Baseball: The World's Game - Page 62

FuzzyRussianHat · 05-07-2024, 03:26 AM

Four-time defending AAB Southern Conference champion Johannesburg took the top spot in the standings for the fourth year in a row, finishing at 105-57. They were closely trailed by Antananarivo, who earned its first playoff berth in AAB’s eight seasons to date. The Eagles were 102-60 to set a franchise record. After wild cards in the prior two seasons, Dar es Salaam dropped to third at 93-69. Durban was fourth at 91-71, setting a new high mark for the Deer.

Although Lilongwe was sixth, they had RF Felix Chaula repeat as Southern Conference MVP. The 26-year old Tanzanian righty led in home runs (57), OBP (.436), slugging (.714), OPS (1.150), wRC+ (209), and WAR (9.9). Chaula added 114 RBI and a .306 average. Pitcher of the Year was Antananarivo righty Lucas Wachira, who broke out as the leader in wins (22-7), ERA (2.39), innings (275.1), and quality starts (26). The 24-year old Kenyan added 272 strikeouts and 7.9 WAR. Also of note, Dar es Salaam’s Tewderos Tadesse became the second AAB player to win Reliever of the Year thrice.

Kinshasa returned to first place in the Central Conference standings, taking the spot at 105-57. It was their fifth time taking first, as the Sun Cats still have been in the playoffs in each season of the AAB. Defending champ Lubumbashi would fall short though, finishing third at 98-64. They were bested by Mogadishu, who snagged the second place spot at 102-60. This was the second-ever playoff berth for the Mighty Mice, who also were a wild card in 1998. There was a steep 15 game drop from third to fourth.

Fifth place Brazzaville had the Central Conference’s MVP in Mohau Sibiya. The 29-year old South African smacked 76 home runs, passing his own AAB record of 69 from 1999. Sibiya also had 158 RBI, one shy of Abebe Chekol’s record from the prior year. He’d lose the home run record in 2006, but he stands in elite company in world history. Sibayi also led the conference in runs (134), total bases (419), slugging (.754), OPS (1.121), wRC+ (193), and WAR (11.5). It would be his last year with the Blowfish, as he’d be traded across the river to Kinshasa in the offseason.

Pitcher of the Year was Kampala’s Mulumba Mwamba. He became the first-ever reliever to win the award in AAB, posting 35 saves in 87.2 innings, a 1.23 ERA, 152 strikeouts, 335 ERA+, and 5.5 WAR. Shockingly he won POTY and NOT Reliever of the Year, as the latter went to Lubumbashi’s Rajab Hamadi. The 27-year old led in saves (41) and had a 1.11 ERA, 188 strikeouts in 81 innings, 368 ERA+, and 6.9 WAR. It remains baffling to historians years later that a reliever won POTY despite not being the top reliever by many metrics.

Johannesburg’s reign atop the Southern Conference ended as Antananarivo denied them the five-peat. The Eagles upset the Jackalopes 4-1 in the Conference Championship for their first-pennant. Joahnnesburg would have to wait more than a decade for their next pennant, while Antananarivo would assume the mantle for the next few years. The Central Conference Championship was a rematch of the 1998 final. It was a seven game classic, but Kinshasa again came out on top of Mogadishu. The Sun Cats earned their sixth pennant through eight seasons.

Kinshasa was upset that Lubumbashi broke up the dynasty in 2001. They took that frustration out on Antananarivo in the eighth Africa Series, winning it 5-1. The Sun Cats earned their fifth title in six years with the win, a feat matched by few teams in any world league. 1B Matthew Roberts led the way, winning MVP of the Africa Series and the Conference final. A 32-year old Canadian who joined Kinshasa in 2000 after nine years in Montreal, Roberts had 13 hits, 9 runs, 6 home runs, and 13 RBI in 12 playoff starts.

Other notes: On April 10, Antananarivo’s Seth Zoontjes tossed the first-ever perfect game in AAB, striking out eight against Durban. The next perfecto wouldn’t come until 2013. Joel Mwasesa became the first pitcher to 2000 career strikeouts. CF Tico Samo won his sixth Gold Glove, becoming the second in AAB to win six.

FuzzyRussianHat · 05-07-2024, 12:14 PM

The Arab League’s Western Conference saw a shakeup with three new division champs than the prior two seasons. The top record went to Alexandria at 97-65 atop the Nile Division. The Astronauts finished six games ahead of Cairo for the top spot, ending a seven-year playoff drought. Tripoli took the Mediterranean Division at 96-66, edging Algiers by two games. The Privateers ended the four-year division title streak of Casablanca, who took third in the division at 89-73. Amman dominated the Levant Division at 91-71, ending a two-year playoff drought. Jerusalem, the division winner in the prior two seasons, fell off hard to 73-89.

Western Conference MVP went to Casablanca 3B Abderrazak Zouari for the second time in three years. The 28-year old Moroccan righty bounced back after missing half of 2001 to injury, leading in runs (131), home runs (55), RBI (147), total bases (401), OBP (.409), slugging (.706), OPS (1.115), wRC+ (206), and WAR (12.0).

Cairo’s Mahmoud Al-Fandi won Pitcher of the Year and became the first-ever Triple Crown pitcher in Arab League Baseball history. The 26-year old Syrian lefty had a 24-8 record, 2.71 ERA, and 319 strikeouts over 259 innings. Al-Fandi also led in WHIP (0.95), quality starts (31), FIP- (69), and WAR (7.7).

Tripoli swept Amman in the first round of the playoffs, earning their third Western Conference Finals appearance (1991, 1997). For top seed Alexandria, their only prior playoff berth saw a WCF defeat in 1994. The Astronauts would sweep the Privateers 3-0 to win their first-ever pennant.

The battle for the top record in the Eastern Conference was centered in the Saudi Division as Riyadh and Medina both finished at 96-66. The Rats defeated the Mastodons in the one-game tiebreaker for their second division title in three years. Jeddah, last year’s conference finalist, dropped to .500. Dubai repeated as Gulf Division champ at 95-67, fending off Kuwait by two games. Reigning ALB champ Mosul had their worst record since 1994, but still firmly took the Iraq Division at 89-73. The Muskies extended their postseason streak to eight years, the longest in ALB history to date.

Riyadh first baseman Samer Al-Mousa won Eastern Conference MVP and posted the fourth ALB Triple Crown season for a hitter. The 26-year old Syrian lefty smacked 62 home runs with 141 RBI and a .348 average. Al-Mousa also led in runs (124), doubles (48), total bases (440), OBP (.433), slugging (.773), OPS (1.206), and wRC+ (226) while adding 11.0 WAR. Riyadh was delighted with their investment, as they had given Al-Mousa an eight-year, $8,990,000 extension the prior winter. The Rats also had the Pitcher of the Year with eighth-year lefty Ali Sabet. The 28-year old Egyptian led in wins (20-6), ERA (2.50), WHIP (0.88), and WAR (7.1). Sabet added 282 strikeouts over 255.2 innings.

Dubai edged Mosul 2-1 in the first round, keeping the Muskies out of the Eastern Conference Final for the first time since 1994. This would be the official end of their dynasty run, as Mosul would fall below .500 the next year. Despite it being their eighth time in the playoffs, this was only the second time the Diamonds had been in the ECF (1991). For Riyadh, this was their first conference final. Dubai would upset the Rats 3-2 to win their first pennant.

The 13^th Arab League Championship was guaranteed to have a first-time winner and the ninth different franchise with a title. Dubai downed Alexandria 4-2, led by veteran LF Junoon Asghar. The 32-year old Palestinian was finals MVP in his second year with the Diamonds, making 14 playoff starts with 17 hits, 10 runs, 4 doubles, 8 home runs, and 18 RBI. Asghar set ALB playoff records for both homers and RBI. The HR mark still hasn’t been topped as of 2037, while the RBI mark held until 2025.

Other notes: Basra’s Sami Al-Malki had a 17 strikeout no-hitter on August 2 against Baghdad, setting the ALB record for most Ks in a no-no. Dubai’s Salem Aldani had a 27-game hit streak, a new ALB top mark. 1B Bilal Hamdan won his ninth Gold Glove and SS Mohammed Mohamed won his eighth. Mohamed also won his ninth Silver Slugger, the first ALB player to do so.

FuzzyRussianHat · 05-07-2024, 03:49 PM

The ABF’s East League had the same four playoff teams as the prior year, although positions were switched around. Bishkek took the top spot at 105-57 led by great pitching. They allowed the third fewest runs (387) and earned runs (358) in EL/Pakistan League history with the third-best ERA (2.13) and second-best WHIP. The Black Sox extended their playoff streak tot here seasons.

Multan took second place at 95-67 to repeat as a playoff team, while defending ABF champion Dushanbe was third at 91-71. The Dynamo secured a third consecutive playoff berth. Tashkent took the fourth and final playoff spot at 87-75, besting Hyderabad by four games and Peshawar by five. Including their Eurasian Professional Baseball days, the Tomcats have an eight-year playoff streak.

East League MVP was Multan RF Oudeh Ashraf. The 27-year old led in runs (102), home runs (52), RBI (116), total bases (349), slugging (.599), OPS (.939), and wRC+ (216), while adding 8.1 WAR. It would be his penultimate season with the Mighty Cocks, as he’d leave for MLB and Kansas City in 2004. Bishkek’s Nadir Kaliev was Pitcher of the Year in his second season as a full-time starter. The 27-year old Uzbek lefty led in wins (21-8), and complete games (17). Kaliev had a 2.24 ERA over 269.2 innings with 274 strikeouts and 7.7 WAR.

The #3 and #4 seeds earned upset wins in the first round of the playoffs. Tashkent topped top ranked Bishkek 3-1 and Dushanbe edged Multan 3-2. This put the 2001 ABF champ Dynamo against the 2000 champ Tomcats in the East League Championship Series. Tashkent clobbered Dushanbe with a sweep, earning their second EL pennant in three years. Counting the EBF Asian League, the Tomcats have earned four pennants in the last five years.

The West League had Isfahan and Ankara tied for the top spot at 96-66. The tiebreaker went to the Imperials, who extended their ABF-record playoff streak to eight years. The Alouettes picked up a third consecutive playoff appearance. Defending WL champ Bursa extended their own postseason streak to six seasons, placing third at 93-69. The fourth and final spot went to 88-74 Izmir, who hadn’t made the playoffs in a decade.

Adana, last year’s WCLS runner-up, dropped to seventh at 77-85. Still, their star LF Humayun Kahil won his fourth MVP in five years. The 25-year old Pakistani lefty became the first four-time MVP in ABF history and earned his second Triple Crown. It was the fourth Triple Crown season for an ABF hitter. Kahil led in home runs (60), RBI (139), total bases (406), stolen bases (74), average (.330), slugging (.701), OPS (1.102), wRC+ (210), and WAR (12.4).

Isfahan’s Yazeed Anwari won a historic seventh Pitcher of the Year. He was the first and as of 2037, one of two pitchers to reach that distinction. The 29-year old Pakistani righty led in wins (24-7), innings (290.1), strikeouts (416), WHIP (0.82), K/BB (14.9), quality starts (30), and WAR (11.5). Anwari had a 1.80 ERA, falling just short of a Triple Crown behind Bedirhan Uzun’s 1.66. Anwari also had a 21 strikeout game in May against Gujranwala.

Isfahan swept Izmir in the first round of the playoffs, while Bursa upset Adana 3-2. This set up another West League Championship Series between the Imperials and Blue Claws, who met each year in the final from 1997-00. Isfahan beat up Bursa 4-1 to win their fourth pennant in six years. The Imperials now have six pennants total (1986, 87, 97, 98, 00, 02).

The 18^th Asian Baseball Federation was a rematch of the 2000 finale while saw Tashkent top Isfahan. The Tomcats prevailed again, topping the Imperials 4-1. Tashkent now has two titles after three seasons in the ABF. Along with Dushanbe’s 2001 win, each title has gone to a former EPB team since those squads joined the ABF for the 2000 season. 3B Oleg Slutsky was finals MVP, as the 29-year old Russian in 13 playoff starts had 18 hits, 10 runs, 4 doubles, and 4 RBI. It was Sltusky’s final season with Tashkent, as he’d move back to Russia and sign with EPB’s Omsk in the offseason.

Other notes: Isfahan’s Frantisek Kasa pitched the ninth Perfect Game in ABF history, striking out 15 against Baku on June 30. Vahid Hadadi became the first ABF slugger to 600 home runs, retiring with 603. He’d hold the top spot until 2010. Hasan Afshin became the first to 4000 strikeouts. CF Shahruz Rowhani won his seventh Gold Glove.

FuzzyRussianHat · 05-08-2024, 07:38 AM

Another year, another top seed in the Indian League for Ahmedabad. The eight-time defending IL champs finished 118-44 to extend their postseason streak to 18 years and their West Division title streak to 15 years. The second best record was also in the West with 97-65 Mumbai, who easily repeated as wild card. Jaipur earned a third consecutive Central Division at 96-66. The South Division was abysmal with Bengaluru taking first at 74-88, ending a six-year playoff drought. Visakhapatnam, who had won four straight division titles, had the worst record in the league at 64-98.

Indian League MVP went to Mumbai veteran 3B Gotem Sarwar, who led the league with 54 home runs. The 31-year old added 117 RBI, 102 runs, a .263/.342/.605 slash, 201 wRC+, and 8.2 WAR. Ahmedadbad’s Arkakara Raja won Pitcher of the Year in his first full-time season as a starter. The 23-year old Indian lefty led in ERA (1.55), strikeouts (364), FIP- (55), and WAR (9.5). Raja pitched 255.1 innings with a 22-4 record, falling two wins short of a Triple Crown.

Ahmedabad beat divisional foe Mumbai 3-1 in the first round and Jaipur downed Bengaluru 3-1. This set up a third consecutive Indian League Championship Series battle between the two squads and the fifth in seven years. The Animals dominated yet again and swept the Jokers for a historic ninth pennant in a row. Since 1986, Ahmedabad has been the Indian League’s champ 15 times.

Ho Chi Minh City yet again had the top record in the Southeast Asia League, winning a 13^th straight South Division title. The Hedgehogs extended their epic playoff streak to 16 years. Dhaka had an impressive turnaround from 71 wins to 99-63 atop the North Division. This was their first playoff appearance in six years. Reigning South Asian Champion Yangon had the first wild card at 97-65 to extend their playoff streak to eight seasons. Chittagong at 89-73 was the second wild card for only their second-ever playoff berth (1985).

SEAL MVP was Dhaka shortstop Sameer Sheikh. The 25-year old Pakistani righty won the batting title at .333 and was the WARlord at 11.8. He added 53 home runs, 121 RBI, a 1.120 OPS, and 191 wRC+. Sheikh beat out an impressive 69 home run effort by HCMC’s Tritha Upadhyaya, who added 11.1 WAR. The nice 69 tally tied the third most homers in SAB history behind Dhuna Itar’s 74 in 2000 and Amoda Shah’s 70 in 1998.

In his Yangon debut, Suhrawadi Baisya won Pitcher of the Year. It would be his only season with the Green Dragons, posting a 2.46 ERA over 216 innings, 242 strikeouts, 6.2 WAR, and a 13-5 record. Also of note, Ho Chi Minh City closer Saroth Bora became SAB’s second-ever four-time Reliever of the Year winner. He led in saves with 47 and posted a 1.09 ERA over 90.2 innings, 157 strikeouts, and 5.1 WAR.

HCMC downed Chittagong 3-1 while Dhaka ousted reigning SAB champ Yangon 3-1. This was the first time in the Southeast Asia League Championship Series for the Dobermans since 1994. For Ho Chi Minh City, this was their ninth consecutive LCS. For back-to-back years, the Hedgehogs were stunned and denied the pennant. Dhaka won the series to become four-time SEAL champs (1981, 84, 91, 02).

The 23^rd South Asia Baseball Championship was a rematch of the 1991 final, which Ahmedabad won over Dhaka. After falling short in the last two finals, the Animals rolled to a sweep of the Dobermans. For the fourth time in his career, CF Anjan Sumanjit won finals MVP. In his final season, the 32-year old Indian in 12 playoff starts had 14 hits, 5 runs, 2 doubles, 1 triple, 3 home runs, and 5 RBI.

With that, Ahmedabad earned a historic 12^th SAB championship over 17 years (1986, 87, 89, 90, 91, 92, 94, 95, 96, 98, 99, 02). It was a two decade stretch of dominance never before seen in any professional baseball league. Although the Animals would remain a contender for the next few years, their 2002 title would mark the end of the dynasty and would be their last championship for the next 20+ years.

Other notes: Amoda Shah became the first SAB hitter to 600 career home runs. Van Loi Phung and Manju Abbas were the second and third to 2500 hits. Abbas became a 13-time Gold Glove winner, the most by any player in SAB history. SS Aman Aveesh and CF Mansoor Gurinder became seven-time Gold Glovers. 2B Tirtha Upadhyaya won his eighth Silver Slugger.

FuzzyRussianHat · 05-08-2024, 11:34 AM

WAB’s Western League had a major shakeup with three new squads earning the playoff spots. Abidjan, who had won the WL pennant the prior three years, fell to eighth place at 73-89. Freetown, who had been in six straight WLCS, tied for sixth at 81-81. Accra, who had back-to-back wild cards, dropped to ninth at 72-90.

Kumasi finished first place at 96-66, ending a three-year playoff drought. Second place was 89-73 Cape Verde, taking their first playoff appearance since 1993. Bamako ended a drought back to 1992, securing third and the final playoff spot at 86-76. The Bullfrogs edged out Nouakchott by three games and Monrovia by four games.

Repeating as Western League MVP was Kumasi DH Mo Reda. The 24-year old Egyptian lefty led in runs (130), home runs (49), RBI (152), total bases (396), slugging (.643), OPS (1.033), and wRC+ (186). Reda added 7.5 WAR and a .338 average. The Monkeys in the offseason extended their slugger for eight years and $19,240,000. Tenth-year Freetown righty Patrick Tchuisse was Pitcher of the Year. The 29-year old Cameroonian righty had a 16-10 record over 233 innings, 2.70 ERA, 270 strikeouts, and 6.1 WAR.

Cape Verde edged Bamako 2-1 in the wild card round, sending the Vulcans to the Western League Championship Series for only the second time (1988). Kumasi was making their first WLCS appearance since their 1998 title. Cape Verde pulled off the upset 3-1 over the Monkeys for their first-ever pennant. The Vulcans entered the season as the only WL team that hadn’t yet gotten to the final.

Five-time defending Eastern League champ and reigning WAB champ Kano yet again cruised to first place in the standings, going 106-56. Lome was a distant second at 94-68, ending a playoff drought dating back to 1990. Niamey narrowly took third at 89-73, edging Lagos by two games. The Atomics had their fourth wild cards in five years. Ibadan’s 12-year postseason streak snapped with a seventh place finish at 77-85. The Iguanas streak was the second longest in WAB history to date behind Kumasi’s 14-year stretch from 1978-91.

Kano SS Darwin Morris won a historic eighth Eastern League MVP and his sixth in-a-row. The 30-year old Liberian pulled it off despite missing six weeks to a strained hamstring. Morris was the WARlord at 9.4, his ninth straight year leading in WAR and earning 9+. He added 35 home runs, 101 runs, a 183 wRC+, and a .322/.405/.653 slash.

Lome’s Emma Markson won Pitcher of the Year in his fourth season. The 25-year old Nigerian lefty led in WAR (6.8), WHIP (0.99), and FIP- (74). Markson added a 3.16 ERA over 250.1 innings with 317 strikeouts and a 20-9 record. He’d earn a six-year, $18,560,000 extension after the 2003 season, but back issues would force Markson into a relief role in his later years.

Niamey upset Lome 2-0 in the wild card round for their first Eastern League Championship Series spot since 1988. Kano was playing in their eighth straight ELCS and would continue their reign. The Atomics took them to the brink, but the Condors won it 3-2 for a sixth consecutive pennant. Kano has 10 Western League titles to their name now, passing Lagos to stand alone with the most.

For the first time since 1993, the West African Championship needed all seven games. Cape Verde had a spirited effort trying to win their first title, but Kano’s dynasty continued with the 4-3 win. The Condors repeated as WAB champs and won their fifth championship in six years. Kano now has eight overall titles (1975, 76, 86, 97, 98, 99, 01, 02), tied for the most with Lagos. 3B Arnaud Aho repeated as finals MVP with the 34-year old Beninois slugger making 12 playoff starts with 17 hits, 8 runs, 3 doubles, 4 home runs, and 8 RBI.

Other notes: Cape Verde 1B Ifeanyi Adeleke had an impressive playoff run, winning WLCS MVP. The 30-year old Nigerian set still-standing WAB playoff records for home runs (10), RBI (22), and total bases (58). Adeleke also sit the record for hits (25), and runs (15), posting an impressive 319 wRC+, 1.7 WAR, and .417/.426/.967 slash over 14 starts. He would lose the hit and run marks, although they remain top five postseason efforts. This would be the career highlight for Adeleke, who wouldn’t be the same after a torn PCL suffered the next year. 2B Fausto Pyagbara won his eighth Gold Glove. Darwin Morris won a ninth Silver Slugger.

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

The Chinese Northern League was incredible competitive in 2002 with only eight games separating first place from eighth place. Harbin narrowly took the top spot at 90-72, one game ahead of last year’s finalist Beijing at 89-73. Both the Hellcats and Bears earned repeat playoff appearances. Shenyang was two off the lead at 88-74, earning third and the final playoff spot. The Swans ended a three-year playoff drought. Just missing out were Hangzhou (86-76), Xi’an (84-78), Qingdao (83-79), Tianjin (82-80), and Zhengzhou (82-80).

Shenyang’s Xirong Wang repeated as Northern League MVP, winning the honor for the third time. The 29-year old center fielder led in runs (81), home runs (46), RBI (105), total bases (338), slugging (.591), OPS (.938), wRC+ (233), and WAR (13.1). It was only the fifth time that a CLB position player had 13+ WAR. Pitcher of the Year was Shanghai’s John Vo in his second season as a full-time starter. The 24-year old from Hong Kong had a 16-11 record over 270.2 innings, 1.53 ERA, 334 strikeouts, and 9.7 WAR.

After just missing the playoffs last year, Kunming had China’s best overall record at 96-66 atop the Southern League standings. This was the second berth in three years for the Muscle. Dongguan repeated as a wild card, finishing second at 89-73. Defending CLB champ Wuhan and Guangzhou tied for third at 84-78, while both Changsha and Shenzhen fell one short of the last playoff spot. The Wolverines beat the Gamecocks in the tiebreaker game to keep their repeat hopes alive. Guangzhou’s hope at four straight playoff berths was thwarted. At 80-82, Foshan and Macau were both only four games out from the third place spot.

Southern League MVP went to Kunming veteran Tao Yang. The 33-year old center fielder won it for the third time, also taking it in 1995 and 2000. He led in home runs (47) while adding 94 RBI, a 191 wRC+, and 8.2 WAR. Yang had one more season with Kunming before leaving for MLB’s Austin. Foshan’s Chunmei Sun won Pitcher of the Year, leading in complete games (16) and shutouts (6). Sun earned it despite a 12-15 record over 274.2 innings, adding a 1.77 ERA, 285 strikeouts, and 7.0 WAR.

Both Northern League teams won the first round playoff matchups over their Southern League foes. Beijing swept Wuhan in a rematch of last year’s China Series, while Shenyang rolled 2-0 over Dongguan. The Swans stunned Harbin in a seven-game classic in the semifinal, earning their second-ever finals berth (1998). On the other side, top-ranked Kunming bested Beijing 4-1. This was the second finals trip in three years for the Muscle and their fifth overall.

The 33^rd China Series was a classic that needed all seven games. The finale was a 1-0 pitcher’s duel that saw an all-time performance by Kunming’s Zilin Hu. A relative journeyman in his career, the 27-year old Hu tossed a one-hit shutout with nine strikeouts and one walk, lifting the Muscle to the title over Shenyang. Finals MVP was LF Vagner Cervantes, a 31-year old Mexican lefty who came to China in 1999. In 12 playoff starts, he had 14 hits, 7 runs, 2 homers, and 7 RBI. This was Kunming’s third CLB ring, joining their 1977 and 1978 titles.

Other notes: An era of parity continued for CLB as Kunming was the ninth different champion in nine years. That streak ultimately would break the next year. CLB’s 31^st and 32^nd perfect games would come in the 2003 campaign. On June 28, Xiamen’s Kunlin Wang did it with eight strikeouts against Shenzhen. Then August 10, his Mutts teammate Chen Li was perfect with five strikeouts against Foshan. SS Chengxi Erpan won his ninth Gold Glove, while 2B Shiquan Liang won his seventh. CF Tao Yang won his eighth Silver Slugger.

FuzzyRussianHat · 05-09-2024, 05:51 AM

For the first time since 1979, Tainan took the top spot in the Taiwan League. The Titans only barely wrestled away the title from Kaohsiung, who had taken three straight TL titles. Tainan was 95-67, edging the 94-68 Steelheads by one game. The Philippine League also had a shakeup with Davao on top at 94-68. The Devil Rays hadn’t posted a winning season since their 1995 Austronesia Championship win. Two-time defending PL winner Zamboanga finished second at 87-75, ending their hopes of repeating as Taiwan-Philippine Association champ.

Although the Zebras were dethroned, they still had the top individual honors. Zamboanga CF Paolo Baptista won a third straight TPA MVP in only his fourth season, leading in home runs (32), RBI (108), total bases (339), slugging (.584), OPS (.931), wRC+ (195), and WAR (9.9). The Zebras had wisely locked down their superstar long-term with an eight-year, $31,340,000 extension signed prior to the 2002 season.

His teammate Emmanuel Sosa was Pitcher of the Year, leading in wins (22-9), innings (295.2), strikeouts (397), quality starts (29), complete games (20), shutouts (7), FIP- (66), and WAR (8.9). The second-year righty had a 1.83 ERA, finishing just short of a Triple Crown behind Heng-Hsiao Liao’s 1.66 for Kaohsiung. The Zebras thought they had another budding superstar, but Sosa sadly suffered back-to-back torn labrums in the next two seasons, forcing a retirement at only age 26. Also of note, Steelheads closer Bo-Kai Yen won his fourth Reliever of the Year; the sixth to earn that distinction in APB.

Defending Austronesia Champion Semarang repeated atop the Java League at 100-62, the best record in the Sundlanad Association and all of APB. It didn’t come easy for the Sliders, as they had to fend off a strong 99-67 effort by Bandung. 88-74 was good enough for Medan to win a weak Malacca League with no other team above .500. This was the Marlins’ third ML title in a row.

Sundaland Association MVP was Medan 1B Arya Mustafa. The 26-year old posted 33 home runs, 74 RBI, a .290..348/.529 slash, 181 wRC+, and 8.6 WAR. Mustafa played one more year for the Marlins, then signed an eight-year, $52,700,000 deal after the 2003 season with Jakarta. Pitcher of the Year was third-year Semarang righty Chris Akut. He led in wins (22-5) and WHIP (0.81). The 25-year old Filipino had a 1.68 ERA over 251.1 innings, 283 strikeouts, and 5.7 WAR. Akut would win an ERA title in 2003, but a torn UCL the next year largely left him a non-factor moving forward.

Davao downed Tainan 4-1 in the Taiwan-Philippine Association Championship, giving the Devil Rays their third pennant (1975, 1998). Semarang and Medan had a seven-game battle in a Sundaland Association Championship rematch. The Sliders prevailed again to repeat as champs and win their sixth SA pennant.

In the 38^th Austronesia Championship, Semarang completed the repeat, defeating Davao 4-2. The Sliders joined Taoyuan, Kaohsiung, and Jakarta as the only franchises to earn back-to-back APB titles and are the first to repeat since the Tsunami in 1996-97. Catcher Eka Sudirman was the finals MVP, coming to Semarang in a May trade with Bandung. In 13 playoff starts, the 28-year old journeyman had 6 hits, 3 runs, 3 home runs, and 4 RBI; not an impressive overall line but the big moments apparently came in the final.

