Baseball: The World's Game

[FuzzyRussianHat]

Two players were first ballot selections in 2005 for the European Baseball Federation’s Hall of Fame, although neither got big vote tallies. SS Matteo Canetti made it in at 75.5% and 3B Robert Beck earned 71.0%. The next closest to the 66% requirement was LF Husnija Kojic, falling short with 59.7% on his ninth attempt. That was the highest number that Kojic had gotten yet.



Also above 50% was SP Joe Faulkner with 55.2% on his eighth ballot. 3B Thomas Indiani received 53.4% for his sixth attempt, RF Bernard Martin debuted at 52.8%, and CF Luca Wouterson earned 52.4% on his sixth try.

Only SP Udo Oppenheimer fell off the ballot following ten attempts. He had a 17-year career primarily split between Berlin and Birmingham, posting a 197-206 record, 3.33 ERA, 3578 innings, 2379 strikeouts, 106 ERA+, and 60.3 WAR. His longevity was impressive, but Oppenheimer was never more than above average. He got as high as 32.1% on his second ballot but ended at 11.0%.



Matteo “Hunter” Canetti – Shortstop – Milan Maulers – 75.5% First Ballot

Matteo Canetti was a 6’1’’, 170 pound right-handed shortstop from Modena, a city of around 184,000 in northern Italy. Canetti was a good contact hitter with a decent eye for walks, although his strikeout rate was below average. He hit the ball very hard though, averaging 43 home runs per his 162 game average. Canetti had respectable gap power too and typically got you around 30 or doubles/triples per year. On the basepaths, his speed and skills were just above average.

Where Canetti made his name though was defensively at shortstop. Many agreed he was probably a top five defensive shortstop all-time with many scouts rating him 10/10 across the board in terms of range, arm, and glovesmanship. Canetti’s unbelievable defense made him a fixture of highlight reels and one of the most popular Italian players of all-time. His tireless work ethic, intelligence, and good durability at a demanding position all made Canetti a star.

His potential quickly became well known across Italy during his teenage years. A scout from Milan would sign Canetti in January 1983 not long after his 16^th birthday. Canetti would exceed expectations quickly in the academy and became one of a very select few in pro baseball history to debut as an 18-year old. He was a part-time starter in 1985, although his skillset wasn’t quite fully formed. Still, he managed a third place in Rookie of the Year voting.

Canetti’s 1986 season was maybe the greatest season ever by a 19-year old in baseball history, posting 56 home runs, 150 RBI, a .299/.317/.640 slash, and 8.2 WAR. He became only the sixth batter in EBF history to post a 150+ RBI season. Canetti won his first Silver Slugger, but amazingly wasn’t an MVP finalist. Still, he appeared to be the next big thing in European baseball.

In the next five seasons, Canetti was the WARlord four times with a run of 9.8, 11.4, 12.2, 11.4, and 12.0. Much of this was from his incredible defense, winning five straight Gold Gloves from 1988-92. Canetti’s 1990 had a bonkers 39.0 zone rating his career best. 1989 had a career-best EFF at 1.192. Canetti had great batting stats during this time, hitting 40+ homers and 100+ RBI each year. He led in total bases in 1987 with 382 and led in RBI in 1989 with 128.

Canetti had Silver Sluggers in 1989, 90, and 91, but still wasn’t a lock in those years thanks to Hall of Famer Christophoros Zarkadis. Canetti never won MVP in the EBF either with fierce competition there as well. He was second in 1987 voting, second in 1988, third in 1989, third in 1990, and second in 1991. Also perhaps hurting him in the voting was Milan’s status.

The Maulers were typically below average in the 1970s and 1980s. Canetti did help them break a playoff drought with wild cards in 1989 and 1991, but both years they were ousted in the first round. Canetti was a huge star in Italy though from the World Baseball Championship. He made 209 starts from 1986-04, posting 201 hits, 148 runs, 30 doubles, 84 home runs, 180 RBI, a .260/.342/.630 slash, 177 wRC+, and 11.3 WAR.

As of 2037, he’s 23^rd all-time in WBC WAR for position players. No Italian has played more WBC games and Canetti leads the nation in runs, hits, home runs, and RBI. Among all players, he’s also eighth in home runs and 11^th in RBI. Canetti still came home and proudly represented his country, even though his career in Europe came to a pretty early end.

1992 was a contract year for Canetti and was actually his weakest, missing a month to a herniated disc. The back issue made him look pedestrian batting with only 26 home runs and a 116 wRC+ WAR, but the defense still propelled him to 5.4 WAR. Still, because Canetti had debuted at such a young age, he found himself in a very unique spot. He would be entering free agency in the prime of his career at age 26.

Milan did what they could to keep him, but it was futile compared to the worldwide big money offers he was attracting. This ended his EBF career with eight seasons, 1362 hits, 759 runs, 182 doubles, 314 home runs, 872 RBI, a .308/.340/.600 slash, 155 wRC+, and 71.7 WAR. Milan and Italian fans would still cheer him on from afar and Canetti’s #19 uniform would eventually be retired by the Maulers.

Canetti became an interesting case for EBF Hall of Fame voters when he came up as his accumulations were very low due to his short stint. The WAR and advanced numbers certainly showed he was elite and some credited him for his MLB service, assuming that Canetti would’ve kept racking up big EBF numbers had he stayed. There were others though that couldn’t get over the short tenure. Canetti would get the first ballot nod in 2005, but only at 75.5%.

Some might argue his later Major League Baseball career was better due to having a big more tenure, although he didn’t hit the wacky peak numbers there. Canetti ended up coming to Canada, signing just before spring training 1993 to an eight-year, $19,260,000 deal with Montreal. He ended up playing seven years with the Maples and had 7.9 or more WAR in each of those years.

Canetti won a Silver Slugger in all seven years with Montreal and took Gold Gloves in 1998 and 1999. Each season had 30+ home runs and he led the National Association in RBI in 1998. The 1998 effort earned Canetti his lone MVP. He also took third in 1995 and 1999 and became a beloved favorite for Montreal fans as well.

The Maples ended a decade-long playoff drought with appearances in 1997, 98 and 99. They fell in the NACS to Indianapolis in 1997 and fell in the second round the other years. Canetti was great in the 1997 run, but lousy the other two years. In 24 playoff starts total, he had 28 hits, 14 runs, 4 home runs, 8 RBI, a .295/.330/.463 slash, 147 wRC+, and 0.9 WAR.

For the Montreal run in total, Canetti had 1056 hits, 564 runs, 151 doubles, 237 home runs, 639 RBI, a .274/.324/.510 slash, 150 wRC+, and 60.5 WAR. He declined the option for the last year of the contract, becoming a free agent at age 33, still quite young for a guy finishing up his first big free agent deal. New York grabbed Canetti on a five-year, $38,800,000 contract.

Canetti was strong to start with the Yankees with 7.1, 9.0, and 6.9 WAR efforts. He won Silver Sluggers in 2001 and 2002 and Gold Gloves in 2000 and 2001. For his MLB run, he had nine Silver Sluggers and four Gold Gloves, finishing with 13 and 9 for his career. New York had playoff appearances in 2000 and 2002, but were ousted both years in the first round as a wild card.

Canetti had been quite durable in his career, but he started to break down. He had lost two months of 2002 to an intercostal strain and elbow inflammation. Then in early 2003, a fractured ankle knocked him out for almost the entire season. Canetti was excited for a comeback season in 2004, but only made it six games into the year.

On April 3, 2004; Canetti’s career came to an abrupt and brutal end as a wild pitch hit him in the head, causing a fractured skull. He would later recover in his civilian life after many months of rehab, but his playing days were done immediately. With New York, Canetti finished with 431 hits, 240 runs, 47 doubles, 95 home runs, 266 RBI, a .268/.321/.498 slash, 144 wRC+, and 24.7 WAR.

For his MLB career, Canetti had 1487 hits, 804 runs, 198 doubles, 332 home runs, 905 RBI, a .272/.323/.507 slash, 148 wRC+, and 85.2 WAR. OOTP takes you out of the running for other leagues’ Halls of Fame once one inducts you, but Canetti had a case to belong in both MLB and EBF’s. His MLB odds would’ve been tougher even with a higher career WAR there, as those voters tended to be more strict on guys with shorter tenures.

Canetti’s pro career had 2849 hits, 1563 runs, 380 doubles, 126 triples, 646 home runs, 1777 RBI, 302 stolen bases, a .288/.330/.548 slash, 151 wRC+, and 156.9 WAR. He certainly belongs in the conversations when discussing both the all-time greatest shortstops and the all-time best Italian players. The fact he debuted so impressively as a teenager also gives Canetti a unique spot in the baseball history books.



Robert Beck – Third Base – Hamburg Hammers – 71.0% First Ballot

Robert Beck was a 6’3’’, 200 pound right-handed third baseman from Hamburg, Germany. Beck was a very good contact hitter with strong home run power, hitting 40+ homers four times. His gap power was also excellent, posting 35+ doubles six times. Beck wasn’t going to get you much with his legs though with laughably slow speed. His eye and strikeout rate were considered roughly average.

Beck was a career third baseman primarily, although he did have occasional starts at first and as a designated hitter. His arm wasn’t bad, but he was otherwise a clumsy oaf, grading out as a terrible defender. Beck was adaptable and hardworking, which allowed him to thrive despite his other faults. Beck was also extremely durable and only started to miss time later in his career due to performance and not injury.

Growing up in Hamburg, the local Hammers franchise was well aware of Beck’s amateur exploits. He was the 21^st overall pick out of high school in the 1985 EBF Draft. Although Beck wanted to play for his hometown club, he wanted to go to college more and spurned their offer. He improved his game and when he was eligible again with the 1988 Draft, Hamburg was still very interested. The Hammers snagged him with the 4^th pick and he’d spend his entire EBF career in his hometown.

Beck played 135 games with 119 starts as a rookie in 1989, posting 33 home runs and 5.2 WAR for Rookie of the Year honors. The next seven seasons for Hamburg, Beck was one of the finest hitters in the game, winning Silver Slugger each year from 1990-96. Six of those years had 8+ WAR efforts.

In his sophomore season, Beck won the batting title at .360 and led the Northern Conference in wRC+ (207), and WAR (10.2), taking third in MVP voting. He finished second in 1991, third in 1992, second in 1994, second in 1995, and second in 1996. Beck would never claim the top award, but was an undisputed regular candidate. He wasn’t a conference leader much, only again leading in WAR (9.3) and slugging (.693) in 1995. Still, he hit 50 home runs twice and had six seasons with 100+ RBI, plus seven seasons with a batting average above .300.

Beck’s rookie year saw Hamburg end a nine-year playoff drought, although the wild card Hammers were ousted in the first round. In 1990, Hamburg was the Northern Conference champ, falling in the European Championship to Madrid. They missed the playoffs the next three years, then were one-and-done in 1994. In 25 playoff starts, Beck was excellent with 40 hits, 16 runs, 8 doubles, 8 home runs, 21 RBI, a .388/.406/.699 slash, 211 wRC+, and 2.0 WAR.

Beck had limited time in the World Baseball Championship for Germany. He was mostly a backup with in 1990, 2000, and 2001. He was excellent as a starter in 1991 though, leading the tournament with 30 hits, 17 runs, and 19 RBI. Beck also had 8 home runs, 218 wRC+, and 1.9 WAR, winning WBC MVP. Germany made the championship for only the second time that year, falling in the 1991 final to Canada.

Despite their efforts, Hamburg couldn’t hammer out a long-term deal with Beck, who became a free agent after the 1966 season. This ended his EBF run after eight seasons with 1615 hits, 827 runs, 291 doubles, 320 home runs, 925 RBI, a .340/.375/.616 slash, 179 wRC+, and 63.1 WAR. His hometown squad did retire his #34 uniform as well.

Like his HOF classmate Canetti, Beck shined very brightly but over a very short period in EBF. Unlike Canetti, Beck’s MLB run was unremarkable, which really soured the voters who focused on accumulations. Others argued that being a top three hitter in the conference and such a dominant stretch was worthy. Plus, being the hometown kid and winning a conference title helped. Beck picked up 71.0%, breaching the 66% requirement for a first ballot induction in the 2005 EBF class.

As for his MLB run, the 30-year old Beck signed a five-year, $19,440,000 deal with San Francisco. He did not adjust well at all, debuting with a -0.5 WAR effort. Beck looked decent in a part-time role in 1998, then was delightfully average as a full-time starter again in 1999. He did have a good 1999 postseason as SF fell in the American Association Championship Series. He posted 19 hits, 10 runs, 4 doubles, 3 homers, and 11 RBI in 14 playoff starts.

Beck’s power was back a bit in 2000, but the Gold Rush decided to trade him near the deadline. He went to Houston in exchange for SP Pepito Cortina, a 2004 Beisbol Sudamerica Hall of Famer, and SP Richie McColgan. For his San Francisco run, Beck had 429 hits, 232 runs, 72 doubles, 99 home runs, 269 RBI, a .247/.286/.464 slash, 108 wRC+, and 5.1 WAR.

Beck was merely okay in limited use for Houston, becoming a free agent at age 34. New Orleans gave him a big deal worth $25,200,000 over four years, but it turned out to be a poor investment. Beck was firmly below average when he played, relegated to a part-time role in two of his three seasons. With New Orleans in 307 games, he had -0.1 WAR and a 89 wRC+.

He didn’t reach the vesting criteria for the fourth year of the New Orleans deal, becoming a free agent in 2004. Beck went unsigned and retired that winter at age 38. In MLB, he had 830 games, 693 hits, 355 runs, 131 doubles, 137 home runs, 406 RBI, a .241/.286/.435 slash, 101 wRC+, and 5.1 WAR.

His final pro stats were 2308 hits, 1182 runs, 422 doubles, 457 home runs, 1331 RBI, a .303/.341/.548 slash, 150 wRC+, and 68.2 WAR. The MLB tenure hurt his rate stats and made him look even more borderline of a candidate. But his eight Hamburg seasons were stellar enough for the EBF voters to give Beck a spot with the honored greats.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

The 2005 Hall of Fame class for Eurasian Professional Baseball made world history as a staggering seven players were inducted. Previously, there had been only one six-player class coming from East Asia Baseball in 1996. As of 2037, none of the Halls of Fame have had a seven-player group. Interestingly enough, the 2005 EPB group was all first ballot picks, although at varying levels. It was also very pitcher-heavy with six starting pitchers in the group.



Leading the way was Igor Kuchkowski at 97.7%, followed by Bakar Tsiklauri at 91.8%, Ural Atabekov at 86.8%, Fyodor Dolmatov at 85.2%, Geza Aranyi at 80.6%, Dzmitry Kuliev at 78.6%, and Petro Mihalko at 69.1%. Kuliev was the lone non-pitcher in the group, having played first base and designated hitter. No other players were above 50%.

Dropped after ten ballots was pitcher Samat Yushko, who primarily pitched for Kazan in his 12-year EPB tenure. He finished with a 141-138 record, 2.37 ERA, 2718 innings, 3169 strikeouts, 422 walks, 123 ERA+, 64 FIP-, and 84.4 WAR. Yushko even posted two 11+ WAR seasons, but never won Pitcher of the Year. Advanced stats were strong, but the win-loss record hurt him with traditionalists as many other great pitchers played at the same time. Yushko debuted at 40.9% but only went down, ending at 5.9%.



Igor “Einstein” Kuchkowski – Starting Pitcher – Kharkiv Killer Bees – 97.7% First Ballot

Igor Kuchkowski was a 5’10’’, 205 pound left-handed pitcher from Bialystok, a city of just under 300,000 in northeastern Poland. Kuchkowski electric stuff along with good to great movement and control. His fastball regularly hit the 99-101 mph range, but his quick cutter was even more deadly, along with a strong changeup.

He was very adaptable to his situation, making it a tough job for offenses to string together hits. That in part earned him the nickname “Einstein” among some teammates. Kuchkowski’s stamina was good and he was great at holding runners. He had nice durability as well, tossing 200+ innings each year of his 14-year pro career.

After a great amateur career, Kuchkowski was picked 15^th overall in the 1989 EPB Draft by Kharkiv. He’d play his entire career with the Killer Bees and was a full-time starter immediately. Kuchkowski was third in Rookie of the Year voting with a solid debut that included a 52-inning scoreless streak from 4/28 to 7/5. In his second year, he emerged as a true ace with his first of 11 straight years with 300+ strikeouts and the first of 12 consecutive seasons worth 7+ WAR.

From 1993-97, Kuchkowski led the European League in strikeouts each year. He even cracked 400 thrice with a career best 412 in 1996, which stands as the 18^th most in a season as of 2037. He also led in wins thrice during this stretch, but fell short of Triple Crowns despite strong ERAs. In 1995 and 1996, Kuchkowski led both seasons in WAR and FIP-. His 12.0 WAR in 1996 was his best effort. As of 2037, he’s one of six pitchers in EPB history to have five or more seasons of 10+ WAR.

Kuchkowski was second in Pitcher of the Year voting in both 1993 and 1995, and took third in 1996. He finally took the top honor in 1997 and placed second in MVP voting. Just before the 1998 season, Kharkiv inked Kuchkowski to a six-year, $14,640,000 contract extension.

Kharkiv emerged as a top team in the competitive European League towards the end of the 1990s, finishing up their EPB tenure with five consecutive 100+ win seasons. The Killer Bees had been a wild card twice earlier during Kuchkowski’s run in 1990 and 1993, although did nothing in the playoffs. They had the EL’s best record in 1995, 1996, and 1997, but had playoff struggles. They were ousted in the ELCS in 95 and 96, while suffering a first round exit in 1997.

1998 was the breakthrough year, winning the EPB Championship over Tashkent. Kuchkowski had a strong postseason with a 1.80 ERA over 30 innings and 28 strikeouts. 1999 would see a repeat for the Killer Bees over the Tomcats. It also saw Kuchkowski post truly an all-time amazing season, leading in WAR for the third time (10.7) and ERA for the first time at (1.53). Kuchkowski won his second Pitcher of the Year and took home MVP honors.

