Baseball: The World's Game - Page 61

FuzzyRussianHat · 04-30-2024, 12:37 PM

Lima’s Beisbol Sudamerica record playoff streak extended to 14 seasons in 2001. The Lobos took the top overall seed in the Bolivar League, dominating the Peru-Bolivia League at 108-54. Lima’s division title streak grew to 11 seasons. Reigning Copa Sudamerica champ Bogota was close to taking the top seed themselves, winning the Colombia-Ecuador Division at 106-56. The Bats’ own impressive playoff streak grew to six seasons. Guayaquil was second at 95-67, easily taking the wild card for their first playoff berth in a decade. The Venezuela Division was putrid with Barquisimeto taking it at 81-81. They were one game better than Caracas, ending the Colts’ six-year playoff streak. Ciudad Guayana finished three games back. The Black Cats hadn’t been a playoff team or division champ since their 1982 championship season.

Bolivar League MVP was a repeat with Guayaquil LF Hector Correa. The 28-year old Ecuadoran switch hitter led in runs (138), total bases (427), OBP (.435), slugging (.748), OPS (1.183), wRC+ (196), and WAR (10.3). Correa added 54 home runs, 127 RBI, and a .364 average. Ciudad Guayana’s Lamberto Castillo won a third straight Pitcher of the Year. The fourth-year Venezuelan lefty led in ERA (2.26), WHIP (0.91), shutouts (4), FIP- (50), and WAR (9.6). Castillo added 295 strikeouts and a 17-8 record over 223.1 innings.

Lima rolled Guayaquil with a Divisional Series sweep and Bogota bested Barquisimeto 3-1. This pitted the defending Bolivar League champ Bats against the 1997 and 1998 champ Lobos in the BLCS. The series was an all-timer, going all seven games with the finale needing 17 innings. Lima won the marathon 5-4 on a walkoff RBI single by CF Cristobal Cabezas. This gave the Lobos their sixth pennant of the playoff streak and their seventh overall.

Defending Southern Cone League champion Asuncion set a franchise record at 110-52. Although they’ve won the pennant in three of the last four seasons, this was the Archers’ first-ever 100+ win season, rolling to the South Central Division title. They allowed 506 runs, the fewest in the league by 74. The division also saw the collapse of Mendoza, who was the wild card the prior year at 97-65. The Mutants collapsed to 68-94 in 2001.

Belo Horizonte won the North Division at 99-63, ending an eight-year playoff drought. Buenos Aires took the Southeast Division at 97-65 for a third straight berth and fifth in six years. The wild card race saw a tie at 92-70 between Salvador and Montevideo, while Rosario was close at 89-73. The Storm won the tiebreaker game over the Venom, getting their first playoff berth since 1993. Recife, who had been a playoff regular the last few years, dropped to 82-80.

Asuncion’s Marc Pierleoni won his second Southern Cone League MVP. The 29-year old Uruguayan center fielder led in WAR (9.7), total bases (388), doubles (40), slugging (.651), and OPS (1.010). Pierleoni added 44 home runs, 116 RBI, and a .329 average. The Archers would have him for only one more season, as he left for MLB and a four-year, $35,600,000 deal with Edmonton.

Belo Horizonte’s Juliao Costa won Pitcher of the Year, making 27 starts and 20 relief appearances. The 25-year old Brazilian righty led in ERA (2.22), FIP- (50), and WAR (9.6). Costa pitched 243 innings with a 16-8 record, 13 saves, and 276 strikeouts.

Asuncion survived a fierce challenge from Salvador in the Divisional Series 3-2, while Belo Horizonte swept Buenos Aires. It was the Hogs’ first Southern Cone League Championship appearance since 1992, while the Archers were looking for a fourth pennant in five years. Asuncion’s reign continued, taking the title in six games over Belo Horizonte. The Archers have quickly passed a number of teams in the league in pennants despite having only one playoff appearance in their first 66 seasons as a franchise.

Despite their recent success, Asuncion still didn’t have a Copa Sudamerica ring, having lost in the 1997, 98, and 2000 finals. It was a rematch with Lima, who had beaten them in 97 and 98. The 71^st Copa Sudamerica went to the Archers 4-2 over the Lobos, making Asuncion the 25^th BSA franchise to win the Cup. Maracaibo and Montevideo are the only original teams left without a title, along with expansion squads Santa Cruz, Arequipa, and Mendoza. 1B Rafael Cervantes was finals MVP in his tenth season with the Archers. The 32-year old Paraguayan had 17 playoff starts with 22 hits, 10 runs, 5 doubles, 1 homer, and 5 RBI.

Other notes: Andres Ramirez became the sixth pitcher to 5000 career strikeouts and the fourth to 300 wins. He would pitch two more years, ending with 341 wins (third all-time) and 5406 strikeouts (fifth). He would be six wins short of the all-time 347 mark of Mohamed Ramos.

Lima set a Bolivar League record with 124 triples, which would hold until 2021. Rosario’s Matt Monaco had a 36-game hitting streak, which was the fourth longest in BSA history at that point. Milton Becker became the 10^th member of the 600 home run club. 1B D.J. Del Valle won his eighth Gold Glove. 3B Chi Chi Bergodi and LF Ulises Soliz became seven-time Gold Glove winners.

FuzzyRussianHat · 04-30-2024, 06:15 PM

Defending East Asian champion and two-time defending Japan League champ Kawasaki had the JL’s best record in 2001. The Killer Whales were 102-60, taking the Capital Division for the fourth year in a row. There was a decent drop to the #2 seed Osaka, who took the Central Division at 93-69. The Orange Sox finished three ahead of Nagoya, who won 104 the prior year, and seven better than Kobe. This ended a four-year playoff drought for Osaka.

Niigata snapped an eight-year postseason skid by winning the North Division at 90-73. The Green Dragons finished two games better than Saitama and seven ahead of Sendai. Sapporo was last at 75-87, seeing their seven-year title streak ended. The only team above .500 in a weak West Division was 83-79 Hiroshima. The Hammerheads took a third straight division crown.

Hiroshima had the Japan League MVP in LF Bit-Garam Jung. The 28-year old had 58 home runs, 132 RBI, 108 runs, a .331/.355/.684 slash, 219 wRC+, and 9.9 WAR. While a great year, he didn’t lead in any stat, upsetting Saitama slugger and 2000 MVP Koji Iwasaki for the award. Iwasaki smacked 71 home runs, one shy of Tsukasa Kato’s single-season record. He also led in OPS (1.117), wRC+ (234), and WAR (10.0).

Kawasaki’s Soo Moon repeated as Pitcher of the Year and repeated as a Triple Crown winner. The third-year righty had a 19-8 record, 2.05 ERA, and 395 strikeouts in 276.1 innings. Moon also led in WHIP (0.72), K/BB (24.7), complete games (19), FIP- (50), and WAR (11.2). He became the fourth pitcher in EAB history to earn multiple Triple Crowns.

Kawasaki beat Hiroshima 3-1 and Niigata earned a road sweep over Osaka in the first round of the playoffs. This was only the third time since joining in the 1978 expansion that the Green Dragons had been to the Japan League Championship Series, having won the 1990 and 1991 pennants. The Killer Whales weren’t going to be denied their JLCS three-peat, winning the series in five games. It is the fifth time a franchise won three straight in Japan, joining Kitakyushu (1992-94), Hiroshima (1968-70), Chiba (1961-63), and Sapporo (1949-51).

Last year’s Korea League runner-up Ulsan had the top record at 104-58 atop the South Division. The Swallows had a .507 team slugging percentage, tying 1954 Yongin for the best in KL history. Although it is Ulsan’s sixth playoff berth in eight years, it was their first division title since 1985. Yongin was a distant second in the division at 92-70, but earned the first wild card. The Gold Sox extended their playoff streak to three years with seven berths in eight years.

Incheon won the North Division at 92-70, edging Seongnam by one game. The Inferno ended a 12-year playoff drought. The Spiders ended up with the second wild card, ending a two-year playoff skid. Close behind but just short were Suwon (89-73), Seoul (88-74), Busan (87-75), and reigning KL champ Daegu (86-76). The Snappers had a five-year playoff streak snapped. The Diamondbacks had won the pennant the prior two years and saw their playoff streak ended at three seasons.

Jeonju designated hitter Soo-Geun Yim won Korea League MVP. It was his third year starting, but his first looking elite. The 22-year old lefty led in runs (127), hits (222), home runs (60), RBI (138), total bases (433), OBP (.436), and WAR (9.5). He added a 1.150 OPS, 187 wRC+, and his .366 average was eight points shy of earning a Triple Crown.

Ulsan’s Yutaka Kobayashi won his third Pitcher of the Year, having previously won in 1994 and 1995 with Kitakyushu. After 15 years with the Kodiaks, he was traded for the 2001 campaign to the Swallows. In his lone season with Ulsan, the 36-year old Kobayashi led in wins (24-3), ERA (2.15), innings (280), WHIP (1.01), quality starts (29), and WAR (8.7). He added 229 strikeouts and only 29 walks.

Ulsan ousted Seongnam 3-1 and Yongin upset Incheon 3-2 in the first round of the playoffs. The Swallows earned a repeat appearance in the Korea League Championship Series, while the Gold Sox had their first since 1997. In a seven game classic, Yongin pulled off the upset over Ulsan for their fourth pennant in eight years (1994, 95, 97). It was the seventh title overall for the Gold Sox.

The 81^st East Asian Championship went all seven games with Kawasaki out-dueling Yongin to repeat as EAB champs. This was the fourth overall title for the Killer Whales, who also won it all in 1941 and 1982. Backup CF Geon Park was finals MVP despite having played only 18 games in the regular season. In 10 playoff starts, he had 14 hits, 10 runs, 3 doubles, 4 triples, 1 homer, and 4 RBI. This ultimately was the capper for an impressive dynasty run for Kawasaki.

Other notes: Kwang-Woon Ryu and Yutaka Kobayashi both crossed 250 career wins, making it 13 EAB pitchers to have done so. Tsukasa Kato became the 32^nd slugger to 1500 RBI and Ji-Hu Kim became the 23^rd to 1500 runs scored. SS Tokuei Kato won his eighth Gold Glove. 3B Mikita Fujita and SS Hrioshige Matsunaka both won their seventh Gold Glove. 1B Byung-Tak Wie won his seventh Silver Slugger.

FuzzyRussianHat · 05-01-2024, 04:48 AM

Torreon surprised some by taking the Mexican League’s top record at 105-57 in 2001. This was a franchise record for the Tomahawks, who hadn’t made the playoffs since 1991 or won the North Division since 1987. Monterrey was close behind at 102-60, extending their CABA record playoff streak to 14 seasons with the wild card. The Matadors had to fend off a 99-63 Juarez and 93-69 Tijuana as well. Two-time defending CABA champ Ecatepec cruised to the South Division title at 100-62, 16 games better than Queretaro. The Explosion’s playoff streak grew to six and It was their eighth division title in nine years.

The Mexican League’s top awards went to players on sub .500 teams. Mexicali CF Iwan Valen won MVP with the 24-year odl Curacoan leading in WAR (12.1), hits (207), triples (37), total bases (415), slugging (.709), OPS (1.112), and wRC+ (212). Valen set the new CABA triples record, which held until 2033. He also had 35 home runs, 114 RBI, a .354 average, and won his third Gold Glove in center field.

Hermosillo’s Marc Perez won Pitcher of the Year. It was an impressive comeback, as he had missed almost all of 1999 to a radial nerve decompression surgery. The 24-year old righty led in ERA (2.18), WHIP (0.90), and quality starts (25). Perez added a 16-9 record over 243.1 innings, 282 strikeouts, and 8.1 WAR. The former #1 overall pick earned a four-year, $16,640,000 extension with the Hyenas because of this effort. Perez would look great in short bursts, but more injuries kept him from much sustained success.

Monterrey took Ecatepec to the limit in the wild card round, but the Explosion survived 3-2 to keep their three-peat hopes alive. For Torreon, they had home field in their first Mexican League Championship Series since 1987. Ecatepec’s playoff experience paid off, allowing for the win over the Tomahawks in seven games. Game seven was an 11-innning affair which the Explosion won 6-5. The Ecatepec three-peat gave them their 10^th Mexican League pennant overall.

Defending Caribbean League champion Haiti had the best record in the league at 103-59, winning the Island Division for the fifth consecutive season. Honduras and Salvador both extended their playoff streaks as well in the Continental Division. The Horsemen were first at 96-66 for their fourth straight berth and third straight division title. The Stallions ended up tied for the wild card at 91-71 with Nicaragua, but beat the Navigators in the one-game playoff. Salvador’s playoff streak grew to eight seasons. Trinidad was also in the wild card mix at 89-73.

Despite only playing 109 games because of multiple injuries, Haiti DH Alphanso Keyes won Caribbean League MVP. His 419 at-bats weren’t enough to qualify, but his .453 batting average would’ve shattered the world record. The 27-year old Bahaman had a .435/.507/.740 slash, 232 wRC+, and still led in WAR at 9.3. He added 32 home runs and 92 RBI. Ultimately, he’d only be healthy for three of Haiti’s playoff games.

His Herons teammate Sal Meza won Pitcher of the Year. The 29-year old Mexican joined Haiti the prior year on a seven-year, $20,460,000 deal after starting with Mexicali. Meza led in quality starts (22) and had a 19-10 record in 249 innings, 2.39 ERA, 292 strikeouts, and 7.3 WAR. Haiti also had Pasqual Cantu win his fourth Reliever of the Year award. The 29-year old posted a 1.13 ERA and 31 saves in 79.2 innings with 132 strikeouts and 4.5 WAR. The Herons would switch him to the starting rotation for the next five seasons.

Honduras cruised to a wild card round sweep of divisional rival Salvador, setting up a Caribbean League Championship Series rematch with Haiti. The Horsemen would fall in their fourth straight CLCS appearance. The Herons repeated as champs, taking the series in six games. This was Haiti’s fifth Caribbean League crown.

The 91^st Central American Baseball Association Championship was a highly anticipated rematch between Ecatepec and Haiti. The Explosion had a shot to be only the third franchise to three-peat as CABA champs, but the Herons got revenge. Haiti won the series 4-2 for the franchise’s second-ever overall title (1938). 2B Americo Garcia was the finals MVP, having signed with the Herons after a decade playing in South America for Santiago. In 12 playoff starts, the 33-year old Chilean had 19 hits, 10 runs, 3 extra base hits, 6 walks, and 5 stolen bases.

Other notes: Hugh Boerboom became the fourth member of the 700 home run club. He finished the season with 731, sitting fourth on the all-time list. Boerboom also became the 11^th to reach 1500 runs scored. Jacky Castillo became the 11^th member of the 600 homer club. 3B Adrian Tovar won his tenth Silver Slugger.

FuzzyRussianHat · 05-01-2024, 09:59 AM

Major League Baseball decreased the service time minimum from eight to seven years beginning with the 2001 season. It was a win for the players, who were upset when the number got bumped up to eight two decades prior. MLB had started with six years as the requirement, but had bumped it up to seven in 1967. This puts MLB in the middle amongst the requirements among the world leagues.

The National Association was quite competitive in 2001 with the top spot being very much up for grabs going into the final week. Lower Midwest Division champ St. Louis ended up getting the top mark at 98-64, their first playoff berth since 1993. The #2 seed went to Upper Midwest winner Milwaukee at 97-65. The Mustangs entered the season with MLB’s longest postseason drought at 41 years, last advancing with their 1960 pennant. Milwaukee’s drought was the third longest in MLB history behind only Oklahoma City (53 years from 1901-53) and Tampa (47 years from 1910-56). The new longest active drought belongs to both Pittsburgh and Miami at 29 seasons.

Ottawa won the Northeast Division at 96-66, falling one short of a first round bye. The Elks bounced back after missing the field last year. The East Division went to Philadelphia at 94-68, also returning after just missing the prior year. The Phillies only won their division by two games over New York, three over Baltimore, and five over Virginia Beach. Theirs was the closest divisional race, but each was competitive. Detroit was just four behind Milwaukee, Columbus was five back on St. Louis, and Boston was six behind Ottawa.

That also made for a very tight wild card race. Detroit and Columbus were both 93-69, which earned them the two spots. New York (92-70), Baltimore (91-71), Boston (90-72), and Virginia Beach (89-73) each fell just short. The Chargers ended up being the only team from the 2000 National Association playoff field to make it back in 2001. The Tigers ended their own 13-year playoff drought. Defending World Series champ Cleveland was a non-factor at 75-87. Indianapolis, Toronto, and Quebec City each went from the playoffs in 2000 to below .500 in 2001. The Yankees were the only team from the 2000 field to miss out but still post a winning record, falling one short of a wild card.

New York’s Emmanuel Kao won National Association MVP and made MLB history, becoming the new single-season home run king. The 26-year old from Togo had won three straight MVPs in West African Baseball, prompting the Yankees to give him a historic eight-year, $78,400,000 deal for the 2001 season. Kao lived up to the hype with 63 home runs, passing the old mark of 62 set in 1949 by Sebastian Lunde and 1952 by L.J. Shabazz. Kao’s reign would only last six years, but he forever earned a spot in history. He also led the NA in runs (124), RBI (146), total bases (419), slugging (.671), OPS (1.049), wRC+ (218), and WAR (9.9).

Pitcher of the Year went to second-year Cincinnati righty Grayson Whittaker. He earned the award despite only making 25 starts with 190.1 innings, as he suffered a torn rotator cuff in late July. The 22-year old Whittaker still led in ERA (1.65), WIHP (0.86), K/BB (6.0), and FIP- (46). He posted a 15-2 record, 272 strikeouts, and 8.4 WAR. On June 28, he threw MLB’s 20^th perfect game with nine strikeouts against Indianapolis. Whittaker also had a 20 strikeout game in May against Winnipeg. Sadly for Whittaker, he’d never pitch a full season again, suffering four more rotator cuff tears before he was done. His fastball was legendary, but he goes down as a great “what if?” player in MLB history.

The first round of the playoffs had Philadelphia best Columbus 2-1 and Ottawa over Detroit 2-1, sending both division winners forward. The Phillies would upset St. Louis 3-2 in the second round, while Milwaukee survived in five against the Elks. This was the first National Association Championship Series appearance since 1988 for the Phillies and the first for the Mustangs since their 1960 pennant. The NACS went to Philadelphia 4-1 for their first pennant since the great 1940s dynasty. The Phillies are now 10-time NA champs, tied with Ottawa for the most.

Reigning American Association champ Seattle repeated as having the AA’s and MLB’s best record at 108-54. The Grizzlies repeated as Northwest Division champs and extended their playoff streak to four seasons. The other bye went to Southwest Division champ Albuquerque at 101-61, which ended a six-year playoff drought for the Isotopes. San Diego was close behind at 97-65, easily grabbing the first wild card. That was the fifth playoff berth in six years for the Seals, bouncing back after an unexpected 73-win effort in 2000.

After missing out the last two years, Nashville was back atop the Southeast Division at 95-67, besting reigning division champ Atlanta by seven. The South Central Division had Austin roll to the top spot at 95-67. This was the first division title and playoff berth since 1992 for the Amigos.

In an intense battle for the second wild card, Phoenix came out on top at 89-73. The Firebirds were one ahead of Atlanta and Las Vegas, three better than Tampa, four ahead of Los Angeles and Miami, and five better than Houston and Denver. This gave Phoenix repeat wild cards. Two playoff teams from the prior year regressed hard as New Orleans dropped to 74-88 and Salt Lake City plummeted to 67-95.

Seattle 1B Bryson Wightman became a three-time American Association MVP. The 31-year old hometown hero led in hits (211), RBI (136), OPS (.996), and wRC+ (172). Wightman added 39 home runs, a .334 average, and 8.6 WAR. The Grizzlies would lock him in on another big deal just before the 2003 season for five years and $59,500,000.

Pitcher of the Year went to second-year Austin lefty Zigmund Spampinato. The second overall pick by the Amigos in the 1999 MLB Draft out of UCLA led in ERA (2.34), quality starts (28), and shutouts (8). Spampinato added a 22-8 record over 300 innings with 311 strikeouts and 10.6 WAR. He managed to beat out Daniel Grondin for the top award despite Grondin’s 12.4 WAR, which was the third-best season ever by an MLB pitcher. The fourth-year Calgary ace also had him beat in strikeouts (342) with a 19-10 record in 301 innings, but had a weaker ERA at 2.99.

Austin swept San Diego 2-0 and Nashville edged Phoenix 2-1 in the first round, sending the division winners forward. Seattle survived a five-game classic with the Amigos, while the Knights upset Albuquerque 3-1. The Grizzlies had a shot to repeat, while it was Nashville’s first American Association Championship Series since 1996. Seattle was heavily favored, but the Knights dominated and took the AACS 4-1. This ended a 47-year title drought for Nashville, who won their fourth pennant (1944, 47, 54, 01).

The 101^st World Series renewed an old playoff rivalry, although it was generations ago. During Philadelphia’s 1940s dynasty, they beat Nashville in the 1944 and 1947 World Series meetings. It was delayed revenge, but the Knights would get the better of the Phillies in six games for the 2001 title. This was Nashville’s second MLB title, as they also won in 1954 over Toronto.
1B Colin Jordan stepped up in the playoffs, winning AACS and World Series MVP. The 24-year old had 18 starts with 24 hits, 13 runs, 4 doubles, 5 homers, and 12 RBI.

Other notes: Hartford’s Aleksei Arakelyan made world history, as he is believed to be the only pitcher to throw no-hitters in back-to-back starts. On August 23, he fanned six with three walks against Wichita. Then on August 29, he had five Ks in a no-no versus Detroit. Arakelyan ended having a 54-inning scoreless streak from 8/6 to 9/8 with a 22-inning hitless streak.

Francis Saidi became the ninth MLB pitcher to 300 career wins. He would pitch two more seasons and end with 341, third all-time. Saidi would also end up with the most starts (725) and innings pitched (5757) of any MLB pitcher. San Diego’s pitching staff surrendered 270 walks and had a BB/9 of 1.66. Both of which were the second-best mark in American Association history. Mason Murat became the 53^rd member of the 3000 hit club and the 92^nd to reach 1500 runs scored. SS Matteo Canetti won his eighth Silver Slugger.

FuzzyRussianHat · 05-01-2024, 05:08 PM

Centerfielder Phil Sannes was the lone inductee into Major League Baseball’s Hall of Fame in 2002, getting a first ballot nod at 73.6%. Closer Josiah Denson wasn’t far from the 66% requirement in his debut, but fell short at 58.4%. Five other players were above 50% with CL Alex Cantos at 57.2% on his fourth ballot; SP Aiya Kodama at 54.3% for his debut, 2B Rodrigo Badillo at 54.3% in his fourth try, C Peter Wacker at 54.3% on his tenth; and 1B Roy Cote at 53.2% on his fifth.

For Wacker, 54.3% was the best he got on his ten tries, although he was never lower than 46.8%. A 21-year veteran with Boston and five other teams, he had one Silver Slugger with 2067 hits, 1121 runs, 341 doubles, 480 home runs, 1369 RBI, a .234/.302/.440 slash, 114 wRC+, and 67.1 WAR. As of 2037, he’s 15^th in WAR among catchers. The low stats common with catchers hurt him, but Wacker also lacked the big numbers even for the position. His longevity was impressive and he won World Series rings with both Boston and Ottawa. Peter Wacker also had a very popular baseball card in the era, but mainly because of the innuendo his name provided.

Also dropped after ten ballots was 1B Ethan Sinquefield, although he only peaked at 23.1% in his second ballot and ended at 6.3%. In 16 years primarily with Las Vegas, he had 2300 hits, 1271 runs, 414 doubles, 487 home runs, 1467 RBI, a .280/.345/.513 slash, 139 wRC+, and 62.7 WAR. Sinquefield was popular for helping the Vipers win two World Series titles, but he had no individual accolades and didn’t have the mammoth power numbers expected from the position.

Phil Sannes – Center Field – Phoenix Firebirds – 73.6% First Ballot

Phil Sannes was a 5’11’’, 190 pound left-handed center fielder from Santee, California; a city of around 60,000 people in San Diego County. Sannes was an excellent contact hitter with a respectable eye and a solid strikeout rate. He was also incredibly quick and considered one of the best baserunners and base stealers of his era. Sannes didn’t have prolific power, but he still had a solid pop on his bat. Over a 162 game average, he’d give you 28 home runs and around 33 doubles/triples per year.

Sannes played the vast majority of his career in center field. Despite his speed and range, he graded out as below average over the course of his career. Sannes was quite good in his younger years, winning a Gold Glove in 1980. He was rarely a liability defensively and had remarkable durability at a very physically demanding spot. Sannes played 140+ games each season from 1979-93, although he did make a notable amount of starts as a designated hitter. He became a very popular player, but he had plenty of detractors due to his outspoken nature. Sannes was always good for a compelling quote, but he also didn’t filter out his dumber hot takes. Naturally, he thrived in sports radio after retiring.

Sannes went to the other side of the country for college, playing for the University of Miami. In 145 college games as a Hurricane, he had 144 hits, 77 runs, 27 doubles, 23 home runs, 81 RBI, a .262/.334/.451 slash, 126 wRC+, and 3.9 WAR. In the 1978 MLB Draft, Sannes was picked 10^th overall by Phoenix. He was a full-time starter immediately for the Firebirds, holding that role for 12 years. Sannes would take third in Rookie of the Year voting in 1979.

Sannes’s finest years were early in his career, winning Silver Sluggers in 1980, 81, and 82. His lone Gold Glove also came in 1980. In 1982, Sannes had a career-best 8.6 WAR, finishing second in MVP voting. He played a large role in making Phoenix a regular contender in the 1980s, as they posted seven playoff berths and four Southwest Division titles in the decade. His few World Baseball Championship appearances came in these early years as well, winning world title rings with the 1981 and 1982 United States squads.

In 1982, Sannes helped Phoenix win the American Association pennant, although they lost to St. Louis in the World Series. After the 1983 campaign, the Firebirds signed him to an eight-year, $12,780,000 extension. In 1985, Phoenix would win it all, defeating Toronto in the World Series. Their other playoff appearances in the 1980s would see second round exits. Sannes wasn’t amazing in the playoffs, but not bad either. In 55 starts with Phoenix, he had 67 hits, 38 runs, 14 extra base hits, 33 RBI, 17 stolen bases, a .300/.342/.444 slash, and 115 wRC+.

Sannes would win one additional Silver Slugger in 1988 as a designated hitter. He led the AA in runs scored in both 1985 and 1988, posting 125 runs both seasons. Sannes also twice was the leader in stolen bases. As the 1990s dawned, Phoenix fell towards the mid-tier and Sannes started to weigh his options. 1991 would be his last season in the desert, becoming a free agent at age 34.

With Phoenix, Sannes had 2338 hits, 1312 runs, 331 doubles, 91 triples, 363 home runs, 1129 RBI, 609 stolen bases, a .299/.352/.503 slash, 131 wRC+, and 60.8 WAR. His efforts and popularity led to his #9 uniform eventually getting retired. Sannes would move to the mountains, signing a five-year, $10,560,000 deal with Denver.

Sannes was a steady starter in 1992 and 1993 for the Dragons, helping them to the AACS in the latter. Injuries kept him out a chunk of 1994 and 1995, but he was back for the 1995 postseason run. Sannes won his second World Series ring as Denver beat Boston in the 1995 final. In his 27 playoff starts as a Dragon, Sannes had 35 hits, 25 runs, 11 extra base hits, 9 RBI, 7 stolen bases, a .318/.380/.482 slash, and 131 wRC+.

In 1996, Sannes became the 51^st MLB member of the 3000 hit club. His production dropped in this last year for his first-ever season with a sub-100 wRC+. His contract expired, giving him a five-year total in Denver of 691 hits, 385 runs, 98 doubles, 102 home runs, 260 RBI, 144 stolen bases, a .277/.337/.462 slash, 115 wRC+, and 15.6 WAR. Sannes wanted to still sign somewhere, but no one wanted a 39-year old center fielder. He retired in the winter of 1997.

Sannes’s final stats saw 3029 hits, 1697 runs, 429 doubles, 120 triples, 465 home runs, 1389 RBI, 877 walks, 753 stolen bases, a .293/.348/.493 slash, 127 wRC+, and 76.4 WAR. He didn’t dominate the leaderboards, but having 1500+ runs, 3000+ hits, 400+ doubles, and 450+ home runs were all nice milestones. At induction, he was also 16^th all-time in stolen bases. That, plus his role in two World Series titles, was enough for many voters. Sannes still had detractors due to his outspoken nature and lack of prolific numbers, but he had enough support for a first ballot induction at 73.6%. Thus, Sannes was the lone member of MLB’s 2002 Hall of Fame class.

FuzzyRussianHat · 05-02-2024, 03:48 AM

Three first ballot inductions were made with the 2002 Central American Baseball Association’s Hall of Fame class. Each had around the same range with OF Orlando Ramos at 88.8%, SP Juan Meza at 87.1%, and pitcher Ramon Herrera at 86.8%. 3B Pedro Pizarro was the only other player above the 50% mark, getting 59.1% in his seventh ballot.

Dropped after ten ballots was 1B Yerardo Alva, who had a 16-year career between Havana, Queretaro, and Guadalajara. He won six Gold Gloves and one Silver Slugger, helping the Hurricanes win the title in 1975. His totals saw 1804 hits, 1153 runs, 275 doubles, 100 triples, 554 home runs, 1263 RBI, a .233/.297/.510 slash, 131 wRC+, and 51.0 WAR. Alva also had an abysmal 30.7% strikeout rate and at retirement, had more whiffs than any other CABA player at 2613. As of 2037, he’s still third all-time in strikeouts. That ultimately sank Alva’s HOF hopes with a peak of 26.5% in 1994 and a finish at 9.2%. He was the first CABA player to hit 550+ homers and not earn induction.

SP Martin Cordova also fell off after ten years on the ballot. His CABA run was only nine seasons between Guatemala and Puerto Rico, followed by three MLB seasons. In CABA, he had a 125-61 record, 3.04 ERA, 1771.1 innings, 1857 strikeouts, only 264 walks, 115 ERA+, 86 FIP-, and 35.7 WAR. Cordova didn’t have big awards and lacked the tenure, but it was a nice career for a guy picked in the fourth round. A damaged elbow ligament also rendered him effectively done after his age 32 season. Cordova peaked at 19.5% in 1994 and ended at 4.3%, but managed to last ten seasons on the ballot.

Orlando Ramos – Center Field – Puerto Rico Pelicans – 88.8% First Ballot

Orlando Ramos was a 6’2’’, 205 pound right-handed center fielder from San Pablo, Costa Rica; a canton of around 27,000 in the center of the country. Ramos was a good contact hitter with solid home run power and respectable gap power. He had a decent eye with a below average strikeout rate. Ramos averaged around 39 home runs per 162 games and around 28 doubles. He wouldn’t leg out extra bases very often with subpar speed and baserunning skills.

Despite slowness on the bases, Ramos was a career center fielder. He showed solid range with good defensive instincts, grading out as a solid defender in his career. Ramos was hard working and adaptable, allowing him to thrive in center. He had strong durability in his 20s, although he did have injury woes in his later years. Ramos ended up being extremely popular throughout CABA and was a hero to the Costa Rican baseball fan. He would be the fourth player from the nation to earn induction.

Ramos had an impressive amateur career, drawing plenty of attention among the Central American teams heading into the 1980 CABA Draft. With the sixth overall pick, Ramos was selected by Nicaragua. He would only play 16 games in his one season with the Navigators. In the offseason, he and catcher Kyle Florez were traded to Puerto Rico for veteran pitcher Victor Newby. This started a 12-year run as a star for the Pelicans.

PR immediately made Ramos a full-time starter, although he would miss 7 weeks in 1982 to shoulder bursitis. He’d stay healthy for the rest of his run with 138+ games in each of his remaining years as a Pelican. In 1983, Ramos led the Caribbean League with 7.6 WAR, earning his first Silver Slugger and a third place in MVP voting. Puerto Rico made the CLCS, but lost to Guatemala.

Ramos also became a regular for Costa Rica in the World Baseball Championship, playing each year from 1982-2001 and starting each year except for his 1982 debut. In 171 games, Ramos had 150 hits, 93 runs, 16 doubles, 47 home runs, 104 RBI, a .234/.303/.482 slash, 124 wRC+, and 4.7 WAR.

1984 was Ramos’ finest season, leading the Caribbean and posting career bests in WAR (11.0), wRC+ (189), slugging (.620), average (.346), OPS (1.012), and total bases (367). He earned MVP and his second Silver Slugger, although Puerto Rico just missed the playoffs. They’d go one-and-done in 1985 and while they’d be often above .500, PR didn’t make the playoffs for the rest of Ramos’ tenure.

Still, Ramos was a star and a success. He led home runs with 50 in 1987, was the WARlord at 10.0 in 1989, and led in OBP in 1991. From 1983-93, he posted 5.8+ WAR or better each year. He won Silver Sluggers in 1985, 87, and 88 and took third in MVP voting in 1985, 86, 87, 88, and 89. Ramos was inked to an eight-year, $9,180,000 extension after the 1985 season. The contract would expire after the 1993 season with Ramos at age 35. The Pelicans would later retire his #32 uniform.

Ramos decided to give free agency a look and had plenty of suitors as he still played at a very high level at the end of the Puerto Rico run. Ramos took an MLB offer with Vancouver worth $8,760,000 over three years. The run would ultimately be cursed by injuries, starting with a torn labrum in 1994 that cost him five months. Back issues cost him half of 1995. Ramos was healthy in 1996 and posted 3.8 WAR, showing he could still be a quality starter. In his tenure with the Volcanoes, he had 277 starts, 273 hits, 145 runs, 41 doubles, 55 home runs, 171 RBI, a .251/.319/.444 slash, 109 wRC+, and 8.4 WAR.

Ramos was still a hot commodity even at age 38 and signed a three-year, $11,680,000 deal with Oakland. Injuries again bothered him during this run and by the end, his productivity was below average. With the Owls, Ramos had 291 starts, 249 hits, 147 runs, 58 home runs, 161 RBI, a .222/.273/.421 slash, 94 wRC+, and 3.8 WAR. For his MLB run, Ramos had 522 hits, 292 runs, 113 home runs, 332 RBI, a .236/.296/.432 slash, 102 wRC+, and 12.2 WAR.

