 with only 40 innings, opting for retirement at season’s end at age 37. He did also pitch for the Cuban national team in the World Baseball Championship from 1954-56, posting a 2.00 ERA and 50 strikeouts in 36 innings. The Horsemen would go on to retire his #6 uniform soon after. Zaldana’s final stats: 189-148, 3.17 ERA, 3322.2 innings, 3696 strikeouts, 585 walks, 274/419 quality starts, a FIP- of 98, and 47.1 WAR. The advanced stats are not kind to him with the home runs allowed and sabremetric-minded people point to Zaldana as one of the weakest CABA Hall of Famers. Strikeouts are sexy though and the voters of his era were wowed by that, not only inducting Zaldana, but as a first ballot guy at 81.3%. Sandro Villanueba – Third Baseman – Ecatepec Explosion – 71.2% Fifth Ballot Sandro Villanueba was a 6’2’’, 195 pound right-handed third baseman from Salama, a small town of fewer than 10,000 people in central Honduras. Villanueba was perhaps best known for having a very good eye, becoming only the fourth CABA Hall of Famer at the time with 1000+ walks drawn. He had a few good years in his 20s hitting for average, but was generally viewed as an average at best contact hitter with below average speed. Villanueba had respectable pop in his bat, reliable for around 25 home runs and 25-30 doubles most years. He was exclusively a third baseman in his career and was viewed as slightly above average defensively. Villanueba had a regular spot a lineup for 20 years, but was considered by many to be greedy and disloyal. Villanueba was spotted as a teenage amateur by a scout from Guadalajara and was signed by the Hellhounds in late 1926. He spent four years on their developmental roster, but never saw the field with Guadalajara. He was shipped in the summer of 1930 to Ecatepec in a five player trade. Villanueba would spend nearly his entire pro career with the Explosion, making his debut at age 22 in 1932. He caught the tail end of the Ecatepec dynasty, earning a CABA Championship ring despite a limited bench role. He was a backup again the next year, then became a full-time starter in 1934. From there, he started 130+ games in all of his remaining 18 CABA seasons. Villanueba wasn’t one to lead the league in many stats, leading in doubles (44) in 1937 and walks (76) in 1943. Still, he put up four straight 7+ WAR seasons in his late 20s. He won seven Silver Sluggers at third base, coming in 1936, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, and 47. Villanueba never did finish top three in MVP voting, but he gave you good starter production consistently for two decades. His peak seasons were lean years for Ecatepec, but they had another run of success in 1943 and 1944. They won the Mexican League title both seasons and the CABA title in 1943. Villanueba did bat under .200 in his playoff career with the Explosion, but did add 21 hits, 17 runs, 8 home runs, and 17 RBI in 25 starts. In total with Ecatepec, he had 2308 hits, 1219 runs, 360 home runs, 1163 RBI, a .276/.345/.465 slash and 90.3 WAR. Despite this production and longevity, the Explosion would not retire his number and he would have an icy relationship post-career with the team. Villaneuba continued to provide his same yearly production well into his 30s, getting his last Silver Slugger at age 37. For the 1949 season, the 39-year old signed with Puerto Rico and gave the Pelicans two seasons with slightly diminished, but still playable numbers. He also started for the Honduras National Team in the first three editions of the World Baseball Championship from 1947-49. In 33 starts, he had 10 home runs, 26 hits, and 16 runs. At age 41, he left for America and signed with Major League Baseball’s Boston Red Sox, seeing his paycheck rise from $25,000 to $44,000. He still was good enough to provide positive value in his year in Boston, despite missing a month to a herniated disc. The Red Sox traded him to Chicago and he put up similar production with the Cubs in 1952. Villanueba returned for one final CABA season with Havana in 1953, although this was easily his weakest season. He would retire after this season at age 43, one of a select few to hang around that long. Villanueba’s final stats in CABA saw 2692 hits, 1410 runs, 485 doubles, 427 home runs, 1367 RBI, 1045 walks, 196 stolen bases, a .269/.339/.454 slash and 99.4 WAR. His numbers look like they belong on the surface, but for whatever reason, the voters were underwhelmed by Villanueba’s resume. He hovered in the 60% range for his first four times on the ballot. Then on try #5 in 1963, he got the push to 71.2%, earning his spot in the CABA Hall of Fame. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

06-29-2023, 11:50 AM	#365
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,639	1963 EAB Hall of Fame Two players were added on their first ballot in East Asia Baseball’s 1963 Hall of Fame class. Pitcher Fumio Fujino was a nearly unanimous pick at 99.2%, while fellow pitcher Han-Soo Jung got the nod at 75.7%. Three others were above 50%; SP Min-Chin Park at 56.9% on his debut, CF Ha-Min Park at 52.2% on his fourth try, and RP Kantaro Kobayashi at 51.0% on his second ballot. No players were dropped from the EAB ballot after ten attempts in the 1963 group. Fumio Fujino – Starting Pitcher – Sapporo Swordfish – 99.2% First Ballot Fumio Fujino was a 6’2’’, 190 pound left-handed pitcher from Saitama, Japan. At his peak, Fujino topped out in the 98-100 mph range with solid stuff, good control, and decent movement. He had a great fastball and changeup that he mixed with a forkball, splitter, and slider; making it difficult for batters to guess what was coming next. Fujino was also considered an excellent defensive pitcher, winning Gold Glove five times in his career. He was also thought of as a strong leader, making him very popular with fans and teammates alike. Fujino pitched in college at Chuo University in Tachikawa and was picked fourth overall in the 1938 East Asia Baseball Draft by Sapporo. He’d spent the majority of his career with the Swordfish and was thrown into the rotation immediately. His debut season was strong enough to earn Rookie of the Year honors in 1939. His Gold Gloves came consecutively from 1939-43. Fujino was solid in his first three years, including a no-hitter in 1941 against Hiroshima with 14 strikeouts and one walk. Fujino then became an ace in year #4, leading Japan in strikeouts in 1942 and 1943. In 1943, he won Pitcher of the Year for the first time and was third in MVP voting. He had a career-best 8.9 WAR and 1.67 ERA the next season, but finished second in PotY voting. 1945 saw his first major injury with ulnar nerve entrapment in his throwing elbow putting him out the second half of the season. Shoulder inflammation put him out much of 1948, followed by a partially torn UCL in 1951 and bone chips in his elbow in 1952. When he was healthy though, Fujino was still excellent. He led Japan in ERA in 1949 and 1950. He placed second in Pitcher of the Year in 1947 and won it for the second time in 1949. During this time, Sapporo started up a dynasty that saw eight division titles from 1943-51. The Swordfish won the Japan League crown in 1944, 45, 47, 49, 50, and 51; and were the overall EAB champ in 47, 49, and 51. Fujino was an excellent postseason pitcher, posting a 1.84 ERA over 102.2 playoff innings with Sapporo with 115 strikeouts and 3.3 WAR. Fujino was a critical part in this dynasty. After the 1952 season, Fujino was 36-years old and coming off back-to-back seasons with major injuries. Sapporo opted not to re-sign him and Fujino entered free agency for the first time. He signed a one-year deal with Nagoya and put up respectable numbers. However, the Nightowls thought his best value was as trade bait, as he was moved midway through 1953 to Daegu. The Diamondbacks were a contender and Fujino put them over the top as they won the Korea League title and the EAB title. In the postseason with the Diamondbacks, Fujino had a 1.29 ERA in 14 innings. This gave Fujino his fourth EAB finals ring, one of a select few to get four. In the offseason, Fujino returned to Sapporo and spent two more seasons with the Swordfish. His numbers and innings were down with age, but he still had some value as a fan favorite. He finished his Sapporo run with a 198-113 record, 2.43 ERA, 3308 strikeouts, and 74.8 WAR. At age 39, he signed with his hometown squad Saitama and spent his final two seasons with the Sting. He was a back-end starter by this point and had more injury issues, including a partially torn labrum in the summer of 1957. That ultimately ended his career at age 40 following the 1957 campaign. That winter, Sapporo officially retired his #14 uniform. The final stats saw a 220-131 record, 2.44 ERA, 3368 innings, 3640 strikeouts, 542 walks, 316/455 quality starts, FIP- of 76 and 81.9 WAR. Fujino’s tallies aren’t at the tip-top of the EAB Hall of Fame leaderboard, but still firmly belong. He was a great tenured pitcher who was a critical part of multiple league titles, making Fujino an obvious HOF pick at 99.2%. Han-Soo Jung – Staring Pitcher – Seongnam Spiders – 75.7% First Ballot Han-Soo Jung was a 6’1’’, 195 pound right-handed starting pitcher from Kaesong, a city in the southern part of North Korea near the border. Jung wasn’t considered great at any one thing, but was viewed as above average to good in all facets. His velocity topped out at 97-99 mph with four pitches, highlighted by an excellent slider. That was mixed with a good fastball and splitter, plus a rarely used changeup. He had an extreme groundball tendency. Jung was considered a hard-working “sparkplug” type and was known as incredibly durable, never suffering any significant injuries in his career. Jung left North Korea for Japan’s Kyoto University to play baseball in college. He wasn’t a highly touted prospect, as he wasn’t selected until the late fourth round of the 1940 East Asia Baseball Draft. Jung was the 118^th overall pick by Seongnam, which would be his longest tenure and the team he was inducted with. At induction, Jung was the second-latest draft pick to earn the HOF nod with only Danzu Min picked later at #128. Jung was thrown into the rotation immediately by the Spiders and had a solid rookie season, taking second in Rookie of the Year voting. He spent five seasons with Seongnam, posting a 72-53 record, 3.16 ERA, 1210 strikeouts, and 25.5 WAR. He wasn’t viewed as elite, but became known as a reliable arm. After five seasons with the struggling franchise, he was traded for three prospects to Incheon for the 1946 season. Jung spent three seasons with the Inferno, who were then a mid-tier franchise. In his third season, he was used mostly out of the bullpen. He posted a 3.16 ERA, 34-30 record, 573 strikeouts, and 10.5 WAR with Incheon. Jung opted for free agency ahead of the 1949 season and at age 29, signed with Pyongyang. He pitched two years for the Pythons, then they traded him for the 1951 campaign to Sendai. Jung had one season with the Samurai, then re-entered free agency. During this time, Jung became a regular for the North Korea team in the first 11 editions of the World Baseball Championship from 1947-57. In that stretch, he had a 3.02 ERA in 113.1 innings with a 10-3 record, 147 strikeouts, and 3.1 WAR. The remainder of his career would be in North Korea, as he joined up with Hamhung from 1952-55 and back to Pyongyang in his final two seasons of 1956-57. At age 35 in 1955, Jung had arguably his best season with a career-high 6.8 WAR, 21-9 record, 2.77 ERA, and 27 quality starts. This earned him second in Pitcher of the Year voting, the only time he was in the top three. This season also was his only playoff appearance as it marked the start of Hamhung’s 1950s dynasty. In three playoff starts for the Heat, he had a 2.91 ERA over 21.2 innings with 22 strikeouts, helping Hamhung to the EAB Championship. Fresh off this big season, Jung opted to take a bigger payout and signed with Pyongyang. His production dropped noticeably in his 1956 return to the Pythons. He bounced back a bit the following year, opting to retire after the 1958 season at age 38. Jung’s final stats: a 252-177 record, 3.31 ERA, 3785 innings, 3710 strikeouts, 673 walks, 338/531 quality starts, FIP- of 84, and 78.6 WAR. He was hardly ever mentioned as a top five pitcher in the league, but he quietly built up totals that don’t look out of place among the Hall of Fame pitchers. He was the third pitcher to reach 250 career wins. Voters who prefer a dominant peak over longevity, or prefer a long run with single team, weren’t wowed by Jung’s resume. Enough voters respected his tenure however to induct Jung at 75.7% on the first ballot in 1963. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

