Baseball: The World's Game - Page 27

FuzzyRussianHat · 08-20-2023, 06:43 AM

Eurasian Professional Baseball added one player to its Hall of Fame from the 1973 voting with a first ballot nod to pitcher Miroslav Bohunicky at 76.4%. Another pitcher, Skerdi Hoxha, missed the cut by the thinnest of margins at 65.8% on his third attempt. SP Andrei Doman had 59.2% on his third go and SP Inal Brezhnev was at 57.0% in his debut. No one got to their tenth ballot yet in EPB voting with closer Mircea Ioan the first to get to six ballots in the EPB Hall’s short history.

Miroslav Bohunicky – Starting Pitcher – Kyiv Kings – 76.4% First Ballot

Miroslav Bohunicky was a 5’10’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Krompachy, a mining and skiing town with about 8,000 people in northwestern Slovakia. He was known for having excellent movement, solid control, and above average stuff. His velocity peaked in the 94-96 mph range with a four-pitch arsenal of fastball, slider, changeup, and cutter. Bohunicky had solid stamina when healthy, although various injuries started to cut into his innings in his 30s. He was also known as a very hard worker.

When Eurasian Professional Baseball was officially formed, Bohunicky was already 27 years old and known as a strong pitcher in the amateur and semi-pro ranks of Czechoslovakia. He’d ultimately head to Ukraine and join the new league with Kyiv on a six-year, $226,800 deal. He spent all but his final season with the Kings, who would be a consistent contender in EPB’s first decade.

Bohunicky never won Pitcher of the Year, but he was third in 1955, third in1 957, second in 1959, and second in 1960. He rarely was a league leader, but he posted a stellar 13.5 WAR season in 1959, only bested by Bogdan Chirita’s 13.9. That still stands as the ninth most WAR in a pitching season in EPB as of 2037. He had six straight 6.5+ WAR seasons to start his career, although the numbers would fall off with fewer innings into the 1960s. Bohunicky also pitched in the World Baseball Championship from 1956-63 with Slovakia, posting a 3.28 ERA over 118 innings with 119 strikeouts.

Bohunicky was a great playoff pitcher for Kyiv, who won the Soviet Series title in 1958, 59, 63, and 65. In 24 playoff starts, Bohunicky had a 12-8 record, 2.70 ERA, 167 strikeouts, and 4.1 WAR. His role in their early days dynasty run led to his unusual #97 jersey number getting retired. A number of injuries piled up and caused him to have only partial seasons in his latter run and less dominance when healthy. Bohunicky became a free agent at age 39 and spent his final season in Budapest, although a forearm strain took him out for most of the year. He retired after the season at age 39.

Bohunicky’s final stats: 184-102 record, 2.48 ERA, 2769.2 innings, 2655 strikeouts, 246/354 quality starts, a FIP- of 74, and 76.0 WAR. If he had his whole 20s, his stats may have been more prominent on the final leaderboards. Sharing a league with Bogdan Chirita meant he never won the big award despite having a few seasons that would’ve taken it otherwise. Still, he had an excellent burst and notable role in four rings for Kyiv, earning the first ballot induction at 76.4%.

FuzzyRussianHat · 08-20-2023, 11:18 AM

Voting for the Oceania Baseball Association Hall of Fame started in 1968, but 1973 was the first time anyone got above 30%. It would still be a few years before someone got enough to enter the Hall. Closer Neemia Tala’apitaga and SS Vae Afatia set the highest marks yet on their debut, but still distant at 30.8% and 29.2%, respectively.

FuzzyRussianHat · 08-20-2023, 03:44 PM

The 1973 World Baseball Championship was the 27^th edition of the event, this time held on the Pacific island of Fiji. In Division 1, the defending world champ United States was on top as usual with a 7-0 record, advancing them to the elite eight for the 24^th time. Group B had a three-way tie for first between China, Argentina, and Greece at 5-2; with Poland and Kazakhstan at 4-3. The Chinese advanced on the tiebreaker, giving them four consecutive division titles. D3 had Costa Rica and South Korea tied at 5-2, with the Netherlands and Venezuela both one back. The Koreans got the tiebreaker for their 10^th division title. Division 4 saw Nicaragua on top for the first time at 6-1, edging 5-2 efforts from Japan, Papua New Guinea, and Taiwan.

Division 5 had Colombia first at 6-1, knocking out defending runner-up Canada at 5-2. It is the ninth division title for the Colombians. D6 had a three-way tie between Australia, Bolivia, and Mexico at 5-2. The tiebreaker sent the Bolivians forward for the first time. Division 7 went to the Philippines at 6-1, topping Romania by one. The Filipinos move forward for the fourth time. Division 8 was the most competitive of all with four teams at 5-2; Brazil, Honduras, Puerto Rico, and Russia. When all of the tiebreakers were sorted, Brazil advanced on their 13^th Division title. They have the most elite eight appearances outside the US and Canada.

In Double Round Robin Group A, the United States went unbeaten at 6-0 for their 23^rd semifinal berth. South Korea also advanced at 4-2, while Bolivia was 2-4 and Nicaragua was 0-6. The Koreans earned their seventh semifinal appearance and third in five years. Colombia was the top team in Group B at 4-2; earning their sixth semifinal berth. The Philippines and China were both 3-3, while Brazil was 2-4. The tiebreaker sent the Filipinos to the semifinal for the second time (1967).

The Americans swept the Philippines to advance to the championship for the 20^th time. South Korea bested Colombia 4-2 to earn their fifth finals berth and first since 1969. Colombia took third officially with the Philippine fourth. The Columbians are 0-6 in their semifinal appearances all-time.

The 27^th World Championship was the third time that the United States and South Korea had met in the finale. Just like in 1962 and 1965, the Americans prevailed, dominating this time for a sweep. The US has won three straight titles and has 17 overall rings. The Koreans are 1-4 to this point in the finals.

Tournament MVP was America’s Edward Torres, the 1970 and 1971 American Association MVP. The 28-year old first baseman for Los Angeles in 21 games had 26 hits, 17 runs, 10 home runs, 23 RBI, and a .333/.398/.782 slash. The Best Pitcher was given to Bolivian veteran Roberto Ojeda. The 42-year old made three relief appearances with 8.2 scoreless innings with 13 strikeouts.

Other notes: Panama had an 8.55 ERA against them in their seven games, an all-time worst to that point in a WBC run. With Bolivia and Nicaragua’s division wins in 1973, 50 nations have now to the elite eight at least once in the WBC’s history thus far.

FuzzyRussianHat · 08-21-2023, 05:10 AM

The Chinese Northern League had Nanjing on top for their third playoff berth in CLB’s first four seasons. The Nuggets took first place for the first time with a 108-54 record. Harbin took second for their first-ever playoff spot or winning record, finishing 96-66. Jinan was three games behind them. Defending China Series champ Tianjin dropped down to sixth place at 84-78.

Leading Nanjing’s effort was 2B Zhangsung Long, winning his second league MVP. The 31-year old didn’t lead any stats, but had 8.4 WAR, 31 home runs, and a wRC+ of 188. Xi’An’s Chiming Chen won Pitcher of the Year in only his second season. The 22-year old lefty led in wins at 23-5 and quality starts with 32, adding 7.4 WAR and a 1.57 ERA over 263 innings with 266 strikeouts.

In the Southern League, Guangzhou (103-59) earned a third straight playoff berth with their second time finishing in first. Last year’s CLB runner-up Dongguan narrowly took the second playoff spot at 94-68. They were only one game better than both Chengdu and Wuhan.

Hong Kong LF Jun Zong won his second MVP in three years. The 30-year old in his last year with the Champions led in the triple slash (.298/.385/.576), OPS (.961), wRC+ (228), and runs (86), adding 42 home runs and 9.6 WAR. Chengdu’s Chun Lin won back-to-back Pitcher of the Year with another outstanding season. The 30-year old righty led in WAR (13.4), ERA (1.20), WHIP (0.65), K/BB (12.5), and FIP- (29), while all 34 of his starts were quality ones. He had a 19-8 record and 312 strikeouts in 262.1 innings in his last year with the Clowns, as he’d join Wuhan as a free agent in the offseason.

Both semifinals saw upsets with the second place finishing teams winning both series. Dongguan stunned Nanjing in only five games, while Harbin outlasted Guangzhou in a seven game thriller. After falling in the China Series last year, the Donkeys took him the title in 1973, besting the Hellcats in five games. 1B Zhaotong Huang was the finals MVP with the 35-year old getting five hits, two runs, three doubles, one homer, and five RBI in 7 playoff starts.

Other notes: Dalian’s Xianjie Ren threw China’s third Perfect Game and the most dominant one to date on September 4 against Jinan. Ren struck out 17 batters in his perfecto, which would remain the CLB record for strikeouts in a perfect game and/or no-hitter until 1981. 1B Shenchao An and LF Ruilong Yuan are the only players to win Gold Gloves in each of CLB’s first four seasons. C Chenglin Meng, SS Ling Zheng, and LF Jun Zong each have won four Silver Sluggers.

FuzzyRussianHat · 08-21-2023, 11:21 AM

The Taiwan-Philippine Association had two first-time league winners in 1973. Cebu had the best overall record at 97-65, beating Davao by nine games in the Philippine League. There have been four league winners in four years with only Quezon yet to finish first. Kaohsiung was the only team that hadn’t won the Taiwan League entering 1973. They changed that by rolling to the title at 92-70. Last year’s Association champ Tainan dropped hard to 76-86.

Despite the Titans struggling, ace Kun-Sheng Lin continued to dominate, winning his fifth straight Pitcher of the Year and his fourth league MVP. After a record 17.3 WAR the prior year, he posted 17.1 WAR in 1973, also leading in wins (25-9), ERA (1.24), innings (304.2), strikeouts (484), quality starts (32), complete games (30), shutouts (12) and FIP- (25). He set single-season records for complete games and shutouts that still hold as of 2037. As of then as well, he still has the top three APB strikeout seasons and five of the top eight in pitching WAR. Lin also earned his fourth pitching Triple Crown. Also worth noting, Taipei’s Hao-Ming Lu won his fourth straight Reliever of the Year, posting a stellar 0.49 ERA and 41 saves over 92.2 innings with 163 strikeouts and 6.8 WAR.

Over in the Sundaland Association, Surabaya and Batam continued their league dominance. The defending APB champ Blue Raiders cruised to the Malacca League title at 100-62 for their fourth straight playoff berth. The Sunbirds had their third straight berth, dominating the Java League at 103-59.

Surabaya 3B Kim Shin Pan won back-to-back MVPs. The 27-year old Singaporean righty was the WARlord at 11.7, adding a .303/.362/.592 slash, 43 home runs, and 101 RBI with a 231 wRC+. Pitcher of the Year was Semarang’s Sahid Fakhruddin. The third-year lefty from Depok led the association in WAR (12.2), ERA (1.41), strikeouts (424), WHIP (0.72), K/BB (10.3), complete games (19), and FIP- (38).

In the Taiwan-Philippine Association Championship between first time finalists, Kaohsiung topped Cebu 4-1. The Sundaland Championship was round three with Surabaya having taken it in 1971 and Batam winning in 1972. The Blue Raiders made it back-to-back titles in a seven game classic. Game seven went TWENTY INNINGS before Batam escaped with a 6-5 road win.

In the ninth Austronesia Championship, Kaohsiung prevented Batam from repeating as APB champs. The Steelheads took the series in six games, beginning what would become a dynasty run. 22-year old RF Chun-Chia Lan was the star of the postseason, winning MVP of both playoff series. He had 18 hits, 9 runs, 7 home runs, and 13 RBI in 11 games. His 1.0513 slugging and 1.5740 OPS remain APB postseason records as of 2037; the home run mark wasn’t passed until 2037, and the RBI mark sits tied for third-all time as of 2037. This was the breakout moment for Lan, who would go onto be one of the great APB hitters and a leader for Kaohsiung’s dynasty.

Other notes: 21-year old 1B Ming-Yi Wang of Taoyuan hit 50 doubles, setting a single-season APB record that still holds as of 2037. Kun-Sheng Lin had a 21 strikeout game against Zamboanga, tying his own single-game record that he set twice the prior year. Lin also threw the only no-hitter of his career on May 22, striking out 13 with one walk against Kaohsiung. Lin also became the first APB pitcher to 25000 career strikeouts. Yen-Hsun Chiang became the second hitter to 300 career home runs.

FuzzyRussianHat · 08-21-2023, 03:04 PM

Two-time defending Oceania Champion Gold Coast took the Australasia League crown for the third straight year. The Kangaroos ran away with it at 105-57, 17 games ahead of second place Sydney and 18 better than both Auckland and Melbourne. Gold Coast led in both runs scored (655) and runs allowed (452).

Aardvarks 2B Jimmy Caliw won his fifth consecutive MVP award, posting his fifth straight 10+ WAR season. He was the WARlord at 11.7 and led in total bases (346) and slugging (.582), adding 442 home runs and 100 RBI. Caliw also won his sixth Gold Glove at only age 27, getting it in every full season of his career. Brisbane’s Nathaniel Doloran won his second Pitcher of the Year award. The 26-year old lefty in his fourth season led in strikeouts for the fourth straight year, this time posting 430 with a league-best 9.9 WAR and 30 quality starts. He won the ward despite having the most losses at 13-19 with the struggling Black Bears, posting a 2.28 ERA in 315.2 innings.

Samoa won back-to-back Pacific League titles, although they had to fend off tough competition to do it. The Sun Sox were 100-63, leading in runs scored (623) and allowed (428) for the league. Tahiti was only two back at 98-64 with Guam four back at 96-66.

Golden Eagles DH Sione Hala won his record sixth MVP with the 30-year old Tongan leading in WAR (8.4), home runs (51), runs (107), hits (173), total bases (356), slugging (.579), OPS (.928), and wRC+ (194). It was Hala’s fourth season with 50+ home runs, giving him four of the seven OBA 50+ dinger seasons by any player to date. Hala also became the first OBA hitter to reach 400 career home runs. Samoa’s Brad Nelson won back-to-back Pitcher of the Year. The effectively wild 26-year old lefty from Vanuatu led in ERA (1.81), strikeouts (368), walks (123), and quality starts (33), posting 8.3 WAR over 308.2 innings with a 21-12 record.

The 14^th Oceania Championship was a rematch of the prior year and ended up being perhaps the most exciting finale to date. The series went all seven games with the finale being a 10-inning affair. The Sun Sox took game seven 6-5 to deny the Kangaroo three-peat and give Samoa its first championship. American CF Edward Hodgins was the finals MVP, a 35-year old journeyman in his fifth season with the Sun Sox. He posted 7 hits, 3 runs, 2 home runs, and 8 RBI in the series. This helped get him a job back in America with MLB’s Cincinnati the next year.

Other notes: Brisbane’s Grant Rewharewha tied the single-game strikeout record with 20 in only 7.1 innings against Sydney on September 1. This ties Brad Nelson’s mark from the prior year, but is especially impressive since Rewharewha’s wasn’t even in a complete game. LF Martin Topio won his ninth Gold Glove and 1B Justin Coolyal won his eighth

FuzzyRussianHat · 08-22-2023, 04:49 AM

Minsk remained the constant in the EPB European League with a 98-64 record atop the North Division, giving the Miners six straight playoff berths and 18 in EPB’s first 19 seasons. The other three spots went to different teams from the prior year. Kyiv snapped a six-year playoff drought by winning the South Division at 90-72. Kharkiv was second at 88-74 and narrowly took the first wild card for their third berth in four years. The other spot had a very tight battle with Moscow and Riga tying at 87-75, while Kazan and Warsaw were both only one game behind. The Mules took the one-game playoff over the Roosters, giving Moscow a third berth in four years. Defending league champ Tirana fell to sixth in the division at 77-85.

Bucharest was a forgettable 77-85, but DH Ivan Valev had a very memorable season as MVP, becoming the fifth Triple Crown hitter in the history of Eurasian Professional Baseball. The 24-year old Bulgarian nicknamed “Socks” had 52 home runs, 116 RBI, and a .316 average; also leading the league in hits (200), total bases (394), slugging (.623), OPS (.974), and wRC+ (202). In his second year with Moscow, 32-year old Havlik Hloznik won Pitcher of the Year, having previously done it with Bratislava in 1967. The two-way start was the ERA leader (1.83) and WARlord (9.0), adding 344 strikeouts over 290 innings with a 16-13 record. He also added 1.0 WAR at the plate with 13 home runs in 78 starts. Also of note, Jas Starsky won his third Reliever of the Year. The 33-year old started the year with Warsaw, then was traded at the deadline to Kharkiv. Combined, he had 36 saves, a 1.65 ERA, and 6.7 WAR with 179 strikeouts over 109 innings.

In the first round of the playoff, Minsk survived a five-game battle with Moscow, meanwhile Kharkiv upset Kyiv with a road sweep. This sent the Killer Bees to only their second European League Championship Series (1958), while the Miners were in their record 13^th. Kharkiv prevailed for their first league title 4-1, making Minsk 0-3 in the last four years. The Miners are still 6-7 all-time. The Killer Bees are the first Ukrainian finalist since Kyiv in 1965.

Chelyabinsk was a surprise top dog in the Asian League at 102-60, taking the North Division and snapping a decade-long playoff drought. The longest active playoff streak ended at nine with Yekaterinburg dropping to 78-84. Defending Soviet Series champ Almaty very narrowly won the South Division at 93-69. Dushanbe was one back at 92-70 to get the first wild card for their third playoff spot in four years. For the second spot, Tbilisi and Tashkent tied at 91-71, while Irkutsk was 90-72 and Krasnoyarsk was 88-74. The tiebreaker game went to the Trains, giving them back-to-back wild cards.

Ice Cats LF Grigori Ovsianikov won the league MVP in his fourth full season. The 24-year old Russian led in total bases (332), slugging (.588), OPS (.959), and wRC+ (193), adding 8.5 WAR, a .319 average, and 34 home runs. Pitcher of the Year was Dushanbe’s Nurlan Rahmonov. The 25-year old Uzbek righty was the WARlord at 9.4 with a 60 FIP-, adding 326 strikeouts in 281 innings with a 1.92 ERA and 18-12 record.

Both first round matchups ended up being sweeps with Tbilisi upsetting Chelyabinsk and Almaty topping Dushanbe. In the Asian League Championship Series, it was the first appearance for the Trains, meanwhile the Assassins were in their seventh and looking for a three-peat. Tbilisi took them to the brink, but Almaty prevailed in seven games, taking game seven 4-3 in 11 innings. The Assassins became the first team in either league to win three straight league titles.

In the 19^th Soviet Series, Almaty downed Kharkiv 4-1, making the Assassins the second back-to-back EPB champ, joining 1958-59 Kyiv. Pitcher Elvin Kambarov was the finals MVP and became a two-time MVP, also doing it back in 1965 with Bishkek. The 35-year old Kazakh had a 1.09 ERA in five postseason starts with 33 innings pitched, 39 strikeouts, and a 3-1 record.

Other notes; Almaty’s Elvin Kambarov had the fourth EPB game with 20+ strikeouts, fanning 20 over 11.2 innings against Omsk on 5/30. The record remains 22 by Arutyun Lezjov in 1962. On April 1, Alvi Tahiri became the first EPB pitcher to 5000 career strikeouts. Artur Golub would hit the mark as well in July. This would be Golub’s penultimate season and he’d end with 5238 career Ks. Tahiri would keep going and cross the 6000 K mark in 1976. Tahiri also became the second to 250 career wins.

Zina Gigolashvili became the first to 600 career home runs. RF German Daugelo won his record 12^th Gold Glove. Catcher Samir Allahverdiyev won his record ninth Silver Slugger.

FuzzyRussianHat · 08-22-2023, 05:17 PM

Defending European Champion Rotterdam set a franchise record in 1973 at 106-56, taking the again strong Northwest Division and earning a seventh consecutive playoff berth. The division also had the wild card contenders with Paris taking it at 96-66, beating Brussels by four games. This gave the Poodles back-to-back wild cards. London snapped a three-year playoff skid by winning the British Isles Division firmly at 96-66. Last year’s winner and conference finalist Birmingham fell off a cliff at 67-95. Meanwhile, Oslo had an impressive climb from 64 wins to 94, taking the North Central Division for the second time in franchise history. They bested Stockholm by four games for the spot. Last year’s division champ Hamburg dropped from 92 wins down to 74.

Although Glasgow was middling, they had an impressive debut season from CF Leon McShane, who won MVP and Rookie of the Year. The 23-year old Northern Irishman was the WARlord (11.3) and led in doubles (39) and stolen bases (96), adding a .292/.337/.499 slash and 108 runs. He was the third in EBF history to win MVP as a rookie. London’s Woody Renner won Pitcher of the Year in only his third season, leading in ERA (1.75) in a season with 20 starts and 39 relief appearances. He had a 5.9 WAR and 227 strikeouts in 195.1 innings.

Oslo stunned Rotterdam in the first round of the playoffs, ousting the powerhouse Ravens in five. Meanwhile London swept Paris, sending the Monarchs to their fourth Northern Conference final appearance. Their only win was in 1953, with defeats in 1960 and 1968. Meanwhile, the Octopi had never gotten that far. The series went all seven games, but London prevailed, breaking the streak of four straight winners out of the Northwest Division.