Other notes: Manila’s Yu-Ren Yang pitched APB’s 26^th Perfect Game on September 3, striking out 16 against Davao. This was Yang’s second perfect game, having fanning 17 against Manila back in 2000. He joined the very short list of players in any world league with multiple perfect games along with EAB’s Katsunari Fujiwara (1922, 1923), EAB’s Moon Kim (1923, 1924), BSA’s Wilfredo Casacubierta (1982, 1988), EPB’s Rolands Karlovskis (1979, 1984), OBA’s Te Paoro Rangi (1963, 1967), APB’s Vhon Lasam (1989, 1990), APB’s Wisnu Mahmudiana (1994, 2001), CLB’s Bin Zhan (1978, 1984), and CLB’s Guodong Lin (both 1981). Incidentally, two days after Yang’s second perfecto, EBF’s Enrico Gini joined that elite group with his second for Marseille.

Wisnu Mahmudiana became the eighth pitcher to 4500 career strikeouts in APB. He would pitch two more years and finish with 4879, which stands ninth as of 2037. Akbar Fatchurohman became only the fifth to 2500 hits. He’d retire after 2003 with 2580 hits, third all-time at retirement and ninth as of 2037. SS Alif Aris won his seventh Silver Slugger.

FuzzyRussianHat · 05-09-2024, 12:05 PM

Adelaide’s hope to repeat as Oceania Champion fell flat as the Aardvarks dropped to 80-82, tying with Sydney for fourth in the Australasia League standings. They were still only eight games off the lead in a competitive field led by Brisbane. At 88-74, the Black Bears earned only their second-ever pennant, joining their 1991 championship season. Gold Coast was second at 84-78 and Perth was third at 82-80. The league was so tight though that only 11 games separated first place Brisbane from last place Christchurch at 77-85.

Brisbane’s Kenny Johnson won Australasia League MVP in a rare win for leadoff guys. The 30-year old shortstop led in hits (201), average (.360), and OBP (.385). Johnson added 7.5 WAR, a 142 wRC+, 34 doubles, 9 home runs, and 83 RBI.

Pitcher of the Year was Sydney’s Jim DeRossi, winning the award for the fourth time (1997, 99, 2000, 02). The 31-year old Australian righty became the fifth OBA pitcher to win the award four or more times while tossing the 13^th Triple Crown season for an OBA ace. DeRossi had a 19-13 record, 2.62 ERA, and 351 strikeouts while also leading in innings (330), WHIP (0.93), K/BB (8.4), quality starts (27), complete games (19), FIP- (75), and WAR (8.7). Also of note, Christchurch’s Hunter Brooks won his third Reliever of the Year.

Entering 2002, the only Pacific League team without a pennant in OBA’s first 42 years was Fiji. The Freedom finally ended that unfortunate distinction and ended Guam’s reign with a 100-62 record. The Golden Eagles were second at 96-66, foiling their bid for a sixth straight PL title. Samoa was a competitive third at 93-69. With Fiji’s title, only the Australasia League’s Sydney remains without a single pennant.

Leading Fiji’s effort was Pacific League MVP Junia Lava. The 27-year old first baseman from Vanuatu led in RBI (124), total bases (354) and WAR (6.7). Lava added 44 home runs, a .932 OPS, and 165 wRC+. Pitcher of the Year was second-year New Caledonia ace Crow Xue. The 24-year old rising star from Hong Kong was the WARlord at 9.3. Xue added a 22-16 record over 321.1 innings, 2.86 ERA, and 284 strikeouts.

In the 43^rd Oceania Championship, Brisbane beat Fiji in a series that needed all seven games. The Black Bears earned their second-ever OBA ring, joining their 1991 effort. LF Ian Griff led the way as finals MVP in a record-setting effort. The 31-year old Aussie set OBA playoff records for runs (11) and RBI (11) that still stand in 2037. Griff also had 10 hits, 2 doubles, and 5 home runs. Teammate Ken Morphy also set a playoff record with eight stolen bases.

Other notes: For the third consecutive season, OBA didn’t have a single no-hitter thrown. 3B Errol Herne was his 11^th Gold Glove, a record for the position. As of 2037, he is the all-time leader in OBA at third with a cumulative 109.5 zone rating. SS Thom Serra won his ninth Gold Glove. CF Damien Patton won his eighth Silver Slugger.

FuzzyRussianHat · 05-09-2024, 05:37 PM

Two-time defending Eurasian Professional Baseball champion Minsk and Kazan both finished at 99-63 atop the European League standings. No tiebreaker game was used as the Crusaders won the formula for the top spot. Although it was their fifth playoff berth in six years and they won the EPB title in 1997, Kazan hadn’t won a division crown since 1969. This snapped the Miners’ division title streak at six seasons, although their playoff streak grew to 22 years. This passed EBF’s Zurich for the longest postseason streak in any pro baseball league. There was a steep drop from the top two to third place Moscow at 83-79.

Minsk had the European League MVP in LF Ruslan Tsarayev. It was the first year as a full-time starter for the 25-year old hometown favorite, who led the EL in hits (187), average (.316), OBP (.344), and WAR (7.7). Tsarayev added 22 home runs and a 192 wRC+. The Miners would make him a long-term fixture with an eight-year, $19,800,000 extension after the 2003 season.

His Minsk teammate Markiyan Konoplya won his third consecutive Pitcher of the Year. The 28-year old Ukrainian righty led in strikeouts (360), quality starts (27), shutouts (6), FIP- (56), and WAR (10.0). Konoplya added a 2.00 ERA over 284 innings and didn’t get run support with a 12-16 record. He became the fourth EPB pitcher to win the award three years in a row.

Defending Asian League champ Krasnoyarsk improved their stock to set a franchise best at 108-54. They earned back-to-back playoff berths, but the Cossacks hadn’t led the standings since 1984. There was a big drop, then an intense battle for the second place spot. Omsk and Yekaterinburg tied for the wild card at 90-72, while Ufa was one away at 89-73. The Otters edged the Yaks in the tiebreaker game, giving Omsk its fourth playoff berth in six years. Yekaterinburg’s three-year playoff streak ended.

Although Yekaterinburg just missed the playoffs, they saw a historic effort from ace Matvey Ivanov. The 27-year old Russian lefty won his fourth straight Pitcher of the Year and earned Asian League MVP. He set single-season records for strikeouts (432), and shutouts (13), which both still hold as the top mark as of 2037. Ivanov finished one K better than Artur Golub’s 431 from 1969. The 13 shutouts also set a world record that still hasn’t been reached as of 2037 in any league.

Ivanov also led the league in ERA (1.21), WHIP (0.73), complete games (29), FIP- (39) and WAR (14.13). The WAR mark fell just shy of Taleh Ismailov’s record 14.17 set in 1956. As of 2037, this is still the second-most WAR in a season by an EPB pitcher. Ivanov tossed 304.1 innings and had a 24-8 record, only missing a Triple Crown due to Krasnoyarsk’s Pascal Branescu, who had 27 wins for the Cossacks.

Although they had to go on the road, Minsk used their wealth of playoff experience to knock off Kazan 4-1 in the European League Championship Series. It was the third straight pennant for the Miners and their 16^th overall. Defending AL champ Krasnoyarsk was the heavy favorite in the Asian League Championship Series, but Omsk stunned them by taking it in six. It was the fourth pennant for the Otters, who also won it in 1966, 1985, and 1987.

Omsk hoped that the 48^th EPB Championship would give them their first-ever overall title. However, perennial power Minsk was too much to handle. The Miners completed the three-peat, taking the series in six games to win their record 12^th championship. Minsk became the first team in EPB history to win three EPB titles in a row and as of 2037, they’re the only team to do it. Finals MVP went to 1B Navarro Di Maggio, a 33-year old Argentine who came to Belarus in 2000. In 11 playoff starts, Di Maggio had 14 hits, 7 runs, 1 double, 2 triples, 1 homer, 3 RBI, and 6 stolen bases. With 12 rings, Minsk and SAB’s Ahmedabad are tied for the most titles by any franchise in any world league.

Other notes: Krasnoyarsk’s Yakov Ryzhikov broke his own single-season stolen bases record of 113, swiping 117 bags in 2002. This stayed the record until 2010, but still remains third-best as of 2037. His teammate Pascal Branescu tied the single-season record with 310 innings pitched, previously hit in 1955 by Max Kukharchik. This remains the top mark as of 2037.

Igor Urban passed Kirill Ohlobyatin and became EPB’s all-time hit king. He finished his career and the season at 3044, becoming the first to cross 3K. He would hold the top mark until finally passed in the early 2030s by Timofei Averkin. Shahin Lebedev became the 14^th to reach 300 saves. RF Sapar Durdiyew won his ninth Gold Glove and his eighth Silver Slugger. SS Gleb Khassanov won his ninth Silver Slugger.

FuzzyRussianHat · 05-10-2024, 04:09 AM

Three teams fought for the two byes in the Northern Conference. Defending European Champion Glasgow narrowly took it at 107-55, wining the British Isles Division for the sixth year in a row. The Highlanders also extended their postseason streak to seven years. There was a tie for the #2 seed between North Central Division champ Hamburg and Northeast Division winner Copenhagen at 106-56, both one game behind Glasgow. The tiebreaker gave the bye to the Corsairs, who earned a third straight division title.

The Hammers earned a fourth straight playoff berth, but were stuck playing in the first round. They had fierce competition in the division, which saw Kyiv (98-64) and Kharkiv (97-65) run away with the wild cards. The Killer Bees earned an eighth consecutive playoff berth dating back to their EPB days, while the Kings ended a five-year postseason drought. The once stout Northwest Division had the weakest playoff team by wins as Amsterdam took first at 90-72. The Anacondas repeated as division champs and were three games ahead of Paris.

Both top awards went to Hamburg with Ulf Alstrom winning his second Northern Conference MVP in three years. The 28-year old Swedish first baseman led in runs (120), total bases (386), slugging (.659), and OPS (1.071). Alstrom added 9.0 WAR, a 196 wRC+, .348 average, 50 home runs,, and 126 RBI. This would be the last year of his Hamburg run, as Alstrom earned a mega deal in Major League Baseball. In December, he signed an eight-year, $85,600,000 contract to move to Houston.

Pitcher of the Year for the Hammers was Viktor Stier in his sixth season with the squad. The 27-year old German righty led in ERA (1.99), WHIP (0.75), K/BB (12.3), FIP- (53), and WAR (9.0). Stier added an 18-6 record over 235.1 innings and 296 strikeouts. Unlike Alstrom, Hamburg was able to lock Stier down, as he received a five-year, $23,120,000 extension in April.

In an intense first round of the playoffs, both wild card times advanced on the road. Kyiv edged Amsterdam 2-1 and Kharkiv stunned Hamburg 2-1. The Killer Bees continued to roll, sweeping Copenhagen in round two. The Kings gave Glasgow a spirited effort, but the Highlanders survived in five.

This set up a rematch of the 2000 Northern Conference Championship with the 2000 champ (Kharkiv) and the 2001 champ (Glasgow) squaring off. The series needed all seven games, but the Killer Bees pulled off the upset of the Highlanders. Kharkiv earned its second NC pennant in its third year in EBF and won its fourth pennant in five years counting their last two in EPB.

Madrid was a wild card in 2001 after winning the Southern Conference the prior two years. The Conquistadors returned to the top spot with EBF’s best record at 111-51 atop the Southwest Division. Defending SC winner Munich grabbed the other first round bye, claiming the South Central Division at 106-56. In the Southeast Division, Tbilisi went 96-66 as the only winning team in the division. This was the first playoff spot for the Trains since the 1998 season in EPB and their first division title since 1993.

The East Central Division had a tie for first at 93-69 between Athens and Budapest. The Anchors won the tiebreaker game for their sixth division title in eight years. The Bombers were able to repeat as a wild card. Zurich at 93-69 had the other wild card, edging out Milan (92-70), and Vienna (89-73). It was a good bounce-back for the Mountaineers, who fell to 80-82 the prior year after a conference finals berth in 2000. Notably, Seville fell off from 100 wins the prior season to only 79 in 2002.

In his first full-season as a starter, Vienna 3B Ben Springer won Southern Conference MVP. Nicknamed “Dump Truck” for his ample posterior, the 24-year old Austrian led in RBI (131), and WAR (9.5). Springer added a .359/.403/.651 slash, 184 wRC+, and 39 home runs. Madrid’s Gjohl Wallinder won Pitcher of the Year. The 29-year old Swede led in wins at 21-9 and posted a 2.17 ERA over 261.1 innings, 251 strikeouts, and 8.0 WAR.

Athens swept Zurich and Tbilisi bested Budapest 2-1 in the first round of the playoffs. Madrid cruised to a sweep of the Anchors, but the Trains shocked Munich by upsetting the defending champs in five games. Tbilisi had only twice ever gotten to the Asian League Championship Series during their EPB tenure, losing in 1973 and 1993. The magical run ended though with the Conquistadors taking the Southern Conference Championship 4-2. With that, Madrid earned its third pennant in four years and eighth overall.

The 53^rd European Championship was a rematch of the 2000 final between Madrid and Kharkiv, although the roles were a bit different. That year saw them clash as the two best records in EBF, as well as the defending EBF champ (Madrid) against the reigning EPB champ (Kharkiv) in its first season post-defection. The Conquistadors had EBF’s best record in 2002, while the Killer Bees made a run as the #6 seed.

The rematch was a classic that needed all seven games. Just like before, Kharkiv came out on top of Madrid, earning their second EBF ring. The Killer Bees have now won four championships in five years when including their 1998-99 EPB rings. Finals MVP was LF Vitaliy Batsuka in his eighth year with the team. Typically a backup previously, the 30-year old Ukrainian had 19 playoff games and 15 starts, getting 27 hits, 13 runs, 2 doubles, 2 triples, 10 RBI, and 7 stolen bases.

This would be the capper for Kharkiv’s dynasty, although they would still make the playoffs the next year. It goes down as one of the finest runs in European baseball history and remains a notable part of baseball history since they went from champion of EPB to champion of EBF. Their success immensely helped EBF grow both in Ukraine and in the former Eastern Bloc. Three years since the exodus, the EBF and the teams that came over found themselves very happy with their decision.

Other notes: 2002 was historic as there were three perfect games thrown, making it 27 in EBF history. The first was April 4 by Munich’s Karel Raes with seven strikeouts against Lisbon. Next was Athens’ Ebbe Arvidsson with seven Ks against Zagreb on July 2. The third was Marseille’s Enrico Gini with 6 strikeouts versus Barcelona on September 5. Gini became the first EBF pitcher with two perfectos, having also done it in 2000. Gini was the 11^th pitcher in world history to earn the feat with APB’s Yu-Ren Yang having just joined the list two days prior.

Krakow had a historically bad pitching staff, allowing 826 earned runs with a 5.15 team ERA. These were both all-time EBF worsts that held until Marseille did worse in 2018. Willum Kleist smacked 64 home runs, his fourth straight season with 60+. To that point, no one else in EBF had done that feat. Harvey Coyle would later have more 60+ seasons total, but wouldn’t do it consecutively like Kleist. He also became the tenth in EBF history to reach 600 career homers.

Lindsey Brampton became the seventh pitcher to 250 wins. He would pitch one more season and finish with 268, which stands sixth as of 2037. Brampton would also finish with 5955 strikeouts, becoming the all-time king ahead of Jean-Luc Roch’s 5757. No one else since has crossed 5000. Khaled Jabri would get to 4500 in 2002, finishing his career with 4518. That’s still good for fourth all-time.

FuzzyRussianHat · 05-10-2024, 11:18 AM

The Bolivar League saw some notable shakeups as for the first time since 1987, neither Bogota nor Lima made the playoffs. The only team that made it back from the 2001 field was Guayaquil, who was the wild card the prior year. The Golds won the Colombia-Ecuador Division at 96-66. Caracas, whose playoff streak snapped at six years in 2001, returned to the Venezuela Division top spot at 96-66. They were six games ahead of defending division winner Barquisimeto.

Calii finished five games behind Guayaquil at 91-71, but ended up narrowly getting the wild card for their first playoff berth since their 1988 Copa Sudamerica win. Barquisimeto and Bogota both finished one game back at 90-72, which ended the Bats’ playoff streak at seven years. Lima’s BSA record 14-year streak in the Peru-Bolivia league ended with the Lobos at 82-80. They were still only one game worse than La Paz (83-79), who squeaked to the division win over the Lobos and 81-81 Callao. It ended a two-year playoff drought for the Pump Jacks and was their first division title since 1990.

Guayaquil LF Hector Correa won his third consecutive Bolivar League MVP. The 29-year old hometown hero led in runs (127), total bases (433), triple slash (.376/.436/.740), OPS (1.177), wRC+ (200), and WAR (10.2). Correa added 53 home runs, 134 RBI, and a Gold Glove. He also hit for the cycle in a 7 RBI, 4 run effort against Santa Cruz.

Ciudad Guayana’s Lamberto Castillo won his fourth consecutive Pitcher of the Year, joining Lazaro Rodriguez and Domingas Ribiero as the only BSA pitchers to win four in a row. Castillo also had the first Triple Crown since Rodriguez in 1984, posting a 21-12 record, 1.82 ERA, and 300 strikeouts over 262.2 innings. The 26-year old also had a league-best 8.4 WAR. Sadly, injuries and a steep decline hit Castillo, who was effectively out of the game after his age 31 season. He fell barely short of the 10 years’ service time requirement for Hall of Fame voting. His four-year run saw four ERA titles and 38.5 WAR, forever going down as one of the great brief flashes in BSA history.

Caracas survived in five games against Cali, while Guayaquil got a Divisional Series sweep of La Paz. This was the first time to the Bolivar League Championship Series for the Golds since 1980. For the Colts, it was the fourth berth in a decade. Guayaquil prevailed 4-2 over Caracas to win only their second-ever pennant, joining their 1955 Copa Sudamerica title.

The battle for the top seed in the Southern Cone League was tight as the three division winners were separated by only two games. Buenos Aires took the #1 seed at 97-65, earning a third straight Southeast Division title. The Atlantics have made the playoffs in six of the last seven seasons. BA also set a new league record with 470 stolen bases. This would only be passed once in 2015 by Asuncion.

The North Division saw a bounce-back for Brasilia, who won only 73 games in 2001. The Bearcats went 96-66, back in the playoffs for the first time since their 1999 title. Salvador repeated as the wild card, albeit barely. The Storm were 90-72, edging last year’s division champ Belo Horizonte (89-73) and Rosario (88-74). Meanwhile, defending Copa Sudamerica champ Asuncion dominated the South Central Division at 95-67. This was their third consecutive division title.

Southern Cone League MVP was Rosario veteran LF Emiliano Pina. The 30-year old Argentine led in slugging (.702) while adding 52 home runs, 123 RBI, a .332 average, 207 wRC+, and 9.3 WAR. Belo Horizonte’s Juliao Costa repeated as Pitcher of the Year. The 26-year old Brazilian righty led in ERA (1.88), strikeouts (361), WHIP (0.84), FIP- (49), and WAR (11.1). Costa pitched 272.1 with a 21-6 record, falling one win shy of a Triple Crown. The Hogs wisely locked up their ace after this effort with a seven-year, $29,400,000 deal.

Buenos Aires outlasted Salvador 3-2 in the Divisional Series, earning their second Southern Cone Championship appearance in three years. On the other side of the bracket, Brasilia swept two-time reigning champ Asuncion. This would only be the second time in six years that the Archers weren’t league champ. The only other time was when the Bearcats took the pennant in 1999. Brasilia would be the exception again in 2002, taking the series 4-1 over Buenos Aires. This was the fifth pennant for the Bearcats.

In the 72^nd Copa Sudamerica, Brasilia clobbered Guayaquil with a sweep, taking the title for the second time in four years. The Bearcats are now four-time champs with their 1935 and 1938 titles joining the 1999 and 2002 rings. 1B Bernaldo Lagasse had a huge postseason, winning MVP of all three rounds. In 12 playoff starts, he had 17 hits, 9 runs, 8 home runs, and 15 RBI.

Other notes: Milton Becker became the 16^th slugger to 1500 RBI. Becker hit 55 home runs in 2002, his eighth season with 50+. This is second in BSA only to HR King Valor Melo (12). 1B D.J. Del Valle won his ninth Gold Glove.

FuzzyRussianHat · 05-10-2024, 04:54 PM

The Japan League had all repeat division champions in 2002, although the seeding shifted dramatically from 2001. Two-time defending EAB champion Kawasaki dropped from 102 wins to only 83-79, but that was good enough to still win a weak Capital Division by six games. The Killer Whales extended their postseason streak to five years, the longest active one in in EAB. Niigata had the #1 seed at 109-53 atop the North Division, setting a new all-time best for the franchise.

Osaka won a very competitive Central Division at 100-62, fending off challenges from Kobe (95-67) and Nagoya (92-70). The Orange Sox had historic power, setting the Japan League team record for home runs (269) and posting the second best team slugging in JL history at .479. The West Division had Hiroshima first again at 97-65, giving the Hammerheads four straight division titles. Kitakyushu was a distant second 13 games back.

Leading the powerful Osaka offense was Japan League MVP Koji iwasaki, who won his second MVP in three years. The 28-year old lefty had smacked 71 dongs the prior year for Saitama, then was traded in the offseason to the Orange Sox as the Sting didn’t expect to be able to keep him. Iwasaki led in homers (62), RBI (135), runs (118), total bases (403), OBP (.404), slugging (.784), OPS (1.188), wRC+ (256), and WAR (9.7) while adding a .344 average. This was also his fourth consecutive season with 60+ homers and 400+ total bases. Osaka was delighted to lock Iwasaki up long term, signing him to an eight-year, $77,300,000 deal in the offseason.

Kawasaki’s Soo Moon three-peated as Pitcher of the Year in only his fourth season. The 25-year old righty even missed six weeks to a hamstring strain, but still lead the Japan League in WAR (10.3), ERA (1.84), WHIP (0.73), K/BB (24.4), complete games (16), shutouts (6), and FIP- (38). Moon added 317 strikeouts over 215 innings and an 18-5 record. He also had a 20 strikeout game in April against Kyoto.

Despite the record disparity, Kawasaki upset Niigata 3-2 in the first round, giving the Killer Whales a chance at four-peating in the Japan League Championship Series. Osaka beat Hiroshima 3-1, giving the Orange Sox their first JLCS berth since their 1989 EAB title. For the Hammerheads, this was their fourth consecutive one-and-done. In the JLCS, Osaka usurped the throne for Kawasaki in six games, making the end of the Killer Whales’ dynasty run. This was the sixth title for the Orange Sox (1923, 25, 43, 85, 89, 02).

The Korea League saw three of the same four playoff qualifiers from the prior year. Not among them was defending KL champ Yongin, who plummeted to 73-89. That marked only the second time in nine years that the Gold Sox weren’t in the postseason field. The top overall record was Ulsan at 109-53 atop the South Division, earning a third straight division title. Seongnam won the North at 104-58. Although the Spiders earned repeat playoff berths, this was their first division title since 1991.

In the wild card race, Incheon (93-69) and Daegu (92-70) moved on, while Jeonju (89-73) and Bucheon (84-78) were the first teams out. The Inferno were a repeat playoff team, while the Diamondbacks bounced back after just missing the prior year. Daegu was no stranger to recent success, getting their fourth playoff appearance in five years.

Incheon first baseman Kyu-Seong Lee picked up Korea League MVP. The 25-year old righty led in batting average (.368), slugging (.710), OPS (1.124), wRC+ (195), and WAR (10.0). Lee added 52 home runs, 133 runs, and 130 RBI. Ulsan’s Oniji Adachi won Pitcher of the Year in his third season. He led in wins (27-6), ERA (2.59), and quality starts (22). Adachi added 254 strikeouts In 253.2 innings and 6.1 WAR. He was the second-ever EAB pitcher to win 27 or more in a season, behind only Seiki Okuyama’s 28 in 1921.

Both division champs were shocked in the first round as Daegu downed Ulsan 3-1 and Incheon swept Seongnam 3-0. For the Diamondbacks, this marked a third Korea League Championship Series appearance in four years. The Inferno hadn’t made it that far since 1973. Incheon ousted Daegu 4-2 to win only their third-ever pennant, joining their 1950 and 1954 wins.

The 82^nd East Asian Championship was a seven game classic and ended in dramatic fashion. In game seven, Osaka took a 2-0 lead into the ninth inning. Incheon rallied with three runs in the top half, taking the finale 3-2 and earning their third EAB ring. RF Zhanchong Li was the finals MVP as the 25-year old from China set a new EAB playoff record with 21 RBI. He added 22 hits, 12 runs, 2 doubles, 2 triples, and 7 home runs over 16 playoff starts. Li’s RBI total would only get passed once in 2019.

Other notes: Although his Orange Sox lost in the final, JL MVP Koji Iwasaki set a still-standing EAB playoff record with 56 total bases. He was JCLS MVP and had 22 hits, 18 runs, 6 doubles, 2 triples, 8 home runs, and 14 RBI in 17 playoff starts.

Yutaka Kobayashi became the 15^th pitcher to 4000 career strikeouts. Myeong-Hwan Sung became the 33^rd to reach 1500 RBI, the 24^th to 1500 runs scored, and the 47^th to 500 home runs. SS Tokuei Kato won his ninth Gold Glove and SS Hiroshige Matsunaka won his eighth.

FuzzyRussianHat · 05-11-2024, 04:41 AM

Three-time reigning Mexican League champion Ecatepec remained the king of the South Division at 112-50, earning a seventh straight division title. The Explosion narrowly bested their own ML record for team OBP at .342. This still holds as the top mark as of 2037. There was a 30 game gap between Ecatepec and second place Queretaro.

Meanwhile, the North Division was top heavy as Juarez and Monterrey tied for first at 105-57. They both earned playoff spots and were guaranteed to meet again in the wild card round, but a tiebreaker game decided which was the division champ. That distinction went to the Jesters for their second division title in three years. The Matadors extended their CABA-record playoff streak to 15 seasons. Last year’s MLCS runner-up Torreon took third in the division at 97-65, missing the playoff field despite a fine effort.

Chihuahua was a non-factor at 87-75, but they had an impressive Mexican League MVP season from 1B Donald Gonzalez. The 23-year old Puerto Rican had the first Triple Crown hitting season since 1995 in CABA with 54 home runs, 123 RBI, and a .380 average. Gonzalez also led in runs (137), total bases (441), OBP (.442), slugging (.737), OPS (1.179), wRC+ (237), and WAR (12.4). The Warriors certainly saw Gonzalez as the future, giving him an eight-year, $55,380,000 extension in the offseason.

Juarez had the Pitcher of the Year in Aitor Moran. The 26-year old Panamanian lefty was the WARlord at 8.8. He added a 20-4 record and 2.25 ERA over 260 innings with 317 strikeouts. The Jesters had already locked Moran up two years prior with a six-year, $26,480,000 extension.

In the wild card round, Juarez and Monterrey had an intense battle with the Jesters taking the series 3-2. This set up a rematch of the 2000 Mexican League Championship Series. For the Matadors, they missed the MLCS for the third straight year, something that hadn’t happened since the early 1980s. Juarez took reigning champ Ecatepec to the limit, but the Explosion didn’t relinquish the crown. Ecatepec won a seven-game thriller for a fourth consecutive Mexican League pennant. They became the fifth ML team to four-peat, joining Monterrey (1990-93 and 1955-58), Mexico City (seven straight from 1967-73), Mexicali (five straight from 1950-54), and Tijuana (1916-19).

Defending CABA champ Haiti improved to a new franchise record at 114-48. The Herons set a still-standing Caribbean League record as a pitching staff with only 191 walks allowed and 1.17 BB/9. Haiti won a sixth consecutive Island Division as well. In the Continental Division, Honduras was first at 94-68 to extend their playoff streak to five years. Havana (91-71) won the wild card race over Nicaragua (88-74), Guatemala (85-77), Salvador (85-77), and Jamaica (84-78). This ended a five-year playoff drought for the Hurricanes. The Stallions saw their own eight-year postseason streak come to an end.

Haiti swept the top awards as 1B Alphanso Keyes repeated as Caribbean League MVP. The 28-year old Bahaman lefty led in the triple slash at .398/.440/.691 for a 1.130 OPS and 195 wRC+. That batting average was the fifth-best single season in CABA history. Keyes added 8.2 WAR, 40 home runs, and 130 RBI. He also hit for the cycle in August against Puerto Rico. Notably as well, his teammate Jocelyn Alassane had 156 RBI, the third-most in a season for CABA to that point.

