Baseball: The World's Game

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The Northern League saw new faces at the top in 1980. Harbin finished first at 100-62 for their second-ever playoff appearance (1973). Taking the second place playoff spot was Jinan at 96-66 for their first-ever postseason berth. Defending Chinese League Baseball champion Hangzhou just missed out at 94-68, while Xi’an was fourth at 88-74. This ended a four year playoff streak for the Attack.

Qingdao was a middling 82-80, but CF Libo Li had an all-time season en route to the Northern League MVP. The 28-year old was three average points from a Triple Crown and led in runs (121), triples (27), home runs (41), RBI (104), total bases (386), slugging (.650), OPS (1.020), wRC (244), and WAR (15.8). Li also won his fifth Gold Glove with a 11.7 zone rating. The WAR mark remains the all-time record as of 2037 for a CLB hitter and is one of only a small handful in any pro league to get 15+. The 121 runs scored was a CLB record until 2029. Pitcher of the Year was Xi’An’s Guodong Lin with the 26-year old righty leading in ERA (1.33) and WHIP (0.70), adding 8.5 WAR over 271.2 innings with 312 strikeouts and a 17-11 record.



In the Southern League, Foshan went from 76 wins the prior year to 98-64 for a first place finish. It is only the second playoff berth for the Flyers (1971). Chengdu earned their first-ever playoff berth, although the Clowns had a fierce battle with Hong Kong for the spot. Both finished the regular season at 93-69 with Chengdu winning the one-game tiebreaker. The Champions take third for back-to-back seasons. Kunming’s dynasty ended as after finishing first in four straight years, the Muscle limped to an eight place 78-84 in 1980. Shenzhen, a 102-game winner the prior year, fell to 83-79 in a tie for fourth with Changsha.

Taking Southern League MVP was Hong Kong’s Zhengyu Peng. The 25-year old RF was the leader in runs (98), hits (193), triples (27), total bases (358), average (.335), slugging (.622), OPS (1.007), wRC+ (222), and WAR (12.2). He added 29 home runs and his third Gold Glove. Changsha veteran Peng Huang won Pitcher of the Year with the 30-year old righty leading in WAR (9.5), and complete games (16). He had a 1.76 ERA over 270.1 innings with a 16-14 record and 282 strikeouts. Also of note, closer Yongjie Xie became a four-time Reliever of the Year winner. In his lone season with Chengdu, the 29-year old was the leader in saves (42) with a 0.60 ERA over 90.1 innings, 187 strikeouts, and 7.3 WAR.



The first place finishing teams were both victorious in the semifinal series with Harbin sweeping Chengdu and Foshan downing Jinan 4-1. This sent the Flyers to their first-ever China Series appearance, while the Hellcats had been there once before as the 1973 runner-up. Harbin would play bridesmaid again as Foshan rolled to a 4-1 series victory to claim the CLB title. Pitcher Yao Gao was finals MVP with the 25-year old righty posting a 1.23 ERA in three playoff starts with a 3-0 record and 12 strikeouts in 22 innings.



Other notes: CLB’s ninth perfect game came on September 7 as Hangzhou’s Mingyue Lin struck out 10 against Dalian. Foshan’s Zeen Wei drew 115 walks in 1980, setting a still-standing CLB single season record. Dolgoon Bolorsukh became the first CLB batter to 400 career home runs. Shenchao An became the first to 2000 career hits. An also won his tenth Gold Glove at first base, the only player to win in all of CLB’s ten seasons thus far. Two-way player Nick Wei won his eighth Silver Slugger as a pitcher.

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For the second time in three years, Taoyuan took the Taiwan League title. After just falling short of Tainan last year, the Tsunami took first at 95-67. Taichung was second at 91-71, an impressive turnaround from a 69-win 1979. Kaohsiung was 88-74 with the defending champ Titans at 87-75. In a weaker Philippine League, Cebu and Davao tied for the top spot at 84-76. The Crows won the one-game playoff to break the tie for their third ever PL title (1973, 1976). Last year’s first place Zamboanga fell off a cliff with the worst record in APB at 56-106.

Taoyuan DH Ming-Yi Wang won back-to-back Taiwan-Philippine Association MVPs. The 28-year old was the leader in runs (83), doubles (33), walks (65), OPS (.867), and wRC+ (167). He would depart APB for MLB’s Nashville the following season. Manila’s Wisnu Dharmayuman was the Pitcher of the Year with the 31-year old righty leading in WHIP at 0.80. He had a 1.88 ERA and 14-17 record over 258.2 innings with 340 strikeouts and 6.4 WAR. Ironically, it was statistically his weakest season in some time, yet it is the only one he took the top award with.



The Sundaland Association saw a shakeup at the top spots. In the Malacca League, Medan and Batam tied for first at 92-70, but the Marlins claimed the one-game playoff over the defending ML champ. For Medan, it is their first playoff berth since 1969. Semarang claimed the Java League at 85-77 for their second playoff berth, joining the 1975 APB championship season. Defending Austornesian champ Surabaya was second place at 81-81.

Medan’s Tunggul Widhyasari won Sundaland Association MVP with only the second APB hitting Triple Crown season. The third-year first baseman was the leader in runs (93), hits (200), homers (47), RBI (120), total bases (373), triple slash (.329/.378/.613), OPS (.992), wRC+ (247), and WAR (10.0). Semarang ace Sahid Fakhruddin won his sixth Pitcher of the Year, joining Kun-Sheng Lin as the only six-time winners in APB. The 30-year old lefty was the strikeout leader (402) for the ninth consecutive season, also leading in K/BB (10.6), and complete games (21). He added 7.8 WAR over 289 innings with a 2.09 ERA and 16-15 record. This would be Fakhruddin’s final APB season, as he’d depart for Los Angeles and spend the next decade in MLB.

Cebu earned their first Taiwan-Philippine Association title by winning the association final in seven games over Taoyuan. This also snapped the four-year winning streak the Taiwan League had over the Philippine League. In the Sundaland Association Championship, Semarang defeated Medan 4-2, sending the Sliders to the final for the second time.



In the 16^th Austronesia Championship, Cebu cruised to a 4-1 series in over Semarang. 24-year old RF Hartono Firmanda was the finals MVP, posting 16 hits, 6 runs, 3 triples, and 7 RBI in 12 playoff starts. The Crows are the first Philippine team to win the overall title. At 85-77, they also set the record for fewest wins in a championship season.



Other notes: Abracham Gumelar became the second APB hitter to 500 career home runs. Francis Pung and Kim Shin Pan became the first and second to reach 2000 career hits. Sahid Fakhruddin and Wisnu Dharmayuman became the first pitchers to 3500 strikeouts. Po-Yu Shao and Romeo Arguello became the fourth and fifth to reach 1000 RBI. Pan and Gumelar both became ten time Silver Slugger winners. 1B Kent Wang won a record 11^th Gold Glove.

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For only the second time (1963), Christchurch fished atop the Australasia League standings. The Chinooks set a franchise record at 96-66, seven games ahead of Sydney and ten better than Adelaide. Christchurch outperformed their Pythagorean by eight games, winning many close contests. Two-time defending champ Perth fell to 78-84, placing sixth.

Sydney right fielder Ryan Whatley won his third straight AL MVP. The 28-year old righty was the leader in runs (108), stolen bases (97), average (.329), OBP (.400), and WAR (10.1). Adelaide’s Tarzan Rao won his first Pitcher of the Year at age 27. He’d go onto win five more and stake a claim for OBA’s all-time top pitcher. The righty from Vanuatu was two ERA points from a Triple Crown with a 27-8 record, 2.15 ERA, and 457 strikeouts. He also led with 344 innings, 0.83 WHIP, 10.9 K/BB, 23 complete games, 59 FIP-, and 12.2 WAR.



Defending Oceania Champion Guam dropped by 17 wins from their historical 112-50 run in 1979, but their 95-67 mark was still enough to win the Pacific League title again. Honolulu was second at 89-73, followed by Samoa at 87-75.

Golden Eagles DH Sione Hala reached rarefied air with his ninth Pacific League MVP, joining Jimmy Caliw as the only nine-time winners in OBA. It was the final OBA season for the 37-year old Tongan, who would play his final four seasons in MLB. In his last hurrah with Guam, he led the league in hits (187), home runs (48), RIB (109), and total bases (366). This put Hala at 2872 hits, 691 home runs, 1604 RBI, and 1402 runs for his career. He’d later get passed in each, but Hala left OBA as the all-time leader in each of those stats.

Guam also had the Pitcher of the Year in Thomas Harrison, who led in wins at 21-10 and quality starts with 32. He had a 6.6 WAR, 295 strikeouts, and 2.49 ERA in 288.2 innings. Some felt his teammate Ramgopal Singh may have been more deserving with Singh leading in ERA (2.42), strikeouts (356), and WAR (8.5). Harrison would be remembered fondly though as he’d pitch 16 innings in the postseason with a 0.00 ERA, striking out 17. Also of note, Samoa’s Eli Harley won his third Reliever of the Year.



The 21th Oceania Championship went to Guam as the Golden Eagles topped Christchurch in five games. RF Abraham Tristan was finals MVP with six hits, four runs, two home runs, and four RBI in the series. Guam becomes the third team to win back-to-back OBA titles, joining 1971-72 Gold Coast and 1976-77 Adelaide. It would be the Golden Eagles’ peak in this run as although they’d remain competitive, a fledgling Honolulu dynasty would soon take over in the Pacific League.



Other notes: There were zero no-hitters thrown in 1980, joining 1966 as the only OBA seasons without at least one. Nathaniel Doloran became the first pitcher to 4500 career strikeouts and the third to 200 wins. Sione Hala became the first to 1500 RBI. Seymour Lennox was the third batter to 2500 hits.

The Oceania Baseball Association had used a universal designed hitter since its founding, but after the 1980 season, the Pacific League specifically voted to remove the DH. The PL would eventually reinstate the DH for the 1995 season.

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Kharkiv had the top record in EPB’s European League in 1980, ending a five-year playoff drought. The Killer Bees were 103-59 atop a powerful South Division that had the league’s top four records. Two time defending league champ Kyiv was 94-68 to earn the first wild card. Both Prague and Bucharest were one behind at 93-69, forcing a one-game playoff for the second wild card. The Pilots prevailed for their third playoff berth in four years, while the Broncos drought extended to 19 seasons. In a tight North Division, Warsaw was first at 89-73 for their first division title since the inaugural 1950 season. St. Petersburg was one short at 88-74 with Moscow 84-78. Of note, Minsk was 76-86 for their first losing season in EPB’s 26 year history to date.

St. Petersburg LF Filip Strasburger claimed European League MVP. The 25-year old from Poland was the home run leader (51) with the best OPS (.905) and wRC+ (183), adding 7.8 WAR and 90 RBI. Kyiv’s Ihor Polvaliy won his fourth Pitcher of the Year. The 29-year old Belarusian lefty led in wins at 23-9 and had a 2.22 ERA over 288.1 innings with 303 strikeouts and 9.2 WAR.

In the first round of the EL playoffs, Kharkiv topped Prague 3-1 and Warsaw bested Kyiv 3-1. In the European League Championship Series, the Killer Bees cruised to a 4-1 victory over the Wildcats. This gives Kharkiv its second EL title (1973) and gives the EL title to a Ukrainian team for the third consecutive season.



Defending Soviet Series champ Asgabat had the top mark in EPB’s Asian League at 102-60 in 1980. This won the Alphas the South Division by eight games over 94-68 Bishkek and ten over 92-70 Baku. The Black Sox and Blackbirds were the wild cards with only 90-72 Omsk in contention. This snapped an 11-year playoff drought for Bishkek and give Baku back-to-back wild cards. Irkutsk firmly won the North Division at 100-62 for a fifth playoff spot in six years for the Ice Cats.