Now 41 years old, Ramos still wanted to play, but didn’t have many teams interested in an aged outfielder. He ended up going to Iraq and the Arab League with a two-year, $584,000 deal with Basra. Ramos had 3.0 WAR in only 73 games in 2000, but was terrible in 2001 and quickly benched. He finished with 2.3 WAR with Basra and retired after the 2001 season at age 43.

For his entire professional career, Ramos had 2691 hits, 1417 runs, 425 doubles, 572 home runs, 1630 RBI, a .289/.337/.527 slash, 141 wRC+, and 107.1 WAR. Just in CABA though, Ramos had 2082 hits, 1077 runs, 335 doubles, 437 home runs, 1239 RBI, a .308/.351/.560 slash, 155 wRC+, and 92.6 WAR. His 13-year CABA run was quite impressive, even if he didn’t have the playoff opportunities. Ramos was a beloved player and a consistent MVP finalist for a decade, earning the first ballot induction at 88.8% to lead off CABA’s 2002 Hall of Fame class.

FuzzyRussianHat · 05-02-2024, 12:07 PM

Juan Meza – Starting Pitcher – Monterrey Matadors – 87.1% First Ballot

Juan Meza was a 6’5’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Naucalpan, a municipality of more than 800,000 people located just northwest of Mexico City. Meza had very good stuff with 98-100 mph peak velocity on his fastball, mixed with a strong cutter and good changeup. He had above average movement and respectable control during his prime years. Meza had good stamina when healthy, but had injury issues in his career. He was great at holding runners and considered a strong defensive pitcher. Meza was humble and hardworking, making him well liked in the clubhouse.

Meza was a highly rated prospect even coming out of high school. Monterrey would pick him 18^th overall in the 1980 CABA Draft. The Matadors kept him in the developmental system for 1981 and 1982. He officially debuted in 1983 at age 21, making only three starts. Meza was only used sparingly in these first few seasons, still needing to work on his control. He pitched 222.4 innings over the first four years, although he showed promise in that sample size. Meza made two starts with okay results in the 1985 playoffs as Monterrey lost to Hermosillo in the Mexican League Championship Series.

The Matadors looked to make Meza a full-time starter in 1986, but shoulder inflammation knocked him out from mid May onward. 1987 was his first year as a full-time starter with very solid results. Meza would post five straight seasons worth 6+ WAR. He also pitched from 1987-92 with Mexico in the World Baseball Championship, posting a 2.21 ERA over 57 innings with 77 strikeouts and 163 ERA+.

Meza led in wins in 1988 with a career-best 1.81 ERA, taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting. This began an 18-year playoff streak for Monterrey, although they were upset by Juarez in the MLCS. In 1989, Meza led in wins, WHIP, and WAR; taking Pitcher of the Year. On July 9, Meza pitched the 28^th CABA Perfect Game, striking out 12 against Puebla. He repeated as Pitcher of the Year in 1990, leading in wins and innings.

1990 officially began the Monterrey dynasty, as they three-peated as CABA champs from 1990-92. They won the Mexican League title again in 1993 and the CABA title in 1995 and 1996. Meza was a great playoff pitcher with an 11-5 record over 20 appearances, a 2.88 ERA over 137.2 innings, 151 strikeouts, 122 ERA+, and 3.6 WAR. Meza would sign a six-year, $10,560,000 contract extension in April 1990, looking to play a long-term role in the dynasty.

Meza was third in 1991 Pitcher of the Year voting and won a Silver Slugger with a .376/.376/.459 slash in 35 games. For a pitcher, he was a solid batter with a .233/.240/.291 career slash. Meza was riding high entering his 30s, but he suffered a partially torn labrum in 1993, knocking him out in the middle of the season.

When Meza returned in 1994, he looked very pedestrian and was moved to a part-time starter role. Then in August 1994, Meza suffered a fractured elbow. He missed the entire 1995 season, but came back as a part-time starter in 1996 with very average results. Meza would go 3-1 in the 1996 playoffs, helping Monterrey win its fifth CABA title in seven years. He decided to retire with that at age 35. The Matadors would retire his #51 uniform that winter.

Meza’s career stats saw a 154-68 record, 2.50 ERA, 2084 innings, 2460 strikeouts, 341 walks, 197/258 quality starts, 91 complete games, 134 ERA+, 79 FIP-, and 49.3 WAR. The rate stats are excellent, but his accumulations are very low compared to most Hall of Famers since he only had around nine or ten years’ worth of actual starts. Working in Meza’s favor were two Pitcher of the Year awards and an important role in Monterrey’s dynasty. Those factors were enough for most voters and Meza earned the first ballot addition in 2002 at 87.1%.

Ramon Herrera – Pitcher – Santo Domingo Dolphins – 86.8% First Ballot

Ramon Herrera was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Tenamaxtlan, a town of 7,000 people in the State of Jalisco in western Mexico. Herrera had pinpoint control, solid control, and good movement. His fastball only peaked in the 93-95 mph range, but he had a stellar changeup, good cutter, and decent slider to compliment it. Herrera’s stamina was poor, which led to him being primarily a reliever despite his four pitch arsenal. Herrera was a scrapper, known for his work ethic, intelligence, and adaptability.

Herrera had some attention coming out of high school, picked in the third round in the 1976 CABA Draft. Juarez selected him with the 83^rd overall pick, but he opted to instead play college baseball. Herrera’s college stats were fairly unremarkable and lost position when picked in the 1979 CABA Draft. Haiti chose him in the fourth round with the 115^th overall pick. Herrera would opt to sign with the Herons.

Herrera couldn’t crack the lineup in 1980 or 1981 for Haiti. The Herons debuted him in 1982 at age 25 with mostly unremarkable relief appearances. At the 1982 trade deadline, he was sent along with SP Leonardo Colon to Santo Domingo for SP Roman Castanon. The Dolphins only used him in nine relief appearances with poor results. Santo Domingo was in the midst of a dynasty run, winning the CABA title in 1982, 84, and 85. They also made the Caribbean League Championship Series in 1986.

Herrera was very much a bit player though with only 53.2 relief innings in 1983 and 1984. He would show promise in the 1982 and 1984 playoff runs out of the bullpen. Santo Domingo made him a part-time starter in 1985. Herrera was a full-time starter from 1986-88 and he excelled, posting 17.6 WAR. He took third in 1987 Pitcher of the Year voting and signed a six-year, $6,960,000 extension in spring 1988. This big deal came at age 31.

Herrera regressed a bit in 1988 with his weak stamina hurting him late in games. Santo Domingo decided to make him the closer after that, a role he’d hold for eight seasons. Herrera took well to the bullpen, leading the Caribbean League in saves thrice. He won 1990 and 1991 Reliever of the Year, while taking second in 1989, second in 1992, and third in 1993.

Santo Domingo missed the playoffs in 1987 and 1988, but made five berths from 1989-94. The Dolphins got to the CLCS thrice, but couldn’t win another pennant. For his playoff career, Herrera had mixed results with 25 games and 5 starts, posting a 4-3 record and 5 saves. He had a 3.66 ERA over 59 innings with 70 strikeouts, a 99 ERA+, and 1.7 WAR. Herrera also participated in four editions of the World Baseball Championship for Mexico, posting a 4.82 ERA in 18.2 innings.

Herrera signed a two-year, $3,160,000 extension after the 1994 season. In 1996, he became the 12^th CABA player to reach 300 career saves and the first to do it in 20 years. Herrera was still under contract in 1997, but wasn’t used ultimately by Santo Domingo. He retired that winter at age 40 and saw his #19 uniform retired shortly after.

For his career, Herrera had a 102-107 record, 303 saves and 323 shutdowns, 2.64 ERA, 1481 innings, 1842 strikeouts, 206 walks, a 139 ERA+, 68 FIP-, and 43.6 WAR. It is hard to compare Herrera to other CABA Hall of Fame relievers, since half of his career value came in his stint as a starter. His rate stats are good, but not outstanding compared to them. 300 saves was a nice round number voters like and there hadn’t been a reliever inducted in more than two decades. This helped Herrera get the first ballot nod at 86.8% to round out a solid 2002 class.

FuzzyRussianHat · 05-02-2024, 04:31 PM

East Asia Baseball had three players added into the Hall of Fame in 2002. SP Ju-Eon Eun was the major standout with a first ballot induction at 97.8%. SS U-Seong San crossed the 66% requirement in his third ballot at 74.2%. LF Jay-Hoon Cho on his seventh try finally made it in at 72.0%. 2B Seong-Jae Kang almost also became a seventh ballot inductee, falling just short at 63.8%. Also above 50% was CL Geon Byung at 53.5% on his fourth ballot.

Closer Yeong-U Oum was the lone player dropped after ten ballots. He had a 16-year career with 12 different teams split between EAB and MLB. In EAB, Oum won three Reliever of the Year awards with 255 saves and 357 shutdowns, 2.20 ERA, 847.1 innings, 1116 strikeouts, 170 ERA+, 61 FIP-, and 27.2 WAR. He didn’t quite have the innings or saves numbers that most voters want, although his rate stats looked solid. Oum had an impressive 55.9% debut in 1993, but he only fell downward and ended at a low of 12.9%.

Ju-Eon Eun – Starting Pitcher – Yongin Gold Sox – 97.8% First Ballot

Ju-Eon Eun was a 6’2’’, 190 pound right-handed pitcher from the capital of South Korea, Seoul. Eun was known for having outstanding movement on his pitches along with respectable stuff and good control. He had a 97-99 mph sinker as his primary pitch and mixed it with a slider and changeup. Eun had above average stamina and was considered quite durable for most of his career. Eun was a hard worker and became a popular player in Korean baseball.

Eun attended Woosung High School and excelled as a teenager. He had designs in attending college, but many teams wanted to get him right out of high school. In the 1976 EAB Draft, Yongin would not only pick Eun, but selected him with the #1 overall pick. He signed with the Gold Sox and spent the next two years in their developmental system.

Eun officially debuted with 20 relief appearances in 1979 at age 20, showing good potential. He was split between the bullpen and starting in 1980, then was a full-time starter for Yongin for the next decade. In July 1981, the Gold Sox gave him a five-year, $2,104,000 extension.

From 1981-89, Eun had nine straight seasons worth 5+ WAR. He played a huge role in making the Gold Sox a contender again. They had bottomed out at 56-106 in 1976 when they drafted Eun. From 1980-87, Yongin would have six playoff appearances, five Korea League Championship Series berths, two pennants, and one EAB title. Eun also pitched from 1982-84 for South Korea in the World Baseball Championship with a 1.10 ERA in 32.2 innings.

Eun took second in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1982 despite missing two months to a forearm strain. He led in ERA at 1.98, a career-best. Eun was back for the playoffs in the fall, but Yongin lost to Seongnam in the KLCS. The team narrowly missed the playoffs in 1983, but Eun won his first Pitcher of the Year. He had a league and career-best 10.4 WAR with a 1.00 WHIP.

Eun was the WARlord again in 1984, 85, 87, and 89. In 1984, Yongin won their first-ever East Asian Championship, beating Kobe in the final. Eun had a big postseason, going 4-0 in five starts with a 1.76 ERA over 41 innings and 50 strikeouts. In 1985, he led in wins at 26-6, winning Pitcher of the Year for the second time. Eun was great again in the playoffs with a 1.57 ERA over 34.1 innings. The Gold Sox won the KL pennant again, but lost the EAB final to Osaka. After the season, Eun signed a six-year, $5,820,000 extension to remain in Yongin.

The Gold Sox made the KLCS the next two years, but were denied both times. Eun struggled in his 1986 playoff starts, but was solid in 1987. For his playoff career with Yongin, he had an 11-4 record over 19 appearances, a 2.44 ERA over 144 innings, 151 strikeouts, 159 ERA+, and 5.9 WAR. He was undoubtedly a big reason why the Gold Sox were a contender in the 1980s.

Eun did regress in 1986 with a surprisingly poor 4.19 ERA, although his 79 FIP- suggested he got some bad breaks. He returned to form in 1987, winning his third Pitcher of the Year. Eun remained steady for the rest of his run, but Yongin began to slip. They missed the playoffs in 1988 and 1989 with 87 and 8-0 wins, respectively. In 1990, the Gold Sox plummeted to 60-102. That year, Eun missed much of the season with a ruptured finger tendon and looked pedestrian in the action he saw.

Yongin looked to rebuild in the 1990s and Eun’s contract was coming due. At the 1991 trade deadline, the 32-year old was traded to Seongnam for prospect pitcher Hyeon-Jun Kim. Eun remained popular with Gold Sox fans and they would retire his #14 uniform when it was all said and done. With Yongin, Eun had a 184-123 record, 3.09 ERA, 2737.1 innings, 2614 strikeouts, 515 walks, a 126 ERA+, 70 FIP-, and 79.3 WAR.

Eun had a good second half, taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting. The Spiders were the defending EAB champs and improved their record in 1991 to 105-57. However, they were upset in the KLCS by Goyang. Still, they were happy with Eun and decided to go rent-to-own, signing him to a five-year, $6,440,000 extension.

Seongnam didn’t have the playoff success they hoped, generally being mid-tier and missing the playoffs during Eun’s whole run. Eun had a good 1992 and was having a nice 1993 until a torn back muscle knocked him out four months. Eun was great again in 1994, although he missed the final weeks to a sprained ankle. Still, he led in ERA for the second time and led in complete games, taking third in Pitcher of the Year voting.

Eun was still solid in 1995, becoming the tenth EAB pitcher to 250 career wins and the 29^th to 3500 strikeouts. His velocity would drop significantly entering 1996, now down to 90-02 mph after previously being in the upper 90s. Eun was middling that year, then needed surgery in June to remove a bone spur in his elbow. He retired that winter at age 38. With the Spiders, Eun had a 79-50 record, 2.67 ERA, 1088 innings, 951 strikeouts, 141 ERA+, and 27.5 WAR.

For his career, Eun posted a 263-173 record, 2.97 ERA, 3825.1 innings, 3565 strikeouts, 707 walks, 310/481 quality starts, 151 complete games, 130 ERA+, 72 FIP-, and 106.7 WAR. As of 2037, he’s tenth all-time in WAR among EAB pitchers and ninth in wins. Eun was one of the finest pitches of the 1980s and 1990s, an easy first ballot pick for the 2002 ballot at 97.8%.

FuzzyRussianHat · 05-03-2024, 04:11 AM

U-Seong San – Shortstop – Kawasaki Killer Whales – 74.2% Third Ballot

U-Seong San was a 5’11’’, 200 pound right-handed shortstop from the capital of North Korea, Pyongyang. San wasn’t an outstanding hitter, but he had above average contact and power skills with a decent eye. He was good for around 20-25 home runs and around 30 doubles/triples per season. San was an excellent baserunner and base stealer, successfully stealing on 70.5% attempts. His quick speed also helped him stretch out extra bases and score more runs.

San was considered an ironman, playing 144+ games each year from 1978-93. It was especially impressive considering he exclusively played a very demanding defensive position at shortstop. San was great at avoiding errors and turning double plays, but his range was lousy despite his speed. He graded out as a mediocre defender for his career, but his bat and reliability allowed him to keep the spot. San was also a sparkplug and a scrapper, becoming very popular for his work ethic, leadership, loyalty, and adaptability.

San was noticed by Japanese scouts as one of the premiere prospects coming out of the North Korean capital. Kawasaki was able to convince San to sign as a teenager amateur in February 1973. After sitting in the academy for most of five years, San debuted officially in 1977 at age 21 with 27 games. The Killer Whales made him the full-time starter the next year, a role he held for 16 years with Kawasaki. After his second full season in 1979, the Killer Whales gave San an eight-year, $3,418,000 extension.

San wasn’t generally a league leader, but he was a reliably strong bat at the position. He won Silver Sluggers in 1979, 81, 86, 87, and 89. San led in runs scored with 112 in 1981, taking second in MVP voting. He would 9.7 WAR that year and had seven seasons worth 7+ WAR. San led in WAR in 1989 with 9.8, taking second that year in MVP voting as well.

Kawasaki became a contender with six playoff appearances from 1979-85. The Killer Whales won their first-ever EAB Championship in 1982 over Seongnam In that run, he had 19 hits, 10 runs, and 10 extra base hits in 26 playoff starts. Kawasaki made the KLCS in 1983, 84, and 85, but were defeated each year. In defeat, San won JLCS MVP in 1983 and posted solid playoff numbers. In 59 starts, he had 61 hits, 37 runs, 10 doubles, 11 home runs, 30 RBI, a .256/.319/.462 slash, 133 wRC+, and 2.4 WAR.

Although very popular in Japan, San would still return home to North Korea and play for the national team in the World Baseball Championship. From 1979-94, he had 97 games and 80 starts. San had 64 hits, 37 runs, 9 doubles, 18 home runs, 42 RBI, a .203/.271/.415 slash, and 1.4 WAR.

Now 31 years old after the 1986 season, San signed another six-year, $5,800,000 extension with Kawasaki. The Killer Whales wouldn’t make the playoffs for the rest of San’s tenure, stuck mostly in the middle of the standings. San remained excellent and steady in his 30s, maintaining his skill through the deal. His leadership and great work ethic endeared him even more to Killer Whales fans. Kawasaki would retire his #22 uniform shortly after his career ended.

After the 1993 season, San’s contract had expired. He signed a qualifying offer to stay, but Kawasaki decided to trade him and a prospect to Tokyo for two other prospects. San was used mostly as a backup with the Tides, struggling to a -0.2 WAR season. He played one year in Tokyo, retiring that winter at age 39.

For his career, San had 2668 hits, 1388 runs, 357 doubles, 160 triples, 375 home runs, 1232 RBI, 932 stolen bases, a .275/.316/.461 slash, 134 wRC+, and 91.7 WAR. As of 2037, he’s seventh all-time in WAR among shortstops, third in hits, and first in runs scored. He’s also the all-time defensive leader in double plays among EAB shortstops. Still, San didn’t have incredible power numbers or groundbreaking accumulations. He narrowly missed induction on his first two ballots, but both by less than 2% (65.3% and 64.7%). The third ballot got San across the line and into the Hall of Fame’s 2002 class at 74.2%.

Jay-Hoon Cho – Left Field – Yongin Gold Sox – 72.0% Seventh Ballot

Jay-Hoon Cho was a 6’1’’, 200 pound left-handed left fielder from Asan, South Korea; a city of 300,000 people bordering the Seoul Capital Area. Cho was a great contact hitter and had a great eye for drawing walks, although his strikeout rate was merely okay. He had outstanding gap power, leading the Korea League six times in doubles with seven seasons with 40+. Cho was also good for 20-30 home runs per season. He knew how to pick his spots stealing bases, but his subpar speed limited his tries.

Cho had outstanding durability, starting 137+ games in all 15 years of his pro career. He played the vast majority of his starts in left field, although he had some starts in right and a few in center. Cho graded out as a below average defender, but he wasn’t a liability. He was another scrappy sparkplug type known for his work ethic, intelligence, and adaptability. Cho became very popular especially in Yongin, where he spent most of his career.

The Gold Sox stunk in the mid 1970s, getting the #1 overall pick in both 1975 and 1976. In the latter year, they took Cho’s Hall of Fame classmate Ju-Eon Eun. Cho would come first, taken in the 1975 EAB Draft out of Dongguk University. Eun was picked out of high school and wouldn’t debut for a few years. For Cho, he was thrown into the fire right away as a full-time starter.

Cho adapted amazingly well, debuting as the Korea League leader in doubles (44) and OBP (.410) with a career best .361 batting average. He won Rookie of the Month four times in 1976, easily taking Rookie of the Year honors. With Yongin, he had 10 seasons worth 5+ WAR. Cho led again in doubles in 1977 and 1978. He plugged along as the Gold Sox rebuilt, eventually becoming a contender in the 1980s. Yongin made the playoffs six times from 1980-87. The Gold Sox would give Cho a five-year, $3,700,000 extension after the 1981 season.

Cho played even better in the early 1980s. He led in doubles in1 983, 84, and 1986. In 1985, Cho led in runs scored, RBI, OBP, and OPS. Cho’s three Silver Sluggers were 1984, 86, and 87. He was third in MVP voting in 1985. Cho also became a regular for South Korea in the World Baseball Championship from 1977-89. He had 117 games and 97 starts, picking up 86 hits, 60 runs, 16 doubles, 27 home runs, 67 RBI, a .251/.346/.539 slash, 149 wRC+, and 3.8 WAR.

Cho also stepped up in the postseason for Yongin, winning KLCS MVP in 1985. The Gold Sox won the 1984 EAB Championship and were the runner-up in 1985. They were ousted in the KLCS in 1982, 86, and 87. In 53 playoff starts, Cho had 64 hits, 27 runs, 15 doubles, 6 home runs, 32 RBI, a .322/.391/.508 slash, 142 wRC+, and 1.8 WAR. His efforts ultimately led to his #3 uniform being retired at the end of his career. For his Gold Sox tenure, he had 1984 hits, 1041 runs, 444 doubles, 294 home runs, 1018 RBI, a .319/.392/.549 slash, 151 wRC+, and 65.5 WAR.

Despite a successful 1986 with Yongin, Cho would decline his contract option with the hopes of a big payday. The 34-year old got a four-year, $3,800,000 deal with Ulsan. He had a solid debut, winning his third Silver Slugger with the Swallows. They won the Korea League title, falling to Chiba in the EAB Championship. In the playoff run, Cho had 17 starts, 17 hits, 13 runs, 5 doubles, 1 home run, and 10 RBI.

Ulsan would quickly regress in the next two years, although Cho was still a good starter. In total with the Swallows, Cho had 491 hits, 256 runs, 111 doubles, 74 home runs, 256 RBI, a .294/.366/.507 slash, 135 wRC+, and 12.0 WAR. Ulsan dropped to 71-91 in 1989 and looked to rebuild. With one year left in his deal, Cho was traded in the offseason for two prospects.

In his one year with the Jethawks, Cho was still a good start with 4.2 WAR and a 136 wRC+. He also picked up his 2500^th career hit with Jeonju. Cho was now a free agent at age 38 and still seemingly was a starter quality player. However, no one matched his asking price and he sat out the 1991 season. Cho decided to retire that winter at age 39.

Cho finished with 2636 hits, 1376 runs, 590 doubles, 64 triples, 390 home runs, 1350 RBI, 1002 walks, 110 stolen bases, a .312/.384/.536 slash, 147 wRC+, and 81.7 WAR. Cho retired second all-time in doubles and still sits fourth as of 2037. He’s also one of only 25 guys with 1000 career walks drawn and is one of a short list with an OBP above .380. However, many voters expected towering home run power out of a corner outfielder.

Despite Cho’s resume and role in Yongin’s titles, he just couldn’t get across the line for a while. He debuted at 55.7% and vacillated between the mid 50% to low 60% range for six years. It seemed like he might get banished to the Hall of Pretty Good, but the seventh ballot was finally the one for Cho. He received 72.0% to round out the three-player 2002 Hall of Fame class.

FuzzyRussianHat · 05-03-2024, 11:21 AM

The 2002 Beisbol Sudamerica ballot was wide open with no impressive newcomers to the ballot as the top debut only got 16.1%. Two players would get in narrowly passing the 66% threshold. Closer Andreo Ferrari got 73.4% on his second ballot, while RF Yago Prata just barely crossed the line at 66.8% on his third try. 1B Bastian Martin barely missed out at 65.0% on his third ballot. The other player above 50% was C Sancho Sanchez, earning 55.9% on his fourth try. No players were dropped after ten ballots in 2002.

Andreo Ferrari – Closer – Rosario Robins – 73.4% Second Ballot

Andreo Ferrari was a 5’10’’, 195 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Mendoza, Argentina; the country’s fourth largest metropolitan area. Ferrari had outstanding control and great stuff with both graded as 9/10 at his peak. He had a two-pitch arsenal with a 95-97 mph cutter and a curveball. Although his stuff was fantastic, his movement graded out as merely average. Ferrari had respectable stamina for a reliever and was durable through his run, playing 60+ games in 12 different seasons.

Relievers didn’t usually get drafted high, but Ferrari was an exception. Rosario was impressed with him coming out of high school, picking Ferrari with the third overall pick in the 1978 BSA Draft. The Robins hoped he might develop a third pitch and become a starter, but that didn’t come to fruition. Still, he pitched 13 seasons for Rosario, debuting with 48.1 innings in 1981 at age 21.

Ferrari was a part-time closer in his second year, then saw limited use in 1983. After that, he was the closer for the rest of his Robins run. Five times, he would post sub-two ERAs. Ferrari won Reliever of the Year in 1986 with Rosario, while taking second thrice (1985, 90, 92) and third once (1988). Ferrari led in saves once in 1991 and had a 32 straight saves streak from September 1985 to August 1986.

Ferrari pitched great in the World Baseball Championship for Argentina from 1983-94 with 28 relief appearances and three starts. He had a 1.84 ERA, eight saves, 63.2 innings, 94 strikeouts, a 203 ERA+, and 1.9 WAR. Ferrari chugged along for Rosario, who finally snapped a 52-year playoff drought in 1987. The Robins won division titles in 1987, 88, and 91; but they suffered two first round defeats and one loss in the Southern Cone Championship.

Rosario made the playoffs in 1992 as a wild card, but went on a playoff run and won their first-ever Copa Sudamerica. Ferrari only had nine playoff appearances in his career, but he posted a 1.29 ERA in 14 innings with 15 strikeouts. Ferrari’s longevity and spot on the championship squad led to his #10 uniform eventually being retired.

Rosario fell off to 74-88 in 1993 after winning the title and would struggle for the next few years. Looking to rebuild, the 34-year old Ferrari was traded to Bogota for three prospects. Ferrari had 40 saves in 1994 and won his second Reliever of the Year award. With the Bats, he also crossed 400 career saves; the seventh to do so in BSA history.

Ferrari became a free agent and signed for 1995 with Belo Horizonte for one year and $1,520,000; his biggest payday yet. His velocity had dropped notably down to 92-94 mph and he was moved to a middle relief role. Ferrari only tossed 24 innings, although he still posted a 1.12 ERA. Not content unless he was a closer, Ferrari decided to retire that winter at age 36.

The career stats for Ferrari saw 403 saves and 484 shutdowns, a 2.27 ERA in 1068.1 innings, 899 games, 1330 strikeouts, 154 walks, 149 ERA+, 72 FIP-, and 27.3 WAR. As of 2037, he’s tied for seventh all-time in saves. His rate stats aren’t as impressive and he’s the only guy with 400+ saves and less than 30 WAR. However, 400 saves was a magic number for many voters. Ferrari did miss the cut in his debut at 62.0%, but with no impressive debuts in 2002, Ferrari got a bump. He received 73.4% to earn induction in the 2002 Hall of Fame class.

Yago Prata – Right Field – Belo Horizonte Hogs – 66.8% Third Ballot

Yago Prata was a 6’3’’, 195 pound left-handed right fielder from Sao Paulo, Brazil. Prata was an excellent homer run hitter and a solid contact bat. His eye was below average with unremarkable walk and strikeout numbers. Prata hit the ball hard though, averaging 46 home runs per 162 games. He also got you around 25-30 doubles per year. Prata wasn’t going to leg out extra bases as he had laughably poor speed and baserunning.

Defensively, Prata essentially played only in right field. His arm wasn’t bad, but his poor range meant he graded out as a well below average defender. Prata’s durability and dingers made him still a valuable player in the lineup despite his flaws. Some teammates felt he was selfish and lazy at times, but towering homers made him a popular player with the fans.

Prata was among the top rated Brazilian prospects entering the 1981 Beisbol Sudamerica Draft. He was picked sixth overall by Belo Horizonte and ultimately had his entire nine year BSA run with the Hogs. Prata didn’t see heavy use early, mostly used as a pinch hitter against righties in his first two years. He only had 34 starts over 1982 and 1983, but he earned a starting gig from 1984 onward.

Prata had nice power potential flashed in 1984 with 38 home runs. The next year, he emerged as an outstanding slugger with 61 and 65 home runs. Both 1985 and 1986 also saw Prata led the Southern Cone League in runs, RBI, total bases, slugging, OPS, wRC+, and WAR. This got Prata back-to-back MVPs and Silver Sluggers. Belo Horizonte would get a division title in 1985, but fell in the LCS to Cordoba.

Prata wasn’t a league leader for the rest of his run, but he still had five more seasons with 45+ homers and 100+ RBI, as well as three seasons worth 6+ WAR. Prata won three more Silver Sluggers (1986, 88, 89) and took third in 1988 MVP voting. Belo Horizonte made the playoffs again in 1988 and 1990, but was unable to make a run. Prata got heat for lousy playoff performances, as in 19 playoff starts he had an abysmal .169/.231/.296 slash line and -0.3 WAR.

Despite his poor playoff efforts, Prata did fare well in his World Baseball Championship appearances for Brazil. He only played in four editions from 1989-92, but played 72 games with 62 hits, 49 runs, 29 home runs, 56 RBI, a .281/.331/.710 slash, 192 wRC+, and 3.5 WAR. Prata earned world title rings in 1989 and 1990 for his country. That gave him some popularity with the boarder Brazilian baseball fan.

It was a mixed bag though for some Belo Horizonte fans and Prata. He wasn’t shy about saying he wanted to test free agency and he ultimately did after the 1990 campaign at age 32. This marked the end of his BSA career as well, as he ultimately left one year before the Hogs would win Copa Sudamerica in 1991. Prata and the franchise would later patch up relations and retire his #8 uniform.

Prata was excited for the big payday that came with Major League Baseball, signing a four-year, $7,360,000 deal with Detroit. His power carried over well, leading the National Association in both home runs and RBI in his debut season for the Tigers. Prata’s poor defense and weakening contact skills meant he wasn’t award winning in the Motor City. Still, he was a solid starter for a very middling Detroit team. In his four seasons, Prata had 574 hits, 320 runs, 156 home runs, 389 RBI, a .273/.316/.548 slash, 148 wRC+, and 16.4 WAR.

Prata was a free agent again entering 1995 at age 36 and still had value. Ottawa inked him to a three-year, $9,840,000 deal. He maintained respectable production for the Elks, posting 406 hits, 207 runs, 100 home runs, 260 RBI, a .265/.302/.507 slash, 142 wRC+, and 11.9 WAR. Ottawa had one wild card appearance, but Prata went 0-10 with five strikeouts.

His deal was up and he still found a gig with a one-year, $3,040,000 deal with Austin in 1998. Prata was below average as a part-time starter for the Amigos with a .228/.269/.408 slash, 0.4 WAR, and 88 wRC+. He was unsigned in 1999 and retired that winter at age 40. For his eight years in MLB, Prata had 1102 games, 1072 hits, 569 runs, 177 doubles, 273 home runs, 705 RBI, a .266/.306/.519 slash, 140 wRC+, and 28.7 WAR.

For his entire pro career, Prata posted 2451 hits, 1291 runs, 407 doubles, 650 home runs, 1565 RBI, a .295/.334/.586 slash, 166 wRC+, and 84.0 WAR. That would be Hall of Fame worthy pretty much anywhere, but just his nine years in Belo Horizonte was a tougher sell. As a Hog he had 1379 hits, 722 runs, 230 doubles, 377 home runs, 860 RBI, a .322/.360/.649 slash, 191 wRC+, and 55.3 WAR. Certainly, that’s an impressive front end of a career on the right trajectory. But the accumulations were quite low because of his early exit, plus Prata stunk in the playoffs.

As of 2037, no HOF hitter in BSA was inducted with fewer hits. However, Prata had a 1.010 OPS and only home run king Valor Melo to that point had him beat among inductees. As of 2037, Prata is one of only seven BSA Hall of Famers with an OPS above one. He was a tough one to weigh and he missed out at 55.2% and 56.3% on his initial ballots. Third time was the charm for Prata, just barely breaching the threshold at 66.8% to earn a spot in the 2002 BSA class.

FuzzyRussianHat · 05-03-2024, 06:05 PM

The 2002 European Baseball Federation Hall of Fame class had three inductees. Two were no-doubt first ballot picks with RF Jacob Ronnberg at 98.2% and SP Linus Schindler with 94.7%. 2B J.F. Bourelly joined them on his second ballot, albeit barely at 67.4%. The only other player above 50% was LF Josip Stojanovic at 51.3% on his second ballot. No players were dropped after ten ballots from the EBF group.

Jacob “Rowdy” Ronnberg – Right Field – Marseille Musketeers – 98.2% First Ballot

Jacob Ronnberg was a 5’11’’, 190 pound left-handed right fielder from Arboga, a town of around 10,000 in central Sweden. He earned the nickname “Rowdy” for being wild and chaotic in his off the field shenanigans. Some criticized him for lacking leadership and motivation, but his natural gifts were immense. Regardless of any personality flaws, Ronnberg ended up being one of baseball’s most decorated players from any league or era.

Ronnberg was a generationally exceptional contact hitter, grading out as a 10/10 in his prime years. He made it seem effortless while also providing terrific power. Few guys could get extra base hits like Ronnberg, who in his 162 game average got you 44 home runs, 27 doubles, and 24 triples. He’s the only player in baseball history to have 400+ career doubles, 400+ career triples, and 400+ career home runs.

Rowdy had a decent eye for drawing walks and an above average strikeout rate. On top of the powerful bat, Ronnberg was quite fast on the basepaths, turning many singles into doubles and doubles in to triples. Rowdy was a pretty savvy base stealer as well, although often didn’t need to with his penchant for extra base hits. Ronnberg was also a very durable player, playing 140+ games in all but two seasons from 1977-94.

Defensively, Ronnberg was a right fielder for the vast majority of his run. He did have brief stints in left and center with unremarkable results. Ronnberg was outstanding in right though, winning 11 Gold Gloves in his career. As of 2037, he has the fourth best career Zone Rating at the position in EBF. Ronnberg was the vaunted “five-tool” player, posting one of the most impressive careers European baseball ever saw.