Sal Meza repeated as Pitcher of the Year in his third season with the Herons. The 30-year old Mexican lefty had the best FIP- at 58. Meza posted 8.2 WAR and a 2.26 ERA over 231.1 innings with a 19-6 record and 270 strikeouts. Haiti also had the Reliever of the Year in Alejandro Valadez, his first of what would be five straight.

Wild card Havana ousted Honduras 3-1 despite the Horsemen having the one-game handicap. This kept Honduras out of the Caribbean League Championship Series for the first time in four years, while the Hurricanes got their for the first time since 1986. Powerhouse Haiti was too much for Havana, taking the series 4-1 and three-peating as Caribbean champ. This was the sixth title for the Herons, who became the fifth CL franchise to win three pennants in a row.

The 92^nd Central American Baseball Association Championship was a highly anticipated rubber match between Haiti and Ecatepec. The Explosion won a seven game classic in 2000, while the Herons got revenge in six games in 2001. The third meeting didn’t live up to the hype as Haiti hammered Ecatepec for a sweep. It was the first finals sweep since Santo Domingo over Juarez in 1984. LF Israel Dimas was finals MVP as the 33-year old Cuban had 16 hits, 6 runs, 3 home runs, and 5 RBI in nine games.

The 2002 Herons have a solid case as the Caribbean League’s all-time top team. The only season that saw more wins plus a CABA title was Jamaica’s 118-44 run in 1933. Haiti’s postseason run was more dominant than the Jazz, as the Herons were 8-1, joining a very short list to do that. The only team in CABA to go unbeaten in the playoffs was 1920 Guadalajara at 8-0. This win ended the finals rivalry for now between Haiti and Ecatepec, but they would face off yet again in 2010 and in 2031.

Other notes: Guadalajara pitcher Nelson Poore set a bad all-time CABA record with 26 losses. The previous worst was 24, while Poore was 5-26 with a 4.14 ERA and 87 ERA+. He wasn’t great, but definitely was hurt by lousy run support.

Enrique Mendoza of Queretaro had a 34-game hit streak, the fourth longest in CABA to date. The record was Ivan Iniguez’s 38 in 1911. Sanson Delgado became the 20^th slugger to 1500 RBI. SS Rafino Piloto won his seventh Gold Glove. Jacky Castillo won his 11^th Silver Slugger, although this was his first as a second baseman. His other 10 came at third base. SS David Davila and CF Hugh Boerboom both won their eighth Silver Sluggers.

Boerboom finished the season with 772 home runs, tying himself with Solomon Aragon as CABA’s home run king. The 39-year old Aruban would play four more seasons and finish at 866, which held as the top spot in CABA until the late 2020s.

2002 also marked the end of CABA’s current alignment, as it would expand by two teams in each league starting in 2003. CABA would also add a second wild card team for the postseason, giving them a more standard bracket of eight total playoff teams with division champions hosting wild cards in the first round.

FuzzyRussianHat · 05-11-2024, 10:54 AM

The National Association again was very competitive in 2002 as only six games separated the #1 overall seed from the weakest division winner. Fresh off having snapped their 41-year playoff drought last year with a NACS appearance, Milwaukee earned the #1 seed. The Mustangs took the Upper Midwest Division at 98-64. Cincinnati won the Lower Midwest at 97-65 for the #2 seed, snapping a playoff drought back to 1989. The Reds edged Indianapolis by only one game for the title. The Racers easily were the first wild card, bouncing back from a 70-win 2001. This gave Indy its sixth playoff berth in seven years.

Ottawa repeated as Northeast Division champ at 94-68. The Elks finished three games ahead of Hartford. The Huskies at 91-71 took the second wild card for their first playoff spot since winning the 1992 World Series. New York picked up the East Division at 92-70 for their third division title in five years. Defending National Association champ Philadelphia was 90-72, finishing two games short in the division and one game behind Hartford for the second wild card. Two notable swings came from Boston and Virginia Beach, who narrowly missed the playoffs the prior season with 90 and 89 wins, respectively. Both plummeted to below 70 wins in 2002.

Leading Milwaukee to the top seed was National Association MVP Ulysses Aweau. The 26-year old center fielder was the WARlord at 10.1, adding 36 home runs, 122 RBI, a .302/.361/.571 slash, and 189 wRC+. The Mustangs gave Aweau an eight-year, $69,500,000 extension prior to the 2002 season. He’d shock them by opting out after the 2003 season, then inking a seven-year, $72,500,000 deal with Philadelphia.

Despite Boston’s collapse, they had Pitcher of the Year Jeremiah Murray. Murray had twice suffered major injuries and had spent 2001 in the minor leagues for Montreal. He was the minors’ POTY, which inspired the Red Sox to trade for him in February 2002. The 27-year old Canadian led in strikeouts (277), WAR (9.5), FIP- (64), and innings pitched (290.2). He added a 2.63 ERA and 18-14 record. Murray would go onto be a fine starter for the next few years in Boston.

Wild card Indianapolis upset New York 2-1 in the first round and Ottawa outlasted divisional foe Hartford 2-1. The Elks continued to roll, shocking Cincinnati with a round two sweep. Ottawa hadn’t been in the National Association Championship Series since 1986. Meanwhile, Milwaukee earned a repeat NACS berth, although they had to survive a spirited five games against the Racers. In the NACS, Milwaukee prevailed 4-2 over Ottawa for their fifth pennant. It had been a long while though, with the previous NA wins in 1904, 34, 35, and 60.

Seattle had the American Association and MLB’s best record for the third consecutive season. The Grizzlies were 104-58, giving them the Northwest Division title and a fifth straight playoff berth. Phoenix nabbed the #2 seed at 100-62. Although it was the third consecutive playoff berth for the Firebirds, they hadn’t won the Southwest Division since 1989. Defending division champ Albuquerque was close behind at 98-64, easily securing the first wild card slot. Defending World Series champion Nashville repeated as Southeast Division champs at 95-67. The Knights were 12 games better than Tampa.

In the South Central Division, Houston ended a two-year drought with a 94-68 mark. The Hornets were 11 games ahead of Memphis, while defending division champ Austin dropped to 78-84. For the second wild card, the Northwest Division’s Salt Lake City prevailed at 91-71. It was the second berth in three years for the Loons, but an impressive rebound from an abysmal 67-win 2001. SLC narrowly beat out Las Vegas (90-72) as well as divisional rivals Edmonton (88-74) and Portland (87-75) for the spot.

Worth noting that leading Salt Lake City’s bounce-back was Rookie of the Year Morgan Short. Nicknamed “the Machine,” the 10^th overall pick debuted with a 6.0 WAR season and AA-best .417 OBP. While that debut certainly showed he had greatness incoming, few may have realized at the time that Short would ultimately become MLB’s all-time WARlord once his 21-year career was over.

American Association MVP honors went to Albuquerque veteran LF Lukas Warrell. The 30-year old lefty from Tucson, Arizona led in runs (124), walks (109), OBP (1.044), and WAR (9.6). Warrell added 46 home runs, 125 RBI, and a .293 average.

Austin’s Zigmund Spampinato repeated as Pitcher of the Year in his third season. He again led in ERA (2.21) and had the most quality starts at 28. The 23-year old lefty added a 19-11 record over 293.1 innings, 292 strikeouts, and 10.2 WAR. He again edged out Calgary’s Daniel Grondin despite Grondin’s 12.5 WAR and AA-best 335 strikeouts At this point, there had only been four 12+ WAR seasons by a MLB pitcher and Grondin had three of them. Calgary would re-sign their ace after the 2003 campaign for five years and $49,600,000.

Albuquerque won on the road 2-1 over Houston, while Nashville edged Salt Lake City 2-1 in the first round. Both the Isotopes and Knights rolled to round two upsets. Albuquerque shocked #1 seed Seattle with a road sweep, while Nashville popped Phoenix 3-1. The Isotopes hadn’t been in the American Association Championship Series since their 1975 World Series win, while the Knights were looking to repeat.

It would go all seven games in the AACS for the first time since 1994. It seemed like a sweep was in order as Albuquerque started ahead 3-0. Nashville won the next three, but the Isotopes claimed game seven to avoid the collapse. This was Albuquerque’s fifth pennant (1926, 34, 48, 75, 02).

In the 102^nd World Series, Milwaukee defeated Albuquerque 4-2 to win their second-ever MLB title. They set a record for longest gap between rings at nearly a century as their lone championship was back in 1904. This was a huge turnaround for the Mustangs, who only the prior year had snapped a four-decade playoff drought. RF Alfredo “The Sheriff” Ontiveros won finals MVP in only his second season as a full-time starter. In 17 playoff starts, the 25-year old from Mexico had 21 hits, 13 runs, 2 doubles, 4 home runs, and 8 RBI.

Other notes: Francis Saidi became the 22^nd MLB pitcher to 3500 career strikeouts. SS Tanner Lipp won his seventh Gold Glove. SS Matteo Canetti won his ninth Silver Slugger.

FuzzyRussianHat · 05-11-2024, 04:36 PM

Three players earned additions into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003. Catcher Mason Wilkinson was the headliner with 82.1% and a first-ballot nod. 2B Austin Shaw also was a first ballot pick, although his 71.8% was only narrowly above the 66% requirement. Closer Josiah Denson was the other addition at 67.0% on his second ballot. Fellow reliever Alex Cantos barely missed out with 65.6% in his fifth try. Also above 60% was 2B Rodrigo Badillo at 61.2% for his fifth go. Three others were above 50% with SP Ollie Husband at 53.1% for his fifth try, RF Mike Castaneda at 51.3% on his second, and SP Aiya Kodama at 50.5% in his second. No players were dropped after ten ballots.

Editor’s note: Kodama shows as “Elected” as he earned a spot in EAB’s 2003 class. OOTP removes multi-league guys from other ballots once they have been inducted or dropped, as they are put in the game’s global HOF list. He’s on a short list of guys who may have been good enough to get in two HOFs if given the chance, but we’ll discuss that in his EAB induction post.

Mason Wilkinson – Catcher – Oklahoma City Outlaws – 82.1% First Ballot

Mason Wilkinson was a 6’2’, 190 pound right-handed catcher from The Woodlands, Texas; a township of around 114,000 people within metropolitan Houston. Wilkinson was a fantastic contact hitter with a tremendous eye for drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. He would lead in on-base percentage six times in his career and batting average twice. Wilkinson had good gap power and averaged around 30 doubles per 162 game average. His home run power was okay with 18 over his 162 game average. Wilkinson was abysmally slow and sluggish on the basepaths, which lessened his ability to score despite his great on-base percentage.

Wilkinson was a career catcher and renowned for tremendous durability at an incredibly demanding position, starting 120+ games every year for 19 years. Defensively, Wilkinson graded out as solidly above average. He became a popular player with fans, but Wilkinson would clash with teammates as times. He was considered to be a selfish loner that didn’t always give his all. Still, Wilkinson’s many talents put him in the conversation for MLB’s all-time top catcher.

Catchers with his skillset weren’t easy to find, as teams often had to sacrifice either batting or defense when filling the spot. Wilkinson showed he could do both in college with Memphis, winning a Silver Slugger his junior year. In the 1975 MLB Draft, San Antonio drafted Wilkinson with the #1 overall pick. However, he was unimpressed with their financial offering, refusing to sign with the Oilers. Wilkinson returned to college and won a second Silver Slugger as a senior. In four seasons with the Tigers, he had 184 games and 168 starts, 220 hits, 114 runs, 37 doubles, 44 home runs, 140 RBI, 114 walks, a .344/.436/.597 slash, 194 wRC, and 10.9 WAR.

Wilkinson was still a very hot commodity for the 1976 MLB Draft and was again picked #1 overall, this time by Oklahoma City. The Outlaws gave him a four-year, $2,160,000 major league contract right out of the gate. Wilkinson lived up to the billing with an outstanding rookie season, posting an American Association and career-best .364 batting average. He also led in OBP (.434) and posted 8.0 WAR. Wilkinson won Silver Slugger honors easily, but just missed out on Rookie of the Year to Atlanta’s Rodrigo Badillo; himself also a future Hall of Famer.

The next season, Wilkinson had a career-best 8.4 WAR and led again in OBP with a career best .438. He would win ten Silver Sluggers total with six coming for the Outlaws (1977, 78, 90, 82, 83, 87,). Wilkinson would trade the honor in the American Association with HOF Class of 2001 Mike Bastiani. He also took third in 1983’s MVP voting, winning his second batting title that year at .342. Wilkinson led in OBP for a third time in 1984 at .413 and had nine seasons worth 5+ WAR for OKC.

Oklahoma City was able to reverse their fortunes, having won an atrocious 50 games the year Wilkinson was drafted. They made four playoff appearances from 1979-83 with one division title, but never got deeper than the second round. Wilkinson’s playoff numbers were pedestrian with the Outlaws with a 101 wRC+ and .235/.329/.368 slash in 19 starts. Still, OKC committed to Wilkinson long-term after the 1980 season with an eight-year, $10,640,000 contract extension.

For the rest of the 1980s after their brief run of playoff berths, Oklahoma City fell into the middle tier. Wilkinson still played at a very steady pace as a good starter, although he was less impressive as he entered his 30s. He posted four seasons below a .300 batting average to end his Outlaws run. In total for OKC, Wilkinson had 1755 hits, 836 runs, 317 doubles, 186 home runs, 730 RBI, a .306/.389/.463 slash, 137 wRC+, and 68.8 WAR. The franchise would retire his #27 uniform at the end of his career.

Wilkinson decided to leave for free agency after the 1988 season, testing the waters entering his age 34 season. His durability and reliability meant he still had plenty of options. Wilkinson would sign a five-year, $8,700,000 contract with Hartford. He’d see a career resurgence for the Huskies, leading the National Association thrice in OBP. Wilkinson had four seasons worth 6.5+ WAR and won three more Silver Sluggers (1990, 91, 92).

Wilkinson stepped up big in the playoffs for Hartford, who won National Association pennants in 1989 and 1992. Although the Huskies lost the 1989 World Series to Denver, Wilkinson earned series MVP honors. In 1992, Hartford took the title against Calgary. In the playoffs for the Huskies, Wilkinson had 43 starts with 49 hits, 16 runs, 9 doubles, 6 home runs, 26 RBI, a .297/.370/.461 slash, 149 wRC+, and 1.7 WAR.

In his later years, Wilkinson also played for the United States in the World Baseball Championship. He played for the American team from 1989-95, starting in the first four editions of that run. In 63 games and 53 starts, Wilkinson had 56 hits, 32 runs, 12 doubles, 8 home runs, 28 RBI, a .296/.398/.508 slash, 162 wRC+, and 2.5 WAR. He was part of the 1992 world champion team.

For his Hartford run, Wilkinson saw 798 hits, 368 runs, 138 doubles, 64 home runs, 340 RBI, a .313/.393/.448 slash, 156 wRC+, and 33.6 WAR. Although the tenure was brief, he’d remain a popular figure with Huskies fans. His contract ran out after the 1993 campaign and he was a free agent again at age 39. Wilkinson was amazingly coming off some of his best work in his late 30s and physically was in great condition. Still, many MLB teams didn’t want to sign someone of his age, especially at catcher and for the money Wilkinson commanded.

He ended up moving to England as EBF’s Birmingham Bees signed Wilkinson to a two-ear, $5,520,000 deal. He had a great 6.7 WAR campaign and won the tenth Silver Slugger of his career. Wilkinson also started during the playoff run as Birmingham won the European Championship against Barcelona. They fell in the conference final the next year, but Wilkinson was still great. In his two seasons in England, he had 12.4 WAR, a .327/.402/.471 slash, 145 wRC+, 307 hits, 135 runs, and 26 home runs.

Wilkinson came back to MLB for 1996 as Austin gave him a two-year, $6,480,000 deal. He was only used as a part-time starter though and posted very average numbers. Wilkinson didn’t meet the vesting criteria and was a free agent again for 1997. Kansas City signed him for one year and $2,520,000, but he only had 51 games and 32 starts for the Cougars. Wilkinson retired that winter at age 42.

For his entire pro career, Wilkinson had 2944 hits, 1365 runs, 515 doubles, 279 home runs, 1254 RBI, 1264 walks, a .308/.389/.455 slash, 141 wRC+, and 116.2 WAR. His WAR total is the most by any catcher in any pro league and would only finally be passed by future Beisbol Sudamerica legend Cicero Lugo.

For his MLB career, Wilkinson had 2637 hits, 1230 runs, 474 doubles, 253 home runs, 1098 RBI, 1144 walks, a .305/.388/.453 slash, 140 wRC+, and 103.8 WAR. Wilkinson leads all MLB catchers in WAR and OBP as of 2037, although Mike Bastiani has him just beat in hits and runs. Wilkinson deserves a look when discussing MLB’s all-time best catcher though as an ironman with a multi-faceted game. He led the 2003 Hall of Fame class with a first ballot nod, although the anti-catcher bias of voters meant that even he only got 82.1%.

FuzzyRussianHat · 05-12-2024, 04:53 AM

Austin “Fertile” Shaw – Second Base – St. Louis Cardinals – 71.8% First Ballot

Austin Shaw was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting second baseman from Berea, Ohio; a western Cleveland suburb with 18,000 inhabitants. Shaw was a very good contact hitter who was solid at drawing walks and excellent at avoiding strikeouts. He still had a quite good pop in his bat, averaging 32 home runs, 22 doubles, and 11 triples per 162 game average. Shaw’s speed was just above average, but he provided solid value as a very intelligent and crafty baserunner

Defensively, Shaw played primarily at second base, although he did see some time at shortstop early in his career. He was just below average, but perfectly serviceable at 2B. Shaw stunk at SS though and didn’t work in his few stints elsewhere. He was extremely popular as a team captain, well respected by all for his leadership and work ethic. Most would agree that Shaw was one of the best men involved with the game.

Shaw had an excellent college career at Ole Miss, winning national MVP honors in his freshman year. He also had Silver Sluggers as a freshman and sophomore. In three seasons with the Rebels, Shaw had 149 games and 141 starts, 178 hits, 130 runs, 18 doubles, 52 home runs, 132 RBI, a .330/.427/.659 slash, 216 wRC+, and 12.3 WAR. St. Louis had the #1 overall pick for the 1979 MLB Draft and had Shaw as the top man on the board, He’d spend the next 14 years as a full-time starter for the Cardinals, only missing time to sporadic injuries.

Shaw had a terrific debut season, leading the National Association in OBP (.409), OPS (1.004), and wRC+ (194). This would be the only time he led in those stats in his career. Shaw’s 6.7 WAR also landed him Rookie of the Year and a Silver Slugger. A strained PCL cost and torn thumb ligament cost him two months of 1981, but Shaw had a full run in 1982 with 9.0 WAR and a 1.005 OPS. He won his second Silver Slugger and took second in MVP voting.

This also was a stunning World Series run for the Cardinals from the second wild card spot. They had won only 57 games back in 1979, thus getting the #1 pick for Shaw. In the postseason run, he made 16 starts with 19 hits, 12 runs, 8 doubles, 3 home runs, 14 RBI, a .333/.414/.632 slash, 192 wRC+, and 0.9 WAR. Cardinals fans hoped this would mark the start of a new era of success, although it was ultimately a one-off. St. Louis was a wild card again in 1984, but fell in the second round. They’d then go on a seven-year playoff drought.

Shaw was still outstanding regardless, winning MVP honors in 1983 and his third Silver Slugger. That year, he was the National Association WARlord (8.7) and runs leader (114) while posting a career-best 190 wRC+. Shaw won his third Silver Slugger in 1983 and fourth in 1984. In April 1985, St. Louis locked up their captain for the long haul with an eight-year, $13,600,000 extension.

From 1984-96, Shaw was also a regular and a leader for the United States in the World Baseball Championship. He had 176 games and 160 starts with 149 hits, 106 runs, 25 doubles, 33 home runs, 106 RBI, 91 walks, 47 stolen bases, a .260/.372/.493 slash, 147 wRC+, and 7.0 WAR. Shaw won world titles with the American team in 1984, 85, 88, 92, and 96. He was also third in WBC MVP voting in 1985.

Shaw was still very good when healthy after signing his big extension, but he’d miss sizeable chunks of a few seasons. A concussion cost him three months in 1986, an oblique strain cost a month in 1987, various injuries erased six weeks in 1988, a strained hamstring spent six weeks in 1989, and a hip strain ruined five weeks in 1991. It wouldn’t be until 1992 that Shaw finally had a truly full load.

That 1992 campaign reminded the baseball world how good Shaw was when healthy. At age 33, he led the NA in runs (114) , total bases (347), and WAR (9.4); each career highs. He also had a career-best 35 home runs, winning his second MVP a decade after his first. This also was Shaw’s fifth and final MLB Silver Slugger. St. Louis ended their playoff drought with a division title and 100-win season, although they fell in the second round of the playoffs.

A strained MCL cost him a month in early 1993, then a strained hamstring knocked Shaw out for the final month of the season and the playoffs, although they were one-and-done anyway. This marked the end of his contract and ultimately the end of his time with St. Louis. Shaw remained beloved years later and his #33 uniform would get retired. However, management was leery about giving big money to a soon-to-be 35 year old second baseman with injury concerns, even if he still played very well when healthy.

Shaw ended up moving to South America to continue his baseball career after he couldn’t find a suitable MLB role. He ended up in Colombia on a three-year, $7,800,000 deal with Medellin. Shaw stayed relatively healthy with a good 1994, then had an outstanding 1995. He led the Bolivar League with 8.0 WAR and had 36 home runs, winning a Silver Slugger and taking third in MVP voting.

His good luck with injuries went away in 1996 with a torn meniscus and strained hamstring knocking him out almost all year. Shaw made it back for the playoffs as Medellin lost in the BLCS. For his Mutiny run though, Shaw had 343 hits, 196 runs, 60 doubles, 58 home runs, 205 RBI, a .296/.353/.560 slash, 155 wRC+, and 13.6 WAR. Very good production for just over two years from an aging infielder. Like in his prior stops, Shaw was also well liked and respected for his leadership.

He was a free agent again for 1997 at age 38 and still wanted to play back in the States. Nashville gave him a chance on a one-year, $2,760,000 deal. Shaw stayed healthy, but merely looked average offensively over 115 games with 0.8 WAR and a 100 wRC+. With that, he decided to retire that winter at age 39.

For his full pro career, Shaw had 2520 hits, 1436 runs, 314 doubles, 172 triples, 426 home runs, 1399 RBI, 385 stolen bases, a .299/.369/.529 slash, 165 wRC+, and 107.7 WAR. In just MLB, he had 2177 hits, 1240 runs, 254 doubles, 136 triples, 368 home runs, 1194 RBI, 825 walks, 300 stolen bases, a .299/.371/.524 slash, 166 wRC+, and 94.1 WAR.

Shaw’s rate stats were certainly excellent, although the accumulations were lower than many voters preferred largely due to the injuries. At induction, he had the fifth most WAR at second base in MLB history and is still sixth as of 2037. Shaw definitely goes down as one of the best at the position, although 2B can sometimes rival catchers for difficulty in getting the HOF nod. Shaw’s great leadership and long tenure with St. Louis were both big plusses. That allowed enough voters to overlook the lower counting stats for a first ballot nod in 2003, albeit narrowly crossing the 66% requirement at 71.8%.

Josiah “Pizza” Denson – Relief Pitcher – Tampa Thunderbirds – 67.0% Second Ballot

Josiah Denson was a 5’11’’, 200 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Brent, Florida; a town of around 21,000 people in the far western panhandle. Denson earned the nickname “Pizza” because he always had a pie ready in the clubhouse after any outing.

Denson’s curveball was legendary and graded out as a 11/10. He also had a 99-101 mph fastball, making his stuff electric. On the 1/10 scale, scouts rated his stuff as high as 14 in his prime. Denson’s control and movement were both graded as above average. He was also considered a durable reliever that was always ready to go.

Denson attended Boston College and was a starter in his three years there. In 37 college stats, he had a 19-7 record, 1.49 ERA, 248.1 innings, 308 strikeouts, 238 ERA+, and 12.4 WAR. Denson’s stuff was certainly dominant, but most scouts felt his stamina was way too weak for a starting role in the majors. Plus, he only had two pitches, even if both were fantastic. Denson would end up selected early in the second round of the 1979 MLB Draft by Tampa, going 61^st overall. The Thunderbirds used him as mid relief as a rookie, but he’d earn the closer role in year two.

Denson’s best year arguably was 1986 with an American Association best 40 saves and career-best 0.97 ERA. He won Reliever of the Year this season as well. It was his only time as a finalist for the award, although he led again in saves in 1988. Tampa was happy with the results though and kept giving Denson small extensions once he had reached the service time requirements.

The Thunderbirds were a sporadic playoff team in his run and almost always above .500. They had six berths and four Southeast Division titles while Denson was there, but they never went deeper than the second round. His playoff sample size was very limited with a 4.91 ERA over 11 innings. Still, Denson was well known by the Tampa community and his #4 uniform would eventually get retired by the organization.

Denson signed a three-year, $5,040,000 extension in April 1991. However, his time in Tampa ended in the final year of that run, as he was traded before the 1994 season to Oakland for prospects. The Owls gave him limited usage with only 18.1 innings. Denson then entered free agency for the first time at age 35.

Denson started 1995 with New York, but they cut him in late July. Atlanta signed him to finish the season, but he never saw the field for the Aces. By this point, his fastball velocity had dropped noticeably. Jacksonville inked Denson for 1996, but traded him at the deadline to St. Louis. He was merely a back-end reliever in these later years with unremarkable results. Denson decided to retire after the 1996 season at age 37.

Denson’s final stats saw a 2.31 ERA, 317 saves and 376 shutdowns, 887.1 innings, 1256 strikeouts, 291 walks, 170 ERA+, 54 FIP-, and 38.2 WAR. His rate stats were comparable to some others that had gotten into the MLB Hall of Fame with an excellent strikeout rate. He also had the 300 save milestone. As of 2037, Denson sits 36^th all-time in saves.

However, his stats were borderline and he had only one Reliever of the Year in his career. Still, MLB’s voters were often quite lax and forgiving to relievers for whatever reason. Denson missed the cut at 58.4% in his debut but just crossed the line at 67.0% for a second ballot addition in 2003.

FuzzyRussianHat · 05-12-2024, 10:52 AM

The 2003 Central American Baseball Association Hall of Fame class featured three inductees. The star was easily 1B/DH Romeo Verguet, the lone first ballot pick at 87.7%. 3B Pedro Pizarro joined him, finally making the cut after eight tries with 73.4%. SP Gabe de Kroon was the third guy, just crossing the 66% requirement with 68.8% on his fifth go. The only other player above 50% was 3B Bienvenido Ramon at 56.8% for his third ballot. The CABA ballot didn’t have any players dropped after ten tries and apart from Pizarro, the most tenured players were on their sixth ballots.

Romeo Verguet – First Base/Designated Hitter – Bahamas Buccaneers – 87.7% First Ballot

Romeo Verguet was a 6’0’’, 205 pound right-handed hitting first baseman from Saint-Pierre, Martinique. In modern times it is a small town with only 4,000. In the late 1800s, it was called the “Paris of the Caribbean” and was the cultural capital of Martinque, but sadly the town was destroyed in a 1902 volcanic eruption. Verguet would be the first and as of 2037 only CABA Hall of Famer from the island. He’d also be only the second player inducted with the Bahamas Buccaneers as his primary team.

Verguet was a solid contract hitter that had strong power, averaging around 30-40 home runs and around 25-35 doubles per season. He was above average at drawing walks, but his strikeout rate was subpar. Verguet was also slow and sluggish on the basepaths. He made around 3/5s of his career starts at first base, where he graded out as a poor defender. Logically, the rest of his starts were as a designated hitter.

Verguet’s strong bat certainly was deserving of a prominent spot in the lineup. He became a popular player both for his bat and for his fan favorite personality. Verguet was an affable fellow who worked hard and showed strong leadership and loyalty. He also was viewed as an ironman, playing 140+ games in all but his final pro season.

Although Martinique’s baseball scene was underdeveloped compared to most of its Caribbean neighbors, scouts still took notice of Verguet as he dominated the amateur ranks. When the 1981 CABA Draft came around, Verguet was selected seventh overall by Bahamas. At that point, the Buccaneers had been around two decades since expansion and largely stunk with no playoff appearances and only two winning seasons. They hoped that Verguet might be the guy to help turn things around.