The top mark in the Southern Conference was Zagreb at 100-62, snapping a five-year playoff drought and giving them the Southeast Division. Vienna, winners of four of the last six conference titles, was close behind at 96-66 and got the wild card. This gave the Vultures nine straight playoff berths, the longest streak in EBF history to date. Zurich ended a seven-year playoff drought by taking the South Central Division at 94-68, 11 better than last year’s champ Milan. Barcelona at 85-77 was just good enough to win the Southwest Division, edging defending champ Madrid and Lisbon both by two. For the Bengals, that also ended a seven-year playoff drought.

MVP went to Zagreb SS Nikolaos Pavlis, his third time winning the award (1967, 69). The 28-year old Greek posted 11.1 WAR with 45 home runs, 97 RBI, 103 runs, and a .301/.361/.577 slash. Zurich’s Jean-Luc Roch won Pitcher of the Year in the first breakout season for a guy many would later consider EBF’s GOAT pitcher. The 22-year old Frenchmen was five short of the single-season strikeout record with 402, adding 10.5 WAR over 258.2 innings with a 1.93 ERA and 20-6 record.

In the first round, both series went all five games. Zagreb survived a strong challenge from Barcelona, while Vienna won at Zurich. It was the third Southern Conference Finals berth for the Gulls, who fell in 1956 and won in 1960. Despite the better regular season record, it was the Vultures who took the series in six games, giving Vienna five conference titles in seven years.

In the 24^th European Championship, London defeated Vienna 4-2, giving the Monarchs their second title (1953). RF Sebastijan Jarc was finals and NCC MVP with the 33-year old Serbian posting 16 hits, 10 runs, 7 home runs, and 13 RBI over 16 playoff games. This ultimately was the end of the run for the Vultures, who went a heartbreaking 0-5 in their finals appearances from 1967-73. The cup wouldn’t return again to England until Birmingham’s 1991 win.

Other notes: Blaise Combes and Sauncho Fiero became the fifth and sixth EBF members of the 2500 hit club. Fiero would jump into the lead soon and become the first 3000 hit player in 1975. LF Paul Daane won his eighth Gold Glove.

FuzzyRussianHat · 08-23-2023, 06:24 AM

The Bolivar League North Division had a new face on top in 1973 as Bogota finished 91-71, a big jump for their 69 wins the prior year. This gave the Bats their first playoff berth since 1955. Last year’s league champ Caracas dropped to fourth at 80-82, just behind both Maracaibo and Valencia. In the South Division, Guayaquil took first for the third time in five years. The Golds were 91-71, five better than both Quito and La Paz.

Leading the charge for Bogota was 29-year old LF Julio Batista, who won MVP. He tied the former single-season home run record of 62 and led the league with 9.8 WAR, 115 runs, 38 doubles, 133 RBI, 412 total bases, a .690 slugging, 1.057 OPS, and 216 wRC+. Batista would play one more year for the Bats before leaving for MLB’s St. Louis. Guayaquil’s Laurenco Cedillo won his seventh Pitcher of the Year, tying the record set by the legendary Mohamed Ramos. The 38-year old Cedillo proved ageless, posting 8.0 WAR over 280.2 innings with 226 strikeouts, 2.15 ERA, and 21-9 record. Cedillo joined Ramos this season as the only Beisbol Sudamerica pitchers with 300+ career wins. Cedillo would have two more seasons and finish with 342, just short of Ramos’ 347 for the all-time record.

Salvador crushed the competition in the Southern Cone League in 1973 with a franchise record 110-52. This was only the third Brazil Division win for the Storm, who did it in 1949 and 1962. Defending Copa Sudamerica champ Fortaleza was a distant third at 84-78. In the South Division, Santiago finished first yet again at 93-69, six better than Buenos Aires. The Saints extended their record postseason streak to ten years, although it ultimately was the last year of the run. Impressively, Santiago made the playoffs 15 times from 1957-73.

Slugger Valor Melo led Salvador’s turnaround with a record-smashing season for the 24-year old Brazilian left-handed first baseman. He won his first MVP and became the single-season home run king, passing the old record of 62 with 66 dingers. His 143 RBI was only four short of Mike Andrades’ 1962 record of 147 and he had only the seventh 12+ WAR hitting season in BSA history to that point with 12.3. Melo also led the league in runs (127), total bases (418), slugging (.719), OPS (1.125), and wRC+ (231). His OPS was also a single-season record to that point, which he himself would top multiple times later. Pitcher of the Year was Brasilia’s Cristo Manso with the 25-year old leading in wins (23-7) and ERA (1.87) with 10.3 WAR and 311 strikeouts in 279 innings.

In the Bolivar League Championship Series, Bogota bested Guayaquil in six games, giving the Bats their second-ever title (1951). The Golds are now 1-6 all-time in BLCS appearances. Salvador cruised to the Southern Cone Championship with a sweep of Santiago, giving the Storm their third title (1949, 1962). After being a fixture of the finals in the 1950s, 60s, and early 70s, the Saints wouldn’t be back again until 1993.

The 43^rd Copa Sudamerica would be a seven-game classic, the first since 1965. Underdog Bogota gave Salvador a great challenge, but the 110-win Storm were too much to handle, winning the Cup for the second-time in franchise history (1949). RF Dani Manzanares was finals MVP with the second-year lefty posting 10 hits, 6 runs, 3 home runs, and 11 RBI in 11 playoff games. Salvador’s 110-52 record was the best by a Cup winner since Cordoba’s record 120-42 1956 season. The Bats would have to wait until 2000 to get their first overall title.

Other notes: Buenos Aires’ Raphael Grieco struck out 438 batters, setting a single-season BSA record for someone not named Mohamed Ramos (Ramos bested that mark ten times). Another milestone for Laurenco Cedillo was his 5000^th strikeout, becoming the third BSA pitcher to reach to mark. He’d finish with 5358, behind Ramos (7747) and Evan Yho (5591). SS Alexander Rolon won his 10^th Gold Glove. 1973 would also be the final year for Beisbol Sudamerica with just the original 24 teams, as there would be a four-team expansion starting in 1974.

FuzzyRussianHat · 08-23-2023, 12:11 PM

The Japan League had a restructuring at the top in 1973 with the Hiroshima dynasty ending and last year’s North Division winner Sapporo dropping to .500. The South Division race was fierce with Kyoto taking it at 103-59, finishing two ahead of Kobe. The Kamikaze led in runs scored (715) and fewest allowed (520), ending a six-year playoff drought. The Hammerheads were fifth place at84-78 after winning four of the last five Japan League titles; they wouldn’t get back to the playoffs until 1985. In the North Division, Tokyo ended a playoff drought stretching back to 1937. The Tides finished 87-75, six ahead of Sapporo.

Although Hiroshima dropped off, RF Hyeog-Jun Wi won his second MVP (1969). The 28-year old led with 59 home runs, 124 RBI, 213 wRC+, .724 slugging, and 425 total bases, adding 10.5 WAR and 111 runs scored. His .327 average was four points shy of nabbing a Triple Crown season. Wi also won his ninth Gold Glove. Kyoto’s Shuichiro Sato won back-to-back Pitcher of the Year awards. The fourth-year righty was the wins leader at 23-4 and ERA leader at 1.69, also leading with 0.85 WHIP. He had 238 strikeouts in 213.1 innings with 6.4 WAR.

The Korea League also had a shakeup at the top in 1973. In the North Division, Incheon took the title at 103-59, besting defending league champ Pyongyang by seven games. This was the first playoff berth for the Inferno since winning it all in 1954. Meanwhile, Daegu cruised to the South Division crown at 96-66 for their first division title since the 1956 championship season. The Diamondbacks at 827 had the most runs scored in the league.

Seoul 1B Yu-Jin Choi picked up Korea League MVP. The 28-year old was the leader in homers (58), runs (130), walks (88), total bases (400), OBP (.411), slugging (.672), OPS (1.083), wRC+ (183), and WAR (9.0). Seongnam’s Yu-Jin Lee was Pitcher of the Year, earning East Asia Baseball’s seventh pitching Triple Crown and the first since 1952. The 27-year old lefty had a 20-4 record, 1.99 ERA, and 360 strikeouts, posting 9.4 WAR and 30 quality starts over 266.1 innings. This was Lee’s third straight season leading Korea in ERA and FIP-.

In the Japan League Championship Series, Tokyo topped Kyoto 4-1, giving the Tides their third-ever league title (1921, 1936). The Korea League Championship Series went all seven games with Daegu edging Incheon in the end. The Diamondbacks are now six time champs (1931, 41, 52, 53, 56),

The 53^rd East Asia Championship was a seven-game thriller for back-to-back seasons. Daegu downed Tokyo in the end for their third overall title, joining the 1953 and 1956 campaigns. 24-year old CF I-Deun Mok won finals MVP, getting 19 hits, 9 runs, 4 doubles, 3 home runs, and 8 RBI in 14 playoff games. This marked the start of Daegu’s run as the top Korean team for the next few seasons.

Other notes: Daegu’s Yusaku Kobayashi threw EAB’s 24^th perfect game on August 7, striking out seven against Ulsan. Pyongyang’s San-Hun Joon became the first EAB pitcher to 300 career wins and the first to 5000 strikeouts. Despite never winning Pitcher of the Year, Joon quietly climbed up the leaderboards. He’d pitch three more seasons, retiring as the EAB leader in wins (346), strikeouts (5694), and innings pitched (5346), records that still hold as of 2037. He also has the record for most home runs allowed at 761 and allowed the most in eight different seasons, giving him only 85.7 career WAR despite his massive tallies. As of 2037, the 761 homers allowed is the most by a solid margin by any pitcher in any pro league.

Ki-Tae Yun became the 14^th hitter to 600 home runs and the 17^th to 1500 career RBI. 1B Chi-Seong Chwa won his eighth Gold Glove. Catcher Jung-Soo Chena and Shortstop Kyung-Hwan Choi both became 11-time Silver Slugger winners.

FuzzyRussianHat · 08-23-2023, 05:35 PM

Mexico City yet again was the dominant force of the Mexican League with the now six-time defending league champ dominating the South Division at 108-54, leading in both runs scored (740) and fewest allowed (520). This extended their record postseason streak to eight seasons. Juarez took the North Division at 92-70 for their first playoff appearance in a decade. The wild card battle was intense and saw a three-way tie at 86-76 between Leon, Tijuana, and Queretaro, while Guadalajara was only one behind. The Terriers eliminated the Toros in the first one-game playoff tiebreaker, then the Lions ousted Queretaro. This ended a seven-year playoff drought for Leon.

Getting MVP was Aztecs RF J.J. Santin, who they acquired in a trade the prior summer from Nicaragua. In his final CABA season before leaving for MLB, the 29-year old lefty led in home runs (46), RBI (110), walks (95), OBP (.989), and wRC+ (190), adding 8.5 WAR and 106 runs scored. Guadalajara’s Mario Benitez won Pitcher of the Year with the tenth pitching Triple Crown in CABA history and only the third since the 1920s. It was the third PotY for the 31-year old righty, who had a 19-8 record, 1.84 ERA, and 342 strikeouts, while also leading with a 0.84 WHIP, 27 quality starts, 20 complete games, and 9.0 WAR.

Wild card Leon upset Juarez in the wild card round 3-2. The Lions ultimately ran into the Mexico City buzzsaw as the Aztecs took the Mexican League Championship Series in five games. This gave Mexico City an unprecedented seven straight league titles; which remains the longest streak in CABA as of 2037. This also tied MLB’s Philadelphia (1941-47) for the longest subleague title streak to that point in any professional league.

Haiti had the best record in the Caribbean League at 100-62 for their first Island Division title since 1965. Last year’s league champ Trinidad (81-81) and wild card Havana (75-87) both were non-factors in the division. Santo Domingo was second at 93-69 with Puerto Rico at 90-72; both ultimately short of the wild card. That spot went to the Continental Division where Honduras and Guatemala tied for first at 95-67. The tiebreaker game and division title went to the Horsemen, giving the Ghosts the wild card. This gave Honduras back-to-back division titles and put Guatemala in for the seventh time in nine years.

Guatemala CF Wesley Dubar won his eighth league MVP, tying him with Prometheo Garcia for second most in CABA history behind Kiko Velazquez’ ten. It was actually a down year by the incredibly high standard the 30-year old CF had set. Dubar still led in runs (124), RBI (123), total bases (384), OBP (.400), slugging (.681), OPS (1.081), and wRC+ (179), adding 9.2 WAR and 50 home runs. It was the eighth consecutive season he led in runs scored. Dubar also crossed 2000 hits and 400 home runs this season. Pitcher of the Year was Santo Domingo’s Deinis Alonso with the 27-year old Cuban lefty leading in ERA (1.87), strikeouts (299), quality starts (28), and FIP- (63), adding 7.7 WAR and a 18-4 record in 236.1 innings. This would be Alonso’s last year with the Dolphins, as he’d sign a big free agent deal in the offseason with Guatemala.

Honduras and Guatemala met again in the wild card round with the Horsemen taking the series 3-1. In the Caribbean League Championship Series, Haiti won 4-3 over Honduras. This was the third title for the Herons, whose only other wins were in 1937 and 1938.

In the 63^rd Central American Baseball Association Championship, Haiti got closer than many others to unseating Mexico City. The Aztecs ultimately won the series 4-2 for a fifth straight overall title and sixth in seven years. Finals MVP would be Belizean catcher Sanjay Kapur, who had 15 hits, 8 runs, 4 home runs, and 10 RBI in 11 playoff games.

This would mark the end of the Mexico City championship dynasty, but would go down as one of the all-time runs in any professional league. Never before had any team won five overall titles in a row or six in seven years. Only the 2008-2013 six-peat from Addis Ababa in the African Association of Baseball would match or top the five-peat as of 2037. The six in seven would get met by West African Baseball’s Kano from 1997-03, OBA’s Melbourne from 2004-10, and during Ahmedabad’s run of 12 titles in 17 years from 1986-2002 in the Asian Baseball Federation.

Other notes: Mexico City manager Spiro Santim has a case as the greatest manager of all-time. Not only did he win six rings with the Aztecs, but he also won two in the 1950s with Monterrey. The temperamental Mexico City native would retire after the 1974 season with eight rings and 13 playoff berths, a 1930-1311 record, and nine CABA Manager of the Year titles. Although he’d get passed for most CABA wins and there would be others with more wins and playoff berths in other leagues, the eight overall championships remains an all-time best as of 2037. The closest would be Pablo Salcedo, who would win seven OBA titles with Honolulu from 1982-90 and Geandris Frias with seven WAB titles for Kano from 1997-05. In his playing career, Santim was a shortstop who was worth -1.0 WAR over 101 plate appearances in the 1930s.

Ecatepec’s Johan Balli struck out 20 in 8.2 innings against Leon on August 19. This was the 11^th 20+ K game in CABA history and tied the regulation record (Nick Bermea had 22 Ks in 14.2 innings back in 1918, which to this point is the only game with more than 20.) Santiago Esquivel became the sixth CABA pitcher to reach 4000 career strikeouts. SS Ivan Marrero won his 10^th Gold Glove. SS Aaron Valencia won his tenth Silver Slugger. For the 1974 season, CABA lowered the active roster size from 25 to 24.

baloroslin · 08-23-2023, 06:08 PM

Interesting stats man!

FuzzyRussianHat · 08-24-2023, 04:43 AM

Defending National Association champ Montreal had the NA’s best record in 1973, taking the Eastern League for back-to-back seasons at 99-63. Ottawa was close behind at 97-65 and took the first wild card after missing the prior two postseasons. Omaha won the Midwest League for the first time since 1967 with the Hawks at 96-66. Kansas City was second at 94-68, snapping a six-year playoff skid by earning the second wild card.

At 92-70, Cleveland was the third wild card, ending a 13-year playoff drought for the Cobras. The final spot went to 89-73 St. Louis, who were two ahead of both Brooklyn and Pittsburgh, three better than Chicago, and four ahead of Detroit. This extended the Cardinals postseason streak to five years, the longest active one in MLB. Noticeable drops in 1973 came from Philadelphia, going from 96 wins to 70; and Columbus going from 86 wins to 62.

Pittsburgh LF Connor Neumeyer won his second MVP at only age 23. He led the National Association in WAR (10.1), total bases (402), OBP (.417), slugging (.683), OPS (1.100), and wRC (213), adding 49 home runs, 115 RBI, 115 runs, and 210 hits. Cleveland’s Dallas Levy won Pitcher of the Year for the second time, having also gotten it in 1970. The 26-year old righty led in quality starts with 28, posting a 2.38 ERA and 18-6 record over 272 innings with 260 strikeouts and 7.0 WAR. Unfortunately, numerous major injuries would mean Levy posted only 2.2 total WAR over the remainder of his career.

The first round playoff matchups were both 2-0 with Cleveland over Kansas City and St. Louis over Ottawa. Montreal made it back to the final by besting the Cardinals 3-1, while the Cobras stunned Omaha with an upset in five. This gave Cleveland their first National Association Championship Series berth since 1959. However, the Maples mauled them with the first NACS sweep since 1966. Montreal became the first repeat NACS champ since Kansas City in 1961-62 and took their seventh NA title overall.

Seattle had the best record in the American Association, winning their second-ever Western League title (1963). The Grizzlies finished 99-63, holding off a strong field with four other teams above 90 wins. In the Southern League, Memphis took first at 95-67 for their first playoff berth or league title since 1965. Three-time defending World Series champion New Orleans was one behind at 94-68 and took the second wild card spot.

The first wild card went to Los Angeles at 95-67, putting them in the playoff field for the fifth time in six years after missing the prior year. The battle for the remaining two spots was in the Western League. Calgary and Oakland both finished 93-69, while Albuquerque ended one back and Portland five back. This snapped a seven-year playoff drought for the Cheetahs and was the second in three years for the Owls.

Seattle LF Jaxson Caldwell won the MVP. The 25-year old lefty led in WAR (8.2), hits (227), and batting average (.375), adding 103 runs scored and a .999 OPS with 24 home runs. Albuquerque’s Sean Forcum won Pitcher of the Year with the 25-year old lefty leading in ERA (2.32), innings (299), quality starts (25), complete games (21), shutouts (7), and WAR (9.4). He added 239 strikeouts with a 23-8 record. Forcum also had a no-hitter with eight strikeouts and one walk on June 29 against Atlanta.

The first round of the playoffs had New Orleans over Oakland 2-0 and Los Angeles over Calgary 2-0. In the second round, the Mudcats weren’t ready to see the dynasty end, upsetting Seattle in five games. The Angels would knock off Memphis 3-2 on the road for return for the third time in the last six years. The American Association Championship Series went the distance with game seven going to extras. Los Angeles took the finale 5-4 in 10 innings for their first title since 1968 and sixth overall. This denied New Orleans the four-peat and officially marked the end of their contention, as the Mudcats wouldn’t return to the AACS until 2021.

The 73^rd World Series was the second time that Los Angeles and Montreal had met in the Fall Classic, with the Maples taking the 1949 encounter. The Angels would give the American Association its sixth straight crown, defeating Montreal 4-1. SS Anthony Galam was finals MVP in his first full season as a starter. The 22-year old in 14 playoff games and 10 starts had 17 hits, 6 runs, 3 doubles, and 8 RBI. The Angels now have four MLB titles (1945, 46, 68, 73). The Maples are runner-up for back-to-back seasons and now 2-5 all-time in the World Series.

Other notes: Isaiah Gilbert of Calgary had 56 doubles, setting a single-season MLB record that still stands as of 2037. Boston as a team had 255 stolen bases, which stands as second-most in a National Association season. On April 21, Brooklyn’s Michael Manley went 7-7 against Milwaukee. He’s the second MLB hitter with a seven-hit game, joining Hermeo Eraso’s 7-8 in 1922. R.J. Clinton became the 15^th MLB batter to reach 600 career home runs. The next one wouldn’t happen until 1987. Clinton and Vince Scarpello both crossed 1500 career runs, bringing it to 71 players to have done so in MLB.

MLB also made a surprising rule change following the 1973 season, lowering the active roster size from 24 to 23. All of the other leagues had 24 or 25 as their number. MLB is the only of the pro leagues to have minor league affiliates, for what that’s worth.

FuzzyRussianHat · 08-24-2023, 12:28 PM

One player made it into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame with the 1974 ballot as DH Ron Koehler earned first ballot honors at 81.9%. Four others were above 50%, but below 60%. SP Jeremiah Rutledge got 57.0% on his third attempt, C Gray Caraway received 56.1% on his fourth ballot, LF C.J. West grabbed 52.8% on his second attempt, and SP Richard Thieman in his debut earned 51.9%.

One player was dumped after ten failed attempts in closer Hubert McCloud. He won Reliever of the Year once and in 17 MLB seasons with nine teams, he had 292 saves, a 2.02 ERA, 989 strikeouts, and 30.2 WAR. He ended on a peak at 45.2% after sinking as low as 21.8% the prior year. A decent career, but firmly someone who should be outside.

Ron Koehler – Designated Hitter – Oakland Owls – 81.9% First Ballot

Ron Koehler was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed designed hitter from Harrison, Arkansas; a small city with about 13,000 people in the northern part of the state. In his prime, he was arguably the best home run hitter in the game. He had an excellent eye and ability to draw walks with above average to good contact skills, although he did strike out a bit more than the average batter. Koehler hit a lot of homers, but didn’t double terribly often and was a comically slow baserunner. He technically was a left fielder, but he only made 25 starts his entire MLB career in the field due to being an atrocious fielder. That said, Koehler was a terrific leader, a hard worker, and very durable; making him a valuable piece despite his deficiencies.