Asgabat 1B Bartlomiej Tarka won his third Asian League MVP in four years. He led the AL in runs (107), hits (216), total bases (347), stolen bases (83), average (.355), OBP (.385), OPS (.955), wRC+ (188), and WAR (9.4). It was his fifth straight season leading in hits and his fourth batting title. Ufa’s Maksim Ekstrem won back-to-back Pitcher of the Year awards. The 30-year old St. Petersburg native was the WARlord (9.9) and leader in WHIP (0.79). He added a 15-14 record, 1.77 ERA, and 323 strikeouts over 274 innings.

Asgabat cruised to a first round sweep of Baku, while Bishkek upset Irkutsk 3-1. The Asian League Championship Series was a seven game classic with the Black Sox denying the Alphas’ repeat bid. It was the fourth AL title for Bishkek and first since their mid 60s dynasty.



In the 26^th Soviet Series, Kharkiv bested Bishkek 4-2 to give the Killer Bees their first EPB title. LF Ihor Tarasenko was the finals MVP, posting 22 hits, 5 runs, and 7 RBI in 15 playoff starts.



Other notes: Asgabat’s Maksim Shantanov had a 31-game hit streak, passing the old Eurasian Professional Baseball record by one. He’d hold the longest hit streak until 2006. Daurenbek Zeynalov and Ioakim Konstantin became the fifth and sixth EPB batters to 2500 career hits. SS Nazar Gogunov and CF Andrei Yevdokimov both became ten time Gold Glove winners.

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In the EBF Northern Conference, Rotterdam had the best overall record at 102-60 to win the Northwest Division and earn their 12^th playoff berth in 14 years. Glasgow won a fifth consecutive British Isles Division at 90-72, defeating Birmingham by four games. Stockholm claimed the North Central Division at 93-69 for a seventh straight playoff berth. The wild card race came down to Oslo and Amsterdam, who tied at 89-73 for the spot. The Octopi won the tiebreaker game to earn their first berth since 1975, impressively turning things around after a 71-win 1979. Defending conference champion Hamburg fell off hard, ending at 73-89. The Hammers wouldn’t get back to the playoffs until the end of the decade.

The top awards in the Northern Conference went to players on sub-.500 teams. Dublin’s Ben Kelly won MVP with the second-year English third baseman leading in home runs (58), RBI (131), runs (119), total bases (384), slugging (.642), OPS (.996), wRC+ (192), and WAR (9.5). Hamburg’s Charlie Desprez was the Pitcher of the Year with the 25-year old Frenchman leading in strikeouts (365), WHIP (0.74), K/BB (11.1), quality starts (27), shutouts (8), FIP- (53), and WAR (10.6). He added a 2.03 ERA and 19-13 record in 275.1 innings.

In the first round of the playoffs, Rotterdam downed Oslo 3-1 and Stockholm defeated Glasgow 3-1. This sent the Ravens to their eighth Northern Conference Championship appearance in 12 years, while the Swordsmen earned their first appearance since 1975. Rotterdam would roll 4-1 over Stockholm to make the Ravens four-time conference champs (1969, 72, 77, 80).



Marseille ended a seven year playoff drought with the best record in the entire European Baseball Federation in 1980. The Musketeers went 110-52 to take the Southern Conference’s Southwest Division and set a franchise record. Lisbon was 15 games away, but their 95-67 record was plenty good to take the wild card for their fourth playoff berth in five years. Defending European Champion Barcelona was a respectable 88-74, but well short of a playoff spot. Zurich continued its dominance of the South Central Division at 94-68, winning the title for the eighth consecutive season. Milan was second at 87-75, seven away. Athens won a fourth straight Southeast Division title with a 92-70 finish, topping Munich by six games.

Zagreb 2B Richard Rautenstrauch won his third Southern Conference MVP. The 28-year old switch hitting German was the WARlord at 14.4 with the conference best .692, slugging, 1.082 OPS, and 216 wRC+. He was second with 53 home runs and 111 RBI and added his seventh Gold Glove. Rautenstrauch’s 14.4 WAR was third best in EBF history for a hitter, behind Danjiel Cindric’s 15.38 in 1953 and Rautenstrauch’s 14.72 in 1975.

It was a historic season for pitching with Marseille’s Joey Hoekstra beating out the tough competition. The 28-year old Dutch lefty had a 1.39 ERA, beating Aaron Grunauer’s single-season record of 1.41. This remains the all-time mark as of 2037. Hoekstra also had 8.3 WAR over 246 innings with 274 strikeouts and a 22-3 record. Hoekstra would leave for MLB’s Buffalo the following season. Meanwhile, perennial studs Jean-Luc Roch and Alejandro Canas both had 13 WAR seasons. Roch struck out 445 batters, nine behind Canas’ single-season record of 454 from 1978. Canas fanned 441 in 1980. Also of note, Barcelona’s Harry Almeida became a three-time Reliever of the Year winner, striking out 211 in 90.1 innings with 35 saves, 49 shutdowns, and a 1.10 ERA.

Marseille swept Athens in the first round of the playoffs and Zurich dropped Lisbon 3-1. It was Marseille’s first Southern Conference Championship since 1972 and the fifth in six years for Zurich. The 110-win Musketeers were heavy favorites, but the Mountaineers shocked them with a sweep. It is the fourth conference title for Zurich, while Marseille is now 1-7 all-time in the SCC.



In the 31^st European Championship, Rotterdam prevailed 4-2 over Zurich. The Ravens are now 4-0 all-time in the championship with wins in 1969, 72, 77, and now 80. 1B Yannick Bilonda was the finals MVP as the 29-year old Belgian had 18 hits, 12 runs, 4 home runs, and 9 RBI in 15 playoff starts.



Other notes: Zurich as a pitching staff had 1739 strikeouts and Barcelona had 1733 in 1980. As of 2037, these are the top two single seasons in Southern Conference history and ranked second/third for the entire EBF. 1980 had the 16^th and 17^th perfect games in EBF history. On July 13, Milan’s David Jurik struck out eight against Malta. On August 14, Munich’s Frank Meier fanned 10 versus Berlin. Lisbon’s Franco Gilbert , who won the batting title with a .371 average, had three different 20+ game hitting streaks during the season. He had a 24-game streak that ended on 4/28, a 32-game one that ended 7/24, then a 22-game streak that ended 8/25.

Alejandro Canas became the first EBF pitcher to 4500 strikeouts. Joseph Wilson and Jean-Luc Roch became the eighth and ninth to 3500 Ks. Wilson also became the 12^th to 200 wins. Alex Zonneveld became the seventh batter to 2500 career hits. Nikolai Yevsikov became the fifth batter to 500 home runs. Two-way player Dieter Bohr won his eight Silver Slugger as a pitcher.

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Barquisimeto won the Bolivar League North Division for back-to-back seasons. The Black Cats had a franchise-best 109-53 season and led the league in both runs scored (797) and fewest allowed (574). They were 11 games ahead of Bogota despite a solid 98-64 campaign for the Bats. In the South Division, Guayaquil won its first title since 1973, going 99-63. Defending league champ La Paz was a distant second at 88-74, ending their playoff streak at four seasons.

Winning Bolivar League MVP was Bogota 3B Bastian Martin. The 27-year old Uruguayan righty was the WARlord (9.0) and leader in average (.353), OBP (.423), and wRC+ (180). He added 300 home runs and 103 RBI. Valencia’s Lazaro Rodriguez won his sixth Pitcher of the Year. The 29-year old Paraguayan righty was the WARlord (11.7) for the eighth straight season and strikeout leader (420) for the seventh. He also led in wins (22-6), K/BB (11.7), complete games (22), and FIP- (48). Rodriguez threw 275.2 innings and was second in ERA at 2.12. The highlight of the season came on September 17 with a perfect game against Santa Cruz with 15 strikeouts.



Defending Copa Sudamerica winner Salvador improved upon their record for the prior year, taking the Brazil Division at 102-60. They were 12 games better than second place Brasilia. In the South Division, Buenos Aires was also 102-60, giving them a sixth straight playoff berth. Asuncion was second at 90-72, notably the first winning record in 18 seasons for the perennial losers. They’ve only made the playoffs once in their history. Montevideo is the only of the non-expansion teams to not make the playoffs once in Beisbol Sudamerica’s first 50 seasons.

Salvador 1B Valor Melo won his sixth Southern Cone League MVP and his fifth consecutive. His numbers were lower than his record-setting last few years, but still certainly worthy of the award. Melo led the league in runs (109), home runs (56), RBI (123), total bases (387), slugging (.665), OPS (1.056), wRC+ (207), and WAR (9.3). Belo Horizonte’s Benjamim Alegre earned Pitcher of the Year in his third season. The right-handed Brazilian led in ERA (2.40), WHIP (0.93), FIP- (63), and WAR (7.7), adding a 15-10 record over 240 innings and 348 strikeouts. Alegre also had a 17-strikeout no-hitter on July 28 against Rosario

In the Bolivar League Championship Series, Barquisimeto bested Guayaquil 4-2, giving the Black Cats their second-ever league title (1958). The Golds are now 1-7 in their BLCS appearances. In a Southern Cone Championship rematch, Buenos Aires got revenge and beat Salvador 4-2. The Atlantics had been the runner-up in the prior four seasons and earned their eighth league title (1941, 42, 45, 46, 47, 63, 75).



In the 50^th Copa Sudamerica, Buenos Aires denied Barquisimeto its first overall title. The Atlantics took the series in six games to become six time Cup winners, having also taken it in 1941, 42, 45, 63, and 75. Buenos Aires are the first Beisbol Sudamerica team with six overall titles, passing five-time winners Santiago and Medellin. Backup CF Junior Pluma stepped up in the postseason and won Copa Sudamerica MVP. In 13 playoff starts, he had 11 hits, 4 runs, 3 triples, 2 home runs, and 4 RBI.



Other notes: BSA’s 33rd Perfect Game came on April 8 as Valencia’s Carlos Rosa struck out nine against La Paz. The 34^th perfecto came only two weeks later on April 22 from Brasilia’s Eusebio Mendoza, fanning 16 versus Santiago. That set a record for shortest time between perfect games. Then on September 17, Pitcher of the Year Lazaro Rodriguez struck out 15 in a perfect game against Cordoba. 1980 joined 1974 as the only years with three perfect games in one season.

Afonso Revela, Celso Galo, and Jael Pablo each crossed 500 career home runs, making it 15 BSA hitters to achieve the mark. Saul Puerta and Niculao Semide both got to 2500 hits, making it 24 batters to do so. Semide won his 12^th Silver Slugger at second base, which is the all-time record for the position as of 2037. 3B Leonardo Valdez won his eighth Gold Glove.

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The 1980 season marked the 50^th year for Beisbol Sudamerica. 29 of the first 50 Copa Sudamerica titles went to a Southern Cone League team with the other 21 to the Bolivar Laue. By country, Brazil has 15 overall champs, followed by Argentina with nine.

The Bolivar League found itself pretty well balanced in its first 50 seasons. The best average win total went to Cali at 85.5, although they don’t have a Copa Sudamerica to their name. Medellin had the most playoff appearances at 16, followed by Caracas, Cali, and La Paz at 12 each. The Mutiny also had the most titles (5) and BLCS appearances (10). Every non-expansion team in the Bolivar League has at least four playoff appearances and all have made Copa Sudamerica twice apart from Guayaquil, who made it once. Barquisimeto has the worst average win total of the non-expansion teams at 75.2.

The Southern Cone League has been far more top heavy with five teams having a better average win total than the Bolivar League’s best. Santiago was the winningest averaging 89.4 wins per season, with Buenos Aires (88.3), Brasilia (87.6), Salvador (87.3), and Sao Paulo (86.7) close behind. The Saints have the most playoff appearances of any team at 22 with the Padres having 16 and the Atlantics at 15. Buenos Aires has the most Copa Sudamerica wins (6), while Sao Paulo is tied with Medellin at 10 for most appearances.