The team’s fortunes didn’t flip at all in the early 1980s, but that was hardly Verguet’s fault. He was a full-time starter immediately and took second in Rookie of the Year voting. Verguet was solid in his first few seasons, but wasn’t truly elite level until his fifth year. That season, he led the Caribbean League in runs, hits, RBI, total bases, average, and OBP. He smacked 40 home runs with 6.6 WAR, posting career bests in hits, total bases and average. Verguet earned his lone MVP and his lone Silver Slugger with this effort.

That also earned Bahamas a new franchise best 90-72 season, their first winning year since 1973. The Buccaneers still missed the playoffs, but they would finally get their first-ever playoff berth and division title in 1987. However, Havana upset them in the wild card round. Verguet again led in RBI and hit 41 home runs with a career high 6.7 WAR. Early in 1988, Bahamas would commit to their fan favorite with an eight-year, $11,240,000 extension.

Verguet would also earn some popularity in the World Baseball Championship. He played for France from 1983-93, as Martinique is part of the French Republic. In 113 games and 108 starts, Verguet had 92 hits, 52 runs, 16 doubles, 29 home runs, 5 9 RBI, a .229/.300/.490 slash, 127 wRC+, and 3.2 WAR.

Verguet remained largely solid over his big contract, although he didn’t win any additional awards with tough competition at DH and 1B. He would lead in doubles with 43 in 1991. In total he had seven seasons with 100+ RBI, nine seasons with 30+ homers, and four seasons worth 5+ WAR with the Buccaneers. Despite his efforts, Bahamas peaked with their playoff berth in 1987, dropping back to the mid-tier for the remainder of his run.

After the 1993 season, Verguet was coming up on age 35 and entering the last year of his deal. To the chagrin of many Bahamas fans, the franchise traded him and young OF Fernando Raya to Santo Doingo for pitchers Cecil Estrada and Cesar Uribe. Verguet’s #7 uniform would later be retired by the Buccaneers and he’d serve as a franchise icon after retiring. In total with Bahamas, Verguet had 2076 hits, 1027 runs, 356 doubles, 412 home runs, 1280 RBI, a .291/.342/.522 slash, 139 wRC+, and 50.4 WAR.

Santo Domingo was hoping to bounce back after seeing a four-year playoff streak snapped in 1993. It worked, as they won the Island Division, but fell in the CLCS to Salvador. Verguet had a career-best 108 runs and matched his career-best with 41 home runs. The Dolphins were happy with the results and signed Verguet to a three-year contract worth $5,700,000. He would ultimately finish his career in the Dominican capital.

Verguet again hit 41 homers in 1995. He dropped a bit in 1996, then was merely average in 1997 and missed five weeks to a sprained thumb. Santo Domingo only made the playoffs once more in 1997 with Verguet, falling in the wild card round. He decided to retire after the 1997 campaign at age 38. With Santo Domingo, Verguet had 557 hits, 330 runs, 87 doubles, 145 home runs, 350 RBI, a .269/.324/.535 slash, 130 wRC+, and 12.3 WAR.

The final stats for Verguet saw 2633 hits, 1357 runs, 443 doubles, 557 home runs, 1630 RBI, a .286/.338/.525 slash, 137 wRC+, and 62.7 WAR. His poor defense and baserunning hurt him in some metrics, but Verguet had important counting stats like 500+ dingers, 1500+ RBI, and 2500+ hits. He was well liked and was the reliable face of a franchise, making the struggling Bahamas team more competitive than they usually were. These facts earned Verguet a first ballot nod at 87.7% to headline the 2003 CABA class.

FuzzyRussianHat · 05-12-2024, 04:58 PM

Pedro “Bronco” Pizarro – Third Base – Chihuahua Warriors – 73.4% Eighth Ballot

Pedro Pizarro was a 6’0’’, 205 pound right-handed third baseman from Motozintla, Mexico, a city of around 76,000 people on the southern border with Guatemala. Pizarro earned the nickname “Bronco” for his horse-like quick speed. He led the Mexican League in stolen bases five times and knew how to perfectly time his jumps. Pizarro was a great leadoff man his era with solid contact skills and a great eye. He was good at drawing walks, but was outstanding at putting the ball in play and avoiding strikeouts.

Pizarro wasn’t just a singles hitter, as he’d usually get around 25-35 doubles and 10-20 triples per season. He didn’t have home run power though, only once hitting double-digits in a season. Pizarro was a career third basemen and was well below average defensively. Still, he was very well respected for his intelligence and work ethic. Pizarro also had excellent durability in his prime, playing 150+ games each year from 1981-89.

Even without home run power, Pizarro skillset drew plenty of attention after a great amateur career. In the 1977 CABA Draft, Chihuahua selected Pizarro with the fourth overall pick. He was used only as a part-time starter in his first three seasons, starting only 171 games over those years. 1981 saw Pizarro’s first year as the full-time guy at third, a spot he’d hold for the next decade. Chihuahua remained a mediocre team in his run with only one winning season in the entire 1980s. However, Pizarro would hold his own.

From 1981-89, Pizarro had 6+ WAR each season. He led in stolen bases with 99 and OBP with .412 in 1982. Pizarro then led in steals four straight years from 1986-89 and won a batting title with .321 average in 1989. He won two Silver Sluggers (1986, 1988) but was never an MVP finalist with the lack of home run power and being on bad teams. Pizarro committed long term after the 1982 season with an eight-year, $5,482,000 extension.

Pizarro was well known in Mexico even with Chihuahua being a non-factor. He would play in eight editions of the World Baseball Championship, but almost exclusively as a backup and pinch runner. Pizarro had 23 games and 8 starts with 9 hits, 4 runs, and 8 steals.

By WAR, 1989 was his finest season with 9.0 WAR at age 34. He still played at a high level in 1990, but the Warriors moved him to a part-time starter role in his final season. Pizarro decided to leave for free agent, in part dissatisfied with being a backup. He’d remain popular with fans, but the awkward ending played a role in Pizarro’s jersey number never being retired. Even at age 36, he seemed to still have plenty to offer. MLB’s Tampa Thunderbirds would bring in Pizarro on a three-year, $5,980,000 deal.

Pizarro started much of the 1991 season, but posted very pedestrian numbers. Tampa made him a part-time starter in 1992 as he posted negative WAR. Over 217 games in MLB, he had -0.3 WAR and 86 wRC+. Pizarro was let go and couldn’t find a home for 1993. He would retire that winter at age 39.

For his CABA and Chihuahua run, Pizarro had 2002 hits, 909 runs, 325 doubles, 167 triples, 63 home runs, 631 RBI, 931 stolen bases, a .316/.370/.451 slash, 149 wRC+, and 72.4 WAR. Pizarro was 14^th in steals at induction and sits 21^st as of 2037. His WAR was sixth-best in CABA history at third base as of retirement. However, voters were very averse on guys who didn’t have home runs or RBI.

Thus, Pizarro debuted on the ballot in 1996 at 44.7%. He slowly grew into the 50s and then got as high as 63.5% in 2001. Pizarro dropped back down to 59.1% in 2002. In 2003, the eighth ballot was finally the one for him with 73.4%. His unique skillset and run even with a poor team was deemed worthy for the 2003 CABA class.

Gabe de Kroon – Starting Pitcher – Puebla Pumas – 68.8% Fifth Ballot

Gabe de Kroon was a 5’9’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from Willemstad, the capital and largest city of Curacao. The stocky de Kroon was known for having outstanding pinpoint control. He would have strong stuff in his prime, although his movement was subpar, leading to a higher number of home runs allowed than you’d like. His fastball was in the 96-98 mph range and was evenly mixed with a slider, curveball, sinker, and splitter. No one pitch was dominant, but de Kroon was great at mixing them up and spotting them. He had excellent stamina, although he’d run into injury troubles at various points.

In summer 1973, a scout from Puebla spotted a teenaged de Kroon in Curacao. He was signed as a 16-year old amateur and spent parts of the next four years in their developmental system. De Kroon made his official debut in 1978 at age 21, although he’d be only an occasional starter in his first three seasons. His results were promising and he was promoted to a full-time starter role in 1981.

That season, de Kroon led the Mexican League in wins at 18-11, innings pitched at 273.0, and complete games at 16. He regressed a bit in 1982 and was only a part-time starter. The Pumas ended a 15-year playoff drought, but de Kroon struggled in two playoff starts with a 5.62 ERA as they lost in the Mexican League Championship Series to Juarez. 1983 saw 200+ innings although he only had 26 appearances. In his limited time, de Kroon had a very good 6.1 WAR, earning a full-time rotation spot from then on with Puebla.

In 1984, de Kroon had a career-best 7.3 WAR and led in both wins and complete games for the second time. Puebla had the best record in Mexico at 105-57, but again fell to Juarez in the MLCS. De Kroon again struggled in two playoff starts with a 4.50 ERA. He would go onto pitch a few more good years, although de Kroon wasn’t a league leader. He was never a Pitcher of the Year finalist in his career a well.

Puebla signed de Kroon to a six-year, $5,400,000 extension in March 1986. The Pumas again made the playoffs in 1987, but yet again lost in the MLCS, this time to Torreon. The team regressed in the following years while de Kroon carried on. Injuries started to cost him time towards the end of his deal, including a herniated disc and strained abdominal in 1989, then an arthritic elbow in 1990.

Just before the 1991 season, de Kroon was traded to Guadalajara for three prospects. In total with Puebla, de Kroon had a 147-115 record, 3.06 ERA, 2473.1 innings, 2816 strikeouts, 311 walks, 194/298 quality starts, 158 complete games, 104 ERA+, 90 FIP-, and 43.7 WAR. The Hellhounds used him more out of the bullpen, although he struggled with a 4.83 ERA. He was back more to the rotation in 1992 and pitched better, but was still very middling.

In his two seasons for Guadalajara, de Kroon had a 4.18 ERA over 340 innings, 405 strikeouts, 83 ERA+ and -1.2 WAR. Now a free agent at age 36, Santo Domingo gave de Kroon a one-year deal. He was able to eat some innings with average results and earned 1.6 WAR. This would be the final season for de Kroon in CABA, but he wasn’t quite done yet.

For 1994, de Kroon found a spot in Italy with EBF’s Rome. He was a back-end starter for the Red Wolves, then joined Zurich for 1995. He fared no better in Switzerland, giving him -0.4 WAR and a 4.55 ERA in his two EBF seasons. De Kroon was unsigned in 1996 and retired that winter at age 39.

For his CABA run, de Kroon had a 174-156 record, 3.25 ERA, 3000.1 innings, 3411 strikeouts, 376 walks, 218/354 quality starts, 180 complete games, 101 ERA+, 96 FIP-, and 44.2 WAR. His walk rate was among the lowest for guys with 3000 innings, but other advanced stats had him as delightfully average. Additionally, de Kroon was never a Pitcher of the Year finalist. Most initial indications suggested a Hall of Pretty Good level guy. His WAR would be the lowest of any starting pitcher in the CABA Hall of Fame.

In 1999, de Kroon debuted at 38.9% and dropped to 36.4% the next year. He managed to get a bump to 52.8% on his third ballot, but then dropped back to 42.2% in 2002. Many were surprised when de Kroon received a big jump on his fifth ballot, earning a narrow induction at 68.8%. Scholars suggest de Kroon as one of the weakest CABA Hall of Fame members, but regardless, he secured a spot to close out the 2003 class.

FuzzyRussianHat · 05-13-2024, 02:44 AM

The East Asia Baseball Hall of Fame inducted three outstanding starting pitchers with the 2003 class. All three were first ballot picks with above 98% with Aiya Kodama (98.6%), Seong-Jun Myong (98.3%), and Rikiya Fujiwara (98.3%). 2B Seong-Jae Kang came close on his eighth ballot, but was short at 59.5%. The only other player above 50% was LF Jin-Uk Song at 57.8% on his debut.

One player fell off after ten ballots in the 2003 EAB voting. 1B Kenta Goto had a 15-year career mostly with Saitama, winning two Silver Sluggers. He had 2181 hits, 1212 runs, 298 doubles, 534 home runs, 1403 RBI, a .273/.342/.521 slash, 151 wRC+, and 72.3 WAR. His tallies were pretty solid, but he was overlooked in an era of other stronger sluggers at the position. Goto also never made the playoffs despite a good career. He had a nice 51.4% debut ballot in 1994, but only went downward and ended at 4.7%. Goto at least did get his #32 uniform retired by Saitama, but he missed the cut for the Hall of Fame.

Aiya Kodama – Starting Pitcher – Hiroshima Hammerheads – 98.6% First Ballot

Aiya Kodama was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Odate, a small city of 67,000 inhabitants in northern Japan’s Akita Prefecture. Kodama was known for having incredible stuff with excellent control and good movement. He had three pitches with a 97-99 mph fastball, a stellar slider, and good changeup. Kodama boasted outstanding stamina and was incredibly durable as well. Additionally, he was quite good at holding runners.

Kodama became absolutely beloved everywhere he played, becoming one of Japan’s favorite players. He was a team captain, renowned for his great leadership, work ethic, and adaptability. By the time his remarkable career ended, Kodama was considered by some to be the greatest pitcher ever to come out of Japan.

Kodama was a rare pitcher to be drafted out of high school, as he tore through the competition at Hachiohe Gakuin Kosei High School. In the 1976 EAB Draft, Kodama was picked tenth overall by Hiroshima. The Hammerheads kept him in the developmental system for his first two years under contact. Kodama officially debuted in 1979 at age 20 and was a full-time starter immediately. In all but his final two seasons of his career, Kodama tossed 240+ innings each season.

Kodama showed promise, but had very average production in his first two seasons. He led the Japan League in losses as a rookie and innings in his second year. By his junior campaign, Kodama emerged as a legitimate ac, leading in wins and posting 7.1 WAR. It would be his fourth year that Kodama went from great to historic.

From 1982-87, Kodama won six straight Pitcher of the Year awards. He was the first-ever six-time winner in Japan League history and joined the Korea League’s Yu-Geon Moon as the only East Asia Baseball pitchers to do it to that point. Each year, Kodama was the WARlord with 9+ or better, including four seasons worth 11+. He led in strikeouts each of these seasons with 335+ each year and won five ERA titles. Kodama also led in wins four times, innings once, WHIP four times, complete games five times, shutouts four times, and FIP- all six seasons.

Kodama earned three Triple Crowns, the first in 1982 with a 24-3 record, 1.68 ERA, and 374 strikeouts. This season would see career bests in Ks, WAR (11.8), and wins (24). He also took second in MVP voting. The second Triple Crown was 22-6, 1.84 ERA, and 371 strikeouts in 1984 with 11.5 WAR. The third Triple Crown in 1986 had a career-best 1.41 ERA, 22-4 record, 370 strikeouts, and 11.5 WAR. That ERA mark was the fifth lowest in EAB history at that point. This also earned Kodama the Japan League MVP.

Kodama helped get Hiroshima to three straight division titles in this stretch from 1985-87. The Hammerheads had signed him to a seven-year, $4,860,000 extension in May 1984. They made it to the Japan League Championship Series in both 1986 and 1987, but lost both times. Kodama wasn’t to blame, as he had a 1.81 ERA over 59.2 playoff innings with 94 strikeouts.

In 1988, Kodama’s production fell off from his historic highs, although he still posted 6.5 WAR, a 2.76 ERA, and 302 strikeouts. Hiroshima dropped to 75-89 and Kodama considered his future. He still had a few years on his deal, but had an opt-out clause. Kodama stunned many by exercising that opt out, becoming a free agent at age 30. He very quickly was the hottest free agent pitcher in the entire world.

Kodama would leave Japan and Hiroshima, although he’d still remain extremely popular with both. The Hammerheads would eventually retire his #10 uniform as an all-time legend. After leaving for MLB, he would return home and pitch for Japan in the World Baseball Championship from 1990-96. In 112.1 WBC innings, Kodama had a 10-4 record, 2.16 ERA, 158 strikeouts, 168 ERA+, and 3.5 WAR.

MLB’s Denver Dragons would win the sweepstakes for Kodama at five years and $7,800,000, more than doubling his yearly best with Hiroshima. Kodama had a remarkable debut for Denver, setting a still-standing MLB record with 318.2 innings pitched. He also led in wins (24), WHIP (0.93), and quality starts (29) while adding 10.5 WAR. Kodama won American Association Pitcher of the Year, his seventh POTY in total making him one of a select few to win it in multiple leagues. Kodama also had a no-hitter with six strikeouts and one walk in September against Miami.

In the 1989 postseason, Kodama tossed 37.2 innings with a 3.11 ERA, 30 strikeouts, and 126 ERA+. This helped Denver won the World Series over Hartford. The Dragons made the playoffs three more times during Kodama’s run, winning another pennant in 1991. They would get upset in the World Series by Kansas City. For his playoff career, Kodama had a 3.43 ERA over 107.2 innings, 83 strikeouts, 115 ERA+, and 1.9 WAR.

Kodama would lead twice more in innings pitched and twice more in WHIP with Denver. All five seasons with the Dragons were worth 7+ WAR. He took second in Pitcher of the Year voting in both 1991 and 1993. In total with Denver, Kodama had a 108-56 record, 2.93 ERA, 1522.1 innings, 1291 strikeouts, 108 complete games, 135 ERA+, 71 FIP-, and 44.7 WAR.

His contract was up after the 1993 season, making Kodama a free agent entering his age 35 season. He certainly proved himself in the MLB ranks and earned a four-year, $12,320,000 deal with Washington. Kodama still ate innings with the Admirals, but his dominance waned in this stretch. He would step up in the 1995 playoff run as Washington lost to Boston in the NACS. Kodama had a 0.36 ERA in 25 playoff innings.

For his Washington run, he pitched three seasons with a 42-34 record, 3.01 ERA, 726.2 innings, 515 strikeouts, 113 ERA+, and 12.8 WAR. Kodama’s velocity dropped significantly late in his run and the Admirals cut him during spring training 1997. For his MLB career, Kodama had a 150-90 record, 2.96 ERA, 2249 innings, 1806 strikeouts, 364 walks, 181/282 quality starts, 130 complete games, 127 ERA+, 78 FIP-, and 57.5 WAR.

It was a remarkable run considering it was only eight seasons in his 30s. One could argue he could’ve been an MLB Hall of Famer and in two years on the ballot, he earned a respectable 54.3% and 50.5%. Kodama was officially removed from the global ballot when EAB inducted him. He may not have had the tenure or accumulations to make the MLB HOF had he gotten ten ballots, but Kodama is one of very few in baseball history to have a legitimate case to be a two-time Hall of Famer.

At age 38, he would return home to Japan for one final season. Sendai gave him a one-year, $1,900,000 deal as a reliever. Kodama’s good control meant he was still usable even though his fastball now could barely top 90 mph. Kodama would retire after the 1997 season at age 38.

For his EAB career (which was mostly Hiroshima), Kodama had a 186-86 record, 2.30 ERA, 2676 innings, 3206 strikeouts, 390 walks, 237/305 quality starts, 137 complete games, 31 shutouts, 149 ERA+, 65 FIP-, and 83.5 WAR. Few starters in the EAB Hall of Fame had a lower ERA and his totals were impressive for a relatively brief run. Had he remained in Japan for his entire career, Kodama might have had a chance at being at the very top of the leaderboards. Regardless, winning six Pitcher of the Year awards and three Triple Crowns made him a lock for the 2003 ballot at 98.6%.

Worth noting for his full career, Kodama had a 336-176 record, 2.60 ERA, 4925 innings, 5012 strikeouts, 754 walks, 418/587 quality starts, 267 complete games, 138 ERA+, 71 FIP-, and 141.0 WAR. That career WAR was higher even than EAB’s top pitcher Jae-Hoon Seon at 132.4. Few pitchers in baseball history had a better resume, making it a fair question to ask; was Aiya Kodama the best-ever pitcher to come out of Japan?

FuzzyRussianHat · 05-13-2024, 12:20 PM

Seong-Jun Myong – Starting Pitcher – Sapporo Swordfish – 98.3% First Ballot

Seong-Jun Myong was a 6’3’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Busan, South Korea’s second most populous city. Myong had great control with very good movement and solid stuff. His velocity peaked in the 95-97 mph range with a four pitch arsenal of slider, splitter, cutter, curveball. Myong had very strong stamina with pretty good durability for most of his run, tossing 220+ innings in 15 consecutive seasons.

Myong earned a lot of respect in the game for an impressive work ethic. He was loyal and adaptable, generally viewed as a great clubhouse presence. As far as pitchers go, he was a good batter too, winning Silver Sluggers in 1986 and 1987. Myong had a .201 batting average for his career with 177 hits, 56 runs, and 77 RBI over his career.

Ahead of the 1979 EAB Draft, Myong was a highly touted prospect for the Korea League. So much so that Bucheon picked him with the #1 overall pick and immediately made him a full-time starter. The Bolts were an 1978 expansion team and hoped Myong could be their future. Myong wasn’t quite ready as a rookie, leading in 1980 in losses with a lousy 4.97 ERA. He showed much improvement in his sophomore season, although his stats were merely average.

Myong emerged as a legitimate ace with 6+ WAR in his third and fourth seasons with the Bolts. Still, the expansion Bucheon franchise stunk and wouldn’t post their first winning season until 1989. Myong saw notable regression in 1984 with a 4.37 ERA. He didn’t look much better to start 1985 and Bucheon was worried this was going to be his peak. In June 1985, the Bolts traded Myong to Sapporo for SS Eiya Nakao and C Yaturo Ueda. Neither would be all-stars, but Bucheon did get roughly a decade’s worth of starts out of them.

For Myong, his Bucheon stats saw a 73-95 record, 3.90 ERA, 1666.2 innings, 1263 strikeouts, 282 walks, 100 ERA+, 92 FIP-, and 24.5 WAR. While by no means a bad pitcher, higher expectations came with the #1 overall pick. Sapporo hoped they could unlock Myong’s potential and ultimately they did, as he was a key piece for them for the next decade.

Myong looked good in 1986, tossing the most innings in the Japan League and earning a third place in Pitcher of the Year voting. After his turnaround in 1986, Sapporo gave Myong a seven-year, $7,640,000 extension. He’d look great the next three seasons with 8.6, 8.0, and 7.9 WAR. Myong was second in 1987 Pitcher of the Year voting, then won the top honor in 1988. That year had career highs in strikeouts (298), innings (278.2), and quality starts (28), He took second again in POTY voting in 1989.

Sapporo had control of the North Division from 1985-89, but couldn’t win a playoff series in any of their five playoff berths. Myong mostly looked strong in the postseason despite the Swordfish failures. He also pitched for South Korea in the World Baseball Championship from 1981-89, posting a 3.86 ERA over 116.2 innings, 126 strikeouts, 97 ERA+, and 2.1 WAR.

The early 1990s was a downswing for Sapporo, who had four straight losing seasons from 1990-93. Myong kept on trucking, keeping his ERA at or below 2.50. At age 35 in 1993, he regressed to a 3.40 ERA, although advanced stats suggested he got some bad bounces. 1994 was the last year of his deal and Myong had a great resurgence with a 2.17 ERA, the second lowest of his career. He earned third in Pitcher of the Year voting.

Sapporo made it back to the playoffs in 1994, but Myong missed the postseason to biceps tendinitis. He looked good enough though that the Swordfish gave him another three years and $6,560,000. Myong looked good in the front end of 1995, but a torn labrum that summer put his future in serious doubt. He worked his way back in 1996 at age 38 and still put up respectable numbers, reaching 4000 career strikeouts. Myong had a 2.62 ERA in the playoffs as Sapporo lost to Hiroshima in the JLCS.

In 1997, Myong was the 11^th EAB pitcher to 250 career wins. He was only a part-time starter with 158 innings, although he had a role to play. Myong had a 1.50 ERA over 18 playoff innings as Sapporo won their first Japan League of Myong’s tenure. They lost to Yongin in the EAB final.

For his playoff career, Myong had a 2.44 ERA over 96 innings, 79 strikeouts, 136 ERA+, and 2.6 WAR. He decided to retire that winter at age 40 and Sapporo retired his #46 uniform. The Swordfish would go onto win the 1998 EAB Championship and ownership gave Myong a commemorative ring for his long service with the team.

Myong finished with a 254-216 record, 3.02 ERA, 4388.1 innings, 4147 strikeouts, 662 walks, 369/550 quality starts, 192 complete games, 117 ERA+, 82 FIP-, and 94.9 WAR. At induction, he was 11^th in wins, 12^th in strikeouts, and 12^th in pitching WAR. Myong remains in the top 20 in each as of 2037. He’s also sixth all-time in complete games. It was an impressive career for a guy who some though was a #1 pick bust after his first few seasons. Myong got 98.3% for a first ballot induction, standing beside two other stellar pitchers in the 2003 class.

Rikiya Fujiwara – Starting Pitcher – Osaka Orange Sox – 98.3% First Ballot

Rikiya Fujiwara was a 6’3’’, 190 pound left-handed pitcher from Kakogawa, a city with roughly 250,000 people not far from Kobe in Japan’s Hyogo Prefecture. Fujiwara was a well-rounded pitcher with above average to good stuff, movement, and control. His velocity only peaked at 94-96 mph on his fastball, but he had a filthy slider, plus a good cutter and okay changeup. Fujiwara’s stamina was on the lower end among contemporary aces. He maximized his innings though as he was excellent at holding runners and good defensively.

Fujiwara was a hot prospect out of Itami Kita High School with many Japanese teams looking at getting him. His Hall of Fame classmate Seong-Jun Myong was the #1 overall pick in EAB’s 1979 Draft and the first Korea League pick. Fujiwara would be the #2 overall pick and the first in the Japan League, selected by Osaka. He ultimately played all 16 years of his pro career with the Orange Sox. Fujiwara would spend 1980 and 1981 in developmental before debuting in 1982 at age 21.

Fujiwara was a part-time starter in his rookie season, then a full-time after that. He looked merely average in his first three years, but he started to rise alongside Osaka. From 1986-1993, Fujiwara had eight consecutive seasons worth 6+ WAR. He first started getting award consideration during this run, taking second in 1986 Pitcher of the Year voting, third in 1987, and second in 1988.

Osaka completed its rebuild in 1985, ending a 27-year playoff drought and starting a six-year division title streak. The Orange Sox won the EAB championship in 1985 and 1989, but fell in the first round the other years. Fujiwara was especially big in the 1989 run with a 0.78 ERA over 34.2 innings. For his playoff career, Fujiwara had a 1.78 ERA in 86 innings, 72 strikeouts, and 2.0 WAR. Early 1988 saw his first contract extension, albeit a short one at three years and $3,700,000.

Fujiwara led in ERA in 1988, then led with a career and league-best 318 strikeouts and 8.8 WAR in 1989. That earned him his first Pitcher of the Year award. Fujiwara followed it up with a JL best 1.72 ERA and 0.75 WHIP to repeat as Pitcher of the Year. This season also had a 12 strikeout, one walk no-hitter on April 21 against Nagoya. In May 1991, Fujiwara finally got the long-term extension for six years and $8,400,000,

Fujiwara was still very good in the early years of this deal, but not a league leader. Osaka retreated towards the middle of the standings with a five-year playoff drought. As his stamina started to wane, Fujiwara began seeing more split use between the bullpen and rotation. In 1995, elbow inflammation would cost him four months. His career was starting to look like it was approaching its end.

Fujiwara had one last great season in him with a career best 1.44 ERA in 1996, along with a 0.75 WHIP, 6.5 WAR, and 232 ERA+. This was the ninth lowest ERA by a starter in a season to that point in EAB. Sadly, he fractured his elbow in September and couldn’t play for Osaka as they snapped their playoff drought. However, his effort landed Fujiwara his third Pitcher of the Year six years removed from his most recent one.

The Orange Sox bought out the last year of Fujiwara’s contract, but signed him to another three-year, $6,360,000. He had a setback to the elbow injury in spring training, not making his 1997 debut until May. In his fourth start, Fujiwara fractured the elbow once more. This effectively ended his career, as he retired in the winter at age 36. Osaka immediately honored Fujiwara by retiring his #32 uniform.

The career line for Fujiwara was a 204-128 record, 2.49 ERA, 3202.1 innings, 3049 strikeouts, 490 walks, 309/421 quality starts, 78 complete games, 134 ERA+, 75 FIP-, and 82.2 WAR. His rate stats sit quite well on the leaderboards, although his comparatively low innings per year kept him from popping when it came to counting stats. Still, Fujiwara did more than enough to earn his spot in the 2003 Hall of Fame class at 98.3%. You would be hard pressed to find many 1-2-3 HOF lineups better than EAB’s 2003 group.