Koehler was a surprisingly late bloomer who in college at Tulane had pretty pedestrian numbers, posting only 22 home runs, 72 RBI, and a .258 average over 140 college games. With average-at-best hitting and no fielding ability to speak of, he wasn’t a hot commodity. Miami picked him in the sixth round of the 1949 MLB Draft, 257^th overall. At induction, only closer Noah Pugliese (275^th pick) had been picked later and gone into the Hall. Koehler spent his first six pro seasons largely as a backup in minor league Fort Myers, only making 18 starts and playing 215 minor league games from 1950-55.

Koehler debuted in 1955 at age 26, an incredibly late debut for a later prominent player in a tenured league. He made 50 starts with unremarkable stats. However, in 1956, everything clicked for Koehler. He refined his swing, changed his habits, and starting eating a balanced breakfast. He went from being graded a 6/5/6 potential for contract/power/eye to being viewed as 9/10/9. In his second year with the Mallards, he hit 30 home runs in 113 games. From there, he’d smack 40+ dingers in ten of his remaining twelve seasons.

In 1958, Koehler won his first Silver Slugger at DH for Miami, leading the American Association with 55 home runs. He’d lead in dingers seven times in his career, RBI four times, walks twice, total bases thrice, runs twice, and OPS twice. In 1959, he smacked 54 homers, won his second Silver Slugger, and took second in MVP voting. In total with Miami, he had 663 hits, 423 runs, 185 home runs, 456 RBI, and 17.5 WAR.

MLB teams were now excited about Koehler’s hitting potential and middling Miami figured they couldn’t keep him around with free agency looming. The Mallards traded Koehler before the 1960 season for two players and a draft pick to Las Vegas. Although brief, his Vipers run his most impactful. He won Silver Sluggers in each of this three seasons in Vegas and took home the MVP in both 1961 and 1962; along with a third place in 1960. In three seasons, he had 162 home runs and 430 RBI. Around this time, he also provided power to the United States team in the World Baseball Championship. From 1959-62, he had 86 starts, 94 hits, 84 runs, 44 home runs, 1114 RBI, and 7.5 WAR. Koehler was tournament MVP in 1962 and won world titles in 1960, 1961, and 1962.

Sadly for Koehler, the WBC was the only postseason success he’d see in his career. Las Vegas had won the World Series the year before his arrival, but fell off to start the 1960s despite his efforts. Now a free agent at age 34, he signed for the 1963 season with Oakland on a five-year, $1,060,000 contract. Koehler was never award conversations with the Owls and they never made the playoffs, but he still led the American Association in home runs thrice. In 1964, he had one of the rare MLB four home run games, smacking them against Vancouver.

Oakland was his longest tenure and the one he went into the Hall with, posting 798 hits, 514 runs, 218 home runs, 534 RBI, and 17.6 WAR. With the Owls, he passed the 500 career home runs and 2000 hits milestones. He led in both homers and RBI in 1967 at age 38 and became a free agent, opting to go back to Las Vegas for 1968 on a three-year deal. He fell off significantly in his brief Vipers return, opting to retire at age 39. In four total seasons with LV, he had 666 hits, 422 runs, 187 home runs, 495 RBI, and 20.4 WAR.

Koehler’s final stats: 2127 hits, 1359 runs, 231 doubles, 590 home runs, 1485 RBI, 1125 walks, a .272/.363/.533 slash, wRC+ of 137, and 55.5 WAR. His career was an odd one and the resume had holes, such as an incredibly low WAR relative to other Hall of Famers due to his lack of any defensive or baserunning value. Koehler never got to the playoffs either. However, he had five 50+ home run seasons and two MVPs and for a stretch was the most feared power hitter out there. His totals are fairly solid considering a late start to his stats and he was very well liked by fans and players, thus Koehler earned the first ballot nod at 81.9%.

FuzzyRussianHat · 08-24-2023, 05:43 PM

The 1974 Central American Baseball Association Hall of Fame class was an impressive one with four players inducted for the first time since 1967. On top of that, all four guys were first ballot picks. The stars were easily CF Emmanuel Lopez and SP Oscar Medina, receiving impressive tallies of 98.5% and 96.0% respectively. 1B Ysidro Pico was next with 79.3%, then RF Zak Carranza barely crossed the 66% threshold with 66.5%. No one else was above 50%.

SP Danny Ledo was the one player dropped after ten failed ballots, finishing at 46.5% after a peak at 53.6% and bottom at 14.5%. A two-time Pitcher of the Year, he was hurt by leaving for MLB’s Baltimore for six seasons in his 30s. In his 12 CABA seasons, he had a 154-122 record, 3.03 ERA, 2633 strikeouts in 2561 innings, and 52.0 WAR. With his full pro totals of 237-197 and 71.2 WAR, he might have crossed the line narrowly, but the CABA accumulations weren’t quite there in the minds of the voters.

Emmanuel Lopez – Center Field – Mexico City Aztecs – 98.5% First Ballot

Emmanuel Lopez was a 6’0’’, 195 pound right-handed center fielder from Naucalpan, Mexico; a part of the greater Mexico City metro. Lopez was a tremendous contact hitter that led in both batting average and hits three times in his career. He had very solid baserunning speed and a respectable knack for drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. Lopez wasn’t a prolific slugger, but he had excellent pop in his bat, averaging around 25-30 home runs per year and around 30-40 doubles/triples. Lopez was a career center fielder and considered an above average to good defender in his career. Maybe most impressively, he was incredibly durable despite playing a very physically demanding position, still putting up strong numbers in center into his mid to late 30s. With this impressive five-tool skill set, the mild-mannered Lopez became an extremely popular player of the 1950s and 1960s.

Lopez’ talent was noticed immediately in his amateur days and in the 1950 CABA Draft, he was the #1 overall pick by Mexico City. The Aztecs were struggling this point and only won 61 games in his first season. Sadly for Lopez, he’d be gone before they made their dynasty run and only saw one playoff season with them, but his efforts still helped revitalize the franchise.

Lopez started 126 games in his rookie year and would start 148+ in every season for the next decade. He was the Mexican League Rookie of the Year in 1951, then won MVP and Silver Slugger in his sophomore season with 10.2 WAR, a .346 average, and 209 hits. He’d finish first in WAR four times with the Aztecs and take home additional MVPs in 1956, 57, and 60, along with a third place finish in 1954. He won eight straight Silver Sluggers from 1954-61, getting nine in total with Mexico City. Lopez also was a regular for Mexico in the World Baseball Championship from 1952-66. In 166 games and 163 starts, he had 163 hits, 111 runs, 35 home runs, 90 RBI, and 4.0 WAR. Lopez led the tournament in hits (34) and stolen bases (15) in 1963 and finished third in MVP voting, helping Mexico to a World Championship.

In total in a decade-plus with the Aztecs, Lopez had 2223 hits, 1117 runs, 333 doubles, 125 triples, 302 home runs, 1053 RBI, a .328/.382/.547 slash and 98.6 WAR; arguably a Hall of Fame career right there up to age 33. The Aztecs would retire his #13 uniform later and he’d be remembered very fondly despite it being a relatively unremarkable decade for the franchise. His 1960 season at age 31 was arguably his best with a career-best 11.1 WAR, 218 hits, and 354 total bases.

At age 33, free agency was likely looming following the 1962 season. That summer, Mexico City sent him to Honduras for five prospects, one of which would be Brian Arevalos, the closer in three of the Aztec championship seasons. Lopez would sign a four-year, $582,000 contract extension with the Horsemen after the season and ultimately spend the rest of his pro career there.

Honduras was the powerhouse of the Caribbean League Continental Division at that point and would make the playoffs five times in Lopez’ tenure, winning the CABA Championship in 1963. That season, Lopez won his fifth league MVP with a career-best 43 home runs and 114 RBI. He was CLCS and CABA finals MVP as well with 22 hits, 10 runs, 4 home runs, and 12 RBI over 13 playoff games. Lopez won his sixth and final league MVP in 1964. He won Silver Sluggers in both seasons as well, giving him 11 for his career.

Back injuries would start to put him out sporadically in his final seasons, although he was still very solid when healthy from 1965-67. Lopez became the fourth CABA hitter to reach 3000 career hits, the fourth to 1500 runs scored, and the eighth to 1500 RBI. 1968 was the year where Lopez finally dipped below replacement level and he’d retire after the season at age 40. With Honduras, he had 1091 hits, 548 runs, 171 home runs, 558 RBI, a .309/.356/.533 slash and 37.0 WAR.

The final stats for Lopez: 3314 hits, 1665 runs, 482 doubles, 190 triples, 473 home runs, 1611 RBI, 908 stolen bases, a .321/.373/.542 slash, 164 wRC+, and 135.6 WAR. At retirement, he was third in CABA hitting WAR behind only Prometheo Garcia and Kiko Velazquez. Lopez also retired third in hits, third in runs scored, and fourth in RBI. As of 2037, no CABA player has more WAR in center field. Lopez was easily an inner-circle Hall of Famer and arguably Mexico’s greatest center fielder, earning a no-doubt induction at 98.5%.

Oscar Medina – Starting Pitcher – Honduras Horsemen – 96.0% First Ballot

Oscar Medina was a 5’11’’, 185 pound left-handed pitcher from San Antonio de Desamparados, Costa Rica; a small district in the San Jose province. Medina always had excellent stuff with 99-101 mph peak velocity with a fastball, changeup, screwball, slider arsenal. His movement and control were a bit dodgy in his 20s, but he honed both in his 30s to become a complete pitcher. Medina was largely durable and became very popular for his role in Honduras’ success in the 1960s.

Medina’s career wouldn’t start there, signing as an amateur teenage free agent in late 1949 with Guatemala. He made his debut with the Ghosts in 1955 at age 22 and although he led the Caribbean League in walks, he was still impressive enough to earn Rookie of the Year honors. Medina had four seasons with Guatemala and was a decent starter, although limited by control issues. His Ghosts highlight was a no-hitter with 13 strikeouts and two walks against Santiago on August 1, 1958. In his four seasons there, he had a 48-54 record, 3.54 ERA, 882 strikeouts in 947 innings, and 12.3 WAR.

Medina also started playing for the Costa Rica National Team in the World Baseball Championship at age 23. He’d male 24 starts from 1956-68, posting an 11-11 record, 3.11 ERA, 171 innings, 232 strikeouts, and 4.1 WAR. It’d be in nearby Honduras where Medina would become a Caribbean League legend. Guatemala traded him at age 27 to the Horsemen before the 1959 season in exchange for three prospects. He led in strikeouts with 294 in his debut season and showed great stamina with 17 complete games, but still saw average ERA numbers. Medina did have a solid postseason with a 2.73 ERA in 26.1 innings, helping the Horsemen get to the CABA Championship. Honduras liked him enough to sign a five-year, $425,000 extension after the 1959 season, but Medina would blow out his elbow in mid 1960, requiring ligament reconstruction surgery that put his future in major doubt.

In his return in mid 1961 at age 28, he looked solid. From there, he became a bonefide ace for the next six seasons with each year seeing 6.9+ WAR or better. Medina led in ERA in both 1966 and 1967 and WHIP in 1965 and 1966. He’d finish third in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1963, 64, 65, and 66. In 1967, Medina finally won the award at age 34 with career bests in ERA (2.00), strikeouts (321), WHIP (0.87), wins (21-8), and WAR (10.7.).

Medina played in seven postseasons for Honduras and in 1963, earned a CABA Championship ring. For his playoff career, he had a 3.50 ERA over 123.1 innings with 127 strikeouts and 3.4 WAR. In 1963, he had his second no-hitter with a five strikeout, three walk effort on July 29 against Salvador. Then on May 15, 1965; Medina had CABA’s 20^th Perfect Game, striking out 10 against Haiti. This also made Medina the first (and as of 2037, only) CABA pitcher to have three CABA no-hitters in his career.

After a career-best season in 1967, Medina struggled significantly in 1968. He pitched through elbow pain, then below out his elbow in mid-September. With a 15-16 month recovery time expected and no guarantee of future success, Medina retired at age 35. Honduras immediately retired his #37 uniform and in his run there, he had a 153-83 record, 2.85 ERA, 2247 innings, 2400 strikeouts, and 60.6 WAR.

Medina’s final total stats: 201-137 record, 3.06 ERA, 3194 innings, 3282 strikeouts, 260/420 quality starts, a FIP- of 82, and 73.0 WAR. The accumulations aren’t massive with a slower start to his career and early exit, but they still certainly don’t look out of place among other pitchers in the Hall of Fame. His role in Honduras’ playoff success and the perfect game meant Medina was very popular and his resume was very firm, earning the first ballot induction at 96.0%.

FuzzyRussianHat · 08-25-2023, 05:03 AM

Ysidro Pico – First Baseman – Puerto Rico Pelicans – 79.3% First Ballot

Ysidro Pico was a 5’11’’, 200 pound left-handed first baseman from the Dominican Republic’s capital Santo Domingo. He was a very solid bat in his prime with strong contact and power skills, leading the Caribbean League in total bases six times. His home run power was quite good for around 30-40 per year, but his gap power made him dangerous as well, good to get around 20 doubles and another 20 or so triples per year. Pico got the extra bags despite having average-at best speed. He very rarely walked and did strike out a bit more than average, but he always made his contact count. Pico was primarily a first baseman with occasional starts in right field or at designated hitter. Defensively, he was quite lousy, but his bat was strong and he was an ironman who was always in the lineup.

Pico was a bit of a late bloomer, although he was spotted as an amateur free agent in 1947 by Guadalajara at age 16. He finally debuted for the Hellhounds in 1953 at age 22, but only had 63 at-bats. After not being used for the first half of 1954, Guadalajara sent Pico and two others to Puerto Rico in the summer for RF Gilbert Abreo. The rest of Pico’s pro career would be with the Pelicans, although he was a rarely used pinch hitter in both 1954 and 1955. He showed potential with 64 regular season starts in 1956 and an excellent playoff run with 14 hits, 6 runs, 3 home runs, and 13 RBI. This helped Puerto Rico to the CABA Championship ring and launched Pico into the starting job for the next decade.

Pico won seven Silver Sluggers with the Pelicans, coming in 1957, 58, 59, 61, 62, 64, and 66. He never won MVP, but did finish third in the voting in both 1963 and 1964. He led the Caribbean League in runs scored five times in his career and scored 100+ runs and had 100+ RBI in nine seasons apiece. Puerto Rico only made it to the playoffs again in 1963 and 1964 in his tenure with early exits, but he’d forever be adored for the 1956 magic; getting his #21 uniform retired after his career.

Pico was popular in PR and back home in the DR, playing for the Dominican Republic from 1958-65 in the World Baseball Championship. He had 55 starts, 55 hits, 34 runs, 23 home runs, and 48 RBI. Pico’s production would drop significantly for the first time in 1967 and after unremarkable 1967 and 1968 campaigns, he retired at age 38.

Pico’s final stats: 2335 hits, 1327 runs, 282 doubles, 253 triples, 451 home runs, 1339 RBI, a .300/.339/.575 slash, 149 wRC+, and 60.4 WAR. Not at the tip top of the CABA leaderboards, but very solid especially with really only a decade of notable years. His popularity and having almost his whole career with one team helped him with voters despite a lack of MVP trophies or big totals, giving Pico the first ballot nod at 79.3%.

Zak Carranza – Right Field – Leon Lions – 66.5% First Ballot

Zak Carranza was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left-handed right fielder from Villaflores, Mexico; a municipality of around 100,000 near the border with Guatemala. In his prime, Carranza was a solid power and contact hitter with a good eye. At full health, he could get you 35-45 home runs per year, although he didn’t double much relative to his power. Carranza was decent at avoiding strikeouts with speed that wasn’t awful, but was still below average. He was a career right fielder and fairly weak in the field, but passable. Carranza was a good leader and was a popular player as a result, but various injuries kept him off the field in significant chunks of his career.

Carranza was highly touted out of college and ended up the second overall pick by Leon in the 1953 CABA Draft. He’d spend his entire career with the Lions and was an immediate starter, earning 1954 Rookie of the Year honors. Year two saw his first of six Silver Sluggers, winning the award in 1955, 57, 58, 60, 61, and 62. In 1957, he led Mexico in home runs (41) and RBI (108). Hamstring and PCL trouble kept him out chunks of 1958 and 1959. He’d lead in homers twice more, peaking with a stellar 1961 with 53 dingers, 134 RBI, 1.050 OPS, and 8.6 WAR. Carranza was MVP this year, his only season in the top three.

Leon was a Mexican League power with seven playoff appearances from 1957-65. They won the Mexican League title in 1959, 60, and 64; and won the overall CABA title in 1959. Carranza was the 1959 finals MVP, posting 13 hits, 6 runs, 3 homers, and 7 RBI in 11 playoff games that year. In 56 playoff games total, he had 62 hits, 24 runs, 10 home runs, 31 RBI, and 2.0 WAR. Carranza also had 33 starts and 59 appearances in the World Baseball Championship for Mexico from 1955-66, posting 46 hits, 33 runs, 17 home runs, 37 RBI, and 3.0 WAR.

Carranza peaked with the 1961 MVP season, but still provided good solid value into his 30s for Leon. The Lions began to drop to the mid-tier as the 1960s ended and Carranza saw his production dip in his last two years. He was only a part-time starter in 1967 and then a bench piece primarily in 1968. He opted to retire after the 1968 campaign at age 37 and would see his #25 uniform retired immediately by the team.

Carranza’s final stats: 2044 hits, 1062 runs, 312 doubles, 461 home runs, 1225 RBI, a .297/.352/.553 slash, 169 wRC+ and 73.3 WAR. Respectable numbers and arguably better than his Hall of Fame classmate Ysidro Pico, but a lot of voters felt Carranza’s tallies were just low enough to miss the cut. However, he had just enough support to get in on the first ballot, even if just barely over the 66.0% threshold with 66.5%.

FuzzyRussianHat · 08-25-2023, 11:50 AM

The lone player inducted in 1974 to East Asia Baseball’s Hall of Fame was 1B Ki-Wook Ahn, earning the first ballot nod with 94.4%. 2B Yoshio Hagesawa was close on his debut, but just short of the 66% requirement with 63.9%. Closer Hyeon-Jae Seo was at 59.9% on his tenth and final try with 2B Jung-Min Yi the only other above 50% with a debut of 51.6%.

For Seo, he got as high as 61.4% on his fourth ballot, but the 15-year veteran reliever couldn’t get over the hump. With seven teams, he won one Reliever of the Year and had a 2.62 ERA, 287 saves, 1228 strikeouts over 1034.2 innings, and 23.6 WAR. He led in saves four times with Yokohama, but was not dominant enough to get across the line. Frankly, some might argue he shouldn’t have gotten as close as he did. Also notably dropped after nine tries and falling below 5% was SP Nobuyoshi Nishioka. He had 14 years with Sapporo with a 163-122 record, 3.20 ERA, 3049 strikeouts, and 37.7 WAR. Not bad, but a firm Hall of Very Good type.

Ki-Wook “Campy” Ahn – First Base – Yongin Gold Sox – 94.4% First Ballot

Ki-Wook Ahn was a 6’0’’, 205 pound switch-hitting first baseman from Gyeongsan, South Korea; a city within the Daegu metropolitan area. Ahn was a tremendous power hitter who had 13 seasons with 40+ home runs and ten seasons with 30+ doubles. He had solid contact numbers in his peak, but graded out as above average for his whole career. He drew walks respectably, but had trouble with strikeouts and was among the whiffing-est of his era. Ahn was a cartoonishly slow baserunner and a career first baseman, but he did provide consistently average defense. Ahn was a great leader, very intelligent, and an ironman who started 146+ games in all but his rookie season.

Ahn was a top prospect out of Woosung High School in Uiwang and was picked fourth overall in the 1948 East Asia Baseball Draft by Yongin. He spent his full career with the Gold Sox, making his debut at age 20 in 1950. Ahn struggled in 81 starts as a rookie, but had his first 40 home run and 100+ RBI season in year two, Despite having five seasons with 50 or more dingers, he only led the Korea League twice, with 49 in 1953 and 1954 in 55. Also despite 14 seasons with 100+ RBI, he only led with 150 in 1956; notably the first EAB player to reach 150 in two decades.

Ahn never won MVP, although he was second in 1953 and 1954, as well as third in 1955 and 1956. He won Silver Sluggers in those four seasons and one more in 1957. Ahn only played in the World Baseball Championship three editions for South Korea, posting 15 hits, 12 runs, 8 home runs, and 18 RBI in 29 games from 1952-54. He was very popular with Gold Sox fans, who had only made the playoffs once prior to his run. Ahn left just before they found some success in the late 60s, never playing a postseason game in Yongin. Still, he helped them become at least respectable and would see his #10 uniform retired.

With the Gold Sox, he had 2375 hits, 1385 runs, 451 doubles, 650 home runs, 1730 RBI, a .281/.344/.576 slash and 76.6 WAR. Ahn became the sixth EAB batter to reach 600 career home runs and the fifth to reach 1500 career RBI. However, just before the 1965 season, the 35-year old Ahn was traded to Changwon for SS Ju-Young Seol and LF Jun-I Noh. He earned his 2500^th hit with the Crabs and saw his first playoff action. Changwon had won the Korea League the prior two years, but fell in the 1965 KLCS.