Of the original 12 teams, 10 have gotten to Copa Sudamerica and eight have won it twice. Rosario has an appearance, but no wins; while neither Asuncion nor Montevideo have gotten that far. Those three have the worst win totals of any non-expansion BSA team with Montevideo at the bottom at 66.8. They’re also the only original team with zero playoff appearances. Asuncion only has one and Rosario two. Rio de Janeiro has only three playoff berths despite an 83.2 average win total.

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Chiba had the best record in the Japan League in 1980, taking their second Capital Division title in three years. The Comets at 102-60 also had 254 team home runs, setting a JL record that would hold until 2002. Last year’s division champ Kawasaki was 89-73 with Yokohama one behind. In the North Division, Sapporo earned back-to-back titles with a 101-61 record. Kobe claimed a competitive Central Division at 96-66, one game ahead of Kyoto. It was the first playoff berth for the Blaze since 1965. Defending Japan League champ Nagoya was a distant third at 84-78. The weakest division winner was Fukuoka at 89-73 atop the West Division. For the Frogs, this ended a 50-year postseason drought dating back to their 1929 EAB title. That was not only the longest active drought, but the longest one in EAB history to that point.

Earning Japan League MVP was Chiba’s Tamatama Kurosawa. The 27-year old center fielder was the leader in runs (111), triples (19), total bases (378), and WAR (9.0), adding a .339 average and 41 home runs. Kyoto’s Shuichiro Sato won his third Pitcher of the Year, although his prior wins were back in 1972 and 1973. At age 32, he led in ERA (2.19), quality starts (26), FIP- (49), and WAR (9.4), adding 270 strikeouts over 226 innings and an 18-5 record. Also of note, Kyoto’s Norichika Arai became a three-time Reliever of the Year winner.

In the first round of the playoffs, Fukuoka stunned Chiba with a road sweep and Sapporo topped Kobe 3-0. The underdog Frogs prevailed in the Japan League Championship Series in a seven game thriller over Sapporo. For Fukuoka, it is their third league title with the others way back in 1928 and 1929.



Busan snapped an eight-year playoff drought as the Blue Jays finished 98-64, giving them the best record in the Korea League and the South Division title. Changwon was second at 92-70, which earned them the first wild card and their first playoff berth since 1965. Yongin was 91-75, followed by Daejeon at 87-75 and Daegu at 86-76. The Diamondbacks saw their seven year playoff streak ended.

In the North Division, Suwon and defending EAB champ Seoul tied at 91-71, while Hamhung was 90-72 and Seongnam was 90-72. This tied the Snappers and Seahawks both for the division title and with Yongin for the second wild card. Because of the tiebreaker game for the division, the winner would advance and the loser would drop below the Gold Sox, giving Yongin its first playoff berth since 1972. Suwon won the one-game playoff to eliminate the defending champs and earn back-to-back playoff berths.

Changwon had both the league MVP and the Pitcher of the Year. 1B Jun-Seong Noi won MVP with the 26-year old winning the batting title (.373) and leading in hits (227). He added 104 runs, 23 home runs, and 7.9 WAR. Seung-Yu Woo won Pitcher of the Year with the fourth-year righty leading in strikeouts (334), WHIP (0.93), shutouts (5), and wins (21-10). Woo had a 2.73 ERA over 280.2 innings and 6.6 WAR.

Both first round series went the distance with Busan surviving against Yongin and Suwon holding off Changwon. The Korea League Championship Series ended up being a dud as the Blue Jays swept the Snappers, making Suwon runner-up in back-to-back years. It was the first title for Busan since 1971 and their tenth overall.



In the 60^th East Asian Championship, Fukuoka continued their Cinderella season. 50 years since their last playoff appearance and only EAB title, the Frogs rolled 4-1 over Busan. CF Sougo Fujimoto earned the finals MVP after being only a part-time starter in the regular season. In 14 games and 11 playoff starts, he had 11 hits, 9 runs, 4 home runs, and 9 RBI. Fukuoka wouldn’t go another 50 years between playoff berths, but they would have to wait another 41 years for their next EAB title.



Other notes: LF Ki-Chin Park won his tenth straight Gold Glove. Makata Araki became the 22^nd EAB batter to 500 career home runs. 35 batters have now picked up 2500 hits as Ho Oh and Jin Takeda crossed the mark in 1980.

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Defending Mexican League champ Torreon had the best record in the league in 1980, again winning the North Division with a 97-65 finish. Hermosillo was second at 92-70, which grabbed them the wild card spot by three games over Puebla. The Hyenas earned their first playoff berth since 1963. Last year’s wild card Monterrey was 83-79. In the South Division, Ecatepec took first at 92-70, besting the Pumas by three games there. This ended a four season playoff skid for the Explosion. Last year’s division winner Leon fell to below .500 at 76-86.

Hermosillo 2B Mesquito Delion won Mexico League MVP for the second time in three years. The squatty lefty was the leader in hits (216), doubles (44), triples (29), RBI (127), total bases (411), average (.354), slugging (.674), OPS (1.054), wRC+ (208), and WAR (10.0). He also added 31 home runs. Puebla’s Junior Vergara won back-to-back Pitcher of the Year awards. He had back-to-back Triple Crowns, joining Ulices Montero and Nick Bermea as the only CABA pitchers to do it twice. He had a 22-4 record, 1.64 ERA, and 399 strikeouts in 258.1 innings. Vergara also led in WHIP (0.70), K/BB (14.8), quality starts (28), FIP- (48), and WAR (10.5).

Hermosillo upset Ecatepec in the wild card round 3-2, giving the Hyenas their first Mexican League Championship Series berth since 1947. Hermosillo would knock off the defending champs Torreon 4-2 for their fourth league title (1930, 1933, 1947).



The Caribbean Island Division was a tight battle yet again in 1980. After narrowly finishing third the prior year, Jamaica claimed the title at 99-63 for their second berth in three years. Last year’s wild card Haiti again grabbed the spot at 97-65. Defending CABA champ Santiago dropped to 88-74, tied with Puerto Rico. In the Continental Division, Guatemala prevailed at 91-71. Since 1965, the Ghosts have made the playoffs 11 times. Honduras just missed out at 89-73, while last year’s division champ Salvador was third at 86-76.

Santo Domingo’s Lobo Villanueva won back-to-back Caribbean League MVPs. This time as the DH, the 27-year old Nicaraguan lefty was the leader in runs (117), home runs (59), RBI (141), total bases (418), slugging (.684), OPS (1.052), wRC+ (179), and WAR (7.6). He finished seven points short of a Triple Crown with his .324 average. Jamaica’s Luis Feliz Brea earned Pitcher of the Year with the 28-year old Panamanian leading in ERA (2.44), WHIP (0.92), quality starts (24), and WAR (8.1). He added 289 strikeouts in 266 innings with an 18-8 record.

Although Haiti had the better record, Guatemala used their home field advantage to win the wild card round 3-1. The Ghosts couldn’t topple Jamaica though as the Jazz won the Caribbean League Championship Series 4-2. It is Jamaica’s seventh league title and first since 1968.



In the 70^th Central American Baseball Association Championship, Jamaica edged Hermosillo in a seven game battle. It was the first time since 1969 the CABA final went all seven. The Jazz are now an impressive 6-1 in their finals appearances, winning titles in 1930, 1933, 1950, 1966, 1968, and now 1980. SS Alan Soewarsih was the finals MVP. A 34-year old Indonesian who had previous tenures in APB and MLB, he joined Jamaica in 1980 and posted 18 hits, 10 runs, 5 doubles, 2 home runs, and 5 RBI in 13 playoff starts.



Other notes: Wesley Dubar crossed 2000 career RBI, joining the legendary Prometheo Garcia as the only CABA hitters to do so. He finished the season with 2042, tied with Garcia for the all-time lead. Dubar would have one more CABA season to become the RBI king outright, although he’d hold it only briefly with Solomon Aragon passing him later in the decade. Dubar also passed Garcia the prior year to become the all-time leader in runs scored at 1966. Aragon meanwhile crossed 1500 RBI and 2500 hits in 1980 with Hector Vanegas also getting to 1500 RBI. Wilmer Mora also got hit 2500^th hit, making it 29 CABA batters to reach the mark. Rafioby Barajas won his 11^th Gold Glove at first base.

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The top record in the National Association was Chicago at 105-57, giving the Cubs back-to-back Midwest League titles and their third straight playoff berth. Second place Detroit at 95-67 had the second best record in the NA and got the first wild card easily, giving the Tigers back-to-back wild cards. Defending NA champ Montreal was atop the Eastern League for back-to-back years with the Maples at 101-61. Second place was Ottawa at 92-70, who got the second wild card and snapped a four-year playoff skid.

In the battle for the remaining two wild card spots, Brooklyn (88-74) and Louisville (87-76) ended up with the spots. Philadelphia (85-77), Hartford (82-80), and New York (82-80) were the closest competitors. The Dodgers snapped a four-year playoff streak, while the Lynx are back in after missing in 1979 and winning the World Series in 1978.

Chicago’s Janus Garcia won back-to-back National Association MVPs. In only his third season, the 23-year old center fielder was the WARlord (10.2) and leader in total bases (342), adding a .347 average, .977 OPS, 114 runs, and 28 home runs. Cincinnati’s John Gibson was Pitcher of the Year despite the Reds being middling. Gibson was the ERA leader at 2.13 and posted eight shutouts. He added a 20-7 record over 266.2 innings, 226 strikeouts, and 6.9 WAR.

In the first round of the playoffs, Ottawa bested Brooklyn 2-1 and Detroit downed Louisville 2-1. Both league champs won in round two with Chicago over the Elks and Montreal over the Tigers; both 3-1. This set up a rematch in the National Association Championship Series between the Maples and Cubs. Chicago got revenge and took the series 4-2 for their second NA title (1964). They had gotten to the NACS five times since their 1964 win and had gone 0-5, but they avoided having three straight seasons as the runner-up.



Houston won their fourth Southern League title in five years and had the American Association’s best record at 102-60. Dallas was right behind at 100-62, getting the wild card and their fifth playoff berth in six years. In the Western League, Los Angeles at 98-64 edged Albuquerque by one game for the top spot. The Angels earned back-to-back playoff berths and their first WL title in a decade. The Isotopes snapped a four-year playoff drought.

San Francisco took the third wild card spot at 90-73, their first playoff berth since 1968. For the final spot, Oklahoma City and Memphis tied at 89-73, while defending World Series champ Las Vegas was 88-74 and Charlotte was 86-76. The Outlaws claimed the one-game tiebreaker to earn back-to-back wild cards and keep the Mountain Cats out of the field. Of note, Miami had a historically bad season at 43-119, tied for the second worst ever in American Association history. The only one worse was the Mallards at 42-120 in 1952.

Winning American Association MVP in his Major League Baseball debut was SS Jimmy Caliw. The left-handed Filipino had won nine MVPs for Adelaide of the Oceania Baseball Association and proved that even against MLB’s competition; he was one of a kind. The 34-year old had signed with Houston on a five-year, $3,500,000 deal and led the AA in home runs (45), and WAR (9.8), adding 120 RBI, a .931 OPS, and a Gold Glove. Between MLB and OBA, Caliw has 10 MVPs, 12 Gold Gloves, and 12 Silver Sluggers. Pitcher of the Year was third-year righty Jimmy Roussel of Albuquerque, who led the AA in wins (24-9), innings (297.2), K/BB (7.0) and quality starts (25). He also had 8.1 WAR, 238 strikeouts, and 2.69 ERA.

