Baseball: The World's Game - Page 35

FuzzyRussianHat · 11-03-2023, 03:34 AM

Abidjan matched their 112-50 record from the prior year for the best record in West African Baseball. The Athletes have made the playoffs in all seven WAB seasons so far and had the first place spot in the Western League for the fourth time. Defending WL champ Monrovia at 97-65 and Kumasi at 94-68 earned the wild card spots. The Diplomats picked up their third straight playoff berth and the Monkeys got their fourth straight.

Western League MVP went to American 1B Dan Simko. The 34-year old was in his third year in WAB after a decade in MLB, having signed with Abidjan after two seasons with Ibadan. Simko led in runs (114), OBP (.364), OPS (.972), wRC+ (182), and WAR (8.6), adding 47 home runs and 116 RBI. Teammate Kouadio Diao won his fourth Pitcher of the Year and posted his third Triple Crown season. The 27-year old Ivorian righty had a 26-6 record, 1.96 ERA, and 365 strikeouts. Diao also was the leader in innings (285.1), WHIP (0.93), quality starts (30), and WAR (10.8).

Lagos finished first in the Eastern League at 109-53, joining Abidjan as the only teams to make the playoffs in each WAB season. The Lizards only finished first for the second time despite being three time ELCS champs. After finishing fourth last year, Kano placed second at 106-56 for their fifth playoff berth. Benin City placed third for back-to-back seasons at 88-74. Defending WAB champion Port Harcourt dropped to fourth at 79-83.

Eastern League MVP was Lagos SS Ismael Sidi. In his second year with the Lizards, the 27-year old Mauritanian was the leader in hits (206) and average (.334), adding 7.0 WAR. Kano’s Jackson Manirakiza was the Pitcher of the Year. Nicknamed “Rainmaker,” the 31-year old Burundian lefty led in strikeouts (274), K/BB (7.0), WHIP (0.96), FIP- (62), and WAR (7.4). In his second year with the Condors, he also had a 2.74 ERA in 223 innings and 17-7 record.

In the WL’s wild card round, Kumasi upset Monrovia in three games. Abidjan took out the Monkeys 3-1 in the Western League Championship Series. The Athletes are now three time WL champs, having also won in 1975 and 1978. In the EL, Kano swept Benin City in the wild card round. However, Lagos clipped the Condors 3-1 in the Eastern League Championship Series. The Lizards are now four time EL champs (1977, 78, 79, 81).

In the seventh West African Championship, it was a rematch of the 1978 edition which the Lizards won. Lagos edged Abidjan 4-3 in a classic to give the Lizards three WAB titles in four years (78, 79, 81). Lagos would be the only WAB team to win three titles in a four year stretch until Kano’s dynasty of the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Other notes: Abidjan’s Albert Kamara threw WAB’s eighth Perfect Game on July 26, striking out 13 against Accra. Power Bonou and Axel Kouachou became the first pitchers to 2000 career strikeouts in WAB. Stephen Tshukudu, Mario Duc, and George Nandjou became the first batters to 300 career home runs.

FuzzyRussianHat · 11-03-2023, 04:29 PM

Harbin finished atop the CLB Northern League for back-to-back seasons with the 1980 runner-up finishing at 101-61. Second was Hangzhou at 93-69, putting the Hens in the playoffs for the third time in four years after narrowly missing last year. Close behind but just missing the playoff cut was Xi’an at91-71, Qingdao at 90-72, and Zhengzhou at 87-75. Jinan, who won 96 games last year and earned a playoff spot, fell off a cliff for an 11^th play 67-95.

Nick Wei became the first four-time MVP winner in Chinese League Baseball history. The Hangzhou center fielder and pitcher previously won the award three straight years from 1976-78. The 29-year old at a batter had 7.8 WAR with 133 hits, 21 home runs, and a .288/.309/.468 slash in 117 starts. On the mound, he had a 2.31 ERA and 17-6 record over 269.1 innings with 290 strikeouts and 5.8 WAR.

Xi’an’s Guodong Lin won back-to-back NL Pitcher of the Year awards and made pro baseball history in the process. On April 30, Lin had the 10^th CLB Perfect Game, striking out nine against Hangzhou. Then on June 7, Lin had another Perfect Game, this time with nine strikeouts also against the Hens. He joined OBA’s Te Paoro Rangi and EAB’s Katsunari Fujiwara and Moon Kim as the only pitchers in any league to this point to throw two Perfect Games. While others would join the list, Lin remains the only one as of 2037 to have both in the same season. The 27-year old righty was the WARlord (10.8) and leader in ERA (1.13), wins (22-4), WHIP (0.63), K/BB (20.1), and shutouts (9). Lin added 341 strikeouts in 270 innings.

The Southern League had an incredibly tight battle for the two playoff spots. Guangzhou, Xiamen, and Wuhan each finished tied at 91-71, while Changsha was only two behind and each of Chengdu, Hong Kong, and Shenzhen were three back. In the first tie-breaker game, Xiamen defeated Wuhan, officially giving the Mutts the SL title. The second tiebreaker game saw Guangzhou edge the Wolverines. It was Xiamen’s first playoff berth and the first since 1974 for the Gamecocks. Last year’s CLB champion Foshan was a non-factor, taking ninth at 74-88.

Guangzhou LF Chaoqing Yang won the Southern League MVP. The 27-year old nicknamed “the Warden,” was the leader in WAR (11.9), wRC+ (205), triple slash (.322/.394/.601), OPS (.995), total bases (342), runs (95), and hits (183). He also added 32 home runs and 89 RBI. Shenzhen’s Zhiyuan Lai won his third Pitcher of the Year, having previously won back in 1977 and 1975. The 30-year old led in ERA for the third time in his career, this time with 1.22. He also led in strikeouts (307), and WHIP (0.68), adding 10.0 WAR and a 17-11 record with 10 saves in 222 innings.

Both of the semifinal matchups ended up being uneventful sweeps in favor of the first place team. Harbin rolled Guangzhou and Xiamen smacked Hangzhou 4-0. This gave the Hellcats back-to-back China Series appearances and their third overall, having lost in both 1980 and 1973. For Xiamen, this was their first finals berth. The 12^th China Series would go to Haribn 4-2 over Xiamen. Finals MVP went to pitcher Xinxin Sun, who tossed 10.2 scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts.

Other notes: In addition to Guodong Lin’s two Perfect Games, Encai Pang would toss the 12^th Perfect on June 27. He fanned 18 against Tianjin, tying the CLB single-game strikeout record of 18 and setting the record for most Ks in a no-hitter. Hangzhou’s Zhijian Dong also tied the single-game strikeout record of 18 three different times in 1981. Dong became the first pitcher to 3000 career strikeouts in CLB. 1B Shenchao An won his 11^th Gold Glove. MVP Nick Wei won his ninth Silver Slugger.

FuzzyRussianHat · 11-04-2023, 03:32 AM

Taichung took the Taiwan League title for the first time since 1967. The Toucans had the best record in the Taiwan-Philippine Association at 102-60, scoring the most runs (628) and allowing the fewest (437). Last year’s TL winner Taoyuan fell hard to 70-92. In the Philippine League, Zamboanga had an impressive bounce back. After winning only 56 games in 1980, the Zebras took first place at 89-73. They were five games ahead of defending Austronesia Champion Cebu and six ahead of Davao.

TPA MVP went to Taichung’s Chang-Rong Chang. A second-year first baseman, Chang impressively won MVP despite missing seven weeks to a strained hamstring. In 118 games, he had 7.4 WAR, a .304/.352/.626 slash, 37 home runs, and 86 RBI. Zamboanga’s Vhon Lasam won his second Pitcher of the Year in three years. The 26-year old lefty was the leader in strikeouts (417), innings (289), WHIP (0.79), quality starts (29), FIP- (41), and WAR (12.8). He added a 1.84 ERA and 20-10 record, missing out on the Triple Crown by one position in both ERA and wins.

Medan won the Malacca League for back-to-back seasons and had the Sundaland Association’s top record at 103-59. Singapore had a franchise record 95-67 season, but remained the lone team in Austronesia Professional Baseball without a playoff berth yet. Bandung won the Java League at 84-78, topping Surabaya by four games. The Blackhawks grabbed their first playoff spot since 1974. Last year’s SA champ Semarang fell to 70-92.

The Marlins had the MVP and Pitcher of the Year. The MVP went to 1B Tunggul Widhyasari for back-to-back seasons, as he posted his second straight Triple Crown season. Widhyasari was the leader in runs (100), hits (177), doubles (35), home runs (43), RBI (100), walks (69), total bases (349), triple slash (.306/.380/.603), OPS (.983), wRC+ (237), and WAR (10.1). Second year pitcher Ryco Bujang was the Pitcher of the Year, leading in wins at 17-5 and K/BB at 11.4. He had a 1.37 ERA over 256.2 innings with 318 strikeouts and 9.3 WAR.

The Taiwan-Philippine Association final went seven games for back-to-back editions. Taichung outlasted Zamboanga to give the Toucans their first title since winning the first two in 1965 and 1966. The Sundaland Association Championship was far less dramatic as Medan swept Bandung. The Marlins earned their second title, having also won in 1966 over the Blackhawks.

The 17^th Austronesia Championship was a rematch of the second, which saw Medan earn their lone title over Taichung. The Toucans were looking for their second title, having been the inaugural champ. The series went the distance and came down to the final at-bat. In the bottom of the ninth, 1B Jeremiah San Isidro had a walk off RBI single to give Taichung the 2-1 win and the championship. He had been the Association Championship MVP, posting 14 hits, 6 runs, 4 home runs, and 10 RBI in 14 playoff starts. San Isidro had been a July acquisition in a trade with Cebu.

Other notes: San Isidro also had a four home run game during the regular season back on June 5 while playing for Cebu. He became the first APB player with a four homer game and would be the only one until 2030. The seventh APB Perfect Game came on April 6 as Pekanbaru’s Ervin Tat struck out 10 against Medan.

On April 11, Kim Shin Pan became the first APB hitter to 1000 runs scored for a career. Abracham Gumelar joined him five days later. Gumelar also earned his 2000^th hit in June and would finish the year with his 11^th Silver Slugger. Ardan Riyadi and Angelo Mula both got to 2000 hits in the late summer, making it five batters to do so in APB. Chun-Chia Lan became the fifth to 400 career home runs. Ary Mustofa became the fourth pitcher to 3000 strikeouts. 1B Kent Wang won his 12^th Gold Glove. CF DJ Licerio won his eighth Silver Slugger.

FuzzyRussianHat · 11-04-2023, 02:27 PM

Auckland won the Australasia League in 1981 for their third league title (1965, 1975). The Avengers finished at 97-65, nine games better than second place Gold Coast. Auckland had the most runs scored (637) and fewest allowed (503). Defending AL champ Christchurch dropped to sixth place at 78-84.

Gold Coast’s Neville Ryan was the Australasia League MVP in his third season. The left fielder from Sydney was the leader in home runs (47), RBI (125), total bases (348), slugging (.621), OPS (.967), wRC+ (184), and WAR (8.5). Adelaide’s Tarzan Rao won back-to-back Pitcher of the Year. The 28-year old Ni-Vanuatu was the leader in ERA (1.55), innings (349.1), strikeouts (46), quality starts (37), complete games (26), shutouts (7), FIP- (51), and WAR (13.9). The WAR mark was the third best pitching season in OBA history to that point. His 349 innings tied Jason Sims’ world record mark from 177,

Honolulu took a competitive Pacific League with a 93-69 record, besting Port Moresby by four games. It is the third league title for the Honu, who haven’t done it since the 1962 and 1963 seasons. Guam, who had won back-to-back Oceania Championships, finished fourth in the standings at 82-80. The Golden Eagles had bad luck according to the expected wins, which suggested they should’ve won eight more games and Honolulu should’ve lost seven more.

Tahiti LF Quentin Basa earned the Pacific League MVP in only his second season. The 22-year old Filipino lefty led in wRC+ at 179, adding 8.6 WAR, a .289/.336/.528 slash, and 37 home runs. Honolulu’s Tanera Matiu took Pitcher of the Year. The 27-year old from New Zealand was the strikeout leader (366) and WARlord (8.5), adding a 2.28 ERA and 15-10 record in 264.1 innings.

The 22^nd Oceania Championship was the third finals appearance for both Auckland and Honolulu, but both were shooting for their first ring. The Avengers would win it firmly 4-1 with playoff MVP going to pitcher Nigel Chalmers. The left-handed Englishman had two starts with 11 innings, a 1.64 ERA, and 11 strikeouts.

Other notes: Chalmers won his 200^th game in June, the fourth OBA pitcher to reach the mark. Brad Nelson became the second pitcher to 4500 career strikeouts. Dede Hayati and Yul Saitz became the fifth and sixth batters to 2000 career hits. Hayati also became the seventh to 1000 runs scored.

FuzzyRussianHat · 11-05-2023, 04:27 AM

Minsk bounced back from a rare losing season in 1980 to post the best record in the EPB European League. The Miners finished 103-59, winning the North Division for the 15^th time. Bucharest claimed the South Division at 102-60 for their first playoff berth since 1961. Kyiv at 99-63 earned the first wild card and a fourth consecutive playoff berth. For the second wild card spot, Moscow (92-70) edged out defending Soviet Series champ Kharkiv (91-71) and Prague (90-72). It is the second playoff berth in three years for the Mules.

European League MVP went to Minsk third year RF Leonid Zadorozhniy. The right-handed hitting Ukrainian was the leader in WAR (8.8), wRC+ (199), average (.327), OBP (.374), and OPS (.965), adding 37 home runs and 102 RBI. Pitcher of the Year was Bucharest’s Xaxhi Maho. In his second season, the 23-year old Albanian lefty was the leader in ERA (1.72) and wins at 23-4. Maho added 266 strikeouts over 256.1 innings with 8.7 WAR.

Minsk handled their divisional foe Moscow with a first round sweep, while Kyiv upset Bucharest 3-2. This set up the sixth time that the Miners and Kings had met in the European League Championship Series. Kyiv led the series 3-2 having won the most recent battle only two years prior. Both franchises had been regulars in the ELCS with Minsk making its 15^th appearance and Kyiv its ninth. This meeting was a seven game classic with the Miners taking game seven 2-1 on a walkoff. It was Minsk’s seventh title, but first since 1969.

The best record in all of Eurasian Professional Baseball came from the Asian League’s Dushanbe. The Dynamo were 108-54 to take the South Division and their fourth playoff berth in six years. Asgabat, who won the division the prior two seasons, was still solid and easily grabbed the first wild card at 101-61. The second wild card also came from the South with Tashkent taking it at 91-71 for their third berth in five years. Defending AL champ Bishkek was five back at 86-76. In the North Division, Krasnoyarsk was first at 90-72 to end a six-year playoff drought. Omsk and Yekaterinburg were both five games off the lead, while last year’s division winner Irkutsk fell below .500.

Asgabat had the Asian League’s MVP and Pitcher of the Year. 28-year old Uzbek catcher Stefan Sanginov was the MVP, leading in WAR (7.0) while adding a .285/.359/.445 slash and 156 wRC+. Yerbol Tulegenov was the Pitcher of the Year in his fourth season. The Kyrgyz righty was the strikeout leader at 386 and leader in WAR (11.0) and FIP- (48). He added a 1.90 ERA and 20-7 record over 270.2 innings.

Dushanbe survived in five games against Tashkent in the first round, while Asgabat swept Krasnoyarsk. This sent the Alphas to their third straight Asian League Championship Series and fourth overall. For the Dynamo, it was their sixth ALCS berth. Dushanbe would dominate to take the series 4-1 over Asgabat, giving the Dynamo their third AL title (1958, 1960).

In the 27^th Soviet Series, Dushanbe and Minsk’s battle was the first to go all seven games since 1975. The Dynamo prevailed 4-3 in the end to take their second EPB title, joining the 1960 ring. CF Martin Alban was finals MVP with the 35-year old American in his fourth EPB season after a decade with MLB’s Atlanta. In 17 playoff games, he had 23 hits, 11 runs, 4 doubles, 3 triples, 2 home runs, and 5 RBI.

Other notes: Yekaterinburg’s Nandor Dombi threw EPB’s 20^th Perfect Game on July 20 with 11 strikeouts against Bishkek. Ivan Valev, Ermin Ismayilov, and Konrad Mazur became the eighth, ninth, and tenth EPB batters to 500 career home runs. Patryk Cebulak became the eighth to 2500 hits. SS Nazar Gogunov won his 11^th Gold Glove and LF Artyom Kahn won his ninth.

FuzzyRussianHat · 11-05-2023, 02:54 PM

Glasgow took the top seed in the EBF Northern Conference in 1981, winning the British Isles Division for the sixth straight year. The Highlanders were 102-60, their fourth 100+ win season in that stretch. In the Northwest Division, Luxembourg finished first at 97-65 to snap a five-year playoff drought. Brussels was 89-73, good enough for the wild card, while defending European Champion Rotterdam fell short by three games. Dublin was four off the wild card and Birmingham was five back. In the North Central Division, Copenhagen took first at 92-70. For the Corsairs, their only other playoff berth came when the won the EBF title in the inaugural 1950 season. Stockholm, who had a seven-year playoff streak entering the year, dropped to 80-82 for their first losing season in a decade.

Leading Copenhagen’s efforts was Northern Conference MVP Wojtek Napierkowski. The 26-year old Polish third baseman was the WARlord at 10.1 and leader in wRC+ at 196, adding 57 home runs and 126 RBI. His 57 homers was actually third in the conference behing Thomas Muller’s 61 and John McLendon’s 65. The 65 for Birmingham’s McLendon was the second most in an EBF season to date behind Orion McIntyre’s 68 in 1951. Luxembourg’s Greg Saint-Pierre won his third Pitcher of the Year. The 31-year old French lefty led in ERA (1.92), innings (299.2), WHIP (0.88), quality starts (31), complete games (17), and shutouts (5). He added 7.4 WAR and 329 strikeouts with a 19-12 record.

Glasgow survived their first round series in five games against Brussels while Luxembourg bested Copenhagen 3-2. This sent the Highlanders to the Northern Conference Championship for the seventh time and second time in three years. For the Lancers, their only other appearance was their 1971 win. The series went all seven games with the finale requiring 12 innings. Luxembourg prevailed 4-3 to earn their second NC crown.

Marseille had the best record in the Southern Conference for back-to-back seasons and posted the top mark in all the EBF. The Musketeers were 108-54 to earn the Southwest Division title. Madrid at 92-70 had a solid season, but ended up five games shy of the wild card. Last year’s wild card Lisbon dropped to 80-82. In a strong Southeast Division, Athens took first at 101-61 to extended their division title streak to five seasons. Belgrade was 97-65 to earn the wild card, fending off a 91-71 Munich and 90-72 Vienna. The Bruisers snapped a four year playoff drought. Defending SC champ Zurich again prevailed in the South Central Division, this time at 96-66. This gave the Mountaineers nine straight division titles, setting a new EBF record. Their nine straight playoff berths tied Vienna’s 1965-73 run as EBF’s longest to date.

Jacob “Rowdy” Ronnberg won the Southern Conference MVP for Marseille. The 25-year old Swedish right fielder was the leader in runs (123), total bases (410), average (.349), slugging (.754), OPS (1.150), wRC+ (221), and WAR (12.4). He added 51 home runs, 123 RBI, and his fourth Gold Glove. Zurich’s Jean-Luc Roch won his sixth Pitcher of the Year, becoming the first EBF pitcher to win six times. The 30-year old French lefty was the leader in WAR (11.3), strikeouts (420), WHIP (0.77), K/BB (17.5), FIP- (53), and wins (24-7). He added a 2.03 ERA in 284 innings. It was the eighth time in his career that Roch led in strikeouts and his ninth straight season worth 10+ WAR. Also of note, Barcelona’s Harry Almeida won his fourth Reliever of the Year, joining Hakki Polat as the only four time winners so far in EBF.

Marseille outlasted Zurich in the first round 3-2, while Belgrade upset their division rival Athens 3-1. For the Bruisers, this was their fourth Southern Conference Championship berth and back-to-back for the Musketeers. Marseille had been snake-bitten with a 1-7 record in their prior eight conference finals berths and had gotten swept the prior year. The Musketeers finally got over the hump, taking the 1981 final 4-2 over Belgrade. Their other title had come back in 1966.

Marseille would add their first-ever European Championship for a celebration in Southern France. The Musketeers won the 32^nd European Championship in a thrilling seven games over Luxembourg. Marseille is the second French champion, joining Paris’ 1970 effort. Leading the way was 2B J.F. Bourelly, the SCC MVP, posting 17 hits, 9 runs, 2 doubles, 4 triples, 3 home runs, and 9 RBI in 18 playoff starts.

Other notes: Two still-standing playoff records were set in 1981. Luxembourg 2B Stan de Vries hit 8 triples and Marseille’s Martin Cornu had 10 saves in 12 appearances. Glasgow’s Uwe Deckers had the 18^th EBF Perfect Game, striking out eight against Brussels on July 15. Alejandro Canas became the first pitcher to 5000 career strikeouts and would retire with the lead at 5071. He’d sit third as of 2037. Jean-Luc Roch became the fourth to 4000 strikeouts. Roch and Torger Thelin became the 13^th and 14^th pitchers to 200 wins.

FuzzyRussianHat · 11-06-2023, 04:05 AM

The four best records in the Bolivar League in 1981 came from a loaded North Division. Bogota and their powerhouse offense took the top spot with 819 runs scored and a 104-58 record, snapping a seven-year playoff drought for the Bats. Defending league champ Barquisimeto was close behind but second at 100-62, while Medellin was 96-66 and Valencia was 91-71. Meanwhile in the South Division, Quito took first at 87-75 to snap a six-year playoff drought. Last year’s division champ Guayaquil took second at 81-81.

Bogota DH Bastian Martin won back-to-back Bolivar League MVP awards. The 28-year old Uruguayan was the leader in runs (115), hits (226), RBI (129), walks (86), total bases (373), average (.367), OBP (.446), OPS (1.053), wRC+ (188), and WAR (9.9). His 42 home runs was five short of earning a Triple Crown. Meanwhile, Valencia’s Lazaro Rodriguez was only one win short of a Pitching Triple Crown. The 30-year old Paraguayan won a historic seventh Pitcher of the Year, tying the most by legends Mohamed Ramos and Laurenco Cedillo. Rodriguez was the leader in ERA (1.86), strikeouts (379), WHIP (0.82), K/BB (14.0), complete games (18), shutouts (7), FIP- (50), and WAR (10.0), adding a 22-6 record over 251 innings. It was his eighth straight season leading the Bolivar League in strikeouts and ninth straight leading in WAR.