06-29-2023, 04:30 PM	#366
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,639	1963 BSA Hall of Fame Beisbol Sudamerica saw three players added to the Hall of Fame with the 1963 class with all three earning first ballot nods. The biggest percentage by far went to pitcher A. J. Fernandez at 97.6%. 1B Amadeus Ribeiro was firmly in as well with 84.5%. Meanwhile, SP Alexandre Bentivoglio just barely made the cut of 66%, receiving 66.2%. Three others were above 50% with closer Adrian Amaro at 59.1% on his second attempt, RF Nando Gaspar at 52.7% on his debut, and LF Placido Guerrero at 51.0% on his second go. Two players saw their HOF hopes dashed after ten failed attempts. Pitcher Gustavo Borges had 14 seasons between four teams, posting a 181-137 record, 2.39 ERA, 3010 strikeouts, and 58.3 WAR. With no major accolades, he was banished to the Hall of Very Good despite the BSA voters’ proclivities towards pitchers. Borges peaked at 54.7% on his debut ballot, dropping to 34.1% at the end. Closer Luis Albina fell off as well, peaking at 48.0% in his fourth ballot and finishing at 31.1%. In 14 seasons between Brasilia and Buenos Aires, he won Reliever of the Year three times and posted 295 saves, a 1.43 ERA, 915 strikeouts over 832.2 innings, and 25.5 WAR. Albina wouldn’t have been out of place among some of the other relievers that got in, but he needed more saves and probably more strikeouts to get a more serious look. A.J. “Mushy” Fernandez – Starting Pitcher – Valencia Velocity – 97.6% First Ballot A.J. Fernandez was a 6’0’’, 180 pound right-handed starting pitcher from Pereira, Colombia; the largest city of the “Coffee Axis” in the central part of the country. Fernandez was a hard thrower at 98-100 mph max velocity known for strong control along with above average stuff and movement. His pitches were fastball, slider, curveball, and changeup; and he had an extreme groundball tendency. Like many Hall of Famers, Fernandez was known as a durable arm, not really having any significant injuries until some shoulder trouble at the tail end of his career. He was noticed as a teenage amateur by a scout for Valencia, who signed him in the summer of 1936. Fernandez made his pro debut with five innings of relief at age 20 in 1941. Fernandez remained a reliever in his first three seasons in Venezuela and even was the closer in 1943. At age 23 in 1944, he became a full-time starter and would be a starter for the remainder of his pro career. It wasn’t until 1945 that he emerged as a true ace, leading the Bolivar League with a 1.57 ERA. This earned him third place in Pitcher of the Year voting. Fernandez continued to be reliable for a mid-tier Valencia team in the 1940s with a singular playoff appearance in 1948. In 1949, he again was third in Pitcher of the Year voting. His greatest triumph with the Velocity came on September 18, 1950 against Barquisimeto. On that day, Fernandez had the 16^th perfect game in Beisbol Sudamerica history, striking out 10. He had 34 consecutive scoreless innings around his perfect. Fernandez finished his Valencia run with a 127-100 record, 2.34 ERA, 2164 strikeouts over 2048.2 innings, and 44.1 WAR. Once his career was done, the Velocity recognized his efforts by retiring his #15 uniform. Fernandez’s run with Valencia ended after the 1950 season as he entered free agency at age 30. His annual salary basically doubled as he inked a six-year, $229,200 deal with Cali. This sent him home to Colombia, whom he pitched for in the World Baseball Championship from 1947-54 and again in 1957. In the tournament, he had a 9-3 record and three saves with a 4.37 ERA over 92.2 innings and 94 strikeouts. With Cali, the veteran Fernandez won his lone Pitcher of the Year award in 1953, leading the Bolivar League in wins (22-8) and innings (283.2) with 7.1 WAR. This was also the tail end of their run as perennial division champs, as they had seven straight playoff berths from 1947-53 with four Bolivar League titles. Fernandez was a part of one of those titles in 1952 and posted a 2.17 ERA over 58 playoff innings. In total with the Cyclones, Fernandez had a 95-65 record, 2.92 ERA, 1526.1 innings, 1558 strikeouts, and 31.7 WAR. Cali began to fall off as did Fernandez, who missed the final two months of the 1956 season with shoulder inflammation. The Cyclones didn’t re-sign Fernandez and he joined Bogota for his final pro season, retiring after the 1957 campaign at age 37. The final career stats for Hernandez: 231-171, 2.62 ERA, 3751 innings, 3854 strikeouts, 321/446 quality starts, 185 complete games, a FIP- of 83, and 78.8 WAR. He final tallies put him more among the middle statistically of the pitchers to enter the Beisbol Sudamerica Hall of Fame. Still, it was a very strong career and his contemporaries felt he was a very easy choice, getting first ballot honors at 97.6%. Amadeus “Hurricane” Ribeiro - First Baseman – 84.5% First Ballot Amadeus Ribeiro was a 6’0’’, 205 pound left-handed hitting first baseman from Sapiranga, a smaller city of around 80,000 people in southern Brazil., Riberio was known as a prolific home run hitter with very solid contract ability as well. He would lead the Southern Cone League in home runs seven different times. He didn’t walk as often as you’d expect from a slugger, although his strikeout rate was more mid-range. Ribeiro was a fairly slow baserunner who spent his entire career at first base, where he was considered a terrible defender. However, with no DH in the Southern Cone League, he had to go somewhere. Critics noted that he lacked hustle as well, but the sheer power of Riberio meant he was an offensive force regardless. The power of “Hurricane” was noticed even as a teenager as he was picked out of high school by Sao Paulo seventh overall in the 1937 Beisbol Sudamerica Draft. He was a development prospect initially, not playing in 1938 or 1940 with limited pinch hit appearances in 1939. Riberio saw a partial 1941 season at age 23, then became a full-time starter the following year. His first full season in 1942 saw him lead the league in home runs (44), and RBI (97), for the first time. This was one of four Silver Slugger seasons at the crowded position, also winning the award in 1943, 45, and 46. In 1943, he won his first league MVP with the lead in homers (55), RBI (113), batting average (.323), runs (106), hits (195), and OPS (.995). Ribeiro had a solid pace the next year, but a severely strained hip muscle put him out six weeks midseason. In 1945, he bounced back for his second MVP, leading in homers for the third time. Sao Paulo made the playoffs from 1942-45, winning the league title in 1943 and 44 along with Copa Sudamerica in 44. In the playoffs, Ribeiro had 34 hits, 14 runs, 9 home runs, and 15 RBI worth 1.8 over 32 starts. Little did he know that 1945 would be his final look at the postseason. Despite the Padres going into a lull in the back-end of his run, Ribeiro still thrived. 1946 was his third MVP and by far his most impressive season. He crushed 62 home runs, tying the then single-season record. He added career bests in RBI (126), hits (204), triple slash (.332/.376/.684), OPS (1.060) and WAR (11.8). He never had a season like that again, but he led the league in homers three more times. In total with Sao Paulo, Ribeiro had 1842 hits, 935 runs, 506 home runs, 1057 RBI, a .282/.332/.559 slash and 72.0 WAR. In his final year with the Padres, he became the third player to 500 career home runs. His #20 uniform would be retired by Sao Paulo at the end of his career. Ribeiro also became a regular for the Brazilian team in the World Baseball Championship, playing from 1947-55. In the WBC, he had 52 hits, 32 runs, 19 home runs, and 49 RBI in 76 games. Ribeiro left Sao Paulo just before the started their late 50s-early 60s dynasty. Before the 1953 season, the 35 year old was traded for two relievers to Fortaleza. After a respectable campaign with the Foxes, he signed a three-year deal with Belo Horizonte. A sprained thumb put him out a chunk of 1954, but he bounced back with solid 1955 and 1956 seasons with the Hogs, even posting a solid 5.8 WAR at age 38 with 47 home runs. This gave him 10 seasons with 40+ dingers and made him the third to 600 career homers. In 1957, the 39-year old signed again with Fortaleza as the Foxes felt he still could be a nice piece, paying $170,000 over a three year deal. He stunk in his half season back in Fortaleza and was ultimately benched. Ribeiro opted for retirement that winter. The final stats: 2488 hits, 1252 runs, 360 doubles, 649 home runs, 1415 RBI, a .278/.325/.542 slash and 89.0 WAR. At retirement, he was third on the home run leaderboard. With his power and three MVPs, it is surprising Ribeiro was inducted with only 84.5%. Regardless, he rightfully joins the all-time greats as a first ballot Hall of Famer. Alexandre Bentivoglio – Starting Pitcher – Guayaquil Golds – 66.2% First Ballot Alexandre Bentivoglio was a 6’4’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Montevideo, Uruguay. He was a fireballer with 99-101 mph velocity and a dominant fastball. Mixed with a curveball and changeup, he was viewed as having terrific stuff with respectable movement. His weakness was control as he was often viewed as “effectively wild.” No pitcher in the Beisbol Sudamerica Hall of Fame has walked more batters, but his strikeout ability allowed him to succeed despite this and his added defensive flaws and perceived lack of hustle. He was a decent batter for a pitcher, winning a Silver Slugger in 1950. His velocity earned attention from scouts as he was a rare draft pick out of high school, albeit a later selection. Guayaquil picked him in the fourth round, 82^nd overall, in the 1938 BSA Draft. He made one start in 1939 at age 19 and struggled. Bentivoglio was a full-time starter after that with spotty production in his first two full seasons, but began to find his rhythm after that. He spent eight seasons total with the struggling Golds franchise and performed well enough to see his #24 retired by the franchise. He had three straight 8+ WAR seasons from 1944-46, leading the Bolivar League in strikeouts in 1945 with 355 and posting a career-best 380 the prior year. Nine times, he had 300+ strikeouts, impressive even in a whiff-heavy early days Beisbol Sudamerica. Still, he was never a top three finisher for Pitcher of the Year. His final stats in his most impressive tenure with Guayaquil was 106-85, 2.76 ERA, 2278 strikeouts in 1715.1 innings and 45.8 WAR. In his contract year of 1947, Guayaquil traded the now 27-year old Bentivoglio to Santiago in exchange for prospects. After one year with the Saints, he signed a five-year, $88,000 deal with his hometown team Montevideo. He also would begin his appearances for his native Uruguay from 1950 to 1955 in the World Baseball Championship. He posted a 5.64 ERA over 60.2 tournament innings with 76 strikeouts. Bentivioglio would never get to play in the postseason in his career as Montevideo was a bottom-tier team in his entire run. He never matched the dominance of his Golds peak, but still provided solid value in his first contract with the Venom, adding 18.4 WAR in four seasons. He was traded to Brasilia for the 1952 season, where he picked up his 4000^th career strikeout. After one year as a Bearcat, he signed back with Montevideo and played his final five professional seasons there. After an okay 1953, elbow troubles and age meant he was mediocre in his final four seasons. He retired after 1957 at age 38, posting a 82-99 record, 3.01 ERA, 1830 strikeouts, and 22.8 WAR in his tenure with the Venom. The final stats for Bentivoglio; 215-206 record, 2.82 ERA, 3821 innings, 4688 strikeouts, 1196 walks, 388/523 quality starts, FIP- of 84, and 78.5 WAR. As mentioned, he retired with more walks than any other BSA pitcher, but was also the sixth to cross 4500 career strikeouts. Along with being stuck on bad teams, it made Bentivoglio’s Hall of Fame candidacy an odd case. Despite the erratic nature of his run, just enough voters felt his prowess made him worthy, barely crossing the threshold with 66.2% on the first ballot. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