Kuchkowski’s 1999 playoff run would be the thing of legends. In five appearances, he threw 39.2 scoreless innings with a 4-0 record, 54 strikeouts, 1 walk, 12 hits allowed, and 2.8 WAR. All four of his starts were shutouts, setting EPB playoff records for WAR, opponent OBP (.100), opponent OPS (.208), WHIP (0.33), shutouts (4), and complete games (4).

As of 2037, the WAR mark is a world postseason record and no other pitcher has posted four playoff shutouts in the same year. Certainly, a case could be made for that being the greatest playoff run ever for a pitcher. Kuchkowski also pitched at a high level for his native Poland in the World Baseball Championship from 1990-03. He had a 2.08 ERA over 173.1 WBC innings with 228 strikeouts, 52 walks, 176 ERA+, and 5.6 WAR.

Kuchkowski held the distinction of being the EPB Championship MVP in the final season before the great exodus which saw numerous squads defect to either the European Baseball Federation or the Asian Baseball Federation. The two-time defending EPB champ Kharkiv was among those moving to the EBF and many wondered how they and the new team/players would adjust to a new league.

For Kuchkowski and the Killer Bees, they adjusted seamlessly. Kuchkowski led in both wins and ERA in his first two EBF seasons while also leading in WHIP in 2000 and quality starts in 2001. He had three straight 8+ WAR seasons to start, winning Pitcher of the Year in both 2000 and 2001 and taking second in 2002. That gave Kuchkowski four POTYs in his storied career.

Kharkiv’s first EBF season saw them win the championship against Madrid, three-peating between EBF and EPB. The Killer Bees lost in the second round of the 2001 playoffs, but won another European Championship in 2002 against Madrid. Kuchkowski had a great 2000 postseason with a 1.39 ERA, although the later two were more forgettable. For his playoff career though, Kuchkowski had a 2.22 ERA in 227 innings, 274 strikeouts, 32 walks, 148 ERA+, 57 FIP-, and 8.7 WAR.

In 2003, the now 36-year old Kuchkowski’s velocity suddenly plummeted. He had still hit the upper 90s reliably the prior year, but now he couldn’t get above 92 mph despite not having a major injury. Kuchkowski looked very pedestrian in 2003 and wasn’t used in 2004 despite being on roster. It was an abrupt and disappointing end for Kuchkowski, who retired at age 38 in the winter of 2004.

For his entire pro career, Kuchkowski had a 264-108 record, 2.01 ERA, 3604 innings, 4567 strikeouts, 592 walks, 344 quality starts, 209 complete games, 154 ERA+, 61 FIP-, and 120.9 WAR. Because of the exodus, his final tallies aren’t as high on either specific leaderboard. In EPB, Kuchkowski had a 193-84 record, 1.90 ERA, 2637.2 innings, 3573 strikeouts, 457 walks, 150 ERA+, and 94.0 WAR. In EBF, he was 71-24, 2.30 ERA, 994 strikeouts in 966.1 innings, 164 ERA+, and 26.9 WAR.

No doubt, you could argue in the late 1990s and early 2000s that Kuchkowski was the best pitcher in the world. His 1999 postseason dominance will forever have a spot in the annals of baseball history. Kuchkowski’s EPB totals were plenty good on their own, earning 97.7% to headline the loaded seven-player 2005 class.



Bakar Tsiklauri – Starting Pitcher – Novosibirsk Nitros – 91.8% First Ballot

Bakar Tsiklauri was a 6’0’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from Poti, Georgia; a port city of around 40,000 people on the Black Sea. Great control and stellar stamina were Tsiklauri’s calling cards, as he led the league in complete games eight times. His stuff was above average to good with decent movement. Tsiklauri’s fastball peaked in the 94-96 mph range and was countered by a curveball, forkball, and changeup. All four pitches were equally potent. Good durability also meant you’d reliably get a full load from him.

Tsiklauri was spotted as a teenager in Georgia by a visiting Russian scout for Novosibirsk. On New Year’s Day 1980, a 16-year old Tsiklauri signed a developmental deal with the Nitros. He made his officially debut in 1985 at age 21, making 13 starts with okay results. Tsiklauri earned a full-time spot in the rotation after that and held it for the next 13 years for Novosibirsk.

Tsiklauri led 1987 with 294.2 innings pitched, which surprisingly was his only time leading innings despite regularly having the most complete games. Tsiklauri wasn’t generally atop leaderboards otherwise or in the awards conversations. He did win a Gold Glove in 1987 and took third in 1992 Pitcher of the Year voting. 1992 also saw a career and league-best 10 shutouts with his highest WAR total at 7.1. The Nitros gave him a four-year, $6,140,000 extension after that effort.

Novosibirsk was a regular Asian League playoff contender, earning eight playoff berths from 1988-96. The Nitros won the 1988 pennant, but fell to Minsk in the EPB Championship. They were the ALCS runner-up in 1991, but suffered first round exits in each of the other years. Some criticized Tsiklauri, as his playoff stats weren’t great. He posted a 5.06 ERA in their pennant-winning 1988 season. In total, he was 3-10 in 14 starts with a 3.75 ERA, 112.2 innings, 113 strikeouts, 77 ERA+, and 0.9 WAR in the postseason.

Still, Tsiklauri chugged along into his 30s with Novosibirsk. In August 1996, they gave him another three years and $4,020,000. He kept on with reliably decent innings, but the Nitros’ competitive window ended as a six-year playoff streak snapped in 1997. Then, 1998 was their first losing season since 1981. Novosibirsk hadn’t finished below .500 at any point in Tsiklauri’s career prior.

The team decided it was time to start over and they voided the team option year in Tsiklauri’s contract after the 1998 season. This made him a free agent for the first time at age 35. Kazan gave him a three-year, $6,360,000 deal. Tsiklauri played one year with the Crusaders, posting 2.4 WAR over 211.2 innings. A sore shoulder cost him the final six weeks of the season. Tsiklauri decided to retire with that at age 36.

Novosibirsk would quickly retire his #47 uniform. Tsiklauri’s final stats saw a 227-183 record, 2.65 ERA, 3914.1 innings, 4038 strikeouts, 482 walks, 315/456 quality starts, 303 complete games, 110 ERA+, and 70.2 WAR. He was fourth all-time in complete games and as of 2037, 17^th in innings pitched. He was also the 24^th pitcher to 4000 career strikeouts.

Innings meant a lot of EPB voters, although the advanced metrics suggest Tsiklauri was perhaps consistently above average moreso than being great. Rarely was he considered amongst the absolute best in the league, but Tsiklauri’s tenure won over EPB’s pitcher-centric voters. He got 91.8%, the second highest tall in the seven-player 2005 class.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

Ural Atabekov – Starting Pitcher – Tbilisi Trains – 86.8% First Ballot

Ural Atabekov was a 6’4’’, 205 pound left-handed pitcher from the capital of Russia, Moscow. Atabekov was known for having excellent stuff with above average to sometimes good movement and control. His fastball was regularly 97-99 mph, mixed with a very good slider and changeup. Atabekov’s stamina was above average and he was great at holding runners. He also had great durability and avoided major injuries until his later years.

The downside is that Atabekov was not well liked by teammates and management. Words like “lazy,” “greedy,” “disloyal”, and “dumb,” were among those often ascribed to him. Still, Atabekov had an impressive skillset and managed to have an excellent career despite his personality traits.

Growing up in Moscow, you’re able to earn plenty of attention if you’re good. Atabekov did that as a teenager and a visiting Georgian scout was impressed. He signed the then teenaged- Atabekov in the summer of 1983 to a developmental deal with Tbilisi. He would make his debut at age 22 in 1989 as a part-time starter. Atabekov earned a full-time spot in the rotation for the next eight years for the Trains.

Atabekov was merely average in his first couple of years, but started to look more like an ace as time went on. He took third in Pitcher of the Year voting in both 1993 and 1995, then took second in 1996. The 1996 season was an impressive 10.0 WAR effort with a career-best 1.55 ERA. Atabekov also led in wins in 1994, K/BB and shutouts in 1995, and quality starts in 1996.

Tbilisi had been a terrible team for most of Atabekov’s run, although they broke a 17-year playoff drought in 1993. They got to the Asian League Championship Series that year, but fell to eventual EPB champ Irkutsk. Atabekov had a 2.52 ERA over 25 playoff innings. The Trains were out of the absolute cellar for Atabekov’s remaining years, but couldn’t get back to the playoffs. This was part of the reason he was reluctant to re-sign, although part of it was wanting the big free agency paycheck.

Atabekov’s stock was at an all-time high after his contract year in 1996, entering free agency at age 30. For his Tbilisi tenure, Atabekov had a 128-95 record, 2.44 ERA, 2133.1 innings, 2329 strikeouts, 380 walks, 120 ERA+, and 45.7 WAR. He wouldn’t have much of a relationship with the franchise after that and never saw his number retired, in part because he was an unlikeable jerk.

Still, he was a talented jerk and Warsaw was the buyer, signing Atabekov to a six-year, $12,240,000 deal. The Wildcats were in the midst of a nine-year playoff streak with three pennants and an EPB title from 1993-95. They hoped Atabekov could get them back to playoff success after a one-and-done in the 1996 season.

Warsaw kept their playoff streak alive in their final three years in EPB, although they had two one-and-dones and an ALCS defeat. Atabekov lived up to the deal though with three straight 8+ WAR seasons, including a 10.2 WAR 1999. His playoff numbers weren’t great though with a 4.06 ERA over 37.2 innings with 36 strikeouts and a 70 ERA+.

1999 included his lone-time leading the league in strikeouts with a career best 387, as well as a career best in wins (23-8) and near best in ERA (1.56). That was the closest he came to the top honor, finishing second in Pitcher of the Year and third in MVP voting. Atabekov was also second in 1998’s POTY voting, a season that featured a no-hitter on May 20 with nine strikeouts and three walks with Bratislava.

1999 marked the end of his EPB run, as Warsaw left in the exodus to the European Baseball Federation. Atabekov finished in EPB with a 189-123 record, 2.29 ERA, 2960.2 innings, 3420 strikeouts, 549 walks, 126 ERA+, 76 FIP-, and 73.2 WAR. The advanced stats are pretty favorable, even if he didn’t have the top award or big accumulations to go with it. Despite being a jerk, Atabekov’s resume impressed the EPB voters enough for a first ballot addition at 86.8% as the third member of the seven-man 2005 class.

He pitched two more years for Warsaw in the EBF and was still quite good, although not elite. Atabekov declined his contract option and was an EBF free agent for the first time at age 35. Birmingham gave him a three-year, $12,360,000 deal, but his stay in England went poorly. Shoulder inflammation in both 2002 and 2003 cost him significant time and productivity.

He only had 163.1 innings in two years with the Bees, posting a 3.91 ERA, 5-11 record, 146 strikeouts, 92 ERA+, and 2.2 WAR. Atabekov was let go and signed a one-year deal for 2004 with Stockholm. He made a couple starts and a few relief appearances with unremarkable results, posting 0.1 WAR in 93.1 innings. Atabekov retired that winter at age 38. His EBF tenure had a 38-36 record, 3.04 ERA, 733.1 innings, 747 strikeouts, 121 ERA+, and 14.2 WAR.

For his entire pro career, Atabekov had a 227-159 record, 2.44 ERA, 3694 innings, 4167 strikeouts, 727 walks, 330/442 quality starts, 188 complete games, 125 ERA+, and 87.4 WAR. With the full career, you can see why most were inclined to put Atabekov in, warts and all. Even the EPB numbers with a few less years of accumulations got him across the line fairly easily.



Fyodor “Big Cat” Dolmatov – Starting Pitcher – Kazan Crusaders – 85.2% First Ballot

Fyodor Dolmatov was a 6’0’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from Nevinmomyssk, a city of around 118,000 in southern Russia’s Stavropol Krai. Dolmatov had great stuff, along with very good movement and control. His fastball hit the 97-99 mph range regularly, although a similarly fast cutter was his strongest pitch. Dolmatov also had a nice changeup to keep batters off balance. Both his stamina and durability were considered quite good, as was his defense.

Dolmatov was a popular player with fans but was especially appreciated by teammates. He was known as a team captain with excellent leadership, loyalty, and work ethic. Considered a true titan of a man, Dolmatov earned the affectionate nickname “Big Cat” for his status in the clubhouse.

The Big Cat had plenty of attention on him as he entered the 1988 EPB Draft, getting selected by Kazan with the 14^th overall pick. His first three years were maybe the most impressive three years ever seen by a pitcher-ever, posting 12.0 WAR, 12.5 WAR, and 10.7 WAR. Dolmatov led in FIP- each of those years and led in strikeouts in both 1990 and 1991.

The 12.0 WAR was the third-most in world history by a Rookie of the Year winner, only behind West African Baseball Hall of Famer Kouadio Diao’s 13.7 in 1977 and the Asian Baseball Federation’s Vahid Hadadi with 12.4 in 1990. With some intense competition among EPB pitchers though, this surprisingly didn’t make a big blip. Dolmatov wasn’t even a finalist for Pitcher of the Year any of those years. Kazan being stuck in the middle of the standings didn’t help Dolmatov get the recognition.

The advanced stats showed that he continued to be an absolute beast. He led in strikeouts once more in 1992, also leading that year in quality starts and complete games. He was WARlord again in 1997 at 11.9, his seventh season with 10+ in nine years with Kazan. His two “down years” were still worth 9.5 and 7.6. Still, he never won Pitcher of the Year, but did take third in 1993, second in 1994, and third in 1997. 1994 also featured a 45-inning scoreless streak. The Crusaders signed Dolmatov to a four-year, $6,460,000 extension after the 1994 season.

Dolmatov was also a captain for Russia from 1989-2002 in the World Baseball Championship, which made him one of the country’s most respected players. He posted a 20-7 record over 244.1 innings with a 2.65 ERA, 329 strikeouts, 55 walks, 136 ERA+, and 7.7 WAR. Dolmatov was a beast in 1990, which saw Russia fall in the final to Brazil. He had a 0.84 ERA and 59 strikeouts over 43 innings worth 2.2 WAR and a 5-1 record.

His chances to step up in the big game were limited with Kazan. The Crusaders wee a wild card in 1994, but went one-and-done. They were a wild card again in 1997, but one at 107-55 in a loaded European League. The Crusaders went on a run and won the EPB Championship over Irkutsk. In five playoff starts, Dolmatov had a 1.99 ERA over 40.2 innings, 49 strikeouts, and 1.6 WAR. That run alone was a big reason why Dolmatov’s #20 uniform would be retired.

That 1997 season also featured an impressive 16 strikeout, one walk no-hitter on May 24 against Bratislava. Dolmatov was at a career peak here it seemed, but decided to decline his contract option year and become a free agent. This ended the EPB and Kazan run for Dolmatov, who felt like he had little more to accomplish in EPB. Although the exodus was still a few years away, he also felt the rumblings of discontent within EPB and the post-Soviet world.

With Kazan, Dolmatov had a 163-113 record, 2.07 ERA, 2588.1 innings, 3288 strikeouts, 417 walks, 240/296 quality starts, 177 complete games, 137 ERA+, 53 FIP-, and 96.5 WAR. The advanced stats really pump up how tremendous he was in only a nine year run, sitting 23^rd all-time as of 2037 in pitching WAR. Later scholars really pump Dolmatov up as an all-time under-rated player, but he was still appreciated enough to still earn the first ballot nod at 85.2%. Dolmatov was the fourth-highest vote getter of the massive 2005 EPB class.

Like many of his classmates, his career continued beyond EPB. A free agent at age 32, Dolmatov signed with MLB’s Memphis Mountain cats for 1998 on a five-year, $18,800,000 deal. He didn’t adjust to the majors particularly well, although he ate innings in four years for Memphis. Dolmatov had a below average debut and around average second year. He did have a quite solid third season, but struggled in year four.

The run did have a big highlight on July 26, 2000; a no-hitter with five strikeouts against Phoenix. That made Dolmatov one of a very select few to throw a no-hitter in multiple world leagues. In total with Memphis, Dolmatov had a 52-70 record, 3.86 ERA, 1105.1 innings, 794 strikeouts, 283 walks, 100 ERA+, and 10.8 WAR. He executed his option year for 2000 in the contract, but Memphis decided to cut him a few weeks later.

Dolmatov signed with Nashville to start 2002, but was cut at the end of spring training. Atlanta picked him up, but he mainly stayed in the minors with only nine relief appearances. The Aces cut him in July and he was employed by Seattle for a month, but made only one appearance with them. Dolmatov briefly had a minor league deal with Memphis to end the year, but didn’t see the field.

He wasn’t ready to retire yet, but his goose was cooked. San Diego gave him a chance in spring training, but cut him before the season. He had a two-day contract with Wichita, then ended up with Jacksonville. Dolmatov did pitch 40.2 innings and finish the year with the Gators, but a partially torn labrum knocked him out most of the year. He still wanted to play, but no one signed the Big Cat in 2004. He finally retired at age 39.

In MLB, Dolmatov was an unremarkable 54-71 with a 3.84 ERA, 1182.2 innings, 835 strikeouts, 309 walks, 101 ERA+, and 10.9 WAR. Added to his full pro totals you have a strong career at 217-184, 2.63 ERA, 3771 innings, 4123 strikeouts, 726 walks, 240 complete games, 123 ERA+, 70 FIP-, and 107.4 WAR. Dolmatov was also just so well respected that you’d be remiss to find someone to speak ill of him. Thus, he became a fine addition into EPB’s Hall of Fame.



Geza Aranyi – Starting Pitcher – Omsk Otters – 80.6% First Ballot

Geza Aranyi was a 6’4’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from the capital of Hungary, Budapest. Aranyi was a flamethrower in his prime with overpowering stuff and great movement, although his control was often subpar. His cutter was stellar with 99-101 mph velocity along with a great slider. Aranyi also had a curveball and changeup, although both were less effective.

His stamina was relatively average for an EPB ace of his era. Aranyi was viewed as great at holding runners and was a pretty good defensive pitcher. He had solid durability and was viewed by teammates as a loyal, strong leader.

Aranyi was spotted by a visiting Russian scout from Omsk at a prospects showcase in Budapest. He signed the teenaged Aranyi in May 1978, keeping him in the Omsk academy for the next few years. Aranyi debuted with 19 relief appearances in 1983 at age 21, showing mixed results. He became a full-time starter after that and became a fixture in the Otters rotation for the next 14 years.