Ahn’s overall hitting numbers had slowly declined, but he still had great power at that point. Now age 36, MLB’s Miami Mallards came calling and signed him for the 1966 season. He’d be shipped with two others to Boston in the summer for CF Philip McGee. Ahn returned to Korea in 1967 with Ulsa and crossed 700 career home runs and 1500 runs scored. He then ended his career with Seoul in 1968 and finished with 745 home runs, fourth on the all-time list at retirement.

Ahn’s final stats in EAB: 2767 hits, 1610 runs, 512 doubles, 745 home runs, 1974 RBI, a .275/.338/.557 slash and 82.6 WAR. He was fourth in homers and third in RBI at retirement. As of 2037, he’s tied for seventh still in RBI and 11^th in dingers. Ahn provided very steady and reliable power for nearly two decades, making him a pretty easy first ballot pick at 94.4%.

FuzzyRussianHat · 08-25-2023, 05:29 PM

Designated hitter Mike Andrades would be the lone inductee for Beisbol Sudamerica’s 1974 Hall of Fame class, earning an excellent 97.7% first ballot nod. Three others were above 50% with SP Raimundo Rodriquez at 54.4% on his second attempt, SP Jon Mancilla at 54.0% in his fifth, and closer Alfredo Mejia at 52.9% in his debut. No players were dropped after a tenth ballot, although three guys are destined for that fate next year.

Mike Andrades – Designated Hitter – Callao Cats – 97.7% First Ballot

Mike Andrades was a 5’11’’, 200 pound left-handed slugger from Urcos, a small town of 10,000 people in eastern Peru. He was one of the excellent power hitters of the era with nine seasons of 35+ home runs and a consistent 30 doubles per year. Andrades was also a great contact hitter, leading the Bolivar League in hits four times and batting average twice. Oddly for a power hitter, he very rarely walked, but he also was better than most at avoiding strikeouts. Andrades had below average speed and the running joke in the clubhouse was that he didn’t even own a glove. Andrades was a career DH who played a whopping 14 total innings of defense in his entire run. Still, he was extremely popular for his bat, leadership, work ethic, and durability.

Even as a teenager, Andrades’ batting potential was hard to miss. Not only was he selected out of high school, but grabbed the first overall pick in the 1949 Beisbol Sudamerica Draft by Callao. He’d spend his entire career with the Cats, making his debut at age 21 in 1952. He was a bench player that year and part-time starter the next year. From 1954 onward, he was the full-time starter and had 140+ starts in all but two of 15 seasons. Andrades led the Bolivar League in hits four times, runs twice, RBI five times, homers once, total bases six times, batting average twice, slugging four times, OPS thrice, wRC+ thrice, and WAR twice.

Andrades would win MVP three times; 1956, 57, and 62. In the latter two, he had an OPS above 1.000 and 9+ WAR even as a DH. 1962 had a career-best 52 home runs and 147 RBI; which was a BSA RBI single-season record that held until 1975. He was also third in 1954’s MVP voting, second in 1958, and third in 1963. Andrades was a seven-time Silver Slugger winner (54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 62, 63).

Andrades was a huge reason that Callao became a regular contender for the first time in the 1950s From 1954-60, the Cats made the playoffs five times and won Copa Sudamerica in both 1954 and 1957. In 47 playoff games, he had 52 hits, 21 runs, 12 home runs, 29 RBI, and a .321 average. Andrades also became even more beloved in his native Peru through the World Baseball Championship. From 1954-69, he played 98 games with 76 starts, getting 82 hits, 48 runs, 30 home runs, and 56 RBI.

Andrades was fairly injury free in his 20s, but had his first major setback at age 35 with a broken hand sidelining him for three months. He played all of the next two years, but saw diminished stats in both seasons. After only mustering 17 home runs in 161 games in 1968, Callao didn’t re-sign the now 38-year old Andrades. He went unsigned in 1969 and retired that winter, seeing his #20 uniform retired by the Cats. Andrades was the 11^th BSA batter to reach 500 career home runs and the seventh to 1500 RBI.

The final stats for Andrades: 2854 hits, 1371 runs, 463 doubles, 535 home runs, 1604 RBI, a .308/.335/.551 slash, 154 wRC+ and 81.5 WAR. At retirement, he was third all-time in RBI, fourth in hits, and seventh in home runs. He was even 14^th in hitting WAR despite the statistical punishment of being a DH. Andrades was rightly Peru’s beloved slugger of the era and worthy of the first ballot induction at 97.7%.

FuzzyRussianHat · 08-26-2023, 05:36 AM

For the second straight season, the European Baseball Federation saw a three-player Hall of Fame class. All three in the 1974 group were first ballot nods, led by SP Rafael Bernard’s 94.5%. SP Walter Fischer received 87.6% and LF Hartwig Werner grabbed 74.1%. Two others were above 50% with 3B Orion McIntyre at 56.2% on his penultimate attempt and SP Karlo Godina at 50.3% on his third.

Closer Ken Jacob was dropped after ten failed ballots. In nine seasons with Zurich, he had one Reliever of the Year, 336 saves, 1.67 ERA, 1162 strikeouts over 777.1 innings, and 38.1 WAR. Lesser numbers had gotten other relievers in other Halls of Fame and Jacob earned his in a partial run. Still, the EBF voters weren’t sold; he was never below 45% but never got above 60%.

Three others fell off after ten failed attempts on the ballot. Pitcher Todd Sandstrom had 50.8 WAR in only nine seasons with Munich split between the rotation and bullpen, winning 1951 Pitcher of the Year. He had a 92-65 record, 125 saves, 2.33 ERA, and 1666 strikeouts over 1416.1 innings. With a fuller career, perhaps he would’ve gotten the accumulations needed, instead he peaked at 38.9% on his debut. Reliever Promoz Kucinic had ten EBF seasons mostly with Belfast, winning three Reliever of the Year awards with 291 saves, 1.44 ERA, 1265 strikeouts in 719 innings and 41.1 WAR. He peaked at 53.4% on his debut before ending at a paltry. 6.6% Again, worse numbers had gotten others in from other leagues, but the early EBF voters were harsher with their view of relievers.

Also dropped was 2B Gaston Clark, who had eight EBF seasons between Paris and Amsterdam, posting 1391 hits, 789 runs, 213 doubles, 191 triples, but 16 home runs with a .319 average and 52.4 WAR. Had he not started late and left for MLB in his waning years, he may have gotten the totals up enough to get more notice. He peaked at 38.3% in his debut and ended at 4.8%. Also of note was closer Mika Van Nuys, falling below 5% on his ninth try. He had 280 saves, 2.23 ERA, 1079 strikeouts, and 33.1 WAR; but if the before mentioned closers with better stats didn’t get in, then Mika didn’t have a prayer.

Rafael Bernard – Pitcher – Marseille Musketeers – 94.5% First Ballot

Rafael Bernard was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Vic-le-Comte, a commune of around 5,000 people in central France. The first French EBF Hall of Famer, Bernard was known for having excellent stuff with above average control and decent movement. His velocity peaked at 95-97, but he expertly mixed a five-pitch arsenal of a fastball, curveball, forkball, changeup, and circle change. When healthy, Bernard had strong stamina. He managed to battle through some major injuries and was known as a leader in the clubhouse.

Bernard attended the University of Oxford in college and earned the eighth overall pick in the 1952 European Baseball Federation Draft by Marseille. He’d spent his entire career with the Musketeers, making 29 starts in his rookie year. Year two saw his first major setback with a stretch elbow ligament putting him on the shelf for a calendar year. Bernard bounced back impressively with a 1.98 ERA in 1955 and established himself as the ace for the then middling Marseille squad.

In 1956, Bernard led in strikeouts for the only time in his career with 335, although he’d tip that mark twice and have five seasons with 300+. This earned third place voting in Pitcher of the Year. He’d take second in 1957 and 1961, and third again in 1962, but wouldn’t win the big award. He led the Southern Conference in ERA (2.25) and WHIP (0.75) in 1962 and had a career-best 9.0 WAR in 1961. Starting in 1956, he began pitching for France in the World Baseball Championship. Bernard had 19 appearances from 1956-66 with a 10-6 record, 3.27 ERA, 115.2 innings, and 175 strikeouts.

Marseille made it to the conference final in 1960 and 1961, although Bernard missed the 1960 run to a back injury. Earlier that year, he’d have a 20 strikeout game against Madrid, only the second EBF player to have a 20K game to that point. Late in 1962, he required elbow ligament reconstruction surgery, knocking him out almost all of 1963. Bernard bounced back with a solid 1964 at age 34, but would lose almost all of 1965 to a torn rotator cuff.

After missing the playoffs from 1962-65, Marseille made it all the way to the European Championship in 1966, falling in the final to Glasgow. Bernard had a nice 1966, but suffered severe shoulder inflammation in his first playoff start, keeping him out most of 1967. Then in July 1968, Bernard suffered another torn rotator cuff that officially ended his career at age 38. The team would choose to retire his #34 uniform before the season ended though in honor of his hard work over 16 seasons.

Bernard’s final stats: 191-106, 2.56 ERA, 2752.1 innings, 3316 strikeouts, 73 FIP- and 73.6 WAR. They’re still very solid totals even with all of the major injuries he battled through and the voters had a lot of respect for his toughness. Thus, Bernard not only made it into the Hall of Fame, but firmly with 94.5% on his first ballot.

Walter Fischer – Pitcher – Munich Mavericks – 87.6% First Ballot

Walter Fischer was a 6’0’’, 180 pound left-handed pitcher from Bad Goisern; a market town of around 7,500 people in Upper Austria. Fischer had very good control and movement on his pitches, making up for the fact that his stuff was considered average at best despite 96-98 mph peak velocity. He had five pitches; a slider, curveball, forkball, changeup, and cutter; owing to an extreme groundball tendency. Fischer was considered a very good defensive pitcher, winning three Gold Gloves from 1959-61. He was a great leader with a strong work ethic, making him a well-liked figure in the clubhouse and among team management.

Fischer left for England to play college baseball at RAF College Cranwell. He’d get picked 18^th overall by Munich in the 1951 European Baseball Federation Draft. He made sparing relief appearances as a rookie, although he did earn a ring as the Mavericks won the 1952 European Championship. Fischer then became a full-time starter after for Munich.

Fischer was excellent in his second and third seasons with sub-two ERAs in both. He had 9.5 WAR, 10.8 WAR, and 9.6 WAR in his first three full seasons, taking second in Pitcher of the Year in 1953 and third in 1954. He’d take third again in 1957, but never win the big award, hurt in part by his lack of big strikeout numbers. 1957 saw a rough end with a ruptured UCL in late August, ultimately putting him out for the entire 1958 season.

In his return season in 1959, the 28-year old Fischer had a conference-best 2.26 ERA, the only time he’d lead the stat in his career. He’d suffer a torn rotator cuff in late September, but managed to bounce back with respectable efforts in 1960 and 1961. He made 8 playoff appearances with Munich, posting a lackluster 4.70 ERA. Fischer also made 14 appearances for Austria in the World Baseball Championship rom 1956-68, posting a 2.56 ERA in 77.1 innings with 70 strikeouts.

In total with Munich, Fischer had a 134-68 record, 2.17 ERA, 1929.2 innings, 1818 strikeouts, and 64.0 WAR. The team would retire his #13 uniform and ultimately wished him well as he left for free agency before the 1962 season. At age 31, he made a rare jump for a European player to that point, going to Mexico and signing with Puebla on a four-year, $372,000 deal.

Fischer was fairly average in three seasons with the Pumas, posting a 28-44 record, 3.34 ERA, 424 strikeouts in 655.2 innings, and 6.6 WAR. Puebla traded him to Leon for the 1965 season and he only started 15 times despite being healthy. At age 35, he opted to return home to Austria by signing with Vienna.

Fischer had three fairly solid seasons for the Vultures, who became a contender around that time. In 1967, he had a 1.78 ERA in 30.1 playoff innings as Vienna won its first-ever conference title, falling in the European Championship to Dublin. The highlight of his career came in his final season of 1968. On June 19 against Hamburg, Fischer threw EBF’s 13^th Perfect Game, striking out six. In three seasons with the Vultures, he had a 43-30 record, 2.74 ERA, and 14.0 WAR. He had a solid 1968 campaign and could seemingly still go, but Fischer opted to retire there at age 38.

Counting the CABA years, he had a 211-147 record, 2.54 ERA, and 86.2 WAR. For his EBF career, Fischer had a 177-98 record, 2.32 ERA, 2594.1 innings, 2208 strikeouts, 246/334 quality starts, FIP- of 67, and 78.0 WAR. Even with the lack of big strikeout numbers, his rate stats were very good with his 2.32 ERA sitting as the fifth best of all Hall of Fame starters as of 2037. The accumulations are lower, but the final three solid years in Vienna and the perfect game pushed Fischer across the line for a first ballot nod at 87.6%.

Hartwig Werner – Left Field – Hamburg Hammers – 74.1% First Ballot

Hartwig Werner was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed left fielder from Haselunne, a small town of around 13,000 in northwestern Germany. Werner was best known for having excellent gap power and solid home run power. He had a big knack for pulling the ball into the corner for triples, sometimes getting more triples than doubles in a season. He’d average around 20-30 of both and around 23-35 home runs per year. Werner was an above average contact hitter, although he was below average at drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. He had solid speed and was a great defender in left field, where he spent his entire career. Werner as of 2037 is the all-time EBF leader for the position in Zone Rating.

Werner went to England’s Harper Adams University College in Edgmond and returned home when picked 14^th overall by Hamburg in the 1952 EBF Draft. He’d spend his entire career with the Hammers and was incredibly durable, starting 150+ games in all but his rookie year and his second-to-last season. Werner still started 121 games in his rookie campaign and was impressive, getting Rookie of the Year for 1953. This was also his first of eight Gold Gloves, although he’d have to wait until 1958 for his second. He won additional Gold Gloves in 1960, 61, 62, 63, 64, and 65.

Werner was rarely a conference leader statistically, but he’d put up nine seasons with 6+ WAR, providing very consistent production. He won three Silver Sluggers, coming in 1960, 63, and 64. 1963 was the standout season with Werner taking MVP at age 32. He was the WARlord at 10.9 and had career highs in runs (116), hits (211), home runs (43), RBI (128), total bases (420), and OPS (1.045). Werner was third in MVP voting in 1958 and second in 1964.

Hamburg started to contend in the lae 1950s and would make the playoffs seven times from 1958-67. They made it to the conference final five times and in 1964, won the Northern Conference with Werner taking series MVP. They’d go onto to fall in the European Championship to Barcelona. Werner was a strong playoff performer with 66 hits, 24 runs, 12 doubles, 8 triples, 8 home runs, and 26 RBI in 57 starts. He also made 112 starts and played 120 games for Germany in the World Baseball Championship from 1954-68, posting 91 hits, 60 runs, 34 home runs, and 77 RBI.

With his penchant for triples, Werner became the first EBF player to hit for the cycle twice in his career. He was the second batter to 2500 career hits and the third batter to 100+ career WAR. His first major injury came in 1966, a sprained thumb that put him out almost two months. Werner bounced back in 1967, but saw a steep drop in production in 1968. He would retire after that season at age 38. Hamburg would quickly retire his #28 uniform.

Werner’s final stats: 2573 hits, 1307 runs, 374 doubles, 326 triples, 463 home runs, 1452 RBI, a .276/.319/.535 slash and 101.8 WAR. He was the first EBF hitter to 300+ triples, although Blaise Combes would pass him for the lead quickly. Werner was a multi-faceted talent worthy of the first ballot nod and you could argue his 74.1% is lower than what he deserves.

FuzzyRussianHat · 08-26-2023, 01:08 PM

The Eurasian Professional Baseball Hall of Fame welcomed two new members with the 1974 voting, both pitchers on the first ballot. Starter Henri Gevorgyan received a strong 88.9% and reliever Theo Siitonen picked up 70.3%. Another pitcher, Skerdi Hoxha, barely missed the 66% threshold with 64.7% on his fourth attempt. Three others had solid showing but were short; LF Eldar Vdovichenko at 60.8% in his debut, SP Inal Brezhnev at 60.1% on his second ballot, and SP Andrei Doman at 58.5% on his fourth try. No players were dropped after ten failed attempts.

Henri Gevorgyan – Starting Pitcher – Tashkent Tomcats – 88.9% First Ballot

Henri Gevorgyan was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from the capital of Armenia, Yerevan. He was a hard thrower with 98-100 mph peak velocity. Gevorgyan’s movement and control was equally as potent as his stuff, which consisted of a fastball, curveball, and changeup. He had very solid stamina and incredible durability, pretty much guaranteed to start a full slate each year. Gevorgyan was also a team captain with great leadership skills and a strong work ethic, making him a very solid part of any roster.

When Eurasian Professional Baseball was formed for the 1955 season, Gevorgyan was already 27 years old, although not necessarily known as the Soviet Union’s top pitching prospect. He ended up going to Uzbekistan, signing with Tashkent. Gevorgyan spent six years with the Tomcats, his longest run, and would go into the Hall of Fame wearing their hat. Gevorgyan was merely decent to start, but emerged by his third season with Tashkent as a top flight pitcher.

He’d post ten seasons worth 6+ WAR in his career, but the only team he was a league leader was with 0.85 WHIP in 1959. Gevorgyan wasn’t a Pitcher of the Year finalist in his Tashkent tenure, but posted a 101-75 record, 3.14 ERA, 1727 strikeouts in 1636 innings, and 40.9 WAR. In 1959, he tossed a no-hitter with six strikeouts and three walks versus Bishkek. He struggled in his one playoff start for the Tomcats in 1960 and the team opted to let him go into free agency. At age 33, he went to Kazakhstan and signed a five-year, $466,000 deal with Almaty.

Gevorgyan’s run with the Assassins was his most impressive, including a third place finish in Pitcher of the Year in 1963. That’s as close as he got to the top award despite having back-to-back 10+ WAR seasons to start his Almaty tenure. The Assassins won the Asian League title in 1963, falling to Kyiv in the Soviet Series. That postseason, Gevorgyan had a 2.61 ERA over 31 innings with 33 strikeouts. In total with Almaty, he had a 90-44 record, 2.42 ERA, 1251 innings, 1386 strikeouts, and 39.3 WAR.

The Assassins fell from 90 wins to 68 wins in 1965 and began to rebuild, shipping Gevorgyan midseason to St. Petersburg for four prospects. He left for free agency after the season and would spent his final three years with Warsaw. Gevorgyan looked solid in 1966 and 1967, but struggled in 1968 at age 40 and was relegated to the bench. With the Wildcats, he had a 2.15 ERA, 33-28 record, and 11.1 WAR. He retired after the 1968 season at age 40.

Gevorgyan’s final stats: 231-154 record, 2.71 ERA, 3643.1 innings, 3707 strikeouts, 306/433 quality starts, 195 complete games, FIP- of 75, and 94.3 WAR. He perhaps wasn’t as flashy as some other great pitchers of the era, but he quietly put up statistics that very much belong when evaluating EPB’s Hall of Fame list. The voters agreed, putting him in on the first ballot at 88.9%.

Theo Siitonen – Closer – Yerevan Valiants – 70.3% First Ballot

Theo Siitonen was a 6’0’’, 195 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Keminmaa, a small town of around 7,000 people in northern Finland. He was known for having filthy stuff with very good control and decent movement. Siitonen had two pitches, a 97-99 mph fastball and a dangerous curveball. He was a very durable pitcher, but considered a mercenary as his longest stint with any team would be three years.

That stint was his first stint with Yerevan, who he signed with at age 26 when Eurasian Professional Baseball was formed in 1955. His lone Reliever of the Year came with the Valiants in 1956 with 1.67 ERA over 113.1 innings, 169 strikeouts, and 4.5 WAR. While in Armenia, he had 90 saves, a 2.02 ERA, 267.1 innings, 420 strikeouts, and 11.4 WAR. Although technically in the Hall as a Valiant, he isn’t remembered as a franchise great for obvious reasons.

The 29-year old Siitonen was traded at age 30 to Ulanbaatar for three prospects. He spent two seasons with the Boars, finishing third in 1959 Reliever of the Year voting. He also started pitching for the Finland national team in the World Baseball Championship, partially as a starter. He pitched from 1957-59 and in 1964 and 1968, posting a 4.60 ERA over 45 innings. Siitonenn signed with Asagabat for the 1960 season and had his first taste of the postseason.

Next came 1961 with Warsaw, taking third in Reliever of the Year voting. The Wildcats traded him to Chelyabinsk and he led the league in saves in both 1962 and 1963, setting a single-season record of 55 saves in 1962 that still stands at the EPB record in 2037. Siitonen still only got second in Reliever of the Year voting.

1963 would prove to be his final season as a full-time closer, although he’d get sporadic save chances in his remaining years. Siitonen signed with Kyiv in 1964, Kazan in 1965-66, Kyiv again in 1967, then a split 1968 between Sofia and Novosibirsk. His final season ended with a strained triceps and he retired at age 40.

Siitonen’s final stats: 353 saves and 409 shutdowns, 2.15 ERA, 1069 innings, 1578 strikeouts to 254 walks, a FIP- of 53 and 39.6 WAR. He was EPB’s first reliever to reach 350+ saves, earning him some attention despite the journeyman career and less dominance than later reliever members of the Hall. Enough voters decided this resume was worthy and at 70.3%, Siitonen became a first ballot selection and the first Finnish Hall of Famer.