Salvador won the Brazil Division for the third straight season as the 1979 Copa Sudamerica winner had the Southern Cone League’s best record at 106-56. Fortaleza and Sao Paulo each had nice seasons, but their 96-66 efforts were still ten games away. Defending cup champ Buenos Aires saw their six-year South Division streak end as they limped to 81-81. Montevideo took first at 94-68, beating Asuncion by eight games. The Venom were the only original team that hadn’t made the playoffs once in BSA’s first 50 seasons.

Leading Montevideo was league MVP Felipe Caban. The 26-year old Paraguayan LF was the leader in runs (103), hits (228), RBI (121), total bases (394), average (.372), slugging (.643), OPS (1.043), wRC+ (215), and WAR (10.4). He also added 38 home runs and 36 doubles, along with an impressive 33 game hitting streak. Pitcher of the Year was Recife’s Wilfredo Casacubierta. Nicknamed “mustache,” he pitched the most innings at 283.2, getting 364 strikeouts and 8.6 WAR with a 2.03 ERA and 20-11 record.

In the Bolivar League Championship Series, Bogota was making its sixth appearance and Quito its fifth. The Thunderbolts upset the Bats 4-2 for their fourth league title, joining the 1963-65 dynasty run. Salvador would deny newcomer Montevideo its first Southern Cone League title as the Storm claimed the series 4-1. This gave Salvador its second title in three years and fifth overall (1949, 62, 73, 79).

In the 51^st Copa Sudamerica, Salvador won its second title in three seasons. The Storm stopped Quito 4-2 to make Salvador four-time cup champs, having also won it in 1949, 1973, and 1979. Six-time league MVP Valor Melo was the finals MVP with an impressive 8 home runs, 17 RBI, 16 hits, and 13 runs in 11 playoff starts. This tied the Beisbol Sudamerica records for most home runs and RBI in the playoffs, with both marks getting passed later on with expanded postseasons. This ultimately was the final title for Salvador in the 20^th century, but the Melo era remains a celebrated one for Storm fans.

Other notes: Valor Melo passed 600 career home runs and 2000 hits. He was the sixth BSA batter to 600 dingers. Niculao Semide became the fifth to 1500 runs scored. Semide also won his 13^th Silver Slugger, although it was his first since being moved from second base to first base. Lazaro Rodriguez crossed 4000 strikeouts and 200 wins. 3B Leonardo Valdez won his ninth Gold Glove.

FuzzyRussianHat · 11-06-2023, 05:48 PM

Sapporo earned a third straight North Division title at 102-60, which was the top record in the entire Japan League. Kobe earned back-to-back Central Division titles with their 97-65 mark. Kawasaki claimed the Capital Division at 93-69 for their second playoff berth in three years, while last year’s winner Chiba was second at 83-79. Kitakyushu secured a third West Division in four years by going 91-71. Last year’s East Asian Champion Fukuoka dropped to 80-82.

Yokohama RF Makata Araki won his second Japan League MVP. The 32-year old lefty was the leader in OBP (.403), slugging (.696), OPS (1.100), wRC+ (221), and walks drawn (69). He added 10.0 WAR, 53 home runs, and 94 RBI. Pitcher of the Year went to Sapporo’s Katsuo Nakayama, who joined the Swordfish the prior year in a trade with Kitakyushu. It was the second PotY for Nakayama, who also won back in 1975 with Tokyo. The 33-year old had a 2.20 ERA and 15-8 record over 254 innings with 239 strikeouts and 5.3 WAR.

Both first round series went the distance as Sapporo survived Kitakyushu and Kobe downed Kawasaki. This gave the Swordfish back-to-back shots at the Japan League Championship Series, while it was the Blaze’s first appearance since 1965. Sapporo took the title 4-3 over Kobe, giving the Swordfish a record ninth Japan League title. Despite their historical success, this was their first JL pennant since 1956; 24 years prior.

The Korea League’s best record went to 106-56 Seoul, earning the North Division title and their third playoff berth in four years. That was also a franchise record for wins by the Seahawks. Daejeon won its second South Division in three years as the Ducks set their own franchise high mark at 105-57. Both division champs won by double-digits, but the battle for the two wild card spots was intense. Defending KL champ Busan took the first spot at 95-67, followed by both Suwon and Changwon at 94-68, Yongin at 93-69, and Seongnam at 92-70. A rule change a few years prior during the expansion eliminated one-game playoffs for wild card spots. The tiebreaker between the Snappers and Crabs went to Suwon, giving them their third straight playoff appearance.

Seongnam’s Byung-Il Jun won the Korea League MVP. The 24-year old first baseman was the leader in RBI (139), total bases (396), triple slash (.363/.435/.676), OPS (1.110), wRC+ (187), and WAR (8.3). His 50 home runs was one short of first place and a Triple Crown. Changwon’s Seung-Yu Woo was Pitcher of the Year for back-to-back seasons and narrowly missed a Triple Crown himself as he was second in ERA. He had a 26-7 record, 2.20 ERA, and 345 strikeouts over 299 innings. He also led in WHIP (0.82), quality starts (27), complete games (22), and WAR (10.0).

Despite the impressive stats for the division winners, both were swept in the first round with Suwon surprising Seoul and Busan stunning Daejeon. This set up a Korea League Championship Series rematch as the Blue Jays looked to repeat and the Snappers wanted to avoid falling for the third straight year. Oddly enough, this was fifth time they had met in the KLCS, including three battles in the 1930s. This time, Suwon prevailed 4-2 for only their second-ever Korea League title (1935).

Suwon wouldn’t get their first overall title as Sapporo took the 61^st East Asian Championship 4-3. 2B Yoichi Kimura won finals MVP with 26 hits, 14 runs, 3 home runs, and 10 RBI in 19 playoff starts. It is the fifth title for the Swordfish, who also won in 1932, 47, 49, and 51. Their five titles is tied with Hiroshima for the most by a Japan League team.

Other notes: Hyeog-Jun Wi joined Lei Meng as the only EAB batters with 800 career home runs. He’d play two more seasons and finish with 873, just behind Meng’s record of 897. Two postseason records were set in 1981 that still stand. Kobe’s Tokinobu Chiba had a 1.691 OPS and Sapporo’s Katsuo Nakayama pitched 48 innings. For the third straight season, there was not a no-hitter thrown all season. LF Ki-Chun Park won his 11^th Gold Glove.

FuzzyRussianHat · 11-07-2023, 03:33 AM

Three years removed from their back-to-back CABA Championships, Juarez found itself back atop the Mexican League North Division. After missing the playoffs in the prior two seasons, the Jesters had the best record in the ML at 101-61. Hermosillo, the league champ the prior year, finished 95-67 and comfortably took the wild card. Torreon, the division winner in 1980, fell to 85-77. Mexico City took the South Division at 93-69, besting Puebla by seven games. It was the first playoff berth since 1974 for the Aztecs. Ecatepec, last year’s division winner, dropped to 81-81.

Although they missed the playoffs, the Pumas had the MVP and Pitcher of the Year. RF Ruben Chavez won the former with the 29-year old leading the league with 53 home runs. He added 8.6 WAR and a .328 average with 99 RBI. Junior Vergara won his third straight Pitcher of the Year and posted a third straight Triple Crown with an 18-4 record, 1.66 ERA, and 359 strikeouts. He also led in WAR (9.5) FIP- (52), and WHIP (0.78) over 248.2 innings.

Wild card Hermosillo upset Mexico City 3-2, sending the defending CABA champs back to the Mexican League Championship Series. The MLCS was a seven game classic with Juarez dethroning the Hyenas for their fourth league title in eight years. The Jesters took game seven 7-6 on a dramatic walk off RBI double by SS Jesus Pineda. Juarez now has six Mexican League titles (1912, 62, 74, 77, 78, 81).

The top record in all of CABA was Guatemala’s 106-56 atop the Caribbean League’s Continental Division. For the Ghosts, it is their 12^th playoff berth in the last 17 seasons. Honduras (90-72) and Nicaragua (89-73), were both in the wild card race, but ultimately came up short. Santo Domingo won the Island Division at 97-65, ending a four-year playoff drought for the Dolphins. Defending CABA champ Jamaica finished 92-70 to pick up the wild card and a third playoff berth in four seasons.

Santo Domingo RF Lobo Villanueva won his third consecutive Caribbean League MVP. The 28-year old Nicaraguan lefty led in home runs (50), RBI (129), total bases (391), slugging (.670), OPS (1.045), wRC+ (182), and WAR (7.3). His .339 batting average left him just four points shy of a Triple Crown. Guatemala’s Simon Pech came out of nowhere to win Pitcher of the Year. He had seen seven starts in 1978 at age 22, but didn’t pitch in 1979 or 1980. In 1981, he led the league with a 2.32 ERA over 209.2 innings with 6.1 WAR, 231 strikeouts, and a 17-7 record.

Santo Domingo survived in the wild card round 3-2 over division foe Jamaica. Guatemala would be a heavy favorite in the Caribbean League Championship Series, but the Dolphins downed them 4-2. The Dominican capital now has nine Caribbean League titles (1917, 18, 27, 57, 60, 61, 62, 76, 81). The Ghosts are the runner-up for the third time in four seasons.

In the 71th Central American Baseball Association Championship, Juarez defeated Santo Domingo in six games. American LF Rex Perkins was an unexpected playoff hero, having only started 41 games in the regular season. The Kansas grad never made it to the MLB, but was in his third season with the Jesters. In 10 playoff games, he had 14 hits, 8 runs, 3 doubles, and 2 triples. For his efforts, Perkins was traded to Salvador in December. It is the third title for Juarez, who also won in 1977 and 1978. The Jesters are the third team in CABA history to win three rings in a five-year stretch, joining Mexico City’s 1969-73 five-peat and Ecatepec’s three titles from 1929-32.

Other notes: In his final season, Wesley Dubar scored his 2000^th run. He’d retire the CABA leader all-time with 2028 and would remain the leader until passed by Matias Esquilin in the 2020s. Solomon Aragon joined Dubar and six others as a member of the 600 home run club. Hermosillo’s Mesquito Delion had a 32-game hitting streak, the fourth longest streak in CABA history to date. The record is Ivan Iniguez’s 38 in 1911. 1B Rafioby Barajas won his 12^th Gold Glove.

FuzzyRussianHat · 11-07-2023, 12:50 PM

Prior to the 1981 season, Major League Baseball increased the minimum service time required for free agency from seven years to eight years. This put them in line with Beisbol Sudamerica, Eurasian Professional Baseball, Austronesia Professional Baseball, and Chinese League Baseball as the most restrictive. Many players were upset with the development, but were willing to budge in negotiations due to the upcoming MLB expansion. With eight new teams eventually added for the 1982 season, players were willing to accept the change for the additional MLB jobs and the extra money overall that would be brought in by the expanded markets. 1981 would also be the final season of the original four league setup of MLB, as the expansion would change each association from two leagues of 12 teams each into four divisions with seven apiece.

Although the new division titles would be valuable, each team wanted to be the final league champion. Hartford was the final Eastern League leader and had the National Association’s top record at 100-62. This snapped a 14-year playoff drought for the traditionally solid Huskies, who finished first 12 times in the EL’s 81 years. In a tight Midwest League, Minneapolis finished first at 93-69, beating Kansas City by one game and Louisville by two. Although the Moose had had wild cards and even a World Series berth more recently, it was their first ML title since 1945.

Toronto was second in the EL at 94-68 and got the first wild card. Montreal and Kansas City both at 92-70 got the next spots. The Timberwolves snapped an eight year playoff drought, while the Maples got their third straight berth and the Cougars their seventh in nine years. For the final wild card spot, Louisville and Washington tied at 91-71, while New York was one back at 90-72 with Boston and Brooklyn 89-73 and Detroit 87-75. The Admirals beat the Lynx in the one-game playoff, snapping a 13-year playoff drought in DC. Last year’s National Association champ Chicago completely imploded with the second worst record in the NA at 61-101.

National Association MVP went to Toronto LF Nelvin Oyola. A third-year graduate of Purdue, the Morelia, Mexico native was the leader in home runs (46), OBP (.413), slugging (.671), OPS (1.084), wRC+ (216), and WAR (9.6). Hartford’s Dorian Ferrer was the Pitcher of the Year. The 26-year old righty nicknamed “Clapper” was the ERA leader at 2.24 and had the most quality starts (29) and complete games (17) in the NA. Ferrer had an 18-10 record over 272.2 innings with 246 strikeouts and 6.2 WAR.

In the first round, Montreal bested Kansas City 2-0 and Washington outlasted Toronto 2-1. Both wild cards would upset the league champs in round two with the Admirals edging Hartford in five games and the Maples downing Minneapolis 3-1. This sent Montreal to the National Association Championship Series for the second time in three years, while it was Washington’s first appearance since 1966. The Maples would roll the Admirals 4-1, giving Montreal its fourth NA title in ten years. It was the ninth pennant for the Maples, tying them with Philadelphia for the most.

Las Vegas was not happy with missing the playoffs in 1980 after winning three American Association titles in the prior four years. The Vipers bounced back with an impressive 110-52 record, the best in MLB, to be the final Western League champion. Both Atlanta and defending World Series champion Dallas wanted the Southern League crown with the Aces edging the Dalmatians. At 103-59, Atlanta got their first SL since 1969 and second playoff berth in four years. Dallas was no slouch at 101-61, giving them their sixth playoff berth in seven seasons as the first wild card.

Phoenix was second in the WL at 97-65, getting the second wild card and ending a three-year playoff drought. Behind them were both Los Angeles and Oakland at 94-68 to take the remaining two spots. The next closest contender was defending AACS runner-up Houston at 89-73, plus both San Francisco and Tampa at 88-74. The Angels earned a third straight playoff berth and the Owls ended a three-year skid.

San Francisco designated hitter Joziah Perry won his third American Association MVP in four seasons. The 27-year old slugger was the leader in hits (213), home runs (55), RBI (141), total bases (421), slugging (.661), OPS (1.072), wRC+ (184), and WAR (8.6). Las Vegas’ Jonah Mors was Pitcher of the Year, also winning his third in four years. “Toro” was the leader in wins (22-6), ERA (2.36), innings (286.1), WHIP (1.02), quality starts (27), FIP- (73), and WAR (8.1). He was 17 strikeouts short of a Triple Crown season.

Phoenix swept Oakland and Los Angeles upset Dallas 2-0 in the first round. Both league champs would prevail in round two with Las Vegas sweeping the Angels and Atlanta downing the Firebirds 3-1. For the Aces, it was their first American Association Championship Series since winning in 1969, while the Vipers were hoping for their fourth title in six years. Atlanta would deny the continuation of the Vegas dynasty, taking the series 4-2. It is the third AA pennant for the Aces, joining 1969 and 1927.

In the 81^st World Series, Montreal was trying to get over the hump, having been the runner-up thrice in the last decade. Meanwhile, Atlanta was trying for only its second-ever MLB ring. The Maples took the series 4-2, giving Montreal its third MLB title (1949, 1951). In his 10^th season on the team, 1B Kymani Massey won World Series MVP. The 33-year old Curacaoan had 21 hits, 11 runs, 3 doubles, 4 home runs, and 11 RBI in 17 playoff starts. The Maples are the first Canadian World Series champ since Ottawa in 1965.

Other notes: Oklahoma City’s Zane Yarbrough threw MLB’s 14^th Perfect Game on June 26, striking out five against Las Vegas. It had been since 1971 that MLB had a perfect game, the second longest gap in MLB history. Tampa’s Declan Belazquez had a 34-game hit streak. 3B Christopher Sollinger won his eight Gold Glove. Two-way player Khalid Scott won his eighth Sliver Slugger as a pitcher.

Although MLB had gone through changes in its 81 year history, 1981 would mark the end of the original league structure with the 1982 expansion. In the Eastern League, Ottawa, Philadelphia, and Hartford each had the most first place finishes with 12 apiece. The only Midwest League team to crack double-digits was St. Louis with 11. Houston was the most dominant team with 22 Southern League titles to their name. In the Western League, San Francisco had the most with 12, followed by Los Angeles with 10.

progen · 11-07-2023, 05:39 PM

Good read and nice detail. Fun to follow along.

FuzzyRussianHat · 11-08-2023, 06:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by progen

Good read and nice detail. Fun to follow along.

Thanks for the kind words!

The 1982 Major League Baseball Hall of Fame class was a big one with four players earning induction. Leading the way were first ballot selections in SP Jerry Addison at 98.9% and 3B Victor Pettit at 93.8%. C Galt Datsko also earned the first ballot nod, albeit at a lower mark of 71.2%; still enough to cross the 66% threshold. The fourth member barely crossed the line with reliever Kelly Hughes at 66.1% on his second attempt. 3B Benton Gibney almost made it a five man class, as he got 64.6% for his third attempt. Four other players were above 50%.

One of those was LF C.J. West, who fell off the ballot after ten attempts. West ended at 51.8% and was as high as 62.4% on his fifth attempt, usually hovering in the 50% range. In 18 years between Portland, Louisville, and Toronto, West had 2994 hits, 1482 runs, 472 doubles, 411 home runs, 1512 RBI, a .300/.367/.478 slash and 75.5 WAR. Nice totals, but he had only two Silver Sluggers, no MVPs, and no notable playoff runs, ultimately banishing him to the Hall of Very Good.

Jerry “Badger” Addison – Starting Pitcher – St. Louis Cardinals – 98.9% First Ballot

Jerry Addison was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed starting pitcher from Muscatine, Iowa; a town of around 20,000 people located on the Mississippi River. Nicknamed “Badger,” Addison had electric stuff mixed with very solid movement and control. His velocity peaked in the 98-100 mph range with four pitches; fastball, slider, curveball, and changeup. His fastball and slider especially were considered world class, making Addison incredibly dominant in his prime. He liked to go deep into games and stayed effective late in games, but this contributed to some injury issues in his career. Addison was also a known prankster, which made him a popular player.

Addison attended the University of Miami and saw his first issue with injuries when he missed his sophomore season to a torn labrum. He bounced back with a solid junior season and many scouts were enamored with his potential. St. Louis was one spot fond of Addison’s upside and they picked up second overall in the 1962 Major League Baseball Draft.

Addison’s rookie season was exceptional, leading the National Association in ERA, WHIP, and WAR. He made history as the first player in MLB history to win Pitcher of the Year and Rookie of the Year in the same season. Addison played a huge role in a remarkable turnaround for the Cardinals, who were a putrid 54-108 in 1962. In 1963, they finished 101-61 to win the Midwest League title. Addison had a 1.72 ERA in 31.1 innings in four starts, helping St. Louis to their second ever World Series title, defeating Oklahoma City for the ring.

Addison continued to excel, leading in ERA and wins the next two seasons. He won Pitcher of the Year in 1964 and 1965, as well as the 1964 National Association MVP (with a second place MVP finish in 1965). His 1.56 ERA in 1964 was a MLB single-season record that would hold until 2018 and as of 2037, is still the third best all-time. St. Louis would become a regular playoff team for the rest of his tenure, making the postseason nine times over 11 years. However, apart from the 1963 title, the Cardinals wouldn’t get out of the second round. Despite his success and the 1963 run, Addison’s playoff career stats would be weak with a 4.14 ERA over 87 innings, 1-9 record, and ERA+ of 87. Many St. Louis fans would love him for turning them into a winner, but more jaded fans would resent him for their many early playoff exits.

He’d continue to excel in the regular season, leading in ERA and WHIP both five teams each. He’d have nine seasons with a sub-three ERA and would finish second in Pitcher of the Year in 1966, 1967, and 1969; and third in 1968. Addison also pitched from 1964-75 for the United States in the World Baseball Championship, posting strong numbers with a 2.69 ERA over 106.2 innings, 13-4 record, 231 strikeouts, and 4.8 WAR. He won eight World Championships with the American team.

In 1974, Addison’s production fell off a bit and some of the nagging injuries were piling up for the 32-year old ace. The Cardinals decided at the deadline to trade Addison, getting five prospects in a deal with Denver. His final stats with St. Louis would be a 200-104 record, 2.48 ERA, 2845.2 innings, 2700 strikeouts, and 85.0 WAR. Addison would eventually see his #24 uniform retired by the Cardinals and he’d be a very popular figure and ambassador for the team after his playing career.

Addison’s second half with the Dragons was uninspiring, but he started 1975 strong and Denver hoped they could get some of that old production. However, in June Addison suffered a torn rotator cuff to end his season. This injury was devastating and in his 1976 comeback attempt, he was subpar. Addison would opt to retire after the season at only age 35. His Denver run had a 23-21 record, 4.06 ERA, and 7.5 WAR.

Addison’s final stats: 223-125 record, 2.68 ERA, 3265 innings, 3053 strikeouts to 692 walks, 305/424 quality starts, 156 complete games, 72 FIP-, and 92.5 WAR. His first few seasons were legendary with one of the best starts to a career ever, although the later injuries and decline kept him from being at the top of leaderboards. Still, at retirement he had the third best ERA of any Hall of Fame starting pitcher and as of 2037, has the lowest ERA of any MLB pitcher with 200+ career wins. Addison was an easy choice for the voters, getting the first ballot nod at 98.9%.

Victor Pettit – Third Base – Pittsburgh Pirates – 93.8% First Ballot

Victor Pettit was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed third baseman from Wesleyville, Pennsylvania; a borough of 3,000 people near Lake Erie. Pettit was a very good contact hitter who also reliably got you around 30 home runs and 25 doubles per season. His eye and ability to avoid strikeouts were both fairly average and his baserunning was poor. However, Pettit was a reliably solid defender at third base, where he started the vast majority of his career. He was incredibly durable at a physically demanding position, making 135+ starts in 15 different seasons. Pettit was a hard working sparkplug type, endearing him to the fans and clubhouses at each stop.