Unlike most of his Hall of Fame classmates, Aranyi wasn’t particularly flashy. He never led in any major stat or posted eye-popping numbers, although he did have eight seasons worth 6+ WAR. Despite strong stuff, Aranyi wasn’t a huge strikeout guy, often getting groundballs. In his first full season, he took second in Rookie of the Year voting. Aranyi was also third in 1988’s Pitcher of the Year voting; his only time as a finalst.

Aranyi stayed steady and loyal to Omsk, signing a four-year, $4,240,000 extension before the 1993 season. He also was loyal to his home country, playing for Hungary in the World Baseball Championship from 1984-96. In the WBC, Aranyi had a 2.95 ERA, 164.2 innings, 223 strikeouts, 66 walks, 126 ERA+, and 3.9 WAR.

Omsk was strong in the mid 1980s, winning the Asian League pennant in 1985 and 1987. They lost the EPB Championship in 1985 to Minsk and fell in 1987 to Kyiv. The Otters also had first round exits in 1986 and 1989. Aranyi had a 2.55 ERA in 24.2 innings in 1985, but only saw limited use in the later postseasons. He finished with a 1.88 ERA over 43 career playoff innings.

Omsk had a playoff drought from 1990-96, finally snapping it in 1997. Aranyi was a reliable fixture throughout. On April 1, 1996, Aranyi had a no-hitter with 14 strikeouts and 1 walk against Asgabat. That season also saw him cross 200 career wins and 3500 strikeouts. He would regress to more average stats in 1997, which was ultimately his final year with the Otters. His #32 uniform would soon be retired.

With Omsk and in EPB, Aranyi had 213-167 record, 2.30 ERA, 3477 innings, 3825 strikeouts, 732 walks, 318/425 quality starts, 149 complete games, 127 ERA+, and 83.4 WAR. He was less dominant than his HOF classmates, but steady service for one franchise is an appreciated trait for EPB’s voters. That earned 80.6% and a first ballot induction for Aranyi, the fifth member of the massive 2005 EPB class.

Aranyi would play six more pro seasons, making some interesting stops along the way in the Western Hemisphere. He went to Brazil in 1998, signing a one-year deal with Sao Paulo. Aranyi had an impressive 1.95 ERA in 180 innings, although back spasms cost him the final two months of the season. Still, that greatly bumped up his stock as a 37-year free agent entering 1999.

Next was Cuba, playing with Havana in 1999. He was delightfully average there, but caught the attention of Honduras. Aranyi spent three years as a reliable middle of the rotation guy for the Horsemen, posting 8.6 WAR, 118 ERA+, and 3.32 ERA over 724.2 innings. In CABA, Aranyi had 10.3 WAR, a 69-33 record, 3.50 ERA, 937.2 innings, and 692 strikeouts.

Aranyi’s velocity fell off though at this point, limiting his value. He went to Venezuela in 2003 with Caracas, but was only used for 18 innings. He spent all of 2004 in Mexico under contract with Ecatepec, but he never saw the field. Aranyi finally retired in the winter of 2004 at the age of 42.

For his full career, Aranyi had a 295-205 record, 2.54 ERA, 4612.2 innings, 4698 strikeouts, 939 walks, 411/570 quality starts, 125 ERA+, and 98.8. WAR. No one ever considered him the best pitcher in the league, but Aranyi had a fine tenure worthy of honoring.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

Dzmitry “Extreme” Kuliev – First Base/Designated Hitter – Novosibirsk Nitros – 78.6% First Ballot

Dzmitry Kuliev was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed first baseman from Alamty, Kazakhstan’s largest city. Kuliev was a tremendous home run hitter with good contact ability. In every season that he played 140+ games, Kuliev hit at least 40 home runs. Despite the power profile, he rarely drew walks and was below average at avoiding strikeouts. Kuliev had alright gap power, but it was more homer or bust for him. He also wasn’t going to leg out extra bases often with his mediocre speed.

Defensively, Kuliev was exclusively at first baseman. He was a poor defender, but not the worst you’ve ever seen. He made about 60% of his career starts at first and was a designated hitter the rest of the time. Kuliev had solid durability and was an intelligent guy. He became very popular in his era because no one in EPB could quick mash dingers like him.

At a showcase in Almaty, a visiting scout from Novosibirsk took notice as a teenaged Kuliev. He signed in May 1979 with the Nitros to a developmental deal and would play his entire pro career there. It took a long time for Kuliev to get established and reach the power potential they saw in him. He officially debuted in 1985 at age 23, but only saw 12 appearances as a pinch hitter. Kuliev had 78 games and six starts in 1986.

Kuliev earned a full-time job in 1987 and made a major impact, smacking an Asian League best 61 home runs and 124 RBI. This started a streak of seven straight years leading in homers. Kuliev was the league leader in dingers ten times in his career, as well as RBI six times, total bases six times, slugging five times, OPS thrice, wRC+ four times, runs once, and WAR once. 1987 was his first of six Silber Sluggers and saw a third place in MVP voting. Kuliev won Silver Sluggers at first base in 1987, 88, 90, and 95. He also won the honor as a DH in 1993 and 97.

Kuliev had seven seasons with 50+ home runs, the most of any player in EPB history. His career best was 66 in 1993, which was the second-most in EPB history behind Ilkin Hasanov’s 71 from 1986. As of 2037, that is still the #2 all-time season. Kuliev also set the single-season RBI record in 1988 with 141, which only finally got passed in 2030 by Yuri Demyan’s 145. Three times, Kuliev had 60 or more homers in a season.

By WAR, 1988 was his finest season at 10.9, which also featured career bests in RBI, total bases (429), slugging (.686), hits (203), average (.325), OPS (1.034), and wRC+ (229). That won Kuliev his first AL MVP. He’d win it a second time in 1993 with the 66 homer, 136 RBI effort. Kuliev also placed second in 1991 and second in 1997.

He became very popular in Novosibirsk, who gave him a five-year, $11,000,000 extension in April 1994. The Nitros were regularly in the playoff mix in Kuliev’s reign, although they rarely went very far. 1988 was the exception, as the franchise won its first Asian League pennant. They would fall to Minsk in the EPB Championship. From 1985-99, Novosibrisk had nine playoff appearances, but went one-and-done seven times. They also had an ALCS defeat in 1991 to Chelyabinsk.

Kuliev did get some criticism as his playoff numbers weren’t great. In 49 games and 47 starts, he had 41 hits, 13 runs, 9 home runs, 24 RBI, a .215/.226/.366 slash, 85 wRC+, and 0.5 WAR. Kuliev’s stats were only slightly better in the World Baseball Championship, where he played with his native Kazakhstan from 1986-2000. In 119 games and 107 starts, he had 95 hits, 60 runs, 16 doubles, 32 home runs, 60 RBI, a .224/.269/.487 slash, 111 wRC+, and 2.3 WAR.

Novosibirsk had a six-year playoff streak from 1991-96. There was some excitement though as Kuliev entered his 30s with some hoping he’d make a run at Konrad Mazur’s all-time home run record of 740. Kuliev would see his first setback in September 1995 with a torn PCL, knocking him out 10 months. As a result, he only played half of the 1996 season.

Kuliev bounced back well with 58 home runs in 1997 and 43 dingers in 1998. His contact ability was starting to slip though. 1998 was the Nitros’ first losing season since 1981 they had begun the downswing. In late 1988, Kuliev became the eighth member of the 600 home run club. 1999 would be a setback though with a fractured fibula costing him the first chunk of the season. Kuliev still played 120 games, but had career worsts across the board.

Kuliev’s contract expired with Novosibirsk and he became a free agent for the first time at age 38. He still had power, but not much else at that point and was still too far from the homer record to have a shot. Kuliev played in the 2000 WBC, but was unsigned for the season. He would retire that winter at age 38 with Novosibirsk immediately bringing him in to retire his #25 uniform.

Kuliev finished with 2050 hits, 1075 runs, 263 doubles, 634 home runs, 1379 RBI, a .271/.304/.565 slash, 172 wRC+, and 80.9 WAR. As of 2037, Kuliev is seventh all-time in homers and 21^st in RBI. Detractors would note that he was a guy who was really only good for homers and not much else. However, chicks dig the long ball and dug Kuliev. He earned 78.6% for a first ballot nod with the sixth highest percentage in the 2005 EPB Hall of Fame Class. Kuliev was the only non-pitcher in the seven man crew.



Petro Mihalko – Starting Pitcher – Kharkiv Killer Bees – 69.1% First Ballot

Petro Mihalko was a 6’6’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Kirovohrad, Ukraine, an oblast in the center of the country with around 900,000 people. Mihalko had excellent control with pretty good stuff and average movement. His fastball regularly hit the 98-100 mph range and was part of a five-pitch arsenal that included a splitter, curveball, screwball, and changeup.

Mihalko had very good stamina and durability in his early years, tossing 250+ innings in 11 consecutive seasons. He could rub people the wrong way though, as some felt he was a selfish loner. His work ethic and love for the game were sometimes questioned, but Mihalko’s pitching talent couldn’t be denied.

He stood out even in his primary school days as one of the best upcoming prospects out of Ukraine. In the 1988 EPB Draft, he was picked out of high school 34^th overall by Kyiv near the end of the first round. Mihalko couldn’t come to terms with the Kings and opted to attend college. He was next eligible in the 1991 Draft and had increased his stock. This time, Kharkiv grabbed him with the 16^th overall pick. Mihalko’s entire pro career would be with the Killer Bees, becoming a full-time starter immediately.

His ability to eat innings was always valuable, but he didn’t look truly elite until his fourth year. Mihalko posted back-to-back 10+ WAR seasons, leading both years in wins and once in WHIP. The 1995 effort earned his lone Pitcher of the Year. He was also third in MVP voting. Mihalko wasn’t a finalist in 1996, but would take second in 1997 with a league and career-best 1.36 ERA and 0.75 WHIP.

Mihalko had eight straight seasons with 6+ WAR and thrice hit double-digits. It was hard to get noticed though, especially being teammates with his Hall of Fame classmate Igor Kuchkowski. In another era on another team, Mihalko likely would’ve scored more accolades. He was very much the Scottie Pippen to Kuchkowski’s Michael Jordan for Kharkiv. Mihalko wasn’t as much of a strikeout pitcher, never leading the league in the stat.

Like Kuchkowski, Mihalko had big success in the playoffs, helping Kharkiv become a dynasty in the late 1990s. Although they lost in the 1995 and 1996 European League Championship Series, Mihalko had a no-hitter in the ELCS against eventual champ Minsk, striking out 10. The Killer Bees were one-and-done in 1997, but then win the EPB title over Tashkent in both 1998 and 1999.

In his playoff career, Mihalko had an 11-8 record over 169.2 innings, 1.91 ERA, 172 strikeouts, 19 walks, 159 ERA+, and 4.4 WAR. He also looked good for Ukraine from 1992-03 in the World Baseball Championship with a 16-4 record in 172 innings, 2.67 ERA, 199 strikeouts, 31 walks, 135 ERA+, and 3.2 WAR. Mihalko also tossed the fourth Perfect Game in WBC history, striking out nine in 1992 against Fiji.

Kharkiv left Eurasian Professional Baseball for the European Baseball Federation in the 2000 exodus. The Killer Bees locked up Mihalko as they made the transition with a six-year, $18,960,000 contract extension. He was far less dominant in his first three EBF years, but still respectable. Mihalko helped continue on the Kharkiv dynasty, as they won the EBF Championship in 2000 and 2002. Mihalko also made history on June 11, 2000. He tossed EBF’s 22^nd Perfect Game in an 11 strikeout effort versus Dublin.

Mihalko didn’t have any major injuries, but he saw a surprisingly steep decline. His usual 98-100 mph velocity dropped to 95-97 mph in 2002, then 93-95 mph in 2003. Mihalko was relegated to a relief role in 2003, struggling to a 5.17 ERA in 71.1 innings. In 2004, he couldn’t even reach 90 mph anymore. Mihalko was under contract for the 2004 season, but didn’t play. He retired that winter at age 35.

For his entire pro career, Mihalko had a 212-120 record, 2.58 ERA, 3123.1 innings, 3272 strikeouts, 400 walks, 258/357 quality starts, 229 complete games, 33 shutouts, 123 ERA+, 74 FIP-, and 81.8 WAR. Because of the exodus, his EPB numbers are lower with a 158-80 record, 2.18 ERA, 2275.1 innings, 2514 strikeouts, 204/256 quality starts, 133 ERA+, and 65.8 WAR. In EBF, Mihalko was a less impressive 54-40 with a 3.64 ERA in 848 innings, 758 strikeouts, 103 ERA+, and 16.0 WAR.

Like many of his 2005 classmates, his overall EPB accumulations are a bit lower due to the exodus. Mihalko also had the trouble of being the #2 pitcher that was overshadowed by his teammate Kuchkowski. Plus, he was out of the game relatively early compared to many other HOF pitchers. Still, Mihalko was quite impressive in his prime and a key part of Kharkiv’s dynasty and their four titles in five years.

Of the seven inductees in EPB’s 2005 class, his 69.1% was the lowest percentage and just barely above the 66% requirement. Regardless, he was a first ballot Hall of Famer and got to stand beside his longtime teammate Kuchkowski as an all-timer.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

The Oceania Baseball Association had its own surprisingly large Hall of Fame class in 2005. The group joined 1986 as OBA’s only five-player class. Three were slam dunk first-ballot guys with RF Graham Chapman at 96.3%, home run king 1B Vavao Brighouse at 94.1%, and SP Zeke Decker at 93.4%. The other two only narrowly breached the 66% requirement. Third time was the charm for RF/DH Eric Williams at 68.8%, while SP Junior Fernandez debuted with 68.0%. No one else was above 50%.



Dropped after ten ballots was OF/DH Anthony Thomas, who won two Silver Sluggers in a 17-year run between Brisbane and Adelaide. He had 2229 hits, 1144 runs, 366 doubles, 478 home runs, 1308 RBI, a .243/.316/.450 slash, 129 wRC+, and 56.0 WAR. At retirement, Thomas also had the most strikeouts at 2994, although he later ceded that dishonor. He was also on some bad teams, hurting his recognition. Thomas was as high as 31.4% in 1997 before ending at a low of 5.9%.



Graham Chapman – Right Field – Sydney Snakes – 96.3% First Ballot

Graham Chapman was a 6’1’’, 195 pound left-handed right fielder from Adelaide, Australia. Chapman was best known for having an incredible eye for drawing walks, which some scouts graded a 10/10 in his prime. He would lead the Australasia League in walks 11 times in his career. Despite that, Chapman did have a surprisingly high strikeout rate. He was generally viewed as a merely decent contact hitter.

However, Chapman had excellent home run power when he did make contact, hitting 40+ dingers ten times in his career. He wasn’t going to find the gap often though and was a “three true outcomes” type of guy. Chapman’s speed was okay, but he was a laughably clumsy baserunner. Defensively, he was usually in right field with occasional stints in left or as a DH. Chapman graded out as a very poor defender. His durability was respectable, but nagging knee injuries often cost him a few weeks in many seasons.

Still, he was an affable fan favorite that worked very hard. Chapman was extremely popular throughout all of Australia baseball and in Sydney, where his entire OBA run took place. He stayed loyal to the club despite its perennial struggles, which earned Chapman tremendous respect and adoration.

Chapman was signed to Sydney’s academy as a teenage amateur in September 1976. He debuted at age 20 in 1981 with 10 games as a pinch hitter. He played 99 games with 46 starts in 1982, then earned a full-time gig after that. 1983 was his first of 11 years leading the Australasia League in walks. Chapman’s first Silver Slugger was in 1984, followed by wins in 1987, 89, 90, 91, 92, 95, and 96.

By 1986, Chapman’s home run power shone through with a league-best 49 dingers, taking third in MVP voting. He would sign an eight-year, $6,000,000 extension with Sydney the following spring. Chapman led in homers five times and had three seasons with 50+, peaking with 55 in 1989. That year also had a career-best 102 walks, just short of the single-season record of 105. Chapman’s first MVP came in 1988 while his second was 1991, which was his lone season leading in WAR at 8.7. Chapman was also third in MVP voting in 1987 and second in 1989.

Chapman also led the AL six straight years in on-base percentage from 1986-91. From 1987-91, he also led each year in OPS. Chapman thrice led in wRC+ and once in runs scored. He also played from 1984-98 in the World Baseball Championship for Australia. In 118 games and 105 starts, Chapman had 77 hits, 68 runs, 36 home runs, 71 RBI, 88 walks, a .215/.377/.553 slash, 165 wRC+, and 5.2 WAR.

Chapman stayed loyal to Sydney, hoping to lead them to their first-ever pennant. The 1980s were respectable for the Snakes and even had two seasons above 90 wins, but they were generally stuck in the mid-tier. Chapman opted out of his deal after the 1989 season, but did it to ink a new one for seven years and $8,220,000. The 1990s would be rough for Sydney, regularly occupying the bottom of the standings. From 1991-96, their best season as a lousy 66-96.

Chapman was one of the few reasons to come to the ballpark in this era. He still led in homers as late as 1996 at age 1996, but his power dwindled after that. Still, Sydney gave him another three years and $5,040,000 after the 1997 season. 1998 would see a broken kneecap and 1999 had torn ankle ligaments, ultimately ending his remarkable run with a thud. Chapman didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the last year of his deal and was a free agent for the first time at age 39.

Chapman managed to find a buyer in Germany of all places, signing a three-year, $6,960,000 deal with EBF’s Hamburg. He looked decent as a part-timer in 2000, but was benched early in 2001 after major struggles. Chapman had a 2.8 WAR and .237/.334/.523 slash with a 136 wRC+ in Hamburg. He retired in the winter of 2001 at age 41 and Sydney immediately brought him back to retire his #30.