06-30-2023, 04:27 AM	#367
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,639	1963 EBF Hall of Fame Although Hall of Fame voting had begun in the European Baseball Federation a few years prior, no one had gotten above 15% until 1963. French centerfielder Joe Ramet debuted on the ballot with a to-date highest mark of 58.6%, but was still shy of the required 66%. SP Mike Ring also had a decent debut at 32.0%, although that didn’t fare well for any future induction chances. It wouldn’t be until 1965 that someone would finally make the cut for the EBF Hall. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

06-30-2023, 11:15 AM	#368
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,639	1963 World Baseball Championship The 1963 World Baseball Championship was the 17^th edition of the tournament, this time held in the capital of Honduras; Tegucigalpa. Hoping for a championship four-peat, the United States again was unbeaten in Division 1 at 7-0, holding off a scrappy 6-1 Kazakhstan. Division 2 had Italy and South Korea tie for first at 5-2 with three teams at 4-3. The tiebreaker moved the 1962 runner-up Koreans forward. Division 3 saw Canada and the Philippines tie at 5-2 with two others behind; the Canadians moved forward on the tiebreaker. In Division 4, Argentina, Japan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan all finished at 5-2. The tiebreaker system sent the Uzbeks forward for the first time as an underdog to the Double Round Robin. Division 5 had Mexico claim first at 6-1, edging out Germany by one game. Division 6 went to England at 6-1, finishing one ahead of Brazil. Scotland made it two United Kingdom squads in the elite eight by going 6-1 in Division 7, topping Russia by one. And Division 8 saw an unbeaten France at 7-0 prevail over 5-2 efforts by China and Guatemala. In Round Robin Group A, Canada was the top team at 5-1. England and the United States both went 3-3 and Scotland was 1-5. The tiebreaker went to the English, placing the Americans outside the final four for the first time in the tournament’s history. In Group B, Mexico and France advanced at 4-2 each, while South Korea was 3-3 and Uzbekistan was 1-5. For both England and France, it was their first time to the semifinal going up against seasoned squads from Canada and Mexico. The Canadians won their semifinal series in five games over the French, while the Mexicans topped the English in six. This advanced Mexico to the World Championship for the fifth time and Canada for the eighth time. England officially was the third place finisher with France fourth. The finale was a seven-game classic with Mexico outlasting Canada, giving the Mexicans their third world title, joining the 1949 and 1950 trophies. Tournament MVP went to Mexico’s Dalier Rosas. A 25-year old right fielder for MLB’s Atlanta Aces, Rosas was the tournament leader in home runs (15), RBI (25), doubles (6), and WAR (2.3), adding 32 hits, 19 runs, and a .320 average over 26 games. The Best Pitcher went to Russia’s Mikhail Marakhovsky. A 26-year old closer for St. Petersburg, he made two starts with four hits allowed over 17.1 shutout innings, striking out 32. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