Like his Hall of Fame classmate Jerry Addison, Pettit was a Miami Hurricane, although he was there a few years earlier. Pettit won a college Silver Slugger as a freshman, ultimately putting up 164 hits, 91 runs, 42 home runs, 110 RBI, and 6.9 WAR over 143 college games. In the 1956 Major League Baseball Draft, Pittsburgh picked Pettit third overall. He spent most of 1957 in the minors with a few appearances, then would be a full-time starter from 1958 onward.

Pettit’s first full season saw 8.0 WAR and career bests in runs (106), hits (211), and batting average (.339). At age 22, this earned him the National Association MVP and his first Silver Slugger. The Pirates got to the NACS, but fell to Brooklyn. They’d make the playoffs again in 1961, 62, and 63 and earn an appearance in the 1963 NACS, but Pittsburgh never got over the hump in Pettit’s tenure. Still, he exceled, leading the NA in WAR with 10.1 in 1961. This earned Pettit his second MVP and Silver Slugger. He’d win the SS twice more in 1962 and 1963 for Pittsburgh.

Ultimately, his tenure with his original team only lasted seven seasons. Pettit’s final Pirate stats saw 1197 hits, 585 runs, 192 home runs, 640 RBI, a .315/.356/.529 slash and 45.1 WAR. At age 28, Pettit entered free agency and for the 1964 season, signed a massive eight year, $1,676,000 deal with Louisville. The Lynx had been a struggling team and they hoped Pettit could help turn it around for them. Although he performed, Louisville didn’t make the playoffs once in what was a seven-year run for Pettit.

1968 was his signature season with the Lynx with his second 10+ WAR season, as well as NA bests and career bests in slugging (.644), OPS (1.031), and wRC+ (213). Pettit also smacked a career-best 42 home runs and won his third MVP. He won Silver Sluggers in 1965, 66, and 68; giving him seven for his career. In total with Louisville, Pettit had 1147 hits, 562 runs, 209 home runs, 602 RBI, a .299/.344/.524 slash and 46.4 WAR.

Some minor injuries cost Pettit time in his final two seasons with Louisville. With one year left on his deal, the Lynx traded him before the 1971 season to Columbus for three prospects and a draft pick. He had a respectable year with the Chargers, then signed at age 36 to a three year deal with Denver. Pettit’s contact skills dropped noticeably with a .232 average with the Dragons and his last year there was plagued by injuries. He’d find a home with Seattle for his last two years, but was terrible in his last season with the Grizzlies. Still, Pettit picked up his 500^th career home run and 3000^th hit in Seattle. He’d retire after the 1976 season at age 41.

Pettit’s final stats: 3060 hits, 1494 runs, 450 doubles, 514 home runs, 1624 RBI, a .287/.330/.490 slash, 141 wRC+, and 97.0 WAR. At retirement, he had the fifth most WAR of any MLB player at third base and still sits in the top ten as of 2037. For a good decade plus, Pettit had a strong case as the best in the business at the hot corner, which earned him a first ballot Hall of Fame selection at 93.8%.

FuzzyRussianHat · 11-08-2023, 05:53 PM

Galt Datsko – Catcher – Jacksonville Gators – 71.2% First Ballot

Galt Datsko was a 5’10’’, 180 pound left-handed hitting catcher from Fort Myers, Florida. Datsko was an impressive contact hitter at any position, but his bat really stood out compared to most other catchers. He also had a solid pop in his bat, averaging around 30-35 doubles and 20-30 home runs per year. Datsko was terrific at avoiding strikeouts, but only okay at drawing walks, and his baserunning speed was subpar. He was a career catcher and was average at best defensively. Datsko was sometimes considered lazy, but he was still a popular player as a catcher that could hit effectively and reliably.

Datsko played college baseball at Baylor and won two collegiate Silver Sluggers; one as a designated hitter and one at catcher. He was a rare catching prospect with an impressive bat and Jacksonville was enamored, picking him first overall in the 1961 MLB Draft. Datsko was a part-timer in his rookie season, but would become the full-time starter after that for the next 12 years with the Gators. He’d post eight seasons worth 5+ WAR and win nine Silver Sluggers (1963-68, 70-72).

Datsko was even an MVP finalist, although he never won the top award. He took third in 1965 voting, second in 1966, and second in 1967. In 1966, Datsko won a batting title at .375 and led the American Association in WAR with 8.7. He didn’t lead the AA in other seasons, but he was partially hurt by the demands of the catcher position. Datsko also played from 1964-72 for the United States in the World Baseball Championship with 90 hits, 53 runs, 22 home runs, and 55 RBI in 85 games. He was a six-time World Champion with the American team and was 1964 tournament MVP, posting 35 hits, 22 runs, 7 home runs, and 16 RBI in 22 starts.

When he was drafted, Jacksonville had been coming off nine straight losing seasons, bottoming out at 49-113. The Gators were more competitive in his run, although they’d make the playoffs only thrice. The deepest run was an AACS berth in 1967 and Southern League title. Jacksonville had fallen back a bit by 1975 and decided to trade Datsko before the season to Pittsburgh for two prospects. He’d remain popular with many Gators fans and would see his #36 uniform retired.

Now 33-years old, Datsko had seen his productivity drop in his prior two years with Jacksonville, although he had still been starter quality. He didn’t get a chance to do much with the Pirates, as a severely strained hip muscle cost him the second half of the season. Pittsburgh didn’t re-sign him and Datsko landed with San Francisco for 1976. He struggled though and ended up in a bench role. Datsko would retire after the season at age 35.

His final stats: 2134 hits, 988 runs, 389 doubles, 294 home runs, 1067 RBI, .320/.367/.521 slash, 137 wRC+, and 71.0 WAR. As of 2037, he’s the all-time leader in average and OPS among MLB catchers and at retirement, he was second in WAR only behind Gary Nodine. However, Datsko’s overall numbers were lower than most Hall of Fame hitters, in part hurt by being a catcher but also his relatively shorter career. Catchers have often had an uphill battle in getting the look they deserve, but enough Hall of Fame voters in 1982 appreciated Datsko to give him a first ballot honor at 71.2%.

Kelly “Ghost Runner” Hughes – Closer – Seattle Grizzlies – 66.1% Second Ballot

Kelly Hughes was a 6’4’’, 190 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Darlington, an industrial town of around 90,000 in England’s County Durham. Hughes had mixed English and Irish heritage, although he’d make his baseball name in the United States. Hughes had outstanding stuff with a 98-100 mph terrific fastball mixed with a strong curveball. He had very good movement and solid control to go along with it. Hughes was a durable pitcher which led to his longevity, although he was viewed as a mercenary type and didn’t typically stay in one place too long.

Hughes left England as a teenager and his strong arm earned him a college spot for Toledo. While there, he also began pitching in the World Baseball Championship, where he made 55 appearances from 1958-77. With his dual nationality, Hughes bounced between playing for England and playing for Ireland. Although a reliever as a pro, he made many starts in the WBC, posting a total 3.06 ERA over 311.1 innings with 495 strikeouts and 9.8 WAR. His early debut on the world stage and success with the Rockets got him some draft attention, although he would ultimately be a fourth round pick. Seattle selected Hughes 161^st overall in 1958’s MLB Draft.

His first run with the Grizzlies only lasted three seasons, although he took over the closer role in the second and third seasons. Hughes would be traded straight up before the 1962 season to Oklahoma City for starting pitcher Bruce Hwang. He’d take second in 1962 Reliever of the Year voting, then win the award for the first time in 1964. OKC made it to the 1963 World Series and Hughes picked up five saves in the postseason run over 15.2 innings. In total in four seasons with Oklahoma City, Hughes had a 1.89 ERA, 101 saves, 257.2 innings 320 strikeouts, and 13.7 WAR.

Hughes entered free agency after the 1965 season and at age 28, signed with Washington. He’d be a Reliever of the Year finalist in both of his seasons with the Admirals, taking third in 1966 and second in 1967. 1967 saw a career-best 39 saves, the only team he led in saves. Hughes had another five postseason saves as Washington got to the 1966 World Series He had 73 saves, a 1.62 ERA, 190 strikeouts, 7.3 WAR, and 149.2 innings with the Admirals.

Hughes signed for 1968 with Oakland, but was barely used despite being healthy. He left for Charlotte in 1969, but was again barely used and eventually was traded to Atlanta in the summer. Hughes hardly saw the field with the Aces, but did earn a World Series ring with them for being rostered. He went back to Charlotte in 1970 and got a bit more use, but he would ultimately toss only 63 innings over the three year stretch.

Charlotte traded Hughes to Seattle for prospects before the 1971 season and in his return to the Puget Sound, he emerged as a closer again. He’d spent five seasons back in a prominent role and win his second Reliever of the Year award in 1971. The Grizzlies even made two AACS appearances during his return, which endeared himself enough to earn his #22 uniform’s eventual retirement. Between the two Seattle runs, Hughes had a 2.44 ERA, 179 saves, 490.2 innings, 561 strikeouts, and 23.3 WAR. He also finished with 15 career postseason saves between his various stops with a 2.56 ERA over 63.1 innings and 2.2 WAR.

Hughes’ production dropped to below average in his final season with Seattle and he was released at age 38. His MLB career was done, but he’d find work for part of the season in 1976 as the closer for New Caledonia of the Oceania Baseball Association. Hughes went back to the Western Hemisphere and signed with CABA’s Hermosillo, but he’d only pitch 7.1 innings with the Hyenas. He’d opt to retire after the 1977 campaign at age 40.

Hughes final MLB stats: 2.20 ERA, 359 saves, 961 innings, 1136 strikeouts to 273 walks, 411 shutdowns, FIP- of 50, and 45.9 WAR. He was eighth in saves at retirement and sixth among relievers in career WAR. Hughes wasn’t as dominant or as flashy as some others, but his stats were comparable to other inductees out of the bullpen. Hughes missed induction by the slimmest margin in his first ballot at 65.9%. On try #2, he was only 0.2% better, but that was enough to get him across the line and into the Hall of Fame.

FuzzyRussianHat · 11-09-2023, 03:54 AM

Pitcher Elvys Melo was the lone inductee for the Central American Baseball Association’s Hall of Fame from the 1982 voting. Four others were above 50%, led by RF Juan Jose at 60.5% on his eighth attempt, his highest effort so far. CF Santiago Perez got 55.7% on his fifth attempt, C Sebastian Gonzalez was at 53.4% for his fourth and LF Michael Parrish received 51.0% on his ninth.

Dropped after ten ballots was catcher Hector Santana, who had an 18 year career with Tijuana as his primary team. He peaked at 51.5% on his debut ballot and typically hovered in the 40% range, finishing at 43.9%. Santana had 1998 hits, 871 runs, 228 home runs, 910 RBI, .257/.295/.407 slash and 61.3 WAR. He twice won the Gold Glove, but never won any hitting awards and had the low totals that come with the position. A lack of postseason accolades hurt him too, banishing Santana to the Hall of Very Good.

Elvys Melo – Starting Pitcher – Jamaica Jazz – 95.3% First Ballot

Elvys Melo was a 6’0’’, 185 pound right-handed pitcher from the capital of Puerto Rico, San Juan. Melo was known for having excellent stuff with solid movement and an extreme groundball tendency. He had peak 97-99 mph velocity with an excellent sinker, mixed with a terrific curveball, great knuckle curve, and okay changeup. Melo’s main drawback was having often subpar control, but his stuff was stellar enough to bail him out of trouble. He was a very durable pitcher who rarely missed starts, although he didn’t go as deep into games as many of his contemporaries.

Melo was picked 16^th overall in the 1963 CABA Draft by Jamaica and became a full-time starter immediately, taking third in Rookie of the Year voting. He spent nine seasons with the Jazz with 225+ innings each year with 4+ WAR in each season. Melo was rarely dominant or a league leader, but he did top the Caribbean League in ERA in 1969 and strikeouts in 1971 with the Jazz. He also pitched in the World Baseball Championship for Puerto Rico in seven different editions of the event, posting a 3.00 ERA over 105 innings with 133 strikeouts.

Melo was never a Pitcher of the Year finalist with Jamaica, but he played a notable role as the Jazz had a near dynasty run from 1966-68. They won the Island Division each year and took the CABA Championship in 1966 and 1968. In the playoffs, Melo had a 2.97 ERA over 57.2 innings with a 5-2 record and 62 strikeouts. In total with Jamaica, he had a 137-98 record, 2.87 ERA, 2142 innings, 2432 strikeouts, and 48.7 WAR. The Jazz would also retire his #38 uniform at the end of his career.

At age 32, Melo became a free agent for the first time and would sign a five-year, $1,200,000 deal with Leon. He ultimately pitched four seasons with the Lions and was third in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1974 and 1975. Melo had a Mexican League and career-best 2.00 ERA in 1974 and 312 strikeouts in 1976. Leon made the playoffs three times in his tenure, although he missed the 1974 postseason to injury. His final start was a postseason defeat to Torreon where he allowed six runs (five earned) in 7.2 innings. Leon voided the last year of his contract and to the surprise of many, Melo decided to retire at age 36. With Leon, he had a 64-34 record, 2.63 ERA, 1117 strikeouts, and 20.2 WAR.

Melo’s final stats: 201-132 record, 2.79 ERA, 3096.1 innings, 3549 strikeouts, 948 walks, 298/408 quality starts, FIP- of 81 and 68.9 WAR. He was almost quietly good, as he wasn’t typically viewed as a top five pitcher in CABA during his run. His resume though certainly matched up well with many other Hall of Famers and he was still good in his last season, leading some to speculate what his accumulations might have been with a few more years. This was all enough to make Melo the lone member of the 1982 CABA Hall of Fame class, a firm addition at 95.3% on the first ballot.

FuzzyRussianHat · 11-10-2023, 03:56 AM

Two players picked up first ballot inductions for East Asia Baseball’s 1982 Hall of Fame class. Pitcher Sang-Hun Joon and two-way player Totaro Uchiyama both were voted in easily with Joon at 98.9% and Uchiyama at 92.9%. Another SP, Tokutomi Ohashi, only narrowly missed the 66% cut with 64.6% on his second ballot. 1B Min-Su Namkoong also came close with 62.5% for his debut. There were no players dropped after ten ballots in the 1982 voting.

Sang-Hun Joon – Starting Pitcher - Pyongyang Pythons – 98.9% First Ballot

Sang-Hun Joon was a 6’5’’, 205 pound right-handed pitcher from Pyoktong, a county of around 35,000 in northwestern North Korea. Joon would become best known for his ironman durability and stamina, posting 250+ innings in 17 different seasons and leading the Korea League five times in both innings and complete games. Especially later in his career, Joon had excellent control as well. His stuff was solid with 96-98 mph peak velocity, although his movement was subpar. Joon’s resume was fastball, curveball, forkball, splitter, and circle change. Despite his longevity, he was criticized by some for a lack of work ethic and intelligence.

Joon was noticed coming out of high school in North Korea and was picked 17^th overall by Pyongyang in the 1954 East Asia Baseball Draft. He’d make his debut with four starts in 1956, then become a full member of the rotation midway through 1957. Joon would make 30+ appearances in every season for the next two decades, all with the Pythons. His production was spotty in his earliest years, as his lack of movement made him prone to allow home runs. Joon would lead in homers allowed in eight different seasons. However, he’d hone his control and improve his strikeout game, ultimately posting the Korea League’s best K/BB in seven different seasons.

Joon led in wins three times and strikeouts five times. He never was the WARlord and consistently posted around 4-5 per season, twice tossing 7+. Joon had nine straight seasons with 300+ Ks, peaking with 353 in 1965. Despite his longevity, Joon never won Pitcher of the Year. He was a finalist three times, taking third in 1961 and 1965, as well as second in 1967. Joon would give you remarkably reliable numbers and innings though, playing a notable role in what would become a dynasty run for Pyongyang.

The Pythons in the 1960s had nine straight postseason appearances. They’d win the Korea League title seven times and six times win the East Asian Championship, taking it all in 1961, 62, 65, 66, 67, and 68. Joon remained steady with his postseason stats looking similar to his regular season ones. He’d post a 3.46 ERA over 200.1 playoff innings with 221 strikeouts and 3.2 WAR. Nothing dominant, but steady. Joon also pitched for North Korea’s national team from 1958-76 in the World Baseball Championship. He was less successful in the WBC with a 4.63 ERA over 177 innings, 197 strikeouts, and 0.7 WAR.

Joon continued his reliable production through his 30s, only finally slowing down with a weak 1976 at age 40, his final season. With his longevity, he climbed up many of the all-time leaderboards. In 1973, he became the first EAB pitcher to 300 career wins and the first to 5000 strikeouts. He also became the second to 5000 innings and the second to 300 complete games.

Joon’s final stats saw a 346-222 record, 3.51 ERA, 5346.2 innings, 5694 strikeouts to 627 walks, 9.1 K/BB, 364/636 quality starts, 302 complete games, FIP- of 94, and 85.7 WAR. As of 2037, he’s EAB’s all-time leader in wins, innings, strikeouts, and home runs allowed (761). At induction, he had the fifth most wins of any professional pitcher and the fourth most strikeouts. However, as of 2037, he’s the only pitcher in baseball history to have allowed 700+ home runs in a career. Mainly from that, his advanced stats are unremarkable with an ERA+ of 106 and FIP- of 94, more suggestive of merely being above average. His 3.51 ERA is also the worst among EAB Hall of Famers at induction and as a result, Joon’s name isn’t brought up in the all-time conversations with the other guys with similar big totals. He’s a hard one to rank, but his totals and role in the Pyongyang dynasty still make Joon an obvious first ballot pick at 98.9%.

Totaro Uchiyama – Starting Pitcher/Third Base – Hiroshima Hammerheads – 92.9% First Ballot

Totaro Uchiyama was a 5’11’’, 205 pound right-handed pitcher and third baseman from Sakai, an important seaport of more than 800,000 people in Japan’s Osaka prefecture. Uchiyama was a two-way player who at his best could be fairly considered both a top five level pitcher and top five batter. On the mound, he wasn’t amazing at anything, but firmly solid across the board. He had 95-97 mph peak velocity and three great pitchers; a fastball, slider, and changeup.

At the plate, he was similarly viewed as not outstanding at any one thing, but generally average to above average at most facets of hitting. He had a nice pop in his bat with six 20+ home run seasons despite fewer at bats than the typical full-time position player. Uchiyama was also a very quick and savvy baserunner who typically played in the field at third base, although he sometimes was in the outfielder. He was an above average defender at third, but considered excellent defending the mound. Uchiyama won seven Gold Gloves in his career, all for his pitching defense. On top of that, he was a team captain, great leader, and hard worker, making him one of the most endearing players of the era.

Uchiyama attended Josai International University in Togane and was only a pitcher in his one college season. It was enough to earn the fourth overall pick by Hiroshima in the 1962 East Asia Baseball Draft. He’d spend his entire career with the Hammerheads and debuted in 1963, although he was terrible on the mound as a rookie and below average at the plate. The investment paid off in year two at the plate, as he had 8.1 WAR with 37 home runs in 131 games. Uchiyama was merely average on the mound this season, but it got the attention of the Japanese baseball world.

Uchiyama began to find his rhythm on the mound more in later years. He had six seasons worth 5+ pitching WAR and three worth 5+ at the plate. He never hit enough for any batting leaderboard appearances and rarely was on the pitching ones either. He’d win Gold Glove seven times as a pitcher (65-69, 72, 74) and Silver Slugger 11 times (64-72, 73, 75).

Uchiyama did lead Japan in ERA in 1966 while also leading in innings pitched twice. The 2.23 ERA and 7.0 WAR in 1966 earned him Pitcher of the Year and a second place in MVP voting. In 1968, Uchiyama won both PotY and MVP in an all-time great season. On the mound, he posted 6.4 WAR with 26 quality starts and a 2.23 ERA. At the plate, he had 7.0 WAR, a .302 average, and 30 home runs. This season was also notable as it was Hiroshima’s third Japan League title and the start of a dynasty.

The Hammerheads would take the Japan League title in 68, 69, 70, and 71. In the latter three seasons, they won the East Asian Championship as well. As a pitcher Uchiyama had a 2.91 ERA and 8-6 over 123.2 playoff innings with 96 strikeouts and 1.8 WAR. As a hitter, he had 48 games with 42 hits, 32 runs, 6 home runs, 12 RBI, 10 stolen bases, and 1.6 WAR.

Hiroshima would have to rebuild after their 1972 title, in part because Uchiyama had age catch up to him. The 32-year old saw his 1973 derailed early by a torn labrum, which he was never quite the same from. He did bounce back with a good pitching season in 1974, but his batting numbers were subpar that year. Uchiyama wasn’t used as much as a hitter in his final two seasons and more arm troubles limited his pitching success. In July 1976, he underwent radial nerve decompression surgery in his pitching elbow, effectively ending his career at age 36.

As a pitcher, Uchiyama’s final stats saw a 181-147 record, 3.18 ERA, 3034 innings, 2740 strikeouts to 637 walks, 231/407 quality starts, 102 complete games, a FIP- of 88, and 56.7 WAR. At the plate, he had 1333 hits, 770 runs, 189 doubles, 229 home runs, 609 RBI, 474 stolen bases, a .265/.321/.465 slash, wRC+ of 129, and 50.0 WAR. As just a pitcher, he’d probably be a borderline case and he wouldn’t have the tallies as a hitter. But Uchiyama put up 100+ WAR between the roles with a lot of accolades and a critical role in a dynasty run for Hiroshima. The Hammerheads retired his #20 uniform and the Hall of Fame voters put him in at 92.9% on the first ballot.

FuzzyRussianHat · 11-10-2023, 05:54 PM

Two-way player Lewis Miranda was the only player elected as part of the 1982 Beisbol Sudamerica Hall of Fame class. Miranda only barely got in with 67.9% on his second ballot. Five others were above 50% with SP Franklin Flor at 62.6% on his fifth try, SP Raimundo Rodriquez at 62.0% on his tenth and final attempt, 1B Ryan Azambuja at 58.6% for his seventh ballot, closer Jaguare Maia at 53.9% in his eighth ballot, and SP Manuel Gonzalez at 51.4 for try #2.

For Rodriquez, 62.0% was tantalizingly close, but just short. He had been at 39.6% the prior year and typically was in the 40% range. In 16 years primarily with Guayaquil, Rodriquez had two Gold Gloves along with a 214-182 record, 3.03 ERA, 3695 strikeouts in 3552 innings, and 81.1 WAR. He also won a title with the Golds in 1955, but without big playoff numbers or major accolades, Rodriquez never got over the hump despite good totals.