05-07-2024, 03:26 AM	#1221
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,576	2002 in AAB Four-time defending AAB Southern Conference champion Johannesburg took the top spot in the standings for the fourth year in a row, finishing at 105-57. They were closely trailed by Antananarivo, who earned its first playoff berth in AAB’s eight seasons to date. The Eagles were 102-60 to set a franchise record. After wild cards in the prior two seasons, Dar es Salaam dropped to third at 93-69. Durban was fourth at 91-71, setting a new high mark for the Deer. Although Lilongwe was sixth, they had RF Felix Chaula repeat as Southern Conference MVP. The 26-year old Tanzanian righty led in home runs (57), OBP (.436), slugging (.714), OPS (1.150), wRC+ (209), and WAR (9.9). Chaula added 114 RBI and a .306 average. Pitcher of the Year was Antananarivo righty Lucas Wachira, who broke out as the leader in wins (22-7), ERA (2.39), innings (275.1), and quality starts (26). The 24-year old Kenyan added 272 strikeouts and 7.9 WAR. Also of note, Dar es Salaam’s Tewderos Tadesse became the second AAB player to win Reliever of the Year thrice. Kinshasa returned to first place in the Central Conference standings, taking the spot at 105-57. It was their fifth time taking first, as the Sun Cats still have been in the playoffs in each season of the AAB. Defending champ Lubumbashi would fall short though, finishing third at 98-64. They were bested by Mogadishu, who snagged the second place spot at 102-60. This was the second-ever playoff berth for the Mighty Mice, who also were a wild card in 1998. There was a steep 15 game drop from third to fourth. Fifth place Brazzaville had the Central Conference’s MVP in Mohau Sibiya. The 29-year old South African smacked 76 home runs, passing his own AAB record of 69 from 1999. Sibiya also had 158 RBI, one shy of Abebe Chekol’s record from the prior year. He’d lose the home run record in 2006, but he stands in elite company in world history. Sibayi also led the conference in runs (134), total bases (419), slugging (.754), OPS (1.121), wRC+ (193), and WAR (11.5). It would be his last year with the Blowfish, as he’d be traded across the river to Kinshasa in the offseason. Pitcher of the Year was Kampala’s Mulumba Mwamba. He became the first-ever reliever to win the award in AAB, posting 35 saves in 87.2 innings, a 1.23 ERA, 152 strikeouts, 335 ERA+, and 5.5 WAR. Shockingly he won POTY and NOT Reliever of the Year, as the latter went to Lubumbashi’s Rajab Hamadi. The 27-year old led in saves (41) and had a 1.11 ERA, 188 strikeouts in 81 innings, 368 ERA+, and 6.9 WAR. It remains baffling to historians years later that a reliever won POTY despite not being the top reliever by many metrics. Johannesburg’s reign atop the Southern Conference ended as Antananarivo denied them the five-peat. The Eagles upset the Jackalopes 4-1 in the Conference Championship for their first-pennant. Joahnnesburg would have to wait more than a decade for their next pennant, while Antananarivo would assume the mantle for the next few years. The Central Conference Championship was a rematch of the 1998 final. It was a seven game classic, but Kinshasa again came out on top of Mogadishu. The Sun Cats earned their sixth pennant through eight seasons. Kinshasa was upset that Lubumbashi broke up the dynasty in 2001. They took that frustration out on Antananarivo in the eighth Africa Series, winning it 5-1. The Sun Cats earned their fifth title in six years with the win, a feat matched by few teams in any world league. 1B Matthew Roberts led the way, winning MVP of the Africa Series and the Conference final. A 32-year old Canadian who joined Kinshasa in 2000 after nine years in Montreal, Roberts had 13 hits, 9 runs, 6 home runs, and 13 RBI in 12 playoff starts. Other notes: On April 10, Antananarivo’s Seth Zoontjes tossed the first-ever perfect game in AAB, striking out eight against Durban. The next perfecto wouldn’t come until 2013. Joel Mwasesa became the first pitcher to 2000 career strikeouts. CF Tico Samo won his sixth Gold Glove, becoming the second in AAB to win six. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

05-07-2024, 12:14 PM	#1222
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,576	2002 in ALB The Arab League’s Western Conference saw a shakeup with three new division champs than the prior two seasons. The top record went to Alexandria at 97-65 atop the Nile Division. The Astronauts finished six games ahead of Cairo for the top spot, ending a seven-year playoff drought. Tripoli took the Mediterranean Division at 96-66, edging Algiers by two games. The Privateers ended the four-year division title streak of Casablanca, who took third in the division at 89-73. Amman dominated the Levant Division at 91-71, ending a two-year playoff drought. Jerusalem, the division winner in the prior two seasons, fell off hard to 73-89. Western Conference MVP went to Casablanca 3B Abderrazak Zouari for the second time in three years. The 28-year old Moroccan righty bounced back after missing half of 2001 to injury, leading in runs (131), home runs (55), RBI (147), total bases (401), OBP (.409), slugging (.706), OPS (1.115), wRC+ (206), and WAR (12.0). Cairo’s Mahmoud Al-Fandi won Pitcher of the Year and became the first-ever Triple Crown pitcher in Arab League Baseball history. The 26-year old Syrian lefty had a 24-8 record, 2.71 ERA, and 319 strikeouts over 259 innings. Al-Fandi also led in WHIP (0.95), quality starts (31), FIP- (69), and WAR (7.7). Tripoli swept Amman in the first round of the playoffs, earning their third Western Conference Finals appearance (1991, 1997). For top seed Alexandria, their only prior playoff berth saw a WCF defeat in 1994. The Astronauts would sweep the Privateers 3-0 to win their first-ever pennant. The battle for the top record in the Eastern Conference was centered in the Saudi Division as Riyadh and Medina both finished at 96-66. The Rats defeated the Mastodons in the one-game tiebreaker for their second division title in three years. Jeddah, last year’s conference finalist, dropped to .500. Dubai repeated as Gulf Division champ at 95-67, fending off Kuwait by two games. Reigning ALB champ Mosul had their worst record since 1994, but still firmly took the Iraq Division at 89-73. The Muskies extended their postseason streak to eight years, the longest in ALB history to date. Riyadh first baseman Samer Al-Mousa won Eastern Conference MVP and posted the fourth ALB Triple Crown season for a hitter. The 26-year old Syrian lefty smacked 62 home runs with 141 RBI and a .348 average. Al-Mousa also led in runs (124), doubles (48), total bases (440), OBP (.433), slugging (.773), OPS (1.206), and wRC+ (226) while adding 11.0 WAR. Riyadh was delighted with their investment, as they had given Al-Mousa an eight-year, $8,990,000 extension the prior winter. The Rats also had the Pitcher of the Year with eighth-year lefty Ali Sabet. The 28-year old Egyptian led in wins (20-6), ERA (2.50), WHIP (0.88), and WAR (7.1). Sabet added 282 strikeouts over 255.2 innings. Dubai edged Mosul 2-1 in the first round, keeping the Muskies out of the Eastern Conference Final for the first time since 1994. This would be the official end of their dynasty run, as Mosul would fall below .500 the next year. Despite it being their eighth time in the playoffs, this was only the second time the Diamonds had been in the ECF (1991). For Riyadh, this was their first conference final. Dubai would upset the Rats 3-2 to win their first pennant. The 13^th Arab League Championship was guaranteed to have a first-time winner and the ninth different franchise with a title. Dubai downed Alexandria 4-2, led by veteran LF Junoon Asghar. The 32-year old Palestinian was finals MVP in his second year with the Diamonds, making 14 playoff starts with 17 hits, 10 runs, 4 doubles, 8 home runs, and 18 RBI. Asghar set ALB playoff records for both homers and RBI. The HR mark still hasn’t been topped as of 2037, while the RBI mark held until 2025. Other notes: Basra’s Sami Al-Malki had a 17 strikeout no-hitter on August 2 against Baghdad, setting the ALB record for most Ks in a no-no. Dubai’s Salem Aldani had a 27-game hit streak, a new ALB top mark. 1B Bilal Hamdan won his ninth Gold Glove and SS Mohammed Mohamed won his eighth. Mohamed also won his ninth Silver Slugger, the first ALB player to do so. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

05-07-2024, 03:49 PM	#1223
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,576	2002 in ABF The ABF’s East League had the same four playoff teams as the prior year, although positions were switched around. Bishkek took the top spot at 105-57 led by great pitching. They allowed the third fewest runs (387) and earned runs (358) in EL/Pakistan League history with the third-best ERA (2.13) and second-best WHIP. The Black Sox extended their playoff streak tot here seasons. Multan took second place at 95-67 to repeat as a playoff team, while defending ABF champion Dushanbe was third at 91-71. The Dynamo secured a third consecutive playoff berth. Tashkent took the fourth and final playoff spot at 87-75, besting Hyderabad by four games and Peshawar by five. Including their Eurasian Professional Baseball days, the Tomcats have an eight-year playoff streak. East League MVP was Multan RF Oudeh Ashraf. The 27-year old led in runs (102), home runs (52), RBI (116), total bases (349), slugging (.599), OPS (.939), and wRC+ (216), while adding 8.1 WAR. It would be his penultimate season with the Mighty Cocks, as he’d leave for MLB and Kansas City in 2004. Bishkek’s Nadir Kaliev was Pitcher of the Year in his second season as a full-time starter. The 27-year old Uzbek lefty led in wins (21-8), and complete games (17). Kaliev had a 2.24 ERA over 269.2 innings with 274 strikeouts and 7.7 WAR. The #3 and #4 seeds earned upset wins in the first round of the playoffs. Tashkent topped top ranked Bishkek 3-1 and Dushanbe edged Multan 3-2. This put the 2001 ABF champ Dynamo against the 2000 champ Tomcats in the East League Championship Series. Tashkent clobbered Dushanbe with a sweep, earning their second EL pennant in three years. Counting the EBF Asian League, the Tomcats have earned four pennants in the last five years. The West League had Isfahan and Ankara tied for the top spot at 96-66. The tiebreaker went to the Imperials, who extended their ABF-record playoff streak to eight years. The Alouettes picked up a third consecutive playoff appearance. Defending WL champ Bursa extended their own postseason streak to six seasons, placing third at 93-69. The fourth and final spot went to 88-74 Izmir, who hadn’t made the playoffs in a decade. Adana, last year’s WCLS runner-up, dropped to seventh at 77-85. Still, their star LF Humayun Kahil won his fourth MVP in five years. The 25-year old Pakistani lefty became the first four-time MVP in ABF history and earned his second Triple Crown. It was the fourth Triple Crown season for an ABF hitter. Kahil led in home runs (60), RBI (139), total bases (406), stolen bases (74), average (.330), slugging (.701), OPS (1.102), wRC+ (210), and WAR (12.4). Isfahan’s Yazeed Anwari won a historic seventh Pitcher of the Year. He was the first and as of 2037, one of two pitchers to reach that distinction. The 29-year old Pakistani righty led in wins (24-7), innings (290.1), strikeouts (416), WHIP (0.82), K/BB (14.9), quality starts (30), and WAR (11.5). Anwari had a 1.80 ERA, falling just short of a Triple Crown behind Bedirhan Uzun’s 1.66. Anwari also had a 21 strikeout game in May against Gujranwala. Isfahan swept Izmir in the first round of the playoffs, while Bursa upset Adana 3-2. This set up another West League Championship Series between the Imperials and Blue Claws, who met each year in the final from 1997-00. Isfahan beat up Bursa 4-1 to win their fourth pennant in six years. The Imperials now have six pennants total (1986, 87, 97, 98, 00, 02). The 18^th Asian Baseball Federation was a rematch of the 2000 finale while saw Tashkent top Isfahan. The Tomcats prevailed again, topping the Imperials 4-1. Tashkent now has two titles after three seasons in the ABF. Along with Dushanbe’s 2001 win, each title has gone to a former EPB team since those squads joined the ABF for the 2000 season. 3B Oleg Slutsky was finals MVP, as the 29-year old Russian in 13 playoff starts had 18 hits, 10 runs, 4 doubles, and 4 RBI. It was Sltusky’s final season with Tashkent, as he’d move back to Russia and sign with EPB’s Omsk in the offseason. Other notes: Isfahan’s Frantisek Kasa pitched the ninth Perfect Game in ABF history, striking out 15 against Baku on June 30. Vahid Hadadi became the first ABF slugger to 600 home runs, retiring with 603. He’d hold the top spot until 2010. Hasan Afshin became the first to 4000 strikeouts. CF Shahruz Rowhani won his seventh Gold Glove. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

05-08-2024, 07:38 AM	#1224
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,576	2002 in SAB Another year, another top seed in the Indian League for Ahmedabad. The eight-time defending IL champs finished 118-44 to extend their postseason streak to 18 years and their West Division title streak to 15 years. The second best record was also in the West with 97-65 Mumbai, who easily repeated as wild card. Jaipur earned a third consecutive Central Division at 96-66. The South Division was abysmal with Bengaluru taking first at 74-88, ending a six-year playoff drought. Visakhapatnam, who had won four straight division titles, had the worst record in the league at 64-98. Indian League MVP went to Mumbai veteran 3B Gotem Sarwar, who led the league with 54 home runs. The 31-year old added 117 RBI, 102 runs, a .263/.342/.605 slash, 201 wRC+, and 8.2 WAR. Ahmedadbad’s Arkakara Raja won Pitcher of the Year in his first full-time season as a starter. The 23-year old Indian lefty led in ERA (1.55), strikeouts (364), FIP- (55), and WAR (9.5). Raja pitched 255.1 innings with a 22-4 record, falling two wins short of a Triple Crown. Ahmedabad beat divisional foe Mumbai 3-1 in the first round and Jaipur downed Bengaluru 3-1. This set up a third consecutive Indian League Championship Series battle between the two squads and the fifth in seven years. The Animals dominated yet again and swept the Jokers for a historic ninth pennant in a row. Since 1986, Ahmedabad has been the Indian League’s champ 15 times. Ho Chi Minh City yet again had the top record in the Southeast Asia League, winning a 13^th straight South Division title. The Hedgehogs extended their epic playoff streak to 16 years. Dhaka had an impressive turnaround from 71 wins to 99-63 atop the North Division. This was their first playoff appearance in six years. Reigning South Asian Champion Yangon had the first wild card at 97-65 to extend their playoff streak to eight seasons. Chittagong at 89-73 was the second wild card for only their second-ever playoff berth (1985). SEAL MVP was Dhaka shortstop Sameer Sheikh. The 25-year old Pakistani righty won the batting title at .333 and was the WARlord at 11.8. He added 53 home runs, 121 RBI, a 1.120 OPS, and 191 wRC+. Sheikh beat out an impressive 69 home run effort by HCMC’s Tritha Upadhyaya, who added 11.1 WAR. The nice 69 tally tied the third most homers in SAB history behind Dhuna Itar’s 74 in 2000 and Amoda Shah’s 70 in 1998. In his Yangon debut, Suhrawadi Baisya won Pitcher of the Year. It would be his only season with the Green Dragons, posting a 2.46 ERA over 216 innings, 242 strikeouts, 6.2 WAR, and a 13-5 record. Also of note, Ho Chi Minh City closer Saroth Bora became SAB’s second-ever four-time Reliever of the Year winner. He led in saves with 47 and posted a 1.09 ERA over 90.2 innings, 157 strikeouts, and 5.1 WAR. HCMC downed Chittagong 3-1 while Dhaka ousted reigning SAB champ Yangon 3-1. This was the first time in the Southeast Asia League Championship Series for the Dobermans since 1994. For Ho Chi Minh City, this was their ninth consecutive LCS. For back-to-back years, the Hedgehogs were stunned and denied the pennant. Dhaka won the series to become four-time SEAL champs (1981, 84, 91, 02). The 23^rd South Asia Baseball Championship was a rematch of the 1991 final, which Ahmedabad won over Dhaka. After falling short in the last two finals, the Animals rolled to a sweep of the Dobermans. For the fourth time in his career, CF Anjan Sumanjit won finals MVP. In his final season, the 32-year old Indian in 12 playoff starts had 14 hits, 5 runs, 2 doubles, 1 triple, 3 home runs, and 5 RBI. With that, Ahmedabad earned a historic 12^th SAB championship over 17 years (1986, 87, 89, 90, 91, 92, 94, 95, 96, 98, 99, 02). It was a two decade stretch of dominance never before seen in any professional baseball league. Although the Animals would remain a contender for the next few years, their 2002 title would mark the end of the dynasty and would be their last championship for the next 20+ years. Other notes: Amoda Shah became the first SAB hitter to 600 career home runs. Van Loi Phung and Manju Abbas were the second and third to 2500 hits. Abbas became a 13-time Gold Glove winner, the most by any player in SAB history. SS Aman Aveesh and CF Mansoor Gurinder became seven-time Gold Glovers. 2B Tirtha Upadhyaya 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)

05-08-2024, 11:34 AM	#1225
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,576	2002 in WAB WAB’s Western League had a major shakeup with three new squads earning the playoff spots. Abidjan, who had won the WL pennant the prior three years, fell to eighth place at 73-89. Freetown, who had been in six straight WLCS, tied for sixth at 81-81. Accra, who had back-to-back wild cards, dropped to ninth at 72-90. Kumasi finished first place at 96-66, ending a three-year playoff drought. Second place was 89-73 Cape Verde, taking their first playoff appearance since 1993. Bamako ended a drought back to 1992, securing third and the final playoff spot at 86-76. The Bullfrogs edged out Nouakchott by three games and Monrovia by four games. Repeating as Western League MVP was Kumasi DH Mo Reda. The 24-year old Egyptian lefty led in runs (130), home runs (49), RBI (152), total bases (396), slugging (.643), OPS (1.033), and wRC+ (186). Reda added 7.5 WAR and a .338 average. The Monkeys in the offseason extended their slugger for eight years and $19,240,000. Tenth-year Freetown righty Patrick Tchuisse was Pitcher of the Year. The 29-year old Cameroonian righty had a 16-10 record over 233 innings, 2.70 ERA, 270 strikeouts, and 6.1 WAR. Cape Verde edged Bamako 2-1 in the wild card round, sending the Vulcans to the Western League Championship Series for only the second time (1988). Kumasi was making their first WLCS appearance since their 1998 title. Cape Verde pulled off the upset 3-1 over the Monkeys for their first-ever pennant. The Vulcans entered the season as the only WL team that hadn’t yet gotten to the final. Five-time defending Eastern League champ and reigning WAB champ Kano yet again cruised to first place in the standings, going 106-56. Lome was a distant second at 94-68, ending a playoff drought dating back to 1990. Niamey narrowly took third at 89-73, edging Lagos by two games. The Atomics had their fourth wild cards in five years. Ibadan’s 12-year postseason streak snapped with a seventh place finish at 77-85. The Iguanas streak was the second longest in WAB history to date behind Kumasi’s 14-year stretch from 1978-91. Kano SS Darwin Morris won a historic eighth Eastern League MVP and his sixth in-a-row. The 30-year old Liberian pulled it off despite missing six weeks to a strained hamstring. Morris was the WARlord at 9.4, his ninth straight year leading in WAR and earning 9+. He added 35 home runs, 101 runs, a 183 wRC+, and a .322/.405/.653 slash. Lome’s Emma Markson won Pitcher of the Year in his fourth season. The 25-year old Nigerian lefty led in WAR (6.8), WHIP (0.99), and FIP- (74). Markson added a 3.16 ERA over 250.1 innings with 317 strikeouts and a 20-9 record. He’d earn a six-year, $18,560,000 extension after the 2003 season, but back issues would force Markson into a relief role in his later years. Niamey upset Lome 2-0 in the wild card round for their first Eastern League Championship Series spot since 1988. Kano was playing in their eighth straight ELCS and would continue their reign. The Atomics took them to the brink, but the Condors won it 3-2 for a sixth consecutive pennant. Kano has 10 Western League titles to their name now, passing Lagos to stand alone with the most. For the first time since 1993, the West African Championship needed all seven games. Cape Verde had a spirited effort trying to win their first title, but Kano’s dynasty continued with the 4-3 win. The Condors repeated as WAB champs and won their fifth championship in six years. Kano now has eight overall titles (1975, 76, 86, 97, 98, 99, 01, 02), tied for the most with Lagos. 3B Arnaud Aho repeated as finals MVP with the 34-year old Beninois slugger making 12 playoff starts with 17 hits, 8 runs, 3 doubles, 4 home runs, and 8 RBI. Other notes: Cape Verde 1B Ifeanyi Adeleke had an impressive playoff run, winning WLCS MVP. The 30-year old Nigerian set still-standing WAB playoff records for home runs (10), RBI (22), and total bases (58). Adeleke also sit the record for hits (25), and runs (15), posting an impressive 319 wRC+, 1.7 WAR, and .417/.426/.967 slash over 14 starts. He would lose the hit and run marks, although they remain top five postseason efforts. This would be the career highlight for Adeleke, who wouldn’t be the same after a torn PCL suffered the next year. 2B Fausto Pyagbara won his eighth Gold Glove. Darwin Morris won a ninth Silver Slugger. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder) Last edited by FuzzyRussianHat; 05-08-2024 at 11:37 AM.

05-08-2024, 05:05 PM	#1226
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,576	2002 in CLB The Chinese Northern League was incredible competitive in 2002 with only eight games separating first place from eighth place. Harbin narrowly took the top spot at 90-72, one game ahead of last year’s finalist Beijing at 89-73. Both the Hellcats and Bears earned repeat playoff appearances. Shenyang was two off the lead at 88-74, earning third and the final playoff spot. The Swans ended a three-year playoff drought. Just missing out were Hangzhou (86-76), Xi’an (84-78), Qingdao (83-79), Tianjin (82-80), and Zhengzhou (82-80). Shenyang’s Xirong Wang repeated as Northern League MVP, winning the honor for the third time. The 29-year old center fielder led in runs (81), home runs (46), RBI (105), total bases (338), slugging (.591), OPS (.938), wRC+ (233), and WAR (13.1). It was only the fifth time that a CLB position player had 13+ WAR. Pitcher of the Year was Shanghai’s John Vo in his second season as a full-time starter. The 24-year old from Hong Kong had a 16-11 record over 270.2 innings, 1.53 ERA, 334 strikeouts, and 9.7 WAR. After just missing the playoffs last year, Kunming had China’s best overall record at 96-66 atop the Southern League standings. This was the second berth in three years for the Muscle. Dongguan repeated as a wild card, finishing second at 89-73. Defending CLB champ Wuhan and Guangzhou tied for third at 84-78, while both Changsha and Shenzhen fell one short of the last playoff spot. The Wolverines beat the Gamecocks in the tiebreaker game to keep their repeat hopes alive. Guangzhou’s hope at four straight playoff berths was thwarted. At 80-82, Foshan and Macau were both only four games out from the third place spot. Southern League MVP went to Kunming veteran Tao Yang. The 33-year old center fielder won it for the third time, also taking it in 1995 and 2000. He led in home runs (47) while adding 94 RBI, a 191 wRC+, and 8.2 WAR. Yang had one more season with Kunming before leaving for MLB’s Austin. Foshan’s Chunmei Sun won Pitcher of the Year, leading in complete games (16) and shutouts (6). Sun earned it despite a 12-15 record over 274.2 innings, adding a 1.77 ERA, 285 strikeouts, and 7.0 WAR. Both Northern League teams won the first round playoff matchups over their Southern League foes. Beijing swept Wuhan in a rematch of last year’s China Series, while Shenyang rolled 2-0 over Dongguan. The Swans stunned Harbin in a seven-game classic in the semifinal, earning their second-ever finals berth (1998). On the other side, top-ranked Kunming bested Beijing 4-1. This was the second finals trip in three years for the Muscle and their fifth overall. The 33^rd China Series was a classic that needed all seven games. The finale was a 1-0 pitcher’s duel that saw an all-time performance by Kunming’s Zilin Hu. A relative journeyman in his career, the 27-year old Hu tossed a one-hit shutout with nine strikeouts and one walk, lifting the Muscle to the title over Shenyang. Finals MVP was LF Vagner Cervantes, a 31-year old Mexican lefty who came to China in 1999. In 12 playoff starts, he had 14 hits, 7 runs, 2 homers, and 7 RBI. This was Kunming’s third CLB ring, joining their 1977 and 1978 titles. Other notes: An era of parity continued for CLB as Kunming was the ninth different champion in nine years. That streak ultimately would break the next year. CLB’s 31^st and 32^nd perfect games would come in the 2003 campaign. On June 28, Xiamen’s Kunlin Wang did it with eight strikeouts against Shenzhen. Then August 10, his Mutts teammate Chen Li was perfect with five strikeouts against Foshan. SS Chengxi Erpan won his ninth Gold Glove, while 2B Shiquan Liang won his seventh. CF Tao Yang 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)

05-09-2024, 05:51 AM	#1227
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,576	2002 in APB For the first time since 1979, Tainan took the top spot in the Taiwan League. The Titans only barely wrestled away the title from Kaohsiung, who had taken three straight TL titles. Tainan was 95-67, edging the 94-68 Steelheads by one game. The Philippine League also had a shakeup with Davao on top at 94-68. The Devil Rays hadn’t posted a winning season since their 1995 Austronesia Championship win. Two-time defending PL winner Zamboanga finished second at 87-75, ending their hopes of repeating as Taiwan-Philippine Association champ. Although the Zebras were dethroned, they still had the top individual honors. Zamboanga CF Paolo Baptista won a third straight TPA MVP in only his fourth season, leading in home runs (32), RBI (108), total bases (339), slugging (.584), OPS (.931), wRC+ (195), and WAR (9.9). The Zebras had wisely locked down their superstar long-term with an eight-year, $31,340,000 extension signed prior to the 2002 season. His teammate Emmanuel Sosa was Pitcher of the Year, leading in wins (22-9), innings (295.2), strikeouts (397), quality starts (29), complete games (20), shutouts (7), FIP- (66), and WAR (8.9). The second-year righty had a 1.83 ERA, finishing just short of a Triple Crown behind Heng-Hsiao Liao’s 1.66 for Kaohsiung. The Zebras thought they had another budding superstar, but Sosa sadly suffered back-to-back torn labrums in the next two seasons, forcing a retirement at only age 26. Also of note, Steelheads closer Bo-Kai Yen won his fourth Reliever of the Year; the sixth to earn that distinction in APB. Defending Austronesia Champion Semarang repeated atop the Java League at 100-62, the best record in the Sundlanad Association and all of APB. It didn’t come easy for the Sliders, as they had to fend off a strong 99-67 effort by Bandung. 88-74 was good enough for Medan to win a weak Malacca League with no other team above .500. This was the Marlins’ third ML title in a row. Sundaland Association MVP was Medan 1B Arya Mustafa. The 26-year old posted 33 home runs, 74 RBI, a .290..348/.529 slash, 181 wRC+, and 8.6 WAR. Mustafa played one more year for the Marlins, then signed an eight-year, $52,700,000 deal after the 2003 season with Jakarta. Pitcher of the Year was third-year Semarang righty Chris Akut. He led in wins (22-5) and WHIP (0.81). The 25-year old Filipino had a 1.68 ERA over 251.1 innings, 283 strikeouts, and 5.7 WAR. Akut would win an ERA title in 2003, but a torn UCL the next year largely left him a non-factor moving forward. Davao downed Tainan 4-1 in the Taiwan-Philippine Association Championship, giving the Devil Rays their third pennant (1975, 1998). Semarang and Medan had a seven-game battle in a Sundaland Association Championship rematch. The Sliders prevailed again to repeat as champs and win their sixth SA pennant. In the 38^th Austronesia Championship, Semarang completed the repeat, defeating Davao 4-2. The Sliders joined Taoyuan, Kaohsiung, and Jakarta as the only franchises to earn back-to-back APB titles and are the first to repeat since the Tsunami in 1996-97. Catcher Eka Sudirman was the finals MVP, coming to Semarang in a May trade with Bandung. In 13 playoff starts, the 28-year old journeyman had 6 hits, 3 runs, 3 home runs, and 4 RBI; not an impressive overall line but the big moments apparently came in the final. Other notes: Manila’s Yu-Ren Yang pitched APB’s 26^th Perfect Game on September 3, striking out 16 against Davao. This was Yang’s second perfect game, having fanning 17 against Manila back in 2000. He joined the very short list of players in any world league with multiple perfect games along with EAB’s Katsunari Fujiwara (1922, 1923), EAB’s Moon Kim (1923, 1924), BSA’s Wilfredo Casacubierta (1982, 1988), EPB’s Rolands Karlovskis (1979, 1984), OBA’s Te Paoro Rangi (1963, 1967), APB’s Vhon Lasam (1989, 1990), APB’s Wisnu Mahmudiana (1994, 2001), CLB’s Bin Zhan (1978, 1984), and CLB’s Guodong Lin (both 1981). Incidentally, two days after Yang’s second perfecto, EBF’s Enrico Gini joined that elite group with his second for Marseille. Wisnu Mahmudiana became the eighth pitcher to 4500 career strikeouts in APB. He would pitch two more years and finish with 4879, which stands ninth as of 2037. Akbar Fatchurohman became only the fifth to 2500 hits. He’d retire after 2003 with 2580 hits, third all-time at retirement and ninth as of 2037. SS Alif Aris 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)