06-30-2023, 05:25 PM	#369
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,639	1963 in OBA The fourth season of the Oceania Baseball Association saw a very tight battle in the Australasia League. Christchurch and Adelaide ultimately finished tied for first at 90-92 with Perth only one behind and Brisbane five back. In a one-game tiebreaker, the Chinooks ousted the defending OBA champ Aardvarks, giving Christchurch its first league title. Leading the Chinooks was Jacob Kelly, winning his second Pitcher of the Year. He had been traded in the summer of 1962 to Christchurch and his arrival paid off, posting a 22-10 record, 2.25 ERA, 268 strikeouts, and 8.7 WAR. The 33-year old left for Sydney the next year, but sadly saw shoulder inflammation effectively end his relevance. League MVP meanwhile went to Adelaide shortstop Fineasi Hausia. The 28-year old Tongan was the league leader in hits (184), average (.308) and WAR (10.0), adding Gold Glove winning defense with a 22.0 zone rating. The Pacific League was a two-team race between Honolulu and Tahiti. Ultimately, the Honu repeated as champs as they finished 101-61 and the Tropics ended 99-63. Honolulu had both the MVP and Pitcher of the Year. The former was 38-year old first baseman Buzzy Servello, an American journeyman who joined OBA after a decade-plus as an MLB backup. He led the Pacific League in hits (185), runs (96), average (.321), OBP (.392) and WAR (7.8). Kent Di Piazza won both Pitcher of the Year and his second Reliever of the Year. Another American who had come over after a forgettable decade in MLB, the 33-year old had 44 saves, 0.74 ERA over 97 innings, 146 strikeouts, and 7.1 WAR. In the Oceania Championship, Christchurch defeated Honolulu in six games, making the Honu the runner-up in back-to-back years. It was the first title for the Chinooks and the first for a New Zealand-based team. Ji-Wan Pyong was the series MVP. A 32-year old South Korean castoff from EAB, he had 4 home runs, 6 RBI, 7 runs, and 8 hits in the series. Other notes: Auckland’s Te Paoro Rangi threw the second perfect game in OBA history, striking out 11 on April 28 against Gold Coast. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

07-01-2023, 07:17 AM	#370
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,639	1963 in EPB Three of the four teams that made the postseason the prior year in the EPB European League earned another berth in 1963. Moscow had the best overall record at 111-53 to win the North Division, giving the Mules a third straight playoff berth. Kyiv claimed the South Division at 107-55, making it seven in eight years for the Kings. Kazan was the first wild card at 108-54 with the 1961 Soviet Series champs back in after missing the prior year. The final wild card went to defending champion Minsk at 103-59, continuing their streak as the only team to make the playoffs each of EPB’s first nine seasons. Prague had a franchise best 98-64, but couldn’t keep up ultimately in the wild card race. Moscow had the league MVP and the Pitcher of the Year in 1963. 2B Anton Kirilenko won back-to-back MVPs as the 35-year old Belarusian was again the WARlord, this time at 10.3. He added 43 home runs, 101 RBI, and a .302 average. Taleh Ismailov was Pitcher of the Year for the second time, having won it with Irkutsk back in 1956. The 35-year old Kazakh righty had the best ERA at 1.73, 10.1 WAR, and 281 strikeouts over 260 innings. A competitive Asian League had Omsk with the best record, earning their first-ever playoff berth with a 101-61 mark atop the North Division. Bishkek edged Almaty for the South Division title with the Black Sox earning their first playoff berth at 97-65. The Assassins were one back at 96-66, taking the first wild card for back-to-back playoff berths. The second wild card went to Ufa, another team getting its first taste of the postseason. The Fiends finished at 95-67. Last year’s Asian League champ Chelyabinsk dropped to 85-77 and started a decade-long playoff drought. Despite being last in their division, Ulaanbaatar had the league MVP in a breakout season for CF Amam Charyyew. A 25-year old Turkmen nicknamed “Mad Dog,” Charyyew had the second-ever EPB Triple Crown season for a hitter with a .318 average, 55 home runs, and 122 RBI. The 55 dingers was one shy of the single-season mark. He added 112 runs, a league-best .713 slugging, 1.077 OPS, 220 wRC+, and 9.8 WAR. Omsk had the Pitcher of the Year Arutyun Lezjov. A 29-year old Russian, he was the leader in wins at 28-4, plus had the most innings (302.2), and complete games (28). He added a 1.81 ERA, 350 strikeouts, and 11.6 WAR. The 28 wins tied a single-season EPB record (Taleh Ismailov, 1956) which held until Haxhi Maho got 29 in 1990. Both European League first round playoff series went all five games with the division champs surviving challenges from wild cards; Moscow beat Minsk and Kyiv topped Kazan. The Kings then rolled to a sweep of the Mules in the ELCS, giving Kyiv its third league title. In the Asian League, Ufa upset Omsk in four in the first round and Almaty knocked off Bishkek 3-1. The Assassins bested the Fiends 4-2 in the ALCS for Almaty’s second league title. In the 1963 Soviet Series, the Kings clobbered the Assassins in five games, making the Ukrainian capital the first team to win three overall titles (1958, 1959). 3B Paul Stelea was the Soviet Series MVP with the 35-year old having joined the Kings that offseason as a free agent. In 14 playoff games, he had 15 hits, 6 runs, 3 home runs, and 9 RBI. Other notes: Sebastian Weiss had the eighth EPB perfect game on June 24 for Bratislava, striking out 10 against Kazan. It was his second no-hitter of the year, having K’d eight and walked one against Prague in April. Theo Siitonen became the first closer in EPB to reach 300 career saves. SS Leonard Szuster of Minsk won his seventh and final Gold Glove. MVP Anton Kirilenko at 2B and 3B Pavlo Kolesnik became seven time Silver Slugger winners, joining catcher Lassi Luhta as the only to do so to date. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

07-01-2023, 11:15 AM	#371
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,639	1963 in EBF The best record in the entire European Baseball Federation in 1963 belonged to the Northern Conference’s Hamburg. The Hammers finished 105-57 atop the North Central Division with the fewest runs allowed at 499. They earned a fourth division title in six seasons, while last year’s winner Berlin dropped to below .500. Last year’s wild card Paris picked up the Northwest Division at 98-64 and Birmingham secured the British Isles Division at 95-67, snapping a two-year drought. In a weak wild card field, Brussels was able to extend their playoff streak to five years with an 85-77 record, two games ahead of Stockholm and three over London. The 1962 European Champion Dublin limped to a 75-87 season. For the third consecutive season, both the MVP and Pitcher of the Year belonged to Hamburg Hammers. It was a new MVP in Hartwig Werner, the 32-year left fielder. In his 11^th year with the team, he exploded for a career-best 10.9 WAR and a league leading .676 slugging, adding 36 doubles, 22 triples, 43 home runs, 128 RBI, and a .340 average. Werner also picked up the sixth Gold Glove of his career. Hermann Hoffman won back-to-back Pitcher of the Year honors. The 27-year old Austrian had the most wins (21-10), innings (291.2), and complete games (21), adding 7.6 WAR, a 2.75 ERA, and 283 strikeouts. Three of the four playoff teams from the prior season in the Southern Conference made it back in 1963. Belgrade was the exception, as the 1961 conference champ bounced back after finishing below .500 the prior year. The Bruisers had the SC’s best mark at 98-64, cruising to the Southeast Division title. Defending conference champ Rome won the South Central Division again with a 95-67 record and Seville secured the Southwest at 97-65. In the wild card race, Barcelona come out on top at 85-77, finishing two games ahead of Marseille, three over Naples, and four over Zurich. The Bengals now have four playoff berths in the last five seasons. Zurich slugger Gabriel Staudt won his third conference MVP. The 35-year old Swiss left fielder was the leader in home runs (51), runs (122), RBI (120), walks (94), slugging (.713), OPS (1.141), wRC+ (211), and WAR (10.7). Pitcher of the Year went to 28-year old German Christian Michel. He began the season in his sixth year with Vienna, but was traded to Seville in the summer. He finished with a conference-best 12.0 WAR, 344 strikeouts, 16 complete games, and 46 FIP-, adding a 24-11 record and 2.31 ERA. It was Michel’s final season in Europe, as he left for Major League Baseball and signed with Hartford the next season. In the first round playoff matchups, Hamburg outlasted a feisty five-game challenge from Brussels, Paris swept Birmingham, Barcelona upset Belgrade 3-1, and Rome defeated Seville 3-1. In the Northern Conference Championship, the Poodles prevailed over the Hammers 4-1, giving Paris its third conference title (1952, 1956). The Red Wolves repeated as Southern Conference champs, although it came down to extras in a seven-game classic with the Bengals. Rome won the finale 3-2 with a walkoff in 10 innings to advance. The Red Wolves carried that momentum to claim their first-ever European Championship, defeating the Poodles in six. Paris is now 0-3 in the finale, while Rome’s win sends the title to Italy for the first time. 30-year old 2B Pete Habberstad was perhaps the playoff hero, winning SCC MVP. The Norwegian had 17 hits, 6 runs, 2 home runs, and 11 RBI over 17 postseason games. Other notes: In addition to his MVP, Gabriel Staudt became the first EBF batter to 600 career home runs and 1500 RBI. Staudt also became the first ten-time Silver Slugger winner, while SS Paolo Gigliotti earned his eighth. Julien Olivier joined Staudt, Gigliotti, and Pietro Ribsi as the lone 2000 hit club members thus far. Loris Eichelberger became the second 200 win pitcher and Armando Rojas the third 3000 strikeout pitcher. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

