Baseball: The World's Game

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Defending Japan League champ Hiroshima had the league’s best record in 1969 with their third straight South Division title. The Hammerheads at 102-60 held firm against a solid challenge from 99-63 Fukuoka. In the North Division, Sendai ended an 11-year playoff drought to take the North Division. The Samurai finished 91-71, seven games ahead of both defending division champ Kawasaki and Saitama.

Leading Hiroshima was 24-year old slugger Hyeon-Jun Win, the league MVP. The left-handed Seoul native in his sixth season already was the league leader in RBI (131), slugging (.648), and OPS (1.021), adding 8.3 WAR, 44 home runs, a .325 average and his fifth straight Gold Glove. Pitcher of the Year went to Nagoya’s Chun-Ho Kim, his third time winning the award and first since 1964. The 31-year old lefty was the ERA leader (2.20) and WARlord (7.2) with 25 quality starts, an 18-8 record, and 340 strikeouts in 245.1 innings.



Pyongyang’s dominance continued in Korea with a franchise-best 119-43 mark, giving the four-time defending EAB champs their record ninth straight North Division title. It is tied for the second-most wins in a season for a Korean team with Hamhung winning 119 in 1928 and the record 122 in 1926. The South Division had Yongin on top for the fourth straight season.

Pythons Ki-Tae Yun won his first MVP with an impressive age 31 season. Nicknamed “Duck,” he led the league for home runs and RBI for the third straight season, setting career bests in both with 54 dingers and 156 RBI. Yun was the seventh EAB hitter to reach 150+ RBI in a year and would be the last one until 1989. He also led the league in runs (116), total bases (375), slugging (.642), OPS (1.011), wRC+ (173), and WAR (10.0). Yongin’s Tae-Hong Kim won back-to-back Pitcher of the Year awards. He led in wins at 22-7 and was second in ERA at 2.376, while also leading in WAR (8.6), quality starts (25), and FIP- (65). Kim had 293 strikeouts over 262.2 innings. Also of note, Pyongyang’s Geun-U Phan won his fourth straight Reliever of the Year, posting 49 saves with a 1.17 ERA, 128 strikeouts, and 4.5 WAR in 84.1 innings.

The Japan League Championship Series was a seven game classic with Hiroshima topping Sendai to earn back-to-back titles. The Hammerheads are now four-time champs. Meanwhile, the Pyongyang dynasty continued in the Korea League Championship Series for an unprecedented fifth straight title. They topped Yongin for the fourth straight year, this time 4-2. The Pythons now have seven titles in the decade and eleven in total.



The Pythons were unable to make it a five-peat in the East Asian Championship rematch with Hiroshima. The Hammerheads got revenge in six games, giving them their third overall title along with the 1939 and 1959 campaigns. League MVP Hyeog-Jun Wi had a historic postseason tear for Hiroshima, winning both finals and JLCS MVP. In 13 games, he smacked 10 home runs with 17 RBI, 20 hits, and 13 runs. 10 homers remains the EAB single postseason record as of 2037 even with the later expanded postseason and increased offensive numbers. In one of the finals games against the Pythons, he smacked three homers.



Other notes: Lei Meng, EAB’s home run king, became the first to cross 800 career home runs. To this point, no other professional league has seen a player cross 800 for a career, although Prometheo Garcia had 928 split between CABA and MLB. Su-Yeon Park and Kenzan Manabe both crossed 2500 hits, making it 22 EAB batters to have done so.

Shortstop Han-Gyeol Bu won his 12^th Gold Glove and catcher Wan-Seon Kwan got his tenth. Teiichi Ishigaki won his ninth and final Gold Glove in center field, Min-Hyeok Shin became a ten time Silver Slugger winner with the awards split between DH and 2B. Seung-Hyeon Min won his ninth Silver Slugger in CF.


For the 1960s in East Asia Baseball, statistics were largely considered to be average. The Japan League’s ERA was 3.52 with the Korea League higher with the DH at 3.77. The batting average for Japan was .250 and .258 for Korea. Japan’s offensive numbers were the highest of any decade with 3.52 in the 1950s and lower prior, while Korea was actually down from a 3.90 ERA in the 1950s. Both leagues would generally hover around average statistics moving forward, not making some of the same big shifts that would be seen in other organizations.

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Two time defending Mexican League champion Mexico City earned a fourth straight playoff berth and third straight South Division title in 1969 with the Aztecs going 101-61. This is the best record in their streak and their first 100+ win season since winning 109 in the 1945 championship season. Guadalajara was second in the division at 96-66, good enough for the wild card spot, ending an 11-year playoff drought. Tijuana won the North Division at 93-69, four games ahead of Mexicali and five better than Torreon, while defending champ Monterrey dropped to 84 wins. For the Toros, this is their first playoff berth since 1964 and first division title since 1959.

Tijuana LF Vicente Gutierrez won his fifth Mexican League MVP award, becoming the league’s third player to win as many or more. He had become a seemingly ageless wonder with the 36-year old lefty leading in home runs (54), walks (88), OBP (..425), OPS (1.096), and wRC+ (215), adding 10.1 WAR, a .337 average, 117 runs, and 113 RBI. It was his seventh time leading the league in home runs, 12^th time leading in walks, and sixth time leading in OPS.

Taking Pitcher of the Year was Guadalajara’s Mario Benitez. The 27-year old sixth-year player had the most complete games with 12, posting a 2.28 ERA over 217.1 innings with 263 strikeouts, 5.8 WAR, a 18-6 record, and 12 saves. Benitez also won a Silver Slugger with 18 hits in 59 at bats, 2 home runs, and 8 RBI; solid for a pitcher. Also of note was Monterrey’s Leo Lozano winning his third straight Reliever of the Year. He had 41 saves and a 1.94 ERA.



Guatemala had a historic season in the Caribbean League, tying the all-time winningest season in CABA history. The Ghosts were 118-44, matching the record set in 1933 by Jamaica. This mark would only finally got surpassed in CABA in 2024. For Guatemala, this earned them a fourth Continental Division title in five years. Their 878 runs scored and 542 runs allowed were both the best mark in all of CABA. Meanwhile, Havana snapped a 15 season playoff drought by winning the Island Division at 96-66. They were one better than 95-67 Trinidad, who picked up the wild card for their first playoff appearance in the franchise’s brief eight year history. Puerto Rico was third at 91-71, followed by Santo Domingo at 87-75. Last year’s CABA champion Jamaica was fifth at 84-78.

Unsurprisingly, such a great year for Guatemala meant they had both the MVP and Pitcher of the Year. CF Wesley Dubar secured his fourth MVP with the 26-year old leading the league in WAR with 13.6, the fourth-best season to this point in CABA hitting history. He also led in home runs (55), RBI (154), runs (136), total bases (421), slugging (.731), OPS (1.131) and wRC+ (203), adding a .335 average. The 154 RBI tied the CABA single-season record set by Timmy Ramirez in 1950. Pitcher of the Year was Aaron De Paz in his eighth season with his home country club. He had the most wins at 21-5, posting a 2.63 ERA, 270 strikeouts in 250 innings, and 7.4 WAR.

In the wild card round, Tijuana topped Guadalajara 3-1 and Havana held off Trinidad 3-2. The Mexican League Championship Series saw Mexico City make it a three-peat, topping the Toros in six games. The Aztecs are now eight time league champs. In the Caribbean League Championship Series, Guatemala dropped Havana in six, giving the Ghosts two titles in three years.



The 59^th CABA Championship was highly anticipated with the record-setting Ghosts against the fledgling Aztecs dynasty. The series went all seven games with Mexico City taking it for their second title in three years. The Aztecs have six overall CABA rings, putting them alone with the most. SS Aaron Valencia had a huge postseason, winning both finals MVP and MLCS MVP. The 30-year old Puerto Rican in 13 playoff games had 19 hit, 10 runs, 2 home runs, and 9 RBI.



Other notes: In addition to his fifth MVP, Vicente Gutierrez became the sixth CABA hitter to 600 career home runs and the 10^th to reach 1500 RBI. He also earned his 10^th and final Silver Slugger. Mario Villegas became the second reliever to 400 career saves. It would be his final season, retiring with 410, second all-time to Feliz Fuentes’ 430.

The 1960s for CABA were considered generally average offensively after CABA began with low to very low offensive numbers in its earliest years. The DH-less Mexican League had a 3.49 ERA in the 1960s while the Caribbean League had 3.81. The batting average for the Mexican League for the decade was .254 and .259 for the Caribbean League. It was a slight increase in tallies for both leagues with CABA generally viewed as having average numbers historically until a slight bump around the 1990s.

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For the second straight season, the National Association’s best record belonged to New York. The defending NA champ Yankees won the Eastern League again, this time at 102-60. Chicago took the Midwest League title at 101-61, giving the Cubs back-to-back playoff berths. It was their first league title since winning the World Series in 1964. Five other teams had 90+ wins and fought for the four wild card spots. St. Louis at 95-67 and Toronto at 94-68 were second in their respective leagues. The Cardinals earned their fifth playoff berth in seven years, while the Timberwolves ended a six-year drought.

Columbus took the third spot with a 93-69 mark, giving the Chargers back-to-back berths. The other spot came down to Boston and Pittsburgh with both finishing the regular season at 90-72. The one game playoff went to the Red Sox, putting the 1967 World Series champs back in the field after a below .500 1968. The most notable drop was Ottawa, going from 102 wins the prior year down to 76, placing them ninth in the Eastern League.

Taking the MVP was 1B Kwang-Hoon Jang, a North Korean defector in his third season with New York after starting his career in Hiroshima. The 30-year old was the leader in home runs (46), RBI (131), runs (106), total bases (347), slugging (.589), OPS (.962), and wRC+ (185), adding 8.0 WAR. Buffalo’s Will Feliciano won back-to-back Pitcher of the Year awards. This gave the Argentine righty five awards in total counting his three from Beisbol Sudamerica. The 32-year old was the WARlord at 7.4, posting a 2.33 ERA, 13-12 record, and 230 strikeouts in 266.1 innings.

In the first round of the playoffs, Columbus edged Toronto 2-1 and St. Louis downed Boston 2-0. The Chargers stunned the Yankees with a road sweep in round two, while Chicago defeated the Cardinals in four. The National Association Championship Series went seven games for the first time since the Cubs won it in 1964. Columbus denied Chicago in the end, giving the wild card Chargers their first-ever NA title. Columbus had been to the NACS seven times prior, most recently in 1950, but had come up short each time.



The American Association’s best record in 1969 was San Diego at 103-59. The Seals won the Western League title and earned a sixth straight playoff berth. This became the longest active streak with San Francisco falling off a cliff in 1969; a bid for seven straight was dashed by a lousy 66-96 record. In the Southern League, Atlanta finished first at 101-61 for their second playoff spot in three years. It is the first SL title for the Aces since the 1937 campaign.

The wild card field ended up quite competitive. Vancouver had the first spot at 96-66 for their third wild card in five years. Three teams finished one behind at 95-67 in defending World Series champ Los Angeles, plus Phoenix, and San Antonio, putting each of them in the field. Missing out were 94-68 Oakland, 92-70 Tampa, and 92-70 New Orleans. The Firebirds and Angels earned back-to-back playoff appearances, while the Oilers had their first since 1966. The most noticeable drop apart from the previously mentioned Gold Rush was Houston, plunging from 91 wins to 65.

San Antonio DH Harris Carney was the American Association MVP. Nicknamed “Scar,” the 26-year old righty led in home runs (56), RBI (158), total bases (398), slugging (.652), OPS (1.043), and wRC+ (169), with 7.5 WAR. He had the first 150+ RBI season since 1961 with his 158 tied for the fifth most in MLB history to that point. Atlanta’s Raimundo Joaquin was the Pitcher of the Year in his sixth season with the club. The lefty from Costa Rica was the strikeout leader at 315 and WARlord at 11.1, only the tenth 11+ WAR season by a MLB pitcher to that point. He had a 23-9 record and 2.99 ERA over 274 innings. Joaquin also had the only no-hitter of the 1969 season, striking out 10 and walking two on May 10^th versus Portland.