With the Snakes, Chapman had 2133 hits, 1305 runs, 193 doubles, 59 triples, 645 home runs, 1408 RBI, 1317 walks, a .256/.359/.525 slash, 160 wRC+, and 84.7 WAR. He retired as the all-time OBA walks leader, although Samson Gould would pass him by two in 2020. As of 2037, Chapman is also eighth in homers and 22^nd in WAR. Few guys were more well-liked and respected in his era of Australia baseball, making for an obvious first ballot choice. At 96.3%, he led off the five-player 2005 OBA Hall of Fame class.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

Vavao Brighouse – First Base – Honolulu Honu – 94.1% First Ballot

Vavao Brighouse was a 6’8’’, 200 pound left-handed first baseman from Apia, the capital of Samoa. Brighouse had legendary home run power with most scouts scoring him a 10/10 for the major of his career. Brighouse had 12 seasons with 50+ dingers and eight with 60+. Few guys in baseball history consistently hit the ball as hard as he did. However, Brighouse was average at best as a contact hitter. He was straight up bad when it came to drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts.

Like his Hall of Fame classmate Graham Chapman, it was very much homer or bust for Brighouse, as he only sparingly got doubles or triples. The 6’8’’ Brighouse was as expected, a clumsy and terrible baserunner as well. Despite that, he was at least reliably average defensively at first base, where he spent his entire career. Brighouse stayed quite durable, allowing for a full slate of homers every year. His towering bombs made him one of OBA’s all-time biggest stars.

His power was hard to deny ahead of the 1982 OBA Draft, but there were some teams leery of his relative lack of other skills. Honolulu picked Brighouse 19^th overall in the 1982 OBA Draft and he’d spend his entire run with the Honu. Brighouse wasn’t used immediately though, not playing in 1983 and only seeing four at-bats in 1984. He earned a part-time role in 1985, then a full-time job in 1986.

In 1986, Brighouse smacked 60 home runs and 116 RBI to earn his first Pacific League MVP and Silver Slugger. This was also the mid-point of the Honolulu dynasty, who had won three OBA titles and four PL pennants from 1981-84. Brighouse set a playoff record with 7 home runs in the six game series, helping the Honu defeat Perth for the title. Early in the series, Brighouse crushed four homers with five RBI in one game.

Despite that, Brighouse surprisingly was benched and in a backup role for much of 1987. He was back to the lineup full-time in 1988 and never looked back, leading the PL ten straight seasons in homers. Brighouse also had 11 straight 50+ homer seasons and led in RBI nine times in that stretch. Ten times he led in total bases, eight times in slugging, four times in OPS, four times in wRC+, and thrice in WAR.

In 1988, Brighouse’s nice 69 home runs set a new single-season record in OBA. He’d match it in 1995 and also set the RBI record at 161; both of which still stand as OBA’s all-time bests. Of the top ten seasons in homers in OBA, Brighouse has six of them. At that point in history, only Beisbol Sudamerica’s home run king Valor Melo had seen 12 seasons with 50+ homers.

Brighouse joined OBA legends Sione Hala and Jimmy Caliw as the only players with seven or more MVPs. He got seven total (1986, 88, 89, 92, 93, 95, 96) while also taking second in 1994 and 1997. Brighouse also finished with nine Silver Sluggers (1986, 88-90, 92-93, 95-97). He was a mega star in Hawaii and when he visited back home in Samoa.

Honolulu was wise to keep him around as well. After the 1990 season, Brighouse was briefly a free agent, but quickly inked an eight-year, $8,960,000 deal with the Honu. He opted out of that deal after the 1996 campaign to sign a new five-year, $10,880,000 contract, which kept him in Hawaii for the remainder of his career. Naturally, Brighouse’s #6 uniform would later be retired.

Honolulu saw the second and third stages of their dynasty during Brighouse’s run. He technically started at the end of the first leg and in his career saw Pacific League titles in 1984, 86, 88, 89, 90, 93, 95, and 96. Honolulu was the OBA champion as well in 1984, 86, 88, 89, 90, and 95. Even the years they missed the final, it was only narrowly due to Guam’s rise in the 1990s.

Brighouse was the Oceania Championship MVP in both 1986 and 1988. For his playoff career, he had 41 games with 36 hits, 24 runs, 20 home runs, 31 RBI, a .247/.271/.685 slash, 215 wRC+, and 2.5 WAR. As of 2037, Brighouse is OBA’s all-time playoff leader in homers and is fifth in both RBI and runs scored. In addition to the 1986 run having a single-playoff record of seven homers, he also set high marks for slugging (1.409) and OPS (1.852).

In 1997, Brighouse passed Sione Hala to become OBA’s career home run king, shortly becoming the first to 700. The magic was running out for him and Honolulu as the 1990s came to a close. 1999 would be the Honu’s first losing season since 1979. Brighouse also had career lows that year with only 34 home runs, 63 RBI, and a 100 wRC+. This allowed him to breach 800 homers and narrowly pass Hala for the all-time RBI mark as well. Brighouse retired that winter at age 36.

Brighouse finished with 2084 hits, 1229 runs, 245 doubles, 804 home runs, 1629 RBI, 412 walks, a .257/.293/.590 slash, 173 wRC+, and 85.5 WAR. The WAR number is lower than you’d expect for a HR king, but he wasn’t great at much else. As of 2037, Brighouse is 20^th all-time in WAR by an OBA position player.

Brighouse would only get passed by Roe Kaupa in the 2020s for the home run king crown. As of 2037, Brighouse is second in homers and seventh in RBI. His towering dongs were something to behold though and he played a massive role in furthering Honolulu’s epic dynasty of the 1980s and 1999s. Brighouse received 94.1% for a first ballot nod into OBA’s five-player 2005 class.



Zeke Decker – Starting Pitcher – Guam Golden Eagles – 93.4% First Ballot

Zeke Decker was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Brisbane, Australia. Decker wasn’t amazing at anything, but was above average to good with his stuff and control, along with decent movement. His fastball only hit the 93-95 mph range, but he had an excellent splitter as his best pitch. Decker also had a changeup, curveball, and slider in his arsenal with each showing reliable effectiveness.

Compared to other OBA aces, Decker’s stamina was merely decent. He was excellent at holding runners and had average defensive skills. Decker worked hard and was considered unselfish by most teammates. He had excellent durability, making 37+ starts in all but his first partial season. Decker ended up being an “ol’ reliable” type pitcher for much of his run.

Decker wasn’t someone though that garnered a lot of attention as a prospect. Many scouts thought he was a borderline talent, not picked until the late fifth round in the 1984 OBA Draft. Guam selected Decker with the 80^th overall pick and he’d be the latest pick in OBA history to make it to the Hall of Fame. He was picked out of high school though and the Golden Eagles hoped he could be a project that paid off.

After three seasons in their academy, Decker debuted at age 22 in 1988 with 45.1 innings. He was moved into the full-time rotation the next year and stayed there for the rest of his career. Decker’s full-time load in 1989 earned him Rookie of the Year honors, although he wasn’t considered an ace until 1991. That was his first of nine straight seasons with 300+ strikeouts and 6+ WAR. He would finish second in 1991 Pitcher of the Year voting.

1991 was also the re-emergence of Guam as a Pacific League contender. They would break up Honolulu’s dynasty with PL pennants in 1991, 92, and 94; and won it all in 1992 over Christchurch. Decker’s playoff stats were iffy though with the Golden Eagles, posting a 3.72 ERA over 48.1 innings with 49 strikeouts and an 80 ERA+.

Decker led the PL in quality starts in 1991, WAR and FIP- in 1992, and strikeouts and K/BB in 1993. Guam wanted to lock him up long-term, but Decker disappointed many Golden Eagles fans by opting for free agency after the 1994 season. Some think that’s why his #8 uniform was never retired, especially since he left for their main rival. With Guam, Decker had a 111-76 record, 2.49 ERA, 1852.1 innings, 1881 strikeouts, 308 walks, 119 ERA+, and 36.9 WAR.

For 1995, the 29-year old Decker signed a five-year, $9,420,000 deal with Honolulu. His debut with the Honu was his finest season, leading in wins (26-7), ERA (2.19), WHIP (0.86), K/BB (10.2), quality starts (32), FIP- (63), and WAR (10.5). That earned Decker his first Pitcher of the Year award and his second championship ring, as Honolulu beat Christchurch in the final.

Decker repeated as POTY in 1996 with a 26-5 record and the Honu again won the PL title, although they fell to Adelaide in the final. He was okay in the 1995 finals, but good in 1996. In four playoff starts for Honolulu, Decker had a 2.32 ERA in 31 innings, 35 strikeouts, and 138 ERA+.

That was the last gasp of the Honolulu dynasty, as Guam won the next five PL pennants. Decker remained solid the next two years and was second in 1997’s POTY voting. In total with the Honu, he had a 91-33 record, 2.38 ERA, 1261.2 innings, 1279 strikeouts, 192 walks, 140 ERA+, and 32.2 WAR.

The run ended as the Honu started their rebuild after the 1998 season. With one year left on his deal, Decker was traded to Samoa for two prospects. His one year with the Sun Sox was highlighted by a no-hitter against Guam on September 6 with 14 strikeouts and 3 walks. Decker was a free agent at age 34 and still playing at a high level, but he felt like he had little left to prove and retired that winter.

Decker had a 218-124 record, 2.51 ERA, 3426.1 innings, 3480 strikeouts, 567 walks, 335/441 quality starts, 124 ERA+, 82 FIP-, and 76.2 WAR. He didn’t stick around long enough to shoot up the accumulation list, but his rate stats looked pretty solid. Decker was a guy who almost quietly built up a strong resume despite being on some very good teams. Most voters were easily sold and Decker picked up 93.4% for a first ballot addition in 2005.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

Eric Williams –Designated Hitter/Right Field – Melbourne Mets – 68.8% Third Ballot

Eric Williams was a 6’6’’, 200 pound right-handed hitting slugger from Canberra, Australia’s capital. Williams was an excellent home run hitter with above average contact skills. He would smack 40+ home runs in seven different seasons. Williams’ ability to draw walks and avoid strikeouts were both subpar. He did have respectable gap power and was good for around 25-35 doubles/triples per year. Williams wasn’t a complete baserunning liability like most guys his size, but he was firmly below average.

He had a strong arm, but his range and overall glovesmanship were terrible. Williams was almost always in right field when he played defensively, but he did around 3/5s of his career starts as a designated hitter. Williams was well respected as a team captain, considered one of the most standup guys of the era. He also had great durability and could always be called upon to give his best. That and dingers made him one of the more popular Australian players of the 1980s and 1990s.

Williams was signed as a teenage amateur by Melbourne in June 1979 and largely spent the next seven years in their developmental academy. He officially debuted in 1984 at age 21, but saw only six games and one start. Williams had five games in 1985, then an increased role in 1986 with 88 games and 52 starts. He struggled in these limited appearances initially, but showed more promise in 1987, earning 108 starts in 136 games. After that, Williams secured a full-time starter job.

1987 would prove to be his only time seeing the playoffs. Melbourne won the Australasia League title, but lost in the Oceania Championship to Samoa. Williams was 2-10 in 4 games. The Mets generally hovered around the mid-tier for the rest of his tenure. Williams did also see appearances from 1988-96 in the World Baseball Championship for Australia. In 53 games and 42 starts, he had 39 hits, 28 runs, 20 homers, 36 RBI, a .234/.296/.629 slash, 163 wRC+, and 2.0 WAR.

In 1988. Williams flashed his excellent power with 60 home runs, while also leading the Australasia League in total bases, slugging, and wRC+. He picked up his first Silver Slugger in right field and took second in MVP voting. Williams still hit 40 homers the next year, but saw his overall hitting success drop noticeably.

He bounced back with 6+ WAR efforts in 1990 and 1991. 1990 saw Williams lead in runs, homers, and total bases, getting a Silver Slugger as a DH with a third place in MVP voting. Melbourne would extend him in May 1991 with a six-year, $7,840,000 deal. Williams struggled again a bit in 1992, but then exploded with a career year in 1993.

1993 saw Williams smack 66 dingers, three short of Vavao Brighouse’s single-season record. He also led and had career highs in runs (105), RBI (118), total bases (417), slugging (.695), OPS (1.040), wRC+ (222), and WAR (9.9). It was also Williams’ only season batting above .300. This won him his lone MVP and his third Silver Slugger.

Williams hit 45 and 47 homers the next two seasons and led in 1995 in runs, RBI, and total bases. His last year with Melbourne saw only 33 homers in 1996. Williams declined his contract option and entered free agency for the first time at age 34. He would remain a popular figure for Melbourne fans and his #7 uniform would soon be retired.

Tahiti signed Williams to a one-year deal for 1997, but he was traded to Honolulu for two prospects. He crossed 500 career homers with the Honu and won his fourth Silver Slugger that year from the combined effort with 49 home runs. Williams’ overall value was falling though as an aging DH and he went unsigned in 1998. He eventually retired that winter at age 36.

Williams had 1728 hits, 947 runs, 244 doubles, 502 home runs, 1118 RBI, a .257/.297/.540 slash, 148 wRC+, and 47.6 WAR. He was the seventh member of the 500 home run club, which was a magic number for a lot of voters in OBA. As of 2037, every 500 homer guy that has gone through full HOF eligibility has made it in.

Detractors noted that his other counting stats were quite low and he was far less impressive than some of the other homer guys of his era like Vavao Brighouse or Graham Chapman. Additionally, to that point, every other position player in the HOF had at least 60+ WAR. As of 2037, Williams’ 47.6 is the second lowest in part due to being a DH and in part due to being a homer-only type guy. While he had some awards, Melbourne also didn’t have big runs with him.

There was enough going against him to keep Williams out on his first two ballots, albeit barely at 63.9% and 64.1%. The 502 dingers gave him a steady base of support and he won over just enough in 2005 to cross the 66% requirement at 68.8%. This made Williams the fourth member of the five-player 2005 Oceania Baseball Association Hall of Fame class.



Junior Fernandez – Starting Pitcher – Honolulu Honu – 68.0% First Ballot

Junior Fernandez was a 5’11’’, 190 pound right-handed pitcher from Ramos, a town of around 23,000 in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Fernandez had very good control of his arsenal while boasting above average stuff and movement. His fastball was still quite good even with a 95-97 mph peak velocity and was countered by a great curveball and both a respectable splitter and changeup. Fernandez had excellent stamina, but did have trouble holding runners. Some felt he limited his potential though with a poor work ethic and low intelligence.

While most Filipino prospects eventually played in Austronesia Professional Baseball, Fernandez ended up coming to Hawaii. A Honolulu scout found him and signed him as a teenage amateur in July 1983. Fernandez debuted in 1987 at age 1987 and showed promise as a part-time starter.

He earned a full-time role in 1988, but did miss the end of the year to rotator cuff inflammation. Fernandez wasn’t available for the playoffs, but did earn a ring as Honolulu won the 1988 OBA Championship. The Honu dynasty continued with a repeat in 1989, although a healthy Fernandez didn’t see any action in the finals.

He largely fended off any injury worries for the next few years and emerged as a top flight starter. The Honu gave Fernandez a five-year, $3,480,000 extension in June 1990. Fernandez took second in 1990 Pitcher of the Year voting with an 8.0 WAR season. He finally got to pitch in the championship and had a quality start, helping Honolulu three-peat with the 1990 title.

They would just miss out the next two years on the Pacific League crown due to the emergence of Guam. These would be Fernandez’s best seasons, leading both years in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched. He also led in WAR at 8.6 in 1991, earning his lone Pitcher of the Year. Fernandez took third in the 1992 voting and also led in wins in 1993.

Honolulu won the PL title in 1993, 95, and 96; although 1995 was their only OBA title win of that group. Fernandez struggled with a 4.85 ERA in two starts in 1993 and didn’t see the field in the other finals. This was partially due to his productivity dropping but also partially due to injuries. Shoulder inflammation cost him the final three months of the 1995 season.

The Honu had still given Fernandez a five-year, $6,360,000 extension in March 1995. Things started to go south though during this deal. Fernandez suffered a torn labrum in July 1996, costing him seven months. He pitched a full 1997 with very average starts. Back troubles cost him part of 1998 and diminished his velocity, dropping his strikeout totals notably. By this time, Honolulu’s dynasty was also coming to a close.

In 1999, Fernandez suffered a torn flexor tendon in his fifth start, ending the season right there. He attempted a comeback for 2000, but blew out his elbow again in spring training. He decided to retire that winter at age 35. Fernandez would see his #45 uniform retired by Honolulu.

Fernandez had a 189-131 record, 2.88 ERA, 3066.1 innings, 3008 strikeouts, 525 walks, 261/390 quality starts, 119 complete games, 108 ERA+, 88 FIP-, and 57.6 WAR. His accumulations aren’t remarkable with the injuries knocking him out early. Fernandez had a very short peak as a true ace and the advanced stats make him a pretty borderline candidate. He had four rings with the Honolulu dynasty, but did very little in the finals themselves.

Still, Fernandez was an important piece and had a stretch as one of OBA’s best pitchers. He only barely passed the 66% threshold, but managed to snag a first ballot induction at 68.0%. Some scholars rank him among OBA’s weaker inductees, but he’s in regardless to round out the five-player 2005 class.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

The 2005 Austronesia Professional Baseball Hall of Fame voting didn’t have any major standouts, but still saw three players cross the 66% requirement. Leading the way was DH Chang-Rong Chang with a first ballot nod with 77.6%. RP Hong Quinonez finally crossed the line on his ninth ballot with 71.6%. OF Fajar Lastori rounded it out as a first ballot guy, albeit barely with 68.0%. RP Wen-Yang Kuo also came very close on his second try but missed at 63.4%. No one else was above 50%.



The lone guy dropped after ten ballots was pitcher Gilbert Tang. In his APB career, he had one Reliever of the Year but saw a split career between starting and the bullpen. Tang had a 120-106 record, 143 saves, 2.65 ERA, 1952.2 innings, 1674 strikeouts, 400 walks, a 107 ERA+, and 34.6 WAR. He was never outstanding in either role though. Tang still managed to debut in 1996 with 31.4%, but he was down to 4.3% by the end.



Chang-Rong Chang – Designated Hitter – Taichung Toucans – 77.6% First Ballot

Chang-Rong Chang was a 6’1’’, 195 pound left-handed slugger from Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Chang was a reliably strong bat with solid contact skills and a good eye. His strikeout rate was poor, but Chang hit the ball hard when he made contact. Over a 162 game average, he’d get 33 home runs and 27 doubles per year. You couldn’t expect much from him as a baserunner as Chang was painfully slow and sluggish.