Lewis Miranda – Pitcher/First Baseman – Buenos Aires Atlantics – 67.9% Second Ballot

Lewis Miranda was a 6’1’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher and first baseman from Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was a two-way player who as a pitcher was known for excellent control, good movement, and above average stuff. His velocity peaked in the 94-96 mph range with a mix of slider, curveball, changeup, and cutter. At the plate, Miranda had an excellent eye for drawing walks, although his strikeout rate was still weaker than you’d expect. He was a solid contact hitter with good home run power, averaging around 20-25 home run runs per year when healthy. Miranda was a very slow baserunner and made basically all of his non-pitching starts at first base. Defensively, he was delightfully average. Most thought Miranda was a better pitcher than hitter, although his hitting career would last longer thanks to later injuries.

Miranda’s two-way efforts got attention and his hometown team Buenos Aires in particular took notice. The Atlantics picked Miranda 26^th overall in the 1960 Beisbol Sudamerica Draft. He saw limited action in his first season, then was a part-time starter in year two. By 1963, Miranda was a full-time starting pitcher with his offensive use varying a bit. On the mound, Miranda had six seasons worth 5+ WAR with another two added at the plate. He’d win seven Silver Sluggers for easily being the top hitting pitcher in Liga Cono Sur (1964, 65, 66, 68, 69, 70, 71).

In 1963, Buenos Aires won Copa Sudamerica with Miranda making three starts on the mound with a 2.35 ERA over 23 innings. This would be his only playoff experience for his entire career despite his success. The Atlantics would often be just short of winning the South Division and Miranda’s Buenos Aires run ended right before they found sustained success in the later 1970s. He did to play on the world state for Argentina in the World Baseball Championship. He pitched from 1964-72 and hit from 1964-79. On the mound, Miranda had a 2.93 ERA, 7-8 record, 116.2 innings, and 110 strikeouts with 2.6 WAR. At the plate he had 76 games, 63 hits, 41 runs, 25 home runs, 5 RBI, and 3.8 WAR.

Miranda twice won MVP. In 1964, he had 8.3 WAR on the mound with a 2.58 ERA, 20-9 record, and 274 strikeouts, while adding 5.3 WAR, 27 home runs, and a .311 batting average. In 1968, he won it again with a career-best 1.78 ERA and 23-8 record, 284 strikeouts over 272.1 innings, and 8.3 WAR pitching along with 4.8 WAR at the plate. Miranda never won Pitcher of the Year, but did take second in 1968 and saw a no-hitter with 10 strikeouts and one walk against Fortaleza. He also was third in 1969’s MVP voting. When healthy, he was one of the most valuable players in South American baseball.

Unfortunately, injuries took their toll throughout his career. 1967 saw shoulder inflammation to put him out in the second half. In 1970, bone chips in his elbow required surgery. In 1972, it was ulnar nerve entrapment costing him 1972. Miranda missed almost all of 1973 between a torn labrum and shoulder inflammation. The big one came in September 1974 with a torn rotator cuff, which put him out 13 months. This would ultimately mark the end of both his Buenos Aires career and his pitching career. Miranda would remain a popular figure with fans as a hometown hero and would see his #44 uniform retired.

With the rotator cuff tear, Buenos Aries released Miranda and the 36-year old’s baseball career was in serious jeopardy. His arm was wrecked, but Miranda felt he could still hit. In late 1975, MLB’s Nashville signed him, but he never took the field with the Knights. In 1976, Jacksonville would give him a shot. He be a full time starter at first base and was a solid starter, proving he still had value. Miranda signed with Memphis for 1977, then spent 1978-80 with Omaha. He was solid in his first three MLB seasons, although he dropped below league average in 1979 and was a bench piece by the end, retiring with the Hawks after the 1980 season at age 42. For his MLB career, he made 621 starts with 599 hits, 325 runs, 89 home runs, 326 RBI, a .255/.340/.413 slash, and 9.2 WAR.

It was his Buenos Aires run that he was judged on for Beisbol Sudamerica Hall of Fame candidacy. On the mound, he had a 145-108 record, 2.71 ERA, 2380.2 innings, 2221 strikeouts, 217/310 quality starts, an 83 FIP-, and 51.0 WAR. At the plate, he had 1040 hits, 503 runs, 158 doubles, 192 home runs, 525 RBI, a .285/.359/.498 slash, 160 wRC+, and 33.6 WAR. Miranda was a tough case for voters as the injuries kept his accumulations on both sides lower than would normally get the nod. Even the combined 87.6 WAR wasn’t a lock and in his first ballot, he only received 57.9%. With a weaker 1982 class, enough voters gave Miranda the bump to sneak across the line at 67.9% for a second ballot induction.

FuzzyRussianHat · 11-11-2023, 04:45 AM

The 1982 voting for the European Baseball Federation Hall of Fame didn’t have any strong newcomers with the highest first ballot option getting 24.4%. It was almost an empty class, but closer Ringo Barros managed to barely cross the 66% threshold, receiving a fifth ballot induction at 66.3%. RF Paul Schlacher was close on his fifth try, but short at 64.3%. Only one other was above 50% with SP Pedro Varela at 55.3% on his ninth ballot. No one was dropped after ten ballots.

Ringo Barros – Closer – Dublin Dinos – 66.3% Fifth Ballot

Ringo Barros was a 5’11’’, 200 pound right handed closer from the capital of Portugal, Lisbon. He’d be the first Portuguese Hall of Famer, known for having great stuff along with average control and movement. Barros had a 95-97 mph fastball, but he mixed it expertly with a stellar 10/10 curveball. He was a durable and reliable reliever who was also praised for his loyalty. Barros also was considered a pretty good defensive pitcher.

He was spotted as a teenage amateur by a scout from London and signed in 1954 to their academy. Barros spent three years developing with the Monarchs, but he’d never play a game for them. In the summer of 1957, the then 20-year old was traded with another prospect to Dublin for SS Luke Linnane. Barros would go onto play all of his EBF games with the Dinos with an impressive 15 year tenure.

Barros debuted in 1958, but was primarily an unremarkable middle relief type guy for his first five seasons. He actually got more attention initially playing for Portugal in the World Baseball Championship. Barros tossed 141 innings from 1959-76 in the WBC with a 3.38 ERA, 141 innings, 211 strikeouts, and 2.7 WAR. In 1962, he won Best Pitcher award with 11 scoreless innings and 19 strikeouts. 1962 also saw a 1.47 ERA in 43 innings for Dublin and a 1.12 ERA in the postseason, helping the Dinos win the European Championship.

Barros was moved to the closer role in 1963 and would hold that spot in nine of the next ten seasons. He led the Northern Conference in saves with 42 in 1967 and 40 in 1969. In 1970, Barros earned his lone Reliever of the Year with a career high 117 strikeouts in 80.2 innings. He finished second in 1963, third in 1965, second in 1967, and second in 1969. Dublin would make it to the European Championship again in 1967 and 68, winning the title in 1967. For his playoff career, Barros had a 3.78 ERA over 33.1 innings with 49 strikeouts, but a negative -0.3 WAR. Still, his longevity earned him a lot of respect and his #31 uniform would be retired at the end of his career.

Barros struggled in his last year in Dublin with a 4.15 ERA and -1.0 WAR. The Dinos let the 36-year old go, but he’d still find work with middling results. Barros signed with CABA’s Mexicali in 1973 on a two-year deal. The Maroons traded him to Guadalajara for the 1974 season. After that, he spent his final two seasons in Australia with Adelaide. Although he wasn’t used in the final, Barros received a ring as the Aardvarks were 1976 Oceania Champions. He’d retire at age 40 after the 1976 season.

Barros final EBF stats were all with Dublin with 313 saves and 406 shutdowns, 2.52 ERA, 943.2 innings, 1206 strikeouts to 269 walks, a FIP- of 77, and 20.5 WAR. He was the fourth EBF closer to 300 saves, although the advanced stats had him as less dominant than other Hall of Fame relievers around the world. His 20.5 WAR total is the lowest of any EBF Hall of Famer as of 2037, but his tenure with one squad and multiple rings helped his candidacy. Barros saw 38.1%, 34.0%, 50.8%, and 43.2% in his first four ballots, leading most observes to think he’d miss the cut. But with a very weak 1982 field, enough came around on Barros to put him in just narrowly as a fifth ballot Hall of Famer at 66.2%.

FuzzyRussianHat · 11-11-2023, 11:38 AM

There were three first ballot additions in 1982 to the Eurasian Professional Baseball Hall of Fame, each getting in the 80% range. At the top was SP Sebastian Weiss at 87.6%, followed by fellow SP Vladimir Hora at 85.1% and 1B Zina Gigolashvili at 82.6%. SP Eryk Wozniak almost joined them on his fourth ballot, but his 62.4% just missed the 66% cut. Closer Joachim Kohut had 58.7% on his second try and SP Artyom Rudasev received 52.5% for his fourth attempt.

Dropped after ten failed attempts was SP Inal Brezhnev, who had a 15 year career between Minsk and Budapest. He was as high at 60.1% on his second ballot and as low as 15.8% on his ninth, ending in the middle at 32.9%. Brezhnev had a 182-111 record, 2.61 ERA, 2693 strikeouts in 2760.1 innings, and 83.1 WAR. Impressive totals and he won two rings with the Miners, but the lack of major awards ultimately kept him looking from the outside.

Sebastian Weiss – Pitcher – Bratislava Blue Falcons – 87.6% First Ballot

Sebastian Weiss was a 5’8’’, 180 pound right handed pitcher from Waldsassen, a town of around 6,000 people in the southeastern German state Bavaria. Weiss was known for having stellar movement, great control, and respectable stuff. His most deadly pitch was a cut fastball with 98-100 mph peak velocity, mixed with a great changeup and an okay curveball, leading to an extreme groundball tendency. Weiss was viewed as very durable and reliable in the front end of his career.

Weiss was drafted 99^th overall in the first Eurasian Professional Baseball rookie draft in 1955. This was the first pick in the fourth round, belonging to Bratislava. Weiss debuted and split time between the rotation and bullpen as a rookie, struggling with a terrible 5.61 ERA. He’d find his rhythm the next year and be a full time starter for the rest of his time as a Blue Falcon.

Weiss had seven straight seasons with 5+ WAR, although he wasn’t a statistical leader and didn’t get much attention as Bratislava was a bottom tier team. He did have an impressive 1963 that saw a no-hitter on April 7 against Prague, followed by a perfect game on June 24 versus Kazan. Weiss joins a very small group of players in any pro league with multiple no-hitters in a season. His perfecto was the eighth in EPB history. Weiss also pitched for Germany in the World Baseball Championship from 1958-76. Primarily as a reliever, he had a 2.02 ERA over 84.2 innings with 115 strikeouts and 3.1 WAR.

For his Bratislava tenure, Weiss had a 132-118 record, 2.97 ERA, 2199.1 innings, 1988 strikeouts, and 53.8 WAR. As one of the only redeeming things from that era of Blue Falcons baseball, his #41 uniform would later get retired. Still struggling and not expecting to get a long-term deal from Weiss, Bratislava traded him before the 1965 season to Minsk. The Miners had won the European League the prior year and had been a consistent contender since EPB had started.

Weiss’ debut season with Minsk would see career bests in wins (23-5) and ERA (2.12), earning him his lone Pitcher of the Year. He also had a 2.16 ERA over 13 playoff starts in his Miners tenure with 81 strikeouts in 100 innings, helping Minsk to the Soviet Series title in 1966 and 1969. The third no-hitter of his career came on August 10, 1969 against Warsaw. Weiss had a career best 9.1 WAR as well in 1968 at age 34. In total with Minsk, Weiss had a 92-49 record, 2.36 ERA, 1278 innings, 1291 strikeouts, and 39.1 WAR.

After being quite durable for much of his career, Weiss suffered a torn labrum in April 1970, putting him out 10 months. Minsk let him go, but the now 37-year old found a home for 1971 in Yekaterinburg. Weiss made 17 starts, but was used more as a reliever with iffy results. He’d be a reliever for the rest of his career with limited action and success. Minsk re-signed him for 1972, followed by Asgabat for 1973-74. Weiss tore his UCL in May 1974, but was determined to come back. In 1975, he briefly pitched with Ufa before getting traded to finish the year back with Minsk. Weiss returned to the Alphas in 1976, but was traded and ended the season and his career with Tbilisi, retiring at age 42.

The final stats for Weiss: 236-190 record, 85 saves, 2.80 ERA, 3727 innings, 3534 strikeouts to 633 walks, 328/463 quality starts, FIP- of 74, and 95.8 WAR. He quietly put together very strong totals despite rarely being in consideration as the top pitcher in the league. The Minsk run helped get him some attention and playing a solid role in their late 1960s title runs certainly helped with many voters. Weiss picked up the first ballot induction with 87.6%.

Vladimir Hora – Starting Pitcher – Yekaterinburg Yaks – 85.1% First Ballot

Vladimir Hora was a 6’0’’, 190 pound right-handed pitcher from Sedlcany, a town of around 7,000 people in the Central Bohemian region of the Czech Republic. Hora was known for having incredible movement on his pitches, mixed with solid control and above average stuff. His velocity peaked in the 95-97 mph range with a five-pitch arsenal of curveball, screwball, forkball, changeup, and cutter. Not only were screwballs and forkballs fairly rare on their own, but almost never did a pitch throw both and did so as effectively as Hora, who was a master at drawing groundballs. He also loved going deep into games with excellent stamina.

Hora was spotted as a teenage amateur by a scout for Yekaterinburg. He signed in 1955 with the Yaks and developed for many years in their academy, finally making his debut in 1962 at age 23. Hora was iffy as a starter in his rookie year, but improved and settled into the ace role for Yekaterinburg over the next decade. From 1965-71, he had seven straight seasons worth 8+ WAR and led the Asian League in WAR four different times.

In 1965, Hora won Pitcher of the Year for the first time, leading in wins (25-11) and innings (304.1) with 28 complete games. He’d finish second in voting in 1968, then win the award for the second time in 1971 with career bests in ERA (1.90), strikeouts (358), and WAR (12.7). Hora also was second in MVP voting in 1971. During this run, he also pitched for the Czech National Team in the World Baseball Championship. From 1962-76, he had 170 innings with a 3.76 ERA, 183 strikeouts, and 4.6 WAR.

Yekaterinburg was a contender during Hora’s best years, making the playoffs nine straight years from 1964-72. The Yaks won the Asian League title in 1968 and 1970 and took home the Soviet Series title in 1970. In the playoffs, Hora had a 6-7 record, 2.99 ERA, 141.2 innings, 157 strikeouts, and 4.0 WAR. He signed a big four-year, $852,000 contract extension before the 1971 season as the Yaks expected more great things into the 1970s. However, things would start to go south for Yekaterinburg with a playoff drought from 1973-84.

Hora had his first major setback in April 1972 as shoulder inflammation knocked him out almost the entire season. He bounced back in 1973 at age 34 with a full respectable season, although it was notably weaker than his previously high standard. In May 1974, a torn flexor tendon ended his season and ultimately his time with Yekaterinburg. In total with the Yaks, Hora had a 213-128 record, 2.67 ERA, 3129.2 innings, 3194 strikeouts, and 84.8 WAR. A few years later, the Yaks retired his #10 uniform.

Hora wasn’t ready to call it quits at age 36, but Yekaterinburg let him go. He signed for 1975 with Moscow on a three-year, $626,000 deal with the defending EPB champion Mules hoping he’d return to form. He missed two months and the playoff run to various injuries, but gave Moscow some decent innings in 1975 en route to a Soviet Series title. Hora could rarely crack the lineup and mostly saw relief in 1976 with poor results and he retired after the season at age 38.

Hora’s final stats: 223-142 record, 2.73 ERA, 3383.1 innings, 3427 strikeouts to 663 walks, 280/396 quality starts, 226 complete games, and 86.2 WAR. Like his Hall of Fame classmate Sebastian Weiss, Hora almost quietly put together an excellent resume, although he did get more attention thanks to his great run with Yekaterinburg. This earned the first ballot induction for Hora with 85.1% of the vote.

Zina Gigolashvili – First Baseman – Tbilisi Trains – 82.6% First Ballot

Zina Gigolashvili was a 6’0’’, 205 pound left-handed first baseman from Ozurgeti, a town of around 14,000 people in western Georgia. He was a prolific home run hitter who smacked 40+ in 12 different seasons and 50+ thrice. Gigolashvili was also very good at drawing walks, but he did strike out a lot and was often viewed as a subpar contact hitter. He was very slow and didn’t double very often with his power often being homer-or-bust. Gigolashvili exclusively played at first base in his career and was slightly below average defensively, but not atrocious. He was also considered an ironman, playing 140+ games in all 17 of his full seasons.

Gigolashvili quickly drew tons of attention as an amateur in the Caucasus region and his home country team Tbilisi took notice especially. The Trains were terrible in their first few seasons and had the #1 overall pick in the 1958 Eurasian Professional Baseball Draft, which allowed them to select Gigolashvili. He served in a bench role in his rookie season as Tbilisi didn’t want to rush him. He took over the starting job in year two and was a starter for the rest of his career. With the Trains, this would be a nine season tenure. Gigolashvili also played for Georgia in the World Baseball Championship when they qualified, which was five times. He posted 20 hits, 14 runs, 12 home runs, and 19 RBI in 28 games.

Gigolashvili’s power became evident right away as he smacked 56 home runs in 1961, setting the EPB record through its first seven seasons. With the competition at first base and his other deficits, Gigolashvili would only win Silver Slugger twice; in 1962 and 1971. Being with Tbilisi also made him often overlooked in the MVP conservation. Although the Trains improved in his run, they only made the playoffs once with a first round exit in 1965. Still, Gigolashvili led the Asian League four times in home runs. In total with Tbilisi, he had 1107 hits, 697 runs, 365 home runs, 781 RBI, a .242/.311/.521 slash and 37.1 WAR. The Trains would later retire the #18 uniform for their home country favorite.

Entering 1968, the 32-year old Gigolashvili had only one year left on his contract and Tbilisi seemed unlikely and unable to match his forthcoming free agent demands. The Trains traded him to Tirana for three prospects, one of which was 1990 Hall of Fame inductee Sergiu Onisie, who would be an excellent closer for Tbilisi and others. His one year with the Trojans actually had the worst homer output of his career at 34, but Gigolashvili did help Tirana to a division title. They went one-and-done and he entered free agency, inking a four-year, $560,000 deal with perennial power Minsk.

Gigolashvili had four strong seasons with the Miners, but 1971 was something special. Despite being a career .236 hitter, he put it all together for a Triple Crown season with a .309/.383/.706 slash, 65 home runs, 139 RBI, and 11.1 WAR. This destroyed his home run record and stood as the EPB high mark until 1986. Gigolashvili’s 1.088 OPS was also a single season record and that stood until 1984. Unsurprisingly, this earned him his lone MVP. Minsk made the playoffs each of his four years and took the 1969 Soviet Series title. In total with the Miners, Gigolashvili had 548 hits, 345 runs, 189 home runs, 410 RBI, a .250/.329/.545 slash and 24.1 WAR.

He fell back to his more typical stats the year after the Triple Crown in 1972 and became a free agent at age 37. Moscow signed him to a three-year, $664,000 deal and although he wasn’t quite as dominant, he still delivered solid power. Gigolashvili got two more rings as the Mules won it all in 1974 and 1975. He had a solid 1974 postseason with 5 home runs and 11 RBI in 15 starts. For his career, Gigolashvili’s playoff numbers were 82 games, 54 hits, 27 runs, 18 home runs, 37 RBI, and 1.3 WAR. In total in Moscow, he had 352 hits, 223 runs, 117 home runs, 255 RBI, and 10.2 WAR.

Gigolashvili also became the first EPB hitter to 700 career home runs and the first to 1500 RBI in his last year with the Mules. He became a free agent again at age 40 and signed with Yekaterinburg, but age finally caught up and he struggled to a 15 home run season with the Yaks. He opted to retire after this season at age 40.

Gigolashvili’s final stats: 2230 hits, 1398 runs, 279 doubles, 720 home runs, 1559 RBI, 967 walks, 2901 strikeouts, a .236/.312/.501 slash, 143 wRC+, and 76.1 WAR. Despite the prolific power, the advanced stats aren’t remarkable due to his high strikeout rate and low contact ability. Still, he retired as EPB’s home run king and still sits third all-time as of 2037. Gigolashvili was also the RBI leader at retirement and fourth in runs scored; still sitting in the top ten for both decades later. He also retired with the most strikeouts of any EPB batter and would be third among Hall of Famers as of 2037. Some voters still poo-poo’d him for his flaws, but you couldn’t leave this guy out and he earned the first ballot induction at 82.6%.

FuzzyRussianHat · 11-12-2023, 04:48 AM

Pitcher Sakeo Rasalato was the lone inductee into the Oceania Baseball Association’s 1982 Hall of Fame class. He was a first ballot nod at 94.3%. Fellow pitcher Te Paoro Rangi barely missed the 66% threshold with 65.8% on his fifth ballot. Two others were above 50% with closer Neemia Tala’apitaga at 54.7% on his tenth ballot and RF Danny Carrott at 51.9% for his second.

Tala’apitaga was dropped from the ballot with his peak at 55.3% on his eighth attempt, usually hovering between 30-50%. The right-handed Samoan began his career at age 28 and only had eight seasons, hurting his totals. Still, he had 189 saves, a 1.89 ERA, 724 strikeouts, and 21.7 WAR in that stretch with two rings and a Reliever of the Year. He needed a few more years of production though get in.

A similar fate was suffered by SS Vae Afatia, also dropped after ten tries. The American Samoan peaked at 29.2% on his debut though. His OBA run was eight seasons with Perth, followed by three poor years in MLB’s Montreal. With the Penguins, he had 1000 hits, 494 runs, 180 home runs, 599 RBI, 60.1 WAR, two Gold Gloves, six Silver Sluggers, and one MVP. With a few more seasons to add the tallies, Afatia also might have gotten in, but his peak was too short to earn a real look.