07-01-2023, 04:04 PM	#372
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,639	1963 in BSA After failing to make the playoffs in its first 32 seasons, Quito finally finished on top of the Bolivar League South Division. The Thunderbolts were a league-best 103-59, edging out defending division champ Guayaquil at 101-61 and Lima at 95-67. This leaves Montevideo as the only Beisbol Sudamerica team without a single playoff appearance, an unfortunate streak that continued until 1981 for the Venom. Meanwhile in the North Division, the Caracas dynasty continued as the four-time defending Bolivar League champ and defending Copa Sudamerica winner finished first at 97-65. Leading the charge for Quito was league MVP Javier Herrera. The 25-year old Ecuadoran first baseman led the league in runs (113), hits (217), doubles (44), triples (20), walks (76), stolen bases (101), batting average (.372), OBP (.445), slugging (.609), OPS (1.054), wRC+ (191), and WAR (9.4). Lima’s Roberto Gonzalez was Pitcher of the Year and the sixth in BSA to have a Triple Crown season. The 27-year old Peruvian righty had a 25-5 record, 1.37 ERA, and 324 strikeouts, also leading with 0.82 WHIP, 30 quality starts, a 10.1 K/BB, FIP- of 46, and 12.1 WAR. He was the first BSA pitcher to have a 12+ WAR season since the 1940s. Buenos Aires finished with the Southern Cone League’s best record at 100-62, snapping a 14-year playoff drought. The Atlantics finished seven games better than second place Santiago, while Cordoba went from 106 wins the prior year to only 71. Brasilia snapped their own 11-year postseason skid by winning the Brazil Division at 98-64. Defending league champ Salvador took second at 94-68. Sao Paulo, the dynasty only two seasons earlier, hit rock bottom at 60-102. League MVP went to Buenos Aires 1B Marco Angeles. The 31-year old Argentine led in home runs (41), slugging (.594), OPS (.984), and wRC+ (202), adding 8.4 WAR, 104 RBI, and 183 hits. It was the last season of his nine-year run with the Atlantics, as he left for America and signed with Oklahoma City in the offseason. Argel Souza became only the second BSA pitcher to win Pitcher of the Year five times, joining the legendary Mohamed Ramos. The 33-year old had joined Salvador in March after being traded by longtime home Sao Paulo in a rebuilding effort. Souza was the WARlord at 8.1 and the wins leader with a 23-7 record, adding a 2.28 ERA and 301 strikeouts in 265 innings. This was the last good year for Souza, as an elbow strain led to a steep fall off a cliff, retiring after posting a -2.0 WAR season in 1965. Also of note for the Storm was Gustavo Telhados, winning his third straight Reliever of the Year. He posted 45 saves, a 0.77 ERA, and 5.1 WAR. In the Bolivar League Championship Series, Quito denied the five-peat bid from Caracas, winning their first league title in six games. In the Southern Cone Championship, Buenos Aires defeated Brasilia 4-2, giving the Atlantics their sixth league title and first since the 1940s dynasty. Copa Sudamerica went all seven games with Buenos Aires stopping Quito short of their first title. RF William Duran was the series MVP with the 28-year old getting 18 hits, 4 runs 6 doubles, and 9 RBI over 13 playoff games. The Atlantics are now four time winners of the Cup, joining the 1941, 42, and 45 campaigns. It is also the first title for an Argentine team since Cordoba in 1956. Other notes: Ralph Jung became the seventh BSA pitcher to 250 career wins and also became the 16^th to 4000 strikeouts. Miseal Sanchez became the 12^th hitter to 2500 hits. Sebastiao Navarijo became the 10^th member of the 500 home run club and sixth to 1500 career RBI. Ishmael Perla became a ten-time Silver Slugger winner in LF. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

07-02-2023, 05:15 AM	#373
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,639	1963 in EAB Two-time defending Japan League champ Chiba won the North Division for the third straight season, finishing at 97-65. Meanwhile, the best two records in the league were in the South Division. Nagoya snapped a 14-year playoff berth with a 109-53, outlasting defending division champ Kyoto who went 105-57. Kawasaki’s Kakuzo Yokoyama won back-to-back league MVPs. The 26-year old first baseman became the first player to hit 60+ home runs in consecutive seasons as he led Japan with 62 dingers, 142 RBI, 113 runs, .705 slugging, 1.100 OPS, a WRC+ of 213 and a 9.8 WAR. Pitcher of the Year was Nagoya’s Chun-Ho Kim. The 25-year old lefty was the ERA leader at 2.03 and also led Japan with a 0.89 WHIP, 26 quality starts, 55 FIP-, and 8.6 WAR. He added 252 strikeouts over 230.1 innings. Pyongyang continued to roll in the Korea League. The two-time defending East Asian Champion had their third straight season with 112+ wins with a 112-50 mark atop the North Division. The Pythons were uncatchable despite solid efforts by Seoul (99-63) and Hamhung (93-69). Changwon won the South Division title with a 95-67, making the playoffs for the fifth time in seven years. Last year’s division champ Ulsan was a distant second at 86-76. MVP went to 27-year old Seoul second baseman Min-Hyeok Shin. He was the Korean WARlord at 10.0 and also led in hits (202), .OBP (.431), slugging (.679), OPS (1.110) and wRC+ (194). He added 47 home runs and 139 RBI. Pitcher of the Year was Pyongyang’s Jun-Hui Ahn. The 25-year old righty was the leader in wins at 26-7 and innings (289) with a league-best 27 complete games. Ahn added 9.1 WAR, a 2.24 ERA, and 265 strikeouts. In the Japan League Championship Series, Chiba made it a three-peat, outlasting Nagoya in a seven game classic. The Comets now have four league titles, having also won in 1952. In the Korea League Championship Series, Pyongyang was denied their three-peat by Changwon. The Pythons seemed on their way by winning the first three games, but the Crabs rallied from the 3-0 hole to take the series in seven games. The final game went 10 innings with Changwon taking it5-4, giving the Crabs four league titles (1959, 1945, 1923). The East Asian Championship also was a seven game classic, although not as dramatic as the KLCS rally. Changwon edged Chiba, giving the Crabs their second-ever overall title, joining the 1945 campaign. RF Yeqing Zhao was the series MVP, posting 16 hits, 10 runs, 4 homers, and 7 RBI in 14 playoff games. The Comets suffer defeat in the championship for the third straight season, joining 1925-27 Gwangju as the only team to fall in three straight finals. Other notes: It was the final season for Ju-An Pak, who smacked 49 home runs at age 39. This allowed him to pass Byung-Oh Tan as the all-time home run king with 760 for his career. Pak also finished with 3493 strikeouts, the most whiffs all-time. He’d be an interesting debate in the future as despite his prolific power, he posted only 47.4 WAR career WAR due to stinking at all other aspects of the game. His hold of the home run king title lasted only a few years with Lei Meng taking the title later in the decade. 1963 saw both Young-Hwan Sha and Ki-Wook Ahn cross 600 career home runs, becoming the fifth and sixth EAB players to do so. Sha also crossed 1500 runs scored, the fifth to accomplish that. Jae-Ha Pak became only the fourth pitcher to reach 250 career wins. Hirotaka Mizutani became a ten time Gold Glove winner at third base. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