Despite growing up in humble origins, Ronnberg’s potential was undeniable even as a teenager. A wily scout from Marseille got word of him and made the trip up to Sweden, falling instantly in love. He signed Ronnberg in October 1972 as a 16-year old amateur, bringing him to southern France. The vast majority of his career was with the Musketeers, debuting in 1976 at age 20 mostly as a pinch hitter. Rowdy earned the full-time gig the next year and held it for the next 16 years with Marseille.

Ronnberg quickly arrived as a star with 5.0 WAR in 1977. He would then post 7+ WAR each season for the next 16 consecutive seasons. Ronnberg hadn’t found his home run stroke yet in his first few seasons, but he excelled regardless. He led the Southern Conference in hits and triples with 9.4 WAR in 1978, taking third in MVP voting. This also earned Ronnberg his first of nine consecutive Silver Sluggers (1978-86). Rowdy won 15 in his career, also taking six more from 1988-93. As of 2037, he’s the only EBF player to win the award 15 times in a career. 1978 was also his first of 11 straight Gold Gloves, joining a very short list in world history to win double-digits of both honors.

Ronnberg led in triples three straight years from 1978-80. Marseille ended a seven-year playoff drought in 1980 with a franchise record 110-52, although they were upset in the Southern Conference final by Zurich. The Musketeers realized Ronnberg was THE guy, inking him to an eight-year, $5,370,000 extension in the summer of 1980. Rowdy was second in MVP voting that year.

Marseille became a regular contender in the 1980s with nine playoff berths and seven Southwest Division titles in the decade. The Musketeers won three European Championships with Ronnberg, taking home the 1981, 1985, and 1986 titles. They also were a conference finalist in 1983. Ronnberg’s excellence carried into the postseason and he was the MVP of the 1986 finals. In 77 playoff starts for Marseille, Ronnberg had 101 hits, 54 runs, 16 doubles, 12 triples, 23 home runs, 74 RBI, a .322/.372/.691 slash, 190 wRC+, and 4.6 WAR.

He was absolutely adored in southern France, but Ronnberg was extremely popular throughout all of Europe. Rowdy was loved back home in Sweden too, as he was a regular on the World Baseball Championship squad. Ronnberg played 170 games for the Swedish team from 1977-96, posting 163 hits, 109 runs, 29 doubles, 62 home runs, 132 RBI, a .271/.340/.641 slash, 173 wRC+, and 8.6 WAR.

Ronnberg was a four time MVP, winning the award in 1981, 82, 85, and 88. He was also second in 1983 and second in 1989. It was not easy to win, sharing a conference with the likes of Richard Rautenstrauch and Jack Kennedy. Rowdy had six seasons worth 10+ WAR and three worth 12+, peaking at 12.9 in 1985. He was the WARlord four times in his career and led six times in OPS, five times in wRC+, eight times in slugging, twice in OBP, twice in batting average, six times in total bases, five times in home runs, twice in RBI, four times in triples, twice in hits, and thrice in runs.

In 1985, he became only the second-ever EBF batter to hit above .400, a mark that had only been breached by Franco Gilbert the year before. His .403 is the fourth best in EBF history as of 2037. He became only the seventh hitter to post 150+ RBI in a season with 156 in 1988. Ronnberg also had six seasons with 50+ home runs and 13 with 40+. He probably would’ve had 14 straight seasons with 40+ if not for torn ankle ligaments costing him part of 1987. That and a torn hamstring in 1986 were the only significant injuries during Ronnberg’s prime.

Ronnberg has three of the top four EBF seasons by OPS, hitting above 1.240 in 1985, 1986, and 1988. Only Rautenstrauch’s 1.314 in 1975 has him beat. As of 2037, he has the third and fourth best EBF marks in total bases. Ronnberg also has a top 10 season in hits with 242 in 1985.

In April 1988, Ronnberg was signed to a five-year, $6,030,000 extension with Marseille. He really focused more on home runs in his early 30s, leading the conference four straight years from 1988-91. Although Rowdy didn’t slow down, Marseille’s reign ended with the dawn of the 1990s. The Musketeers missed the playoffs in 1990, then in 1991 had their first losing season since 1977. For the decade, they averaged only 76.7 wins per season.

The team’s decline made them wonder how to start rebuilding and what role Ronnberg would have. He was 36 for the 1992 season, but still was excellent with 7.8 WAR. Rowdy was entering the last year of his deal in 1993 and there was a sense that he’d be moving on. In the offseason, Marseille traded Ronnberg to Munich for two players, ending a 17-season odyssey.

With Marseille, Ronnberg had 3096 hits, 1825 runs, 429 doubles, 394 triples, 684 home runs, 1904 RBI, 775 stolen bases, a .337/.387/.693 slash, 194 wRC+, and 154.4 WAR. The Musketeers would retire #20, which was his jersey number from 1982 onward. Ronnberg had debuted as #3 and was #2 in his first five years as a starter. The #20 would still be the most popular top at the ballpark for decades to come.

In his one year in Germany, Ronnberg won his final Silver Slugger with a 45 home run, 7.4 WAR effort. It was also his only Slugger in left field, as the Mavericks moved him from right. Munich made the playoffs, but fell in the first round. While there, Ronnberg became the fourth EBF slugger to 700 career homers, the first to 2000 RBI, and the first to 400 career triples.

At age 38, Ronnberg was a free agent for the first time. He signed a three-year, $7,600,000 deal with Birmingham. The Bees had won the Northern Conference in 1991 and 1993 with an EBF ring in 1991. Although Rowdy’s defensive value had become greatly reduced by this point, he still smacked 50 home runs in his debut season in England. Ronnberg became the first to score 2000 career runs, a mark Kennedy would match later in the season.

Birmingham went 110-52 and won the 1994 European Championship for Ronnberg’s fourth ring. In 18 starts, he had a .232/.274/.522 slash, 116 wRC+, and 0.6 WAR. For his entire playoff career, Ronnberg had 103 games and 98 starts, 124 hits, 73 runs, 16 doubles, 14 triples, 31 home runs, 90 RBI, 34 stolen bases, a .320/.360/..673 slash, 181 wRC+, and 5.7 WAR. As of 2037, he’s fourth all-time in playoff RBI, fourth in homers, and ninth in runs.

Age finally caught Ronnberg in 1995 as he was reduced to a bench role with only 40 starts. He still had a .337/.370/.539 slash, but his power and speed were both greatly diminished. Ronnberg reached another milestone, becoming the hit king and the first to 3500 hits in EBF. He would hold the hit king spot until passed by Carson Dal in the mid 2010s. In 1996, Ronnberg played only five games and sat on the reverse roster, although he did get four postseason appearances. He officially retired that winter at age 41.

The gaudy final numbers for Ronnberg had 3520 hits, 2082 runs, 479 doubles, 436 triples, 786 home runs, 2184 RBI, 904 walks, 883 stolen bases, a .334/.384/.686 slash, 191 wRC+, and 169.2 WAR. At induction, Rowdy was the all-time leader in hits, runs, triples, RBI, total bases, and WAR, while also sitting third in homers. He also had 1701 extra base hits, more than any other player in world history. Ronnberg is still top five all-time in XBH even as of 2037. At retirement, he also had the third-highest career WAR of any pure position player, only behind OBA/MLB’s Jimmy Caliw (214) and CABA/MLB’s Prometheo Garcia (189.1).

In 2037 in EBF, Rowdy still is the all-time total bases leader. He’s still second in WAR, second in runs, fourth in hits, third in triples, sixth in home runs, and third in RBI. Until Harvey Coyle came along and posted a bonkers 212.2 WAR from 2006-26, many would’ve cited Ronnberg when picking out EBF’s GOAT. He’s still basically a lock on any top five list of European position players. How Ronnberg got only 98.2% is almost baffling, a few sticklers didn’t like the Rowdy persona. There would be few better headliners though in any class as Ronnberg triumphantly sat atop the 2002 EBF crew.

FuzzyRussianHat · 05-04-2024, 04:43 AM

Linus Schindler – Starting Pitcher – Athens Anchors – 94.7% First Ballot

Linus Schindler was a 5’9’’, 205 pound left-handed pitcher from GroBraschen, a town of around 8,000 in eastern Germany. Schindler had outstanding pinpoint control, which allowed him to thrive despite having merely above average stuff and movement. His fastball only hit 92-94 mph, but he had a five-pitch arsenal led by an excellent knuckle curve. Schindler also had a strong sinker, okay splitter, and weak changeup. His stamina was respectable, but he was an ironman who was never hurt. Schindler tossed 199+ innings in 18 straight seasons, reliably filling his spot. He was a team captain and incredibly well respected in the clubhouse for his leadership and work ethic,

Schindler managed to catch the attention of a scout from Athens who was visiting a camp in Germany. They signed him at age 16 to a developmental deal, bringing him out to Greece. Schindler officially debuted with a lone relief appearance in 1978 at age 20. He also had one relief appearance in 1978 as Athens won the Southern Conference title, falling to Brussels in the EBF final.

Schindler was a full-time starter in 1979 and had 30+ games pitched every ear for the next 18 years. For most of his time in Athens, Schindler was considered steady and reliable, but not elite. He never was a conference leader or a Pitcher of the Year finalist with the Anchors. A highlight came on March 23 with a no-hitter against Rome with 11 strikeouts and two walks.

Athens won three division titles from 1979-81, but each year suffered first round exits. Schindler’s limited postseason innings were lousy with a 6.85 ERA over 22.1 innings. Athens would fall to the middle and bottom tiers for the rest of Schindler’s tenure. He remained loyal to the franchise, signing a six-year, $5,400,000 extension in March 1984.

In total with Athens, Schindler had a 167-143 record, 3.44 ERA, 2828.1 innings, 2384 strikeouts, 451 walks, 229/369 quality starts, 107 ERA+, and 46.2 WAR. The franchise would retire his #21 uniform at the end of his career. Schindler became a free agent after the 1990 season at age 33 and decided to return to Germany. He signed a four-year, $5,520,000 deal with Munich.

As he never relied on power, Schindler’s game aged well. His strongest seasons were with the Mavericks, leading in ERA (2.14) and WHIP (0.85) in 1992. This earned Schindler a second place in Pitcher of the Year voting. He was second again in 1993 with both seasons being above 7+ WAR.

Schindler caught the end of Munich’s 11-year playoff streak. The Mavericks won the Southern Conference in 1991, dropping the EBF final to Birmingham. They had additional division titles in 1992, 93, and 95. Schindler’s playoff stats were much better in Munich with a 3.27 ERA over 55 innings, 52 strikeouts, and a 117 ERA+. He also made a few appearances for Germany in his later years in the World Baseball Championship, although they were unremarkable.

Munich was quite happy with Schindler and gave him a three-year, $7,560,000 extension after the 1994 season. In 1995, he had the best K/BB (10.2) and most quality starts (26) in the conference. Schindler had a career high 274 innings in 1996 and still was just above average with a 106 ERA+. He had crossed the 250 win milestone in 250 and the 3500 strikeout milestone in 1996. Schindler was the fourth to 250 wins and the 17^th to 3500 Ks.

Although his numbers were a bit worse from 1995 to 1996, Schindler’s control and ability seemed to be still intact. Some wondered if he might try to chase Jean-Luc Roch’s 300 wins, as his durability meant he could probably hang around. However, he was content not to overstay his welcome, retiring after the 1996 season at age 39. With Munich, Schindler had a 107-60 record, 2.81 ERA, 1574 innings, 1310 strikeouts, 204 walks, 154/203 quality starts, 137 ERA+, and 34.8 WAR.

Schindler finished with a 274-203 record, 3.22 ERA, 4402.1 innings, 3694 strikeouts, 655 walks, 383/572 quality starts, 116 ERA+, 89 FIP-, and 81.0 WAR. He was a rare guy whose best years came in his mid to late 30s, as his Athens run alone suggested more of a “Hall of Pretty Good” type pitcher. Schindler retired with more innings than any EBF pitcher and still sits third as of 2037.

Schindler also was second in wins at retirement and remains fourth as of 2037. He’s 32^nd in pitching WAR and when looking at raw dominance, he’s towards the bottom of EBF Hall of Famers. But his control, durability, and reliability made Schindler a surefire Hall of Famer. He received 94.7% on the first ballot, a solid #2 in the 2002 EBF class.

J.F. Bourelly – Second Base – Marseille Musketeers – 67.4% Second Ballot

J.F. Bourelly was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed second baseman from Champs-sur-Marne, France; an eastern suburb of Paris with around 25,000 people. Bourelly was renowned for stellar gap power and good home run power. Over a 162 game average, he’d get you 23 doubles, 21 triples, and 32 home runs. He may have gotten more attention for that skillset if he wasn’t Jacob Ronnberg’s teammate for most of his career, since Ronnberg was THE guy for extra base hits.

The downside for Bourelly is that he was a below average contact hitter with a below average eye and a high strikeout rate. When he made contact though, he made it count with nearly half of his career hits going for extra bags. Bourelly had very good speed, but his baserunning instincts and skills were fairly average.

Bourelly was exclusively a second baseman and was reliably strong there. He only won a single Gold Glove in 1995 near the end of his career, but a career 143.6 zone rating and 1.044 EFF confirm that Bourelly was excellent defensively. He was also remarkably durable at a physically demanding position, rarely missing significant chunks to injury.

Bourelly’s stock rose quickly throughout the amateur ranks in the greater Paris area. In the 1978 EBF Draft, he was brought to southern France as Marseille used the 18^th overall pick on him. Bourelly was a full-time starter immediately and held that role for 12 seasons with the Musketeers. He would have ten straight seasons with 5+ WAR for Marseille. Bourelly was never a conference leader though and didn’t get major awards attention, especially sharing a lineup with someone as remarkable as Jacob Ronnberg.

Bourelly was still a critical piece in Marseille getting nine playoff appearances in the 1980s. He stepped up big in the playoffs, winning Southern Conference Finals MVP thrice (1981, 85, 86). Each of those seasons, the Musketeers went on to win the European Championship. In 77 playoff starts with Marseille, Bourelly had 101 hits, 55 runs, 12 doubles, 18 triples, 19 home runs, 55 RBI, a .316/.347/.644 slash, 174 wRC+, and 4.0 WAR. He was a rare guy who had a far more impressive playoff slash than his regular season one, as he only one was above a .300 average in the regular season and only twice above a .600 slugging mark.

The Musketeers locked him down quickly much like with Ronnberg, giving Bourelly an eight-year, $5,640,000 extension after the 1982 season. His two Silver Sluggers would come in 1987 and 1988. While he might have been overlooked by some European fans, Bourelly was very popular with the Marseille faithful, especially as a playoff stud. His #14 uniform would eventually get retired as well. With the Musketeers, Bourelly had 1857 hits, 1094 runs, 281 doubles, 261 triples, 366 home runs, 1142 RBI, a .268/.304/.543 slash, 137 wRC+, and 72.4 WAR.

Bourelly became a free agent after the 1990 season at age 34 as Marseille looked to begin their rebuild. He went back closer to home with a three-year, $4,040,000 deal with Paris. Bourelly had two solid seasons with the Poodles, posting 9.9 WAR, a 129 wRC+, 307 hits, 168 runs, 55 doubles, 50 triples, and 52 home runs He would decline the third year option in his contact and enter free agency at age 36.

Bourelly would leave Europe and head to America, taking a three-year, $6,720,000 offer from MLB’s Virginia Beach. He struggled against MLB pitching in two seasons as a Viking, although his defense was still good enough to earn positive WAR despite a 70 wRC+ and .194 average. Bourelly didn’t meet the vesting criteria in his deal and was let go after two seasons.

Bourelly returned to Europe on a one-year, $1,640,000 deal with Athens. He looked like his old self even at age 38 with a 4.5 WAR season for the Anchors. This also netted him his lone Gold Glove. With his stock bumped back up, Bourelly gave MLB another shot. Austin signed him to two years, $5,280,000. Again, he had positive WAR (1.6) despite well below average offense (84 wRC+).

Again, Bourelly didn’t meet the vesting criteria and was now maybe the only 40-year old second baseman still going. He wasn’t ready to quit yet and found a new home in Egypt on a one-year deal with Cairo of the Arab League. He looked great with 5.4 WAR, 38 home runs, and 107 RBI in only 119 games. The Pharaohs gave him another year and million dollars for 1998, but he was used in a backup role with only 23 starts. Bourelly still wanted to play somewhere in 1999, but went unsigned and had to retire that winter at age 42.

For his entire pro career, Bourelly had 2740 hits, 1575 runs, 408 doubles, 360 triples, 559 home runs, 1692 RBI, 465 stolen bases, a .258/.295/.523 slash, 128 wRC, and 96.4 WAR. His non-EBF stats did pad the accumulations a bit. Still, his EBF totals were 2998 hits, 1339 runs, 354 doubles, 324 triples, 450 home runs, 1397 RBI, 406 stolen bases, a .266/.303/.539 slash, 135 wRC+, and 86.8 WAR. He had the second most WAR accumulated at second base and still is third as of 2037.

Despite that and his excellent playoff resume, Bourelly still seemed to be overlooked due to the lack of black ink. He wasn’t a first ballot Hall of Famer, falling short at 59.2%. Bourelly only narrowly got in with 67.4% on his second try in 2002. However, he seemed well deserved and it was fitting that he went in with his longtime teammate and fellow Marseille star Jacob Ronnberg.

FuzzyRussianHat · 05-04-2024, 10:38 AM

Two players got the nod for the 2002 Eurasian Professional Baseball Hall of Fame class. Pitcher Fredi Tamasi got in with basically no objections with 98.6% on his debut. Fellow pitcher Maxim Aivazyan joined him, although by a very slim margin. On his seventh ballot, Aivazyan crossed the 66% requirement at 67.4%. Another pitcher came close on his fifth try, but Petr Bidzinashvili fell short with 62.9%.

One other player was above 50% in 1B/DH Ilkin Hasanov, who got 56.4% in his tenth and final chance. His EBP tenure was only about a decade, but he had tremendous power with five Silver Sluggers and one MVP. In 1986, Hasanov became the single season home run king in EPB with 71, a record he still holds as of 2037. Five times, Hasanov led the league in home runs. He also won two EPB titles with Kyiv.

Hasanov’s career numbers were 1352 hits, 767 runs, 465 home runs, 999 RBI, a .261/.297/.573 slash, 173 wRC+, and 52.1 WAR. He also hit 22 home runs with 51 RBI in the playoffs for the Kings. The Kazakh lefty was hurt by a short career with low accumulations, as well as abysmal defense and baserunning value. He never was lower than 44.3% on the ballot, but never got higher than 57.4%. Some still argue that it is a major oversight that the single-season home run king didn’t make the cut. Those who champion longevity and all-around skills (and not just dingers) argue his exclusion was justified. Hasanov still remains a very popular figure in the game and his #33 uniform is retired in Kyiv.

Fredi Tamasi – Starting Pitcher – Bishkek Black Sox – 98.6% First Ballot

Fredi Tamasi was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Batonyterenye; a town of 11,000 inhabitants in north central Hungary. He would be the first-ever Hungarian Hall of Fame inductee. Tamasi’s biggest assets were excellent pinpoint control and his ironman-like durability. Tamasi also had outstanding stamina, tossing 280+ innings in all but two seasons of his 16-year career.

Tamasi still had solid stuff and above average movement, even if he wasn’t a fireballer. His velocity peaked in the 92-94 mph range on his fastball, but he knew how to change speeds and pick his spots. Tamasi’s best pitch was his forkball, but his slider and curveball were both quite good too. He was very adaptable to the situation, which helped him with his awesome longevity.

Tamasi came from humble origins, but managed to get spotted as a teenager by a scout from Bishkek. He signed in August 1974 as a teenage amateur and had to make the cultural adjustment of moving to Kyrgyzstan. Tamasi remained in the developmental academy until 1979, when he was called up at age 21. He was part-time starter that season with mixed results. The Black Sox moved Tamasi into the rotation full-time the next year and he would be a fixture there for 17 years.

Tamasi was great in his second season, leading the Asian League with a career-best 24 wins and taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting. The Black Sox won the pennant, but fell to Kyiv in the EPB Championship. This began regular contention for Bishkek, who made nine playoff appearances from 1981-90 with six division titles. They won the ALCS again in 1983, 1984, 1986, and 1990; but they were never able to win it all.

In the playoffs, Tamasi put up solid numbers with a 20-11 record over 296 innings and a 2.61 ERA. He had 295 strikeouts, a 112 ERA+, and 5.2 WAR. As of 2037, he’s the all-time playoff leader in complete games with 20 and is tied for second in wins with 20. The longevity meant he’s also allowed more hits (231) and homers (31) than any EPB pitcher in the playoffs.

In the regular season, Tamasi thrice led the league in wins, once in ERA, thrice in innings pitched, twice in WHIP, four times in K/BB, thrice in quality starts, twice in complete games, four times in shutouts, and once in WAR. His only Pitcher of the Year win was 1989, which had career bests in ERA (1.73), innings (307), strikeouts (356), WHIP (0.78), and WAR (10.5).

Tamasi was second in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1980, third in 1982, third in 1985, second in 1986, third in 1987, and second in 1991. Sharing a league with two-way star Igor Bury kept Tamasi from being more decorated, as Bury won POTY five times. Azer Sattarli also won three during Tamasi’s prime. Tamasi’s low 90s fastball was definitely less sexy compared to what those two offered, although the results were still impressive.

Bishkek gave Tamasi a six-year, $2,078,000 extension after the 1983 season and another six years at $5,040,000 before the 1989 season. Tamasi tossed three no-hitters in his career with the first on 4/21/88 with 11 strikeouts against Asgabat. The second was 7/20/89 with 14Ks and 1 walk against Omsk. Then 4/1/93, he had 5 Ks in a no-no against Ulaanbaatar in what was his 250^th career win. Twice he tossed no-hitters without surrendering a walk as well, but Tamasi was ultimately denied the elusive perfect game.

Tamasi’s game aged well and he continued to pitch at a high level into his 30s. Bishkek missed the playoffs from 1991-93, but bounced back with another Asian League pennant in 1994. Alas, the Black Sox still couldn’t win it all, this time thwarted by Warsaw. Bishkek gave him another three years and $4,140,000 after the 1995 season where they narrowly missed the playoffs. The Black Sox would fall off after that with 1996 being their first losing season since 1976.

1996 would also be Tamasi’s last season, as he posted a 3.09 ERA and 91 ERA+, looking pedestrian for the first time. He went 13-19 on the season, but that enabled him to get to 300 wins exactly; the third in EPB history to do so. With that, Tamasi bid farewell to the game at age 39 and saw his #5 uniform immediately retired by Bishkek.

Tamasi’s career stats saw a 300-219 record, 2.33 ERA, 5104.2 innings, 5199 strikeouts, 613 walks, 455/589 quality starts, 352 complete games, 75 shutouts, 124 ERA+, 82 FIP-, and 111.2 WAR. He was not the top pitcher on the leaderboards in dominance and Alvi Tahiri had him beat for the #1 longevity spots. Still, Tamasi longevity gives him some impressive notables.

As of 2037, Tamasi is still fifth in wins, second in complete games, second in innings pitched, second in shutouts, fifth in strikeouts, and 12^th in WAR. That, plus five pennants and a full career with Bishkek made him a very easy choice. Tamasi got 98.6% to headline EPB’s 2002 Hall of Fame class.

Maxim Aivazyan – Starting Pitcher – Ufa Fiends – 67.4% Seventh Ballot

Maxim Aivazyan was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Liski, Russia. Formerly named Georgiu-Dezu, it is a city of 54,000 people in the Voronezh Oblast bordering eastern Ukraine. Aivazyan was known for having excellent movement and very solid control, although his stuff graded out as around average. His fastball was in the 94-96 mph range, but he had a five pitch arsenal. Aivazyan boasted a solid sinker, forkball, and curveball, plus a rarely seen changeup.

In the world of EPB where pitchers were expected to go the distance, Aivazyan’s stamina was merely decent. He had good durability though and avoided major injuries, making 28+ starts each year for 12 years. Aivazyan was appreciated as being scrappy, resilient, and hard working.

Aivazyan dominated the amateur circuit and rose up to be considered Russia’s top baseball prospect in the eyes of many heading into the 1973 EPB Draft. Ufa agreed with that assessment and made Aivazyan the #1 overall pick, giving him a five-year major league contract worth $715,000. He wasn’t thrown immediately into the fire despite Ufa being terrible and needing help. Aivazyan sat all of 1974 and made only two relief appearances in 1975. He was a part-time starter in 1976 and made the full-time transition starting in 1977.

Aivazyan was reliably steady, posting ten seasons of 6+ WAR. He wasn’t a dominant strikeout pitcher and didn’t go as deep as many contemporaries. Aivazyan was also over shadowed by the many elite pitchers in the Asian League during his run. He was only a Pitcher of the Year finalist once, taking third in 1984. He twice led the AL in wins and once in quality starts, but otherwise wasn’t a league leader.

Ufa was regardless satisfied with the results, giving Aivazyan a six-year, $2,592,000 extension in June 1983. After spending most of the 1970s as the dirt worst in the league, the Fiends were now at least around .5000 for much of the 1980s. They earned wild cards in 1984 and 1988, but suffered first round exits both times. Aivazyan had a 0.52 ERA in his two playoff starts.

Although limited in his opportunities on the big stage, Aivazyan did see strong numbers in the World Baseball Championship. From 1978-90, he tossed 117 innings for the Russian team with a 2.46 ERA, 100 strikeouts, 151 ERA+, and 3.4 WAR. The career highlight for Aivazyan came on July 17, 1987. He struck out eight and walked one in a no-hitter against Ulaanbaatar.

After generally being durable, Aivazyan’s first major injury came in April 1989 with rotator cuff inflammation. That cost him about half of the season, although he looked like himself in the second half at age 35. Ufa decided not to give him another extension, making Aivazyan a free agent for the first time. The franchise would opt to retire his #34 uniform for his lengthy service as a Fiend.

Aivazyan signed a two-year, $1,760,000 deal with Almaty for the 1990 season. He still had his fairly standard production for 70 innings, but catastrophe struck on May 29 as Aivazyan suffered a torn elbow ligament. He considered trying a comeback, but the 11 month injury duration seemed too daunting. Aivazyan retired in the winter of 1990 at age 37.

For his career, Aivazyan had a 217-147 record, 2.50 ERA, 3433.2 innings, 3132 strikeouts, 505 walks, 321/424 quality starts, 135 complete games, 118 ERA+, 77 FIP-, and 82.7 WAR. Aivazyan had quietly put together a good resume that looked better than some others that had earned the induction. However, he had plenty working against him. Aivazyan had been stuck on largely forgettable Ufa teams, lacked major awards, and looked less impressive next to the loaded competition he had in the Asian League.

Aivazyan debuted at 59.4% and never dropped below 50%, but he fell short in his first six ballots. 1999 saw him at 64.0%, two points shy of induction, but he dropped back to 60.5% and 59.2% the next two years. Aivazyan worried that he’d be cursed to the Hall of Pretty Good, but he won over just enough doubters in 2002 to get to 67.4%. That gave Aivazyan the seventh ballot induction, joining his contemporary Fredi Tamasi as EPB’s 2002 class.

FuzzyRussianHat · 05-04-2024, 05:21 PM

Outfielder Riley Singleton would be the lone inductee for 2002 into the Oceania Baseball Association Hall of Fame. On his ballot debut, Singleton wasn’t a slam dunk, but still got the nod with 75.6%. Only one other player crossed the midway mark with SP Allen Weller at 54.1% in his third ballot.

Dropped after ten ballots was SP Ratu Ratu, who had an 11-year career mostly with Auckland. The Fijian lefty had a 137-110 record, 3.00 ERA, 2307.1 innings, 2502 strikeouts, 107 ERA+, and 26.3 WAR. Definitely someone lacking the credentials, but he got to a peak of 25.2% in 1994. It’s somewhat surprising really that Ratu lasted ten years, ending at 8.8%.

2B Charlie Buckland also lasted ten years, but didn’t get in. He had a 17 year career primarily with Adelaide, winning seven Silver Sluggers and three Oceania Championships. Buckland had 1706 hits, 705 runs, 341 doubles, 133 triples, 171 home runs, 824 RBI, a .305/.337/.498 slash, 151 wRC+, and 49.4 WAR. He was a great hitter for the position, but lost a lot of value as a terrible defender. Buckland also just didn’t have the accumulations or power to have a real shot. He managed to last ten years despite only thrice being in double-digits with a peak of 21.2%.

Riley “Spoon” Singleton – Left Field – Melbourne Mets – 75.6% First Ballot

Riley Singleton was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting outfielder from Adelaide, the largest city of South Australia. Singleton was a quite good contact hitter with reliable pop in his bat. He wasn’t a prolific slugger, but he’d average 30 home runs, 26 doubles, and 13 triples per 162 games. Singleton was good at getting high value hits, but he didn’t draw many walks and his strikeout rate was average at best. Singleton wasn’t lightning fast, but he had above average to sometimes good speed and baserunning skills.

He made about 60% of his starts in left field, generally splitting the other starts between right field, first base, and designated hitter. In the corners, he was below average defensively, but he wasn’t a big liability. Singleton had excellent durability, making 135+ starts in 12 consecutive seasons. He was also a team captain and highly regarded as a man in the clubhouse. No one had a bad word to say about Singleton as a person and he was a popular Australian baseball figure for many years. The nickname "Spoon" came from his constantly noting that his spoon for his cereal in the clubhouse was too big.

Singleton was the undisputed top prospect from Australia entering OBA’s 1981 Draft. Melbourne grabbed him with the #1 pick and his entire career would be as a Met. Singleton saw limited use in his rookie season with only 38 starts and 77 games. He’d be a full-time starter from 1983 onward and developed his power by his fourth season.

In 1985, Singleton led the Australasia League in home runs, RBI, total bases, slugging, OPS, wRC, and WAR. Thus, he won MVP and his first of five Silver Sluggers. That effort inspired Melbourne to give Singleton an eight-year, $4,542,000 contract extension. 1985 also began his time playing in the World Baseball Championship for Australia. From 1985-93, he played 58 games with 41 starts, 41 hits, 20 runs, 9 doubles, 10 home runs, 23 RBI, and 0.5 WAR.

Singleton was slowly trying to drag Melbourne back to respectability. 1986 would be their first winning season since 1973. That year, he won his second Silver Slugger and took second in MVP voting, leading in hits and runs. In 1987, Singleton led Melbourne to the AL title, their first since 1970. They would lose to Samoa in the Oceania Championship. The Mets consistently posted winning seasons for the rest of Singleton’s tenure, but wouldn’’t again take the top spot.

Singleton twice more would lead the AL in RBI and once lead in total bases. 1990 was his lone batting title with a .323 average. He also led that year in slugging, wRC+, and WAR; earning his second MVP. Singleton also won Silver Sluggers in 1988, 1990, and 1993. In 1991, he was second in MVP voting.

After the 1992 season, Singleton declined the final year option in his contract, becoming a free agent for the first time at age 33. He loved Melbourne though and wanted to stay loyal, ultimately re-upping with the Mets for five years and $4,820,000. Singleton gave them three more seasons as a respectable starter, but he wasn’t elite anymore by this point. He was relegated to the bench in 1996, serving still as a team captain and elder statesman. Singleton retired that winter at age 37 and had his #10 uniform retired.

Singleton’s final stats saw 2212 hits, 1044 runs, 339 doubles, 169 triples, 396 home runs, 1203 RBI, 427 stolen bases, a .289/.318/.533 slash, 152 wRC+, and 68.7 WAR. His tallies aren’t inner circle level, but are plenty solid. Singleton was also a beloved captain and a two-time MVP joining the ballot in 2002 with no real standouts beside him. That gave him the push to be a first ballot pick and the lone 2002 inductee at 75.6%.

FuzzyRussianHat · 05-05-2024, 03:21 AM

The 2002 Austronesia Professional Baseball Hall of Fame ballot was a weak one with the best debuting player getting only 22.0%. It very nearly was an empty ballot, but closer Ting-Wei Ping managed to just barely reach the 66% requirement. Ping earned 67.7% on his sixth ballot to be the class’s lone inductee. Fellow reliever Hong Quinonez was the only other player above 50% with 59.7% on his sixth try. There were no players dropped after ten ballots.

Ting-Wei Ping – Relief Pitcher – Taoyuan Tsunami – 67.7% Sixth Ballot

Ting-Wei Ping was a 5’11’’, 175 pound left-handed relief pitcher from Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan. Although Ping wasn’t a big guy, he delivered heat with a one-two combo of a 98-100 mph fastball and a strong splitter. His stuff graded as 11/10 in his prime. Ping also had strong control and above average to good movement. He had good stamina for a reliever, strong durability, and was a solid defender. The main knock on Ping is that he was a loner, considered a mercenary by many who cared about his paycheck more than the team.

Ping attended Wufeng University of Science and Technology in Chiayi. Relievers didn’t often get picked high, but Taoyuan made an exception, using the ninth overall pick of the 1974 APB Draft on Ping. He was primarily middle relief in his rookie season, but earned the closer role for part of year two. Ping was the Tsunami closer then firmly from 1977-83.

During that run, both he and Taoyuan were dominant. The Tsunami won the Taiwan League in 1978, 80, 82, and 83. In 1978, 82, and 83; Taoyuan was the Austronesia Champion. Ping won his first Reliever of the Year in 1977. He then won four straight from 1980-83, becoming the first (and as of 2037, the only) APB pitcher to win the award five times. Ping also was second in 1980 Pitcher of the Year voting and third in 1983.

In the playoffs, Ping played a big role in the three titles. He had 36 innings over 19 appearances in the postseason for Taoyuan with 11 saves, a 1.00 ERA, 57 strikeouts, a 0.47 WHIP, 283 ERA+, and 1.8 WAR. Ping also pitched for Taiwan in the World Baseball Championship from 1978-88, splitting duty with 20 starts and 18 relief appearances. He excelled on that state too with a 13-6 record, 7 saves, 1.79 ERA, 181.1 innings, 333 strikeouts, 210 ERA+, and 10.0 WAR. Ping was second in 1980’s WBC Best Pitcher voting.

Ping only led the Taiwan-Philippine Association in saves once with 41 in 1983. However, he had six seasons of 5+ WAR with Taoyuan, a very impressive mark for a reliever. 1982 was his best ERA at 0.88, while 1980 was his peak in strikeouts at 180 and WAR at 6.4.