Sakeo Rasalato – Starting Pitcher – Guadalcanal Green Jackets – 94.3% First Ballot

Sakeo Rasalato was a 5’10’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Nemby, part of Fiji’s Central Division which includes the capital Suva. Rasalato had an interesting skillset with excellent control, solid stuff, but terrible movement that led to giving up home runs. His velocity peaked at 92-94 mph, but he was excellent at changing speeds with his fastball, slider, changeup combo. Rasalato had an extreme flyball tendency, but his control was good enough to still get a lot of strikeouts. He also had terrific stamina and durability and led the Pacific League in innings pitched five straight seasons, tossing 300+ in seven seasons. The knock on him was that he was disloyal and unmotivated, which led to Rasalato bouncing around later in his career.

Rasalato was picked 12^th overall by Guadalcanal in the 1963 Oceania Baseball Association Draft and would be best known for his time there. He immediately was the ace of the rotation, winning 1964 Rookie of the Year and taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting. Rasalato would led the PL in strikeouts four of the next five seasons and post three 10+ WAR seasons. In 1966, he earned a Triple Crown with a 26-8 record, 1.50 ERA, and 374 strikeouts. His 13.9 WAR was a single-season record at the time as well. Rasalato won Pitcher of the Year in both 1966 and 1967, while taking second in 1965.

Guadalcanal would win the Pacific League title in 1964, 66, and 68. In 66 and 68, they were the Oceania Champions as well. Rasalato was 5-1 in the playoffs, but had an iffy 3.66 ERA over 51.2 innings with 47 strikeouts. For his Green Jackets tenure, he had a 135-89 record, 2.41 ERA, 2221 innings, 2502 strikeouts to 376 walks, and 61.4 WAR. After his stellar first four seasons, Rasalato saw his issues allowing home runs increase while his strikeout tallies fell off a bit. His final season with Guadalcnal in 1970 was statistically his weakest, although he certainly still was worthy of a rotation spot.

Personality clashes and diminishing production with free agency looming meant the Green Jackets would trade Rasalato before the 1971 season, moving the 30-year old to Christchurch for prospects. He had one iffy year with the Chinooks, then signed a three-year, $504,000 deal with Sydney. Rasalato stunk with the Snakes though and was traded before the 1973 season to Samoa. He was more effective with the Sun Sox, but was limited to a more part-time role. Rasalato would earn an OBA ring with Samoa in 1973, but his OBA run would end after the 1974 season.

Rasalato would play another seven seasons of pro baseball, although he’d bounce around as a spot starter and reliever mostly in Central America. He spent 1975 with Puerto Rico, then was traded for 1976 to Mexico City. Rasalato signed in 1977 with Haiti, but was moved midseason to Jamaica. He pitched for Havana in 1978, then returned to PR in 1979. Rasalato signed with Nicaragua in 1980, but was sent to the Aztecs at the deadline. In 1981, MLB’s Denver gave him a shot, but he was cut after three relief appearances. He’d finish the year in minor league Birmingham and retire at age 40. For his entire post OBA tenure, he had only 5.9 WAR over 1050.1 innings with a 4.09 ERA in CABA.

For his OBA run, Rasalato had a 182-142 record, 2.62 ERA, 3155.2 innings, 3545 strikeouts to 533 walks, 292/394 quality starts, 122 complete games, FIP- of 81, and 72.5 WAR. In his first few seasons with Guadalcanal, he was historically dominant. Even with his OBA run only lasting a decade, the numbers caught the voter’s eyes. That, plus helping the Green Jackets get two rings sold most of the detractors and Rasalato was inducted on the first ballot at 94.3%.

FuzzyRussianHat · 11-12-2023, 02:22 PM

Austronesia Professional Baseball wouldn’t induct anyone into the Hall of Fame with the 1982 voting. The only guy who really got somewhat close was SP Vitorio Pinga, receiving 54.0% on his third ballot. Only three others were narrowly above 1/3s of the vote. No one was dropped after ten ballots.

11-03-2023, 03:34 AM	#681
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,729	1981 in WAB Abidjan matched their 112-50 record from the prior year for the best record in West African Baseball. The Athletes have made the playoffs in all seven WAB seasons so far and had the first place spot in the Western League for the fourth time. Defending WL champ Monrovia at 97-65 and Kumasi at 94-68 earned the wild card spots. The Diplomats picked up their third straight playoff berth and the Monkeys got their fourth straight. Western League MVP went to American 1B Dan Simko. The 34-year old was in his third year in WAB after a decade in MLB, having signed with Abidjan after two seasons with Ibadan. Simko led in runs (114), OBP (.364), OPS (.972), wRC+ (182), and WAR (8.6), adding 47 home runs and 116 RBI. Teammate Kouadio Diao won his fourth Pitcher of the Year and posted his third Triple Crown season. The 27-year old Ivorian righty had a 26-6 record, 1.96 ERA, and 365 strikeouts. Diao also was the leader in innings (285.1), WHIP (0.93), quality starts (30), and WAR (10.8). Lagos finished first in the Eastern League at 109-53, joining Abidjan as the only teams to make the playoffs in each WAB season. The Lizards only finished first for the second time despite being three time ELCS champs. After finishing fourth last year, Kano placed second at 106-56 for their fifth playoff berth. Benin City placed third for back-to-back seasons at 88-74. Defending WAB champion Port Harcourt dropped to fourth at 79-83. Eastern League MVP was Lagos SS Ismael Sidi. In his second year with the Lizards, the 27-year old Mauritanian was the leader in hits (206) and average (.334), adding 7.0 WAR. Kano’s Jackson Manirakiza was the Pitcher of the Year. Nicknamed “Rainmaker,” the 31-year old Burundian lefty led in strikeouts (274), K/BB (7.0), WHIP (0.96), FIP- (62), and WAR (7.4). In his second year with the Condors, he also had a 2.74 ERA in 223 innings and 17-7 record. In the WL’s wild card round, Kumasi upset Monrovia in three games. Abidjan took out the Monkeys 3-1 in the Western League Championship Series. The Athletes are now three time WL champs, having also won in 1975 and 1978. In the EL, Kano swept Benin City in the wild card round. However, Lagos clipped the Condors 3-1 in the Eastern League Championship Series. The Lizards are now four time EL champs (1977, 78, 79, 81). In the seventh West African Championship, it was a rematch of the 1978 edition which the Lizards won. Lagos edged Abidjan 4-3 in a classic to give the Lizards three WAB titles in four years (78, 79, 81). Lagos would be the only WAB team to win three titles in a four year stretch until Kano’s dynasty of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Other notes: Abidjan’s Albert Kamara threw WAB’s eighth Perfect Game on July 26, striking out 13 against Accra. Power Bonou and Axel Kouachou became the first pitchers to 2000 career strikeouts in WAB. Stephen Tshukudu, Mario Duc, and George Nandjou became the first batters to 300 career home runs. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports The Level Playing Field: Alternate MLB History From 1884-Onward Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

11-03-2023, 04:29 PM	#682
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,729	1981 in CLB Harbin finished atop the CLB Northern League for back-to-back seasons with the 1980 runner-up finishing at 101-61. Second was Hangzhou at 93-69, putting the Hens in the playoffs for the third time in four years after narrowly missing last year. Close behind but just missing the playoff cut was Xi’an at91-71, Qingdao at 90-72, and Zhengzhou at 87-75. Jinan, who won 96 games last year and earned a playoff spot, fell off a cliff for an 11^th play 67-95. Nick Wei became the first four-time MVP winner in Chinese League Baseball history. The Hangzhou center fielder and pitcher previously won the award three straight years from 1976-78. The 29-year old at a batter had 7.8 WAR with 133 hits, 21 home runs, and a .288/.309/.468 slash in 117 starts. On the mound, he had a 2.31 ERA and 17-6 record over 269.1 innings with 290 strikeouts and 5.8 WAR. Xi’an’s Guodong Lin won back-to-back NL Pitcher of the Year awards and made pro baseball history in the process. On April 30, Lin had the 10^th CLB Perfect Game, striking out nine against Hangzhou. Then on June 7, Lin had another Perfect Game, this time with nine strikeouts also against the Hens. He joined OBA’s Te Paoro Rangi and EAB’s Katsunari Fujiwara and Moon Kim as the only pitchers in any league to this point to throw two Perfect Games. While others would join the list, Lin remains the only one as of 2037 to have both in the same season. The 27-year old righty was the WARlord (10.8) and leader in ERA (1.13), wins (22-4), WHIP (0.63), K/BB (20.1), and shutouts (9). Lin added 341 strikeouts in 270 innings. The Southern League had an incredibly tight battle for the two playoff spots. Guangzhou, Xiamen, and Wuhan each finished tied at 91-71, while Changsha was only two behind and each of Chengdu, Hong Kong, and Shenzhen were three back. In the first tie-breaker game, Xiamen defeated Wuhan, officially giving the Mutts the SL title. The second tiebreaker game saw Guangzhou edge the Wolverines. It was Xiamen’s first playoff berth and the first since 1974 for the Gamecocks. Last year’s CLB champion Foshan was a non-factor, taking ninth at 74-88. Guangzhou LF Chaoqing Yang won the Southern League MVP. The 27-year old nicknamed “the Warden,” was the leader in WAR (11.9), wRC+ (205), triple slash (.322/.394/.601), OPS (.995), total bases (342), runs (95), and hits (183). He also added 32 home runs and 89 RBI. Shenzhen’s Zhiyuan Lai won his third Pitcher of the Year, having previously won back in 1977 and 1975. The 30-year old led in ERA for the third time in his career, this time with 1.22. He also led in strikeouts (307), and WHIP (0.68), adding 10.0 WAR and a 17-11 record with 10 saves in 222 innings. Both of the semifinal matchups ended up being uneventful sweeps in favor of the first place team. Harbin rolled Guangzhou and Xiamen smacked Hangzhou 4-0. This gave the Hellcats back-to-back China Series appearances and their third overall, having lost in both 1980 and 1973. For Xiamen, this was their first finals berth. The 12^th China Series would go to Haribn 4-2 over Xiamen. Finals MVP went to pitcher Xinxin Sun, who tossed 10.2 scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts. Other notes: In addition to Guodong Lin’s two Perfect Games, Encai Pang would toss the 12^th Perfect on June 27. He fanned 18 against Tianjin, tying the CLB single-game strikeout record of 18 and setting the record for most Ks in a no-hitter. Hangzhou’s Zhijian Dong also tied the single-game strikeout record of 18 three different times in 1981. Dong became the first pitcher to 3000 career strikeouts in CLB. 1B Shenchao An won his 11^th Gold Glove. MVP Nick Wei won his ninth Silver Slugger. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports The Level Playing Field: Alternate MLB History From 1884-Onward Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

11-04-2023, 03:32 AM	#683
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,729	1981 in APB Taichung took the Taiwan League title for the first time since 1967. The Toucans had the best record in the Taiwan-Philippine Association at 102-60, scoring the most runs (628) and allowing the fewest (437). Last year’s TL winner Taoyuan fell hard to 70-92. In the Philippine League, Zamboanga had an impressive bounce back. After winning only 56 games in 1980, the Zebras took first place at 89-73. They were five games ahead of defending Austronesia Champion Cebu and six ahead of Davao. TPA MVP went to Taichung’s Chang-Rong Chang. A second-year first baseman, Chang impressively won MVP despite missing seven weeks to a strained hamstring. In 118 games, he had 7.4 WAR, a .304/.352/.626 slash, 37 home runs, and 86 RBI. Zamboanga’s Vhon Lasam won his second Pitcher of the Year in three years. The 26-year old lefty was the leader in strikeouts (417), innings (289), WHIP (0.79), quality starts (29), FIP- (41), and WAR (12.8). He added a 1.84 ERA and 20-10 record, missing out on the Triple Crown by one position in both ERA and wins. Medan won the Malacca League for back-to-back seasons and had the Sundaland Association’s top record at 103-59. Singapore had a franchise record 95-67 season, but remained the lone team in Austronesia Professional Baseball without a playoff berth yet. Bandung won the Java League at 84-78, topping Surabaya by four games. The Blackhawks grabbed their first playoff spot since 1974. Last year’s SA champ Semarang fell to 70-92. The Marlins had the MVP and Pitcher of the Year. The MVP went to 1B Tunggul Widhyasari for back-to-back seasons, as he posted his second straight Triple Crown season. Widhyasari was the leader in runs (100), hits (177), doubles (35), home runs (43), RBI (100), walks (69), total bases (349), triple slash (.306/.380/.603), OPS (.983), wRC+ (237), and WAR (10.1). Second year pitcher Ryco Bujang was the Pitcher of the Year, leading in wins at 17-5 and K/BB at 11.4. He had a 1.37 ERA over 256.2 innings with 318 strikeouts and 9.3 WAR. The Taiwan-Philippine Association final went seven games for back-to-back editions. Taichung outlasted Zamboanga to give the Toucans their first title since winning the first two in 1965 and 1966. The Sundaland Association Championship was far less dramatic as Medan swept Bandung. The Marlins earned their second title, having also won in 1966 over the Blackhawks. The 17^th Austronesia Championship was a rematch of the second, which saw Medan earn their lone title over Taichung. The Toucans were looking for their second title, having been the inaugural champ. The series went the distance and came down to the final at-bat. In the bottom of the ninth, 1B Jeremiah San Isidro had a walk off RBI single to give Taichung the 2-1 win and the championship. He had been the Association Championship MVP, posting 14 hits, 6 runs, 4 home runs, and 10 RBI in 14 playoff starts. San Isidro had been a July acquisition in a trade with Cebu. Other notes: San Isidro also had a four home run game during the regular season back on June 5 while playing for Cebu. He became the first APB player with a four homer game and would be the only one until 2030. The seventh APB Perfect Game came on April 6 as Pekanbaru’s Ervin Tat struck out 10 against Medan. On April 11, Kim Shin Pan became the first APB hitter to 1000 runs scored for a career. Abracham Gumelar joined him five days later. Gumelar also earned his 2000^th hit in June and would finish the year with his 11^th Silver Slugger. Ardan Riyadi and Angelo Mula both got to 2000 hits in the late summer, making it five batters to do so in APB. Chun-Chia Lan became the fifth to 400 career home runs. Ary Mustofa became the fourth pitcher to 3000 strikeouts. 1B Kent Wang won his 12^th Gold Glove. CF DJ Licerio won his eighth Silver Slugger. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports The Level Playing Field: Alternate MLB History From 1884-Onward Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

11-04-2023, 02:27 PM	#684
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,729	1981 in OBA Auckland won the Australasia League in 1981 for their third league title (1965, 1975). The Avengers finished at 97-65, nine games better than second place Gold Coast. Auckland had the most runs scored (637) and fewest allowed (503). Defending AL champ Christchurch dropped to sixth place at 78-84. Gold Coast’s Neville Ryan was the Australasia League MVP in his third season. The left fielder from Sydney was the leader in home runs (47), RBI (125), total bases (348), slugging (.621), OPS (.967), wRC+ (184), and WAR (8.5). Adelaide’s Tarzan Rao won back-to-back Pitcher of the Year. The 28-year old Ni-Vanuatu was the leader in ERA (1.55), innings (349.1), strikeouts (46), quality starts (37), complete games (26), shutouts (7), FIP- (51), and WAR (13.9). The WAR mark was the third best pitching season in OBA history to that point. His 349 innings tied Jason Sims’ world record mark from 177, Honolulu took a competitive Pacific League with a 93-69 record, besting Port Moresby by four games. It is the third league title for the Honu, who haven’t done it since the 1962 and 1963 seasons. Guam, who had won back-to-back Oceania Championships, finished fourth in the standings at 82-80. The Golden Eagles had bad luck according to the expected wins, which suggested they should’ve won eight more games and Honolulu should’ve lost seven more. Tahiti LF Quentin Basa earned the Pacific League MVP in only his second season. The 22-year old Filipino lefty led in wRC+ at 179, adding 8.6 WAR, a .289/.336/.528 slash, and 37 home runs. Honolulu’s Tanera Matiu took Pitcher of the Year. The 27-year old from New Zealand was the strikeout leader (366) and WARlord (8.5), adding a 2.28 ERA and 15-10 record in 264.1 innings. The 22^nd Oceania Championship was the third finals appearance for both Auckland and Honolulu, but both were shooting for their first ring. The Avengers would win it firmly 4-1 with playoff MVP going to pitcher Nigel Chalmers. The left-handed Englishman had two starts with 11 innings, a 1.64 ERA, and 11 strikeouts. Other notes: Chalmers won his 200^th game in June, the fourth OBA pitcher to reach the mark. Brad Nelson became the second pitcher to 4500 career strikeouts. Dede Hayati and Yul Saitz became the fifth and sixth batters to 2000 career hits. Hayati also became the seventh to 1000 runs scored. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports The Level Playing Field: Alternate MLB History From 1884-Onward Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

11-05-2023, 04:27 AM	#685
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,729	1981 in EPB Minsk bounced back from a rare losing season in 1980 to post the best record in the EPB European League. The Miners finished 103-59, winning the North Division for the 15^th time. Bucharest claimed the South Division at 102-60 for their first playoff berth since 1961. Kyiv at 99-63 earned the first wild card and a fourth consecutive playoff berth. For the second wild card spot, Moscow (92-70) edged out defending Soviet Series champ Kharkiv (91-71) and Prague (90-72). It is the second playoff berth in three years for the Mules. European League MVP went to Minsk third year RF Leonid Zadorozhniy. The right-handed hitting Ukrainian was the leader in WAR (8.8), wRC+ (199), average (.327), OBP (.374), and OPS (.965), adding 37 home runs and 102 RBI. Pitcher of the Year was Bucharest’s Xaxhi Maho. In his second season, the 23-year old Albanian lefty was the leader in ERA (1.72) and wins at 23-4. Maho added 266 strikeouts over 256.1 innings with 8.7 WAR. Minsk handled their divisional foe Moscow with a first round sweep, while Kyiv upset Bucharest 3-2. This set up the sixth time that the Miners and Kings had met in the European League Championship Series. Kyiv led the series 3-2 having won the most recent battle only two years prior. Both franchises had been regulars in the ELCS with Minsk making its 15^th appearance and Kyiv its ninth. This meeting was a seven game classic with the Miners taking game seven 2-1 on a walkoff. It was Minsk’s seventh title, but first since 1969. The best record in all of Eurasian Professional Baseball came from the Asian League’s Dushanbe. The Dynamo were 108-54 to take the South Division and their fourth playoff berth in six years. Asgabat, who won the division the prior two seasons, was still solid and easily grabbed the first wild card at 101-61. The second wild card also came from the South with Tashkent taking it at 91-71 for their third berth in five years. Defending AL champ Bishkek was five back at 86-76. In the North Division, Krasnoyarsk was first at 90-72 to end a six-year playoff drought. Omsk and Yekaterinburg were both five games off the lead, while last year’s division winner Irkutsk fell below .500. Asgabat had the Asian League’s MVP and Pitcher of the Year. 28-year old Uzbek catcher Stefan Sanginov was the MVP, leading in WAR (7.0) while adding a .285/.359/.445 slash and 156 wRC+. Yerbol Tulegenov was the Pitcher of the Year in his fourth season. The Kyrgyz righty was the strikeout leader at 386 and leader in WAR (11.0) and FIP- (48). He added a 1.90 ERA and 20-7 record over 270.2 innings. Dushanbe survived in five games against Tashkent in the first round, while Asgabat swept Krasnoyarsk. This sent the Alphas to their third straight Asian League Championship Series and fourth overall. For the Dynamo, it was their sixth ALCS berth. Dushanbe would dominate to take the series 4-1 over Asgabat, giving the Dynamo their third AL title (1958, 1960). In the 27^th Soviet Series, Dushanbe and Minsk’s battle was the first to go all seven games since 1975. The Dynamo prevailed 4-3 in the end to take their second EPB title, joining the 1960 ring. CF Martin Alban was finals MVP with the 35-year old American in his fourth EPB season after a decade with MLB’s Atlanta. In 17 playoff games, he had 23 hits, 11 runs, 4 doubles, 3 triples, 2 home runs, and 5 RBI. Other notes: Yekaterinburg’s Nandor Dombi threw EPB’s 20^th Perfect Game on July 20 with 11 strikeouts against Bishkek. Ivan Valev, Ermin Ismayilov, and Konrad Mazur became the eighth, ninth, and tenth EPB batters to 500 career home runs. Patryk Cebulak became the eighth to 2500 hits. SS Nazar Gogunov won his 11^th Gold Glove and LF Artyom Kahn won his ninth. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports The Level Playing Field: Alternate MLB History From 1884-Onward Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