07-02-2023, 11:47 AM	#374
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,639	1963 in CABA A competitive Mexican League in 1963 saw three different playoff teams advance then from the prior year. Monterrey came away with the North Division title at 99-63, putting the Matadors back in the playoffs after a four year break. Second was Hermosillo at 96-66, who finished three ahead of Mexicali to secure the wild card spot. For the Hyenas, this is their first playoff berth since winning it all back in 1947. Defending league champ Juarez was fourth in the division at 88-74, while last year’s wild card Chihuahua fell to 79-83. In the South Division, Leon ran away with the title at 99-63 while defending division champ Ecatepec was a distant second at 86-76. The Lions are back in the field after just missing out last year on a fifth straight appearance. Monterrey had the tiebreaker over Leon, making the Lions have to play in the wild card round against Hermosillo. League MVP went to Tijuana outfielder Vicente Gutierrez. The 30-year old lefty in his tenth year with the Toros led the league for the second straight year in home runs (51), RBI (124), runs (118), and walks (89), while also leading in WAR (10.7), OBP (.434), slugging (.668), OPS (1.103), and wRC+ (232). Juarez veteran Jaime Rivas won Pitcher of the Year for the second time, joining his 1956 honor with Puerto Rico. In his sixth and final season with the Jesters, the 33-year old Costa Rican led in wins at 19-8, as well as ERA (1.94), K/BB (13.1) FIP- (60), and WAR (8.9). He struck out 248 over 206.1 innings. Rivas would leave for MLB in the offseason and sign with Louisville. The best record in the Caribbean League went to Honduras atop the Continental Division at 107-55, giving the Horsemen six straight division titles. Puerto Rico won the Island Division at 100-62, earning their first berth since taking the CABA title in 1956. Defending overall champ Santo Domingo and Haiti finished 93-69, while last year’s wild card Jamaica fell to 86-76. The Dolphins and Herons both were three games behind Salvador in the wild card race with the Stallions at 96-66. Salvador snaps a 13 season playoff drought with the result. Winning Caribbean League MVP was Emmanuel Lopez, winning his fifth MVP and first in the Caribbean League after being traded mid-1962 from Mexico City to Honduras. In his first full season with the Horsemen, the 34-year old centerfielder led the league in RBI (114) and WAR (9.8), adding 43 home runs and a .318 average. Honduras also had Pitcher of the Year as Diego Morales made it back-to-back. The 30-year old Dominican lefty had the most wins at 22-6 and also led in ERA (1.95), WHIP (0.92), quality starts (26), FIP- (56), and WAR (9.2). Morales struck out 262 over 244.1 innings. In the wild card round, Leon cruised to a sweep of Hermosillo, while wild card Salvador went the distance to upset Puerto Rico. The Mexican League Championship Series saw Monterrey defeat the Lions in six games, giving the Matadors eight titles and their first since the late 1950s dynasty. They also now stand alone with the most Mexican League titles. In the Caribbean League, Honduras edged Salvador in a seven game thriller, allowing the Horsemen to get over the hump after being runner-up to Santo Domingo the prior three seasons. Honduras now has a record 12 league titles. Despite the successes of both franchises, it was only the second time they had met in the CABA Championship, with Honduras taking it in six back in 1958. The 1963 final had the same result; the Horsemen winning in six over Monterrey. League MVP Emmanuel Lopez was an absolute beast in this run, winning both CABA Championship and CLCS MVP. In 13 games, he had 22 hits, 10 runs, 4 home runs, 12 RBI, and a .407 average for 1.2 WAR. It was their first CABA title since that 1958 meeting and the fifth in franchise history, also winning in 1942, 1940, and 1927. Other notes: On top of all of the other accolades, Emmanuel Lopez won his 10^th Silver Slugger. 2B Luis Miranda became a 10-time Silver Slugger winner, a record for the position. Grant Duncan became the 16^th CABA batter to 500 career home runs. Kendri Quinones won his eighth Gold Glove at shortstop. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

07-02-2023, 04:30 PM	#375
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,639	1963 in MLB 1963 saw perhaps the most impressive turnaround season in baseball history from the St. Louis Cardinals. The prior season, they had the worst record in the entire National Association at 54-108. In 1963, they had the best record at 101-61, winning the Midwest League title and ending a 32 season playoff drought. Meanwhile, the Eastern League battle had three teams right in the mix until the end with Pittsburgh, Montreal, and Hartford. The Pirates and Maples tied for the top spot at 97-65, while the Huskies finished one game back at 96-66. In the one-game tiebreaker, Pittsburgh prevailed for their second EL title in a three-year playoff streak. For the Maples, they were the first wild card and earned back-to-back playoff berths. Hartford had the second spot for their second berth in three years. The third wild card belonged to Boston at 92-70, giving the Red Sox four appearances in five years. The final spot required a tiebreaker game over in the Midwest League with Omaha and Indianapolis tied at 89-73, both two ahead of Detroit and three ahead of Cincinnati and Ottawa. The Hawks defeated the Racers to advance with back-to-back wild cards. Last year’s NACS teams both missed the cut. Two-time defending National Association champ Kansas City fell to 80-82, while Toronto dropped from 107 wins in 1962 to only 77 in 1963. Indianapolis outfielder R.J. Clinton won his third NA MVP and back-to-back MVPs. It was only the sixth season to that point in MLB that a hitter was above 11 WAR, as Clinton posted 11.3. He was the leader in runs (124), home runs (52), RBI (138), slugging (.753), OPS (1.175) and wRC+ (242). His batting average of .363 was second to Easton Poropat’s .372. St. Louis’s Poropat and Garland Mulholland both had outstanding 10+ WAR seasons in their own right with Poropat getting 237 hits, five short of the single-season record. St. Louis’s Jerry Addison was Pitcher of the Year and Rookie of the Year, helping the Cardinal tournament. The second overall pick in the prior draft, Addison was the WARlord at 7.3 and led with a 2.13 ERA and 0.96 WHIP. He had a 17-5 record and 205 strikeouts in 220 innings. The wild card round saw Boston edge Hartford in three and Montreal top Omaha in two. The second round had St. Louis top the Red Sox and Pittsburgh over the Maples, both in four games. The Pirates were back in the National Association Championship Series for only the third time (1958, 1913) and sixth for the Cardinals, but first since their 1908-1910 dynasty. In the NACS, St. Louis defeated Pittsburgh in six games, culminating the miracle turnaround with the team’s fourth National Association title. Seattle won the Western League title for the first time in the franchise’s 63 year history. The Grizzlies earned a third straight playoff berth with their American Association best 104-58 record. Calgary was the top wild card for the third straight year with a 99-63 record. San Francisco was third at 95-67 and were the second wild card, giving them two wild cards in three seasons. In the Southern League, Oklahoma City finished first at 99-63, giving them four straight league titles and the longest active playoff streak at five seasons. Second was Charlotte at 91-71, followed by Houston at 90-72. The Hornets would finish one game shy of a wild card, as both the Canaries and defending World Series champ Denver took the final two spots at 91-71. For Charlotte, it is their first playoff appearance since 1943. The Dragons are on a three-year streak. Oakland, who had the best record in the American Association the prior season at 108-54, fell to a lackluster 71-91. The AA MVP was Prometheo Garcia in his MLB debut for San Francisco at age 40. It was the ninth overall MVP for the CABA legend and cemented his claim as not only perhaps CABA’s best-ever hitter, but professional baseball’s best. The ageless slugger as a DH led the American Association in runs (117), hits (224), RBI (136), slugging (.626), and OPS (1.008), adding 7.6 WAR, 52 home runs, and a .345 average. Calgary’s Parker Harpaz won his second Pitcher of the Year, having won prior with Miami in 1960. In his third year with the Cheetahs, the 31-year old lefty had the most wins with a 22-8 record, adding a 3.07 ERA over 296.1 innings, 256 strikeouts, and 8.2 WAR. In the first round of the playoffs, Charlotte won in three over San Francisco and Calgary swept Denver. In round two, the Canaries stunned Seattle in four games, while Oklahoma City cruised to a sweep of the Cheetahs. This gave OKC its fourth straight American Association Championship Series appearance, while it was the fifth for Charlotte and first since 1941. In the AACS, the Outlaws defeated the Canaries in six, giving Oklahoma City two titles in three seasons. In the 1963 World Series, St. Louis capped off the remarkable turnaround with a ring, joining the 1909 campaign as their only overall championships. The Cardinals clobbered Oklahoma City in five games, snapping what was an 11-season streak of titles for the American Association. Montreal in 1951 was the last National Association team to take the Fall Classic. World Series MVP was pitcher Sammy Talbert. In four postseason starts, the 32-year old journeyman lefty had a 2.48 ERA over 29 innings for a 3-1 record and 19 strikeouts. Other notes: Ted Henderson and Robert Pimental both crossed 3000 career hits, making it 33 MLB batters to have reached the mark. Walter Brechler became only the 13^th pitcher to 3500 career strikeouts. Nathaniel Maxwell became a 10-time Gold Glover at first base. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

07-03-2023, 05:59 AM	#376
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,639	1964 MLB Hall of Fame For the first time since 1939, Major League Baseball didn’t induct a single player into its Hall of Fame. The leading vote getter on the 1964 ballot missed by the thinnest possible margin as pitcher Alec Ebner was at 65.9% on his second ballot, barely missing the 66% threshold. Four others finished above 50%; closer Victoro Fraijo at 57.9% on his sixth attempt, 2B Matthew Verdery at 55.0% on his second, 1B Tiger Novak at 51.3% in his debut, and closer Hunter Walsh at 50.4% on his second go. One player was dropped after ten tries in closer Jason Boychuk. In 20 years with 10 teams, he had 220 saves and 302 shutdowns, a 2.33 ERA, 1193 strikeouts in 925.2 innings, and 31.4 WAR. A steady career, but hardly Hall of Fame worthy and almost a surprise he made it ten ballots. Boychuk peaked at 37.4% on his debut and was at 10.6% at the end. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