The wild card round saw Albuquerque defeat San Francisco and Dallas drop Oklahoma City, both 2-1. Houston rolled to a sweep of the Isotopes, but the Dalmatians pulled off the road sweep of Los Angeles. This sent the Hornets to their fourth American Association Championship Series in five seasons and Dallas to their second in four; although they hadn’t met in that stretch. Houston’s inability to close cursed them again as the Dalmatians took the AACS in a seven-game thriller. Dallas gets their sixth AA title (1918, 19, 42, 43, 77, 80) while the Hornets become the first team to lose four association finals in a five year stretch.



In the 80^th World Series, Dallas defeated Chicago 4-2 to give the Dalmatians their second MLB title, having done it three years prior in 1977. RF Grady Slaven was World Series MVP with the 26-year old hometown hero posting 25 hits, 17 runs, 5 doubles, 4 home runs, and 10 RBI in 19 playoff starts. Their two titles in four years remains the signature run for Dallas, who wouldn’t get back to the Fall Classic in the next 50 seasons.



Other notes: Memphis’ Sawyer Williams became the 43^rd MLB batter to 3000 career hits. Pitcher Wayne Mitz won his tenth Gold Glove, which remains the MLB record for the position as of 2037.

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Two players received the nod for Major League Baseball’s 1981 Hall of Fame voting. RF Gavin Gauthier on his fifth attempt made it across the 66% requirement with 73.6%. Joining him was CF Vince Scarpello at 70.9% for his debut ballot. Two others were incredibly close with closer Kelly Hughes at 65.9% on his debut and SP Richard Thieman at 65.1% for his eighth try. RF Bo Salinas also had a strong debut at 61.7%. Four others were above the 50% mark.



One of those was Jeremiah Rutledge, who got 55.6% and was dropped after ten failed attempts on the ballot. He was a reliever for the first five years of his 15 year career, then a starter after with his longest tenure with New York. He led in strikeouts seven straight seasons, but his overall tallies were on the lower side with a 146-129 record, 3.23 ERA, 3091 Ks in 2485.2 innings, and 59.1 WAR. He got as high as 64.2% on his ninth ballot, but didn’t have the accumulations or major awards to get across the line.

Also dropped after ten tries was fellow pitcher Thomas Perez, who ended at 33.0% and peaked at 40.8%. He had a 19-year career with Louisville primarily and posted a 250-233 record, 3.32 ERA, 4732.1 innings, 2813 strikeouts, and 84.6 WAR. The accumulations are there, but he also had no major awards and was never a league leader, leading many voters to dismiss him as a compiler and “Hall of Very Good” player.



Gavin “Busboy” Gauthier – Right Field – Calgary Cheetahs – 73.6% Fifth Ballot

Gavin Gauthier was a 6’4’’, 205 pound right-handed right fielder from Saskatoon, the largest city in Saskatchewan, Canada. Gauthier was a well-rounded hitter who wasn’t amazing at anything, but very solid at all phases with the bat. He averaged around 30-40 home runs per year reliably while consistently batting over .300 with a good clip of walks drawn and not too many strikeouts. Gauthier’s gap power was solid as well and got you 25-35 doubles per year despite slow baserunning speed. He was a career right fielder and firmly below average defensively, but not atrocious. The main knock on him was a lack of leadership, loyalty, and work ethic, which made him at times disliked by those around him.

Gauthier left Canada to play college baseball for Ball State. He excelled as a Cardinal, twice winning the college Silver Slugger in RF and finishing second in MVP voting in 1951. In 143 college games, Gauthier had 195 hits, 93 runs, 30 doubles, 45 home runs, 119 RBI, and 11.7 WAR. This made him a top prospect for the 1952 Major League Baseball Draft and he would return to the Canadian prairies when picked eighth overall by Calgary.

Gauthier was immediately a starter for the Cheetahs and a good one, earning 1953 Rookie of the Year honors. He’d go onto win seven Silver Sluggers (1955, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 68) as a consistent solid presence in the lineup. 1958 was his best season and his only time as an MVP candidate, taking second in the voting. Gauthier was the WARlord that year at 9.0 and leader in runs (117), total bases (386), slugging (.648), and wRC+ (176), adding a career best 203 hits and 48 home runs. He’d lead the next year with 125 RBI, but these were his only times as a statistical leader.

Gauthier also played off and on for Canada in the World Baseball Championship, playing 98 games between1954-63. He had 80 hits, 52 runs, 28 home runs, 61 RBI, and 3.8 WAR. His debut tournament was easily the best in 1954 as he had 26 hits, 17 runs, 11 home runs, and 21 RBI, helping Canada to the World Title. He’d miss a chunk of that season with a strained PCL. Injuries hurt him at various points, missing much of 1957 to a broken bone in his elbow, half of 1963 with a torn UCL, and two months in 1965 from a fractured finger.

Calgary found some success later in Gauthier’s run, making the playoffs four times from 1961-65. However, they were always a wild card and never got out of the second round. He had 15 hits, 14 runs, 3 home runs, and 11 RBI in 18 playoff starts for only a .224 average. His production waned a bit into his 30s, in part to injury. Gauthier finished in Calgary with 2286 hits, 1224 runs, 436 home runs, 1416 RBI, and 72.8 WAR with a .316/.382/.556. The Cheetahs would ultimately retire his #29 uniform as well.

After the 1967 season, the now 36-year old Gauthier became a free agent for the first time and signed a three-year, $702,000 deal with Pittsburgh. He had a resurgence in his Pirates debut, winning his seventh and final Silver Slugger. However, a fractured elbow in 1969 spring training cost him almost the entire season. Pittsburgh let him go and Gauthier would then spend his final two seasons with Charlotte. After lackluster production and more injuries, he was let go after the 1971 season by the Canaries. Gauther went unsigned in 1972 and retired that winter at age 41.

Gauthier’s final stats: 2637 hits, 1386 runs, 429 doubles, 496 home runs, 1591 RBI, a .308/.375/.539 slash, 147 wRC+, and 79.6 WAR. Certainly not stats that look out of place among MLB’s Hall of Famers, but not eye popping ones. Plus, Gauthier never won MVP or was part of any postseason successes. This hurt him in the eyes of some voters and although he was always above 50%, he missed out in his first four ballots. His third try in 1979, Gauthier was short by the slimmest possible margin at 65.9%. He dropped to 62.6% the next year, but got the bump on his fifth try to earn induction in 1981 at 73.6%.



Vince Scarpello – Center Field – Philadelphia Phillies – 70.9% First Ballot

Vince Scarpello was a 6’0’’, 170 pound center fielder from the capital of Virginia, Richmond. Scarpello was a great athlete who at his peak could reliably bat around .300 with 25-30 home runs and around 25-30 doubles/triples per year. He had a solid eye and was good at drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. Scarpello had good speed, but his baserunning instincts weren’t always the best as he got caught stealing more than he succeeded. Scarpello was a career center fielder and a very good one defensively, winning three Gold Gloves. His play style made him an extremely popular player with the fans, although he was viewed by many as a bit of a mercenary, playing with ten different teams in his career.

Scarpello attended Penn State University and in 141 college games had 143 hits, 87 runs, 20 doubles, 34 home runs, and 102 RBI with 5.9 WAR. The nearby Philadelphia Phillies took notice and picked Scarpello fifth overall in the 1954 MLB Draft. He had an incredible rookie season with 9.5 WAR and ultimately career bests in hits (201), average (.349), and OPS (1.013). Scarpello easily won Rookie of the Year and even took second in MVP voting. The next year, he was third in MVP voting and won his first of five Silver Sluggers. He’d win the award again twice more with the Phillies in 1959 and 1960, taking third and second in MVP voting those years, respectively.

Scarpello led in WAR in 1957 with 8.3 and 1960 with 9.8. He also led in runs scored with 112 in 1960, although these were his only times as a league leader despite his successes. The Phillies made the playoffs thrice in his tenure, getting as far as the National Association Championship Series in 1960. He had 15 hits, 7 runs, 5 home runs, and 14 RBI in that run. In total with Philadelphia, Scarpello had 1023 hits, 569 runs, 180 home runs, 532 RBI, a .310/.382/.550 slash and 51.4 WAR. However, he opted to try free agency, becoming one of the most desired on the market in many years. At only age 27, Scarpello signed an eight-year, $1,402,000 deal with San Francisco beginning in the 1961 season.

Scarpello won Silver Sluggers in his first two seasons with the Gold Rush, giving him five for his career. He also won Gold Gloves in 1962 and 1964. San Fran made the postseason four times in his tenure, although he was pedestrian in 20 starts with 0.0 WAR. The Gold Rush’s best effort was an AACS berth in 1965. Scarpello only played five years in the Bay, posting 807 hits, 472 runs, 126 home runs, 390 RBI, and 28.6 WAR.

Scarpello missed some time to injury and saw his production drop a bit in his fifth season with San Francisco. Scarpello opted out of his deal after the 1965 season and opted for free agency again, signing at age 32 to a five-year, $1,060,000 deal with Chicago. His first year as a Cub was solid, winning his third Gold Glove. The next two were plagued with injuries, including a torn labrum in 1967. Scarpello’s Cubs tenure was three seasons with 10.7 WAR. He became a free agent again at age 35 and signed with Toronto.

He was healthier with the Timberwolves, but Scarpello at this point was no longer an elite level player. 1970 would see a World Series appearance as Toronto fell to the fledgling New Orleans dynasty. He had a solid run with 22 hits, 9 runs, 5 home runs, and 11 RBI. Scarpello left that offseason for Ottawa, where he picked up his 2500^th career hit and 400^th home run. The Elks would trade him mid 1972 to New Orleans for four prospects and he’d get a World Series ring with the Mudcats, who won their third straight. Scarpello bounced around in his final three seasons between Columbus, Atlanta, Las Vegas, and Seattle and would retire after the 1975 season at age 41.

Scarpello’s final stats: 2794 hits, 1577 runs, 431 doubles, 128 triples, 452 home runs, 1378 RBI, 1044 walks, a .278/.347/.482 slash, 137 wRC+, and 107.5 WAR. At the time, he was the 20^th batter in the Hall of Fame with 100+ WAR. His lack of a lengthy run with one team and unremarkable back half hurt him with some voters, but Scarpello’s resume was still undeniable. He earned the first ballot induction at 70.9%.

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The Central American Baseball Association had one inductee into the Hall of Fame from the 1981 voting, although pitcher Victor Zazueta was considered a slam dunk with 97.8%. Only catcher Sebastian Gonzalez also made it above the 50% mark, getting 57.1% on his third try.



One player was dropped after ten ballots. Catcher Enrique Ruiz had a 16-year CABA career and won three Silver Sluggers, two Gold Gloves, and two championships with Santo Domingo. His CABA stats saw 1919 hits, 770 runs, 136 home runs, 819 RBI, a .278/.334/.389 slash and 61.3 WAR. As always though, the low totals that come with the catcher position sunk him with voters. He peaked at 43.3% on his debut and closed at a sad 5.7%. Also of note, LF Rafael Estrada dropped after falling below 5% on his ninth try. He peaked at 30.9% and had 2394 hits, 1274 runs, 368 home runs, 1260 RBI, a .289/.349/.506 slash and 73.2 WAR. He won two rings with Honduras and one with Santo Domingo, but wasn’t a league leader or award winner, which meant the voters never gave him much of a look despite pretty solid totals.



Victor “Million Dollar” Zazueta – Starting Pitcher – Guatemala Ghosts – 97.8% First Ballot

Victor Zazueta was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Mixco, Guatemala’s second largest city and part of the Guatemala City metropolitan area. Zazueta was known for having legendary pinpoint control. His stuff was pretty good too with 96-98 mph peak velocity and an arsenal of fastball, curveball, and changeup. His movement was viewed as average and he could be prone to allowing home runs, but his control often made up for it. Zazueta also had excellent stamina and durability, known for being effective deep into games. He was also a team captain, viewed as an excellent clubhouse presence and a very popular player.