05-09-2024, 12:05 PM	#1228
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,576	2002 in OBA Adelaide’s hope to repeat as Oceania Champion fell flat as the Aardvarks dropped to 80-82, tying with Sydney for fourth in the Australasia League standings. They were still only eight games off the lead in a competitive field led by Brisbane. At 88-74, the Black Bears earned only their second-ever pennant, joining their 1991 championship season. Gold Coast was second at 84-78 and Perth was third at 82-80. The league was so tight though that only 11 games separated first place Brisbane from last place Christchurch at 77-85. Brisbane’s Kenny Johnson won Australasia League MVP in a rare win for leadoff guys. The 30-year old shortstop led in hits (201), average (.360), and OBP (.385). Johnson added 7.5 WAR, a 142 wRC+, 34 doubles, 9 home runs, and 83 RBI. Pitcher of the Year was Sydney’s Jim DeRossi, winning the award for the fourth time (1997, 99, 2000, 02). The 31-year old Australian righty became the fifth OBA pitcher to win the award four or more times while tossing the 13^th Triple Crown season for an OBA ace. DeRossi had a 19-13 record, 2.62 ERA, and 351 strikeouts while also leading in innings (330), WHIP (0.93), K/BB (8.4), quality starts (27), complete games (19), FIP- (75), and WAR (8.7). Also of note, Christchurch’s Hunter Brooks won his third Reliever of the Year. Entering 2002, the only Pacific League team without a pennant in OBA’s first 42 years was Fiji. The Freedom finally ended that unfortunate distinction and ended Guam’s reign with a 100-62 record. The Golden Eagles were second at 96-66, foiling their bid for a sixth straight PL title. Samoa was a competitive third at 93-69. With Fiji’s title, only the Australasia League’s Sydney remains without a single pennant. Leading Fiji’s effort was Pacific League MVP Junia Lava. The 27-year old first baseman from Vanuatu led in RBI (124), total bases (354) and WAR (6.7). Lava added 44 home runs, a .932 OPS, and 165 wRC+. Pitcher of the Year was second-year New Caledonia ace Crow Xue. The 24-year old rising star from Hong Kong was the WARlord at 9.3. Xue added a 22-16 record over 321.1 innings, 2.86 ERA, and 284 strikeouts. In the 43^rd Oceania Championship, Brisbane beat Fiji in a series that needed all seven games. The Black Bears earned their second-ever OBA ring, joining their 1991 effort. LF Ian Griff led the way as finals MVP in a record-setting effort. The 31-year old Aussie set OBA playoff records for runs (11) and RBI (11) that still stand in 2037. Griff also had 10 hits, 2 doubles, and 5 home runs. Teammate Ken Morphy also set a playoff record with eight stolen bases. Other notes: For the third consecutive season, OBA didn’t have a single no-hitter thrown. 3B Errol Herne was his 11^th Gold Glove, a record for the position. As of 2037, he is the all-time leader in OBA at third with a cumulative 109.5 zone rating. SS Thom Serra won his ninth Gold Glove. CF Damien Patton 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)

05-09-2024, 05:37 PM	#1229
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,576	2002 in EPB Two-time defending Eurasian Professional Baseball champion Minsk and Kazan both finished at 99-63 atop the European League standings. No tiebreaker game was used as the Crusaders won the formula for the top spot. Although it was their fifth playoff berth in six years and they won the EPB title in 1997, Kazan hadn’t won a division crown since 1969. This snapped the Miners’ division title streak at six seasons, although their playoff streak grew to 22 years. This passed EBF’s Zurich for the longest postseason streak in any pro baseball league. There was a steep drop from the top two to third place Moscow at 83-79. Minsk had the European League MVP in LF Ruslan Tsarayev. It was the first year as a full-time starter for the 25-year old hometown favorite, who led the EL in hits (187), average (.316), OBP (.344), and WAR (7.7). Tsarayev added 22 home runs and a 192 wRC+. The Miners would make him a long-term fixture with an eight-year, $19,800,000 extension after the 2003 season. His Minsk teammate Markiyan Konoplya won his third consecutive Pitcher of the Year. The 28-year old Ukrainian righty led in strikeouts (360), quality starts (27), shutouts (6), FIP- (56), and WAR (10.0). Konoplya added a 2.00 ERA over 284 innings and didn’t get run support with a 12-16 record. He became the fourth EPB pitcher to win the award three years in a row. Defending Asian League champ Krasnoyarsk improved their stock to set a franchise best at 108-54. They earned back-to-back playoff berths, but the Cossacks hadn’t led the standings since 1984. There was a big drop, then an intense battle for the second place spot. Omsk and Yekaterinburg tied for the wild card at 90-72, while Ufa was one away at 89-73. The Otters edged the Yaks in the tiebreaker game, giving Omsk its fourth playoff berth in six years. Yekaterinburg’s three-year playoff streak ended. Although Yekaterinburg just missed the playoffs, they saw a historic effort from ace Matvey Ivanov. The 27-year old Russian lefty won his fourth straight Pitcher of the Year and earned Asian League MVP. He set single-season records for strikeouts (432), and shutouts (13), which both still hold as the top mark as of 2037. Ivanov finished one K better than Artur Golub’s 431 from 1969. The 13 shutouts also set a world record that still hasn’t been reached as of 2037 in any league. Ivanov also led the league in ERA (1.21), WHIP (0.73), complete games (29), FIP- (39) and WAR (14.13). The WAR mark fell just shy of Taleh Ismailov’s record 14.17 set in 1956. As of 2037, this is still the second-most WAR in a season by an EPB pitcher. Ivanov tossed 304.1 innings and had a 24-8 record, only missing a Triple Crown due to Krasnoyarsk’s Pascal Branescu, who had 27 wins for the Cossacks. Although they had to go on the road, Minsk used their wealth of playoff experience to knock off Kazan 4-1 in the European League Championship Series. It was the third straight pennant for the Miners and their 16^th overall. Defending AL champ Krasnoyarsk was the heavy favorite in the Asian League Championship Series, but Omsk stunned them by taking it in six. It was the fourth pennant for the Otters, who also won it in 1966, 1985, and 1987. Omsk hoped that the 48^th EPB Championship would give them their first-ever overall title. However, perennial power Minsk was too much to handle. The Miners completed the three-peat, taking the series in six games to win their record 12^th championship. Minsk became the first team in EPB history to win three EPB titles in a row and as of 2037, they’re the only team to do it. Finals MVP went to 1B Navarro Di Maggio, a 33-year old Argentine who came to Belarus in 2000. In 11 playoff starts, Di Maggio had 14 hits, 7 runs, 1 double, 2 triples, 1 homer, 3 RBI, and 6 stolen bases. With 12 rings, Minsk and SAB’s Ahmedabad are tied for the most titles by any franchise in any world league. Other notes: Krasnoyarsk’s Yakov Ryzhikov broke his own single-season stolen bases record of 113, swiping 117 bags in 2002. This stayed the record until 2010, but still remains third-best as of 2037. His teammate Pascal Branescu tied the single-season record with 310 innings pitched, previously hit in 1955 by Max Kukharchik. This remains the top mark as of 2037. Igor Urban passed Kirill Ohlobyatin and became EPB’s all-time hit king. He finished his career and the season at 3044, becoming the first to cross 3K. He would hold the top mark until finally passed in the early 2030s by Timofei Averkin. Shahin Lebedev became the 14^th to reach 300 saves. RF Sapar Durdiyew won his ninth Gold Glove and his eighth Silver Slugger. SS Gleb Khassanov won his ninth Silver Slugger. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

05-10-2024, 04:09 AM	#1230
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,576	2002 in EBF Three teams fought for the two byes in the Northern Conference. Defending European Champion Glasgow narrowly took it at 107-55, wining the British Isles Division for the sixth year in a row. The Highlanders also extended their postseason streak to seven years. There was a tie for the #2 seed between North Central Division champ Hamburg and Northeast Division winner Copenhagen at 106-56, both one game behind Glasgow. The tiebreaker gave the bye to the Corsairs, who earned a third straight division title. The Hammers earned a fourth straight playoff berth, but were stuck playing in the first round. They had fierce competition in the division, which saw Kyiv (98-64) and Kharkiv (97-65) run away with the wild cards. The Killer Bees earned an eighth consecutive playoff berth dating back to their EPB days, while the Kings ended a five-year postseason drought. The once stout Northwest Division had the weakest playoff team by wins as Amsterdam took first at 90-72. The Anacondas repeated as division champs and were three games ahead of Paris. Both top awards went to Hamburg with Ulf Alstrom winning his second Northern Conference MVP in three years. The 28-year old Swedish first baseman led in runs (120), total bases (386), slugging (.659), and OPS (1.071). Alstrom added 9.0 WAR, a 196 wRC+, .348 average, 50 home runs,, and 126 RBI. This would be the last year of his Hamburg run, as Alstrom earned a mega deal in Major League Baseball. In December, he signed an eight-year, $85,600,000 contract to move to Houston. Pitcher of the Year for the Hammers was Viktor Stier in his sixth season with the squad. The 27-year old German righty led in ERA (1.99), WHIP (0.75), K/BB (12.3), FIP- (53), and WAR (9.0). Stier added an 18-6 record over 235.1 innings and 296 strikeouts. Unlike Alstrom, Hamburg was able to lock Stier down, as he received a five-year, $23,120,000 extension in April. In an intense first round of the playoffs, both wild card times advanced on the road. Kyiv edged Amsterdam 2-1 and Kharkiv stunned Hamburg 2-1. The Killer Bees continued to roll, sweeping Copenhagen in round two. The Kings gave Glasgow a spirited effort, but the Highlanders survived in five. This set up a rematch of the 2000 Northern Conference Championship with the 2000 champ (Kharkiv) and the 2001 champ (Glasgow) squaring off. The series needed all seven games, but the Killer Bees pulled off the upset of the Highlanders. Kharkiv earned its second NC pennant in its third year in EBF and won its fourth pennant in five years counting their last two in EPB. Madrid was a wild card in 2001 after winning the Southern Conference the prior two years. The Conquistadors returned to the top spot with EBF’s best record at 111-51 atop the Southwest Division. Defending SC winner Munich grabbed the other first round bye, claiming the South Central Division at 106-56. In the Southeast Division, Tbilisi went 96-66 as the only winning team in the division. This was the first playoff spot for the Trains since the 1998 season in EPB and their first division title since 1993. The East Central Division had a tie for first at 93-69 between Athens and Budapest. The Anchors won the tiebreaker game for their sixth division title in eight years. The Bombers were able to repeat as a wild card. Zurich at 93-69 had the other wild card, edging out Milan (92-70), and Vienna (89-73). It was a good bounce-back for the Mountaineers, who fell to 80-82 the prior year after a conference finals berth in 2000. Notably, Seville fell off from 100 wins the prior season to only 79 in 2002. In his first full-season as a starter, Vienna 3B Ben Springer won Southern Conference MVP. Nicknamed “Dump Truck” for his ample posterior, the 24-year old Austrian led in RBI (131), and WAR (9.5). Springer added a .359/.403/.651 slash, 184 wRC+, and 39 home runs. Madrid’s Gjohl Wallinder won Pitcher of the Year. The 29-year old Swede led in wins at 21-9 and posted a 2.17 ERA over 261.1 innings, 251 strikeouts, and 8.0 WAR. Athens swept Zurich and Tbilisi bested Budapest 2-1 in the first round of the playoffs. Madrid cruised to a sweep of the Anchors, but the Trains shocked Munich by upsetting the defending champs in five games. Tbilisi had only twice ever gotten to the Asian League Championship Series during their EPB tenure, losing in 1973 and 1993. The magical run ended though with the Conquistadors taking the Southern Conference Championship 4-2. With that, Madrid earned its third pennant in four years and eighth overall. The 53^rd European Championship was a rematch of the 2000 final between Madrid and Kharkiv, although the roles were a bit different. That year saw them clash as the two best records in EBF, as well as the defending EBF champ (Madrid) against the reigning EPB champ (Kharkiv) in its first season post-defection. The Conquistadors had EBF’s best record in 2002, while the Killer Bees made a run as the #6 seed. The rematch was a classic that needed all seven games. Just like before, Kharkiv came out on top of Madrid, earning their second EBF ring. The Killer Bees have now won four championships in five years when including their 1998-99 EPB rings. Finals MVP was LF Vitaliy Batsuka in his eighth year with the team. Typically a backup previously, the 30-year old Ukrainian had 19 playoff games and 15 starts, getting 27 hits, 13 runs, 2 doubles, 2 triples, 10 RBI, and 7 stolen bases. This would be the capper for Kharkiv’s dynasty, although they would still make the playoffs the next year. It goes down as one of the finest runs in European baseball history and remains a notable part of baseball history since they went from champion of EPB to champion of EBF. Their success immensely helped EBF grow both in Ukraine and in the former Eastern Bloc. Three years since the exodus, the EBF and the teams that came over found themselves very happy with their decision. Other notes: 2002 was historic as there were three perfect games thrown, making it 27 in EBF history. The first was April 4 by Munich’s Karel Raes with seven strikeouts against Lisbon. Next was Athens’ Ebbe Arvidsson with seven Ks against Zagreb on July 2. The third was Marseille’s Enrico Gini with 6 strikeouts versus Barcelona on September 5. Gini became the first EBF pitcher with two perfectos, having also done it in 2000. Gini was the 11^th pitcher in world history to earn the feat with APB’s Yu-Ren Yang having just joined the list two days prior. Krakow had a historically bad pitching staff, allowing 826 earned runs with a 5.15 team ERA. These were both all-time EBF worsts that held until Marseille did worse in 2018. Willum Kleist smacked 64 home runs, his fourth straight season with 60+. To that point, no one else in EBF had done that feat. Harvey Coyle would later have more 60+ seasons total, but wouldn’t do it consecutively like Kleist. He also became the tenth in EBF history to reach 600 career homers. Lindsey Brampton became the seventh pitcher to 250 wins. He would pitch one more season and finish with 268, which stands sixth as of 2037. Brampton would also finish with 5955 strikeouts, becoming the all-time king ahead of Jean-Luc Roch’s 5757. No one else since has crossed 5000. Khaled Jabri would get to 4500 in 2002, finishing his career with 4518. That’s still good for fourth all-time. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

05-10-2024, 11:18 AM	#1231
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,576	2002 in BSA The Bolivar League saw some notable shakeups as for the first time since 1987, neither Bogota nor Lima made the playoffs. The only team that made it back from the 2001 field was Guayaquil, who was the wild card the prior year. The Golds won the Colombia-Ecuador Division at 96-66. Caracas, whose playoff streak snapped at six years in 2001, returned to the Venezuela Division top spot at 96-66. They were six games ahead of defending division winner Barquisimeto. Calii finished five games behind Guayaquil at 91-71, but ended up narrowly getting the wild card for their first playoff berth since their 1988 Copa Sudamerica win. Barquisimeto and Bogota both finished one game back at 90-72, which ended the Bats’ playoff streak at seven years. Lima’s BSA record 14-year streak in the Peru-Bolivia league ended with the Lobos at 82-80. They were still only one game worse than La Paz (83-79), who squeaked to the division win over the Lobos and 81-81 Callao. It ended a two-year playoff drought for the Pump Jacks and was their first division title since 1990. Guayaquil LF Hector Correa won his third consecutive Bolivar League MVP. The 29-year old hometown hero led in runs (127), total bases (433), triple slash (.376/.436/.740), OPS (1.177), wRC+ (200), and WAR (10.2). Correa added 53 home runs, 134 RBI, and a Gold Glove. He also hit for the cycle in a 7 RBI, 4 run effort against Santa Cruz. Ciudad Guayana’s Lamberto Castillo won his fourth consecutive Pitcher of the Year, joining Lazaro Rodriguez and Domingas Ribiero as the only BSA pitchers to win four in a row. Castillo also had the first Triple Crown since Rodriguez in 1984, posting a 21-12 record, 1.82 ERA, and 300 strikeouts over 262.2 innings. The 26-year old also had a league-best 8.4 WAR. Sadly, injuries and a steep decline hit Castillo, who was effectively out of the game after his age 31 season. He fell barely short of the 10 years’ service time requirement for Hall of Fame voting. His four-year run saw four ERA titles and 38.5 WAR, forever going down as one of the great brief flashes in BSA history. Caracas survived in five games against Cali, while Guayaquil got a Divisional Series sweep of La Paz. This was the first time to the Bolivar League Championship Series for the Golds since 1980. For the Colts, it was the fourth berth in a decade. Guayaquil prevailed 4-2 over Caracas to win only their second-ever pennant, joining their 1955 Copa Sudamerica title. The battle for the top seed in the Southern Cone League was tight as the three division winners were separated by only two games. Buenos Aires took the #1 seed at 97-65, earning a third straight Southeast Division title. The Atlantics have made the playoffs in six of the last seven seasons. BA also set a new league record with 470 stolen bases. This would only be passed once in 2015 by Asuncion. The North Division saw a bounce-back for Brasilia, who won only 73 games in 2001. The Bearcats went 96-66, back in the playoffs for the first time since their 1999 title. Salvador repeated as the wild card, albeit barely. The Storm were 90-72, edging last year’s division champ Belo Horizonte (89-73) and Rosario (88-74). Meanwhile, defending Copa Sudamerica champ Asuncion dominated the South Central Division at 95-67. This was their third consecutive division title. Southern Cone League MVP was Rosario veteran LF Emiliano Pina. The 30-year old Argentine led in slugging (.702) while adding 52 home runs, 123 RBI, a .332 average, 207 wRC+, and 9.3 WAR. Belo Horizonte’s Juliao Costa repeated as Pitcher of the Year. The 26-year old Brazilian righty led in ERA (1.88), strikeouts (361), WHIP (0.84), FIP- (49), and WAR (11.1). Costa pitched 272.1 with a 21-6 record, falling one win shy of a Triple Crown. The Hogs wisely locked up their ace after this effort with a seven-year, $29,400,000 deal. Buenos Aires outlasted Salvador 3-2 in the Divisional Series, earning their second Southern Cone Championship appearance in three years. On the other side of the bracket, Brasilia swept two-time reigning champ Asuncion. This would only be the second time in six years that the Archers weren’t league champ. The only other time was when the Bearcats took the pennant in 1999. Brasilia would be the exception again in 2002, taking the series 4-1 over Buenos Aires. This was the fifth pennant for the Bearcats. In the 72^nd Copa Sudamerica, Brasilia clobbered Guayaquil with a sweep, taking the title for the second time in four years. The Bearcats are now four-time champs with their 1935 and 1938 titles joining the 1999 and 2002 rings. 1B Bernaldo Lagasse had a huge postseason, winning MVP of all three rounds. In 12 playoff starts, he had 17 hits, 9 runs, 8 home runs, and 15 RBI. Other notes: Milton Becker became the 16^th slugger to 1500 RBI. Becker hit 55 home runs in 2002, his eighth season with 50+. This is second in BSA only to HR King Valor Melo (12). 1B D.J. Del Valle won his ninth Gold Glove. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

05-10-2024, 04:54 PM	#1232
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,576	2002 in EAB The Japan League had all repeat division champions in 2002, although the seeding shifted dramatically from 2001. Two-time defending EAB champion Kawasaki dropped from 102 wins to only 83-79, but that was good enough to still win a weak Capital Division by six games. The Killer Whales extended their postseason streak to five years, the longest active one in in EAB. Niigata had the #1 seed at 109-53 atop the North Division, setting a new all-time best for the franchise. Osaka won a very competitive Central Division at 100-62, fending off challenges from Kobe (95-67) and Nagoya (92-70). The Orange Sox had historic power, setting the Japan League team record for home runs (269) and posting the second best team slugging in JL history at .479. The West Division had Hiroshima first again at 97-65, giving the Hammerheads four straight division titles. Kitakyushu was a distant second 13 games back. Leading the powerful Osaka offense was Japan League MVP Koji iwasaki, who won his second MVP in three years. The 28-year old lefty had smacked 71 dongs the prior year for Saitama, then was traded in the offseason to the Orange Sox as the Sting didn’t expect to be able to keep him. Iwasaki led in homers (62), RBI (135), runs (118), total bases (403), OBP (.404), slugging (.784), OPS (1.188), wRC+ (256), and WAR (9.7) while adding a .344 average. This was also his fourth consecutive season with 60+ homers and 400+ total bases. Osaka was delighted to lock Iwasaki up long term, signing him to an eight-year, $77,300,000 deal in the offseason. Kawasaki’s Soo Moon three-peated as Pitcher of the Year in only his fourth season. The 25-year old righty even missed six weeks to a hamstring strain, but still lead the Japan League in WAR (10.3), ERA (1.84), WHIP (0.73), K/BB (24.4), complete games (16), shutouts (6), and FIP- (38). Moon added 317 strikeouts over 215 innings and an 18-5 record. He also had a 20 strikeout game in April against Kyoto. Despite the record disparity, Kawasaki upset Niigata 3-2 in the first round, giving the Killer Whales a chance at four-peating in the Japan League Championship Series. Osaka beat Hiroshima 3-1, giving the Orange Sox their first JLCS berth since their 1989 EAB title. For the Hammerheads, this was their fourth consecutive one-and-done. In the JLCS, Osaka usurped the throne for Kawasaki in six games, making the end of the Killer Whales’ dynasty run. This was the sixth title for the Orange Sox (1923, 25, 43, 85, 89, 02). The Korea League saw three of the same four playoff qualifiers from the prior year. Not among them was defending KL champ Yongin, who plummeted to 73-89. That marked only the second time in nine years that the Gold Sox weren’t in the postseason field. The top overall record was Ulsan at 109-53 atop the South Division, earning a third straight division title. Seongnam won the North at 104-58. Although the Spiders earned repeat playoff berths, this was their first division title since 1991. In the wild card race, Incheon (93-69) and Daegu (92-70) moved on, while Jeonju (89-73) and Bucheon (84-78) were the first teams out. The Inferno were a repeat playoff team, while the Diamondbacks bounced back after just missing the prior year. Daegu was no stranger to recent success, getting their fourth playoff appearance in five years. Incheon first baseman Kyu-Seong Lee picked up Korea League MVP. The 25-year old righty led in batting average (.368), slugging (.710), OPS (1.124), wRC+ (195), and WAR (10.0). Lee added 52 home runs, 133 runs, and 130 RBI. Ulsan’s Oniji Adachi won Pitcher of the Year in his third season. He led in wins (27-6), ERA (2.59), and quality starts (22). Adachi added 254 strikeouts In 253.2 innings and 6.1 WAR. He was the second-ever EAB pitcher to win 27 or more in a season, behind only Seiki Okuyama’s 28 in 1921. Both division champs were shocked in the first round as Daegu downed Ulsan 3-1 and Incheon swept Seongnam 3-0. For the Diamondbacks, this marked a third Korea League Championship Series appearance in four years. The Inferno hadn’t made it that far since 1973. Incheon ousted Daegu 4-2 to win only their third-ever pennant, joining their 1950 and 1954 wins. The 82^nd East Asian Championship was a seven game classic and ended in dramatic fashion. In game seven, Osaka took a 2-0 lead into the ninth inning. Incheon rallied with three runs in the top half, taking the finale 3-2 and earning their third EAB ring. RF Zhanchong Li was the finals MVP as the 25-year old from China set a new EAB playoff record with 21 RBI. He added 22 hits, 12 runs, 2 doubles, 2 triples, and 7 home runs over 16 playoff starts. Li’s RBI total would only get passed once in 2019. Other notes: Although his Orange Sox lost in the final, JL MVP Koji Iwasaki set a still-standing EAB playoff record with 56 total bases. He was JCLS MVP and had 22 hits, 18 runs, 6 doubles, 2 triples, 8 home runs, and 14 RBI in 17 playoff starts. Yutaka Kobayashi became the 15^th pitcher to 4000 career strikeouts. Myeong-Hwan Sung became the 33^rd to reach 1500 RBI, the 24^th to 1500 runs scored, and the 47^th to 500 home runs. SS Tokuei Kato won his ninth Gold Glove and SS Hiroshige Matsunaka won his eighth. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

05-11-2024, 04:41 AM	#1233
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,576	2002 in CABA Three-time reigning Mexican League champion Ecatepec remained the king of the South Division at 112-50, earning a seventh straight division title. The Explosion narrowly bested their own ML record for team OBP at .342. This still holds as the top mark as of 2037. There was a 30 game gap between Ecatepec and second place Queretaro. Meanwhile, the North Division was top heavy as Juarez and Monterrey tied for first at 105-57. They both earned playoff spots and were guaranteed to meet again in the wild card round, but a tiebreaker game decided which was the division champ. That distinction went to the Jesters for their second division title in three years. The Matadors extended their CABA-record playoff streak to 15 seasons. Last year’s MLCS runner-up Torreon took third in the division at 97-65, missing the playoff field despite a fine effort. Chihuahua was a non-factor at 87-75, but they had an impressive Mexican League MVP season from 1B Donald Gonzalez. The 23-year old Puerto Rican had the first Triple Crown hitting season since 1995 in CABA with 54 home runs, 123 RBI, and a .380 average. Gonzalez also led in runs (137), total bases (441), OBP (.442), slugging (.737), OPS (1.179), wRC+ (237), and WAR (12.4). The Warriors certainly saw Gonzalez as the future, giving him an eight-year, $55,380,000 extension in the offseason. Juarez had the Pitcher of the Year in Aitor Moran. The 26-year old Panamanian lefty was the WARlord at 8.8. He added a 20-4 record and 2.25 ERA over 260 innings with 317 strikeouts. The Jesters had already locked Moran up two years prior with a six-year, $26,480,000 extension. In the wild card round, Juarez and Monterrey had an intense battle with the Jesters taking the series 3-2. This set up a rematch of the 2000 Mexican League Championship Series. For the Matadors, they missed the MLCS for the third straight year, something that hadn’t happened since the early 1980s. Juarez took reigning champ Ecatepec to the limit, but the Explosion didn’t relinquish the crown. Ecatepec won a seven-game thriller for a fourth consecutive Mexican League pennant. They became the fifth ML team to four-peat, joining Monterrey (1990-93 and 1955-58), Mexico City (seven straight from 1967-73), Mexicali (five straight from 1950-54), and Tijuana (1916-19). Defending CABA champ Haiti improved to a new franchise record at 114-48. The Herons set a still-standing Caribbean League record as a pitching staff with only 191 walks allowed and 1.17 BB/9. Haiti won a sixth consecutive Island Division as well. In the Continental Division, Honduras was first at 94-68 to extend their playoff streak to five years. Havana (91-71) won the wild card race over Nicaragua (88-74), Guatemala (85-77), Salvador (85-77), and Jamaica (84-78). This ended a five-year playoff drought for the Hurricanes. The Stallions saw their own eight-year postseason streak come to an end. Haiti swept the top awards as 1B Alphanso Keyes repeated as Caribbean League MVP. The 28-year old Bahaman lefty led in the triple slash at .398/.440/.691 for a 1.130 OPS and 195 wRC+. That batting average was the fifth-best single season in CABA history. Keyes added 8.2 WAR, 40 home runs, and 130 RBI. He also hit for the cycle in August against Puerto Rico. Notably as well, his teammate Jocelyn Alassane had 156 RBI, the third-most in a season for CABA to that point. Sal Meza repeated as Pitcher of the Year in his third season with the Herons. The 30-year old Mexican lefty had the best FIP- at 58. Meza posted 8.2 WAR and a 2.26 ERA over 231.1 innings with a 19-6 record and 270 strikeouts. Haiti also had the Reliever of the Year in Alejandro Valadez, his first of what would be five straight. Wild card Havana ousted Honduras 3-1 despite the Horsemen having the one-game handicap. This kept Honduras out of the Caribbean League Championship Series for the first time in four years, while the Hurricanes got their for the first time since 1986. Powerhouse Haiti was too much for Havana, taking the series 4-1 and three-peating as Caribbean champ. This was the sixth title for the Herons, who became the fifth CL franchise to win three pennants in a row. The 92^nd Central American Baseball Association Championship was a highly anticipated rubber match between Haiti and Ecatepec. The Explosion won a seven game classic in 2000, while the Herons got revenge in six games in 2001. The third meeting didn’t live up to the hype as Haiti hammered Ecatepec for a sweep. It was the first finals sweep since Santo Domingo over Juarez in 1984. LF Israel Dimas was finals MVP as the 33-year old Cuban had 16 hits, 6 runs, 3 home runs, and 5 RBI in nine games. The 2002 Herons have a solid case as the Caribbean League’s all-time top team. The only season that saw more wins plus a CABA title was Jamaica’s 118-44 run in 1933. Haiti’s postseason run was more dominant than the Jazz, as the Herons were 8-1, joining a very short list to do that. The only team in CABA to go unbeaten in the playoffs was 1920 Guadalajara at 8-0. This win ended the finals rivalry for now between Haiti and Ecatepec, but they would face off yet again in 2010 and in 2031. Other notes: Guadalajara pitcher Nelson Poore set a bad all-time CABA record with 26 losses. The previous worst was 24, while Poore was 5-26 with a 4.14 ERA and 87 ERA+. He wasn’t great, but definitely was hurt by lousy run support. Enrique Mendoza of Queretaro had a 34-game hit streak, the fourth longest in CABA to date. The record was Ivan Iniguez’s 38 in 1911. Sanson Delgado became the 20^th slugger to 1500 RBI. SS Rafino Piloto won his seventh Gold Glove. Jacky Castillo won his 11^th Silver Slugger, although this was his first as a second baseman. His other 10 came at third base. SS David Davila and CF Hugh Boerboom both won their eighth Silver Sluggers. Boerboom finished the season with 772 home runs, tying himself with Solomon Aragon as CABA’s home run king. The 39-year old Aruban would play four more seasons and finish at 866, which held as the top spot in CABA until the late 2020s. 2002 also marked the end of CABA’s current alignment, as it would expand by two teams in each league starting in 2003. CABA would also add a second wild card team for the postseason, giving them a more standard bracket of eight total playoff teams with division champions hosting wild cards in the first round. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