It was a clubhouse joke that Chang didn’t own a glove. He did not play a single inning in the field in his entire career; not one. Chang’s bat though was among the best in APB and solid durability for most of his career meant you could always rely on him in the lineup.

Chang’s batting was noticed across Taiwan even at Gubao High School. Many teams wanted him right away, including Tainan, who picked Chang with the #2 overall pick in the 1976 APB Draft. Chang declined to sign and instead went to Kao Yuan University in Kaohsiung. His stock was still quite high when he was next eligible in the 1979 Draft. Chang was picked #3 by Taichung and signed with the Toucans.

Due to having no defensive value, Chang had some trouble cracking the lineup initially, as he only had 41 starts and 83 games in his rookie year. He earned a full-time role in 1981 and looked excellent with 37 home runs and 7.4 WAR in only 118 games. A strained hamstring cost him seven weeks in the middle of the season. His effort was still so good that he not only won Silver Slugger, but earned MVP honors.

Most importantly, Chang was healthy for the playoff run. The Toucans won their first Taiwan League title since 1967 and went onto win the Austronesia Championship over Medan. Chang was only okay in the playoffs, he did get 8 hits, 5 runs, 3 home runs, and 3 RBI. However, he had a .195/.283/.439 slash. A broken bone in his elbow cost Chang almost all of 1982, but he stayed mostly healthy for the next decade after.

Taichung was a regular contender for the next few years, although they just fell short of the TL title in 1982 and 1983. From 1984-87, they had four straight playoff berths. 1987 was their only pennant in that stretch and they lost the APB final to Medan. Chang’s career playoff stats were underwhelming with 45 games, 40 starts, 30 hits, 14 runs, 6 doubles, 7 home runs, 13 RBI, a .191/.266/.363 slash, 93 wRC+, and 0.5 WAR.

Still, they were a regular contender and Chang’s regular season stats were strong in the 1980s. He led the Taiwan-Philippine Association thrice in runs, twice in home runs, twice in RBI, twice in walks, and thrice in total bases. 1987 was his second MVP, leading the TPA in runs (97), homers (48), RBI (95), walks (59), total bases (358), OBP (.350), slugging (.594), OPS (.943), wRC+ (204), and WAR (9.3).

Chang was also second in 1984 MVP voting, third in 1985, and second in 1986. He had seven Silver Sluggers in total (1981, 83-88). In March 1988, Taichung signed Chang to a six-year, $6,760,000 extension. He remained a reliably strong bat into his 30s, but his awards contention had ended by the 1990s. The Toucans’ competitive window also ended as 1988 marked the start of a 41 year playoff drought.

Chang opted out of his contract after the 1992 season, but signed a new four-year, $5,120,000 deal with Taichung. He was beloved by the fans and was the main reason to come to the ballpark as the team drifted towards mediocrity. 1996 would see a strained hamstring cost him three months. Chang was a free agent after that, but the Toucans brought him back for one more year.

In 1997, he became the fourth member of the 500 home run club. However, his power had dwindled in his later years, meaning Chang didn’t have a realistic shot at Chun-Chia Lan’s all-time mark of 619 homers. This would be his last season with Taichung, but he’d remain a beloved franchise icon for decades to come. His #10 uniform would quickly be retired once his playing days were done.

Chang still wanted to play and the 40-year old inked a two-year, $3,240,000 deal with Taoyuan. More hamstring troubles kept him from playing full seasons with the Tsunami. Still, he had 227 games, 4.0 WAR, 33 homers, and a 126 wRC+ with Taoyuan. Chang still wanted to play in 2000, but couldn’t find anyone interested. He retired that winter at age 42.

Chang ended with 2428 hits, 1273 runs, 456 doubles, 63 triples, 554 home runs, 1383 RBI, 869 walks, a .250/.312/.480 slash, 149 wRC+, and 81.1 WAR. At induction, he was fifth in homers, third in RBI, sixth in hits, second in runs, and 18^th in WAR. As of 2037, he’s still 10^th in homers, seventh in RBI, and tenth in runs.

There were voters still who felt being a career DH was a major knock against him. A few were also against him for his weaker playoff numbers. Despite his high totals on the APB leaderboards, Chang only got 77.6% in his ballot debut. However, that was still plenty for the first ballot nod to lead the 2005 class.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

Hong Quinonez – Relief Pitcher – Medan Marlins – 71.6% Ninth Ballot

Hong Quinonez was a 6’6’’, 200 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Tagum, a city of just under 300,000 inhabitants in the Davao Region of the Philippines. Quinonez had outstanding stuff with a tremendous 99-101 mph fastball and a great slider. He had good movement, but his control was often below average. Quinonez had excellent durability and thrice pitched more games than anyone else in the league. His power meant he racked up strikeouts at a high rate.

Having two pitches and generally low stamina meant teams knew Quinonez was only going to be a reliever. Thus, he wasn’t a top prospect despite his terrific fastball. In the 1977 APB Draft, Quinonez was picked with the 48^th overall pick early in the third round by Zamboanga. He couldn’t come to terms with the Zebras and played one more amateur season. Quinonez improved his draft stock and was picked 33^rd overall in 1978, the 11^th pick of the second round. It was Cebu who snagged Quinonez, who came to terms with the Crows.

Cebu immediately gave Quinonez the closer job and he held that role all six years of his first run. In his second year, the Crows made a surprise run and won the Austronesia Championship. Quinonez had a 0.84 ERA over 10.2 playoff innings with 11 strikeouts. They were a non-factor in his remaining years, but Quinonez was consistent. He took second in 1980’s Reliever of the Year voting, but otherwise wasn’t a finalist with the Crows.

Quinonez did also pitch for the Philippines in the World Baseball Championship from 1981-88. His stats were unremarkable with a 4.13 ERA over 32.2 innings, 13 saves, 47 strikeouts, 22 walks, and 90 ERA+. In 1984, Quinonez struggled to 3.49 ERA, easily his worst year as he had always kept his ERA below two previously. With that, Cebu decided to begin shopping Quinonez to other squads.

The 30-year old Quinonez was sent for 1985 to Medan with another reliever in exchange for four prospects. The Marlins had won the Sundaland Association title thrice in the 1980s thus far and hoped Quinonez could add depth. He was middle relief in 1985, but had a career-best 1.00 ERA in his limited innings. Medan moved him to the closer role for the next three years.

After missing the playoffs in 1985 and 1986, Medan earned three straight berths from 1987-89. The Marlins put together a dynasty, winning the APB title in 1987 and 1989. Quinonez was excellent in the playoffs, posting a 0.45 ERA over 12 appearances and 20 innings, strikeout out 31 with seven saves. Quinonez took second in Reliever of the Year voting in 1987, then won it for the only time in 1988. That season had career bests in games (78), innings (104.1), strikeouts (152), and WAR (5.4).

Quinonez’s role was diminished in 1989, but he still looked good in 60.1 innings. Medan fell to below .500 in 1990 and Quinonez was only used in 27.1 innings, missing some time to elbow inflammation. In total with Medan, he had 108 saves and 167 shutdowns, 1.60 ERA, 400.1 innings, 612 strikeouts, 155 ERA+, and 18.2 WAR. Now 36 years old, Quinonez was a free agent for the first time in 1991.

Cebu brought him back, but his stuff had started to weaken. Quinonez stunk with a 4.91 ERA in the 22 innings he saw. He wasn’t used in the playoffs, but Quinonez got his fourth APB championship ring as the Crows won the final over Batam. Quinonez retired with that at age 37. For his two Cebu stints, he had 199 saves and 243 shutdowns, a 2.08 ERA, 518.1 innings, 675 strikeouts, 136 ERA+, and 16.1 WAR.

Quinonez finished with 307 saves and 410 shutdowns, a 1.87 ERA, 918.2 innings, 1287 strikeouts, 210 walks, 144 ERA+, 51 FIP-, and 34.3 WAR. He was the fifth APB reliever to 300 career saves. Quinonez was in a weird spot compared to the other relievers that had gotten into APB’s Hall. There were guys with more longevity and less dominance, while there were those with less longevity but more dominance. Quinonez was in the middle of those two and spent a lot of time on the ballot with guys that had more accolades than him.

Quinonez debuted at 55.8% and dropped to 53.8% the next year, although he never was lower. He stayed in the mid-upper 50s until missing by a razor thin margin in 2003 at 65.8%. He slightly dropped in 64.3%. With his ninth try in 2005, Quinonez’s playoff successes helped win over just enough new voters. He received 71.6% for the ninth ballot add with the 2005 Austronesia Professional Baseball Hall of Fame class.



Fajar “Soupy” Lastori – Center/Left Field – Bandung Blackhawks – 68.0% First Ballot

Fajor Lastori was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed outfielder from Ciomas, a district of about 170,000 in Indonesia’s West Java province. Nicknamed “Soupy” for his love of soup, Lastori in his prime was a well-rounded bat statistically. However, he was far better though against righties (career 172 wRC+) compared to lefties (career 100 wRC+).

He graded out with good to great contact and power with an above average eye and below average strikeout rate. Lastori’s gap power was average at best with around 20-30 doubles/triples per year. He was a fairly smart and savvy baserunner, but his speed was merely above average in his prime years.

Lastori made about 2/3s of his career starts in center field and the rest in left. He graded out as a lousy CF as he lacked the range needed to succeed there. However, his arm and glovesmanship made him great defensively in left, even winning a Gold Glove in 1994. Small injuries sporadically cost Lastori time, but he managed to stick around for more than two decades.

Bandung spotted Lastori as a teenage amateur and signed him in February 1972. He became one of a select few in pro baseball history to debut at 18 years old, although he had one start and 21 games only in the 1974 season. Lastori made very limited appearances in the next three seasons with 104 games and 30 starts. In 1978, the now 22-year old Lastori earned a full-time starting role. Here, he posted easily the strongest season in his career.

Lastori won MVP and a Silver Slugger in center, leading the Sundaland Association in runs (103), home runs (51), RBI (108), total bases (.387), slugging (.664), OPS (1.051), wRC+ (259), and WAR (12.8). All of those were career bests and the 12.8 WAR was a single-season record for an APB position player. It remained the top mark until 1996, but still sits fourth best as of 2037. His .314 batting average also fell only eight points short of a Triple Crown season. Despite that, Bandung was second in the Java League standings.

Lastori remained a star for the Blackhawks, but the franchise was stuck in either the middle or bottom of the standings eternally. Their lone playoff appearance with him was 1981, but they lost the Sundaland Association Championship to Medan. Lastori never had a monster season quite like 1978 again, but he had 6.9 WAR or better each year from 1979-1984.

Lastori led with 7.8 WAR in 1982, then in 1983 was the leader in runs (85), homers (42), total bases (312), and slugging (.533). 1983 saw his second MVP, while he was third in 1979, second in 1981, and third in 1982. He won eight Silver Sluggers in total (1978-84, 1987). Bandung knew they had a superstar and signed Lastori to an eight-year, $4,456,000 contract extension after the 1981 campaign.

Lastori was still a strong starter from 1985-88, but had some minor injuries and saw his power numbers dwindle. He was still very popular with Bandung fans, but the Blackhawks weren’t expected to keep him once his deal was up with the 1989 season. They decided to trade the now 33-year old Lastori on the last year of the deal to Depok for two prospects. For the Bandung run, Lastori had 1573 hits, 801 runs, 214 doubles, 339 home runs, 790 RBI, a .260/.317/.492 slash, 184 wRC+, and 76.2 WAR.

Lastori was also a popular figure throughout all of Indonesian baseball from his efforts in the World Baseball Championship. He played in 11 WBCs from 1978-92 with 153 games, 149 starts, 130 hits, 96 runs, 18 doubles, 39 home runs, 82 RBI, 63 walks, a .254/.352/..530 slash, 144 wRC+, and 5.4 WAR.

Lastori was a good starter in his one year with Depok, posting 4.2 WAR and a 161 wRC+. He didn’t stick around and had free agency for the first time at age 34. His skills had garnered worldwide attention and it would be MLB’s Ottawa Elks that inked him. Lastori signed a five-year, $8,400,000 deal to bring him to the Canadian capital.

Lastori was a full-time starter all five years in Ottawa. He had spotty results in his first four years, but had an excellent fifth year in 1994 with 6.6 WAR and a 150 wRC+. The move to left field helped him bump his value, as he won his lone Gold Glove. Ottawa made playoff appearances in 1991 and 1992 but had no luck. In total for the Elks, Lastori had 624 hits, 364 runs, 119 home runs, 363 RBI, a .248/.308/.443 slash, 120 wRC+, and 18.0 WAR. A very fine tenure for a guy in his 30s.

Now 39 years old, Lastori had bumped his value back up entering free agency for 1995 as he was fresh off his most impressive MLB season. Detroit gave him a two-year, $6,080,000 deal. He was merely decent with 2.3 WAR and a 126 wRC+ for the Tigers, which wasn’t enough to reach the vesting criteria for the second year. With that, Lastori decided it was time to return home to Indonesia.

Lastori joined Surabaya in 1996 and missed about half the year to back problems. He could still hit alright against righties, but was struggling against lefties. The Sunbirds brought him back for 1997, but traded him at the deadline to Taoyuan for prospects. He would only play 37 games with unremarkable results in the regular season for the Tsunami.

However, Lastori stepped up in the playoffs with 8 hits, 8 runs, 2 doubles, 3 home runs, and 9 RBI over 11 games. This helped Taoyuan repeat as the APB champion and extended Lastori’s career. Surabaya gave him another look in 1998 and at age 42, he posted a very solid campaign worth 4.0 WAR and 142 wRC+. In total with the Sunbirds between the stints, Lastori had 8.8 WAR and 137 wRC+.

In 1999, Lastori’s final season would be with Depok. He struggled and quickly was benched with a -0.4 WAR and .165 effort over 27 starts and 82 games. Lastori finally retired that winter at age 43. His former squad Bandung, where he still had a huge following, was happy to bring Lastori home to retire his #29 uniform.

For his entire pro career, Lastori had 2673 hits, 1397 runs, 365 doubles, 135 triples, 543 home runs, 1370 RBI, 557 stolen bases, a .251/.308/.463 slash, 159 wRC+, and 109.4 WAR. For just the APB run, he had 1970 hits, 993 runs, 277 doubles, 103 triples, 409 home runs, 972 RBI, 489 stolen bases, a .252/.308/.471 slash, 173 wRC+, and 89.1 WAR. As of 2037, he’s 29^th in WAR among all APB position players.

APB voters are notably stingy though for batters in the very low offense league. Some felt that Bandung’s lack of team success in his prime was a mark against him. It seems surprising that Lastori only got 68.0%, but it was enough to make him a first ballot inductee regardless to close out the 2005 Hall of Fame class.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

Chinese League Baseball came close to a blank ballot with the 2005 Hall of Fame voting. There were no impressive debuts with the top newcomer being 1B Bei Wu at a lowly 30.3%. It would be two guys on their penultimate opportunity who cashed in on the weak field, earning ninth ballot inductions.



RF Zhengyu Peng crossed the 66% requirement with 70.8%, while SP Pengju Xue made it in with 67.3%. SP Baoxian He very nearly joined them on his eight ballot, but fell short at 64.4%. No one else was above 50% and no players fell off the ballot after ten failed tries.



Zhengyu Peng – Right Field – Hong Kong Champions – 70.8% Ninth Ballot

Zhengyu Peng was a 5’11’’, 200 pound left-handed right fielder from Changsha in central China. Peng was a solid contact hitter that was good at drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. His gap power was quite impressive, as he was good for around 20-25 doubles plus 15-20 triples most years. Peng wasn’t a major slugger, but he was still reliable for around 20 homers per year. His speed was above average and he was considered an above average to good baserunner.

Peng played exclusively in right field and was a great defender. He was known for his cannon arm, making many runners reconsider going for that extra base. Peng had pretty good durability and was considered a team leader. He became one of the most popular players of the era and was absolutely adored in Hong Kong, where he spent his entire pro career.

The Champions spotted Peng as a teenage amateur and inked him to a developmental deal in June 1973. He was a full-time starter in his rookie year of 1976 at age 21 and held that role for the next 15 years. Peng was the Rookie of the Year winner and soon became a reliably strong starter. From 1977-1984, he posted 6+ WAR each season and thrice had 8+.

Hong Kong quickly realized they had struck pay dirt and gave Peng an eight-year, $2,364,000 extension after the 1979 season. He won five consecutive Gold Gloves from 1978-82. He did have the misfortune of sharing a position with 2003 Hall of Famer Shichao Zhang, meaning Peng’s only Silver Slugger came in 1980. He certainly couldn’t be denied that season with by far the strongest year of his career.

1980 was his lone MVP as well, leading the Southern League in runs (98), hits (193), triples (27), total bases (358), average (.335), slugging (.622), OPS (1.007), wRC+ (222), and WAR (12.2). Peng had career bests in runs, hits, triples, total bases, average, slugging, wRC+, and WAR, as well as home runs (29), and RBI (89). Prior to this season, he had only been a league leader once (19 triples in 1977). Peng would only be a league leader again in 1987.

Hong Kong had eight straight winning seasons from 1978-85. They made the China Series in 1978 but lost to Kunming despite a stellar showing by a second-year Peng. In 13 starts, he had 20 hits, 9 runs, 4 doubles, 3 triples, 3 homers, 7 RBI, a .426/.451/.830 slash, and 1.5 WAR. He had earned MVP honors in their semifinal win against Xi’an. Peng also was third in league MVP voting in 1978.

HK would narrowly miss the playoffs the next three years, but won it all in 1982 over Nanjing. They earned berths in 1984 and 1985, but lost both years in the semi. For his playoff career, Peng had 36 starts, 42 hits, 20 runs, 7 doubles, 4 triples, 6 home runs, 18 RBI, a .296/.331/.528 slash, 187 wRC+, and 2.5 WAR. Peng was critical in making the Champions a contender in this era, earning adoration from the fans.

Peng also had broad popularity in China through his World Baseball Championship appearances from 1979-89. In 85 games and 79 starts, he had 77 hits, 38 runs, 13 doubles, 16 home runs, 47 RBI, a .264/.336/.486 slash, 129 wRC+, and 1.8 WAR. Peng earned a world title ring from China’s 1979 campaign.