Zazueta was immediately spotted as a top prospect in his native Guatemala and the Ghosts thought he could be the future of the franchise. That’s why they picked an 18-year old Zazueta first overall in the 1958 CABA Draft. He spent 1959 on the developmental roster and made four appearances in 1960 before becoming a full-time starter in 1961. Zazueta would spend 13 seasons as a full-time starter for the Ghosts, leading the Caribbean League in wins thrice, innings pitched thrice, K/BB thrice, strikeouts once, shutouts five times, and WAR once.

In 1965, Zazueta was the Pitcher of the Year, posting a career and league best 9.5 WAR with a career best 315 strikeouts. He’d finish second in voting in 1967. In 1968, Zazueta had the 21^st Perfect Game in CABA history, striking out 14 on April 14 against Santo Domingo. Zazueta also pitched for the Guatemalan National Team in the World Baseball Championship with 30 games and 22 starts from1962-1980. In that run, he had a 3.96 ERA over 172.2 innings and 195 strikeouts.

After being a bottom-tier franchise for their first few decades, Guatemala became a consistent contender starting in the mid 1960s. During Zazueta’s tenure, they made the playoffs seven times, winning the CL title in 1967, 1969, 1970, and 1971. In the postseason, Zazueta was 7-5 with a 3.14 ERA over 94.2 innings and 86 strikeouts. In 1970, he was the CLCS MVP. He’d ultimately never win the overall CABA ring with Guatemala, opting to leave the year before they finally won it all. Still, Zazueta was a huge part of the Ghosts becoming a legitimate contender and the franchise would retire his #14 uniform at the end of his career.

Zazueta’s CABA run ended after the 1973 season, but he pitched another six seasons in Major League Baseball. At age 34, he signed a four-year, $1,400,000 deal with Milwaukee. He was a respectable starter in three seasons ultimately with the Mustangs, but not elite. July 1975 saw one of his first notable injuries with bone chips in his elbow knocking him out six months. Zazueta signed with Calgary for the 1977 season, but suffered a torn flexor tendon in late May that put him out for 13 months. He attempted comebacks with Harford in 1978 and Philadelphia in 1979 with limited success. The 1980 WBC would ultimately be his last action with another torn flexor tendon in spring training with Montreal, ending his career at age 41.

For his entire pro career, Zazueta had a 274-165 record, 3.18 ERA, 4107.2 innings, 3966 strikeouts, and 89.0 WAR. For just his CABA run with Guatemala, he had a 234-129 record, 3.12 ERA, 3401 innings, 3453 strikeouts to 486 walks, 253/412 quality starts, 194 complete games, a FIP- of 83, and 75.2 WAR. It was an impressive tenure with the Ghosts even if relatively short compared to some other Hall of Famers. He still picked up enough numbers to win over the voters, who put Zazueta in easily at 97.8%.

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East Asia Baseball inducted two players from Pyongyang’s dynasty as part of the 1981 Hall of Fame Class. Both 3b Ki-Tae Yun and SS Kyung-Hwan Choi received first ballot recognition with an impressive 98.9% for the former and a solid 86.3% from the latter. SP Tokutomi Ohashi narrowly missed out on joining them with 63.4% in his debut. 2B Su-Yeon Park was the only other above 50% with 50% exactly on his fifth go. No players were dropped after ten ballots in 1981.



Ki-Tae “Duck” Yun – Third Base – Pyongyang Pythons – 98.9% First Ballot

Ki-Tae Yun was a 5’11’’, 190 pound left-handed hitting shortstop from Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea. Nicknamed “Duck,” Yun was known for having excellent home run power, hitting 40+ in ten different seasons. Despite his power, he very rarely walked and had a middling strikeout rate. Yun’s speed was above average, but he had fewer doubles and triples then you’d expect. Overall, he was viewed as an average contact hitter as well. Yun added great value as a career third baseman who was considered typically to be above average defensively. On top of being a hometown hero, he was a fan favorite for his scrappiness, loyalty, and work ethic.

North Korean scouts noticed him as a teenager and Yun was picked 30^th overall by Hamhung in the 1955 East Asia Baseball Draft. He decided not to sign with the Heat and went to Japan’s Okayama Shoka University. Yun had a great college career and when he was eligible in the 1958 EAB Draft, Pyongyang picked him 15^th overall. He opted to return to his hometown and ultimately played his full professional career as a Python. Yun had four plate appearances in 1959, then became a full-time starter the next year. He was typically very durable, playing 145+ games in all but two full seasons.

Yun immediately excelled, taking Rookie of the Year honors in 1960. He’d win eight Silver Sluggers (1961, 63, 65, 67, 68, 69, 72, 73) and a Gold Glove in 1973. Yun took third in MVP voting in 1963, second in 1967, second in 1968, first in 1969, second in 1972, and second in 1973. From 1967-69, he’d lead the Korea League in home runs and RBI with 159 HRs and 428 RBI combined. His 156 RBI in 1969 was only the seventh EAB season with 150+. In that MVP 1969 season, he also was the leader in runs (116), OPS (1.011), wRC+ (173), and WAR (10.0), all career bests.

Yun was also a big time playoff performer as Pyongyang dominated in the 1960s. They had nine straight division titles from 1961-69, winning seven Korea League titles and six East Asian Championship rings. Yun was EAB Finals MVP in 1961 and KLCS MVP in 1967 and 1969. In 103 playoff starts, he had 108 hits, 61 runs, 38 home runs, 90 RBI, a .273/.314/.617 slash and 4.3 WAR. As of 2037, he is still EAB’s all-time playoff leader in home runs, RBI, and total bases. Yun also was a regular for North Korea in the World Baseball Championship with 105 games played from 1961-74. He had 104 hits, 81 runs, 43 home runs, and 91 RBI with a .272/.336/.637 slash in the WBC.

Yun signed a five-year, $1,160,000 contract extension after the 1969 MVP season. 1970 would be a setback with a fractured thumb ultimately costing him three months. He’d bounce back with very good 1972 and 1973 seasons, including another Korea League title in 1972. 1974 saw Yun’s production fall off significantly though and he’d get moved to a bench role in 1975. Yun opted to retire after the 1975 season at age 37 and saw his #25 uniform retired immediately.

Yun’s final stats: 2377 hits, 1328 runs, 245 doubles, 629 home runs, 1685 RBI, a .280/.314/.544 slash, wRC+ of 139, and 90.4 WAR. At retirement, he had the third most WAR of any third baseman in EAB and still sits seventh as of 2037. He was a beloved hometown hero and a critical piece of Pyongyang’s 1960s dynasty, earning the 98.9% first ballot nod.



Kyung-Hwan Choi – Shortstop – Pyongyang Pythons – 86.3% First Ballot

Kyung-Hwan Choi was a 5’8’’, 180 pound right-handed shortstop from Sinpung, a small town of around 10,000 people in North Korea’s South Hamgyong Province (which includes Hamhung). Choi was an excellent contact hitter who won five batting titles. He very rarely drew walks, but also very rarely struck out. Choi had a respectable pop in his bat, averaging around 30 doubles, 10 triples, and 15 home runs per year. He had solid speed and baserunning ability as well. Choi was a career shortstop and considered very good defensively, winning a Gold Glove in 1964.

Choi was picked out of high school in the third round by Pyongyang, 77^th overall, in the 1954 East Asia Baseball Draft. He spent the next few years largely training on the reserve roster, making a few appearances in 1956 at age 19 and a few in 1959. Choi became a full-time starter in 1960 and would be the starter at shortstop for the rest of his tenure when healthy. His first two full seasons saw his first two Silver Sluggers in 1960 and 1961. Just before the 1962 season, Pyongyang locked him up with an eight-year, $987,000 contract extension.

The deal didn’t look great immediately with a torn back muscle knocking him out much of 1962 and a torn rib cage muscle costing parts of 1963. He came back late in 1962 and had a .459 in the postseason, winning both KLCS and EAB Finals MVP en route to the second of Pyongyang’s rings. In the playoffs for his career, Choi made 81 starts with 108 hits, 46 runs, and 2.8 WAR.

After the injuries of the early 1960s, he stayed largely healthy the next few seasons. Choi won five batting titles from 1964-1970 and led in hits twice. In 1968, he won Korea League MVP with 222 hits, a .388 average, and 8.7 WAR. He was second in MVP voting in 1964, 1969, and 1971. In total, Choi had 12 Silver Sluggers (60, 61, 63, 64, 65, 66, 68, 69, 70, 71, 73, 74). He also made 102 starts for North Korea in the World Baseball Championship from 1960-74, getting 121 hits, 57 runs, and a .301/.341/.455 slash.

Injuries picked up as he entered his mid 30s, although Choi was still strong when healthy for the most part. His final year of 1975 was his first where he really saw a steep drop in production, although he did earn his 2500^th hit this season. Choi retired following the season at age 39 and saw his #29 uniform retired.

Choi’s final stats: 2562 hits, 1145 runs, 376 doubles, 148 triples, 200 home runs, 1090 RBI, 435 stolen bases, a .334/.353/.500 slash, wRC+ of 140, and 99.0 WAR. At retirement, he had the second most WAR of any shortstop in EAB. Among all Hall of Famers, he was behind only Dong-Ju Hahn (.342) in batting average at induction. Another critical part of Pyongyang’s six titles in the 60s and a fitting inductee to join teammate Ki-Tae Yun for the 1981 class. Choi also earned the first ballot nod with an almost surprisingly low 86.3%.

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Beisbol Sudamerica inducted pitchers Laurenco Cedillo and Gustavo Telhados with the 1981 Hall of Fame class. Cedillo was nearly unanimous at 98.1%, while Telhados was also a first ballot pick with 78.0%. Another SP, Lewis Miranda, had a solid debut but missed out at 57.9%.



One player was dropped after ten ballots in closer Alvaro Fernandez, who won three straight Reliever of the Year awards from 1952-54 with Cali. For his entire career, he had 342 saves with a 2.06 ERA and 35.0 WAR. However, Fernandez left for MLB for most of his 30s. Just in South America had 277 saves, a 1.82 ERA, 732.1 innings, 1042 strikeouts, and 28.8 WAR. A nice run, but not enough totals to sway the voters. He peaked at 47.7% on his debut ballot and ended at 9.4%.



Laurenco Cedillo – Starting Pitcher- Guayaquil Golds – 98.1% First Ballot

Laurenco Cedillo was a 5’10’’, 185 pound right-handed pitcher from the capital of Chile, Santiago. At his prime, Cedillo was considered about as complete a pitcher as one could be. He had legendary movement with strong stuff and control. Cedillo’s fastball topped out in the 99-101 mph range and was mixed expertly with a slider, forkball, and changeup. He was also an ironman who threw 250+ innings every year except for his first two. Cedillo was as reliable of an arm as you’d find, putting him in the conversation as a top three pitcher all-time in South America.

Despite where he ended up, Cedillo wasn’t always considered a lock. He was signed by Lima as a teenage amateur and spent four seasons in their developmental system. Not impressed by his development, the Lobos traded him mid 1955 to Guayaquil. He debuted with 12 innings in 1956 with the Golds, then became a full-time starter the next year, taking third in 1957 Rookie of the Year voting. By his second full season, it was clear that Cedillo was elite, posting a career-high 353 strikeouts for his first Pitcher of the Year.

Cedillo would win Pitcher of the Year seven times (1958, 59, 62, 64, 67, 69, 73) while taking third in 1597, second in 1961, second in 163, second in 1966, and third in 1968. He led the Bolivar League in WAR an impressive 11 times and seven times had 10+ WAR. Cedillo led the league in wins four times, ERA four times, strikeouts thrice, K/BB thrice, quality starts four times, and FIP- nine times. Cedillo also earned a Triple Crown season in 1962. Despite all this, Cedillo surprisingly never threw a no-hitter.