In the first round, San Antonio swept Los Angeles and Phoenix swept Vancouver. The Firebirds kept rolling by upsetting San Diego 3-1, while Atlanta fended off the Oilers 3-1. This sent the Aces to the American Association Championship Series for the first time since 1937, while the Firebirds were going for their third title of the decade. Atlanta claimed the series in six games, sending the Aces to the World Series for only the second time (1927).



The 69^th World Series was guaranteed a first time MLB champion with Columbus having never gotten to the finale and Atlanta falling to Cleveland in their only appearance in 1927. The series ended up being unremarkable with the Aces sweeping the Chargers. Leading the way was 24-year old 1B Marc Frechette, who won both World Series MVP and AACS MVP. In 14 playoff games, he had 27 hits, 15 runs, 7 home runs, 20 RBI, and 1.6 WAR.



Other notes: Both Dominic David and Ayden Thomas would have 35-game hit streaks during the 1969 season. This tied them for the seventh-best streak in MLB history.

The American Association had the highest ERA of any baseball league in the 1960s with 4.10, slightly down from the 1950s and below the peak of 4.27 in the 1910s. This is still considered merely above average in the overall historical context of all baseball, but that and the .267 batting average for the AA were the highest of the 1960s. Without the DH, the National Association clocked in with a .252 average and 3.61 ERA for the decade, both considered very average in the grand scheme. The NA saw a slight decrease from the 1950s and had peaked with 3.82 in the 1930s. MLB would maintain similar stats until seeing a slight drop from the 1990s-2010s, followed by a big spike in the 2020s.

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It was inevitable that professional baseball would come to China. With the largest population of any country in the world, it was only a matter of time. The game had caught on huge in neighboring East Asia and had proven a success under a Communist government with the Eurasian Professional Baseball. Still, the Chinese government was reluctant to see the game catch on as it had in places like Japan, Korea, and Taiwan; wanting to maintain control and limit outside influences. The state wanted to make sure that if there was to be pro baseball in China, that it had a big role in shaping it. China did also want to compete and prove its superiority and worth on the world stage. At that point, despite controlling the mainland firmly, many countries still recognized the Republic of China government in Taiwan as the legitimate government of China, as opposed to the Communist one under Chairman Mao.

More serious discussions about a major professional baseball league in China popped up in the 1960s and eventually, Chinese League Baseball was officially christened beginning with the 1970 season. CLB would initially be split into two 12-team leagues with both sharing the same rules (notably, no designated hitter). CLB would have 22 teams officially part of China, along with the city states of Hong Kong and Macau. The Northern League would have teams from Beijing, Dalian, Hangzhou, Harbin, Jinan, Nanjing, Quindao, Shanghai, Shenyang, Tianjin, Xi’An, and Zhengzhou. The Southern League had teams in Changsha, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dongguan, Foshan, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Kunming, Macau, Shenzhen, Wuhan, and Xiamen.



There were no divisions and no interleague play, meaning the 12 teams in each league played each other in a mostly balanced schedule. The postseason format was entirely unique in that the championship could have two teams from the same league. The top two placers in each league advanced to a best-of-seven semifinal series with the first place team from one league hosting the second place team from the other league in a 3-3-1 format. The two semifinal winners moved onto the China Series with a 2-3-2 format for the overall title. The format would expand a few times, but the possibility for a final between two teams from the same league remained open until the 2010s.

Free agency minimum service time would be eight years, tied with the most restrictive of any of the existing professional leagues, and they’d look to stringently keep players in the home league and prevent players from joining from other leagues. Chinese baseball would also end up being the lowest-scoring of any pro league, even at times lower than neighboring Austronesia Professional Baseball. The league’s batting average would often hover around .215 with an average ERA in the mid to low 2s. It wouldn’t be until the 2020s that China would institute rules to increase scoring and even that skill kept them as the lowest compared to the other leagues’ jacked up totals of the era.

There would also be a huge influx and investment into the greater baseball scene in China, as it had been scattered about and disorganized prior. Although there had been Chinese teams to the World Baseball Championship, many of the top players had left or grown up in the systems of other leagues, most commonly EAB, APB, and OBA. With this huge push, China would emerge as a major consistent contender in the WBC in the 1970s and beyond. Chinese League Baseball also joined as a member of the Global Baseball Alliance, making it the ninth recognized major baseball organization.

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For the third time in its history, the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame had a class with five players inducted. The 1970 group joined the 1934 and 1960 classes to have the distinction. On top of being a large group, it is a very impressive group with all five being first ballot selections and three of them being above 90%. The stars were pitchers Spenser Emond and Trevor Brown at 98.6% and 97.7%, respectively, plus CF Adam Lewis at 91.4%. Also getting the nod were 3B Robert Pimental at 83.3% and closer Eric Lay at 78.4%. No one else was above 60%, but there were five who were in the 50% range.



One player was dropped after ten failed attempts on the ballot. 2B Bodie Howard had a 17-year career between Washington, Calgary, and San Antonio with six Silver Sluggers, posting 2688 hits, 1287 runs, 282 home runs, 1202 RBI, a .309/.367/.463 slash and 77.8 WAR. He got close on a few occasions with 61.2% in 1967 and 60.9% in 1969, before plummeting to a low of 33.0% on his last attempt. A lack of big power numbers or playoff notables likely sank him despite seemingly having a solid resume, especially for a second baseman.



Spenser Emond – Starting Pitcher – San Diego Seals – 98.6% First Ballot

Spenser Emond was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed starting pitcher from Crockett, California; a small town of 3,000 people located 28 miles northeast of San Francisco. Emond is on the shortlist for MLB’s all-time greatest pitcher, known for outstanding stuff, good movement, and great control; especially in his later years. Emond’s velocity peaked in the 98-100 mph range with four great pitches; a fastball, curveball, sinker, and splitter. This profile led to an extreme groundball tendency. Emond also had excellent stamina and durability, along with a fantastic knack for holding runners. On top of all this, he was a great leader and incredibly intelligent, making him one of the most popular and beloved players in the history of the game.

Emond left California for Bowling Green State University in Ohio and in three college seasons, had a 2.21 ERA with 13.0 WAR and 323 strikeouts in 338.1 innings. In the 1945 MLB Draft, Emond was picked 23^rd overall by San Diego and he’d ultimately spend his entire career with the Seals. He earned all-star honors in his rookie season, starting 25 games in 1946. He would go onto start the full 34-35 games without fail for the next decade, emerging as an ace. In every full season except his first two, Emond earned 7+ WAR. He was the American Association WARlord six times, ERA leader four times, wins leader thrice, strikeout leader twice, WHIP leader five times, and quality starts leader five times.

In his second season, Emond finished third in Pitcher of the Year voting. He won the award for the first time in 1948 with a 2.37 ERA and 10.1 WAR. He’d have four seasons worth 10+ WAR and nine worth 9+. He was third in PotY voting in 1951, then won it for the second time in 1952. His third trophy came in 1953, followed by additional wins in 1955, 57, 59, and 62. He was also second in 1956 and third in 1958. Emond was the first and as of 2037 only MLB Pitcher to win the award seven times. 1953 was the highest WAR total at 11.6 and FIP- at 55. His best ERA was 2.32 in 1957, best WHIP was 0.97 in 1960, top strikeout tally was 306 in 1956, and best ERA+ was 177 in 1957.

Emond joined San Diego right after they had made it to the American Association Championship Series. They made it again his rookie year, then had a five-year playoff drought. The Seals became a playoff contender in the 1950s, making the postseason six times from 1952-58. They broke through with a dynasty run, winning the World Series in 1955, 56, and 58. Emond was a big playoff performer in the 1955 and 1958 runs especially, missing the latter stages of 1956 to a sprained ankle. In the playoffs, Emond had a 6-3 record in 11 starts with a 2.72 ERA over 89.1 innings with 83 strikeouts.

Emond was also in many ways the ace for the United States national team, pitching in the World Baseball Championship from 1948-61. He had an impressive 41-12 record over 467 tournament innings with a 2.58 ERA, 649 strikeouts, and 16.3 WAR. He led all pitchers in the tournament in wins five times, innings four times, strikeouts thrice, and WAR thrice, winning eight world titles with the American team. As of 2037, no pitcher has more complete games (20) or shutouts (7) in WBC history. Emond is second all-time in wins and innings pitched, both just behind Parker Harpaz. He’s also fourth in strikeouts and total WAR among pitchers.

After being incredibly durable in his 20s, Emond’s first injury setback came in the summer of 1957 with a strained abdominal muscle putting him out two months. He bounced back with no drop in production, although the Seals dropped to a mid-tier for the remainder of his run. In 1960 at age 35, a sprained ankle caused Emond to miss about half the season. 1961 was the big one, a torn elbow ligament in late April, putting him out for the entire season and putting his career in jeopardy.

The 37-year old Emond bounced back with a stellar 1962, relying more on great control as opposed to his prior power. This won him his seventh and final Pitcher of the Year. In spring training of 1963 though, disaster struck again with a torn UCL. Emond missed all of 1963 and attempted a comeback in 1964, posting merely pedestrian numbers for the first time. A fractured elbow in late July ended his season and he opted to retire there at age 39. Naturally, his #31 uniform was immediately retired by San Diego. In that last season, he was able to reach the 300 win milestone, becoming only the fifth player to do so. He’d fall 15 short of the 4000 threshold.

The final stats for Emond: 304-165, 2.83 ERA, 4476.1 innings, 3985 strikeouts to 990 walks, 382/543 quality starts, 300 complete games, 49 shutouts, a FIP- of 69 and WAR of 139.0. At retirement, he was third all-time in wins, second in complete games, fourth in strikeouts, and third in WAR among pitchers. All time in MLB, he’s one of only five pitchers with a sub three ERA and 250+ wins and most impressively, he did it with his entire career in the higher offense DH’d American Association, while the others with similar ERAs spent much or all of their time in the National Association. Emond was THE pitcher of the late 40s and 1950s, a key part of San Diego’s dynasty, and a massive national star throughout the United States. Any discussion about MLB’s greatest pitcher will have Emond’s name quickly brought up among the candidates.



Trevor Brown – Starting Pitcher – Toronto Timberwolves – 97.7% First Ballot

Trevor Brown was a 6’1’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Oakville, Ontario; part of the greater Toronto area. Brown had a diverse selection of pitches and used them to reliably coax groundballs. His stuff was never considered amazing with 93-95 mph peak velocity, but he had excellent movement and decent enough control. Brown’s five pitchers were slider, forkball, changeup, splitter, and cutter; with the forkball viewed as the best pitch. He was considered good at holding runners and solid defensively, once winning a Gold Glove. Brown also won a Silver Slugger as he was an okay bat by pitcher standards, with a career .184 average. Brown was viewed as very durable with great stamina for much of his career, although he didn’t stick around in any one place very long because he was a total jerk.

Brown left Canada to play college baseball for the Georgia Bulldogs, finishing third in Pitcher of the Year voting his freshman season. In college, he had a 2.16 ERA, 26-9 record, and 307 strikeouts in 300 innings with 11.6 WAR. The 1943 MLB Draft sent Brown back close to home, picked 33^rd overall by Toronto. He was used mostly in relief as a rookie, then became a full-time starter for the rest of his career when healthy. He ultimately stayed with the Timberwolves through mid 1950, posting a 90-63 record, 3.30 ERA, 1097 strikeouts in 1524.2 innings, and 27.8 WAR. His lone Gold Glove came in 1947 with Toronto.

The Timberwolves made the playoffs thrice in Brown’s tenure, getting as far as the National Association Championship Series twice. He had strong playoff numbers with a 2.24 ERA in 52.1 innings. He had reliable innings with multiple 5+ WAR seasons, but he wasn’t elite yet. Combined with Brown being a lousy person, Toronto felt trying to re-sign him to a big deal as he approached free agency wasn’t a good option. He struggled a bit in early 1950 and was traded in the summer to Chicago for pitcher Sam Rosado and infielder Nick Brusse. He finished the year with the Cubs and made one playoff start, then entered free agency at age 27. Brown found a buyer with Montreal, signing a four-year, $209,600 deal.