11-05-2023, 02:54 PM	#686
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,729	1981 in EBF Glasgow took the top seed in the EBF Northern Conference in 1981, winning the British Isles Division for the sixth straight year. The Highlanders were 102-60, their fourth 100+ win season in that stretch. In the Northwest Division, Luxembourg finished first at 97-65 to snap a five-year playoff drought. Brussels was 89-73, good enough for the wild card, while defending European Champion Rotterdam fell short by three games. Dublin was four off the wild card and Birmingham was five back. In the North Central Division, Copenhagen took first at 92-70. For the Corsairs, their only other playoff berth came when the won the EBF title in the inaugural 1950 season. Stockholm, who had a seven-year playoff streak entering the year, dropped to 80-82 for their first losing season in a decade. Leading Copenhagen’s efforts was Northern Conference MVP Wojtek Napierkowski. The 26-year old Polish third baseman was the WARlord at 10.1 and leader in wRC+ at 196, adding 57 home runs and 126 RBI. His 57 homers was actually third in the conference behing Thomas Muller’s 61 and John McLendon’s 65. The 65 for Birmingham’s McLendon was the second most in an EBF season to date behind Orion McIntyre’s 68 in 1951. Luxembourg’s Greg Saint-Pierre won his third Pitcher of the Year. The 31-year old French lefty led in ERA (1.92), innings (299.2), WHIP (0.88), quality starts (31), complete games (17), and shutouts (5). He added 7.4 WAR and 329 strikeouts with a 19-12 record. Glasgow survived their first round series in five games against Brussels while Luxembourg bested Copenhagen 3-2. This sent the Highlanders to the Northern Conference Championship for the seventh time and second time in three years. For the Lancers, their only other appearance was their 1971 win. The series went all seven games with the finale requiring 12 innings. Luxembourg prevailed 4-3 to earn their second NC crown. Marseille had the best record in the Southern Conference for back-to-back seasons and posted the top mark in all the EBF. The Musketeers were 108-54 to earn the Southwest Division title. Madrid at 92-70 had a solid season, but ended up five games shy of the wild card. Last year’s wild card Lisbon dropped to 80-82. In a strong Southeast Division, Athens took first at 101-61 to extended their division title streak to five seasons. Belgrade was 97-65 to earn the wild card, fending off a 91-71 Munich and 90-72 Vienna. The Bruisers snapped a four year playoff drought. Defending SC champ Zurich again prevailed in the South Central Division, this time at 96-66. This gave the Mountaineers nine straight division titles, setting a new EBF record. Their nine straight playoff berths tied Vienna’s 1965-73 run as EBF’s longest to date. Jacob “Rowdy” Ronnberg won the Southern Conference MVP for Marseille. The 25-year old Swedish right fielder was the leader in runs (123), total bases (410), average (.349), slugging (.754), OPS (1.150), wRC+ (221), and WAR (12.4). He added 51 home runs, 123 RBI, and his fourth Gold Glove. Zurich’s Jean-Luc Roch won his sixth Pitcher of the Year, becoming the first EBF pitcher to win six times. The 30-year old French lefty was the leader in WAR (11.3), strikeouts (420), WHIP (0.77), K/BB (17.5), FIP- (53), and wins (24-7). He added a 2.03 ERA in 284 innings. It was the eighth time in his career that Roch led in strikeouts and his ninth straight season worth 10+ WAR. Also of note, Barcelona’s Harry Almeida won his fourth Reliever of the Year, joining Hakki Polat as the only four time winners so far in EBF. Marseille outlasted Zurich in the first round 3-2, while Belgrade upset their division rival Athens 3-1. For the Bruisers, this was their fourth Southern Conference Championship berth and back-to-back for the Musketeers. Marseille had been snake-bitten with a 1-7 record in their prior eight conference finals berths and had gotten swept the prior year. The Musketeers finally got over the hump, taking the 1981 final 4-2 over Belgrade. Their other title had come back in 1966. Marseille would add their first-ever European Championship for a celebration in Southern France. The Musketeers won the 32^nd European Championship in a thrilling seven games over Luxembourg. Marseille is the second French champion, joining Paris’ 1970 effort. Leading the way was 2B J.F. Bourelly, the SCC MVP, posting 17 hits, 9 runs, 2 doubles, 4 triples, 3 home runs, and 9 RBI in 18 playoff starts. Other notes: Two still-standing playoff records were set in 1981. Luxembourg 2B Stan de Vries hit 8 triples and Marseille’s Martin Cornu had 10 saves in 12 appearances. Glasgow’s Uwe Deckers had the 18^th EBF Perfect Game, striking out eight against Brussels on July 15. Alejandro Canas became the first pitcher to 5000 career strikeouts and would retire with the lead at 5071. He’d sit third as of 2037. Jean-Luc Roch became the fourth to 4000 strikeouts. Roch and Torger Thelin became the 13^th and 14^th pitchers to 200 wins. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports The Level Playing Field: Alternate MLB History From 1884-Onward Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

11-06-2023, 04:05 AM	#687
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,729	1981 in BSA The four best records in the Bolivar League in 1981 came from a loaded North Division. Bogota and their powerhouse offense took the top spot with 819 runs scored and a 104-58 record, snapping a seven-year playoff drought for the Bats. Defending league champ Barquisimeto was close behind but second at 100-62, while Medellin was 96-66 and Valencia was 91-71. Meanwhile in the South Division, Quito took first at 87-75 to snap a six-year playoff drought. Last year’s division champ Guayaquil took second at 81-81. Bogota DH Bastian Martin won back-to-back Bolivar League MVP awards. The 28-year old Uruguayan was the leader in runs (115), hits (226), RBI (129), walks (86), total bases (373), average (.367), OBP (.446), OPS (1.053), wRC+ (188), and WAR (9.9). His 42 home runs was five short of earning a Triple Crown. Meanwhile, Valencia’s Lazaro Rodriguez was only one win short of a Pitching Triple Crown. The 30-year old Paraguayan won a historic seventh Pitcher of the Year, tying the most by legends Mohamed Ramos and Laurenco Cedillo. Rodriguez was the leader in ERA (1.86), strikeouts (379), WHIP (0.82), K/BB (14.0), complete games (18), shutouts (7), FIP- (50), and WAR (10.0), adding a 22-6 record over 251 innings. It was his eighth straight season leading the Bolivar League in strikeouts and ninth straight leading in WAR. Salvador won the Brazil Division for the third straight season as the 1979 Copa Sudamerica winner had the Southern Cone League’s best record at 106-56. Fortaleza and Sao Paulo each had nice seasons, but their 96-66 efforts were still ten games away. Defending cup champ Buenos Aires saw their six-year South Division streak end as they limped to 81-81. Montevideo took first at 94-68, beating Asuncion by eight games. The Venom were the only original team that hadn’t made the playoffs once in BSA’s first 50 seasons. Leading Montevideo was league MVP Felipe Caban. The 26-year old Paraguayan LF was the leader in runs (103), hits (228), RBI (121), total bases (394), average (.372), slugging (.643), OPS (1.043), wRC+ (215), and WAR (10.4). He also added 38 home runs and 36 doubles, along with an impressive 33 game hitting streak. Pitcher of the Year was Recife’s Wilfredo Casacubierta. Nicknamed “mustache,” he pitched the most innings at 283.2, getting 364 strikeouts and 8.6 WAR with a 2.03 ERA and 20-11 record. In the Bolivar League Championship Series, Bogota was making its sixth appearance and Quito its fifth. The Thunderbolts upset the Bats 4-2 for their fourth league title, joining the 1963-65 dynasty run. Salvador would deny newcomer Montevideo its first Southern Cone League title as the Storm claimed the series 4-1. This gave Salvador its second title in three years and fifth overall (1949, 62, 73, 79). In the 51^st Copa Sudamerica, Salvador won its second title in three seasons. The Storm stopped Quito 4-2 to make Salvador four-time cup champs, having also won it in 1949, 1973, and 1979. Six-time league MVP Valor Melo was the finals MVP with an impressive 8 home runs, 17 RBI, 16 hits, and 13 runs in 11 playoff starts. This tied the Beisbol Sudamerica records for most home runs and RBI in the playoffs, with both marks getting passed later on with expanded postseasons. This ultimately was the final title for Salvador in the 20^th century, but the Melo era remains a celebrated one for Storm fans. Other notes: Valor Melo passed 600 career home runs and 2000 hits. He was the sixth BSA batter to 600 dingers. Niculao Semide became the fifth to 1500 runs scored. Semide also won his 13^th Silver Slugger, although it was his first since being moved from second base to first base. Lazaro Rodriguez crossed 4000 strikeouts and 200 wins. 3B Leonardo Valdez won his ninth Gold Glove. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports The Level Playing Field: Alternate MLB History From 1884-Onward Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

11-06-2023, 05:48 PM	#688
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,729	1981 in EAB Sapporo earned a third straight North Division title at 102-60, which was the top record in the entire Japan League. Kobe earned back-to-back Central Division titles with their 97-65 mark. Kawasaki claimed the Capital Division at 93-69 for their second playoff berth in three years, while last year’s winner Chiba was second at 83-79. Kitakyushu secured a third West Division in four years by going 91-71. Last year’s East Asian Champion Fukuoka dropped to 80-82. Yokohama RF Makata Araki won his second Japan League MVP. The 32-year old lefty was the leader in OBP (.403), slugging (.696), OPS (1.100), wRC+ (221), and walks drawn (69). He added 10.0 WAR, 53 home runs, and 94 RBI. Pitcher of the Year went to Sapporo’s Katsuo Nakayama, who joined the Swordfish the prior year in a trade with Kitakyushu. It was the second PotY for Nakayama, who also won back in 1975 with Tokyo. The 33-year old had a 2.20 ERA and 15-8 record over 254 innings with 239 strikeouts and 5.3 WAR. Both first round series went the distance as Sapporo survived Kitakyushu and Kobe downed Kawasaki. This gave the Swordfish back-to-back shots at the Japan League Championship Series, while it was the Blaze’s first appearance since 1965. Sapporo took the title 4-3 over Kobe, giving the Swordfish a record ninth Japan League title. Despite their historical success, this was their first JL pennant since 1956; 24 years prior. The Korea League’s best record went to 106-56 Seoul, earning the North Division title and their third playoff berth in four years. That was also a franchise record for wins by the Seahawks. Daejeon won its second South Division in three years as the Ducks set their own franchise high mark at 105-57. Both division champs won by double-digits, but the battle for the two wild card spots was intense. Defending KL champ Busan took the first spot at 95-67, followed by both Suwon and Changwon at 94-68, Yongin at 93-69, and Seongnam at 92-70. A rule change a few years prior during the expansion eliminated one-game playoffs for wild card spots. The tiebreaker between the Snappers and Crabs went to Suwon, giving them their third straight playoff appearance. Seongnam’s Byung-Il Jun won the Korea League MVP. The 24-year old first baseman was the leader in RBI (139), total bases (396), triple slash (.363/.435/.676), OPS (1.110), wRC+ (187), and WAR (8.3). His 50 home runs was one short of first place and a Triple Crown. Changwon’s Seung-Yu Woo was Pitcher of the Year for back-to-back seasons and narrowly missed a Triple Crown himself as he was second in ERA. He had a 26-7 record, 2.20 ERA, and 345 strikeouts over 299 innings. He also led in WHIP (0.82), quality starts (27), complete games (22), and WAR (10.0). Despite the impressive stats for the division winners, both were swept in the first round with Suwon surprising Seoul and Busan stunning Daejeon. This set up a Korea League Championship Series rematch as the Blue Jays looked to repeat and the Snappers wanted to avoid falling for the third straight year. Oddly enough, this was fifth time they had met in the KLCS, including three battles in the 1930s. This time, Suwon prevailed 4-2 for only their second-ever Korea League title (1935). Suwon wouldn’t get their first overall title as Sapporo took the 61^st East Asian Championship 4-3. 2B Yoichi Kimura won finals MVP with 26 hits, 14 runs, 3 home runs, and 10 RBI in 19 playoff starts. It is the fifth title for the Swordfish, who also won in 1932, 47, 49, and 51. Their five titles is tied with Hiroshima for the most by a Japan League team. Other notes: Hyeog-Jun Wi joined Lei Meng as the only EAB batters with 800 career home runs. He’d play two more seasons and finish with 873, just behind Meng’s record of 897. Two postseason records were set in 1981 that still stand. Kobe’s Tokinobu Chiba had a 1.691 OPS and Sapporo’s Katsuo Nakayama pitched 48 innings. For the third straight season, there was not a no-hitter thrown all season. LF Ki-Chun Park won his 11^th Gold Glove. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports The Level Playing Field: Alternate MLB History From 1884-Onward Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

11-07-2023, 03:33 AM	#689
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,729	1981 in CABA Three years removed from their back-to-back CABA Championships, Juarez found itself back atop the Mexican League North Division. After missing the playoffs in the prior two seasons, the Jesters had the best record in the ML at 101-61. Hermosillo, the league champ the prior year, finished 95-67 and comfortably took the wild card. Torreon, the division winner in 1980, fell to 85-77. Mexico City took the South Division at 93-69, besting Puebla by seven games. It was the first playoff berth since 1974 for the Aztecs. Ecatepec, last year’s division winner, dropped to 81-81. Although they missed the playoffs, the Pumas had the MVP and Pitcher of the Year. RF Ruben Chavez won the former with the 29-year old leading the league with 53 home runs. He added 8.6 WAR and a .328 average with 99 RBI. Junior Vergara won his third straight Pitcher of the Year and posted a third straight Triple Crown with an 18-4 record, 1.66 ERA, and 359 strikeouts. He also led in WAR (9.5) FIP- (52), and WHIP (0.78) over 248.2 innings. Wild card Hermosillo upset Mexico City 3-2, sending the defending CABA champs back to the Mexican League Championship Series. The MLCS was a seven game classic with Juarez dethroning the Hyenas for their fourth league title in eight years. The Jesters took game seven 7-6 on a dramatic walk off RBI double by SS Jesus Pineda. Juarez now has six Mexican League titles (1912, 62, 74, 77, 78, 81). The top record in all of CABA was Guatemala’s 106-56 atop the Caribbean League’s Continental Division. For the Ghosts, it is their 12^th playoff berth in the last 17 seasons. Honduras (90-72) and Nicaragua (89-73), were both in the wild card race, but ultimately came up short. Santo Domingo won the Island Division at 97-65, ending a four-year playoff drought for the Dolphins. Defending CABA champ Jamaica finished 92-70 to pick up the wild card and a third playoff berth in four seasons. Santo Domingo RF Lobo Villanueva won his third consecutive Caribbean League MVP. The 28-year old Nicaraguan lefty led in home runs (50), RBI (129), total bases (391), slugging (.670), OPS (1.045), wRC+ (182), and WAR (7.3). His .339 batting average left him just four points shy of a Triple Crown. Guatemala’s Simon Pech came out of nowhere to win Pitcher of the Year. He had seen seven starts in 1978 at age 22, but didn’t pitch in 1979 or 1980. In 1981, he led the league with a 2.32 ERA over 209.2 innings with 6.1 WAR, 231 strikeouts, and a 17-7 record. Santo Domingo survived in the wild card round 3-2 over division foe Jamaica. Guatemala would be a heavy favorite in the Caribbean League Championship Series, but the Dolphins downed them 4-2. The Dominican capital now has nine Caribbean League titles (1917, 18, 27, 57, 60, 61, 62, 76, 81). The Ghosts are the runner-up for the third time in four seasons. In the 71th Central American Baseball Association Championship, Juarez defeated Santo Domingo in six games. American LF Rex Perkins was an unexpected playoff hero, having only started 41 games in the regular season. The Kansas grad never made it to the MLB, but was in his third season with the Jesters. In 10 playoff games, he had 14 hits, 8 runs, 3 doubles, and 2 triples. For his efforts, Perkins was traded to Salvador in December. It is the third title for Juarez, who also won in 1977 and 1978. The Jesters are the third team in CABA history to win three rings in a five-year stretch, joining Mexico City’s 1969-73 five-peat and Ecatepec’s three titles from 1929-32. Other notes: In his final season, Wesley Dubar scored his 2000^th run. He’d retire the CABA leader all-time with 2028 and would remain the leader until passed by Matias Esquilin in the 2020s. Solomon Aragon joined Dubar and six others as a member of the 600 home run club. Hermosillo’s Mesquito Delion had a 32-game hitting streak, the fourth longest streak in CABA history to date. The record is Ivan Iniguez’s 38 in 1911. 1B Rafioby Barajas won his 12^th Gold Glove. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports The Level Playing Field: Alternate MLB History From 1884-Onward Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

11-07-2023, 12:50 PM	#690
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,729	1981 in MLB Prior to the 1981 season, Major League Baseball increased the minimum service time required for free agency from seven years to eight years. This put them in line with Beisbol Sudamerica, Eurasian Professional Baseball, Austronesia Professional Baseball, and Chinese League Baseball as the most restrictive. Many players were upset with the development, but were willing to budge in negotiations due to the upcoming MLB expansion. With eight new teams eventually added for the 1982 season, players were willing to accept the change for the additional MLB jobs and the extra money overall that would be brought in by the expanded markets. 1981 would also be the final season of the original four league setup of MLB, as the expansion would change each association from two leagues of 12 teams each into four divisions with seven apiece. Although the new division titles would be valuable, each team wanted to be the final league champion. Hartford was the final Eastern League leader and had the National Association’s top record at 100-62. This snapped a 14-year playoff drought for the traditionally solid Huskies, who finished first 12 times in the EL’s 81 years. In a tight Midwest League, Minneapolis finished first at 93-69, beating Kansas City by one game and Louisville by two. Although the Moose had had wild cards and even a World Series berth more recently, it was their first ML title since 1945. Toronto was second in the EL at 94-68 and got the first wild card. Montreal and Kansas City both at 92-70 got the next spots. The Timberwolves snapped an eight year playoff drought, while the Maples got their third straight berth and the Cougars their seventh in nine years. For the final wild card spot, Louisville and Washington tied at 91-71, while New York was one back at 90-72 with Boston and Brooklyn 89-73 and Detroit 87-75. The Admirals beat the Lynx in the one-game playoff, snapping a 13-year playoff drought in DC. Last year’s National Association champ Chicago completely imploded with the second worst record in the NA at 61-101. National Association MVP went to Toronto LF Nelvin Oyola. A third-year graduate of Purdue, the Morelia, Mexico native was the leader in home runs (46), OBP (.413), slugging (.671), OPS (1.084), wRC+ (216), and WAR (9.6). Hartford’s Dorian Ferrer was the Pitcher of the Year. The 26-year old righty nicknamed “Clapper” was the ERA leader at 2.24 and had the most quality starts (29) and complete games (17) in the NA. Ferrer had an 18-10 record over 272.2 innings with 246 strikeouts and 6.2 WAR. In the first round, Montreal bested Kansas City 2-0 and Washington outlasted Toronto 2-1. Both wild cards would upset the league champs in round two with the Admirals edging Hartford in five games and the Maples downing Minneapolis 3-1. This sent Montreal to the National Association Championship Series for the second time in three years, while it was Washington’s first appearance since 1966. The Maples would roll the Admirals 4-1, giving Montreal its fourth NA title in ten years. It was the ninth pennant for the Maples, tying them with Philadelphia for the most. Las Vegas was not happy with missing the playoffs in 1980 after winning three American Association titles in the prior four years. The Vipers bounced back with an impressive 110-52 record, the best in MLB, to be the final Western League champion. Both Atlanta and defending World Series champion Dallas wanted the Southern League crown with the Aces edging the Dalmatians. At 103-59, Atlanta got their first SL since 1969 and second playoff berth in four years. Dallas was no slouch at 101-61, giving them their sixth playoff berth in seven seasons as the first wild card. Phoenix was second in the WL at 97-65, getting the second wild card and ending a three-year playoff drought. Behind them were both Los Angeles and Oakland at 94-68 to take the remaining two spots. The next closest contender was defending AACS runner-up Houston at 89-73, plus both San Francisco and Tampa at 88-74. The Angels earned a third straight playoff berth and the Owls ended a three-year skid. San Francisco designated hitter Joziah Perry won his third American Association MVP in four seasons. The 27-year old slugger was the leader in hits (213), home runs (55), RBI (141), total bases (421), slugging (.661), OPS (1.072), wRC+ (184), and WAR (8.6). Las Vegas’ Jonah Mors was Pitcher of the Year, also winning his third in four years. “Toro” was the leader in wins (22-6), ERA (2.36), innings (286.1), WHIP (1.02), quality starts (27), FIP- (73), and WAR (8.1). He was 17 strikeouts short of a Triple Crown season. Phoenix swept Oakland and Los Angeles upset Dallas 2-0 in the first round. Both league champs would prevail in round two with Las Vegas sweeping the Angels and Atlanta downing the Firebirds 3-1. For the Aces, it was their first American Association Championship Series since winning in 1969, while the Vipers were hoping for their fourth title in six years. Atlanta would deny the continuation of the Vegas dynasty, taking the series 4-2. It is the third AA pennant for the Aces, joining 1969 and 1927. In the 81^st World Series, Montreal was trying to get over the hump, having been the runner-up thrice in the last decade. Meanwhile, Atlanta was trying for only its second-ever MLB ring. The Maples took the series 4-2, giving Montreal its third MLB title (1949, 1951). In his 10^th season on the team, 1B Kymani Massey won World Series MVP. The 33-year old Curacaoan had 21 hits, 11 runs, 3 doubles, 4 home runs, and 11 RBI in 17 playoff starts. The Maples are the first Canadian World Series champ since Ottawa in 1965. Other notes: Oklahoma City’s Zane Yarbrough threw MLB’s 14^th Perfect Game on June 26, striking out five against Las Vegas. It had been since 1971 that MLB had a perfect game, the second longest gap in MLB history. Tampa’s Declan Belazquez had a 34-game hit streak. 3B Christopher Sollinger won his eight Gold Glove. Two-way player Khalid Scott won his eighth Sliver Slugger as a pitcher. Although MLB had gone through changes in its 81 year history, 1981 would mark the end of the original league structure with the 1982 expansion. In the Eastern League, Ottawa, Philadelphia, and Hartford each had the most first place finishes with 12 apiece. The only Midwest League team to crack double-digits was St. Louis with 11. Houston was the most dominant team with 22 Southern League titles to their name. In the Western League, San Francisco had the most with 12, followed by Los Angeles with 10. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports The Level Playing Field: Alternate MLB History From 1884-Onward Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

11-07-2023, 05:39 PM	#691
progen All Star Starter Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 1,536 Infractions: 0/1 (1)	Good read and nice detail. Fun to follow along.