Guayaquil had been a generally bottom-tier franchise prior to Cedillo’s tenure, although they broke through to win Copa Sudamerica in 1955; one year before his debut. The Golds made the playoffs six times in his run, although they never were able to win the Bolivar League title. In 63.1 playoff innings, he had a 3.69 ERA with a 4-4 record, 63.1 innings, 71 strikeouts, and 1.8 WAR. Additionally, Cedillo pitched from 1958-75 for his native Chile in the World Baseball Championship with a 14-13 record and 3.32 ERA in 241.1 innings with 282 strikeouts and 7.9 WAR.

Cedillo continued his stellar, consistent production until his late 30s. He finally saw his velocity and strikeouts dwindle in his final two seasons, retiring after the 1975 campaign at age 41. His #25 uniform would be retired In the later years, he became the second BSA pitcher to 300 wins, the third to 5000 strikeouts, and the third to 150+ career WAR.

Cedillo’s final stats: 342-198 record, 2.43 ERA, 5102.1 innings, 5358 strikeouts, 499/636 quality starts, 203 complete games, a FIP- of 64, and 162.9 WAR. If not for the legendary Mohamed Ramos, Cedillo would be right in the discussion as BSA’s GOAT pitcher. As of 2037, Cedillo is second only to Ramos in wins and WAR. At retirement, they were the only pitchers in BSA to win Pitcher of the Year seven times. He was third in strikeouts at induction and is still fifth as of 2037. Cedillo also retired with more innings pitched and starts than any BSA pitcher, a mark he still holds in 2037. He is without a doubt one of the all-time finest pitchers in baseball history and well deserving of the 98.1% induction.



Gustavo “Lizard” Telhados – Closer – Salvador Storm – 78.0% First Ballot

Gustavo Telhados was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed relief pitcher form Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Telhados had incredible stuff with a deadly fastball-splitter combination renowned for getting strikeouts and groundballs. He had 98-100 mph peak velocity and terrific movement, although his control would often be iffy. Telhados was also viewed as incredibly durable; helping him put together a lengthy successful run.

Telhados was picked 38^th overall by Salvador in the second round of the 1959 Beisbol Sudamerica Draft. He was a full-time reliever in his rookie season, then took over the closer role in year two. Telhados had eight straight seasons with 30+ saves, eight straight worth 5+ WAR, five seasons with a sub-one ERA and eight seasons with 150+ strikeouts. In his first run, he won Reliever of the Year in 1961, 62, 63, and 65; and took second in 1964, 66, and 67. Telhados had a career-best 47 saves in 1967, 7.2 WAR in 1962, 191 strikeouts in 1962, and 0.72 ERA in 1966.

Salvador would win the Southern Cone title in 1962 and fall in Copa Sudamerica to Caracas. This would be Telhados’ only playoff experience of his signature run, as the Storm were generally a mid-tier team. He’d be a beast with Brazil’s World Baseball Championship Team though, pitching 255 innings from 1961-75 with both starts and relief appearances. He had a 22-5 record with 17 saves, a 1.87 ERA, 470 strikeouts, and 11.4 WAR. In the 1964 tournament, Telhados was awarded the Best Pitcher. He twice threw no-hitters in the WBC, striking out 20 in a 1963 performance against Northern Ireland and fanning 16 versus Hungary in 1968.

Telhados earned his 300^th BSA save in June 1968. One month later, Salvador traded him for prospects to Medellin. The Mutiny had the best record in the Bolivar League, but fell to Lima in the BLCS. Telhados became a free agent at age 31 and his success garnered worldwide attention, leading to a deal with MLB’s Charlotte for the 1969 season. He took third in Reliever of the Year voting, but only had a one-year deal with the Canaries. For 1970, he signed a three-year, $768,000 deal with New Olreans.

Telhados wasn’t a closer with the Mudcats, but he was a solid performer in his limited role. His three years there were New Orleans’ dynasty years with three straight World Series rings. Telhados then went to Baltimore in 1973 with a slightly increased role. After that, he had an itch to return home to Brazil and the closer role, returning to Salvador. The Storm had just won the Copa Sudamerica the prior year.

Telhados still had it and posted two more great seasons with the Storm, winning his fifth Reliever of the Year in 1974. He joined Hall of Famer Chano Angel as the only five-time winners of the award in BSA history. He wouldn’t get a ring with Salvador, as they had an early exit in 1974 and missed the playoffs by one game in 1975. After that, the now 38-year old Telhados gave MLB one more shot, but struggled in 1976 with Seattle. He opted to retire after the season at age 39. He received a hero’s welcome back in Salvador and saw his #11 uniform retired.

For his entire pro career, Telhados had a 1.40 ERA, 430 saves and 543 shutdowns, 1157.1 innings, 1975 strikeouts, and 62.2 WAR. Just with Salvador and in BSA, he had 379 saves, a 1.17 ERA over 909.2 innings, 1622 strikeouts, a FIP- of 29 and ERA+ of 257, and 51.2 WAR. At retirement, Chano Angel was the only Hall of Famer with a lower career ERA. He was fifth in saves and fourth in ERA among the relievers in the BSA Hall of Fame. Telhados was a dominant force at his peak and deserving of the first ballot nod, receiving 78.0%.

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SP Joachim Muller and CL Enzo Kojic were the inductees from the European Baseball Federation’s 1981 Hall of Fame voting. Both were first ballot picks with Muller getting 94.4% and Kojic at 70.3%. No other player was above 50% and no players were dropped from the ballot after ten failed attempts.



Joachim Muller – Pitcher – Berlin Barons – 94.4% First Ballot

Joachim Muller was a 6’8’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Melle, a city of around 45,000 people in Lower Saxony, northwestern Germany. Muller’s command was outstanding for his entire run, but he boasted very good movement and solid stuff as well. He had three pitches and only really used two, but his slider was legendary, mixed with a 98-100 mph fastball and a rarely used changeup. Muller was also very durable and considered an ironman with 230+ innings in all but his rookie season.

Muller’s potential was noticed as a high schooler in Germany and Berlin selected him the 1957 EBF Draft with the 19^th overall pick. He spent two years on the reserve roster developing, then saw limited action in 1960 at age 22. Muller became a full-time starter in 1961 and was a fixture in the Barons rotation for the next 15 years. He didn’t often lead the conference statistically, but was the top pitcher in WAR twice, FIP- twice, ERA once, and wins once. He had ten straight seasons worth 6+ WAR and five times had 8+

Muller won Pitcher of the Year three times in four years, taking it in 1965, 66, and 68. He also was third in 1968’s MVP voting. He threw two no-hitters with the first in 1968 with 14 strikeouts against Paris and his second in 1969 with 12 strikeouts versus Oslo. He was also a regular for Germany in the World Baseball Championship with 186 innings from 1961-75. In the WBC, he had a 13-8 record, 2.08 ERA, 191 strikeouts, and 6.0 WAR. Berlin made the playoffs five times in his career, although the Barons were never able to get beyond the conference championship. In 75.2 playoff innings, Muller had a 2.62 ERA with 76 strikeouts and 2.8 WAR.

Muller’s peak years were in his late 20s, although he continued to be ol’ reliable into his 30s. 1973 even saw him throw a career high 295.1 innings. In 1975, his production for the first time was subpar with an ERA worse than the league average. He picked up his 3500^th career strikeout this season. Muller opted to retire at age 37 and saw his #6 uniform retired by Berlin that winter.

Muller’s career stats saw a 232-173 record, 2.78 ERA, 3933.2 innings, 3604 strikeouts to only 552 walks, 354/491 quality starts, 132 complete games, FIP- of 74, and 102.1 WAR. He was the fourth EBF pitcher to compile 100+ career WAR, the eighth to 200 wins, and the fifth to 3500+ Ks. This made him an easy first ballot Hall of Fame choice, receiving 94.4%.



Enzo Kojic – Closer – Belgrade Bruisers – 70.3% First Ballot

Enzo Kojic was a 5’9’’, 195 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Cacak, a city of around 100,000 people in central Serbia. Kojic was known for having terrific stuff with the one-two punch of a 98-100 mph fastball and a strong curveball. His control was solid and movement was above average, leading to a flyball tendency. Kojic was viewed as a good leader and was also considered quite durable.

Kojic left Yugoslavia to play college baseball in England for the University of Bristol. He’d get selected in the second round of the 1958 EBF Draft by Belgrade, 45^th overall. Kojic debuted in 1960, although he wouldn’t take over the closer role until 1962. A stellar 1961 postseason earned him attention as the Bruisers made it to the European Championship. In that run, he posted a 0.64 ERA with five saves in 14 innings. He’d lead the Southern Conference in saves in both 1962 and 1963, winning Reliever of the Year in 1963 and taking third in 1962. Kojic also finished second for the award in 1965.

Kojic also pitched for Serbia from 1961-76 in the World Baseball Championship, posting 112.1 innings with 180 strikeouts and a 3.61 ERA. He suffered a major setback in 1966 with a torn flexor tendon in his elbow putting him out eight months. He bounced back with a solid 1967 and opted for free agency after the season. At age 28, Kojic went to MLB and signed with Toronto. He saw limited use in three seasons with the Timberwolves, then played 1971 for Jacksonville. His MLB excursion saw 2.8 WAR over 104.2 innings with 113 strikeouts.

Kojic came back home to Belgrade in 1972 and spent four more seasons with the Bruisers as the closer. He was second in 1973’s Reliever of the Year voting, then won the award for the second time in 1974 with a 56 save season, second only to Romain Guy-Blache’s record of 57. Kojic also had a career best 1.17 ERA and 137 strikeouts. He struggled in the playoffs with a 5.28 ERA, but the Bruisers still picked up their first European Championship. His final season with Belgrade was 1975 and he’d pitch one more pro season in 1976 in Mexico City, retiring at age 37. The Bruisers would retire his #22 uniform for his service and role in their title season.

Kojic’s stats in EBF for Belgrade saw 359 saves and 388 shutdowns, a 2.19 ERA, 831 innings, 1133 strikeouts, 178 walks, a FIP- of 60, and 28.3 WAR. He retired second in EBF saves behind only Roman Jongmans’ 368. Interestingly, he’d be the last reliever added to the EBF Hall of Fame until the 2010s, but Kojic’s resume was strong enough to get the first ballot nod at 70.3%.

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Eurasian Professional Baseball saw three pitchers receive first ballot Hall of Fame inductions with the 1981 ballot. Starter Elvin Kambarov was the leader at 88.3% with reliever Denis Mankovsky close behind at 85.0%. Starter Bataar Baatarkhuu barely joined them, crossing the 66% requirement with 66.5%. CL Joachim Kohut got 60.5% on his first attempt and starter Artyom Rudasev had 60.2% on his third. SP Eryk Wozniak also was above the 50% mark with 54.9% on his third attempt.



One player was dropped after ten ballots with SP Alek Semyachkin, who peaked at 44.7% on his second ballot before ending at only 3.0%. Major injuries had him out of the game at age 33, but he posted a 153-124 record, 2.82 ERA, 2868 strikeouts, and 82.9 WAR. He still compiled strong numbers in a short time frame, but lacked a Pitcher of the Year or signature run to get his candidacy more oomph.



Elvin Kambarov – Starting Pitcher – Bishkek Black Sox – 88.3% First Ballot

Elvin Kambarov was a 5’11’’, 185 pound right-handed starting pitcher from Ust-Kamenogorsk, a city of around 400,000 in eastern Kazakhstan. Kambarov was a fireballer with an impressive 99-101 mph fastball that he mixed with a slider and changeup. His control was considered just average with below average movement, but his stuff was strong enough to make up for his deficiencies and rack up strikeouts. Kambarov was considered durable and someone who could go deep into games regularly,

He got some attention by scouts as a teenager, getting picked in the fourth round (109^th overall) by Kharkiv in the 1955 EPB Draft. Kambarov decided not to sign and ended up spending the next few years on the amateur circuit. He was next up for draft eligibility in 1960 and had greatly raised his stick, earning the 12^th overall pick by Bishkek. Kambarov immediately was a full-time starter for the Black Sox, only missing time when dealing with injuries.