He spent three seasons with the Maples, posting a 52-29 record, 2.78 ERA, 551 strikeouts, and 17.8 WAR. His lone Silver Slugger came in 1952 and he saw a career-best 8.2 WAR and 28 quality starts in 1953. Montreal won the World Series in 1951 with Brown posting a 3.02 ERA over seven playoff starts between the 1951 and 52 campaigns. With 1953’s success, Brown declined the option for the final year of his contract, seeking a big payday. Phoenix gave him that to the tune of four years, $361,000.

Brown’s Firebirds tenure was very short with the team trading him in the summer of 1954 to Louisville for three prospects. In 1955 at age 31, Brown won Pitcher of the Year for the first time with the Lynx, a season that included a no-hitter on July 4 against Kansas City. He struck out eight and walked one, also collecting his 200^th career strikeout in the game. Brown played two and a half seasons with Louisville, posting a 2.60 ERA, 41-25 record, and 14.4 WAR. Again seeking a bigger paycheck, Brown opted out of the Lynx deal and signed a five-year, $600,000 deal with Tampa starting in 1957.

Brown would play all five years with the Thunderbirds in his most impressive run. Over his mid 30s, he had a 65-43 record, 2.95 ERA, 625 strikeouts, and 23.8 WAR. He also made five playoff starts with a 3.72 ERA for Tampa. In 1958 at age 34, Brown won his second Pitcher of the Year, posting a career-best 301.1 innings pitched, adding a 2.45 ERA and 8.1 WAR. After being incredible durable, calamity struck with a torn UCL in late July of 1960, knocking Brown out the rest of 1960 and the vast majority of 1961.

Tampa didn’t re-sign him and he entered free agency at age 38 off a major injury. Brown signed for 1962 with Ottawa and put up solid numbers in a partial season with a strained forearm knocking him out two months. Brown played with San Francisco in 1963 and Albuquerque in 1964 with injuries limiting his useful in both seasons. A torn rotator cuff in summer 1964 effectively ended his career at the age of 41.

Brown’s final stats: 284-191, 3.02 ERA, 4597.0 innings, 3043 strikeouts, 1229 walks, 385/586 quality starts, 231 complete games, an FIP- of 85, and 97.7 WAR. He wasn’t as dominant and lacked big strikeout numbers relative to other Hall of Fame pitchers, but longevity and innings are important attributes. Even without a signature run with a team and his general disposition, two Pitcher of the Year awards and solid accumulated stats meant Brown couldn’t be overlooked, earning 97.7% and a first ballot nod.

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Adam Lewis – Outfielder – Baltimore Orioles – 91.4% First Ballot

Adam Lewis was a 5’7’’, 200 pound left-handed outfielder from New Carrollton, Maryland; a town of around 14,000 located 10 miles east of Washington, D.C. Lewis was an outstanding contact hitter who was the master at putting the ball in play, striking out in only 5.5% of his career at bats. He wasn’t a prolific slugger, but had strong gap power and good pop in his bat, reliably hitting around 30 doubles, 10 triples, and 20-25 home runs when healthy. The stocky Lewis had above average to good speed and unlike a lot of other high contact/low strikeout guys, he still drew walks fairly solidly. The first half of his career was spent primarily in center field with a shift to the corners as he aged, much more so in left than right. Lewis was generally viewed as an above average to good defender. The biggest critique about him was he was perceived to lack loyalty and work ethic.

Lewis went west and played college baseball with UCLA, earning a Silver Slugger in left field as a sophomore. In 146 college games, he had 188 hits, 98 runs, 31 home runs, a .325 average, and 8.7 WAR. He was a top draw for the 1945 MLB Draft and was picked third overall by Baltimore, sending him back to his home state of Maryland. Lewis had an excellent rookie season worth 6.6 WAR and a .353 average, taking second in Rookie of the Year voting. In his second season, he earned his first of six Silver Sluggers and took second in MVP voting with 31 home runs and 110 RBI and 7.7 WAR.

1948 saw a major setback with a torn ligament in his thumb putting Lewis out almost the entire year. Lewis bounced back with a mostly healthy and solid 1949, but lost a large chunk of 1950 to a knee sprain. Still, Baltimore was impressed and signed him to an eight-year, $305,400 deal. 1950 marked Lewis’ debut in the World Baseball Championship for the United States team and he’d play on the squad from 1950-58. Lewis became the first person to win tournament MVP twice, doing it in 1950 and 1951. He won rings with the US team in 1951, 52, 55, 57, and 58; finishing with 268 hits, 173 runs, 52 home runs, 144 RBI, a .331 average, and 11.7 WAR. He was the tournament leader in hits four time and runs thrice.

The 1950s were Lewis best years with eight seasons worth 7+ WAR, as well as the National Association lead in runs twice. In 1952, he won his first MVP. His remaining Silver Sluggers came in 1951, 52, 53, 54, and 55. It was the 1955 season that put Lewis into the record books as he became MLB’s first hitter to have a .400+ average in a season. He hit .402 and was MLB’s only guy to reach the mark until 2026. The season was also worth 12.26 WAR, narrowly beating Elijah Cashman’s 12.25 WAR in 1923 for the best season by a MLB hitter. That remained the top WAR mark until 2012. His 241 hits was one back Sebastian Lunde’s single-season record. Naturally, this year earned him his second MVP.

The Orioles weren’t a contender in his run with only three postseason berths in his tenure and no deep runs. He had a good 1956, but again had injury put him out a month or two. Now 32 years old, Lewis was traded before the 1957 season to Las Vegas for multiple prospects. He had a strong year with the Vipers, who also went one-and-done in the playoffs. Most notably, he hit for the cycle in an April game against Calgary. In total with Baltimore, he had 1876 hits, 930 runs, 267 doubles, 103 triples, 230 home runs, 920 RBI, a .344/.394/.558 slash and 80.1 WAR. The Orioles would go onto retire his #10 uniform as well.

Lewis entered free agency for 1958 and got a big payday from Hartford worth $550,000 over five years. Lewis had a very solid first year with the Huskies, but suffered a torn ACL in September of 1958. This ultimately ended his 1958 and cost him almost all of 1959. Lewis bounced back for the next three years and was a solid starter still, but no longer viewed as elite. He signed with 1963 with Phoenix but struggled, getting cut in late May. Lewis was unsigned until April 1964 with a final season for Tampa, ending his career at age 40.

The final stats for Lewis: 2822 hits, 1419 runs, 393 doubles, 151 triples, 330 home runs, 1365 RBI, a .331/.384/.528 slash and 109.8 WAR. At retirement, he was eighth best among all MLB hitters in career WAR and only John Roberts at .342 had a better batting average to that point. His slugging numbers don’t look out of place at all even with a much smaller home run total than many of his contemporaries. All of this, plus the legendary 1955 season with the .402 average made Lewis a slam dunk with his 91.4% actually seeming a bit low when looking at his resume.



Robert “Renegade” Pimental – Third Base – Las Vegas Vipers – 83.3% First Ballot

Robert Pimental was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed third baseman from San Diego, California. Nicknamed “Renegade,” he was solid to occasionally great at most facets of hitting. Solid contact, could draw walks respectably and didn’t strike out often, and could get you around 30 home runs and 25-30 doubles consistently. Pimental was fairly durable at a tough position like third base, where he spent the vast majority of time. He was viewed as a very capable, but average defender at third. His speed was merely average and he was considered a very intelligent and loyal player.

Pimental attended Oregon State and played shortstop there, winning Silver Sluggers as a sophomore and junior. In his freshman year, he became the tenth college player to have a four home run game, all solo shots against Central Michigan. With the Beavers in 145 games, he had 160 hits, 93 runs, 37 home runs, and 8.6 WAR. When the 1944 Major League Baseball Draft came along, Pimental was picked 14^th overall by Las Vegas.

Pimental started most of his rookie year and was a full-time starter for his entire career from there on when healthy. He wasn’t a league-leading type, with his only time as a leader was getting 7.5 WAR in 1952. That year had a career high 42 home runs and 116 RBI, giving him one of two Silver Sluggers. The other came in 1949 and he was never a top three finalist for the MVP. Still, Pimental could be counted on to get the job done consistently in the first nine years of his career with Las Vegas.

The Vipers started to be a playoff team at the start of the 1950s, although 1952 were his only payoff appearances with them thanks to late season injuries. Pimental also was a regular for the United States in the World Baseball Championship from 1947-60, starting 210 games with 176 hits, 114 runs, 58 home runs, and 133 RBI. He was a part of world title American teams in 1947, 48, 51, 52, 55, 57, 58, and 60; giving him a chance on the big stage despite missing it almost entirely in his MLB run. Pimental entered free agency at age 30 and joined Baltimore for 1954 on a seven-year, $840,000 deal.

Pimental played six years ultimately with the Orioles, posting 983 hits, 538 runs, 177 home runs, 544 RBI, and 37.6 WAR; giving them the same reliable consistency throughout. Baltimore voided the team option final year of the contract and Pimental went back to Las Vegas for 1960. He just missed out on the Vipers 1959 World Series run, as they regressed to mid-tier for the rest of his run. Pimental struggled in 1960, but bounced back with respectable 1961 and 1962 seasons. He continued as the starter in 1963 and 1964 with les sluck, suffering a torn quad late in his final season. Pimental retired at age 40 and had his #3 retired by Las Vegas, finishing up with 2137 hits, 1198 runs, 298 doubles, 402 home runs, 1349 RBI, and 62.8 WAR between his two runs. Fittingly, he crossed the 3000 hit, 1500 run, 500 home run, and 1500 RBI marks with the Vipers.

Pimental’s final total stats saw 3120 hits, 1736 runs, 579 home runs, 1893 RBI, a .291/.357/.499 slash and 100.4 WAR. Despite never being considered an MVP-level guy, he was the 19^th MLB batter to 100+ career WAR and the 33^rd to reach 3000 hits. His RBI total was sneaky high, placing him seventh all-time at retirement and still top 20 as of 2037. A true testament to sustained excellence, but even with the tallies, the lack of accolades meant his first ballot Hall of Fame nod came at only 83.3%. Still, plenty votes to give him his rightful spot.



Eric Lay – Closer/Reliever – Miami Mallards - 78.4% First Ballot

Eirc Lay was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Spartanburg, South Carolina; a city of 40,000 in “The Upstate” and home of Wofford College. Lay was a fireballer with an excellent 98-100 mph fastball mixed with a good slider. His movement was considered solid, but his control was at times erratic. Lay had terrific stamina and durability, meaning he was always ready for whatever role was given.

Lay attended Northern Illinois and was a starter in his college days, posting a 17-17 record over 294.2 innings with a 2.72 ERA, 313 strikeouts, 117 walks, and 8.2 WAR. Despite his stamina, having only two pitches meant MLB teams saw him purely as a potential reliever. Lay was picked in the second round of the 1942 MLB Draft by Miami, 59^th overall. His five years with the Mallards was statistically his strongest run as he was a closer for most of it, posting 124 saves, a 1.92 ERA, and 12.7 WAR. Lay finished second in Reliever of the Year voting in 1946, the closest he got to the award.

Lay pitched in the first World Baseball Championship with the United States in 1947, as well as the 1948 and 1950 editions with a 2.75 ERA in 19.2 innings. He won world titles in 1947 and 1948. After the 1947 season, the bottom-rung Miami squad traded Lay for three players to Jacksonville. His longest tenure was with the Gators going five years and change, holding the closer role initially and a setup role later. He had a 2.48 ERA, 367 strikeouts, 62 saves, and 5.9 WAR. Using him less as his run progressed, Jacksonville traded the now 31-year old Lay midway through 1953 to Toronto.

He spent 1954 as the Timberwolves closer and led the National Association in saves, taking third in Reliever of the Year voting. He joined a small group to have led in saves in both the NA and American Association, having done it in 1945 and 46 with Miami. He left Toronto and signed with Ottawa for 1955 and posted his best season by WAR with 4.6. That was his only year as the closer during the five year stint with the Elks, although he posted a 1.89 ERA and 7.3 WAR. In 1956, he had his lone opportunity pitching in the World Series with Ottawa ultimately dropping the series to San Diego.

In 1960, the 38-year old became the closer for Indianapolis, but had a weak 4.00 ERA. The Racers traded him to Los Angeles for 1961, followed by a 1962 with Washngton. The Admirals traded him to Omaha for 1963 and he was used one last time as a closer, crossing 350 saves with the Hawks. In 1964, he spent part of the year with Louisville, but was cut in the summer. Lay closed 1964 and his career in minor league Lafayette, retiring at age 42.