After the 1983 season, Ping was a free agent at age 31. He was unable to come to terms with Taoyuan, as teams were loath to give relievers long-term, big money deals. Ping felt he deserved a major raise from his arbitration peak of $316,000. With that, he left Taiwan and sought MLB money. Taoyuan would later retire his #3 uniform for his brief dominance and role in their three titles.

Ping found a two-year, $2,160,000 deal with MLB’s Montreal. He would never get a full-time closer role in his MLB run, but he performed respectably in his more reduced role. After one season with the Maples, he was traded for 1985 to Nashville. He only had 14.1 innings with the Knights, but gave up zero earned runs in that stretch. Montreal brought him back with a three-year, $3,720,000 deal. He played two of those years with the Maples and finished with 4.9 WAR and a 2.11 ERA between the Montreal stints.

Ping at age 35 was cut by the Maples in spring training 1988. He signed a one-year, $1,540,000 deal for that season Ottawa. Next was a two-year, $3,360,000 deal with Tampa. Ping was cut midway through the second year, finishing the campaign with Los Angeles. 1991 started with Philadelphia, but he was cut in spring training. Milwaukee grabbed him, but Ping was again released in the summer.

He would return to Taiwan for the final two months of 1991, taking the closer role with Taipei. Ping still looked good with 15 saves and a 1.42 ERA for the Tigercats. Most importantly to him, that gave the 39-year old a bump to get noticed again by MLB teams. He signed a two-year, $3,760,000 contract with Kansas City.

1992 saw the highest workload of his MLB stints with 77 innings. He started 1993 as the Cougars closer, but posted very average numbers in that role. KC traded him at the deadline to Cleveland, where he struggled in 24.2 innings, That marked the end of his MLB stints, which saw 21 saves and 98 shutdowns, a 2.51 ERA, 498 innings, 557 strikeouts, a 145 ERA+, and 12.5 WAR.

Ping wasn’t ready to retire yet and ended up in Croatia, signing a two-year, $3,120,000 deal with EBF’s Zagreb. Although his ERA wasn’t amazing, he led the conference in saves and appearances at age 41, taking second in Reliever of the Year voting. Ping also had a 0.90 ERA in 10 playoff innings for the Gulls, who fell in the conference final. He was still under contact in 1995, but oddly Zagreb chose not to use Ping. He was happy to earn another $1,560,000 for sitting on his couch. Ping would retire that winter at age 42.

For his entire pro career, Ping had 357 saves and 516 shutdowns, a 1.91 ERA, 1002 games, 1375.1 innings, 1931 strikeouts, 329 walks, a 172 ERA+, 46 FIP-, and 59.0 WAR. Not many relievers can say they had that high of a WAR total for their career. The trouble for Ping Is that his APB career was limited to roughly half his career. He had 298 saves and 379 shutdowns, a 1.36 ERA, 781.1 innings, 1263 strikeouts, 179 walks, 206 ERA+, 32 FIP-, and 43.2 WAR.

The rate stats were excellent, he had more Reliever of the Year awards than anyone in APB, and he won three rings. Still, many voters were turned off by Ping leaving when he did and held that against him. There were also a bunch of relievers who were on the ballot at the same time that took voters from each other. The relative fewer innings hurt him with some voters, keeping Ping in the 50s for five straight ballots. Finally in 2002 with an unremarkable group and some of the other relievers inducted the prior year, Ping just made it across the line at 67.7% for a sixth ballot induction.

FuzzyRussianHat · 05-05-2024, 09:07 AM

Two starting pitchers were added to the Chinese League Baseball Hall of Fame in 2002. Both were strong first ballot adds with Zengxiang Zhang at 99.3% and Youpeng Yin at 91.2%. RF Shichao Zhang was the top performing position player, narrowly missing the 66% requirement with 61.8% on his third ballot. Closer Junwei Zhu missed on his fifth go with 60.0%. Also above 50% was Zhengyu Peng with 55.1% for his sixth ballot and CL Zhiming Cao at 52.3% in his debut.

Dropped after ten ballots was catcher Paotzu Yan, who was hurt by both the general anti-catcher bias of Hall of Fame voters and the tough standards CLB voters specifically had for any hitter. Yan was a 17-year veteran who won six Silver Sluggers and six Gold Gloves, posting 1624 hits, 654 runs, 337 doubles, 207 home runs, 772 RBI, a .227/.280/.371 slash, 117 wRC+ and 75.4 WAR. But alas, the accumulations are low because he’s a catcher in a league with incredibly low scoring.

As of 2037, Yan is CLB’s all-time leader amongst catchers in WAR, games, starts, hits, total bases, doubles, assists, putouts, total chances, innings, runners thrown out, and zone rating. Despite that, Yan peaked at 38.1% in 1994 and fell into the single-digits by the end with a 5.6% finish. CLB still doesn’t have a single catcher in the Hall of Fame as of 2037. But Yan is worth noting as possibly the league’s finest at the position.

Closer River Cournouyer also made it ten ballots, but fell off. He was an American defector who had nine seasons in China, winning two Reliever of the Year awards and posting 237 saves and 320 shutdowns, a 1.31 ERA, 691.2 innings, 199 ERA+, and 26.8 WAR. Cournoyer lacked the longevity and accumulations expected out of an inductee. He peaked at 34.5% and ended at 4.9%, but managed to earn ten years as an option.

Zengxiang Zhang – Starting Pitcher – Shenyang Seawolves – 99.3% First Ballot

Zengxiang Zhang was a 6’1’’, 185 pound right-handed pitcher from Toutunhe, a district in the prefecture-level city Urumqi in northwestern China. Zhang had outstanding pinpoint control of his arsenal, which was especially impressive considering he could hit triple digits reliably as well. He had good stuff and great movement, mixing a 99-101 mph fastball with a slider, forkball, and changeup. Zhang had respectable stamina and defensive chops as well. He was considered very intelligent with few better at picking their spots. On top of all that, Zhang was very durable, making him one of the most impressive arms to ever come out of China.

Zhang was a very highly rated prospect and was picked second overall by Shanghai in the 1980 CLB Draft. He spent 1981 in developmental, then was used as a reliever in 1982 and 1983. After showing great promise in his limited innings, Zhang was promoted to the rotation in 1984. From then through 1992, he would be the ace for the Seawolves with nine straight seasons worth 7+ WAR.

Zhang’s dominance would make him very popular nationwide despite the fact that Shanghai was a non-factor in his tenure. They didn’t make the playoffs once and averaged around 79 wins per season; firmly mid. Zhang would get to pitch on the big stage for China from 1986-97 in the World Baseball Championship. He posted a 2.78 ERA over 168.1 innings, 11-6 record, 225 strikeouts, 130 ERA+, and 5.8 WAR. Zhang also won two world titles with China (1993, 1994).

Zhang was great in his first few years as a starter, taking second in 1984 Pitcher of the Year voting, third in 1985, second in 1986, and second in 1989. He signed a four-year extension after the 1988 season with Shanghai worth $3,750,000. He would go from great to outstanding. From 1986-92, he was the Northern League leader in ERA six times. Zhang led in WHIP four times, K/BB four times, strikeouts once, and WAR thrice. He won three Pitcher of the Year honors (1989, 91, 92) and took second in 1990.

Zhang’s deal ended after the 1992 season seemingly at the peak of his game coming off a career-best 10.6 WAR. Shanghai fans loved him, but they knew the franchise wasn’t competitive or rich enough to keep him. Still, his #27 uniform would get retired by the franchise. Much to the chagrin of China’s political leaders, this baseball star had seemingly grown beyond what CLB could offer. Thus, Zhang decided to leave for the United States and Major League Baseball.

Philadelphia would be the buyer, signing Zhang for five years and $11,880,000, more than doubling his best year’s AAV with Shanghai. He wouldn’t be Pitcher of the Year finalist level with the Phillies, but Zhang was a darn good starter for them. He spent four years in Philly with a 69-35 record, 3.11 ERA, 1021.1 innings, 734 strikeouts, 113 ERA+, and 19.8 WAR. The only playoff start of his decorated career came in 1995 with the Phillies as well.

Philadelphia declined the team-option fifth year, making Zhang a free agent entering 1997 at age 36. Dallas would scoop him up on a three-year, $10,920,000 deal. Zhang maintained steady solid numbers in three years with the Dalmatians, although the team didn’t give him much run support. Zhang had a 39-50 record, 3.77 ERA, 803 innings, 398 strikeouts, 105 ERA+, and 14.8 WAR.

He was a free agent again at age 39 and found a home in Brooklyn for two years and $7,760,000. Zhang ate innings, but was fairly average in 2000 for the Dodgers. His velocity was dropping quickly though and he struggle d in 2001, getting cut by Brooklyn in July. He finished the year in Virginia Beach’s minor league system and retired that winter at age 40. In MLB, he had a 126-114 record, 3.46 ERA, 2228.1 innings, 1304 strikeouts, 306 walks, 105 ERA+, and 38.3 WAR. A quite fine career for a guy who entered at age 32.

For his entire pro career, Zhang had a 270-191 record, 2.41 ERA, 4545.2 innings, 4077 strikeouts, 528 walks, 424/555 quality starts, 134 ERA+, and 121.1 WAR. Just with Shanghai though, he had a 144-77 record, 1.39 ERA, 2317.1 innings, 2773 strikeouts, 222 walks, 0.72 WHIP, 12.5 K/BB, 240/266 quality starts, 182 ERA+, and 82.8 WAR.

Among CLB starters in the Hall of Fame, none have a better ERA. Zhang’s rate stats are remarkable and even with only a decade in CLB, he’s still 12^th all-time in pitching WAR as of 2037. Had Zhang remained in China his whole career, he would have had a good shot to be the league’s GOAT pitcher. Even with a shorter tenure and being on forgettable teams, Zhang was a no-doubter at 99.3%, entering the 2002 Hall of Fame class as one of CLB’s all-time best.

Youpeng “Cash” Yin – Starting Pitcher – Beijing Bears - 91.2% First Ballot

Youpeng Yin was a 5’10’’, 190 pound right-handed pitcher from Hegang, a city of nearly 900,000 in China’s northeastern Heilongjiang province bordering Russia. The nickname “Cash” actually wasn’t from Yin being boastful, as he was renowned as a selfless team captain type. It came from him never wanting to use credit cards or checks for big purchases; always wanting to pay in cash. Yin would be very well respected as a leader and hard worker throughout his career.

As a pitcher, Yin had absolutely filthy movement on his pitches and stellar control. His stuff was considered merely good with a 93-95 mph fastball mixed with a great splitter, plus a slider and curveball. Yin had an extreme groundball tendency and very rarely surrendered home runs. His stamina was subpar with fewer complete games than most contemporary aces. Yin still provided reliable consistent innings thanks to having good durability.

His movement and control were well beyond his years, making Yin the top pitching prospect in the 1982 CLB Draft. Beijing selected him with the #1 overall pick and split him between the bullpen and starting as a rookie. He took third in Rookie of the Year voting in 1983. Yin was full-time in the rotation after that and had his entire nine year Chinese career in the capital.

Beijing very quickly reversed their fortunes, going from having the #1 pick in 1982 to a league title two years later. Yin played a major role in the Bears dynasty with four straight finals berths from 1984-87 and titles in 1984, 85, and 87. In the playoffs, Yin had a 2.15 ERA over 117.1 innings for Beijing with 150 strikeouts, 119 ERA+, 48 FIP-, and 4.7 WAR. Yin also had a 1.73 ERA in 41.2 innings for China in the World Baseball Championship from 1985-90.

For Beijing, Yin led the Northern League five times in WAR and posted eight straight seasons worth 7+ WAR. He also led twice in FIP-, four times in quality starts, once in WHIP, once in strikeouts, once in ERA, and twice in wins. Yin won Pitcher of the Year in 1986 and 1987. He finished second in 1985, third in 1988, second in 1989, and second in 1991.

Beijing gave Yin a five-year, $2,106,000 extension after the 1986 season. The Bears missed the playoffs from 1988-90, but made it back to the China Series in 1991. That would mark the end of Yin’s deal, making him a free agent at age 30. He had worldwide offers and struggled with the decision, having really loved his time in Beijing. Yin would leave though and wrap his Chinese career after only nine seasons. The Bears would retire his #23 uniform and fans would remember him fondly for years after as the ace of their mid 1980s dynasty.

Often times, great players left their home country’s league for MLB, as it was generally considered the best league and definitely offered the most money. Yin surprised a lot of people though by going to Russia of all places right after the Soviet Union collapsed. He went to Eurasian Professional Baseball and signed a six-year, $6,320,000 deal with Novosibirsk.

Yin played five years with the Nitros and helped them to five straight playoff berths. However, they had four one-and-dones with one ALCS defeat. Back injuries cropped up, costing him some postseason opportunities, although he did have a 0.60 ERA in the 15 innings he tossed. Yin was consistently good there, but he wasn’t a league leader or awards finalist. With Novosibirsk, he posted a 74-40 record, 2.48 ERA, 1059.2 innings, 928 strikeouts, 116 ERA+, and 25.1 WAR. The Nitros would buy out the final year of his deal, making Yin a free agent entering 1997 at age 35.

This time, he went MLB and got fairly big money with a three-year, $9,400,000 deal with Kansas City. Yin was okay in two seasons as a Cougar with a 3.74 ERA over 476 innings and 7.7 WAR with an 89 ERA+ and 94 FIP-. After the 1998 season, KC traded Yin to Portland. Yin got rocked in four starts with the Pacifics and was cut in May 1999.

Tampa signed him for a few relief appearances, but cut him in late August. Yin wrapped 1999 in Washington’s minor league system. Detroit signed him for 2000, but Yin suffered a torn labrum after six relief appearances. That effectively ended his MLB career, although he attempted a minor league comeback. Toronto gave him a few relief appearances in the minors in 2001, but bone chips in his elbow officially cooked his goose at age 40. For his MLB attempts, Yin had a 20-35 record, 3.97 ERA, 535.2 innings, 260 strikeouts, 87 ERA+, and 8.1 WAR.

For his entire pro career, Yin had a 236-144 record, 2.20 ERA, 3745.2 innings, 3666 strikeouts, 474 walks, 129 ERA+, 66 FIP-, and 108.8 WAR. That’s a slam dunk Hall of Fame career. His CLB numbers were only nine years, but they were an impressive burst with a 142-69 record, 1.62 ERA, 2150.1 innings, 2478 strikeouts, 271 walks, 249/280 quality starts, 157 ERA+, 54 FIP-, and 75.6 WAR.

Like his Hall of Fame classmate Zhang, there’s a “what if?” with Yin as to how high up the CLB leaderboards he could’ve gone had he stayed in China his whole career. As of 2037, his ERA is the fourth best among all HOF starters in CLB. Yin’s peak was also undeniable, plus he was a team captain and a key part of Beijing’s dynasty. Thus, he got 91.2% and joined Zhang in an impressive 2002 class.

FuzzyRussianHat · 05-05-2024, 03:00 PM

For the first time since 1997, West African Baseball didn’t induct any players into the Hall of Fame. Only one guy on the 2002 ballot even was above 50% with SP Elodie Belem at 59.7% on his fifth try. SP Kasim Shuaibu was the top debut with 39.0%.

Closer Joe Kelley was dropped after ten ballots. He was an American player who came out of independent leagues, pitching only six years in WAB with Conakry. In that short time, he had two Reliever of the Year awards, 224 saves, 1.73 ERA, 531.2 innings, 914 strikeouts, 198 ERA+, and 23.6 WAR. It was a dominant short run before leaving for MLB and a few more forgettable years. Still, he managed to end with a peak of 42.0% after bouncing around between the low teens and mid 30s.

FuzzyRussianHat · 05-06-2024, 03:50 AM

South Asia Baseball had two inner-circle level Hall of Famers for the 2002 class. SP Zainal bin Aziz earned the very rare distinction of being unanimous. As of 2037, he’s one of only five in all of the world leagues with such an honor. 2B VJ Williams was close behind with 97.7%. Closer Harini Shreenath just missed out on also being a first ballot pick, getting 64.1%. C Krish Balvinder also had a nice showing with 59.5% on his fourth try.

Zainal bin Aziz – Starting Pitcher – Vientiane Vampires – 100% First Ballot

Zainal bin Aziz was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Johor Bahru, Malaysia’s second-largest city. He was known for having tremendous stuff, excellent movement, and very good control. Zainal was a rare player with six pitches, led by a 96-98 mph sinker. He also had an incredibly potent curveball, changeup, splitter, and knuckle curve, plus a circle change. Bin Aziz was an absolute master at changing speeds and mixing pitches.

Defensively, bin Aziz was good and he was great at holding runners. His stamina was good, but not outstanding. Zainal had great durability though until his career-ending injury, tossing 230+ innings in all but his first and final seasons. He wasn’t a big personality, but he became extremely popular as the Southeast Asia League’s first megastar pitcher.

Entering the 1982 SAB Draft, bin Aziz was viewed by many to be the top prospect available. He’d get selected second overall by Vientiane, sending him to Laos. His rookie year was split between the bullpen and starting, but he looked decent in limited action. Year two saw bin Aziz as a full-time starter and by year three, he was arguably the best pitcher in SAB.

In 1984, bin Aziz was third in Pitcher of the Year voting, then second in 1985. 1985 began a streak of six straight seasons leading SEAL in both WAR and FIP. With the Vampires, he’d lead the league five times in strikeouts, five times in WHIP, thrice in ERA, twice in wins, once in innings, and four times in K/BB. In 1989, bin Aziz became SAB’s second-ever Triple Crown winning pitcher with a 22-6 record, 2.02 ERA, and 367 strikeouts. Zainal did it again in 1990 with a 21-5 record, 1.48 ERA, and 360 strikeouts.

With Vientiane, bin Aziz won Pitcher of the Year in 1986, 87, 89, and 90; while taking third in 1988. On May 21, 1987, bin Aziz tossed a no-hitter with five strikeouts and one walk against Yangon. He had five seasons worth 9+ WAR and three above triple digits, peaking with 12.1 in 1987; which set the SAB record for a pitcher at the time. The 381 strikeouts in 1987 was also briefly the SAB record.

Despite bin Aziz’s dominance, Vientiane was a mid-level team in SEAL. They would get wild cards in 1986 and 1987, but fall in the first round both years. His three playoff starts with the Vampires saw a 2.16 ERA over 25 innings and 31 strikeouts. Zainal also pitched for his native Malaysia from 1984-96 in the World Baseball Championship. In 197 WBC innings, he had a 13-11 record, 3.15 ERA, 280 strikeouts, 115 ERA+, 61 FIP-, and 7.1 WAR.

Vientiane would extend bin Aziz after the 1987 on a four-year, $3,030,000 deal. While he thrived, the Vampires seemed stuck in the mid-tier. His contract expired after the 1991 season with the soon to be 32-year old bin Aziz looking at his next step. Vientiane was disappointed, but knew they couldn’t match the big money bin Aziz would certainly command. At that point, SAB had largely turned into a bidding war for the top talent between Ho Chi Minh City and Ahmedabad, as both were a few years into their respective dynasties.

With Vientiane, bin Aziz had a 151-80 record, 2.27 ERA, 2057.2 innings, 2791 strikeouts, 500 walks, 206/259 quality starts, 163 ERA+, 56 FIP-, and 76.3 WAR. The Vampires would retire his #53 uniform and he’d remain a beloved franchise icon for years to come. Although he went into the Hall of Fame in the Vientiane hat, he managed to somehow get even better in his second run.

Ho Chi Minh City signed bin Aziz to a five-year, $4,250,000 deal. Entering 1992, the Hedgehogs had made five straight LCS appearances and won three SEAL titles, but they couldn’t get around Ahmedabad in the SAB Championship. The hope was adding the best pitcher in the game might get them over that hump. Zainal immediately delivered with his third Triple Crown season at 22-6, 1.93 ERA, and 396 strikeouts. The Ks mark was a new single-season best that still holds as of 2037 and he broke his own WAR record with 12.4, earning his fifth Pitcher of the Year and a third place in MVP voting.

HCMC won another SEAL title in 1992, but again lost to the Animals in the final. Zainal won his sixth POTY in 1993 as the Hedgehogs had an incredible 126-36, setting a new world record for wins in a season. The season ended in tremendous disappointment as they lost to Johor Bahru in the first round. HCMC bounced back with pennants in 1994 and 1995, but again couldn’t be Ahmedabad. 1995 was the historic showdown between the two with both squads at 124-38.

With Ho Chi Minh City, bin Aziz led in ERA thrice, WAR four times, FIP- four times, K/BB four times, strikeouts four times, and WHIP three times. Zainal broke his WAR record again with 13.1 in 1994, then broke it once more with 13.4 the next year. That gave him eight Pitcher of the Year awards, something very few pitchers in any world league can claim. As of 2037, the most any other SAB pitcher has is five.

Of the top seven WAR seasons by a SAB pitcher, bin Aziz has six of them, including the top four. His 1.48 ERA in 1990 is the third-best in SAB history. He holds the fist, fifth, and tenth most strikeouts in a season. 1995 saw 26 wins for bin Aziz, a mark no other SAB pitchers have reached. On April 8, 1994, bin Aziz made history again with SAB’s second-ever perfect game. He struck out 14 in the perfect effort against Mandalay.

Zainal was also great in the playoffs as expected. He had 16 starts with Ho Chi Minh City with a 1.45 ERA, 9-3 record, 163 strikeouts, 19 walks, 244 ERA+, 38 FIP-, and 5.8 WAR. His 2.0 WAR in the 1994 playoffs is a SAB record and his56 Ks from that run is the third most in SAB history. Adding the Vientiane starts, bin Aziz’s playoff career is 10-5 in 19 starts, 1.57 ERA over 143 innings, 194 strikeouts, 228 ERA+, and 6.6 WAR. As of 2037, he’s the playoff leader in complete games (6), second in WAR, and seventh in both wins and strikeouts.

In 1996, bin Aziz became the first SAB pitcher to 250 career wins. He had already become the first to 4000 strikeouts the other year. Things were looking as impressive as ever for the now 36-year old lefty with a 1.81 ERA and 5.5 WAR through 124 innings. But then, disaster struck.

On June 12, 1996, bin Aziz suffered a torn flexor tendon in his elbow. The prognosis was 14 months, meaning the rest of the 1996 season and probably most to all of 1997. Zainal’s contract was set to expire with the 1996 season and Ho Chi Minh City didn’t re-sign him. In his five seasons as a Hedgehog, bin Aziz had a 104-21 record, 1.84 ERA, 1124 innings, 1692 strikeouts, 171 walks, 193 ERA+, 37 FIP-, and 55.7 WAR. He’d be beloved by Hedgehogs fans for decades to come as well.

Zainal didn’t retire right away and he hoped to make it back. He spent the rest of 1996 and 1997 rehabbing. Unfortunately once he could get back to throwing, bin Aziz’s previous 96-98 mph velocity was down to the 91-93 mph range. His stuff went from rated a 9/10 in his prime to 3/10. Dejected, bin Aziz retired in the winter of 1997 at age 38, never making it back on the field after the injury.

For his career, bin Aziz had a 255-101 record, 2.12 ERA, 3181.2 innings, 4483 strikeouts, 671 walks, 324/402 quality starts, 82 complete games, a 173 ERA+, 49 FIP-, and 132.0 WAR. The accolades are eight Pitcher of the Year awards, six ERA titles, eight seasons as the strikeout leader, four as the wins leader, ten as the WARlord, and seven double-digit WAR seasons.

Even with the early end to his career, bin Aziz still is the all-time pitching leader in WAR by nearly 30 points as of 2037. He’s also the leader in shutouts (36) while sitting third in wins and fourth in strikeouts. No other Hall of Fame starting pitcher has a lower ERA. Had his elbow not exploded, bin Aziz’s tallies would’ve been even more bonkers. Even still, few would argue against him being South Asia Baseball’s GOAT pitcher, fittingly giving him a unanimous induction in 2002.

V.J. Williams – Second/First Base – Ahmedabad Animals – 97.7% First Ballot

V.J. Williams was a 6’3’’, 190 pound left-handed hitting infielder from Baraut, India; a city with around 100,000 inhabitants in the northern Uttar Pradesh state. Williams was a great contact hitter with excellent power and a solid eye. He was excellent at earning extra base hits, averaging 41 home runs, 37 doubles, and 8 triples per 162 game average. Williams was quite quick and was a very intelligent and crafty baserunner as well.

Defensively, Williams made about 2/3s of his starts at second base and the rest at first. Although a tremendous bat for a 2B, Williams was a lousy defender there, lacking the range and glovesmanship needed. However, he graded out as very good defensively at first, even winning a Gold Glove in 1983. Williams was an absolute ironman, playing 156+ games in every season but his rookie year. He was scrappy and a hard worker, helping him become one of the most endearing and beloved players of his era.

Williams timed out as being eligible in SAB’s first-ever rookie draft in 1980. He was picked third overall by Delhi, where he’d spend the first seven years of his career. Williams was mostly a backup as a rookie, but a full-time starter after that. He soon would absolutely light up the leaderboards, posting six straight seasons worth 9+ WAR.

From 1982-87, Williams led the Indian League in WAR four times, runs five times, hits five times doubles twice, RBI twice, total bases six times, batting average four times, OBP five times, slugging six times, OPS six times, and wRC+ six times. He won four straight MVPs from 1984-87, while taking third in 1982 and second in 1983. Williams also won Silver Sluggers in all six seasons. His 138 runs scored in 1984 stood as SAB’s single-season best until 2007. Williams also smacked 40+ homers in all six years with Delhi.

Despite all of that, the Drillers stunk. They averaged 79 wins per season and didn’t make the playoffs once during his tenure. Williams was still beloved by Delhi fans and he had his most efficient seasons there, although most fans don’t remember him in Drillers brown. For his seven seasons, Williams had 1264 hits, 746 runs, 252 doubles, 294 home runs, 229 stolen bases, a .334/.408/.608 slash, 220 wRC+, and 71.1 WAR.

Williams was a megastar throughout India and also a regular for them in the World Baseball Championship. From 1983-96, he had 141 games and 133 starts with 151 hits, 106 runs, 37 doubles, 46 home runs, 108 RBI, 37 stolen bases, a .296/.384/.663 slash, 193 wRC+, and 9.0 WAR. As of 2037, he’s second all-time in WAR among all Indian players in the WBC and first in OPS.

Williams also won tournament MVP in 1993 as he led India to its first-ever finals appearance, falling in the championship to China. In 23 starts, Williams had 29 runs, 30 hits, 10 doubles, 13 home runs, 23 RBI, a .345/.426/.908 slash, 269 wRC+, and 2.5 WAR. At the time, that was the fifth-most runs scored in a single WBC. From all of this, Williams was an absolute megastar throughout India.

That afforded Williams opportunities in and outside of baseball. When his Delhi deal ran out after the 1987 season, Williams was 28 years old. The bidding wars between Ahmedabad and Ho Chi Minh City for all of the top free agents limited his options generally between the two. Williams didn’t want to leave India, but he also couldn’t reach a satisfactory arrangement with the Animals or anyone else. Thus, apart from the WBC, Williams didn’t play baseball in 1988, instead pursuing other interests.

Williams got the itch to come back soon after and was able to figure out compensation with Ahmedabad. The Animals gave him a one year return deal for 1989 at $424,000. The dynasty was underway at this point with SAB titles in 1986 and 1987, but the level of dominance to come after was still unknown at that point. After returning at MVP form, Ahmedabad gave Williams a seven-year, $5,490,000 extension.

During Williams’ run from 1989-96, Ahmedabad won seven championships (89-92, 93-95) and won 107+ games each season. They set the Indian League record in 1995 at 124-38, defeating fellow 124-win Ho Chi Minh City in one of the most epic title showdowns in baseball history. Williams would be a massive reason that the Animals dynasty went from merely great to perhaps the greatest in baseball history.

Williams had 7.5 WAR in seven straight seasons, debuting with 12.1 WAR and 12.5 WAR efforts. Clearly, rust wasn’t an issue. In those first two years, Williams led in hits, average, slugging, OPS, wRC+, and WAR. He also led with a career best 146 RBI in 1990. Williams topped the IL in total bases in 1990 and 1991. He also was the WARlord in 1995 at 10.9, his seventh time leading in WAR and his eighth season hitting double-digits.

Naturally, these efforts got Williams more hardware. He won his fifth MVP in 1990 and took second in 1989’s voting and third in 1995. Williams won seven straight Silver Sluggers, giving him 13 for his career. His greatness carried into the postseason, winning ILCS MVP in 1990, 92, and 94. In 118 playoff starts, Williams had 123 hits, 74 runs, 23 doubles, 29 home runs, 66 RBI, a .275/.345/.542 slash, 176 wRC+, and 6.2 WAR.

After posting 7+ WAR in all but his rookie year, Williams regressed to a mere 3.0 WAR in 1996. This was the final year of his deal and Ahmedabad didn’t sign him to a new contract. Williams shopped around in 1997, but didn’t find a home, retiring that winter at age 38. The Animals quickly retired Williams’ uniform #8. In his run, he had 1392 hits, 848 runs, 289 doubles, 302 home runs, 895 RBI, 393 stolen bases, a .301/.367/.588 slash, 200 wRC+, and 71.5 WAR.

Williams’ final stats were 2656 hits, 1594 runs, 541 doubles, 115 triples, 596 home runs, 1638 RBI, 938 walks, 622 stolen bases, a .316/.386/.620 slash, 209 wRC+, and 142.6 WAR. He was the first in SAB history to 2500 hits, 1500 runs scored, and 1500 RBI, as well as the second to 500 home runs. The later high-offense eras of SAB would knock him down leaderboards, falling out of the top ten in the counting stats. However, his career WAR still ranks sixth-best in SAB history. Williams was one of India’s first-ever major baseball stars and a no-doubt Hall of Famer, getting 97.7%. He and Zainal bin Aziz make up the 2002 class, perhaps as the best one-two in the SAB Hall’s history.

FuzzyRussianHat · 05-06-2024, 10:33 AM

Catcher Razak Mohiyoudeen again came close to being the first Asian Baseball Federation Hall of Fame, but ended up just short of the 66% requirement. On his second try, Mohiyoudeen earned 59.9%, just down from his 63.2% the prior year. Two others made respectable debuts with RF Hakim Baig at 47.9% and 1B Hazan Sheikh at 46.1%. Three others were above 30%.

Closer Paul Arfaoui received 41.4% in his third time on the still new Arab League Baseball Hall of Fame ballot. This was the highest anyone had gotten yet in ALB, but still plenty shy of the 66% requirement. No one else reached double-digits.

FuzzyRussianHat · 05-06-2024, 03:24 PM

The 2002 World Baseball Championship was the 56^th edition of the event and the first to be hosted in the capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa. In Division 1, Ukraine advanced at 7-2, edging out both Egypt and Sweden by one game. This was the seventh division title for the Ukrainians, although they hadn’t done it in a decade. The two-time reigning world champ United States grabbed D2 at 8-1, two games ahead of both Colombia and Ethiopia. It was the 47^th time getting to the elite eight for the Americans.

After a five year title drought, China advanced with an 8-1 record in Division 3, fending off a spirited 7-2 Bangladesh. This was the 20^th division title for the Chinese. Division 4 saw a tie for first at 7-2 between Japan and Poland. The head-to-head tiebreaker went to the Japanese, advancing for the 16^th time. They ended their own significant drought dating back to 1989. Russia, last year’s runner-up, tied for fourth in the division at 5-4.

Cuba claimed a tough Division 5 at 8-1, beating both Argentina and Australia by one game. This was the fifth division win for the Cubans, who last did it in 1993. Division 6 went to 8-1 England, besting Brazil by one game. It was the sixth division title for the English, who last made it in 1999. The Brazilians are now on a three-year drought for the first time since the early 1980s.

In Division 7, Spain and the Netherlands tied at 6-3, while the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Tanzania were each 5-4. The Dutch had the head-to-head tiebreaker, moving on for the sixth time and the first time since 1989. In D8, Germany rolled at 8-1, while Indonesia, Italy, Myanmar, and Pakistan were each 6-3. The Germans now have eight division titles, ending a drought back to their 1991 runner-up effort. With that, the defending champion US was the only team in the playoff field who also was in the field in either 2001 or 2000. For the first time since 1983 as well, half of the division winners were European teams.

The United States dominated Round Robin Group A at 6-0, earning a third straight semifinal berth and a 41^st final four appearance. Germany took second at 3-3, while the Netherlands was 2-4 and Cuba was 1-5. The Germans picked up their fifth-ever semifinal appearance. In Group B, Japan and China both advanced at 4-2, while both Ukraine and England finished 2-4. It was the seventh semifinal for the Japanese and 15^th for the Chinese.

The Americans won their semi 3-1 against Japan to earn an unprecedented 37^th championship appearance. China and Germany went the distance with the Chinese surviving in five games. That earned China its tenth championship berth and first since 1996. Germany officially was third and Japan was fourth, which was the best finish for either nation in more than a decade.

The 56^th World Championship was the sixth finals meeting between the United States and China. The Americans won in their 1971, 74, 75, and 96 encounters, while the lone Chinese win came in 1994. That was the most recent world title for China, with their most recent appearance being the 1996 loss. The series was a classic, the first to go all seven games since Canada’s epic win over the Chinese in 1995. China took the series to deny another American three-peat. The win makes China 5-5 all-time in the final with titles in 1970, 79, 93, 94, and now 2002. The US sits at 32-5 in their finals tries.

Although Japan lost in the semifinal, they had the tournament MVP and Best Pitcher. The former was RF Koji Iwasaki, a 28-year old fresh off a 71 home run season with Saitama. In 19 starts, Iwasaki had 27 hits, 21 runs, 4 doubles, 12 home runs, 23 RBI, a .342/.391/.848 slash, 255 wRC+, and 2.1 WAR. Natsu Kishimoto won Best Pitcher, a 24-year old lefty for Kyoto. He tossed 10.2 scoreless innings in three appearances with 17 strikeouts, one walk, and five this allowed.

Other notes: For the entire event, the United States compiled 269 hits as a team, setting a new WBC record. This would remain the high until the Americans beat it in 2031 with 272 hits. Taiwan’s Ying-Shan Hu became the ninth player to hit for the cycle in the WBC, doing it against Switzerland. With their title, China is now tied with Mexico for fourth in the all-time tournament stats.