In 1983, a strained MCL cost Peng two months to injury. He had 7.7 WAR and a 221 wRC+ in 98 games, on pace to match his MVP season. Peng had opted out of his original extension to sign a new one for seven years and $4,590,000 in May 1984. However, Hong Kong dropped towards the bottom of the standings as the 1980s came to a close.

Peng remained reliably good and even showed MVP flashes again with a second place in 1987. That year, he was the WARlord (10.1) and leader in runs scored (84). Peng had three more seasons worth 4+ WAR after that. However, the now 36-year old struggled throughout the 1991 season. That campaign ended with a torn meniscus, putting him out four months. He became a free agent for the first time for 1992, but couldn’t find any interested suitors. Peng retired that winter at age 37 and Hong Kong quickly retired his #56 jersey.

Peng ended with 2290 hits, 1037 runs, 301 doubles, 261 triples, 292 home runs, 924 RBI, 712 walks, 494 stolen bases, a .273/.331/.476 slash, 164 wRC+, and 106.7 WAR. At retirement, he was sixth among position players in WAR and still sits 11^th as of 2037. Peng is also still 17^th in runs scored, seventh in hits, and fourth in triples. In the ultra-low offense environment of Chinese League Baseball, Peng frankly seems like a slam dunk.

However, the CLB voters were incredibly stingy towards position players and Peng had to wait nine years. He debuted in 1997 at 54.8% and never was lower, but didn’t cross 60% until 2003. He missed by less than a point in 2004 at 65.6%. Finally, 2005 gave Peng his deserved spot with 70.8%.



Pengju Xue – Starting Pitcher – Chongqing Cavaliers – 67.3% Ninth Ballot

Pengju Xue was a 6’1’’, 185 pound right-handed pitcher from Xinyang, a city of just over six million in China’s Henan province. Xue graded out with most scouts as a firmly above average to sometimes good pitcher across the board in terms of stuff, movement, and control. He did have a 97-99 mph fastball, although his excellent slider and great changeup were his most deadly options. Xue also had a curveball and circle change in his arsenal.

His stamina was good and his durability was excellent. Xue did struggle with holding runners and wasn’t a great defensive pitcher. However, Xue was incredibly well respected and considered a “player’s player.” He was a team captain with great leadership and loyalty, plus a strong work ethic.

Xue was picked out of primary school in the 1974 CLB Draft, but wasn’t considered a “can’t miss” prospect. In the mid second round, Xue was picked with the 69^th overall pick by Shenzhen. The Spartans kept him in the developmental system for all of 1975 and 1976. He debuted with 67 innings mostly in relief at age 21 in 1977. Xue would earn a full-time starting role the next year.

Xue spent six seasons in the rotation for the Spartans with five seasons above 5+ WAR. Their lone playoff appearance was a semifinal defeat in 1979 with Xue posting a 1.98 ERA in two starts. He was reliably good, but never considered dominant. That was the story of Xue’s career, as he never was a league leader or Pitcher of the Year finalist. He would toss a no-hitter notably for Shenzhen, striking out 13 with 3 walks on 8/25/1980 against Macau.

In total with Shenzhen, Xue had an 87-73 record, 2.62 ERA, 1471 innings, 1629 strikeouts, 115 walks, 106 ERA+, and 32.9 WAR. The Spartans were in full fire sale mode after winning only 55 games in 1983. Xue was traded in the offseason to Chongqing for three prospects. The Cavaliers were very interested in Xue long-term and only weeks after the trade, signed him to a seven-year, $3,090,000 extension. They had just suffered a defeat in the 1983 China Series to Tianjin.

Chongqing made the playoffs again in 1984 and 1985. They got to the 1985 China Series, but lost to Beijing. The Cavaliers would then hover around the mid-tier for the rest of Xue’s run. He threw eight shutout innings in the 1984 postseason, but was more forgettable with a 3.12 ERA in 26 playoff innings in 1985. He kept up his same reliable innings with seven straight seasons worth 4.5+ WAR and three seasons above 6+ WAR. Xue didn’t get a ton of run support in those later years.

Xue did toss a second no-hitter on August 11, 1984 with 11 strikeouts and 1 walk. On September 5, 1985, Xue became only the fourth CLB pitcher to earn three no-hitters, striking out 12 with two walks against his former squad Shenzhen.

His 1991 saw a career low 3.0 WAR and for the first time didn’t reach 200+ strikeouts in a full season. Xue’s Chongqing deal expired and he finished the eight-year run with a 101-121 record, 2.47 ERA, 2070.2 innings, 2095 strikeouts, 441 walks, 101 ERA+, and 43.9 WAR. He was unsigned in 1992 and retired that winter at age 37.

Xue finished with a 188-194 record, 2.53 ERA, 3541.2 innings, 3724 strikeouts, 784 walks, 112 complete games, and 76.8 WAR. As of 2037, he’s eighth in wins and 16^th in pitching WAR. His 194 losses however are still the most of any CLB pitcher. A career 103 ERA+ suggestions sustained averageness. However, a career 80 FIP- would lead some to argue that Xue was a victim of bad luck and better than the stats might suggest.

Even though CLB voters are very pitcher friendly, Xue was definitely borderline. Traditionalists felt a losing record as a non-starter, but he was a well-respected captain. Xue seemed destined for the Hall of Pretty Good, typically hovering in the 40s to low 50s. 2003 was a peak at 54.7%, but with no one new of note in 2005, Xue received more looks. On his ninth try, he got a solid bump up to 67.3%, just crossing the line for induction in the 2005 Hall of Fame class.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

West Africa Baseball had a three player Hall of Fame class for 2005, each earning solid first ballot nods. SP Ousseynou Darboe was nearly unanimous with 99.3%, while his Dakar teammate and fellow pitcher Lin Freire was close behind at 95.0%. LF Abel Alemu joined them with a very solid 83.5%. 1B Daouda Kadri on his third try had a nice showing at 57.3%, still short of the 66% requirement. No one else was above 50%.



Mokhtar Mariama was dropped after ten tries, having played 11 years for three teams between 1B, 3B, and DH. He won five Silver Sluggers and had 1603 hits, 853 runs, 273 doubles, 227 home runs, 790 RBI, a .305/.360/.511 slash, 150 wRC+, and 46.3 WAR. Mariama retired young at age 34 despite having 5.0 WAR in his final season. That kept his grand accumulations too low to have a real shot at the Hall of Fame. He peaked at 28.3% on his second try and ended at 11.1%.



Ousseynou “Tarzan” Darboe – Starting Pitcher – Dakar Dukes – 99.3% First Ballot

Ousseynou Darboe was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Jambajeli, a village in the Gambia. Darboe had outstanding stuff with good control and above average movement. His fastball peaked at 96-98 mph but was still excellent. Darboe countered it with a great slider and changeup.

He had great durability for most of his career, although his stamina was considered average by WAB standards. Darboe was considered a good defensive pitcher that was solid at holding runners. He was viewed as one of the hardest working guys in the game and was a very popular fan favorite at each of his career stops.

Darboe’s potential was very noticeable right away and he entered the 1986 WAB Draft as the top pitching prospect. Dakar picked him with the #1 overall pick, although they did ease him in with only 77 innings in his rookie season. Darboe struggled as a rookie, but looked great by his first full season in the rotation in 1988. His ascension was critical in a sudden reversal of fortune for Dakar.

From 1979-87, Dakar had nothing but losing seasons. In 1988, they stunned many by taking first in the Western League at 98-64. They took the pennant as well, although they lost the WAB Championship to Lagos. The young phenom Darboe had a 1.64 ERA over 22 playoff innings with 36 strikeouts. It was clear that Darboe had arrived as was going to be a force. He finished second in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1988, then took third in 1989.

From 1990-94, Darboe was absolutely dominant with five straight seasons leading the Western League in both ERA and strikeouts. 1991 saw a career-best 1.68 ERA, which is the sixth-best qualifying season as of 2037 in WAB. In 1993, Darboe became the third WAB pitcher to earn a Triple Crown with a 1.99 ERA, plus career bests with a 26-3 record, 381 strikeouts, and 9.2 WAR. He also led in both WAR and WHIP in 1993 and 1994, and led in quality starts from 1991-94.

Darboe won four Pitcher of the Year awards (1990, 91, 93, 94) and took second in 1992. He was also third in MVP voting in 1991, posting one of the most dominant stretches in WAB history. Dakar wisely gave Darboe a five-year, $6,180,000 extension after the 1992 season.

After missing the playoffs in 1989, Dakar had five straight berths from 1990-94. However, the Dukes were always a wild card and all five years, they were eliminated in the WLCS. Abidjan’s fledgling dynasty slayed them thrice in that stretch. Darboe did have a mixed bag in those runs, but ultimately still had great playoff numbers in total. In 69.1 postseason innings with the Dukes, Darboe had a 2.73 ERA, 112 strikeouts, 13 walks, a 137 ERA+, and 2.4 WAR.

Darboe’s dominant streak was snapped in 1995 with a surprisingly pedestrian 3.54 ERA. Dakar had their first losing season since 1987 and would ultimately enter a dark period, being stuck at the bottom of the standings to close the 1990s and enter the 2000s. They still had Darboe for two more years, but decided to try to get some value for him. Even after a weaker 1995, there were still plenty of suitors.

In total with Dakar, Darboe had a 145-66 record, 2.46 ERA, 2012 innings, 2689 strikeouts, 402 walks, 203 complete games, 152 ERA+, and 54.8 WAR. As of 2037, he’s one of only five WAB pitchers to win four or more Pitcher of the Year awards. That dominance forever made him beloved by Dakar fans and the franchise would retire his #21 uniform once his playing career was over.

The trade was made for the 1996 season, sending the 30-year old Darboe to Lagos with a prospect to get four other prospects. The Lizards had been one of WAB’s most successful teams, but had just been outside the playoffs the prior year. They barely missed again in 1996, then got to the Eastern League Championship Series in 1997. Darboe was iffy in his two playoff starts in Lagos with six runs allowed in 11.1 innings.

However, his two years were still very good with 8.0 WAR and 6.2 WAR. In 1996, he led in strikeouts, WHIP, and K/BB. He surprisingly wasn’t a Pitcher of the Year finalist that year, but did take third in 1997’s voting. In two years with Lagos, Darboe had a 36-17 record, 2.62 ERA, 481 innings, 740 strikeouts, 140 ERA+, and 14.2 WAR. That would ultimately mark the end of his WAB career at only age 32.

In just over a decade in West Africa, Darboe had a 181-83 record, 2.49 ERA, 2493 innings, 3429 strikeouts, 490 walks, 244 quality starts, 46 complete games, 150 ERA+, 71 FIP-, and a nice 69.0 WAR. Even in a shorter career, as of 2037 Darboe is 10^th in pitching WAR, 14^th in strikeouts, and fourth in ERA. Had he stuck around to rack up some more accumulations, Darboe may have had a shot at being WAB’s all-time greatest pitcher. He was still a slam dunk first ballot inductee in 2005, getting 99.3% of the vote.

Darboe’s pro career did continue in 1998 with big-time Major League Baseball money, signing a five-year, $20,800,000 deal with San Francisco. His stats were below average though with the Gold Rush. He did still strike out guys at a strong rate, but his ERA was above four in all four seasons with the Gold Rush. Darboe did see a 3.41 ERA over 31.2 playoff innings in 1999 as SF fell in the American Association Championship Series.

In total in the Bay Area, he had a 4.46 ERA over 716.2 innings, 41-37 record, 635 strikeouts, 87 ERA+, and 7.9 WAR. Darboe also saw his first major injury setback in 2000. He suffered a rotator cuff strain in May that knocked him out a month. Then in August, he tore the rotator cuff and went on the shelf for 14 months. This cost him the end of the 2000 campaign and much of 2001. San Francisco bought out the final year of his contract, making Darboe a free agent at age 36 for the 2006 season.

Seattle gave Darboe a one year deal and he had his most efficient season in MLB with a 3.85 ERA, 19-9 record, 188 strikeouts, and 3.3 WAR. Las Vegas was impressed and signed him for 2003, but a partially torn UCL cost him most of that season. Darboe also stunk with a 5.59 ERA in the 48.1 innings he did see. For his MLB run, he had a 63-49 record, 4.37 ERA, 1024.1 innings, 868 strikeouts, 90 ERA+, and 11.2 WAR.

Darboe was determined to make a comeback and found a home in 2004 in England, signing with Manchester of the European Baseball Federation. His stuff was greatly diminished from the injuries and he had a lousy 4.70 ERA over 162.2 innings for -0.3 WAR. Darboe retired that winter at age 39.

For his entire career, Darboe had a 251-143 record, 3.11 ERA, 3680 innings, 4416 strikeouts, 321/479 quality starts, 108 complete games, 122 ERA+, and 80.0 WAR. He was one of the most electric pitchers of his era and the first major star from the Gambia. As of 2037, he’s the country’s lone Hall of Famer. Darboe also would play a big role in getting his country its own pro team with the capital Banjul joining WAB in a 2009 expansion.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

Lin Freire – Starting Pitcher – Dakar Dukes – 95.0% First Ballot

Lin Freire was a 6’7’’, 200 pound left-handed from Bissau, the capital of Guinea-Bissau. Freire was best known for having outstanding control. His stuff was very good as well, although his movement was considered average at best. Freire’s fastball was considered great despite only having 93-95 mph peak velocity. He knew how to spot it though and alternate it with a changeup and a knuckle curve.

Even by the lower expectations of going deep in games in West African Baseball, Freire’s stamina was considered below average. He was a good defensive pitcher and was solid at holding runners. Injuries were issues at points, limiting Freire from reaching his true potential. Stull, he managed to have an outstanding career regardless.

Freire was a big kid even as a teenager and it was hard to be incognito as a 6’7’’ lefty. A scout from Dakar signed him in July 1981 to a developmental deal. Freire debuted in 1986 at age 1986 and was split between starting and relief in his first two seasons. He struggled in those first two years, but put it together by the third season. Freire was the #2 in the rotation to Ousseynou Darboe, but he would soon pitch as well as many teams’ #1.

Freire helped Dakar’s turnaround and their finals berth in 1988. In total over 46.2 playoff innings for the Dukes, Freire had a 3.47 ERA, 71 strikeouts, 4 walks, 110 ERA+, and 1.3 WAR. He would lead the Western League in WHIP in both 1989 and 1990. He led in wins in 1990 and 1991 and was the WARlord in 1991 at 9.1

The 1991 season saw a staggering 21.9 K/BB with 328 strikeouts to only 15 walks, as well as a career-best 1.82 ERA. However, Freire couldn’t win Pitcher of the Year because of his teammate Darboe, taking second to him in both 1990 and 1991. In total with Dakar, Freire had a 90-56 record, 2.99 ERA, 1299 innings, 1633 strikeouts, 198 walks, 122 ERA+, and 28.7 WAR.

Freire and Dakar couldn’t come to terms though and he’d have a chance to escape Darboe’s shadow. A free agent at age 28, Freire signed a six-year, $6,250,000 deal with Abidjan. The Athletes had just knocked out the Dukes in the 1992 WLCS and some Dakar fans resented Freire for leaving for their rival. Abidjan would oust Dakar again the 1993 and 1994 WLCS.

It was a dynasty run for Abidjan. During Freire’s tenure from 1993-99, they won the Western League pennant four times (1993, 94, 95, 99) and won the WAB Championship in 1994 over Ibadan. Despite the team success, Freire wasn’t good in the postseason, posting a lousy 5.81 ERA over 52.2 innings with 68 strikeouts.

However, Freire was quite good in the regular season for his first five years there. He won his lone Pitcher of the Year in 1995, leading in strikeouts (334) and WAR (9.3) with career highs. Freire also had the best K/BB in the EL four years running. He also placed third in the 1996 Pitcher of the Year voting.

1997 was the beginning of Freire’s body breaking down. In July, he suffered a torn rotator cuff that knocked him out 12 months in total. Freire only made it back for 22.1 innings in 1998, although he still looked like he could go in the limited sample size. His stuff was weaker, but his pinpoint control meant that he could still play.

Freire was less impressive in 1999 and then suffered a partially torn labrum in late July. There was a setback in the recovery in September and doctors told him he had to quit the game at age 34. Freire finished his Abidjan run with an 83-32 record, 2.90 ERA, 1122 innings, 1456 strikeouts, 138 walks, 133 ERA+, and 33.6 WAR. He had a greater WAR total with the Athletes, but the more innings and starts with Dakar led to Freire being inducted in the Dukes’ silver and purple.

Freire finished with a 173-88 record, 2.95 ERA, 2421 innings, 3089 strikeouts, 336 walks, 220/356 quality starts, 127 ERA+, 76 FIP-, and 62.4 WAR. As of 2037, he’s 21^st in pitching WAR and 26^th in strikeouts. Of Hall of Famers with more than 2000 career innings, Friere has the fewest walks with 336. Freire may have been underappreciated in his time, but the Hall of Fame voters recognized his contributions. At 95.0%, Freire easily made it in on the first ballot with the 2005 voting.



Abel Alemu – Left Field – Conakry Coyotes – 83.5% First Ballot

Abel Alemu was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed left fielder from Agaro, a town of 25,000 in southwestern Ethiopia. Alemu was a great contact hitter with a decent eye and strikeout rate. He wasn’t a prolific power hitter, but reliably got you around 25 home runs per year. Alemu’s gap power was terrific, averaging 35 doubles and 10 triples per his 162 game average. Alemu was often able to leg out extra bases with very good speed. He was also one of the most efficient base stealers of his era.

Defensively, Alemu played pretty much exclusively in left field. He graded out for his career as a bit below average, but not awful by any stretch. Alemu had good durability for most of run and became a popular player with fans. He wasn’t always popular in the clubhouse though, as some felt he was a selfish loner.

The baseball market in Ethiopia was relatively untapped with prospects not having their own pro scene yet. Alemu stood out by far as the best prospect out of his country though and garnered plenty of attention from West African scouts despite his humble beginnings. He entered in the 1982 WAB Draft and was the #3 overall pick by Conakry. Alemu would spend 12 seasons in Guinea in total.