11-08-2023, 05:53 PM	#693
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,729	1982 MLB Hall of Fame (Part 2) *Galt Datsko – Catcher – Jacksonville Gators – 71.2% First Ballot* Galt Datsko was a 5’10’’, 180 pound left-handed hitting catcher from Fort Myers, Florida. Datsko was an impressive contact hitter at any position, but his bat really stood out compared to most other catchers. He also had a solid pop in his bat, averaging around 30-35 doubles and 20-30 home runs per year. Datsko was terrific at avoiding strikeouts, but only okay at drawing walks, and his baserunning speed was subpar. He was a career catcher and was average at best defensively. Datsko was sometimes considered lazy, but he was still a popular player as a catcher that could hit effectively and reliably. Datsko played college baseball at Baylor and won two collegiate Silver Sluggers; one as a designated hitter and one at catcher. He was a rare catching prospect with an impressive bat and Jacksonville was enamored, picking him first overall in the 1961 MLB Draft. Datsko was a part-timer in his rookie season, but would become the full-time starter after that for the next 12 years with the Gators. He’d post eight seasons worth 5+ WAR and win nine Silver Sluggers (1963-68, 70-72). Datsko was even an MVP finalist, although he never won the top award. He took third in 1965 voting, second in 1966, and second in 1967. In 1966, Datsko won a batting title at .375 and led the American Association in WAR with 8.7. He didn’t lead the AA in other seasons, but he was partially hurt by the demands of the catcher position. Datsko also played from 1964-72 for the United States in the World Baseball Championship with 90 hits, 53 runs, 22 home runs, and 55 RBI in 85 games. He was a six-time World Champion with the American team and was 1964 tournament MVP, posting 35 hits, 22 runs, 7 home runs, and 16 RBI in 22 starts. When he was drafted, Jacksonville had been coming off nine straight losing seasons, bottoming out at 49-113. The Gators were more competitive in his run, although they’d make the playoffs only thrice. The deepest run was an AACS berth in 1967 and Southern League title. Jacksonville had fallen back a bit by 1975 and decided to trade Datsko before the season to Pittsburgh for two prospects. He’d remain popular with many Gators fans and would see his #36 uniform retired. Now 33-years old, Datsko had seen his productivity drop in his prior two years with Jacksonville, although he had still been starter quality. He didn’t get a chance to do much with the Pirates, as a severely strained hip muscle cost him the second half of the season. Pittsburgh didn’t re-sign him and Datsko landed with San Francisco for 1976. He struggled though and ended up in a bench role. Datsko would retire after the season at age 35. His final stats: 2134 hits, 988 runs, 389 doubles, 294 home runs, 1067 RBI, .320/.367/.521 slash, 137 wRC+, and 71.0 WAR. As of 2037, he’s the all-time leader in average and OPS among MLB catchers and at retirement, he was second in WAR only behind Gary Nodine. However, Datsko’s overall numbers were lower than most Hall of Fame hitters, in part hurt by being a catcher but also his relatively shorter career. Catchers have often had an uphill battle in getting the look they deserve, but enough Hall of Fame voters in 1982 appreciated Datsko to give him a first ballot honor at 71.2%. Kelly “Ghost Runner” Hughes – Closer – Seattle Grizzlies – 66.1% Second Ballot Kelly Hughes was a 6’4’’, 190 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Darlington, an industrial town of around 90,000 in England’s County Durham. Hughes had mixed English and Irish heritage, although he’d make his baseball name in the United States. Hughes had outstanding stuff with a 98-100 mph terrific fastball mixed with a strong curveball. He had very good movement and solid control to go along with it. Hughes was a durable pitcher which led to his longevity, although he was viewed as a mercenary type and didn’t typically stay in one place too long. Hughes left England as a teenager and his strong arm earned him a college spot for Toledo. While there, he also began pitching in the World Baseball Championship, where he made 55 appearances from 1958-77. With his dual nationality, Hughes bounced between playing for England and playing for Ireland. Although a reliever as a pro, he made many starts in the WBC, posting a total 3.06 ERA over 311.1 innings with 495 strikeouts and 9.8 WAR. His early debut on the world stage and success with the Rockets got him some draft attention, although he would ultimately be a fourth round pick. Seattle selected Hughes 161^st overall in 1958’s MLB Draft. His first run with the Grizzlies only lasted three seasons, although he took over the closer role in the second and third seasons. Hughes would be traded straight up before the 1962 season to Oklahoma City for starting pitcher Bruce Hwang. He’d take second in 1962 Reliever of the Year voting, then win the award for the first time in 1964. OKC made it to the 1963 World Series and Hughes picked up five saves in the postseason run over 15.2 innings. In total in four seasons with Oklahoma City, Hughes had a 1.89 ERA, 101 saves, 257.2 innings 320 strikeouts, and 13.7 WAR. Hughes entered free agency after the 1965 season and at age 28, signed with Washington. He’d be a Reliever of the Year finalist in both of his seasons with the Admirals, taking third in 1966 and second in 1967. 1967 saw a career-best 39 saves, the only team he led in saves. Hughes had another five postseason saves as Washington got to the 1966 World Series He had 73 saves, a 1.62 ERA, 190 strikeouts, 7.3 WAR, and 149.2 innings with the Admirals. Hughes signed for 1968 with Oakland, but was barely used despite being healthy. He left for Charlotte in 1969, but was again barely used and eventually was traded to Atlanta in the summer. Hughes hardly saw the field with the Aces, but did earn a World Series ring with them for being rostered. He went back to Charlotte in 1970 and got a bit more use, but he would ultimately toss only 63 innings over the three year stretch. Charlotte traded Hughes to Seattle for prospects before the 1971 season and in his return to the Puget Sound, he emerged as a closer again. He’d spent five seasons back in a prominent role and win his second Reliever of the Year award in 1971. The Grizzlies even made two AACS appearances during his return, which endeared himself enough to earn his #22 uniform’s eventual retirement. Between the two Seattle runs, Hughes had a 2.44 ERA, 179 saves, 490.2 innings, 561 strikeouts, and 23.3 WAR. He also finished with 15 career postseason saves between his various stops with a 2.56 ERA over 63.1 innings and 2.2 WAR. Hughes’ production dropped to below average in his final season with Seattle and he was released at age 38. His MLB career was done, but he’d find work for part of the season in 1976 as the closer for New Caledonia of the Oceania Baseball Association. Hughes went back to the Western Hemisphere and signed with CABA’s Hermosillo, but he’d only pitch 7.1 innings with the Hyenas. He’d opt to retire after the 1977 campaign at age 40. Hughes final MLB stats: 2.20 ERA, 359 saves, 961 innings, 1136 strikeouts to 273 walks, 411 shutdowns, FIP- of 50, and 45.9 WAR. He was eighth in saves at retirement and sixth among relievers in career WAR. Hughes wasn’t as dominant or as flashy as some others, but his stats were comparable to other inductees out of the bullpen. Hughes missed induction by the slimmest margin in his first ballot at 65.9%. On try #2, he was only 0.2% better, but that was enough to get him across the line and into the Hall of Fame. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports The Level Playing Field: Alternate MLB History From 1884-Onward Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

11-09-2023, 03:54 AM	#694
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,729	1982 CABA Hall of Fame Pitcher Elvys Melo was the lone inductee for the Central American Baseball Association’s Hall of Fame from the 1982 voting. Four others were above 50%, led by RF Juan Jose at 60.5% on his eighth attempt, his highest effort so far. CF Santiago Perez got 55.7% on his fifth attempt, C Sebastian Gonzalez was at 53.4% for his fourth and LF Michael Parrish received 51.0% on his ninth. Dropped after ten ballots was catcher Hector Santana, who had an 18 year career with Tijuana as his primary team. He peaked at 51.5% on his debut ballot and typically hovered in the 40% range, finishing at 43.9%. Santana had 1998 hits, 871 runs, 228 home runs, 910 RBI, .257/.295/.407 slash and 61.3 WAR. He twice won the Gold Glove, but never won any hitting awards and had the low totals that come with the position. A lack of postseason accolades hurt him too, banishing Santana to the Hall of Very Good. Elvys Melo – Starting Pitcher – Jamaica Jazz – 95.3% First Ballot Elvys Melo was a 6’0’’, 185 pound right-handed pitcher from the capital of Puerto Rico, San Juan. Melo was known for having excellent stuff with solid movement and an extreme groundball tendency. He had peak 97-99 mph velocity with an excellent sinker, mixed with a terrific curveball, great knuckle curve, and okay changeup. Melo’s main drawback was having often subpar control, but his stuff was stellar enough to bail him out of trouble. He was a very durable pitcher who rarely missed starts, although he didn’t go as deep into games as many of his contemporaries. Melo was picked 16^th overall in the 1963 CABA Draft by Jamaica and became a full-time starter immediately, taking third in Rookie of the Year voting. He spent nine seasons with the Jazz with 225+ innings each year with 4+ WAR in each season. Melo was rarely dominant or a league leader, but he did top the Caribbean League in ERA in 1969 and strikeouts in 1971 with the Jazz. He also pitched in the World Baseball Championship for Puerto Rico in seven different editions of the event, posting a 3.00 ERA over 105 innings with 133 strikeouts. Melo was never a Pitcher of the Year finalist with Jamaica, but he played a notable role as the Jazz had a near dynasty run from 1966-68. They won the Island Division each year and took the CABA Championship in 1966 and 1968. In the playoffs, Melo had a 2.97 ERA over 57.2 innings with a 5-2 record and 62 strikeouts. In total with Jamaica, he had a 137-98 record, 2.87 ERA, 2142 innings, 2432 strikeouts, and 48.7 WAR. The Jazz would also retire his #38 uniform at the end of his career. At age 32, Melo became a free agent for the first time and would sign a five-year, $1,200,000 deal with Leon. He ultimately pitched four seasons with the Lions and was third in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1974 and 1975. Melo had a Mexican League and career-best 2.00 ERA in 1974 and 312 strikeouts in 1976. Leon made the playoffs three times in his tenure, although he missed the 1974 postseason to injury. His final start was a postseason defeat to Torreon where he allowed six runs (five earned) in 7.2 innings. Leon voided the last year of his contract and to the surprise of many, Melo decided to retire at age 36. With Leon, he had a 64-34 record, 2.63 ERA, 1117 strikeouts, and 20.2 WAR. Melo’s final stats: 201-132 record, 2.79 ERA, 3096.1 innings, 3549 strikeouts, 948 walks, 298/408 quality starts, FIP- of 81 and 68.9 WAR. He was almost quietly good, as he wasn’t typically viewed as a top five pitcher in CABA during his run. His resume though certainly matched up well with many other Hall of Famers and he was still good in his last season, leading some to speculate what his accumulations might have been with a few more years. This was all enough to make Melo the lone member of the 1982 CABA Hall of Fame class, a firm addition at 95.3% on the first ballot. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports The Level Playing Field: Alternate MLB History From 1884-Onward Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

11-10-2023, 03:56 AM	#695
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,729	1982 EAB Hall of Fame Two players picked up first ballot inductions for East Asia Baseball’s 1982 Hall of Fame class. Pitcher Sang-Hun Joon and two-way player Totaro Uchiyama both were voted in easily with Joon at 98.9% and Uchiyama at 92.9%. Another SP, Tokutomi Ohashi, only narrowly missed the 66% cut with 64.6% on his second ballot. 1B Min-Su Namkoong also came close with 62.5% for his debut. There were no players dropped after ten ballots in the 1982 voting. Sang-Hun Joon – Starting Pitcher - Pyongyang Pythons – 98.9% First Ballot Sang-Hun Joon was a 6’5’’, 205 pound right-handed pitcher from Pyoktong, a county of around 35,000 in northwestern North Korea. Joon would become best known for his ironman durability and stamina, posting 250+ innings in 17 different seasons and leading the Korea League five times in both innings and complete games. Especially later in his career, Joon had excellent control as well. His stuff was solid with 96-98 mph peak velocity, although his movement was subpar. Joon’s resume was fastball, curveball, forkball, splitter, and circle change. Despite his longevity, he was criticized by some for a lack of work ethic and intelligence. Joon was noticed coming out of high school in North Korea and was picked 17^th overall by Pyongyang in the 1954 East Asia Baseball Draft. He’d make his debut with four starts in 1956, then become a full member of the rotation midway through 1957. Joon would make 30+ appearances in every season for the next two decades, all with the Pythons. His production was spotty in his earliest years, as his lack of movement made him prone to allow home runs. Joon would lead in homers allowed in eight different seasons. However, he’d hone his control and improve his strikeout game, ultimately posting the Korea League’s best K/BB in seven different seasons. Joon led in wins three times and strikeouts five times. He never was the WARlord and consistently posted around 4-5 per season, twice tossing 7+. Joon had nine straight seasons with 300+ Ks, peaking with 353 in 1965. Despite his longevity, Joon never won Pitcher of the Year. He was a finalist three times, taking third in 1961 and 1965, as well as second in 1967. Joon would give you remarkably reliable numbers and innings though, playing a notable role in what would become a dynasty run for Pyongyang. The Pythons in the 1960s had nine straight postseason appearances. They’d win the Korea League title seven times and six times win the East Asian Championship, taking it all in 1961, 62, 65, 66, 67, and 68. Joon remained steady with his postseason stats looking similar to his regular season ones. He’d post a 3.46 ERA over 200.1 playoff innings with 221 strikeouts and 3.2 WAR. Nothing dominant, but steady. Joon also pitched for North Korea’s national team from 1958-76 in the World Baseball Championship. He was less successful in the WBC with a 4.63 ERA over 177 innings, 197 strikeouts, and 0.7 WAR. Joon continued his reliable production through his 30s, only finally slowing down with a weak 1976 at age 40, his final season. With his longevity, he climbed up many of the all-time leaderboards. In 1973, he became the first EAB pitcher to 300 career wins and the first to 5000 strikeouts. He also became the second to 5000 innings and the second to 300 complete games. Joon’s final stats saw a 346-222 record, 3.51 ERA, 5346.2 innings, 5694 strikeouts to 627 walks, 9.1 K/BB, 364/636 quality starts, 302 complete games, FIP- of 94, and 85.7 WAR. As of 2037, he’s EAB’s all-time leader in wins, innings, strikeouts, and home runs allowed (761). At induction, he had the fifth most wins of any professional pitcher and the fourth most strikeouts. However, as of 2037, he’s the only pitcher in baseball history to have allowed 700+ home runs in a career. Mainly from that, his advanced stats are unremarkable with an ERA+ of 106 and FIP- of 94, more suggestive of merely being above average. His 3.51 ERA is also the worst among EAB Hall of Famers at induction and as a result, Joon’s name isn’t brought up in the all-time conversations with the other guys with similar big totals. He’s a hard one to rank, but his totals and role in the Pyongyang dynasty still make Joon an obvious first ballot pick at 98.9%. Totaro Uchiyama – Starting Pitcher/Third Base – Hiroshima Hammerheads – 92.9% First Ballot Totaro Uchiyama was a 5’11’’, 205 pound right-handed pitcher and third baseman from Sakai, an important seaport of more than 800,000 people in Japan’s Osaka prefecture. Uchiyama was a two-way player who at his best could be fairly considered both a top five level pitcher and top five batter. On the mound, he wasn’t amazing at anything, but firmly solid across the board. He had 95-97 mph peak velocity and three great pitchers; a fastball, slider, and changeup. At the plate, he was similarly viewed as not outstanding at any one thing, but generally average to above average at most facets of hitting. He had a nice pop in his bat with six 20+ home run seasons despite fewer at bats than the typical full-time position player. Uchiyama was also a very quick and savvy baserunner who typically played in the field at third base, although he sometimes was in the outfielder. He was an above average defender at third, but considered excellent defending the mound. Uchiyama won seven Gold Gloves in his career, all for his pitching defense. On top of that, he was a team captain, great leader, and hard worker, making him one of the most endearing players of the era. Uchiyama attended Josai International University in Togane and was only a pitcher in his one college season. It was enough to earn the fourth overall pick by Hiroshima in the 1962 East Asia Baseball Draft. He’d spend his entire career with the Hammerheads and debuted in 1963, although he was terrible on the mound as a rookie and below average at the plate. The investment paid off in year two at the plate, as he had 8.1 WAR with 37 home runs in 131 games. Uchiyama was merely average on the mound this season, but it got the attention of the Japanese baseball world. Uchiyama began to find his rhythm on the mound more in later years. He had six seasons worth 5+ pitching WAR and three worth 5+ at the plate. He never hit enough for any batting leaderboard appearances and rarely was on the pitching ones either. He’d win Gold Glove seven times as a pitcher (65-69, 72, 74) and Silver Slugger 11 times (64-72, 73, 75). Uchiyama did lead Japan in ERA in 1966 while also leading in innings pitched twice. The 2.23 ERA and 7.0 WAR in 1966 earned him Pitcher of the Year and a second place in MVP voting. In 1968, Uchiyama won both PotY and MVP in an all-time great season. On the mound, he posted 6.4 WAR with 26 quality starts and a 2.23 ERA. At the plate, he had 7.0 WAR, a .302 average, and 30 home runs. This season was also notable as it was Hiroshima’s third Japan League title and the start of a dynasty. The Hammerheads would take the Japan League title in 68, 69, 70, and 71. In the latter three seasons, they won the East Asian Championship as well. As a pitcher Uchiyama had a 2.91 ERA and 8-6 over 123.2 playoff innings with 96 strikeouts and 1.8 WAR. As a hitter, he had 48 games with 42 hits, 32 runs, 6 home runs, 12 RBI, 10 stolen bases, and 1.6 WAR. Hiroshima would have to rebuild after their 1972 title, in part because Uchiyama had age catch up to him. The 32-year old saw his 1973 derailed early by a torn labrum, which he was never quite the same from. He did bounce back with a good pitching season in 1974, but his batting numbers were subpar that year. Uchiyama wasn’t used as much as a hitter in his final two seasons and more arm troubles limited his pitching success. In July 1976, he underwent radial nerve decompression surgery in his pitching elbow, effectively ending his career at age 36. As a pitcher, Uchiyama’s final stats saw a 181-147 record, 3.18 ERA, 3034 innings, 2740 strikeouts to 637 walks, 231/407 quality starts, 102 complete games, a FIP- of 88, and 56.7 WAR. At the plate, he had 1333 hits, 770 runs, 189 doubles, 229 home runs, 609 RBI, 474 stolen bases, a .265/.321/.465 slash, wRC+ of 129, and 50.0 WAR. As just a pitcher, he’d probably be a borderline case and he wouldn’t have the tallies as a hitter. But Uchiyama put up 100+ WAR between the roles with a lot of accolades and a critical role in a dynasty run for Hiroshima. The Hammerheads retired his #20 uniform and the Hall of Fame voters put him in at 92.9% on the first ballot. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports The Level Playing Field: Alternate MLB History From 1884-Onward Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

11-10-2023, 05:54 PM	#696
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,729	1982 BSA Hall of Fame Two-way player Lewis Miranda was the only player elected as part of the 1982 Beisbol Sudamerica Hall of Fame class. Miranda only barely got in with 67.9% on his second ballot. Five others were above 50% with SP Franklin Flor at 62.6% on his fifth try, SP Raimundo Rodriquez at 62.0% on his tenth and final attempt, 1B Ryan Azambuja at 58.6% for his seventh ballot, closer Jaguare Maia at 53.9% in his eighth ballot, and SP Manuel Gonzalez at 51.4 for try #2. For Rodriquez, 62.0% was tantalizingly close, but just short. He had been at 39.6% the prior year and typically was in the 40% range. In 16 years primarily with Guayaquil, Rodriquez had two Gold Gloves along with a 214-182 record, 3.03 ERA, 3695 strikeouts in 3552 innings, and 81.1 WAR. He also won a title with the Golds in 1955, but without big playoff numbers or major accolades, Rodriquez never got over the hump despite good totals. Lewis Miranda – Pitcher/First Baseman – Buenos Aires Atlantics – 67.9% Second Ballot Lewis Miranda was a 6’1’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher and first baseman from Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was a two-way player who as a pitcher was known for excellent control, good movement, and above average stuff. His velocity peaked in the 94-96 mph range with a mix of slider, curveball, changeup, and cutter. At the plate, Miranda had an excellent eye for drawing walks, although his strikeout rate was still weaker than you’d expect. He was a solid contact hitter with good home run power, averaging around 20-25 home run runs per year when healthy. Miranda was a very slow baserunner and made basically all of his non-pitching starts at first base. Defensively, he was delightfully average. Most thought Miranda was a better pitcher than hitter, although his hitting career would last longer thanks to later injuries. Miranda’s two-way efforts got attention and his hometown team Buenos Aires in particular took notice. The Atlantics picked Miranda 26^th overall in the 1960 Beisbol Sudamerica Draft. He saw limited action in his first season, then was a part-time starter in year two. By 1963, Miranda was a full-time starting pitcher with his offensive use varying a bit. On the mound, Miranda had six seasons worth 5+ WAR with another two added at the plate. He’d win seven Silver Sluggers for easily being the top hitting pitcher in Liga Cono Sur (1964, 65, 66, 68, 69, 70, 71). In 1963, Buenos Aires won Copa Sudamerica with Miranda making three starts on the mound with a 2.35 ERA over 23 innings. This would be his only playoff experience for his entire career despite his success. The Atlantics would often be just short of winning the South Division and Miranda’s Buenos Aires run ended right before they found sustained success in the later 1970s. He did to play on the world state for Argentina in the World Baseball Championship. He pitched from 1964-72 and hit from 1964-79. On the mound, Miranda had a 2.93 ERA, 7-8 record, 116.2 innings, and 110 strikeouts with 2.6 WAR. At the plate he had 76 games, 63 hits, 41 runs, 25 home runs, 5 RBI, and 3.8 WAR. Miranda twice won MVP. In 1964, he had 8.3 WAR on the mound with a 2.58 ERA, 20-9 record, and 274 strikeouts, while adding 5.3 WAR, 27 home runs, and a .311 batting average. In 1968, he won it again with a career-best 1.78 ERA and 23-8 record, 284 strikeouts over 272.1 innings, and 8.3 WAR pitching along with 4.8 WAR at the plate. Miranda never won Pitcher of the Year, but did take second in 1968 and saw a no-hitter with 10 strikeouts and one walk against Fortaleza. He also was third in 1969’s MVP voting. When healthy, he was one of the most valuable players in South American baseball. Unfortunately, injuries took their toll throughout his career. 1967 saw shoulder inflammation to put him out in the second half. In 1970, bone chips in his elbow required surgery. In 1972, it was ulnar nerve entrapment costing him 1972. Miranda missed almost all of 1973 between a torn labrum and shoulder inflammation. The big one came in September 1974 with a torn rotator cuff, which put him out 13 months. This would ultimately mark the end of both his Buenos Aires career and his pitching career. Miranda would remain a popular figure with fans as a hometown hero and would see his #44 uniform retired. With the rotator cuff tear, Buenos Aries released Miranda and the 36-year old’s baseball career was in serious jeopardy. His arm was wrecked, but Miranda felt he could still hit. In late 1975, MLB’s Nashville signed him, but he never took the field with the Knights. In 1976, Jacksonville would give him a shot. He be a full time starter at first base and was a solid starter, proving he still had value. Miranda signed with Memphis for 1977, then spent 1978-80 with Omaha. He was solid in his first three MLB seasons, although he dropped below league average in 1979 and was a bench piece by the end, retiring with the Hawks after the 1980 season at age 42. For his MLB career, he made 621 starts with 599 hits, 325 runs, 89 home runs, 326 RBI, a .255/.340/.413 slash, and 9.2 WAR. It was his Buenos Aires run that he was judged on for Beisbol Sudamerica Hall of Fame candidacy. On the mound, he had a 145-108 record, 2.71 ERA, 2380.2 innings, 2221 strikeouts, 217/310 quality starts, an 83 FIP-, and 51.0 WAR. At the plate, he had 1040 hits, 503 runs, 158 doubles, 192 home runs, 525 RBI, a .285/.359/.498 slash, 160 wRC+, and 33.6 WAR. Miranda was a tough case for voters as the injuries kept his accumulations on both sides lower than would normally get the nod. Even the combined 87.6 WAR wasn’t a lock and in his first ballot, he only received 57.9%. With a weaker 1982 class, enough voters gave Miranda the bump to sneak across the line at 67.9% for a second ballot induction. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports The Level Playing Field: Alternate MLB History From 1884-Onward Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