08-20-2023, 06:43 AM	#521
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,616	1973 EPB Hall of Fame Eurasian Professional Baseball added one player to its Hall of Fame from the 1973 voting with a first ballot nod to pitcher Miroslav Bohunicky at 76.4%. Another pitcher, Skerdi Hoxha, missed the cut by the thinnest of margins at 65.8% on his third attempt. SP Andrei Doman had 59.2% on his third go and SP Inal Brezhnev was at 57.0% in his debut. No one got to their tenth ballot yet in EPB voting with closer Mircea Ioan the first to get to six ballots in the EPB Hall’s short history. Miroslav Bohunicky – Starting Pitcher – Kyiv Kings – 76.4% First Ballot Miroslav Bohunicky was a 5’10’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Krompachy, a mining and skiing town with about 8,000 people in northwestern Slovakia. He was known for having excellent movement, solid control, and above average stuff. His velocity peaked in the 94-96 mph range with a four-pitch arsenal of fastball, slider, changeup, and cutter. Bohunicky had solid stamina when healthy, although various injuries started to cut into his innings in his 30s. He was also known as a very hard worker. When Eurasian Professional Baseball was officially formed, Bohunicky was already 27 years old and known as a strong pitcher in the amateur and semi-pro ranks of Czechoslovakia. He’d ultimately head to Ukraine and join the new league with Kyiv on a six-year, $226,800 deal. He spent all but his final season with the Kings, who would be a consistent contender in EPB’s first decade. Bohunicky never won Pitcher of the Year, but he was third in 1955, third in1 957, second in 1959, and second in 1960. He rarely was a league leader, but he posted a stellar 13.5 WAR season in 1959, only bested by Bogdan Chirita’s 13.9. That still stands as the ninth most WAR in a pitching season in EPB as of 2037. He had six straight 6.5+ WAR seasons to start his career, although the numbers would fall off with fewer innings into the 1960s. Bohunicky also pitched in the World Baseball Championship from 1956-63 with Slovakia, posting a 3.28 ERA over 118 innings with 119 strikeouts. Bohunicky was a great playoff pitcher for Kyiv, who won the Soviet Series title in 1958, 59, 63, and 65. In 24 playoff starts, Bohunicky had a 12-8 record, 2.70 ERA, 167 strikeouts, and 4.1 WAR. His role in their early days dynasty run led to his unusual #97 jersey number getting retired. A number of injuries piled up and caused him to have only partial seasons in his latter run and less dominance when healthy. Bohunicky became a free agent at age 39 and spent his final season in Budapest, although a forearm strain took him out for most of the year. He retired after the season at age 39. Bohunicky’s final stats: 184-102 record, 2.48 ERA, 2769.2 innings, 2655 strikeouts, 246/354 quality starts, a FIP- of 74, and 76.0 WAR. If he had his whole 20s, his stats may have been more prominent on the final leaderboards. Sharing a league with Bogdan Chirita meant he never won the big award despite having a few seasons that would’ve taken it otherwise. Still, he had an excellent burst and notable role in four rings for Kyiv, earning the first ballot induction at 76.4%. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder) Last edited by FuzzyRussianHat; 08-20-2023 at 11:19 AM.

08-20-2023, 11:18 AM	#522
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,616	1973 OBA Hall of Fame Voting for the Oceania Baseball Association Hall of Fame started in 1968, but 1973 was the first time anyone got above 30%. It would still be a few years before someone got enough to enter the Hall. Closer Neemia Tala’apitaga and SS Vae Afatia set the highest marks yet on their debut, but still distant at 30.8% and 29.2%, respectively. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

08-20-2023, 03:44 PM	#523
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,616	1973 World Baseball Championship The 1973 World Baseball Championship was the 27^th edition of the event, this time held on the Pacific island of Fiji. In Division 1, the defending world champ United States was on top as usual with a 7-0 record, advancing them to the elite eight for the 24^th time. Group B had a three-way tie for first between China, Argentina, and Greece at 5-2; with Poland and Kazakhstan at 4-3. The Chinese advanced on the tiebreaker, giving them four consecutive division titles. D3 had Costa Rica and South Korea tied at 5-2, with the Netherlands and Venezuela both one back. The Koreans got the tiebreaker for their 10^th division title. Division 4 saw Nicaragua on top for the first time at 6-1, edging 5-2 efforts from Japan, Papua New Guinea, and Taiwan. Division 5 had Colombia first at 6-1, knocking out defending runner-up Canada at 5-2. It is the ninth division title for the Colombians. D6 had a three-way tie between Australia, Bolivia, and Mexico at 5-2. The tiebreaker sent the Bolivians forward for the first time. Division 7 went to the Philippines at 6-1, topping Romania by one. The Filipinos move forward for the fourth time. Division 8 was the most competitive of all with four teams at 5-2; Brazil, Honduras, Puerto Rico, and Russia. When all of the tiebreakers were sorted, Brazil advanced on their 13^th Division title. They have the most elite eight appearances outside the US and Canada. In Double Round Robin Group A, the United States went unbeaten at 6-0 for their 23^rd semifinal berth. South Korea also advanced at 4-2, while Bolivia was 2-4 and Nicaragua was 0-6. The Koreans earned their seventh semifinal appearance and third in five years. Colombia was the top team in Group B at 4-2; earning their sixth semifinal berth. The Philippines and China were both 3-3, while Brazil was 2-4. The tiebreaker sent the Filipinos to the semifinal for the second time (1967). The Americans swept the Philippines to advance to the championship for the 20^th time. South Korea bested Colombia 4-2 to earn their fifth finals berth and first since 1969. Colombia took third officially with the Philippine fourth. The Columbians are 0-6 in their semifinal appearances all-time. The 27^th World Championship was the third time that the United States and South Korea had met in the finale. Just like in 1962 and 1965, the Americans prevailed, dominating this time for a sweep. The US has won three straight titles and has 17 overall rings. The Koreans are 1-4 to this point in the finals. Tournament MVP was America’s Edward Torres, the 1970 and 1971 American Association MVP. The 28-year old first baseman for Los Angeles in 21 games had 26 hits, 17 runs, 10 home runs, 23 RBI, and a .333/.398/.782 slash. The Best Pitcher was given to Bolivian veteran Roberto Ojeda. The 42-year old made three relief appearances with 8.2 scoreless innings with 13 strikeouts. Other notes: Panama had an 8.55 ERA against them in their seven games, an all-time worst to that point in a WBC run. With Bolivia and Nicaragua’s division wins in 1973, 50 nations have now to the elite eight at least once in the WBC’s history thus far. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

08-21-2023, 05:10 AM	#524
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,616	1973 in CLB The Chinese Northern League had Nanjing on top for their third playoff berth in CLB’s first four seasons. The Nuggets took first place for the first time with a 108-54 record. Harbin took second for their first-ever playoff spot or winning record, finishing 96-66. Jinan was three games behind them. Defending China Series champ Tianjin dropped down to sixth place at 84-78. Leading Nanjing’s effort was 2B Zhangsung Long, winning his second league MVP. The 31-year old didn’t lead any stats, but had 8.4 WAR, 31 home runs, and a wRC+ of 188. Xi’An’s Chiming Chen won Pitcher of the Year in only his second season. The 22-year old lefty led in wins at 23-5 and quality starts with 32, adding 7.4 WAR and a 1.57 ERA over 263 innings with 266 strikeouts. In the Southern League, Guangzhou (103-59) earned a third straight playoff berth with their second time finishing in first. Last year’s CLB runner-up Dongguan narrowly took the second playoff spot at 94-68. They were only one game better than both Chengdu and Wuhan. Hong Kong LF Jun Zong won his second MVP in three years. The 30-year old in his last year with the Champions led in the triple slash (.298/.385/.576), OPS (.961), wRC+ (228), and runs (86), adding 42 home runs and 9.6 WAR. Chengdu’s Chun Lin won back-to-back Pitcher of the Year with another outstanding season. The 30-year old righty led in WAR (13.4), ERA (1.20), WHIP (0.65), K/BB (12.5), and FIP- (29), while all 34 of his starts were quality ones. He had a 19-8 record and 312 strikeouts in 262.1 innings in his last year with the Clowns, as he’d join Wuhan as a free agent in the offseason. Both semifinals saw upsets with the second place finishing teams winning both series. Dongguan stunned Nanjing in only five games, while Harbin outlasted Guangzhou in a seven game thriller. After falling in the China Series last year, the Donkeys took him the title in 1973, besting the Hellcats in five games. 1B Zhaotong Huang was the finals MVP with the 35-year old getting five hits, two runs, three doubles, one homer, and five RBI in 7 playoff starts. Other notes: Dalian’s Xianjie Ren threw China’s third Perfect Game and the most dominant one to date on September 4 against Jinan. Ren struck out 17 batters in his perfecto, which would remain the CLB record for strikeouts in a perfect game and/or no-hitter until 1981. 1B Shenchao An and LF Ruilong Yuan are the only players to win Gold Gloves in each of CLB’s first four seasons. C Chenglin Meng, SS Ling Zheng, and LF Jun Zong each have won four Silver Sluggers. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

08-21-2023, 11:21 AM	#525
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,616	1973 in APB The Taiwan-Philippine Association had two first-time league winners in 1973. Cebu had the best overall record at 97-65, beating Davao by nine games in the Philippine League. There have been four league winners in four years with only Quezon yet to finish first. Kaohsiung was the only team that hadn’t won the Taiwan League entering 1973. They changed that by rolling to the title at 92-70. Last year’s Association champ Tainan dropped hard to 76-86. Despite the Titans struggling, ace Kun-Sheng Lin continued to dominate, winning his fifth straight Pitcher of the Year and his fourth league MVP. After a record 17.3 WAR the prior year, he posted 17.1 WAR in 1973, also leading in wins (25-9), ERA (1.24), innings (304.2), strikeouts (484), quality starts (32), complete games (30), shutouts (12) and FIP- (25). He set single-season records for complete games and shutouts that still hold as of 2037. As of then as well, he still has the top three APB strikeout seasons and five of the top eight in pitching WAR. Lin also earned his fourth pitching Triple Crown. Also worth noting, Taipei’s Hao-Ming Lu won his fourth straight Reliever of the Year, posting a stellar 0.49 ERA and 41 saves over 92.2 innings with 163 strikeouts and 6.8 WAR. Over in the Sundaland Association, Surabaya and Batam continued their league dominance. The defending APB champ Blue Raiders cruised to the Malacca League title at 100-62 for their fourth straight playoff berth. The Sunbirds had their third straight berth, dominating the Java League at 103-59. Surabaya 3B Kim Shin Pan won back-to-back MVPs. The 27-year old Singaporean righty was the WARlord at 11.7, adding a .303/.362/.592 slash, 43 home runs, and 101 RBI with a 231 wRC+. Pitcher of the Year was Semarang’s Sahid Fakhruddin. The third-year lefty from Depok led the association in WAR (12.2), ERA (1.41), strikeouts (424), WHIP (0.72), K/BB (10.3), complete games (19), and FIP- (38). In the Taiwan-Philippine Association Championship between first time finalists, Kaohsiung topped Cebu 4-1. The Sundaland Championship was round three with Surabaya having taken it in 1971 and Batam winning in 1972. The Blue Raiders made it back-to-back titles in a seven game classic. Game seven went TWENTY INNINGS before Batam escaped with a 6-5 road win. In the ninth Austronesia Championship, Kaohsiung prevented Batam from repeating as APB champs. The Steelheads took the series in six games, beginning what would become a dynasty run. 22-year old RF Chun-Chia Lan was the star of the postseason, winning MVP of both playoff series. He had 18 hits, 9 runs, 7 home runs, and 13 RBI in 11 games. His 1.0513 slugging and 1.5740 OPS remain APB postseason records as of 2037; the home run mark wasn’t passed until 2037, and the RBI mark sits tied for third-all time as of 2037. This was the breakout moment for Lan, who would go onto be one of the great APB hitters and a leader for Kaohsiung’s dynasty. Other notes: 21-year old 1B Ming-Yi Wang of Taoyuan hit 50 doubles, setting a single-season APB record that still holds as of 2037. Kun-Sheng Lin had a 21 strikeout game against Zamboanga, tying his own single-game record that he set twice the prior year. Lin also threw the only no-hitter of his career on May 22, striking out 13 with one walk against Kaohsiung. Lin also became the first APB pitcher to 25000 career strikeouts. Yen-Hsun Chiang became the second hitter to 300 career home runs. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

08-21-2023, 03:04 PM	#526
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,616	1973 in OBA Two-time defending Oceania Champion Gold Coast took the Australasia League crown for the third straight year. The Kangaroos ran away with it at 105-57, 17 games ahead of second place Sydney and 18 better than both Auckland and Melbourne. Gold Coast led in both runs scored (655) and runs allowed (452). Aardvarks 2B Jimmy Caliw won his fifth consecutive MVP award, posting his fifth straight 10+ WAR season. He was the WARlord at 11.7 and led in total bases (346) and slugging (.582), adding 442 home runs and 100 RBI. Caliw also won his sixth Gold Glove at only age 27, getting it in every full season of his career. Brisbane’s Nathaniel Doloran won his second Pitcher of the Year award. The 26-year old lefty in his fourth season led in strikeouts for the fourth straight year, this time posting 430 with a league-best 9.9 WAR and 30 quality starts. He won the ward despite having the most losses at 13-19 with the struggling Black Bears, posting a 2.28 ERA in 315.2 innings. Samoa won back-to-back Pacific League titles, although they had to fend off tough competition to do it. The Sun Sox were 100-63, leading in runs scored (623) and allowed (428) for the league. Tahiti was only two back at 98-64 with Guam four back at 96-66. Golden Eagles DH Sione Hala won his record sixth MVP with the 30-year old Tongan leading in WAR (8.4), home runs (51), runs (107), hits (173), total bases (356), slugging (.579), OPS (.928), and wRC+ (194). It was Hala’s fourth season with 50+ home runs, giving him four of the seven OBA 50+ dinger seasons by any player to date. Hala also became the first OBA hitter to reach 400 career home runs. Samoa’s Brad Nelson won back-to-back Pitcher of the Year. The effectively wild 26-year old lefty from Vanuatu led in ERA (1.81), strikeouts (368), walks (123), and quality starts (33), posting 8.3 WAR over 308.2 innings with a 21-12 record. The 14^th Oceania Championship was a rematch of the prior year and ended up being perhaps the most exciting finale to date. The series went all seven games with the finale being a 10-inning affair. The Sun Sox took game seven 6-5 to deny the Kangaroo three-peat and give Samoa its first championship. American CF Edward Hodgins was the finals MVP, a 35-year old journeyman in his fifth season with the Sun Sox. He posted 7 hits, 3 runs, 2 home runs, and 8 RBI in the series. This helped get him a job back in America with MLB’s Cincinnati the next year. Other notes: Brisbane’s Grant Rewharewha tied the single-game strikeout record with 20 in only 7.1 innings against Sydney on September 1. This ties Brad Nelson’s mark from the prior year, but is especially impressive since Rewharewha’s wasn’t even in a complete game. LF Martin Topio won his ninth Gold Glove and 1B Justin Coolyal won his eighth __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

08-22-2023, 04:49 AM	#527
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,616	1973 in EPB Minsk remained the constant in the EPB European League with a 98-64 record atop the North Division, giving the Miners six straight playoff berths and 18 in EPB’s first 19 seasons. The other three spots went to different teams from the prior year. Kyiv snapped a six-year playoff drought by winning the South Division at 90-72. Kharkiv was second at 88-74 and narrowly took the first wild card for their third berth in four years. The other spot had a very tight battle with Moscow and Riga tying at 87-75, while Kazan and Warsaw were both only one game behind. The Mules took the one-game playoff over the Roosters, giving Moscow a third berth in four years. Defending league champ Tirana fell to sixth in the division at 77-85. Bucharest was a forgettable 77-85, but DH Ivan Valev had a very memorable season as MVP, becoming the fifth Triple Crown hitter in the history of Eurasian Professional Baseball. The 24-year old Bulgarian nicknamed “Socks” had 52 home runs, 116 RBI, and a .316 average; also leading the league in hits (200), total bases (394), slugging (.623), OPS (.974), and wRC+ (202). In his second year with Moscow, 32-year old Havlik Hloznik won Pitcher of the Year, having previously done it with Bratislava in 1967. The two-way start was the ERA leader (1.83) and WARlord (9.0), adding 344 strikeouts over 290 innings with a 16-13 record. He also added 1.0 WAR at the plate with 13 home runs in 78 starts. Also of note, Jas Starsky won his third Reliever of the Year. The 33-year old started the year with Warsaw, then was traded at the deadline to Kharkiv. Combined, he had 36 saves, a 1.65 ERA, and 6.7 WAR with 179 strikeouts over 109 innings. In the first round of the playoff, Minsk survived a five-game battle with Moscow, meanwhile Kharkiv upset Kyiv with a road sweep. This sent the Killer Bees to only their second European League Championship Series (1958), while the Miners were in their record 13^th. Kharkiv prevailed for their first league title 4-1, making Minsk 0-3 in the last four years. The Miners are still 6-7 all-time. The Killer Bees are the first Ukrainian finalist since Kyiv in 1965. Chelyabinsk was a surprise top dog in the Asian League at 102-60, taking the North Division and snapping a decade-long playoff drought. The longest active playoff streak ended at nine with Yekaterinburg dropping to 78-84. Defending Soviet Series champ Almaty very narrowly won the South Division at 93-69. Dushanbe was one back at 92-70 to get the first wild card for their third playoff spot in four years. For the second spot, Tbilisi and Tashkent tied at 91-71, while Irkutsk was 90-72 and Krasnoyarsk was 88-74. The tiebreaker game went to the Trains, giving them back-to-back wild cards. Ice Cats LF Grigori Ovsianikov won the league MVP in his fourth full season. The 24-year old Russian led in total bases (332), slugging (.588), OPS (.959), and wRC+ (193), adding 8.5 WAR, a .319 average, and 34 home runs. Pitcher of the Year was Dushanbe’s Nurlan Rahmonov. The 25-year old Uzbek righty was the WARlord at 9.4 with a 60 FIP-, adding 326 strikeouts in 281 innings with a 1.92 ERA and 18-12 record. Both first round matchups ended up being sweeps with Tbilisi upsetting Chelyabinsk and Almaty topping Dushanbe. In the Asian League Championship Series, it was the first appearance for the Trains, meanwhile the Assassins were in their seventh and looking for a three-peat. Tbilisi took them to the brink, but Almaty prevailed in seven games, taking game seven 4-3 in 11 innings. The Assassins became the first team in either league to win three straight league titles. In the 19^th Soviet Series, Almaty downed Kharkiv 4-1, making the Assassins the second back-to-back EPB champ, joining 1958-59 Kyiv. Pitcher Elvin Kambarov was the finals MVP and became a two-time MVP, also doing it back in 1965 with Bishkek. The 35-year old Kazakh had a 1.09 ERA in five postseason starts with 33 innings pitched, 39 strikeouts, and a 3-1 record. Other notes; Almaty’s Elvin Kambarov had the fourth EPB game with 20+ strikeouts, fanning 20 over 11.2 innings against Omsk on 5/30. The record remains 22 by Arutyun Lezjov in 1962. On April 1, Alvi Tahiri became the first EPB pitcher to 5000 career strikeouts. Artur Golub would hit the mark as well in July. This would be Golub’s penultimate season and he’d end with 5238 career Ks. Tahiri would keep going and cross the 6000 K mark in 1976. Tahiri also became the second to 250 career wins. Zina Gigolashvili became the first to 600 career home runs. RF German Daugelo won his record 12^th Gold Glove. Catcher Samir Allahverdiyev won his record ninth Silver Slugger. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