04-30-2024, 12:37 PM	#1201
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,798	2001 in BSA Lima’s Beisbol Sudamerica record playoff streak extended to 14 seasons in 2001. The Lobos took the top overall seed in the Bolivar League, dominating the Peru-Bolivia League at 108-54. Lima’s division title streak grew to 11 seasons. Reigning Copa Sudamerica champ Bogota was close to taking the top seed themselves, winning the Colombia-Ecuador Division at 106-56. The Bats’ own impressive playoff streak grew to six seasons. Guayaquil was second at 95-67, easily taking the wild card for their first playoff berth in a decade. The Venezuela Division was putrid with Barquisimeto taking it at 81-81. They were one game better than Caracas, ending the Colts’ six-year playoff streak. Ciudad Guayana finished three games back. The Black Cats hadn’t been a playoff team or division champ since their 1982 championship season. Bolivar League MVP was a repeat with Guayaquil LF Hector Correa. The 28-year old Ecuadoran switch hitter led in runs (138), total bases (427), OBP (.435), slugging (.748), OPS (1.183), wRC+ (196), and WAR (10.3). Correa added 54 home runs, 127 RBI, and a .364 average. Ciudad Guayana’s Lamberto Castillo won a third straight Pitcher of the Year. The fourth-year Venezuelan lefty led in ERA (2.26), WHIP (0.91), shutouts (4), FIP- (50), and WAR (9.6). Castillo added 295 strikeouts and a 17-8 record over 223.1 innings. Lima rolled Guayaquil with a Divisional Series sweep and Bogota bested Barquisimeto 3-1. This pitted the defending Bolivar League champ Bats against the 1997 and 1998 champ Lobos in the BLCS. The series was an all-timer, going all seven games with the finale needing 17 innings. Lima won the marathon 5-4 on a walkoff RBI single by CF Cristobal Cabezas. This gave the Lobos their sixth pennant of the playoff streak and their seventh overall. Defending Southern Cone League champion Asuncion set a franchise record at 110-52. Although they’ve won the pennant in three of the last four seasons, this was the Archers’ first-ever 100+ win season, rolling to the South Central Division title. They allowed 506 runs, the fewest in the league by 74. The division also saw the collapse of Mendoza, who was the wild card the prior year at 97-65. The Mutants collapsed to 68-94 in 2001. Belo Horizonte won the North Division at 99-63, ending an eight-year playoff drought. Buenos Aires took the Southeast Division at 97-65 for a third straight berth and fifth in six years. The wild card race saw a tie at 92-70 between Salvador and Montevideo, while Rosario was close at 89-73. The Storm won the tiebreaker game over the Venom, getting their first playoff berth since 1993. Recife, who had been a playoff regular the last few years, dropped to 82-80. Asuncion’s Marc Pierleoni won his second Southern Cone League MVP. The 29-year old Uruguayan center fielder led in WAR (9.7), total bases (388), doubles (40), slugging (.651), and OPS (1.010). Pierleoni added 44 home runs, 116 RBI, and a .329 average. The Archers would have him for only one more season, as he left for MLB and a four-year, $35,600,000 deal with Edmonton. Belo Horizonte’s Juliao Costa won Pitcher of the Year, making 27 starts and 20 relief appearances. The 25-year old Brazilian righty led in ERA (2.22), FIP- (50), and WAR (9.6). Costa pitched 243 innings with a 16-8 record, 13 saves, and 276 strikeouts. Asuncion survived a fierce challenge from Salvador in the Divisional Series 3-2, while Belo Horizonte swept Buenos Aires. It was the Hogs’ first Southern Cone League Championship appearance since 1992, while the Archers were looking for a fourth pennant in five years. Asuncion’s reign continued, taking the title in six games over Belo Horizonte. The Archers have quickly passed a number of teams in the league in pennants despite having only one playoff appearance in their first 66 seasons as a franchise. Despite their recent success, Asuncion still didn’t have a Copa Sudamerica ring, having lost in the 1997, 98, and 2000 finals. It was a rematch with Lima, who had beaten them in 97 and 98. The 71^st Copa Sudamerica went to the Archers 4-2 over the Lobos, making Asuncion the 25^th BSA franchise to win the Cup. Maracaibo and Montevideo are the only original teams left without a title, along with expansion squads Santa Cruz, Arequipa, and Mendoza. 1B Rafael Cervantes was finals MVP in his tenth season with the Archers. The 32-year old Paraguayan had 17 playoff starts with 22 hits, 10 runs, 5 doubles, 1 homer, and 5 RBI. Other notes: Andres Ramirez became the sixth pitcher to 5000 career strikeouts and the fourth to 300 wins. He would pitch two more years, ending with 341 wins (third all-time) and 5406 strikeouts (fifth). He would be six wins short of the all-time 347 mark of Mohamed Ramos. Lima set a Bolivar League record with 124 triples, which would hold until 2021. Rosario’s Matt Monaco had a 36-game hitting streak, which was the fourth longest in BSA history at that point. Milton Becker became the 10^th member of the 600 home run club. 1B D.J. Del Valle won his eighth Gold Glove. 3B Chi Chi Bergodi and LF Ulises Soliz became seven-time Gold Glove winners. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

04-30-2024, 06:15 PM	#1202
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,798	2001 in EAB Defending East Asian champion and two-time defending Japan League champ Kawasaki had the JL’s best record in 2001. The Killer Whales were 102-60, taking the Capital Division for the fourth year in a row. There was a decent drop to the #2 seed Osaka, who took the Central Division at 93-69. The Orange Sox finished three ahead of Nagoya, who won 104 the prior year, and seven better than Kobe. This ended a four-year playoff drought for Osaka. Niigata snapped an eight-year postseason skid by winning the North Division at 90-73. The Green Dragons finished two games better than Saitama and seven ahead of Sendai. Sapporo was last at 75-87, seeing their seven-year title streak ended. The only team above .500 in a weak West Division was 83-79 Hiroshima. The Hammerheads took a third straight division crown. Hiroshima had the Japan League MVP in LF Bit-Garam Jung. The 28-year old had 58 home runs, 132 RBI, 108 runs, a .331/.355/.684 slash, 219 wRC+, and 9.9 WAR. While a great year, he didn’t lead in any stat, upsetting Saitama slugger and 2000 MVP Koji Iwasaki for the award. Iwasaki smacked 71 home runs, one shy of Tsukasa Kato’s single-season record. He also led in OPS (1.117), wRC+ (234), and WAR (10.0). Kawasaki’s Soo Moon repeated as Pitcher of the Year and repeated as a Triple Crown winner. The third-year righty had a 19-8 record, 2.05 ERA, and 395 strikeouts in 276.1 innings. Moon also led in WHIP (0.72), K/BB (24.7), complete games (19), FIP- (50), and WAR (11.2). He became the fourth pitcher in EAB history to earn multiple Triple Crowns. Kawasaki beat Hiroshima 3-1 and Niigata earned a road sweep over Osaka in the first round of the playoffs. This was only the third time since joining in the 1978 expansion that the Green Dragons had been to the Japan League Championship Series, having won the 1990 and 1991 pennants. The Killer Whales weren’t going to be denied their JLCS three-peat, winning the series in five games. It is the fifth time a franchise won three straight in Japan, joining Kitakyushu (1992-94), Hiroshima (1968-70), Chiba (1961-63), and Sapporo (1949-51). Last year’s Korea League runner-up Ulsan had the top record at 104-58 atop the South Division. The Swallows had a .507 team slugging percentage, tying 1954 Yongin for the best in KL history. Although it is Ulsan’s sixth playoff berth in eight years, it was their first division title since 1985. Yongin was a distant second in the division at 92-70, but earned the first wild card. The Gold Sox extended their playoff streak to three years with seven berths in eight years. Incheon won the North Division at 92-70, edging Seongnam by one game. The Inferno ended a 12-year playoff drought. The Spiders ended up with the second wild card, ending a two-year playoff skid. Close behind but just short were Suwon (89-73), Seoul (88-74), Busan (87-75), and reigning KL champ Daegu (86-76). The Snappers had a five-year playoff streak snapped. The Diamondbacks had won the pennant the prior two years and saw their playoff streak ended at three seasons. Jeonju designated hitter Soo-Geun Yim won Korea League MVP. It was his third year starting, but his first looking elite. The 22-year old lefty led in runs (127), hits (222), home runs (60), RBI (138), total bases (433), OBP (.436), and WAR (9.5). He added a 1.150 OPS, 187 wRC+, and his .366 average was eight points shy of earning a Triple Crown. Ulsan’s Yutaka Kobayashi won his third Pitcher of the Year, having previously won in 1994 and 1995 with Kitakyushu. After 15 years with the Kodiaks, he was traded for the 2001 campaign to the Swallows. In his lone season with Ulsan, the 36-year old Kobayashi led in wins (24-3), ERA (2.15), innings (280), WHIP (1.01), quality starts (29), and WAR (8.7). He added 229 strikeouts and only 29 walks. Ulsan ousted Seongnam 3-1 and Yongin upset Incheon 3-2 in the first round of the playoffs. The Swallows earned a repeat appearance in the Korea League Championship Series, while the Gold Sox had their first since 1997. In a seven game classic, Yongin pulled off the upset over Ulsan for their fourth pennant in eight years (1994, 95, 97). It was the seventh title overall for the Gold Sox. The 81^st East Asian Championship went all seven games with Kawasaki out-dueling Yongin to repeat as EAB champs. This was the fourth overall title for the Killer Whales, who also won it all in 1941 and 1982. Backup CF Geon Park was finals MVP despite having played only 18 games in the regular season. In 10 playoff starts, he had 14 hits, 10 runs, 3 doubles, 4 triples, 1 homer, and 4 RBI. This ultimately was the capper for an impressive dynasty run for Kawasaki. Other notes: Kwang-Woon Ryu and Yutaka Kobayashi both crossed 250 career wins, making it 13 EAB pitchers to have done so. Tsukasa Kato became the 32^nd slugger to 1500 RBI and Ji-Hu Kim became the 23^rd to 1500 runs scored. SS Tokuei Kato won his eighth Gold Glove. 3B Mikita Fujita and SS Hrioshige Matsunaka both won their seventh Gold Glove. 1B Byung-Tak Wie won his seventh Silver Slugger. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

05-01-2024, 04:48 AM	#1203
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,798	2001 in CABA Torreon surprised some by taking the Mexican League’s top record at 105-57 in 2001. This was a franchise record for the Tomahawks, who hadn’t made the playoffs since 1991 or won the North Division since 1987. Monterrey was close behind at 102-60, extending their CABA record playoff streak to 14 seasons with the wild card. The Matadors had to fend off a 99-63 Juarez and 93-69 Tijuana as well. Two-time defending CABA champ Ecatepec cruised to the South Division title at 100-62, 16 games better than Queretaro. The Explosion’s playoff streak grew to six and It was their eighth division title in nine years. The Mexican League’s top awards went to players on sub .500 teams. Mexicali CF Iwan Valen won MVP with the 24-year odl Curacoan leading in WAR (12.1), hits (207), triples (37), total bases (415), slugging (.709), OPS (1.112), and wRC+ (212). Valen set the new CABA triples record, which held until 2033. He also had 35 home runs, 114 RBI, a .354 average, and won his third Gold Glove in center field. Hermosillo’s Marc Perez won Pitcher of the Year. It was an impressive comeback, as he had missed almost all of 1999 to a radial nerve decompression surgery. The 24-year old righty led in ERA (2.18), WHIP (0.90), and quality starts (25). Perez added a 16-9 record over 243.1 innings, 282 strikeouts, and 8.1 WAR. The former #1 overall pick earned a four-year, $16,640,000 extension with the Hyenas because of this effort. Perez would look great in short bursts, but more injuries kept him from much sustained success. Monterrey took Ecatepec to the limit in the wild card round, but the Explosion survived 3-2 to keep their three-peat hopes alive. For Torreon, they had home field in their first Mexican League Championship Series since 1987. Ecatepec’s playoff experience paid off, allowing for the win over the Tomahawks in seven games. Game seven was an 11-innning affair which the Explosion won 6-5. The Ecatepec three-peat gave them their 10^th Mexican League pennant overall. Defending Caribbean League champion Haiti had the best record in the league at 103-59, winning the Island Division for the fifth consecutive season. Honduras and Salvador both extended their playoff streaks as well in the Continental Division. The Horsemen were first at 96-66 for their fourth straight berth and third straight division title. The Stallions ended up tied for the wild card at 91-71 with Nicaragua, but beat the Navigators in the one-game playoff. Salvador’s playoff streak grew to eight seasons. Trinidad was also in the wild card mix at 89-73. Despite only playing 109 games because of multiple injuries, Haiti DH Alphanso Keyes won Caribbean League MVP. His 419 at-bats weren’t enough to qualify, but his .453 batting average would’ve shattered the world record. The 27-year old Bahaman had a .435/.507/.740 slash, 232 wRC+, and still led in WAR at 9.3. He added 32 home runs and 92 RBI. Ultimately, he’d only be healthy for three of Haiti’s playoff games. His Herons teammate Sal Meza won Pitcher of the Year. The 29-year old Mexican joined Haiti the prior year on a seven-year, $20,460,000 deal after starting with Mexicali. Meza led in quality starts (22) and had a 19-10 record in 249 innings, 2.39 ERA, 292 strikeouts, and 7.3 WAR. Haiti also had Pasqual Cantu win his fourth Reliever of the Year award. The 29-year old posted a 1.13 ERA and 31 saves in 79.2 innings with 132 strikeouts and 4.5 WAR. The Herons would switch him to the starting rotation for the next five seasons. Honduras cruised to a wild card round sweep of divisional rival Salvador, setting up a Caribbean League Championship Series rematch with Haiti. The Horsemen would fall in their fourth straight CLCS appearance. The Herons repeated as champs, taking the series in six games. This was Haiti’s fifth Caribbean League crown. The 91^st Central American Baseball Association Championship was a highly anticipated rematch between Ecatepec and Haiti. The Explosion had a shot to be only the third franchise to three-peat as CABA champs, but the Herons got revenge. Haiti won the series 4-2 for the franchise’s second-ever overall title (1938). 2B Americo Garcia was the finals MVP, having signed with the Herons after a decade playing in South America for Santiago. In 12 playoff starts, the 33-year old Chilean had 19 hits, 10 runs, 3 extra base hits, 6 walks, and 5 stolen bases. Other notes: Hugh Boerboom became the fourth member of the 700 home run club. He finished the season with 731, sitting fourth on the all-time list. Boerboom also became the 11^th to reach 1500 runs scored. Jacky Castillo became the 11^th member of the 600 homer club. 3B Adrian Tovar won his tenth Silver Slugger. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

05-01-2024, 09:59 AM	#1204
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,798	2001 in MLB Major League Baseball decreased the service time minimum from eight to seven years beginning with the 2001 season. It was a win for the players, who were upset when the number got bumped up to eight two decades prior. MLB had started with six years as the requirement, but had bumped it up to seven in 1967. This puts MLB in the middle amongst the requirements among the world leagues. The National Association was quite competitive in 2001 with the top spot being very much up for grabs going into the final week. Lower Midwest Division champ St. Louis ended up getting the top mark at 98-64, their first playoff berth since 1993. The #2 seed went to Upper Midwest winner Milwaukee at 97-65. The Mustangs entered the season with MLB’s longest postseason drought at 41 years, last advancing with their 1960 pennant. Milwaukee’s drought was the third longest in MLB history behind only Oklahoma City (53 years from 1901-53) and Tampa (47 years from 1910-56). The new longest active drought belongs to both Pittsburgh and Miami at 29 seasons. Ottawa won the Northeast Division at 96-66, falling one short of a first round bye. The Elks bounced back after missing the field last year. The East Division went to Philadelphia at 94-68, also returning after just missing the prior year. The Phillies only won their division by two games over New York, three over Baltimore, and five over Virginia Beach. Theirs was the closest divisional race, but each was competitive. Detroit was just four behind Milwaukee, Columbus was five back on St. Louis, and Boston was six behind Ottawa. That also made for a very tight wild card race. Detroit and Columbus were both 93-69, which earned them the two spots. New York (92-70), Baltimore (91-71), Boston (90-72), and Virginia Beach (89-73) each fell just short. The Chargers ended up being the only team from the 2000 National Association playoff field to make it back in 2001. The Tigers ended their own 13-year playoff drought. Defending World Series champ Cleveland was a non-factor at 75-87. Indianapolis, Toronto, and Quebec City each went from the playoffs in 2000 to below .500 in 2001. The Yankees were the only team from the 2000 field to miss out but still post a winning record, falling one short of a wild card. New York’s Emmanuel Kao won National Association MVP and made MLB history, becoming the new single-season home run king. The 26-year old from Togo had won three straight MVPs in West African Baseball, prompting the Yankees to give him a historic eight-year, $78,400,000 deal for the 2001 season. Kao lived up to the hype with 63 home runs, passing the old mark of 62 set in 1949 by Sebastian Lunde and 1952 by L.J. Shabazz. Kao’s reign would only last six years, but he forever earned a spot in history. He also led the NA in runs (124), RBI (146), total bases (419), slugging (.671), OPS (1.049), wRC+ (218), and WAR (9.9). Pitcher of the Year went to second-year Cincinnati righty Grayson Whittaker. He earned the award despite only making 25 starts with 190.1 innings, as he suffered a torn rotator cuff in late July. The 22-year old Whittaker still led in ERA (1.65), WIHP (0.86), K/BB (6.0), and FIP- (46). He posted a 15-2 record, 272 strikeouts, and 8.4 WAR. On June 28, he threw MLB’s 20^th perfect game with nine strikeouts against Indianapolis. Whittaker also had a 20 strikeout game in May against Winnipeg. Sadly for Whittaker, he’d never pitch a full season again, suffering four more rotator cuff tears before he was done. His fastball was legendary, but he goes down as a great “what if?” player in MLB history. The first round of the playoffs had Philadelphia best Columbus 2-1 and Ottawa over Detroit 2-1, sending both division winners forward. The Phillies would upset St. Louis 3-2 in the second round, while Milwaukee survived in five against the Elks. This was the first National Association Championship Series appearance since 1988 for the Phillies and the first for the Mustangs since their 1960 pennant. The NACS went to Philadelphia 4-1 for their first pennant since the great 1940s dynasty. The Phillies are now 10-time NA champs, tied with Ottawa for the most. Reigning American Association champ Seattle repeated as having the AA’s and MLB’s best record at 108-54. The Grizzlies repeated as Northwest Division champs and extended their playoff streak to four seasons. The other bye went to Southwest Division champ Albuquerque at 101-61, which ended a six-year playoff drought for the Isotopes. San Diego was close behind at 97-65, easily grabbing the first wild card. That was the fifth playoff berth in six years for the Seals, bouncing back after an unexpected 73-win effort in 2000. After missing out the last two years, Nashville was back atop the Southeast Division at 95-67, besting reigning division champ Atlanta by seven. The South Central Division had Austin roll to the top spot at 95-67. This was the first division title and playoff berth since 1992 for the Amigos. In an intense battle for the second wild card, Phoenix came out on top at 89-73. The Firebirds were one ahead of Atlanta and Las Vegas, three better than Tampa, four ahead of Los Angeles and Miami, and five better than Houston and Denver. This gave Phoenix repeat wild cards. Two playoff teams from the prior year regressed hard as New Orleans dropped to 74-88 and Salt Lake City plummeted to 67-95. Seattle 1B Bryson Wightman became a three-time American Association MVP. The 31-year old hometown hero led in hits (211), RBI (136), OPS (.996), and wRC+ (172). Wightman added 39 home runs, a .334 average, and 8.6 WAR. The Grizzlies would lock him in on another big deal just before the 2003 season for five years and $59,500,000. Pitcher of the Year went to second-year Austin lefty Zigmund Spampinato. The second overall pick by the Amigos in the 1999 MLB Draft out of UCLA led in ERA (2.34), quality starts (28), and shutouts (8). Spampinato added a 22-8 record over 300 innings with 311 strikeouts and 10.6 WAR. He managed to beat out Daniel Grondin for the top award despite Grondin’s 12.4 WAR, which was the third-best season ever by an MLB pitcher. The fourth-year Calgary ace also had him beat in strikeouts (342) with a 19-10 record in 301 innings, but had a weaker ERA at 2.99. Austin swept San Diego 2-0 and Nashville edged Phoenix 2-1 in the first round, sending the division winners forward. Seattle survived a five-game classic with the Amigos, while the Knights upset Albuquerque 3-1. The Grizzlies had a shot to repeat, while it was Nashville’s first American Association Championship Series since 1996. Seattle was heavily favored, but the Knights dominated and took the AACS 4-1. This ended a 47-year title drought for Nashville, who won their fourth pennant (1944, 47, 54, 01). The 101^st World Series renewed an old playoff rivalry, although it was generations ago. During Philadelphia’s 1940s dynasty, they beat Nashville in the 1944 and 1947 World Series meetings. It was delayed revenge, but the Knights would get the better of the Phillies in six games for the 2001 title. This was Nashville’s second MLB title, as they also won in 1954 over Toronto. 1B Colin Jordan stepped up in the playoffs, winning AACS and World Series MVP. The 24-year old had 18 starts with 24 hits, 13 runs, 4 doubles, 5 homers, and 12 RBI. Other notes: Hartford’s Aleksei Arakelyan made world history, as he is believed to be the only pitcher to throw no-hitters in back-to-back starts. On August 23, he fanned six with three walks against Wichita. Then on August 29, he had five Ks in a no-no versus Detroit. Arakelyan ended having a 54-inning scoreless streak from 8/6 to 9/8 with a 22-inning hitless streak. Francis Saidi became the ninth MLB pitcher to 300 career wins. He would pitch two more seasons and end with 341, third all-time. Saidi would also end up with the most starts (725) and innings pitched (5757) of any MLB pitcher. San Diego’s pitching staff surrendered 270 walks and had a BB/9 of 1.66. Both of which were the second-best mark in American Association history. Mason Murat became the 53^rd member of the 3000 hit club and the 92^nd to reach 1500 runs scored. SS Matteo Canetti won his eighth Silver Slugger. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

05-01-2024, 05:08 PM	#1205
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,798	2002 MLB Hall of Fame Centerfielder Phil Sannes was the lone inductee into Major League Baseball’s Hall of Fame in 2002, getting a first ballot nod at 73.6%. Closer Josiah Denson wasn’t far from the 66% requirement in his debut, but fell short at 58.4%. Five other players were above 50% with CL Alex Cantos at 57.2% on his fourth ballot; SP Aiya Kodama at 54.3% for his debut, 2B Rodrigo Badillo at 54.3% in his fourth try, C Peter Wacker at 54.3% on his tenth; and 1B Roy Cote at 53.2% on his fifth. For Wacker, 54.3% was the best he got on his ten tries, although he was never lower than 46.8%. A 21-year veteran with Boston and five other teams, he had one Silver Slugger with 2067 hits, 1121 runs, 341 doubles, 480 home runs, 1369 RBI, a .234/.302/.440 slash, 114 wRC+, and 67.1 WAR. As of 2037, he’s 15^th in WAR among catchers. The low stats common with catchers hurt him, but Wacker also lacked the big numbers even for the position. His longevity was impressive and he won World Series rings with both Boston and Ottawa. Peter Wacker also had a very popular baseball card in the era, but mainly because of the innuendo his name provided. Also dropped after ten ballots was 1B Ethan Sinquefield, although he only peaked at 23.1% in his second ballot and ended at 6.3%. In 16 years primarily with Las Vegas, he had 2300 hits, 1271 runs, 414 doubles, 487 home runs, 1467 RBI, a .280/.345/.513 slash, 139 wRC+, and 62.7 WAR. Sinquefield was popular for helping the Vipers win two World Series titles, but he had no individual accolades and didn’t have the mammoth power numbers expected from the position. Phil Sannes – Center Field – Phoenix Firebirds – 73.6% First Ballot Phil Sannes was a 5’11’’, 190 pound left-handed center fielder from Santee, California; a city of around 60,000 people in San Diego County. Sannes was an excellent contact hitter with a respectable eye and a solid strikeout rate. He was also incredibly quick and considered one of the best baserunners and base stealers of his era. Sannes didn’t have prolific power, but he still had a solid pop on his bat. Over a 162 game average, he’d give you 28 home runs and around 33 doubles/triples per year. Sannes played the vast majority of his career in center field. Despite his speed and range, he graded out as below average over the course of his career. Sannes was quite good in his younger years, winning a Gold Glove in 1980. He was rarely a liability defensively and had remarkable durability at a very physically demanding spot. Sannes played 140+ games each season from 1979-93, although he did make a notable amount of starts as a designated hitter. He became a very popular player, but he had plenty of detractors due to his outspoken nature. Sannes was always good for a compelling quote, but he also didn’t filter out his dumber hot takes. Naturally, he thrived in sports radio after retiring. Sannes went to the other side of the country for college, playing for the University of Miami. In 145 college games as a Hurricane, he had 144 hits, 77 runs, 27 doubles, 23 home runs, 81 RBI, a .262/.334/.451 slash, 126 wRC+, and 3.9 WAR. In the 1978 MLB Draft, Sannes was picked 10^th overall by Phoenix. He was a full-time starter immediately for the Firebirds, holding that role for 12 years. Sannes would take third in Rookie of the Year voting in 1979. Sannes’s finest years were early in his career, winning Silver Sluggers in 1980, 81, and 82. His lone Gold Glove also came in 1980. In 1982, Sannes had a career-best 8.6 WAR, finishing second in MVP voting. He played a large role in making Phoenix a regular contender in the 1980s, as they posted seven playoff berths and four Southwest Division titles in the decade. His few World Baseball Championship appearances came in these early years as well, winning world title rings with the 1981 and 1982 United States squads. In 1982, Sannes helped Phoenix win the American Association pennant, although they lost to St. Louis in the World Series. After the 1983 campaign, the Firebirds signed him to an eight-year, $12,780,000 extension. In 1985, Phoenix would win it all, defeating Toronto in the World Series. Their other playoff appearances in the 1980s would see second round exits. Sannes wasn’t amazing in the playoffs, but not bad either. In 55 starts with Phoenix, he had 67 hits, 38 runs, 14 extra base hits, 33 RBI, 17 stolen bases, a .300/.342/.444 slash, and 115 wRC+. Sannes would win one additional Silver Slugger in 1988 as a designated hitter. He led the AA in runs scored in both 1985 and 1988, posting 125 runs both seasons. Sannes also twice was the leader in stolen bases. As the 1990s dawned, Phoenix fell towards the mid-tier and Sannes started to weigh his options. 1991 would be his last season in the desert, becoming a free agent at age 34. With Phoenix, Sannes had 2338 hits, 1312 runs, 331 doubles, 91 triples, 363 home runs, 1129 RBI, 609 stolen bases, a .299/.352/.503 slash, 131 wRC+, and 60.8 WAR. His efforts and popularity led to his #9 uniform eventually getting retired. Sannes would move to the mountains, signing a five-year, $10,560,000 deal with Denver. Sannes was a steady starter in 1992 and 1993 for the Dragons, helping them to the AACS in the latter. Injuries kept him out a chunk of 1994 and 1995, but he was back for the 1995 postseason run. Sannes won his second World Series ring as Denver beat Boston in the 1995 final. In his 27 playoff starts as a Dragon, Sannes had 35 hits, 25 runs, 11 extra base hits, 9 RBI, 7 stolen bases, a .318/.380/.482 slash, and 131 wRC+. In 1996, Sannes became the 51^st MLB member of the 3000 hit club. His production dropped in this last year for his first-ever season with a sub-100 wRC+. His contract expired, giving him a five-year total in Denver of 691 hits, 385 runs, 98 doubles, 102 home runs, 260 RBI, 144 stolen bases, a .277/.337/.462 slash, 115 wRC+, and 15.6 WAR. Sannes wanted to still sign somewhere, but no one wanted a 39-year old center fielder. He retired in the winter of 1997. Sannes’s final stats saw 3029 hits, 1697 runs, 429 doubles, 120 triples, 465 home runs, 1389 RBI, 877 walks, 753 stolen bases, a .293/.348/.493 slash, 127 wRC+, and 76.4 WAR. He didn’t dominate the leaderboards, but having 1500+ runs, 3000+ hits, 400+ doubles, and 450+ home runs were all nice milestones. At induction, he was also 16^th all-time in stolen bases. That, plus his role in two World Series titles, was enough for many voters. Sannes still had detractors due to his outspoken nature and lack of prolific numbers, but he had enough support for a first ballot induction at 73.6%. Thus, Sannes was the lone member of MLB’s 2002 Hall of Fame class. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

05-02-2024, 03:48 AM	#1206
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,798	2002 CABA Hall of Fame (Part 1) Three first ballot inductions were made with the 2002 Central American Baseball Association’s Hall of Fame class. Each had around the same range with OF Orlando Ramos at 88.8%, SP Juan Meza at 87.1%, and pitcher Ramon Herrera at 86.8%. 3B Pedro Pizarro was the only other player above the 50% mark, getting 59.1% in his seventh ballot. Dropped after ten ballots was 1B Yerardo Alva, who had a 16-year career between Havana, Queretaro, and Guadalajara. He won six Gold Gloves and one Silver Slugger, helping the Hurricanes win the title in 1975. His totals saw 1804 hits, 1153 runs, 275 doubles, 100 triples, 554 home runs, 1263 RBI, a .233/.297/.510 slash, 131 wRC+, and 51.0 WAR. Alva also had an abysmal 30.7% strikeout rate and at retirement, had more whiffs than any other CABA player at 2613. As of 2037, he’s still third all-time in strikeouts. That ultimately sank Alva’s HOF hopes with a peak of 26.5% in 1994 and a finish at 9.2%. He was the first CABA player to hit 550+ homers and not earn induction. SP Martin Cordova also fell off after ten years on the ballot. His CABA run was only nine seasons between Guatemala and Puerto Rico, followed by three MLB seasons. In CABA, he had a 125-61 record, 3.04 ERA, 1771.1 innings, 1857 strikeouts, only 264 walks, 115 ERA+, 86 FIP-, and 35.7 WAR. Cordova didn’t have big awards and lacked the tenure, but it was a nice career for a guy picked in the fourth round. A damaged elbow ligament also rendered him effectively done after his age 32 season. Cordova peaked at 19.5% in 1994 and ended at 4.3%, but managed to last ten seasons on the ballot. Orlando Ramos – Center Field – Puerto Rico Pelicans – 88.8% First Ballot Orlando Ramos was a 6’2’’, 205 pound right-handed center fielder from San Pablo, Costa Rica; a canton of around 27,000 in the center of the country. Ramos was a good contact hitter with solid home run power and respectable gap power. He had a decent eye with a below average strikeout rate. Ramos averaged around 39 home runs per 162 games and around 28 doubles. He wouldn’t leg out extra bases very often with subpar speed and baserunning skills. Despite slowness on the bases, Ramos was a career center fielder. He showed solid range with good defensive instincts, grading out as a solid defender in his career. Ramos was hard working and adaptable, allowing him to thrive in center. He had strong durability in his 20s, although he did have injury woes in his later years. Ramos ended up being extremely popular throughout CABA and was a hero to the Costa Rican baseball fan. He would be the fourth player from the nation to earn induction. Ramos had an impressive amateur career, drawing plenty of attention among the Central American teams heading into the 1980 CABA Draft. With the sixth overall pick, Ramos was selected by Nicaragua. He would only play 16 games in his one season with the Navigators. In the offseason, he and catcher Kyle Florez were traded to Puerto Rico for veteran pitcher Victor Newby. This started a 12-year run as a star for the Pelicans. PR immediately made Ramos a full-time starter, although he would miss 7 weeks in 1982 to shoulder bursitis. He’d stay healthy for the rest of his run with 138+ games in each of his remaining years as a Pelican. In 1983, Ramos led the Caribbean League with 7.6 WAR, earning his first Silver Slugger and a third place in MVP voting. Puerto Rico made the CLCS, but lost to Guatemala. Ramos also became a regular for Costa Rica in the World Baseball Championship, playing each year from 1982-2001 and starting each year except for his 1982 debut. In 171 games, Ramos had 150 hits, 93 runs, 16 doubles, 47 home runs, 104 RBI, a .234/.303/.482 slash, 124 wRC+, and 4.7 WAR. 1984 was Ramos’ finest season, leading the Caribbean and posting career bests in WAR (11.0), wRC+ (189), slugging (.620), average (.346), OPS (1.012), and total bases (367). He earned MVP and his second Silver Slugger, although Puerto Rico just missed the playoffs. They’d go one-and-done in 1985 and while they’d be often above .500, PR didn’t make the playoffs for the rest of Ramos’ tenure. Still, Ramos was a star and a success. He led home runs with 50 in 1987, was the WARlord at 10.0 in 1989, and led in OBP in 1991. From 1983-93, he posted 5.8+ WAR or better each year. He won Silver Sluggers in 1985, 87, and 88 and took third in MVP voting in 1985, 86, 87, 88, and 89. Ramos was inked to an eight-year, $9,180,000 extension after the 1985 season. The contract would expire after the 1993 season with Ramos at age 35. The Pelicans would later retire his #32 uniform. Ramos decided to give free agency a look and had plenty of suitors as he still played at a very high level at the end of the Puerto Rico run. Ramos took an MLB offer with Vancouver worth $8,760,000 over three years. The run would ultimately be cursed by injuries, starting with a torn labrum in 1994 that cost him five months. Back issues cost him half of 1995. Ramos was healthy in 1996 and posted 3.8 WAR, showing he could still be a quality starter. In his tenure with the Volcanoes, he had 277 starts, 273 hits, 145 runs, 41 doubles, 55 home runs, 171 RBI, a .251/.319/.444 slash, 109 wRC+, and 8.4 WAR. Ramos was still a hot commodity even at age 38 and signed a three-year, $11,680,000 deal with Oakland. Injuries again bothered him during this run and by the end, his productivity was below average. With the Owls, Ramos had 291 starts, 249 hits, 147 runs, 58 home runs, 161 RBI, a .222/.273/.421 slash, 94 wRC+, and 3.8 WAR. For his MLB run, Ramos had 522 hits, 292 runs, 113 home runs, 332 RBI, a .236/.296/.432 slash, 102 wRC+, and 12.2 WAR. Now 41 years old, Ramos still wanted to play, but didn’t have many teams interested in an aged outfielder. He ended up going to Iraq and the Arab League with a two-year, $584,000 deal with Basra. Ramos had 3.0 WAR in only 73 games in 2000, but was terrible in 2001 and quickly benched. He finished with 2.3 WAR with Basra and retired after the 2001 season at age 43. For his entire professional career, Ramos had 2691 hits, 1417 runs, 425 doubles, 572 home runs, 1630 RBI, a .289/.337/.527 slash, 141 wRC+, and 107.1 WAR. Just in CABA though, Ramos had 2082 hits, 1077 runs, 335 doubles, 437 home runs, 1239 RBI, a .308/.351/.560 slash, 155 wRC+, and 92.6 WAR. His 13-year CABA run was quite impressive, even if he didn’t have the playoff opportunities. Ramos was a beloved player and a consistent MVP finalist for a decade, earning the first ballot induction at 88.8% to lead off CABA’s 2002 Hall of Fame class. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