Lay’s final stats: 356 saves and 471 shutdowns, 2.27 ERA, 995 games, 1234 innings, 1496 strikeouts, 497 walks, a FIP- of 71, and 34.0 WAR. As of 2037, he has the fourth most games pitched in MLB history and logged more innings than any other Hall of Fame reliever. His strikeout and ERA numbers aren’t out of place compared to some of the other relievers that eventually got in, although he didn’t have any major awards or was ever viewed as particularly dominant like some of the others. Still, 350 saves seemed to be a magic number in the eyes of many of the voters and Lay not only made it in, but did so on the first ballot at 78.4%.

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The Central American Baseball Association’s 1970 Hall of Fame class had two players inducted, both on the first ballot. Closer Feliz Fuentes was a no-doubter at 96.4%, while 1B Jonathan Suarez made the cut at 76.1%. Starting pitcher Tirso Sepulveda barely missed the 66% cut on his fourth attempt at the HOF, falling short at 65.4%. One other player was above 50% with 1B Salvador Islas at 55.9% on his sixth attempt. No players were dumped after a tenth ballot in the 1970 CABA voting.



Feliz Fuentes – Closer/Relief Pitcher – Mexicali Maroons – 96.4% First Ballot

Feliz Fuentes was a 6’1’’, 195 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Amatlan, a municipality in the Mexican state of Veracruz, located about 300 kilometers east of Mexico City. Fuentes was known for having terrific control, strong stuff, and respectable movement. His velocity peaked around 95-97 mph with a one-two punch of a fastball and slider. Fuentes had great stamina for a reliever and very good durability and reliability for most of his career. Fuentes was also a strong leader and a very intelligent player, making him a popular player in each of the clubhouses he played in.

After his amateur and college career, Fuentes was picked in the second round of the 1945 CABA Draft, 32^nd overall, by Merida. In his first two seasons, Fuentes was middle relief. The Mean Green moved him to closer in his third season, leading the Mexican League in saves and finishing second in Reliever of the Year voting. He won the award in 1950 with a career-best 1.56 ERA over 98.1 innings. He led with a career-high 46 saves and 4.8 WAR in 1950, winning the award for a second time. He took second in 1952 and in nearly six seasons with Merida, had 177 saves in 533.2 innings, 206 ERA, 610 strikeouts, and 17.1 WAR.

The Mean Green traded Fuentes in the summer of 1952 to Mexicali in exchange for four prospects. The Maroons had won the Mexican League title in the prior two seasons and would win it again in 1952, 53, and 54; taking the overall CABA crown in 1953 and 54. Fuentes had a key role as Mexicali’s closer, winning his third Reliever of the Year in 1956. In 30.2 playoff innings, Funetes had a stellar 0.59 ERA with nine saves, 27 strikeouts, and 1.2 WAR. He ended up with Mexicali for six-and-a-half seasons and saw his #15 uniform retired for his role in the Maroons dynasty. In total, he had 218 saves, 2.72 ERA, 520.1 innings, 531 strikeouts, and 13.2 WAR.

Fuentes’ Mexicali run ended after the 1959 season at age 37. He signed with Honduras and was middle relief mostly for his two seasons with the Horsemen. Still, there he became the first CABA closer to 400 career saves. He played 1962 with Chihuahua, 1963 with Mexico City, and 1964 with Santo Domingo with limited success and injuries plaguing those runs. Funetes suffered a torn labrum in summer 1964 and retired at the end of the season at age 41.

Fuentes final stats: 430 saves and 519 shutdowns, 2.60 ERA, 1005 games pitched, 1290.2 innings, 1347 strikeouts, 239 walks, a FIP- of 74, and 31.9 WAR. He retired as CABA’s all-time saves leader and leader in games pitched; both marks he still holds as of 2037. No pure reliever inducted into CABA’s HOF had more innings, although others would have more dominant figures in terms of WAR and strikeouts. This longevity and his excellent playoff stats during Mexicali’s dynasty made Fuentes a very firm Hall of Fame choice.



Jonathan Suarez – First Baseman – Nicaragua Navigators – 76.1% First Ballot

Jonathan Suarez was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting first baseman from San Pedro Sula, the second largest city in Honduras with a metro population of around 1.5 million. Suarez was a solid contact and power hitter who consistently averaged around a .290 batting average and 35-40 home runs per season. He rarely walked relative to other sluggers with fairly average strikeout rates. Suarez was a slower baserunner and a career first baseman who was viewed as average to below average defensively. Suarez was also a prankster, considered a fun part of the clubhouse. Durability was an additional strength with 139+ starts in all but his first two seasons on the bench.

Suarez became known as a bat with a lot of potential during his amateur and collegiate career. When the 1947 CABA Draft came around, he was picked third overall by Nicaragua. Ultimately, his entire pro career would be with the Navigators. Suarez was a rarely used bench player in his first two seasons with only 42 at-bats, but he would take over the starting role from 1950 through his final year in 1964.

1951 was Suarez’ first standout season, ending with his first Caribbean League MVP and Silver Slugger. He won the batting title at .322 and led the league in hits (202), RBI (121), and OPS (.949). Nicaragua earned its first playoff berth in 30 years as well and would make the playoffs from 1950-52, although they were never able to advance to the final. Suarez’s production dropped in 1952, but he remained a solid starter throughout the rest of his 20s.

Although the Navigators remained a bottom tier franchise in the rest of his run, he emerged as a top hitter more firmly in his 30s. Suarez’ second Silver Slugger came in 1957 and 1958 was his second MVP and third Silver Slugger. 1958 saw a career-best and league lead with 52 home runs and 7.0 WAR. He continued on as a full-time starter through the rest of his 30s, posting 12 seasons of 30+ home runs. Suarez eventually saw his power fall off in 1964 and he retired after the season at age 40. 1964 also ended a lengthy run with the Honduras National Team in the World Baseball Championship. From 1947-64, he had 88 hits, 52 runs, 31 home runs, and 61 RBI over 118 games.

Suarez’ final CABA stats saw 2629 hits, 1309 runs, 405 doubles, 509 home runs, 1485 RBI, a .288/.322/.511 slash, wRC+ of 137, and 65.5 WAR. His #90 uniform was also retired for his long service with the Navigators franchise. Being stuck on a weaker franchise and lower advanced stats made some question Suarez’ Hall of Fame candidacy despite being the 19^th CABA batter to 2500 hits and 17^th to 500 home runs and falling just short of being the seventh to 1500 RBI. His power was enough though to get the first ballot nod with 76.1%.

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One player very narrowly earned induction for East Asia Baseball’s 1970 Hall of Fame voting. On his eighth attempt, left fielder Dong-Hee Cho crossed the 66% line with 69.2% of the vote. Three others were above 60% with OF Chong-Chun Pak at 64.0% on his sixth try, 1B Ju-An Pak at 63.4% on his second go, and SP Young-Gwon Shin at 61.0% on his second. Reliever Hyeon-Jae Seo had 58.9% on his sixth attempt and SP Tokinari Nakano had 50.3% with his debut.



Dropped after his tenth attempt on the ballot was catcher Toshinori Konno. In 19 years between Nagoya, Changwon, and Fukuoka, he had 1810 hits, 790 runs, 264 home runs, 873 RBI, a .259/.320/.427 slash and 60.9 WAR. Konno won six Silver Sluggers at retirement was second all-time among EAB catchers in WAR. However, the relative low stats catchers can compile handicaps them in the voting despite cases of being the best at their position for their career. Konno peaked at 52.3% on his debut and ended at 42.1%. Also dropped after ten ballots was Yoko Nishii, the 1950 Japan League Pitcher of the Year. In 13 years with Sapporo, he had a 159-11 record, 2.56 ERA, 2546 strikeouts in 2470.1 innings and 47.5 WAR. A solid career, but not enough accumulations despite helping the Swordfish win three titles. He peaked at 33.7% on his debut and was down at 5.5% by the end.



Dong-Hee “Warthog” Cho - Left Field – Seongnam Spiders – 69.2% Eighth Ballot

Dong-Hee Cho was a 5’9’’, 185 pound right-handed left fielder from Okcheon, a small county of around 50,000 in central South Korea. Cho was a solid power hitter that could reliably get you 30 home runs a season and 40+ in his best years. He was an above average to sometimes good power hitter who was solid at drawing walks, although his strikeout rates were below average. Cho was a very slow baserunner, but had enough power to still get a nice amount of doubles. He was a career left fielder with occasional starts at first base and as a designated hitter and Cho was viewed as a terrible defender. Still, his powerful bat and work ethic made him a fan favorite.

Cho attended Dongguk University in Seoul and had an excellent college career, posting 230 hits, 225 runs, 55 home runs, 182 RBI, and 11.1 WAR over 160 starts. This earned him the #1 overall pick by Seongnam in the 1935 East Asia Baseball Draft. Despite the hype and potential, Cho’s production was merely average at best in his first four seasons in the starting lineup. It was his fifth year in 1940 that he broke out, leading the league in OPS (1.032) and posting 8.2 WAR, 40 home runs, 111 RBI, and a .336 average. This earned him a third place nod in MVP voting.

1941 saw his first Silver Slugger and another third place in the MVP vote, leading the Korea League with 122 RBI. Cho also hit for the cycle in a game against Busan. He was never again an MVP finalist, but he continued to post reliable production for Seongham, providing reason for fans to come see what was a generally poor team in that first run. Sharing a position with all-time hit king Byung-Oh Tan during his reign also denied Cho more chances at a Silver Slugger.

Cho remained with the team through his age 32 season, seeing the run end with a trade before the 1948 season to Daegu. He spent one solid season with the Diamondbacks and then entered free agency. Around this time, he also started playing for South Korea in the newly established World Baseball Championship. He played in 70 games from 1947-55, posting 51 hits, 39 runs, 20 home runs, and 38 RBI.

Now a free agent at age 34 and with the World War II block on leaving EAB over, Cho was signed to a four-year, $138,400 deal by Major League Baseball’s Cleveland Cobras. He put up solid production justifying his spot, getting 597 hits, 131 home runs, 292 runs, 352 RBI, and 13.8 WAR in his four years in Cleveland. When his deal ended, he came back to Seongnam, at first in a new jersey #28. The Spiders had made the playoffs the prior year, but couldn’t get back in the return run. Still, Cho’s return season at age 38 saw a career-best 48 home runs and 132 RBI, earning him his second Silver Slugger.

Cho got his traditional #3 uniform back for 1954, which would eventually be retired by Seongnam. Interestingly, his jersey wouldn’t end up retired by the team later on. He had a solid 1954, but saw his 1955 hampered by various injuries. Cho finished his Spiders run with the 1956 season, then closed his career in 1957 with Seoul. With the Seahawks, he crossed the 2500 hit and 500 home run thresholds, becoming the eighth EAB hitter to the former and ninth to the latter. He retired at year’s end at age 43.

Counting his MLB run, Cho had 3102 hits, 1577 runs, 537 doubles, 647 home runs, 1830 RBI, a .276/.344/.506 slash and 78.7 WAR; a resume that wouldn’t get much blowback. However, purely on his EAB numbers, he had 2505 hits, 1285 runs, 451 doubles, 516 home runs, 1478 RBI, a .278/.346/.510 slash and 65.0 WAR. Still good, but not quite as remarkable without any major accolades or playoff heroics to speak of. Cho seemed banished to the Hall of Very Good with his first five ballots being in the 40-5% range. He jumped to 61.7% on the sixth, but back down to 52.7% on the seventh. On try number eight with no one else making the cut, Cho was able to receive enough of a bump to get across the 66% mark with 69.2%. Only 1968 inductee Ha-Min Park had gotten in on a later ballot, making it on his ninth go.

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The 1970 Hall of Fame class for Beisbol Sudamerica was incredibly impressive with three players all inducted at above 97% on their first ballot. Making the cut was starting pitcher Ramon Olguin, Closer Justo Carvalho, and 2B Remberto Borja. No other players were above 50%.