The Coyotes only used him in six games for the 1983 season. He was made a full-time starter in 1984, although he had some troubles adjusting to the bigs. Alemu also lost a part of his rookie season to a partially torn labrum. He was the full-time guy after that and played 136+ games each year for the next decade with Conakry. The Coyotes had been awful in WAB’s first decade, but Alemu helped them emerge as a contender to end the 1980s.

Conakry had four playoff appearances from 1986-90. They lost in the 1987 Western League Championship Series to Kumasi. The Coyotes broke through and won back-to-back pennants in 1989 and 1990. They lost the 1989 WAB Championship to Port Harcourt, but got revenge on the Hillcats in the 1990 final for their first ring. In 29 playoff starts, Alemu had 33 hits, 13 runs, 5 doubles, 2 triples, 4 home runs, 17 RBI, a .297/.333/.486 slash, and 138 wRC+.

Alemu wasn’t generally a league leader, but he did post eight seasons worth 5+ WAR for Conakry. He led in RBI in 1987, but didn’t lea a stat again until 1991. Still, he won a Silver Slugger in 1987 and was third in MVP voting. The Coyotes had signed Alemu to an eight-year, $4,194,000 extension after the 1986 campaign. He won his second Silver Slugger in 1990 and took second in MVP voting.

1991 was his finest year, leading in batting average (.353), OBP (.384), and wRC+ (185) with a career high 7.6 WAR. That earned his lone MVP and a third Silver Slugger. In 1992, he had a 29-game hit streak and led the league in total bases (354), OPS (1.012), and wRC+ (171). Alemu won a fourth Silver Slugger and was third in MVP voting. His fifth Slugger came in the 1994 campaign.

After their 1990 title, Conakry declined and started a 14-year playoff drought. By the time his deal ended after the 1994 season, the 34-year old Alemu was ready to move on. He remained popular with Coyotes fans and his #16 uniform would get retired. In total, Alemu had 1866 hits, 867 runs, 340 doubles, 260 home runs, 1000 RBI, 517 stolen bases, a .314/.357/.535 slash, 152 wRC+, and 55.7 WAR.

Alemu signed a four-year, $6,320,000 deal with Lagos. The Lizards hoped he’d help maintain their playoff success, although that wasn’t the case. They just missed the field in 1995 and 1996, then lost in the 1997 Eastern League Championship Series to the fledgling Kano dynasty. They had their first losing season since 1982 when they were 76-86 in 1998.

It wasn’t Alemu’s fault though, as he gave them four solid seasons each worth 4+ WAR. In 1996, he won his sixth and final Silver Slugger. A couple injuries did cost him notable time in his final seasons for the Lizards. Still, in four years, Alemu had 686 hits, 348 runs, 115 doubles, 93 home runs, 294 RBI, a .319/.357/.535 slash, 154 wRC+, and 20.0 WAR.

Alemu also became West African Baseball’s all-time hit king and in 1998, was the first player to reach 2500 hits. He held the top spot until passed by Darwin Morris in 2008. Alemu fell well down the later leaderboards as WAB became a far more offensive league in the 21^st Century, but it was a nice distinction to hold for a decade.

Alemu still seemed to be at a solid level when he signed a two-year, $3,600,000 deal for 1999 with Freetown. He regressed hard in his one year with the Foresters, posting a 101 wRC+ and 0.2 WAR. Alemu chose to retire that winter at age 39.

Alemu had 2692 hits, 1282 runs, 484 doubles, 138 triples, 364 home runs, 1350 RBI, 718 stolen bases, a .313/.355/.528 slash, 150 wRC+, and 75.8 WAR. As of 2037, he’s 27^th in hits, but still 16^th in WAR among position players. He also led in WAR at retirement, although Darwin Morris quickly took that mantle and blew him away.

To a modern eye, Alemu’s stats are less remarkable. He was rarely incredible, but he was very good for a long time and had one of the finest hitting runs of WAB’s early days. That nabbed him 83.5% for a first ballot induction into the Hall of Fame in 2005, rounding out a strong class.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

Two debuting names were near unanimous selections into South Asia Baseball’s Hall of Fame in 2005. 3B Thang Huynh had 98.5% and SP Janpati Sara got 98.2% as an excellent one-two punch. LF Indirjeet Dayada only barely missed joining them on his fifth ballot, missing the 66% requirement with a painfully close 65.5%. 3B Hoai Truong also had a nice showing at 57.6% on his sixth ballot; a new high for him. No one was dropped after ten ballots.



Thang Huynh – Third Base – Chittagong Commandos – 98.5% First Ballot

Thang Huynh was a 5’11’’, 200 pound switch-hitting third baseman from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Huynh was an excellent contact hitter with a decent eye for walks and solid knack for avoiding strikeouts. His bat was consistently quite strong, regularly getting you around 40 home runs and around 35 doubles most years. He wasn’t going to leg out many extra bases though as he was painfully slow on the basepaths..

Huynh primarily played third base defensively, although he did move to first base at the very end of his career. He had a very strong arm, but terrible range and glove work, grading out as quite lousy in both spots. Huynh was an ironman who played 145+ games in every season he was signed. He was humble one and one of the most popular players of his era. Huynh parlayed that into opportunities outside of the game.

Huynh was one of Vietnam’s top prospects when he entered the 1984 South Asia Baseball Draft. Chittagong selected him with the fourth overall pick, beginning a seven-year run in Bangladesh. Huynh was a full-time starter and a stud immediately, winning 1985 Rookie of the Year with a 6.1 WAR debut. This was Chittagong’s lone playoff appearance of his tenure, falling in the Southeast Asia League final to Hanoi.

He would win four Silver Sluggers with the Commandos (1986, 87, 89, 90), although the team was mostly stuck in the mid-tier. In his second season, Huynh led SEAL in hits (206), total bases (402), OPS (1.070), and wRC+ (192), earning MVP honors. He would take third in MVP voting in 1987, posting 9+ WAR in both seasons.

Huynh’s second MVP was 1989, where he became SAB’s first-ever Triple Crown hitter with 57 home runs, 148 RBI, and a .347 average. He also led in runs (131), hits (207), total bases (429), OBP (.411), slugging (.719), OPS (1.130), wRC+ (212), and WAR (12.0). His next two seasons were down from those highs, but still both worth more than 6 WAR. He also led in total bases in 1991 with 356.

This marked the end of Huynh’s Chittagong run. In only seven years, he managed 1331 hits, 697 runs,, 243 doubles, 291 home runs, 770 RBI, a .325/.391/.615 slash, 175 wRC+, and 59.2 WAR. Now 30 years old, Huynh began to ponder his options in the game. By this point, Ahmedabad and Ho Chi Minh City had both established their dynasties and top free agents pretty much had those two teams as their options.

Huynh was tempted to return to his home city of HCMC and was extremely popular back in Vietnam. However, he couldn’t come to terms and ended up taking a three year sabbatical. Teams would reach out each offseason, but Huynh was generally content to enjoy quiet time with his family. A big move to a country outside the SAB umbrella didn’t interest Huynh either.

He didn’t give up the game completely though, as he still played for Vietnam those years in the World Baseball Championship. He was on roster each year from 1984-2000 for the Vietnamese team. In 151 games and 145 starts, Huynh had 152 hits, 76 runs, 28 doubles, 35 home runs, 86 RBI, a .271/.349/.512 slash, 146 wRC+, and 5.5 WAR. This also helped keep him sharp and in shape in case he did decide to return to the pro game.

Now 33 years old, Ahmedabad finally coaxed Huynh back for the 1995 season, signing a one-year deal in February. He looked great in his return, leading the Indian League in OBP at .399. The 7.7 WAR effort won him his fifth Silver Slugger. 1995 was the historic finals showdown with both the Animals and Hedgehogs at 124-38. Ahmedabad won for their sixth SAB title in seven years, although Huynh had a forgettable 91 wRC+ in the playoffs.

Huynh was a free agent again and Ho Chi Minh City officials finally got their hometown son to sign with a four-year, $2,200,000 deal. He was a Silver Slugger winner all four years, giving him nine for his career. In total for the Hedgehogs, he 698 hits, 407 runs, 120 doubles, 151 home runs, 410 RBI, a .307/.375/.566 slash, 169 wRC+, and 28.1 WAR.

HCMC won three more SEAL pennants from 1997-99. After going 0-6 in their previous SAB Championships, they finally overcame Ahmedabad in the 1997 final. Huynh was the finals MVP and in the playoff run had 20 hits, 11 runs, 4 doubles, 3 home runs, 10 RBI, a .400/.446/.660 slash, and 216 wRC+. Ahmedabad got them back in the 1998 and 1999 finals. For his playoff career, Huynh with HCMC had 69 hits, 33 runs, 13 doubles, 12 home runs, 34 RBI, a .343/.404/.587 slash, 182 wRC+, and 3.5 WAR.

1999 was the weakest season of his career, but that still was good for 5.7 WAR. Heading towards age 38, Huynh was a free agent again and was again largely content to move on. He played in the 2000 WBC and was a free agent all year, choosing not to sign. Huynh officially filed the retirement papers that winter.

For his career, Huynh had 2209 hits, 1189 runs, 395 doubles, 468 home runs, 1281 RBI, a .320/.386/.593 slash, 175 wRC+, and 95.0 WAR. As of 2037, he’s 24^th in WAR among position players. Among Hall of Famers, his OPS is eighth best. Had he not taken the sabbatical and added a few more years, Huynh could’ve truly been in the absolute top tier of the SAB leaderboards. Regardless, his tenure was still a lock for Hall of Fame induction, earning 98.5% with the 2005 voting.



Janapati Sara – Starting Pitcher – Surat Silver Sox – 98.2% First Ballot

Janapati Sara was a 6’6’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Amritsar, India; a city of around 1,130,000 in the state of Punjab. Sara had incredible stuff with excellent movement, but he did run into control issues at points. He had a 98-100 mph cutter that was deadly, but his knuckle curve and regular curveball were both outstanding. Sara also had a rarely used changeup as a fourth pitch.

That arsenal took a lot out of him and Sara had weak stamina compared to most great starters. Injury issues also plagued him as he only topped 200 innings in seven of his 15 seasons. Sara had a tremendous work ethic and was one of the most exciting and electric pitchers in the game. He was one of the first true superstar pitchers of Indian baseball.

South Asia Baseball’s first official season was 1980, but teams began preliminary operations the year before. The still new Surat Silver Sox had a scout aware of a teenaged prospect that they thought could be the future of the franchise. That was Sara, who signed a developmental deal in December 1979. He officially debuted in 1984 at age 21, although he really struggled mostly in relief for his first two seasons.

Sara earned a rotation spot in 1986 and looked pretty solid. In 1987, he emerged as a true ace, taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting. That year, he led the IL in both strikeouts (365), and WAR (9.9). This season also saw a no-hitter with 13 strikeouts and 1 walk against Bengaluru.

Surat earned wild cards from 1988-90, but they had the misfortune of sharing the West Division with the now fully formed Ahmedabad dynasty. They were ousted in the first round each year and Sara struggled with a 5.49 ERA in 19.2 playoff innings. He would be a national star though as he pitched great for India in the World Baseball Championship. From 1987-2000, he had an impressive 17-2 record over 186.2 innings with a 2.56 ERA, 255 strikeouts, 59 walks, 143 ERA+, and 4.6 WAR.

1988 saw Sara‘s second no-hitter in a nine strikeout, five walk effort on August 4 against Hyderabad. That winter, Surat committed to a four-year, $2,720,000 extension with their ace. Sara would win Pitcher of the Year for the first time in 1989, posting a career best 1.57 ERA, 24-2 record, and 0.82 WHIP.

He won his second POTY in 1990, then took third in 1991. He led the IL with 9.2 WAR and with a career-best 367 strikeouts. Sara won his second ERA title in 1991 and led in WHIP again. He also had the IL’s best FIP- in five seasons for the Silver Sox. In total with Suray, he was 111-64 over 1564.2 innings with a 2.43 ERA, 2253 strikeouts, 439 walks, 137 ERA+, and 52.6 WAR. The franchise would retire his #21 uniform once his playing days were over.

Coming up on age 30, Sara was now a free agent for the first time. Like so many others, he was limited seemingly to Ahmedabad or Ho Chi Minh City, as the two dynasties had built up financial resources far outweighing the other SAB teams. Having shared a division with the Animals, Sara wasn’t itching to jump there. However, he did want to remain in India if possible. He would ultimately sit out the 1993 season, although he still pitched in that year’s WBC.

Sara finally caved and signed a two-year, $1,690,000 deal with Ahmedabad for 1994. He came in hot, winning his third Pitcher of the Year and his third ERA title. The next year, he led in WHIP and bested the prior year’s WAR total with 8.4, although he was third in Pitcher of the Year voting. With the Animals, Sara had a 31-10 record, 1.98 ERA, 435.1 innings, 665 strikeouts, 93 walks, 157 ERA+, and 16.3 WAR.

Ahmedabad won the SAB Championship both years Sara was there. In his playoff games, he had a 2.40 ERA over 60 innings, 7-0 record and 2 saves, 91 strikeouts, 13 walks, 129 ERA+, and 2.0 WAR. That erased any doubters who called him a playoff choker from his earlier Surat days. He was a free agent again at age 33 and Ho Chi Minh City made an aggressive play to get him to switch sides. It worked and Sara moved to Vietnam with a five-year, $7,780,000 deal.

His first two years were solid as a Hedgehog, leading in WHIP in 1996 and taking third in Pitcher of the Year voting. He also threw his third no-hitter on May 30 with 14 strikeouts and three walks against Phnom Penh. As of 2037, Sara and Tanner Lamont are the only pitchers in SAB history with three no-nos. HCMC was upset in the Southeast Asia League Championship in 1996 by Yangon, although Sara allowed only two unearned runs in 14 innings.

1997 saw the Hedgehogs finally beat Ahmedabad in the final. Sara had trouble in the playoffs though with a 5.95 ERA over 19.2 innings. They were SEAL champs again in 1998 and 1999, but lost both times in the finals to Ahmedabad. Sara missed the 1998 playoffs, but had a 3.12 ERA in 1999 for a 3.35 ERA over 51 innings for HCMC in the postseason. He finished with a career 3.24 ERA over 130.2 postseason innings with 173 strikeouts and a 103 ERA+.

Sara looked great to start 1998, but suffered elbow inflammation and missed three weeks in May. Then at the end of the month, he tore his flexor tendon, knocking him out 10 months. Sara did make a comeback in 1999 and was still a respectable starter, but he was far from his previous dominance. In total with HCMC, Sara finished with a 52-26 record, 2.61 ERA, 669.2 innings, 922 strikeouts, 176 walks, 137 ERA+, and 20.4 WAR.

Sara didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the last year of the Hedgehogs deal, becoming a free agent for 2000. He still pitched in that years’ WBC, but couldn’t find a suitor for the season. He had to retire that winter at age 37.

Sara’s career stats saw a 194-100 record, 2.40 ERA, 2669.2 innings, 3838 strikeouts, 710 walks, 264/356 quality starts, 140 ERA+, 60 FIP-, and 89.4 WAR. As of 2037, he’s still seventh among pitchers in WAR and 13^th in strikeouts. He also has the fifth best ERA among HOF starters as of 2037. Even with injury and stamina issues, Sara still emerged as one of the most dominant pitchers of SAB’s first two decades. That made him an easy first ballot selection at 98.2% for the 2005 Hall of Fame class.

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The Asian Baseball Federation didn’t add any players into the Hall of Fame in 2005. There were no strong debuts with the best newcomer being SP Qazi Khwaja at only 27.1%. RF Hakim Baig and 1B Hazan Sheikh were the only two close to the 66% requirement, both only their fourth ballot. Baig had 60.6% and Sheikh had 56.6%. Baig was slightly down from a high of 62.5% the prior year, while it was a new peak for Sheikh.



Relief pitcher Touraj Haghighat fell off the ballot after ten ballots. His ABF run was only five years, but he won four Reliever of the Year awards with Multan and had a 1.28 ERA over 379 innings, 152 saves, 705 strikeouts, 252 ERA+, and 23.3 WAR. He’d go onto pitch in MLB, EPB, and WAB. They were five outstanding years with the Mighty Cocks, but that’s nowhere near enough time to get the resume needed. Still, Haghighat got as high as 21.3% in 1997 before ending at 13.5%.

SP Avid Balakh had a similar fate, pitching only five years in ABF with Izmir. He then had six seasons in Bishkek while they were still in EPB. Balakh didn’t win awards, but in five years had an 81-49 record, 2.34 ERA, 1271 innings, 1756 strikeouts, 136 ERA+, and 39.0 WAR. His official career also started at age 27, keeping him from the accumulations needed. Still, he led in strikeouts twice and was second in 1989 Pitcher of the Year voting. Balakh peaked at 17.6% on his second ballot and ended at 6.8%.

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Arab League Baseball’s first Hall of Famer was inducted in 2005. On his third try, pitcher Abdullah Al-Muhafazat earned the distinction, crossing the 66% requirement with 71.6%. One other player was above 50% with CL Khemais Khalid debuting at 50.3%. Fellow reliever Paul Arfaoui got 43.6% on his sixth try, while SP Ilwad Maxamed debuted with 40.2%.



Abdullah Al-Muhafazat – Starting Pitcher – Basra Bulldogs – 71.6% Third Ballot

Abdullah Al-Muhafazat was a 6’2’’, 195 pound left-handed pitcher from Jeddah, the second-largest city in Saudi Arabia. Al-Muhafazat had very good stuff, which allowed him to overcome poor control and merely okay movement. His velocity was only 92-94 mph with a cutter, but he knew how to fool you with a curveball, changeup, or splitter. Al-Muhafazat had great stamina and durability. He was hard working and humble, wanting to just keep his head down and get the job done.

When Arab League Baseball officially formed for the 1990 season, Al-Muhafazat was already 29 years old and an eight-year veteran of the various semi-pro offerings in Saudi Arabia. He was viewed as one of the most impressive pitchers for the new league and had a couple franchises angling to get him. Al-Muhafazat ultimately moved to Iraq as Basra gave him a six-year, $5,420,000 deal.

It was an excellent investment for the Bulldogs, as Al-Muhafazat led the Eastern Conference five straight seasons in strikeouts. His 399 Ks in 1994 set the record at the time and still sits fourth best as of 2037. He also led in WAR in 1992 at 10.0 and in 1994 at 9.5 Al-Muhafazat twice led the conference in innings pitched and thrice in quality starts.