05-02-2024, 12:07 PM	#1207
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,798	2002 CABA Hall of Fame (Part 2) *Juan Meza – Starting Pitcher – Monterrey Matadors – 87.1% First Ballot* Juan Meza was a 6’5’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Naucalpan, a municipality of more than 800,000 people located just northwest of Mexico City. Meza had very good stuff with 98-100 mph peak velocity on his fastball, mixed with a strong cutter and good changeup. He had above average movement and respectable control during his prime years. Meza had good stamina when healthy, but had injury issues in his career. He was great at holding runners and considered a strong defensive pitcher. Meza was humble and hardworking, making him well liked in the clubhouse. Meza was a highly rated prospect even coming out of high school. Monterrey would pick him 18^th overall in the 1980 CABA Draft. The Matadors kept him in the developmental system for 1981 and 1982. He officially debuted in 1983 at age 21, making only three starts. Meza was only used sparingly in these first few seasons, still needing to work on his control. He pitched 222.4 innings over the first four years, although he showed promise in that sample size. Meza made two starts with okay results in the 1985 playoffs as Monterrey lost to Hermosillo in the Mexican League Championship Series. The Matadors looked to make Meza a full-time starter in 1986, but shoulder inflammation knocked him out from mid May onward. 1987 was his first year as a full-time starter with very solid results. Meza would post five straight seasons worth 6+ WAR. He also pitched from 1987-92 with Mexico in the World Baseball Championship, posting a 2.21 ERA over 57 innings with 77 strikeouts and 163 ERA+. Meza led in wins in 1988 with a career-best 1.81 ERA, taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting. This began an 18-year playoff streak for Monterrey, although they were upset by Juarez in the MLCS. In 1989, Meza led in wins, WHIP, and WAR; taking Pitcher of the Year. On July 9, Meza pitched the 28^th CABA Perfect Game, striking out 12 against Puebla. He repeated as Pitcher of the Year in 1990, leading in wins and innings. 1990 officially began the Monterrey dynasty, as they three-peated as CABA champs from 1990-92. They won the Mexican League title again in 1993 and the CABA title in 1995 and 1996. Meza was a great playoff pitcher with an 11-5 record over 20 appearances, a 2.88 ERA over 137.2 innings, 151 strikeouts, 122 ERA+, and 3.6 WAR. Meza would sign a six-year, $10,560,000 contract extension in April 1990, looking to play a long-term role in the dynasty. Meza was third in 1991 Pitcher of the Year voting and won a Silver Slugger with a .376/.376/.459 slash in 35 games. For a pitcher, he was a solid batter with a .233/.240/.291 career slash. Meza was riding high entering his 30s, but he suffered a partially torn labrum in 1993, knocking him out in the middle of the season. When Meza returned in 1994, he looked very pedestrian and was moved to a part-time starter role. Then in August 1994, Meza suffered a fractured elbow. He missed the entire 1995 season, but came back as a part-time starter in 1996 with very average results. Meza would go 3-1 in the 1996 playoffs, helping Monterrey win its fifth CABA title in seven years. He decided to retire with that at age 35. The Matadors would retire his #51 uniform that winter. Meza’s career stats saw a 154-68 record, 2.50 ERA, 2084 innings, 2460 strikeouts, 341 walks, 197/258 quality starts, 91 complete games, 134 ERA+, 79 FIP-, and 49.3 WAR. The rate stats are excellent, but his accumulations are very low compared to most Hall of Famers since he only had around nine or ten years’ worth of actual starts. Working in Meza’s favor were two Pitcher of the Year awards and an important role in Monterrey’s dynasty. Those factors were enough for most voters and Meza earned the first ballot addition in 2002 at 87.1%. Ramon Herrera – Pitcher – Santo Domingo Dolphins – 86.8% First Ballot Ramon Herrera was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Tenamaxtlan, a town of 7,000 people in the State of Jalisco in western Mexico. Herrera had pinpoint control, solid control, and good movement. His fastball only peaked in the 93-95 mph range, but he had a stellar changeup, good cutter, and decent slider to compliment it. Herrera’s stamina was poor, which led to him being primarily a reliever despite his four pitch arsenal. Herrera was a scrapper, known for his work ethic, intelligence, and adaptability. Herrera had some attention coming out of high school, picked in the third round in the 1976 CABA Draft. Juarez selected him with the 83^rd overall pick, but he opted to instead play college baseball. Herrera’s college stats were fairly unremarkable and lost position when picked in the 1979 CABA Draft. Haiti chose him in the fourth round with the 115^th overall pick. Herrera would opt to sign with the Herons. Herrera couldn’t crack the lineup in 1980 or 1981 for Haiti. The Herons debuted him in 1982 at age 25 with mostly unremarkable relief appearances. At the 1982 trade deadline, he was sent along with SP Leonardo Colon to Santo Domingo for SP Roman Castanon. The Dolphins only used him in nine relief appearances with poor results. Santo Domingo was in the midst of a dynasty run, winning the CABA title in 1982, 84, and 85. They also made the Caribbean League Championship Series in 1986. Herrera was very much a bit player though with only 53.2 relief innings in 1983 and 1984. He would show promise in the 1982 and 1984 playoff runs out of the bullpen. Santo Domingo made him a part-time starter in 1985. Herrera was a full-time starter from 1986-88 and he excelled, posting 17.6 WAR. He took third in 1987 Pitcher of the Year voting and signed a six-year, $6,960,000 extension in spring 1988. This big deal came at age 31. Herrera regressed a bit in 1988 with his weak stamina hurting him late in games. Santo Domingo decided to make him the closer after that, a role he’d hold for eight seasons. Herrera took well to the bullpen, leading the Caribbean League in saves thrice. He won 1990 and 1991 Reliever of the Year, while taking second in 1989, second in 1992, and third in 1993. Santo Domingo missed the playoffs in 1987 and 1988, but made five berths from 1989-94. The Dolphins got to the CLCS thrice, but couldn’t win another pennant. For his playoff career, Herrera had mixed results with 25 games and 5 starts, posting a 4-3 record and 5 saves. He had a 3.66 ERA over 59 innings with 70 strikeouts, a 99 ERA+, and 1.7 WAR. Herrera also participated in four editions of the World Baseball Championship for Mexico, posting a 4.82 ERA in 18.2 innings. Herrera signed a two-year, $3,160,000 extension after the 1994 season. In 1996, he became the 12^th CABA player to reach 300 career saves and the first to do it in 20 years. Herrera was still under contract in 1997, but wasn’t used ultimately by Santo Domingo. He retired that winter at age 40 and saw his #19 uniform retired shortly after. For his career, Herrera had a 102-107 record, 303 saves and 323 shutdowns, 2.64 ERA, 1481 innings, 1842 strikeouts, 206 walks, a 139 ERA+, 68 FIP-, and 43.6 WAR. It is hard to compare Herrera to other CABA Hall of Fame relievers, since half of his career value came in his stint as a starter. His rate stats are good, but not outstanding compared to them. 300 saves was a nice round number voters like and there hadn’t been a reliever inducted in more than two decades. This helped Herrera get the first ballot nod at 86.8% to round out a solid 2002 class. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

05-02-2024, 04:31 PM	#1208
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,798	2002 EAB Hall of Fame (Part 1) East Asia Baseball had three players added into the Hall of Fame in 2002. SP Ju-Eon Eun was the major standout with a first ballot induction at 97.8%. SS U-Seong San crossed the 66% requirement in his third ballot at 74.2%. LF Jay-Hoon Cho on his seventh try finally made it in at 72.0%. 2B Seong-Jae Kang almost also became a seventh ballot inductee, falling just short at 63.8%. Also above 50% was CL Geon Byung at 53.5% on his fourth ballot. Closer Yeong-U Oum was the lone player dropped after ten ballots. He had a 16-year career with 12 different teams split between EAB and MLB. In EAB, Oum won three Reliever of the Year awards with 255 saves and 357 shutdowns, 2.20 ERA, 847.1 innings, 1116 strikeouts, 170 ERA+, 61 FIP-, and 27.2 WAR. He didn’t quite have the innings or saves numbers that most voters want, although his rate stats looked solid. Oum had an impressive 55.9% debut in 1993, but he only fell downward and ended at a low of 12.9%. Ju-Eon Eun – Starting Pitcher – Yongin Gold Sox – 97.8% First Ballot Ju-Eon Eun was a 6’2’’, 190 pound right-handed pitcher from the capital of South Korea, Seoul. Eun was known for having outstanding movement on his pitches along with respectable stuff and good control. He had a 97-99 mph sinker as his primary pitch and mixed it with a slider and changeup. Eun had above average stamina and was considered quite durable for most of his career. Eun was a hard worker and became a popular player in Korean baseball. Eun attended Woosung High School and excelled as a teenager. He had designs in attending college, but many teams wanted to get him right out of high school. In the 1976 EAB Draft, Yongin would not only pick Eun, but selected him with the #1 overall pick. He signed with the Gold Sox and spent the next two years in their developmental system. Eun officially debuted with 20 relief appearances in 1979 at age 20, showing good potential. He was split between the bullpen and starting in 1980, then was a full-time starter for Yongin for the next decade. In July 1981, the Gold Sox gave him a five-year, $2,104,000 extension. From 1981-89, Eun had nine straight seasons worth 5+ WAR. He played a huge role in making the Gold Sox a contender again. They had bottomed out at 56-106 in 1976 when they drafted Eun. From 1980-87, Yongin would have six playoff appearances, five Korea League Championship Series berths, two pennants, and one EAB title. Eun also pitched from 1982-84 for South Korea in the World Baseball Championship with a 1.10 ERA in 32.2 innings. Eun took second in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1982 despite missing two months to a forearm strain. He led in ERA at 1.98, a career-best. Eun was back for the playoffs in the fall, but Yongin lost to Seongnam in the KLCS. The team narrowly missed the playoffs in 1983, but Eun won his first Pitcher of the Year. He had a league and career-best 10.4 WAR with a 1.00 WHIP. Eun was the WARlord again in 1984, 85, 87, and 89. In 1984, Yongin won their first-ever East Asian Championship, beating Kobe in the final. Eun had a big postseason, going 4-0 in five starts with a 1.76 ERA over 41 innings and 50 strikeouts. In 1985, he led in wins at 26-6, winning Pitcher of the Year for the second time. Eun was great again in the playoffs with a 1.57 ERA over 34.1 innings. The Gold Sox won the KL pennant again, but lost the EAB final to Osaka. After the season, Eun signed a six-year, $5,820,000 extension to remain in Yongin. The Gold Sox made the KLCS the next two years, but were denied both times. Eun struggled in his 1986 playoff starts, but was solid in 1987. For his playoff career with Yongin, he had an 11-4 record over 19 appearances, a 2.44 ERA over 144 innings, 151 strikeouts, 159 ERA+, and 5.9 WAR. He was undoubtedly a big reason why the Gold Sox were a contender in the 1980s. Eun did regress in 1986 with a surprisingly poor 4.19 ERA, although his 79 FIP- suggested he got some bad breaks. He returned to form in 1987, winning his third Pitcher of the Year. Eun remained steady for the rest of his run, but Yongin began to slip. They missed the playoffs in 1988 and 1989 with 87 and 8-0 wins, respectively. In 1990, the Gold Sox plummeted to 60-102. That year, Eun missed much of the season with a ruptured finger tendon and looked pedestrian in the action he saw. Yongin looked to rebuild in the 1990s and Eun’s contract was coming due. At the 1991 trade deadline, the 32-year old was traded to Seongnam for prospect pitcher Hyeon-Jun Kim. Eun remained popular with Gold Sox fans and they would retire his #14 uniform when it was all said and done. With Yongin, Eun had a 184-123 record, 3.09 ERA, 2737.1 innings, 2614 strikeouts, 515 walks, a 126 ERA+, 70 FIP-, and 79.3 WAR. Eun had a good second half, taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting. The Spiders were the defending EAB champs and improved their record in 1991 to 105-57. However, they were upset in the KLCS by Goyang. Still, they were happy with Eun and decided to go rent-to-own, signing him to a five-year, $6,440,000 extension. Seongnam didn’t have the playoff success they hoped, generally being mid-tier and missing the playoffs during Eun’s whole run. Eun had a good 1992 and was having a nice 1993 until a torn back muscle knocked him out four months. Eun was great again in 1994, although he missed the final weeks to a sprained ankle. Still, he led in ERA for the second time and led in complete games, taking third in Pitcher of the Year voting. Eun was still solid in 1995, becoming the tenth EAB pitcher to 250 career wins and the 29^th to 3500 strikeouts. His velocity would drop significantly entering 1996, now down to 90-02 mph after previously being in the upper 90s. Eun was middling that year, then needed surgery in June to remove a bone spur in his elbow. He retired that winter at age 38. With the Spiders, Eun had a 79-50 record, 2.67 ERA, 1088 innings, 951 strikeouts, 141 ERA+, and 27.5 WAR. For his career, Eun posted a 263-173 record, 2.97 ERA, 3825.1 innings, 3565 strikeouts, 707 walks, 310/481 quality starts, 151 complete games, 130 ERA+, 72 FIP-, and 106.7 WAR. As of 2037, he’s tenth all-time in WAR among EAB pitchers and ninth in wins. Eun was one of the finest pitches of the 1980s and 1990s, an easy first ballot pick for the 2002 ballot at 97.8%. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

05-03-2024, 04:11 AM	#1209
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,798	2002 EAB Hall of Fame (Part 2) *U-Seong San – Shortstop – Kawasaki Killer Whales – 74.2% Third Ballot* U-Seong San was a 5’11’’, 200 pound right-handed shortstop from the capital of North Korea, Pyongyang. San wasn’t an outstanding hitter, but he had above average contact and power skills with a decent eye. He was good for around 20-25 home runs and around 30 doubles/triples per season. San was an excellent baserunner and base stealer, successfully stealing on 70.5% attempts. His quick speed also helped him stretch out extra bases and score more runs. San was considered an ironman, playing 144+ games each year from 1978-93. It was especially impressive considering he exclusively played a very demanding defensive position at shortstop. San was great at avoiding errors and turning double plays, but his range was lousy despite his speed. He graded out as a mediocre defender for his career, but his bat and reliability allowed him to keep the spot. San was also a sparkplug and a scrapper, becoming very popular for his work ethic, leadership, loyalty, and adaptability. San was noticed by Japanese scouts as one of the premiere prospects coming out of the North Korean capital. Kawasaki was able to convince San to sign as a teenager amateur in February 1973. After sitting in the academy for most of five years, San debuted officially in 1977 at age 21 with 27 games. The Killer Whales made him the full-time starter the next year, a role he held for 16 years with Kawasaki. After his second full season in 1979, the Killer Whales gave San an eight-year, $3,418,000 extension. San wasn’t generally a league leader, but he was a reliably strong bat at the position. He won Silver Sluggers in 1979, 81, 86, 87, and 89. San led in runs scored with 112 in 1981, taking second in MVP voting. He would 9.7 WAR that year and had seven seasons worth 7+ WAR. San led in WAR in 1989 with 9.8, taking second that year in MVP voting as well. Kawasaki became a contender with six playoff appearances from 1979-85. The Killer Whales won their first-ever EAB Championship in 1982 over Seongnam In that run, he had 19 hits, 10 runs, and 10 extra base hits in 26 playoff starts. Kawasaki made the KLCS in 1983, 84, and 85, but were defeated each year. In defeat, San won JLCS MVP in 1983 and posted solid playoff numbers. In 59 starts, he had 61 hits, 37 runs, 10 doubles, 11 home runs, 30 RBI, a .256/.319/.462 slash, 133 wRC+, and 2.4 WAR. Although very popular in Japan, San would still return home to North Korea and play for the national team in the World Baseball Championship. From 1979-94, he had 97 games and 80 starts. San had 64 hits, 37 runs, 9 doubles, 18 home runs, 42 RBI, a .203/.271/.415 slash, and 1.4 WAR. Now 31 years old after the 1986 season, San signed another six-year, $5,800,000 extension with Kawasaki. The Killer Whales wouldn’t make the playoffs for the rest of San’s tenure, stuck mostly in the middle of the standings. San remained excellent and steady in his 30s, maintaining his skill through the deal. His leadership and great work ethic endeared him even more to Killer Whales fans. Kawasaki would retire his #22 uniform shortly after his career ended. After the 1993 season, San’s contract had expired. He signed a qualifying offer to stay, but Kawasaki decided to trade him and a prospect to Tokyo for two other prospects. San was used mostly as a backup with the Tides, struggling to a -0.2 WAR season. He played one year in Tokyo, retiring that winter at age 39. For his career, San had 2668 hits, 1388 runs, 357 doubles, 160 triples, 375 home runs, 1232 RBI, 932 stolen bases, a .275/.316/.461 slash, 134 wRC+, and 91.7 WAR. As of 2037, he’s seventh all-time in WAR among shortstops, third in hits, and first in runs scored. He’s also the all-time defensive leader in double plays among EAB shortstops. Still, San didn’t have incredible power numbers or groundbreaking accumulations. He narrowly missed induction on his first two ballots, but both by less than 2% (65.3% and 64.7%). The third ballot got San across the line and into the Hall of Fame’s 2002 class at 74.2%. Jay-Hoon Cho – Left Field – Yongin Gold Sox – 72.0% Seventh Ballot Jay-Hoon Cho was a 6’1’’, 200 pound left-handed left fielder from Asan, South Korea; a city of 300,000 people bordering the Seoul Capital Area. Cho was a great contact hitter and had a great eye for drawing walks, although his strikeout rate was merely okay. He had outstanding gap power, leading the Korea League six times in doubles with seven seasons with 40+. Cho was also good for 20-30 home runs per season. He knew how to pick his spots stealing bases, but his subpar speed limited his tries. Cho had outstanding durability, starting 137+ games in all 15 years of his pro career. He played the vast majority of his starts in left field, although he had some starts in right and a few in center. Cho graded out as a below average defender, but he wasn’t a liability. He was another scrappy sparkplug type known for his work ethic, intelligence, and adaptability. Cho became very popular especially in Yongin, where he spent most of his career. The Gold Sox stunk in the mid 1970s, getting the #1 overall pick in both 1975 and 1976. In the latter year, they took Cho’s Hall of Fame classmate Ju-Eon Eun. Cho would come first, taken in the 1975 EAB Draft out of Dongguk University. Eun was picked out of high school and wouldn’t debut for a few years. For Cho, he was thrown into the fire right away as a full-time starter. Cho adapted amazingly well, debuting as the Korea League leader in doubles (44) and OBP (.410) with a career best .361 batting average. He won Rookie of the Month four times in 1976, easily taking Rookie of the Year honors. With Yongin, he had 10 seasons worth 5+ WAR. Cho led again in doubles in 1977 and 1978. He plugged along as the Gold Sox rebuilt, eventually becoming a contender in the 1980s. Yongin made the playoffs six times from 1980-87. The Gold Sox would give Cho a five-year, $3,700,000 extension after the 1981 season. Cho played even better in the early 1980s. He led in doubles in1 983, 84, and 1986. In 1985, Cho led in runs scored, RBI, OBP, and OPS. Cho’s three Silver Sluggers were 1984, 86, and 87. He was third in MVP voting in 1985. Cho also became a regular for South Korea in the World Baseball Championship from 1977-89. He had 117 games and 97 starts, picking up 86 hits, 60 runs, 16 doubles, 27 home runs, 67 RBI, a .251/.346/.539 slash, 149 wRC+, and 3.8 WAR. Cho also stepped up in the postseason for Yongin, winning KLCS MVP in 1985. The Gold Sox won the 1984 EAB Championship and were the runner-up in 1985. They were ousted in the KLCS in 1982, 86, and 87. In 53 playoff starts, Cho had 64 hits, 27 runs, 15 doubles, 6 home runs, 32 RBI, a .322/.391/.508 slash, 142 wRC+, and 1.8 WAR. His efforts ultimately led to his #3 uniform being retired at the end of his career. For his Gold Sox tenure, he had 1984 hits, 1041 runs, 444 doubles, 294 home runs, 1018 RBI, a .319/.392/.549 slash, 151 wRC+, and 65.5 WAR. Despite a successful 1986 with Yongin, Cho would decline his contract option with the hopes of a big payday. The 34-year old got a four-year, $3,800,000 deal with Ulsan. He had a solid debut, winning his third Silver Slugger with the Swallows. They won the Korea League title, falling to Chiba in the EAB Championship. In the playoff run, Cho had 17 starts, 17 hits, 13 runs, 5 doubles, 1 home run, and 10 RBI. Ulsan would quickly regress in the next two years, although Cho was still a good starter. In total with the Swallows, Cho had 491 hits, 256 runs, 111 doubles, 74 home runs, 256 RBI, a .294/.366/.507 slash, 135 wRC+, and 12.0 WAR. Ulsan dropped to 71-91 in 1989 and looked to rebuild. With one year left in his deal, Cho was traded in the offseason for two prospects. In his one year with the Jethawks, Cho was still a good start with 4.2 WAR and a 136 wRC+. He also picked up his 2500^th career hit with Jeonju. Cho was now a free agent at age 38 and still seemingly was a starter quality player. However, no one matched his asking price and he sat out the 1991 season. Cho decided to retire that winter at age 39. Cho finished with 2636 hits, 1376 runs, 590 doubles, 64 triples, 390 home runs, 1350 RBI, 1002 walks, 110 stolen bases, a .312/.384/.536 slash, 147 wRC+, and 81.7 WAR. Cho retired second all-time in doubles and still sits fourth as of 2037. He’s also one of only 25 guys with 1000 career walks drawn and is one of a short list with an OBP above .380. However, many voters expected towering home run power out of a corner outfielder. Despite Cho’s resume and role in Yongin’s titles, he just couldn’t get across the line for a while. He debuted at 55.7% and vacillated between the mid 50% to low 60% range for six years. It seemed like he might get banished to the Hall of Pretty Good, but the seventh ballot was finally the one for Cho. He received 72.0% to round out the three-player 2002 Hall of Fame class. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

05-03-2024, 11:21 AM	#1210
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,798	2002 BSA Hall of Fame The 2002 Beisbol Sudamerica ballot was wide open with no impressive newcomers to the ballot as the top debut only got 16.1%. Two players would get in narrowly passing the 66% threshold. Closer Andreo Ferrari got 73.4% on his second ballot, while RF Yago Prata just barely crossed the line at 66.8% on his third try. 1B Bastian Martin barely missed out at 65.0% on his third ballot. The other player above 50% was C Sancho Sanchez, earning 55.9% on his fourth try. No players were dropped after ten ballots in 2002. Andreo Ferrari – Closer – Rosario Robins – 73.4% Second Ballot Andreo Ferrari was a 5’10’’, 195 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Mendoza, Argentina; the country’s fourth largest metropolitan area. Ferrari had outstanding control and great stuff with both graded as 9/10 at his peak. He had a two-pitch arsenal with a 95-97 mph cutter and a curveball. Although his stuff was fantastic, his movement graded out as merely average. Ferrari had respectable stamina for a reliever and was durable through his run, playing 60+ games in 12 different seasons. Relievers didn’t usually get drafted high, but Ferrari was an exception. Rosario was impressed with him coming out of high school, picking Ferrari with the third overall pick in the 1978 BSA Draft. The Robins hoped he might develop a third pitch and become a starter, but that didn’t come to fruition. Still, he pitched 13 seasons for Rosario, debuting with 48.1 innings in 1981 at age 21. Ferrari was a part-time closer in his second year, then saw limited use in 1983. After that, he was the closer for the rest of his Robins run. Five times, he would post sub-two ERAs. Ferrari won Reliever of the Year in 1986 with Rosario, while taking second thrice (1985, 90, 92) and third once (1988). Ferrari led in saves once in 1991 and had a 32 straight saves streak from September 1985 to August 1986. Ferrari pitched great in the World Baseball Championship for Argentina from 1983-94 with 28 relief appearances and three starts. He had a 1.84 ERA, eight saves, 63.2 innings, 94 strikeouts, a 203 ERA+, and 1.9 WAR. Ferrari chugged along for Rosario, who finally snapped a 52-year playoff drought in 1987. The Robins won division titles in 1987, 88, and 91; but they suffered two first round defeats and one loss in the Southern Cone Championship. Rosario made the playoffs in 1992 as a wild card, but went on a playoff run and won their first-ever Copa Sudamerica. Ferrari only had nine playoff appearances in his career, but he posted a 1.29 ERA in 14 innings with 15 strikeouts. Ferrari’s longevity and spot on the championship squad led to his #10 uniform eventually being retired. Rosario fell off to 74-88 in 1993 after winning the title and would struggle for the next few years. Looking to rebuild, the 34-year old Ferrari was traded to Bogota for three prospects. Ferrari had 40 saves in 1994 and won his second Reliever of the Year award. With the Bats, he also crossed 400 career saves; the seventh to do so in BSA history. Ferrari became a free agent and signed for 1995 with Belo Horizonte for one year and $1,520,000; his biggest payday yet. His velocity had dropped notably down to 92-94 mph and he was moved to a middle relief role. Ferrari only tossed 24 innings, although he still posted a 1.12 ERA. Not content unless he was a closer, Ferrari decided to retire that winter at age 36. The career stats for Ferrari saw 403 saves and 484 shutdowns, a 2.27 ERA in 1068.1 innings, 899 games, 1330 strikeouts, 154 walks, 149 ERA+, 72 FIP-, and 27.3 WAR. As of 2037, he’s tied for seventh all-time in saves. His rate stats aren’t as impressive and he’s the only guy with 400+ saves and less than 30 WAR. However, 400 saves was a magic number for many voters. Ferrari did miss the cut in his debut at 62.0%, but with no impressive debuts in 2002, Ferrari got a bump. He received 73.4% to earn induction in the 2002 Hall of Fame class. Yago Prata – Right Field – Belo Horizonte Hogs – 66.8% Third Ballot Yago Prata was a 6’3’’, 195 pound left-handed right fielder from Sao Paulo, Brazil. Prata was an excellent homer run hitter and a solid contact bat. His eye was below average with unremarkable walk and strikeout numbers. Prata hit the ball hard though, averaging 46 home runs per 162 games. He also got you around 25-30 doubles per year. Prata wasn’t going to leg out extra bases as he had laughably poor speed and baserunning. Defensively, Prata essentially played only in right field. His arm wasn’t bad, but his poor range meant he graded out as a well below average defender. Prata’s durability and dingers made him still a valuable player in the lineup despite his flaws. Some teammates felt he was selfish and lazy at times, but towering homers made him a popular player with the fans. Prata was among the top rated Brazilian prospects entering the 1981 Beisbol Sudamerica Draft. He was picked sixth overall by Belo Horizonte and ultimately had his entire nine year BSA run with the Hogs. Prata didn’t see heavy use early, mostly used as a pinch hitter against righties in his first two years. He only had 34 starts over 1982 and 1983, but he earned a starting gig from 1984 onward. Prata had nice power potential flashed in 1984 with 38 home runs. The next year, he emerged as an outstanding slugger with 61 and 65 home runs. Both 1985 and 1986 also saw Prata led the Southern Cone League in runs, RBI, total bases, slugging, OPS, wRC+, and WAR. This got Prata back-to-back MVPs and Silver Sluggers. Belo Horizonte would get a division title in 1985, but fell in the LCS to Cordoba. Prata wasn’t a league leader for the rest of his run, but he still had five more seasons with 45+ homers and 100+ RBI, as well as three seasons worth 6+ WAR. Prata won three more Silver Sluggers (1986, 88, 89) and took third in 1988 MVP voting. Belo Horizonte made the playoffs again in 1988 and 1990, but was unable to make a run. Prata got heat for lousy playoff performances, as in 19 playoff starts he had an abysmal .169/.231/.296 slash line and -0.3 WAR. Despite his poor playoff efforts, Prata did fare well in his World Baseball Championship appearances for Brazil. He only played in four editions from 1989-92, but played 72 games with 62 hits, 49 runs, 29 home runs, 56 RBI, a .281/.331/.710 slash, 192 wRC+, and 3.5 WAR. Prata earned world title rings in 1989 and 1990 for his country. That gave him some popularity with the boarder Brazilian baseball fan. It was a mixed bag though for some Belo Horizonte fans and Prata. He wasn’t shy about saying he wanted to test free agency and he ultimately did after the 1990 campaign at age 32. This marked the end of his BSA career as well, as he ultimately left one year before the Hogs would win Copa Sudamerica in 1991. Prata and the franchise would later patch up relations and retire his #8 uniform. Prata was excited for the big payday that came with Major League Baseball, signing a four-year, $7,360,000 deal with Detroit. His power carried over well, leading the National Association in both home runs and RBI in his debut season for the Tigers. Prata’s poor defense and weakening contact skills meant he wasn’t award winning in the Motor City. Still, he was a solid starter for a very middling Detroit team. In his four seasons, Prata had 574 hits, 320 runs, 156 home runs, 389 RBI, a .273/.316/.548 slash, 148 wRC+, and 16.4 WAR. Prata was a free agent again entering 1995 at age 36 and still had value. Ottawa inked him to a three-year, $9,840,000 deal. He maintained respectable production for the Elks, posting 406 hits, 207 runs, 100 home runs, 260 RBI, a .265/.302/.507 slash, 142 wRC+, and 11.9 WAR. Ottawa had one wild card appearance, but Prata went 0-10 with five strikeouts. His deal was up and he still found a gig with a one-year, $3,040,000 deal with Austin in 1998. Prata was below average as a part-time starter for the Amigos with a .228/.269/.408 slash, 0.4 WAR, and 88 wRC+. He was unsigned in 1999 and retired that winter at age 40. For his eight years in MLB, Prata had 1102 games, 1072 hits, 569 runs, 177 doubles, 273 home runs, 705 RBI, a .266/.306/.519 slash, 140 wRC+, and 28.7 WAR. For his entire pro career, Prata posted 2451 hits, 1291 runs, 407 doubles, 650 home runs, 1565 RBI, a .295/.334/.586 slash, 166 wRC+, and 84.0 WAR. That would be Hall of Fame worthy pretty much anywhere, but just his nine years in Belo Horizonte was a tougher sell. As a Hog he had 1379 hits, 722 runs, 230 doubles, 377 home runs, 860 RBI, a .322/.360/.649 slash, 191 wRC+, and 55.3 WAR. Certainly, that’s an impressive front end of a career on the right trajectory. But the accumulations were quite low because of his early exit, plus Prata stunk in the playoffs. As of 2037, no HOF hitter in BSA was inducted with fewer hits. However, Prata had a 1.010 OPS and only home run king Valor Melo to that point had him beat among inductees. As of 2037, Prata is one of only seven BSA Hall of Famers with an OPS above one. He was a tough one to weigh and he missed out at 55.2% and 56.3% on his initial ballots. Third time was the charm for Prata, just barely breaching the threshold at 66.8% to earn a spot in the 2002 BSA class. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