08-22-2023, 05:17 PM	#528
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,616	1973 in EBF Defending European Champion Rotterdam set a franchise record in 1973 at 106-56, taking the again strong Northwest Division and earning a seventh consecutive playoff berth. The division also had the wild card contenders with Paris taking it at 96-66, beating Brussels by four games. This gave the Poodles back-to-back wild cards. London snapped a three-year playoff skid by winning the British Isles Division firmly at 96-66. Last year’s winner and conference finalist Birmingham fell off a cliff at 67-95. Meanwhile, Oslo had an impressive climb from 64 wins to 94, taking the North Central Division for the second time in franchise history. They bested Stockholm by four games for the spot. Last year’s division champ Hamburg dropped from 92 wins down to 74. Although Glasgow was middling, they had an impressive debut season from CF Leon McShane, who won MVP and Rookie of the Year. The 23-year old Northern Irishman was the WARlord (11.3) and led in doubles (39) and stolen bases (96), adding a .292/.337/.499 slash and 108 runs. He was the third in EBF history to win MVP as a rookie. London’s Woody Renner won Pitcher of the Year in only his third season, leading in ERA (1.75) in a season with 20 starts and 39 relief appearances. He had a 5.9 WAR and 227 strikeouts in 195.1 innings. Oslo stunned Rotterdam in the first round of the playoffs, ousting the powerhouse Ravens in five. Meanwhile London swept Paris, sending the Monarchs to their fourth Northern Conference final appearance. Their only win was in 1953, with defeats in 1960 and 1968. Meanwhile, the Octopi had never gotten that far. The series went all seven games, but London prevailed, breaking the streak of four straight winners out of the Northwest Division. The top mark in the Southern Conference was Zagreb at 100-62, snapping a five-year playoff drought and giving them the Southeast Division. Vienna, winners of four of the last six conference titles, was close behind at 96-66 and got the wild card. This gave the Vultures nine straight playoff berths, the longest streak in EBF history to date. Zurich ended a seven-year playoff drought by taking the South Central Division at 94-68, 11 better than last year’s champ Milan. Barcelona at 85-77 was just good enough to win the Southwest Division, edging defending champ Madrid and Lisbon both by two. For the Bengals, that also ended a seven-year playoff drought. MVP went to Zagreb SS Nikolaos Pavlis, his third time winning the award (1967, 69). The 28-year old Greek posted 11.1 WAR with 45 home runs, 97 RBI, 103 runs, and a .301/.361/.577 slash. Zurich’s Jean-Luc Roch won Pitcher of the Year in the first breakout season for a guy many would later consider EBF’s GOAT pitcher. The 22-year old Frenchmen was five short of the single-season strikeout record with 402, adding 10.5 WAR over 258.2 innings with a 1.93 ERA and 20-6 record. In the first round, both series went all five games. Zagreb survived a strong challenge from Barcelona, while Vienna won at Zurich. It was the third Southern Conference Finals berth for the Gulls, who fell in 1956 and won in 1960. Despite the better regular season record, it was the Vultures who took the series in six games, giving Vienna five conference titles in seven years. In the 24^th European Championship, London defeated Vienna 4-2, giving the Monarchs their second title (1953). RF Sebastijan Jarc was finals and NCC MVP with the 33-year old Serbian posting 16 hits, 10 runs, 7 home runs, and 13 RBI over 16 playoff games. This ultimately was the end of the run for the Vultures, who went a heartbreaking 0-5 in their finals appearances from 1967-73. The cup wouldn’t return again to England until Birmingham’s 1991 win. Other notes: Blaise Combes and Sauncho Fiero became the fifth and sixth EBF members of the 2500 hit club. Fiero would jump into the lead soon and become the first 3000 hit player in 1975. LF Paul Daane won his eighth Gold Glove. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

08-23-2023, 06:24 AM	#529
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,616	1973 in BSA The Bolivar League North Division had a new face on top in 1973 as Bogota finished 91-71, a big jump for their 69 wins the prior year. This gave the Bats their first playoff berth since 1955. Last year’s league champ Caracas dropped to fourth at 80-82, just behind both Maracaibo and Valencia. In the South Division, Guayaquil took first for the third time in five years. The Golds were 91-71, five better than both Quito and La Paz. Leading the charge for Bogota was 29-year old LF Julio Batista, who won MVP. He tied the former single-season home run record of 62 and led the league with 9.8 WAR, 115 runs, 38 doubles, 133 RBI, 412 total bases, a .690 slugging, 1.057 OPS, and 216 wRC+. Batista would play one more year for the Bats before leaving for MLB’s St. Louis. Guayaquil’s Laurenco Cedillo won his seventh Pitcher of the Year, tying the record set by the legendary Mohamed Ramos. The 38-year old Cedillo proved ageless, posting 8.0 WAR over 280.2 innings with 226 strikeouts, 2.15 ERA, and 21-9 record. Cedillo joined Ramos this season as the only Beisbol Sudamerica pitchers with 300+ career wins. Cedillo would have two more seasons and finish with 342, just short of Ramos’ 347 for the all-time record. Salvador crushed the competition in the Southern Cone League in 1973 with a franchise record 110-52. This was only the third Brazil Division win for the Storm, who did it in 1949 and 1962. Defending Copa Sudamerica champ Fortaleza was a distant third at 84-78. In the South Division, Santiago finished first yet again at 93-69, six better than Buenos Aires. The Saints extended their record postseason streak to ten years, although it ultimately was the last year of the run. Impressively, Santiago made the playoffs 15 times from 1957-73. Slugger Valor Melo led Salvador’s turnaround with a record-smashing season for the 24-year old Brazilian left-handed first baseman. He won his first MVP and became the single-season home run king, passing the old record of 62 with 66 dingers. His 143 RBI was only four short of Mike Andrades’ 1962 record of 147 and he had only the seventh 12+ WAR hitting season in BSA history to that point with 12.3. Melo also led the league in runs (127), total bases (418), slugging (.719), OPS (1.125), and wRC+ (231). His OPS was also a single-season record to that point, which he himself would top multiple times later. Pitcher of the Year was Brasilia’s Cristo Manso with the 25-year old leading in wins (23-7) and ERA (1.87) with 10.3 WAR and 311 strikeouts in 279 innings. In the Bolivar League Championship Series, Bogota bested Guayaquil in six games, giving the Bats their second-ever title (1951). The Golds are now 1-6 all-time in BLCS appearances. Salvador cruised to the Southern Cone Championship with a sweep of Santiago, giving the Storm their third title (1949, 1962). After being a fixture of the finals in the 1950s, 60s, and early 70s, the Saints wouldn’t be back again until 1993. The 43^rd Copa Sudamerica would be a seven-game classic, the first since 1965. Underdog Bogota gave Salvador a great challenge, but the 110-win Storm were too much to handle, winning the Cup for the second-time in franchise history (1949). RF Dani Manzanares was finals MVP with the second-year lefty posting 10 hits, 6 runs, 3 home runs, and 11 RBI in 11 playoff games. Salvador’s 110-52 record was the best by a Cup winner since Cordoba’s record 120-42 1956 season. The Bats would have to wait until 2000 to get their first overall title. Other notes: Buenos Aires’ Raphael Grieco struck out 438 batters, setting a single-season BSA record for someone not named Mohamed Ramos (Ramos bested that mark ten times). Another milestone for Laurenco Cedillo was his 5000^th strikeout, becoming the third BSA pitcher to reach to mark. He’d finish with 5358, behind Ramos (7747) and Evan Yho (5591). SS Alexander Rolon won his 10^th Gold Glove. 1973 would also be the final year for Beisbol Sudamerica with just the original 24 teams, as there would be a four-team expansion starting in 1974. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

08-23-2023, 12:11 PM	#530
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,616	1973 in EAB The Japan League had a restructuring at the top in 1973 with the Hiroshima dynasty ending and last year’s North Division winner Sapporo dropping to .500. The South Division race was fierce with Kyoto taking it at 103-59, finishing two ahead of Kobe. The Kamikaze led in runs scored (715) and fewest allowed (520), ending a six-year playoff drought. The Hammerheads were fifth place at84-78 after winning four of the last five Japan League titles; they wouldn’t get back to the playoffs until 1985. In the North Division, Tokyo ended a playoff drought stretching back to 1937. The Tides finished 87-75, six ahead of Sapporo. Although Hiroshima dropped off, RF Hyeog-Jun Wi won his second MVP (1969). The 28-year old led with 59 home runs, 124 RBI, 213 wRC+, .724 slugging, and 425 total bases, adding 10.5 WAR and 111 runs scored. His .327 average was four points shy of nabbing a Triple Crown season. Wi also won his ninth Gold Glove. Kyoto’s Shuichiro Sato won back-to-back Pitcher of the Year awards. The fourth-year righty was the wins leader at 23-4 and ERA leader at 1.69, also leading with 0.85 WHIP. He had 238 strikeouts in 213.1 innings with 6.4 WAR. The Korea League also had a shakeup at the top in 1973. In the North Division, Incheon took the title at 103-59, besting defending league champ Pyongyang by seven games. This was the first playoff berth for the Inferno since winning it all in 1954. Meanwhile, Daegu cruised to the South Division crown at 96-66 for their first division title since the 1956 championship season. The Diamondbacks at 827 had the most runs scored in the league. Seoul 1B Yu-Jin Choi picked up Korea League MVP. The 28-year old was the leader in homers (58), runs (130), walks (88), total bases (400), OBP (.411), slugging (.672), OPS (1.083), wRC+ (183), and WAR (9.0). Seongnam’s Yu-Jin Lee was Pitcher of the Year, earning East Asia Baseball’s seventh pitching Triple Crown and the first since 1952. The 27-year old lefty had a 20-4 record, 1.99 ERA, and 360 strikeouts, posting 9.4 WAR and 30 quality starts over 266.1 innings. This was Lee’s third straight season leading Korea in ERA and FIP-. In the Japan League Championship Series, Tokyo topped Kyoto 4-1, giving the Tides their third-ever league title (1921, 1936). The Korea League Championship Series went all seven games with Daegu edging Incheon in the end. The Diamondbacks are now six time champs (1931, 41, 52, 53, 56), The 53^rd East Asia Championship was a seven-game thriller for back-to-back seasons. Daegu downed Tokyo in the end for their third overall title, joining the 1953 and 1956 campaigns. 24-year old CF I-Deun Mok won finals MVP, getting 19 hits, 9 runs, 4 doubles, 3 home runs, and 8 RBI in 14 playoff games. This marked the start of Daegu’s run as the top Korean team for the next few seasons. Other notes: Daegu’s Yusaku Kobayashi threw EAB’s 24^th perfect game on August 7, striking out seven against Ulsan. Pyongyang’s San-Hun Joon became the first EAB pitcher to 300 career wins and the first to 5000 strikeouts. Despite never winning Pitcher of the Year, Joon quietly climbed up the leaderboards. He’d pitch three more seasons, retiring as the EAB leader in wins (346), strikeouts (5694), and innings pitched (5346), records that still hold as of 2037. He also has the record for most home runs allowed at 761 and allowed the most in eight different seasons, giving him only 85.7 career WAR despite his massive tallies. As of 2037, the 761 homers allowed is the most by a solid margin by any pitcher in any pro league. Ki-Tae Yun became the 14^th hitter to 600 home runs and the 17^th to 1500 career RBI. 1B Chi-Seong Chwa won his eighth Gold Glove. Catcher Jung-Soo Chena and Shortstop Kyung-Hwan Choi both became 11-time Silver Slugger winners. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

08-23-2023, 05:35 PM	#531
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,616	1973 in CABA Mexico City yet again was the dominant force of the Mexican League with the now six-time defending league champ dominating the South Division at 108-54, leading in both runs scored (740) and fewest allowed (520). This extended their record postseason streak to eight seasons. Juarez took the North Division at 92-70 for their first playoff appearance in a decade. The wild card battle was intense and saw a three-way tie at 86-76 between Leon, Tijuana, and Queretaro, while Guadalajara was only one behind. The Terriers eliminated the Toros in the first one-game playoff tiebreaker, then the Lions ousted Queretaro. This ended a seven-year playoff drought for Leon. Getting MVP was Aztecs RF J.J. Santin, who they acquired in a trade the prior summer from Nicaragua. In his final CABA season before leaving for MLB, the 29-year old lefty led in home runs (46), RBI (110), walks (95), OBP (.989), and wRC+ (190), adding 8.5 WAR and 106 runs scored. Guadalajara’s Mario Benitez won Pitcher of the Year with the tenth pitching Triple Crown in CABA history and only the third since the 1920s. It was the third PotY for the 31-year old righty, who had a 19-8 record, 1.84 ERA, and 342 strikeouts, while also leading with a 0.84 WHIP, 27 quality starts, 20 complete games, and 9.0 WAR. Wild card Leon upset Juarez in the wild card round 3-2. The Lions ultimately ran into the Mexico City buzzsaw as the Aztecs took the Mexican League Championship Series in five games. This gave Mexico City an unprecedented seven straight league titles; which remains the longest streak in CABA as of 2037. This also tied MLB’s Philadelphia (1941-47) for the longest subleague title streak to that point in any professional league. Haiti had the best record in the Caribbean League at 100-62 for their first Island Division title since 1965. Last year’s league champ Trinidad (81-81) and wild card Havana (75-87) both were non-factors in the division. Santo Domingo was second at 93-69 with Puerto Rico at 90-72; both ultimately short of the wild card. That spot went to the Continental Division where Honduras and Guatemala tied for first at 95-67. The tiebreaker game and division title went to the Horsemen, giving the Ghosts the wild card. This gave Honduras back-to-back division titles and put Guatemala in for the seventh time in nine years. Guatemala CF Wesley Dubar won his eighth league MVP, tying him with Prometheo Garcia for second most in CABA history behind Kiko Velazquez’ ten. It was actually a down year by the incredibly high standard the 30-year old CF had set. Dubar still led in runs (124), RBI (123), total bases (384), OBP (.400), slugging (.681), OPS (1.081), and wRC+ (179), adding 9.2 WAR and 50 home runs. It was the eighth consecutive season he led in runs scored. Dubar also crossed 2000 hits and 400 home runs this season. Pitcher of the Year was Santo Domingo’s Deinis Alonso with the 27-year old Cuban lefty leading in ERA (1.87), strikeouts (299), quality starts (28), and FIP- (63), adding 7.7 WAR and a 18-4 record in 236.1 innings. This would be Alonso’s last year with the Dolphins, as he’d sign a big free agent deal in the offseason with Guatemala. Honduras and Guatemala met again in the wild card round with the Horsemen taking the series 3-1. In the Caribbean League Championship Series, Haiti won 4-3 over Honduras. This was the third title for the Herons, whose only other wins were in 1937 and 1938. In the 63^rd Central American Baseball Association Championship, Haiti got closer than many others to unseating Mexico City. The Aztecs ultimately won the series 4-2 for a fifth straight overall title and sixth in seven years. Finals MVP would be Belizean catcher Sanjay Kapur, who had 15 hits, 8 runs, 4 home runs, and 10 RBI in 11 playoff games. This would mark the end of the Mexico City championship dynasty, but would go down as one of the all-time runs in any professional league. Never before had any team won five overall titles in a row or six in seven years. Only the 2008-2013 six-peat from Addis Ababa in the African Association of Baseball would match or top the five-peat as of 2037. The six in seven would get met by West African Baseball’s Kano from 1997-03, OBA’s Melbourne from 2004-10, and during Ahmedabad’s run of 12 titles in 17 years from 1986-2002 in the Asian Baseball Federation. Other notes: Mexico City manager Spiro Santim has a case as the greatest manager of all-time. Not only did he win six rings with the Aztecs, but he also won two in the 1950s with Monterrey. The temperamental Mexico City native would retire after the 1974 season with eight rings and 13 playoff berths, a 1930-1311 record, and nine CABA Manager of the Year titles. Although he’d get passed for most CABA wins and there would be others with more wins and playoff berths in other leagues, the eight overall championships remains an all-time best as of 2037. The closest would be Pablo Salcedo, who would win seven OBA titles with Honolulu from 1982-90 and Geandris Frias with seven WAB titles for Kano from 1997-05. In his playing career, Santim was a shortstop who was worth -1.0 WAR over 101 plate appearances in the 1930s. Ecatepec’s Johan Balli struck out 20 in 8.2 innings against Leon on August 19. This was the 11^th 20+ K game in CABA history and tied the regulation record (Nick Bermea had 22 Ks in 14.2 innings back in 1918, which to this point is the only game with more than 20.) Santiago Esquivel became the sixth CABA pitcher to reach 4000 career strikeouts. SS Ivan Marrero won his 10^th Gold Glove. SS Aaron Valencia won his tenth Silver Slugger. For the 1974 season, CABA lowered the active roster size from 25 to 24. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

08-23-2023, 06:08 PM	#532
baloroslin Bat Boy Join Date: Aug 2023 Posts: 4	Interesting stats man!

08-24-2023, 04:43 AM	#533
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,616	1973 in MLB Defending National Association champ Montreal had the NA’s best record in 1973, taking the Eastern League for back-to-back seasons at 99-63. Ottawa was close behind at 97-65 and took the first wild card after missing the prior two postseasons. Omaha won the Midwest League for the first time since 1967 with the Hawks at 96-66. Kansas City was second at 94-68, snapping a six-year playoff skid by earning the second wild card. At 92-70, Cleveland was the third wild card, ending a 13-year playoff drought for the Cobras. The final spot went to 89-73 St. Louis, who were two ahead of both Brooklyn and Pittsburgh, three better than Chicago, and four ahead of Detroit. This extended the Cardinals postseason streak to five years, the longest active one in MLB. Noticeable drops in 1973 came from Philadelphia, going from 96 wins to 70; and Columbus going from 86 wins to 62. Pittsburgh LF Connor Neumeyer won his second MVP at only age 23. He led the National Association in WAR (10.1), total bases (402), OBP (.417), slugging (.683), OPS (1.100), and wRC (213), adding 49 home runs, 115 RBI, 115 runs, and 210 hits. Cleveland’s Dallas Levy won Pitcher of the Year for the second time, having also gotten it in 1970. The 26-year old righty led in quality starts with 28, posting a 2.38 ERA and 18-6 record over 272 innings with 260 strikeouts and 7.0 WAR. Unfortunately, numerous major injuries would mean Levy posted only 2.2 total WAR over the remainder of his career. The first round playoff matchups were both 2-0 with Cleveland over Kansas City and St. Louis over Ottawa. Montreal made it back to the final by besting the Cardinals 3-1, while the Cobras stunned Omaha with an upset in five. This gave Cleveland their first National Association Championship Series berth since 1959. However, the Maples mauled them with the first NACS sweep since 1966. Montreal became the first repeat NACS champ since Kansas City in 1961-62 and took their seventh NA title overall. Seattle had the best record in the American Association, winning their second-ever Western League title (1963). The Grizzlies finished 99-63, holding off a strong field with four other teams above 90 wins. In the Southern League, Memphis took first at 95-67 for their first playoff berth or league title since 1965. Three-time defending World Series champion New Orleans was one behind at 94-68 and took the second wild card spot. The first wild card went to Los Angeles at 95-67, putting them in the playoff field for the fifth time in six years after missing the prior year. The battle for the remaining two spots was in the Western League. Calgary and Oakland both finished 93-69, while Albuquerque ended one back and Portland five back. This snapped a seven-year playoff drought for the Cheetahs and was the second in three years for the Owls. Seattle LF Jaxson Caldwell won the MVP. The 25-year old lefty led in WAR (8.2), hits (227), and batting average (.375), adding 103 runs scored and a .999 OPS with 24 home runs. Albuquerque’s Sean Forcum won Pitcher of the Year with the 25-year old lefty leading in ERA (2.32), innings (299), quality starts (25), complete games (21), shutouts (7), and WAR (9.4). He added 239 strikeouts with a 23-8 record. Forcum also had a no-hitter with eight strikeouts and one walk on June 29 against Atlanta. The first round of the playoffs had New Orleans over Oakland 2-0 and Los Angeles over Calgary 2-0. In the second round, the Mudcats weren’t ready to see the dynasty end, upsetting Seattle in five games. The Angels would knock off Memphis 3-2 on the road for return for the third time in the last six years. The American Association Championship Series went the distance with game seven going to extras. Los Angeles took the finale 5-4 in 10 innings for their first title since 1968 and sixth overall. This denied New Orleans the four-peat and officially marked the end of their contention, as the Mudcats wouldn’t return to the AACS until 2021. The 73^rd World Series was the second time that Los Angeles and Montreal had met in the Fall Classic, with the Maples taking the 1949 encounter. The Angels would give the American Association its sixth straight crown, defeating Montreal 4-1. SS Anthony Galam was finals MVP in his first full season as a starter. The 22-year old in 14 playoff games and 10 starts had 17 hits, 6 runs, 3 doubles, and 8 RBI. The Angels now have four MLB titles (1945, 46, 68, 73). The Maples are runner-up for back-to-back seasons and now 2-5 all-time in the World Series. Other notes: Isaiah Gilbert of Calgary had 56 doubles, setting a single-season MLB record that still stands as of 2037. Boston as a team had 255 stolen bases, which stands as second-most in a National Association season. On April 21, Brooklyn’s Michael Manley went 7-7 against Milwaukee. He’s the second MLB hitter with a seven-hit game, joining Hermeo Eraso’s 7-8 in 1922. R.J. Clinton became the 15^th MLB batter to reach 600 career home runs. The next one wouldn’t happen until 1987. Clinton and Vince Scarpello both crossed 1500 career runs, bringing it to 71 players to have done so in MLB. MLB also made a surprising rule change following the 1973 season, lowering the active roster size from 24 to 23. All of the other leagues had 24 or 25 as their number. MLB is the only of the pro leagues to have minor league affiliates, for what that’s worth. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