07-03-2023, 01:24 PM	#377
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,639	1964 CABA Hall of Fame For the second time in three seasons, the Central American Baseball Association didn’t induct a single player into the Hall of Fame. Like MLB’s 1964 class, there was a player who missed by the thinnest margin. Pitcher Sheldon Malcolm on his fifth ballot received 65.9%, barely under the 66.0% mark required for induction. Only two others finished above 50% with 1B Alejandro Encinas at 54.3% on his debut and LF Curtis Velazquez at 51.5% on his fifth attempt. One player was cut following ten unsuccessful bids. Pitcher Sandalio Lopez spent his entire 16 year career as a starter with Leon, finishing with a 156-127 record, 2.98 ERA, 2637.2 innings, 2696 strikeouts, and 40.9 WAR. A respectable career, but definitely a “Hall of Very Good” guy. He managed to hang on despite his peak being 17.6% on his second ballot. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

07-03-2023, 07:48 PM	#378
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,639	1964 EAB Hall of Fame East Asia Baseball elected two players into the Hall of Fame with its 1964 class. Both received no-doubt first ballot nods with pitcher Haruo Matsuzaki at 96.7% and pitcher Yeon-U Choo at 95.0%. Another pitcher, Min-Chin Park, came close on his second ballot, but was a few notches short at 63.8%. Two others, CF Ha-Min Park (51.2%, 5^th ballot) and LF Dong-Hee Cho (50.5%, 2^nd ballot) were above the 50% mark. Dropped after ten attempts included shortstop Soo-Hyun Choo, a seven-time Silver Slugger winner and 1941 MVP. He had 90.7 WAR and 2572 hits for his entire pro career, but played his age 33-37 seasons in Oakland; limiting his EAB totals. With Seongnam and Kobe, he had 1997 hits, 906 runs, 267 home runs, 934 RBI, a .307/.341/.517 slash and 81.9 WAR; still very much worthy of strong consideration. He peaked at 58.1% on his fourth ballot before ending at 43.5%. Had his entire career been in EAB, that probably gets him across the line. Also dropped was closer Masaji Toguchi, who ended at 7.3% after peaking at 42.2%. A two time Reliever of the Year, in 14 years almost entirely in Kobe, he had 348 saves, 2.19 ERA, 1158 strikeouts in 882 innings, and 26.1 WAR. Guys with similar resumes have gotten in with 300 saves often being the magic number, but Toguchi didn’t have the support. Also notably dropped after nine attempts with a somewhat similar story was Jun-Yeong Lee. He had 319 saves, a 2.32 ERA, 832.1 innings, 799 strikeouts, 19.1 WAR, and two Reliever of the Year awards. But he also lacked the longevity and true dominance required for strong consideration. Lee peaked at 31.1%. Haruo Matsuzaki – Starting Pitcher – Yokohama Yellow Jackets – 96.7% First Ballot Haruo Matsuzaki was a 5’11’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Tokyo, Japan. He wasn’t considered amazing at anything, but had very consistently solid stuff and movement with average to above average control. Matsuzaki’s velocity peaked in the 96-98 mph range and he mixed five pitches in the arsenal; a fastball, curveball, forkball, splitter, and changeup. Apart for the changeup, the other four pitches were considered equally effective. Matsuzaki was also considered a very intelligent pitcher who knew how to pick his spots. Matsuzaki attended the University of Tokyo and posted a 2.52 ERA over 314.2 innings with 376 strikeouts in his college career. This made him a highly touted prospect and he was picked second overall in the 1944 EAB Draft by Yokohama. Matsuzaki’s entire pro career came with the Yellow Jackets. He was a popular player and one of the few redeeming things about the franchise in his run, as they were mid to bottom tier his entire tenure with no playoff appearances. After a primarily relief role in his rookie year, Matsuzaki became a full time starter in year two with respectable production. He emerged as a true ace a few years later, leading Japan in WAR in five straight seasons from 1950-54. Matsuzaki also led in strikeouts four times in five years from 1951-55 and led in ERA with 1.77 in 1953. He won the 1951 Pitcher of the Year, took third in 1952, then won it again in 1953 while also taking third in MVP voting that year. Matsuzaki was also considered very durable, not suffering a single injury of not until a biceps strain put him out a month in 1957. That would be his final season of note, as in 1958 at age 35, his production fell hard off a cliff. He went from 2.24 ERA and 6.3 WAR the prior year to a lousy 4.01 ERA and 0.8 WAR. He opted to retire after this season at age 36. Also of note, Matsuzaki pitched for Japan in the World Baseball Championship tournaments of 1949 through 1957. He had a 3.83 ERA in 160 innings with 192 strikeouts and 2.9 WAR. His final EAB stats: 195-153, 2.49 ERA, 3362.2 innings, 3595 strikeouts, 304/416 quality starts, FIP- of 76, and 81.7 WAR. A very solid and steady career that perhaps was overlooked by some due to being stuck throughout on a lousy Yokohama squad. The Yellow Jackets didn’t overlook him, retiring his #21 uniform. The Hall of Fame voters didn’t either ultimately, giving him first ballot induction status at 96.7%. Yeon-U Choo – Pitcher – Tokyo Tides – 95.0% First Ballot Yeon-U Choo was a 5’9’, 180 pound right-handed Pitcher from Sinch’ang, a small North Korean town located about an hour east of Pyongyang. Choo was known as an incredibly hard thrower with a 99-101 mph fastball. This with his curveball, changeup, and sinker meant he was considered to have great stuff. His movement was viewed as below average though at times with average to above average control. A questionable work ethic worked against him at times. Choo was also notable as the first East Asia Baseball Hall of Famer to have significant runs as both a starting pitcher and a closer, moving to the bullpen in his 30s. A Tokyo scout discovered Choo as a teenage amateur in his small North Korean home, signing him in 1938 at age 16. Choo made his debut at age 20 in 1942 and struggled in a partial season, then saw some improvement in year two. The entirety of his 10 year Tokyo run was in the rotation and by year four, he had emerged as a premiere strikeout pitcher. Choo had five straight 300+ strikeout seasons and led Japan from 1946-49. He also led the league in WAR five straight years from 1945-49. In 1945, Choo won his first Pitcher of the Year award. He took it again in 1947 with a blistering 11.5 WAR season with career bests in strikeouts (364), ERA (1.56), and wins (21). Choo took second for the award in 1949. In total with Tokyo, he had a 117-94 record, 2.50 ERA, 1976.2 innings, 2672 strikeouts, and 57.0 WAR. He was the best thing for a generally low-tier Tides squad in that era, never making the playoffs. They would go on to retire his #12 uniform. In 1951 at age 29, Tokyo traded Choo to Sendai in a deal for five prospects. He finished that year as a starter, but the Samurai thought he would be better suited to the bullpen for most of his run. Despite his successes as a starter, Choo’s main knock was a lack of stamina and inability to go deep in games. His 10 career complete games is well below the majority of EAB Hall of Fame starters who typically had triple digits. He picked up 40 saves in his relief debut in 1952. Sendai moved him back to a starter role in 1953 and he had a strong 7.1 WAR season that earned him second in Pitcher of the Year voting, but the rest of his career after was in the bullpen. He was a good closer, finishing second in Reliever of the Year in 1957. Choo got his first playoff experience with Sendai, who won the Japan League title in 1953 and made berths in 1954 and 57. A ruptured disc put him out a big chunk of 1956, but he bounced back to lead Japan in saves the next year. In total, he had 169 saves and a 47-27 record with the Samurai, posting a 2.20 ERA, 961 strikeouts in 675 innings, and 18.3 WAR. Choo was also a regular for the North Korean team in the World Baseball Championship, playing the event 11 times. He had a 4.59 ERA over 104 innings with 161 strikeouts. Choo returned to North Korea in his final pro year signing with Hamhung at age 36. He was a decent bullpen piece in the regular season, but shined in the playoffs en route to the EAB title with the Heat. In the postseason, he had a 0.61 ERA and six saves in eight appearances, striking out 17 in 14.2 innings. Choo opted to retire on this high. The final stats: 168-128, 211 saves and 235 shutdowns, 2.44 ERA, 2705 innings, 3703 strikeouts, 466 walks, FIP- of 69, and 76.3 WAR. He has a peculiar stat line with the split career, but still notably was the 14^th pitcher to 3500 strikeouts despite that. At his peak, he was among the most dominant starters in the game and still had respectable tallies despite the lack of innings relative to other HOF starters. Thus, Choo’s peers put him into the Hall on his first ballot at 95.0%. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