05-03-2024, 06:05 PM	#1211
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,798	2002 EBF Hall of Fame (Part 1) The 2002 European Baseball Federation Hall of Fame class had three inductees. Two were no-doubt first ballot picks with RF Jacob Ronnberg at 98.2% and SP Linus Schindler with 94.7%. 2B J.F. Bourelly joined them on his second ballot, albeit barely at 67.4%. The only other player above 50% was LF Josip Stojanovic at 51.3% on his second ballot. No players were dropped after ten ballots from the EBF group. Jacob “Rowdy” Ronnberg – Right Field – Marseille Musketeers – 98.2% First Ballot Jacob Ronnberg was a 5’11’’, 190 pound left-handed right fielder from Arboga, a town of around 10,000 in central Sweden. He earned the nickname “Rowdy” for being wild and chaotic in his off the field shenanigans. Some criticized him for lacking leadership and motivation, but his natural gifts were immense. Regardless of any personality flaws, Ronnberg ended up being one of baseball’s most decorated players from any league or era. Ronnberg was a generationally exceptional contact hitter, grading out as a 10/10 in his prime years. He made it seem effortless while also providing terrific power. Few guys could get extra base hits like Ronnberg, who in his 162 game average got you 44 home runs, 27 doubles, and 24 triples. He’s the only player in baseball history to have 400+ career doubles, 400+ career triples, and 400+ career home runs. Rowdy had a decent eye for drawing walks and an above average strikeout rate. On top of the powerful bat, Ronnberg was quite fast on the basepaths, turning many singles into doubles and doubles in to triples. Rowdy was a pretty savvy base stealer as well, although often didn’t need to with his penchant for extra base hits. Ronnberg was also a very durable player, playing 140+ games in all but two seasons from 1977-94. Defensively, Ronnberg was a right fielder for the vast majority of his run. He did have brief stints in left and center with unremarkable results. Ronnberg was outstanding in right though, winning 11 Gold Gloves in his career. As of 2037, he has the fourth best career Zone Rating at the position in EBF. Ronnberg was the vaunted “five-tool” player, posting one of the most impressive careers European baseball ever saw. Despite growing up in humble origins, Ronnberg’s potential was undeniable even as a teenager. A wily scout from Marseille got word of him and made the trip up to Sweden, falling instantly in love. He signed Ronnberg in October 1972 as a 16-year old amateur, bringing him to southern France. The vast majority of his career was with the Musketeers, debuting in 1976 at age 20 mostly as a pinch hitter. Rowdy earned the full-time gig the next year and held it for the next 16 years with Marseille. Ronnberg quickly arrived as a star with 5.0 WAR in 1977. He would then post 7+ WAR each season for the next 16 consecutive seasons. Ronnberg hadn’t found his home run stroke yet in his first few seasons, but he excelled regardless. He led the Southern Conference in hits and triples with 9.4 WAR in 1978, taking third in MVP voting. This also earned Ronnberg his first of nine consecutive Silver Sluggers (1978-86). Rowdy won 15 in his career, also taking six more from 1988-93. As of 2037, he’s the only EBF player to win the award 15 times in a career. 1978 was also his first of 11 straight Gold Gloves, joining a very short list in world history to win double-digits of both honors. Ronnberg led in triples three straight years from 1978-80. Marseille ended a seven-year playoff drought in 1980 with a franchise record 110-52, although they were upset in the Southern Conference final by Zurich. The Musketeers realized Ronnberg was THE guy, inking him to an eight-year, $5,370,000 extension in the summer of 1980. Rowdy was second in MVP voting that year. Marseille became a regular contender in the 1980s with nine playoff berths and seven Southwest Division titles in the decade. The Musketeers won three European Championships with Ronnberg, taking home the 1981, 1985, and 1986 titles. They also were a conference finalist in 1983. Ronnberg’s excellence carried into the postseason and he was the MVP of the 1986 finals. In 77 playoff starts for Marseille, Ronnberg had 101 hits, 54 runs, 16 doubles, 12 triples, 23 home runs, 74 RBI, a .322/.372/.691 slash, 190 wRC+, and 4.6 WAR. He was absolutely adored in southern France, but Ronnberg was extremely popular throughout all of Europe. Rowdy was loved back home in Sweden too, as he was a regular on the World Baseball Championship squad. Ronnberg played 170 games for the Swedish team from 1977-96, posting 163 hits, 109 runs, 29 doubles, 62 home runs, 132 RBI, a .271/.340/.641 slash, 173 wRC+, and 8.6 WAR. Ronnberg was a four time MVP, winning the award in 1981, 82, 85, and 88. He was also second in 1983 and second in 1989. It was not easy to win, sharing a conference with the likes of Richard Rautenstrauch and Jack Kennedy. Rowdy had six seasons worth 10+ WAR and three worth 12+, peaking at 12.9 in 1985. He was the WARlord four times in his career and led six times in OPS, five times in wRC+, eight times in slugging, twice in OBP, twice in batting average, six times in total bases, five times in home runs, twice in RBI, four times in triples, twice in hits, and thrice in runs. In 1985, he became only the second-ever EBF batter to hit above .400, a mark that had only been breached by Franco Gilbert the year before. His .403 is the fourth best in EBF history as of 2037. He became only the seventh hitter to post 150+ RBI in a season with 156 in 1988. Ronnberg also had six seasons with 50+ home runs and 13 with 40+. He probably would’ve had 14 straight seasons with 40+ if not for torn ankle ligaments costing him part of 1987. That and a torn hamstring in 1986 were the only significant injuries during Ronnberg’s prime. Ronnberg has three of the top four EBF seasons by OPS, hitting above 1.240 in 1985, 1986, and 1988. Only Rautenstrauch’s 1.314 in 1975 has him beat. As of 2037, he has the third and fourth best EBF marks in total bases. Ronnberg also has a top 10 season in hits with 242 in 1985. In April 1988, Ronnberg was signed to a five-year, $6,030,000 extension with Marseille. He really focused more on home runs in his early 30s, leading the conference four straight years from 1988-91. Although Rowdy didn’t slow down, Marseille’s reign ended with the dawn of the 1990s. The Musketeers missed the playoffs in 1990, then in 1991 had their first losing season since 1977. For the decade, they averaged only 76.7 wins per season. The team’s decline made them wonder how to start rebuilding and what role Ronnberg would have. He was 36 for the 1992 season, but still was excellent with 7.8 WAR. Rowdy was entering the last year of his deal in 1993 and there was a sense that he’d be moving on. In the offseason, Marseille traded Ronnberg to Munich for two players, ending a 17-season odyssey. With Marseille, Ronnberg had 3096 hits, 1825 runs, 429 doubles, 394 triples, 684 home runs, 1904 RBI, 775 stolen bases, a .337/.387/.693 slash, 194 wRC+, and 154.4 WAR. The Musketeers would retire #20, which was his jersey number from 1982 onward. Ronnberg had debuted as #3 and was #2 in his first five years as a starter. The #20 would still be the most popular top at the ballpark for decades to come. In his one year in Germany, Ronnberg won his final Silver Slugger with a 45 home run, 7.4 WAR effort. It was also his only Slugger in left field, as the Mavericks moved him from right. Munich made the playoffs, but fell in the first round. While there, Ronnberg became the fourth EBF slugger to 700 career homers, the first to 2000 RBI, and the first to 400 career triples. At age 38, Ronnberg was a free agent for the first time. He signed a three-year, $7,600,000 deal with Birmingham. The Bees had won the Northern Conference in 1991 and 1993 with an EBF ring in 1991. Although Rowdy’s defensive value had become greatly reduced by this point, he still smacked 50 home runs in his debut season in England. Ronnberg became the first to score 2000 career runs, a mark Kennedy would match later in the season. Birmingham went 110-52 and won the 1994 European Championship for Ronnberg’s fourth ring. In 18 starts, he had a .232/.274/.522 slash, 116 wRC+, and 0.6 WAR. For his entire playoff career, Ronnberg had 103 games and 98 starts, 124 hits, 73 runs, 16 doubles, 14 triples, 31 home runs, 90 RBI, 34 stolen bases, a .320/.360/..673 slash, 181 wRC+, and 5.7 WAR. As of 2037, he’s fourth all-time in playoff RBI, fourth in homers, and ninth in runs. Age finally caught Ronnberg in 1995 as he was reduced to a bench role with only 40 starts. He still had a .337/.370/.539 slash, but his power and speed were both greatly diminished. Ronnberg reached another milestone, becoming the hit king and the first to 3500 hits in EBF. He would hold the hit king spot until passed by Carson Dal in the mid 2010s. In 1996, Ronnberg played only five games and sat on the reverse roster, although he did get four postseason appearances. He officially retired that winter at age 41. The gaudy final numbers for Ronnberg had 3520 hits, 2082 runs, 479 doubles, 436 triples, 786 home runs, 2184 RBI, 904 walks, 883 stolen bases, a .334/.384/.686 slash, 191 wRC+, and 169.2 WAR. At induction, Rowdy was the all-time leader in hits, runs, triples, RBI, total bases, and WAR, while also sitting third in homers. He also had 1701 extra base hits, more than any other player in world history. Ronnberg is still top five all-time in XBH even as of 2037. At retirement, he also had the third-highest career WAR of any pure position player, only behind OBA/MLB’s Jimmy Caliw (214) and CABA/MLB’s Prometheo Garcia (189.1). In 2037 in EBF, Rowdy still is the all-time total bases leader. He’s still second in WAR, second in runs, fourth in hits, third in triples, sixth in home runs, and third in RBI. Until Harvey Coyle came along and posted a bonkers 212.2 WAR from 2006-26, many would’ve cited Ronnberg when picking out EBF’s GOAT. He’s still basically a lock on any top five list of European position players. How Ronnberg got only 98.2% is almost baffling, a few sticklers didn’t like the Rowdy persona. There would be few better headliners though in any class as Ronnberg triumphantly sat atop the 2002 EBF crew. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

05-04-2024, 04:43 AM	#1212
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,798	2002 EBF Hall of Fame (Part 2) *Linus Schindler – Starting Pitcher – Athens Anchors – 94.7% First Ballot* Linus Schindler was a 5’9’’, 205 pound left-handed pitcher from GroBraschen, a town of around 8,000 in eastern Germany. Schindler had outstanding pinpoint control, which allowed him to thrive despite having merely above average stuff and movement. His fastball only hit 92-94 mph, but he had a five-pitch arsenal led by an excellent knuckle curve. Schindler also had a strong sinker, okay splitter, and weak changeup. His stamina was respectable, but he was an ironman who was never hurt. Schindler tossed 199+ innings in 18 straight seasons, reliably filling his spot. He was a team captain and incredibly well respected in the clubhouse for his leadership and work ethic, Schindler managed to catch the attention of a scout from Athens who was visiting a camp in Germany. They signed him at age 16 to a developmental deal, bringing him out to Greece. Schindler officially debuted with a lone relief appearance in 1978 at age 20. He also had one relief appearance in 1978 as Athens won the Southern Conference title, falling to Brussels in the EBF final. Schindler was a full-time starter in 1979 and had 30+ games pitched every ear for the next 18 years. For most of his time in Athens, Schindler was considered steady and reliable, but not elite. He never was a conference leader or a Pitcher of the Year finalist with the Anchors. A highlight came on March 23 with a no-hitter against Rome with 11 strikeouts and two walks. Athens won three division titles from 1979-81, but each year suffered first round exits. Schindler’s limited postseason innings were lousy with a 6.85 ERA over 22.1 innings. Athens would fall to the middle and bottom tiers for the rest of Schindler’s tenure. He remained loyal to the franchise, signing a six-year, $5,400,000 extension in March 1984. In total with Athens, Schindler had a 167-143 record, 3.44 ERA, 2828.1 innings, 2384 strikeouts, 451 walks, 229/369 quality starts, 107 ERA+, and 46.2 WAR. The franchise would retire his #21 uniform at the end of his career. Schindler became a free agent after the 1990 season at age 33 and decided to return to Germany. He signed a four-year, $5,520,000 deal with Munich. As he never relied on power, Schindler’s game aged well. His strongest seasons were with the Mavericks, leading in ERA (2.14) and WHIP (0.85) in 1992. This earned Schindler a second place in Pitcher of the Year voting. He was second again in 1993 with both seasons being above 7+ WAR. Schindler caught the end of Munich’s 11-year playoff streak. The Mavericks won the Southern Conference in 1991, dropping the EBF final to Birmingham. They had additional division titles in 1992, 93, and 95. Schindler’s playoff stats were much better in Munich with a 3.27 ERA over 55 innings, 52 strikeouts, and a 117 ERA+. He also made a few appearances for Germany in his later years in the World Baseball Championship, although they were unremarkable. Munich was quite happy with Schindler and gave him a three-year, $7,560,000 extension after the 1994 season. In 1995, he had the best K/BB (10.2) and most quality starts (26) in the conference. Schindler had a career high 274 innings in 1996 and still was just above average with a 106 ERA+. He had crossed the 250 win milestone in 250 and the 3500 strikeout milestone in 1996. Schindler was the fourth to 250 wins and the 17^th to 3500 Ks. Although his numbers were a bit worse from 1995 to 1996, Schindler’s control and ability seemed to be still intact. Some wondered if he might try to chase Jean-Luc Roch’s 300 wins, as his durability meant he could probably hang around. However, he was content not to overstay his welcome, retiring after the 1996 season at age 39. With Munich, Schindler had a 107-60 record, 2.81 ERA, 1574 innings, 1310 strikeouts, 204 walks, 154/203 quality starts, 137 ERA+, and 34.8 WAR. Schindler finished with a 274-203 record, 3.22 ERA, 4402.1 innings, 3694 strikeouts, 655 walks, 383/572 quality starts, 116 ERA+, 89 FIP-, and 81.0 WAR. He was a rare guy whose best years came in his mid to late 30s, as his Athens run alone suggested more of a “Hall of Pretty Good” type pitcher. Schindler retired with more innings than any EBF pitcher and still sits third as of 2037. Schindler also was second in wins at retirement and remains fourth as of 2037. He’s 32^nd in pitching WAR and when looking at raw dominance, he’s towards the bottom of EBF Hall of Famers. But his control, durability, and reliability made Schindler a surefire Hall of Famer. He received 94.7% on the first ballot, a solid #2 in the 2002 EBF class. J.F. Bourelly – Second Base – Marseille Musketeers – 67.4% Second Ballot J.F. Bourelly was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed second baseman from Champs-sur-Marne, France; an eastern suburb of Paris with around 25,000 people. Bourelly was renowned for stellar gap power and good home run power. Over a 162 game average, he’d get you 23 doubles, 21 triples, and 32 home runs. He may have gotten more attention for that skillset if he wasn’t Jacob Ronnberg’s teammate for most of his career, since Ronnberg was THE guy for extra base hits. The downside for Bourelly is that he was a below average contact hitter with a below average eye and a high strikeout rate. When he made contact though, he made it count with nearly half of his career hits going for extra bags. Bourelly had very good speed, but his baserunning instincts and skills were fairly average. Bourelly was exclusively a second baseman and was reliably strong there. He only won a single Gold Glove in 1995 near the end of his career, but a career 143.6 zone rating and 1.044 EFF confirm that Bourelly was excellent defensively. He was also remarkably durable at a physically demanding position, rarely missing significant chunks to injury. Bourelly’s stock rose quickly throughout the amateur ranks in the greater Paris area. In the 1978 EBF Draft, he was brought to southern France as Marseille used the 18^th overall pick on him. Bourelly was a full-time starter immediately and held that role for 12 seasons with the Musketeers. He would have ten straight seasons with 5+ WAR for Marseille. Bourelly was never a conference leader though and didn’t get major awards attention, especially sharing a lineup with someone as remarkable as Jacob Ronnberg. Bourelly was still a critical piece in Marseille getting nine playoff appearances in the 1980s. He stepped up big in the playoffs, winning Southern Conference Finals MVP thrice (1981, 85, 86). Each of those seasons, the Musketeers went on to win the European Championship. In 77 playoff starts with Marseille, Bourelly had 101 hits, 55 runs, 12 doubles, 18 triples, 19 home runs, 55 RBI, a .316/.347/.644 slash, 174 wRC+, and 4.0 WAR. He was a rare guy who had a far more impressive playoff slash than his regular season one, as he only one was above a .300 average in the regular season and only twice above a .600 slugging mark. The Musketeers locked him down quickly much like with Ronnberg, giving Bourelly an eight-year, $5,640,000 extension after the 1982 season. His two Silver Sluggers would come in 1987 and 1988. While he might have been overlooked by some European fans, Bourelly was very popular with the Marseille faithful, especially as a playoff stud. His #14 uniform would eventually get retired as well. With the Musketeers, Bourelly had 1857 hits, 1094 runs, 281 doubles, 261 triples, 366 home runs, 1142 RBI, a .268/.304/.543 slash, 137 wRC+, and 72.4 WAR. Bourelly became a free agent after the 1990 season at age 34 as Marseille looked to begin their rebuild. He went back closer to home with a three-year, $4,040,000 deal with Paris. Bourelly had two solid seasons with the Poodles, posting 9.9 WAR, a 129 wRC+, 307 hits, 168 runs, 55 doubles, 50 triples, and 52 home runs He would decline the third year option in his contact and enter free agency at age 36. Bourelly would leave Europe and head to America, taking a three-year, $6,720,000 offer from MLB’s Virginia Beach. He struggled against MLB pitching in two seasons as a Viking, although his defense was still good enough to earn positive WAR despite a 70 wRC+ and .194 average. Bourelly didn’t meet the vesting criteria in his deal and was let go after two seasons. Bourelly returned to Europe on a one-year, $1,640,000 deal with Athens. He looked like his old self even at age 38 with a 4.5 WAR season for the Anchors. This also netted him his lone Gold Glove. With his stock bumped back up, Bourelly gave MLB another shot. Austin signed him to two years, $5,280,000. Again, he had positive WAR (1.6) despite well below average offense (84 wRC+). Again, Bourelly didn’t meet the vesting criteria and was now maybe the only 40-year old second baseman still going. He wasn’t ready to quit yet and found a new home in Egypt on a one-year deal with Cairo of the Arab League. He looked great with 5.4 WAR, 38 home runs, and 107 RBI in only 119 games. The Pharaohs gave him another year and million dollars for 1998, but he was used in a backup role with only 23 starts. Bourelly still wanted to play somewhere in 1999, but went unsigned and had to retire that winter at age 42. For his entire pro career, Bourelly had 2740 hits, 1575 runs, 408 doubles, 360 triples, 559 home runs, 1692 RBI, 465 stolen bases, a .258/.295/.523 slash, 128 wRC, and 96.4 WAR. His non-EBF stats did pad the accumulations a bit. Still, his EBF totals were 2998 hits, 1339 runs, 354 doubles, 324 triples, 450 home runs, 1397 RBI, 406 stolen bases, a .266/.303/.539 slash, 135 wRC+, and 86.8 WAR. He had the second most WAR accumulated at second base and still is third as of 2037. Despite that and his excellent playoff resume, Bourelly still seemed to be overlooked due to the lack of black ink. He wasn’t a first ballot Hall of Famer, falling short at 59.2%. Bourelly only narrowly got in with 67.4% on his second try in 2002. However, he seemed well deserved and it was fitting that he went in with his longtime teammate and fellow Marseille star Jacob Ronnberg. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

05-04-2024, 10:38 AM	#1213
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,798	2002 EPB Hall of Fame Two players got the nod for the 2002 Eurasian Professional Baseball Hall of Fame class. Pitcher Fredi Tamasi got in with basically no objections with 98.6% on his debut. Fellow pitcher Maxim Aivazyan joined him, although by a very slim margin. On his seventh ballot, Aivazyan crossed the 66% requirement at 67.4%. Another pitcher came close on his fifth try, but Petr Bidzinashvili fell short with 62.9%. One other player was above 50% in 1B/DH Ilkin Hasanov, who got 56.4% in his tenth and final chance. His EBP tenure was only about a decade, but he had tremendous power with five Silver Sluggers and one MVP. In 1986, Hasanov became the single season home run king in EPB with 71, a record he still holds as of 2037. Five times, Hasanov led the league in home runs. He also won two EPB titles with Kyiv. Hasanov’s career numbers were 1352 hits, 767 runs, 465 home runs, 999 RBI, a .261/.297/.573 slash, 173 wRC+, and 52.1 WAR. He also hit 22 home runs with 51 RBI in the playoffs for the Kings. The Kazakh lefty was hurt by a short career with low accumulations, as well as abysmal defense and baserunning value. He never was lower than 44.3% on the ballot, but never got higher than 57.4%. Some still argue that it is a major oversight that the single-season home run king didn’t make the cut. Those who champion longevity and all-around skills (and not just dingers) argue his exclusion was justified. Hasanov still remains a very popular figure in the game and his #33 uniform is retired in Kyiv. Fredi Tamasi – Starting Pitcher – Bishkek Black Sox – 98.6% First Ballot Fredi Tamasi was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Batonyterenye; a town of 11,000 inhabitants in north central Hungary. He would be the first-ever Hungarian Hall of Fame inductee. Tamasi’s biggest assets were excellent pinpoint control and his ironman-like durability. Tamasi also had outstanding stamina, tossing 280+ innings in all but two seasons of his 16-year career. Tamasi still had solid stuff and above average movement, even if he wasn’t a fireballer. His velocity peaked in the 92-94 mph range on his fastball, but he knew how to change speeds and pick his spots. Tamasi’s best pitch was his forkball, but his slider and curveball were both quite good too. He was very adaptable to the situation, which helped him with his awesome longevity. Tamasi came from humble origins, but managed to get spotted as a teenager by a scout from Bishkek. He signed in August 1974 as a teenage amateur and had to make the cultural adjustment of moving to Kyrgyzstan. Tamasi remained in the developmental academy until 1979, when he was called up at age 21. He was part-time starter that season with mixed results. The Black Sox moved Tamasi into the rotation full-time the next year and he would be a fixture there for 17 years. Tamasi was great in his second season, leading the Asian League with a career-best 24 wins and taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting. The Black Sox won the pennant, but fell to Kyiv in the EPB Championship. This began regular contention for Bishkek, who made nine playoff appearances from 1981-90 with six division titles. They won the ALCS again in 1983, 1984, 1986, and 1990; but they were never able to win it all. In the playoffs, Tamasi put up solid numbers with a 20-11 record over 296 innings and a 2.61 ERA. He had 295 strikeouts, a 112 ERA+, and 5.2 WAR. As of 2037, he’s the all-time playoff leader in complete games with 20 and is tied for second in wins with 20. The longevity meant he’s also allowed more hits (231) and homers (31) than any EPB pitcher in the playoffs. In the regular season, Tamasi thrice led the league in wins, once in ERA, thrice in innings pitched, twice in WHIP, four times in K/BB, thrice in quality starts, twice in complete games, four times in shutouts, and once in WAR. His only Pitcher of the Year win was 1989, which had career bests in ERA (1.73), innings (307), strikeouts (356), WHIP (0.78), and WAR (10.5). Tamasi was second in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1980, third in 1982, third in 1985, second in 1986, third in 1987, and second in 1991. Sharing a league with two-way star Igor Bury kept Tamasi from being more decorated, as Bury won POTY five times. Azer Sattarli also won three during Tamasi’s prime. Tamasi’s low 90s fastball was definitely less sexy compared to what those two offered, although the results were still impressive. Bishkek gave Tamasi a six-year, $2,078,000 extension after the 1983 season and another six years at $5,040,000 before the 1989 season. Tamasi tossed three no-hitters in his career with the first on 4/21/88 with 11 strikeouts against Asgabat. The second was 7/20/89 with 14Ks and 1 walk against Omsk. Then 4/1/93, he had 5 Ks in a no-no against Ulaanbaatar in what was his 250^th career win. Twice he tossed no-hitters without surrendering a walk as well, but Tamasi was ultimately denied the elusive perfect game. Tamasi’s game aged well and he continued to pitch at a high level into his 30s. Bishkek missed the playoffs from 1991-93, but bounced back with another Asian League pennant in 1994. Alas, the Black Sox still couldn’t win it all, this time thwarted by Warsaw. Bishkek gave him another three years and $4,140,000 after the 1995 season where they narrowly missed the playoffs. The Black Sox would fall off after that with 1996 being their first losing season since 1976. 1996 would also be Tamasi’s last season, as he posted a 3.09 ERA and 91 ERA+, looking pedestrian for the first time. He went 13-19 on the season, but that enabled him to get to 300 wins exactly; the third in EPB history to do so. With that, Tamasi bid farewell to the game at age 39 and saw his #5 uniform immediately retired by Bishkek. Tamasi’s career stats saw a 300-219 record, 2.33 ERA, 5104.2 innings, 5199 strikeouts, 613 walks, 455/589 quality starts, 352 complete games, 75 shutouts, 124 ERA+, 82 FIP-, and 111.2 WAR. He was not the top pitcher on the leaderboards in dominance and Alvi Tahiri had him beat for the #1 longevity spots. Still, Tamasi longevity gives him some impressive notables. As of 2037, Tamasi is still fifth in wins, second in complete games, second in innings pitched, second in shutouts, fifth in strikeouts, and 12^th in WAR. That, plus five pennants and a full career with Bishkek made him a very easy choice. Tamasi got 98.6% to headline EPB’s 2002 Hall of Fame class. Maxim Aivazyan – Starting Pitcher – Ufa Fiends – 67.4% Seventh Ballot Maxim Aivazyan was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Liski, Russia. Formerly named Georgiu-Dezu, it is a city of 54,000 people in the Voronezh Oblast bordering eastern Ukraine. Aivazyan was known for having excellent movement and very solid control, although his stuff graded out as around average. His fastball was in the 94-96 mph range, but he had a five pitch arsenal. Aivazyan boasted a solid sinker, forkball, and curveball, plus a rarely seen changeup. In the world of EPB where pitchers were expected to go the distance, Aivazyan’s stamina was merely decent. He had good durability though and avoided major injuries, making 28+ starts each year for 12 years. Aivazyan was appreciated as being scrappy, resilient, and hard working. Aivazyan dominated the amateur circuit and rose up to be considered Russia’s top baseball prospect in the eyes of many heading into the 1973 EPB Draft. Ufa agreed with that assessment and made Aivazyan the #1 overall pick, giving him a five-year major league contract worth $715,000. He wasn’t thrown immediately into the fire despite Ufa being terrible and needing help. Aivazyan sat all of 1974 and made only two relief appearances in 1975. He was a part-time starter in 1976 and made the full-time transition starting in 1977. Aivazyan was reliably steady, posting ten seasons of 6+ WAR. He wasn’t a dominant strikeout pitcher and didn’t go as deep as many contemporaries. Aivazyan was also over shadowed by the many elite pitchers in the Asian League during his run. He was only a Pitcher of the Year finalist once, taking third in 1984. He twice led the AL in wins and once in quality starts, but otherwise wasn’t a league leader. Ufa was regardless satisfied with the results, giving Aivazyan a six-year, $2,592,000 extension in June 1983. After spending most of the 1970s as the dirt worst in the league, the Fiends were now at least around .5000 for much of the 1980s. They earned wild cards in 1984 and 1988, but suffered first round exits both times. Aivazyan had a 0.52 ERA in his two playoff starts. Although limited in his opportunities on the big stage, Aivazyan did see strong numbers in the World Baseball Championship. From 1978-90, he tossed 117 innings for the Russian team with a 2.46 ERA, 100 strikeouts, 151 ERA+, and 3.4 WAR. The career highlight for Aivazyan came on July 17, 1987. He struck out eight and walked one in a no-hitter against Ulaanbaatar. After generally being durable, Aivazyan’s first major injury came in April 1989 with rotator cuff inflammation. That cost him about half of the season, although he looked like himself in the second half at age 35. Ufa decided not to give him another extension, making Aivazyan a free agent for the first time. The franchise would opt to retire his #34 uniform for his lengthy service as a Fiend. Aivazyan signed a two-year, $1,760,000 deal with Almaty for the 1990 season. He still had his fairly standard production for 70 innings, but catastrophe struck on May 29 as Aivazyan suffered a torn elbow ligament. He considered trying a comeback, but the 11 month injury duration seemed too daunting. Aivazyan retired in the winter of 1990 at age 37. For his career, Aivazyan had a 217-147 record, 2.50 ERA, 3433.2 innings, 3132 strikeouts, 505 walks, 321/424 quality starts, 135 complete games, 118 ERA+, 77 FIP-, and 82.7 WAR. Aivazyan had quietly put together a good resume that looked better than some others that had earned the induction. However, he had plenty working against him. Aivazyan had been stuck on largely forgettable Ufa teams, lacked major awards, and looked less impressive next to the loaded competition he had in the Asian League. Aivazyan debuted at 59.4% and never dropped below 50%, but he fell short in his first six ballots. 1999 saw him at 64.0%, two points shy of induction, but he dropped back to 60.5% and 59.2% the next two years. Aivazyan worried that he’d be cursed to the Hall of Pretty Good, but he won over just enough doubters in 2002 to get to 67.4%. That gave Aivazyan the seventh ballot induction, joining his contemporary Fredi Tamasi as EPB’s 2002 class. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

05-04-2024, 05:21 PM	#1214
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,798	2002 OBA Hall of Fame Outfielder Riley Singleton would be the lone inductee for 2002 into the Oceania Baseball Association Hall of Fame. On his ballot debut, Singleton wasn’t a slam dunk, but still got the nod with 75.6%. Only one other player crossed the midway mark with SP Allen Weller at 54.1% in his third ballot. Dropped after ten ballots was SP Ratu Ratu, who had an 11-year career mostly with Auckland. The Fijian lefty had a 137-110 record, 3.00 ERA, 2307.1 innings, 2502 strikeouts, 107 ERA+, and 26.3 WAR. Definitely someone lacking the credentials, but he got to a peak of 25.2% in 1994. It’s somewhat surprising really that Ratu lasted ten years, ending at 8.8%. 2B Charlie Buckland also lasted ten years, but didn’t get in. He had a 17 year career primarily with Adelaide, winning seven Silver Sluggers and three Oceania Championships. Buckland had 1706 hits, 705 runs, 341 doubles, 133 triples, 171 home runs, 824 RBI, a .305/.337/.498 slash, 151 wRC+, and 49.4 WAR. He was a great hitter for the position, but lost a lot of value as a terrible defender. Buckland also just didn’t have the accumulations or power to have a real shot. He managed to last ten years despite only thrice being in double-digits with a peak of 21.2%. Riley “Spoon” Singleton – Left Field – Melbourne Mets – 75.6% First Ballot Riley Singleton was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting outfielder from Adelaide, the largest city of South Australia. Singleton was a quite good contact hitter with reliable pop in his bat. He wasn’t a prolific slugger, but he’d average 30 home runs, 26 doubles, and 13 triples per 162 games. Singleton was good at getting high value hits, but he didn’t draw many walks and his strikeout rate was average at best. Singleton wasn’t lightning fast, but he had above average to sometimes good speed and baserunning skills. He made about 60% of his starts in left field, generally splitting the other starts between right field, first base, and designated hitter. In the corners, he was below average defensively, but he wasn’t a big liability. Singleton had excellent durability, making 135+ starts in 12 consecutive seasons. He was also a team captain and highly regarded as a man in the clubhouse. No one had a bad word to say about Singleton as a person and he was a popular Australian baseball figure for many years. The nickname "Spoon" came from his constantly noting that his spoon for his cereal in the clubhouse was too big. Singleton was the undisputed top prospect from Australia entering OBA’s 1981 Draft. Melbourne grabbed him with the #1 pick and his entire career would be as a Met. Singleton saw limited use in his rookie season with only 38 starts and 77 games. He’d be a full-time starter from 1983 onward and developed his power by his fourth season. In 1985, Singleton led the Australasia League in home runs, RBI, total bases, slugging, OPS, wRC, and WAR. Thus, he won MVP and his first of five Silver Sluggers. That effort inspired Melbourne to give Singleton an eight-year, $4,542,000 contract extension. 1985 also began his time playing in the World Baseball Championship for Australia. From 1985-93, he played 58 games with 41 starts, 41 hits, 20 runs, 9 doubles, 10 home runs, 23 RBI, and 0.5 WAR. Singleton was slowly trying to drag Melbourne back to respectability. 1986 would be their first winning season since 1973. That year, he won his second Silver Slugger and took second in MVP voting, leading in hits and runs. In 1987, Singleton led Melbourne to the AL title, their first since 1970. They would lose to Samoa in the Oceania Championship. The Mets consistently posted winning seasons for the rest of Singleton’s tenure, but wouldn’’t again take the top spot. Singleton twice more would lead the AL in RBI and once lead in total bases. 1990 was his lone batting title with a .323 average. He also led that year in slugging, wRC+, and WAR; earning his second MVP. Singleton also won Silver Sluggers in 1988, 1990, and 1993. In 1991, he was second in MVP voting. After the 1992 season, Singleton declined the final year option in his contract, becoming a free agent for the first time at age 33. He loved Melbourne though and wanted to stay loyal, ultimately re-upping with the Mets for five years and $4,820,000. Singleton gave them three more seasons as a respectable starter, but he wasn’t elite anymore by this point. He was relegated to the bench in 1996, serving still as a team captain and elder statesman. Singleton retired that winter at age 37 and had his #10 uniform retired. Singleton’s final stats saw 2212 hits, 1044 runs, 339 doubles, 169 triples, 396 home runs, 1203 RBI, 427 stolen bases, a .289/.318/.533 slash, 152 wRC+, and 68.7 WAR. His tallies aren’t inner circle level, but are plenty solid. Singleton was also a beloved captain and a two-time MVP joining the ballot in 2002 with no real standouts beside him. That gave him the push to be a first ballot pick and the lone 2002 inductee at 75.6%. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