08-24-2023, 12:28 PM	#534
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,616	1974 MLB Hall of Fame One player made it into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame with the 1974 ballot as DH Ron Koehler earned first ballot honors at 81.9%. Four others were above 50%, but below 60%. SP Jeremiah Rutledge got 57.0% on his third attempt, C Gray Caraway received 56.1% on his fourth ballot, LF C.J. West grabbed 52.8% on his second attempt, and SP Richard Thieman in his debut earned 51.9%. One player was dumped after ten failed attempts in closer Hubert McCloud. He won Reliever of the Year once and in 17 MLB seasons with nine teams, he had 292 saves, a 2.02 ERA, 989 strikeouts, and 30.2 WAR. He ended on a peak at 45.2% after sinking as low as 21.8% the prior year. A decent career, but firmly someone who should be outside. Ron Koehler – Designated Hitter – Oakland Owls – 81.9% First Ballot Ron Koehler was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed designed hitter from Harrison, Arkansas; a small city with about 13,000 people in the northern part of the state. In his prime, he was arguably the best home run hitter in the game. He had an excellent eye and ability to draw walks with above average to good contact skills, although he did strike out a bit more than the average batter. Koehler hit a lot of homers, but didn’t double terribly often and was a comically slow baserunner. He technically was a left fielder, but he only made 25 starts his entire MLB career in the field due to being an atrocious fielder. That said, Koehler was a terrific leader, a hard worker, and very durable; making him a valuable piece despite his deficiencies. Koehler was a surprisingly late bloomer who in college at Tulane had pretty pedestrian numbers, posting only 22 home runs, 72 RBI, and a .258 average over 140 college games. With average-at-best hitting and no fielding ability to speak of, he wasn’t a hot commodity. Miami picked him in the sixth round of the 1949 MLB Draft, 257^th overall. At induction, only closer Noah Pugliese (275^th pick) had been picked later and gone into the Hall. Koehler spent his first six pro seasons largely as a backup in minor league Fort Myers, only making 18 starts and playing 215 minor league games from 1950-55. Koehler debuted in 1955 at age 26, an incredibly late debut for a later prominent player in a tenured league. He made 50 starts with unremarkable stats. However, in 1956, everything clicked for Koehler. He refined his swing, changed his habits, and starting eating a balanced breakfast. He went from being graded a 6/5/6 potential for contract/power/eye to being viewed as 9/10/9. In his second year with the Mallards, he hit 30 home runs in 113 games. From there, he’d smack 40+ dingers in ten of his remaining twelve seasons. In 1958, Koehler won his first Silver Slugger at DH for Miami, leading the American Association with 55 home runs. He’d lead in dingers seven times in his career, RBI four times, walks twice, total bases thrice, runs twice, and OPS twice. In 1959, he smacked 54 homers, won his second Silver Slugger, and took second in MVP voting. In total with Miami, he had 663 hits, 423 runs, 185 home runs, 456 RBI, and 17.5 WAR. MLB teams were now excited about Koehler’s hitting potential and middling Miami figured they couldn’t keep him around with free agency looming. The Mallards traded Koehler before the 1960 season for two players and a draft pick to Las Vegas. Although brief, his Vipers run his most impactful. He won Silver Sluggers in each of this three seasons in Vegas and took home the MVP in both 1961 and 1962; along with a third place in 1960. In three seasons, he had 162 home runs and 430 RBI. Around this time, he also provided power to the United States team in the World Baseball Championship. From 1959-62, he had 86 starts, 94 hits, 84 runs, 44 home runs, 1114 RBI, and 7.5 WAR. Koehler was tournament MVP in 1962 and won world titles in 1960, 1961, and 1962. Sadly for Koehler, the WBC was the only postseason success he’d see in his career. Las Vegas had won the World Series the year before his arrival, but fell off to start the 1960s despite his efforts. Now a free agent at age 34, he signed for the 1963 season with Oakland on a five-year, $1,060,000 contract. Koehler was never award conversations with the Owls and they never made the playoffs, but he still led the American Association in home runs thrice. In 1964, he had one of the rare MLB four home run games, smacking them against Vancouver. Oakland was his longest tenure and the one he went into the Hall with, posting 798 hits, 514 runs, 218 home runs, 534 RBI, and 17.6 WAR. With the Owls, he passed the 500 career home runs and 2000 hits milestones. He led in both homers and RBI in 1967 at age 38 and became a free agent, opting to go back to Las Vegas for 1968 on a three-year deal. He fell off significantly in his brief Vipers return, opting to retire at age 39. In four total seasons with LV, he had 666 hits, 422 runs, 187 home runs, 495 RBI, and 20.4 WAR. Koehler’s final stats: 2127 hits, 1359 runs, 231 doubles, 590 home runs, 1485 RBI, 1125 walks, a .272/.363/.533 slash, wRC+ of 137, and 55.5 WAR. His career was an odd one and the resume had holes, such as an incredibly low WAR relative to other Hall of Famers due to his lack of any defensive or baserunning value. Koehler never got to the playoffs either. However, he had five 50+ home run seasons and two MVPs and for a stretch was the most feared power hitter out there. His totals are fairly solid considering a late start to his stats and he was very well liked by fans and players, thus Koehler earned the first ballot nod at 81.9%. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

08-24-2023, 05:43 PM	#535
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,616	1974 CABA Hall of Fame (Part 1) The 1974 Central American Baseball Association Hall of Fame class was an impressive one with four players inducted for the first time since 1967. On top of that, all four guys were first ballot picks. The stars were easily CF Emmanuel Lopez and SP Oscar Medina, receiving impressive tallies of 98.5% and 96.0% respectively. 1B Ysidro Pico was next with 79.3%, then RF Zak Carranza barely crossed the 66% threshold with 66.5%. No one else was above 50%. SP Danny Ledo was the one player dropped after ten failed ballots, finishing at 46.5% after a peak at 53.6% and bottom at 14.5%. A two-time Pitcher of the Year, he was hurt by leaving for MLB’s Baltimore for six seasons in his 30s. In his 12 CABA seasons, he had a 154-122 record, 3.03 ERA, 2633 strikeouts in 2561 innings, and 52.0 WAR. With his full pro totals of 237-197 and 71.2 WAR, he might have crossed the line narrowly, but the CABA accumulations weren’t quite there in the minds of the voters. Emmanuel Lopez – Center Field – Mexico City Aztecs – 98.5% First Ballot Emmanuel Lopez was a 6’0’’, 195 pound right-handed center fielder from Naucalpan, Mexico; a part of the greater Mexico City metro. Lopez was a tremendous contact hitter that led in both batting average and hits three times in his career. He had very solid baserunning speed and a respectable knack for drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. Lopez wasn’t a prolific slugger, but he had excellent pop in his bat, averaging around 25-30 home runs per year and around 30-40 doubles/triples. Lopez was a career center fielder and considered an above average to good defender in his career. Maybe most impressively, he was incredibly durable despite playing a very physically demanding position, still putting up strong numbers in center into his mid to late 30s. With this impressive five-tool skill set, the mild-mannered Lopez became an extremely popular player of the 1950s and 1960s. Lopez’ talent was noticed immediately in his amateur days and in the 1950 CABA Draft, he was the #1 overall pick by Mexico City. The Aztecs were struggling this point and only won 61 games in his first season. Sadly for Lopez, he’d be gone before they made their dynasty run and only saw one playoff season with them, but his efforts still helped revitalize the franchise. Lopez started 126 games in his rookie year and would start 148+ in every season for the next decade. He was the Mexican League Rookie of the Year in 1951, then won MVP and Silver Slugger in his sophomore season with 10.2 WAR, a .346 average, and 209 hits. He’d finish first in WAR four times with the Aztecs and take home additional MVPs in 1956, 57, and 60, along with a third place finish in 1954. He won eight straight Silver Sluggers from 1954-61, getting nine in total with Mexico City. Lopez also was a regular for Mexico in the World Baseball Championship from 1952-66. In 166 games and 163 starts, he had 163 hits, 111 runs, 35 home runs, 90 RBI, and 4.0 WAR. Lopez led the tournament in hits (34) and stolen bases (15) in 1963 and finished third in MVP voting, helping Mexico to a World Championship. In total in a decade-plus with the Aztecs, Lopez had 2223 hits, 1117 runs, 333 doubles, 125 triples, 302 home runs, 1053 RBI, a .328/.382/.547 slash and 98.6 WAR; arguably a Hall of Fame career right there up to age 33. The Aztecs would retire his #13 uniform later and he’d be remembered very fondly despite it being a relatively unremarkable decade for the franchise. His 1960 season at age 31 was arguably his best with a career-best 11.1 WAR, 218 hits, and 354 total bases. At age 33, free agency was likely looming following the 1962 season. That summer, Mexico City sent him to Honduras for five prospects, one of which would be Brian Arevalos, the closer in three of the Aztec championship seasons. Lopez would sign a four-year, $582,000 contract extension with the Horsemen after the season and ultimately spend the rest of his pro career there. Honduras was the powerhouse of the Caribbean League Continental Division at that point and would make the playoffs five times in Lopez’ tenure, winning the CABA Championship in 1963. That season, Lopez won his fifth league MVP with a career-best 43 home runs and 114 RBI. He was CLCS and CABA finals MVP as well with 22 hits, 10 runs, 4 home runs, and 12 RBI over 13 playoff games. Lopez won his sixth and final league MVP in 1964. He won Silver Sluggers in both seasons as well, giving him 11 for his career. Back injuries would start to put him out sporadically in his final seasons, although he was still very solid when healthy from 1965-67. Lopez became the fourth CABA hitter to reach 3000 career hits, the fourth to 1500 runs scored, and the eighth to 1500 RBI. 1968 was the year where Lopez finally dipped below replacement level and he’d retire after the season at age 40. With Honduras, he had 1091 hits, 548 runs, 171 home runs, 558 RBI, a .309/.356/.533 slash and 37.0 WAR. The final stats for Lopez: 3314 hits, 1665 runs, 482 doubles, 190 triples, 473 home runs, 1611 RBI, 908 stolen bases, a .321/.373/.542 slash, 164 wRC+, and 135.6 WAR. At retirement, he was third in CABA hitting WAR behind only Prometheo Garcia and Kiko Velazquez. Lopez also retired third in hits, third in runs scored, and fourth in RBI. As of 2037, no CABA player has more WAR in center field. Lopez was easily an inner-circle Hall of Famer and arguably Mexico’s greatest center fielder, earning a no-doubt induction at 98.5%. Oscar Medina – Starting Pitcher – Honduras Horsemen – 96.0% First Ballot Oscar Medina was a 5’11’’, 185 pound left-handed pitcher from San Antonio de Desamparados, Costa Rica; a small district in the San Jose province. Medina always had excellent stuff with 99-101 mph peak velocity with a fastball, changeup, screwball, slider arsenal. His movement and control were a bit dodgy in his 20s, but he honed both in his 30s to become a complete pitcher. Medina was largely durable and became very popular for his role in Honduras’ success in the 1960s. Medina’s career wouldn’t start there, signing as an amateur teenage free agent in late 1949 with Guatemala. He made his debut with the Ghosts in 1955 at age 22 and although he led the Caribbean League in walks, he was still impressive enough to earn Rookie of the Year honors. Medina had four seasons with Guatemala and was a decent starter, although limited by control issues. His Ghosts highlight was a no-hitter with 13 strikeouts and two walks against Santiago on August 1, 1958. In his four seasons there, he had a 48-54 record, 3.54 ERA, 882 strikeouts in 947 innings, and 12.3 WAR. Medina also started playing for the Costa Rica National Team in the World Baseball Championship at age 23. He’d male 24 starts from 1956-68, posting an 11-11 record, 3.11 ERA, 171 innings, 232 strikeouts, and 4.1 WAR. It’d be in nearby Honduras where Medina would become a Caribbean League legend. Guatemala traded him at age 27 to the Horsemen before the 1959 season in exchange for three prospects. He led in strikeouts with 294 in his debut season and showed great stamina with 17 complete games, but still saw average ERA numbers. Medina did have a solid postseason with a 2.73 ERA in 26.1 innings, helping the Horsemen get to the CABA Championship. Honduras liked him enough to sign a five-year, $425,000 extension after the 1959 season, but Medina would blow out his elbow in mid 1960, requiring ligament reconstruction surgery that put his future in major doubt. In his return in mid 1961 at age 28, he looked solid. From there, he became a bonefide ace for the next six seasons with each year seeing 6.9+ WAR or better. Medina led in ERA in both 1966 and 1967 and WHIP in 1965 and 1966. He’d finish third in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1963, 64, 65, and 66. In 1967, Medina finally won the award at age 34 with career bests in ERA (2.00), strikeouts (321), WHIP (0.87), wins (21-8), and WAR (10.7.). Medina played in seven postseasons for Honduras and in 1963, earned a CABA Championship ring. For his playoff career, he had a 3.50 ERA over 123.1 innings with 127 strikeouts and 3.4 WAR. In 1963, he had his second no-hitter with a five strikeout, three walk effort on July 29 against Salvador. Then on May 15, 1965; Medina had CABA’s 20^th Perfect Game, striking out 10 against Haiti. This also made Medina the first (and as of 2037, only) CABA pitcher to have three CABA no-hitters in his career. After a career-best season in 1967, Medina struggled significantly in 1968. He pitched through elbow pain, then below out his elbow in mid-September. With a 15-16 month recovery time expected and no guarantee of future success, Medina retired at age 35. Honduras immediately retired his #37 uniform and in his run there, he had a 153-83 record, 2.85 ERA, 2247 innings, 2400 strikeouts, and 60.6 WAR. Medina’s final total stats: 201-137 record, 3.06 ERA, 3194 innings, 3282 strikeouts, 260/420 quality starts, a FIP- of 82, and 73.0 WAR. The accumulations aren’t massive with a slower start to his career and early exit, but they still certainly don’t look out of place among other pitchers in the Hall of Fame. His role in Honduras’ playoff success and the perfect game meant Medina was very popular and his resume was very firm, earning the first ballot induction at 96.0%. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

08-25-2023, 05:03 AM	#536
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,616	1974 CABA Hall of Fame (Part 2) *Ysidro Pico – First Baseman – Puerto Rico Pelicans – 79.3% First Ballot* Ysidro Pico was a 5’11’’, 200 pound left-handed first baseman from the Dominican Republic’s capital Santo Domingo. He was a very solid bat in his prime with strong contact and power skills, leading the Caribbean League in total bases six times. His home run power was quite good for around 30-40 per year, but his gap power made him dangerous as well, good to get around 20 doubles and another 20 or so triples per year. Pico got the extra bags despite having average-at best speed. He very rarely walked and did strike out a bit more than average, but he always made his contact count. Pico was primarily a first baseman with occasional starts in right field or at designated hitter. Defensively, he was quite lousy, but his bat was strong and he was an ironman who was always in the lineup. Pico was a bit of a late bloomer, although he was spotted as an amateur free agent in 1947 by Guadalajara at age 16. He finally debuted for the Hellhounds in 1953 at age 22, but only had 63 at-bats. After not being used for the first half of 1954, Guadalajara sent Pico and two others to Puerto Rico in the summer for RF Gilbert Abreo. The rest of Pico’s pro career would be with the Pelicans, although he was a rarely used pinch hitter in both 1954 and 1955. He showed potential with 64 regular season starts in 1956 and an excellent playoff run with 14 hits, 6 runs, 3 home runs, and 13 RBI. This helped Puerto Rico to the CABA Championship ring and launched Pico into the starting job for the next decade. Pico won seven Silver Sluggers with the Pelicans, coming in 1957, 58, 59, 61, 62, 64, and 66. He never won MVP, but did finish third in the voting in both 1963 and 1964. He led the Caribbean League in runs scored five times in his career and scored 100+ runs and had 100+ RBI in nine seasons apiece. Puerto Rico only made it to the playoffs again in 1963 and 1964 in his tenure with early exits, but he’d forever be adored for the 1956 magic; getting his #21 uniform retired after his career. Pico was popular in PR and back home in the DR, playing for the Dominican Republic from 1958-65 in the World Baseball Championship. He had 55 starts, 55 hits, 34 runs, 23 home runs, and 48 RBI. Pico’s production would drop significantly for the first time in 1967 and after unremarkable 1967 and 1968 campaigns, he retired at age 38. Pico’s final stats: 2335 hits, 1327 runs, 282 doubles, 253 triples, 451 home runs, 1339 RBI, a .300/.339/.575 slash, 149 wRC+, and 60.4 WAR. Not at the tip top of the CABA leaderboards, but very solid especially with really only a decade of notable years. His popularity and having almost his whole career with one team helped him with voters despite a lack of MVP trophies or big totals, giving Pico the first ballot nod at 79.3%. Zak Carranza – Right Field – Leon Lions – 66.5% First Ballot Zak Carranza was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left-handed right fielder from Villaflores, Mexico; a municipality of around 100,000 near the border with Guatemala. In his prime, Carranza was a solid power and contact hitter with a good eye. At full health, he could get you 35-45 home runs per year, although he didn’t double much relative to his power. Carranza was decent at avoiding strikeouts with speed that wasn’t awful, but was still below average. He was a career right fielder and fairly weak in the field, but passable. Carranza was a good leader and was a popular player as a result, but various injuries kept him off the field in significant chunks of his career. Carranza was highly touted out of college and ended up the second overall pick by Leon in the 1953 CABA Draft. He’d spend his entire career with the Lions and was an immediate starter, earning 1954 Rookie of the Year honors. Year two saw his first of six Silver Sluggers, winning the award in 1955, 57, 58, 60, 61, and 62. In 1957, he led Mexico in home runs (41) and RBI (108). Hamstring and PCL trouble kept him out chunks of 1958 and 1959. He’d lead in homers twice more, peaking with a stellar 1961 with 53 dingers, 134 RBI, 1.050 OPS, and 8.6 WAR. Carranza was MVP this year, his only season in the top three. Leon was a Mexican League power with seven playoff appearances from 1957-65. They won the Mexican League title in 1959, 60, and 64; and won the overall CABA title in 1959. Carranza was the 1959 finals MVP, posting 13 hits, 6 runs, 3 homers, and 7 RBI in 11 playoff games that year. In 56 playoff games total, he had 62 hits, 24 runs, 10 home runs, 31 RBI, and 2.0 WAR. Carranza also had 33 starts and 59 appearances in the World Baseball Championship for Mexico from 1955-66, posting 46 hits, 33 runs, 17 home runs, 37 RBI, and 3.0 WAR. Carranza peaked with the 1961 MVP season, but still provided good solid value into his 30s for Leon. The Lions began to drop to the mid-tier as the 1960s ended and Carranza saw his production dip in his last two years. He was only a part-time starter in 1967 and then a bench piece primarily in 1968. He opted to retire after the 1968 campaign at age 37 and would see his #25 uniform retired immediately by the team. Carranza’s final stats: 2044 hits, 1062 runs, 312 doubles, 461 home runs, 1225 RBI, a .297/.352/.553 slash, 169 wRC+ and 73.3 WAR. Respectable numbers and arguably better than his Hall of Fame classmate Ysidro Pico, but a lot of voters felt Carranza’s tallies were just low enough to miss the cut. However, he had just enough support to get in on the first ballot, even if just barely over the 66.0% threshold with 66.5%. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

08-25-2023, 11:50 AM	#537
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,616	1974 EAB Hall of Fame The lone player inducted in 1974 to East Asia Baseball’s Hall of Fame was 1B Ki-Wook Ahn, earning the first ballot nod with 94.4%. 2B Yoshio Hagesawa was close on his debut, but just short of the 66% requirement with 63.9%. Closer Hyeon-Jae Seo was at 59.9% on his tenth and final try with 2B Jung-Min Yi the only other above 50% with a debut of 51.6%. For Seo, he got as high as 61.4% on his fourth ballot, but the 15-year veteran reliever couldn’t get over the hump. With seven teams, he won one Reliever of the Year and had a 2.62 ERA, 287 saves, 1228 strikeouts over 1034.2 innings, and 23.6 WAR. He led in saves four times with Yokohama, but was not dominant enough to get across the line. Frankly, some might argue he shouldn’t have gotten as close as he did. Also notably dropped after nine tries and falling below 5% was SP Nobuyoshi Nishioka. He had 14 years with Sapporo with a 163-122 record, 3.20 ERA, 3049 strikeouts, and 37.7 WAR. Not bad, but a firm Hall of Very Good type. Ki-Wook “Campy” Ahn – First Base – Yongin Gold Sox – 94.4% First Ballot Ki-Wook Ahn was a 6’0’’, 205 pound switch-hitting first baseman from Gyeongsan, South Korea; a city within the Daegu metropolitan area. Ahn was a tremendous power hitter who had 13 seasons with 40+ home runs and ten seasons with 30+ doubles. He had solid contact numbers in his peak, but graded out as above average for his whole career. He drew walks respectably, but had trouble with strikeouts and was among the whiffing-est of his era. Ahn was a cartoonishly slow baserunner and a career first baseman, but he did provide consistently average defense. Ahn was a great leader, very intelligent, and an ironman who started 146+ games in all but his rookie season. Ahn was a top prospect out of Woosung High School in Uiwang and was picked fourth overall in the 1948 East Asia Baseball Draft by Yongin. He spent his full career with the Gold Sox, making his debut at age 20 in 1950. Ahn struggled in 81 starts as a rookie, but had his first 40 home run and 100+ RBI season in year two, Despite having five seasons with 50 or more dingers, he only led the Korea League twice, with 49 in 1953 and 1954 in 55. Also despite 14 seasons with 100+ RBI, he only led with 150 in 1956; notably the first EAB player to reach 150 in two decades. Ahn never won MVP, although he was second in 1953 and 1954, as well as third in 1955 and 1956. He won Silver Sluggers in those four seasons and one more in 1957. Ahn only played in the World Baseball Championship three editions for South Korea, posting 15 hits, 12 runs, 8 home runs, and 18 RBI in 29 games from 1952-54. He was very popular with Gold Sox fans, who had only made the playoffs once prior to his run. Ahn left just before they found some success in the late 60s, never playing a postseason game in Yongin. Still, he helped them become at least respectable and would see his #10 uniform retired. With the Gold Sox, he had 2375 hits, 1385 runs, 451 doubles, 650 home runs, 1730 RBI, a .281/.344/.576 slash and 76.6 WAR. Ahn became the sixth EAB batter to reach 600 career home runs and the fifth to reach 1500 career RBI. However, just before the 1965 season, the 35-year old Ahn was traded to Changwon for SS Ju-Young Seol and LF Jun-I Noh. He earned his 2500^th hit with the Crabs and saw his first playoff action. Changwon had won the Korea League the prior two years, but fell in the 1965 KLCS. Ahn’s overall hitting numbers had slowly declined, but he still had great power at that point. Now age 36, MLB’s Miami Mallards came calling and signed him for the 1966 season. He’d be shipped with two others to Boston in the summer for CF Philip McGee. Ahn returned to Korea in 1967 with Ulsa and crossed 700 career home runs and 1500 runs scored. He then ended his career with Seoul in 1968 and finished with 745 home runs, fourth on the all-time list at retirement. Ahn’s final stats in EAB: 2767 hits, 1610 runs, 512 doubles, 745 home runs, 1974 RBI, a .275/.338/.557 slash and 82.6 WAR. He was fourth in homers and third in RBI at retirement. As of 2037, he’s tied for seventh still in RBI and 11^th in dingers. Ahn provided very steady and reliable power for nearly two decades, making him a pretty easy first ballot pick at 94.4%. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