One was dropped after ten attempts with 1B Adrian Yannoni, who had a 19-year career primarily with Rio de Janeiro. He had 2631 hits, 1157 runs, 452 home runs, 1348 RBI, a .281/.327/.489 slash and 94.9 WAR. He also was a playoff leader at age 38 in Cordoba’s Copa Sudamerica win as finals MVP, but apart from that and one Silver Slugger, he lacked major accolades. Rarely would someone with 90+ WAR be excluded and most of those cases were great defense/low power guys unlike Yannoni. Despite his resume, he peaked at 40.4% on his debut and continued to slowly drop, ending at 9.1%.



Ramon Olguin – Starting Pithcer – Medellin Mutiny – 98.3% First Ballot

Ramon Olguin was a 6’0’’, 165 pound left-handed pitcher form Jujuy, a city of around 250,000 people in northwestern Argentina. Olguin was best known for stellar control, although his stuff and movement were solid to great at times as well. His velocity peaked at 97-99 mph with a fastball, slider, changeup, and circle change; with the first two being his most dangerous pitches. Olguin also was great at holding runners and fairly durable for most of his career. Olguin was considered a prankster as well and teammates had to be on the lookout for one of his practical jokes.

Olguin was a rare player to be picked out of high school, although he still wasn’t projected to be elite by many scouts. He wasn’t selected in the 1944 Beisbol Sudamerica Draft until the fourth round, picked 89^th overall by Medellin. He sat for three years on the reserve roster for seeing 7.1 innings in 1948. He became a part time starter with limited luck in 1949, then became a full starter from 1950 onward. His 1950 and 1951 were respectable seasons, but not award winning.

It was 1952 when the perception of Olguin changed drastically. At age 27, he won Pitcher of the Year by leading the Bolivar League in WAR (10.1) and wins (21-10) while adding 331 strikeouts and a career-best 1.95 ERA. This would be his only time winning the big award, but led the league in WAR thrice more, including an impressive 11.4 WAR in 1955 that also saw him lead with 337 strikeouts. Olguin was third in voting in 1953 and 1954 and second in 1955.

Olguin’s tenure came during a down period for Medellin, who only made the playoffs in 1954. Still, his #26 would be retired and he’d put up the majority of his career there with 206-131 record, 2.61 ERA, 3189 innings, 3217 strikeouts, and 88.7 WAR. He continued as a reliable arm into his 30s and was great for Argentina in the World Baseball Championship. From 1949-62 in the WBC, he had a 2.76 ERA with a 15-6 record and 11 saves, adding 209 strikeouts and 5.7 WAR in 182.2 innings. In 1959, he was the WBC’s Best Pitcher winner. Later that year was the first time he missed a significant chunk of time, out almost two months with a hamstring strain. He bounced back with no problem, becoming a free agent target at age 37.

Cordoba signed him to a two-year, $190,000 deal, but his production notably tipped in 1962 from his previous standard. He was shelled in his one postseason start that year and was traded in the summer of 1963 to Salvador. Cordoba re-signed him in 1964, but he suffered a torn labrum in May. Olguin managed to come back right at the end of the season, but suffered an ultimately career ending torn UCL, retiring him at age 39.

His final stats: 238-156, 2.67 ERA, 3743.1 innings, 3665 strikeouts to only 497 walks, 336/468 quality starts, a FIP- of 75 and 97.1 WAR. He was 12^th among pitchers in WAR at retirement and his stats certainly aren’t out of place among the field, although he isn’t in the top of any particular stats. His longevity was viewed as a major plus and the voters didn’t hesitate to put him in with 98.3%.



Justo Carvalho – Closer – Brasilia Bearcats – 97.9% First Ballot

Justo Carvalho was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left-handed relief pitcher from Lauro de Freitas, a municipality with around 200,000 people on the eastern Brazilian coast near Salvador. Carvalho’s velocity peaked at 95-97 mph, but his stuff was considered great with good movement and above average control. He had a two-pitch combo of a fastball and curveball, but was excellent at drawing both strikeouts and groundballs. For a reliever, Carvalho had strong stamina and was considered very durable. He was also thought of as very good at holding runners and respectable defensively.

After his amateur career, Calvalho was picked in the second round of the 1947 Beisbol Sudamerica Draft, 32^nd overall, by Brasilia. He spent 1948 on the reserve roster and made his debut in middle relief in 1949. Calvalho was moved to the closer role the next season and held that spot for the rest of his Bearcats tenure and all but the final two seasons of his career. Brasilia was a decent team, but only made the playoffs in 1951 during his run. Still, Carvalho led the Southern Cone in saves in 1951, 52 and 53. He was second in Reliever of the Year voting in 1951, then won the award in both 1952 and 1953.

He finished second twice more with Brasilia in 1955 and 1956. He was well liked enough by the franchise that they would retire his #27 uniform despite only an eight year run. With the Bearcats, Carvalho had 241 saves and 301 shutdowns, a 1.97 ERA, 871 strikeouts in 677.2 innings, and 25.9 WAR. He also started pitching for Brazil in the World Baseball Championship, although he was used as a starter as much as a reliever. From 1952-61, he had a 2.19 ERA in 123.1 innings with 173 strikeouts and 4.6 WAR. In one of those starts in 1952, he threw a no-hitter with six strikeouts and six walks against Canada.

For the 1957 season, the now 31-year old Carvalho was traded to Sao Paulo, who were in the middle of a dynasty run. They made four Copa Suadmerica appearances in his first four years with the team and won it all in 1958. Carvalho lived up to the billing, taking third in Reliever of the Year in 1958 and then winning it in 1959 and 1960. He was the first four-time winner of the award within the Southern Cone League. In the playoffs with the Padres, he had 14 saves with a 2.29 ERA over 55 innings, 69 strikeouts and 1.2 WAR.

He led the league in saves twice with Sao Paulo; in 1957 and 1959. By WAR, 1959 was his best season with 5.4, as well as a career-best 46 saves and 1.20 ERA. He carried on in the closer role until getting demoted after a weak 1962 season. He was unremarkable in middle relief in 1963, then saw only two innings in 1964 despite being healthy. Carvalho was still employed through 1965 but didn’t see the field, retiring after the season at age 40. With Sao Paulo, he had a 1.79 ERA, 241 saves and 272 shutdowns, 563.2 innings, 727 strikeouts, and 21.1 WAR.

His final stats saw a 1.89 ERA, 482 saves and 573 shutdowns, 1241.1 innings over 1012 games, 1598 strikeouts to 273 walks, a FIP- of 56, and 47.0 WAR. At retirement, he was second all-time in saves in Beisbol Sudamerica, behind only Jonathan Iglesias’ 579. He was also second in games pitched behind only Iglesias as well. Carvalho was the premiere closer of his era, well deserving of the acknowledgment at 97.9%.



Remberto “Irony” Borja – Second Base/Shortstop - Barquisimeto Black Cats – 97.2% First Ballot

Remberto Borja was a 5’10’’, 190 pound left-handed middle infielder from Maracaibo, Venezuela. Borja was a stellar contact hitter with a great eye who was excellent at getting on base either with hits or walks and excellent at avoiding strikeouts. He had terrific gap power and was good for around 40-50 doubles and triples per year, often getting extra bases with his great speed. He wasn’t a home run hitter, but still got around 10 per year. He split his career defensively between second base and shortstop with a bit more action at second. Borja was thought of as an above average to good second baseman defensively and an average to above average shortstop. Borja also was considered a very durable player for much of his career despite playing a physically demanding position.

Borja’s many talents were immediately noticed by teams and coming up on the 1951 Beisbol Sudamerica Draft, he was the hottest prospect. Barquisimeto picked him first overall and put him into the starting lineup right away. Borja was second in Rookie of the Year voting in 1952, then emerged as an elite player in year two with his first Silver Slugger. He won the award nine times total with the wins in 1953, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, and 61. He led the Bolivar League in batting average thrice, hits twice, runs twice, triples thrice, OBP six times, stolen bases three times, and WAR five times.

Borja popped into the MVP conversation for the first time in 1954, taking second. In 1955, he won the award with career bests in hits (219), runs (113), stolen bases (81), batting average (.373), and OPS (1.003). Borja took second in 1956, then won his second in 1958. He was second again in 1959, then took his third MVP in 1960. He had four seasons with 10+ WAR and six with 9+. On three occasions, Borja hit for the cycle; once in 1954 and twice in 1957. The Black Cats made the playoffs in 1957 and 1958 and won their first Bolivar League title in 1958, falling in Copa Sudamerica to the Sao Paulo dynasty. In 14 playoff games, Borja’s only postseason appearances, he had 15 hits, 9 runs, and a .297 average. He also played for Venezuela in the World Baseball Championship from 1953-58 and in 1964, posting 66 this, 24 runs, and 1.1 WAR in 62 starts.

1962 saw Borja’s first major injury with a concussion putting him out the entire second half. He wasn’t an MVP candidate after that, although he gave Barquisimeto two more solid seasons as a starter. The Black Cats would retire his #9 uniform and he remained a popular player with fans, but Borja decided to give Major League Baseball a chance. Jacksonville was optimistic, signing the 35-year old Borja to a four year, $836,000 deal. He was terrible in his one season with the Jaguars and was traded before the 1966 season to Toronto. He spent two seasons as a backup mostly with the Timberwolves, then went unsigned in 1968, retiring that winter at age 39.

For his South American career, Borja had 2367 hits, 1107 runs, 347 doubles, 271 triples, 142 home runs, 925 RBI, a .325/.384/.491 slash, 146 wRC+ and 99.2 WAR. At retirement, he had the best batting average of any BSA Hall of Famer and even though he’d get passed by a lot of 21^st Century players, his line remains especially impressive having player in a lower offense era. He remains a top ten Hall of Famer in OBP as well even as of 2037. Borja is a well-deserved first ballot pick at 97.2%.

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Two players earned induction in 1970 for the European Baseball Federation’s Hall of Fame. Starting pitcher Pietro Ribsi was a no-doubt first ballot pick with 99.3%. Reliever Roman Jongmans also get a first ballot induction, but just barely, passing the 66% threshold with 69.1%. Reliever Richard Hackl on his fifth try was close, but just short at 62.9%. 3B Orion McIntyre (55.7%) and reliever Ken Jacob (51.8%) were the other players above 50%. No players were dropped after ten failed ballots.



Pietro Ribsi – Starting Pitcher – Stockholm Swordsmen – 99.3% First Ballot

Pietro Ribsi was a 6’3’’, 195 pound right-handed starting pitcher from Torremaggiore, a commune of around 16,000 people in southeast Italy. Ribsi was known for having incredible movement on his pitches, graded as a 10/10 at the peak of his career. He also had solid stuff and control with 97-99 mph peak velocity in a three pitch arsenal of a fastball, slider, and splitter. Ribsi also had excellent stamina and durability and was known as a very humble player, helping endear him to teammates and fans.

Post World War II, Ribsi picked up the game in his 20s and emerged as an elite pitcher in amateur and semi-pro baseball throughout Italy. He was 26 years old when the European Baseball Federation was started up and many teams were interested. His first “official” action was for Italy in the 1950 World Baseball Championship and he was a stellar pitcher for the team from 1950-63, posting a 2.41 ERA over 250 innings with an 18-5 record, 282 strikeouts, and 8.5 WAR. Ribsi didn’t sign with any EBF team for the 1950 season, but would join Stockholm for the 1951 season with a seven-year, $290,800 deal.

Ribsi immediately excelled with the Swordsman, winning the 1951 Pitcher of the Year and becoming the first Triple Crown winner in EBF history. He led the Northern Conference in wins four times, ERA twice, innings three times, four strikeouts, quality starts thrice, and WAR four times. He had ten straight 9+ WAR seasons and reached double-digits in eight seasons, dominating his foes. Despite a career-best 13.0 WAR in 1952, he was second in Pitcher of the Year voting and was second again in 1953. Ribisi was third in 1954, won it in 1955, then second in 1956. In 1957, Ribsi finally won his second Pitcher of the Year and also was named conference MVP. He’d go onto finish third again in 1959 and 1961.

Stockholm was a regular contender in EBF’s first decade, making the playoffs nine times in Ribsi’s tenure. They were the European Champion in 1957 and runner-up in 1959. Ribsi won conference finals MVP in 1957 and was a great playoff pitcher naturally, posting a 2.93 ERA over 187.2 innings with 187 strikeouts and 8.2 WAR. Ribisi also had a dominant no-hitter in September 1954 against Copenhagen with 17 strikeouts and one walk.