05-05-2024, 03:21 AM	#1215
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,798	2002 APB Hall of Fame The 2002 Austronesia Professional Baseball Hall of Fame ballot was a weak one with the best debuting player getting only 22.0%. It very nearly was an empty ballot, but closer Ting-Wei Ping managed to just barely reach the 66% requirement. Ping earned 67.7% on his sixth ballot to be the class’s lone inductee. Fellow reliever Hong Quinonez was the only other player above 50% with 59.7% on his sixth try. There were no players dropped after ten ballots. Ting-Wei Ping – Relief Pitcher – Taoyuan Tsunami – 67.7% Sixth Ballot Ting-Wei Ping was a 5’11’’, 175 pound left-handed relief pitcher from Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan. Although Ping wasn’t a big guy, he delivered heat with a one-two combo of a 98-100 mph fastball and a strong splitter. His stuff graded as 11/10 in his prime. Ping also had strong control and above average to good movement. He had good stamina for a reliever, strong durability, and was a solid defender. The main knock on Ping is that he was a loner, considered a mercenary by many who cared about his paycheck more than the team. Ping attended Wufeng University of Science and Technology in Chiayi. Relievers didn’t often get picked high, but Taoyuan made an exception, using the ninth overall pick of the 1974 APB Draft on Ping. He was primarily middle relief in his rookie season, but earned the closer role for part of year two. Ping was the Tsunami closer then firmly from 1977-83. During that run, both he and Taoyuan were dominant. The Tsunami won the Taiwan League in 1978, 80, 82, and 83. In 1978, 82, and 83; Taoyuan was the Austronesia Champion. Ping won his first Reliever of the Year in 1977. He then won four straight from 1980-83, becoming the first (and as of 2037, the only) APB pitcher to win the award five times. Ping also was second in 1980 Pitcher of the Year voting and third in 1983. In the playoffs, Ping played a big role in the three titles. He had 36 innings over 19 appearances in the postseason for Taoyuan with 11 saves, a 1.00 ERA, 57 strikeouts, a 0.47 WHIP, 283 ERA+, and 1.8 WAR. Ping also pitched for Taiwan in the World Baseball Championship from 1978-88, splitting duty with 20 starts and 18 relief appearances. He excelled on that state too with a 13-6 record, 7 saves, 1.79 ERA, 181.1 innings, 333 strikeouts, 210 ERA+, and 10.0 WAR. Ping was second in 1980’s WBC Best Pitcher voting. Ping only led the Taiwan-Philippine Association in saves once with 41 in 1983. However, he had six seasons of 5+ WAR with Taoyuan, a very impressive mark for a reliever. 1982 was his best ERA at 0.88, while 1980 was his peak in strikeouts at 180 and WAR at 6.4. After the 1983 season, Ping was a free agent at age 31. He was unable to come to terms with Taoyuan, as teams were loath to give relievers long-term, big money deals. Ping felt he deserved a major raise from his arbitration peak of $316,000. With that, he left Taiwan and sought MLB money. Taoyuan would later retire his #3 uniform for his brief dominance and role in their three titles. Ping found a two-year, $2,160,000 deal with MLB’s Montreal. He would never get a full-time closer role in his MLB run, but he performed respectably in his more reduced role. After one season with the Maples, he was traded for 1985 to Nashville. He only had 14.1 innings with the Knights, but gave up zero earned runs in that stretch. Montreal brought him back with a three-year, $3,720,000 deal. He played two of those years with the Maples and finished with 4.9 WAR and a 2.11 ERA between the Montreal stints. Ping at age 35 was cut by the Maples in spring training 1988. He signed a one-year, $1,540,000 deal for that season Ottawa. Next was a two-year, $3,360,000 deal with Tampa. Ping was cut midway through the second year, finishing the campaign with Los Angeles. 1991 started with Philadelphia, but he was cut in spring training. Milwaukee grabbed him, but Ping was again released in the summer. He would return to Taiwan for the final two months of 1991, taking the closer role with Taipei. Ping still looked good with 15 saves and a 1.42 ERA for the Tigercats. Most importantly to him, that gave the 39-year old a bump to get noticed again by MLB teams. He signed a two-year, $3,760,000 contract with Kansas City. 1992 saw the highest workload of his MLB stints with 77 innings. He started 1993 as the Cougars closer, but posted very average numbers in that role. KC traded him at the deadline to Cleveland, where he struggled in 24.2 innings, That marked the end of his MLB stints, which saw 21 saves and 98 shutdowns, a 2.51 ERA, 498 innings, 557 strikeouts, a 145 ERA+, and 12.5 WAR. Ping wasn’t ready to retire yet and ended up in Croatia, signing a two-year, $3,120,000 deal with EBF’s Zagreb. Although his ERA wasn’t amazing, he led the conference in saves and appearances at age 41, taking second in Reliever of the Year voting. Ping also had a 0.90 ERA in 10 playoff innings for the Gulls, who fell in the conference final. He was still under contact in 1995, but oddly Zagreb chose not to use Ping. He was happy to earn another $1,560,000 for sitting on his couch. Ping would retire that winter at age 42. For his entire pro career, Ping had 357 saves and 516 shutdowns, a 1.91 ERA, 1002 games, 1375.1 innings, 1931 strikeouts, 329 walks, a 172 ERA+, 46 FIP-, and 59.0 WAR. Not many relievers can say they had that high of a WAR total for their career. The trouble for Ping Is that his APB career was limited to roughly half his career. He had 298 saves and 379 shutdowns, a 1.36 ERA, 781.1 innings, 1263 strikeouts, 179 walks, 206 ERA+, 32 FIP-, and 43.2 WAR. The rate stats were excellent, he had more Reliever of the Year awards than anyone in APB, and he won three rings. Still, many voters were turned off by Ping leaving when he did and held that against him. There were also a bunch of relievers who were on the ballot at the same time that took voters from each other. The relative fewer innings hurt him with some voters, keeping Ping in the 50s for five straight ballots. Finally in 2002 with an unremarkable group and some of the other relievers inducted the prior year, Ping just made it across the line at 67.7% for a sixth ballot induction. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

05-05-2024, 09:07 AM	#1216
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,798	2002 CLB Hall of Fame Two starting pitchers were added to the Chinese League Baseball Hall of Fame in 2002. Both were strong first ballot adds with Zengxiang Zhang at 99.3% and Youpeng Yin at 91.2%. RF Shichao Zhang was the top performing position player, narrowly missing the 66% requirement with 61.8% on his third ballot. Closer Junwei Zhu missed on his fifth go with 60.0%. Also above 50% was Zhengyu Peng with 55.1% for his sixth ballot and CL Zhiming Cao at 52.3% in his debut. Dropped after ten ballots was catcher Paotzu Yan, who was hurt by both the general anti-catcher bias of Hall of Fame voters and the tough standards CLB voters specifically had for any hitter. Yan was a 17-year veteran who won six Silver Sluggers and six Gold Gloves, posting 1624 hits, 654 runs, 337 doubles, 207 home runs, 772 RBI, a .227/.280/.371 slash, 117 wRC+ and 75.4 WAR. But alas, the accumulations are low because he’s a catcher in a league with incredibly low scoring. As of 2037, Yan is CLB’s all-time leader amongst catchers in WAR, games, starts, hits, total bases, doubles, assists, putouts, total chances, innings, runners thrown out, and zone rating. Despite that, Yan peaked at 38.1% in 1994 and fell into the single-digits by the end with a 5.6% finish. CLB still doesn’t have a single catcher in the Hall of Fame as of 2037. But Yan is worth noting as possibly the league’s finest at the position. Closer River Cournouyer also made it ten ballots, but fell off. He was an American defector who had nine seasons in China, winning two Reliever of the Year awards and posting 237 saves and 320 shutdowns, a 1.31 ERA, 691.2 innings, 199 ERA+, and 26.8 WAR. Cournoyer lacked the longevity and accumulations expected out of an inductee. He peaked at 34.5% and ended at 4.9%, but managed to earn ten years as an option. Zengxiang Zhang – Starting Pitcher – Shenyang Seawolves – 99.3% First Ballot Zengxiang Zhang was a 6’1’’, 185 pound right-handed pitcher from Toutunhe, a district in the prefecture-level city Urumqi in northwestern China. Zhang had outstanding pinpoint control of his arsenal, which was especially impressive considering he could hit triple digits reliably as well. He had good stuff and great movement, mixing a 99-101 mph fastball with a slider, forkball, and changeup. Zhang had respectable stamina and defensive chops as well. He was considered very intelligent with few better at picking their spots. On top of all that, Zhang was very durable, making him one of the most impressive arms to ever come out of China. Zhang was a very highly rated prospect and was picked second overall by Shanghai in the 1980 CLB Draft. He spent 1981 in developmental, then was used as a reliever in 1982 and 1983. After showing great promise in his limited innings, Zhang was promoted to the rotation in 1984. From then through 1992, he would be the ace for the Seawolves with nine straight seasons worth 7+ WAR. Zhang’s dominance would make him very popular nationwide despite the fact that Shanghai was a non-factor in his tenure. They didn’t make the playoffs once and averaged around 79 wins per season; firmly mid. Zhang would get to pitch on the big stage for China from 1986-97 in the World Baseball Championship. He posted a 2.78 ERA over 168.1 innings, 11-6 record, 225 strikeouts, 130 ERA+, and 5.8 WAR. Zhang also won two world titles with China (1993, 1994). Zhang was great in his first few years as a starter, taking second in 1984 Pitcher of the Year voting, third in 1985, second in 1986, and second in 1989. He signed a four-year extension after the 1988 season with Shanghai worth $3,750,000. He would go from great to outstanding. From 1986-92, he was the Northern League leader in ERA six times. Zhang led in WHIP four times, K/BB four times, strikeouts once, and WAR thrice. He won three Pitcher of the Year honors (1989, 91, 92) and took second in 1990. Zhang’s deal ended after the 1992 season seemingly at the peak of his game coming off a career-best 10.6 WAR. Shanghai fans loved him, but they knew the franchise wasn’t competitive or rich enough to keep him. Still, his #27 uniform would get retired by the franchise. Much to the chagrin of China’s political leaders, this baseball star had seemingly grown beyond what CLB could offer. Thus, Zhang decided to leave for the United States and Major League Baseball. Philadelphia would be the buyer, signing Zhang for five years and $11,880,000, more than doubling his best year’s AAV with Shanghai. He wouldn’t be Pitcher of the Year finalist level with the Phillies, but Zhang was a darn good starter for them. He spent four years in Philly with a 69-35 record, 3.11 ERA, 1021.1 innings, 734 strikeouts, 113 ERA+, and 19.8 WAR. The only playoff start of his decorated career came in 1995 with the Phillies as well. Philadelphia declined the team-option fifth year, making Zhang a free agent entering 1997 at age 36. Dallas would scoop him up on a three-year, $10,920,000 deal. Zhang maintained steady solid numbers in three years with the Dalmatians, although the team didn’t give him much run support. Zhang had a 39-50 record, 3.77 ERA, 803 innings, 398 strikeouts, 105 ERA+, and 14.8 WAR. He was a free agent again at age 39 and found a home in Brooklyn for two years and $7,760,000. Zhang ate innings, but was fairly average in 2000 for the Dodgers. His velocity was dropping quickly though and he struggle d in 2001, getting cut by Brooklyn in July. He finished the year in Virginia Beach’s minor league system and retired that winter at age 40. In MLB, he had a 126-114 record, 3.46 ERA, 2228.1 innings, 1304 strikeouts, 306 walks, 105 ERA+, and 38.3 WAR. A quite fine career for a guy who entered at age 32. For his entire pro career, Zhang had a 270-191 record, 2.41 ERA, 4545.2 innings, 4077 strikeouts, 528 walks, 424/555 quality starts, 134 ERA+, and 121.1 WAR. Just with Shanghai though, he had a 144-77 record, 1.39 ERA, 2317.1 innings, 2773 strikeouts, 222 walks, 0.72 WHIP, 12.5 K/BB, 240/266 quality starts, 182 ERA+, and 82.8 WAR. Among CLB starters in the Hall of Fame, none have a better ERA. Zhang’s rate stats are remarkable and even with only a decade in CLB, he’s still 12^th all-time in pitching WAR as of 2037. Had Zhang remained in China his whole career, he would have had a good shot to be the league’s GOAT pitcher. Even with a shorter tenure and being on forgettable teams, Zhang was a no-doubter at 99.3%, entering the 2002 Hall of Fame class as one of CLB’s all-time best. Youpeng “Cash” Yin – Starting Pitcher – Beijing Bears - 91.2% First Ballot Youpeng Yin was a 5’10’’, 190 pound right-handed pitcher from Hegang, a city of nearly 900,000 in China’s northeastern Heilongjiang province bordering Russia. The nickname “Cash” actually wasn’t from Yin being boastful, as he was renowned as a selfless team captain type. It came from him never wanting to use credit cards or checks for big purchases; always wanting to pay in cash. Yin would be very well respected as a leader and hard worker throughout his career. As a pitcher, Yin had absolutely filthy movement on his pitches and stellar control. His stuff was considered merely good with a 93-95 mph fastball mixed with a great splitter, plus a slider and curveball. Yin had an extreme groundball tendency and very rarely surrendered home runs. His stamina was subpar with fewer complete games than most contemporary aces. Yin still provided reliable consistent innings thanks to having good durability. His movement and control were well beyond his years, making Yin the top pitching prospect in the 1982 CLB Draft. Beijing selected him with the #1 overall pick and split him between the bullpen and starting as a rookie. He took third in Rookie of the Year voting in 1983. Yin was full-time in the rotation after that and had his entire nine year Chinese career in the capital. Beijing very quickly reversed their fortunes, going from having the #1 pick in 1982 to a league title two years later. Yin played a major role in the Bears dynasty with four straight finals berths from 1984-87 and titles in 1984, 85, and 87. In the playoffs, Yin had a 2.15 ERA over 117.1 innings for Beijing with 150 strikeouts, 119 ERA+, 48 FIP-, and 4.7 WAR. Yin also had a 1.73 ERA in 41.2 innings for China in the World Baseball Championship from 1985-90. For Beijing, Yin led the Northern League five times in WAR and posted eight straight seasons worth 7+ WAR. He also led twice in FIP-, four times in quality starts, once in WHIP, once in strikeouts, once in ERA, and twice in wins. Yin won Pitcher of the Year in 1986 and 1987. He finished second in 1985, third in 1988, second in 1989, and second in 1991. Beijing gave Yin a five-year, $2,106,000 extension after the 1986 season. The Bears missed the playoffs from 1988-90, but made it back to the China Series in 1991. That would mark the end of Yin’s deal, making him a free agent at age 30. He had worldwide offers and struggled with the decision, having really loved his time in Beijing. Yin would leave though and wrap his Chinese career after only nine seasons. The Bears would retire his #23 uniform and fans would remember him fondly for years after as the ace of their mid 1980s dynasty. Often times, great players left their home country’s league for MLB, as it was generally considered the best league and definitely offered the most money. Yin surprised a lot of people though by going to Russia of all places right after the Soviet Union collapsed. He went to Eurasian Professional Baseball and signed a six-year, $6,320,000 deal with Novosibirsk. Yin played five years with the Nitros and helped them to five straight playoff berths. However, they had four one-and-dones with one ALCS defeat. Back injuries cropped up, costing him some postseason opportunities, although he did have a 0.60 ERA in the 15 innings he tossed. Yin was consistently good there, but he wasn’t a league leader or awards finalist. With Novosibirsk, he posted a 74-40 record, 2.48 ERA, 1059.2 innings, 928 strikeouts, 116 ERA+, and 25.1 WAR. The Nitros would buy out the final year of his deal, making Yin a free agent entering 1997 at age 35. This time, he went MLB and got fairly big money with a three-year, $9,400,000 deal with Kansas City. Yin was okay in two seasons as a Cougar with a 3.74 ERA over 476 innings and 7.7 WAR with an 89 ERA+ and 94 FIP-. After the 1998 season, KC traded Yin to Portland. Yin got rocked in four starts with the Pacifics and was cut in May 1999. Tampa signed him for a few relief appearances, but cut him in late August. Yin wrapped 1999 in Washington’s minor league system. Detroit signed him for 2000, but Yin suffered a torn labrum after six relief appearances. That effectively ended his MLB career, although he attempted a minor league comeback. Toronto gave him a few relief appearances in the minors in 2001, but bone chips in his elbow officially cooked his goose at age 40. For his MLB attempts, Yin had a 20-35 record, 3.97 ERA, 535.2 innings, 260 strikeouts, 87 ERA+, and 8.1 WAR. For his entire pro career, Yin had a 236-144 record, 2.20 ERA, 3745.2 innings, 3666 strikeouts, 474 walks, 129 ERA+, 66 FIP-, and 108.8 WAR. That’s a slam dunk Hall of Fame career. His CLB numbers were only nine years, but they were an impressive burst with a 142-69 record, 1.62 ERA, 2150.1 innings, 2478 strikeouts, 271 walks, 249/280 quality starts, 157 ERA+, 54 FIP-, and 75.6 WAR. Like his Hall of Fame classmate Zhang, there’s a “what if?” with Yin as to how high up the CLB leaderboards he could’ve gone had he stayed in China his whole career. As of 2037, his ERA is the fourth best among all HOF starters in CLB. Yin’s peak was also undeniable, plus he was a team captain and a key part of Beijing’s dynasty. Thus, he got 91.2% and joined Zhang in an impressive 2002 class. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

05-05-2024, 03:00 PM	#1217
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,798	2002 WAB Hall of Fame For the first time since 1997, West African Baseball didn’t induct any players into the Hall of Fame. Only one guy on the 2002 ballot even was above 50% with SP Elodie Belem at 59.7% on his fifth try. SP Kasim Shuaibu was the top debut with 39.0%. Closer Joe Kelley was dropped after ten ballots. He was an American player who came out of independent leagues, pitching only six years in WAB with Conakry. In that short time, he had two Reliever of the Year awards, 224 saves, 1.73 ERA, 531.2 innings, 914 strikeouts, 198 ERA+, and 23.6 WAR. It was a dominant short run before leaving for MLB and a few more forgettable years. Still, he managed to end with a peak of 42.0% after bouncing around between the low teens and mid 30s. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

05-06-2024, 03:50 AM	#1218
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,798	2002 SAB Hall of Fame South Asia Baseball had two inner-circle level Hall of Famers for the 2002 class. SP Zainal bin Aziz earned the very rare distinction of being unanimous. As of 2037, he’s one of only five in all of the world leagues with such an honor. 2B VJ Williams was close behind with 97.7%. Closer Harini Shreenath just missed out on also being a first ballot pick, getting 64.1%. C Krish Balvinder also had a nice showing with 59.5% on his fourth try. Zainal bin Aziz – Starting Pitcher – Vientiane Vampires – 100% First Ballot Zainal bin Aziz was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Johor Bahru, Malaysia’s second-largest city. He was known for having tremendous stuff, excellent movement, and very good control. Zainal was a rare player with six pitches, led by a 96-98 mph sinker. He also had an incredibly potent curveball, changeup, splitter, and knuckle curve, plus a circle change. Bin Aziz was an absolute master at changing speeds and mixing pitches. Defensively, bin Aziz was good and he was great at holding runners. His stamina was good, but not outstanding. Zainal had great durability though until his career-ending injury, tossing 230+ innings in all but his first and final seasons. He wasn’t a big personality, but he became extremely popular as the Southeast Asia League’s first megastar pitcher. Entering the 1982 SAB Draft, bin Aziz was viewed by many to be the top prospect available. He’d get selected second overall by Vientiane, sending him to Laos. His rookie year was split between the bullpen and starting, but he looked decent in limited action. Year two saw bin Aziz as a full-time starter and by year three, he was arguably the best pitcher in SAB. In 1984, bin Aziz was third in Pitcher of the Year voting, then second in 1985. 1985 began a streak of six straight seasons leading SEAL in both WAR and FIP. With the Vampires, he’d lead the league five times in strikeouts, five times in WHIP, thrice in ERA, twice in wins, once in innings, and four times in K/BB. In 1989, bin Aziz became SAB’s second-ever Triple Crown winning pitcher with a 22-6 record, 2.02 ERA, and 367 strikeouts. Zainal did it again in 1990 with a 21-5 record, 1.48 ERA, and 360 strikeouts. With Vientiane, bin Aziz won Pitcher of the Year in 1986, 87, 89, and 90; while taking third in 1988. On May 21, 1987, bin Aziz tossed a no-hitter with five strikeouts and one walk against Yangon. He had five seasons worth 9+ WAR and three above triple digits, peaking with 12.1 in 1987; which set the SAB record for a pitcher at the time. The 381 strikeouts in 1987 was also briefly the SAB record. Despite bin Aziz’s dominance, Vientiane was a mid-level team in SEAL. They would get wild cards in 1986 and 1987, but fall in the first round both years. His three playoff starts with the Vampires saw a 2.16 ERA over 25 innings and 31 strikeouts. Zainal also pitched for his native Malaysia from 1984-96 in the World Baseball Championship. In 197 WBC innings, he had a 13-11 record, 3.15 ERA, 280 strikeouts, 115 ERA+, 61 FIP-, and 7.1 WAR. Vientiane would extend bin Aziz after the 1987 on a four-year, $3,030,000 deal. While he thrived, the Vampires seemed stuck in the mid-tier. His contract expired after the 1991 season with the soon to be 32-year old bin Aziz looking at his next step. Vientiane was disappointed, but knew they couldn’t match the big money bin Aziz would certainly command. At that point, SAB had largely turned into a bidding war for the top talent between Ho Chi Minh City and Ahmedabad, as both were a few years into their respective dynasties. With Vientiane, bin Aziz had a 151-80 record, 2.27 ERA, 2057.2 innings, 2791 strikeouts, 500 walks, 206/259 quality starts, 163 ERA+, 56 FIP-, and 76.3 WAR. The Vampires would retire his #53 uniform and he’d remain a beloved franchise icon for years to come. Although he went into the Hall of Fame in the Vientiane hat, he managed to somehow get even better in his second run. Ho Chi Minh City signed bin Aziz to a five-year, $4,250,000 deal. Entering 1992, the Hedgehogs had made five straight LCS appearances and won three SEAL titles, but they couldn’t get around Ahmedabad in the SAB Championship. The hope was adding the best pitcher in the game might get them over that hump. Zainal immediately delivered with his third Triple Crown season at 22-6, 1.93 ERA, and 396 strikeouts. The Ks mark was a new single-season best that still holds as of 2037 and he broke his own WAR record with 12.4, earning his fifth Pitcher of the Year and a third place in MVP voting. HCMC won another SEAL title in 1992, but again lost to the Animals in the final. Zainal won his sixth POTY in 1993 as the Hedgehogs had an incredible 126-36, setting a new world record for wins in a season. The season ended in tremendous disappointment as they lost to Johor Bahru in the first round. HCMC bounced back with pennants in 1994 and 1995, but again couldn’t be Ahmedabad. 1995 was the historic showdown between the two with both squads at 124-38. With Ho Chi Minh City, bin Aziz led in ERA thrice, WAR four times, FIP- four times, K/BB four times, strikeouts four times, and WHIP three times. Zainal broke his WAR record again with 13.1 in 1994, then broke it once more with 13.4 the next year. That gave him eight Pitcher of the Year awards, something very few pitchers in any world league can claim. As of 2037, the most any other SAB pitcher has is five. Of the top seven WAR seasons by a SAB pitcher, bin Aziz has six of them, including the top four. His 1.48 ERA in 1990 is the third-best in SAB history. He holds the fist, fifth, and tenth most strikeouts in a season. 1995 saw 26 wins for bin Aziz, a mark no other SAB pitchers have reached. On April 8, 1994, bin Aziz made history again with SAB’s second-ever perfect game. He struck out 14 in the perfect effort against Mandalay. Zainal was also great in the playoffs as expected. He had 16 starts with Ho Chi Minh City with a 1.45 ERA, 9-3 record, 163 strikeouts, 19 walks, 244 ERA+, 38 FIP-, and 5.8 WAR. His 2.0 WAR in the 1994 playoffs is a SAB record and his56 Ks from that run is the third most in SAB history. Adding the Vientiane starts, bin Aziz’s playoff career is 10-5 in 19 starts, 1.57 ERA over 143 innings, 194 strikeouts, 228 ERA+, and 6.6 WAR. As of 2037, he’s the playoff leader in complete games (6), second in WAR, and seventh in both wins and strikeouts. In 1996, bin Aziz became the first SAB pitcher to 250 career wins. He had already become the first to 4000 strikeouts the other year. Things were looking as impressive as ever for the now 36-year old lefty with a 1.81 ERA and 5.5 WAR through 124 innings. But then, disaster struck. On June 12, 1996, bin Aziz suffered a torn flexor tendon in his elbow. The prognosis was 14 months, meaning the rest of the 1996 season and probably most to all of 1997. Zainal’s contract was set to expire with the 1996 season and Ho Chi Minh City didn’t re-sign him. In his five seasons as a Hedgehog, bin Aziz had a 104-21 record, 1.84 ERA, 1124 innings, 1692 strikeouts, 171 walks, 193 ERA+, 37 FIP-, and 55.7 WAR. He’d be beloved by Hedgehogs fans for decades to come as well. Zainal didn’t retire right away and he hoped to make it back. He spent the rest of 1996 and 1997 rehabbing. Unfortunately once he could get back to throwing, bin Aziz’s previous 96-98 mph velocity was down to the 91-93 mph range. His stuff went from rated a 9/10 in his prime to 3/10. Dejected, bin Aziz retired in the winter of 1997 at age 38, never making it back on the field after the injury. For his career, bin Aziz had a 255-101 record, 2.12 ERA, 3181.2 innings, 4483 strikeouts, 671 walks, 324/402 quality starts, 82 complete games, a 173 ERA+, 49 FIP-, and 132.0 WAR. The accolades are eight Pitcher of the Year awards, six ERA titles, eight seasons as the strikeout leader, four as the wins leader, ten as the WARlord, and seven double-digit WAR seasons. Even with the early end to his career, bin Aziz still is the all-time pitching leader in WAR by nearly 30 points as of 2037. He’s also the leader in shutouts (36) while sitting third in wins and fourth in strikeouts. No other Hall of Fame starting pitcher has a lower ERA. Had his elbow not exploded, bin Aziz’s tallies would’ve been even more bonkers. Even still, few would argue against him being South Asia Baseball’s GOAT pitcher, fittingly giving him a unanimous induction in 2002. V.J. Williams – Second/First Base – Ahmedabad Animals – 97.7% First Ballot V.J. Williams was a 6’3’’, 190 pound left-handed hitting infielder from Baraut, India; a city with around 100,000 inhabitants in the northern Uttar Pradesh state. Williams was a great contact hitter with excellent power and a solid eye. He was excellent at earning extra base hits, averaging 41 home runs, 37 doubles, and 8 triples per 162 game average. Williams was quite quick and was a very intelligent and crafty baserunner as well. Defensively, Williams made about 2/3s of his starts at second base and the rest at first. Although a tremendous bat for a 2B, Williams was a lousy defender there, lacking the range and glovesmanship needed. However, he graded out as very good defensively at first, even winning a Gold Glove in 1983. Williams was an absolute ironman, playing 156+ games in every season but his rookie year. He was scrappy and a hard worker, helping him become one of the most endearing and beloved players of his era. Williams timed out as being eligible in SAB’s first-ever rookie draft in 1980. He was picked third overall by Delhi, where he’d spend the first seven years of his career. Williams was mostly a backup as a rookie, but a full-time starter after that. He soon would absolutely light up the leaderboards, posting six straight seasons worth 9+ WAR. From 1982-87, Williams led the Indian League in WAR four times, runs five times, hits five times doubles twice, RBI twice, total bases six times, batting average four times, OBP five times, slugging six times, OPS six times, and wRC+ six times. He won four straight MVPs from 1984-87, while taking third in 1982 and second in 1983. Williams also won Silver Sluggers in all six seasons. His 138 runs scored in 1984 stood as SAB’s single-season best until 2007. Williams also smacked 40+ homers in all six years with Delhi. Despite all of that, the Drillers stunk. They averaged 79 wins per season and didn’t make the playoffs once during his tenure. Williams was still beloved by Delhi fans and he had his most efficient seasons there, although most fans don’t remember him in Drillers brown. For his seven seasons, Williams had 1264 hits, 746 runs, 252 doubles, 294 home runs, 229 stolen bases, a .334/.408/.608 slash, 220 wRC+, and 71.1 WAR. Williams was a megastar throughout India and also a regular for them in the World Baseball Championship. From 1983-96, he had 141 games and 133 starts with 151 hits, 106 runs, 37 doubles, 46 home runs, 108 RBI, 37 stolen bases, a .296/.384/.663 slash, 193 wRC+, and 9.0 WAR. As of 2037, he’s second all-time in WAR among all Indian players in the WBC and first in OPS. Williams also won tournament MVP in 1993 as he led India to its first-ever finals appearance, falling in the championship to China. In 23 starts, Williams had 29 runs, 30 hits, 10 doubles, 13 home runs, 23 RBI, a .345/.426/.908 slash, 269 wRC+, and 2.5 WAR. At the time, that was the fifth-most runs scored in a single WBC. From all of this, Williams was an absolute megastar throughout India. That afforded Williams opportunities in and outside of baseball. When his Delhi deal ran out after the 1987 season, Williams was 28 years old. The bidding wars between Ahmedabad and Ho Chi Minh City for all of the top free agents limited his options generally between the two. Williams didn’t want to leave India, but he also couldn’t reach a satisfactory arrangement with the Animals or anyone else. Thus, apart from the WBC, Williams didn’t play baseball in 1988, instead pursuing other interests. Williams got the itch to come back soon after and was able to figure out compensation with Ahmedabad. The Animals gave him a one year return deal for 1989 at $424,000. The dynasty was underway at this point with SAB titles in 1986 and 1987, but the level of dominance to come after was still unknown at that point. After returning at MVP form, Ahmedabad gave Williams a seven-year, $5,490,000 extension. During Williams’ run from 1989-96, Ahmedabad won seven championships (89-92, 93-95) and won 107+ games each season. They set the Indian League record in 1995 at 124-38, defeating fellow 124-win Ho Chi Minh City in one of the most epic title showdowns in baseball history. Williams would be a massive reason that the Animals dynasty went from merely great to perhaps the greatest in baseball history. Williams had 7.5 WAR in seven straight seasons, debuting with 12.1 WAR and 12.5 WAR efforts. Clearly, rust wasn’t an issue. In those first two years, Williams led in hits, average, slugging, OPS, wRC+, and WAR. He also led with a career best 146 RBI in 1990. Williams topped the IL in total bases in 1990 and 1991. He also was the WARlord in 1995 at 10.9, his seventh time leading in WAR and his eighth season hitting double-digits. Naturally, these efforts got Williams more hardware. He won his fifth MVP in 1990 and took second in 1989’s voting and third in 1995. Williams won seven straight Silver Sluggers, giving him 13 for his career. His greatness carried into the postseason, winning ILCS MVP in 1990, 92, and 94. In 118 playoff starts, Williams had 123 hits, 74 runs, 23 doubles, 29 home runs, 66 RBI, a .275/.345/.542 slash, 176 wRC+, and 6.2 WAR. After posting 7+ WAR in all but his rookie year, Williams regressed to a mere 3.0 WAR in 1996. This was the final year of his deal and Ahmedabad didn’t sign him to a new contract. Williams shopped around in 1997, but didn’t find a home, retiring that winter at age 38. The Animals quickly retired Williams’ uniform #8. In his run, he had 1392 hits, 848 runs, 289 doubles, 302 home runs, 895 RBI, 393 stolen bases, a .301/.367/.588 slash, 200 wRC+, and 71.5 WAR. Williams’ final stats were 2656 hits, 1594 runs, 541 doubles, 115 triples, 596 home runs, 1638 RBI, 938 walks, 622 stolen bases, a .316/.386/.620 slash, 209 wRC+, and 142.6 WAR. He was the first in SAB history to 2500 hits, 1500 runs scored, and 1500 RBI, as well as the second to 500 home runs. The later high-offense eras of SAB would knock him down leaderboards, falling out of the top ten in the counting stats. However, his career WAR still ranks sixth-best in SAB history. Williams was one of India’s first-ever major baseball stars and a no-doubt Hall of Famer, getting 97.7%. He and Zainal bin Aziz make up the 2002 class, perhaps as the best one-two in the SAB Hall’s history. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

05-06-2024, 10:33 AM	#1219
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,798	2002 ABF/ALB Hall of Fame Catcher Razak Mohiyoudeen again came close to being the first Asian Baseball Federation Hall of Fame, but ended up just short of the 66% requirement. On his second try, Mohiyoudeen earned 59.9%, just down from his 63.2% the prior year. Two others made respectable debuts with RF Hakim Baig at 47.9% and 1B Hazan Sheikh at 46.1%. Three others were above 30%. Closer Paul Arfaoui received 41.4% in his third time on the still new Arab League Baseball Hall of Fame ballot. This was the highest anyone had gotten yet in ALB, but still plenty shy of the 66% requirement. No one else reached double-digits. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

05-06-2024, 03:24 PM	#1220
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,798	2002 World Baseball Championship The 2002 World Baseball Championship was the 56^th edition of the event and the first to be hosted in the capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa. In Division 1, Ukraine advanced at 7-2, edging out both Egypt and Sweden by one game. This was the seventh division title for the Ukrainians, although they hadn’t done it in a decade. The two-time reigning world champ United States grabbed D2 at 8-1, two games ahead of both Colombia and Ethiopia. It was the 47^th time getting to the elite eight for the Americans. After a five year title drought, China advanced with an 8-1 record in Division 3, fending off a spirited 7-2 Bangladesh. This was the 20^th division title for the Chinese. Division 4 saw a tie for first at 7-2 between Japan and Poland. The head-to-head tiebreaker went to the Japanese, advancing for the 16^th time. They ended their own significant drought dating back to 1989. Russia, last year’s runner-up, tied for fourth in the division at 5-4. Cuba claimed a tough Division 5 at 8-1, beating both Argentina and Australia by one game. This was the fifth division win for the Cubans, who last did it in 1993. Division 6 went to 8-1 England, besting Brazil by one game. It was the sixth division title for the English, who last made it in 1999. The Brazilians are now on a three-year drought for the first time since the early 1980s. In Division 7, Spain and the Netherlands tied at 6-3, while the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Tanzania were each 5-4. The Dutch had the head-to-head tiebreaker, moving on for the sixth time and the first time since 1989. In D8, Germany rolled at 8-1, while Indonesia, Italy, Myanmar, and Pakistan were each 6-3. The Germans now have eight division titles, ending a drought back to their 1991 runner-up effort. With that, the defending champion US was the only team in the playoff field who also was in the field in either 2001 or 2000. For the first time since 1983 as well, half of the division winners were European teams. The United States dominated Round Robin Group A at 6-0, earning a third straight semifinal berth and a 41^st final four appearance. Germany took second at 3-3, while the Netherlands was 2-4 and Cuba was 1-5. The Germans picked up their fifth-ever semifinal appearance. In Group B, Japan and China both advanced at 4-2, while both Ukraine and England finished 2-4. It was the seventh semifinal for the Japanese and 15^th for the Chinese. The Americans won their semi 3-1 against Japan to earn an unprecedented 37^th championship appearance. China and Germany went the distance with the Chinese surviving in five games. That earned China its tenth championship berth and first since 1996. Germany officially was third and Japan was fourth, which was the best finish for either nation in more than a decade. The 56^th World Championship was the sixth finals meeting between the United States and China. The Americans won in their 1971, 74, 75, and 96 encounters, while the lone Chinese win came in 1994. That was the most recent world title for China, with their most recent appearance being the 1996 loss. The series was a classic, the first to go all seven games since Canada’s epic win over the Chinese in 1995. China took the series to deny another American three-peat. The win makes China 5-5 all-time in the final with titles in 1970, 79, 93, 94, and now 2002. The US sits at 32-5 in their finals tries. Although Japan lost in the semifinal, they had the tournament MVP and Best Pitcher. The former was RF Koji Iwasaki, a 28-year old fresh off a 71 home run season with Saitama. In 19 starts, Iwasaki had 27 hits, 21 runs, 4 doubles, 12 home runs, 23 RBI, a .342/.391/.848 slash, 255 wRC+, and 2.1 WAR. Natsu Kishimoto won Best Pitcher, a 24-year old lefty for Kyoto. He tossed 10.2 scoreless innings in three appearances with 17 strikeouts, one walk, and five this allowed. Other notes: For the entire event, the United States compiled 269 hits as a team, setting a new WBC record. This would remain the high until the Americans beat it in 2031 with 272 hits. Taiwan’s Ying-Shan Hu became the ninth player to hit for the cycle in the WBC, doing it against Switzerland. With their title, China is now tied with Mexico for fourth in the all-time tournament stats. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)