08-25-2023, 05:29 PM	#538
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,616	1974 BSA Hall of Fame Designated hitter Mike Andrades would be the lone inductee for Beisbol Sudamerica’s 1974 Hall of Fame class, earning an excellent 97.7% first ballot nod. Three others were above 50% with SP Raimundo Rodriquez at 54.4% on his second attempt, SP Jon Mancilla at 54.0% in his fifth, and closer Alfredo Mejia at 52.9% in his debut. No players were dropped after a tenth ballot, although three guys are destined for that fate next year. Mike Andrades – Designated Hitter – Callao Cats – 97.7% First Ballot Mike Andrades was a 5’11’’, 200 pound left-handed slugger from Urcos, a small town of 10,000 people in eastern Peru. He was one of the excellent power hitters of the era with nine seasons of 35+ home runs and a consistent 30 doubles per year. Andrades was also a great contact hitter, leading the Bolivar League in hits four times and batting average twice. Oddly for a power hitter, he very rarely walked, but he also was better than most at avoiding strikeouts. Andrades had below average speed and the running joke in the clubhouse was that he didn’t even own a glove. Andrades was a career DH who played a whopping 14 total innings of defense in his entire run. Still, he was extremely popular for his bat, leadership, work ethic, and durability. Even as a teenager, Andrades’ batting potential was hard to miss. Not only was he selected out of high school, but grabbed the first overall pick in the 1949 Beisbol Sudamerica Draft by Callao. He’d spend his entire career with the Cats, making his debut at age 21 in 1952. He was a bench player that year and part-time starter the next year. From 1954 onward, he was the full-time starter and had 140+ starts in all but two of 15 seasons. Andrades led the Bolivar League in hits four times, runs twice, RBI five times, homers once, total bases six times, batting average twice, slugging four times, OPS thrice, wRC+ thrice, and WAR twice. Andrades would win MVP three times; 1956, 57, and 62. In the latter two, he had an OPS above 1.000 and 9+ WAR even as a DH. 1962 had a career-best 52 home runs and 147 RBI; which was a BSA RBI single-season record that held until 1975. He was also third in 1954’s MVP voting, second in 1958, and third in 1963. Andrades was a seven-time Silver Slugger winner (54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 62, 63). Andrades was a huge reason that Callao became a regular contender for the first time in the 1950s From 1954-60, the Cats made the playoffs five times and won Copa Sudamerica in both 1954 and 1957. In 47 playoff games, he had 52 hits, 21 runs, 12 home runs, 29 RBI, and a .321 average. Andrades also became even more beloved in his native Peru through the World Baseball Championship. From 1954-69, he played 98 games with 76 starts, getting 82 hits, 48 runs, 30 home runs, and 56 RBI. Andrades was fairly injury free in his 20s, but had his first major setback at age 35 with a broken hand sidelining him for three months. He played all of the next two years, but saw diminished stats in both seasons. After only mustering 17 home runs in 161 games in 1968, Callao didn’t re-sign the now 38-year old Andrades. He went unsigned in 1969 and retired that winter, seeing his #20 uniform retired by the Cats. Andrades was the 11^th BSA batter to reach 500 career home runs and the seventh to 1500 RBI. The final stats for Andrades: 2854 hits, 1371 runs, 463 doubles, 535 home runs, 1604 RBI, a .308/.335/.551 slash, 154 wRC+ and 81.5 WAR. At retirement, he was third all-time in RBI, fourth in hits, and seventh in home runs. He was even 14^th in hitting WAR despite the statistical punishment of being a DH. Andrades was rightly Peru’s beloved slugger of the era and worthy of the first ballot induction at 97.7%. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

08-26-2023, 05:36 AM	#539
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,616	1974 EBF Hall of Fame For the second straight season, the European Baseball Federation saw a three-player Hall of Fame class. All three in the 1974 group were first ballot nods, led by SP Rafael Bernard’s 94.5%. SP Walter Fischer received 87.6% and LF Hartwig Werner grabbed 74.1%. Two others were above 50% with 3B Orion McIntyre at 56.2% on his penultimate attempt and SP Karlo Godina at 50.3% on his third. Closer Ken Jacob was dropped after ten failed ballots. In nine seasons with Zurich, he had one Reliever of the Year, 336 saves, 1.67 ERA, 1162 strikeouts over 777.1 innings, and 38.1 WAR. Lesser numbers had gotten other relievers in other Halls of Fame and Jacob earned his in a partial run. Still, the EBF voters weren’t sold; he was never below 45% but never got above 60%. Three others fell off after ten failed attempts on the ballot. Pitcher Todd Sandstrom had 50.8 WAR in only nine seasons with Munich split between the rotation and bullpen, winning 1951 Pitcher of the Year. He had a 92-65 record, 125 saves, 2.33 ERA, and 1666 strikeouts over 1416.1 innings. With a fuller career, perhaps he would’ve gotten the accumulations needed, instead he peaked at 38.9% on his debut. Reliever Promoz Kucinic had ten EBF seasons mostly with Belfast, winning three Reliever of the Year awards with 291 saves, 1.44 ERA, 1265 strikeouts in 719 innings and 41.1 WAR. He peaked at 53.4% on his debut before ending at a paltry. 6.6% Again, worse numbers had gotten others in from other leagues, but the early EBF voters were harsher with their view of relievers. Also dropped was 2B Gaston Clark, who had eight EBF seasons between Paris and Amsterdam, posting 1391 hits, 789 runs, 213 doubles, 191 triples, but 16 home runs with a .319 average and 52.4 WAR. Had he not started late and left for MLB in his waning years, he may have gotten the totals up enough to get more notice. He peaked at 38.3% in his debut and ended at 4.8%. Also of note was closer Mika Van Nuys, falling below 5% on his ninth try. He had 280 saves, 2.23 ERA, 1079 strikeouts, and 33.1 WAR; but if the before mentioned closers with better stats didn’t get in, then Mika didn’t have a prayer. Rafael Bernard – Pitcher – Marseille Musketeers – 94.5% First Ballot Rafael Bernard was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Vic-le-Comte, a commune of around 5,000 people in central France. The first French EBF Hall of Famer, Bernard was known for having excellent stuff with above average control and decent movement. His velocity peaked at 95-97, but he expertly mixed a five-pitch arsenal of a fastball, curveball, forkball, changeup, and circle change. When healthy, Bernard had strong stamina. He managed to battle through some major injuries and was known as a leader in the clubhouse. Bernard attended the University of Oxford in college and earned the eighth overall pick in the 1952 European Baseball Federation Draft by Marseille. He’d spent his entire career with the Musketeers, making 29 starts in his rookie year. Year two saw his first major setback with a stretch elbow ligament putting him on the shelf for a calendar year. Bernard bounced back impressively with a 1.98 ERA in 1955 and established himself as the ace for the then middling Marseille squad. In 1956, Bernard led in strikeouts for the only time in his career with 335, although he’d tip that mark twice and have five seasons with 300+. This earned third place voting in Pitcher of the Year. He’d take second in 1957 and 1961, and third again in 1962, but wouldn’t win the big award. He led the Southern Conference in ERA (2.25) and WHIP (0.75) in 1962 and had a career-best 9.0 WAR in 1961. Starting in 1956, he began pitching for France in the World Baseball Championship. Bernard had 19 appearances from 1956-66 with a 10-6 record, 3.27 ERA, 115.2 innings, and 175 strikeouts. Marseille made it to the conference final in 1960 and 1961, although Bernard missed the 1960 run to a back injury. Earlier that year, he’d have a 20 strikeout game against Madrid, only the second EBF player to have a 20K game to that point. Late in 1962, he required elbow ligament reconstruction surgery, knocking him out almost all of 1963. Bernard bounced back with a solid 1964 at age 34, but would lose almost all of 1965 to a torn rotator cuff. After missing the playoffs from 1962-65, Marseille made it all the way to the European Championship in 1966, falling in the final to Glasgow. Bernard had a nice 1966, but suffered severe shoulder inflammation in his first playoff start, keeping him out most of 1967. Then in July 1968, Bernard suffered another torn rotator cuff that officially ended his career at age 38. The team would choose to retire his #34 uniform before the season ended though in honor of his hard work over 16 seasons. Bernard’s final stats: 191-106, 2.56 ERA, 2752.1 innings, 3316 strikeouts, 73 FIP- and 73.6 WAR. They’re still very solid totals even with all of the major injuries he battled through and the voters had a lot of respect for his toughness. Thus, Bernard not only made it into the Hall of Fame, but firmly with 94.5% on his first ballot. Walter Fischer – Pitcher – Munich Mavericks – 87.6% First Ballot Walter Fischer was a 6’0’’, 180 pound left-handed pitcher from Bad Goisern; a market town of around 7,500 people in Upper Austria. Fischer had very good control and movement on his pitches, making up for the fact that his stuff was considered average at best despite 96-98 mph peak velocity. He had five pitches; a slider, curveball, forkball, changeup, and cutter; owing to an extreme groundball tendency. Fischer was considered a very good defensive pitcher, winning three Gold Gloves from 1959-61. He was a great leader with a strong work ethic, making him a well-liked figure in the clubhouse and among team management. Fischer left for England to play college baseball at RAF College Cranwell. He’d get picked 18^th overall by Munich in the 1951 European Baseball Federation Draft. He made sparing relief appearances as a rookie, although he did earn a ring as the Mavericks won the 1952 European Championship. Fischer then became a full-time starter after for Munich. Fischer was excellent in his second and third seasons with sub-two ERAs in both. He had 9.5 WAR, 10.8 WAR, and 9.6 WAR in his first three full seasons, taking second in Pitcher of the Year in 1953 and third in 1954. He’d take third again in 1957, but never win the big award, hurt in part by his lack of big strikeout numbers. 1957 saw a rough end with a ruptured UCL in late August, ultimately putting him out for the entire 1958 season. In his return season in 1959, the 28-year old Fischer had a conference-best 2.26 ERA, the only time he’d lead the stat in his career. He’d suffer a torn rotator cuff in late September, but managed to bounce back with respectable efforts in 1960 and 1961. He made 8 playoff appearances with Munich, posting a lackluster 4.70 ERA. Fischer also made 14 appearances for Austria in the World Baseball Championship rom 1956-68, posting a 2.56 ERA in 77.1 innings with 70 strikeouts. In total with Munich, Fischer had a 134-68 record, 2.17 ERA, 1929.2 innings, 1818 strikeouts, and 64.0 WAR. The team would retire his #13 uniform and ultimately wished him well as he left for free agency before the 1962 season. At age 31, he made a rare jump for a European player to that point, going to Mexico and signing with Puebla on a four-year, $372,000 deal. Fischer was fairly average in three seasons with the Pumas, posting a 28-44 record, 3.34 ERA, 424 strikeouts in 655.2 innings, and 6.6 WAR. Puebla traded him to Leon for the 1965 season and he only started 15 times despite being healthy. At age 35, he opted to return home to Austria by signing with Vienna. Fischer had three fairly solid seasons for the Vultures, who became a contender around that time. In 1967, he had a 1.78 ERA in 30.1 playoff innings as Vienna won its first-ever conference title, falling in the European Championship to Dublin. The highlight of his career came in his final season of 1968. On June 19 against Hamburg, Fischer threw EBF’s 13^th Perfect Game, striking out six. In three seasons with the Vultures, he had a 43-30 record, 2.74 ERA, and 14.0 WAR. He had a solid 1968 campaign and could seemingly still go, but Fischer opted to retire there at age 38. Counting the CABA years, he had a 211-147 record, 2.54 ERA, and 86.2 WAR. For his EBF career, Fischer had a 177-98 record, 2.32 ERA, 2594.1 innings, 2208 strikeouts, 246/334 quality starts, FIP- of 67, and 78.0 WAR. Even with the lack of big strikeout numbers, his rate stats were very good with his 2.32 ERA sitting as the fifth best of all Hall of Fame starters as of 2037. The accumulations are lower, but the final three solid years in Vienna and the perfect game pushed Fischer across the line for a first ballot nod at 87.6%. Hartwig Werner – Left Field – Hamburg Hammers – 74.1% First Ballot Hartwig Werner was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed left fielder from Haselunne, a small town of around 13,000 in northwestern Germany. Werner was best known for having excellent gap power and solid home run power. He had a big knack for pulling the ball into the corner for triples, sometimes getting more triples than doubles in a season. He’d average around 20-30 of both and around 23-35 home runs per year. Werner was an above average contact hitter, although he was below average at drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. He had solid speed and was a great defender in left field, where he spent his entire career. Werner as of 2037 is the all-time EBF leader for the position in Zone Rating. Werner went to England’s Harper Adams University College in Edgmond and returned home when picked 14^th overall by Hamburg in the 1952 EBF Draft. He’d spend his entire career with the Hammers and was incredibly durable, starting 150+ games in all but his rookie year and his second-to-last season. Werner still started 121 games in his rookie campaign and was impressive, getting Rookie of the Year for 1953. This was also his first of eight Gold Gloves, although he’d have to wait until 1958 for his second. He won additional Gold Gloves in 1960, 61, 62, 63, 64, and 65. Werner was rarely a conference leader statistically, but he’d put up nine seasons with 6+ WAR, providing very consistent production. He won three Silver Sluggers, coming in 1960, 63, and 64. 1963 was the standout season with Werner taking MVP at age 32. He was the WARlord at 10.9 and had career highs in runs (116), hits (211), home runs (43), RBI (128), total bases (420), and OPS (1.045). Werner was third in MVP voting in 1958 and second in 1964. Hamburg started to contend in the lae 1950s and would make the playoffs seven times from 1958-67. They made it to the conference final five times and in 1964, won the Northern Conference with Werner taking series MVP. They’d go onto to fall in the European Championship to Barcelona. Werner was a strong playoff performer with 66 hits, 24 runs, 12 doubles, 8 triples, 8 home runs, and 26 RBI in 57 starts. He also made 112 starts and played 120 games for Germany in the World Baseball Championship from 1954-68, posting 91 hits, 60 runs, 34 home runs, and 77 RBI. With his penchant for triples, Werner became the first EBF player to hit for the cycle twice in his career. He was the second batter to 2500 career hits and the third batter to 100+ career WAR. His first major injury came in 1966, a sprained thumb that put him out almost two months. Werner bounced back in 1967, but saw a steep drop in production in 1968. He would retire after that season at age 38. Hamburg would quickly retire his #28 uniform. Werner’s final stats: 2573 hits, 1307 runs, 374 doubles, 326 triples, 463 home runs, 1452 RBI, a .276/.319/.535 slash and 101.8 WAR. He was the first EBF hitter to 300+ triples, although Blaise Combes would pass him for the lead quickly. Werner was a multi-faceted talent worthy of the first ballot nod and you could argue his 74.1% is lower than what he deserves. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

08-26-2023, 01:08 PM	#540
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,616	1974 EPB Hall of Fame The Eurasian Professional Baseball Hall of Fame welcomed two new members with the 1974 voting, both pitchers on the first ballot. Starter Henri Gevorgyan received a strong 88.9% and reliever Theo Siitonen picked up 70.3%. Another pitcher, Skerdi Hoxha, barely missed the 66% threshold with 64.7% on his fourth attempt. Three others had solid showing but were short; LF Eldar Vdovichenko at 60.8% in his debut, SP Inal Brezhnev at 60.1% on his second ballot, and SP Andrei Doman at 58.5% on his fourth try. No players were dropped after ten failed attempts. Henri Gevorgyan – Starting Pitcher – Tashkent Tomcats – 88.9% First Ballot Henri Gevorgyan was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from the capital of Armenia, Yerevan. He was a hard thrower with 98-100 mph peak velocity. Gevorgyan’s movement and control was equally as potent as his stuff, which consisted of a fastball, curveball, and changeup. He had very solid stamina and incredible durability, pretty much guaranteed to start a full slate each year. Gevorgyan was also a team captain with great leadership skills and a strong work ethic, making him a very solid part of any roster. When Eurasian Professional Baseball was formed for the 1955 season, Gevorgyan was already 27 years old, although not necessarily known as the Soviet Union’s top pitching prospect. He ended up going to Uzbekistan, signing with Tashkent. Gevorgyan spent six years with the Tomcats, his longest run, and would go into the Hall of Fame wearing their hat. Gevorgyan was merely decent to start, but emerged by his third season with Tashkent as a top flight pitcher. He’d post ten seasons worth 6+ WAR in his career, but the only team he was a league leader was with 0.85 WHIP in 1959. Gevorgyan wasn’t a Pitcher of the Year finalist in his Tashkent tenure, but posted a 101-75 record, 3.14 ERA, 1727 strikeouts in 1636 innings, and 40.9 WAR. In 1959, he tossed a no-hitter with six strikeouts and three walks versus Bishkek. He struggled in his one playoff start for the Tomcats in 1960 and the team opted to let him go into free agency. At age 33, he went to Kazakhstan and signed a five-year, $466,000 deal with Almaty. Gevorgyan’s run with the Assassins was his most impressive, including a third place finish in Pitcher of the Year in 1963. That’s as close as he got to the top award despite having back-to-back 10+ WAR seasons to start his Almaty tenure. The Assassins won the Asian League title in 1963, falling to Kyiv in the Soviet Series. That postseason, Gevorgyan had a 2.61 ERA over 31 innings with 33 strikeouts. In total with Almaty, he had a 90-44 record, 2.42 ERA, 1251 innings, 1386 strikeouts, and 39.3 WAR. The Assassins fell from 90 wins to 68 wins in 1965 and began to rebuild, shipping Gevorgyan midseason to St. Petersburg for four prospects. He left for free agency after the season and would spent his final three years with Warsaw. Gevorgyan looked solid in 1966 and 1967, but struggled in 1968 at age 40 and was relegated to the bench. With the Wildcats, he had a 2.15 ERA, 33-28 record, and 11.1 WAR. He retired after the 1968 season at age 40. Gevorgyan’s final stats: 231-154 record, 2.71 ERA, 3643.1 innings, 3707 strikeouts, 306/433 quality starts, 195 complete games, FIP- of 75, and 94.3 WAR. He perhaps wasn’t as flashy as some other great pitchers of the era, but he quietly put up statistics that very much belong when evaluating EPB’s Hall of Fame list. The voters agreed, putting him in on the first ballot at 88.9%. Theo Siitonen – Closer – Yerevan Valiants – 70.3% First Ballot Theo Siitonen was a 6’0’’, 195 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Keminmaa, a small town of around 7,000 people in northern Finland. He was known for having filthy stuff with very good control and decent movement. Siitonen had two pitches, a 97-99 mph fastball and a dangerous curveball. He was a very durable pitcher, but considered a mercenary as his longest stint with any team would be three years. That stint was his first stint with Yerevan, who he signed with at age 26 when Eurasian Professional Baseball was formed in 1955. His lone Reliever of the Year came with the Valiants in 1956 with 1.67 ERA over 113.1 innings, 169 strikeouts, and 4.5 WAR. While in Armenia, he had 90 saves, a 2.02 ERA, 267.1 innings, 420 strikeouts, and 11.4 WAR. Although technically in the Hall as a Valiant, he isn’t remembered as a franchise great for obvious reasons. The 29-year old Siitonen was traded at age 30 to Ulanbaatar for three prospects. He spent two seasons with the Boars, finishing third in 1959 Reliever of the Year voting. He also started pitching for the Finland national team in the World Baseball Championship, partially as a starter. He pitched from 1957-59 and in 1964 and 1968, posting a 4.60 ERA over 45 innings. Siitonenn signed with Asagabat for the 1960 season and had his first taste of the postseason. Next came 1961 with Warsaw, taking third in Reliever of the Year voting. The Wildcats traded him to Chelyabinsk and he led the league in saves in both 1962 and 1963, setting a single-season record of 55 saves in 1962 that still stands at the EPB record in 2037. Siitonen still only got second in Reliever of the Year voting. 1963 would prove to be his final season as a full-time closer, although he’d get sporadic save chances in his remaining years. Siitonen signed with Kyiv in 1964, Kazan in 1965-66, Kyiv again in 1967, then a split 1968 between Sofia and Novosibirsk. His final season ended with a strained triceps and he retired at age 40. Siitonen’s final stats: 353 saves and 409 shutdowns, 2.15 ERA, 1069 innings, 1578 strikeouts to 254 walks, a FIP- of 53 and 39.6 WAR. He was EPB’s first reliever to reach 350+ saves, earning him some attention despite the journeyman career and less dominance than later reliever members of the Hall. Enough voters decided this resume was worthy and at 70.3%, Siitonen became a first ballot selection and the first Finnish Hall of Famer. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)