Kambarov would spend a decade in Kyrgyzstan and would take second in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1964. He rarely was a league leader, but he posted six straight seasons of 6+ War for the Black Sox. It was the playoffs where Kambarov really shined with Bishkek making six straight berths from 1963-68. The Black Sox won the Asian League in 1964, 65, and 67; and won the Soviet Series in 1964 and 1967. Kambarov was finals MVP in 1965 and in 19 playoff starts, he had a 1.58 ERA, 12-3 record, 153.1 innings, 193 strikeouts, and 4.4 WAR.

Kambarov also pitched for Kazakhstan in the World Baseball Championship from 1962-74, posting a 4.07 ERA over 148 innings with 211 strikeouts and 2.6 WAR. He had suffered a partially torn labrum in 1962, but didn’t have any issues with it again until 1969 with another partial tear. Kambarov bounced back in 1970, his final season with Bishkek, by throwing his lone no-hitter with 12 strikeouts and three walks against Novosibirsk on April 6. In total with the Black Sox, Kambarov had a 158-106 record, 2.60 ERA, 3224 strikeouts in 2426.2 innings, and 56.3 WAR. Bishkek would later retire his #31 uniform.

Kamarov entered free agency at age 33 and returned home to Kazakhstan, signing a five-year, $780,000 deal with Almaty starting in 1971. Another partially torn labrum cost him much of his first season with the Assassins, but he came back to lead the league in strikeouts the next season with a career best 0.79 WHIP. He took third in Pitcher of the Year voting, but ultimately would never win the top award.

His playoff exploits came up big for Almaty, helping them to Asian League titles in 1971, 72, and 73; and Soviet Series rings in 1972 and 1973. He had a 1.97 ERA over 77.2 playoff innings for the Assassins and for his entire postseason career had a 1.71 ERA, 17-6 record, 231 innings, and 285 strikeouts. His 17 wins was tied with Sergei Filatov for the most in playoff history until being passed in the mid 1990s.

In total with Almaty, he had a 2.45 ERA, 49-30 record, 1035 strikeouts in 757 innings, and 19.8 WAR. The run ended in the summer of 1974 with a torn UCL putting him out for 14-15 months. The Assassins let him go and he would try a comeback in 1975 with Tashkent, but he struggled in one start for the Tomcats. Kambarov decided to retire after the 1975 season at age 37.

Kambarov’s final stats: 207-136 record, 2.58 ERA, 3186.2 innings, 4262 strikeouts, 695 walks, 296/402 quality starts, 141 complete games, FIP- of 79, and 75.7 WAR. He was the 21^st EPB pitcher to 200 wins and the sixth to 4000 strikeouts. Although Kambarov wasn’t generally viewed as the best pitcher in the game, his clutch playoff performances put him over the top for most of the Hall of Fame voters, giving him the first ballot nod at 88.3%.



Demis Mankovsky – Relief Pitcher – Krasnoyarsk Cossacks – 85.0% First Ballot

Demis Mankovsky was a 6’1’’, 200 pound left handed relief pitcher from Elkhotovo, a town of around 12,000 in Russia’s North Ossetia-Alania republic bordering Georgia. Mankovsky was known for incredible stuff with a cutter/slider combo that saw peak velocity of 98-100 mph. He had an extreme groundball tendency and relied on his stuff in his younger years, but was able to improve his control and movement in his later years. Mankovsky was an durable ironman who liked to quietly go about his business.

Mankovsky was picked 26^th overall by Krasnoyarsk in the 1957 EPB Draft. This would be his longest tenure, spending his first seven seasons with the Coassacks. He took over the closer role in his second season and won Reliever of the Year in 1961, while taking third in 1960, 1963, and 1964. Mankovsky had 23 strikeouts in 12 playoff innings in 1959 as Krasnoyarsk won the Asian League title. For his tenure with the Cossacks, he had 172 saves over 527.1 innings with a 1.74 ERA, 863 strikeouts, and 31.0 WAR. From the start, he was a regular for Russia’s World Baseball Championship team as well. From 1959-75, he made 19 starts and 30 relief appearances with a 1.96 ERA, 14-5 record, 11 saves, 188 innings, 310 strikeouts, and 8.8 WAR.

Before the 1965 season, Krasnoyarsk traded him to Bucharest for C Ion Nicolaev and 1B Dawid Dabrowski. After one year with the Broncos, Mankovsky at age 31 signed with Kyiv for the 1966 season. He was only a middle reliever there, but felt he could still be a closer. Mankovsky signed with Ulaanbaatar in 1968 and won his second Reliever of the Year in his one season with the Boars, leading in saves for the first time.

Minsk signed Mankovsky in 1969 and won the Soviet Series, although they rarely used him despite being healthy. He took the closer role in 1970 and posted a career-best 0.88 ERA and 40 saves, taking second in Reliever of the Year. Next was Omsk and middle relief again in 1971, but Mankovsky reclaimed a closing role in 1972.

He then went to Tirana in 1973, Moscow in 1974, and Ulaanbaatar in 1975. He was the closer in each stop and led in saves in his final two seasons, finishing third in Reliever of the Year in 73 and second in 74. In his last season, he became the first EPB reliever to 400 career saves. Despite still posting solid stats to the end, Mankovsky was unsigned in 1976, retiring that offseason at age 41.

Mankovsky’s final stats: 443 saves and 557 shutdowns, 1.67 ERA, 1290 innings, 2053 strikeouts to 291 walks, FIP- of 34 and 72.1 WAR. He remains the all-time WAR and strikeout leader for EPB relievers and as of 2037, was only passed by Jas Starsky for most saves. His 996 games played is also the all-time EPB record as of 2037. Mankovsky’s career was somewhat an oddity with how much he bounced around and changed roles, but he makes a case for being EPB’s all-time best reliever. The voters noticed and gave him the first ballot induction at 85.0%.



Bataar “Fearless” Baatarkhuu – Starting Pitcher – Bishkek Black Sox – 66.5% First Ballot

Bataar Baatarkhuu was a 5’11’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Dalanzadgad, a town of around 20,000 people in south central Mongolia. He wasn’t considered amazing at any one part of pitching, but firmly above average across the board. Baartarkhuu had 94-96 mph peak velocity with a fastball, slider, forkball, and changeup. His forkball, not a common pitch, was his most effective. Baartarkhuu was a hard worker and durable, putting in 240+ innings in every season except for his final two.

Baartarkhuu was picked sixth overall by Bishkek in the 1958 Eurasian Professional Baseball Draft and immediately was a full-time starter, earning third in 1959 Rookie of the Year voting. He wouldn’t be an award winner or league leader in his run, but he provided the Black Sox nine solid seasons of production. Seven of his seasons were worth 5+ WAR with a career-best 7.8 WAR in his second year. He was a steady, reliable arm in the rotation for a Bishkek franchise that started to contend in the mid 1960s.

1963 was the first playoff appearance for the Black Sox, who would earn six straight playoff South Division titles. Baartarkuu was there for the first five, which saw Asian League titles in 1964, 65, and 67; as well as Soviet Series wins in 1964 and 67. He was steady in the playoffs as well, posting a 2.45 ERA and 8-5 record over 113.2 innings with 111 strikeouts and 2.1 WAR. The 1964 run saw Baartarkhuu earn ALCS MVP, going 4-0 with a 1.48 ERA over 30.1 in that run. For his entire Bishkek run, he had a 2.88 ERA and 132-112 record, 2360 innings, 2448 strikeouts, and 53.4 WAR. The franchise would later retire his #47 uniform for his role in their 1960s success.

Baartarkhuu would enter free agency after the 1967 season at age 32, signing a three-year, $372,000 deal with Krasnoyarsk. His debut season with the Cossacks was statistically his worth of his career to that point, although he bounced back with a solid 1969. After an alright 1970, he became a free agent again. For Krasnoyarsk, Baatarkhuu had a 36-36 record, 3.14 ERA, 757 innings, 767 strikeouts, and 12.3 WAR. He was a free agent again after the 1970 season and signed with Moscow at age 35.

Baatarkhuu had a good season with the Mules, but struggled in the playoffs as Moscow fell to St. Petersburg in the ELCS. The Mules bought out his contract and Baartarkhuu was a free agent again. The now 36-year old signed with Minsk and spent his final four years with the Miners. He had an excellent 1973, but struggled afterward and saw his use whittled away despite being healthy. He only pitched 24.2 innings in his last season of 1975, retiring after the year at age 39. With Minsk, he had a 20-8 record, 3.03 REA, 288.1 innings, 254 strikeouts, and 6.3 WAR.

Baartarkhuu’s final stats: 234-179 record, 2.92 ERA, 4054.2 innings, 4076 strikeouts to 767 walks, 352/510 quality starts, 137 complete games, FIP- of 86 and 82.0 WAR. He was very much a “quality start” guy who wasn’t going to dazzle you, but give you very consistent respectable numbers that Baartarkhuu was the seventh EPB pitcher to 4000 career strikeouts, but still many voters weren’t impressed by his lack of dominance and awards. Enough appreciated his reliability and his playoff role with Bishkek’s 1960s run, giving Baartarkhuu the first ballot nod, albeit barely over the 66% threshold with 66.5%. He also earns the distinction of being the first Mongolian Hall of Famer and would be the only one until 2011.

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No players were added into the Oceania Baseball Association’s Hall of Fame with the 1981 voting. Pitcher Te Paoro Rangi got close though, getting 63.6% for his fourth ballot. This was a new high mark for him, with a 57.3% the prior ballot. No one else was above 50% with newcomer Danny Carrott the second highest vote getter at 48.6%.

SP Jacob Kelly became the first to make it ten ballots and miss the cut for the OBA Hall. He was Pitcher of the Year in 1961 and 1963, but suffered from having his official career begin at age 30 with OBA’s founding. Injuries also meant he only had really five full seasons worth of production. Still, Kelly compiled 39.7 WAR over 1308.1 innings with 1308 strikeouts, a 2.49 ERA, and 84-52 record. However, he never got higher than 22.1% of the vote.

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Austronesia Professional Baseball added its third and fourth Hall of Famers from the 1981 voting. Both were starting pitchers from Kun-Sheng Lin being a no-doubt pick at 99.3%. W.C. Yu joined him his third attempt, finally getting over the 66% hump with 69.1%. No one else was above 50% and no players were cut after ten ballots.



Kun-Sheng “Duke” Lin – Starting Pitcher – Tainan Titans – 99.3% First Ballot

Kun-Sheng Lin was a 5’11’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Taipei, Taiwan. His stuff was the thing of legends with a 99-101 mph fastball mixed with a stellar changeup and excellent curveball. Lin was an absolute master at changing speeds, while also having solid movement and control. In his prime, he had incredible stamina with 208 of his 327 career starts being complete games. An incredibly hard worker and adaptable pitcher, Lin’s (albeit brief) prime could arguably be the most impressive seven years any professional pitcher has strung together.

Lin attended the Tatung Institute of Commerce and Technology in Chiayi and excelled as an amateur, earning a lot of attention ahead of the 1967 APB Draft. Tainan would select Lin third overall and he’d be an immediate star, finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting. He posted 7.1 WAR, which would manage to be easily his weakest APB season. That’s because Lin’s dominance in the next six years would be unprecedented.

Lin led the Taiwan-Philippine Association in strikeouts and WAR six straight seasons, getting 400+ Ks and 12+ WAR each year. His ERA was below two each season and led the TPA four times. He also led in wins those same four years to get four Triple Crowns, something that had never been done by any professional pitcher to that point. As of 2037, he’s one of only two pitchers in any pro league to win four or more Triple Crowns. Not surprisingly, this 1969-74 stretch saw six straight Pitcher of the Year awards. In four of those seasons (1969, 1970, 1972, 1973), he also won the league MVP.