05-11-2024, 10:54 AM	#1234
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,576	2002 in MLB The National Association again was very competitive in 2002 as only six games separated the #1 overall seed from the weakest division winner. Fresh off having snapped their 41-year playoff drought last year with a NACS appearance, Milwaukee earned the #1 seed. The Mustangs took the Upper Midwest Division at 98-64. Cincinnati won the Lower Midwest at 97-65 for the #2 seed, snapping a playoff drought back to 1989. The Reds edged Indianapolis by only one game for the title. The Racers easily were the first wild card, bouncing back from a 70-win 2001. This gave Indy its sixth playoff berth in seven years. Ottawa repeated as Northeast Division champ at 94-68. The Elks finished three games ahead of Hartford. The Huskies at 91-71 took the second wild card for their first playoff spot since winning the 1992 World Series. New York picked up the East Division at 92-70 for their third division title in five years. Defending National Association champ Philadelphia was 90-72, finishing two games short in the division and one game behind Hartford for the second wild card. Two notable swings came from Boston and Virginia Beach, who narrowly missed the playoffs the prior season with 90 and 89 wins, respectively. Both plummeted to below 70 wins in 2002. Leading Milwaukee to the top seed was National Association MVP Ulysses Aweau. The 26-year old center fielder was the WARlord at 10.1, adding 36 home runs, 122 RBI, a .302/.361/.571 slash, and 189 wRC+. The Mustangs gave Aweau an eight-year, $69,500,000 extension prior to the 2002 season. He’d shock them by opting out after the 2003 season, then inking a seven-year, $72,500,000 deal with Philadelphia. Despite Boston’s collapse, they had Pitcher of the Year Jeremiah Murray. Murray had twice suffered major injuries and had spent 2001 in the minor leagues for Montreal. He was the minors’ POTY, which inspired the Red Sox to trade for him in February 2002. The 27-year old Canadian led in strikeouts (277), WAR (9.5), FIP- (64), and innings pitched (290.2). He added a 2.63 ERA and 18-14 record. Murray would go onto be a fine starter for the next few years in Boston. Wild card Indianapolis upset New York 2-1 in the first round and Ottawa outlasted divisional foe Hartford 2-1. The Elks continued to roll, shocking Cincinnati with a round two sweep. Ottawa hadn’t been in the National Association Championship Series since 1986. Meanwhile, Milwaukee earned a repeat NACS berth, although they had to survive a spirited five games against the Racers. In the NACS, Milwaukee prevailed 4-2 over Ottawa for their fifth pennant. It had been a long while though, with the previous NA wins in 1904, 34, 35, and 60. Seattle had the American Association and MLB’s best record for the third consecutive season. The Grizzlies were 104-58, giving them the Northwest Division title and a fifth straight playoff berth. Phoenix nabbed the #2 seed at 100-62. Although it was the third consecutive playoff berth for the Firebirds, they hadn’t won the Southwest Division since 1989. Defending division champ Albuquerque was close behind at 98-64, easily securing the first wild card slot. Defending World Series champion Nashville repeated as Southeast Division champs at 95-67. The Knights were 12 games better than Tampa. In the South Central Division, Houston ended a two-year drought with a 94-68 mark. The Hornets were 11 games ahead of Memphis, while defending division champ Austin dropped to 78-84. For the second wild card, the Northwest Division’s Salt Lake City prevailed at 91-71. It was the second berth in three years for the Loons, but an impressive rebound from an abysmal 67-win 2001. SLC narrowly beat out Las Vegas (90-72) as well as divisional rivals Edmonton (88-74) and Portland (87-75) for the spot. Worth noting that leading Salt Lake City’s bounce-back was Rookie of the Year Morgan Short. Nicknamed “the Machine,” the 10^th overall pick debuted with a 6.0 WAR season and AA-best .417 OBP. While that debut certainly showed he had greatness incoming, few may have realized at the time that Short would ultimately become MLB’s all-time WARlord once his 21-year career was over. American Association MVP honors went to Albuquerque veteran LF Lukas Warrell. The 30-year old lefty from Tucson, Arizona led in runs (124), walks (109), OBP (1.044), and WAR (9.6). Warrell added 46 home runs, 125 RBI, and a .293 average. Austin’s Zigmund Spampinato repeated as Pitcher of the Year in his third season. He again led in ERA (2.21) and had the most quality starts at 28. The 23-year old lefty added a 19-11 record over 293.1 innings, 292 strikeouts, and 10.2 WAR. He again edged out Calgary’s Daniel Grondin despite Grondin’s 12.5 WAR and AA-best 335 strikeouts At this point, there had only been four 12+ WAR seasons by a MLB pitcher and Grondin had three of them. Calgary would re-sign their ace after the 2003 campaign for five years and $49,600,000. Albuquerque won on the road 2-1 over Houston, while Nashville edged Salt Lake City 2-1 in the first round. Both the Isotopes and Knights rolled to round two upsets. Albuquerque shocked #1 seed Seattle with a road sweep, while Nashville popped Phoenix 3-1. The Isotopes hadn’t been in the American Association Championship Series since their 1975 World Series win, while the Knights were looking to repeat. It would go all seven games in the AACS for the first time since 1994. It seemed like a sweep was in order as Albuquerque started ahead 3-0. Nashville won the next three, but the Isotopes claimed game seven to avoid the collapse. This was Albuquerque’s fifth pennant (1926, 34, 48, 75, 02). In the 102^nd World Series, Milwaukee defeated Albuquerque 4-2 to win their second-ever MLB title. They set a record for longest gap between rings at nearly a century as their lone championship was back in 1904. This was a huge turnaround for the Mustangs, who only the prior year had snapped a four-decade playoff drought. RF Alfredo “The Sheriff” Ontiveros won finals MVP in only his second season as a full-time starter. In 17 playoff starts, the 25-year old from Mexico had 21 hits, 13 runs, 2 doubles, 4 home runs, and 8 RBI. Other notes: Francis Saidi became the 22^nd MLB pitcher to 3500 career strikeouts. SS Tanner Lipp won his seventh Gold Glove. SS Matteo Canetti won his ninth Silver Slugger. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

05-11-2024, 04:36 PM	#1235
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,576	2003 MLB Hall of Fame (Part 1) Three players earned additions into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003. Catcher Mason Wilkinson was the headliner with 82.1% and a first-ballot nod. 2B Austin Shaw also was a first ballot pick, although his 71.8% was only narrowly above the 66% requirement. Closer Josiah Denson was the other addition at 67.0% on his second ballot. Fellow reliever Alex Cantos barely missed out with 65.6% in his fifth try. Also above 60% was 2B Rodrigo Badillo at 61.2% for his fifth go. Three others were above 50% with SP Ollie Husband at 53.1% for his fifth try, RF Mike Castaneda at 51.3% on his second, and SP Aiya Kodama at 50.5% in his second. No players were dropped after ten ballots. Editor’s note: Kodama shows as “Elected” as he earned a spot in EAB’s 2003 class. OOTP removes multi-league guys from other ballots once they have been inducted or dropped, as they are put in the game’s global HOF list. He’s on a short list of guys who may have been good enough to get in two HOFs if given the chance, but we’ll discuss that in his EAB induction post. Mason Wilkinson – Catcher – Oklahoma City Outlaws – 82.1% First Ballot Mason Wilkinson was a 6’2’, 190 pound right-handed catcher from The Woodlands, Texas; a township of around 114,000 people within metropolitan Houston. Wilkinson was a fantastic contact hitter with a tremendous eye for drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. He would lead in on-base percentage six times in his career and batting average twice. Wilkinson had good gap power and averaged around 30 doubles per 162 game average. His home run power was okay with 18 over his 162 game average. Wilkinson was abysmally slow and sluggish on the basepaths, which lessened his ability to score despite his great on-base percentage. Wilkinson was a career catcher and renowned for tremendous durability at an incredibly demanding position, starting 120+ games every year for 19 years. Defensively, Wilkinson graded out as solidly above average. He became a popular player with fans, but Wilkinson would clash with teammates as times. He was considered to be a selfish loner that didn’t always give his all. Still, Wilkinson’s many talents put him in the conversation for MLB’s all-time top catcher. Catchers with his skillset weren’t easy to find, as teams often had to sacrifice either batting or defense when filling the spot. Wilkinson showed he could do both in college with Memphis, winning a Silver Slugger his junior year. In the 1975 MLB Draft, San Antonio drafted Wilkinson with the #1 overall pick. However, he was unimpressed with their financial offering, refusing to sign with the Oilers. Wilkinson returned to college and won a second Silver Slugger as a senior. In four seasons with the Tigers, he had 184 games and 168 starts, 220 hits, 114 runs, 37 doubles, 44 home runs, 140 RBI, 114 walks, a .344/.436/.597 slash, 194 wRC, and 10.9 WAR. Wilkinson was still a very hot commodity for the 1976 MLB Draft and was again picked #1 overall, this time by Oklahoma City. The Outlaws gave him a four-year, $2,160,000 major league contract right out of the gate. Wilkinson lived up to the billing with an outstanding rookie season, posting an American Association and career-best .364 batting average. He also led in OBP (.434) and posted 8.0 WAR. Wilkinson won Silver Slugger honors easily, but just missed out on Rookie of the Year to Atlanta’s Rodrigo Badillo; himself also a future Hall of Famer. The next season, Wilkinson had a career-best 8.4 WAR and led again in OBP with a career best .438. He would win ten Silver Sluggers total with six coming for the Outlaws (1977, 78, 90, 82, 83, 87,). Wilkinson would trade the honor in the American Association with HOF Class of 2001 Mike Bastiani. He also took third in 1983’s MVP voting, winning his second batting title that year at .342. Wilkinson led in OBP for a third time in 1984 at .413 and had nine seasons worth 5+ WAR for OKC. Oklahoma City was able to reverse their fortunes, having won an atrocious 50 games the year Wilkinson was drafted. They made four playoff appearances from 1979-83 with one division title, but never got deeper than the second round. Wilkinson’s playoff numbers were pedestrian with the Outlaws with a 101 wRC+ and .235/.329/.368 slash in 19 starts. Still, OKC committed to Wilkinson long-term after the 1980 season with an eight-year, $10,640,000 contract extension. For the rest of the 1980s after their brief run of playoff berths, Oklahoma City fell into the middle tier. Wilkinson still played at a very steady pace as a good starter, although he was less impressive as he entered his 30s. He posted four seasons below a .300 batting average to end his Outlaws run. In total for OKC, Wilkinson had 1755 hits, 836 runs, 317 doubles, 186 home runs, 730 RBI, a .306/.389/.463 slash, 137 wRC+, and 68.8 WAR. The franchise would retire his #27 uniform at the end of his career. Wilkinson decided to leave for free agency after the 1988 season, testing the waters entering his age 34 season. His durability and reliability meant he still had plenty of options. Wilkinson would sign a five-year, $8,700,000 contract with Hartford. He’d see a career resurgence for the Huskies, leading the National Association thrice in OBP. Wilkinson had four seasons worth 6.5+ WAR and won three more Silver Sluggers (1990, 91, 92). Wilkinson stepped up big in the playoffs for Hartford, who won National Association pennants in 1989 and 1992. Although the Huskies lost the 1989 World Series to Denver, Wilkinson earned series MVP honors. In 1992, Hartford took the title against Calgary. In the playoffs for the Huskies, Wilkinson had 43 starts with 49 hits, 16 runs, 9 doubles, 6 home runs, 26 RBI, a .297/.370/.461 slash, 149 wRC+, and 1.7 WAR. In his later years, Wilkinson also played for the United States in the World Baseball Championship. He played for the American team from 1989-95, starting in the first four editions of that run. In 63 games and 53 starts, Wilkinson had 56 hits, 32 runs, 12 doubles, 8 home runs, 28 RBI, a .296/.398/.508 slash, 162 wRC+, and 2.5 WAR. He was part of the 1992 world champion team. For his Hartford run, Wilkinson saw 798 hits, 368 runs, 138 doubles, 64 home runs, 340 RBI, a .313/.393/.448 slash, 156 wRC+, and 33.6 WAR. Although the tenure was brief, he’d remain a popular figure with Huskies fans. His contract ran out after the 1993 campaign and he was a free agent again at age 39. Wilkinson was amazingly coming off some of his best work in his late 30s and physically was in great condition. Still, many MLB teams didn’t want to sign someone of his age, especially at catcher and for the money Wilkinson commanded. He ended up moving to England as EBF’s Birmingham Bees signed Wilkinson to a two-ear, $5,520,000 deal. He had a great 6.7 WAR campaign and won the tenth Silver Slugger of his career. Wilkinson also started during the playoff run as Birmingham won the European Championship against Barcelona. They fell in the conference final the next year, but Wilkinson was still great. In his two seasons in England, he had 12.4 WAR, a .327/.402/.471 slash, 145 wRC+, 307 hits, 135 runs, and 26 home runs. Wilkinson came back to MLB for 1996 as Austin gave him a two-year, $6,480,000 deal. He was only used as a part-time starter though and posted very average numbers. Wilkinson didn’t meet the vesting criteria and was a free agent again for 1997. Kansas City signed him for one year and $2,520,000, but he only had 51 games and 32 starts for the Cougars. Wilkinson retired that winter at age 42. For his entire pro career, Wilkinson had 2944 hits, 1365 runs, 515 doubles, 279 home runs, 1254 RBI, 1264 walks, a .308/.389/.455 slash, 141 wRC+, and 116.2 WAR. His WAR total is the most by any catcher in any pro league and would only finally be passed by future Beisbol Sudamerica legend Cicero Lugo. For his MLB career, Wilkinson had 2637 hits, 1230 runs, 474 doubles, 253 home runs, 1098 RBI, 1144 walks, a .305/.388/.453 slash, 140 wRC+, and 103.8 WAR. Wilkinson leads all MLB catchers in WAR and OBP as of 2037, although Mike Bastiani has him just beat in hits and runs. Wilkinson deserves a look when discussing MLB’s all-time best catcher though as an ironman with a multi-faceted game. He led the 2003 Hall of Fame class with a first ballot nod, although the anti-catcher bias of voters meant that even he only got 82.1%. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

05-12-2024, 04:53 AM	#1236
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,576	2003 MLB Hall of Fame (Part 2) *Austin “Fertile” Shaw – Second Base – St. Louis Cardinals – 71.8% First Ballot* Austin Shaw was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting second baseman from Berea, Ohio; a western Cleveland suburb with 18,000 inhabitants. Shaw was a very good contact hitter who was solid at drawing walks and excellent at avoiding strikeouts. He still had a quite good pop in his bat, averaging 32 home runs, 22 doubles, and 11 triples per 162 game average. Shaw’s speed was just above average, but he provided solid value as a very intelligent and crafty baserunner Defensively, Shaw played primarily at second base, although he did see some time at shortstop early in his career. He was just below average, but perfectly serviceable at 2B. Shaw stunk at SS though and didn’t work in his few stints elsewhere. He was extremely popular as a team captain, well respected by all for his leadership and work ethic. Most would agree that Shaw was one of the best men involved with the game. Shaw had an excellent college career at Ole Miss, winning national MVP honors in his freshman year. He also had Silver Sluggers as a freshman and sophomore. In three seasons with the Rebels, Shaw had 149 games and 141 starts, 178 hits, 130 runs, 18 doubles, 52 home runs, 132 RBI, a .330/.427/.659 slash, 216 wRC+, and 12.3 WAR. St. Louis had the #1 overall pick for the 1979 MLB Draft and had Shaw as the top man on the board, He’d spend the next 14 years as a full-time starter for the Cardinals, only missing time to sporadic injuries. Shaw had a terrific debut season, leading the National Association in OBP (.409), OPS (1.004), and wRC+ (194). This would be the only time he led in those stats in his career. Shaw’s 6.7 WAR also landed him Rookie of the Year and a Silver Slugger. A strained PCL cost and torn thumb ligament cost him two months of 1981, but Shaw had a full run in 1982 with 9.0 WAR and a 1.005 OPS. He won his second Silver Slugger and took second in MVP voting. This also was a stunning World Series run for the Cardinals from the second wild card spot. They had won only 57 games back in 1979, thus getting the #1 pick for Shaw. In the postseason run, he made 16 starts with 19 hits, 12 runs, 8 doubles, 3 home runs, 14 RBI, a .333/.414/.632 slash, 192 wRC+, and 0.9 WAR. Cardinals fans hoped this would mark the start of a new era of success, although it was ultimately a one-off. St. Louis was a wild card again in 1984, but fell in the second round. They’d then go on a seven-year playoff drought. Shaw was still outstanding regardless, winning MVP honors in 1983 and his third Silver Slugger. That year, he was the National Association WARlord (8.7) and runs leader (114) while posting a career-best 190 wRC+. Shaw won his third Silver Slugger in 1983 and fourth in 1984. In April 1985, St. Louis locked up their captain for the long haul with an eight-year, $13,600,000 extension. From 1984-96, Shaw was also a regular and a leader for the United States in the World Baseball Championship. He had 176 games and 160 starts with 149 hits, 106 runs, 25 doubles, 33 home runs, 106 RBI, 91 walks, 47 stolen bases, a .260/.372/.493 slash, 147 wRC+, and 7.0 WAR. Shaw won world titles with the American team in 1984, 85, 88, 92, and 96. He was also third in WBC MVP voting in 1985. Shaw was still very good when healthy after signing his big extension, but he’d miss sizeable chunks of a few seasons. A concussion cost him three months in 1986, an oblique strain cost a month in 1987, various injuries erased six weeks in 1988, a strained hamstring spent six weeks in 1989, and a hip strain ruined five weeks in 1991. It wouldn’t be until 1992 that Shaw finally had a truly full load. That 1992 campaign reminded the baseball world how good Shaw was when healthy. At age 33, he led the NA in runs (114) , total bases (347), and WAR (9.4); each career highs. He also had a career-best 35 home runs, winning his second MVP a decade after his first. This also was Shaw’s fifth and final MLB Silver Slugger. St. Louis ended their playoff drought with a division title and 100-win season, although they fell in the second round of the playoffs. A strained MCL cost him a month in early 1993, then a strained hamstring knocked Shaw out for the final month of the season and the playoffs, although they were one-and-done anyway. This marked the end of his contract and ultimately the end of his time with St. Louis. Shaw remained beloved years later and his #33 uniform would get retired. However, management was leery about giving big money to a soon-to-be 35 year old second baseman with injury concerns, even if he still played very well when healthy. Shaw ended up moving to South America to continue his baseball career after he couldn’t find a suitable MLB role. He ended up in Colombia on a three-year, $7,800,000 deal with Medellin. Shaw stayed relatively healthy with a good 1994, then had an outstanding 1995. He led the Bolivar League with 8.0 WAR and had 36 home runs, winning a Silver Slugger and taking third in MVP voting. His good luck with injuries went away in 1996 with a torn meniscus and strained hamstring knocking him out almost all year. Shaw made it back for the playoffs as Medellin lost in the BLCS. For his Mutiny run though, Shaw had 343 hits, 196 runs, 60 doubles, 58 home runs, 205 RBI, a .296/.353/.560 slash, 155 wRC+, and 13.6 WAR. Very good production for just over two years from an aging infielder. Like in his prior stops, Shaw was also well liked and respected for his leadership. He was a free agent again for 1997 at age 38 and still wanted to play back in the States. Nashville gave him a chance on a one-year, $2,760,000 deal. Shaw stayed healthy, but merely looked average offensively over 115 games with 0.8 WAR and a 100 wRC+. With that, he decided to retire that winter at age 39. For his full pro career, Shaw had 2520 hits, 1436 runs, 314 doubles, 172 triples, 426 home runs, 1399 RBI, 385 stolen bases, a .299/.369/.529 slash, 165 wRC+, and 107.7 WAR. In just MLB, he had 2177 hits, 1240 runs, 254 doubles, 136 triples, 368 home runs, 1194 RBI, 825 walks, 300 stolen bases, a .299/.371/.524 slash, 166 wRC+, and 94.1 WAR. Shaw’s rate stats were certainly excellent, although the accumulations were lower than many voters preferred largely due to the injuries. At induction, he had the fifth most WAR at second base in MLB history and is still sixth as of 2037. Shaw definitely goes down as one of the best at the position, although 2B can sometimes rival catchers for difficulty in getting the HOF nod. Shaw’s great leadership and long tenure with St. Louis were both big plusses. That allowed enough voters to overlook the lower counting stats for a first ballot nod in 2003, albeit narrowly crossing the 66% requirement at 71.8%. Josiah “Pizza” Denson – Relief Pitcher – Tampa Thunderbirds – 67.0% Second Ballot Josiah Denson was a 5’11’’, 200 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Brent, Florida; a town of around 21,000 people in the far western panhandle. Denson earned the nickname “Pizza” because he always had a pie ready in the clubhouse after any outing. Denson’s curveball was legendary and graded out as a 11/10. He also had a 99-101 mph fastball, making his stuff electric. On the 1/10 scale, scouts rated his stuff as high as 14 in his prime. Denson’s control and movement were both graded as above average. He was also considered a durable reliever that was always ready to go. Denson attended Boston College and was a starter in his three years there. In 37 college stats, he had a 19-7 record, 1.49 ERA, 248.1 innings, 308 strikeouts, 238 ERA+, and 12.4 WAR. Denson’s stuff was certainly dominant, but most scouts felt his stamina was way too weak for a starting role in the majors. Plus, he only had two pitches, even if both were fantastic. Denson would end up selected early in the second round of the 1979 MLB Draft by Tampa, going 61^st overall. The Thunderbirds used him as mid relief as a rookie, but he’d earn the closer role in year two. Denson’s best year arguably was 1986 with an American Association best 40 saves and career-best 0.97 ERA. He won Reliever of the Year this season as well. It was his only time as a finalist for the award, although he led again in saves in 1988. Tampa was happy with the results though and kept giving Denson small extensions once he had reached the service time requirements. The Thunderbirds were a sporadic playoff team in his run and almost always above .500. They had six berths and four Southeast Division titles while Denson was there, but they never went deeper than the second round. His playoff sample size was very limited with a 4.91 ERA over 11 innings. Still, Denson was well known by the Tampa community and his #4 uniform would eventually get retired by the organization. Denson signed a three-year, $5,040,000 extension in April 1991. However, his time in Tampa ended in the final year of that run, as he was traded before the 1994 season to Oakland for prospects. The Owls gave him limited usage with only 18.1 innings. Denson then entered free agency for the first time at age 35. Denson started 1995 with New York, but they cut him in late July. Atlanta signed him to finish the season, but he never saw the field for the Aces. By this point, his fastball velocity had dropped noticeably. Jacksonville inked Denson for 1996, but traded him at the deadline to St. Louis. He was merely a back-end reliever in these later years with unremarkable results. Denson decided to retire after the 1996 season at age 37. Denson’s final stats saw a 2.31 ERA, 317 saves and 376 shutdowns, 887.1 innings, 1256 strikeouts, 291 walks, 170 ERA+, 54 FIP-, and 38.2 WAR. His rate stats were comparable to some others that had gotten into the MLB Hall of Fame with an excellent strikeout rate. He also had the 300 save milestone. As of 2037, Denson sits 36^th all-time in saves. However, his stats were borderline and he had only one Reliever of the Year in his career. Still, MLB’s voters were often quite lax and forgiving to relievers for whatever reason. Denson missed the cut at 58.4% in his debut but just crossed the line at 67.0% for a second ballot addition in 2003. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