Ribsi continued to dominate through his age 36 season of 1961, then saw a notable drop in 1962. Ribsi would enter free agency, but remained beloved by Stockholm fans with his #32 uniform getting retired. In total in Sweden, he had a 224-101 record, 2.27 ERA, 3229 innings, 3577 strikeouts, and 124.7 WAR. He became the first EBF pitcher to both 200 wins and 3000 strikeouts. Ribsi would sign for 1963 with Rome and had a solid regular season, but stood out with a 1.89 ERA in 33.1 playoff innings, helping the Red Wolves to the European Championship. 1964 saw a steep drop and he opted to retire after the season at age 40. With Rome, he crossed 250 wins, the first to do so.

Ribsi’s final stats: 259-121 record, 2.36 ERA, 3703.2 innings, 3823 strikeouts to 694 walks, 349/466 quality starts, 147 complete games, FIP- of 58, and 132.1 WAR. Ribsi was one of the first outstanding EBF pitchers and still rates favorably among those in the Hall of Fame as of 2037, sitting fifth in WAR and tied for seventh in wins. He’s a no-doubt pick at 99.3% and holds the honor as the first Italian player inducted into the EBF Hall.



Roman Jongmans – Closer/Relief Pitcher – Brussels Beavers – 69.1% First Ballot

Roman Jongmans was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Geraardsbergen, a small city of around 33,000 people in the East Flanders region of Belgium. Jongmans was known for having incredible stuff with solid movement and control. His one-two punch was a fastball and changeup and even though his fastball peaked at 95-97 mph, Jongmans was an absolute master at changing speeds. He was incredibly durable and always ready to come in, renowned for his work ethic and loyalty.

Like many in the early days, he picked up the sport more firmly in his 20s once World War II was ended, bouncing around the amateur and semi-pro ranks of his native Belgium. He joined the newly formed European Baseball Federation at age 25 for the 1951 and stayed close to home, signing with his home country squad Brussels.

He became the closer immediately and held that role for most of his professional career. In his debut 1951 season, Jongmans was third in Reliever of the Year voting. He took second in 1952 and remained constant despite the Beavers being a weak franchise in its first few years. Brussels traded Jongmans for the 1955 season to Munich for five prospects and in his lone season with the Mavericks, he won his first Reliever of the Year with a career-best 5.0 WAR. He also got his first taste of postseason action. Although in Germany for a year, Jongmans remained a regular for Belgium’s team in the World Baseball Championship in his career. From 1950-63, he had 87 innings, a 3.52 ERA, and 144 strikeouts.

Jongmans was a free agent after his season in Munich and went back home to Brussels, where he’d spend the rest of his career. He won his second Reliever of the Year in 1956 and was okay in 1957, then was demoted to a middle relief role in 1958 and 1959. He moved back into the closer spot in 1960 for his third Reliever of the Year award and would finish third in both 1961 and 1962.

By the 1960s, Brussels had turned its fortunes around, making the playoffs seven times from 1959-66. They got to the Northern Conference final five times, winning it in 1960 and 1961. In 1961, the Beavers finished 113-49 and won the European Championship over Belgrade. Jongmans was a beast in 1961 with a 0.67 ERA over 13.1 innings with 21 strikeouts. For his playoff career, he had 13 saves over 36.1 innings with a 2.48 ERA and 57 strikeouts. His production fell off steeply in 1963 and he was demoted from the closer role in his last season of 1964, retiring at seasons’ end at age 39.

His final stats: 368 saves and 474 shutdowns, 2.00 ERA, 1099.2 innings, 1590 strikeouts to 224 walks, FIP- of 50 and 44.8 WAR. His #3 uniform would get retired by Brussels and he’d be the EBF saves leader until the late 2020s. Of the inducted relievers, Jongmans remains the WARlord. With the small role relievers have, many of the Hall of Fame voters were skeptical despite his accolades. Jongmans was still able to get the first ballot nod with 69.1%, becoming the first Belgian Hall of Famer.

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Eurasian Professional Baseball would not induct anyone to join Bogdam Chirita in its still young Hall of Fame with the 1970 voting. Two players were above 50% with closer Khalid Azad at 54.8% on his second attempt and fellow closer Mircea Ioan at 54.5% on his third try. Only one other even was at 1/3 of the vote with SP Stefan Jafarov on his debut at 33.0%. In 1971, EPB would see its second (and third) members added.

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The 24^th World Baseball Championship was the first to be in South America since 1964, this time being held in Lima, Peru. The stunning upset came in Division 1 with Papua New Guinea beating United States on the tiebreaker with both at 6-1. It is the first time in tournament history that the US missed the elite eight in back-to-back tournaments. It is also the first division win for PNG. Kazakhstan earned its first-ever division win as well, taking D2 at 6-1 and beating defending WBC champ South Korea at 5-2. In Division 3, Canada and the Czech Republic tied for first at 5-2 with Peru, the Netherlands, and Uruguay each one back. The Canadians moved forward for the 17^th time. In Division 4, China and Spain tied for first at 6-1 with the Chinese getting the tiebreaker for their second division win.

In Division 5, Japan prevailed for the ninth time. They went 6-1, one ahead of both Australia and Uzbekistan. Colombia was the only unbeaten in the first round, going 7-0 in Division 6 for their eighth division title. Last year’s runner-up Brazil won Division 7 at 6-1, edging 5-2 Guatemala. The Brazilians have moved forward 11 times now, more than any team outside of North America. In Division 8, Russia and Denmark tied for the top spot at 5-2 while Puerto Rico, Taiwan, and Indonesia were each 4-3. The tiebreaker sent the Russians forward for the seventh time.

Round Robin Group A saw Colombia take top marks at 5-1, advancing along with 4-2 Russia. Papua New Guinea was 2-4 and Kazakhstan was 1-5. This sent the both the Colombians and the Russians to their fifth semifinal berth. In Group B, Canada took first at 4-2 to move to the final four for a 16^th time, second only to the US. China and Brazil tied at 3-3 and Japan was 2-4. The tiebreaker sent China ahead for their second-ever semifinal berth, joining the 1952 tournament.

In the semifinal, the Chinese defeated Colombia in five games, sending China to its first ever final. The Colombians are now 0-5 in semifinal appearances. Meanwhile, Russia defeated Canada in six games, sending the Russians to the final or the third time, joining their 1956 title win and 1955 runner-up. The Canadians were officially the third place team, finishing third for the fifth time in WBC history.



The 1970 championship was the first one to feature two teams from the Eastern Hemisphere. It ended up being a seven game thriller between the communist powers with China winning its first-ever World Championship. With the forming of Chinese League Baseball for the 1970 season, they benefited from a huge influx of available talent. One of these was Tournament MVP Xing Xue, a 29-year old first baseman who posted 38 hits, 23 runs, 22 walks, 11 extra base hits, a .452/.578/.702 slash and 2.5 WAR. Best Pitcher was given to Hungary’s Laszlo Szollosi. A 23-year old journeyman reliever for Asgabat, he pitched 8.1 scoreless innings in two relief appearances with 11 strikeouts.



Other notes; Despite missing the elite eight, the United States team set a tournament record with a .340/.436/.731 slash line, all of those are top marks even as of 2037.

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1970 marked the debut season for Chinese League Baseball. The capital Beijing dominated the Northern League and became the first 100+ winner with an impressive 110-52 record. The Bears led the league in runs scored at 682 and fewest runs allowed in 434. The second place spot required a tiebreaker game as both Nanjing and Shanghai finished the regular season at 98-64. The Nuggets beat the Seawolves in the tiebreaker game to earn the NL’s second playoff spot. Tianjin was the other team above .500 at 90-72.

The first Northern League MVP was Nanjing 2B Zhangsung Long. The 28-year old left-handed bat was the league’s WARlord at 11.9 and leader in total bases with 373, posting 476 home runs and 101 RBI with a .293 average and 201 wRC+. Pitcher of the Year was Shenyang’s Heng Zheng with the 27-year old righty posting a stellar 14.0 WAR and 1.40 ERA, also leading with 334 strikeouts and a FIP- of 28. He tossed 264 innings with a 17-7 record and eight saves. This would be one of only two 14+ WAR seasons for a CLB pitcher as of 2037 with the other coming in 1977.



The Southern League was very competitive with five teams finishing with 90+ wins. Wuhan took the league title at 99-63, advancing to the playoffs along with 97-65 Chongqing. Just missing the cut was Guangzhou (96-66), Xiamen (95-67), and Dongguan (92-70). The 402 runs allowed by the Wolverines was the best mark of any team in China.

MVP went to Chongqing 3B Jaiqi Zhang. The 36-yaear old right was the triple slash leader at .300/.371/.530, as well as OPS (.901), hits (164), and wRC+ (193) with 8.1 WAR, 33 home runs, and 96 RBI. Pitcher of the Year was 33-year old Zhenyu Wang of Xiamen. He was the wins leader at 23-7 and ERA leader at 1.31, posting 203 strikeouts in 267.1 innings and 7.3 WAR.

In the NL #1 vs SL #2 semifinal, Beijing edged Chongqing in a seven-game classic. Meanwhile, the SL #1 vs NL #2 semifinal had Nanjing defeat Wuhan in six, setting up two Northern League teams in the first China Series.



The initial finale also went seven games with the Bears besting the Nuggets, making the capital city the first champion of Chinese baseball. Pitcher Weiwei Wang was the finals MVP, posting a 1.32 ERA in four starts with 22 strikeouts over 27.1 innings.



Other notes: There were 12 no-hitters in the first year of the very low-scoring CLB. Two perfect games were thrown with the first on April 27 by Chongqing’s Sidao Yang with nine strikeouts against Kunming. On July 18, Elmer Ng had a three strikeout perfect for Macau against Xiamen. Mongolian Dolgoon Bolorsukh smacked 55 home runs for Jinan, which would be one of only three 55+ home seasons in the 20^th Century in CLB.

Changsha set many records for being terrible at 29-133. No other CLB team would have fewer than 50 wins as of 2037. Reliever Colin Chu from that team holds many awful records as he posted a 12.37 ERA over 203 innings and 116 games with 78 home runs and 136 walks for a 3-33 record and -14.8 WAR. This was the only season for the 32-year old, who clearly was overused and shouldn’t have been in the game to begin with.

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In the sixth season for Austronesia Professional Baseball, Manila made it a six-peat on top of the Philippine League. The Manatees finished 94-68, eight games better than Davao. After taking second last year, 1968 APB champ Taipei returned to the top spot in the Taiwan League. The Tigercats had the best overall record in the association at 100-62. Last year’s TPA winner Tainan was a distant second at 87-75.

For back-to-back years, Tainan’s Kun-Sheng Lin won both the Pitcher of the Year and the MVP. The 24-year old righty again had a Triple Crown and was slightly down for last year, but still cartoonishly good. Lin had a 21-8 record and nine saves, 1.34 ERA, 425 strikeouts, 0.65 WHIP, K/BB of 11.5, FIP- of 16, and 15.3 WAR; all league bests. He pitched 262.2 innings in total with 20 complete games and an ERA+ of 202. Also worth noting was Taipei’s Hao-Ming Lu, the Reliever of the Year. He had 8.0 WAR, which holds as the TPA record for most ever by the awards winner as of 2037. The third-year righty had 40 saves with a 0.67 ERA over 107 innings with 195 strikeouts, posting a FIP- of 1 and ERA+ of 398.



The best record in the Sundaland Association went to Batam, who had their first-ever winning season. The Blue Raiders were 103-59 atop the Malacca League, ending Medan’s four-year reign. The Marlins were second at 92-70. Defending APB champ Jakarta won a third straight Java League, cruising to the crown at 99-63. The Jaguars scored 621 runs, which surprisingly would hold as the association’s all-time most in a season until 2018.