11-11-2023, 04:45 AM	#697
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,729	1982 EBF Hall of Fame The 1982 voting for the European Baseball Federation Hall of Fame didn’t have any strong newcomers with the highest first ballot option getting 24.4%. It was almost an empty class, but closer Ringo Barros managed to barely cross the 66% threshold, receiving a fifth ballot induction at 66.3%. RF Paul Schlacher was close on his fifth try, but short at 64.3%. Only one other was above 50% with SP Pedro Varela at 55.3% on his ninth ballot. No one was dropped after ten ballots. Ringo Barros – Closer – Dublin Dinos – 66.3% Fifth Ballot Ringo Barros was a 5’11’’, 200 pound right handed closer from the capital of Portugal, Lisbon. He’d be the first Portuguese Hall of Famer, known for having great stuff along with average control and movement. Barros had a 95-97 mph fastball, but he mixed it expertly with a stellar 10/10 curveball. He was a durable and reliable reliever who was also praised for his loyalty. Barros also was considered a pretty good defensive pitcher. He was spotted as a teenage amateur by a scout from London and signed in 1954 to their academy. Barros spent three years developing with the Monarchs, but he’d never play a game for them. In the summer of 1957, the then 20-year old was traded with another prospect to Dublin for SS Luke Linnane. Barros would go onto play all of his EBF games with the Dinos with an impressive 15 year tenure. Barros debuted in 1958, but was primarily an unremarkable middle relief type guy for his first five seasons. He actually got more attention initially playing for Portugal in the World Baseball Championship. Barros tossed 141 innings from 1959-76 in the WBC with a 3.38 ERA, 141 innings, 211 strikeouts, and 2.7 WAR. In 1962, he won Best Pitcher award with 11 scoreless innings and 19 strikeouts. 1962 also saw a 1.47 ERA in 43 innings for Dublin and a 1.12 ERA in the postseason, helping the Dinos win the European Championship. Barros was moved to the closer role in 1963 and would hold that spot in nine of the next ten seasons. He led the Northern Conference in saves with 42 in 1967 and 40 in 1969. In 1970, Barros earned his lone Reliever of the Year with a career high 117 strikeouts in 80.2 innings. He finished second in 1963, third in 1965, second in 1967, and second in 1969. Dublin would make it to the European Championship again in 1967 and 68, winning the title in 1967. For his playoff career, Barros had a 3.78 ERA over 33.1 innings with 49 strikeouts, but a negative -0.3 WAR. Still, his longevity earned him a lot of respect and his #31 uniform would be retired at the end of his career. Barros struggled in his last year in Dublin with a 4.15 ERA and -1.0 WAR. The Dinos let the 36-year old go, but he’d still find work with middling results. Barros signed with CABA’s Mexicali in 1973 on a two-year deal. The Maroons traded him to Guadalajara for the 1974 season. After that, he spent his final two seasons in Australia with Adelaide. Although he wasn’t used in the final, Barros received a ring as the Aardvarks were 1976 Oceania Champions. He’d retire at age 40 after the 1976 season. Barros final EBF stats were all with Dublin with 313 saves and 406 shutdowns, 2.52 ERA, 943.2 innings, 1206 strikeouts to 269 walks, a FIP- of 77, and 20.5 WAR. He was the fourth EBF closer to 300 saves, although the advanced stats had him as less dominant than other Hall of Fame relievers around the world. His 20.5 WAR total is the lowest of any EBF Hall of Famer as of 2037, but his tenure with one squad and multiple rings helped his candidacy. Barros saw 38.1%, 34.0%, 50.8%, and 43.2% in his first four ballots, leading most observes to think he’d miss the cut. But with a very weak 1982 field, enough came around on Barros to put him in just narrowly as a fifth ballot Hall of Famer at 66.2%. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports The Level Playing Field: Alternate MLB History From 1884-Onward Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

11-11-2023, 11:38 AM	#698
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,729	1982 EPB Hall of Fame There were three first ballot additions in 1982 to the Eurasian Professional Baseball Hall of Fame, each getting in the 80% range. At the top was SP Sebastian Weiss at 87.6%, followed by fellow SP Vladimir Hora at 85.1% and 1B Zina Gigolashvili at 82.6%. SP Eryk Wozniak almost joined them on his fourth ballot, but his 62.4% just missed the 66% cut. Closer Joachim Kohut had 58.7% on his second try and SP Artyom Rudasev received 52.5% for his fourth attempt. Dropped after ten failed attempts was SP Inal Brezhnev, who had a 15 year career between Minsk and Budapest. He was as high at 60.1% on his second ballot and as low as 15.8% on his ninth, ending in the middle at 32.9%. Brezhnev had a 182-111 record, 2.61 ERA, 2693 strikeouts in 2760.1 innings, and 83.1 WAR. Impressive totals and he won two rings with the Miners, but the lack of major awards ultimately kept him looking from the outside. Sebastian Weiss – Pitcher – Bratislava Blue Falcons – 87.6% First Ballot Sebastian Weiss was a 5’8’’, 180 pound right handed pitcher from Waldsassen, a town of around 6,000 people in the southeastern German state Bavaria. Weiss was known for having stellar movement, great control, and respectable stuff. His most deadly pitch was a cut fastball with 98-100 mph peak velocity, mixed with a great changeup and an okay curveball, leading to an extreme groundball tendency. Weiss was viewed as very durable and reliable in the front end of his career. Weiss was drafted 99^th overall in the first Eurasian Professional Baseball rookie draft in 1955. This was the first pick in the fourth round, belonging to Bratislava. Weiss debuted and split time between the rotation and bullpen as a rookie, struggling with a terrible 5.61 ERA. He’d find his rhythm the next year and be a full time starter for the rest of his time as a Blue Falcon. Weiss had seven straight seasons with 5+ WAR, although he wasn’t a statistical leader and didn’t get much attention as Bratislava was a bottom tier team. He did have an impressive 1963 that saw a no-hitter on April 7 against Prague, followed by a perfect game on June 24 versus Kazan. Weiss joins a very small group of players in any pro league with multiple no-hitters in a season. His perfecto was the eighth in EPB history. Weiss also pitched for Germany in the World Baseball Championship from 1958-76. Primarily as a reliever, he had a 2.02 ERA over 84.2 innings with 115 strikeouts and 3.1 WAR. For his Bratislava tenure, Weiss had a 132-118 record, 2.97 ERA, 2199.1 innings, 1988 strikeouts, and 53.8 WAR. As one of the only redeeming things from that era of Blue Falcons baseball, his #41 uniform would later get retired. Still struggling and not expecting to get a long-term deal from Weiss, Bratislava traded him before the 1965 season to Minsk. The Miners had won the European League the prior year and had been a consistent contender since EPB had started. Weiss’ debut season with Minsk would see career bests in wins (23-5) and ERA (2.12), earning him his lone Pitcher of the Year. He also had a 2.16 ERA over 13 playoff starts in his Miners tenure with 81 strikeouts in 100 innings, helping Minsk to the Soviet Series title in 1966 and 1969. The third no-hitter of his career came on August 10, 1969 against Warsaw. Weiss had a career best 9.1 WAR as well in 1968 at age 34. In total with Minsk, Weiss had a 92-49 record, 2.36 ERA, 1278 innings, 1291 strikeouts, and 39.1 WAR. After being quite durable for much of his career, Weiss suffered a torn labrum in April 1970, putting him out 10 months. Minsk let him go, but the now 37-year old found a home for 1971 in Yekaterinburg. Weiss made 17 starts, but was used more as a reliever with iffy results. He’d be a reliever for the rest of his career with limited action and success. Minsk re-signed him for 1972, followed by Asgabat for 1973-74. Weiss tore his UCL in May 1974, but was determined to come back. In 1975, he briefly pitched with Ufa before getting traded to finish the year back with Minsk. Weiss returned to the Alphas in 1976, but was traded and ended the season and his career with Tbilisi, retiring at age 42. The final stats for Weiss: 236-190 record, 85 saves, 2.80 ERA, 3727 innings, 3534 strikeouts to 633 walks, 328/463 quality starts, FIP- of 74, and 95.8 WAR. He quietly put together very strong totals despite rarely being in consideration as the top pitcher in the league. The Minsk run helped get him some attention and playing a solid role in their late 1960s title runs certainly helped with many voters. Weiss picked up the first ballot induction with 87.6%. Vladimir Hora – Starting Pitcher – Yekaterinburg Yaks – 85.1% First Ballot Vladimir Hora was a 6’0’’, 190 pound right-handed pitcher from Sedlcany, a town of around 7,000 people in the Central Bohemian region of the Czech Republic. Hora was known for having incredible movement on his pitches, mixed with solid control and above average stuff. His velocity peaked in the 95-97 mph range with a five-pitch arsenal of curveball, screwball, forkball, changeup, and cutter. Not only were screwballs and forkballs fairly rare on their own, but almost never did a pitch throw both and did so as effectively as Hora, who was a master at drawing groundballs. He also loved going deep into games with excellent stamina. Hora was spotted as a teenage amateur by a scout for Yekaterinburg. He signed in 1955 with the Yaks and developed for many years in their academy, finally making his debut in 1962 at age 23. Hora was iffy as a starter in his rookie year, but improved and settled into the ace role for Yekaterinburg over the next decade. From 1965-71, he had seven straight seasons worth 8+ WAR and led the Asian League in WAR four different times. In 1965, Hora won Pitcher of the Year for the first time, leading in wins (25-11) and innings (304.1) with 28 complete games. He’d finish second in voting in 1968, then win the award for the second time in 1971 with career bests in ERA (1.90), strikeouts (358), and WAR (12.7). Hora also was second in MVP voting in 1971. During this run, he also pitched for the Czech National Team in the World Baseball Championship. From 1962-76, he had 170 innings with a 3.76 ERA, 183 strikeouts, and 4.6 WAR. Yekaterinburg was a contender during Hora’s best years, making the playoffs nine straight years from 1964-72. The Yaks won the Asian League title in 1968 and 1970 and took home the Soviet Series title in 1970. In the playoffs, Hora had a 6-7 record, 2.99 ERA, 141.2 innings, 157 strikeouts, and 4.0 WAR. He signed a big four-year, $852,000 contract extension before the 1971 season as the Yaks expected more great things into the 1970s. However, things would start to go south for Yekaterinburg with a playoff drought from 1973-84. Hora had his first major setback in April 1972 as shoulder inflammation knocked him out almost the entire season. He bounced back in 1973 at age 34 with a full respectable season, although it was notably weaker than his previously high standard. In May 1974, a torn flexor tendon ended his season and ultimately his time with Yekaterinburg. In total with the Yaks, Hora had a 213-128 record, 2.67 ERA, 3129.2 innings, 3194 strikeouts, and 84.8 WAR. A few years later, the Yaks retired his #10 uniform. Hora wasn’t ready to call it quits at age 36, but Yekaterinburg let him go. He signed for 1975 with Moscow on a three-year, $626,000 deal with the defending EPB champion Mules hoping he’d return to form. He missed two months and the playoff run to various injuries, but gave Moscow some decent innings in 1975 en route to a Soviet Series title. Hora could rarely crack the lineup and mostly saw relief in 1976 with poor results and he retired after the season at age 38. Hora’s final stats: 223-142 record, 2.73 ERA, 3383.1 innings, 3427 strikeouts to 663 walks, 280/396 quality starts, 226 complete games, and 86.2 WAR. Like his Hall of Fame classmate Sebastian Weiss, Hora almost quietly put together an excellent resume, although he did get more attention thanks to his great run with Yekaterinburg. This earned the first ballot induction for Hora with 85.1% of the vote. Zina Gigolashvili – First Baseman – Tbilisi Trains – 82.6% First Ballot Zina Gigolashvili was a 6’0’’, 205 pound left-handed first baseman from Ozurgeti, a town of around 14,000 people in western Georgia. He was a prolific home run hitter who smacked 40+ in 12 different seasons and 50+ thrice. Gigolashvili was also very good at drawing walks, but he did strike out a lot and was often viewed as a subpar contact hitter. He was very slow and didn’t double very often with his power often being homer-or-bust. Gigolashvili exclusively played at first base in his career and was slightly below average defensively, but not atrocious. He was also considered an ironman, playing 140+ games in all 17 of his full seasons. Gigolashvili quickly drew tons of attention as an amateur in the Caucasus region and his home country team Tbilisi took notice especially. The Trains were terrible in their first few seasons and had the #1 overall pick in the 1958 Eurasian Professional Baseball Draft, which allowed them to select Gigolashvili. He served in a bench role in his rookie season as Tbilisi didn’t want to rush him. He took over the starting job in year two and was a starter for the rest of his career. With the Trains, this would be a nine season tenure. Gigolashvili also played for Georgia in the World Baseball Championship when they qualified, which was five times. He posted 20 hits, 14 runs, 12 home runs, and 19 RBI in 28 games. Gigolashvili’s power became evident right away as he smacked 56 home runs in 1961, setting the EPB record through its first seven seasons. With the competition at first base and his other deficits, Gigolashvili would only win Silver Slugger twice; in 1962 and 1971. Being with Tbilisi also made him often overlooked in the MVP conservation. Although the Trains improved in his run, they only made the playoffs once with a first round exit in 1965. Still, Gigolashvili led the Asian League four times in home runs. In total with Tbilisi, he had 1107 hits, 697 runs, 365 home runs, 781 RBI, a .242/.311/.521 slash and 37.1 WAR. The Trains would later retire the #18 uniform for their home country favorite. Entering 1968, the 32-year old Gigolashvili had only one year left on his contract and Tbilisi seemed unlikely and unable to match his forthcoming free agent demands. The Trains traded him to Tirana for three prospects, one of which was 1990 Hall of Fame inductee Sergiu Onisie, who would be an excellent closer for Tbilisi and others. His one year with the Trojans actually had the worst homer output of his career at 34, but Gigolashvili did help Tirana to a division title. They went one-and-done and he entered free agency, inking a four-year, $560,000 deal with perennial power Minsk. Gigolashvili had four strong seasons with the Miners, but 1971 was something special. Despite being a career .236 hitter, he put it all together for a Triple Crown season with a .309/.383/.706 slash, 65 home runs, 139 RBI, and 11.1 WAR. This destroyed his home run record and stood as the EPB high mark until 1986. Gigolashvili’s 1.088 OPS was also a single season record and that stood until 1984. Unsurprisingly, this earned him his lone MVP. Minsk made the playoffs each of his four years and took the 1969 Soviet Series title. In total with the Miners, Gigolashvili had 548 hits, 345 runs, 189 home runs, 410 RBI, a .250/.329/.545 slash and 24.1 WAR. He fell back to his more typical stats the year after the Triple Crown in 1972 and became a free agent at age 37. Moscow signed him to a three-year, $664,000 deal and although he wasn’t quite as dominant, he still delivered solid power. Gigolashvili got two more rings as the Mules won it all in 1974 and 1975. He had a solid 1974 postseason with 5 home runs and 11 RBI in 15 starts. For his career, Gigolashvili’s playoff numbers were 82 games, 54 hits, 27 runs, 18 home runs, 37 RBI, and 1.3 WAR. In total in Moscow, he had 352 hits, 223 runs, 117 home runs, 255 RBI, and 10.2 WAR. Gigolashvili also became the first EPB hitter to 700 career home runs and the first to 1500 RBI in his last year with the Mules. He became a free agent again at age 40 and signed with Yekaterinburg, but age finally caught up and he struggled to a 15 home run season with the Yaks. He opted to retire after this season at age 40. Gigolashvili’s final stats: 2230 hits, 1398 runs, 279 doubles, 720 home runs, 1559 RBI, 967 walks, 2901 strikeouts, a .236/.312/.501 slash, 143 wRC+, and 76.1 WAR. Despite the prolific power, the advanced stats aren’t remarkable due to his high strikeout rate and low contact ability. Still, he retired as EPB’s home run king and still sits third all-time as of 2037. Gigolashvili was also the RBI leader at retirement and fourth in runs scored; still sitting in the top ten for both decades later. He also retired with the most strikeouts of any EPB batter and would be third among Hall of Famers as of 2037. Some voters still poo-poo’d him for his flaws, but you couldn’t leave this guy out and he earned the first ballot induction at 82.6%. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports The Level Playing Field: Alternate MLB History From 1884-Onward Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

11-12-2023, 04:48 AM	#699
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,729	1982 OBA Hall of Fame Pitcher Sakeo Rasalato was the lone inductee into the Oceania Baseball Association’s 1982 Hall of Fame class. He was a first ballot nod at 94.3%. Fellow pitcher Te Paoro Rangi barely missed the 66% threshold with 65.8% on his fifth ballot. Two others were above 50% with closer Neemia Tala’apitaga at 54.7% on his tenth ballot and RF Danny Carrott at 51.9% for his second. Tala’apitaga was dropped from the ballot with his peak at 55.3% on his eighth attempt, usually hovering between 30-50%. The right-handed Samoan began his career at age 28 and only had eight seasons, hurting his totals. Still, he had 189 saves, a 1.89 ERA, 724 strikeouts, and 21.7 WAR in that stretch with two rings and a Reliever of the Year. He needed a few more years of production though get in. A similar fate was suffered by SS Vae Afatia, also dropped after ten tries. The American Samoan peaked at 29.2% on his debut though. His OBA run was eight seasons with Perth, followed by three poor years in MLB’s Montreal. With the Penguins, he had 1000 hits, 494 runs, 180 home runs, 599 RBI, 60.1 WAR, two Gold Gloves, six Silver Sluggers, and one MVP. With a few more seasons to add the tallies, Afatia also might have gotten in, but his peak was too short to earn a real look. Sakeo Rasalato – Starting Pitcher – Guadalcanal Green Jackets – 94.3% First Ballot Sakeo Rasalato was a 5’10’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Nemby, part of Fiji’s Central Division which includes the capital Suva. Rasalato had an interesting skillset with excellent control, solid stuff, but terrible movement that led to giving up home runs. His velocity peaked at 92-94 mph, but he was excellent at changing speeds with his fastball, slider, changeup combo. Rasalato had an extreme flyball tendency, but his control was good enough to still get a lot of strikeouts. He also had terrific stamina and durability and led the Pacific League in innings pitched five straight seasons, tossing 300+ in seven seasons. The knock on him was that he was disloyal and unmotivated, which led to Rasalato bouncing around later in his career. Rasalato was picked 12^th overall by Guadalcanal in the 1963 Oceania Baseball Association Draft and would be best known for his time there. He immediately was the ace of the rotation, winning 1964 Rookie of the Year and taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting. Rasalato would led the PL in strikeouts four of the next five seasons and post three 10+ WAR seasons. In 1966, he earned a Triple Crown with a 26-8 record, 1.50 ERA, and 374 strikeouts. His 13.9 WAR was a single-season record at the time as well. Rasalato won Pitcher of the Year in both 1966 and 1967, while taking second in 1965. Guadalcanal would win the Pacific League title in 1964, 66, and 68. In 66 and 68, they were the Oceania Champions as well. Rasalato was 5-1 in the playoffs, but had an iffy 3.66 ERA over 51.2 innings with 47 strikeouts. For his Green Jackets tenure, he had a 135-89 record, 2.41 ERA, 2221 innings, 2502 strikeouts to 376 walks, and 61.4 WAR. After his stellar first four seasons, Rasalato saw his issues allowing home runs increase while his strikeout tallies fell off a bit. His final season with Guadalcnal in 1970 was statistically his weakest, although he certainly still was worthy of a rotation spot. Personality clashes and diminishing production with free agency looming meant the Green Jackets would trade Rasalato before the 1971 season, moving the 30-year old to Christchurch for prospects. He had one iffy year with the Chinooks, then signed a three-year, $504,000 deal with Sydney. Rasalato stunk with the Snakes though and was traded before the 1973 season to Samoa. He was more effective with the Sun Sox, but was limited to a more part-time role. Rasalato would earn an OBA ring with Samoa in 1973, but his OBA run would end after the 1974 season. Rasalato would play another seven seasons of pro baseball, although he’d bounce around as a spot starter and reliever mostly in Central America. He spent 1975 with Puerto Rico, then was traded for 1976 to Mexico City. Rasalato signed in 1977 with Haiti, but was moved midseason to Jamaica. He pitched for Havana in 1978, then returned to PR in 1979. Rasalato signed with Nicaragua in 1980, but was sent to the Aztecs at the deadline. In 1981, MLB’s Denver gave him a shot, but he was cut after three relief appearances. He’d finish the year in minor league Birmingham and retire at age 40. For his entire post OBA tenure, he had only 5.9 WAR over 1050.1 innings with a 4.09 ERA in CABA. For his OBA run, Rasalato had a 182-142 record, 2.62 ERA, 3155.2 innings, 3545 strikeouts to 533 walks, 292/394 quality starts, 122 complete games, FIP- of 81, and 72.5 WAR. In his first few seasons with Guadalcanal, he was historically dominant. Even with his OBA run only lasting a decade, the numbers caught the voter’s eyes. That, plus helping the Green Jackets get two rings sold most of the detractors and Rasalato was inducted on the first ballot at 94.3%. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports The Level Playing Field: Alternate MLB History From 1884-Onward Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

11-12-2023, 02:22 PM	#700
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,729	1982 APB Hall of Fame Austronesia Professional Baseball wouldn’t induct anyone into the Hall of Fame with the 1982 voting. The only guy who really got somewhat close was SP Vitorio Pinga, receiving 54.0% on his third ballot. Only three others were narrowly above 1/3s of the vote. No one was dropped after ten ballots. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports The Level Playing Field: Alternate MLB History From 1884-Onward Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)