05-12-2024, 10:52 AM	#1237
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,576	2003 CABA Hall of Fame (Part 1) The 2003 Central American Baseball Association Hall of Fame class featured three inductees. The star was easily 1B/DH Romeo Verguet, the lone first ballot pick at 87.7%. 3B Pedro Pizarro joined him, finally making the cut after eight tries with 73.4%. SP Gabe de Kroon was the third guy, just crossing the 66% requirement with 68.8% on his fifth go. The only other player above 50% was 3B Bienvenido Ramon at 56.8% for his third ballot. The CABA ballot didn’t have any players dropped after ten tries and apart from Pizarro, the most tenured players were on their sixth ballots. Romeo Verguet – First Base/Designated Hitter – Bahamas Buccaneers – 87.7% First Ballot Romeo Verguet was a 6’0’’, 205 pound right-handed hitting first baseman from Saint-Pierre, Martinique. In modern times it is a small town with only 4,000. In the late 1800s, it was called the “Paris of the Caribbean” and was the cultural capital of Martinque, but sadly the town was destroyed in a 1902 volcanic eruption. Verguet would be the first and as of 2037 only CABA Hall of Famer from the island. He’d also be only the second player inducted with the Bahamas Buccaneers as his primary team. Verguet was a solid contract hitter that had strong power, averaging around 30-40 home runs and around 25-35 doubles per season. He was above average at drawing walks, but his strikeout rate was subpar. Verguet was also slow and sluggish on the basepaths. He made around 3/5s of his career starts at first base, where he graded out as a poor defender. Logically, the rest of his starts were as a designated hitter. Verguet’s strong bat certainly was deserving of a prominent spot in the lineup. He became a popular player both for his bat and for his fan favorite personality. Verguet was an affable fellow who worked hard and showed strong leadership and loyalty. He also was viewed as an ironman, playing 140+ games in all but his final pro season. Although Martinique’s baseball scene was underdeveloped compared to most of its Caribbean neighbors, scouts still took notice of Verguet as he dominated the amateur ranks. When the 1981 CABA Draft came around, Verguet was selected seventh overall by Bahamas. At that point, the Buccaneers had been around two decades since expansion and largely stunk with no playoff appearances and only two winning seasons. They hoped that Verguet might be the guy to help turn things around. The team’s fortunes didn’t flip at all in the early 1980s, but that was hardly Verguet’s fault. He was a full-time starter immediately and took second in Rookie of the Year voting. Verguet was solid in his first few seasons, but wasn’t truly elite level until his fifth year. That season, he led the Caribbean League in runs, hits, RBI, total bases, average, and OBP. He smacked 40 home runs with 6.6 WAR, posting career bests in hits, total bases and average. Verguet earned his lone MVP and his lone Silver Slugger with this effort. That also earned Bahamas a new franchise best 90-72 season, their first winning year since 1973. The Buccaneers still missed the playoffs, but they would finally get their first-ever playoff berth and division title in 1987. However, Havana upset them in the wild card round. Verguet again led in RBI and hit 41 home runs with a career high 6.7 WAR. Early in 1988, Bahamas would commit to their fan favorite with an eight-year, $11,240,000 extension. Verguet would also earn some popularity in the World Baseball Championship. He played for France from 1983-93, as Martinique is part of the French Republic. In 113 games and 108 starts, Verguet had 92 hits, 52 runs, 16 doubles, 29 home runs, 5 9 RBI, a .229/.300/.490 slash, 127 wRC+, and 3.2 WAR. Verguet remained largely solid over his big contract, although he didn’t win any additional awards with tough competition at DH and 1B. He would lead in doubles with 43 in 1991. In total he had seven seasons with 100+ RBI, nine seasons with 30+ homers, and four seasons worth 5+ WAR with the Buccaneers. Despite his efforts, Bahamas peaked with their playoff berth in 1987, dropping back to the mid-tier for the remainder of his run. After the 1993 season, Verguet was coming up on age 35 and entering the last year of his deal. To the chagrin of many Bahamas fans, the franchise traded him and young OF Fernando Raya to Santo Doingo for pitchers Cecil Estrada and Cesar Uribe. Verguet’s #7 uniform would later be retired by the Buccaneers and he’d serve as a franchise icon after retiring. In total with Bahamas, Verguet had 2076 hits, 1027 runs, 356 doubles, 412 home runs, 1280 RBI, a .291/.342/.522 slash, 139 wRC+, and 50.4 WAR. Santo Domingo was hoping to bounce back after seeing a four-year playoff streak snapped in 1993. It worked, as they won the Island Division, but fell in the CLCS to Salvador. Verguet had a career-best 108 runs and matched his career-best with 41 home runs. The Dolphins were happy with the results and signed Verguet to a three-year contract worth $5,700,000. He would ultimately finish his career in the Dominican capital. Verguet again hit 41 homers in 1995. He dropped a bit in 1996, then was merely average in 1997 and missed five weeks to a sprained thumb. Santo Domingo only made the playoffs once more in 1997 with Verguet, falling in the wild card round. He decided to retire after the 1997 campaign at age 38. With Santo Domingo, Verguet had 557 hits, 330 runs, 87 doubles, 145 home runs, 350 RBI, a .269/.324/.535 slash, 130 wRC+, and 12.3 WAR. The final stats for Verguet saw 2633 hits, 1357 runs, 443 doubles, 557 home runs, 1630 RBI, a .286/.338/.525 slash, 137 wRC+, and 62.7 WAR. His poor defense and baserunning hurt him in some metrics, but Verguet had important counting stats like 500+ dingers, 1500+ RBI, and 2500+ hits. He was well liked and was the reliable face of a franchise, making the struggling Bahamas team more competitive than they usually were. These facts earned Verguet a first ballot nod at 87.7% to headline the 2003 CABA class. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

05-12-2024, 04:58 PM	#1238
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,576	2003 CABA Hall of Fame (Part 2) *Pedro “Bronco” Pizarro – Third Base – Chihuahua Warriors – 73.4% Eighth Ballot* Pedro Pizarro was a 6’0’’, 205 pound right-handed third baseman from Motozintla, Mexico, a city of around 76,000 people on the southern border with Guatemala. Pizarro earned the nickname “Bronco” for his horse-like quick speed. He led the Mexican League in stolen bases five times and knew how to perfectly time his jumps. Pizarro was a great leadoff man his era with solid contact skills and a great eye. He was good at drawing walks, but was outstanding at putting the ball in play and avoiding strikeouts. Pizarro wasn’t just a singles hitter, as he’d usually get around 25-35 doubles and 10-20 triples per season. He didn’t have home run power though, only once hitting double-digits in a season. Pizarro was a career third basemen and was well below average defensively. Still, he was very well respected for his intelligence and work ethic. Pizarro also had excellent durability in his prime, playing 150+ games each year from 1981-89. Even without home run power, Pizarro skillset drew plenty of attention after a great amateur career. In the 1977 CABA Draft, Chihuahua selected Pizarro with the fourth overall pick. He was used only as a part-time starter in his first three seasons, starting only 171 games over those years. 1981 saw Pizarro’s first year as the full-time guy at third, a spot he’d hold for the next decade. Chihuahua remained a mediocre team in his run with only one winning season in the entire 1980s. However, Pizarro would hold his own. From 1981-89, Pizarro had 6+ WAR each season. He led in stolen bases with 99 and OBP with .412 in 1982. Pizarro then led in steals four straight years from 1986-89 and won a batting title with .321 average in 1989. He won two Silver Sluggers (1986, 1988) but was never an MVP finalist with the lack of home run power and being on bad teams. Pizarro committed long term after the 1982 season with an eight-year, $5,482,000 extension. Pizarro was well known in Mexico even with Chihuahua being a non-factor. He would play in eight editions of the World Baseball Championship, but almost exclusively as a backup and pinch runner. Pizarro had 23 games and 8 starts with 9 hits, 4 runs, and 8 steals. By WAR, 1989 was his finest season with 9.0 WAR at age 34. He still played at a high level in 1990, but the Warriors moved him to a part-time starter role in his final season. Pizarro decided to leave for free agent, in part dissatisfied with being a backup. He’d remain popular with fans, but the awkward ending played a role in Pizarro’s jersey number never being retired. Even at age 36, he seemed to still have plenty to offer. MLB’s Tampa Thunderbirds would bring in Pizarro on a three-year, $5,980,000 deal. Pizarro started much of the 1991 season, but posted very pedestrian numbers. Tampa made him a part-time starter in 1992 as he posted negative WAR. Over 217 games in MLB, he had -0.3 WAR and 86 wRC+. Pizarro was let go and couldn’t find a home for 1993. He would retire that winter at age 39. For his CABA and Chihuahua run, Pizarro had 2002 hits, 909 runs, 325 doubles, 167 triples, 63 home runs, 631 RBI, 931 stolen bases, a .316/.370/.451 slash, 149 wRC+, and 72.4 WAR. Pizarro was 14^th in steals at induction and sits 21^st as of 2037. His WAR was sixth-best in CABA history at third base as of retirement. However, voters were very averse on guys who didn’t have home runs or RBI. Thus, Pizarro debuted on the ballot in 1996 at 44.7%. He slowly grew into the 50s and then got as high as 63.5% in 2001. Pizarro dropped back down to 59.1% in 2002. In 2003, the eighth ballot was finally the one for him with 73.4%. His unique skillset and run even with a poor team was deemed worthy for the 2003 CABA class. Gabe de Kroon – Starting Pitcher – Puebla Pumas – 68.8% Fifth Ballot Gabe de Kroon was a 5’9’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from Willemstad, the capital and largest city of Curacao. The stocky de Kroon was known for having outstanding pinpoint control. He would have strong stuff in his prime, although his movement was subpar, leading to a higher number of home runs allowed than you’d like. His fastball was in the 96-98 mph range and was evenly mixed with a slider, curveball, sinker, and splitter. No one pitch was dominant, but de Kroon was great at mixing them up and spotting them. He had excellent stamina, although he’d run into injury troubles at various points. In summer 1973, a scout from Puebla spotted a teenaged de Kroon in Curacao. He was signed as a 16-year old amateur and spent parts of the next four years in their developmental system. De Kroon made his official debut in 1978 at age 21, although he’d be only an occasional starter in his first three seasons. His results were promising and he was promoted to a full-time starter role in 1981. That season, de Kroon led the Mexican League in wins at 18-11, innings pitched at 273.0, and complete games at 16. He regressed a bit in 1982 and was only a part-time starter. The Pumas ended a 15-year playoff drought, but de Kroon struggled in two playoff starts with a 5.62 ERA as they lost in the Mexican League Championship Series to Juarez. 1983 saw 200+ innings although he only had 26 appearances. In his limited time, de Kroon had a very good 6.1 WAR, earning a full-time rotation spot from then on with Puebla. In 1984, de Kroon had a career-best 7.3 WAR and led in both wins and complete games for the second time. Puebla had the best record in Mexico at 105-57, but again fell to Juarez in the MLCS. De Kroon again struggled in two playoff starts with a 4.50 ERA. He would go onto pitch a few more good years, although de Kroon wasn’t a league leader. He was never a Pitcher of the Year finalist in his career a well. Puebla signed de Kroon to a six-year, $5,400,000 extension in March 1986. The Pumas again made the playoffs in 1987, but yet again lost in the MLCS, this time to Torreon. The team regressed in the following years while de Kroon carried on. Injuries started to cost him time towards the end of his deal, including a herniated disc and strained abdominal in 1989, then an arthritic elbow in 1990. Just before the 1991 season, de Kroon was traded to Guadalajara for three prospects. In total with Puebla, de Kroon had a 147-115 record, 3.06 ERA, 2473.1 innings, 2816 strikeouts, 311 walks, 194/298 quality starts, 158 complete games, 104 ERA+, 90 FIP-, and 43.7 WAR. The Hellhounds used him more out of the bullpen, although he struggled with a 4.83 ERA. He was back more to the rotation in 1992 and pitched better, but was still very middling. In his two seasons for Guadalajara, de Kroon had a 4.18 ERA over 340 innings, 405 strikeouts, 83 ERA+ and -1.2 WAR. Now a free agent at age 36, Santo Domingo gave de Kroon a one-year deal. He was able to eat some innings with average results and earned 1.6 WAR. This would be the final season for de Kroon in CABA, but he wasn’t quite done yet. For 1994, de Kroon found a spot in Italy with EBF’s Rome. He was a back-end starter for the Red Wolves, then joined Zurich for 1995. He fared no better in Switzerland, giving him -0.4 WAR and a 4.55 ERA in his two EBF seasons. De Kroon was unsigned in 1996 and retired that winter at age 39. For his CABA run, de Kroon had a 174-156 record, 3.25 ERA, 3000.1 innings, 3411 strikeouts, 376 walks, 218/354 quality starts, 180 complete games, 101 ERA+, 96 FIP-, and 44.2 WAR. His walk rate was among the lowest for guys with 3000 innings, but other advanced stats had him as delightfully average. Additionally, de Kroon was never a Pitcher of the Year finalist. Most initial indications suggested a Hall of Pretty Good level guy. His WAR would be the lowest of any starting pitcher in the CABA Hall of Fame. In 1999, de Kroon debuted at 38.9% and dropped to 36.4% the next year. He managed to get a bump to 52.8% on his third ballot, but then dropped back to 42.2% in 2002. Many were surprised when de Kroon received a big jump on his fifth ballot, earning a narrow induction at 68.8%. Scholars suggest de Kroon as one of the weakest CABA Hall of Fame members, but regardless, he secured a spot to close out the 2003 class. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

05-13-2024, 02:44 AM	#1239
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,576	2003 EAB Hall of Fame (Part 1) The East Asia Baseball Hall of Fame inducted three outstanding starting pitchers with the 2003 class. All three were first ballot picks with above 98% with Aiya Kodama (98.6%), Seong-Jun Myong (98.3%), and Rikiya Fujiwara (98.3%). 2B Seong-Jae Kang came close on his eighth ballot, but was short at 59.5%. The only other player above 50% was LF Jin-Uk Song at 57.8% on his debut. One player fell off after ten ballots in the 2003 EAB voting. 1B Kenta Goto had a 15-year career mostly with Saitama, winning two Silver Sluggers. He had 2181 hits, 1212 runs, 298 doubles, 534 home runs, 1403 RBI, a .273/.342/.521 slash, 151 wRC+, and 72.3 WAR. His tallies were pretty solid, but he was overlooked in an era of other stronger sluggers at the position. Goto also never made the playoffs despite a good career. He had a nice 51.4% debut ballot in 1994, but only went downward and ended at 4.7%. Goto at least did get his #32 uniform retired by Saitama, but he missed the cut for the Hall of Fame. Aiya Kodama – Starting Pitcher – Hiroshima Hammerheads – 98.6% First Ballot Aiya Kodama was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Odate, a small city of 67,000 inhabitants in northern Japan’s Akita Prefecture. Kodama was known for having incredible stuff with excellent control and good movement. He had three pitches with a 97-99 mph fastball, a stellar slider, and good changeup. Kodama boasted outstanding stamina and was incredibly durable as well. Additionally, he was quite good at holding runners. Kodama became absolutely beloved everywhere he played, becoming one of Japan’s favorite players. He was a team captain, renowned for his great leadership, work ethic, and adaptability. By the time his remarkable career ended, Kodama was considered by some to be the greatest pitcher ever to come out of Japan. Kodama was a rare pitcher to be drafted out of high school, as he tore through the competition at Hachiohe Gakuin Kosei High School. In the 1976 EAB Draft, Kodama was picked tenth overall by Hiroshima. The Hammerheads kept him in the developmental system for his first two years under contact. Kodama officially debuted in 1979 at age 20 and was a full-time starter immediately. In all but his final two seasons of his career, Kodama tossed 240+ innings each season. Kodama showed promise, but had very average production in his first two seasons. He led the Japan League in losses as a rookie and innings in his second year. By his junior campaign, Kodama emerged as a legitimate ac, leading in wins and posting 7.1 WAR. It would be his fourth year that Kodama went from great to historic. From 1982-87, Kodama won six straight Pitcher of the Year awards. He was the first-ever six-time winner in Japan League history and joined the Korea League’s Yu-Geon Moon as the only East Asia Baseball pitchers to do it to that point. Each year, Kodama was the WARlord with 9+ or better, including four seasons worth 11+. He led in strikeouts each of these seasons with 335+ each year and won five ERA titles. Kodama also led in wins four times, innings once, WHIP four times, complete games five times, shutouts four times, and FIP- all six seasons. Kodama earned three Triple Crowns, the first in 1982 with a 24-3 record, 1.68 ERA, and 374 strikeouts. This season would see career bests in Ks, WAR (11.8), and wins (24). He also took second in MVP voting. The second Triple Crown was 22-6, 1.84 ERA, and 371 strikeouts in 1984 with 11.5 WAR. The third Triple Crown in 1986 had a career-best 1.41 ERA, 22-4 record, 370 strikeouts, and 11.5 WAR. That ERA mark was the fifth lowest in EAB history at that point. This also earned Kodama the Japan League MVP. Kodama helped get Hiroshima to three straight division titles in this stretch from 1985-87. The Hammerheads had signed him to a seven-year, $4,860,000 extension in May 1984. They made it to the Japan League Championship Series in both 1986 and 1987, but lost both times. Kodama wasn’t to blame, as he had a 1.81 ERA over 59.2 playoff innings with 94 strikeouts. In 1988, Kodama’s production fell off from his historic highs, although he still posted 6.5 WAR, a 2.76 ERA, and 302 strikeouts. Hiroshima dropped to 75-89 and Kodama considered his future. He still had a few years on his deal, but had an opt-out clause. Kodama stunned many by exercising that opt out, becoming a free agent at age 30. He very quickly was the hottest free agent pitcher in the entire world. Kodama would leave Japan and Hiroshima, although he’d still remain extremely popular with both. The Hammerheads would eventually retire his #10 uniform as an all-time legend. After leaving for MLB, he would return home and pitch for Japan in the World Baseball Championship from 1990-96. In 112.1 WBC innings, Kodama had a 10-4 record, 2.16 ERA, 158 strikeouts, 168 ERA+, and 3.5 WAR. MLB’s Denver Dragons would win the sweepstakes for Kodama at five years and $7,800,000, more than doubling his yearly best with Hiroshima. Kodama had a remarkable debut for Denver, setting a still-standing MLB record with 318.2 innings pitched. He also led in wins (24), WHIP (0.93), and quality starts (29) while adding 10.5 WAR. Kodama won American Association Pitcher of the Year, his seventh POTY in total making him one of a select few to win it in multiple leagues. Kodama also had a no-hitter with six strikeouts and one walk in September against Miami. In the 1989 postseason, Kodama tossed 37.2 innings with a 3.11 ERA, 30 strikeouts, and 126 ERA+. This helped Denver won the World Series over Hartford. The Dragons made the playoffs three more times during Kodama’s run, winning another pennant in 1991. They would get upset in the World Series by Kansas City. For his playoff career, Kodama had a 3.43 ERA over 107.2 innings, 83 strikeouts, 115 ERA+, and 1.9 WAR. Kodama would lead twice more in innings pitched and twice more in WHIP with Denver. All five seasons with the Dragons were worth 7+ WAR. He took second in Pitcher of the Year voting in both 1991 and 1993. In total with Denver, Kodama had a 108-56 record, 2.93 ERA, 1522.1 innings, 1291 strikeouts, 108 complete games, 135 ERA+, 71 FIP-, and 44.7 WAR. His contract was up after the 1993 season, making Kodama a free agent entering his age 35 season. He certainly proved himself in the MLB ranks and earned a four-year, $12,320,000 deal with Washington. Kodama still ate innings with the Admirals, but his dominance waned in this stretch. He would step up in the 1995 playoff run as Washington lost to Boston in the NACS. Kodama had a 0.36 ERA in 25 playoff innings. For his Washington run, he pitched three seasons with a 42-34 record, 3.01 ERA, 726.2 innings, 515 strikeouts, 113 ERA+, and 12.8 WAR. Kodama’s velocity dropped significantly late in his run and the Admirals cut him during spring training 1997. For his MLB career, Kodama had a 150-90 record, 2.96 ERA, 2249 innings, 1806 strikeouts, 364 walks, 181/282 quality starts, 130 complete games, 127 ERA+, 78 FIP-, and 57.5 WAR. It was a remarkable run considering it was only eight seasons in his 30s. One could argue he could’ve been an MLB Hall of Famer and in two years on the ballot, he earned a respectable 54.3% and 50.5%. Kodama was officially removed from the global ballot when EAB inducted him. He may not have had the tenure or accumulations to make the MLB HOF had he gotten ten ballots, but Kodama is one of very few in baseball history to have a legitimate case to be a two-time Hall of Famer. At age 38, he would return home to Japan for one final season. Sendai gave him a one-year, $1,900,000 deal as a reliever. Kodama’s good control meant he was still usable even though his fastball now could barely top 90 mph. Kodama would retire after the 1997 season at age 38. For his EAB career (which was mostly Hiroshima), Kodama had a 186-86 record, 2.30 ERA, 2676 innings, 3206 strikeouts, 390 walks, 237/305 quality starts, 137 complete games, 31 shutouts, 149 ERA+, 65 FIP-, and 83.5 WAR. Few starters in the EAB Hall of Fame had a lower ERA and his totals were impressive for a relatively brief run. Had he remained in Japan for his entire career, Kodama might have had a chance at being at the very top of the leaderboards. Regardless, winning six Pitcher of the Year awards and three Triple Crowns made him a lock for the 2003 ballot at 98.6%. Worth noting for his full career, Kodama had a 336-176 record, 2.60 ERA, 4925 innings, 5012 strikeouts, 754 walks, 418/587 quality starts, 267 complete games, 138 ERA+, 71 FIP-, and 141.0 WAR. That career WAR was higher even than EAB’s top pitcher Jae-Hoon Seon at 132.4. Few pitchers in baseball history had a better resume, making it a fair question to ask; was Aiya Kodama the best-ever pitcher to come out of Japan? __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

05-13-2024, 12:20 PM	#1240
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,576	2003 EAB Hall of Fame (Part 2) *Seong-Jun Myong – Starting Pitcher – Sapporo Swordfish – 98.3% First Ballot* Seong-Jun Myong was a 6’3’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Busan, South Korea’s second most populous city. Myong had great control with very good movement and solid stuff. His velocity peaked in the 95-97 mph range with a four pitch arsenal of slider, splitter, cutter, curveball. Myong had very strong stamina with pretty good durability for most of his run, tossing 220+ innings in 15 consecutive seasons. Myong earned a lot of respect in the game for an impressive work ethic. He was loyal and adaptable, generally viewed as a great clubhouse presence. As far as pitchers go, he was a good batter too, winning Silver Sluggers in 1986 and 1987. Myong had a .201 batting average for his career with 177 hits, 56 runs, and 77 RBI over his career. Ahead of the 1979 EAB Draft, Myong was a highly touted prospect for the Korea League. So much so that Bucheon picked him with the #1 overall pick and immediately made him a full-time starter. The Bolts were an 1978 expansion team and hoped Myong could be their future. Myong wasn’t quite ready as a rookie, leading in 1980 in losses with a lousy 4.97 ERA. He showed much improvement in his sophomore season, although his stats were merely average. Myong emerged as a legitimate ace with 6+ WAR in his third and fourth seasons with the Bolts. Still, the expansion Bucheon franchise stunk and wouldn’t post their first winning season until 1989. Myong saw notable regression in 1984 with a 4.37 ERA. He didn’t look much better to start 1985 and Bucheon was worried this was going to be his peak. In June 1985, the Bolts traded Myong to Sapporo for SS Eiya Nakao and C Yaturo Ueda. Neither would be all-stars, but Bucheon did get roughly a decade’s worth of starts out of them. For Myong, his Bucheon stats saw a 73-95 record, 3.90 ERA, 1666.2 innings, 1263 strikeouts, 282 walks, 100 ERA+, 92 FIP-, and 24.5 WAR. While by no means a bad pitcher, higher expectations came with the #1 overall pick. Sapporo hoped they could unlock Myong’s potential and ultimately they did, as he was a key piece for them for the next decade. Myong looked good in 1986, tossing the most innings in the Japan League and earning a third place in Pitcher of the Year voting. After his turnaround in 1986, Sapporo gave Myong a seven-year, $7,640,000 extension. He’d look great the next three seasons with 8.6, 8.0, and 7.9 WAR. Myong was second in 1987 Pitcher of the Year voting, then won the top honor in 1988. That year had career highs in strikeouts (298), innings (278.2), and quality starts (28), He took second again in POTY voting in 1989. Sapporo had control of the North Division from 1985-89, but couldn’t win a playoff series in any of their five playoff berths. Myong mostly looked strong in the postseason despite the Swordfish failures. He also pitched for South Korea in the World Baseball Championship from 1981-89, posting a 3.86 ERA over 116.2 innings, 126 strikeouts, 97 ERA+, and 2.1 WAR. The early 1990s was a downswing for Sapporo, who had four straight losing seasons from 1990-93. Myong kept on trucking, keeping his ERA at or below 2.50. At age 35 in 1993, he regressed to a 3.40 ERA, although advanced stats suggested he got some bad bounces. 1994 was the last year of his deal and Myong had a great resurgence with a 2.17 ERA, the second lowest of his career. He earned third in Pitcher of the Year voting. Sapporo made it back to the playoffs in 1994, but Myong missed the postseason to biceps tendinitis. He looked good enough though that the Swordfish gave him another three years and $6,560,000. Myong looked good in the front end of 1995, but a torn labrum that summer put his future in serious doubt. He worked his way back in 1996 at age 38 and still put up respectable numbers, reaching 4000 career strikeouts. Myong had a 2.62 ERA in the playoffs as Sapporo lost to Hiroshima in the JLCS. In 1997, Myong was the 11^th EAB pitcher to 250 career wins. He was only a part-time starter with 158 innings, although he had a role to play. Myong had a 1.50 ERA over 18 playoff innings as Sapporo won their first Japan League of Myong’s tenure. They lost to Yongin in the EAB final. For his playoff career, Myong had a 2.44 ERA over 96 innings, 79 strikeouts, 136 ERA+, and 2.6 WAR. He decided to retire that winter at age 40 and Sapporo retired his #46 uniform. The Swordfish would go onto win the 1998 EAB Championship and ownership gave Myong a commemorative ring for his long service with the team. Myong finished with a 254-216 record, 3.02 ERA, 4388.1 innings, 4147 strikeouts, 662 walks, 369/550 quality starts, 192 complete games, 117 ERA+, 82 FIP-, and 94.9 WAR. At induction, he was 11^th in wins, 12^th in strikeouts, and 12^th in pitching WAR. Myong remains in the top 20 in each as of 2037. He’s also sixth all-time in complete games. It was an impressive career for a guy who some though was a #1 pick bust after his first few seasons. Myong got 98.3% for a first ballot induction, standing beside two other stellar pitchers in the 2003 class. Rikiya Fujiwara – Starting Pitcher – Osaka Orange Sox – 98.3% First Ballot Rikiya Fujiwara was a 6’3’’, 190 pound left-handed pitcher from Kakogawa, a city with roughly 250,000 people not far from Kobe in Japan’s Hyogo Prefecture. Fujiwara was a well-rounded pitcher with above average to good stuff, movement, and control. His velocity only peaked at 94-96 mph on his fastball, but he had a filthy slider, plus a good cutter and okay changeup. Fujiwara’s stamina was on the lower end among contemporary aces. He maximized his innings though as he was excellent at holding runners and good defensively. Fujiwara was a hot prospect out of Itami Kita High School with many Japanese teams looking at getting him. His Hall of Fame classmate Seong-Jun Myong was the #1 overall pick in EAB’s 1979 Draft and the first Korea League pick. Fujiwara would be the #2 overall pick and the first in the Japan League, selected by Osaka. He ultimately played all 16 years of his pro career with the Orange Sox. Fujiwara would spend 1980 and 1981 in developmental before debuting in 1982 at age 21. Fujiwara was a part-time starter in his rookie season, then a full-time after that. He looked merely average in his first three years, but he started to rise alongside Osaka. From 1986-1993, Fujiwara had eight consecutive seasons worth 6+ WAR. He first started getting award consideration during this run, taking second in 1986 Pitcher of the Year voting, third in 1987, and second in 1988. Osaka completed its rebuild in 1985, ending a 27-year playoff drought and starting a six-year division title streak. The Orange Sox won the EAB championship in 1985 and 1989, but fell in the first round the other years. Fujiwara was especially big in the 1989 run with a 0.78 ERA over 34.2 innings. For his playoff career, Fujiwara had a 1.78 ERA in 86 innings, 72 strikeouts, and 2.0 WAR. Early 1988 saw his first contract extension, albeit a short one at three years and $3,700,000. Fujiwara led in ERA in 1988, then led with a career and league-best 318 strikeouts and 8.8 WAR in 1989. That earned him his first Pitcher of the Year award. Fujiwara followed it up with a JL best 1.72 ERA and 0.75 WHIP to repeat as Pitcher of the Year. This season also had a 12 strikeout, one walk no-hitter on April 21 against Nagoya. In May 1991, Fujiwara finally got the long-term extension for six years and $8,400,000, Fujiwara was still very good in the early years of this deal, but not a league leader. Osaka retreated towards the middle of the standings with a five-year playoff drought. As his stamina started to wane, Fujiwara began seeing more split use between the bullpen and rotation. In 1995, elbow inflammation would cost him four months. His career was starting to look like it was approaching its end. Fujiwara had one last great season in him with a career best 1.44 ERA in 1996, along with a 0.75 WHIP, 6.5 WAR, and 232 ERA+. This was the ninth lowest ERA by a starter in a season to that point in EAB. Sadly, he fractured his elbow in September and couldn’t play for Osaka as they snapped their playoff drought. However, his effort landed Fujiwara his third Pitcher of the Year six years removed from his most recent one. The Orange Sox bought out the last year of Fujiwara’s contract, but signed him to another three-year, $6,360,000. He had a setback to the elbow injury in spring training, not making his 1997 debut until May. In his fourth start, Fujiwara fractured the elbow once more. This effectively ended his career, as he retired in the winter at age 36. Osaka immediately honored Fujiwara by retiring his #32 uniform. The career line for Fujiwara was a 204-128 record, 2.49 ERA, 3202.1 innings, 3049 strikeouts, 490 walks, 309/421 quality starts, 78 complete games, 134 ERA+, 75 FIP-, and 82.2 WAR. His rate stats sit quite well on the leaderboards, although his comparatively low innings per year kept him from popping when it came to counting stats. Still, Fujiwara did more than enough to earn his spot in the 2003 Hall of Fame class at 98.3%. You would be hard pressed to find many 1-2-3 HOF lineups better than EAB’s 2003 group. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)