Both MVP and Pitcher of the Year had repeat winners from the prior season. Palembang outfielder Abracham Gumelar at age 23 improved from the prior year’s award winning year and fell five average points short of a Triple Crown. He smacked 54 home runs with 122 RBI, 77 walks, a .303/.385/.633 slash, 1.017 OPS, and 10.5 WAR. Meanwhile, Jakarta’s Hendrick John in his age 30 season was the leader in wins at 23-10, as well as innings pitched (298.1), complete games (18), and shutouts (6). He posted a 7.9 WAR with a 2.14 ERA and 317 strikeouts.

The Taiwan-Philippine Association Championship saw Manila break through for the second time in their six season run, beating Taipei in six games. Ultimately, this would mark the end of the Manatees run, as their next playoff berth wouldn’t be until the early 1980s. The Tigercats luck would be worse, having to wait until the late 80s to contend again. Meanwhile, Jakarta won a third straight Sundaland Association title, dropping Batam in five



In the sixth Austronesia Championship, Jakarta cruised to a sweep of Manila, making the Jaguars the first back-to-back APB champion. Finals MVP was RF Yao-Lin Ma, who had nine hits, three home runs, and eight RBI in nine playoff games. This ultimately would be the close of their dynasty as well with the next playoff appearance coming in 1982. Still, it was impressive early success for Indonesia’s capital.



Other notes: Taipei’s Chih-Ping Chu drew 102 walks, a single-season APB record that still holds as of 2037. The previous record was 100 by Stanley Susilowati in 1968. Susilowati (SS) and CF Ruben Yu both won their sixth Gold Gloves, the only players to win it in each APB season so far.

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Melbourne’s dynasty in the OBA Australasia League continued with a franchise-best 107-55 record for a fourth straight league title. The Mets set league records in team ERA (2.26), runs allowed (415), and earned runs (370). Each of these remain second best in league history as of 2037. Their closest competitor was Brisbane, a distant second at 89-73.

Adelaide shortstop Jimmy Caliw won back-to-back league MVPs, despite the Aardvarks dropping from 98 wins to 77 wins. He was again the WARlord, this time with 10.6, led by his defense for a third straight Gold Glove. He hit 30 home runs as well, although his numbers were lower in most regards from his stellar 1969. The 24-year old Filipino would go onto see an incredible string of seasons after. Pitcher of the Year was Sydney’s Ollie Burke in back-to-back seasons. In his third season, he was the leader in WAR (9.4), WIHIP (0.77), FIP- (52) and K/BB (9.9), adding a 1.73 ERA over 249 innings with 345 strikeouts and an 18-9 record. Burke arguably had a better 1971, but this would be his last award. His run would be too short to ultimately get Hall of Fame consideration despite eventually posting 48.0 WAR in six seasons with the Snakes. He’d move to MLB with middling numbers, followed by injuries in his 30s.



The Pacific League had a first time champion in 1970 with New Caledonia finishing 100-62. The Colonels beat defending champ Guam by five games with the Golden Eagles at 95-67. NC was the leading team in both runs scored at 601 and fewest allowed at 468.

MVP went to New Caledonia designated hitter Seymour Lennox. Nicknamed “Moby Dick,” the 25-year old New Zealander was the leader in hits (204), runs (91), triples (24), stolen bases (83), average (.334), and OBP (.377), posting 7.2 WAR. Lennox also had a 26-game hit streak, beating his own OBA single-season record. Isaac Parker won his second Pitcher of the Year in an absolutely stunning development. The 27-year old Hawaiian had suffered a torn UCL the prior season and would be traded to Guam mid 1970. He only had 119.1 innings between 39 appearances and 13 starts, yet he was strong enough over the small sample size with no standouts to win it. He had a 13-4 record, 1.06 ERA, 164 strikeouts, and 3.9 WAR.

The 11^th Oceania Championship would be the third to end in a sweep. New Caledonia denied Melbourne its repeat bid, winning its first-ever title. RF Peter Cano was the finals MVP with six hits, four runs, and four extra base hits in four games. He was a 31-year old American in his first year in OBA after a decent decade in MLB.





Other notes: Te Paoro Rangi and Sakeo Rasalato became the first OBA pitchers to 2500 career strikeouts. Catcher Graham Parker won his seventh Gold Glove. RF Sione Hala won his sixth Silver Slugger.

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Defending Soviet Series champion Minsk improved on their prior season mark with a 109-53 record, This gave the Miners the North Division title and the best record for the entire European League, as well as a third straight playoff berth and their 15^th berth in EPB’s first 16 seasons. Tirana rolled to the South Division crown at 105-57 for a fourth straight playoff berth. Minsk got by on offense (723 runs scored, but 519 allowed), while the Trojans relied on defense (only 589 runs scored, but 409 allowed). Moscow had the first wild card at 95-67 to end a two year playoff skid for the Mules. The second spot went to Kharkiv in their second-ever playoff berth (1958). The Killer Bees were 90-72, two games ahead of Kazan and three games better than Budapest. For the Crusaders, the 1968 EPB champ, they saw a five-year playoff streak end.

European League MVP went to two-way star Havlik Hloznik of Bratislava. It was the second MVP for the 29-year old Slovak righty, who as a pitcher was the WARlord at 10.3 with a 1.81 ERA, 20-9 record over 288.1 innings and 363 strikeouts. As a left fielder, he added 4.0 WAR, a .308 average, 13 home runs, and 105 hits in 93 games. This was a EPB record for combined WAR in a season with his 14.3 better than any EPB pitcher or hitter would ever match, although it would be topped by a later two-way guy. Tirana’s Dan Potra won back-to-back Pitcher of the Year. The 29-year old lefty from Romania was the ERA leader at 1.37 and wins leader at 21-6. He struck out 279 batters in 257 innings for 9.9 WAR.



The best overall record in all of Eurasian Professional Baseball in 1970 was in the Asian League with Yekaterinburg. The Yaks at 110-52 won the North Division and earned a seventh consecutive playoff berth, a record for the Asian League. Although a distant second and third, both wild cards came out of the north with Omsk at 93-69 and Ulaanbaatar at 89-73. This gave the Otters three straight playoff berths and the Boars their third in four years. Dushanbe won the South Division at 93-69, their first playoff berth since winning it all in 1960. Defending Asian League champ Tashkent dropped to fourth at 84-78, caught in a hodgepodge with Tbilisi, Bishkek, and Almaty.

Asian League MVP was also a two-way player, although a less renowned one in Elmar Petrov. The 32-year old Ukrainian joined Yekaterinburg as a free agent after previous stints with Warsaw, Minsk, and Kazan. At first base in 79 games, he had 5.8 WAR with a .351 average, 1.077 OPS, 21 home runs, and 51 RBI. On the mound, he had a 2.63 ERA with an 18-10 record over 242.2 innings, 253 strikeouts, and 4.5 WAR. Pitcher of the Year went to Dushanbe’s Jozsef Laszlo. The 26-year old Hungarian led the league in wins (21-8), strikeouts (386) and quality starts (30), posting 8.3 WAR and a 1.74 ERA in 268.2 innings. Also of note, Ulaanbaatar’s Elgiz Gulyamov became a three time Reliever of the Year winner. He had 44 saves, a 1.41 ERA, 139 strikeouts, and 4.8 WAR in 89.1 innings.

Division winners won in the first round for the European League as Minsk swept Kharkiv and Tirana topped Moscow in four. In the Asian League, Yekaterinburg cruised to a sweep of Ulaanbaatar, but Omsk upset Dushanbe in a five game classic. In the ELCS, the Trojans earned their first-ever league title, winning 4-2 in a rematch with the Miners. The Yaks dropped the Otters in six in the ALCS, giving Yekaterinburg two titles in three years and their third overall.



In the 16^th Soviet Series, the Yaks topped Tirana 4-2, making Yekaterinburg a two-time overall EPB champ (they won the first final in 1955). Finals MVP was 34-year old Russian pitcher Luka Ovakimyan. The veteran had an excellent postseason, posting a 1.20 ERA in four starts with 22 strikeouts over 30 innings.



Other notes: The 12^th EPB perfect game came on July 12 from Kyiv’s Bauyrzhan Sultanov. He struck out eight in a perfecto against Riga. Asgabat scored only 375 runs all season, the all-time worst in EPB history. It would only get surpassed once when Budapest scored only 373 in 1995. Artur Golub of Ufa struck out 20 in 10.2 innings against Baku on June 3, becoming the fourth EPB pitcher with a 20+ K day. Golub, Alvi Tahiri, and Anatoliy Mykhaylenko each reached 4000 career strikeouts, making four EPB pitcher to have done so. RF German Daugelo became a 10 time Gold Glove winner, the first in EPB history. SS Avel Kamitov won his eighth Silver Slugger.

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The Northern Conference’s Northwest Division again had a fierce battle in 1970 and ultimately, the top two records in the conference. The positions switched with last year’s wild card Paris first at 103-59, followed by defending European Champion Rotterdam second at 100-62. For the Ravens, it is fourth straight playoff berths and the third in four years for the Poodles. Oslo cruised to the North Central division at 95-67. It was the first-ever playoff berth for the Octopi, who were the only Northern Conference team that that point to have not made it at least once. Last year’s division champ Berlin was an afterthought at 77-85. After missing the prior year, Dublin was back on top of the British Isles Division at 95-67. The 1967 and 68 conference champ was seven games better than Belfast and nine ahead of Birmingham.

Rotterdam first baseman Wes Verhaegen won the NC MVP. The 26-year old Belgian lefty was the leader in hits (205), runs (108), total bases (362, average (.334), slugging (.591), OPS (.955), and wRC+ (196), adding 8.1 WAR, 34 home runs, and 108 RBI. Pitcher of the Year was Luxembourg’s Richard Torley. A 29-year old Englishman, he was the WARlord at 9.2 and led in quality starts at 30. Torley saw a 24-9 record, 1.63 ERA, and 296 strikeouts in 292.1 innings.



EBF’s best overall record came from the Southern Conference with Southeast Division champ Munich at 106-56. The Mavericks snapped a five-year playoff drought and allowed only 449 runs, which remains the second-best all time in conference history as of 2037. Defending conference champ Vienna firmly took the wild card at 96-66, a sixth consecutive playoff berth for the Vultures. Naples won the South Central Division easily at 95-67, back-to-back crowns for the Nobles. After missing last year, Marseille earned a fourth playoff berth in five years atop the Southwest Division at 92-70. Barcelona was four back, while defending division champ Lisbon dropped to a lackluster 74 wins.

CF/P Lars Vogtland became a two-time Southern Conference MVP. The left-handed German won it with Vienna in 1968, but had joined Munich in 1969 as a free agent. In his second year with the Mavericks, the 29-year old only had 104 games as a hitter, but posted an impressive 6.6 WAR with a .320 average, 22 home runs, and 63 RBI. On the mound, he had a 2.43 ERA and 3.9 WAR in 167 innings with 144 strikeouts.

Malta’s Ugo Musacci won his fourth straight Pitcher of the Year, despite the lousy Marvels winning only 64 games. The 26-year old Italian was the WARlord (13.1) and strikeout leader (389), both for the fourth straight season. He also led in K/BB (12.5) and FIP- (31), adding a 2.01 ERA and 20-7 record over 255.2 innings. He would leave for America the next season and continue his dominance with MLB’s Hartford, signing a seven-year, $2,104,000 deal with the Huskies. Over his four year stretch of dominance, Musacci had a staggering 50.0 WAR and 1514 strikeouts.

In the first round of the playoffs in the Northern Conference, Paris survived in five against Oslo and Rotterdam downed Dublin in four. In the Southern Conference, Marseille upset Munich in four and Vienna swept Naples. The Northern Conference Championship was a seven-game classic between division rivals as the Poodles denied the Ravens their repeat. For Paris, they became the first four-time conference champ, albeit in a spaced out fashion (1952, 56, 63, and 70). In the Southern Conference Championship, the Vultures wouldn’t be denied their repeat, pounding the Musketeers 4-1. Vienna has won three in four years, the second franchise to do so.



The 21^st European Championship had an interesting storyline as both Paris and Vienna had been to the final multiple times, but neither had won it. The Poodles were 0-3 and the Vultures were 0-2 previously. The series went all seven for the first time since 1965. The Poodles prevailed to send the title to France for the first time. Finals MVP was French pitcher P.J. Giraud, who left for MLB the following season. The 29-year old lefty set a still-standing playoff record with 48.2 innings pitched, posting a 5-0 record and 1.85 ERA in six starts with 47 strikeouts and 1.4 WAR. He was the first EBF pitcher to earn five wins in a postseason as well.