The 1969-73 seasons were each worth more than 15+ WAR, a mark that had never been reached by any pitcher in other leagues. His best was 17.3 WAR in 1972, a year that also had a career high 511 strikeouts and 308.1 innings. His best ERA was 1.21 in 1969 with a 0.59 WHP in 1973, 12 shutouts that year, and a FIP- of 16 in 1970. As of 2037, five of the top eight all time pitching WAR seasons in APB belong to Lin. The 17.3 WAR was to that point the third best in any pitching season ever, only behind two seasons by South American legend Mohamed Ramos. Lin holds four of the top five strikeout seasons in APB with only Ramos having had a 500+ K season to that point. The 30 complete games and 12 shutouts in 1973 also remain APB records with many of his other marks being still top five.

Despite all that, he only had one no-hitter in his career, a 13 strikeout, one walk effort in 1973 against Kaohsiung. Lin did strike out 21 in a game on three occasions, which held as the APB single-game record until 1984. Despite his dominance as well, Tainan only made the playoffs twice in his tenure. They were Association champ in 1969 with Lin posting a 0.89 ERA in 30.1 innings; the Titans falling in the APB final to Jakarta. They won the TPA again in 1972, but Lin missed the playoffs to injury. He also pitched for Taiwan in the World Baseball Championship from 1968-78, although he wasn’t amazing, posting a 3.96 ERA over 150 innings with 230 strikeouts and 3.6 WAR.

Tainan limped to 59 wins in 1974 and hoped that moving Lin could give them pieces to rebuild with. They traded him straight up to Manila for rookie 2B Max Diama, who would go onto with eight Silver Sluggers in a fine career. Lin won his sixth and final Pitcher of the Year with the Manatees, who missed out on the postseason. Now a free agent at age 29, Lin had worldwide suitors that could offer far more money than the still fledgling APB. Thus, he left for America and signed a six-year, $3,140,000 deal with Phoenix.

His time with the Firebirds was snake-bitten from the start as a torn meniscus in May 1975 put him out six months. Lin bounced back with a very good 1976, showing he could hold his own against the stronger competition. Various injuries cost him parts of 1977, although he had a fine postseason in helping Phoenix to an AACS appearance. Lin was off to a great start in 1978, but suffered a horrible torn rotator cuff. This wrecked him as a pitcher and he was terrible in his 1979 comeback attempt. Phoenix cut him before the 1980 season and apart from a brief month in minor league Peoria, that was it at only age 35. His Phoenix tenure had a 3.90 ERA, 39-43 record, 726.2 innings, 643 strikeouts, and 11.7 WAR.

For his full pro career, Lin had a 178-118 record, 2.23 ERA, 2759.2 innings, 3716 strikeouts, and 113.8 WAR. In his seven APB seasons, he had a 139-75 record, 1.63 ERA, 2033 innings, 3073 strikeouts to only 293 walks, FIP- of 33, 197/230 quality starts, 166 complete games, 37 shutouts, and 102.1 WAR. Other more tenured pitchers would pass his totals, but the fact he’s even still up near the top from only SEVEN APB seasons is remarkable. His prime was maybe the best-ever for any pro pitcher, but sadly it was brief. The stingy Tainan franchise didn’t even retire his jersey number because of that briefness. But Lin still is revered as an all-time great Taiwanese pitcher and an obvious first ballot Hall of Famer at 99.3%.



W.C. “Cactus” Yu – Starting Pitcher – Pekanbaru Palms – 69.1% Third Ballot

W.C. Yu was a 5’11’’, 200 pound right handed pitcher from Taipei, Taiwan. Nicknamed “Cactus,” he had respectable stuff with solid control and below average movement. Yu’s velocity peaked in the 95-97 mph range with a fastball, curveball, changeup arsenal. He had strong stamina and regularly went deep into games. Yu was also considered a pretty respectable defensive pitcher.

When Austronesia Professional Baseball was formed, Yu was already 28 years old and known as one of Taiwan’s best pitchers in the semi-pro ranks. Multiple teams wanted to sign him for the new organization and it would be Pekanbaru that got him on a two-year, $115,000 deal. It paid off immediately for the Palms, who were the first Sundaland Association Champion. Yu led the SA in strikeouts his first three seasons and posted 10+ WAR in his first two. He earned the 1965 and 1967 Pitcher of the Year awards, plus had a second place finish in 1966 and third place in 1968.

Yu had a solid 1965 postseason with a 1.48 ERA in 24.1 innings, but the Palms fell to Taichung in the first APB Championship. They wouldn’t get back to the postseason despite Yu’s efforts. After his first four stellar seasons, the now 33-year old saw his production drop steeply. Pekanbaru, who also began to struggle as a franchise, traded Yu to Semarang before the 1971 deadline. With the Palms, he had a 114-72 record, 2.45 ERA, 1745.1 innings, 1848 strikeouts, and 42.3 WAR. Yu would be worth negative value in a half-season with Semarang, as well as in 1972 with Taichung. He was a reliever with Kaohsiung in 1973 and earned a APB ring, but this marked the end of his career at age 37.

Yu’s final stats: 123-84 record, 2.52 ERA, 1905.2 innings, 1955 strikeouts, 159/232 quality starts, FIP- of 83, and 40.3 WAR. His totals were also hurt by starting at age 28 with a few more good years making his resume look better. In a short burst, Yu was great but his totals are still very low compared to most other Hall of Fame pitchers. His short burst doesn’t compare to the cartoonish one of his HOF classmate Kun-Sheng Lin. Still, Yu had his supporters and many voters wanted to start populating the APB Hall. After 55.7% and 55.9% in his first two tries, Yu got the bump to 69.1% to earn the Hall of Fame nod on his third ballot.

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The 35^th World Baseball Championship was the first to be hosted by India with Mumbai chosen as the top site for the 1981 WBC. In Division 1, China took the top spot at 8-1, beating both Argentina and Colombia by two games. This gives the Chinese five consecutive division titles and their 12^th in WBC history. After a rare elite eight miss the prior year, the United States advanced for the 31^st time by dominating Division 2 at 9-0. D3 narrowly went to the Netherlands at 7-2 beating Bolivia and defending runner-up Taiwan each by one. This was the third-ever division title for the Dutch (1957, 1968). South Korea claimed D4 at 7-2, finishing one ahead of Bangladesh, the Dominican Republic, and Nigeria. The Koreans now have 12 division titles to their name.

There was a three-way tie for the Division 5 crown at 7-2 between Mexico, Spain, and India. The tiebreaker favored the Mexicans for their 16^th division title, fourth most of any country behind the US, Canada, and Brazil. D6 saw a first-time division champ in Paraguay at 8-1, who were two ahead of Australia and Ukraine. Last year’s WBC champ the Czech Republic struggled to 4-5. D7 also had a three-way tie at 7-2 with Russia, Honduras, and Canada. The Russians took the tiebreaker for their 10^th division title. And in D8, it was the Philippines and Brazil even at 7-2 for first while Puerto Rico was one back. The Filipinos had the tiebreaker and earned a ninth division title.

In the Double-Round Robin Group A, the United States and Mexico both moved forward at 4-2, while the Netherlands was 3-3 and Russia went 1-5. This sent the Americans to the semifinal for the 29^th time and the Mexicans for the tenth time. In Group B, the Philippines prevailed at 5-1 and advanced along with 4-2 South Korea. China missed at 3-3 and Paraguay was 0-6. This gave the Filipinos their sixth semifinal berth and the ninth for the Koreans.

The semifinal best-of-five series saw Mexico defeat South Korea 3-1 and the United States sweep the Philippines 3-0. SK officially took third and the Philippines fourth. This set up the 25^th championship appearance for the Americans and the eighth for the Mexicans. It was the fourth time the neighbors had met in the final, although the most recent one was back in 1961.



The US would reclaim its spot at the top, taking the World Championship series 4-2 over Mexico. This gave the Americans their 22^nd title in the WBC’s 35-year history and ended their longest title drought (granted it was only four years). The Mexicans are now 4-4 all time in the championship.

Tournament MVP was American DH Joziah Perry. A two-time American Association MVP with San Francisco, the 27-year old Californian had 25 runs, 29 hits, 12 home runs, 28 RBI, and 2.2 WAR in 23 tournament starts. The US as a team had a .316 batting average, third best in WBC history. Best Pitcher went to Kendrick Zenden, a Sint Maartener who played for the Netherlands team. A 15-year veteran reliever in MLB, Zenden tossed 18.1 scoreless innings with 30 strikeouts.



Other notes: Paraguay became the 54^th different nation to advance to the WBC elite eight at least once. Below are the all-time tournament stats. Their third place finish in 1981 allowed South Korea to move into fourth for most tournament points, just ahead of Brazil and China.

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In the second season of South Asia Baseball, Bengaluru had the top record in the Indian League. The Blazers were the first IL team to win 100+, taking the South Division at 105-57. Last year’s SAB champ Hyderabad fell to a mediocre 71-91. Jaipur won the Central Division at 91-71 and Pune claimed the West Division at 89-73. This gave the India League the same division winners from 1980 in 1981. Ahmedabad at 87-75 took the wild card spot, finishing five ahead of Mumbai and six better than Kolkata.

Pune’s Al-Amin Kundu won Indian League MVP for back-to-back seasons. The 29-year old Bangladeshi shortstop was the leader in WAR (12.1), walks (92), OPS (.956), and wRC+ (186), adding 43 home runs and 90 RBI. Kundu also won Gold Glove again with stellar defense at short. His Purple Knights teammate Sankar Sundaram won the Pitcher of the Year. The 28-year old righty was the strikeout leader (339), WHIP leader (0.86) and FIP- leader (52), adding 7.7 WAR and a 2.22 ERA over 215 innings for a 9-7 record.

Both first round playoff series went all five games. Pune edged Jaipur on the road and wild card Ahmedabad upset Bengaluru. In the second Indian League Championship Series, the Purple Knights took the title 4-2 over their division rival Animals.



The best record in the Southeast Asia League was Mandalay at 98-64 atop the North Division. Both wild cards came out of the North as well with Yangon at 94-68 and Dhaka at 92-70. It is back-to-back playoff berths for both the Mammoths and the defending league champ Green Dragons. Johor Bahru earned back-to-back playoff berths as the Blue Wings won a weak South Division at 85-77. Vientiane was their closest competitor at 80-82, while defending division champ Bangkok dropped from 97 wins to 71.

SEAL MVP went to Yangon 1B Yamin Thaw with the 32-year old Burmese lefty smacking 66 home runs, which would be the South Asia Baseball single season record until 1987. Thaw also was the leader in runs (127), RBI (126), walks (100), total bases (406), OBP (.427), slugging (.755), OPS (1.181), wRC+ (223), and WAR (12.0). Pitcher of the Year was Ho Chi Minh City’s Edward Sachi. The 31-year old Indian lefty was the WARlord (7.5) and leader in wins (17-11), WHIP (0.84) and FIP- (65). Sachi added a 2.15 ERA and 269 strikeouts in 242.2 innings.

The wild card teams pulled off first round upsets in the postseason. Yangon grabbed a road sweep over Johor Bahru, while Dhaka edged Mandalay in five. In the Southeast Asia League Championship Series, the Dobermans dusted the defending champ Green Dragons 4-1.



In the second South Asian Championship, Dhaka and Pune battled in a seven game classic with the Dobermans taking the crown. CF Rolando Nitikarn won both finals MVP and SEALCS MVP. The 30-year old Thai lefty in 17 playoff games had 21 hits, 15 runs, 4 doubles, 7 home runs, and 13 RBI.



Other notes: Bangkok’s Jimmy Strong had a 25-game hitting streak, the first player to have a streak 20+ thus far in SAB.