07-04-2023, 06:10 AM	#379
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,639	1964 BSA Hall of Fame Beisbol Sudamerica saw two first ballot selections in the 1964 Hall of Fame class. 1B Adrian Calvo received 94.4% of the vote and pitcher Lincoln Parra earned 91.4%. Three others were above 50%, but short of the 66% requirement for selection. RF Nando Gaspar led this group at 61.7% on his second attempt. LF Martyn Jarava received 55.2% on his debut and closer Adrian Amaro was at 54.6% on his third look. Starting pitcher Aldemar Ramires was dropped following ten failed attempts at election. He generally hovered in the 40% range, although he made it as high as 60.3% in 1960. The 1938 Bolivar League Pitcher of the Year, in 13 seasons with primarily Quito he had a 177-142 record, 2.43 ERA, 2993 innings, 3371 strikeouts, FIP- of 70 and 83.4 WAR. Had he not been stuck on such a lousy franchise for his career, Ramires might have gotten a stronger look, especially among the typically pitcher-friendly BSA voters. Another pitcher made it to ten ballots in Ruben Metzler, although he peaked at 23.5% and finished at 5.2%. In 18 seasons with Buenos Aires and Cordoba, Metzler had a 161-144 record, 2.46 ERA, 3094 strikeouts over 3063 innings, a FIP- of 85 and 58.6 WAR. Not bad, but more firmly a Hall of Very Good type compared to Ramires. Adrian Calvo – First Baseman – Asuncion Archers – 94.4% First Ballot Adrian Calvo was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left-handed first baseman from Filadelfia, a town of fewer than 20,000 people in west central Paraguay. Calvo was an impressive home run hitter that could also reliably hit for good contact. He also was solid at drawing walks and in his prime years was a low strikeout guy in a strikeout-heavy Beisbol Sudamerica. Incredibly durable, he was a hard working ironman who was beloved by fans and players alike. Calvo was a slow baserunner and a career first baseman, viewed generally as an average to above average defender. Calvo was quickly viewed as the best prospect in Paraguay and was picked by his home-nation team Asuncion first overall in the 1944 BSA Draft. He made sparse appearances in 1945, then earned Rookie of the Year in his first full season in 1946. From there after, Calvo was an absolute beast with nine 8+ WAR seasons in 10 years. He had 40+ home runs 11 times, 50+ four times, and was the Southern Cone leader in dingers six times. Calvo led the league in RBI four times, OBP three times, average twice, and WAR twice. Calvo won his first MVP in 1948, his most impressive year with career bests in homers (56), RBI (118), OPS (1.026), wRC+ (253), and WAR (11.9). Calvo won his second MVP in 1953 and third in 1956. He was second in 1949, 1950, 1951, and 1954. He won Silver Slugger nine times from 1947-51, then from 1953-56. In 13 seasons with Asuncion, he had 2017 hits, 1041 runs, 535 home runs, 1177 RBI, a .294/.360/.579 slash, and 99.6 WAR. Calvo was viewed by many in this stretch as the overall best hitter in South American baseball. His #29 uniform would be retired by the Archers and he served as a team ambassador once his playing career ended. Despite his efforts, Asuncion not only never made the playoffs in his run, but only once even were above .500 (at 82-80, no less). He was beloved by the fans throughout Paraguay, and was captain of their World Baseball Championship teams from 1947-63. In 148 tournament games, he hit 56 home runs, 120 RBI, 125 hits, 91 runs for 7.1 WAR. He stayed loyal to his team and country, but his Asuncion run ended in a trade for the 1958 season to Salvador. He had one great year with the Storm, leading yet again in home runs. Now a free agent though, Calvo had become well known in the world as an elite power hitter and he garnered attention from Major League Baseball teams. He ultimately signed with Denver to a five-year, $510,000 deal. Calvo would make $102,000 per season with the Dragons, far more than his peak salary of $40,100 with Asuncion. Calvo was a decent starter in three seasons with the Dragons, still putting up 30+ homers, but he was nowhere near the MVP anymore as age and new pitchers lowered his production. He did finally get to play In the playoffs in 1961 with Denver. He was released in April of 1962, although he still received a ring as the Dragons went onto the World Series title. He played one last WBC in 1963 and went unsigned that season, opting to then retire at age 38. For Calvo’s full pro career, he had 2599 hits, 1405 runs, 688 home runs, 1583 RBI, and 114.1 WAR. In just BSA, he had 2176 hits, 1143 runs, 582 home runs, 334 doubles, 1285 RBI, a .293/.358/.578 slash, 200 wRC+, and 107.5 WAR. To that point, he was one of only seven BSA batters to finish above 100+ WAR. He wasn’t as high up the final BSA leaderboards as he could have been since he left at age 34, but Calvo was as feared as any hitter in South America in the late 1940s to mid 1950s. Although he officially retired from baseball in 1963, since he had been out of BSA for more than five years, Calvo was immediately eligible for voting. Unsurprisingly, he was a first ballot pick at 94.4%. Lincoln Parra – Starting Pitcher – Buenos Aires Atlantics – 91.4% First Ballot Lincoln Parra was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left-handed starting pitcher from Santa Rosa, a small city that is the capital of the La Pampa province in central Argentina. Parra was known for having terrific movement on his pitches, which made up for what was often viewed as average-at-best stuff and control. His velocity peaked at 94-96 mph with a repertoire of a fastball, curveball, slider, and changeup; the curve being his most feared pitch. Parra was viewed as a good defensive pitcher who was outstanding at holding runners and preventing steals. In his college career, Parra had a 2.46 ERA over 45 starts, 304 innings, and 375 strikeouts. This earned him the 18^th overall pick by Buenos Aires in the 1940 Beisbol Sudamerica Draft. He was an immediate starter and an immediate success, winning Rookie of the Year in 1941 with a 1.66 ERA, 6.6 WAR season. In a scary moment, he suffered a torn flexor tendon in his elbow in late September. He still received a ring as the Atlantics won Copa Sudamerica, their first of the 1940s dynasty, but there were fears the injury could jeopardize Parra’s career. He missed the start of 1942 but bounced back with a respectable effort. On August 28, he had the ninth BSA perfect game, striking out nine against Rosario. Parra starred in the postseason with a 1.17 ERA in three starts and 23 innings, helping Buenos Aires to back-to-back Copa Sudamerica crowns. For his efforts, he earned Copa Sudamerica MVP, a rarely achieved award by a pitcher. Parra had a career-best 10.3 WAR, 24 wins, and 298 strikeouts in 1944. This season also had a no-hitter in May against Brasilia. Yet, Parra finished second in Pitcher of the Year voting. He never won the big award, also taking second in 1945. But he was essential in getting rings as the Atlantics had eight straight playoff berths, five Southern Cone League titles, and three Copa Sudamerica titles. In 75.1 playoff innings with Buenos Aires, Parra had a 179 ERA, 85 strikeouts, and 1.3 WAR. In total with BA, Parra pitched to a 141-82 record, 2.24 ERA, 2049.1 innings, 2085 strikeouts, 411 walks, and 54.5 WAR. The #1 jersey he wore would also be retired once his career ended, honoring a key cog in the 1940s dynasty. The dynasty ended as the 1940s came to a close and it was time to rebuild for Buenos Aires. In late June 1949, Parra was traded to Quito. He pitched the rest of that season and 1950 with the Thunderbolts before opting for free agency at age 33. With Quito, he had a 2.78 ERA in 365.2 innings, 326 strikeouts, and 7.3 WAR. Parra remained committed to his native Argentina, pitching in the World Baseball Championship from 1948-55 with a 3.83 ERA over 91.2 innings, 81 strikeouts, and 1.4 WAR. In 1949, Parra was named the tournament’s Best Pitcher with one run allowed over 16.2 innings. When his Quito days were done, Parra wanted to head back to Argentina and he ultimately signed a five-year, $161,000 deal with Rosario. Parra wasn’t dominant with the Robins, but consistently and reliably very solid. He had a 67-53 record, 2.39 ERA, 1173 innings, 1117 strikeouts, and 27.9 WAR. That contract expired after the 1955 season and the now 38-year old Parra moved on, but stayed again in Argentina, signing with Cordoba. The Chanticleers had become the Southern Cone dynasty of the 1950s, winning four league titles and Copa Sudamerica thrice from 1951-56. A forearm strain put Parra out the first three months of his Chanticleers debut, but he bounced back for a solid season. He had a 1.88 ERA in 14.1 playoff innings, helping Cordoba win its third and final Copa Sudamerica of their 50s run. Parra had a respectable 1957, but saw his 1958 plagued by a partial torn labrum and a partially torn UCL. These injuries caused him to close his career at the end of the season at age 40. Parra’s final career numbers: 260-160, 2.31 ERA, 3979.2 innings, 3898 strikeouts, 383/517 quality starts, and 97.0 WAR. He was the sixth pitche to 250 career wins and the 18^th to 3500 strikeouts despite not being viewed as a big strikeout guy. Parra was rarely viewed as the most dominant pitcher in the game, but he was reliably solid in the 1940s and 50s and a key contributor in Buenos Aires’ dynasty run. It didn’t take much convincing for the voters to make him a first ballot choice at 91.4%. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

07-04-2023, 10:56 AM	#380
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,639	1964 EBF Hall of Fame The first European Baseball Federation Hall of Fame selections wouldn’t come in 1964, but two players would get above 50%. CF Joe Ramet would do it for the second time, leading the group at 54.7%. Joining him was LF Joel Ullmark at 51.1% on his first attempt. SP Mike Ring at 33.9% was the only other above 1/3s of the votes. Next year’s ballot would be the first for EBF to actually vote anyone in. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)