Other notes: In addition to his other successes, Ugo Musacci set a single-game EBF record with 21 strikeouts in a June 1 game against Milan. As of 2037, only he and Lindsey Brampton will have reached 21+ in EBF. Brampton would remarkably do it eight times between 1990 and 2001. Ruder Bosnjak and Paolo Gigliotti both crossed 2500 hits, making it four EBF hitters to reach the mark. Hermann Hoffman became the seventh pitcher to 200 wins. CF Amro Adda won his eighth Gold Glove.

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Medellin continued to dominate the Bolivar League’s North Division, taking it for the sixth straight season in 1970. The defending Copa Sudamerica champ went 101-61 with the best record in the league. The South Division was a very tight battle with 1968 Copa Sudamerica winner Lima grabbing first after a narrow second in 1969. The Lobos were 98-64, edging Guayaquil by one game and Quito by seven.

Thunderbolts 1B Javier Herrera won back-to-back Bolivar League MVPs and the fourth of his career. The 32-year old Ecuadoran was the leader in hits (205), runs (107), total bases (338), triple slash (.341/.388/.562), OPS (.951), wRC+ (170), and WAR (8.2). He had 72 extra base hits and won his fifth Gold Glove defensively. Medellin’s Ivo Ferreira won Pitcher of the Year. The 28-year old Brazilian lefty led in wins with a 22-10 record and also led in innings pitched (292.2), strikeouts (355), quality starts (27), FIP- (64), and WAR (9.4). He also had a 22 strikeout game on August 5^th against Valencia in 10 innings, the second most in a BSA game behind Mohamed Ramos’ 23 in 1934.



Rio de Janeiro came seemingly out of nowhere for the best record in the Southern Cone League with the Redbirds getting only their second-ever playoff berth (1941). Rio was 102-60, outracing 97-65 Brasilia and defending league champ Sao Paulo at 96-66 in the Brazil Division. The Redbirds were .500 the prior year and had four losing seasons before that. The South Division stunk with Santiago extending its playoff streak to seven years despite struggles. They and Rosario finished tied at 82-80 to close the regular season, but the Saints advanced in a one-game playoff.

Fortaleza infielder Niculao Semide won his third league MVP. The 28-year old second baseman from Maracas was the WARlord at 12.4 and leader in the triple slash (.360/.459/.634), OPS (1.094), wRC+ (244), total bases (340), hits (193), and walks (99). Domingas Ribeiro won his third straight Pitcher of the Year for Sao Paulo. The 28-year old righty was the WARlord at 10.1 and ERA leader at 1.52, leading in both stats for the fifth straight season. His 0.74 WHIP made him the leader in that stat for the sixth straight year. Ribeiro had a 19-4 record and 14 saves over 230.2 innings with 334 strikeouts and a 36 FIP-.

Medellin would sweep Lima in the Bolivar League Championship Series to give the Mutiny four titles in five years. Rio de Janeiro became a first time Southern Cone champion by defeating Santiago 4-1 in the finale.



In the 40^th Copa Sudamerica, Rio bested Medellin in six games for their first cup win. This denied the Mutiny a repeat and made them 1-3 in the final over the last five seasons. Ares Barboza was an unexpected finals MVP, as the 26-year old was an remarkable starter who had missed half the year to injury. In the postseason, he was 3-0 over 23.1 innings with a 1.93 ERA and 15 strikeouts.



Other notes: Beisbol Sudamerica had two perfect games thrown in 1970, bringing the total to 26. On April 6, Belo Horizonte’s Samuel Palacios struck out 13 against Montevideo. On July 21, Rio de Janeiro’s Apodi Queiroz fanned 15 against Rosario. Laurenco Cedillo became the eighth pitcher to 250 career wins.

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Defending East Asian Champion Hiroshima won the Japan League South Division for the fourth straight season. The Hammerheads narrowly took the South Division at 96-66, beating Nagoya by only one game and Kitakyushu by two. Sendai earned back-to-back North Division crowns and also had a very fierce battle. The Samurai finished 94-68, edging Kawasaki by one game.

Sapporo’s Sosuke Hoshizawa won his first league MVP, a remarkable accomplishment for a 21-year old in his second season. The center fielder and second overall draft pick in 1967 was the WARlord (10.7) and whacked 54 home runs, also leading the league in runs (114), total bases (404), slugging (.688), OPS (1.071) and wRC+(211), also adding 115 RBI and 194 hits. Pitcher of the Year was Kitakyushu’s Ho-In Koh. The 25-year old righty was the ERA leader at 2.03, WHIP leader at 0.89, and WARlord with 7.9. He added a 15-6 record and 15 saves over 217.1 innings with 252 strikeouts and an 11.0 K/BB.



For the first time in a decade, Pyongyang wasn’t atop the Korea League. Hamhung rolled to the North Division title at 102-60, the first title for the Heat since 1960. Pyongyang was a distant second at 83-79. Yongin won a fifth straight South Division title with a 97-65 record. Daegu was their closest competitor at 91-71, the first winning season for the Diamondbacks since 1957.

MVP went to Busan designated hitter Ha-Rang Pan. The 31-year old in his fourth year with the Blue Jays led the league in hits (201) and OBP (.421), adding a .338 average, 29 home runs, a .980 OPS and 8.1 WAR. Pitcher of the Year for the third straight season went to Yongin’s Tae-Hong Kim. The 27-year old lefty was the WARlord at 9.8 and had a FIP- of 54. Kim posted a 20-9 record, 2.69 ERA, and 314 strikeouts over 257.1 innings.

Both League Championship Series went seven games and were dramatic as well. In a rematch in Japan, Hiroshima prevailed again over Sendai, taking game seven in 12 innings by a 4-3 final. The Hammerheads are the third Japanese team to three-peat and have now five titles overall. In Korea, Yongin won the first three games, but Hamhung rallied in the next three. The Gold Sox prevailed in game seven to finally take the crown after being denied the prior four years by Pyongyang. For Yongin, it is their first-ever league title, leaving Kyoto, Seongnam, Goyang, and Daejeon as the only teams without a finals berth in East Asia Baseball’s first 50 seasons.



Although the LCS was dramatic, the East Asian Championship wasn’t particularly. Hiroshima downed Yongin 4-1, giving the Hammerheads back-to-back EAB crowns and a 4-1 record in their finals appearances. Last year’s finals MVP Hyeog-Jun Wi was JLCS MVP with 12 hits, 8 runs, and 4 triples in 12 playoff games. Finals MVP was CF Bo-Hun Yun, posting 12 hits, 2 runs, and 3 triples in 12 playoff games.



Other notes: 12 years had passed since the last EAB perfect game, but Osaka’s Bunyu Yamada would break that streak on August 9, 1970. He struck out three against Kawasaki for EAB’s 23^rd perfect game. Sang-Hun Joon became the ninth pitcher to 4000 career strikeouts and the sixth to 250 career wins.

Home run king Lei Meng crossed a few more milestones in his penultimate season. He became the fourth hitter to 3000 career hits and the second to 2000 RBI. Meng passed Byung-Oh Tan as the all-time RBI leader with an impressive 110 RBI, 51 home run season in 1970 at age 39. The Changwon legend would fall off in his final season of 1971, but would finish with the all-time marks of 897 home runs and 2089 RBI, along with 3151 hits and 1909 runs scored. Kakuzo Yokoyama and Man-Hee Cho both crossed 600 home runs, making it nine batters in the club.

In awards notables, Han-Gyeol Bu got his 13^th and final Gold Glove at shortstop, which is more than any Korea League player has at any spit. Cathcer Wan-Seon Kwan impressively won his 11^th. 2B Min-Hyeok Shin won his 11^th Silver Slugger. SS Kyung-Hwan Choi and LF Yu-Chan Jang became nine time winners and C Jung-Soo Chen won his eighth.

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The 1970 season marked the 50^th year for East Asia Baseball, joining MLB and CABA at having reached the mark. Here’s a look at how teams have fared:



The Japan League has had a fair bit of parity with the worst average for wins per season was only 77.3, belonging to Fukuoka. Nagoya had the most wins at 86.7 per season, but Sapporo had them beat for playoff appearances (15 versus 12). The Swordfish also have the most finals berths by a good margin at 10 with the Nightowls next at six. Still, Sapporo, Nagoya, and Hiroshima are each tied for the most overall titles at four apiece. Only Kyoto hasn’t made the finals at least once, although both Fukuoka and Tokyo have one fewer playoff appearance and lower win tallies.

The Korea League has been more top heavy, especially in the North Division with the dynasty runs of both Pyongyang and Hamhung. The Pythons have averaged an impressive 94.0 wins per season with the Heat at 91.9, both the best in EAB by far. They are tied for the lead in playoff berths at 17. Pyongyang has the most overall titles at eight and finals appearances at 11. Hamhung and Busan both have eight finals berths. Daejeon, Seongnam and Goyang are the three Korean teams without a finals appearance and the Ducks have the fewest wins in all of EAB at 75.0. Daejeon, Seongnam, and Incheon have the fewest playoff appearances of any EAB team at two each.

The 50^th Anniversary All-Time Team is listed below:

SP: Chikara Ohkubo (1921-34) 249-114, 2.25 ERA, 3843 strikeouts, 126.9 WAR, 4x Pitcher of the Year
SP: Yu-Geon Moon (1930-48), 283-127, 2.41 ERA, 4452 strikeouts, 116.7 WAR, 6x Pitcher of the Year
SP: Jae-Ha Pak (1948-63) 260-183, 2.88 ERA, 3937 strikeouts, 122.7 WAR, 3x Pitcher of the Year
SP: Drew St. Louis (1935-49) 188-114, 2.01 ERA, 3634 strikeouts, 85.5 WAR, 5x Pitcher of the Year
SP: Tadasumi Tanabe (1952-65), 161-105, 2.68 ERA, 2571 strikeouts, 62.4 WAR, plus 1283 hits, 201 home runs, 47.4 WAR as a batter; 4 MVPs, 3x Pitcher of the Year
CL: Oki Tanaka (1938-54), 565 saves, 1.77 ERA, 1967 strikeouts, 64.9 WAR, 5x Reliever of the Year

C: Sang-Sik Bom (1929-41, 49-51) 1898 hits, 970 runs, 368 HR, 1058 RBI, .824 OPS, 89.2 WAR, 8x Silver Slugger
1B: Yu-Jin Kim (1934-50), 2267 hits, 1198 runs, 570 HR, 1412 RBI, .895 OPS, 94.8 WAR, 2x MVP, 7x Silver Slugger
2B: Min-Hyeok Shin (1958-73) 2699 hits, 1445 runs, 657 HR, 1732 RBI, 1.023 OPS, 124.8 WAR, 3x MVP, 13x Silver Slugger
3B: Hyun-Ook Jo (1954-69) 2290 hits, 1353 runs, 585 HR, 1405 RBI, .946 OPS, 111.7 WAR, 2x MVP, 4x Gold Glove, 8x Silver Slugger
SS; Si-U Gim (1934-53) 2403 hits, 1141 runs, 518 HR, 1347 RBI, .809 OPS, 138.8 WAR, 4x MVP, 5x Gold Glove, 11x Silver Slugger
LF: Lei Meng (1953-71) 3151 hits, 1909 runs, 897 HR, 2089 RBI, .935 OPS, 121.9 WAR, 3x MVP, 12x Silver Slugger
CF: Takashi Ishihara (1943-59) 2641 hits, 1556 runs, 703 HR, 1691 RBI, .898 OPS, 133.8 WAR, 5x MVP, 9x Silver Slugger
RF: Young-Hwan Sha (1950-69) 3055 hits, 1950 runs, 760 HR, 1863 RBI, 1.012 OPS, 122.7 WAR, 4x MVP, 15x Silver Slugger
DH: Byung-Oh Tan (1932-53) 3871 hits, 2010 runs, 718 HR, 2023 RBI, .926 OPS, 131.1 WAR, 5x MVP, 13x Silver Slugger
Manager: Fujio Hitokito: 6 EAB titles with Pyongyang, 1945-1284 career record, 10 playoff appearances (1961-72)