He also led in wins in both 1992 and 1994, winning Pitcher of the Year both years. Al-Muhafazat also played third in 1995’s voting. On April 18, 1992, he tossed a no-hitter with 6 strikeouts and 1 walk against Sulaymaniyah. Basra earned conference finals berths in 1993 and 1994, but fell both years to Medina’s dynasty. Al-Muhafazat got rocked in 1993 with a 15.00 ERA in six innings, but was solid with a 2.30 ERA in 15.2 innings in 1994.

Al-Muhafazat also pitched for Saudi Arabia from 1991-96 in the World Baseball Championship. While he dominated the Arab League, he wasn’t ready yet for the global stage. In 12 WBC starts and 75 innings, Al-Muhafazat had a 2-10 record, 6.36 ERA, 100 strikeouts, 21 walks, and -0.5 WAR.

With Basra, Al-Muhafazat had a 108-71 record, 2.61 ERA, 1637.2 innings, 2196 strikeouts, 491 walks, 132 ERA+, and 46.7 WAR. He became a free agent at age 35 and ended up in Egypt on a three-year, $4,700,000 deal with Cairo. Al-Muhafazat had the weakest year of his ALB run, but still had a very solid 4.7 WAR in his 1996 debut.

The Pharaohs also won their first Arab League title in 1996, knocking off Medina in the final. Al-Muhafazat struggled in his one playoff start, allowing seven runs and four earned runs in 3.2 innings. His already low velocity dropped in 1997 and Al-Muhafazat ended up benched after posting a 4.20 ERA in 75 innings and only 59 strikeouts. He retired that winter at age 38.

Al-Muhafazat had a 128-87 record, 2.72 ERA, 1930.1 innings, 2508 strikeouts, 610 walks, 130 ERA+, and 52.1 WAR. It’s an impressive run for seven-and-a-half seasons starting at age 29. Without the late start, he probably would’ve held a notable spot on the leaderboards, especially in strikeouts. However, that short tenure and his playoff struggles made it tough once he popped onto the ballot.

Many voters wanted to wait for someone transcendent to be the Arab League’s first-ever Hall of Famer. Others just thought Al-Muhafazat wasn’t quite there. He got 52.0% and 50.5% in his first two tries, but also lacked much competition. On the third try, Al-Muhafazat won over enough doubters to get to 71.6%. That earned him the distinction in 2005 as ALB’s first-ever Hall of Famer.

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The 59^th World Baseball Championship was hosted in Europe for the first time since 1995. Italy was the host nation for the first time with the festivities centered around Naples. Division 1 was a tight race with Egypt and Sweden tying for first at 7-2, while both Ireland and Morocco were 6-3. The Egyptians had the head-to-head tiebreaker for their third-ever division win and second in three years. Taiwan, last year’s runner-up, was fifth in D1 at 4-5.

Perennial powerhouses were stuck together in Division 2 with the United States at 8-1 ousting reigning world champ Canada at 7-2. The Americans were back into the playoff field after a rare miss in 2004, advancing for the 49^th time in WBC history. In Division 3, China (7-2) took the top spot with four other nations behind at 5-4. The Chinese advanced for the 22^nd time and won their third division title in four years.

Division 4 saw Japan on top at 8-1 with Greece the closest foe at 6-3. The Japanese advanced for the 17^th time and ended a two-year drought. Division 5 saw the 71^st unique nation to win a division title as South Africa won it at 8-1. They held off challenges from 7-2 India and 6-3 Brazil.

Division 6 had Chile and Australia tied for first at 7-2. The Chileans had the head-to-head tiebreaker, moving forward for only the third time (1987, 1962). They would be the lone South American team to advance in 2005. Nigeria and the Netherlands tied atop D7 at 7-2 with Tanzania at 6-3. The Nigerians had the tiebreaker to advance for the fifth time. It was their first division title since their 1999 runner-up effort.

Division 8 had the host Italy prevail at 7-2, topping France by one game. This was the 13^th time advancing for the Italians, who ended up being the only team from the 2004 playoff field to advance in 2005. They were also the only European team in the fold. 2005 was also the first time in WBC history that three African teams had won divisions; a major win showing the growth of the game in Africa in just a short time.

However, those three African nations would cede semifinal spots to the more traditional powers. Round Robin Group A had Japan and China both advance at 4-2, while Chile and Nigeria were 2-4. It was the eighth semifinal for the Japanese, who last did it in 2002. The Chinese earned a third semifinal in four years and their 17^th overall.

In Group B, the United States was dominant at 5-1 for a 43^rd appearance in the semifinal. At 3-3, Italy edged out 2-4 finishes from both South Africa and Egypt. This was the sixth semifinal for the Italians, who hadn’t gotten that far since their lone championship appearance in 1988.

Italy would secure a second-ever trip to the finale, surprising Japan with a semifinal sweep. The United States also swept China, giving the Americans a 39^th finals berth. It would be the eighth finals berth in ten years for the US. Officially, Japan was third and China was fourth with the tiebreaker being the superior divisional record for the Japanese (8-1 to 7-2). It was Japan’s best finish since 1989.



In a rematch of the 1988 World Championship, the United States rolled to a sweep of Italy. The Americans are now 34-5 all-time in the finale and won its seventh title in the last decade. Leading the way was tournament MVP Graham Gregor, a third baseman entering his sixth MLB season with Omaha. In 22 games, Gregor had 28 hits, 19 runs, 6 doubles, 10 home runs, 27 RBI, a .326/.414/.744 slash, 236 wRC+, and 1.8 WAR.



The American pitching staff was impressive as well. The team’s 0.632 WHIP was the second lowest in WBC history, while the 3.71 H/9 was the third best. Best Pitcher would go to closer A.J. Gilhooley, a fourth-year MLBer with Austin. His one start was historic as it was the eighth-ever WBC Perfect Game. Gilhooley tied the record for strikeouts in any no-hitter by fanning 22 against New Zealand.

Gilhooley also had three relief appearances, finishing with 14 no-hit innings, 36 strikeouts, one walk, and a 3-0 record. It was an incredible highlight in an otherwise injury plagued career. He ultimately had two torn flexor tendons and two torn rotator cuffs, effectively ending his career before turning 30.

Other notes: The United States also saw a no-hitter in the championship against Italy from Joshua Williams, who had 15 strikeouts and five walks in the effort. Canada allowed only 10 runs and had a 1.11 team ERA in divisional play. These two marks remain all-time WBC bests as of 2037. Below are the all-time tournament stats.

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Baseball’s popularity in Europe continued to surge into the 1990s and 2000s. Many cities and markets on the continent felt they were now ready for the major leagues and the European Baseball Federation was looking to expand. EBF officials wanted to have an organization comparable in size and stature to Major League Baseball. Figuring out the exact logistics though was something that took planning over a number of years.

Further complicating things were the Eurasian Professional Baseball teams that were considering a jump or were able to be poached. In 2000, the great exodus occurred and the EBF grew from 30 teams to 48. 14 teams formerly from EPB defected (Kyiv, Kharkiv, Warsaw, Prague, Helsinki, Riga, Vilnius, Budapest, Bratislava, Bucharest, Tirana, Sofia, Yerevan, Tbilisi), greatly expanding EBF’s footprint eastward. They also did add four new expansion teams from Manchester, Cologne, Odessa, and Krakow.

The expansion and the growth of organizations like the European Union and NATO meant that pretty much the entire continent was a viable option, making for even more cities that wanted a team. At 48 teams, EBF had found a good new balance and wasn’t trying to change that setup. However, they did worry that some of the other cities may try to go rogue and start a new competing league. EBF also wanted to tap more markets and grow the game.

The concept of promotion and relegation wasn’t new to European sports, as it was heavily seen already in various soccer leagues. The idea of a second tier league in which teams could be promoted to the main EBF grew a lot of steam and many cities were onboard. Some of the existing EBF franchises were leery of the idea with fears that their team could get demoted into irrelevancy. But most officials agreed this was going to be the best way to expand.

The next steps became figuring out which cities and countries to add teams from, then figuring out the format and structure of blending this new league into the existing EBF structure. It would become known as the European Second League (E2L), officially starting play in 2005. Cities were encouraged to submit bids and applications throughout the early 2000s to join this new endeavor. Eventually, 32 new franchises were chartered.

The teams would be a mix of cities from large countries that already had teams, as well as cities from smaller countries that had been under represented previously. Unlike the main EBF which had a Northern Conference and Southern Conference divide, the E2L used a Western and Eastern division.

For the inaugural season, the Western Conference lineup included three teams from England (Nottingham, Sheffield, Liverpool), three from France (Lyon, Toulouse, Nantes), three from Germany (Hanover, Frankfurt, Stuttgart), and two from Spain (Valencia, Zaragoza). Turin was added from western Italy. Scotland also got its second team (Edinburgh) as did Belgium (Antwerp). Countries getting their first franchise were Wales (Cardiff) and Iceland (Reykjavik). Reykjavik became the northernmost pro baseball team in the world.

The Eastern Conference additions had more new nations adding teams as part of the goal of integrating the post-Soviet states into the broader European community. The West/East divide of the E2L was also set up that way instead of the top tier’s North/South setup in part to encourage more opportunities for the comparatively less wealthy nations and cities.

Countries getting their first major baseball franchise were Estonia (Tallinn), Moldova (Chisinau), North Macedonia (Skopje), Bosnia and Herzegovina (Sarajevo), and Slovenia (Ljubljana). Previous EPB strongholds Ukraine (Lviv, Dnipro) and Poland (Lodz, Wroclaw) both added two teams. Nations getting a second team were Czechia (Brno), Greece (Thessaloniki), Sweden (Gothenburg), Bulgaria (Varna), and Romania (Cluj-Napoca). The Eastern Conference also added another German team (Leipzig) and an Italian one (Palermo).

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Now that the teams were decided, the next question became how to handle the other logistics of the European Second League. Because of the movement that would be happening annually, the decision was made not to have divisions. Both 16-team conferences would play a balanced schedule which also allowed for interleague play. E2L teams were allowed to make trades with top tier teams. Officially, the top tier was now called the EBF Elite, but most just were referring specifically to the top-tier when talking about the EBF.

Financial and on-field rules would be the same between the two. A shared draft was also in effect with the E2L teams getting first dibs. The teams just demoted got the very first slots, followed by the weakest E2L teams, then the weakest top-tier teams began the main EBF picks. Some worried that top prospects could get trapped on E2L teams even with top flight talent, but the idea was that the studs could lift franchises upward into the top tier.

If a team got demoted, veteran players would receive the option to opt out of their current contracts and enter free agency. Thus, the demoted teams getting the first crack in the draft gave them a chance to prevent an immediate free fall.

There was no inaugural draft for the new franchises, making for very unique team makeups initially. The squads were a hodgepodge of independent European players, veteran EBF free agents looking for a job, and free agent veterans from other world leagues hoping to prolong their careers and get another payday. Many of the award winners and top players in the early years weren’t even European players, making for an eclectic mix. It would take a few years for the talent to level off with more organically scouted and drafted European talent.

As for how promotion was earned, the system was as follows. At the end of a 162-game season, the top four teams from each conference advance to the postseason. The four teams compete in a double round robin with the top two finishers advancing to a best-of-seven conference championship.

By winning the conference championship series, you guarantee promotion to the EBF Elite. The Second League Championship is a best-of-seven which exists mainly for pride and money since both participants are guaranteed promotion. The worst team in each EBF Elite conference would be demoted, although who ends up in which conference during the swap varied based on the geography of the teams involved. This would lead to interesting swaps year on year in the EBF Elite with some teams changing divisions or even conferences to maintain a semblance of geographic continuity.

Initially, only the bottom two teams were demoted. However starting in 2007, it was possible for more than two teams to be promoted and relegated in a year. Along with the Northern Conference and Southern Conference’s worst team dropping, any additional EBF Elite teams that lost 100+ games would also be demoted. The E2L conference finalists would earn promotion in these scenarios with the better regular season record being used as a tiebreaker if it is only one additional spot. On the rare occasions more than four teams were demoted, the next best regular season record among the remaining E2L playoff teams would get the bump up.

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2005 was the debut for the European Second League. In the Western Conference, the top mark went to Turin at 107-55. Tying for second was Stuttgart and Valencia at 99-63. Liverpool took the fourth and final playoff spot at 97-65. Edinburgh and Frankfurt were both in the mix at 92-80, but fell short.



In the Eastern Conference, Ljubljana snagged first place at 97-65. Varna was next at 94-68, followed by Wroclaw (93-69) and Thessaloniki (91-71). The closest competitors were Lodz and Sarajevo both at 88-74.

In the Double Round Robin, top seed Turin took first in the WC at 5-1. Valencia at 3-3 advanced to the Western Conference Championship, while both Liverpool and Stuttgart were 2-4. In the EC, #4 seed Thessaloniki surprised the field with a 5-1 run. Top ranked Ljubljana also advanced at 3-2, while Wroclaw and Varna were ousted with 2-4 finishes.

In the Western Conference finals, #3 Valencia upset Turin 4-1 to guarantee promotion. Meanwhile, #4 seed Thessaloniki won a seven game classic over top ranked Ljubljana to earn their promotion.



The first-ever European Second League Championship saw Valencia defeat Thessaloniki 4-2. Leading the way for the Vandals was former ABF East League Pitcher of the Year Nadir Kaliev. The 30-year old Uzbek went 3-1 over 36 playoff innings with a 2.25 ERA and 33 strikeouts. He also had a postseason no-hitter against Turin, striking out six with one walk.



Other notes: Zaragosa had a 4.54 team ERA, which still stands as the E2L’s all-time worst as of 2037. However, Reykjavik allowed more total runs with their 833 allowed the all-time worst mark. Offensively, Liverpool’s .332 team OBP is still the second-best as of 2037.

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After a third place finish in 2004, Antananarivo finished first in the AAB Southern Conference standings in 2005. Although the Eagles were the conference champ in 2002 and 2003, this was their first time taking the top spot in the standings. The second playoff spot was incredibly hotly contested. Defending Africa Series champ Dar es Salaam, Luanda, and Durban all finished tied at 95-67. Harare was right in the mix at 93-69 as well.

Tiebreaker games were needed to determine the second playoff team. In the first game, the Landsharks topped the Sabercats, ending Dar es Salaam’s repeat bid. Luanda would lose though to the Deer, giving Durban its first-ever playoff appearance.

The Deer took the top individual awards in the Southern Conference. LF Marley Mubiru became the third player to become a three-time MVP in the African Association of Baseball. The switch-hitting Ugandan had won it in 1998 and 1999 with Luanda. Now 32-years old, Mubiru signed a six-year, $14,640,000 deal with Durban for 2004, but underperformed and had injuries in his debut. He was elite in 2005, leading in runs (128), home runs (57), slugging (.708), OPS (1.115), wRC+ (209), and WAR (10.2). Mubiru also had a .324 average and 129 RBI.

Siyabonga Zongo repeated as Pitcher of the Year in his fifth season for Durban. The 27-year old South African lefty led in strikeouts (294), WAR (7.8), quality starts (24), and FIP- (67). Zongo also had a 19-7 record and 2.86 ERA over 251.1 innings.



Three-time defending Central Conference champ Kinshasa continued its control by taking first at 101-61. It was the fourth straight season and eighth time that the Sun Cats had the top record. They’ve also still made the playoffs in every AAB season, growing the streak to 11 years. Ndjamena (95-67) edged Kigali (94-68) for the number two spot. It is the third time in the playoffs for the Magic, who hadn’t done it since AAB’s first two seasons of 1995-96. After taking second last year, Lubumbashi struggled to sixth at 76-86.

Bujumbura was right at .500, but they had the Central Conference MVP in 1B Luke Tembo. In his fourth season, the Malawian lefty was the leader in runs (113), home runs (61), walks (155), strikeouts (181), OBP (.441), slugging (.682), OPS (1.123), wRC+ (185), and WAR (8.0). Tembo’s 155 walks drawn fell one short of his own world record set the prior year.

Pitcher of the Year went to Ndjamena’s Ivan Craque. A sixth-year righty from Mozambique, Craque led in wins (19-9), complete games (10), and shutouts (4). He added a 3.21 ERA over 241.1 innings with 244 strikeouts and 6.2 WAR. This was the peak for Craque, who had two more decent years with the Magic before eventually suffering a catastrophic rotator cuff tear.

Antananarivo downed Durban 4-1 in the Southern Conference Championship, giving the Eagles their third pennant in four years. Kinshasa made it four straight Central Conference titles as they swept Ndjamena. The Sun Cats earned their ninth appearance in the Africa Series, trying to win their seventh overall title after falling in 2004 to Dar es Salaam.



In both 2002 and 2003, Kinshasa defeated Antananarivo in the Africa Series. Round three in 2005 finally went the Eagles’ way. For back-to-back years, the finale was an intense battle that needed all nine games. Antananarivo prevailed 5-4 over the Sun Cats to earn their first-ever title.



Finals MVP was an unlikely face in 1B Kikuji Nakamura. After a 17-year career in Japan, Nakamura split 2005 between Antananarivo and Stuttgart of the European Second League. He came over in an August trade, as the EBF and AAB would briefly allow trading between its teams in the early part of the 21^st Century. In 13 playoff starts, Nakamura had 13 hits, 5 runs, 2 doubles, 2 home runs, and 4 RBI.

2005 would also mark the end of Kinshasa’s incredible dynasty run with a 6-3 finals record over AAB’s first 11 seasons. Addis Ababa would soon take over the Central Conference with their own impressive dynasty run. The Sun Cats would have to wait until 2015 for their next conference finals appearance and until 2033 for their next Africa Series appearance. Still, they go down as the dynasty of AAB’s first decade and helped popularize the sport in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Other notes: Bujumbura’s Joel Mwasesa had a 14 strikeout, 1 walk no hitter on April 15 against Lubumbashi. This would be the AAB record for Ks in a no-no until 2012. Mohau Sibiya became the first AAB hitter to 500 career home runs. Boubacar Mavinga became the second to 1000 runs scored. Marley Mubiru became the third to 1000 RBI. Mubiru won his seventh Silver Slugger in left field, the first AAB player to win seven.